Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 130 Liu Bei's Fame Spreads Far and Wide, Cai Wenji Arrives (Please Subscribe and Vote)
Dong Zhuo never expected that Lü Bu would kneel down and acknowledge him as his adoptive father, especially in front of Yuan Wei and other civil and military officials.

Normally, if someone wants to adopt a son, they would first have to assess the other person's loyalty.

After all, the status of an adopted son is different from that of an ordinary subordinate general. Ordinary subordinate generals can simply be rewarded for their merits and punished for their crimes, while adopted sons require resources to be nurtured.

You can't expect others to call you godfather but then be unwilling to invest resources in raising you; that would be pure shamelessness.

Dong Zhuo hesitated for only a moment before laughing and helping Lü Bu up: "Although I have fought for half my life, I have no son. Since you are willing to recognize me as your adoptive father, then you will be my adopted son from now on!"

Lü Bu was overjoyed.

Since Dong Sikong has no son, I have no competitors.

Wouldn't that mean a meteoric rise to success?
This is much better than being Ding Yuan's adopted son.

That despicable Ding Yuan! He clearly has a son of his own, yet he tricked me into becoming his adopted son. Deceiving me is one thing, but he even dragged me to my death.

If I hadn't reacted quickly, I would have been slaughtered by Liu Bei's cavalry by now.

Dong Sikong is still the best!
"Thank you stepfather!"

Lu Bu stood tall and proud, his tiger eyes fixed on Yuan Wei and the others, as if to tell them: This is my adoptive father. From now on, my wealth and honor will depend on my adoptive father. If anyone ruins my wealth and honor, I, Lu Bu, will kill them!
Looking at Lü Bu's eyes, which seemed capable of devouring people, Yuan Wei and the others couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.

Yuan Wei was even more wary: Dong Zhuo was already a fierce tiger, and now that the tiger has added claws and teeth, he is even more difficult to deal with.

"Who is more powerful, my son or Zhao Yun?" Dong Zhuo was very satisfied with Lü Bu's performance and stroked his beard while laughing.

Lu Bu lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "In terms of horsemanship, Zhao Yun and I are evenly matched; in terms of archery, I am stronger, but Zhao Yun's archery is more exquisite; his mount is also better than mine. If we really fight, I can't beat him, and he can't beat me either."

Dong Zhuo's smile vanished, and he instructed, "This man is Liu Bei's sworn brother, the fourth in line. Liu Bei also has two other sworn brothers, who are also incredibly brave and skilled in martial arts, surpassing even Zhao Yun. My son, you must also be diligent and not slack off in the future."

Lu Bu was secretly taken aback: one was already difficult to deal with, and Liu Bei actually had three? Judging from his adoptive father's tone, it seemed that his relationship with Liu Bei wasn't very deep? Could it be that they had only formed an alliance temporarily because of supporting a new ruler? Had he prematurely become Liu Bei's adoptive father?
Well, I'll pay a visit to Liu Bei later.

If Liu Bei will not become an enemy of my adoptive father, then I will continue to follow him.

If Liu Bei wants to be an enemy of my adoptive father, I can recognize Liu Bei's father as my adoptive father.

Having made up his mind, Lü Bu solemnly assured Dong Zhuo, "I will follow my godfather's teachings and will work ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times harder than ever before, and I will never let my godfather down!"

Dong Zhuo laughed loudly, his eyes filled with even more delight as he looked at Lü Bu: "You just said that Zhao Yun's mount is better than yours. I happen to have a fine horse from the Western Regions, named Red Hare, which will be your mount from now on."

Lu Bu's eyes lit up immediately: This adoptive father is incredibly generous! Just by calling him adoptive father, he gets a fine horse from the Western Regions, far superior to Ding Yuan's! Who cares about being a clerk? Warhorses are my true love!
"I will never forget your great kindness, my godfather!" Lü Bu called out to his godfather more and more naturally.

And below the city.

Zhao Yun met Liu Bei as his army returned.

Where is Lü Bu?

"Dong Yue took him away."

"He defected to the enemy in the face of battle; Ding Yuan could gather fierce generals but could not use them."

Zhang Liao publicly sided with Liu Bei, while Lü Bu directly joined Dong Zhuo on the battlefield. If Ding Yuan knew this was the case, he would probably regret bringing Lü Bu along.

Leading a fierce general only to lose another fierce general – Ding Yuan is a prime example of this.

We just entered the city.

Cao Cao then approached, his tone full of envy: "Does Xuande have any spare weapons, armor, or warhorses? I also have a lot of gold and silver treasures in my camp, and I am willing to buy them at three times the price."

three times?
I wouldn't give it ten times the amount!
Gold and silver are inanimate objects, while weapons, armor, and warhorses are living things.

"Brother Mengde, I'm truly sorry, but my camp has no spare weapons, armor, or warhorses. Why don't you go ask Dong Sikong?" Liu Bei politely declined with a smile.

Cao Cao was merely testing the waters, and seeing that Liu Bei was unwilling to sell, he changed the subject: "Lü Bu has just recognized Dong Zhuo as his adoptive father."

"So he's already recognized his adoptive father?" Even though Liu Bei knew that Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu would be as close as father and son, he didn't expect Lü Bu to recognize him so quickly.

Liu Bei ultimately caused considerable disruption to Lü Bu's life trajectory.

If Zhang Liao and Zhang Yang hadn't followed Liu Bei, Ding Yuan wouldn't have recognized Lü Bu as his adopted son.

If Liu Bei had not deployed 800 armored cavalrymen, Lü Bu would not have switched allegiance on the eve of battle.

Without the presence of numerous officials, Dong Zhuo would not have readily adopted a son to save face.

Cao Cao's tone was slightly disdainful: "A true man stands tall and upright; how can he acknowledge someone else as his father?"

Others may say that, but is it appropriate for Cao Cao to say that?

Your father, Cao Song, also acknowledges Cao Teng as his father!

Cao Cao had not made this connection and continued, "Just now I discussed with Gai Xuzhou that His Majesty has just ascended the throne and Ding Yuan and others have led troops to invade. Rumors of Xuande forging an imperial edict will surely spread throughout the prefectures and counties. I will leave Luoyang with Gai Xuzhou soon. Liu Jingzhou and Liu Yangzhou also have the same idea."

"It's good that you take office sooner rather than later." Liu Bei also understood the saying that rumors are as fierce as tigers.

Although Liu Bei had a genuine secret edict, Yuan's disciples and former officials were spread throughout the land, which meant they controlled public opinion.

If Yuan Shao says that Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo forged an imperial edict, a large number of Yuan family loyalists will advocate that Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo forged an imperial edict.

Even if Yuan Wei appeared to refute the rumors, he would still be seen as someone who was held hostage by Liu Bei and Dong Zhuo and had no choice but to do so.

With the departure of Cao Cao and others, Liu Bei also had the idea of ​​returning to Yongzhou.

Liu Bei gained wealth, power, fame, and fortune from this trip to Luoyang.

While a title like "Imperial Uncle" might not bring Liu Bei direct benefits, it could attract talented individuals, both civil and military, to join him.

Zhang Fengyun's hundreds of millions of dollars in Yongzhou could support the city's development for a period of time.

For a short period of time, Liu Bei will not have to worry about money and food.

As for the future, we'll deal with that later. There are many ways to make money, so there's no need to rush.

After careful consideration, Liu Bei ordered Xu You, Ma Chao, and Fa Zheng to lead infantry and cavalry to recruit laborers to take the remaining gold, silver, jewels, and replacement weapons, armor, and warhorses back to Yongzhou.

Liu Bei left only 500 light cavalry in Luoyang.

Originally, Liu Bei was supposed to leave Luoyang with Xu You and others and return to Yongzhou. The reason he stayed in Luoyang was that Huang Wan from Yangdi suddenly wrote to Liu Bei saying:

So many people have come to Cai Yong's house to propose marriage that Cai Yong is now undecided. Huang Wan tells Liu Bei to be prepared.

If Huang Wan hadn't been in Yangdi, Liu Bei would have really wanted to storm into Huang Wan's residence: "It's been almost half a year, and now you're telling me you can't handle it?"

Huang Wan hadn't anticipated the unexpected turn of events in her matchmaking: Initially, under Huang Wan's persuasion, Cai Yong had prioritized Liu Bei, which was why he returned to his old residence in Chenliu from Wu and Kuaiji. However, once He Jin began summoning warriors from all directions to the capital to eliminate the eunuchs, powerful families like the Wei clan of Hedong, fearing repercussions from Cai Yong's actions, flocked to Chenliu.

After receiving news of the execution of the eunuchs and confirming that all the powerful figures Cai Yong had offended in the past were dead, this group immediately surrounded Cai Yong's former residence.

The matchmakers practically wore down Cai Yong's doorstep!

Lu Zhi was equally embarrassed.

Because the matchmaker sent by Lu Zhi couldn't even get into Cai Yong's house; he was blocked ten miles away.

Although Lu Zhi was a high-ranking official and a great Confucian scholar, he still had to wait in line if he arrived late. After all, the others were also from prominent families, so why should Lu Zhi get to wait in line?

If Dong Zhuo hadn't heard of Cai Yong's name and sent someone to recruit him as a scholar-official, Cai Yong wouldn't have even been able to leave his old residence in Chenliu!

On the first day of the ninth month of the first year of Zhaoning, which was the seventh day after Liu Xie ascended the throne.

The long convoy came from the direction of Chenliu, and even from the city wall, the vehicles were endless.

The soldiers on the city wall were all dumbfounded, unable to imagine that such a luxurious convoy existed in the world!
"I've heard that Xuande also intends to marry the daughter of Cai Jijiu. Do you need my help? I am now a General of the Household and Marquis of Duting, and I am qualified to act as a matchmaker for Xuande." The speaker was none other than Lü Bu, Dong Zhuo's newly adopted son.

Liu Bei was speechless: "Brother Fengxian is now the adopted son of Minister Dong. He should spend more time with Minister Dong to strengthen the bond between father and son. Why do you come to see me every day?"

Lü Bu laughed loudly: "I trust my adoptive father, and my adoptive father trusts me, that's enough. Why do we need to spend every day together? Xuande and I hit it off immediately, and I wish we had met sooner."

Liu Bei always felt that Lü Bu was a bit strange.

In the past few days, Lü Bu has been subtly probing Liu Bei's parents, asking whether they are still alive, whether they have been to Bingzhou, and whether they have any close friends.

Several times Liu Bei couldn't help but want to ask: Whether my parents are alive or not, whether I have been to Bingzhou or whether I have a sworn brotherhood with them, what does it have to do with you, Lü Bu? Do you want to acknowledge my father as your father?

Today, Lü Bu somehow learned that Liu Bei intended to marry Cai Yong's daughter, and he became even more enthusiastic.

It's as if a good brother wants to marry a beautiful wife, and his good buddy has to support him.

Unable to figure out Lü Bu's thoughts and unable to get rid of him, Liu Bei could only let Lü Bu appear around him from time to time, as if they were old friends.

Under the city.

The enormous motorcade, symbolizing Cai Yong's prestige and the obsession of suitors, finally came to a slow stop.

Before the dust had even settled, countless eyes were already focused on the most luxurious and eye-catching main vehicle.

Lu Bu approached Liu Bei with great interest, pointed at the carriage, and whispered, "Xuande, judging from this, Cai Jijiu's beloved daughter must be in this carriage! With such a grand display, I wonder what kind of beauty she is. Don't worry, Xuande, I already have a wife and she won't compete with you. If anyone tries to take her from you, just let me know, and I'll have someone cripple him."

Liu Bei did not respond; his attention, like everyone else's, was drawn to the carriage.

As the curtain slowly opened, everyone's eyes were fixed on it.

A moment later, a burly woman with a fierce face appeared, carrying two heavy ring-pommel swords. Instantly, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.

The next moment, the strong woman shouted, "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a beautiful woman before? Do you want people to enter the city? If you look again, I'll kill you all!"

In an instant, the scholars, young masters, and servants who were crowding at the city gate were so surprised that they had to make way!

"Xuande, this daughter of Cai Yong is indeed extraordinary, with a unique appearance. She is truly different from others." Lü Bu awkwardly stammered, the image of Cai Yong's tall and mighty figure instantly appearing in his mind.

Zhao Yun also came closer and asked in a low voice, "Brother, is this Cai Jijiu's daughter? She's even more robust than Yunlu. But judging from her physique, if she has a son, he will definitely be a fierce general."

Liu Bei's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot. He shouted, "I told you to study more, but you insisted on learning from your third brother and poking pigs. Don't you know that unmarried women from scholar families need to cover their faces with a 'veil' or 'veil hat' when they go out? This is clearly a female bodyguard from Cai Jijiu's household."

Zhao Yun was so intimidated by the shout that he didn't dare to look up and quickly took three steps back.

Lu Bu was startled and took a step back, then quickly laughed it off: "Xuande, I was just joking! I suddenly remembered that Dong Sikong wants to summon me to be his bodyguard today, so I'll take my leave now. I'll invite you for drinks another day."

Before he finished speaking, Lü Bu strode away as if fleeing.

Liu Bei couldn't help but rub his forehead.

Now I finally understand what "curiosity killed the cat" means.

For a moment, Liu Bei also thought it was Cai Yong's daughter who came out, and he was immediately frightened by the fierce and strong woman carrying two swords.

How vicious is this strong woman?
Just look at Dian Wei and you'll understand.

Although I don't know how skilled she is in martial arts, as long as this strong woman stands there, no villain would dare to approach!
Inside the carriage.

Her face was exquisitely beautiful, her skin as white as snow, so delicate that pores were almost invisible, like the finest white jade meticulously carved.

Her eyebrows were slender and long, like distant mountains shrouded in green, relaxed and peaceful, without a trace of coquetry, only the elegance of being immersed in books.

His eyes, clear as water, were focused on the book in his hands.

The contents of the letter were "Ancient Style" poems that Liu Bei often recited under the guise of a rare copy collected by Lu Zhi.

This "Ancient Style" poem was sent by Lu Zhi, and the messenger squeezed through the crowd for a whole day and night to deliver it to Cai Yong's carriage.

It contains twenty classical Chinese poems.

Clearly, Lu Zhi, the matchmaker, was more reliable than Huang Wan, as he knew what would attract Cai Yong the most.

Sending the right gift is the key to achieving twice the result with half the effort.

Cai Yong had tens of thousands of books in his family, and he especially loved collecting rare and unique copies.

Cai Yong would collect any rare or unique copy of a book that had collectible value, wishing he could keep it all at home.

“I never expected that Zigan would be willing to bring out even a rare copy of ‘Gu Feng’ for his student.” Cai Yong sighed softly. After the sigh, Cai Yong was quite puzzled: “I have known Zigan for many years, but I have never heard him mention ‘Gu Feng’ before. It’s as if it suddenly appeared.”

"I heard from the people in Zigan's household that there are three hundred poems in the 'Ancient Style' collection, eight hundred lines in the 'Music Bureau' collection, and rare editions of poetry criticism, poetry commentary, and lyric commentary, all of which I have never heard of before. If I agree to this marriage, they can all be given to me. How strange! How bizarre!"

If Cai Yong hadn't known that Lu Zhi wasn't good at poetry and prose, he would have suspected that these rare manuscripts were secretly written by Lu Zhi over the years.

“Father, don’t be fooled by Master Lu.” The woman turning the pages smiled and said, “If you look closely at the ink, the book should have been completed in no more than ten days. This is not a unique copy; it’s more like a hastily copied one.”

Cai Yong was taken aback, then looked closely and his expression changed drastically: "That Lu Zigan! He even deceived me! Once we enter the city, I will make him hand over all the rare books! Otherwise, I will absolutely not agree to this marriage!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Cai Yong chuckled again: "Wenji, don't misunderstand. A rare book is a rare book, and a marriage is a marriage; I won't confuse the two."

Then, Cai Yong said solemnly, "I have long heard that Liu Bei is a hero who is not afraid of powerful figures, and now he has even been appointed as the Imperial Uncle by the Emperor. Not only did Zigan arrange a marriage for him, but Ziyan also arranged a marriage for him a few months ago. Such a person, I must see him with my own eyes before I can feel at ease!"

　Wenji and Zhaoji, please don't take it to heart; it's just that the author has played too many games.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)