Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

In order to stop Yuan Shao from rashly attacking Lu Bu, Cao Cao specially sent envoys to Lu Bu's tent to negotiate and try to find out Lu Bu's true thoughts.

Inside Lü Bu's tent, candlelight flickered as Wang Yun earnestly counseled him, "General, Dong Zhuo is now a spent force, like a leaf in the autumn wind, ready to fall. Your bravery is unparalleled; why should you be buried with such a fallen man? Joining the coalition forces would be the wisest course of action. You will surely achieve great things."

Lü Bu frowned and paced back and forth in the tent, his mind swirling with anxiety. He paused, looked at Wang Yun, and said, "Although Dong Zhuo and I have a grudge, I would be condemned by the world if I betrayed my master. Furthermore, how could the allied forces truly accept me?"

Wang Yun hurried forward and spoke earnestly, "General, you are wrong. Dong Zhuo's actions are atrocious, disrupting the government and causing great suffering for the people. Everyone in the world wants to eliminate him as soon as possible. If you can abandon evil and join the good, saving the people from this dire situation, you will surely be remembered in history and admired by all. Moreover, the coalition forces are now powerful, and the attack on Dong Zhuo is imperative. Your surrender now is the perfect opportunity, and you should not worry about not being accepted."

Lü Bu remained silent, his arms folded across his chest, lost in thought. Wang Yun continued, "General, your martial arts are exceptional, and few in the world can rival you. If you could find a wise leader in these troubled times and pursue your ambitions, wouldn't that be far better than living in fear around the treacherous Dong Zhuo?"

Lu Bu sighed deeply, "Sir, what you said is not without reason, but there are risks involved..."

Seeing Lü Bu wavering, Wang Yun seized the opportunity and said, "Don't worry, General. As long as you sincerely surrender, your prowess will ensure you a place in the coalition. Furthermore, with your abilities, you will undoubtedly achieve great military success. Who would dare to look down on you then?"

Lu Bu pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "Forget it, I'll do as you say, sir."

Elsewhere, within the coalition camp, a heated discussion erupted regarding Lü Bu. Gongsun Zan, his face brimming with fury, angrily declared, "Lü Bu is a fickle man with no loyalty or righteousness. He first betrayed Ding Yuan, then Dong Zhuo, and now wants to join us. He's a truly shameless man! I disdain to have anything to do with him!"

Liu Bei nodded slightly, stroking his beard, his eyes gleaming with wisdom and worry. "General Gongsun is quite right. Lü Bu's behavior is indeed worrying. However, the situation is complicated now, and Dong Zhuo has not yet been eliminated. If we can gain Lü Bu's courage, we might be able to speed up the process of quelling the rebellion, but we must also be wary of his rebellion."

Guan Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, his eyebrows trembling slightly, and he snorted coldly: "Such a disloyal and unrighteous person, even if he has the courage of ten thousand men, cannot be trusted. I think he is just pursuing his own interests and has no principles."

Zhang Fei's eyes widened, and he shouted at the top of his voice, "I think he's a traitor. If he were to come, I'd be the first to disapprove! I don't want to fight alongside such a villain!"

However, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao had different ideas. Inside Yuan Shao's tent, Cao Cao sat nearby, his face puzzled. "Lord Yuan, Lü Bu has a terrible reputation. Why are you still trying to recruit him?"

Yuan Shao stroked his chin with his hand, his gaze penetrating. "My brother, you may not know this, but Lü Bu's bravery is truly unparalleled. Even my vanguard couldn't defeat him. Now that Dong Zhuo is about to fall, if we can recruit Lü Bu, it will not only increase our strength but also give us the upper hand in the struggle against Gongsun Zan. Furthermore, if we can utilize him wisely and control him properly, Lü Bu might even be of use to our advantage."

Cao Cao frowned and said, "Lord Yuan, it's better to be careful. Don't let a tiger become a threat to you."

Yuan Shao smiled confidently: "I know what to do, don't worry."

Cao Cao's envoys returned safely to the allied camp, informing everyone that Lü Bu was willing to negotiate and was ready to surrender. Yuan Shao immediately summoned his generals to discuss the matter.

Inside the camp, the generals debated the matter. Some supported accepting Lü Bu, believing his bravery would be a valuable asset to the coalition, while others strongly opposed it, expressing deep doubts about Lü Bu's character.

Yuan Shao stood up and pressed his hands down, signaling for silence. "Everyone, Lü Bu is willing to surrender. This is a heaven-sent opportunity. I have made up my mind. I will send envoys to Lü Bu once again to demonstrate our sincerity."

Gongsun Zan couldn't help but say, "General Yuan, Lü Bu is not trustworthy. Please reconsider your decision!"

Yuan Shao glanced at Gongsun Zan, and with a hint of anger in his heart, he said, "General Gongsun, you are worrying too much. I have my own arrangements."

The brothers Liu, Guan and Zhang remained silent with serious expressions.

The envoy, bearing Yuan Shao's instructions and generous gifts, rode at full speed to Lü Bu's camp. Along the way, he felt somewhat uneasy, unsure whether he could successfully complete his mission.

Finally arriving at Lü Bu's tent, Lü Bu personally came out to greet them. The envoy explained his purpose and presented Yuan Shao with a gift. Lü Bu, delighted by the gift, said to the envoy, "Please tell General Yuan that I, Lü Bu, will live up to your expectations."

The envoy nodded in agreement and then returned to the allied camp to report to Yuan Shao.

Lü Bu, encouraged by Wang Yun, had resolved to break with Dong Zhuo. He summoned his men and declared, "Brothers, Dong Zhuo is ruthless and cruel. We have decided to join the coalition forces and defeat him. I hope you will join me in this great cause!"

All the soldiers shouted in unison: "We are willing to obey the general's orders!"

Afterwards, Lu Bu reorganized his troops and turned around to attack Ma Chao at Hangu Pass, hoping to gain military merit in front of his new master and prove his worth.

On the battlefield, Lü Bu led the charge, riding his Red Hare and holding his Fang Tian Hua Ji, looking majestic and awe-inspiring. He roared loudly and rushed towards Hangu Pass.

At Hangu Pass, the battle lines were set in motion, and the atmosphere was tense to the extreme. Clad in silver armor and holding a spear, Ma Chao stared intently at Lü Bu and shouted, "General Lü, how could you lead your troops so far? Last time, when Hangu Pass was in danger and Prime Minister Dong was stopped at it, it was Fengxian's generals, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, who led the Xianzhen Camp to assist. Now, Fengxian is leading a large army to obstruct the peace talks. Could he have some other motive?"

Lü Bu, clad in magnificent armor and holding a Fang Tian Hua Ji, had a complex expression on his face. He then laughed heartily, "Meng Qi, I haven't seen you in years, yet you're still as charming as ever. I respect you as a young hero. Now that Prime Minister Dong is on the verge of defeat, I don't want to be defeated along with him. I want to join the coalition in achieving this unprecedented feat. If Meng Qi is interested, I will introduce you to a few. With your bravery, you'll surely earn a place in the coalition."

Ma Chao's brow furrowed, his eyes filled with disappointment and regret. He said sternly, "General Lu, we are born between heaven and earth, and we should be loyal and trustworthy. Last time, although you stood by and watched, your generals Zhang Liao and Gao Shun still came to my aid, and I never blamed you. But now you have betrayed your master and defected to the enemy. I truly underestimated you."

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu was instantly enraged. His eyes widened as he roared, "Ma Chao, I tried to persuade you with kind words, but you are so ungrateful! Forget it, I won't persuade you with kind words, you damned bastard. I will not engage in further verbal battles with you. Call out Zhang Liao and Gao Shun and have them return to our camp. I will not fight you. You must withdraw from Hangu Pass, and this matter will be over."

At this moment, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, two generals standing beside Ma Chao, had expressions of bitterness and confusion on their faces. Gao Shun, furious, spoke up, "Lü Fengxian, we were once brothers, but I never imagined you would be so foolish, so lost for a woman. General Ma is right; loyalty and trust are the foundation of life. Ding Yuan had no choice but to humiliate and betray us, while Prime Minister Dong had always treated us with kindness. Now, at this critical moment, Prime Minister Dong, you have made such a decision. I am truly disappointed."

Zhang Liao's heart was in turmoil. He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "General, we have always followed you through thick and thin, and have never had any second thoughts. But your decision this time is really hard for me to understand. But no matter what, I hope you can think carefully about it and not make the same mistake again." After saying that, Zhang Liao sighed deeply.

Lü Bu was also annoyed when he heard this. He shouted loudly, "Don't say anything more! I have made up my mind!"

At this moment, in the coalition camp behind Lü Bu, Yuan Shao narrowed his eyes, observing the situation ahead, secretly thinking: "If Lü Bu can successfully persuade Ma Chao to surrender, it will save me a lot of effort. If not, it won't be too late to take action after they are both defeated."

Yuan Shu said from the side: "Brother, this Lü Bu is erratic. If we really take him in, he will probably be a problem in the future."

Yuan Shao snorted coldly: "I know my limits. Lü Bu's bravery can be used by me. As long as I can control him properly, what is there to fear?"

Gongsun Zan looked at Lü Bu with disdain and said to Liu Bei beside him, "Lord Xuande, look at Lü Bu. He has no loyalty or righteousness at all. He is truly a villain."

Liu Bei nodded slightly and sighed, "Lü Bu's actions are truly ungentlemanly. But the situation is complicated now. Let's see how he ends up."

Zhang Fei shouted at the top of his lungs, "This slave of three surnames will get his comeuppance sooner or later!"

Guan Yu stroked his long beard, his eyes cold and silent.

Inside Lü Bu's tent, Wang Yun paced anxiously, thinking to himself, "Lü Bu, Lü Bu, you must succeed. This concerns our lives and future."

The situation on the battlefield is becoming increasingly tense, and a war seems to be imminent...