Chapter 76: Visiting Relatives

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Since the two armies had faced off, the war drums of the Liang camp sounded for the first time.

Are the rebels launching a counterattack?

Astonished, Dong Zhuo’s officers had already donned their armor and assembled at his command tent in the shortest possible time.

The atmosphere was heavy, everyone waiting in silence.

“Report!”

A messenger dashed in, dismounted, and strode quickly into the tent, dropping to one knee.

“Reporting to the Grand Tutor, the enemy general Chen Cong requests...re-requests…”

Dong Zhuo’s tiger eyes flashed. “Stop stammering! Out with it!”

The messenger cupped his fists again. “The enemy general Chen Cong invites the Grand Tutor out to meet.”

All the generals at court instinctively placed their hands on their swords.

“Grand Tutor, the rebels are arrogant, allow me to gather the Flying Bear Troop and meet them.”

“Yes, Grand Tutor, this Chen Cong is ignorant of his place. He’s grown bold with good fortune and still dares to act coy. We must teach him a lesson, or he’ll think Xiliang is a land without men!”

With a wave of his hand, Dong Zhuo dismissed Li and Guo and turned to the messenger. “How many men accompany Chen Zining?”

“One man and one horse...no, two men and one horse.”

Two men on one horse?

Dong Zhuo was momentarily perplexed and blurted out, “That scoundrel Cao has no shame—riding with his son-in-law on one horse, how absurd!”

“Grand Tutor, it isn’t Cao Cao. The man is a young, pale-faced general we’ve never seen before.”

Ah…

The assembled generals understood the hidden meaning, each with their own reaction, but none so bitter as Li and Guo. As two of Dong Zhuo’s favored officers, both had hoped for a marriage alliance—if their nephews married Dong Bai, their standing in the army would soar.

But that wretch Chen Cong had snatched the opportunity.

A flash of resentment crossed Zhang Ji’s eyes, while Fan Chou looked relieved.

Lü Bu’s expression didn’t change, but he unconsciously clenched his hand, only then realizing his trusted Sky Piercer halberd was no longer at his side.

Niu Fu, on the other hand, let out a quiet sigh of relief, his mood improving. If Invincible Chen had escorted Dong Bai home, wasn’t that acknowledging the marriage? Now they were family—what was there to fear? To put it bluntly, even if they were defeated and captured tomorrow, anyone wanting to kill him on the rebel side would have to consider whose uncle he was.

Dong Zhuo looked to Li Ru, who met his gaze.

“Wenyou, could this be a trap?”

Li Ru frowned, weighing the possibility that Chen Cong intended to assassinate Dong Zhuo. In terms of propriety, a son-in-law murdering his wife’s grandfather before all would be an act of great impiety. Yet Dong Bai was only a concubine, and whether Chen Cong acknowledged Dong Zhuo as his grandfather-in-law or not was another matter.

Legally, both sides called the other rebels. Chen Cong might well kill his foe in the name of justice—stratagems are never too many in war. Then the world would say he was both brave and cunning, sacrificing kin for righteousness.

But there were deeper layers of interest at play. Whatever Dong Zhuo’s reputation, his authority in the Liang army was unshakable. If Chen Cong dared to kill him openly, not only he but even Cao Cao would become the lightning rods for Xiliang’s vengeance. Two hundred thousand fierce Xiliang troops had already trapped three hundred thousand allied warlords at Hulao Pass; if they truly sought vengeance, unless Chen Cong and Cao Cao abandoned everything and fled into the mountains forever, they would be ground to dust sooner or later.

Unless Chen Cong valued fame above his life, there should be no trick.

But that fellow never acted according to common sense, and Li Ru couldn’t be sure.

After a long moment, he shook his head. “I do not know. There should be no deception.”

“Then should I meet him, or not?”

“In all reason, you should. Otherwise, the world will say the Grand Tutor is afraid.”

Dong Zhuo simmered with anger. Did he need the world’s opinion? His own granddaughter given as a concubine—who knew what slanders those swine in Luoyang were spreading behind his back?

“Enough. Let Fengxian come as my guard.”

“Yes, sir!”

After all, it was only at the camp gate—if anything went wrong, they could retreat at once. Lü Bu, for all his faults, could buy them some time.

Thinking thus, Dong Zhuo continued, “Zhiren, assemble five hundred Flying Bears to accompany us.”

Li Jue bowed. “Yes, sir!”

Suddenly, Niu Fu spoke up. “Father-in-law, I’d like to come as well, to see little Bai.”

Dong Zhuo was puzzled. “You escorted her all this way, what more is there to see?”

Niu Fu scratched his head and grinned, unsure how to answer. It wasn’t Dong Bai he wanted to see; he simply wanted to make himself known to Chen Cong, so his nephew would remember what his elder looked like. Just in case—he didn’t want to catch an arrow by mistake one day.

“Very well. Come along. Wenyou, you too—you are her uncle, family after all.”

“Yes, sir.”

...

The moment Dong Zhuo left the camp and saw Chen Cong, he let out a silent sigh of relief. The rascal was irritating, but not intolerably so.

He wore only plain clothes, no armor, no bow, only a sword at his waist. He hardly looked like an assassin.

At least he had a conscience.

“Grandfather!”

Dong Bai’s call was accompanied by tears.

She had lost her father young, then her mother to illness, and from her first words onward, had only her grandparents. When her grandmother passed, only her grandfather was left. The so-called Demon King Dong—dreaded by the world—was, in her eyes, only a doting, stubborn, somewhat chubby old man.

“A’Bai…”

Dong Zhuo’s gruff voice broke as tears welled in his tiger eyes.

How could he have trusted Li Su’s poisonous words, and in a moment of cowardice, sent his granddaughter into the tiger’s den?

Chen Cong, generous as ever, slipped a single arm around Dong Bai’s slender waist and helped her down from the horse. At this distance, if Fat Dong dared seize his concubine, Shadowfax could charge through the ranks before he’d regret it.

Chen Cong remained seated, saluted from afar, and called out, “Your grandson-in-law, Chen Cong, greets you, my lord.”

“At least you know your manners.”

Seeing Chen Cong make no sudden moves, Dong Zhuo dismounted and went to meet Dong Bai, who ran to him.

He could no longer maintain the air of the Grand Tutor.

He rushed forward to support her, not letting her really kneel.

On this rough, uneven ground, how could his granddaughter’s knees bear it?

“A’Bai, my good child… you have suffered. It’s… it’s your grandfather’s fault, falling for a villain’s scheme. Alas!”

Glancing at the distant ranks of armored riders, Dong Bai’s face showed her worry.

“Grandfather, I haven’t suffered. He’s quite good to me. Can’t you… spare him?”

Dong Zhuo flushed at his granddaughter’s innocent plea. Was he really planning to kill Chen Cong? He was afraid of Chen Cong’s sudden violence! If anything, he’d brought too few men! Were it not for his dignity, he would have brought all eight thousand Flying Bears.

“Silly girl, your husband is very capable. Don’t worry, this little force is no threat to him.”

“Ah?” Dong Bai exclaimed in surprise.

In her mind, a man who could fight three or five robust fellows was already a hero. She hadn’t imagined he was so formidable—especially since he looked so delicate...

While grandfather and granddaughter spoke, Niu Fu edged closer to Chen Cong, glancing back every few steps. Only after confirming Chen Cong wouldn’t raise a hand did he loosen his grip on the reins and salute. “Zining, may I call you that?”

Chen Cong grinned broadly and returned the salute. “Uncle, there’s no need for formality between family.”

“He called me uncle!” Niu Fu’s eyes lit up, and he laughed. “Zining, you are a true hero! My efforts to escort little Bai day and night were not in vain.”

Whenever someone says “not in vain,” they’re clearly looking to ingratiate themselves.

Chen Cong’s eyes brightened as well.

Perfect!

Father-in-law Cao had set the tone: favor Li Ru, Niu Fu, and Dong Min; eliminate Li Jue and Guo Si. The rest needn’t be considered.