Chapter 48: Father-in-law?

  After nearly half a month of marching, Liu Mang felt that his strength had also increased a lot.

  Shuchun, the former administrative center of Shouchun, where Yuan Shu once proclaimed himself emperor, is now in a state of disrepair and desolation, with sparse crowds making the large city feel bleak.

  "Yuan Shu is indeed reaping what he has sown and cannot live!" Chen Gong couldn't help but sigh as he looked at the ruined city. Yuan Shu, a member of the prestigious Yuan family with four generations of high-ranking officials, had once joined forces with Cao Cao to attack Dong Zhuo, and had a place among the eighteen lords. Originally, when he came to Yuzhou and Runan, he had the advantage of being a member of the Yuan family, and could have occupied both Yuzhou and Yangzhou, waiting for an opportunity to strike based on the overall situation. Unfortunately, Yuan Shu was muddle-headed and became infatuated with the imperial seal passed down through generations, declaring himself emperor in Shouchun!

  If it were to take a few more years or decades, Yuan Shu might have succeeded, but he was too greedy and thought that after declaring himself emperor, he could command the whole world; his daydreaming had gone too far.

  Chen Gong shook his head and stopped thinking about it. This was a chaotic world, where all sorts of people existed. Could one say that those feudal lords who had not yet become emperors did not have such thoughts? Of course they did. How many were truly loyal to the Han dynasty and this world?

  "Brother! What are you thinking about?" Lü Bu spurred his horse forward and asked Chen Gong with a sigh.

  "Your Excellency!" Chen Gong nodded and then shook his head.

  "Alas!" Just as Lü Bu didn't understand what Chen Gong was thinking, another sighing voice came over, and Lü Bu saw that it was none other than Liu Mang.

  "Are all the cities at the end of the Han Dynasty like this?!" Liu Mang couldn't help but ask.

  "Huh?!" Chen Gong and Lü Bu furrowed their brows. The Han Dynasty hadn't fallen yet, but what a chaotic world! The two men fell silent once again.

  Liu Mang also knew he had misspoken. "Is this really the state of the world?!" From Xia Pi to Kaiyang, and then to the cities along the way, not a single one was an exception, just like Shouchun in front of him, the eyes of the common people were all filled with a kind of confusion, a kind of numbness, unable to feel the hope that came with it.

  "It's probably the same everywhere!" Chen Gong said, stunned. He couldn't say that everything was fine now, as the only place that hadn't fallen into chaos was Jingzhou, after all, half of the scholars in the world had taken refuge there.

  "These damned vassals!" Liu Mang gritted his teeth and growled.

  "Damn the vassals?!" Lü Bu glanced at Liu Mang and asked casually, "Han Yang, you really wish for a peaceful and prosperous era, huh?"

  "Hmm! Why must we Han people slaughter each other?" Liu Mang didn't know what those vassals were thinking. Was this throne really that good?

  "I understand!" Lü Bu nodded towards Liu Mang as if he understood something. "You can rest assured that day will come!"

  "Huh?!" Liu Mang's face was full of confusion, "Lü Boss, what do you understand?"

  Lü Bu patted Liu Mang's shoulder and asked Chen Gong, "Gongtai, do you think Yuan Shu really has grain and fodder?!" Lü Bu came to Shouchun mainly to borrow grain and fodder. The army didn't have much left, and what Chen Deng brought wasn't enough for Ruyang, let alone Xinye.

  "Yes, definitely!" Chen Gong said affirmatively as he looked at the to and fro of the people who were poorly clothed and hungry. "Even if these people starve to death, even if they freeze to death, Yuan Shao's army has enough food and grass!"

  "Is that so?!" Liu Mang's eyebrows furrowed even deeper after hearing Chen Gong's words, a sense of disgust emanating from his heart.

  As an official, one should bring benefits to the people. If it were just a matter of war and refugees leaving, Liu Mang couldn't say anything, after all, this is the general trend of the world. However, when the people are struggling in hardship, but you have enough food and grass, then the problem becomes really serious.

  "Let's go! Let's go to the Yuan Highway!" Lü Bu also couldn't bear it anymore. Although Lü Fengxian was also an incompetent lord, he wouldn't be cruel to such an extent that his people couldn't even live.

  Yuan Shu was already on his last legs after being defeated by Cao Cao, and Shouchun was almost defenseless. The city gates were wide open, and the soldiers guarding the city, Liu Mao, saw that they were either old veterans who were nothing but skin and bones or young recruits who hadn't even grown their whiskers yet.

  Lü Bu halted his army and did not immediately enter the city. Instead, he donned his armor and rode towards the Shouchun Gate with Chen Gong and Liu Mang.

  "Don't need to bring troops, do you?!" Liu Mang was a bit worried. Although Old Yuan was crippled, he still had tens of thousands of men. After all, this was now Old Yuan's home turf. If the negotiations fell through, they could still charge out.

  "It can't be saved!" Lü Bu said, looking at the ruins around him.

  "Huh?!" Liu Mang was stunned, I'm telling you, Lü Boss, your confidence is based on the martial power of the War God, but what about yourself? Your combat power is only 5, a total mess! Even Old Man Chen has over 70 combat power, okay?! If you two can't come to an agreement, you'll be the one who suffers!"

  "Or else! Are you going?!" Liu Mang said in a low voice.

  "Hmph!" Lü Bu snorted coldly.

  "Alright, alright, let's go then!" Liu Mang reluctantly followed along.

  "Haha!" Chen Gong smiled as he looked at this strange couple, the overbearing father-in-law and the henpecked son-in-law.

  Yong and his son-in-law had not yet entered the city with Chen Gong when dozens of riders rushed towards Lü Bu and his men at the city gate.

  Dozens of cavalrymen were heavily armored, with fluttering cloaks behind them, which didn't seem strange to Liu Mang and others. After all, the defeated elite troops of Yuan Shu's army still had some strength left.

  It's strange that the leader is a man wearing a black dragon robe, with only four claws on the dragon, representing the meaning of a prince. Is this person wearing a prince's attire? And there are dozens of riders holding flags? The Feathered Forest Army?!

  Is Yuan's imperial dream still not over?

  "On the orders of His Majesty, General Lü Bu has not yet hastened to dismount and receive the edict!" A cavalryman stepped forward from behind the so-called crown prince, holding a yellow silk scroll in his hand and speaking with an arrogant expression.

  Grand General?! This old Yuan's handwriting is not small, the Grand General can be considered as the largest military officer in command of all the troops and horses under heaven, and can also be said to be the first among the military officers. In a chaotic world, even more important than the Three Dukes.

  Yuan Shao conferred the title of Grand General on Lü Bu; wouldn't he be afraid that his own generals would have objections?

  Liu Mang was no longer in the mood to consider this matter, as Lü Bu didn't say a word and just sat on his horse, not even bothering to dismount.

  "Does General Lü Bu not quickly dismount to receive the imperial edict?!" The knight was furious, although the general was great, but his Imperial Guards were the emperor's personal bodyguards.

  Lü Bu ignored the knight and instead, Chen Gong stepped forward slowly and said, "My lord's official position is only that of General of the East, which emperor appointed this Grand General?"

  "Of course I will become the great emperor!" The knight said matter-of-factly.

  "Emperor Da Cheng? This is still the great Han dynasty, where did Emperor Da Cheng come from? Treacherous officials and rebellious sons, do you think my sword is not sharp?" Chen Gong rebuked angrily.

  "Ah!" The knight was about to draw his sword when he was stopped by the prince, who smiled and said, "This must be General Lü, my father-in-law! I am Yuan Yao, son of the emperor, come to welcome you, Father-in-law!"

  Father Emperor was referring to Old Yuan, right! Wait a minute! Liu Mang suddenly thought of something, Father-in-law? What's going on? Does Lü Boss have another daughter?!