Chapter 113 – So What Is Wrong With Killing Them?
Translated by Bloodfalcon, Edited by Krayto
“This, this, this!!!” Looking down at Chen Yao corpse, the clan heads did not know what to say. They thought that Lu Bu did not have grain and provisions, they thought that they must deceive Lu Bu, they thought that Lu Bu did not dare to offend them, but suddenly they discovered that they were completely wrong.
Lu Bu did not reason with them, Lu Bu also did not begin a war of words with them, but directly did a hands on approach. He not only dispatched troops to snatch their grain shop and grain storage, but when Chen Yao cursed Lu Bu angrily, he was killed by Lu Bu personally. If it was only Chen Yao, those noble heads would maybe only be surprised and not restless like this.
What made them restless is that Lu Bu unexpectedly also issued a command to kill Chen Yao's whole clan up to the third generation.
What is he up to by doing this? The crime done by the patriarch only has a small connection to their wife and children, even smaller to their relatives. These noble clans are only waiting for better opportunity. They cannot make their entire family share the burden of the decision that the patriarch has made.
For example Xun clan. Xun Yu and Xun You both think that Cao Cao is a wise lord, therefore they devoted their whole being for Cao Cao's big plan. If Xun Yu, Xun Wenruo and his four brothers were to favor Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu. When Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were to become enemies, Xun clan can definitely scheme for Cao Cao's downfall ASAP. Leaving him no room to breathe. With that disadvantage in front of him, how can Cao Cao not charm Xun clan as soon as possible?
There are also Zhuge clan. Zhuge Liang and his brother Zhuge Jin are also split into two, one favor Liu Bei and the other favor Sun Quan of Jiangdong. Zhuge Liang's strategy made Liu Bei win Jing Province and made Zhou Yu Zhou Gongjin truly mad and die by anger. But even with this transgression made by Zhuge Liang, Sun Quan still did not kill the Zhuge clan, because he knows that they are nobles. And nobles are the one who give recognition on who is the boss.
But this Lu Bu, just because of Chen Yao and Chen Duan's mistake, he issued an order to eliminate the Chen clan? He wanted to oppose noble clans directly?
“General Lu, please do not do this!!!” Liu Kai truly had a bad feeling with this. Did he not want to obey the law? When Yuan Shu, Yuan Gonglu already without weapons and grains and provisions, even he did not dare to touch those noble clans, for fear he will be shunned by the nation. The only person who dared to offend the nobles is Gongsun Zan, now he has joined the ranks of the dead.
“Do you want to tell me on how I should do things?!” Lu Bu truly loathes these noble clans so he is just looking at Liu Kai coldly. If they let Lu Bu to borrow grain and provisions, will there be an end like this? Those noble clans only account for 1% of population but they occupied 90% of the wealth.
They refused Lu Bu to borrow grain and provisions but also rose the price ridiculously, how can Lu Bu not want to kill them?
“Eh?!” Liu Kai was choked by Lu Bu's words, his face also showed a disdainful expression. “Very well then, please excuse us, General Lu!!!” You, Lu Bu, truly kill as you like. Even though the death of Chen clan are grieved by these noble clans, it did not hurt the Liu clan's foundation, even more it restored their influence which had been taken by the Chen clan.
“Yes, General Lu. Please allow me and the others to leave now!!!” All of noble clan heads did not want to stay here.
“Why are you in such a hurry?!” Said Lu Bu coldly. “Our banquet had not ended!!!”
In Wancheng grain storage, a middle-aged scholar now is very stunned with this news. “Milord wants to destroy the Chen clan?!” Chen Gong is truly dumbfounded with this news. Lu Bu's order to confiscate all of these noble clans' grain and provisions had made Chen Gong feel little guilty and now the order is to kill the Chen clan, his lord is truly offending the noble clans in this nation.
I must prevent it, I must prevent it, otherwise the consequence will be too disastrous. You can kill one person, you can even oppress the noble clans as warlords but you must not exterminate the whole clan. You must not make people to change their surname.
People can be killed but the family cannot be extinguished, that is the rule. If some people broke the rules, he will be eliminated. After all, this world is ruled by nobles.
“Quick, we go to Administration Office!!!” Chen Gong quickly let his driver to go to Administration Office, but when he boarded the carriage he shook his head. How can he be so stupid, the order was just sent out from Administration Office and said to his driver to change destination “Go to Chen Residence, QUICK!!!!” So he only can go to Chen Residence, his hope is to catch up before Lu Bu’s soldiers begin their massacre.
“QUICK, QUICK!!!!” Chen Gong urged his driver to be quick, because when he obtained the news, it is already late.
“Yes, sir!!!” Chen Gong's carriage is pulled by an Arabian horse, which Lu Bu gave to Chen Gong as his personal warhorse, the driver is also an excellent driver.
The speed of warhorse inside the city is pretty fast. Also at night, there is nobody on the road, therefore they can maximize their speed.
Nearing Chen Residence, there are already screaming "HELP!"
"DON'T, PLEASE DON'T!"
“SHAAAAA!!!!” The closer they are in approaching the Chen Residence, the more pitiful those sounds.
“No, this is real bad!!!” Chen Gong's heart sank. Wherever Chen Gong went at that house, he can see corpses everywhere plus the mansion is in flames now, inside the flame there is pitiful yelling sound.
“I came too late!!!!” Chen Gong's hand is losing strength. The Chen Residence had been in flame. Inside also had Lu Bu’s army fighting other people with swords in their hand, these are Chen clan's private soldiers. Although their numbers is a lot, they are unable to resist Lu Bu’s army’s attack. The Chen Residence which was originally very lively, currently has become hell.
“Sire, what now?!” Asked the driver while looking at the fire and waiting. Did he want to go in or not? Sounds of slaughtering are everywhere. This time night, if one did not careful, he can be mistakenly killed by a friendly attack, if that happened, then it could only be a tragedy.
“Let's go back!!! Go back to Administration Office!!!” Chen Gong gritted his teeth. He is angry. A moment ago, what did he say to him? He said to maintain etiquette and propriety and he said he will definitely listen to his counsel that is not to harm these noble clans. He did not know what has made Lu Bu kill the Chen clan, but it is never a good thing to mess with nobles. Lu Bu did not know that by doing this, he had made the entire Lu Bu army fall into a big disaster.
The carriage quickly change its direction to Wancheng city Administration Office.
The flames of Chen Residence, during this jet black night it is especially bright. These noble clan heads who are currently attending banquet in Administration Office can see that clearly.
Liu Kai's arm is shivering, he did not know if this is fear or anger or both of them.
Chen clan!!!! Once a rich and powerful noble clan of Jiangdong, wiped out in this Wancheng city in a matter of one evening.
“Reporting to Milord!!!! Chen Residence has been cleaned up, 175 people has all been cut off!!!!” A messenger of Lu Bu’s army reporting to Lu Bu, his body is full of blood.
This is clan extermination!!! A genocide of a clan. Young, old, women, children, all of them killed!!! The matter that other warlords do not dare to do, Lu Bu did it, the matter that other warlords thought as unthinkable things, Lu Bu has done it.
“The Banquet has ended!!! All of you can walk!!!” Lu Bu nodded toward his messenger and noble clan heads.
“Very well then, General Lu, me and others say our goodbye!!!” Liu Kai held his fist respectfully toward Lu Bu and is the first one to leave. The remaining noble clans also left one by one. Their loss today is too big, first they are forced to eat pig feed food, and then all of their grain storage and grain shop are all cleaned up. The only upside was seeing free fireworks from Chen Residence, though those fireworks are also mixed with blood.
"Clip clop clip clop!" Chen Gong's carriage also arrived, he got out of his carriage and walk toward the hall.
Lu Bu still remain in the hall, drinking wine.
“You want to drink a cup?!” With Chen Gong appearing in the hall, Lu Bu reach the glass and inquired it toward Chen Gong.
Chen Gong ignored Lu Bu's words and quickly asked a question “Why did you do that?!”
"Do what?!"Lu Bu poured one cup.
“Fengxian, you promised me you would not harm those nobles!!!” Chen Gong went straight to the point, speaking to Lu Bu with sparks in his eyes.
"Oh, those killings!" Lu Bu said casually.
"You still drink?!" Chen Gong move forward toward the table and said “Do you know that you have provoked a big trouble?!”
“Lu Bu, Lu Fengxian, killing Chen Yao is not terrible but the most terrible thing is we have offended the noble clans!!!! With you having exterminated Chen clan, what will this nation see you as? How will those noble clans treat you?!” Chen Gong's voice is low but with a feeling of roaring.
“I do not care how people of this nation sees me, I do not care on how those nobles will treat me. What I care is you, how you, Chen Gongtai, see me!!!” Lu Bu just calmly said it at Chen Gong.
“We respect you as our lord, we can sacrifice ourselves for you, but the people of this nation do not do that to you, they will...!” Chen Gong's speech was cut off by Lu Bu.
“That is enough!!!” Lu Bu's cut off Chen Gong's discourse “To kill them and not kill them, what is the difference? Gongtai, have you not noticed the manner in which these Wancheng city nobles treat us? The Chen clan, one of Wancheng city’s most powerful clans, he only provided me 200-shi of grain and provisions. Is not that the same as saying that all of us are beggars? Another instance is when you were rejected Gongtai. They only sent out a slave to the front door and you had to eat that shameful treatment, are you not uncomfortable with it, Gongtai?!”
Lu Bu's words reminded Chen Gong, when he himself went to each noble clans houses to borrow grain and provisions and their treatment to him at that time.
“But those treatment are not enough reason to exterminate Chen clan!!! I was shamed, yes, but it is not important. The key is our Lu Bu army!!!” Chen Gong said it in low voice.
“Gongtai, you are worrying too much about not offending the noble clans in the entire Wancheng city, but remember, haven’t we offended them a lot already? Even if we did not kill them, the Chen clan, Zhou clan, those are the main supporters of Sun Ce of Jiangdong, how can they change their heart toward us?! Might as well kill them all!!!”
“But what about this nation nobles?!” If you lose the support of nobles, it will be impossible to stabilize the situation.
“This nation nobles? I will say it again, I do not care at all about those nobles. I only care about those who are at my side!!! Those who shame us, is my, Lu Bu's enemies. Those people are all of Lu Bu's army’s enemies!