Chapter 154: Withdrawing from Hulao

Liu Yao had originally intended to leave the coalition forces around this time. Yuan Shao's actions provided him with a convenient excuse. Dong Zhuo would likely retreat from Hulao Pass to Luoyang before long, followed by the relocation of the capital to Chang'an. Thus, there was no necessity for him to remain any longer. Luoyang held no significance for Liu Yao; the only thing of value there might be the Imperial Seal.

Guo Jia, standing nearby, chuckled inwardly at Liu Yao's words, looking at the shameless Liu Yao with a hint of admiration. He was well aware of Liu Yao's subsequent destination. Clearly wanting to leave of his own accord, Liu Yao made it sound so deeply emotional, as if he were utterly disappointed in Yuan Shao and had no other choice but to depart.

Cao Cao felt an immense wave of anger upon hearing this—not only toward Yuan Shao, but toward the entire coalition as well. Ever since the alliance was formed, the various lords had indulged in earthly pleasures day after day, engaging in constant backstabbing or hoarding their strength. Only Liu Yao had truly exerted himself and contributed real effort.

"Take care, General," Cao Cao said, clasping his fists.

"Haha, Mengde, take care as well," Liu Yao replied with a smile.

The various lords also bowed to Liu Yao one by one and said nothing more. As for Yuan Shao, he refused to even cast a single glance in Liu Yao's direction.

Immediately afterward, Liu Yao led his large army toward Chang'an, where he had already arranged everything in advance.

Inside Hulao Pass, Lü Bu had hastily bandaged his wounds and proceeded to pay respects to his adoptive father, Dong Zhuo.

Upon hearing the news of Lü Bu's return, Dong Zhuo laughed heartily and rushed out to welcome him. "Haha, Fengxian, my son, you must have successfully beaten back those lords!"

Before he could finish, however, Dong Zhuo caught sight of the injury on Lü Bu's left arm and his somewhat disheveled hair, which had been hurriedly re-tied into a topknot. Seeing this, Dong Zhuo froze completely and cried out in astonishment, "Fengxian, what is this...?"

"Adoptive Father..." Lü Bu called out with a sense of shame. After all, he had always proclaimed himself the finest warrior under heaven, yet now he had been defeated. Although it was not a matter of pure skill, no one would care about such nuances; the whole world would know simply that Lü Bu had lost.

"You..." Dong Zhuo roared in anger, looking at Lü Bu with a gaze full of disappointment. In his eyes, since Lü Bu had been defeated, his value was no longer so high, and he was simply not worth the massive price Dong Zhuo had paid for him.

"General Lü, seeing that you are injured, you should withdraw early and rest," Li Ru stepped forward and said at that moment, giving Dong Zhuo a subtle look to signal him not to fly into a rage.

Seeing Li Ru's signal and realizing that his strategist must have a purpose in mind, Dong Zhuo immediately softened his expression and said gently, "Fengxian, you should hurry back and get some rest."

"Yes, Adoptive Father," Lü Bu replied, turning and walking away. Yet, the intense look of malice in his eyes could by no means be concealed.

"My good son-in-law, why did you stop me? This Lü Bu even claimed to be the greatest warrior under heaven, yet he was actually defeated! What use is there in keeping him around?!" Dong Zhuo demanded angrily once Lü Bu had departed.

"Father-in-law, Lü Bu's martial prowess is indeed the finest under heaven. His defeat earlier was entirely due to other circumstances; it cannot be blamed on him," Li Ru explained. Dong Zhuo had not witnessed the battle firsthand, but Li Ru, who had been standing atop the city wall the entire time, had seen everything clearly.

"Furthermore, Lü Bu is a man of wolfish ambition. In the past, he murdered his adoptive father Ding Yuan merely for a Red Hare horse before coming to serve under you, Father-in-law. If you were to have a falling out with him publicly in front of everyone, there is no guarantee he would not betray you as well. Once his fifty thousand Bingzhou wolf cavalry rise in rebellion, we will not come out unscathed either," Li Ru persuaded.

"Sensible, my son-in-law speaks much sense," Dong Zhuo nodded repeatedly. If he had broken ties with Lü Bu openly right then and there, and Lü Bu had suddenly struck him down while standing close by, wouldn't his own life be in grave danger? At this thought, Dong Zhuo could not help but shudder.

"Then how should we treat Lü Bu now? Keeping such a dangerous person by my side always makes me feel somewhat uneasy all over," Dong Zhuo asked, still worried that Lü Bu might abruptly finish him off one day, leaving him to die in such a pathetic manner.

Li Ru smiled upon hearing this and said, "Father-in-law need not worry. Lü Bu is not someone who holds his life cheaply. As long as he remains under your command, he will not dare to act rashly because he also fears our massive army. Therefore, Father-in-law only needs to court Lü Bu properly and avoid driving him into a desperate corner. Given his temperament, he will remain the sharpest sword in your hands, campaigning across the lands for you."

"Good! My son-in-law is truly a man of great talent. Put that way, my mind is finally at ease," Dong Zhuo laughed heartily.

Yet, in the very next moment, Dong Zhuo's expression darkened abruptly, and he asked anxiously and impatiently, "Wenyu, what should we do about this Hulao Pass? Although we repelled the lords' siege earlier, as you saw, Lü Bu's crushing defeat has severely dampened the morale of our troops. Moreover, the various lords have not yet fully assembled. Once all sixteen routes of lords arrive—coupled with that brat Liu Yao—I am afraid we will not be able to hold Hulao Pass." Dong Zhuo, of course, did not know that Liu Yao had already left Hulao Pass for parts unknown; had he known, perhaps he would not have been so worried.

Hearing this, Li Ru rolled his eyes and said, "I wonder if Father-in-law heard the nursery rhyme circulating in Luoyang a few days ago?"

"What nursery rhyme?" Dong Zhuo asked quizzically. He genuinely had not heard of any such verse.

"The rhyme goes like this: 'A Han in the west, a Han in the east; the deer flees into Chang'an, only then can disaster be gone,'" Li Ru recited, pacing back and forth in the middle of the tent while shaking his head.

Dong Zhuo was left completely bewildered. He could be considered an utter brute; when it came to poetry, songs, and literary verses, he was completely clueless. He hurriedly asked for enlightenment without any sense of shame.

Naturally aware of just how much ink was in Dong Zhuo's belly, Li Ru quickly explained, "A Han in the west corresponds to Gaozu establishing his capital in the western metropolis of Chang'an, which lasted for twelve emperors. A Han in the east corresponds to Emperor Guangwu wresting back supreme power from Wangmang and re-establishing the Han, relocating the capital to the eastern metropolis of Luoyang, which has also lasted for twelve emperors thus far. Such is the will of Heaven; as long as Father-in-law relocates the capital to Chang'an, you can sit back and rest easy without worries."

"Good, good, good!" Dong Zhuo exclaimed three times in succession, then continued, "'A deer flees into Chang'an, only then can disaster be gone'—if not for my son-in-law explaining it to me, I truly would not have understood its meaning at all. This nursery rhyme is truly the will of Heaven!"

In truth, Dong Zhuo held his own calculations in his heart as well. Chang'an was the old capital of the Han and naturally a blessed land, boasting the boundless fertile plains of Shu, as well as natural barriers such as Hangu Pass and Tong Pass guarding its approaches. It was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Although half of Liangzhou had already been seized by Liu Yao and Ma Teng, that half consisted mostly of barren tracts, while the truly wealthy regions remained firmly under Dong Zhuo's control. Once he relocated to Chang'an, he could sit atop the mountain and watch the tigers fight, quietly observing the various lords of the Central Plains tear each other to exhaustion, and then emerge to sweep up the remnants of the game.

What Dong Zhuo did not know, however, was that the nursery rhyme was by no means the will of Heaven, but merely a fabrication of Li Ru—though Li Ru had certainly done it for Dong Zhuo's benefit.

At this moment, Dong Zhuo laughed endlessly, overwhelmingly satisfied with his son-in-law Li Ru. Without Li Ru's assistance, he would never have enjoyed the life he had today. At the same time, he felt immensely proud of his decision to marry his daughter to Li Ru.

Yet immediately afterward, Dong Zhuo thought of another issue and hurriedly asked, "Son-in-law, there is still a major problem here. Although Chang'an is considered quite prosperous within Liangzhou, ever since Wang Mang usurped the Han, Chang'an has fallen into a state of utter dilapidation. Furthermore, Emperor Guangwu never repaired it after relocating the capital. The population of Chang'an is also pitifully small. If we move to Chang'an, where will we get the wealth and population to sustain such a massive army of ours?"

Hearing this, Li Ru smiled and said, "Father-in-law need not worry, I have already thought of a solution."

Overjoyed, Dong Zhuo urged, "Quickly tell me, my son-in-law!"

"Luoyang has a massive population. We merely need to relocate the population of Luoyang to Chang'an, and the population issue will be resolved. Should anyone refuse, execute them to establish deterrence. As for the problem of wealth, that is even simpler. There are numerous wealthy clans and powerful families in Chang'an, every single one of them rolling in riches. Father-in-law merely needs to issue an order to raid their homes, exterminate their clans, and seize their wealth for our own use. Won't all problems be solved in this manner?" Li Ru said with a sinister smile.

One had to acknowledge Li Ru's ruthlessness; he was hardly inferior to Jia Xu and Cheng Yu.