"I wonder which one of you is General Zhao Hao? I am Lü Bu, Lü Fengxian, from Wuyuan, Bingzhou, who has come to pay my respects!"
The newcomer wore a three-pronged purple-gold crown, a red brocade robe with a hundred flowers from Sichuan, a lion-shaped belt around his waist, and a lion-shaped armor. He looked like a superstar, majestic and awe-inspiring.
Lü Bu, courtesy name Fengxian, was 35 years old when he joined the warlords of the late Han Dynasty.
Command: 90, Strength: 104, Intelligence: 66, Politics: 52, Charisma: 81
Personality: 1. Unrivaled (When fighting multiple opponents in a one-on-one battle, all personal abilities increase by 20%)
2. One-man army 3. Charging into battle 4. Fierce battle 5. Guerrilla warfare 6. Sprinting 7. Sweeping away 8. Reckless
Lü Bu, leading several thousand elite cavalry, stood before the formidable pass and asked questions in a loud voice.
"General, I..."
"What's wrong? Yang Zaixing and his buddies just left, and you're already itching to get your hands dirty?"
Yuwen Chengdu laughed heartily, thinking that his son truly understood him.
The general below, with his surging blood and bulging muscles, was clearly no ordinary man.
Although the person below is no match for him and Zhao Hao now, he is good for entertaining and establishing authority.
"Stop laughing, come down with me and meet this Lu Bu of Bingzhou!"
"Um... okay."
A cold wind was blowing; instead of the sweltering heat of summer, an autumn wind was blowing, a rare occurrence.
"I am Zhao Hao. I have long heard of General Lü's great name. It is only today that we have the opportunity to meet."
Lu Bu and the scholars behind him were all taken aback. Zhao Hao had actually come out to meet them in person?
Moreover, they only brought one general as a bodyguard...
"What is it on my face that makes Fengxian and your men so fascinated?"
Lü Bu and his entourage then realized their rudeness and quickly returned the gesture with clasped hands.
"Nothing more than that. When I first met the Marquis of Jinyang, I was impressed by his young talent and his subordinates and colleagues were filled with admiration."
Zhao Hao smiled faintly, "The water outside the pass is cold. Would you be willing to come inside and have a long talk with me?"
Zhao Hao's words pushed the already tense nerves of the men behind Lü Bu to their limit, and they all immediately placed their hands on the hilts of their swords, intending to do something wicked.
"Fengxian, this..."
"Fellow villager, I have my own plans!"
Lu Bu snorted and ordered Song Xian, Hao Meng, and the others behind him, except for Li Su, to consciously lower their hands from the hilts of their weapons.
"The General of the North has invited me, and I, Lü Fengxian, will gladly accept!"
Thump!
Lu Bu exerted force, driving his halberd seven-tenths of an inch into the ground.
"You all stay outside, lead the brothers to cook and continue patrolling and guarding against petty villains as ordered by the Grand Tutor."
The Marquis of Jinyang is renowned throughout the land and has bestowed favors upon the elders and fellow villagers of Bingzhou. How could we, with our petty minds, judge such a virtuous man! Rest assured, I'll be right back!
"Lord of Jinyang, please lead the way!"
Although Lü Bu acted boldly, he left his halberd handle directly in front of the Jiguan Pass.
However, he dared not remove the sword he carried.
"Hehe, Fengxian, please come in. I will certainly treat you to the best wine and food!"
In reality, Lü Bu wasn't stupid. Having studied martial arts with Li Yan for so many years, he could tell at a glance the strength of Zhao Hao and Yuwen Chengdu beside him.
If Lü Bu does not agree to the invitation, then Zhao Hao and Yuwen Chengdu, being so close, could easily keep him and all his brothers here in the blink of an eye!
Therefore, leaving the halberd before closing the gate served two purposes: to warn Zhao Hao not to act recklessly, and to imply that everyone knew Lu Bu had been there.
Furthermore, it implies that he was telling Dong Zhuo that he, Lü Bu, was not afraid of death, but was forced to enter the camp alone.
"Fengxian, please sit down. Cheng... Guan Sheng, go and arrange for good wine and food. As the local official of Bingzhou, I cannot be impolite when meeting the people of Bingzhou, understand?"
"promise!"
There are two reasons why Yuwen Chengdu was not allowed to make the preparations.
One reason is that Zhao Hao has no idea how strong he really is now. By leaving Yuwen Chengdu behind, he will have more confidence in dealing with Lü Bu.
Another reason is that Yuwen Chengdu has been hanging out with him for so long that his mind is full of nonsense and he's started to become unserious.
If this guy poisons or gives laxatives, then things will be bad.
Soon, Guan Sheng brought up a large table of roasted meat as arranged by Zhao Hao.
Although these roasted meats were just ordinary meals for the Han army compared to real delicacies, Guan Sheng wasn't sure if Zhao Hao wanted something truly delicious or just something perfunctory. So he served a table of everyday dishes to see if Zhao Hao would be satisfied.
"This...beef?"
Lu Bu naturally didn't stand on ceremony. Seeing that Zhao Hao had indeed served him good wine and food, he picked up a piece of meat and took a bite.
However, the rich aroma of the beef left Lü Bu with an unforgettable aftertaste.
“Fengxian, the Xiongnu and Xianbei near your hometown have all been driven away by me.”
Now, they can raise livestock for the imperial court, and every now and then they can hand over some cattle, sheep and geese.
So, we don't lack oxen for plowing, and we can even use beef as a staple food! Come on, have a taste, this is beef from your hometown!
"Beef from my hometown...?"
Upon hearing Zhao Hao's words, Lü Bu's homesickness immediately welled up in his heart.
On the grasslands and in the mountains, there lies the land he longs for, the homeland where he has lived since childhood.
When he came to his senses... he was no longer the boy he once was; covered in blood and mud, he was unable to find his way home.
Home, hometown... are hard to find now!
"Fengxian, thank you for your hospitality, General... I am speechless with gratitude. This jar of wine, bottoms up!"
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