Chapter 206

Chapter 206: Where is the Son of Heaven? (The Death of Dong Zhuo)

In this chaotic battlefield, Dong Zhuo still did not doubt the possibility of his opponent taking his life.

Although he couldn’t understand why this person had such an urgent need to kill him, he and his cavalry, riding on Ferghana horses, formed a formidable force that plunged into the enemy ranks.

The quality of their horses determined their speed and endurance in battle, and the way this person wielded the Fangtian Huaji (Halberd) was like adding the finishing touch to a masterpiece.

No one could stop his advance along the path he rode.

Even before the Fangtian Huaji came down on his neck, it felt as if a chilling gust of wind had already swept through the chaotic battlefield.

This was a killing blow!

Even though Dong Zhuo knew they were enemies, he couldn’t help but admire such a heroic warrior.

Perhaps when he looked at the Red Hare horse, he saw a dream of conquest that wasn’t completely dead.

In an instant, he recalled a scene.

On the noon when Li Jue seized power from him, claiming he was too old, he had dreamed of such a scene during his nap.

The figure chasing him on horseback, though unclear, now overlapped with the reality before him.

As Dong Zhuo glanced behind Lü Bu, he saw several other cavalry units in the dust.

Among them, the most striking was the owner of the arrow he had seen earlier.

In the bright light of the day, not yet fully tinged with autumn, she charged through the bloodied battlefield with a sharp, imposing aura.

When she stood in the light, she resembled a rising sun, a stark contrast to the “old thief” who couldn’t even handle Li Jue.

Perhaps—

Li Jue wasn’t wrong in saying he was old.

How Qiao Yan had managed to break through the defenses of Li Ying and Fan Chou in Liangzhou, and the obstacles at Maiwu along the Guanzhong line, was no longer important.

At this moment, everyone saw her in the thick of battle, switching from arrows to a double-pointed spear, her sweeping and thrusting movements exuding a leader’s charisma.

Her red horse and black cloak fluttering in the wind formed a deep, blazing fire.

This was the first flame ignited by the cavalry she led!

It was the belief of this army.

Having once been in such a position himself, Dong Zhuo could see clearly that she wasn’t leading this army on mere youthful passion and fervor.

When she stirred this fiery wave, she must have had a clear and resolute understanding in her heart.

This was why her troops fought with her spear as their guide, like a cold gleam blooming at the tip of her spear.

And that gleam had now reached Dong Zhuo!

At the same time, the vanguard of Qiao Yan’s army, surrounding her, charged into the most intense part of the battlefield where Dong Zhuo and Li Jue’s forces clashed.

Dong Zhuo clearly saw a familiar figure being pulled up by Qiao Yan’s command amidst the fallen horses and cavalry.

In the chaos of battle, Dong Bai had suffered more than just arrow wounds and injuries from falling off her horse.

She was now on the brink of death, yet she still managed to turn her gaze towards Dong Zhuo with all her remaining strength.

Dong Zhuo shuddered.

It was a gaze he dared not look at but couldn’t avoid.

In that split second, he drew his long sword and parried the incoming Fangtian Huaji.

His heart was filled with complex emotions.

Li Jue’s betrayal had brought him to his lowest point, reminding him of his former heroic spirit.

His granddaughter’s desperate attempt to save him had ignited the last bit of his fighting spirit.

Lü Bu’s pursuit had made him see, in the face of death, the potential of the horse that once belonged to him.

Why couldn’t he now—

Dong Zhuo suddenly shouted at the wielder of the Fangtian Huaji, “Who are you?”

Lü Bu, unaware of Dong Zhuo’s inner turmoil, replied loudly, “I am Lü Fengxian of Wuyuan!”

Dong Zhuo remembered the name and, in that moment, swung his sword with a fierce, whistling sound.

Amidst the resentment of betrayal, the emotion of those still loyal to him, and the regret for his past actions, Dong Zhuo’s mind settled on one final thought—

Even in death, he would die like a man of Xiliang.

Not in some obscure corner of Weiyang Palace, gnawing on beef bones, forgotten by all!

Qiao Yan looked in that direction.

Dong Zhuo’s stance as he faced Lü Bu reminded her that he was indeed a formidable figure, a warlord who had risen from the alliances of Liangzhou.

Unfortunately, his advancing age had added weight to his arms, his indulgent lifestyle had dulled his swordsmanship, and his fleeting moment of clarity was still bound by countless invisible chains.

In this inescapable prison, his sword swing was merely a bid for a dignified death.

And Lü Bu, whether acting on her will or to rightfully claim the Red Hare, would not let this opportunity slip.

This was not just a battle of fate, but a battle that must be won!

The Fangtian Huaji finally struck Dong Zhuo’s neck.

As his head fell to the ground, her campaign against Dong Zhuo achieved a result sufficient to justify the “cleansing of the court” as a reason for war.

Qiao Yan let out a silent sigh.

From the campaign against Dong Zhuo in Luoyang, to the march through Liangzhou to eliminate the traitors, they had finally reached the end.

Just before the halberd fell, Qiao Yan removed her cloak and draped it over Dong Bai’s face, who had been pulled up by her attendants.

She was still barely alive, but that was all.

In this era, the broken ribs and chest injuries from the fall and trampling were not easily treatable.

Even Hua Tuo, skilled in surgical treatments, might not be able to save her.

Death was not far off for her.

Qiao Yan didn’t know much about her, but from her decisive actions to rescue Dong Zhuo, she judged her to be an exceptional heroine in both judgment and action.

Yet, dying in this battle might be better than surviving.

The crimes Dong Zhuo had committed in Luoyang made it impossible for Qiao Yan to recruit him as she had with Ma Teng.

As she acted under the banner of restoring the Han dynasty…





Dong Zhuo is the benchmark she must remove. Given the enmity of killing Dong Zhuo, Dong Bai could never wholeheartedly submit to her. Even if she doesn’t die today, to prevent her from causing trouble by contacting Dong Zhuo’s old allies, Qiao Yan cannot let her live. It’s better for her to die gloriously in battle. However, when Dong Bai instinctively clutched the cloak, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. But in this context, there are too many untimely deaths, and she doesn’t have the luxury to lament individual fates. The clashing of weapons snapped her out of her thoughts about Dong Bai and Dong Zhuo. Looking towards the battlefield, she saw Zhao Yun had captured Zhang Ji, and Ma Chao had captured Duan Wei. It was at the moment when Lü Bu bravely killed Dong Zhuo. Perhaps because she had often mentioned her concern for Duan Wei, even the reckless Ma Chao made the right decision to capture Duan Wei alive instead of killing him. Qiao Yan immediately gave him an approving look. However, upon further inspection, Qiao Yan’s gaze sharpened, “Where is Li Jue?” Everyone looked around and suddenly realized Li Jue was indeed missing! Among the two clashing forces, one leader had just been killed by Lü Bu, while the other was leaderless. With everyone’s attention on Dong Zhuo’s life and death, no one noticed him, giving him a chance to escape. His first choice to flee rather than fight was entirely reasonable. The moment Qiao Yan led her troops to charge, Li Jue felt more terrified than anyone. Her appearance meant his cousin Li Ying and nephew Hu Feng might have already perished in Qiao Yan’s attack. If even 20,000 men couldn’t stop her, how could he possibly handle it? If he didn’t run now, when would he? He not only had to run but also take someone with him. With Dong Zhuo dead, the young emperor Liu Xie, previously abducted by Dong Zhuo, lost a layer of protection. He needed to keep this valuable hostage in his hands. This wasn’t about using Liu Xie as a symbol to command the world, but because Liu Xie could be both a talisman and a bargaining chip with some warlords. In times of crisis, even those who usually don’t think much, like Li Jue, show remarkable wit. He decisively removed his helmet and cloak, looking like a defeated general, and slipped through the cavalry lines with his subordinates, heading straight for Dong Zhuo’s camp south of Chang’an to snatch Liu Xie and flee. Before this move, he did something else. Earlier, to counter Dong Zhuo’s influence with the emperor, he had his daughter dress in imperial robes, disguised as Liu Xie. Now, needing to escape, he unhesitatingly sacrificed her again. Some of his subordinates, unaware of Qiao Yan’s arrival, followed his orders without question, taking the carriage with the “emperor” eastward from Chang’an towards Luoyang, also taking along several defenseless ministers. After this, Li Jue immediately headed south. As Jia Xu had previously analyzed, in this situation, even Yuan Shu, whom he had just appointed as Governor of Yu Province, wouldn’t cooperate with him out of personal debt. Therefore, his only chance for a comeback lay in heading to Nanyang or Hanzhong. Filled with anxiety, Li Jue couldn’t care about others now. Whether it was his cousin and nephew guarding Gaoling or his wife and son in the capital, all were left behind. Only his own life mattered. He unhesitatingly dragged Liu Xie towards Shangluo. After all, besides the two close followers by his side, there was a force there he could rely on. The smaller his exit from the city, the less likely people would believe he was fleeing in that direction! Ignoring Yan Xing’s stance, his decision wasn’t entirely wrong. Dong Zhuo’s death didn’t immediately end the battle north of Chang’an. Only Qiao Yan’s cavalry had arrived first. Stabilizing the chaos wasn’t as simple as swinging a spear five times. If not for Duan Wei, whom Qiao Yan ordered to assist for the sake of Chang’an’s commoners, integrating Dong Zhuo’s remnants, and Wang Yun restraining Li Jue’s followers, Qiao Yan’s forces alone wouldn’t be enough. As the chaos slightly subsided, she had the spare capacity to send her men to retrieve Li Jue. The fastest cavalry, led by Lü Bu, first reached the south of Chang’an and heard the bad news—Li Jue had taken the emperor and fled! Hearing this, Lü Bu thought to himself, having just gained ownership of Red Hare by killing Dong Zhuo, he couldn’t miss this other opportunity to earn merit. The lord had entrusted him with a hundred fine horses to form a cavalry, clearly showing trust and reliance, which Ma Chao often criticized. Capturing Duan Wei alive was no small feat, giving him more reason to boast. Lü Bu, proud by nature, didn’t want to leave such a handle. If someone ran, then chase! Upon hearing that Li Jue and Yuan Shu had exchanged letters and titles, Lü Bu, with his self-proclaimed improved intellect, immediately chased eastward. Yuan Shu and the lord had conflicts, Li Jue and the lord had conflicts, Yuan Shu and Li Jue could ally—this was a logical deduction. As he galloped to catch up with the fleeing group, seeing the carriage and cavalry ahead, he felt he had made the right decision. Closing in, he saw the thin figure in the carriage wearing the emperor’s black and red robes with the twelve-tasseled crown, feeling the excitement of nearing his goal. Lü Bu drew his bow and shot down the leader of the opposing cavalry without hesitation. Red Hare’s still vigorous stamina allowed him to intercept the group, with his followers forming an encirclement. But when Lü Bu looked inside the carriage, he was dumbfounded. The figure before him, dressed in imperial robes, was indeed a child. If Li Jue wanted to prevent the emperor from escaping, tying his hands and feet wasn’t impossible. But… Lü Bu had a daughter and could recognize the gender of a fourteen-year-old. The one before him was clearly a girl! How could this be Liu Xie? Lü Bu was stunned. At this moment, one thought kept repeating in his mind—damn, I chased the wrong one.