Chapter 87: Visiting Relatives

In the end, it was Mengde who misjudged; Liu, Guan, and Zhang rode off drunk in the night, and the army left Hulao Pass the next day. His heart shattered at noon when the wine wore off.

On the swaying war chariot, Cao Cao gazed at the blue sky and drifting clouds, unable to fathom the true meaning behind, "If we travel the same path, we shall meet again one day."

Could it be that he, the illustrious General Who Conquers the West, was truly unworthy of the title "Loyal to the Han Dynasty"?

Was he not the hero who tried to assassinate Dong Zhuo?

Was he not the vanguard in the campaign against traitors?

Did he not hold the imperial edict, standing upon the highest ground of righteousness?

If the problem was not with Cao Cao himself, then the fault must lie with Liu Bei.

A hypocrite, feigning loyalty and righteousness! He claimed to be risking all for the rescue of the Han, but in truth, he was nothing more than a cunning schemer, chasing after fame and reputation.

Leave, then! It would have been fine if at least one of the two brothers had stayed behind—at the very least, that imposing red-faced Guan Yu...

"Zining, what's wrong with elder brother? Wasn't he well just yesterday?" Cao Ren asked, a hint of concern in his tone.

Earlier, he had approached the war chariot as usual to discuss tactics with Cao Cao, only to be told to "get lost." Such a thing had never happened before.

Chen Cong snuck a glance at Cao Cao, schadenfreude flickering in his eyes. "Can't you tell? Clearly, he's lovesick. Ah! But why am I telling you this? You wouldn't understand anyway."

The tangled love and hate between Lord Cao and Big-Eared Liu—how could ordinary people hope to comprehend it?

From afar, they seemed like heroes united by mutual respect; up close, it was more like love lost, with Old Cao pining for Liu's second brother.

Cao the Thief, after all, always had a fondness for what belonged to others—what a rare thing indeed.

"Lovesick? Elder brother is a grand general; is there any woman he cannot have?" Cao Ren replied.

"That's easy for you to say. But what if her husband doesn't consent?"

Cao Ren's eyes widened abruptly at these words. After a long pause, his eyes lit up, and he grabbed at Chen Cong, eager to exchange sensational secrets.

Cao Cao, sensing something, turned and barked, "You two! What are you whispering about over there? Chen Cong, get over here!"

Chen Cong tossed over his shoulder, "I’ll tell you more later," before reluctantly urging his horse forward to the chariot's side.

"Father-in-law, have you had a change of heart and decided to let me ride with you?"

"Zining, don’t you think the scenery here is quite pleasant? Perfect for a stroll with a beauty."

Chen Cong was momentarily stunned.

The army was on the march! Dust so thick it could wash your face—what scenery was he talking about?

"Seriously, father-in-law, how much did you drink yesterday?"

Cao Cao rolled his eyes and cut straight to the point: "So, when I told you to befriend Li Ru and Niu Fu, did you think charging through them once was enough?"

"Didn't I spare his life?" Chen Cong replied, puzzled.

Cao Cao chuckled. "Zining, your way of making friends is certainly unique. Niu Fu is your uncle by marriage; even if you hadn’t spared him, would you really have killed him? It was right to let him go. Making friends is a process; you need to visit more often."

Chen Cong stroked his chin, pondering for a moment. It almost made sense... or not at all!

"But aren't our two sides at war? If I meet with an enemy general in private, won’t people misunderstand? Won’t the soldiers gossip?"

"When did you ever meet with the enemy general in secret? Everyone knows you couldn't stand the hardships of the march and went out for a stroll with your concubine."

Well, with that kind of shamelessness, it's no wonder Liu the Escapee wouldn’t give him the time of day.

But speaking of family visits...

Chen Cong really had no experience in that regard—after all, in his previous life, he had no relatives at all.

So he asked, "Should I bring some kind of gift? And what am I supposed to say? 'Nice weather, lots of sand in the wind'?"

"Go empty-handed, say whatever you like, eat and drink your fill, enjoy yourself. Act at their house as you would at mine. If you act overly polite, they'll think you want something; the more relaxed you are, the closer they'll feel to you. Understand?"

Excellent—who doesn't love a free meal and good company?

Besides, Chen Cong was eager to observe the Flying Bear cavalry's equipment and training up close; perhaps he could later build a renowned force of his own.

He returned to the rear, fetched Dong Bai from the carriage, and set her on Jueying's back.

In a flash, he darted out of the main formation, heading for Niu Fu’s temporary camp at the foot of Mount Mang.

...

Despite the crushing defeat, Niu Fu was actually faring quite well.

He had retained two thousand Flying Bear cavalry, regrouped another three thousand Liang riders who fled the previous night, and thus commanded five thousand armored horsemen.

He had drafted a report in the florid style of the Spring and Autumn Annals and sent it to Dong Zhuo’s tent, with his brother-in-law Li Ru putting in a good word for him.

Not only was he not reprimanded, but Dong Zhuo even praised him and sent over three thousand more warhorses.

The task Dong Zhuo left him was simple: with five thousand cavalry, delay the coalition for seven days, and upon success he would be made a marquis.

At this rate, if he kept muddling through, he just might surpass Guo Si to become the foremost commander of the Xiliang army.

"Report!"

"General, Chen... Chen the Undefeated!"

Niu Fu let out a small laugh. His Xiliang cavalry had been thoroughly terrorized by Chen Cong; even hearing his name made them blanch.

Of course, this was half a blessing for Niu Fu himself—his fierce nephew-in-law could be used to keep the unruly cavalry in line.

He unbuckled his sword Tai’a and set it on the table, replying nonchalantly, "Well, what about Zining?"

The soldier, heartened by the presence of the famed sword, saluted and reported fluently, "Chen the Undefeated requests entry to the camp."

"Oh? How many with him?"

"One horse, two people."

Niu Fu’s face split into a delighted grin, though he kept his composure. "It’s just my nephew-in-law visiting his uncle. Why so scared? Prepare a feast..." He paused, then added, "And summon all officers of rank and above to join me in entertaining my nephew-in-law with a few drinks."

"Yes, sir."

A secret meeting with an enemy general? Niu Fu had no such concerns.

First, he was a senior commander—he’d be the last to criticize others, so who would dare question him?

Second, his father-in-law was eager to recruit Chen Cong; why would he begrudge such a minor detail?

Finally, the soldiers who had been frightened out of their wits by Chen Cong would only become more respectful seeing him grow close to their general. After all, staying by Niu Fu’s side would be the best way to avoid facing that demon on the battlefield.

Waving away the soldier, Niu Fu hung up his sword and went out to personally greet his guests.

From afar, he saw Chen Cong and broke into a broad smile.

"Zining, Bai, come, follow your uncle into camp."

Dong Bai shrank behind Chen Cong—she had no memory of this uncle ever being close.

Chen Cong, however, only smiled, patted her reassuringly, released Jueying’s reins to graze freely, and tossed his war axe to an accompanying officer.

The officer, caught unprepared, stumbled and nearly fell.

This delighted Niu Fu all the more.

His smile widened as he clasped Chen Cong’s arm and led him into the tent.

As they passed through the camp, some soldiers stared in confusion, others in fear, some even backing away. When they looked at Niu Fu, their gazes now held a trace of awe.

"Slap me twice, I must be dreaming—I think I just saw Chen the Undefeated."

"I saw him too..."

"Wasn’t that the demon general from the other day? Why is he following our general?"

"No idea. Maybe he’s surrendered to the general."

When the group reached the command tent, the mid- and lower-ranking officers, after a brief gasp, now looked at Niu Fu with fervent admiration.

Unlike common soldiers, they stood higher and knew more of the inside stories.

Many among them knew that the fearsome enemy general was actually the Grand Tutor’s grandson-in-law and Niu Fu’s nephew-in-law.

The ghosts of the battlefield might curse Chen Cong for his ruthlessness, but the living harbored no such dangerous thoughts.

Serving as a soldier and drawing pay was nothing but a way to survive.

If not for sheer necessity, who would willingly risk their head every day, living by the edge of the blade?

Since survival was the original goal, who would seek out death?