Sometimes, things can be very strange. One moment you might think someone is a good person, and the next moment you might see them as a heinous villain.
Li Su looked at the silent Lü Bu and decided to add fuel to the fire: "Brother, sometimes I think, look at someone like me with such mediocre skills, yet I managed to become a Tiger Guard General under General Dong. If one day I could have skills like yours, tsk tsk, I would really make it big... Haha, just kidding, just kidding..."
"Ah, brother," Li Su called out to Lü Bu, who seemed to be in a daze, as if he hadn't heard anything. "...Brother... Hey, brother!"
"Huh? What is it?"
"I was saying, do you have any food and drink here? Could you get some for us? It's getting late, and I'm a bit hungry."
"Well..." Lü Bu was about to say that they were even short on rations, so how could there be any food and drink? But then he looked down and saw the gold and silver on the table. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed a few pieces of gold and silver, stood up, and said, "Brother, please wait a moment. I'll have someone arrange it right away."
With that, Lü Bu left the tent and ordered his soldiers to hurry and buy some food, drink, and rations before the city gates closed. Tonight, the entire camp would feast!
Cheers erupted from the camp, and a dozen soldiers rode out on horses, pulling a cart behind them.
**************
Night fell, and everything was pitch black except for the torches on the walls of Luoyang, stubbornly burning in the wind.
Suddenly, the drawbridge creaked and lowered, and the city gates opened. A convoy of carriages emerged from the city, each carriage seemingly loaded with heavy goods, the wheels groaning under the weight.
Li Ru stood on the city walls of Luoyang, watching the convoy slowly make its way toward Ding Yuan's camp.
The night wind lifted the hem of his robe, and Li Ru's gaze was distant, as if he were watching the convoy fade into the distance, or perhaps looking even further beyond.
**************
It was already the second watch of the night, and Ding Yuan, who had been awakened from his sleep, was quite displeased.
Why would those Xiliang barbarians deliver rations in the middle of the night? Are they trying to show me that they control Luoyang, that they can open and close the gates as they please?
And what is the meaning of this letter?
They want to promote Lü Bu to Cavalry Commandant and even ask for my approval? Have those Xiliang barbarians lost their minds? How could they do such a thing?
The Cavalry Commandant is a rank of two thousand dan, while I, as the Inspector, am supposed to be paid according to the standard of a Provincial Governor, but it's all talk and no action—I only receive six hundred dan in reality!
How can I manage if my subordinate has a higher rank and earns more than I do? Am I supposed to manage Lü Bu, or is he supposed to manage me? Ding Yuan angrily threw the letter onto the table.
At that moment, a guard asked what to do with the delivered rations. Seeing the longing in the guard's eyes, Ding Yuan softened and said, "Tell the camp cooks to prepare a meal. We'll have a feast tonight, but just this once. It won't happen again."
Soon, Ding Yuan's camp was bustling with activity, filled with laughter and chatter.
Lü Bu, riding his horse, stood on a small hill outside Ding Yuan's camp, watching the lively scene with an increasingly dark expression.
What nonsense about military strategy, dividing troops into two groups to support each other—it's all rubbish! No wonder I never saw them cooking during the day; they were eating at night!
Lü Bu had used the money Li Su brought to buy some rations, food, and drink. They ate and drank until late at night before resting. Li Su went to sleep, but Lü Bu tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He decided to ride alone to Ding Yuan's camp to take a look, only to witness this scene.
With a stern face, Lü Bu rode to the front of the camp. The soldiers saluted and greeted him, but he ignored them. After dismounting, he headed straight for the area where the rations were stored.
Previously, Lü Bu had trusted Ding Yuan. If Ding Yuan said there were no rations, he didn't think to check the storage area himself. Today, he wanted to see for himself before confronting Ding Yuan...
When he arrived at the rear camp, the cooks were busy preparing food, and several soldiers were helping to deliver meals to the tents. When they saw Lü Bu, they saluted and greeted him as "Registrar."
Lü Bu waved them off dismissively, as if shooing away insects. The title of "Registrar" had once sounded acceptable, but for some reason, hearing it today made him uncomfortable.
Squinting at the mountain-like pile of rations in the rear camp, Lü Bu gritted his teeth, turned around, and headed for Ding Yuan's tent.
Ding Yuan was pondering over the letter when he heard the guard announce Lü Bu's arrival. He instinctively wanted to put the letter down but thought better of it and instead tucked it into his robe before telling the guard to let Lü Bu in.
"What brings you here?"
Lü Bu didn't answer. He walked straight up to Ding Yuan and asked, "...Do you have rations?"
"Huh?" Ding Yuan was caught off guard by Lü Bu's first question. After a moment, he replied, "...They were just delivered. You can take some back with you."
Lü Bu sneered inwardly. Who are you trying to fool? Who would deliver rations in the middle of the night? Besides, the city gates are closed—where could they have come from? If it weren't for my soldiers rushing back in time, they would have been locked out of the city!
After a long silence, Lü Bu said, "I wish to return to Bingzhou. I hope the Inspector will grant me permission." Lü Bu suddenly felt a heavy weight in his heart, a sense of disillusionment. The events of the day had hit him hard.
People far inferior to him were living the high life, eating well and enjoying themselves...
Someone he had once thought was a good person turned out to be full of schemes...
Lü Bu truly didn't want to stay here anymore. He was just a warrior. He felt that coming to Luoyang might have been a mistake. He wanted to return to Bingzhou, to a place where all he had to do was kill barbarians and nothing else...
"Why? You can't!" Ding Yuan was shocked. What was going on? Didn't you see how Dong Zhuo backed down today? If Lü Bu returns to Bingzhou, what will I use to fight Dong Zhuo?
"My mind is made up. Farewell!" Lü Bu, filled with anger, placed his Registrar seal on Ding Yuan's table and turned to leave—he was resigning. Ding Yuan could do whatever he wanted; Lü Bu was going home!
Ding Yuan was startled and quickly jumped up to grab Lü Bu. If Lü Bu left, he would be as helpless as a soft persimmon, easily crushed by anyone. How could that be?
In the struggle, the letter in Ding Yuan's robe fell to the ground, right in front of Lü Bu.
Lü Bu glanced at it and saw what looked like his name. Curious, he reached down to pick it up. Ding Yuan hurriedly tried to snatch it back, but he was no match for Lü Bu's strength. With a push of his elbow, Lü Bu sent Ding Yuan stumbling back.
The words "Cavalry Commandant" on the letter were like three knives, stabbing sharply into Lü Bu's eyes and heart!
Unable to contain his rage, Lü Bu turned to Ding Yuan with a ferocious expression and roared, "How dare you deceive me?"
Ding Yuan panicked. Seeing Lü Bu's twisted face, he felt a pang of fear and instinctively called for the guards to seize Lü Bu!
This only further enraged Lü Bu. So, not only did you deceive me, but you won't even let me leave when I resign!
Several guards rushed into the tent, and in the chaos, someone drew a blade. But these guards were no match for Lü Bu's skills. In a few breaths, they were all cut down like vegetables.
Lü Bu, his eyes bloodshot, walked menacingly up to Ding Yuan and raised his blade: "How dare you deceive me!"
*******************
On the walls of Luoyang, Li Ru stood quietly in the night breeze, watching as chaos erupted in Ding Yuan's camp outside the city. A faint smile crept onto his lips.
*****
A/N: So, class reunions are just places for those who have done well to show off. Those with fragile hearts should probably avoid them... Otherwise, seeing that former XX idiot, XX monkey, or XX fool now turned into XX boss, XX director, or XX bank president... wouldn't you feel like killing someone?
So, if you're going to show off, be careful and moderate. Don't get yourself killed after flaunting.