Free Web NovelChapter 180: The Chaos of Chang’an
After receiving Pan Zhang, Long Chen had his personal guard take Pan Zhang to the military camp to familiarize himself with the processes.
To begin training and prepare early for future battles.
Only then did he turn to the seemingly scholarly and gentle Lu Su, courtesy name Zijing.
Long Chen felt apologetic, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply in apology: freeweɓnovel.cѳm
"Zijing, my previous actions were indeed unbecoming, this is my fault! I feel deeply ashamed and hope you can forgive me!"
"But rest assured, your esteemed mother is well-fed and well-housed here, and her complexion has even improved significantly!"
Hearing this, Lu Su finally breathed a deep sigh of relief.
He had been constantly worried, fearing that Long Chen might do something bad to his mother.
Fortunately, although Long Chen’s methods were not right, his character was still acceptable; at least he did not threaten him with his mother’s life.
However, Lu Su also knew that if Long Chen had really done so,
He would never wholeheartedly work for him and would instead stab him in the back!
Long Chen paused, then continued:
"It’s just that your esteemed mother has been telling me recently that she misses you and worries about you!"
"So, I am telling you now."
Hearing this, Lu Su raised an eyebrow.
You say you’re telling me, but it seems more like you’re subtly forcing me to come.
"And besides, your esteemed mother hopes that Zijing, you, will serve as an official here and do practical work!"
Upon hearing this,
Lu Su was secretly amazed.
He knew his elderly mother well; though she was old, her mind was still sharp!
She must have her reasons for saying this.
"By the way, since you’re already here, why don’t you go and see your mother first."
Long Chen then summoned another personal guard and had him take Lu Su to his mother’s residence.
This was also a place Long Chen had bestowed upon her.
There was no choice; to recruit a talented minister like Lu Su, Long Chen had put in a lot of effort.
He even spent time chatting with his mother to win her over.
Now was the time to see the results, and Long Chen believed that after Lu Su’s return,
Under his mother’s persuasion, there was a high chance he would pledge allegiance to him.
...
...
Sili Province.
Chang’an City.
Meanwhile, in Chang’an, Dong Zhuo had just heard the news that Sun Jian was dead.
His increasingly corpulent body shook with laughter,
Clapping his hands and laughing heartily:
"Hahaha! The Tiger of Jiangdong is dead! One of my greatest enemies is eliminated!"
After pondering for a moment, he shook his head and said:
"What a pity! That little thief Long Chen is not dead!"
"If he were, I would definitely hold a grand banquet for the officials!"
During the campaign against Dong Zhuo, it was Sun Jian and Long Chen who fought the hardest and had the strongest forces!
Dong Zhuo could never forget the scene where Long Chen actually fought his top general Lü Bu to a draw!
It was truly astonishing...
Utterly insane!!!
One must know that Lü Bu had practiced martial arts from a young age and had fought against foreign tribes on the borders of Bingzhou for decades.
Plus, with his unparalleled talent, he achieved what he did today!
But Long Chen... what right did he have!?
He was just an extraordinary person, yet he could reach such heights!
His rapid growth made Dong Zhuo’s fear of him reach its peak.
Turning,
Dong Zhuo squinted and asked, "By the way, how old is Sun Jian’s son this year?"
Li Ru, dressed in a deep purple brocade robe, stroked his beard and replied:
"His eldest son, Sun Ce, is already seventeen,
Currently, he inherits his father’s will and occupies Changsha County."
Upon hearing this,
Dong Zhuo dismissed it.
A mere seventeen-year-old, just a wet-behind-the-ears kid...
The real threat to him was still Long Chen, who had already occupied half of Yangzhou!
However,
Since they moved to Chang’an, life had become increasingly comfortable and luxurious day by day.
Because he was far from the other warlords and had hundreds of thousands of Xiliang cavalry guarding the borders,
Dong Zhuo was no longer as vulnerable as he was back in Luoyang.
As a result,
he became increasingly arrogant and even took the title of "Exalted Father."
He paraded with the emperor’s regalia.
Aside from not claiming the title of emperor, his other facilities and behaviors were nearly indistinguishable from those of an emperor.
He also appointed his younger brother Dong Min as General of the Left and Marquis of Hu.
His nephew Dong Huang became an attendant and commander of the imperial guard.
All members of the Dong clan, regardless of age, were granted marquis titles.
Dong Zhuo firmly controlled the great powers within the court, relying on his own kin to expand his influence!
From this, it can be seen that Dong Zhuo’s internal political tactics were indeed quite adept, and he was very skilled in the art of intrigue.
Unfortunately,
under the influence of power, beauty, and fine wine, Dong Zhuo increasingly indulged himself.
Before long,
he constructed Meiwu several hundred miles from Chang’an.
This was a massive project, a pointless venture that drained resources and harmed the people, offering no benefits to them.
It was akin to the grand projects of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, which ultimately weakened the state’s power, but at least left a valuable legacy in the form of the Grand Canal!
Dong Zhuo’s construction of Meiwu, however, was largely for his own amusement, although it did have some strategic elements.
The fortress accumulated treasures and stored enough grain for thirty years.
He declared, "If we succeed, we will dominate the world; if we fail, we can defend this place to the end."
He forced 250,000 laborers to build this estate, making its walls and fortifications as high and thick as those of Chang’an.
Within Meiwu, he built luxurious palaces,
selecting 800 young beauties from among the people to populate it.
Yes, you heard correctly!
Young beauties!!!
This means that Dong Zhuo was fond of both boys and girls for his amusement. (In the Han Dynasty, bisexuality was common, with 10 out of 25 emperors engaging in relationships with both genders.)
Gold, silk, and pearls were piled up in unknown quantities,
In addition, Dong Zhuo’s family also resided there.
He traveled between Chang’an and Meiwu, sometimes returning every half month, sometimes once a month, with officials all seeing him off outside the Heng Gate.
His grandeur was immense, and his vanity was greatly satisfied. He became increasingly irritable and overbearing, gradually losing the vigilance he had when he first arrived in Chang’an.
One day, as Dong Zhuo was leaving through the Heng Gate, all officials came to see him off.
During a farewell banquet, several hundred newly recruited surrendered soldiers from Beidi arrived.
Dong Zhuo, in a playful mood,
ordered these surrendered soldiers to kneel before him,
and then he either had their limbs severed, eyes gouged out, tongues cut, or had them boiled alive.
The cruelty of his methods was unbearable to watch!
The cries of agony shook the heavens!
The soldiers with severed limbs were like human stumps, collapsing helplessly on the ground, their eyes filled with despair.
Those who lost their eyes groped forward with outstretched hands, only to be mercilessly cut down by Dong Zhuo’s bloodthirsty guards.
The soldiers being boiled in the pot continued to wail, their limbs twitching as if in a seizure...
Finally, the pot even began to emit the aroma of cooked meat...
The officials were so horrified they dropped their chopsticks,
But Dong Zhuo continued to eat and drink, laughing and chatting as if nothing had happened.
