— Guan Yu Slew Diao Chan Under the Moon!
Even though it was a Yuan Dynasty Zaju play, Lu Yu felt there was a degree of truth to it.
After Lu Bu's death, Diao Chan was like a duckweed, adrift and without a fixed abode.
Coincidentally, Cao Cao and Guan Yu had another dispute over the "Du clan." It wasn't impossible that the old Cao, as a way of apology, would gift Diao Chan to Guan Yu!
Given Guan Yu's notoriously single-minded nature, his Azure Dragon Crescent Blade might very well have swung down. This matter… though a "play," it did carry a semblance of plausibility!
Of course, whether it was true or not was not important.
What mattered was that Lu Yu recounted it in a flowing, sincere manner, making Lu Bu believe it was true… that was enough.
As for… the statement Lu Yu had made, which could change all of this…
To Lu Bu, it felt like a lifeline!
"Can Young Master Lu save Diao Chan?"
Indeed, Lu Bu seemed to have found a straw to grasp at. He took a step forward, his tone becoming noticeably more urgent.
"Not just Diao Chan. I can also save your brothers, your daughter, and even yourself," Lu Yu announced loudly. "However, I can't do it alone. Your choice is also very important!"
Choice?
Lu Bu's eyes narrowed… He didn't quite grasp the specific meaning of Lu Yu's words, but he could feel that Lu Yu genuinely wanted to help him. Otherwise, there would be no need to save his life.
"Young Master Lu, what do you need me, Lu Bu, to do?" Lu Bu straightened his posture. "As long as Diao Chan and these brothers can be saved, I will do anything!"
"Then…" Lu Yu paused, then raised his voice. "How about a change of identity? Renounce your titles as Marquis of Wu, Governor of Xu Province, and General of Valiant Might. Change your name, become someone who has already died, and serve as a shadow guard in my Dragon Soaring Camp. In the darkness, within the shadows, protect the borderlands, and regain the lost glory of Lu Fengxian of Jiuyuan!"
Pausing again, Lu Yu stopped speaking.
He raised his eyes and gazed at Lu Bu's face. "Can you accept regaining what the Lu Fengxian of Jiuyuan lost by becoming a shadow guard?"
As he spoke, Lu Yu clapped his hands. Dian Wei took out a pill from his embrace and placed it on the table.
A gruff voice echoed…
"Marquis of Wu, after taking this pill, there will be no Marquis of Wu in this world, no General of Valiant Might, and no more of Lu Bu's love and hate. There will only be a nameless shadow guard, carrying out the most dangerous missions, protecting the common people of Han on the most perilous borders!"
Dian Wei recounted Lu Yu's instructions word for word…
Lu Bu's intelligence wasn't high, but he wasn't foolish. Lu Yu's earnest words, coupled with… the appearance of this pill, made him understand instantly.
Yes!
How could the suspicious Cao Cao allow a potential threat to exist?
This must be a poison, he mused.
It would surely require a regular antidote. Was this… Cao Cao's way of controlling Lu Bu from afar?
As for changing his identity and becoming a nameless shadow guard, Lu Bu understood Lu Yu's intentions.
This morning at Bai Men Tower, how many surrendered generals like Wei Xu, Hou Cheng, Song Xian, and Cheng Lian had wanted Lu Bu dead? If Lu Bu were to live on, it would undoubtedly instill fear in these surrendered generals.
It would weigh heavily on the hearts of tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers…
Naturally, it would also lead these surrendered generals to devise ways to eliminate him!
A shadow guard!
Assuming the identity of a "shadow guard" was a way to pacify the surrendered generals and also a means of protecting Lu Bu.
Thinking thus, Lu Bu looked up and met Lu Yu's gaze. Young Master Lu was indeed thoughtful.
"General Lu…" Lu Yu's voice resonated again. "I am not forcing you to make this choice. However, this would bring immense benefits to you, your wife and daughter, to Commander Cao, to your brothers, and even to my Dragon Soaring Camp!"
"I also don't wish to force you to take this poison. However… if this is not the case, can Commander Cao trust you? General Lu's past deeds… it seems difficult to earn trust!"
Indeed…
Lu Bu's weakness was Diao Chan and Ling Ju. To protect Diao Chan and her daughter, to allow them to live good lives, undisturbed!
In this way…
Even if Lu Bu went into hiding, even if he carried out dangerous missions for Cao Cao, he would not frown.
But Cao Cao felt it wasn't enough.
Therefore… this pill was another layer of insurance. Cao Cao was truly a cautious and suspicious man!
"Hahaha…" Lu Bu chuckled. "Young Master Lu, what a shrewd plan. What makes you so sure that I, Lu Bu, will take this poison and serve Cao Camp!"
"Because of Diao Chan's safety, and the lives of your brothers!"
Lu Yu's words became even more earnest. "If General Lu agrees to this and takes the pill, Commander Cao will become sworn siblings with Diao Chan. This way, General Lu can rest assured that Cao Cao will never commit the egregious act of seizing Diao Chan against public opinion, nor will he allow others to bully his sworn sister!"
"In the days to come, Diao Chan and her daughter will naturally receive more respect. Not only will they survive in this chaotic world, but they will live even better lives! Better than the hardships and constant struggle of following you, General Lu!"
The words were not heavy…
But Lu Yu's sincerity was evident. He tried his best to analyze and consider things from Lu Bu's perspective.
In this chaotic era, Lu Bu might not be a good person by moral standards, but undeniably, he was a good husband and a good father!
For Diao Chan, for Ling Ju, he would unhesitatingly accept this and agree to it. Lu Yu was certain!
Of course, there was more.
Lu Yu continued speaking.
"Besides Diao Chan, there are also your brothers, Gao Shun, Zhang Liao, three hundred loyal and brave Bingzhou cavalry, seven hundred elite Vanguard soldiers…"
"As long as you live, even without a name, even just as a shadow guard, as long as they can see you, with a single command from you, they will pledge allegiance to Commander Cao… This will prevent their needless demise! They will continue in the open, and you will be in the shadows. Together, you will achieve great merit. The better you both perform, the better Diao Chan and her daughter will live! Isn't this a win-win situation?"
Having said this, Lu Yu fell silent. He simply looked at Lu Bu, giving him ample time to ponder.
And Lu Bu was indeed lost in deep thought.
Whether it was a win-win or mutual destruction, it seemed to depend entirely on his current decision!
A single thought, a moment of god or demon!
Silence…
The entire large tent fell into a silence so profound that a needle drop could be heard.
Ten breaths, twenty breaths, thirty breaths!
Lu Bu's eyes opened and closed, then closed and opened again. After a full hundred breaths, he finally spoke.
"Young Master Lu, you truly are something!"
"In the past, I always heard Chen Gongtai speak of how well you understood the times? How much you knew of human hearts? Heh heh… back then, I didn't believe there could be someone so adept at calculating people's hearts!"
"But today, I believe it. I completely believe it. Everyone has been captured by you, including me, Lu Bu, including Diao Chan, including Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, even Cao Cao. You have calculated all human hearts, all their intentions. Your strategy is flawless!"
At this point, Lu Bu sighed deeply…
If his previous failures were still attributed to his own decision-making errors, to his own susceptibility to "villainous" words, he still believed there were many accidental factors. But now… Lu Bu was convinced. From the bottom of his heart, he submitted to Lu Yu.
An opponent like this, an opponent who could completely decipher human hearts, even if he faced him a hundred times, a thousand times, he would still lose, lose utterly and completely.
Whether it was poison or Diao Chan, these were means of coercion used by Lu Yu and Cao Cao to intimidate Lu Bu!
But in reality, after today's conversation, what made Lu Bu most fearful was not the poison or Diao Chan and her daughter, but precisely the young gentleman before him, this "Hidden Dragon" who, if obtained, could bring peace to the realm!
As long as the Hidden Dragon was present, as long as this Lu Yu, who could probe human hearts to the extreme, was present, he, Lu Bu, would not dare to act rashly, nor would he dare to harbor any thoughts of rebellion!
However…
Cao Cao had placed a shackle on him, Lu Bu. He also wished to place an even firmer shackle on Lu Yu and Cao Cao!
"Young Master Lu, I, Lu Bu, can eat this poison, and I can do what you instruct. But I have two conditions. If Young Master Lu and Commander Cao do not agree, then I would rather perish in flames, and have it all end."
Lu Bu's tone deepened once more.
"Please, speak them," Lu Yu gestured.
"Firstly, I, Lu Bu, do not trust Cao Cao, but I can trust you. Gao Shun, Zhang Liao, the three hundred Bingzhou warriors, and the seven hundred elite Vanguard soldiers, they can join Cao Camp, and they can pledge allegiance to Cao Cao. However, they must join the Dragon Soaring Camp and await your command! You will be their direct superior!"
Lu Bu's words were meticulous.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu pondered briefly and nodded. "This, I can agree to immediately!"
Lu Yu mused that joining the Dragon Soaring Camp was tantamount to joining Cao Camp. Commander Cao would not object to this!
Therefore… he directly agreed to Lu Bu's request!
A delightful turn of events!
Then, Lu Bu's words continued.
"As for the second, heh heh, I know that Cao Cao becoming sworn siblings with Diao Chan is to appease me, and also a restraint on Cao Cao himself. Under the guise of siblinghood, even though he has always lusted after married women, and fears a bad reputation, he would not dare to act rashly. However…"
Lu Bu's eyes gazed deeply at Lu Yu.
"Young Master Lu, I am at ease with Cao Cao, but I am not at ease with you!"
To put it plainly, Lu Bu still cared about his reputation!
Serving Cao Cao was acceptable, being a shadow guard in the Dragon Soaring Camp was also acceptable. But he could not have a "green grassland" over his head. This was his bottom line!
Ah… ah…
"Me?"
Lu Yu was utterly bewildered.
He really wanted to say…
— Lu Bu, Lu Bu… even if you stripped Diao Chan naked and placed her on a bed, I wouldn't touch her!
This Young Master is a germaphobe, alright!
This Young Master is not like Old Cao. With so many unmarried women, what kind of idle and bored fool would I be to pick someone who's already been used!
Even Diao Chan wouldn't do!
Lu Yu felt he was still the same youth, not changed one bit!
Speaking of which… the saying "Youth doesn't know the value of mature women, mistaking young girls for treasures" was all nonsense. With young girls available, who in their right mind would choose a mature woman!
Are Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao not fragrant, or is Sister Zhao Ji not fragrant?
"General Lu doubts me? I am not that kind of person!" Lu Yu retorted.
"Words are not proof…" Lu Bu's tone was serious. "Unless…"
Unless?
Heh heh…
Lu Yu just chuckled…
He muttered, would Lu Bu also want him, Lu Yu, to become sworn siblings with Diao Chan?
Given Lu Bu's peculiar train of thought, he might very well make such a demand.
He then saw Lu Bu turn around and stand with his hands behind his back.
"Young Master Lu doesn't seem to be married yet, does he?"
Ah…
Lu Yu was a little confused. This shift in conversation was unexpected. What did his marital status have to do with your Diao Chan?
Before Lu Yu could speak…
Lu Bu's voice rang out again. "My eldest daughter, Lu Lingqi, is about your age. I plan to betroth her to you as your wife. If you agree, then Diao Chan will be your junior wife, and Ling Ju will be your sister. You will naturally take care of them, and you will not allow others to bully them! Only then can I be at ease!"
Having said this, Lu Bu paused. He turned around and spoke earnestly.
"Young Master Lu, do you understand what I mean?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu was stunned…
Of course, he understood. But… in his memory, in various games, Lu Bu's intelligence value was only in the twenties!
With an intelligence value in the twenties, could he have thought things through so thoroughly? Could he have arranged his wife and daughter so meticulously? And… even played a trick on Lu Yu himself!
This must be an intelligence of 120!
Good heavens…
It seemed that when it came to Diao Chan and his family… Lu Bu's intelligence had exploded to its limit!
— Marry Lu Lingqi!
One must realize… this was a wife, not a concubine. One could take as many concubines as they wished, but a wife… she was the mistress of the Ministry of Agriculture!
In this way, wouldn't he, Lu Yu, become Lu Bu's son-in-law? And wouldn't Diao Chan become Lu Yu's junior wife?
With such a relationship… wouldn't Lu Bu be at ease?
How could Lu Yu have any designs on his junior wife? Lu Yu would only have the most meticulous care for his junior wife!
Furthermore, with Lu Lingqi marrying Lu Yu, it would also elevate the status of Diao Chan, Ling Ju… and even Gao Shun, Zhang Liao, the Bingzhou Wolf Riders, and the Vanguard Camp.
It seemed like marrying off a daughter, but in reality, Lu Bu was securing a good future for his wife, daughter, and his subordinates!
This was the future gained by him concealing his name, forgetting his past, and becoming a shadow guard.
He was thoughtful, Lu Bu was truly thoughtful!
Of course, in Lu Yu's opinion…
No wonder Lu Bu's first request was for Gao Shun and Zhang Liao to join the Dragon Soaring Camp. Thinking about it now, it held a deep meaning!
This time, Lu Bu's intelligence was completely online.
Seeing Lu Yu still lost in thought…
Lu Bu asked with great seriousness, "What? Is my eldest daughter, Lu Fengxian, not worthy of Young Master Lu?"
Heh heh…
Hearing this, Lu Yu just chuckled…
So, I wanted you as a shadow guard, but you want to be my father-in-law…
He was completely outmaneuvered!
But… thinking carefully, Lu Bu's idea was not problematic, and it was also not problematic for Lu Yu to marry this wife.
In ancient times, marriage alliances… especially marrying a wife, was essentially a combination of political resources!
If Lu Yu refused, how could Lu Bu entrust the lives of Gao Shun, Zhang Liao, and those loyal Bingzhou soldiers to Lu Yu?
The trust established through a marriage alliance was far more reliable than words.
Besides, if Cao Cao didn't trust Lu Bu, how could Lu Bu trust Cao Cao?
If Diao Chan did not become Lu Yu's junior wife, Lu Bu would not feel at ease!
He couldn't even be a shadow guard!
Heh…
Thinking of this, Lu Yu felt a sense of being on a tiger's back, unable to dismount!
"It's not that General Lu's fierce daughter is unworthy of me."
Lu Yu knitted his brows slightly. "It's just that… matters of marriage have always been guided by parental decree and the words of a matchmaker. I had no parents since childhood, only Sister Zhao Ji. How can such a major event be decided without her consent?"
"Furthermore… I won't hide it from General Lu, this eldest daughter of yours broke through last night. It seems… she was rescued by Zang Ba, the commander of the Mount Tai Army. I can't even see her. Even if Sister Zhao Ji agreed, if the person isn't here, where would I go to marry her?"
This wasn't a postponement…
It was the objective conditions that were not met. Where was Lu Lingqi?
He hadn't even met her. What if she was an ugly monster?
What if she was a violent person?
This was Lu Bu's daughter, after all. Lu Yu wouldn't be surprised if she awakened talents like innate divine strength or martial prodigy.
And looking at Lu Yu's own martial prowess, it all seemed quite mysterious!
"Just tell me whether you agree or not!"
Lu Bu's eyes narrowed slightly. "Cao Cao will not refuse such a good opportunity for a marriage alliance, which concerns whether my Bingzhou soldiers will sincerely submit to him and willingly serve. Miss Cai Yan is sensible and understanding, she will also not refuse! Even if we go back ten thousand steps, who doesn't know that your sister dotes on you exceptionally? Would she ever object to the wife you wish to marry?"
With the words spoken and the atmosphere set…
Lu Yu could only shrug helplessly.
"Then, as General Lu wishes. I will marry her. However… regarding Miss Lu over there, I…"
"You don't need to worry about that," Lu Bu's lips curved upwards, finally revealing a faint smile. "Do you have paper and brush?"
"Yes," Lu Yu waved his hand. Dian Wei placed a thin silk scroll before Lu Bu.
"I am illiterate. You write it."
Ah…
What kind of operation was this?
Lu Yu simply followed Lu Bu's instructions and picked up the brush. "What should I write?"
"Write that I, Lu Bu, betroth my beloved daughter, Lu Lingqi, to you. If you betray her, may you be struck by lightning, buried by sand, and die a terrible death," Lu Bu said with a solemn tone.
Of course, a man's words, a liar's trick. Such oaths… Lu Yu uttered them as casually as eating or sleeping!
It was nothing…
Lu Yu quickly wrote it down and handed it to Lu Bu.
Of course, Lu Bu couldn't understand these words. But Lu Bu still pretended to read them very carefully before taking the brush and signing his name.
Lu Bu's level of education was limited to being able to write his own name.
He then added,
"As a shadow guard, it is not convenient for me to show myself. However, Lingqi recognizes my handwriting. When she comes to find you, you can give her this letter and this token. She will understand my fatherly intentions!"
As he spoke, Lu Bu handed a jade pendant to Lu Yu.
It had the character "Ling" on it, which was very prominent… most likely a token of recognition between father and daughter!
However…
Ah…
Lu Yu still didn't understand. Did Lu Bu mean that Lu Lingqi would actively seek him out?
Seek him out for what?
"General Lu… you…"
Before Lu Yu could finish speaking.
Unexpectedly, Lu Bu interrupted directly, "You should now address me as Father-in-law!"
Er…
How direct!
Are the martial men in this border region so unceremonious? They haven't even performed the wedding rites yet, and he's already calling me Father-in-law?
Of course, Lu Yu didn't need to argue with Lu Bu about this.
Getting a young virgin for free. This move, it seemed… not a loss!
"Alright, Father-in-law it is. But… I don't quite understand what Father-in-law means by that?" Lu Yu scratched his head. "Lu Lingqi doesn't know you've betrothed her to me, so how will she come looking for me?"
Lu Yu was very curious about this question.
"Heh heh…"
Lu Bu smiled faintly.
— "It's not that Lingqi wants to find you, she wants to kill you!"
— "The hatred for a 'father' is irreconcilable. That's just her personality. You'll have to be understanding!"
Ah… ah…
Hearing this, Lu Yu's body trembled. He felt as if his chest had been pierced by a sword.
No, this rhythm is all wrong…
Just as Lu Yu's heart trembled, Lu Bu smiled and patted his shoulder.
"My esteemed son-in-law, being my son-in-law is not easy."
"I hope you have the life to let Lingqi see this letter… see this token, and also the life to marry Lingqi! Lingqi's skills are not just in spear fighting; she has been quite fond of assassination techniques since childhood!"
"Be careful. Whether you can marry her also depends on your skill! Heh heh… esteemed son-in-law, take care of yourself!"
Rarely, Lu Bu smiled.
He felt that in this confrontation with Lu Yu, he had the upper hand.
However…
Er…
Lu Yu felt uncomfortable all over. This rhythm had been completely thrown off. Marrying someone else usually just costs money, but marrying Lu Lingqi… Damn it, this is a matter of life and death!
…
…