Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Seeing that Zhang Liao and Gao Shun showed no sign of returning to their base, and Ma Chao was still unwilling to respond, Lü Bu anxiously called out, "Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, what's going on? Are you planning to betray me?"

Before the two generals could reply, Cao Xing, Wei Xu, and other generals behind Lü Bu shouted, "Wenyuan, Brother Gao, we've been through war together, from Bingzhou to Luoyang, and have been together for many years. How could you bear to be separated from your brothers?"

Zhang Liao's eyes filled with tears as he gazed at the familiar faces below. Heartbroken, he spoke in a trembling voice, "Brothers, it's not that I want to make an enemy of you. It's simply that this action of yours, General, is absolutely unacceptable. Back in Bingzhou, we braved countless hardships and dangers. We arrived in Luoyang, hoping to find a wise leader and realize our ambitions. But now, if our siege of the capital fails, we will betray our master and surrender. How can this be the behavior of a true man? In this world, we should uphold loyalty and righteousness. How can we be so fickle and erratic?"

Gao Shun's eyes widened, his face flushed red as he roared, "Brothers, the general is no longer the same general. I was blind before, unable to see how lustful and power-hungry he is. For the sake of wealth and glory, he has no regard for us brothers. Wenyuan and I have already surrendered to Prime Minister Dong, and we will not betray him easily. Lü Fengxian is shameless, and I, Gao Shun, am ashamed to be associated with him!"

Lü Bu, standing below, was instantly enraged. Veins bulged on his forehead, his eyes blazed with fire. No longer concerned with past friendship, he roared with rage, "Since you are severing ties with me, I no longer care about the friendship we've shared over the years. Today, it's either you or me!"

With that, Lü Bu brandished his painted halberd, pointed it at Hangu Pass, and shouted, "All soldiers, listen! Attack the city! We must capture Hangu Pass today! Anyone who retreats will be punished by military law!"

Suddenly, the drums roared like thunder, resounding through the sky and shaking everyone with fear. Lü Bu's soldiers shouted and screamed, rushing towards Hangu Pass like a surging tide.

Seeing this, Ma Chao showed no fear. He stood before the pass with his spear in hand and shouted, "Soldiers, defend Hangu Pass and drive back the enemy! We have our country and our people behind us. We must not let the enemy advance even a single step!"

At Hangu Pass, arrows rained down like a swarm of black locusts, whistling down at the attacking enemy troops with a sharp whistling sound. Rocks and logs crashed down with a dull thud, each impact accompanied by the enemy's screams. Though valiant, Lü Bu's soldiers suffered heavy casualties in this fierce defense, and the ground below the pass was stained red with blood.

In the coalition camp, Yuan Shao rode on his horse, narrowing his eyes as he observed the battlefield situation. He thought to himself, "This Lü Bu is quite impatient, but that's all to the good. If we can seize this opportunity to break through Hangu Pass, it will be a great achievement. However, if Lü Bu really gains the upper hand, I'm afraid he will be difficult to control in the future."

Gongsun Zan, with a look of disdain, sneered, "Lü Bu is so impulsive, only thinking of brute force. I'm afraid he'll suffer a great loss. He's so brave but not wise. He'll never achieve anything great."

Liu Bei said worriedly, "Such a violent attack will only lead to heavy losses on both sides. I hope this slaughter can end soon and restore peace to the people."

Zhang Fei roared in anger, brandishing his Zhangba Snake Spear. "This Lü Bu is a reckless man! He only knows how to act recklessly, without any strategy!"

Guan Yu remained silent, but he gripped the Green Dragon Crescent Blade even tighter, and a solemn look appeared in his phoenix eyes.

The battlefield was thick with smoke, and the smell of blood hung in the air for a long time. The groans of the wounded, the neighing of horses, and the clash of weapons intertwined together, forming a picture of extremely tragic war.

After Lü Bu's prolonged attack on Hangu Pass proved unsuccessful, he was forced to temporarily withdraw his troops. This led to Zhang Liao and Gao Shun breaking ranks with Lü Bu and joining the defense of the pass, which in turn led Ma Chao to view the two generals with even greater respect.

Meanwhile, Yuan Shao also merged his forces with Lü Bu's. Lü Bu, accompanied by Wang Yun, arrived at the allied camp with the civil and military officials who had intercepted him. During the battle, as soon as Lü Bu entered the tent, the people inside shouted, "Lü Bu, come quickly and pay your respects to the leader!"

Lü Bu looked puzzled, "Shouldn't we pay our respects to the Emperor first?" Wang Yun whispered, "No matter what, we've just joined the alliance, so we should be cautious. After all, we're not as strong as them, so we should keep a low profile."

When Lu Bu stepped forward to pay his respects, Yuan Shao was overjoyed. He hurried forward to help him up and hypocritically praised Lu Bu, saying, "General Lu's bravery is well-known throughout the world. It is my honor to meet you today. I have longed for your demeanor for a long time!" Lu Bu, however, felt as if he had met a soulmate, and his affection for Yuan Shao doubled.

Meanwhile, after Yuan Shao had been discussing Lü Bu for a long time, he finally seemed to remember and introduced Lü Bu to the Emperor. His preconceived notion of wanting Lü Bu to serve him was clear, and Lü Bu followed his lead and approached the Emperor. The Emperor first encouraged Lü Bu to abandon his evil ways and then reassured him that he would continue to serve the Han.

Zhang Fei, standing by, could no longer bear it and sneered, "He's just a bandit who was exiled. What's so great about him?"

Lu Bu glared and said angrily: "You country bumpkin, what do you want?" Zhang Fei's words touched the sore spot of Lu Bu's pride.

Zhang Fei also got angry and shouted, "What's the matter, you traitor? You still act so arrogant. If you don't accept it, let's continue fighting for 300 rounds!" He picked up the Zhangba Snake Spear and was about to attack.

Lu Bu roared angrily, "What? You think I'm afraid of you, you thief?"

For a moment, the atmosphere on the field reached a freezing point. Emperor Liu Bian silently glanced at Liu Bei, who understood. He quickly stood up and said, "General Lu has just returned, and I, your younger brother, am being reckless. I hope you will not be offended. Now, we must prioritize the cause of defeating Dong Zhuo and must not lose our composure."

Yuan Shao quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "That's right, General Lu, please don't be angry. General Zhang is also a man of strong temperament, and his words were a bit harsh."

Lü Bu snorted coldly and said nothing more, but Zhang Fei continued to glare at him.

At this time, Guan Yu slightly opened his eyes and said, "Since General Lu has surrendered, he should work together with us to kill the traitor Dong. Don't let a momentary anger ruin the whole thing."

Lu Bu looked at Guan Yu, suppressed his anger, and said, "General Guan is right. Lu Bu should put the overall situation first."

The storm subsided temporarily, but everyone had their own plans, and the contradictions within the coalition gradually surfaced...

The civil and military officials who had been plundered by Dong Zhuo, as well as Liu Xie, the emperor he had installed, also entered the coalition camp in panic. As soon as the civil and military officials saw Emperor Liu Bian, they fell to the ground, tears streaming down their cheeks, and they cried bitterly.

"Unfortunately for the ancestral temple, the emperor has been disgraced! That scoundrel Dong Zhuo is tyrannical and tyrannical, committing acts of perverseness and coercion against us, completely disregarding the laws and moral principles of the Han Dynasty!"

"Your Majesty, we, your servants, live in fear and trembling every day under Dong Zhuo's tyranny. We live in shame and wanton denial. We are truly ashamed of Your Majesty and the ancestors of the Han Dynasty!"

"That evil scoundrel Dong Zhuo has abused his power and disrupted the government, causing chaos and suffering for the people. The Han Dynasty is in imminent danger, Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty is the legitimate emperor of the Han Dynasty, yet Dong Zhuo is attempting to establish another. His heart is worthy of death, and his actions are abhorrent!"

They spoke one after another, cried until they were hoarse, accused Dong Zhuo of all his evil deeds in detail, and begged for Liu Bian's forgiveness.

Liu Xie stood at the back, at a loss for what to do. He was still young, and faced with such a situation, he was filled with confusion and fear, not knowing how to deal with it.

Liu Bian, however, pretended to be hypocritical, stepping forward to help everyone up one by one. With a gentle smile on his face, he spoke softly and soothingly, "My dear ministers, please rise quickly. I understand your difficulties. This is not your fault; it is all caused by that evil scoundrel Dong Zhuo. I do not blame you. In the future, I will restore order to the court and bring peace to the world."

Liu Bian smiled again at Liu Xie, then gestured for the frightened Liu Xie to come to his side. Liu Xie quickly knelt, hugging Liu Bian's legs, and sobbed out his fear and longing: "Brother, I've been living in fear every day these days, missing you so much." In reality, Liu Xie was forced into a corner; he simply didn't want to see his brother in such an awkward situation. Now, like a fallen leaf, he had no choice but to give in. Although he harbored some resentment at his brother's ascension to the throne—after all, he had been forced to do so by Dong Zhuo himself, and that brief taste of power had left him wanting. But in the current situation, he knew he was powerless and powerless to resist, so he buried his resentment deep within his heart, not daring to express it.

Liu Bian sincerely tried to appease Liu Xie, saying, "Second brother, you and I are both descendants of Emperor Xiaoling. The Han Dynasty is in turmoil, and it is time for us to unite as brothers. The title of emperor bestowed upon you by the traitor Dong should be revoked."

Liu Xie agreed repeatedly, saying, "I, Yu Lu, have been forcibly imprisoned by Dong Zhuo, and I am filled with fear all day long. This world belongs to you, my eldest brother." Liu Xie knew that if he showed any dissatisfaction at this moment, he would probably bring disaster upon himself. He could only endure it for the time being and bide his time.

Liu Xie continued to appease Liu Bian, then turned to the civil and military officials and the princes in the hall and said, "Although Liu Xie was hastily enthroned as emperor, it was not his original intention. Considering that Emperor Xiaoling only has these two sons, I would like to enthronize Liu Xie as the Prince of Chenliu. What do you think?"