Prime minister's study.

Snowflakes were falling outside the window, a stove was lit in the study, and the two people sitting in front of the stove were staring at each other.

"Hehe, although the eldest husband can bend and stretch, it is really not easy for Meng De to be so flattering to that fake Dong Zhuo. Meng De is indeed a person who does great things. Dong Zhuo leaned on the back of the chair with a calm demeanor.

"Xiangguo praises falsely, Cao Cao is just aggrieved and seeking perfection, where is the person who does great things." Cao Cao said with a smile.

"But you're going to do this big thing today, aren't you?" Dong Zhuo was still very casual, lazily looking at the short knife in Cao Cao's hand.

"Does Xiangguo know this knife?" Cao Cao played with the short knife, still smiling and asked Dong Zhuo.

"The Seven Star Sword, which was cast at the same time as the Sword of King Wu and the Sword of King Yue, but it has never been famous in the world."

"Xiangguo really has insight, it is this knife. Then dare to ask Xiangguo, why is it nameless? ”

"It doesn't matter who made a blade if it wants to be famous, what matters is who uses it, or ......" The furnace fire reflected in Dong Zhuo's eyes, making his eyes flicker, "or who it has killed." ”

"Hehe, Xiangguo is right, Cao Cao thought, isn't it a pity that such a precious knife will turn into rusty iron over time?" Cao Cao's eyes gradually glowed with murderous aura.

"Hahaha, Meng De is really good. That being the case, why not make it famous today! ”

"There is still a question, dare to ask Xiangguo to make it clear."

"Oh? Mengde, please. ”

"Young Emperor."

"It turned out to be this. …… Do you want to ask the young emperor if he is not at fault, why did he abolish it? ”

"Exactly."

"The young emperor is benevolent, although he is blunt, but he is also a benevolent monarch. However, the world is full of heroes, and the old ministers in the court do not want to forge ahead, but only know how to follow the old ways, resulting in thieves all over the world, and the people are not happy. If the people have been complaining for a long time, they will inevitably revolt, as was the case with the Yellow Turban Rebellion. These Meng De should also know in his heart that with the talent of the young emperor, it is still difficult to control the old ministers in the court, not to mention the guest service, and when the emperor first saw me, he faced my Xiliang military horse with a calm demeanor, which is the innate imperial spirit. Today, what is needed is not a benevolent monarch, but an emperor who can intimidate the princes like Emperor Gaozu. ”

"Isn't Xiangguo afraid of being infamous through the ages because of this?"

"Oh, if you can exchange the world for peace, how can the old man be afraid of making a second mistake." Dong Zhuo said this, looking at Cao Cao with resolute eyes. Slowly, he regained his lazy demeanor again, and said slowly: "Okay, now that Meng De has already understood, whether this knife can become famous or not, please Meng De have a show." ”

Neither of them spoke anymore, but just looked at each other.

The door of the study was pushed open suddenly, and Lu Bu gasped for breath and looked at the two people in the study......

Although the fake Dong Zhuo has been replaced, Cao Cao still goes to the Xiangfu study every day in the past two months, but he doesn't have to "pat himself on the back" anymore. Lu Bu was ordered by Dong Zhuo to pick a good horse for Cao Cao, and bumped into Wang Yun on the way back. Lu Bu was very strange why Wang Yun suddenly had the spirit, and when he asked, he found out that Cao Cao went to Situ Mansion to find Wang Yun after the early dynasty today, borrowed the seven-star knife, and wanted to assassinate Dong Zhuo, how could Wang Yun not be excited. But Lu Bu was shocked into a cold sweat, his attitude towards Dong Zhuo is very vague now, although he hates him for abolishing the young emperor, but he feels that Dong Zhuo's approach is right, at least he now feels that Dong Zhuo can't die. Therefore, Lu Bu rode back to the Prime Minister's Mansion, but saw the two sitting and talking to each other like old friends.

"Heh, it's just right that Bong came first. Meng De is trying to help this knife become famous, and since Feng is here first, he might as well sit down and watch it together. It's just ......" Dong Zhuo waved his hand at Lu Bu and motioned for him to sit down, "No matter what Meng De does, Feng Xian must not embarrass him, you know?" ”

"But ......" Lu Bu wanted to say something, but Dong Zhuo looked at him calmly. He instantly realized that Dong Zhuo knew what Cao Cao was here to do today, so he didn't say anything more and sat down on the chair next to him.

"Heh, Mengde, have you made up your mind yet?"

"Back to Xiangguo, Meng De already has the answer."

"Oh? I want to hear and see. ”

"This knife will be famous through the ages." As he spoke, Cao Cao held the knife and slowly got up.

Dong Zhuo looked at Cao Cao with a smile, but Lu Bu's heart had already risen to his throat.

Suddenly, Cao Cao put the knife in front of Dong Zhuo, and Lu Bu's hand instantly touched the hilt of the sword. But he didn't pull it out, because Dong Zhuo's powerful palm pressed the hilt of the sword.

"A good knife with a hero, Xiangguo's words today make Cao admire, this knife will be given to Xiangguo, and I hope Xiangguo can make this knife famous in the world in the future."

Dong Zhuo took the knife with one hand and smiled, Lu Bu also breathed a sigh of relief, but Cao Cao continued: "However, the path that Xiangguo took, Cao Mou did not agree with, if Xiangguo didn't want to kill Cao Mou today, then don't leave it at that." With that, he got up and left.

“…… Feng Xian," Dong Zhuo looked at Cao Cao's disappearing back and said, "Meng De is a hero, but unfortunately he is not the same as me. ”

"Subordinates obey."

……

On the official road outside Luoyang City, the snow has stopped......

"Where do you want to go when Meng De leaves this time?" Walking on horseback, Lu Bu looked ahead and asked.

"Cao will not go around in circles with the general, and if I leave this time, I should go back to Chen Liu to recruit heroes, organize soldiers, and contact the princes from all over the country to jointly crusade against Dong Zhuo."

"Oh." Lu Bu didn't seem surprised.

"If the general wants to help Dong Zhuo, kill Cao Cao at this moment, and he will be spared a major disaster." Cao Cao said with a smile.

"Meng De is a loyal minister and a hero, and Lu Bu admires him. You and Dong Zhuo are just different paths, but they are both for the sake of the country, how can cloth harm you. ”

"Fengxian, listen to me, in troubled times, if you attach too much importance to righteousness, you will only harm yourself."

"Thank you Mengde for your teachings, it's just that Lu Bu is blunt, and I'm afraid this character is difficult to change."

"If you and I are enemies in the future, Feng Xian must not be benevolent and righteous, and remember, it is better to teach me to bear the people of the world than to let the people of the world bear me." After speaking, Cao Cao waved his horsewhip and galloped away, leaving only two rows of horseshoe prints on the snow.

Under the rays of sunset squeezed out of the sky, Lu Bu stood alone in the white snow, looking at the direction of Cao Cao's departure......

——————————————

The capital of Jizhou, Yecheng.

Duan Xuan and Guo Lan stood on the city wall and watched the army slowly walk out of the city gate.

"Unexpectedly, in the end, Yuan Shao still gathered nearly 30,000 horses." Duan Xuan said with a little regret.

"The fourth generation and third duke of the Yuan family, with a good reputation, is not something that a little Han Fu can control. Duan Gongzi's wishful thinking, I'm afraid it will come to naught. ”

"What does it have to do with me?" Duan Xuan pretended to be surprised.

"Why, haven't you woken up that day?" Guo Lan glanced at Duan Xuan out of the corner of his eye.

"Uh...... Young Master Guo really has great powers, he admires it and admires it below...... Belch! ”

Although Guo Lan usually deals with chores, he is not negligent in practicing martial arts, and kicks Duan Xuan in the calf, causing Duan Xuan to gasp in pain.

"I won't tell the four sages this time, but if you make your own decisions next time, I won't tolerate it."

Duan Xuan squatted down and rubbed his legs, and said with a painful expression: "The little one doesn't dare." ”

Guo Lan didn't pay attention to him, but just said abruptly: "The beasts in the world are all together, I really don't know what Dong Zhuo will do." ”

……

In the first month of 190 A.D., the princes of various places raised troops one after another, and elected Yuan Shao as the leader of the anti-Dong Zhuo alliance army, and gathered in front of Bishui Pass in the same month.

——————————————

A few days later, Luoyang, Lu Bu's official residence.

"General, what are you worried about?" Zhang Liao stood beside Lu Bu and asked curiously.

"This time, the princes raised troops to come, but Dong Zhuo only sent Hua Xiong to lead 30,000 people to guard the ...... of Bishui Pass."

"The general is worried that Huaxiong will be defeated?"

"Huaxiong's martial arts are exquisite, but it is difficult to guarantee that there are no equals among the princes, but I am not worried about foreign enemies. I hope I'm too careful. ”

"Zhang Liao still has something to ask......"

"Say it."

"Since that day...... Did the general never see Miss Diao again? ”

"Heh, Wen Yuan, I didn't know you would care about this."

"Wang Yun thinks that it was the general that you saved Dong Zhuo, but it was also the general that you sent Cao Cao out of the city, how could that old guy be so confused."

"Wen Yuan, you don't understand, after this incident, the old ministers in the court and the central government all think that I am a person on Dong Zhuo's side, even if Wang Yun knows the truth, in order to stabilize the group of loyal ministers who oppose Dong, he can only draw a line with me. As for Diao Chan......" Lu Bu said this, his heart tightened, "Let it be." ”

——————————————

Anti-Dong Zhuo coalition army, Gongsun Zhan's camp.

This is a tent on the side of the camp, and there are three people sitting in the tent.

"Third brother, since you don't have a beard on weekdays, why are you wearing this fake beard at this moment." A man with a ruddy complexion, thick eyebrows, and long hair said.

"Heh, second brother, you don't understand, it's better to be elegant and elegant when you chant poetry and paint on weekdays, but when you go to the battlefield, you must be able to deter the enemy in momentum." The person who spoke was sticking a fake beard to his chin.

"Big brother, what do you say?" The red-faced man asked the other.

"Since the third brother thinks it works so well, why don't you take it with you, the second brother doesn't care about him anymore." The man sitting in the center was expressionless, with a delicate face with upright features, holding a map in his hand, looking intently.

A herald ran in: "Report, General Liu, General Gongsun is invited." ”

"Got it, I'll go over here." The man looking at the map promised, "Second brother, third brother, let's go, let's go to General Gongsun together." ”

The three of them came to the camp of Gongsun Zhan, only to see Gongsun Chan standing in the tent, with his back to the door, and when he heard the three of them coming, he walked out of the camp tent: "Xuande, it's just right." This time, although you are not a prince, as a royal clan, you should also go to meet the Lord of the Yuan Alliance. Come, come with me. “

……

Yuan Shao's camp is in the middle of the coalition camp, and Yuan Shao is sitting on the platform to arrange defense.

"Yuan Alliance Leader." Gongsun Chan called.

Yuan Shao got up, "General Gongsun." ”

"Master Yuan, I'm here to introduce you, this is my classmate when I was young. Although he is not a prince, he is the great-grandson of Emperor Xiaojing after King Jing of Zhongshan, and his surname is Liu Mingbei Xuande. ”

Liu Bei stepped forward and arched his hand: "I've seen the Lord of the Yuan League." ”

"It turned out to be a member of the Han family, and your identity is ten times better than that of the princes." Yuan Shao saw that the two people standing behind Liu Bei were sturdy and resolute, so he asked, "Who are these two?" ”

"They are the sworn brothers of Bei, the second brother Guan Yu, and the third brother Zhang Fei. This time, the three of us followed General Gongsun to join the alliance and let the leader of the Yuan League dispatch. ”

"That's very good, Yuan is assigning various matters, and you came at the right time. Come, General Gongsun, General Liu, please take a seat. ”

…………

With the arrival of the last army in the camp of the coalition forces, the battle of the Eighteenth Route Princes against Dong Zhuo officially began.