Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Although Fa Zheng and Liu Fan successfully repelled Lü Bu's attack, neither of them showed any joy. Liu Fan frowned, his expression worried, and counseled, "General, now that things have come to this, why not send this woman out of the city, out of the pass, and make peace with Lü Bu? Lü Bu fought so hard only for her. At this moment, we must at least appease him, if not win him over to our side. Our army is now outside, and the Dong rebels are threatening us covetously. Lü Bu's Bingzhou army is formidable, and they are formidable. We are currently defending the pass. If we were to engage on the plains, with the superior Bingzhou cavalry, we would likely be defeated long ago."

Liu Fan looked at the still unconscious Liu Dan behind the buns, stamped his foot in frustration, squatted down, and sighed deeply: "Ah, what a mess! If we had relied on this woman, we could have won over Lü Bu and destroyed the old villain Dong Zhuo. My second brother is so willful!" Even as he spoke, Liu Fan couldn't help but feel sorry for this brother who had always followed his lead since childhood. Liu Dan still couldn't find peace in his coma, and his mouth was intermittently babbling. Sometimes he shouted, "Brother, I will definitely help you achieve great things." Sometimes he shouted, "I will definitely take this woman." His voice was sometimes high-pitched, sometimes low, and it was a chaotic mess, making people feel angry and helpless.

Liu Fan said to Fa Zheng with a hint of embarrassment, "Xiaozhi, you're right, but you're also well aware of Liu Dan's character. He suffered this injury for this woman. If he wakes up and doesn't see her, how can I explain it to him?"

Fa Zheng was furious. He hadn't expected Liu Fan to dote on his brother to such an extent. He continued, "General, if we can't get this girl out, how can Lü Bu let it go? How can you let your grand plans go to waste for a woman? This is clearly a mistake. How can we continue?"

Diao Chan hid in the corner, trembling, her beautiful face full of fear and helplessness. Liu Fan looked at the chaos before him, his heart tangled, and he couldn't make a decision for a while.

At this time, the remnants of the defeated army from Chang'an fled here like frightened birds. Fa Zheng hurried to investigate, and when he learned the tragic news that Chang'an had fallen and Yan Yan and Zhang Ren had been captured, he felt like he had been struck by lightning, and his heart was instantly filled with anger.

Fa Zheng hurriedly and reported to Liu Fan with a serious expression: "General, Chang'an has been captured by Ma Chao. Yan Yan and Zhang Ren were not spared and were captured alive by the enemy. Now our army's retreat has been cut off, and we are in a desperate situation of being alone and deep in the enemy's territory!" Upon hearing this, Liu Fan's expression changed drastically, and his stern face was full of worry.

Fa Zheng, fully aware of the critical situation, urgently warned, "General, we must not antagonize Lü Bu any further. Forget about achieving anything great right now; even our escape route could be completely blocked. Dangers abound at Hangu Pass. A single carelessness could lead to ruin."

His gaze was determined as he continued, "Our only option now is to use that woman to reconcile with Lü Bu and agree to three rules: no attack. Then, we must defend Hangu Pass to the death. Only in this way can we remain safe for now and wait for the allied forces to arrive and attack Dong Zhuo. Otherwise, if Hangu Pass falls, we will be trapped in a desperate situation with nowhere to escape. At this moment, every decision is a matter of life and death, and we must be extremely cautious."

Liu Fan listened to Fa Zheng's analysis, his brow furrowed. He understood the gravity of the situation. He knew that the situation was now critical, and he could no longer consider Liu Dan's feelings. He gritted his teeth, his eyes revealing a firm and decisive look. He said to Fa Zheng, "Send someone to Lü Bu's camp immediately to inquire if he is willing to negotiate peace with our army."

Fa Zheng received the order, clasped his fists in salute, and then hurried away. Liu Fan watched him leave, silently praying that this peace negotiation would go smoothly and resolve the current dilemma.

--split line--

After returning, Lu Bu was still furious and paced back and forth in the tent, thinking about organizing another siege and rescuing Diao Chan.

Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, standing on either side, advised the Bingzhou army that they had suffered heavy losses and could no longer continue the siege. Gao Shun bluntly replied, "General, we have suffered heavy casualties in today's battle. How can we risk the lives of our Bingzhou men for a woman? We should not fight any further now!"

Lü Bu, fuming at this, drew his sword and pointed it at Gao Shun, saying, "Gao Shun, you dare question my orders! Diao Chan is no ordinary woman! She means so much to me!"

Gao Shun stiffened his neck and replied without flinching, "General, am I wrong? You used to be so wise and brave, but now you're so impulsive because of a woman. You've changed!"

Lü Bu was so angry that he was shaking all over. He shouted, "How dare you speak to me like that!"

At this moment, Zhang Liao hurried forward to persuade him, "General, calm down. General Gao Shun is only concerned about our army. We also understand your feelings for Miss Diao Chan. However, given the current situation, we must take a long-term view. If we attack rashly, we will have little chance of success and even more of our brothers will die in vain."

After hearing what Zhang Liao said, Lu Bu calmed down a little, but he still didn't put down the sword in his hand and his face was still gloomy.

Lü Bu roared, "I've made up my mind. Let's rest for a moment and then continue arranging our troops to attack the city! You and I have been brothers for many years. Don't try to persuade me, or I'll turn my back on you!"

Gao Shun was already a little angry at this point and was about to start an argument. Zhang Liao was afraid that the two of them would get into trouble due to their anger, so he hurriedly dragged Gao Shun out and said to Lu Bu as they walked, "General, I will go down and make arrangements."

Gao Shun was dragged out of the tent. He was furious and said to Zhang Liao, "Wenyuan, the general has really changed. He was completely bewitched by a mere woman and completely disregarded the lives of his brothers."

Zhang Liao sighed helplessly and said, "Don't let a woman ruin the relationship. From ancient times to the present, women like Mei Xi of the Xia Dynasty, Daji of the Shang Dynasty, and Bao Si of the Zhou Dynasty all caused their rulers to lose their minds and abandon their country. Besides, you know the general's character. He's sincere but impulsive. Having said that, the general has been very kind to you over the years and truly treats us like brothers."

Gao Shun said: "Since we are brothers, you are drawing your swords against us today." After saying that, Gao Shun turned his head away angrily.

Zhang Liao looked at Gao Shun with the same expression of helplessness and worry. In the end, both of them fell silent, and a heavy atmosphere filled the air around them.

Before he could even catch his breath, Lu Bu impatiently stood in front of the tent, shouting at Zhang Liao at the top of his voice, anxiously asking whether the troops were ready. It seemed that he didn't want to stop for a moment and was determined to continue attacking the city.

Zhang Liao stared at Lü Bu's near-madness, his heart awash with mixed emotions. The lives of the soldiers depended on him, yet Lü Bu was so impulsive and violent, completely disregarding the greater good for a woman. Zhang Liao's disappointment in Lü Bu was beyond words, but after all, their long-standing brotherhood was there. He suppressed his chaotic thoughts and replied, "General, please wait a moment. The troops will be ready soon."

Not long after, an envoy sent by Liu Fan, following Fa Zheng's instructions, arrived at Lü Bu's tent to seek peace. Lü Bu, furious, his hair standing on end, his eyes wide, and without a word, threatened to have the envoy executed. Zhang Liao quickly stepped forward to offer his counsel, "General, calm down. Bring the envoy into the tent and inquire about the situation." Lü Bu remained silent, his face sullen. After a moment, he ordered his men to escort the envoy into the tent.

Zhang Liao inquired about the envoy's purpose, and the envoy replied tremblingly, "General Liu Fan has no intention of fighting with General Lu any further. He is willing to hand over Miss Diao Chan and guarantee that she will not be harmed. However, General Lu, you shot and killed Liu Fan's brother Liu Dan with an arrow. Liu Dan is now seriously injured and unconscious. It is truly unworthy for these two families to quarrel so bitterly over a woman."

After hearing this, the anger on Lu Bu's face disappeared instantly, and was replaced by a look of surprise. He hurriedly agreed and kept urging the messenger to go back and release the person.

The messenger returned and quickly escorted Diao Chan out. Overjoyed, Lü Bu personally welcomed Diao Chan into his tent, inquiring with concern whether she had been harmed. Diao Chan covered her face and sobbed, "Although Liu Dan bullied me, using frivolous words and physical contact, I was fortunately not actually harmed." Lü Bu hurriedly and patiently tried to comfort her. But Diao Chan's sobs returned. Flustered, Lü Bu quickly inquired why she was crying. Diao Chan covered her face and replied, "My adoptive father and family are still there." To win the beauty's favor, Lü Bu patted his chest and promised to rescue Wang Yun and his family. With that, he led his troops back to the pass.

Zhang Liao watched Lü Bu's reckless pursuit of beauty, his mind so blinded by his own desires, and the frustration and pain he felt was like a huge rock pressing down on him, weighing him down so heavily that he could barely breathe. Gao Shun, unwilling to even consider Lü Bu's current madness, had volunteered to remain at the camp during his departure.

When Lü Bu arrived at the pass, Liu Fan and the others were stunned and immediately asked Lü Bu what he was doing. Lü Bu bluntly replied, "I want you to release Wang Yun and his entire family!" Liu Fan angrily retorted, "You, Lü Bu, are going back on your word and refusing to keep your promise!" Lü Bu refused to give in and insisted on releasing Wang Yun and his family.

Fa Zheng then said, "It's not impossible to release them, but what if the general still insists on attacking the city?" Lü Bu responded without hesitation, "If you can release Wang Yun and his family, I will withdraw 30 miles. No matter what battles we fight in the future, it will have nothing to do with me." Liu Fan asked Lü Bu to withdraw first and then release Wang Yun and his family. Lü Bu, upon hearing this, left Zhang Liao behind while he galloped back to arrange the 30-mile retreat.