Chapter 73: Chen Congtu, the Enchanting Beauty—Cao Cao’s Unprecedented Victory

"Very well, then I must trouble the general to personally slay the traitors Yuan and Cao, and present their heads as your betrothal gift. At that time, the Grand Tutor will certainly marry his lady to you, and submit a memorial to the Emperor recommending your appointment as General of Chariots and Cavalry."

Chen Cong threw his arm around Li Su, hooking him by the shoulder as he said, "In that case, I have no interest in becoming General of Chariots and Cavalry, nor in killing those two traitors. All I ask is that the Grand Tutor give Dong Bai to me; then we can call it even. What do you say?"

Li Su was stunned.

How could that possibly count as settling accounts?

From every angle, the Grand Tutor would be giving away his granddaughter for nothing.

He was about to shake his head when he caught sight of Chen Cong’s clear eyes.

They were bright, but with a glint of ferocity.

It was as though, if he dared utter even half a word of refusal, Chen Cong would twist off his head.

Li Su struggled to steady his nerves, his lips quivering as he stammered, "This is a grave matter. I must consult the Grand Tutor before I can give you an answer."

"Oh?"

Chen Cong tore away the mask of friendliness, his gaze turning icy, and said coldly, "Li, don’t try to deceive me. I have a bad temper—anyone who lies to me, I’ll pull their bones out one by one."

"I would never deceive you, General," Li Su forced himself to sound calm, though his legs were trembling uncontrollably.

"Good!"

Before Li Su could relax, Chen Cong continued, "Then write a letter to the Grand Tutor. You’ll stay here at Hulao Gate and supervise me."

Li Su was so startled he nearly collapsed to his knees.

He said, face full of misery, "My rank is too low—how dare I supervise the General?"

"Hmm?" Chen Cong arched an eyebrow. "You mean to say Fatty Dong sent just any random nobody to negotiate with me?"

"No...no, that’s not it... General, please see clearly!"

Li Su dropped to his knees immediately, cursing every member of Li Ru’s family in his heart—even his father-in-law.

That scoundrel!

Chen Cong was no gullible brute, but a tiger ready to devour anyone who crossed his path.

Just moments before, he had respectfully addressed him as ‘Grand Tutor’; now he was calling him ‘Fatty Dong’ without a second thought.

How could one hope to get along with such a person?

Seeing the intimidation had done its work, Chen Cong let out a soft laugh, reached out to lift Li Su, and even thoughtfully brushed the dust from his knees.

"Then I’ll trouble you, Li. At most seven days—I expect to see my concubine enter the household."

Li Su cried, tears streaming uncontrollably.

Seven days, concubine, enter the household…

No need to struggle—just wait for death!

Chen Cong had finally landed the beauty trap; how could he let Li Su ruin it? He soothed him gently, "Li, perhaps you should consider it from another angle. I am willing to take the traitor’s granddaughter as a concubine—doesn’t that prove my loyalty?"

"....."

"Just clarify the relationships before you draft the letter. After all, the pen is in your hand—you can compose it however you wish."

"....."

"Think about it: once Ah Bai gives birth to a son or daughter, won’t they be close to their great-grandfather?"

"....."

"And besides, Fatty Dong loves his granddaughter; he must find her a good match. Imagine—two armies face off: if Fatty Dong wins, he can use this connection to persuade me to surrender. If the allied forces win, the Dong clan’s bloodline still continues, doesn’t it? Do you know what this is called?"

Li Su, tears still on his face, stared blankly, "What?"

"Tsk! Li, you’re of such low birth; it’s understandable you don’t grasp the subtleties. Let me teach you: this is what great families call hedging their bets. You can’t put all your eggs in one basket, understand?"

"....."

"Even if you care nothing for Fatty Dong, you should at least think about your own interests."

Li Su was bewildered, "What do you mean, General? Do you mean..."

Surrender would be fine!

At least surrender meant he wouldn’t die!

After all, he was just a bachelor with a few concubines in Luoyang—if Dong Zhuo purged him, he wouldn’t even feel regret.

Chen Cong explained earnestly, "Having your bones ripped out is not pleasant. Believe me, your scrawny arms and legs couldn’t take it. Human bones are brittle—one twist and they snap."

With that,

As if to prove his point, Chen Cong raised his palm and slapped the back of Li Su’s warhorse.

There was a crisp ‘crack’, and the horse’s back caved in. It collapsed, unmoving on the ground.

Li Su was so shocked he swallowed back his tears, bit his lips hard, and dared not move a muscle; cold sweat trickled down his neck...

That night.

A letter, approved by Cao Cao, penned by Li Su, and polished under the supervision of Mi Heng, was handed by Chen Cong to the captive Hua Xiong, who delivered it to the Liang army camp.

By the flickering candlelight, Dong Zhuo read it with utmost care, fearing he might miss a word and misinterpret the message.

‘To the Grand Tutor,

Su bows respectfully:

Having infiltrated the enemy camp to persuade Chen Cong, notable progress has been made. The plan is set: in seven days, the lady will enter the city and wed. At midnight, the signal will be a fire; Chen Cong will open the gates and admit the Grand Tutor’s army. To demonstrate sincerity, General Hua Xiong is released.

However, Chen Cong is cautious, fearing the Grand Tutor’s might. Without the lady, he will not slay the traitors. I beseech the Grand Tutor to consider the greater good, and forgo private feelings to show true intent. I remain in the enemy camp to uphold relations between our houses, and await the Grand Tutor’s swift capture of Hulao. Su bows again.’

Hmm...

Dong Zhuo scrutinized the letter for a long time, confirming it was indeed written by Li Su, then looked toward Hua Xiong, kneeling before his tent, and fell into thought...

Hua... Xiong...

"Rise..."

Hua Xiong, eyes full of tears, bowed three times before standing, fists clenched tightly, "I am incompetent, Grand Tutor—please punish me!"

"Enough, enough. I don’t blame you. Having spent so long in the enemy camp, did you hear of Chen Cong intending to surrender?"

Hua Xiong had no idea.

He spent his days dealing with Pan Feng, barely seeing Chen Cong at all.

After pondering for a while, he shook his head, "I do not know."

"If he had no intention to surrender, why did he release you?"

Hua Xiong shook his head again, "I do not know. The traitor only asked me to deliver a letter; nothing else was said."

Dong Zhuo turned to Li Ru.

Li Ru was as usual, seeming half-asleep, eyes closed and silent.

Dong Zhuo grew irritable, rapping the table and calling, "Wen You?"

Li Ru stepped forward and bowed, "Grand Tutor."

Seeing his half-dead demeanor, Dong Zhuo grew angrier. He tossed the letter to the floor and ordered, "Look it over—is there any deceit?"

Li Ru stooped to pick up the letter, glanced at it briefly, "I do not know."

"Li Ru!!" Dong Zhuo roared.

Li Ru opened his mouth and continued, "However... if you are suspicious, Grand Tutor, you need not enter the city when the fire signal is given at midnight. Simply wait for the gates to open, array your forces at the entrance, and the stronghold will surely be yours."

"In that case..."

Dong Zhuo mulled over the rest of his sentence.

He had meant to ask: What if Chen Cong simply wanted to win Dong Bai? Then what?

But the thought seemed too absurd, so he swallowed it.

Would someone go to such lengths just to gain a woman? Even releasing Hua Xiong to show sincerity?

It was preposterous.

Although Dong Zhuo was reluctant to admit it, in his eyes, the value of an army commander far exceeded that of a woman.

Of course.

If Cao Cao ever learned of Dong Zhuo’s reasoning, he would laugh and say, "You’re wrong—the value is mistaken!"

Dong Zhuo saw Dong Bai as a granddaughter.

Chen Cong saw her as a beauty.

And in Cao Cao’s eyes, Dong Bai was a shining bridge to the future.

It might not seem obvious now, but what if one day Dong Zhuo fell? If he died?

Then Dong Bai would be the link between Cao’s camp and the rebellious forces of Xiliang.

Li Ru, Dong Bai’s uncle, would also be Chen Cong’s uncle.

Niu Fu, Dong Bai’s uncle, would be Chen Cong’s uncle.

Dong Min, Dong Bai’s third uncle, would be Chen Cong’s third uncle.

Should the Liang army ever turn, Cao’s camp would become the haven of choice for those rebels.

Even without swallowing up the entire Liang army, just gaining a portion would be enough for Cao Cao to prosper.

Such value—how could Hua Xiong even compare?

And if Dong Bai truly arrived, how would she enter the city?

Compared to the familiar Hua Xiong, who else could Dong Zhuo entrust to escort her?