Chapter 634: Assembling the Elite Team
Chapter 634: Assembling the Elite Team
September 25, 2017
Despite Lu HaiKong's nonchalant demeanor after visiting the Governor's Mansion, he had no intention of returning. It seemed that he had completely lost interest in Zhang Jiao's matter. However, Dong Zhuo was not taking any chances.
The day after Lu HaiKong met Yuan Hong, Dong Zhuo could no longer contain himself and personally hosted a banquet to entertain Lu HaiKong and his companions.
Dong Zhuo primarily wanted to meet Liu Bei and his group, but since they had come with Lu HaiKong, it would be awkward to invite them alone without acknowledging Lu HaiKong. Moreover, Dong Zhuo wanted to test Lu HaiKong, who had been acting strangely for some time.
Lu HaiKong was well aware of Dong Zhuo's intentions for hosting the banquet, but he didn't mind. He went straight there with his men.
Despite the unpleasant incident in Qu Liang and Dong Zhuo's deliberate avoidance of Lu HaiKong in recent days, Dong Zhuo was surprisingly warm and welcoming upon seeing Lu HaiKong. He smiled throughout, showing no signs of displeasure.
Lu HaiKong, instead of being aloof, reciprocated with a friendly smile. He even lightly apologized to Dong Zhuo for the Qu Liang incident, and the two seemed to have put their past differences aside.
The banquet started on a positive note, with the two powerful figures setting aside their differences, much to the relief of those who expected a tense atmosphere.
During the banquet, Lu HaiKong also met Gongsun Zan, whom he hadn't seen before.
Interestingly, Gongsun Zan seemed to have a grudge against Lu HaiKong. He maintained a serious demeanor throughout, showing no signs of friendliness and clearly indicating his reluctance to engage in conversation.
Lu HaiKong found this situation puzzling but didn't dwell on it. He continued to chat and laugh with Dong Zhuo and the others.
Throughout the banquet, Lu HaiKong was the center of attention, his aura overshadowing the three main protagonists of the Three Kingdoms—Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian—who appeared rather dim and insignificant in comparison.
However, this was just an illusion. In reality, after their arrival, Dong Zhuo and Lu HaiKong's attention had been primarily focused on the three.
The difference lay in their intentions. Lu HaiKong wanted to gauge how successful Dong Zhuo had been in swaying the three, while Dong Zhuo sought to understand the closeness between Lu HaiKong and them.
The banquet lasted for over an hour, and the atmosphere remained lively throughout. However, as it neared its end, the mood gradually dampened, and many guests began to avert their gazes.
At this moment, Lu HaiKong, having had his fill of food and drink, realized that the most crucial part of the banquet was about to begin.
Lu HaiKong sighed lightly and stood up, offering a fist salute to Dong Zhuo, "I'm deeply grateful for your hospitality, Dong. I should have stayed longer and shared more drinks with you, but I'm afraid I can't hold my liquor and must take my leave early."
"Lu, you're too kind," Dong Zhuo immediately stood up and enthusiastically tried to keep him, "Who doesn't know your legendary drinking capacity? It's still early, and there's no harm in having a few more drinks."
Lu HaiKong understood that Dong Zhuo was just being polite. He suspected that Dong Zhuo couldn't wait for him to leave. After exchanging a few polite words with Dong Zhuo, he declined the offer and turned to leave.
As Lu HaiKong departed, he glanced at Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian. Interestingly, when they met his gaze, all three hesitated and remained seated. Lu HaiKong understood that they had chosen Dong Zhuo, and he left without saying anything.
It was understandable for Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian to make this choice. They were never Lu HaiKong's subordinates, at most they were his superiors, not his retainers.
When faced with Dong Zhuo's coercion and enticement, Lu HaiKong remained silent, which understandably caused some resentment among the three.
Dong Zhuo, being the overall commander, had to write the battle report after the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian also had to consider their future. With the Yellow Turbans on the verge of defeat and no significant moral dilemmas like in Qu Liang, siding with Dong Zhuo at this point was a reasonable decision.
As Lu HaiKong left, the banquet came to an end, seemingly harmonious on the surface. However, the moment Lu HaiKong stood up to leave, some of Dong Zhuo's generals and Gongsun Zan looked at him with a hint of mockery.
Everyone knew that despite the seemingly harmonious atmosphere, Lu HaiKong had lost face, at least in their eyes.
The three who had accompanied him remained seated even after he left the banquet and made his intentions clear. This behavior was undoubtedly a slap in the face for Lu HaiKong.
In the end, Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian chose Dong Zhuo over Lu HaiKong. Although Lu HaiKong had been the center of attention throughout the evening, he couldn't hide his embarrassment as he left. Even the enthusiastic Dong Zhuo couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, as if a burden had been lifted.
The banquet did not end after Lu HaiKong's departure, but it did not last long either.
Dong Zhuo had intended to continue the feast with a new round of drinks and dishes for his men, but Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian did not linger. They left about ten minutes after Lu HaiKong, despite Dong Zhuo's attempts to persuade them to stay.
Although they did not stay, the collaboration to capture Zhang Jiao was already decided. Regardless, Dong Zhuo had gained an advantage over Lu HaiKong on this day.
Lu HaiKong's expression revealed little resentment as he left Dong Zhuo.
On the one hand, Lu HaiKong had been gradually improving in his ability to control his temper, and on the other, he had anticipated this situation, which was also related to his own inaction. Therefore, Lu HaiKong did not feel particularly angry about it.
Instead, Lu HaiKong was somewhat curious. Now that Dong Zhuo had assembled such an elite team, could they capture Zhang Jiao?
If they succeeded in capturing Zhang Jiao, it might not be a bad thing for Lu HaiKong.
Lu HaiKong was not solely focused on Zhang Jiao's head. As long as Zhang Jiao was dead and the threat to him was eliminated, Lu HaiKong could end the war and return to Bing Province with peace of mind.
However, even if the war ended and he returned to Bing Province, Lu HaiKong still had some matters to attend to.
Chen Ping brought news that Xi ZhiCai had regained consciousness again, although he was significantly weaker and more exhausted. Overall, he was still in good health, but Xi ZhiCai asked Chen Ping to convey a message to Lu HaiKong, requesting him to quickly resolve the situation and return so they could go back to Yuzhou together.
Aside from this, Lu HaiKong needed to prepare for the Dragon Hunt, find Hua Tuo, and make arrangements for the construction of the Beyond City. With various tasks piling up, Lu HaiKong was not keen on lingering in this place unless it was absolutely necessary.
In a 1619 book, there is a version without a single mistake!
In reality, Lu HaiKong was actually looking forward to seeing if Dong Zhuo could capture Zhang Jiao. Otherwise, why would Lu HaiKong have allowed today's events to unfold?
With this mindset, Lu HaiKong returned directly to the military camp and continued to stay there.
Although Lu HaiKong did not enjoy the camp life, his current status was different. As a prominent figure, especially during such a critical time, if Lu HaiKong left the camp to wander around, even for a simple stroll, it might attract unnecessary trouble.
In this situation, it was better to let Dong Zhuo handle things.
On Dong Zhuo's side, the banquet concluded, and he immediately sprang into action. Perhaps he felt relieved after Lu HaiKong's departure, or maybe he was thrilled to have finally assembled a team he believed could capture Zhang Jiao without fail.
Under Dong Zhuo's arrangement, the following night at midnight, Dong Zhuo gathered his latest team to challenge the dungeon.
This team consisted of three Outsiders, as well as Lu Bu, Hua Xiong, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Sun Jian, Xu Chu, and Fan Chong—seven historical generals in total.
Among these seven generals, Fan Chong was clearly added to make up the numbers. Initially, Dong Zhuo's group wanted to borrow Dian Wei from Lu HaiKong, but perhaps the banquet made Dong Zhuo feel like he had regained some ground, so he didn't want to ask Lu HaiKong for help.
Furthermore, Dong Zhuo felt that his current camp was already quite impressive, and whether or not Dian Wei was present wouldn't make much difference. So, he decided to let Lu HaiKong stay put and not interfere.
After assembling this impressive team, Dong Zhuo was no longer anxious. This was the most luxurious lineup he could currently assemble, so it also represented his final trump card. In this situation, he naturally wanted to ensure that the team was in the best condition before challenging the dungeon.
To achieve this, Dong Zhuo specifically arranged for the team to have a couple of days to get acquainted. After all, while these individuals were exceptionally powerful, if they were unfamiliar with each other as partners, their combat effectiveness would undoubtedly be compromised.
Interestingly, during this luxurious team's interactions, the historical generals from different factions worked together without issue. However, when it came to the three Outsiders, who were all women, almost all the historical generals displayed disdain and rejection.
Among those who interacted with the Outsiders, the one who performed the best was undoubtedly Lu Bu, who had been bloodily defeated by Zhao Yue'er once.
Having fought against Outsiders and suffered a defeat at their hands, Lu Bu had learned his lesson and would not underestimate them. With Lu Bu's pride, it was also impossible for him to welcome Yue Qian Liu and his companions.
Even if the historical generals disliked Yue Qian Liu and his group, they still had to cooperate. Therefore, whether they liked it or not, they had to communicate.
After two days of reluctant interaction and getting to know each other, the team finally set off towards the Governor's Mansion to capture Zhang Jiao...
(End of Chapter)
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