Chapter 18: Li Ru's Intentions

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However, it was somewhat strange. Although Guan Yu had already neutralized Hua Xiong's internal energy, he hadn't assigned anyone specifically to guard him. Yet, Hua Xiong remained in the rear camp without attempting to flee; Chen Xi suspected it was simply because he couldn't bring himself to lose face.

"Zijian, surrender," Guan Yu and Zhang Fei began their persuasion once more after eating and drinking their fill with Hua Xiong. Having been knocked down during their previous attempt, Hua Xiong had already recovered thanks to his extraordinary physical constitution.

"Yunchang, Yide, I understand everything you are saying. However, Chancellor Dong has been kind to me. Until he abandons me, or until his downfall, I will not surrender to anyone else," Hua Xiong said with a hint of desolation, shaking his head. "As I said before, once the Chancellor falls and I become a man without a master, I will surrender to Lord Xuande. But such an event is unlikely to happen."

"Not necessarily!" Chen Xi pulled back the tent flap to see the three burly men sitting on the ground, chatting while tearing into large chunks of meat.

"Greetings, Mr. Chen," Hua Xiong said with a cupped fist.

"How about a wager? I know you have great confidence in Dong Zhuo. If Dong Zhuo is defeated at Hulao Pass, retreats to Chang'an with the population of Luoyang in tow, and then burns Luoyang to delay the coalition, then you shall surrender. Because what he does next will disappoint you utterly. He is no longer the Dong Zhongying of Xiliang; his eyes have been clouded by the prosperity of Guandong. He is no longer that fierce Xiliang warrior who once built connections with heroes and was generous with his wealth," Chen Xi said with a calm expression.

Hua Xiong said nothing, merely staring at Chen Xi. After a long silence, he uttered a few words: "You do not understand just how strong the Chancellor truly is."

"So, you agree," Chen Xi smiled. "I know better than you. The strongest martial general in the world, the finest elite troops in the world, and the best strategists in the world—yet the one leading them is not the strongest monarch in the world. On the contrary, the current Dong Zhongying is, at most, a third-rate ruler."

"The strongest martial general in the world!" Zhang Fei's eyes bulged like oxen. Guan Yu's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Chen Xi. They only caught that specific phrase; as for the rest, they hadn't listened at all.

"Yes, the strongest martial general in the world," Hua Xiong said dejectedly. "Yunchang, Yide, though you two may be slightly stronger than I, compared to Lu Bu, I suspect the two of you together might not even be able to defeat him."

"Is that so...?" Guan Yu asked solemnly.

"Your third strike back then made me feel it. You can judge for yourself how strong he is," Hua Xiong said with a bitter smile.

A flash of fighting spirit crossed the faces of both Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, their eyes sparking. He truly wanted to experience such a powerful man; the path ahead would likely be clarified through him.

"Then it's a deal, General Hua. When those things happen, remember what I said." Chen Xi ignored the fighting spirit of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, letting them be. With their level of skill, even if they couldn't beat Lu Bu, they could certainly manage to run away.

"The strongest martial general in the world?" The *dufu* (commander) training the cavalry outside the tent also overheard the conversation. After all, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and the others had not lowered their voices, and the man happened to be keen-eared. Sitting atop his horse, the commander touched the sword at his waist, tightened his grip on his silver spear, and reached for the bow hanging from his saddle, silently gazing toward Hulao Pass.

"I request permission to reinforce Hulao Pass!" Lu Bu requested battle once again. He already knew that Hua Xiong had achieved a breakthrough during battle, yet was still slain in three strikes. It was this kind of expert that he had been waiting for.

Dong Zhuo waved his hand, signaling Li Ru.

"With General Xu guarding Hulao Pass, it will naturally remain secure. However, a rebellion has broken out in our rear. Han Sui is once again inciting the Qiang people. Although Generals Li Jue and Guo Si can suppress them, we should still redeploy Xu Rong to guard the rear, while the Chancellor leads the main army to face the Guandong lords at Hulao Pass!" Li Ru spoke with a detached expression. Without mentioning his name, no one would guess that this thin, gaunt civil official was actually Dong Zhuo's premier strategist.

Speaking of which, Li Ru was somewhat disappointed in Dong Zhuo. The pleasure-seeking Dong Zhuo seemed unable to follow the path Li Ru had originally envisioned.

Coming from a humble family in Guanxi, Li Ru loathed the rule of the great aristocratic clans over wisdom and thought. Driven by the dream of sweeping across the world to reshape the heavens, he had step-by-step pushed Dong Zhuo into a position where he was below one man but above ten thousand. Unfortunately, the prosperity of Guandong had clouded Dong Zhuo's heart. The current Dong Zhuo was merely tyrannical—so tyrannical that he often forgot why he had climbed to this position in the first place.

This was also why Li Ru wanted to recall Xu Rong to the rear. It wasn't that Li Ru underestimated the Guandong lords, but rather that those fellows truly had no chance of overcoming Xu Rong to take Hulao Pass.

As long as Xu Rong remained at Hulao Pass, the Guandong lords would only meet with failure. This unnamed general had risen step-by-step from a frontier soldier to the rank of Colonel; his experience was something the current lords of the Central Plains, who had never experienced true warfare, could not hope to match. Likewise, his loyalty would never waver because of others.

Dong Zhuo was too strong; this was something Li Ru only realized upon looking back. While other lords were still thinking about how to acquire territory and people, they already possessed the momentum to swallow the world. Unintentionally, Li Ru had built a foundation so thick that even facing the entire world, they could not suffer a total defeat.

Yet, because of this solid foundation, the generals who had arrived in Luoyang had grown complacent under Dong Zhuo's leadership, losing the ferocity they once possessed as Xiliang warriors.

What Li Ru needed was a founding emperor who could sweep the world, shatter the old rules, and then establish new ones under his assistance—not a bloated man blinded by the prosperity of Guandong.

However, years of service and his initial devotion made Li Ru feel that the current Dong Zhuo was merely temporarily blinded, his dangers masked by the very foundation Li Ru had built. As long as he received a sharp wake-up call, he could be steered back onto the path Li Ru had prepared. As long as they achieved his dream, even if he were torn apart by five horses like Shang Yang, he would have no regrets.

"I see. Then deploy the generals to march with me to Hulao and crush the Guandong rats!" Dong Zhuo agreed to Li Ru's proposal almost without thinking.

Though Dong Zhuo's mind was clouded, his long-standing habit of following Li Ru remained. Since his most capable strategist said so, then so be it. What was there to fear? He had the strongest martial general, the finest soldiers, and the mighty Hulao Pass. The Guandong rats would have to deal with Lord Dong!

However, Dong Zhuo did not see the civil official sitting next to Li Ru shake his head slightly in helplessness. Jia Xu already understood Li Ru's intentions.

"Understood!" the generals responded loudly.

"Leave the first battle to me!" Lu Bu said after scanning the assembly. "Though Hua Xiong displeased me, I shall avenge his death!"

(End of Chapter)