The Three Kingdoms: Rise to Power Starting with Intercepting Liu Bei

As evening fell, Qin Xuan ordered a banquet to be held for Lü Bu at the Prime Minister's residence. This was the first and last time he drank with Lü Bu.

The two sides did not have much communication during their last meeting, and instead it ended very unpleasantly. Therefore, this meal can be considered a farewell drink for Lü Bu as he heads to hell.

The hall was brightly lit with candles, and the atmosphere was lively as everyone gathered together.

Qin Xuan sat in the main seat, while Lü Bu knelt at the first table to his right, with his beloved concubine Diao Chan nestled beside him.

After all, people tend to respect the right.

Meanwhile, the legal wife, Madam Yan, and a girl with an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and a domineering figure, who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, were kneeling in front of another table.

The young girl was unusually proactive, her bright eyes curiously observing Qin Xuan, who was in the main seat. After all, he was not much older than her, but had a high status, and even her father had to curry favor with him.

The strategist Chen Gong knelt down at the wine table to the right of Yan Shi.

To Qin Xuan's left and below are Xue Rengui and Yuwen Chengdu, respectively.

"General Lü, my two wives, this is our first time together. I, Qin Xuan, would like to propose a toast to everyone! Cheers!"

Qin Xuan picked up a glass of wine and made some polite remarks, but his eyes kept glancing at the voluptuous girl out of the corner of his eye.

"Her figure is absolutely stunning—a wasp waist, a perky bottom, long legs, and that pretty, fair face. It's almost unbelievable that she's Lu Bu's daughter!"

Qin Xuan clicked his tongue inwardly.

As previously introduced by Lü Bu, this hot-bodied girl is named Lü Lingqi, seventeen years old, and is his daughter with his wife, Lady Yan. She is fond of swords, spears, and clubs, and has a particularly fiery personality.

"Brother Qin, what are you saying? With our combined forces, what is there to fear in conquering the world?"

Faced with Qin Xuan's humble attitude, Lü Bu immediately stood up, raised his wine cup in return, and felt extremely pleased with himself, starting to daydream.

After everyone had finished their drinks, Chen Gong, who was sitting at the end of the table, spoke up:

"Lord Qin, what are your plans for this attack on Yuan Shu? What if Cao Cao doesn't send troops? How will the spoils of victory be divided between the two sides?"

Upon hearing this, the previously lively scene instantly fell silent, and everyone turned their attention to Qin Xuan, wanting to see what he was thinking.

It was said to be a joint operation between the two sides, but in reality, Qin Xuan was assisting Lü Bu, helping Lü Bu keep an eye on Cao Cao in Yanzhou to prevent the other side from sending troops to harass their rear. In addition, he also had to bear the food and fodder consumed by Lü Bu's army during the operation.

If this isn't made clear beforehand, it could get quite awkward if a conflict arises between the two parties.

"Uh~~~~!" Qin Xuan was a little stunned by Chen Gong's sudden question, but fortunately he reacted quickly and continued after regaining his composure:

"Since Gongtai has asked, I think Marquis Wen is also eager to know, so I will explain everything here."

"This operation is entirely under your command. Our army will not participate in the actual attack. We will be responsible for stationing ourselves in Xiaopei, keeping a close eye on Cao Cao's movements in Yanzhou, and also for transporting supplies."

"If Cao Cao makes any move against you, we will strike immediately to help you out of this predicament. I believe Lord Wen will persevere to the end!"

"If Lord Wen collapses at the first encounter with the Yuan-Cao alliance, I will do my best to rescue him."

"As for the distribution of the spoils of victory after the war, you only need to compensate for double the amount of food lost. I don't need anything else. Also, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun will be released after you withdraw from Xiaopei!"

Qin Xuan gave Chen Gong's question a response that was within the other party's acceptable range.

After all, Lu Bu had nothing to offer, so this was the only condition he could agree to. If he didn't ask for anything, the other party would definitely think there was a trap involved. Therefore, this double compensation of grain was quite reasonable.

Therefore, after hearing Qin Xuan's words, the two nodded in unison and did not refuse the condition.

"Lord Qin, we fully agree with your request and arrangements. A vast collection of historical novels will satisfy your reading preferences. We have no doubts or concerns; this is simply something we need to know, and we hope you won't overthink it."

Chen Gong cupped his hands apologetically and said he hoped Qin Xuan wouldn't hold a grudge over such trivial matters.

"No, it's only right. Come on, let's keep drinking!"

Qin Xuan, of course, wouldn't bother arguing with someone who was about to go to hell, and waved his hand dismissively.

Seeing Qin Xuan's unpretentious manners, Lü Bu's impression of him improved considerably. He began to formulate a plan, then turned to his daughter beside him and called out:

"Lingqi, come over and offer a toast to Lord Qin. You and Lord Qin are about the same age, and you may need to trouble him in the future. Offer a toast to get to know him better."

"Okay, Daddy!" Lü Lingqi pouted and reluctantly stood up, holding her wine glass. She came to a spot less than half a meter away from Qin Xuan and said in a very haughty manner:

After speaking, she raised her snow-white swan neck and drank the wine in her glass in one gulp. The whole process was clean and efficient, without any hesitation, which showed her to be very generous.

Seeing such a generous and beautiful woman, Qin Xuan was somewhat tempted.

After all, in an era when women rarely left their homes, it was rare to find such a forthright woman; most were the quiet and reserved type.

"Good, that's generous!" Qin Xuan praised, then turned to Lü Bu and suggested:

"Lord Wen, I see that we will be launching a military campaign soon. Why don't you leave your three family members in Pengcheng? That way, they can avoid the hardships of the journey. What do you think?"

Qin Xuan made this suggestion because he didn't want the three of them to go to their deaths; if they became prisoners, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Throughout history, there have been countless examples of this. The beautiful ones might only be the generals or monarchs, while those of average appearance, or those who would rather die than submit and resisted, might be given to the soldiers in the military camp to be humiliated in turn.

"This...!"

Lu Bu hesitated. If he left his wife and daughters here, wouldn't he be becoming Qin Xuan's hostages in effect? ​​These were his closest people.

They're different from outsiders like Zhang Liao and Gao Shun.

Seeing Lü Bu's hesitation, Qin Xuan was about to speak up and skip over this little interlude when Yan Shi, the least noticeable of them all, spoke up, turning to look at the hesitant Lü Bu and saying:

"My lord, Lingqi and I wish to stay in Pengcheng. The days of wandering have made me very uneasy. Please grant my request!"

As she spoke, Lady Yan kowtowed heavily to Lü Bu and began to plead desperately.

As a woman who had lost her husband's favor, Yan only wanted to settle down with her daughter. From Bingzhou to Chang'an, and then to Xuzhou, the hardships and displacement along the way made her unable to go on any longer.

Now she just wants to settle down in one place, not to mention that she has to endure her husband's favoritism towards other women every day. Now that she has the opportunity to separate, she is naturally eager for it.

"Lingqi, what do you think?" Lu Bu did not answer immediately, but instead looked at his daughter.

He knew what Yan was thinking. Although their marriage was now just a formality, they still had a daughter to rely on.

"I want to stay in Pengcheng with my mother!"

With her head down and lips pursed, Lü Lingqi hesitantly made her decision.

She's grown up now, and she's already quite aware of the atmosphere at home.

Since her father killed Dong Zhuo, she and her mother had become increasingly invisible in the family. If Diao Chan hadn't been less assertive, they might have been kicked out of the house.

Therefore, it's better to stay in Pengcheng with Yan Shi, so that you don't have to see her or worry about her.

"Alright, then you can stay in Pengcheng. I believe Lord Qin will treat you well!"

Although Lü Bu spoke these words in a joking tone, everyone present could hear the coldness in his words, which clearly showed his great dissatisfaction with Madam Yan and her daughter.

Because the atmosphere at the banquet was too heavy and oppressive, the banquet ended abruptly in less than half an hour.