Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Although bedridden, Liu Yan mustered his energy upon receiving Lu Zhi's message, hastily summoning his eldest son, Liu Fan, and his second son, Liu Dan, to discuss the matter. Liu Fan's brows knitted slightly, his eyes revealing wisdom and resolve. He calmly analyzed, "We should respond to the call immediately, but we must not rashly send troops. There's no word from the court yet about establishing another emperor. If we act rashly, and Lu Zhi is labeled a traitor holding the emperor hostage, we'll be in a very passive position if we respond rashly. We can secretly prepare and send messengers to respond, but we need to wait for the situation at court to change. Then, we should have Yizhou firmly guard its gates, deploy troops outside the Great Wall, and march straight to Chang'an." As soon as the situation at court becomes clear, we can coordinate closely with Lu Zhi. Lu Zhi and his men will dispatch troops to Luoyang, directly seizing control of the court and engaging Dong Zhuo head-on. Meanwhile, we from Yizhou will dispatch troops directly to Chang'an, cutting off Dong Zhuo's Xiliang forces' retreat. Simultaneously, we will unite with Liu Biao, Liu Yu, and others to concentrate our forces on attacking Luoyang. In this way, we will surely achieve a resounding victory! Liu Fan articulated his strategy, showcasing his agility and decisiveness. Not only did he possess far-reaching strategic vision, but his confidence and composure also underscored his exceptional talent, both civil and military. Liu Dan, standing nearby, naturally had no objection. He had always sought to be a general, unconcerned with these strategic plans.

Liu Yan, watching Liu Fan's high-spirited appearance, felt deeply relieved. He felt that even in his absence, Yizhou would surely advance further under Liu Fan's leadership. So, he replied to the messenger according to Liu Fan's instructions and instructed him to make military and political arrangements. He dispatched Generals Wu Yi and Yan Yan to station troops outside Jianmen Pass. Once the situation became clear and Lu Zhi and his men raised an army to suppress the rebellion, they would be able to cut off the Western Liang army's retreat and march directly to Chang'an.

After waiting for the unfavorable attitudes of Liu Yu and Liu Biao, two members of the imperial clan, Lu Zhi, Gongsun Zan, and others finally received news of Liu Yan's positive response, which excited them. However, due to the influence of Liu Yu as the governor of Youzhou, his attitude had a significant impact on their next steps, so they had to make further arrangements based on the development of the situation.

With Dong Zhong's death and Dong Zhuo's conquest of the Bingzhou army, there was no longer a general capable of challenging Dong Zhuo in Luoyang or elsewhere. Empress Dowager Dong urged Dong Zhuo to swiftly establish a new emperor. By this point, Dong Zhuo had become a leading figure not only at court but also within the Dong clan, no longer a mere lackey of the newly arrived Dong family in Luoyang. Dong Zhuo, however, remained noncommittal in response to the Empress Dowager's urging, stating that he would gather his important officials for a private meeting to gauge their reactions. The Empress Dowager, secretly anxious, was reluctant to urge this mere warrior.

Dong Zhuo held another banquet and invited important officials from the court. Knowing it wouldn't be a good feast, they were already secretly plotting their own solutions. Yuan Wei summoned Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao, two of the Yuan family's most prominent young men, to discuss matters. Yuan Wei looked at the two men, suppressed his thoughts, and said, "The situation in Luoyang is already like this. Although you have moved your families out, we cannot let you die here. We are all within Dong Zhuo's sphere of influence, and it is difficult for us to make any progress. Benchu, you return to Jizhou to recruit soldiers and horses. My Yuan family has many old followers in Jizhou, so we will surely make some progress. Gonglu, you go to our ancestral home in Runan and recruit soldiers as well. At the same time, you two must secretly search for the whereabouts of the emperor. With us at court, we can temporarily feign favor with the old scoundrel Dong Zhuo, so that you can also develop in the local area. If you develop in the local area, we will be as solid as a rock in the court. With you in check, he will not dare to do anything to us. You must secretly search for the whereabouts of the emperor. If the old scoundrel Dong Zhuo dares to establish a new dynasty, then you can raise an army to welcome the emperor and put an end to his rebellion."

Yuan Shao said, "We have soldiers and generals at our disposal. If he dares to depose or enthrone the emperor, we will fight him to the end." Yuan Shu disagreed. He said, "We have assassinated Dong Chong before, and we can make another plan to assassinate Dong Zhuo once more and kill this scoundrel. By then, a group of warriors will be leaderless, what waves can they cause?" Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao, as the most outstanding talents in the Yuan family, were incompatible and had to compete with each other.

Yuan Wei looked at the two men and angrily shouted, "How foolish! Our Yuan family, with three officials for four generations, is renowned throughout the land. We would surely command the support of hundreds of people in the region. Why confront this warrior in Luoyang? It's like comparing a beautiful jade to a stone." Seeing Yuan Wei's anger, the two men dared not object. Yuan Wei continued, "Just follow my orders. If this old villain dares to bring up the issue of dethroning and enthroning the emperor again at the banquet, you will confront him and demonstrate our family's loyalty and patriotism. Then, I and my fellow ministers will persuade him, and he will not do anything to you. You can take this opportunity to leave Luoyang." Yuan Shao and the other two agreed.

Dong Zhuo hosted a banquet in his mansion, where a clear divide emerged between the court officials and his generals. Both sides had already gathered, and the officials were whispering among themselves, pondering Dong Zhuo's next move. Meanwhile, Dong Zhuo's generals were speaking loudly and brazenly, their words often bordering on the treacherous. The officials, though secretly anxious, watched, intimidated by their power, refrained from reprimanding them. Everyone waited for Dong Zhuo, and when both sides had grown impatient, Dong Zhuo arrived, clad in splendid attire. Behind him, closely followed the imposing Lu Bu, a helmet and armor-clad figure. On his other side, on his other side, stood the dashing Ma Chao, clad in a brocade robe. Ma Chao wore a longsword at his waist, while Lu Bu wielded his painted halberd. As Dong Zhuo emerged with a leisurely demeanor, his generals rose in unison, bowed respectfully, and shouted in unison, "Greetings, Lord Dong!" However, many of the ministers, many of higher rank than Dong Zhuo, hesitated to step forward and salute. Only a few sycophants, disregarding their status, rose and saluted along with the other generals. Other important officials, such as Grand Marshal Zhang Wen, Minister of the Interior Wang Yun, Yuan Wei, and Xun Shuang, all pretended not to notice. Dong Zhuo glanced around and uttered a faint "hmm" in disapproval. The ministers, not daring to argue, reluctantly rose to greet him. Seeing this, Dong Zhuo burst into laughter.

At that time, one of the generals shouted loudly: "Now in this court, I, Lord Dong, am the real ruler. Who dares to disrespect me?" Another said arrogantly: "Those old guys, why don't you quickly bow down to Lord Dong!" His words were full of arrogance, and the important officials faced with such a situation could only sigh in their hearts. Forced by the situation, they had to perform the unwilling ceremony to Dong Zhuo, full of helplessness and sadness.

Ma Chao looked at the smug, laughing Dong Zhuo, and his complacent generals, and a surge of sadness welled up in his heart. He couldn't imagine how the lure of power could be so overwhelming, changing everything. He simply couldn't comprehend how Dong Zhuo, once so revered in Xiliang, who had treated him with such respect and dedication, and who had fought tirelessly for the country to quell the rebellion, could have become like this.

Ma Chao, filled with loyalty, watched the scene unfold, finding it absurd. How many officials in the court truly dedicated to the country and its people? They were filled with ulterior motives. Though seemingly helpless, the officials lived in fear under the conditions created by Dong Zhuo. Ma Chao thought of how they had previously marginalized his master. His master, Lu Zhi, had dedicated himself to the country and its people, while they, on the other hand, were preoccupied with factional strife. And now, coerced by Dong Zhuo's power and oppressed by his power, they were forced to humiliate him and yield to his will. The court was filled with either ambitious individuals or those with their own agendas. How could the government be peaceful in a court like this? How could the people live in peace? Ma Chao wished he could draw his sword and slay them all, then welcome his master back, protect the emperor, and restore the Han Dynasty. However, this idea was ultimately just an idea. He pretended to be ignorant of Dong Bai's feelings for him, but he was not unaware of them. Furthermore, no matter how domineering Dong Zhuo was outside, he had always been extremely kind to him and had even saved the lives of his entire Ma family. Ma Chao watched all this, his thoughts in turmoil, and ultimately, he could only choose to escape, which further solidified his resolve to leave.