Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The day after Ma Chao's departure, the allied forces prepared for a massive assault on Hangu Pass. As the army approached, Hangu Pass remained sealed, with no soldiers or generals emerging to meet the enemy. Eager to demonstrate his prowess, Lü Bu led his troops to the fortress immediately, encountering no resistance, a move that left Lü Bu somewhat bewildered. After successfully capturing Hangu Pass without a single bloodshed, they discovered it was deserted, with not a single soul in sight.

After conferring, the princes were shocked to discover they had been tricked by Ma Chao, who had already retreated to Chang'an. They initially praised Yuan Shao's prowess, claiming that Ma Chao had been frightened into fleeing, and then continued to request orders to march on Chang'an. Yuan Shao's initial anger gradually turned to joy amid the princes' flattery, as if Ma Chao had truly been intimidated by his majesty, and he continued to order his army towards Chang'an.

After all, the coalition forces were large, and organization and deployment were complex. Ma Chao, with his light cavalry and a small following, was able to reach Chang'an in a single night. The coalition forces, however, dragged their feet, stopping and starting along the way, taking three or four days to finally reach Chang'an and set up camp.

But the scouts who were in charge of reconnaissance hurried back to report that the tops of Chang'an City were draped with white banners, and the soldiers defending the city all had sad and lonely expressions on their faces, leaving people puzzled as to what was going on. After quickly setting up camp, the princes quickly deployed their battle formations and prepared to attack.

Immediately, Lu Bu took the initiative to ask for orders as usual, and wanted to go to the front of the pass to challenge.

In front of Chang'an City, Lü Bu, majestically carrying his fearsome Fang Tian Hua Ji and riding his majestic Red Hare, approached the battle lines with a haughty, arrogant air. His face brimming with smug pride, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "What's wrong with you on the city walls? You all look so mournful, like you've lost your parents! Is it because the evil old Dong Zhuo is dead that you're all so unlucky, like eggplants hit by frost?"

Dong Huang, standing on the city wall, was furious when he heard this. His face instantly turned red like a ripe tomato, and he roared, "Lü Bu, you shameless disciple! Stop your nonsense and lies!"

Lü Bu, however, remained unfazed. His lips curled upwards as he continued to laugh unbridled. "Humph! Look at how furious and furious you are. I must have hit a sore spot. It seems Dong Zhuo is truly dead, haha!"

Dong Huang's eyes widened in anger, as if spitting fire from them. He cursed with gritted teeth, "Lü Bu, you fickle, treacherous villain! Dong Zhuo treated you well when he was alive and gave you many benefits, yet now you are gloating over his misfortune, showing no loyalty at all!"

Lü Bu snorted coldly, his face filled with disdain. "Dong Zhuo has committed countless evils and cruelly harmed the people. He deserves death! Today, I want to see how long you, a bunch of rabble-rousers, can hold out without him!"

Although this rash question came from the arrogant mouth of Lu Bu, it really hit Dong Huang's sore spot and indirectly confirmed the news of Dong Zhuo's death.

Although Dong Huang had parted ways with Dong Bai, he still held a deep respect for his uncle, Dong Zhuo. Seeing Lü Bu's arrogance and disrespect for others, Dong Huang was filled with rage and a desire for revenge. While Dong Huang lacked strategic strategy, he possessed a fierce courage as a warrior, and without hesitation, he ordered his men to release arrows.

Suddenly, thousands of arrows rained down, densely packed and swarming, pelting Lü Bu. Lü Bu showed no fear. His eyes wide open, his heroic spirit imposing. He wielded the heavy Fang Tian Hua Ji with vigorous force, deflecting the incoming arrows one after another. However, the coalition forces were also thrown into disarray by this sudden, overwhelming hail of arrows. Many soldiers, unable to dodge, were struck by the arrows, screaming in agony.

Lü Bu had hoped to seize Chang'an in one fell swoop, but Dong Huang's reaction was so drastic, leaving him no opportunity. This severely hampered his siege plan and incurred considerable losses. In desperation, Lü Bu retreated to the allied camp to discuss countermeasures with the other princes.

Seeing Lü Bu's unsuccessful return, Yuan Shao's face darkened as if water could drip from it. He sternly rebuked him, "Lü Bu, you acted so recklessly, without regard for the consequences! Not only did you fail to capture Chang'an, but you also suffered heavy casualties, demoralizing our troops. What crime do you deserve?"

Seeing this, Cao Cao quickly stepped forward and said, "Lord Yuan, calm down. Blaming Lü Bu now will serve no purpose. The most urgent task is to rethink our siege strategy. How to capture Chang'an with the least possible cost is the most important."

But at this moment, Lu Bu shouted loudly: "Everyone, Dong Zhuo is dead!" When the news came out, the princes were stunned at first, and then burst into cheers.

Yuan Shu's eyes widened, and he exclaimed in disbelief, "Is that true? That's fantastic!"

Zhang Yang excitedly pumped his fist and shouted, "This evil villain is finally dead! It's such a relief!"

Liu Bei looked relieved and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Once Dong Zhuo is dead, the people of the world will hopefully be freed from suffering."

Yuan Shao couldn't help but show his delight, laughing heartily: "Haha, Dong Zhuo, the scourge of the nation and the people, has finally met his end. We should seize this opportunity to capture Chang'an in one fell swoop!"

All the princes were beaming with joy and talking to each other, and the tent was filled with an atmosphere of joy and excitement.

All the princes gathered together, laughing and talking, everyone's face was filled with irrepressible joy. The hall was brightly lit, with a wide variety of delicious food and wine, a scene of celebration.

As everyone was immersed in this joyous atmosphere, Emperor Liu Bian, upon hearing the news, arrived in person. With a determined gaze and a solemn expression, he declared, "Dong Zhuo's execution is a testament to Heaven's protection of the Han Dynasty. I believe we should take this opportunity to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, thank the gods for their grace, and pray for the long-term peace and stability of the Han Dynasty."

Upon hearing the emperor's words, the princes rose and bowed respectfully, expressing their agreement. Lu Zhi was the first to bow and say, "Your Majesty is wise and wise. This is in accordance with the will of Heaven and will surely secure the eternal stability of the Han Dynasty." Gongsun Zan echoed, "Indeed, we must expedite preparations to demonstrate our respect for Heaven." The other princes also nodded in agreement. For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall was filled with excitement, and everyone was eagerly anticipating the ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth. Yuan Shao watched the emperor's performance, but he had no reason to object, feeling dissatisfied.

On the second day, Liu Bian, dressed in formal attire, solemnly led the other princes to an open area. A sacrificial altar had already been set up, laden with abundant offerings and filled with smoke rising from the air.

Liu Bian walked steadily to the incense table, his face solemn and his eyes gleaming with determination. Beside him, the princes also straightened their clothes, their expressions solemn and pious.

Liu Bian respectfully took a stick of incense with both hands, lit it, and gently placed it into the incense burner. Then he knelt on both knees and kowtowed. He spoke in a loud and sincere voice, "Heaven above, and Earth below, the wicked Dong Zhuo is dead. This is a blessing for the world. I thank Heaven for its mercy, for punishing evil and promoting good, and for restoring peace to the people."

All the princes followed suit and knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and said in unison: "Thank you, gods of heaven and earth, for blessing our Han Dynasty and eradicating the evil."

Liu Bian kowtowed again, then stood up, clasped his hands together, looked up at the sky, and continued, "May the Han Dynasty enjoy prosperity and peace from now on. We will work hard to govern the country, revive the government, and live up to the people of the world."

The entire worship ceremony was solemn and orderly, and the prayers of the crowd echoed in the open space, as if reaching the heavens.

Dong Huang, who was in Chang'an, was furious when he heard about this. His eyes widened, veins popping out of his forehead as he roared, "Liu Bian, you little brat, how dare you humiliate my Dong family like this! I will never reconcile with you!"

Dong Huang paced back and forth in the city, shouting to his subordinates in frustration: "Strengthen our defenses! We can't let them break through Chang'an so easily!" Seeing how angry he was, the soldiers were trembling with fear and dared not slack off in the slightest.

On the other hand, after offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, the morale of the coalition forces was greatly boosted, and they became more determined to capture Chang'an.

Under Yuan Shao's command, the coalition forces surged towards Chang'an City like a tide, shouting and fighting, and the soldiers carried ladders and pushed siege vehicles, rushing towards the city walls recklessly.

On the city walls, Dong Huang's defenders were in full battle formation, with boulders, wooden poles, and hot oil raining down like a torrential rain. The allied soldiers risked their lives as they struggled to climb the ladders, only to be repeatedly thrown down and burned, their screams ringing out.

The siege vehicles rammed the city gate with all their might, making a dull thud, but the gate was incredibly solid and remained unscathed. Meanwhile, the archers on the city wall unleashed a barrage of arrows, a hail of arrows that felled the allied soldiers one after another.

Despite the high morale of the allied forces and their courageous fighting, Chang'an City was heavily fortified with high walls and deep walls. After a fierce battle, the allied forces were unable to break through the city's defenses and were forced to retreat, leaving behind a devastating battlefield and countless corpses. This first siege ended in failure.