"Isn’t it just a push? Sometimes, the chancellor has a bad temper, but it’s fine, haha, the chancellor still has ambitions, still coveting the throne, and his courage remains, abandoning the entire prosperous Luoyang as if it’s nothing, throwing it out for the Guandong Lords to fight over like dogs, finally coming to his senses!" Li Ru was ecstatic, all his dejection and dissatisfaction had evaporated. As long as Dong Zhuo retained his ambitions, his dreams had a place to land!
Li Ru completely misunderstood Dong Zhuo’s thoughts. Whatever ’having a better life’ meant, it wasn’t what Li Ru imagined—that currently being second to one, superior to thousands, in a few days he would advance even further, directly doing away with that one…
Alright, this was a wonderful misunderstanding, and an invigorated Li Ru was terrifying, especially since Dong Zhuo had made the domineering decision to abandon the whole of Luoyang, Li Ru felt all his shackles had been released.
"Since the chancellor is willing to give up Luoyang, why not also give up the Jade Seal, throwing away both the grand symbol of Han Dynasty’s authority, Luoyang, and the so-called supreme position represented by the Jade Seal to the scoundrels of the Guandong!" At first excited, Li Ru then became concerned that Dong Zhuo’s idea was merely a spur-of-the-moment thought, so he specifically tested it.
It was clear that Dong Zhuo hesitated. Luoyang could be lost since everything had been moved out, and he wouldn’t lament its loss, but the Jade Seal was said to represent the supreme position, not comparable to an emptied Luoyang.
"If the chancellor wants to live a better life, casting aside this object is the proper course. Once the Han Dynasty loses the Imperial Jade Seal, whether it’s legitimate or not isn’t just a matter of saying so. Moreover, the Guandong Lords won’t act in unison. A single Jade Seal is enough to make them splinter into several small factions, and then fight like dogs, leaving them eventually powerless to advance westward," Li Ru continued to persuade.
Honestly, Li Ru didn’t harbor hopes that Dong Zhuo would cast away the Jade Seal; this was merely a test. Dong Zhuo’s hesitation meant that he was genuinely considering the issue—that was surely a display of great courage to cut one’s own flesh!
Seeing Dong Zhuo’s hesitation, Li Ru was overjoyed, finally waking up after waiting so long.
After a long pause, Dong Zhuo, looking at Li Ru’s serious expression, wondered to himself, "What’s with this guy? Oh well, let’s ask about the matter I want to know."
"Wen You, if I don’t keep the Jade Seal, how long can we live peacefully in Yongliang?" Dong Zhuo asked the question that concerned him. He now yearned for a peaceful life; yesterday’s incident truly frightened him. The pleasures of Luoyang had drained his vitality, and he no longer had his former ambitions; he simply wished to get by and enjoy his good days.
"Chancellor…" Li Ru’s voice trembled slightly. To ask such a question meant that, if necessary, he would indeed give up the Jade Seal. This was beyond description in terms of ambition and courage—this was truly an emperor’s boldness. With such boldness, how could one fear not achieving success?
Li Ru thought carefully, then looked at Dong Zhuo with bright eyes and said, "Chancellor, if handled properly, giving up the Jade Seal could not only cause the alliance of Lords to collapse but also, if the Hangu Pass is sealed for the next five to eight years, the turmoil of Guandong would not enter Yongliang. Such a long span is enough for us to grow strong enough to defeat all the Lords. That Jade Seal is nothing more than the Jade Disc of Weeping Willows in Duke Xiann’s hands."
Dong Zhuo’s attachment to the Jade Seal wasn’t strong, and being a Xiliang Warrior who hadn’t received a formal education, he simply didn’t comprehend what the Jade Seal represented in Li Ru’s heart.
To Dong Zhuo, having the emperor and martial force was all that mattered; even a royal seal carved onto a brick would suffice. The Imperial Jade Seal crafted from the Hee Clan Jade by the First Emperor was just a medium, and if it were gone, it was gone. When the time came, he could just carve another one. Wouldn’t it be nice to live peacefully for another fifty or eighty years, especially since Li Ru mentioned that he could even defeat all the feudal lords. Now that was valuable news!
At this point, Dong Zhuo was no different from a small brat. Beaten and unable to hit back, he was scared and wanted to run home. And now a clever person told him that if he threw away the candy he didn’t like, all those bastards would go crazy fighting over it until they were bleeding and broken, and in a few years, he could come back and stomp on whoever he wanted!
Of course, if a regular person said this, Dong Zhuo would definitely not believe it, but it was Li Ru who said it, and Dong Zhuo believed him. Whatever this guy said was accurate, and he had never seen him take a loss.
"Fine, the Imperial Seal is yours now. Do whatever you want with it. I’m tired. Don’t ask me about anything recently; just handle it yourself!" Dong Zhuo said to Li Ru with a somewhat fierce smile on his face.
Seeing that slight smile on Dong Zhuo’s face, Li Ru naturally thought that Dong Zhuo was trying to comfort him, letting him not feel pressured. Hearing that Dong Zhuo was tired and didn’t want to be asked about anything, Li Ru felt even more sorrowful. When had he ever needed Dong Zhuo to make such a sacrifice?
"I, Ru, will lay down my liver and brains on the ground to repay the prime minister’s grace!" Li Ru knelt before Dong Zhuo’s desolate figure, his heart aflame not with anger at Dong Zhuo, but with rage towards the Guandong lords.
Dong Zhuo stepped out of the room, puzzled. Why was Li Ru so grateful all of a sudden, even kowtowing? What shocking thing had he done?
Three days later, Jia Xu, who was hiding in Chang’an and fishing meat out of the Bronze Cauldron, received a message from Li Ru. His soul was nearly startled out of his body. [Damn, Dong Zhuo actually let that bastard Li Ru succeed. Using Luoyang and the Imperial Seal as bait, that’s incredibly bold. Is he trying to scare me to death? Hadn’t he nearly been drained of his ambitions by indulgences? How come the moment I leave, this guy gets invigorated again? Must it be this shocking?]
Jia Xu’s old servant watched his master rolling on the ground in the hall, clutching his head. He hurriedly fetched the medicine and helped Jia Xu up.
"Jia Fu, do you think a scoundrel, whose aspirations have been worn away by wine, women, wealth and qi, could become extremely spirited within a few days? To the point of having a bold aura that could rival even the Qin Emperor?" Jia Xu said dejectedly.
Jia Fu lowered his head silently, not getting involved in anything, just serving Jia Xu. That was his duty.
[How could such bizarre things happen? Could it be that I am a jinx?] Jia Xu resignedly thought. He had been able to join Dong Zhuo because he saw potential in him. Yet as soon as he left, Dong Zhuo began to degenerate. Previously, he had run back to Chang’an because he had lost faith in Dong Zhuo and was ready to quit. But as soon as he ran away, Dong Zhuo regained his grand ambitions and audacity!
Jia Xu certainly didn’t suspect that Li Ru was joking. For one thing, Li Ru was a man of strong character aside from being ruthless, and for another, this kind of issue couldn’t possibly be a joke. Whether abandoning Luoyang or the Imperial Seal, it would shock the world in the end! Especially the Imperial Seal—if it truly came from Li Ru, no matter how secretly the recipient tried to handle it, it would eventually spread far and wide and become known to everyone.
Thinking of this made Jia Xu feel depressed...