Chapter 17: Lu Bu's Ancestry
After Empress Dowager He returned to the imperial palace with Emperor Shao (the Young Emperor Liu Bian) and Prince Chenliu (Liu Xie), she inspected the palace but couldn't find the National Jade Seal. Additionally, after a tumultuous day and night, the mother and son reunited, embracing each other and shedding tears. Understandably, they couldn't immediately attend to court affairs, so Empress Dowager He announced that the court session would be held the next day.
As the soldiers responsible for guarding the palace gates were mainly recruited by the Ten Eunuchs, they had been wiped out by the forces led by Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu. The imperial palace was now defenseless. To ensure the safety of the Empress Dowager, the Young Emperor, and Prince Chenliu, Lu Bu assigned Huang Zhong to lead the Feathered Forest Guards to guard the imperial palace.
Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and others seemed unaware that the troops of He Jin and He Miao had been incorporated by Lu Bu, and Lu Bu had even killed their cousin Yuan Yin. Similarly, Liu Biao, Wu Kuang, and Zhang Zhan were unaware that their troops had been integrated by Lu Bu. Most ministers followed Yuan Shao, heading towards the Yuan residence. They believed that they held the key to controlling the court, influencing appointments. In their eyes, the Empress Dowager and the Young Emperor had been reduced to mere puppets. The future core figure of the court, in the eyes of these ministers from prominent families, was undoubtedly Yuan Shao, who hailed from a family of four generations of high-ranking officials.
Lu Bu stood outside the palace gates, coldly watching these people depart. A sense of killing intent pervaded his thoughts. It was these individuals who had brought misery and suffering to the people in this era. Even Cao Cao had the audacity to write, "Bones lay exposed in the fields; for a thousand miles, no rooster crowed. Out of a hundred people, only one survived; pondering it breaks one's heart." Yet, he continued to massacre cities in Xu Province. These rulers, high above, had never genuinely stooped to see the struggles and hardships of the common people they ruled, oppressed, and trampled upon.
Without eliminating them, peace in the world would be difficult to achieve. However, if they were killed, Luoyang would fall into chaos, and Lu Bu would be unable to resist Dong Zhuo and the rising armed forces of the aristocratic families in the Guandong region. Lu Bu could only wait for opportunities to gradually eliminate them one by one.
As Lu Bu was about to bid farewell to Huang Zhong, preparing to lead the cavalry of Bingzhou back to Xiaoping Crossing, a little palace maid rushed out from the palace gate, handing a reddish-yellow silk cloth to Lu Bu, "The secret decree from the Empress Dowager commands you to concurrently assume the position of Colonel-Director of the Upper Army in the West Garden, overseeing the West Garden Eight Armies. She urges you to quickly gather and integrate the West Garden Army."
It turned out that after Empress Dowager He returned to the palace, she recalled Lu Bu's words, especially the alliance between Yuan Shao and Dong Zhuo, and Dong Zhuo's intention to depose the rightful heir. Growing more fearful with each thought, she also considered Lu Bu's mention of the West Garden Army's situation, which intrigued her.
Empress Dowager He could see that Lu Bu had ambitions, but in an era where scholars and warriors dominated, and with Lu Bu's background as a rootless individual, he relied entirely on himself. Empress Dowager He could grant him power, and she could take it back. Considering this, she felt reassured.
Having secluded herself for many years, Empress Dowager He was well-informed about the court and the world below, thanks to the Ten Eunuchs with whom she shared an intelligence organization. The "Embroidered Uniform Guards" (similar to the Jinyiwei in later periods) had been entirely prohibited since the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. Positions like the Colonel-Director of the Prisoners and the Assistant Colonel of the Army were mostly held by ministers from prominent families. With this system in place, the emperor lacked effective eyes and ears to monitor secret matters within the court. Under Emperor Ling's tacit approval, the Ten Eunuchs established a covert spy organization known as "Catching the Wind." They clandestinely cultivated numerous agents, dispersed throughout various regions, to gather intelligence on the secrets of officials. Even in Luoyang, there were several hundred spies.
These eunuchs were originally pawns of Emperor Ling to counter the opposition from powerful ministers. As they had no military power of their own, whatever the emperor gave them, he could take back. Consequently, when Emperor Ling passed away, they became vulnerable and were almost entirely slaughtered by Yuan Shao and others. However, the spy organization they meticulously created was still serving the imperial family in secret, yet it had not yet caught the attention of Yuan Shao and others.
Empress Dowager He initially didn't attach much importance to these imperial spies until Lu Bu reminded her that Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shao would pose a threat to her. It was then that she considered activating the imperial spy organization to serve her. Soon, she presented Lu Bu with detailed information about him:
Lu Bu's grandfather was Lü Hao, the Cavalry Colonel under General Duan Xi of the Han dynasty during the reign of Emperor Zhang. He pursued and defeated the Northern Xiongnu at Jinwei Mountain, and the Northern Xiongnu's Chanyu fled far into the Western Desert, leaving no trace. Lü Hao stationed his troops in Jiuyuan County, Wuyuan Commandery, and built cities and forts, engaged in farming, and defended the frontier. After General Duan Xi was forced to commit suicide, Lü Hao was demoted to the position of Commandant of Jiuyuan County, a position later inherited by his son Lü Liang.
During the Xianping period of Emperor Ling's reign, Tan Shihai unified various Xianbei tribes and established a military alliance known as the Eastern, Central, and Western Armies, creating a formidable force in the vast territory north of the Great Wall. Unable to resist the Xianbei onslaught, the Han forces allowed massive migration of the border population southward. Lü Bu, along with his father Lü Liang, withdrew to the territory of Bingzhou and pledged allegiance to the Han dynasty, becoming subordinates of Ding Yuan.
After Lü Liang's death, Lü Bu led his father's troops, following Ding Yuan on campaigns against the Yellow Turban rebels and resisting the chaotic forces of the Southern Xiongnu and Xianbei, achieving great success by beheading enemy commanders and capturing their banners. However, fearing that Lü Bu might betray him due to his outstanding contributions, Ding Yuan often failed to report Lü Bu's meritorious deeds to the court. Instead, Ding Yuan appointed Lü Bu as Chief Clerk, a position even lower than Zhang Yang and Gao Shun. Although Lü Bu did not voice his discontent, he felt deeply dissatisfied. Most of the Bingzhou soldiers under Ding Yuan also harbored resentment towards Lü Bu.
Empress Dowager He, upon reaching this point, felt secretly triumphant. Since Lü Bu had faced setbacks under Ding Yuan, elevating him would undoubtedly make Lü Bu grateful and loyal to Empress Dowager He instead of continuing allegiance to his former foster father, Ding Yuan.
What amused Empress Dowager He greatly was the childhood legend of Lü Bu in Jiuyuan County of Wuyuan Commandery.
Lü Bu's father, Lü Liang, married Huang Shi, a woman from Buhong Bay in Wuyuan Commandery and the daughter of a wealthy family. Huang Shi was intelligent, virtuous, well-versed in literature, and skilled in dyeing and weaving. Later, she became the head of the dyeing and weaving workshop.
Huang Shi had four daughters but was distressed by the lack of a son. One day, accompanying her husband to the White Horse Temple to pray for a child, she had a dream that a fierce tiger pounced at her. Alarmed, Huang Shi urgently called her husband to beat off the tiger, but to her surprise, the tiger lay docilely by her side. Not long after, Huang Shi felt she was pregnant but went through twelve months without giving birth, causing her great anxiety. Later, Huang Shi moved to a dyeing and weaving workshop. One day, there was a commotion outside the house. People rushed out to see a rainbow appearing in the northwest sky, dazzling and magnificent. Following this, the Wuyuan Mountains crumbled, and the earth shook. Huang Shi suddenly felt uncomfortable, experiencing severe pain in her abdomen. Unable to bear the pain, with a swollen pelvis and amniotic fluid overflowing, she lay down on a piece of cloth and soon gave birth to a baby boy. The birth was extraordinary – the umbilical cord was self-severed, the baby had shining eyes, clenched fists, and stood before her. Huang Shi was astonished, quickly wiping away the dirt and holding him in her arms. When she told her husband, Lü Liang, he was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Our child is extraordinary." Due to being born on a piece of cloth, he was named Lü Bu.
From a young age, Lü Bu studied martial arts with his father and engaged in literary pursuits and painting with his mother. He was intelligent, eager to learn, grasping things quickly, and had an excellent memory. Lü Bu had a combative nature, extraordinary strength, enjoyed wielding spears and staves, and surpassed others in height and weight. Boys of his age dared not play with him and kept their distance, while he was gentle and considerate when with girls, appearing as two different people.
Since the age of five, Lü Bu often accompanied herdsmen to release horses in the wild. He developed a love for horses, becoming excited whenever he saw them. Riding on horseback, he would dance and wield a wooden stick like a warrior, often using it to strike at wild chickens and rabbits.
At the age of seven, he chased a wild fox and a mountain deer on horseback and never returned empty-handed. Lifting small foals weighing several times more than him, he played with them, sometimes lifting them over his head.
At the age of nine, when visiting his maternal grandfather in Buhong Bay, they slaughtered a sheep for a feast. While adults struggled to catch sheep in the flock, he went up and captured two of them. Spectators were amazed, and his grandfather was delighted, immediately presenting him with a good horse. From then on, Lü Bu was inseparable from horses, taking meticulous care of them and treating them like cherished possessions.
At the age of eleven, during a grand celebration held by the border residents of both the Xiongnu and Han tribes at the White Horse Temple, Lü Bu went with his father to participate. In a horse race, his riding skills were exceptional, with his horse as fast as an arrow. His majestic appearance won him the honor of a skilled rider. When watching a wrestling match, Lü Bu saw a wrestler repeatedly winning without any opponents. Displeased, he rushed into the arena, shouting, "Let me try!" The victorious wrestler, seeing a child, paid no attention to him. In an instant, they were entwined. After several rounds, Lü Bu managed to throw the much larger wrestler to the ground, causing a sensation in the entire arena. People hailed him as a powerful child.
Empress Dowager He, covering her mouth, laughed heartily. "What a charming person."
When she saw Lü Bu's achievements that were concealed by Ding Yuan, Empress Dowager He couldn't help but slam the table and shout angrily, "What a Ding Yuan! For his own selfish reasons, he actually concealed such a talented individual. If it weren't for the coincidence that allowed Lü Bu to save us, the court would have almost missed out on a great talent." Although Lü Bu was impetuous and lacked strategy, relying on his boundless strength and superb martial skills, he led the Bingzhou forces to repeatedly defeat the Yellow Turban rebels and repel frequent invasions from the Southern Xiongnu and Xianbei. Since joining Ding Yuan at the age of sixteen, he had slain no fewer than a thousand enemies in ten years, dying under his Fang Tian Hua Ji.
Empress Dowager He recorded all these merits, ready to present them along with his contributions in saving the emperor.
She could sense that, at tomorrow's court, the appointment of Lu Zhi as the Governor of Jizhou would likely go unopposed. However, promoting Lü Bu to be the Governor of Bingzhou and concurrently the General Who Subdues the North might face resistance from most aristocratic ministers. When the time came, she would reveal these merits and see what positions they could arrange for him.
After receiving the secret edict from Empress Dowager He, Lü Bu was overjoyed. He quickly led the Bingzhou Iron Cavalry back to the main camp at Xiaoping Crossing, leaving Wei Xu in charge of guarding the treasures and defending the main camp with two thousand soldiers. Lü Bu personally led the remaining six thousand elite riders, heading to meet with the Northern Army's five camps led by Gao Shun and He Miao's troops before rushing to the stationed area of the West Garden Eight Armies.
The reason why Lü Bu mobilized so many troops was primarily to guard against the forces of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu. Originally, the West Garden Eight Armies were Yuan Shao's forbidden troops. Lü Bu's intrusion might provoke a reaction from Yuan Shao, and it was unknown how he would respond. To be on the safe side, Lü Bu brought more troops to prevent any unexpected situations.
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