Chapter 26: My Lord Invites General Cao to the Residence for a Conversation

Xiahou Dun could not answer Cao Cao's question, for he himself did not know if there truly existed anyone in this world capable of foreseeing the future. Yet, the things Lu Chuan had previously spoken of had indeed been validated.

Cao Cao looked back at his battered and remnant troops, unable to stop himself from shaking his head and sighing. When he had passed through Lu County before, he had thousands of soldiers with him, but now only a hundred or so remained; the rest were nowhere to be found. Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong all wore equally disheveled and wretched expressions. They had all fought for their lives just to escape the battlefield; had they been a moment slower or a fraction less fortunate, they would surely have perished there.

Upon returning, Cao Cao had gone to see Yuan Shao, only to discover that Yuan Shao and his cohorts had no intention of pursuing Dong Zhuo. Instead, they were gathered together drinking, celebrating their so-called victory. But had they truly won? Dong Zhuo had merely abandoned Luoyang to relocate to Chang'an; his overall strength had suffered little damage. In fact, by thoroughly plundering Luoyang, his future power would likely increase. The Emperor remained in Dong Zhuo's hands, and the civil and military officials had not been rescued. Was this truly the outcome he had sought?

Cao Cao felt this result fell far short; he needed to exert much more effort. However, Yuan Shao and the others did not see it that way; they believed that what they had achieved was sufficient. Indeed, if one only sought to gain a good reputation, this was enough. Yuan Shao invited Cao Cao to join the feast and offered him a portion of soldiers to help him reorganize, but Cao Cao refused. He realized that he and Yuan Shao were simply not cut from the same cloth. With their paths diverging, Cao Cao declined the gesture and set off with his remaining men toward Chenliu.

After his sigh, Cao Cao lifted his head once more. He would not be defeated so easily. Once he returned, he would reorganize his forces and find a way to restore the Han Dynasty. Even without the help of Yuan Shao and the others, he, Cao Cao, could achieve it! He possessed that much confidence. Seeing Cao Cao regain his resolve, the anxiety in Xiahou Dun’s heart eased. He had truly feared that Cao Cao would be crushed by this defeat and never recover; that would have been a great disappointment.

"Mengde, we are nearing Lu County. Should we go inside and have another look?"

"Oh? We are approaching Lu County again?" Cao Cao thought of that magnificent city, and his heart stirred. "Very well, let us go in and take a look. That Lu Chuan—he is quite interesting."

Although they had been unceremoniously tossed out by Lu Chuan’s men last time, Cao Cao’s impression of him was not poor. It was primarily because Lu Chuan’s ability was so formidable—to develop a tiny county into a city comparable to Luoyang. For this ability alone, Cao Cao felt compelled to hold him in high regard.

Xiahou Dun sneered, "This time, with myself, Miaocai, Zixiao, and Zilian going in together, plus a few men, I refuse to believe that with so many of us, we cannot subdue a mere county magistrate!"

"Yuanrang, you must not!" Cao Cao hurriedly intervened. He knew Xiahou Dun’s temper; having suffered a slight at Lu Chuan’s hands, if he didn't settle the score, he would brood over it for a lifetime. "This time, I will first send a formal invitation and have a proper conversation with him to see exactly how capable he is."

Xiahou Dun looked at Cao Cao in surprise, then quickly understood. "You mean to recruit him for your own cause?"

Cao Cao nodded. "Precisely. We have just suffered a defeat and are in dire need of a base to rebuild. Don't you think Lu County would be an excellent choice?"

Xiahou Dun thought of that massive city and nodded repeatedly. "If that Lu Chuan is sensible and willing to pledge allegiance, I will not hold the previous incident against him. But if he is not, I will surely make him regret it!"

Cao Cao gave a bitter smile. Despite his bold words, he had no real certainty about recruiting Lu Chuan. If Lu Chuan had held even the slightest respect for him, he wouldn't have had him and Xiahou Dun tossed out. Even if it came to a fight, Cao Cao felt that with his current band of remnants, they were no match for Lu Chuan. Back at the city gates, those few dozen guards had formed a battle formation that had deterred Xiahou Dun from acting rashly, not to mention that there was also a fierce warrior named Dian Wei inside. If a real fight broke out, his meager force would likely be nothing more than a snack for them.

Of course, Cao Cao could not dampen Xiahou Dun’s enthusiasm. He could only take it one step at a time, hoping that Lu Chuan would not be unappreciative.

After another half-day of travel, Cao Cao suddenly stopped, frowning as he asked, "Yuanrang, is that Lu County ahead?"

Xiahou Dun scratched his head, pulling out a map to check it repeatedly. "It should be correct; that is indeed Lu County. But now... why does it look so different?"

When they had visited before, they could see the city gates at a glance. This time, however, they saw no gates, only a vast, bustling construction site. Only a few months had passed since their last visit—what was Lu Chuan planning?

"Yuanrang, do you remember Lu Chuan mentioning that he wanted to expand the city walls?"

"I believe... there was something to that effect."

"So, he wasn't joking. He really is expanding the city walls?"

"It seems so."

"No, looking at this, he isn't just expanding the walls—he is expanding the entire county! Is he mad? How much would it cost to expand an entire county?"

Cao Cao’s face was etched with astonishment; he could not fathom how Lu Chuan had come up with the idea of expanding the county! In the Great Han Dynasty, there were so many counties, yet he had never heard of a magistrate attempting such a thing—not even at a commandery seat! It required a massive expenditure of labor, materials, and wealth that no small county magistrate could possibly manage. The many counties of the Han were built up slowly over time. To finish such an expansion in a short period was simply impossible!

Xiahou Dun was speechless; he could not imagine the resources required for such a gargantuan project. Compared to Xiahou Dun’s shock, Cao Cao observed more closely. He noticed that the laborers showed no signs of hardship; instead, they appeared cheerful and healthy, not at all like people pressed into forced labor. Beyond the laborers, many carts were constantly delivering materials in an orderly fashion, without contention or chaos. No matter how many carts arrived, they found their designated spots with ease.

Setting aside the immense cost of labor and capital, the sheer skill in site management alone made Cao Cao envious. If such a talent could fall into his hands, how wonderful that would be.

Just as Cao Cao was lost in his envy, Lu Jin walked toward them with several guards. "Is the one who approaches Cao Cao, Cao Mengde?"

Hearing this voice, Cao Cao instinctively grabbed the hilt of his sword. He had exposed his name last time and was promptly thrown out; he had no desire for a repeat performance. Xiahou Dun’s expression changed as well, and he drew his blade with a sharp clang. If anyone dared to throw him out again, he would fight to the death!

Seeing their reactions, Lu Jin wanted to laugh but had to hold it in. "General Cao, please, do not be alarmed. My Lord Lu invites you to the residence for a talk!"

Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun exchanged glances, their eyes filled with suspicion. The same Lu Chuan who had ordered them tossed out was now inviting him in?