Chapter 35

-> Hot Recommendations:

...

Now, Guan, Zhang, and Zhao are being treated like heroes. One moment they are given seats by the leader, the next they are offered wine by the feudal lords, and then a large piece of meat is handed to them.

The three of them, including the seemingly weak Zhao Yun, accepted everything without refusal. Zhang Fei, wrapped in bandages, drank large gulps of wine. Sometimes, in his enthusiasm, the wine spilled onto his wounds, but he didn’t even flinch, continuing to chatter away. When meat came, he stuffed it into his mouth in large bites, gnawing and swallowing with a gulp of wine.

These three are real gluttons, Chen Xi rolled his eyes. How can they eat so much? They accept everything with open arms and are incredibly generous.

"Lord Xuande truly has a plethora of heroes under his command!" After the great victory, even a scholar like Kong Rong let his guard down, for in this martial age, military achievements surpass all other forms of merit.

"Brother Wenju, you flatter me. Xuande has always followed the path of a martial general, and the governance of the state requires your support." Liu Bei held his wine bowl, looking very pleased as he drained it, not a bit of pretense in his smile, and he pulled Kong Rong to sit down.

"Of course, of course!" Kong Rong stroked his beard and smiled, turning to the robust general behind him, "An Guo, go and thank Generals Guan, Zhang, and Zhao."

Then Kong Rong turned to Liu Bei and said, "Lord Xuande, this man is one of my subordinates. He once received a meal from me and vowed to repay me with his life. Over the years, I have owed him much, and now I thank you for saving his life."

"This is a man of loyalty and righteousness, and it is my duty to save him. There is no need for you to be so formal, Wenju." Liu Bei, upon hearing that the man had vowed to repay a single meal with his life, felt a deep admiration for Wu Anguo, "A man of loyalty and righteousness is protected by heaven."

Well, hearing this, Chen Xi couldn’t help but shrink back. How is Liu Bei sounding like a cult leader now?

In the tent, the cups and bowls were clinking, and after the great victory, everyone forgot their previous worries. It seemed as if Luoyang was within reach, and the mission to support the emperor was about to succeed. Even Yuan Shao, who had lost his uncle a few days ago and had sworn to fight to the death against Dong Zhuo, was being flattered to the point of losing himself.

[Indeed, this situation shows that Yuan Shao is unreliable.] Chen Xi, seeing Yuan Shao lost in the fantasy of his great achievements, lost all interest in him.

Turning to look at the tent, sure enough, Cao Cao was not at all intoxicated and was already conversing with Guan, Zhang, and Zhao. The Xiahou brothers were also sitting beside them, drinking and toasting with great enthusiasm.

Turning to look at Sun Jian, he was, like Chen Xi, expressionless, observing the various feudal lords. Perhaps he was already considering whether it would be better to act alone rather than follow the fiery Yuan Shao, for Yuan Shao’s actions were like a cold shower, chilling his enthusiasm.

Turning to look at Liu Bei, sure enough, besides conversing with Kong Rong and Tao Qian, his eyes were often scanning the other feudal lords, but his gaze lingered most often on the place where Guan, Zhang, and Zhao were drinking.

Chen Xi didn’t know how he got back to Liu Bei’s camp. Thinking about the situation, he estimated that nine out of ten people in the main camp were carried back. If Lu Bu had launched another surprise attack last night, the allied forces would have been doomed, with most of the generals drunk and the feudal lords, except for Cao, Sun, and Liu, also largely incapacitated.

Thinking about this, Chen Xi broke out in a cold sweat. [Yuan Shao, if you want to die, don’t drag me down with you.] Then he thought, [Drinking really causes trouble. In the future, I must remember not to drink too much in the camp. As long as I don’t drink too much, my mind will remain clear, and I can still fight if trouble comes. If I die in the chaos... ] Chen Xi’s face turned ashen.

"Zichuan, are you awake?" Liu Bei’s voice came in after Chen Xi had just finished washing up.

"Lord Xuande, last night I drank too much and may have been rude." Chen Xi, wearing a flashy white silk robe, asked somewhat wearily.

"Even when drunk, Zichuan still remembered to insist that I set up camp defenses." Liu Bei said with a smile.

Hearing this, Chen Xi let out a long sigh of relief. Indeed, a man who fears death is always afraid of death, even when drunk, he remembered that Li Ru and Jia Xu were very dangerous.

"Good, good. Lord Xuede, please remember to have Generals Guan, Zhang, and Zhao take turns patrolling. Don’t let anything go wrong. If Lu Bu launches a surprise attack, there won’t be many in the entire allied forces who can sound the alarm in time." Chen Xi said with a bitter smile.

"Zichuan, you don’t need to worry about Lu Bu anymore. Zilong said last night that Lu Bu’s invincible mindset has been shattered and will not recover in the short term. He might even regress, but Zilong also said that he could potentially become even stronger." Liu Bei explained to Chen Xi, and while the first part sounded reassuring, the last sentence made Chen Xi extremely anxious.

Lu Bu is already strong enough. It took a lot of effort to defeat him with a combination of attacks. If he becomes even stronger, it will be impossible to live!

"I hope Lu Bu regresses. Even if he recovers to his original level, he shouldn’t get any stronger. That guy is too strong." Chen Xi sighed, "I think we need to recruit some top-tier generals to form a formidable lineup. Every time Lu Bu attacks, we can change the person to beat him!" Chen Xi said through gritted teeth, having a good memory of the famous and named generals of the Three Kingdoms and knowing their general locations.

Liu Bei didn’t understand every word Chen Xi said, but he grasped the general meaning. Recruiting talented people is indeed important, especially after seeing how a super expert like Lu Bu could defeat Guan and Zhang. Liu Bei’s desire to recruit talented people grew stronger, but now was not the time.

Upon learning of Lu Bu’s current state, Dong Zhuo’s disappointment and dissatisfaction were evident on his face. He had looked up to Lu Bu because he was an unbeatable legend, but now that Lu Bu had lost, and would likely lose again, Dong Zhuo’s regard for him had diminished.

Thinking about the three men on the other side, Dong Zhuo felt that the supposedly impregnable Hulao Pass was not safe at all. He suddenly realized that the territories he had been trying to expand were not valuable. These places not only failed to provide him with security but also caused him a lot of trouble.

Thinking further, Dong Zhuo suddenly had an idea. Why not move Luoyang back to his hometown? His hometown was like an iron bucket, with the natural defenses of the Xiaohan Pass and the strategic position of Western Qin. Why suffer here? Back in his hometown, he could do whatever he wanted, as it would all be his territory!

Having the idea, Dong Zhuo eagerly ran to Li Ru and asked, "Wenyou, if we now empty Luoyang and return to Chang’an, with the natural defenses of the Xiaohan Pass, will I live better than I do now?"

Li Ru was taken aback, looking at the towering Dong Zhuo standing before him with a hopeful expression, and all his anger dissipated.