Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The generals rescued Dong Zhuo's carriage and rushed forward to inquire about his safety. Their anxious cries went unanswered. With a sense of panic, they hastily opened the carriage door and discovered Dong Zhuo, pierced by four or five arrows. His face was as pale as paper, his eyes were closed, and he was gravely wounded. Fortunately, Dong Zhuo was well-armored and physically imposing, so the four or five arrows didn't kill him immediately, but he was still seriously injured and in critical condition.

Li Ru's face turned pale upon seeing this, his heart aching. But he forced himself to remain calm and ordered his troops to retreat and find a safe place before making any further plans. "Retreat quickly, protect the Prime Minister!" Li Ru shouted at the top of his lungs.

Upon hearing the order, the Xiliang soldiers hurriedly escorted Dong Zhuo's carriage, retreating like a tide. An atmosphere of tension and fear permeated the ranks. Everyone was worried about Dong Zhuo's safety and feared punishment upon their return.

Li Ru followed closely beside the carriage, his brow furrowed as he pondered a strategy. "With the Prime Minister injured, the situation is extremely unfavorable to us. We must find a renowned doctor to treat him as soon as possible, or the consequences will be disastrous," he muttered to himself as he hurried on.

Dong Zhuo was unconscious at this time and groaned in pain from time to time, which made everyone's heart tighten. Liu Fan and Fa Xiaozhi watched Dong Zhuo's army retreat from afar on Hangu Pass. They felt a mixture of regret for not being able to capture Dong Zhuo, but also a sense of relief for having dealt him a heavy blow.

"Although Dong Zhuo was not captured, he was seriously injured after this battle and it will be difficult for him to cause trouble again in a short period of time," said Liu Fan.

Fa Xiaozhi nodded slightly, "Indeed, we must seize this opportunity to reorganize our troops and strengthen our defenses to prevent Dong Zhuo from making a comeback."

The following is a continuation of the above content:

Liu Fan and Fa Zheng rushed forward to rescue the injured civil and military officials who had been scattered by the Xiliang army. No one cared about the dead, but the living were actively treated. The surviving civil and military officials did not criticize Liu Fan and Liu Dan too much, because after all, they had escaped Dong Zhuo's clutches.

In the makeshift tents, the injured officials lay on simple beds, groaning one after another. Liu Fan and Fa Zheng were personally directing the rescue work and were extremely busy.

"Be gentle and don't add to the pain of the injured!" Liu Fan loudly instructed the medical soldiers.

"Give this medicine to the master, quickly!" Fa Zheng urged anxiously.

An old official looked at Liu Fan and Fa Zheng, his eyes filled with gratitude: "If it weren't for you two generals, I don't know how much more torture we would have endured at the hands of that evil thief Dong Zhuo."

Liu Fan quickly replied, "Your Excellency is too kind. This is our responsibility."

Fa Zheng also said: "Although Dong Zhuo has escaped, he will not give up easily. You all need to take good care of your health so that we can discuss the major plan together."

Everyone nodded, a glimmer of hope for the future ignited in their hearts.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a shadow over the earth, adding a touch of sadness to the retreat of Dong Zhuo's army. Meanwhile, at Hangu Pass, Liu Fan and his men began making intensive preparations for the upcoming battle.

As the army retreated to a safe distance and set up camp to prepare for battle, Li Ru hurried to find a medical officer. The imperial physicians, whose status was not as prestigious as that of the civil and military officials, had retreated to the rear, resulting in several casualties in the panic. Fortunately, however, one imperial physician still survived.

Li Ru gritted his teeth and dragged several imperial doctors to him, demanding in a ferocious manner: "You must save Prime Minister Dong at all costs. If anything happens to the Prime Minister, I will kill you all and bury him with him!" Upon hearing this, the imperial doctors were frightened and turned pale. With trembling hands, they began to treat Dong Zhuo.

They carefully cut off the arrow that had pierced his body and nervously removed the arrowhead from Dong Zhuo. Despite the intense pain, Dong Zhuo only groaned a few times, but he did not wake up.

An imperial physician wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and whispered to his companions, "Be careful. If we make any mistakes, our lives will be in danger." The others nodded repeatedly, and their movements became more cautious.

After a period of intense treatment, Dong Zhuo's wounds were finally healed. The imperial physicians, relieved, collapsed to the ground. Li Ru, who had been waiting anxiously, saw this and hurriedly asked, "How is the Prime Minister doing?"

The imperial physician replied tremblingly, "Your Excellency, the arrow has been removed and the wound has been treated, but the Grand Tutor's injuries are too severe. Whether he can wake up depends on God's will."

Li Ru frowned and sighed, "I hope the Prime Minister is safe and sound, otherwise we will all be dead."

The tent was filled with an atmosphere of tension and anxiety, and everyone was silently praying that Dong Zhuo would wake up soon and regroup.

The Bingzhou army, not directly under Dong Zhuo's command, was at the rear and suffered no casualties. Within their encampment, Lü Bu was anxious and restless. His brow furrowed, his eyes vacant, his hands clenching and unclenching, his steps hurried and chaotic.

Zhang Liao, observing Lü Bu's expression, stepped forward, gently patted his shoulder, and said, "Fengxian, don't worry too much. Prime Minister Dong is a man of good fortune, and he will be fine. The situation may be turbulent right now, but as long as the Prime Minister is safe, we still have hope." Gao Shun echoed, "Yes, General, relax. With the Prime Minister's prestige, we'll be able to weather these minor setbacks."

However, Lü Bu couldn't bring himself to speak openly to his brothers. He was secretly consumed by a sorrow that weighed like a dark cloud, nearly suffocating him. Because of his noble status, Minister Wang Yun had been taken to Guanzhong along with his family. And Diao Chan, the woman who had haunted his dreams, was now in doubt. Thinking of her captivating beauty and gentle eyes, Lü Bu felt as if his heart were being gnawed by countless ants, his anxiety consuming him.

He paced back and forth in the tent, muttering to himself, "Diao Chan, Diao Chan, please don't get into any trouble. If anything happens to you, what should I, Lu Bu, do?" His voice was full of worry and helplessness.

Zhang Liao and Gao Shun saw Lü Bu's distracted state and assumed he was worried about Dong Zhuo's injury and the future of the army, unaware that his true concern was for his beloved Diao Chan. They exchanged glances, shook their heads helplessly, and continued trying to calm Lü Bu.

At this moment, Lü Bu's mind and eyes were filled with Diao Chan, and he would not listen to any words of comfort. He only hoped that after dawn, he could lead his troops to the front of the pass to demand her.

At daybreak, the eastern sky was a pale pale grey, its pale blue veil studded with a few sparse, fading stars. Lü Bu, impatiently, rode to the front of the Western Liang army. His expression was hurried, his eyes filled with anxiety and worry, and the clatter of his hooves seemed to betray his inner urgency. Lü Bu had come to visit Dong Zhuo and inquire whether he should attack Hangu Pass, so that he could quickly locate Diao Chan.

Inside the tent, Dong Zhuo lay on his sickbed, still unconscious from a night of high fever. His face flushed, his breathing heavy and erratic, as if he were waging a desperate struggle against death. Li Ru, standing by, his face weary and his eyes bloodshot, could only temporarily soothe Lü Bu's agitation, saying, "General Lü, the Prime Minister has not yet regained consciousness. We must wait until he awakens before discussing such a matter. I urge you to be patient and refrain from impulsive action."

However, Lü Bu's impatience was raging, and he wouldn't listen to these words of comfort. His brow furrowed like two deep ravines, his eyes wide open as if spitting fire, and he roared, "How long are we going to wait? The opportunity for battle is fleeting! If we delay, who can afford to let anything happen to Diao Chan?" With that, he tossed his sleeves and angrily turned his horse back.

Meanwhile, Lü Bu led his vast army, advancing like a surging tide, towards Hangu Pass. The troops were immense, their banners eclipsing the sun, and the shouts of the soldiers resonated through the air. Arriving at the pass, Lü Bu repeatedly called out for battle, his voice resounding like thunder, brimming with fury and impatience.

Liu Fan and his men, however, held their ground, refusing to fight. The soldiers on the city walls stood in battle formation, bowstrings drawn tight. Seeing this, Lü Bu, distraught and furious, ordered an assault. In an instant, the soldiers surged toward the city gates like a tide. However, a dense hail of arrows, like a swarm of locusts covering the sky, prevented Lü Bu's army from advancing.

Lu Bu was extremely anxious and shouted loudly: "I only want Prime Minister Wang Yun and his family, and I don't care about anything else. Otherwise, I will attack Hangu Pass and destroy you all together!" The sound echoed in the valley, deafening and startling a flock of birds.

Liu Fan was puzzled, wondering why Lü Bu singled out Wang Yun and his family for his capture. However, to clarify the situation, he brought Wang Yun to the front of the pass for questioning. Lü Bu couldn't see what the two men were saying from below, but upon seeing Wang Yun brought forward, he eagerly called out, "Master Situ, is Miss Diao Chan all right?"

Brought to the front of the pass, Wang Yun felt a sense of peace as he gazed at the vast army below and the anxious Lü Bu. He explained the situation to Liu Fan: Lü Bu was in love with Diao Chan and worried about her being harmed in the chaotic battle. Liu Fan, upon hearing this, fell into deep thought, pacing back and forth with his arms folded, pondering a response.