Chapter 10, Assassination

Upon meeting Dong Zhuo, Xu Cheng had no choice but to let Cao Cao go for the time being. Reflecting on Cao Cao's previous indifference and disdain towards him, he felt truly resentful, yet he had to let him off. After casting a glance at Cao Cao and sighing inwardly, he said to Dong Zhuo: "In response to the Prime Minister, I have returned this time to report on matters concerning land reclamation and military training."

The journey was smooth and uninterrupted, and Xu Cheng arrived at the inner courtyard of the Dong residence. However, he was somewhat surprised not to see Lü Bu. Nevertheless, he did not dwell on it, as meeting Dong Zhuo was equally important.

After a while of discussion among the crowd, Cao Cao found an opportunity to test the horse. Xu Cheng realized that he was about to flee, but this time it was he, Xu Cheng, who exposed Cao Cao's assassination attempt, rather than Lü Bu. He had no choice but to bring it up himself, as once Cao Cao fled, the matter could no longer be concealed. It was better than being blamed by Dong Zhuo later on

Xu Cheng sneered inwardly, thinking: "What a little brat, quite quick to react!"

Xu Cheng turned around to look at the astonished expressions of those behind him and said with a smile: "I apologize for the laughter, this young man is merely a brute with strength. I discovered him by chance and promoted him to a minor position as a Dufu!"

One day later, everyone arrived at Xu Cheng's military camp. Upon entering the camp, Gao Shun and the others were taken aback by the scene before them. What was it? When you see someone forcibly pulling a galloping horse, and moreover, pulling two at once, what would you feel? Xu Cheng looked and exclaimed, "Hong Feng, what on earth are you doing?"

Oh! Xu Cheng turned his head and glanced at Cao Cao twice, and then he fell silent. However, those two glances sent a chill down Cao Cao's spine. At that moment, Dong Zhuo also noticed the short knife in Cao Cao's hand and asked, "Why does Meng De hold a knife?" He did not think much of it, merely finding it strange

Consider that although Dong Zhuo currently holds great power and influence, his life is indeed quite uncomfortable. Not long ago, during a court session, he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. The assassin was Wu Fu, an official from Henan and a cavalry officer. At that time, Wu Fu was wearing light armor and concealed a sharp blade, following closely behind Dong Zhuo. Had it not been for Dong Zhuo's quick reflexes, he would have suffered a serious injury. Subsequently, Wu Fu was executed, but Dong Zhuo was greatly frightened. During this period, he did not allow Lü Bu to leave his side for even a moment, in order to ensure his safety. The assassin was Wu Fu, an official from Henan and a cavalry officer. At that time, Wu Fu was wearing light armor and concealed a sharp blade, following closely behind Dong Zhuo. Had it not been for Dong Zhuo's quick reflexes, he would have suffered a serious injury. Subsequently, Wu Fu was executed, but Dong Zhuo was greatly frightened. During this period, he did not allow Lü Bu to leave his side for even a moment, in order to ensure his safety. (The Records of Heroes states: Bi, styled Zhongyuan, was from Wuwei. Qiong, styled Deyu, was from Runan. Xie Cheng's Book of the Later Han states: Wu Fu, styled Deyu, was known for his integrity from a young age and served as a secretary in the county office. When the local chief committed a crime, the governor sent Fu to teach him, ordering the postal supervisor to apprehend him. Fu refused to accept the order and prostrated himself, advising, "Although you are not a ruler, I cannot be without my duty as a minister. How can the governor order Fu to accept the teaching and command the apprehension of the local chief? If the local chief has committed a crime, the governor should send someone else to teach him." The governor was astonished and heeded his words. Later, General He Jin appointed him as an official in the Eastern Secretariat, and he was gradually promoted to the position of chamberlain, Henan governor, and cavalry officer. When Dong Zhuo rebelled, all officials were terrified. Fu, wearing light armor, concealed a dagger within his court attire and approached Dong Zhuo, intending to assassinate him. As he finished speaking and was about to leave, Dong Zhuo escorted him to the door, at which point Fu drew his dagger to stab him. Dong Zhuo, being strong, managed to retreat and avoid the attack, subsequently capturing Fu. Dong Zhuo asked, "Do you wish to rebel?" Fu boldly replied, "You are not my lord, and I am not your minister. How can there be any question of rebellion? You have usurped the throne and committed great crimes, and today is my day to die, so I have come to eliminate treacherous villains. I regret that I cannot dismember you in public to show the world." He then killed Fu.

After walking around the military camp, Gao Shun and the others nodded in approval, noting that the layout of the camp was quite good. However, this did not elicit any particular response from them. As they ventured further inside, their expressions began to change, especially Gao Shun's.

Xu Cheng feigned surprise and said, "Ah! Lord Cao actually smiled at me, this is truly astonishing. Could it be that Lord Cao has encountered some joyful event?" Reflecting on Cao Cao's previously indifferent attitude towards him, Xu Cheng felt an immense sense of satisfaction in his heart, thinking to himself, you little brat looked down on me, this time let me have some fun with you first

Hehe! Lord Cao is also here! It is truly a pleasure to meet you! A hearty voice came from outside the hall

As he pondered, Xu Cheng had already arrived at Dong Zhuo's doorstep. The guards at the entrance, upon seeing Xu Cheng, nodded and bowed respectfully, allowing him to enter

Kill! Kill! Kill! A group of tall soldiers is vigorously training under the leadership of a burly man with a blue mark on his face and a long beard. At this moment, in front of these soldiers, Gao Shun's expression is fluctuating between dark and light, and the faces of several generals under Lü Bu beside him are also not looking good

The tall man, who was a good two meters tall, Hong Feng, replied respectfully: "Reporting to the general, these two horses were startled. I have restrained them to prevent them from running around!"

The situation developed in this manner. Cao Cao's assassination attempt failed, and he abandoned his wife and children, fleeing alone. Dong Zhuo was furious and ordered a nationwide manhunt. Meanwhile, Xu Cheng, having inadvertently saved Dong Zhuo's life, found his requests easily granted. He returned with Gao Shun and his seven hundred "Trapped Troops" soldiers, along with several generals under Lü Bu, such as Cao Xing, Hao Meng, Wei Xu, and Zhang Liao. Lü Bu could never have imagined that, although he had sent so many people together primarily for mutual supervision, apart from his brother-in-law Wei Xu, all the others had been won over by Xu Cheng.

Lü Bu had just learned from the guards about Xu Cheng's arrival. Seeing that Xu Cheng responded appropriately to his greeting, he felt quite pleased. Thus, he chuckled twice and replied: "I did not expect you, Bo Gong, to return so soon. I was just on an errand for the Prime Minister to select horses for Lord Cao!"

At this moment, Yang Er and the others had already learned of his return and came out to greet him. Upon seeing the crowd, they hurriedly paid their respects. Gao Shun and the others could be considered great generals, while Yang Er and his companions were relatively unknown. Except for Gao Shun, Cao Xing, and Zhang Liao, who returned the greeting out of respect for Xu Cheng, Hao Meng and Wei Xu did not say a word, clearly looking down on the few people before them.

Upon entering the city, Xu Cheng made a beeline for Dong Zhuo's residence. He was well aware that in order to find the "Ambush Camp," he first needed to locate Gao Shun. To find Gao Shun, he had to obtain the consent of Lü Bu, and to seek Lü Bu, it was essential to approach the ever-present Chancellor Dong Zhuo.

Cao Xing, being quite talkative, remarked: "General Xu, this is indeed a fine material; with just a little refinement, it could become the material of a fierce general!"

Hmm! Understood! You may go!" Hong Feng bowed again and led the horse away

At this moment, Dong Zhuo, who was sleeping, was also awakened by their conversation. Upon seeing Xu Cheng, he asked, "Bogong, why have you returned? Is it possible that the military farming is not going smoothly?"

Xu Cheng is calculating his moves carefully. In the future, when he engages in battle with Lü Bu, as long as he achieves victory, it should not be too difficult to persuade them to surrender based on their past friendship. His only concern is Gao Shun, who is a staunch individual. He can only try to build more rapport with him, hoping that he will not insist on following Lü Bu to his demise.

At this moment, Dong Zhuo had already taken up the Seven-Star Treasure Blade, tested its sharp edge with his hand, and said: "Indeed sharp, a fine blade! Hahaha, thank you, Meng De!"

Upon arriving at the living room where Dong Zhuo was, Xu Cheng was taken aback. A person was slowly walking towards the couch, on which lay a figure whose corpulent form unmistakably identified him as Dong Zhuo. The other individual, though not well-known to Xu Cheng, was still recognizable. This in itself was not alarming, but the person was holding a short knife, which glinted coldly as he advanced.

A month later, Xu Cheng had nearly arranged all aspects of his work, and he set off to return to Luoyang. The purpose of returning to Luoyang was quite simple: to recruit Gao Shun's "Xianzheng Camp" as sparring partners

He was just about to continue speaking when a sound of footsteps came from outside. Turning around, he saw a tall and imposing general had arrived at the hall. He chuckled and said, "I am Xu Cheng, I have met Lord Wen! May I ask what Lord Wen was doing just now?" It turned out that Lü Bu had arrived!

Cao Cao said: "This humble general does not dare; such a precious blade should rightfully be presented to a hero like the Prime Minister."

At this moment, after Lü Bu took over Ding Yuan's troops, he had seven great generals under his command: Gao Shun, Cao Xing, Hao Meng, Wei Xu, Hou Cheng, Song Xian, and Zhang Liao. Among these seven, aside from the well-known Gao Shun and Zhang Liao, the others can also be considered fierce generals. After all, how could individuals who caught Lü Bu's eye be lacking in ability? For instance, Cao Xing directly created a one-eyed general. If it weren't for his astonishment at that general's shocking act of swallowing an arrow and losing an eye, he would have had time to express his differing views on food and would not have been killed by the opponent taking advantage of the situation. Perhaps he could have even killed the opponent!

Xu Cheng instructed Yang Er to arrange accommodations for the "Xian Zhen Ying," while he continued to tour the military camp with Gao Shun and others

Fortunately, Xu Cheng anticipated that such a situation might arise before leaving, and he repeatedly cautioned Yang Er and others, which ultimately prevented any incidents from occurring, though Pang Pei's complexion was not very good

Cao Cao felt a surge of excitement in his heart, quickly kneeling down, raising the sword above his head, and said: "This subordinate has recently acquired a Seven-Star Precious Sword, and I am eager to present it to the Chancellor!"

Hearing these words, Xu Cheng felt an urge to vomit, while Dong Zhuo laughed heartily, greatly appreciating Cao Cao's flattery

Cao Cao felt a tremor in his heart and laughed, saying: "Hehe, General Xu, you flatter me..."

Cao Cao in the hall suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, "What should I do?" His mind raced, and suddenly he turned around, now wearing a smile, "Haha, it turns out to be General Xu! Weren't you supposed to be at the granary? How come you returned so quickly?"

Xu Chengyi smiled but did not respond, continuing to lead the group further inside

These soldiers each wield a large saber, but the handle is only about 2 feet long. Although they do not know that this is called a "pu dao," they can clearly see that the training method of these soldiers is evidently modeled after the "Xianzhanying." However, the weapons in their hands are more powerful than those of the Xianzhanying. If they were to engage in battle with the Xianzhanying, they would undoubtedly have a significant advantage in terms of weaponry.