Chapter 10, The Gathering of the Tyrants

Kang Peng smiled, and Liu Bei's response was likely the same as his estimation, indeed filled with talk of benevolence and morality. "Lord Xuande, you are a member of the Han royal family. You say that I have unlawfully deposed the emperor, but do you know whether the late Emperor Ling's will was to establish Prince Bian as emperor or to establish Prince Xie as emperor"

Kang Peng was almost scared to the point of losing control, and he began to focus on winning over Zhao Yun, not realizing that he was standing too close to Zhao Yun. As a result, he was taken hostage by Zhao Yun. Kang Peng quickly shouted: "Step aside, step aside"

Kang Peng's chin nearly fell off, could it be that Jia Xu fabricated it? But it doesn't seem likely, as Jia Xu probably does not possess the ability of foresight to prepare a fake edict in advance. Alternatively, there might indeed be such an edict, but it is simply not recorded in historical materials

Kang Peng, seeing that he had outsmarted two super cunning individuals, confidently declared: "The late emperor was aware of the collusion between the Ten Regular Attendants and He Jin, and he must have intended to disrupt the legitimacy of our Han dynasty. He left a secret edict for Cao Cao, ordering him to lead the Xiliang troops to the capital to eliminate the Ten Regular Attendants and He Jin, and to establish the prince as co-emperor. Whether Cao Cao accomplished all of this is evident for all to see"

General Zilong, Zhuo Lizhi aims to benefit the common people of the world, lamenting only that he lacks capable individuals to assist Dong Zhuo. Zhuo is well aware of General Zilong's deep concern for the country and its people, sharing the same aspirations. Kang Peng, upon seeing Zhao Yun, had long since cast aside the thought of Lü Bu, the traitor of three surnames, disregarding Lü Bu's jealousy nearby. He approached Zhao Yun, employing his silver tongue to win him over. Kang Peng slowly rode his horse to Zhao Yun's side and clasped his fists, saying: "I implore General Zilong to assist me; Zhuo is willing to express his gratitude with the rank of a general."

"Bah!" Zhao Yun spat heavily on the ground, "Traitor! You want me to assist in tyranny, dream on!" Kang Peng was instantly frozen, bitterly smiling in his heart. It was all due to the extremely poor reputation of Old Dong; with Zhao Yun's character, it was almost impossible to win him over.

At the critical moment of life and death, Kang Peng, often scolded by his teacher for his foolishness, became unusually calm, and an idea surfaced in his mind. "General Zilong, what do you think is of utmost importance to the country?" Kang Peng suddenly asked Zhao Yun.

Liu Bei let out a cold snort, "You have usurped the throne, wantonly slaughtered officials, and everyone in the world has the right to punish you. We act in accordance with the will of heaven and the hearts of the people, and we will surely eradicate you." Cao Cao disdainfully refrained from speaking to Kang Peng, merely nodding to express his agreement with Liu Bei

As a cloud vendor, Kang Peng felt a bit nervous when he saw his idol, saying, "General Zilong, I have long admired your great name. Today, to see you in person is enough to fulfill my lifelong wish."

Clearly there is none, do not pretend here. Cao Cao and Liu Bei laughed heartily, thinking to themselves, what are you Zhao Yun doing, why don't you quickly take Dong Zhuo hostage to ensure our escape, for a long night inevitably brings many dreams

"Lord Xuande, it has been a while, hasn't it?" Although Kang Peng had never met Liu Bei before, he recognized him at a glance. Just as described in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei had a face like jade, with red lips and white teeth. However, what stood out the most were Liu Bei's ears and hands—he looked almost like a deformity! Kang Peng also remembered that Dong Zhuo and Liu Bei had met before, so he clasped his hands and said: "During the campaign against the Yellow Turbans, we were greatly aided by Lord Xuande's rescue."

Upon being reminded by Jia Xu, Kang Peng immediately understood that this was a great opportunity bestowed upon him by heaven. He had brought almost all the cavalry of Xiliang to capture Zhao Yun, inadvertently surrounding Liu Bei and Cao Cao, who would one day contend with him for the world. As long as he gave the order, these two chaotic heroes would be reduced to mere flesh and blood in an instant. Wouldn't the world then be within his grasp?

"Chancellor, Jia Xu is guilty." Suddenly, Jia Xu stepped forward, "I came to Hulao Pass with the late Emperor's edict secretly kept on my person, intending to proclaim it to the world and defend the Chancellor's honor." Jia Xu took out a scroll from his bosom, "I did not expect to use it now."

Cao Cao and Liu Bei were both astonished and delighted, as they initially thought they were doomed. Unexpectedly, the situation took a turn when Dong Zhuo was suddenly captured by Zhao Yun. The troops of Dong Zhuo, fearing the consequences, would certainly not dare to risk Dong Zhuo's life, thus allowing their side to seize the initiative

Kang Peng carefully observed this figure, who, after the notorious Dong, was now the target of public scorn as a national traitor. With a gaunt, sharp face, narrow eyes, and a long beard, he was clad in armor, presenting the image of a refined general. Kang Peng thought to himself, this fellow is also eyeing Zhao Yun, and with the big-eared man beside him, it would indeed be quite troublesome if I wanted to capture Zhao Yun today

General Zilong's reprimand is well-deserved. Cao Cao applauded and said: "That Dong Zhuo has deceived the emperor and usurped power, corrupting the court, and is cruel and unkind; the people of the world have the right to punish him.

Zhao Yun gently tapped the horse's hindquarters, urging the black colt ridden by Kang Peng to slowly walk out of the encirclement of Dong Zhuo's army. The soldiers of Dong Zhuo dared not take the risk of using Kang Peng's head as a bargaining chip and all stepped aside to clear the way. Soon, Zhao Yun had successfully taken Kang Peng and met with Cao Cao and Liu Bei. Zhao Yun then said to Kang Peng: "Tell your troops to make way, allowing Lord Cao and Lord Liu to pass, and I will spare your life for the time being"

Zhao Yun suddenly leaped onto Kang Peng's horse, drawing the treasured sword from Kang Peng's waist and placing it against his neck, "Tell them to stop, otherwise I will kill you"

Liu Bei and Cao Cao were left speechless. Indeed, Emperor Ling of Han did leave a will to establish the prince Xie as emperor, but this infringed upon the interests of the Ten Eunuchs and the former Grand General He Jin. As a result, the will was altered, and He Jin along with the Ten Eunuchs jointly pushed the prince Bian to the position of emperor. This is an indisputable fact. To speak truly, Dong Zhuo's deposition of the emperor can be seen as a restoration of the legitimate lineage of the Han.

Upon seeing Zhao Yun take the bait, Kang Peng immediately inquired: "In comparison to the country and its people, which is more important?"

Kang Peng ignored Zhang Fei's insults and looked around at the crowd. Naturally, the first person he focused on was the one he had been thinking about day and night, Zhao Yun. (Alas! Kang Peng had been in the Three Kingdoms era for less than a day.) It is said that Zhao Yun is an unparalleled beauty, and upon seeing him today, it was indeed true that seeing is believing. Zhao Yun's face was so beautiful that even girls would feel jealous! With sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a nose like a hanging gallbladder, and ruby lips with jade teeth, perhaps these words were created specifically to describe Zhao Yun. If it were not for Zhao Yun's heroic demeanor, Kang Peng would almost think that Zhao Yun was a woman disguised as a man, as some later generations have speculated. Who would have thought that this seemingly delicate young general before him was the same Zhao Zilong from Changshan, who carried A Dou and fought through the 830,000 troops seven times and returned? A person whose virtues are infinitely close to perfection!

Kang Peng is blinded by his own position and fails to see the advantageous situation on his side. However, Jia Xu, as an observer, clearly points out: "Lord Meng De, on that day you attempted to assassinate the Chancellor and fled in failure. Now you have become a turtle in a jar; do you still wish to escape?"

Zhao Yun looked at Kang Peng in surprise, feeling quite puzzled as to why Dong Zhuo would ask him such questions at a critical moment. However, Zhao Yun could not help but respond: "Of course, the state and its people are of utmost importance"

"Dong Zhuo, the old thief, I, Zhang, truly should not have saved you, this traitor to the country!" Without waiting for Liu Bei to respond, the fiery Zhang Fei began to scold. Liu Bei did not stop Zhang Fei; at this moment, Liu Bei's meager forces and the exhausted army of Cao Cao were completely surrounded by Dong Zhuo's troops. It was futile to expect other lords to come to their rescue. Liu Bei, who should have been in despair, had heard in advance about Dong Zhuo's act of releasing prisoners. He considered that it might be better to let Zhang Fei hurl a few insults at Dong Zhuo, mentioning the past when he had saved Dong Zhuo, in the hope that Dong Zhuo might have a moment of conscience and spare his life.

Zhao Yun was hesitant and indecisive. He knew that it was crucial to take advantage of the situation to force Dong Zhuo to withdraw from the encirclement. However, the legendary Dong Zhuo, known for his ruthless killings, raised questions in Zhao Yun's mind. Additionally, having heard about Dong Zhuo's release of prisoners today, Zhao Yun could not help but doubt the veracity of the legends surrounding Dong Zhuo.

Kang Peng instinctively commanded: "Kill! Kill them all!" The Xiliang cavalry shouted in unison, "Kill!" Countless cavalry drew their bows and released arrows, and in an instant, arrows rained down, taking countless lives. Cao Cao's army and Liu Bei's army were surrounded in a very small circle, with no place to evade. They wanted to counterattack, but the Xiliang cavalry had already set up their caltrops, making it difficult to approach.

Kang Peng, seeing Zhao Yun hesitating, directed his questioning towards Cao Cao and Liu Bei, saying, "Lord Xuande, Lord Mengde, why do you raise troops to attack me? What wrong have I, Dong Zhuo, committed? Please state it clearly"

"Nonsense!" Liu Bei shouted immediately. Cao Cao and Liu Bei, seeing Zhao Yun wavering, were secretly alarmed at the thought that Zhao Yun might turn against them, fearing that he would betray them at a critical moment. Cao Cao also retorted, "You say the late emperor left you a will; where is that will? Clearly, you are talking nonsense!"

Zhao Yun was taken aback. Having learned on his own and descended the mountain, he joined the army under Yuan Shao, becoming an inconsequential deputy general. He rarely had any opportunities to make a name for himself, and when he finally went to suppress a bandit, all the credit was snatched away by his superior. To put it bluntly, before tonight, Zhao Yun was merely an obscure nameless soldier. The fact that Yuan Shao could remember Zhao Yun as one of his subordinates was largely due to Zhao Yun's handsome face. But now, the number one traitor of the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhuo, actually recognized him at a glance, even calling out Zhao Yun's style name, and his attitude was extremely humble. How could this not astonish Zhao Yun? The fact that Yuan Shao could remember Zhao Yun as one of his subordinates was largely due to Zhao Yun's handsome face. But now, the number one traitor of the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhuo, actually recognized him at a glance, even calling out Zhao Yun's style name, and his attitude was extremely humble. How could this not astonish Zhao Yun?

"Chancellor." The soldiers of Dong Zhuo were greatly alarmed, forgetting to slaughter the soldiers of Cao and Liu, and surrounded Kang Peng and Zhao Yun in the middle, with swords, spears, and halberds all aimed at Zhao Yun. "Step aside, otherwise I will kill Dong Zhuo," Zhao Yun shouted fiercely.

Before Zhao Yun could respond, Liu Bei and Cao Cao almost simultaneously discerned Kang Peng's intentions and exclaimed in unison: "General Zilong, do not waste words with the traitor Dong, it is imperative to withdraw the troops first"

Kang Peng did not even blink, "How precious is the late emperor's decree? Naturally, it is kept in a secret chamber and cannot be carried around." I wonder how advanced the forgery techniques were in ancient times? Creating a decree like this should be able to salvage a considerable amount of Dong Laoda's poor reputation

"Lord Dong, is what you said true?" The one asking this question was Zhao Yun, who was holding Kang Peng hostage. Having been deeply influenced by the feudal loyalty ideology, he was stirred by Kang Peng's words, causing his stance to begin to waver.