Chapter 49 - I Am Me (MTL)
Translated by Bloodfalcon, Edited by TyrLoki
"I will not allow this!" It was not Lu Bu that spoke, instead it was Liu Mang who was already standing that refused.
Liu Mang had to refuse this. Fuck you, Old Yuan, by saying that thing. “My son not yet married” you spoke that word easily so it can act as a fishing line for your glory?
I who has twenty years of being a bachelor, whose only girlfriend is my left hand cannot allow this. My spring time of youth has finally come. I have a beautiful but fierce fiancée. Will I allow those things to be snatched so easily by Old Yuan.
You have always said that your Yuan family is a good family. You are the third brother of the fourth generation of Yuan family. Tall, rich and handsome wit good genes but this treatment on asking for a woman's hand, you are an absolutely no-good, unethical person. Both of you are arrogant pricks who are also a wife-snatchers.
“Who art thou? Dost thou have not seen my father and your sovereign had a discussion of utmost importance, thou as an unwanted party here, must stand down your opinion?” Young Yuan is very angry before, when he called Lu Bu, honorable father-in-law, he had already refuted by him. Now however he can directly oppose Lu Bu with his father by his side.
“Make me withdraw my opinion? Your father is not qualified to speak with me at the same level, let alone you!” Liu Mang will not be polite against these two wife-snatchers.
After hearing Liu Mang's words, Yuan Shu become startled and angry immediately because in Yuan Shu's view, Liu Mang was just Lu Bu's young bodyguard. “Fengxian, is this your subordinate?! He, a mere servant, dared to speak while his masters are discussing important matters? Arrest him immediately!”
Arrest Liu Mang? Ha-ha, if there is no Liu Mang, there will be no Lu Bu now. In Lu Bu's army, the one who cannot be sacrificed by Lu Bu right now is probably only Liu Mang.
Hearing Yuan Shu orders to arrest Liu Mang, Lu Bu said this coldly “I want to see, who would dare to arrest him!”
“Fengxian You?!” Yuan Shu shocked to see Lu Bu's expression. “Lu Fengxian, what the hell you getting angry for? Is this not just a servant of yours?!” Yuan Shu thought.
“Yuan Gonglu, my visit here was just to borrow grain and provisions rather than talk about marriage matter. Hast thou forgotten about Han Yin?!”
TL: Han Yin, Yuan Shu's messenger. He came to Xu Province to make alliance with Lu Bu through marriage. But was killed due to intervention of Chen Gui and Chen Deng. For more complete information. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Yin_%28Han_dynasty%29
“Han Yin?!”Yuan Shu face started to look bleak. This year he sent a messenger to Lu Bu, discussing about marriage alliance. That messenger is Han Yin. It is a pity that this messenger actually was executed by Lu Bu.
“Moreover, Yuan Gonglu. The one who stands before you is the Han Dynasty Prince of Shu. Do you really have the audacity to arrest him?!” Lu Bu berated them.
“Prince of Shu?!” Yuan Shu look startlingly at Liu Mang. Although Yuan Shu have proclaimed himself as an Emperor but he also still have a fear of Han Dynasty. Otherwise Old Cao will not be able to annihilate him. After that, he himself also cannot show his face in public again.
“Correct, this is the Prince of Shu! His Emperor majesty bestowed him also General of Southern Expedition. His title is even above yours, Yuan Gonglu. And you actually said that he is a servant? In this nation, who dares to use him as a servant?!”
When hearing Lu Bu's rebuke, Yuan Shu's face is really red with anger. His anger even rises when he stroke his throne “Enough! Lu Fengxian, I asked you only this thing. Do you want to marry or not marry your daughter to my family?!”
“This Lu Fengxian's daughter already been betrothed to the Royal Prince of Shu, no second daughter to marry your son, Yuan Gonglu!” Lu Bu also glares angrily at Yuan Shu. 5000-shi grain to marry my daughter? What kind of offer is this? Do you, Yuan Gonglu, think everybody is a fool?
"Hey!" Liu Mang's heart cooling down a bit, but his mood is really not well.
Lu Fengxian, today you have to marry your daughter or else!” Old Yuan was angry and more determined to force Lu Bu to marry his daughter. Old Yuan then made a signal to his palace guards to surround Lu Bu and co.
“Yuan Gonglu, from the very beginning, I did not disrespect you even a bit, why should you start this now?!” Lu Bu said it with disdain tone. These people may not know about Lu Bu's prowess, but they heard about Lu Bu's participation in Hulao Gate. Only he can make the alliance of 18 warlords deadlock their advance and making all alliance warlords' faces becoming very bleak and pale.
Among those 18 warlords, Yuan Shu was one of them, so he felt the first-hand how terrifying Lu Bu can be. Lu Bu's army was stationed outside of Shouchun city. Even 100,000 troops of Cao army cannot hold them. There is no way those soldiers of Shouchun can protect this city if besieged, in addition Old Yuan's soldiers are all in no condition to fight, they are already old, weak, sick and disabled.
“Hey!” Yuan Shu suddenly sighed while sitting on his throne. His visage has becoming more of an skinny and dying old man, and nowhere was the visage of a mighty warlord can be found.
”All of you withdraw!” Said Yuan Shu, signaling those guards to withdraw.
“Father?!” Yuan Yao really anxious, if his father let go of this matter, then what about his engagement? Let go of them? Then how he, Yuan Yao, have a future? His father is really sick, and now seeing his wife and army already fleeting away, how he cannot worry about his future?
Yuan Shu did not pay any attention to Yuan Yao, then he said this to Lu Bu “Fengxian, how many years we have been acquaintances, this year should be more than ten years right?!”
Lu Bu nodded. Exactly from Hulao Gate siege until today, it had been more than ten years.
”5000-shi grain, you can borrow it. But after borrowing it, I would like to ask you only two matters!” Yuan Shu said that with expression of pleading.
“Say it and I shall hear it!” Lu Bu also sighed in his heart while looking at Yuan Shu's old face, they are already old, older than those who already dead such as Ding Yuan, Tao Qian or Wang Yun. The next time, it could be their turn! Then when that time happens, this nation will be theirs, the younger generation’s nation.
While thinking that, Lu Bu set his sights at Liu Mang.
”First! ”Yuan Shu's eyes is flashing like never before “I need Fengxian to kill two traitors!” At that time, when Yuan Shu said traitors, Liu Mang also felt killing intent emanating from Yuan Shu's body.
He is also one of the warlords who have too much blood on his hands.
"Traitors?!"
"Yes! Chen Lan, Lei Bo! These two traitors, these two, when I proclaimed myself as an emperor had revolted on me!“ Said Yuan Shu.
Liu Mang gently shook his head. These two should be considered as smart people. When Old Yuan proclaimed himself as the emperor, his path has reached a dead-end. Those who does not want to die with you, naturally will leave you. Yuan Shu also looked a little embarrassed in front of Lu Bu and company. He knows when he proclaimed himself as an emperor, there will be many people who will find it unbearable, and will leave him. After all, this was all due to his delusions, being an emperor, being seated on dragon throne, and the feeling when people said, “I am your subject!”, it really was unbearable. Yuan Gonglu quickly snaps out of his delusions and begin to be depressed again. He said “If they just left me, Yuan Gonglu, then I would have tolerated them. After all, they are looking for better opportunities than being under me. I will never blame them. But they were not satisfied with just leaving me. They also attacked my supply transport, robbed me of my rations! They caused me to be stranded in Shouchun with nowhere to go!”
Ooohh! So This is the cause, Lu Bu and company understood immediately. If Chen Lan and Lei Bo only left him, Yuan Shu, then Yuan Shu will not be in this angry state and will possible considered as resigning from job in good terms. But, both of them took things too far. They attacked their former employer and become rebellious traitors out of their own interest.
“Good! Give me these two’s whereabouts, in three days, I will send you their heads! Lu Bu complied without even consulting with Liu Mang or Chen Gong. Actually, even if Yuan Shu did not request for killing them, eventually Lu Bu will solve these problems himself due to his provisions debt to Yuan Shu. Why? It was simply because Boss Lu is really hated traitors.
After hearing Lu Bu comply, Yuan Shu's expression become happier and said “For my second request, Fengxian. I request you to dispatch troops to escort me to the north, to Hebei To my cousin Yuan Shao’s territory! I will certainly reward you heavily!” Yuan Shu knew that currently Huainan had been abandoned and cannot be defended anymore, His people are also scattered. Thus Yuan Shu's only option is to go to Hebei and joined hand-in-hand with Yuan Shao. If before, Yuan Shu looked down on Yuan Shao, because Yuan Shao is the son of a maid, but now, for him to survive, what choice does he have?
However the road to Hebei was not peaceful. Xu Province was now being seized by Old Cao. Yuan Shu who had been defeated severely by Old Cao, did not dare to face Old Cao directly now.
”That request is impossible!” Lu Bu immediately rejects it. Telling him to go north again? Is this a joke? Previously, only with great difficulty, Lu Bu managed to withdraw from Xu Province, and now you, Yuan Shu, tried to make him go north again, do you think this Lu Bu wants to seek death? Even if they arrive at Hebei. Lu Bu and Yuan Shao are incompatible. And if Yuan Shao found out that Lu Bu is in Hebei, Lu Bu will be decimated at Puyang. “But!” Yuan Shu still wanted to persuade through Lu Bu's rejection.
“If I can't obtain provisions from here, then I will only bring trouble to you!” Said Lu Bu. Bringing trouble to himself, meaning if Yuan Shu does not allow borrowing provisions from Shouchun, then he can get it from attacking Chen Lan and Lei Bo. At that time, Lu Bu may persuade them to surrender rather than kill them, therefore breaking Yuan Shu's first request.
Seeing that Yuan Shu was unwilling, but when looking at the miserable state of his acquaintance, Lu Bu's heart began to soften up “Please think slowly about the conditions that you present, as long as it is not too hard, I, Lu Fengxian will help you fulfill that!” “Let's go, Liu Mang, Chen Gong!” Lu Bu said, commanding his people to leave.
Leaving the imperial court hall, Chen Gong began to ask the reason from Lu Bu “Milord, why did you suddenly accept Yuan Shu's conditions for borrowing provisions?! Obviously we can just take it from them” What Chen Gong meant was, obviously they can just besiege Shouchun and capture the city along with their provisions. After all, those two who revolted can snatch Yuan Shu's provisions so easily, what does this say? This obviously shows that Yuan Shu's forces were very weak and wasted to the extreme. The reason why Shouchun had not yet been annexed and destroyed, was because of this Hebei‘s older cousin.
But these things were not worth mentioning to Lu Bu.
True, attacking Shouchun may be easier than attacking Chen Lan and Lei Bo, as Yuan Shu's army were all remnants. Shouchun was also in shambles. However, if Lu Bu's army besieged the city, then Yuan Shu will be robbed even further by Chen Lan and Lei Bo. Thus, you can see their skills from here.
Lu Bu did not reply immediately, only staring at Chen Gong for a long time. Being stared like that, made Chen Gong's heart feel bit scared. He replied “If I have done such things, Gongtai. Would you still say that I am still the Lu Bu you know?!” Lu Bu did not wait for Chen Gong to respond, he just rode his horse leading the way and said these sentence again “Gongtai, do you remember that Cao Cao's principle that he would rather disappoint the world than let the world disappoint him, then I, Lu Bu's principle is to be myself, free from anyone's debt. I have my own moral code, and that will never change!” Chen Gong looking at Lu Bu who was gradually disappearing suddenly laughed and shouted to the sky “Do you see now, Cao Mengde? Precisely this is the reason, that I leave you and choose Lu Bu!”