Chapter 23

Chapter 657: Reunion with Choxian (2)

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Lü Bu could no longer avoid the reunion with Choxian, as she had entered the room, pushing the door wide open.

Without a word, she stared intently at Lü Bu, and soon her eyes became moist. Lü Bu grabbed her hand, but Choxian shook it off.

"Lord, I have heard everything. Where is the promise to have only one wife? You have taken another woman as a concubine?"

"That's... "

Lü Bu was speechless when Choxian confronted him. Jiegu, seeing Lü Bu's awkward expression, could no longer bear it and stepped forward, removing her disguise.

"You young girl, oppressing my man! Your gall has grown! Do you really want to die?"

Jiegu stepped forward, and Choxian, losing her composure, reached out as if to tear out her hair. However, it was impossible for Choxian, who had not trained in martial arts, to stand up to Jiegu.

Jiegu grabbed Choxian's wrists and toyed with her as if playing with a child. Choxian, with a look of intense anger, raised her voice.

"Are you the one who bewitched General Lü?"

"Bewitched? A strong woman gets a handsome man. There's no reason for me to listen to such words from a weak woman like you."

"Shameless! I am the wife, and I am still alive. How dare you enter as a concubine without my permission?"

"Concubine! How can Gao Shi Wang Jiegu be a mere concubine? Ridiculous! You are neither a wife nor a concubine who can stand firm."

Jiegu raised her chin and continued.

"I am Gao Shi Wang of the Xiongnu. I have inherited noble blood. There is no woman among the Xiongnu more noble than me. What about you? Are you the daughter of a Han emperor?"

"I am... I am..."

Jiegu's emphasis on lineage left the clever Choxian speechless.

It wasn't a problem for Choxian, a Han, to disregard the Xiongnu royal lineage. However, she knew that the warriors under Gao Shi Wang Jiegu were a great help to Lü Bu in his quest to conquer the world.

On the other hand, Choxian had nothing.

There was no powerful family backing her, and she certainly couldn't command thousands of soldiers like Jiegu.

It was clear to anyone who would be more helpful to Lü Bu.

But Choxian didn't want to leave Lü Bu's side. She was not willing to give up her position as his wife. Lü Bu was everything to her. She had never even considered a world without him, let alone give him up.

"Lü Bu, choose!"

"Choose. Me or that woman?"

* * *

The fiery eye-to-eye confrontation between Choxian and Jiegu continued, and Lü Bu, at a loss for what to do, could only watch the two women.

He was the one who wouldn't blink in the face of thousands of soldiers, but he was helpless against the two women's pressure.

"It's all my fault. Choxian, I am ashamed for not keeping my promise to you. Jiegu, Choxian is my wife."

"So, Lü Bu, are you saying that I, Gao Shi Wang Jiegu, have to share a man with another woman?"

Jiegu glared at Choxian.

"There can't be two masters on one mountain. How can two tigers live on one mountain? The winner stays, and the loser dies or leaves. This is the law of nature."

Jiegu followed the law of the wild beasts. It was unrealistic to expect her to understand the principles of Confucianism. She used the same logic to persuade Lü Bu.

"Lü Bu, I have borne your child. But that young girl, despite being with you for a long time, hasn't had a child yet. I want many daughters, and you want many sons. Embrace me. I will give you what you want."

Choxian could only appeal to his emotions.

"Lord, you must not treat your wife this way. Now that you have gained fame, are you going to abandon your original wife?"

Choxian had always fulfilled her duties as Lü Bu's wife. In fact, she had done more than that.

She hadn't gone out to fight with weapons, but her contributions to Lü Bu's current status were undeniable.

Moreover, Lü Bu had only wanted her, and his feelings had never changed.

However, Jiegu had his child, and he couldn't ignore that.

Lü Bu, caught in a dilemma, was fortunate that heaven was on his side. Heaven provided him with a way out.

"Brother, a ship with the Guanxi army's flag has arrived at the dock. What should we do?"

Shang Kai opened the door and reported again. Lü Bu saw this as a good excuse and didn't miss the opportunity.

"Really? A ship from the Guanxi army...? I must go see it. Yes, I must."

Lü Bu fled, and Choxian and Jiegu followed him.

* * *

At the Zhongtian dock.

Sure enough, as Shang Kai had said, a ship with the Guanxi army's flag had arrived at the dock.

"I knew this day would come. Brother, didn't I tell you?"

Wei Yue's expression seemed to be full of concern for Lü Bu, but his words hit a sore spot.

"Are you fanning the flames in a burning house?"

Lü Bu shot back, and Wei Yue flinched, avoiding his gaze.

"No, that's not it... I'm just worried about you, Brother..."

"Wei Yue, why did you let the Guanxi army's ship dock here?"

"Brother, just before this ship arrived, a small boat with a white flag came and informed us that an envoy from the Guanxi army would come. I thought it was just one boat, so if it was an enemy, I planned to kill them all and seize the ship."

Guo Jia came to Wei Yue's defense.

"General, how many soldiers could be on such a ship? Besides, since they say an envoy is coming, we should meet them once."

"Master, Huang Baosong and I have already crossed the point of no return. What good would it do to meet an envoy now?"

"As I always say, conversation is always important. Even if they are enemies with weapons drawn, it still applies."

Lü Bu accepted Guo Jia's suggestion to avoid another lecture on the importance of conversation.

"Fine. I'll meet them. But why are they taking so long?"

Lü Bu bared his teeth at the Guanxi army soldiers who hadn't yet disembarked.

Eventually, a gangplank was laid from the ship to the dock, and porters in shabby clothes began to unload the cargo.

Guo Jia carefully observed the cargo they were moving. The items were not large, but those carrying them all had frowns on their faces, indicating they were not grain or silk.

A few cartloads of cargo were moved from the ship to the dock and piled up. Seeing this, Choxian, who had arrived at some point, spoke to Lü Bu.

"Lord, those items are surely treasures and valuables."

She had been resentful of Lü Bu just a moment ago, but she maintained his dignity in front of others as his wife.

Jiegu, finding the Han woman's concern for face disgusting, stepped back and stayed behind Lü Bu.

"Valuables?"

"Yes, definitely valuables."

Was it a woman's intuition? Choxian confidently stated this without even opening the cargo.

"Why valuables...?"

"During war, provisions are more important than valuables, and valuables move with women."

Choxian was surprised by her own words, and her eyes widened. Instinctively, both Choxian and Jiegu's gazes were drawn to a spot. There, three beautiful women appeared.

They were Zhang Xi, An Xi, and Jin Xi, sent by Huang Baosong.

They descended from the ship with the grace of celestial maidens. Their beauty was so striking that some of Lü Bu's soldiers, unable to regain their composure, reached out to hold their hands.

"Wow! Their skin is as smooth as silk!"

The soldiers couldn't take their eyes off the women, even after just a brief touch.

"They are celestial maidens!"

"There's no one like them in the moon palace!"

Seeing the beautifully adorned women, it was natural for the unmarried soldiers to be captivated. However, they were not bandits and did not act rudely.

Zhang Xi looked around with eyes like a deer being hunted, clearly terrified.

However, Choxian and Jiegu saw through her pretense. They had been glaring at each other a moment ago, but now they stuck close to Lü Bu, as if trying to protect him.

* * *

"Which one of you is General Lü Bu? I, Celestial Maiden Zhang Xi, have a message from Commander Huang Baosong."

Zhang Xi's trembling voice stimulated the protective instincts of the men.

The soldiers' gazes all turned to Lü Bu. At this point, it was clear who he was without needing to be told.

Zhang Xi walked gracefully to Lü Bu, placed her hands on her right hip, and slightly bowed.

"Celestial Maiden Zhang Xi is here to deliver a message from Commander Huang Baosong to General Lü Bu."

If there was a limit