Chapter 2: Prevent Ding Yuan’s death, another lottery!
"A plot to sow discord? No! He was able to approach the military camp without anyone noticing, and has already attacked me, the commander. He could just kill me directly, why would he go to such great lengths?!"

Ding Yuan was indeed a veteran who had spent his entire life in military service. He quickly calmed down and, recalling Cao Zhengchun's martial arts, he was even more certain that he was not an assassin sent by Dong Zhuo.

He was the one who interfered with Dong Zhuo's arbitrary dethronement and enthronement, and he was defeated by his troops yesterday. He hated him with gnashing teeth. If Cao Zhengchun was a member of the Xiliang Army, he would have killed him long ago with such a godsend opportunity!

Ding Yuan couldn't figure out Cao Zhengchun's purpose, and couldn't figure out what kind of power this expert represented. However, the meaning behind his words did make Ding Yuan suspicious and he became a little suspicious of Lu Bu.

The main reason is Lu Bu’s character, he is indeed greedy and lustful!
Just as he was thinking about it, an officer came to see him: "General, there are signs of assassins infiltrating the army. I led the army to track them down and found a guard who was knocked unconscious near the general's camp. Is the general not hurt?"

"Perhaps the assassin was about to attack and you discovered him in advance. Since this general was not assassinated, the assassin obviously gave up this action. You should search the entire camp immediately, plug the loopholes, and find the assassin's trace."

Ding Yuan relaxed a little, which showed that although Cao Zhengchun was a great martial artist, he could not appear and disappear without a trace. There were still traces to follow and he could be on guard against.

However, with the traces left by Cao Zhengchun, he could go to Lu Bu's camp in the name of searching for spies. If it was a plot to alienate him, he would have an excuse, right? It would not hurt the relationship between father and son!

"I obey my orders!"

……

Dong Zhuo was assassinated last night. He was shocked and angry, so he ordered Li Su to meet Lu Bu early in the morning with the Red Hare and gold and silver treasures, and try to persuade Lu Bu to surrender.

When fellow villagers meet, their eyes are filled with tears. Lu Bu immediately prepares a banquet to entertain them. They are drinking happily. After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Li Su gets down to business.

"My dear brother, you have a noble bearing, extraordinary martial arts, and are brave enough to be defeated by ten thousand men. Fame, wealth and honor are as easy as taking something out of your pocket. Why do you have to be content to serve as a clerk under Ding Yuan?" Li Su stood up for Lu Bu.

Lü Bu was already drunk, which aroused his resentment. He was a military commander, and he was asked to serve as a chief clerk. Isn't this irrelevant and a waste of talent? He said bitterly: "Bu, you have never met a wise master!"

"The wise master is right in front of us, but I just didn't notice him!"

"Oh? Brother, where is the Master?"

"Xiliang Governor Dong Zhuo!"

Li Su's words immediately sobered Lu Bu up. He jumped up, looked at Li Su in surprise, and said in a deep voice:

"Brother, you came here for Dong Zhuo. Don't you know that my Bingzhou army fought a fierce battle with the Xiliang army yesterday? Dong Zhuo is ambitious and reckless. He is just a traitor. How can he be called a wise leader? Moreover, he is a defeated general of the Xiliang army. How can he be worthy of my submission?"

"Hahaha--"

Li Su suddenly burst into laughter: "When my dear brother heard the name of Dong Zhuo, he jumped up and woke up from his drunkenness. Doesn't this mean that the name of Dong Zhuo also frightens my dear brother?!"

Lu Bu was speechless and his face looked grim!

"My dear brother, you said that Dong Zhuo was reckless in deposing and enthroning? But you don't know that the emperor is weak and cannot intimidate the ministers. The Prince of Chenliu is smart, capable, intelligent and studious, a hundred times stronger than the emperor. It is obvious at a glance who will rule the Han Dynasty and benefit the country!
"However, the civil and military officials in the court were afraid of being accused of being disloyal and unfilial, so they dared not bring up the matter. Moreover, a weak emperor is easy to bully, while a wise emperor is difficult to serve. They are called loyal ministers, but in reality they are only doing it for themselves. Who really cares about the country?

"However, Mr. Dong dares to say what others dare not say, dares to say what others are unwilling to say, and dares to bear the name of disloyalty and unfilial. How bright is Mr. Dong's heart? How upright is Mr. Dong's behavior?"

Li Su's analysis gradually calmed Lu Bu's expression, and his impression of Dong Zhuo also improved a lot. Li Su struck while the iron was hot and continued to ask:

"My dear brother, the Bingzhou army won a great victory yesterday. Did Ding Yuan give any reward? No! The Bingzhou army is unclear about rewards and punishments, but Lord Dong is respectful to the wise and humble, and the Xiliang army is clear about rewards and punishments!
"I am not as talented as you, and I hold the title of General of the Tiger Guards. You are brave enough to defeat ten thousand men, but you are only a clerk. It is not worth it for me to take your place!"

Lu Bu's face changed and he got angrier the more he thought about it!
The official chief clerk under the governor had a rank of 300 dan. The rank of the Tiger Guard Lieutenant Colonel General was 2,000 dan.

It's like Li Su, who earns 50,000 a month, comes to ask Lv Bu, who earns 6,000 a month, to change jobs, and implies that as long as Lv Bu changes jobs, he will get a starting salary of 50,000. Who wouldn't be tempted?!
Not to mention the salary, the status and reputation it brings are worlds apart!!
Lies won't hurt, the truth is the sharpest knife!

At this time, Li Su took out the gold and silver treasures at the right time, which made Lu Bu's eyes widen immediately, just like a pauper seeing 100 million. It would be a lie to say that he was not tempted.

Li Su patiently said:
"My dear brother, Lord Dong has long heard of your great name, and he specially sent me here to recruit you. In addition to these gold and silver treasures, the Red Hare was also given by Lord Dong. My dear brother, have you ever been treated like this under Ding Yuan?"

"Never!"

Lu Bu was really touched!
Dong Zhuo really treats him better than his own father!

"My dear brother, a wise bird chooses the right tree to inhabit, and a wise minister chooses the right master to serve. Opportunities are rare and will never come again. You must seize them!"

Lu Bu looked at the gold and silver treasures, thought of the Red Hare, and felt Dong Zhuo's kindness, and finally softened his heart:

"I have no relationship with Dong Zhuo, yet he is treated so well. Ding Yuan and I are father and son, but he has never treated me so well. This really makes me feel disappointed! How can I repay Dong Gong for his kindness?"

Li Su was overjoyed and said, "With your talent, if you join Lord Dong, you will surely rise to prominence and be appointed a marquis or a general! I just don't know if Governor Ding is willing to let you go!"

Lu Bu looked ferocious, and said in a deep voice: "In this case, I will kill Ding Yuan and lead my troops to join Lord Dong!"

"If you can do this, it will be a great achievement. Not only can you repay Mr. Dong's kindness, but you can also be promoted immediately!" Li Su said impatiently, "There is no time to waste. Today is worse than tomorrow!"

"I will kill him immediately..."

As Lu Bu was speaking, a cold voice suddenly came from outside the tent: "Who are you going to kill?!"

Zila——

Ding Yuan directly blew open the tent, led his troops inside, and looked at the two generals with anger on his face.

This exposed the conspiracy on the spot, and immediately made Lu Bu and Li Su terrified!

The murderous aura that Lu Bu had just had was gone, and his momentum was reduced due to his guilty conscience: "Foster father, please listen to my explanation!"

"Lu Bu! You are such an ungrateful fellow!"

Ding Yuan looked at Lu Bu with anger and dismay.

If it weren't for the white-haired mysterious master (Cao Zhengchun) who warned him, he would have been killed by Lu Bu and Li Su. How could he not be angry?
"I treated you like my own son, but you turned evil into revenge and wanted to kill my father. Dong Zhuo bribed you with just gold and silver. Is the relationship between you and me not as valuable as these material things? You disappoint me so much!"

"Godfather, godfather..." Lu Bu was about to kneel down with shame on his face.

But Li Su woke up immediately, his eyes rolling around, looking for a way to break the deadlock.

Ding Yuan was so angry that he gave the order: "Catch this rebellious son and punish him by military law. Also, cut off the head of Dong Zhuo's traitor and send it to the Xiliang Army..."

"Brother, since you are doomed to die, why not just rebel!" Li Su shouted without hesitation, and immediately drew his sword to attack, "Ding Yuan will not let you go, we must go all out until we die!"

Lu Bu woke up with a start. He realized that he had been caught by Ding Yuan on the spot. There was no affection between father and son. Instead of waiting to die, he might as well take a risk.

Lu Bu immediately started to fight back. After all, he was the most powerful general in the world. He overwhelmed Ding Yuan's personal soldiers and made them unable to resist. In the end, he beheaded his adoptive father. The Bingzhou army was leaderless and immediately panicked.

"Ding Yuan was unkind, so I have killed him. The brothers who wanted to follow me can stay. I will never stop them if they want to leave!"

Lu Bu raised Ding Yuan's head and roared, which made the Bingzhou soldiers hesitant and worried about gains and losses. They gradually gave up the life-and-death battle with Lu Bu and most of them dispersed, but many people still followed Lu Bu.

The situation was immediately under Lu Bu's control. Li Su was overjoyed and said, "My dear brother, a man who knows the current situation is a hero. Lord Dong will definitely treat you well. Bring Ding Yuan's head with you to see Lord Dong!"

"Please introduce me, brother!"

At this point, Lu Bu was decisive.

With Li Su's introduction, Lu Bu met Dong Zhuo.

When he threw Ding Yuan's head in front of Dong Zhuo and others, the Xiliang army generals were shocked. Ding Yuan, the leader of the Bingzhou army who had forced the Xiliang army to retreat 30 miles, was going to die with his eyes open? !
Dong Zhuo was not surprised but delighted. He stepped forward and helped Lü Bu up: "Fengxian, please stand up quickly! I have Fengxian today, which is like a long drought finally ending in a downpour. It will be even more powerful than a tiger with wings!"

After thinking for a while, Lu Bu knelt on one knee again and began to recognize his father sincerely: "I have been wandering for half my life, and I only regret that I have never met a wise master. If you don't abandon me, I am willing to be your adoptive father!"

"Hahaha, today I not only got a brave general, but also an adopted son!" Dong Zhuo was overjoyed and accepted the invitation decisively. "Congratulations, Mr. Dong! Congratulations, Mr. Dong!"

The Xiliang generals immediately celebrated and held a banquet to celebrate.

Dong Zhuo appointed Lü Bu as Cavalry Commandant, General of the Central Army, and Marquis of Duting. He also gave him a golden armor and a battle robe and ordered him to be a personal guard.

After planning to kill Ding Yuan and annex Lu Bu and other Bingzhou troops, Dong Zhuo no longer had any military rivals!

In order to avoid any further complications, Dong Zhuo decided to hold a meeting immediately tomorrow to decide on the matter of deposing and enthroning the emperor!
……

Cao Zhengchun returned to the palace and reported to Liu Bian that he had completed his mission. Then the news that Ding Yuan was killed and Dong Zhuo annexed the Bingzhou Army immediately shook the capital, and Liu Bian also learned the truth!

Liu Bian also felt a little helpless!
He had already warned Ding Yuan, but was still killed by Lu Bu? ! Was it because Ding Yuan was too lax, or was it because Lu Bu was too brave? !
The only change is that in this life, Ding Yuan was not killed unexpectedly by Lu Bu, but at least he died in a bloody battle!

That’s probably the only change!

"This slave deserves to die! Your Majesty, please punish me!"

Cao Zhengchun was speechless. He had already warned Ding Yuan to be careful not to be assassinated, and he had also infiltrated Ding Yuan. Would Ding Yuan at least be on guard? But in the end, he was still killed by Lu Bu?
Was it because Lu Bu was too brave? Or were Ding Yuan's men too useless? Of course, none of this mattered. What mattered was that he had failed to complete such a simple "messenger" mission, which was really a shame to His Majesty!

"Ding Yuan was reckless and had some hope for Lü Bu. That's why he didn't prepare fully for his thunderous attack, but instead gave Lü Bu a chance to counterattack. Now that things have come to this, it's not your fault!"

Liu Bian said tiredly: "You go down first, I want to be alone."

"The slaves obey."

After Cao Zhengchun retreated, he hid in the surroundings and protected them in secret, feeling deeply guilty.

Liu Bian closed his eyes and waited quietly for midnight to arrive.

After Ding Yuan's death, Dong Zhuo annexed the Bingzhou Army and became the largest warlord in the capital. No one could stop him from deposing and enthroning people. Liu Bian had to find a way to resolve this hidden danger.

His only way out of the impasse is the Gou Di System!
While waiting, time came to midnight, that is, twelve o'clock.

"Ding dong."

"The host has obtained a chance to draw a lottery."

“Will there be a lottery?”

Liu Bian subconsciously straightened his back and said directly: "Draw a lottery!"

The turntable began to turn again, and the pointer passed over attribute points, weapons, armor, military supplies, combat readiness, auxiliary talents, martial arts secrets, etc. It turned around and around, and finally slowly stopped from fast to slow.

"Congratulations on winning the four great commanders of the Imperial Guards - Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise!"

With a flash of light, four people appeared directly in front of Liu Bian.

"I am Azure Dragon/White Tiger/Suzaku/Black Tortoise, paying my respects to Your Majesty!"

"No need to pay tribute."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!!!"

The expression is cold, like a thousand years of ice, and the green dragon holds a long sword.

A nine-zhang-tall (two-meter) white tiger with a sturdy and strong build and wearing gold-wire gloves.

Zhuque, with delicate eyebrows and eyes, a smile on his face, looks both male and female, and is waving a folding fan.

And the black tortoise whose face cannot be seen, shrouded in a black robe.

After the four people appeared, they bowed to Liu Bian at the same time.

Liu Bian is sure that these people are not movie characters. It seems that the system rewards also have original characters. I just don't know how good their martial arts are? Do they have any special skills?
Just when they were about to let them show off their martial arts, Cao Zhengchun hurried in.

Cao Zhengchun was stunned when he suddenly saw Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise. He didn't understand why they suddenly appeared right under his nose. But he immediately lowered his head and listened carefully. Without asking any more questions, he stepped forward and reported:

"Your Majesty, the Xiliang army has been replaced, and the garrison commander Wang Fangzheng is on alert for patrols and investigations. In order to avoid accidents, do you need to change clothes and go to bed to conceal your presence?" Cao Zhengchun was considerate and attentive.

It was now one o'clock in the morning, past twelve in the morning. Normal people would lie in bed and sleep, but Liu Bian was sitting on the dragon throne neatly dressed. If Wang Fang, the general of the Western Liang army who was replacing him, came over on patrol too alert, he would definitely be suspicious and question him, causing unnecessary trouble.

"You guys retreat and hide for now, Cao Zhengchun will help me change my clothes."

Liu Bian thought Cao Zhengchun’s proposal was very good and it would save him from having to be interrogated by the Xiliang garrison commander.

But while the order was being given, footsteps were heard outside the palace. The Xiliang soldiers immediately opened the palace door arrogantly without any intention of reporting, which showed their contempt and arrogance towards the Han emperor.

It was too late to change clothes and go to bed to hide from others. Liu Bian waved his hand and ordered Cao Zhengchun and others to retreat and hide, and he would deal with this unexpected situation alone.

"Whoosh whoosh—"

Cao Zhengchun, Qinglong, Baihu, Zhuque and Xuanwu are all masters who can fly over eaves and walls, and have extraordinary lightness skills.

Azure Dragon and White Tiger flashed and hid behind the screen and beams to be on guard. Vermillion Bird jumped up, did a backflip in the air, and jumped onto the beam as light as a swallow. Black Tortoise disappeared into the shadows.

Cao Zhengchun stepped on the beams and hid on the crossbeams.

In the blink of an eye, these people all hid themselves, showing their magical powers. Only Liu Bian was left sitting quietly on the dragon throne, very satisfied with the martial arts performance of these people, and his confidence was slightly sufficient.

Liu Bian thought about it, then picked up a copy of "Spring and Autumn Annals" from the dragon table and started reading it, otherwise just sitting there would arouse suspicion.

……

The general who replaced the Xiliang Army was Wang Fang, one of the generals under Dong Zhuo. He was nine feet (more than two meters) tall and had a sturdy and strong build, comparable to Baihu. Although he looked big and strong, he was cautious and meticulous.

After Dong Zhuo annexed the Bingzhou Army, the Xiliang Army had no rivals, and the defending soldiers were somewhat arrogant and relaxed. But after Wang Fang changed his position, he immediately reorganized the military defense and was on high alert. Prepare for the meeting to depose the emperor tomorrow.

Wang Fangzheng brought two personal soldiers to conduct a surprise inspection of Deyang Palace. He had just thought of checking it out on a whim, but unexpectedly discovered that Liu Bian was still sitting behind the dragon throne, reading a book by lamplight.

It is already 2:45 PM, which is past midnight. Who would not go to bed? It is hard not to associate Liu Bian, the little emperor, with his sleepless nights!
Thinking hard!
Wang Fang looked at Liu Bian suspiciously and found that the timid little emperor was looking back at him with a calm expression, firm eyes and no fear. This immediately made Wang Fang suspicious!
It should be noted that one of the reasons why Dong Zhuo deposed the emperor was that Liu Bian was cowardly. Seeing that the Xiliang Army was timid, he completely lacked the majesty of an emperor and was unworthy of being the common ruler of the world!

But now Liu Bian was calm and composed, how could he look timid? !

There must be a demon in the abnormal situation!
Wang Fang was immediately startled and glanced around vigilantly.

Two of his personal soldiers looked around while searching the Deyang Palace, but found nothing unusual. They behaved very casually and nonchalantly, and ignored the Han Emperor Liu Bian who was reading late at night, and showed no respect at all.

But Wang Fang was, after all, a brave and skilled general of the Xiliang Army. Although he did not notice anything unusual, his sense of crisis, which he had developed through hundreds of battles, still made him smell the breath of danger.

Wang Fang always felt that there were pairs of eyes staring at him in the darkness, like poisonous snakes choosing their prey, looking for the moment to strike.

"There's an ambush?!!!"

……

(End of this chapter)