Chapter 206: Where is the Son of Heaven? (Dong Zhuo’s Death)
In this chaotic battlefield, Dong Zhuo was still completely unfazed by the imminent death looming over him.
Although he couldn’t fathom why that person had such an almost desperate need to kill him, he was flanked by a cavalry troop riding on fine steeds, forming an unstoppable force that cut into the fray.
The quality of those steeds dictated their speed and endurance in battle; when the wielder swung the Fangtian Huaji, it was like adding brilliance to an already vivid picture.
No one could impede his assault wherever he galloped past.
Even though the Fangtian Huaji hadn’t yet swooped down towards his neck, it felt like a chilling gust had already swept through the battlefield.
This was an inevitable killing intent!
Even knowing they were foes, Dong Zhuo couldn’t help but admire such gallant talent.
Perhaps when he looked at that majestic steed, he saw a fighting spirit that hadn’t completely been extinguished.
In an instant, he envisioned a moment.
That fateful noon when Li Jue had usurped his power—he had dreamt of such a scene while napping.
The blurry figure on horseback pursuing him in his dreams seemed to overlap with the reality before him.
As Dong Zhuo turned to glance behind Lü Bu, through the dust, he spotted several more cavalry units.
Most strikingly, he recognized the owner of the feathered arrow he had seen earlier.
In the soft light before noon, not yet tainted by autumn’s chill, the opponent strode onto the battlefield, radiating a commanding brilliance.
In her presence, she looked like a rising sun, starkly contrasting with Dong Zhuo, the “old thief” so frazzled that even Li Jue couldn’t help him.
Perhaps—
Li Jue’s remark about him being old wasn’t completely off.
How Qiao Yan managed to break through Li Ying, Fan Chou, and others in their campaign to Liangzhou, as well as the blockade at Maiwu along the Guanzhong line, was now rather unimportant.
What everyone saw at that moment was her in close combat, transitioning from the previous feathered arrow to dual long spears. In the midst of the battle, her leadership shone even brighter than those advancing against him.
The fiery red horse and her billowing black cloak formed a deep, yet blazing inferno.
This was the first flame ignited by the cavalry she commanded!
This was the very essence of their loyalty.
Since Dong Zhuo had once occupied such a position in his army, he understood better than anyone else; she was not merely leading this unit with youthful enthusiasm and hot blood!
When she stirred this passionate tide, she undoubtedly possessed a clear and resolute awareness.
This allowed her troops to fight as if blooming like a cold light from the spear’s tip.
That hint of cold light had already reached Dong Zhuo!
Meanwhile, the vanguard from Qiao Yan’s force swarmed around her, crashing into where Dong Zhuo’s and Li Jue’s troops had fiercely clashed.
Dong Zhuo saw clearly that among the fallen steeds and cavalry, a familiar figure was rescued by Qiao Yan’s command.
In the chaos, the trampling hooves caused Dong Bai to suffer more than mere arrow wounds and falls.
Now in a state of near collapse, she still seemed to muster enough strength to cast a lingering gaze in Dong Zhuo’s direction.
Dong Zhuo shivered involuntarily.
This was a gaze he was afraid to meet but couldn’t turn away from.
In an instant, he drew his long knife, ready to block the incoming Fangtian Huaji.
His feelings were complicated.
Li Jue’s betrayal had brought him to his knees, rekindling memories of his former heroism.
His granddaughter’s desperate rescue sparked the last remnants of his fight.
And as Lü Bu pursued him, he envisioned the potential of that long-lost steed, one that rightfully belonged to him.
Why could he not, in this moment…?
Dong Zhuo suddenly called out to the wielder of the Fangtian Huaji, “Who dares to confront me?”
Lü Bu was blissfully unaware of Dong Zhuo’s inner turmoil, but even if he did, it wouldn’t change a thing.
He replied loudly, “I am Lü Bu of Wuyuan!”
Dong Zhuo remembered this name and, in that instant, he swung his long knife with a ferocious cry.
Among the feelings of resentment from betrayal, the loyalty of those still faithful, and the regret for past actions, Dong Zhuo was left with only one thought—
Even if he died, he wanted to die like a man from Xiliang.
Not in the secluded chambers of Weiyang Palace, gnawing on cow bones, dying unnoticed!
Qiao Yan looked in that direction.
Dong Zhuo’s stance as he faced off against Lü Bu vaguely reminded people that he indeed was a notorious figure who had built his power from the ground up in Liangzhou.
Unfortunately, his advancing age had made his arms soft, and his indulgent attitude dulled his combat skills. Even now, while he grasped a fleeting clarity, he was still bound by countless invisible chains.
In this prison he couldn’t escape, he wielded his knife just to achieve a dignified end.
But Lü Bu, whether representing her will or simply wanting to rightfully claim the steed, would not falter!
This was not just a fated battle; it was a fight to win!
And the Fangtian Huaji ultimately struck down onto Dong Zhuo’s neck.
As that head hit the ground, Qiao Yan’s effort to eradicate Dong Zhuo bore sufficient fruit to justify the “cleansing of the court” campaign.
A silent sigh escaped Qiao Yan’s heart.
From Luoyang’s fight against Dong Zhuo to advancing into Liangzhou to eliminate corrupt officials, she had finally come to this climax of her campaign.
Just before the spear fell, she unfastened her cloak and draped it over Dong Bai’s face, who was now being lifted by her followers.
Though she was hanging on by a thread, that was all that remained.
In this day and age, injuries from falling and trampling that could break ribs were not easily treatable wounds.
Even a physician like Hua Tuo, who excelled at external surgeries, would likely be unable to restore her to health.
Death was not a remote possibility for her.
Qiao Yan didn’t fully understand her but could infer from her decisive actions to aid against Dong Zhuo that she was a remarkably outstanding female hero in both decisiveness and capability.
Yet, her dying in this battle might be better than surviving.
The transgressions Dong Zhuo committed in Luoyang ensured that Qiao Yan could never treat him like Ma Teng, incorporating him into her ranks.
As she acted under the banner of restoring the Han dynasty…
Dong Zhuo was the one obstacle she absolutely had to remove.
With the grudge of killing Dong Zhuo hanging over her, Dong Bai could never wholeheartedly submit to her.
Even if she didn’t die today, to prevent any future trouble from contacting Dong Zhuo’s former subordinates, Qiao Yan would never allow her to live.
It’d be better for her to die gloriously in battle as it is right now.
However, as Dong Bai instinctively clutched her cloak, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret.
But in the grand scheme of things, there were too many who met their demise amidst the wrong timing; she didn’t have time to dwell on the fate of this individual.
The sounds of clashing weapons pulled her thoughts back from dealing with Dong Bai and Dong Zhuo, and when she looked into the fray, she saw Zhao Yun had already taken down Zhang Ji, while Ma Chao had captured Duan Wei.
This all happened just as Lü Bu ruthlessly killed Dong Zhuo.
Perhaps she had mentioned her concern for Duan Wei a few too many times, which made even a brash warrior like Ma Chao make the right call to capture Duan Wei alive instead of killing him.
Qiao Yan immediately shot him an approving glance.
But looking deeper into the scene, Qiao Yan narrowed her eyes, “Where’s Li Jue?”
Everyone turned around, suddenly realizing that Li Jue was indeed missing!
With one leader of the battling forces just killed by Lü Bu and the other reduced to a headless chicken, they were in quite the pickle.
While everyone was focused on Dong Zhuo’s life and death, no one paid him any mind.
This gave him the perfect chance to sneak away.
His first instinct was to run rather than fight, which was perfectly reasonable.
At that moment, when Qiao Yan crashed onto the scene, Li Jue felt more terrified than anyone else.
Her presence meant his cousin Li Ying and nephew Hu Feng were likely casualties of Qiao Yan’s onslaught.
If he couldn’t be stopped by twenty thousand troops, why did he think he could handle things alone?
How much longer could he hold out before bolting?
Not only did he want to run, he needed to take someone with him.
With Dong Zhuo dead, the little emperor Liu Xie he had previously taken hostage was now more vulnerable; he needed to hold on to this valuable pawn.
This didn’t mean Li Jue intended to use Liu Xie as a standard bearer; it was just that Liu Xie’s existence could either serve as a protective charm or be collateral in dealings with other warlords.
They say necessity breeds wisdom, and in Li Jue, who usually didn’t think too much, this proved especially true.
He swiftly took off his helmet and cloak, looking like a pathetic loser fleeing from the cavalry clash. He sprinted out of the ranks with his subordinates toward Dong Zhuo’s military camp south of Chang’an to grab Liu Xie and escape.
Before making this move, he had done something else, too.
Earlier, to counter Dong Zhuo’s reign by taking the emperor hostage, he had his daughter dress in imperial robes, masquerading as Liu Xie while he sought temporary assistance from the court in Chang’an.
Now that it was time to flee, he had no hesitation in sacrificing her.
His subordinates, unaware of Qiao Yan’s arrival, received his orders without questioning and took off with the “emperor” in tow, heading east along the official road from Chang’an towards Luoyang.
They even “brought along” a few ministers who were as helpless as chickens.
After doing this, Li Jue immediately decided to head south.
Just as Jia Xu had previously analyzed, in this kind of situation, even Yuan Shu, who had recently been appointed as the Governor of Yu Province, wouldn’t cooperate with him out of any sentimentality.
Since that was the case, he only had options to head towards Nanyang or Hanzhong, where there might be a glimmer of hope for a comeback.
With an anxious heart, Li Jue couldn’t be bothered about anything else.
It didn’t matter whether it was his cousin under siege at Gao Ling or his wife and children in the capital; they were all simply left behind.
Only his own life mattered now.
He hurriedly dragged Liu Xie along and raced towards Suo Le.
After all, besides the two people at his side, there was also a force nearby that he could rely on.
The smaller the target he was when leaving the city, the less anyone would believe that Li Jue would actually flee in that direction!
If we disregard Yan Xing’s stance, it wasn’t such a poor call of his.
Dong Zhuo’s death didn’t mean the battle in the northern suburbs of Chang’an would wrap up immediately.
What arrived first was simply Qiao Yan’s cavalry.
It would take more than waving a few spears to regain order amidst the chaos.
Had it not been for Duan Wei’s compliance to assist in consolidating Dong Zhuo’s remnants upon Qiao Yan’s order to help the common folk of Chang’an, and Wang Yun holding Li Jue’s forces in check, Qiao Yan’s troops alone wouldn’t have been sufficient.
When the mayhem calmed down a bit, she finally had the luxury to send her men out to track down Li Jue.
The swiftest cavalry, Lü Bu, was the first to reach the southern part of Chang’an and heard the bad news first—
Li Jue had run off with the emperor!
Upon hearing this, Lü Bu pondered. He had just secured the rights to the red rabbit by killing Dong Zhuo and couldn’t miss out on this additional chance to achieve greatness.
The lord had entrusted him with a hundred Da Wan horses to form a cavalry unit, clearly signifying his trust and reliance, which caused Ma Chao that brat to fuss at him.
This time, capturing Duan Wei was no small feat, and it might just give him the justification to bring it up.
Lü Bu, prideful as always, wouldn’t let anyone pin something on him.
If someone was escaping, then pursue them!
After learning that Li Jue had previous dealings with Yuan Shu to send messages and seals, Lü Bu, assured by his own growth, immediately headed east of Chang’an in pursuit.
There were conflicts between Yuan Shu and the lord, and between Li Jue and the lord, so it made perfect sense for Yuan Shu and Li Jue to team up.
As he hastened to catch up to the front lines, he spotted the carriage and cavalry in the distance, feeling sure he had made the correct judgment.
As he drew closer and spotted the thin figure in the emperor’s garb adorned with the twelve tassels, an electric thrill surged inside him, realizing he was about to achieve his goal.
Lü Bu nocked an arrow without a moment’s hesitation and shot down the person who looked like the leader among the cavalry.
With Red Rabbit still in top shape, he had the means to block the forces ahead.
Those acting alongside him formed a circle of encirclement.
However, when Lü Bu turned his attention towards the carriage, he was left speechless.
What stood before him was indeed a child clad in royal garments.
If Li Jue wanted to prevent the emperor from escaping, it was indeed possible to bind his hands and feet to limit his movements.
But… but Lü Bu had a daughter and he absolutely knew a child’s sex at fourteen.
The person in front of him was clearly a girl!
So how could this possibly be Liu Xie?
Lü Bu was momentarily stunned.
In that instant, a single thought rolled around in his mind—oops, I chased the wrong one.
