Guan, Zhang, and Zhao were now receiving the treatment of heroes, one moment being offered a seat by the Alliance Hierarch, the next moment being presented with wine by the Feudal Lords, and then a large chunk of meat was passed to them.
All three, including the seemingly frail Zhao Yun, were accepting everything offered, with Zhang Fei drinking heavily despite being bandaged all over. Sometimes, in his boisterousness, he even spilled alcohol over his wounds, yet he continued without so much as a frown, and when meat came his way, he shoved it into his mouth, stripped it to the bones with a single pull, chewed twice, and washed it down with a gulp of wine.
What a trio of gluttons, Chen Xi rolled his eyes; how could they eat so much? One after another, they accepted everything with great enthusiasm.
"Lord Xuande truly has a multitude of heroes under his command!" In the wake of a great victory, even Kong Rong, the Great Confucian Scholar, let loose a bit, for in this martial era, no other achievements could compare with military exploits.
"Brother Wen Ju jests. Xuande, after all, follows the path of a military general; I will need much from Brother Wen Ju regarding civil governance," Liu Bei said, holding a bowl of wine and looking very cheerful. He drained the bowl in one go, his joy unfeigned, and then smilingly pulled Kong Rong to sit down.
"Well said, well said!" Kong Rong stroked his beard with a chuckle and turned to the robust military general behind him, saying, "Anguo, go and express our gratitude to the three generals, Guan, Zhang, and Zhao."
Then Kong Rong twisted around to address Liu Bei. "Lord Xuande, this man is my commanding officer, who owes me a debt of gratitude for a meal from long ago and has sworn to repay it with his life. For many years, I have indeed owed him much, and I am thus thankful for Lord Xuande’s lifesaving grace."
"He is a man of loyalty and righteousness; it is but Xuande’s duty to save him. Brother Wen Ju need not take it so seriously," Liu Bei said upon hearing about the gratitude pledged for a single meal, naturally taking a liking to Wuu Anguo. "A righteous man is always protected by heaven."
Alright, hearing this made Chen Xi shrink back a little; why did Liu Bei sound somewhat like a charlatan now?
In the military tent, toasts and pledges crisscrossed; after such a great victory, everyone had forgotten their previous worries, as if Luoyang was at hand, the mission to Support the King accomplished. Even Yuan Shao, who had just a few days earlier been mourning his uncle and cursively declaring undying opposition to Dong Zhuo, was so praised by the people around him that he lost himself in their flattery.
[Indeed, just by observing this situation, one knows not to rely on Yuan Shao.] Chen Xi, watching Yuan Shao indulging in dreams of unparalleled achievements and unwilling to awaken, lost all interest in him.
Turning his head to look around the tent, it was clear that Cao Cao was not the least bit intoxicated. Instead, he had already started conversing with Guan, Zhang, and Zhao. The Xiahou Brothers were sitting nearby, toasting with Guan, Zhang, and Zhao, enjoying their drinks immensely.
Glancing sideways at Sunx Jian, he was, like Chen Xi, watching the expressions of the various lords with an impassive face, or rather, he was starting to consider whether it might be better to strike out on his own rather than follow behind Yuan Shao, whose actions were like a cold bucket of water damping Sunx Jian’s fiery blood.
Turning to look at Liu Bei, indeed, apart from his exchanges with Kong Rong and Tao Qian, his eyes also occasionally surveyed the other Feudal Lords. However, it was quite evident that his gaze lingered longest where Guan, Zhang, and Zhao were drinking.
Chen Xi could not even recall how he had returned to Liu Bei’s Camp, thinking of the circumstances at the time, he guessed that nine out of ten people in the main camp must have been carried back. Considering further, if Lyu Bu had chosen last night to launch another stealth attack, he reckoned the Coalition Army would have been doomed; the top generals were nearly all drunk, and except for Cao, Sunx, and Liu, most of the lords had likely been finished off.
Chen Xi broke into a cold sweat at the thought. "Yuan Shao, if you want to die, don’t drag me down with you," he thought to himself. Again, he pondered, "Drinking really causes trouble. I must remember not to drink heavily in the camp in the future. As long as I don’t get drunk, my mind stays clear, and even in trouble, I could still struggle and fight. But to die nonsensically amidst a Rebel Army..." Chen Xi’s face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.
"Has Zichuan woken up?" Chen Lan had just finished washing and grooming Chen Xi when Liu Bei’s voice came in.
"Lord Xuande, I made a drunken mistake last night. If I was rude in any way," Chen Xi, dressed in an ostentatious pale silk robe, asked wearily.
"Even in your drunkenness, Zichuan, you still clung to me, insisting on arranging the camp’s defenses," Liu Bei said with a laugh.
Relieved by these words, Chen Xi exhaled deeply. Indeed, those fearful of death are always vigilant, even in a drunken state, remembering the dangerous Li Ru and Jia Xu.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness. Lord Xuande, please remember to have Generals Guan, Zhang, and Zhao in rotation on patrol. Do not let your guard down. If Lyu Bu launches a surprise attack, there would be very few in the Coalition Army who could sound the alarm in time," Chen Xi said with a wry smile.
Zichuan need not worry about Lyu Bu any longer. Zilong mentioned last night that Lyu Bu’s invincible state of mind has already shattered, and it will be difficult for him to recover quickly. Even if he cannot erase the shadow of this defeat, he might regress. Of course, Zilong also said that he could also progress even further," Liu Bei explained to Chen Xi. Initially, the explanation seemed reassuring, but the last part left Chen Xi terrified.
Lyu Bu was already strong enough it took mobbing him and employing a rotation in battle to barely subdue him. If he grows stronger, how could anyone survive!
"Let’s hope Lyu Bu regresses. Even if he only returns to his original strength, he must not get stronger—that man is simply too powerful," Chen Xi sighed. "I think we need to recruit some Top Generals to assemble a luxury lineup and let Lyu Bu meet defeat each time, always surprising him with different people to beat him!" Chen Xi said through gritted teeth, recalling by name the famous military generals of the Three Kingdoms, familiar with their whereabouts.
Liu Bei did not entirely understand every word Chen Xi said, but he grasped the general idea. Recruiting talented individuals was indeed crucial, especially after witnessing a superlative fighter like Lyu Bu defeat Guan and Zhang with ease, Liu Bei’s drive to recruit talents grew stronger—only, the timing was not right now.
Knowing Lyu Bu’s current situation, Dong Zhuo’s disappointment and dissatisfaction were clearly written on his face. He valued Lyu Bu as an undefeated legend, but now that Lyu Bu had been defeated, a second defeat was possible. Naturally, Dong Zhuo’s regard for Lyu Bu diminished significantly.
When Dong Zhuo thought about those three adversaries, he felt that the supposedly impregnable Hulao Pass was not safe at all. He suddenly saw no value in the territories he had always wanted to expand, as they not only failed to provide him security but also brought him a great deal of trouble.
As he pondered, Dong Zhuo suddenly had an inspiration—why not move the capital back to his hometown? His hometown was secure like a cast-iron barrel. The natural fortification of Xiaohan and the power of Western Qin were far superior—why suffer here? Back home, he could do as he pleased; it was all his land!
As soon as the thought struck him, Dong Zhuo scurried to Li Ru and asked, "Wen Youi, what if we empty Luoyang now and move back to Chang’an, taking advantage of Xiaohan’s defenses? Could I live even better than I do now?"
Li Ru was taken aback, looking up at the towering Dong Zhuo standing before him with a hopeful expression, and all his anger dissipated.