Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3951: Lü Bu's Story
The victory against the Great Kunmi Liejiaofu at the Thorn Ridge completely opened up the situation in the Wusun Kingdom.

The defeat of Liejiao Fu not only removed an obstacle to Lü Bu's advance, but also vacated the position of Da Kunmi.

Although the Wusun Kingdom did not stipulate that a hole could only have one radish, simply pulling out the radish to create a hole would obviously involve less resistance than digging a new hole.

With the head of the leopard as a foundation, the path for Siam to become the Great Kunmi became much simpler.

Lü Bu supported Siam Dan to officially ascend the throne of the Great Kunmi of Wusun.

The original followers of the Great Kunmi Hunting Pride were divided up and incorporated into their own forces.

The other two Great Kunmi, whether it was Tu Limi who had ties with Parthia or the leader of the Semu people known as the "Golden Eagle Kunmi," both chose silence and temporary submission after consuming the flesh and blood of the Liejiao Fu tribe.

They sent symbolic tribute, acknowledging Siamese territory...

Or rather, they acknowledged Lü Bu behind Siam Dan.

Siam Dan understood that this was temporary, so in order to further solidify the fragile alliance between him and Lü Bu, and to fulfill his pre-war promises, Siam Dan eagerly proposed to marry his sister Aygul to Lü Bu.

Siam Dan lavishly praised his sister's beauty and wisdom, and stated that this union symbolized the eternal alliance between the Wusun and the Han Dynasty!

Lü Bu had neither a positive nor a negative opinion on this.

Madam Yan's image flashed through my mind, so indifferent that it barely caused a ripple.

As for that little grass by the Jiuyuan River, it has long since sunk deep into the shifting sands of memory.

Oh, and there's another little blade of grass...

As a substitute for his original memories, Lü Bu felt somewhat guilty towards the second Xiaocao, but this slight guilt was not enough for him to refuse the political marriage.

Marrying a Wusun princess would obviously help stabilize the rule and make Siam Dan feel more at ease.

The wedding was a grand affair.

To demonstrate their strength, Siam Dan went to great lengths, not only decorating the wedding venue in a dazzling array of colors, but also preparing thousands of cattle and sheep, with the barbecue bonfire burning day and night, and the aroma of meat wafting from miles away.

The chieftains and nobles of the various Wusun tribes gathered together, their faces bearing smiles, some genuine and some feigned.

The Han generals, led by Cao Xing, were also present, their bright armor contrasting sharply with the Wusun attire around them.

Aygul, dressed in the most magnificent wedding gown of a Wusun bride, adorned with elaborate silver ornaments and a feather crown, and wearing a veil, sat quietly in a splendid tent.

Bonfire, meat.

Dance, wine.

But just as the wedding reached its climax, with everyone raising their glasses to celebrate the eternal peace between the Wusun and the Han general, an unusual commotion interrupted their enjoyment...

A group of weary travelers barged in.

The leader, dressed in a fur robe inlaid with gold and silver patterns and wearing a pointed, colorfully painted fur hat, stood arrogantly, ignoring the warm and peaceful atmosphere of the wedding. He barged into the center of the wedding hall and shouted in broken Chinese: "I am the envoy of the King of Kangju! Lü Bu, you Han Chinese, you invaded my vassal state in the Western Regions, slaughtered the nobles of Wusun without cause, and are tyrannical and cruel! My king has ordered you to immediately apologize to Kangju and the Kushan Empire! Furthermore, you must withdraw from Wusun and return what you have plundered! Otherwise, the mighty army of Kangju, together with the Kushan, will raze this place to the ground, leaving you with no place to bury your dead!"

The wedding venue fell silent instantly.

Lu Bu narrowed his eyes.

Siam Dan, standing to the side, was both ashamed and angry.

The envoy from Kangju arrived, and not only was Siam Dan unaware of it, but he was also so easily allowed into the wedding venue...

This is a blatant slap in the face. It's hard to say that no one is involved in this, and the most suspicious are naturally the other two Great Kunmi.

The various expressions of the many Wusun nobles and their chieftains present were quite different.

Kangju was a major power in the west, and the Kushan Empire was a legendary and vast empire. Neither of them could be a match for the Wusun, whose strength was now declining...

The blood on Siam Dan's face seemed about to burst out. He was about to stand up when Lu Bu slapped him on the shoulder, rendering him unable to move.

"General..." Siam Dan, bewildered, asked, "What are you doing...?"

Lu Bu pressed on Siam Dan's shoulder and slowly got up.

He first glanced at Siam, then swept his gaze over the various expressions of the Wusun nobles and others in the arena, and suddenly burst into laughter.

Just as everyone was wondering, Lü Bu suddenly took a big step forward, and everyone's vision blurred!
No one knew when Lü Bu drew his sword; his speed was unbelievable, the blade flashing like lightning!
Before the arrogance on the Kangju envoy's face could even turn into horror, his head was already flying off his neck, and blood spurted high into the air, even splashing onto the robes of the surrounding Wusun nobles!
"ah--!"

A cacophony of exclamations erupted from the crowd.

"Kill all these bastards! Leave no one alive!" Lu Bu flicked the blood off his blade and gave the order to Cao Xing.

Cao Xing, who was standing to the side, immediately drew his sword, roared, and led his personal guards to rush forward and kill the followers who had come with the Kangju envoy on the spot!

Roars and screams instantly turned the wedding into a scene of carnage.

Blood spread and stained the luxurious carpet red, the thick stench of blood overpowering the aroma of fine wine and delicacies.

No inquiries, no investigations, and no delays.

Any other option would complicate matters...

Lu Bu chose the simplest form of violence, whether out of intuition or habit, but it was undoubtedly the best strategy at the moment.

"General...should we...find another place...?"

Siam was in a very awkward position and didn't know what to do.

Before Lü Bu could answer, a voice rang out from behind, "No need to change! It's right here!"

Siam Dan turned around and said, "Little sister, why are you out here?!"

Aygul ignored Siamdan and walked straight to Lü Bu. "Right here!"

Lu Bu looked intently at Ayiguli, and asked with some surprise, "Aren't you afraid?"

"I'm not afraid!" Aygul replied.

"..." Lu Bu paused slightly, then nodded. "Alright! You come with me and offer a toast to everyone!"

Lü Bu turned around and called out, "Bring me some wine!"

Seeing that the Wusun servants serving by the side of the field were trembling and spilling wine outside their cups, Cao Xing impatiently stepped forward, took the wine, filled it himself, and handed it to Lü Bu and Ayiguli.

Lu Bu took Ayiguli's hand and walked forward, stepping into a pool of blood at the wedding venue.

Aygul gritted her teeth slightly and followed Lu Bu onto the blood-stained carpet.

The blood soaked the wedding dress, like a red lotus blooming beneath its hem.

"Raise a glass!"

Lu Bu raised his wine cup, like a demon god standing in a pool of blood, surveying the room. "Drink to victory!"

The surrounding Wusun nobles and nobles could only follow Lü Bu and drink this cup of wine whose taste they didn't know...

This wedding, which should have been a joyous occasion, ended in the blood of the Kangju envoy and amidst a field of corpses.

The night was deep, and the red candles inside the newlyweds' tent were still burning, but there wasn't much of a romantic atmosphere.

Lu Bu looked at Ayiguli, who was sitting silently by the bed, the bloodstains on her wedding dress dried and turned brown.

Unlike the gentle and graceful Han women, Ayiguli has the deep facial features and healthy complexion of a woman from the grasslands.

She looked back at Lü Bu, her eyes filled with tension and fear, yet also with a strange calmness.

"Aren't you afraid?" Lu Bu suddenly asked.

Aygul raised her head, looked at him, slowly nodded, then shook her head: "I'm afraid... but I'm your wife now. In Wusun, the husband is the male wolf, and the wife is the female wolf who follows the male wolf. Whoever the male wolf wants to bite, the female wolf will help bite! You are my husband; if you want to kill someone, I'll hand you the knife!"

Lu Bu's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at her with some surprise.

This Wusun princess seemed to be somewhat different from what he had expected.

Lu Bu stood up, paced around the tent twice with his hands behind his back, then stopped and looked at Ayiguli. "I will be going to war soon."

"Kangju?" Ayiguli asked.

Lu Bu nodded.

“But to get to Kangju, you have to pass through Sidiku… oh, it’s a desolate place with no people and no water!” Aygul said. “If you get lost in there, you’ll die!”

Lu Bu pondered for a moment, then said, "News of my killing of the Kangju envoy will soon reach us... The Kangju royal camp has no fixed abode, but they will gather there in preparation for the attack on Wusun... This is an opportunity!"

The Western Regions is a dividing line and also a mixed area, with both the settled and nomadic characteristics of the Han Chinese. However, further west, the nomadic nature is more prominent.

Kangju is like that. The King of Kangju, like the previous Xiongnu kings, did not have a fixed residence. Therefore, the royal tent where they were waiting to assemble was the opportunity that Lü Bu spoke of. Otherwise, it would be like the early Han Dynasty's fight against the Xiongnu, where they would have to search everywhere in the grasslands and deserts...

Aygul stood up, walked to Lü Bu's side, and looked up at him, saying, "Then I'll go with you! I can lead the way! I can fight!"

Lü Bu frowned, shook his head, and refused, "The Han dynasty has no tradition of sending women to battle, let alone having them serve as guides for the army... You will stay here..."

Aygul stubbornly insisted, "You Han women can wait at home, but in Wusun, the felt tent is home. Home follows the cattle and sheep, and in times of war, home follows the warriors! The old, women, and children must all go. Those who can carry a knife should carry one; those who cannot should drive the carts, feed the horses, and care for the wounded! Those left behind are only the abandoned!"

She paused, her voice lowering, "I'm your wife now! If you go to war, I must go with you! Otherwise... everyone will think you abandoned me, and I won't have the face to live anymore..."

"..." Lu Bu was taken aback.

After pondering for a moment, Lü Bu went outside the tent and ordered his guards to bring a set of armor for ordinary soldiers and a standard ring-pommel sword. He also ordered someone to set up a sturdy human-shaped straw target in the open space.

"Put on your armor and take your sword," Lü Bu said, pointing to the straw target. "Use your sword to cut it in half with one stroke. If you can do it, I will allow you to accompany me as a guide. If you cannot, then stay here in peace... No one will dare to speak ill of you to my wife..."

This is the most direct test.

"I'm not used to your knives, I want to use my own." Aygul didn't refuse, but she did make a request.

"Okay." Lu Bu nodded.

Aygul did not hesitate and put on her armor.

Although it was ordinary soldier's armor, it still weighed nearly twenty pounds. For the average person, let alone fighting in it, even walking in it would be difficult.

Aygul had her attendant bring her a curved sword. She glanced back at Lü Bu, then gripped the sword tightly, walked to the straw target, took a deep breath, her eyes sharpened, let out a short Wusun war cry, and swung the sword down with both hands!

The blade flashed, tracing a smooth arc!

Click!

The straw target, as thick as a bowl, snapped in two, and the upper half fell to the ground at an angle.

"good!"

Lu Bu nodded.

This strike, in terms of force, angle, and speed, is something that an ordinary person could not achieve with just a few casual slashes.

Do not believe?

You'll know once you chop a mineral water bottle with a sharpened kitchen knife...

Lu Bu looked at the broken straw target, then at Ayiguli, whose eyes were shining as she looked at him...

This Wusun princess may have been more than just a decorative object in a political marriage.

……

……

Heat waves twisted and rose over the desert on the eastern shore of the Aral Sea.

As far as the eye could see, there was only monotonous, glaring yellow and white and deathly gray and brown.

The expeditionary force to Kangju resembled a string of struggling black dots, trudging forward through this life-devouring sea of ​​sand. Before the face of nature, humanity is undoubtedly insignificant.

No matter how ambitious one is, in the face of the scorching heat, they are like water in a water bag, gradually disappearing and drying up.

Thirst became a deadly danger.

The warhorses were listless, and the soldiers were staggering.

The soldiers' lips were cracked and peeling, and their faces were cut by the wind and sand.

water……

We're short of water!
Despite Lu Bu's prior preparations, missing the water source once meant facing the threat of death!
Their leather bags were already empty; if they couldn't find water soon, everyone would die.

Non-combat casualties began to appear; some people collapsed from heatstroke and never got up again.

Some warhorses collapsed from exhaustion and were helplessly slaughtered on the spot. After the flesh and blood were distributed, the remains were quickly spotted by circling vultures, who swooped down and feasted on the spot...

Under such circumstances, the Wusun guides led by Ayiguli naturally bore the greatest pressure.

Missing the previous water source wasn't entirely Ayiguli and the Wusun guide's fault. After all, in the desert, the location of an oasis is difficult to pinpoint accurately, and the desert is dynamic; a large storm could easily swallow up a small oasis...

Although the Wusun guides initially got along well with the Han soldiers, they not only taught them to change their marching habits, moving from midday to early morning and evening marches, but also how to find shady spots to rest in the sand dunes, how to set up simple sun-protective tents, and how to cover their mouths and noses with headscarves to reduce moisture loss…

However, the loss of a water source is enough to shake the trust that has been built up with great difficulty!
Yes, trust.

This thing is extremely fragile...

Its construction is a long and arduous process, but its destruction is quick and easy, and once it is damaged, it is difficult to repair.

Building trust is like a beast of burden saving money; it's about scrimping and saving, tightening your belt to save even a tiny fraction of your meager salary...

But its collapse can be accomplished with just one sentence!

The Wusun guide was searching and identifying...

Perhaps it was the slightly darker color of the sand in a certain spot, or perhaps it was a few unusually tough camel thorn bushes, or even a barely perceptible dampness in the air—all these became the basis for these Wusun guides to determine the location…

However, after they made that determination, the process of digging down did not go smoothly.

They had dug very deep, but all they found was dry, scorching sand.

Discontent was spreading quietly.

Lü Bu saw the suspicion in the eyes of his Han soldiers, the anxiety caused by lack of water, and the tense pressure caused by the approaching death...

Even the gaze directed at Lü Bu carried a sense of suspicion and distance!

These gazes, like sharp needles, pierced through the drowsiness brought on by the desert heat, suddenly penetrating a region deep within Lü Bu's memory that was also filled with alienation and betrayal...

He thought of the Central Plains.

It wasn't the prosperity of Luoyang, nor the prestige on the battlefield, but rather the cold, cruel calculations hidden beneath the clinking of glasses...

And betrayal!

His trust, his betrayal.

He was trusted, and he was also betrayed.

He is just as likely to trust someone as he is to betray them...

He couldn't distinguish between truth and falsehood, nor could he discern whether a person was sincere or hypocritical...

He trusted Ding Yuan because Ding Yuan said he would take him further and higher, but when he found that Ding Yuan could not do it, Lü Bu believed that Ding Yuan had betrayed him, so he betrayed Ding Yuan in return.

He quickly trusted Dong Zhuo again because Dong Zhuo gave him high-ranking positions and generous salaries, and provided him with all the resources he could imagine. Dong Zhuo seemed to be very sincere with him. However, when he realized that Dong Zhuo did not treat him as a human being, but as a tool, he quickly felt betrayed and betrayed Dong Zhuo in return.

If you betray others quickly enough, you won't be betrayed by them...

And then there's Yuan Shao, Cao Cao...

Local powerful families...

Those feudal lords and gentry might outwardly praise his bravery, invite him to banquets, and address him as a brother, but Lü Bu could clearly sense that behind those smiles and flattery lay a deep-seated contempt and rejection.

In their eyes, Lü Bu would always be a "man from the borderlands of Bingzhou," a "brave fool," and a "fierce and untamed tiger"...

When they need his force, they will say anything nice and make any promises, but once the situation changes or they feel that he is out of control, conspiracies and betrayals will follow.

In the Central Plains, he was always an outsider.

Even the best knife is just a knife; it is not considered the one wielding it.

He believed that by siding with someone and fighting for them, he could integrate into that group and gain recognition and a sense of belonging.

He was wrong, naively and thoroughly wrong.

My only friend...

Amidst my chaotic thoughts, a clear figure emerged.

Not those gentry sons who feigned authority but were actually treacherous and cunning, but a young man who had once sat beside him in a small courtyard in Luoyang, drinking sour wine without restraint, chatting and laughing, even teasing each other—

Fei Qian, Fei Ziyuan.

The fragments of memory seemed to warm up...

It was a drunken revelry in Luoyang City, and a farewell song sung at the pavilion outside the city.

It was the shock of reuniting after many years and seeing the young man who once drank with you grow into a general commanding thousands of troops...

as well as……

A vague sense of shame and inferiority.

And then came...

betray.

I saw my poor brother from back then, now driving a Land Rover...

When Chen Gong approached him with seductive words, he acquiesced.

Later, however, he raised a knife against Chen Gong to cover up his ugliness, but this left him with scars that were difficult to heal.

Killing Chen Gong was less a show of loyalty to Fei Qian and more a prelude to self-destruction.

The subsequent decline in the Western Regions was merely a natural evolution of self-destruction...

When he realized that he could never be truly accepted by the aristocratic circles of the Central Plains and could only exist as a tool, he did not, like Fei Qian, overturn the table, create his own rules, and establish a new order. Instead, he chose to give up on himself.

Of course, he didn't know how to create new rules, so he didn't dare to overturn the table.

He could only succumb to debauchery and respond to betrayal with even more intense betrayal, ultimately sliding himself into the abyss of being abandoned by everyone.

He became the kind of person he hated most...

They are fickle and only fight for profit and survival.

They've lost their humanity; all that's left is their animalistic nature.

"General! These Wusun people are clearly toying with us! We've been digging for so long, and all we've found is scalding hot sand! Are they trying to kill us with thirst so they can flee to Kangju?"

A hoarse, angry complaint jolted Lü Bu back from his cold and bitter memories.

He looked up and saw several Han soldiers surrounding a Wusun guide at the edge of a newly dug pit.

The leader of the team roared angrily, grabbing the Wusun guide, veins bulging on his forehead.

The Wusun guide dared not resist, but simply shook his head, pointed to the bottom of the pit, and repeated in broken Chinese, "Deeper...there's water..."

The other Han soldiers watched with skepticism, but no one stepped forward to stop them or spoke.

The silent majority.

Aygul returned from the front upon hearing the news, eager to say something, but was interrupted by Lü Bu gesturing for her to stop...

He stepped forward, neither reprimanding the Han army commander nor comforting the Wusun guide, but simply walked straight to the edge of the pit and stretched out his hand.

"shovel."

The team leader was taken aback, subconsciously released the Wusun guide, and then picked up the shovel and handed it over.

Lu Bu took it, said no more, and jumped into the deep pit.

He bent down and began digging with all his might.

Dry, scorching sand was continuously thrown out of the pit; his movements were steady and powerful, as if he never tired. Sweat quickly soaked through his thin shirt, rolling down his forehead and dripping into the sand, disappearing instantly.

The Han, Qiang, and Wusun people from the surrounding area gathered around, all watching with bated breath...

Aygul clenched her fists and stood by the pit, gritting her teeth.

The sound of shovels scraping against sand and gravel repeated monotonously.

The pit got deeper and deeper, past the waistline, and then gradually went past the shoulders...

Suddenly, Lü Bu stopped moving.

"Got it."

He said in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted!
Lu Bu put down his shovel, squatted down, and carefully dug away a patch of sand beneath his feet, revealing a layer of sand that was noticeably darker in color!
Wet sand!

"Water! There really is water!"

The crowd cheered!

Dig deeper, and the sand begins to clump together, with a noticeable dampness!
Lu Bu scooped up a handful of damp sand and brought it to his nose and mouth. The earthy smell was strong, but it allowed his parched nasal cavity and mouth to feel the breath of life again...

He raised his head and dropped the wet sand.

His face was covered in sand, but his eyes were sharp.

"See that?" Lu Bu's gaze fell on the captain. "Apologize to him! A true man is right when he's right, and wrong when he's wrong; he dares to take responsibility for his actions!"

The team leader straightened his back, responded loudly, and then turned around to bow and apologize to the Wusun guide.

The deathly aura that had permeated the air above the group seemed to have dissipated, and even the vultures that had been circling overhead let out a few helpless cries before flying away in circles.

Lu Bu climbed out of the deep pit and said to Cao Xing, "Give the order to rest here. Dig several more deep pits to fetch water, following the Wusun method...use them sparingly."

Cao Xing responded loudly, seemingly regaining his energy as if he had found a water source.

Although it is unknown how far away the actual groundwater is, and it is unlikely that water will gush out when dug directly, the Wusun people have a way of collecting this moisture from the wet sand by using fur and dry grass.

After the water has settled initially, the clearer water on top is for drinking, while the murky water is given to the livestock traveling with them...

Aygul walked up to Lu Bu, tilted her head back, and looked at him with bright, sparkling eyes.

Lu Bu smiled, said nothing, nodded and turned to leave, when he suddenly felt his hand being pulled by Ayiguli.

"Hmm?" Lu Bu turned his head.

Aygul removed her veil and used it to brush the sand off Lü Bu's beard.

The lines on Lü Bu's face stiffened for a moment, then slowly softened as Ayiguli moved slightly...