Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Alone in the dimly lit room, Lu Zhi endured inner torment, as if an invisible hand were clutching his heart and lungs. Every breath was laced with pain and struggle. He knew the words that would shatter the peaceful lives of his wife and daughter were like a demonic curse, yet he had to speak them. Finally, with trembling hands, he signaled to his attendants to summon his wife and daughter.

A moment later, Lu's mother hurried over, dragging Lu Wan along. Her eyes were filled with doubt and uneasiness, her steps a bit unsteady. Lu Wan's eyes still held a lingering trace of joy, twinkling like stars. However, the moment she entered the room, that warm glow was mercilessly extinguished by the gloom on Lu Zhi's face.

Mother Lu was the first to break the silence and asked softly, "Master, why did you call us here so anxiously?

Lu Zhi's lips trembled, and his throat seemed to be blocked by a huge rock. After a long time, he finally uttered the words that were as sharp as a knife: "Your Majesty wishes to marry Wan'er as your concubine."

Upon hearing these words, Mother Lu was struck by lightning. She lurched, nearly collapsing. Her eyes widened, a tangle of rage and despair. She rushed forward uncontrollably, her voice piercing with anger and grief. "Master, how could you do this? Wan'er and Ma Chao were deeply in love. You're ruining her life!" Tears welled up in Mother Lu's eyes, streaming freely down her wrinkled face.

Lu Wan stood there in a daze, as if time had frozen in that moment. Then, her face turned as pale as paper, and her lips trembled uncontrollably. "Father, no, this isn't true!" Lu Wan cried out in despair, desperately rushing towards Lu Zhi. She knelt on her knees, clutching his sleeves tightly with both hands. The sleeves crumpled in her hands, like her broken heart. "I only wish to be with Brother Chao for the rest of my life. Please don't let me marry Your Majesty." Lu Wan's tears flowed like a flood, soaking her clothes.

Lu Zhi closed his eyes in agony, tears streaming down his cheeks. He couldn't bear to look directly into his daughter's pleading gaze. "Wan'er, the Han Dynasty is in turmoil. I'm doing this for our family, for His Majesty, and for the world. As a child of the Lu family, you enjoy honor and respect, and you must shoulder this responsibility." Lu Zhi's voice was hoarse and low, and every word was like a sharp blade, piercing Lu Wan's heart.

Mother Lu stepped in front of Lu Wan and held her tightly behind her like a hen protecting her chicks. "Master, if you want to send Wan'er to the palace, I will go with her. Even if it means death, I will never let her jump into this fire pit!" Mother Lu's eyes were full of determination, even though her body was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Lu Wan's heart was filled with grief and despair. She screamed, "Father, what you mean by doing it for the Han Dynasty is sacrificing your daughter's happiness? What does a daughter mean to you?" Lu Wan's voice was almost broken, and she was heartbroken.

Lu Zhi struggled internally, but his loyalty to the Emperor and his obsession with the Han dynasty forced him to harden his heart. "Wan'er, this is fate, a destiny we cannot escape. If Ma Chao knew, he would surely understand my father's painstaking efforts." Lu Zhi's words were cold and heartless, leaving Lu Wan's heart shattered.

The heated argument intensified Lu Zhi's agitation, his chest heaving violently like an old bellows. Suddenly, a sharp pain struck him, and a sweet sensation clung to his throat. A mouthful of blood spurted out like an arrow, splashing onto the bed and the floor in a shocking display.

Lu Wan screamed in terror, tears welling up again. Lu's mother was also panicked and rushed to the bedside. Lu Wan looked at her father, who was terminally ill and haggard, with a mixture of love and hate in her heart, and was in great pain. She knew that if she didn't agree, her father would never rest in peace until his death. In this endless despair, Lu Wan seemed to have lost her soul, and her eyes stared into the distance with empty eyes. After a long time, she used up all her strength, and said in a trembling but firm voice: "Father, your daughter agrees..." The voice seemed to come from the abyss of darkness, carrying endless desolation and sadness. Lu's mother slumped to the ground, covering her face with her hands, and her heartbroken cries echoed in the room, as if she wanted to express all the misery in the world.

Outside, a chilling wind howled, a mournful elegy for this tragic scene. Inside, a pervasive atmosphere of despair enveloped everyone, leaving them unable to escape. Lu Wan felt her world completely crumble. The days ahead held only endless darkness and pain, and she could only endure this alone in this vortex of fate.

Lu Wan wept heartbrokenly as she walked towards her courtyard. Her steps were unsteady, as if every step required all her strength. Tears streamed from her swollen eyes, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the ground. Dian Wei, startled by Lu Wan's unusual behavior, immediately gave chase.

His burly body moved like a small mountain, and he asked in a muffled voice, "Miss, what's wrong with you?" When Lu Wan heard Dian Wei's voice, her grief became even greater. She choked and said, "Dian Wei, my father...he decided to let me marry the emperor." Dian Wei widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief, and shouted, "Aren't you going to marry Ma Chao? How can this be? I'll go and tell the adults!" Then he turned and was about to leave.

Lu Wan hurriedly grabbed Dian Wei's clothes and cried, "You can't go, Dian Wei. Father has made up his mind and won't change it." Dian Wei stopped and turned around. Seeing Lu Wan in such pain, he felt very sorry. Lu Wan continued to cry, her body trembling slightly, as if a gust of wind could blow her down.

After a while, Lu Wan raised her head, her eyes filled with determination and a glimmer of hope. She said to Dian Wei, "Although I promised my father to marry the emperor, I am only marrying him in name only. I will never let him have me. Dian Wei, can you help me?" Dian Wei looked at Lu Wan with a firm gaze, nodded heavily, and said, "Miss, I will definitely protect you by your side and will never let you get hurt."

Lu Wan looked at Dian Wei, a surge of gratitude welling up in her heart, but she knew that endless darkness and pain still awaited her ahead. But now, with Dian Wei's promise, she seemed to have grasped a glimmer of light in the darkness, and she was not completely despairing. Dian Wei stood aside, clenching his fists, secretly determined in his heart to protect Lu Wan, even if it meant sacrificing his own life. Lu Wan stood alone in the yard, gazing at the sky, the figure of Ma Chao constantly appearing in her mind, and tears blurred her eyes again.

The emperor walked briskly back to his chambers, his face etched with excitement. He immediately ordered his attendants to begin preparing for the relevant matters, his eyes gleaming with determination.

"Pass on my decree and ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to select the finest silk and prepare to make a phoenix robe. Also, ask the craftsmen to redecorate the side hall. I want it to be the residence of my future concubine." The emperor issued orders in an orderly manner, with unquestionable majesty in his voice.

At this moment, Concubine Gongsun, having heard the news that the Emperor intended to marry Lu Wan, arrived in a rage to question him. She was dressed in a gorgeous palace dress, her delicate makeup distorted by anger. Rushing into the chamber, she shouted, "Your Majesty, how could you act like this? Are all the promises you made to me now void?"

The emperor frowned slightly, looking at Concubine Gongsun with a hint of displeasure in his heart, but he still said patiently, "Concubine, this is a matter of great importance to the court. I have made up my mind. Please do not act recklessly any longer."

Concubine Gongsun's eyes widened as she stared at the emperor in disbelief. "You are acting recklessly? Your Majesty, you are speaking of me like this just for that Lu girl? Where do you place me?"

The emperor's face darkened. "I am the emperor, and everything I do is for the well-being of the Han Dynasty. The situation is critical, and I must take this action to stabilize the court. Gongsun Zan is preoccupied with his own affairs in Youzhou, and you should understand my painstaking efforts."

Concubine Gongsun was so angry that her body trembled slightly. "Your Majesty, are you using my family and then discarding me like a worn-out shoe?"

The emperor snorted coldly, "I have never entertained such thoughts, but please do not try to stop me. My power is now firmly established, and the affairs of the world must be decided by me."

Concubine Gongsun knew she was powerless to change the emperor's decision. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her heart was filled with resentment. "Your Majesty, you are so heartless. You will surely regret what you have done today." With that, she turned and hurried away.

The emperor watched Consort Gongsun's retreating figure with a cold gaze. He knew this action would spark discontent, but to achieve his goal, he would not be hindered by anyone. Silence fell in the chambers, and the emperor stood alone, continuing to plan his next steps as if the previous argument had never occurred.

The emperor's urgent plan

The emperor's heart was filled with intense desire and impatience. Without hesitation, he set the wedding date for three days later. In his mind, every passing minute felt like a missed opportunity to control the situation. He knew that this marriage had to proceed quietly, hidden from Ma Chao. If he could complete everything before the news reached Ma Chao, his plan would be largely successful.

The emperor paced back and forth in the palace, his mind racing with every possible reaction Ma Chao might have upon learning of this. He imagined Ma Chao's fury, the look of rage almost imaginable before his eyes. He might grip his spear tightly, his knuckles white from the strain, his eyes wide as bells, filled with disbelief and the rage of being deceived. Or perhaps he would gallop alone towards the palace, the whistling of the wind like his roar. But the emperor also knew that once the matter was settled, no matter how helpless or unwilling Ma Chao might be, he would find it difficult to change the established facts.

Ma Chao and he shared a formal relationship as emperor and subject. Despite their daily disagreements, the bond of royal courtesy was a strong rope. Furthermore, he held Master Lu Zhi in high esteem, a deep bond of mentorship and discipleship shared over many years. Even if resentment overtook him at the moment, over time, that bond might allow him to subdue his anger and accept the situation. The emperor knew this was a gamble, but for the sake of the precarious Han dynasty, to maintain his grip on power, he had to take the risk. He looked up into the distance, his eyes filled with determination and anticipation, as if he could already see Ma Chao finally submitting to his control. Outside the palace, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves, whispering a conspiracy of scheming and calculation.

For three days, the palace resembled a vast beehive, everyone bustling about preparing for the emperor's wedding. Embroiderers' fingers, scarlet from the thread, toiled furiously, sewed with the magnificent gown, each stitch imbued with the emperor's ambition. Artisans toiled day and night, adorning the palace in a splendid display of gold and splendor, interweaving red silk and colorful satin, as if weaving the emperor's grand vision. The constant smoky heat of the dining room filled the air with the aroma of delicacies, and exquisite pastries were fashioned into a variety of auspicious shapes.