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Mei Fort.
It lay two hundred and fifty li west of Chang'an.
Mei was Dong Zhuo's fief. Dong Zhuo had built Mei Fort at this location and connected it to Chang'an via a specially constructed imperial highway. Mei Fort was erected along the ridge of the Mei Fort Range. The mountain terrain was not particularly steep, yet the forests were deep and the waters clear. Originally, it had been the site of the old Bell Official City, and was later taken over for Dong Zhuo's use. At this very moment, it was still under continuous construction, with countless corvée laborers toiling back and forth without end.
Bell Official City had earned its name because the First Emperor of Qin gathered up all the weapons under heaven and cast them into colossal bells there. Later, it was the very place where Emperor Wu of Han minted the Wuzhu coins.
Wang Yun had only just left the Chancellor's residence. Although Yuan Wei had already agreed to assume the office of Grand Minister of Agriculture, it did not necessarily mean that Wang Yun himself could securely breathe a sigh of relief. The sun had already shifted somewhat to the west, and a breeze stirred, carrying a trace of chill. The procession of carriages wound its way forward, wheels rumbling continuously. Wang Yun sat upright within his covered carriage, deep in thought.
If Yuan Wei still wished to cling to life, he would inevitably agree to step forward and take on this scalding-hot tuber in his hands. It was like a man dying of thirst being handed a cup of poisoned wine—drinking it might kill him, but not drinking it would definitely kill him. Yet was Yuan Wei a man content to rest on his laurels? Clearly, he was not. And once Yuan Wei began to make certain moves, whether he succeeded or failed, the post of Grand Minister of Agriculture would inevitably still need someone to fill it...
Wang Yun could also divine some of what Dong Zhuo and Li Ru were thinking. With commodity prices currently boiling over, minting new coins seemed to have become the sole option available. Under such circumstances, whoever assumed the post of Grand Minister of Agriculture right now was walking a road to certain death! Even if they managed to barely weather the present wave, when accounts were settled afterward, they would without question be the ideal scapegoat.
What was to be done? Although he and Yuan Wei had engaged in some degree of mutual collaboration before, that did not mean Wang Yun was willing to clean up Yuan Wei's mess and pick up the pieces! He had to make some plans in advance. Otherwise, if he waited until the very moment the matter crashed down upon his own head to begin preparing, it would be far too late for anything.
Moreover, the problems Wang Yun now faced were not limited to this alone. With the relocation to Chang'an, not only had the Celestial Master Ge's tea supply been cut off, so too had the supply of the Golden Elixir pills provided to Chancellor Dong Zhuo. This Golden Elixir was hardly something to be found just anywhere in abundant supply. Yet whenever Wang Yun saw Dong Zhuo's bloodshot eyes glaring in his direction, he did not dare to declare the matter utterly hopeless. He could only stall for time by saying he needed to wait for the Celestial Master Ge to fire up his furnace and concoct more. Ah! In just two or three months, an entire jade gourdful had been consumed. The Golden Elixir was the finest, but it could not be eaten like roasted beans!
A headache—a considerable headache.
Just as Wang Yun was racking his brains, desperately seeking a countermeasure, his carriage procession suddenly halted. An attendant came forward to report that a troop of riders up ahead was passing through and had blocked the road. Wang Yun rose to his feet within the covered carriage and peered ahead. At the intersection of the street ahead, twenty or thirty riders appeared to be turning about, their numbers occupying the entire roadway, thus preventing his own procession from advancing. The scene seemed faintly familiar to Wang Yun. He stopped his attendant from going forward to clear the way and called out in a clear voice: "Ahead there—could that be the Marquis of Wen? I pray you, stay your steps!"
Lü Bu was just about to spur his horse onward when he heard the shout from behind. He turned his head to look, deliberated for a brief moment, then wheeled his horse around and rode back, stopping before Wang Yun's covered carriage. He cupped his hands and said, "I greet the Minister over the Masses."
Wang Yun swiftly caught the fleeting trace of melancholy that flickered across Lü Bu's face and smiled. "Is the Marquis of Wen returning to Chang'an? Might I have the honor of traveling together?"
Lü Bu, having no particular objection, nodded in agreement.
During the earlier battle at Yangren, Lü Bu had secretly stirred up some underhanded mischief, throwing Hu Zhen's plans and arrangements into chaos. Although it had served to vent a bellyful of spite, it had likewise, unavoidably, tarred him with the name of a defeated army. Fortunately, Li Ru had been so vexed by the catastrophic deterioration of the Chang'an market that he had not directly meted out punishment. After delivering a harsh scolding, he had simply ordered Hu Zhen, Lü Bu, and the others to return and await further orders. But how could Lü Bu possibly sit still in Chang'an? That lifestyle of drinking wine and eating meat every single day—though it had once been his very dream—after that stretch in Luoyang, that monotonous, dreary existence had become more than enough to last him a lifetime. Thus, on the pretext of submitting an after-action military report, he had come to Mei Fort, hoping to see Dong Zhuo and perhaps find an opportunity to lead troops on an external campaign.
Yet he had never imagined that Dong Zhuo would simply refuse to see him. Or rather, had no time to see him. Within Mei Fort, well, a new batch of beauties had recently been brought in. Adding them all up, front and rear, the number was likely close to a thousand. So, Dong Zhuo was very busy. Most importantly, the He-Luo region was now scorched earth, and the gentry forces east of the mountains, each short on provisions, had gradually dispersed. Under these circumstances, were they now to send troops out to provoke them, giving those people a reason to reassemble? Naturally, Lü Bu's trip had been in vain.
Thus, the two parties merged into one and slowly made their way toward Chang'an.
Mei Fort was still some distance from Chang'an—four to five days for the round trip, not particularly convenient. By all reason, Dong Zhuo should have found it more convenient to reside in Chang'an. But because... well... he had spent this period of time staying at Mei Fort instead.
Wang Yun glanced at Lü Bu beside him. Although inwardly he looked down upon men who possessed little learning, given the present circumstances, one more source of support meant one more layer of security for his own safety. "Did the Marquis of Wen get to see the Chancellor?" Wang Yun asked.
Lü Bu gently reined in the Red Hare, preventing it from running too swiftly, keeping it pacing alongside Wang Yun's covered carriage. "I merely submitted the military report. I did not get to see the Chancellor..." Of course, Lü Bu had not held much hope in the first place. This trip to Mei Fort was, in his heart of hearts, meant to see a different person. Regrettably, he had not managed to see her either. The entire inner residence of Mei Fort was quite vast, and moreover housed Dong Zhuo's family members, so it was no place Lü Bu could casually enter. As it now appeared, he would have to wait until Dong Zhuo returned to Chang'an before thinking of another way to catch a glimpse.
Wang Yun detected the faint note of disappointed longing that colored Lü Bu's words. Naturally, he could not possibly guess the true reason for Lü Bu's disappointment. But that did not stop Wang Yun from continuing: "In two more days' time, it will have been a full ten years since this old man left his homeland. The wild geese take flight, their wingbeats whoosh and sigh. Now, in my old age, my thoughts turn ever more to the eastern corner... In this present court, no matter how I search, I can scarcely find a single voice from my home region. Marquis of Wen, since fate has brought us together today, I shall prepare some modest wine when the time comes. I wonder if you might honor me with your presence so that we may speak of our native places?"
Lü Bu immediately cupped his hands and said, "The Minister over the Masses extends an invitation—how could I dare refuse?"
Wang Yun nodded and stroked his beard. "In that case, this old man shall sweep the mat and quietly await the Marquis of Wen..."
After a few more idle pleasantries, Wang Yun gestured toward the Red Hare, which Lü Bu had been holding to a restrained pace and which was now snorting impatiently. He laughed heartily: "This old man's carriage is slow, truly a torment for this horse! Marquis of Wen, there is no need to accommodate me further. You may ride ahead."
Seeing this, Lü Bu also smiled and said, "I thank the Minister over the Masses for his consideration. I take my leave!" Having spoken, he released the reins. The Red Hare lifted its neck, exhilarated, and let out a long, piercing whinny. Then it stretched out all four hooves and vanished into the dust.
Wang Yun watched as Lü Bu and his escort faded into the distance. A smile remained fixed upon his face, but in the corners of his brows and eyes, a faint, shrewd gleam betrayed itself.