My son, how could you be Lü Bu?!

Chapter 21, 9th Original Government Office

Jiuyuan City, government office.

It was evening; spring nights always come early.

The lights flickered.

Before a desk piled high with documents, sat a fifty-year-old official with narrow eyes and a short beard, wearing a silver seal and blue ribbon at his waist.

Holding a scroll of newly arrived documents in his hand, Wang Yun frowned deeply, studied it for a long time, and then let out a long sigh.

"Tian Yan, together with Xia Yu and Zang Min, actually made it happen!"

"After all, Xia Yu and he were both Sima under Duan Jiong. I can understand why they submitted a memorial together with Tian Yan requesting military assistance."

"But what are you thinking, Zang Min, as a General of the Xiongnu? Have you gone mad just to be granted a marquisate? Going along with those two's nonsense!"

"Unauthorized initiation of war! Is this war fought for nothing?"

"This is terrible for me. I have to spend money and resources and requisition grain as soon as I take office. After this battle, my reputation in Bingzhou will probably be ruined."

As he spoke, Wang Yun gave another bitter laugh.

He slowly shook his head.

Before the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the fragmentation of the country by warlords, the official system of the Han Dynasty had not yet collapsed, and the title of marquis was still quite prestigious.

The rules and regulations of the Han Dynasty have always made it extremely cautious in granting titles of nobility. For military officers, there is generally only one way to be granted a title of nobility: through military achievements and merits.

Therefore, in addition to Tian Yan, who wanted to redeem himself through meritorious service, Xia Yu, the Protector of the Wuhuan in the neighboring Youzhou, and Zang Min, the Xiongnu General in the north of Bingzhou, also vigorously promoted this northern expedition and submitted memorials to support the expedition against the Xianbei.

After all, one Han general could fight against five barbarian tribes, and the Han Dynasty rarely lost a war against foreign powers!

Wang Yun sighed softly, his face full of helplessness, and simply buried himself in writing.

The candlelight flickered.

His shadow was projected onto the wall.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two knocks suddenly sounded on the door!

Then, with a knock on the door, another somewhat familiar voice rang out from outside.

"Is Uncle Fang here?"

Wang Yun recognized the voice, his brows relaxed slightly, he put down the document in his hand, and looked up.

"It's due south. Just come in."

With a creak!

The wooden door was pushed open.

Shen Pei, dressed in a scholar's long robe and wearing a copper seal and yellow ribbon at his waist, walked in. He was holding an open bamboo scroll in his hand, and his expression was strange.

"Why does Zheng Nan look like that?" Wang Yun asked with a smile, looking at the young man he admired.

"Has something happened in the city?"

"Could it be that Wang Zhi is up to his old tricks again? We just released him a few days ago, and he's already stirring up trouble again?"

Shen Pei shook his head.

"Uncle Fang, do you remember that brave and strong young man I told you about a few days ago?"

"I have a vague impression, I think her name was something like Lü?" Wang Yun thought hard for a moment.

"Yes, his surname is Lü. His given name is Bu." Shen Pei nodded slightly, his face full of emotion, and handed the bamboo slip in his hand to Wang Yun.

"Lord Fang has been busy with work all day and was unaware that a major event has occurred in our Jiuyuan City! It's related to Lü Bu!"

"A big deal? This young lad can actually do something so amazing that it would surprise you, Shen Zhengnan?" Wang Yun raised an eyebrow and took the bamboo scroll from Shen Pei's hand.

"What is it?"

Shen Pei insisted on not saying anything.

"Uncle Fang, you'll understand once you see it."

Wang Yun opened the bamboo scroll, spread the bamboo slips on the table, and began to read it carefully by the light of the flickering lamp.

He only glanced at it a few times before his brows furrowed instantly, but he didn't look up and continued to look intently.

Only after reading everything did Wang Yun look up, his face full of astonishment as he looked at Shen Pei.

"Is this for real?"

"A father and son, wielding swords, actually managed to fight off dozens of Xianbei cavalrymen who were raiding outside the city? They even...killed more than a dozen Xianbei people!?"

"This...how is this possible?!"

"That sounds truly appalling!"

"Zheng Nan, are you sure this wasn't something some scion of a powerful family did on purpose to gain fame?"

Wang Yun was, after all, from a prominent family in Taiyuan. From childhood to adulthood, the outrageous things his scions of powerful families had done in their quest for fame and official positions were countless. If the Lü family father and son were from a powerful family, it would be understandable if they had a few Xianbei people to help them do such a thing.

Shen Pei was naturally aware of similar matters.

He shook his head:

"Then the Lü family father and son hardly ever received any education, so how can they be considered scions of a prominent family?"

"Even... Pei also found out that the Lü family father and son had their house seized by the Wang family's clan some time ago, and now they are so destitute that they live in a drafty thatched hut."

"Just surviving this winter is already extremely difficult!"

"Moreover... Uncle Fang! I heard that the reason why the Lü family father and son charged and killed those dozens of Xianbei cavalrymen was because the Xianbei cavalrymen had ambushed a family that happened to have done the Lü family father and son a favor."

"To repay a debt of gratitude, this father and son of the Lü family risked their lives to fight the enemy!"

As he spoke, Shen Pei's eyes lit up, and his tone became increasingly impassioned.

He suddenly looked up at Wang Yun and said very seriously:

"Uncle Fang, this father and son of the Lü family are of exceptional virtue and possess outstanding martial arts skills; they are truly rare talents!"

"Such talented individuals, if left to fend for themselves, might be captured by Lord Wang one day! Wouldn't it be better to recruit them and have them serve you?"

Seeing Shen Pei's expression for the first time, Wang Yun was taken aback, but he became even more convinced of what the Lü family father and son had done.

Upon hearing Shen Pei's suggestion, he subconsciously looked down at the war that was to be launched in a few months, and nodded slightly.

"Such talent is fit to serve the imperial court."

"Zhengnan, take my seal and go to the government office to get a few official vehicles. Tomorrow, go and recruit them. I happen to have some things that need to be done."

As he spoke, he took off the official seal from his waist and handed it to Shen Pei.

"Why wait until tomorrow!"

"We'll go now! We'll definitely bring that hero and the regional governor here!"

Shen Pei accepted the seal and ribbon, proudly agreed, and turned to leave.

Watching Shen Pei's departing figure, which resembled his own youthful appearance, Wang Yun did not try to dissuade him. He simply shook his head slightly, chuckled softly, and turned his gaze back to the documents in his hands.

But... Shen Pei had just walked to the wooden door.

He suddenly froze.

"Lord Fang, this time the great achievement was made by a father and son. Which one should we recruit?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Yun was somewhat taken aback.

"Yes, a father and son."

His voice sounded tired, and he rubbed his temples.

"How can we recruit a son but not a father? Let's recruit Lü Bu's father first and make him an official."

"As for the eldest son of the Lü family, he is still young and needs more training. It's not a good thing for him to become a clerk at such a young age."

Shen Pei nodded and was about to step out.

Behind him, Wang Yun's slightly tired voice slowly drifted out again.

"Wait a moment."

"While you're at it, invite that young Lü Bu you mentioned over here too. Let's see what he looks like and what his character is like. Things haven't been peaceful in the capital lately, all because of this issue of whether or not to send troops. Cai Yong, Cai Bojie, has been submitting memorials one after another these past few days, and he's got a foul mouth. The emperor doesn't like him, so he's been exiled here."

"Qiao Gong wrote to me, asking me to take care of him."

"In this land of You and Bing, bandits frequently emerge. If Lü Bu is of decent character, then let him be left with Cai Yong as a disciple to protect him. This would fulfill Lord Qiao's entrustment."

Shen Pei paused for a moment, and seeing that Wang Yun had no other instructions, he loudly agreed.

He strode out of the courtyard.