Liu Bian at the start, so you're called Dong Zhuo, right?

The post station was small, but not far from the Eastern Palace.

Liu Bian changed into civilian clothes and, accompanied only by Wang Ming and Cao Cao, walked there.

Lu Zhi followed behind, not saying a word, but simply observing the people coming and going on the streets of Luoyang.

He had been away from this city for almost a year.

It looks the same, but something seems different.

There were newly opened stalls along the street, selling things he'd never seen before; the lines outside the grain shops weren't as long as before...

Lu Zhi didn't say anything, but he made a mental note of it.

We've arrived at the post station.

Liu Bian stopped at the door and gave Cao Cao a meaningful glance.

Cao Cao went in first, and a moment later, Zhang Fei's loud voice came from inside, which was then deliberately lowered.

A moment later, footsteps were heard, and Liu Bei and his two companions came out.

Lu Zhi stood under the corridor and stopped abruptly when he saw the first person walk out.

He stared intently at Liu Bei for a good three or four breaths before speaking, his voice revealing a crack that was barely perceptible to most:

"Xuande?"

Liu Bei was also stunned.

He stepped out of the door and saw the person in the corridor—his hair had turned much whiter, and the lines between his eyebrows were deeper, but he had recognized those eyes for more than ten years and would never mistake them.

"teacher!"

He strode forward, knelt down directly in front of Lu Zhi, and bowed his head in kowtow.

Lu Zhi reached out, helped him up, and looked him over. His eyes held undisguised relief, but also a complex mix of emotions.

What are you doing here?

Liu Bei straightened up, glanced at Liu Bian standing on the veranda, then turned to look at Lu Zhi:

"It was Cao Cao who came to Zhuojun to find me, saying that His Highness the Crown Prince had invited me."

He paused, then lowered his voice:

"Teacher, I heard Cao Xueqin say on the way that when you were conscripted into the prison cart... it was His Highness the Crown Prince who intervened?"

Lu Zhi did not answer immediately.

He turned his head and looked at Liu Bian.

Liu Bian stood on the corridor, his expression calm. When he saw Lu Zhi looking over, he shook his head slightly, his expression showing a hint of reluctance to take credit.

Lu Zhi was silent for a moment, then turned back to look at Liu Bei:

"It was Xun Yu's plan."

He paused, then added:

"His Highness the Crown Prince is taking advantage of the situation to act."

What Liu Bian said was exactly the same.

After listening, Liu Bei looked at the Crown Prince and then bowed slightly.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Liu Bian nodded: "Let's go in first."

Upon entering the inn, the group sat down again.

Liu Bian sat down in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces without making a sound.

Lu Zhi was on the right, his expression calm, but his shoulders and back were a little looser than before.

Liu Bei sat opposite Lu Zhi, holding a teacup, listening to Lu Zhi and Liu Bei talk, occasionally interjecting a question or two, asking about the details of people's lives in Ji Province after the war, without a single wasted word.

Zhang Fei sat in the outermost position, his eyes darting around, having already surveyed the entire room at least three times.

Finally, his gaze settled on Liu Bian's face, a thoughtful expression on his face, as if he were mentally comparing this face with the things his elder brother had said.

Guan Yu sat next to Zhang Fei, his back straight, his hands on his knees, without saying a word.

Liu Bian observed him for a moment, then suddenly spoke:

"Yun Chang".

Guan Yu raised his eyes, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Highness."

Liu Bian didn't beat around the bush: "I want to ask you something."

Guan Yu nodded slightly.

"Have you heard about the Battle of Guangzong?"

Guan Yu nodded: "I've heard about it."

Liu Bei also looked at Lu Zhi:

"Teacher, you witnessed that battle firsthand. How exactly did it unfold?"

"The students in Zhuojun only saw the battle reports."

"The battle report says that Lu Gong defeated Guangzong and Zhang Jiao was beheaded. But the battle report doesn't specify how the battle actually went."

Lu Zhi glanced at him, then glanced at Liu Bian.

Liu Bian did not speak, but simply picked up his teacup and nodded slightly.

Seeing this, Guan Yu stopped talking and looked at Lu Zhi.

Lu Zhi withdrew his gaze and slowly spoke:

"I besieged Guangzong City for two months."

"Zhang Jiao's food supplies are running out, and there are rumors in the city that people are exchanging children to eat. I'm not attacking the city; I'm waiting for it to fall into chaos on its own."

He paused:

"But Dong Zhuo couldn't wait."

Liu Bei's brow twitched slightly.

Lu Zhi continued:

"He was the deputy general, and he was supposed to be under my command. But he never intended to listen to me from the beginning."

"On the day of the siege, my original plan was to wait three more days until Zhang Jiao's food supplies were completely exhausted and the chaos in the city could no longer be concealed before sending troops."

"But Dong Zhuo came to me in the middle of the night and said he had a way to break through the city."

Liu Bian interjected, "What method?"

Lu Zhi glanced at him:

"He said to let him go first. He would lead the Xiliang troops to launch a strong attack from the west gate to draw Zhang Jiao's main force away. Once Zhang Jiao had moved his troops there, I would then enter the city from the north gate."

He paused, a hint of something unreadable in his voice:

"I said he's crazy. The west gate is the most heavily guarded place by Zhang Jiao; a direct attack would be suicide. But he says he's confident."

"The confidence he was referring to was that of Lü Bu."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Liu Bian's fingertips tightened slightly inside his sleeve.

Lu Zhi's voice continued:

"In that battle, I fought for thirty years and I had never seen anyone like that."

"Lu Bu, alone, charged through the enemy lines with his halberd, fighting his way from the city gate to the city wall, and then back again. The Xiliang soldiers followed behind him, as if they were being pulled along by a rope, and they managed to tear a gap in the west gate."

"Zhang Jiao's soldiers weren't cowardly; they were just terrified of him."

"He swung his halberd, sending three or four people flying, and the others dared not go up."

He looked at Liu Bei:

"Xuande, you asked me how Guangzong fought."

"I can tell you, I could have won that battle if it weren't for Dong Zhuo. If it weren't for Lü Bu, Dong Zhuo wouldn't have dared to fight."

"But Dong Zhuo had Lü Bu, so he fought him, and he succeeded."

Liu Bei remained silent.

Lu Zhi added another sentence:

"Moreover, he didn't rely solely on Lü Bu."

Liu Bian raised his eyes: "What do you mean?"

Lu Zhi looked at him:

"Your Highness, Dong Zhuo is not a reckless man."

"When he came to me, he didn't just say 'Let me hit you.'"

"He drew out the terrain of Ximen, Zhang Jiao's troop distribution, and Lü Bu's charge route for me, one by one."

He said he only needed half an hour.

"The west gate will surely fall within half an hour. If I haven't entered the city through the north gate by half an hour, he will withdraw his troops and will not linger in battle."

The room fell silent.

Liu Bian still held the teacup in his hand; the tea had gone cold, but he hadn't drunk a drop.

He recalled his previous assessment of Dong Zhuo—a capable border warrior, a wolf that only grew teeth thanks to Lü Bu.

But Lu Zhi told him that wasn't the case.

Dong Zhuo was intelligent.

He knows when to fight and when to retreat. He knows how to use people and how to leverage external forces.

He used Lü Bu as a spear, but he himself was the one wielding the spear.

Liu Bian suddenly felt a chill down his back.

He always thought that Dong Zhuo's most terrifying aspect was Lü Bu.

But what if Dong Zhuo himself was terrifying enough?

At this moment, Guan Yu suddenly spoke.

He had been silent until now, like a statue. Now he raised his head and looked at Lu Zhi:

"Lord Lu".

Lu Zhi looked at him.

Guan Yu's voice was not loud, but very steady:

"How did Lu Bu charge into the enemy lines?"

Lu Zhi thought for a moment:

"At first, he led a troop of cavalry and charged into the city through the gate, advancing relentlessly."

"I originally thought he was just a brute with no real strength, but he knows how to retreat."

"When he can't keep going, he'll come back, catch his breath, and then try again."

He paused, then added:

"The scariest thing is that he's not just fierce. He can see."

He charged wherever the enemy was weakest. He fought wherever a general was giving orders. He could dodge 70-80% of the arrows shot from the city walls.

Liu Bian put down his teacup and turned to Guan Yu:

"Yun Chang, what do you think of this man based on what Lord Lu has said?"

Guan Yu remained silent for a while before speaking:

"He doesn't attack those he can't defeat, but strikes the right spot with deadly precision—this man is not just brave in battle, he has eyes on the battlefield."

Liu Bian looked at Guan Yu and suddenly asked:

"If you, Yun Chang, were to face him, are you confident of victory?"

Guan Yu did not answer immediately. Instead, he picked up the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, a sharp glint in his eyes.

"If you confront me head-on, the outcome will be decided within three exchanges."