Chapter 35: We Need to Recruit Talented People

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Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun were currently receiving the full treatment of heroes. One moment the Alliance Leader was bestowing seats upon them, the next the various lords were offering wine, and then large chunks of meat were being passed their way.

The three of them, including the seemingly frail Zhao Yun, accepted everything offered. Zhang Fei, wrapped in bandages, gulped down wine in massive draughts; sometimes, in his boisterousness, the liquid would splash onto his wounds, yet the fellow wouldn't even flinch, continuing his loud blathering. When meat arrived, he stuffed it into his mouth in huge bites; a single tug would leave him with a bone, a couple of chews later, and he would swallow it all down with a heavy gulp.

Three gluttons, Chen Xi rolled his eyes. How could they eat so much? They were taking everything in stride, acting incredibly unrestrained.

"Lord Xuande truly has heroes emerging from under his command!" Following a great victory, even a great scholar like Kong Rong became somewhat uninhibited. After all, in this era that valued martial prowess, no achievement could surpass military merit.

"Brother Wenju, you flatter me. Xuande follows the path of a military commander after all; I will need Brother Wenju's continued support regarding civil governance." Liu Bei held his wine bowl, looking extremely happy. He drained a bowl in one go without a hint of pretense and smiled as he pulled Kong Rong to sit down.

"It is nothing, it is nothing!" Kong Rong said with a smile, stroking his beard. He turned to the robust general behind him and said, "Anguo, go and express our thanks to Generals Guan, Zhang, and Zhao."

Then, Kong Rong turned back to Liu Bei and said, "Lord Xuande, this man is a general under my command. Moved by a single meal I provided him years ago, he swore to repay me with his life. I have owed him much over the years; I thank you, Lord Xuande, for saving his life this time."

"He is a man of loyalty and righteousness; saving him is simply my duty. Why must you be so formal, Wenju?" Upon hearing that a single meal had inspired a vow to die for him, Liu Bei naturally developed a favorable impression of Wu Anguo. "Heaven protects those who are loyal and righteous."

*Alright,* Chen Xi couldn't help but shrink back slightly. *Why does Liu Bei sound a bit like a cult leader?*

Inside the command tent, toasts were being exchanged. Following the great victory, everyone had forgotten their previous anxieties, as if Luoyang were already within sight and the mission to aid the Emperor was a success. Even Yuan Shao—who just a few days ago had pointed to the heavens and roared that he would not coexist with Dong Zhuo after his uncle's death—was being flattered so much that he was lost in his own delusions.

[As expected, seeing this situation, it's clear Yuan Shao is unreliable.] Looking at Yuan Shao, who was intoxicated by fantasies of peerless glory and unwilling to wake up, Chen Xi could no longer find any interest in him.

Turning his head to look around the tent, he saw that Cao Cao was not intoxicated at all. Instead, he had already begun conversing with Guan, Zhang, and Zhao. The Xiahou brothers were also sitting nearby, clinking glasses with the three, drinking to their heart's content.

Glancing sideways at Sun Jian, he saw that he was looking at the various lords with an expressionless face, much like Chen Xi. Or rather, he had begun to consider whether going solo would be better than following that Yuan Shao, who had made his blood boil. After all, Yuan Shao's current behavior was like a bucket of cold water to him, chilling his passion.

Turning to look at Liu Bei, it was true that besides communicating with Kong Rong and Tao Qian, his eyes were occasionally scanning the other lords. However, it was obvious that his gaze lingered most frequently on the area where Guan, Zhang, and Zhao were drinking.

Chen Xi didn't even know how he had returned to Liu Bei's camp. Thinking back to the situation, Chen Xi estimated that nine out of ten people in the main camp had to be carried back. Furthermore, if Lu Bu had launched another sneak attack last night, the allied forces would likely have been wiped out. The great generals were mostly drunk, and the lords—except for Cao, Sun, and Liu—were basically finished.

At this thought, Chen Xi broke into a cold sweat. [Yuan Shao, if you want to die, don't drag me down with you!] Then he thought, [Drinking truly ruins everything. I must remember in the future that I dare not drink heavily while in a military camp. As long as I don't drink too much, my mind will stay clear, and even if trouble arises, I can fight my way through. If I were to die inexplicably in the chaos of battle...] Chen Xi's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.

"Has Zichuan awakened?" Just as Chen Lan finished helping Chen Xi wash up, Liu Bei's voice drifted in.

"Lord Xuande, I let drinking interfere with my duties last night. I hope I did not cause any offense." Dressed in a flamboyant moon-white silk robe, Chen Xi asked somewhat wearily.

"Even in your drunken state, Zichuan still remembered to insist that I arrange camp defenses," Liu Bei said with a smile.

With those words, Chen Xi breathed a long sigh of relief. As expected, a person who fears death is always afraid of death; even while drunk, he remembered that Li Ru and Jia Xu on the opposing side were extremely dangerous.

"It is well, it is well. Lord Xuande, please remember to have Generals Guan, Zhang, and Zhao take turns on patrol. Do not let your guard down. If Lu Bu attacks again, there are very few people in the entire allied army who would be able to raise the alarm in time," Chen Xi said with a bitter smile.

"Zichuan, there is no need to worry about Lu Bu anymore. Zilong stated last night that Lu Bu's current state of invincibility has been shattered, and it will be difficult for him to recover in a short time. In fact, if he does not erase the shadow of this defeat, he might even regress. Of course, Zilong also said there is an equal possibility that he might advance even further." Liu Bei explained to Chen Xi. At first, it sounded correct, but the final sentence left Chen Xi terrified.

Lu Bu was already strong enough. It took a war of attrition and a group fight just to barely take him down. If he became even stronger, how was anyone supposed to live!

"I hope Lu Bu regresses. Even if he recovers to his original level, I hope he doesn't progress further. That guy is too strong," Chen Xi said with a sigh. "I think we need to recruit some top-tier generals to form a luxury lineup, so that every time Lu Bu comes, he gets crushed—we'll rotate people to beat him every time!" Chen Xi said through gritted teeth. He had an impression of all the famous named generals of the Three Kingdoms and knew their general locations.

Liu Bei couldn't quite grasp every word Chen Xi said, but he understood the general meaning. Recruiting talent was indeed very important, especially after witnessing a super expert like Lu Bu directly defeat Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Liu Bei's desire to recruit talent grew even stronger, though now was not the time.

After learning about Lu Bu's current situation, Dong Zhuo's face was filled with disappointment and dissatisfaction. He had taken an interest in Lu Bu precisely because Lu Bu was an undefeated myth. Now that Lu Bu had lost, the first defeat would lead to a second. Naturally, Dong Zhuo's regard for him dropped significantly.

Thinking further about those three fellows on the opposing side, Dong Zhuo felt that Hulao Pass, which was touted as a natural stronghold, was not safe at all. He suddenly felt that the territory he had always wanted to expand into had no value whatsoever; these places could not provide him security, but instead brought him much trouble.

As he thought, Dong Zhuo suddenly wondered: why not move Luoyang back to his old home? His old home was defended like an iron bucket. The natural defenses of the Xiao and Han passes and the momentum of Western Qin were so good—why suffer here? If he returned home, he could do whatever he wanted; it would all be his own territory!

Acting on his thoughts, Dong Zhuo scurried over to Li Ru and asked, "Wenyou, if we empty Luoyang now and return to Chang'an to hold the Xiao and Han passes, can I live even better than I do now?"

Li Ru froze. Looking at the towering Dong Zhuo standing before him with an expression of hope, all of his anger vanished.

(End of Chapter)