Chapter 1253: Chen Gong
Chapter 1253: Chen Gong
November 18, 2017
In the Capital Military Camp in Chang'an City, within Dong Zhuo's residence, Dong Zhuo, who had long neglected his administrative duties, once again took his seat in his study. After half a year, two relatively young visitors finally arrived, in addition to Dong Zhuo himself.
One of them was Li Su, who had been managing Dong Zhuo's affairs since Li Ru's demise, and the other was Chen Gong, who had recently joined Dong Zhuo's ranks by a twist of fate.
Both men were somewhat excited at this moment, and even Chen Gong, with his unperturbed demeanor, felt a surge of emotion upon seeing the imposing figure in this not-so-spacious study.
This was Chen Gong's first encounter with Dong Zhuo since joining his ranks.
As it was their initial meeting, Chen Gong's understanding of Dong Zhuo was primarily based on rumors. Thus, he scrutinized Dong Zhuo a little more carefully, one might even say audaciously.
His bold gaze immediately captured Dong Zhuo's attention. Dong Zhuo had never been known for his patience, and Chen Gong's action could be considered offensive.
However, Dong Zhuo did not lose his temper. He merely glanced at the young scholar before him and then withdrew his gaze. Of course, Dong Zhuo's presence was such that his every emotion could affect the entire Chang'an City, so this 'casual glance' was not to be taken lightly.
When Dong Zhuo's eyes fell upon Chen Gong, the latter instantly felt an icy chill to his bones, his hair standing on end as if he were in the midst of a freezing blizzard.
In that moment, Chen Gong even suspected that Dong Zhuo's gaze could freeze him to death. Fortunately, Dong Zhuo did not linger his gaze for long, quickly retracting it, allowing Chen Gong to relax.
After that glance, Dong Zhuo did not reprimand Chen Gong for his audacity but instead got straight to the point.
Dong Zhuo's purpose in summoning Li Su and Chen Gong was straightforward: to introduce them to a young man he had handpicked and have them work alongside this newcomer.
After a brief introduction, Dong Zhuo made it clear that all administrative power would henceforth be in the hands of this young man, and then he dismissed Li Su and Chen Gong.
Of course, they had come as a pair, and now they left as a trio.
From that day forward, the resources of Liangzhou and Sili, two states under Dong Zhuo's command, were essentially at the disposal of this young man.
Aside from Dong Zhuo and the young man himself, no one could fathom Dong Zhuo's intentions in making such a sudden move.
Despite the confusion, Li Su was unwavering in his cooperation with the young man. As a loyal subject of Dong Zhuo and a veteran who had accompanied him through many trials, Li Su's allegiance was beyond question.
He would unconditionally comply with Dong Zhuo's orders, regardless of whether he understood them or not, and regardless of whether the young man's presence might affect his interests.
However, while Li Su was willing to cooperate, Chen Gong was not so easily convinced.
Chen Gong was different from Li Su. He did not work for Dong Zhuo to become his subject; one might even say that he had never truly acknowledged Dong Zhuo. In his eyes, he was working for the people of Liangzhou and Sili rather than Dong Zhuo.
Therefore, Chen Gong did not hold Dong Zhuo's commands in high regard.
More importantly, the young man gave Chen Gong an extremely unfavorable impression. From their first meeting, Chen Gong sensed that the young man was not ordinary and was someone not to be trifled with.
Of course, Chen Gong would not act rashly based solely on this intuition.
At this point, Chen Gong did not do anything out of the ordinary. Initially, he merely wanted to observe the young man from the sidelines, studying his every move to understand what he and Dong Zhuo were up to.
However, as soon as the young man took the stage, he immediately made some moves that left Chen Gong unable to sit idly by.
Upon taking charge, the young man ordered the conscription of a hundred thousand laborers.
He had a massive pit dug not far outside Chang'an City and gathered a large number of construction workers. He spent lavishly, using funds originally intended for disaster relief to procure various materials and impose various taxes.
Each of his actions required a significant amount of manpower and resources, yet they all seemed bizarre and incomprehensible, leaving even Chen Gong perplexed. Even when Chen Gong questioned the young man, he received no answers.
The young man's actions, which burdened the people and increased taxes during a time of widespread drought, were unacceptable to Chen Gong.
Without hesitation, Chen Gong stood up to confront the young man.
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Initially, when Chen Gong stepped forward, the young man seemed amused and engaged in a brief exchange with him. However, before they could exchange more than a few words, Dong Zhuo intervened and had Chen Gong arrested and thrown into prison.
This move left everyone, including Chen Gong, utterly bewildered.
In truth, Chen Gong was no fool; his intelligence was among the very best. Before taking a stand, he had anticipated Dong Zhuo's intervention.
As such, Chen Gong had been quite tactful in his opposition to the young man. At least in his own estimation, Dong Zhuo's favoritism towards the young man would not lead to any serious consequences for him, as Chen Gong was one of the few capable individuals in Dong Zhuo's ranks, and his absence would disrupt many operations.
What he had not anticipated was Dong Zhuo's indifference to his abilities and value. Dong Zhuo simply removed Chen Gong without any explanation, heedless of the potential chaos that might ensue.
In his support for the young man, Dong Zhuo made it clear that anyone who stood in his way would face dire consequences.
Upon Lu Hai Kong's return from Jizhou and his review of the intelligence gathered by Jia Xu, this particular incident caught his attention, causing his brows to furrow.
He was well aware that Dong Zhuo would likely become a significant obstacle in his mission.
Chapter end
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