Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Inside the hall, Ma Chao and Gongsun Zan were on the verge of a showdown. Ma Chao's face flushed with anger, his eyes bulging, his fists clenched tightly, as if he were about to charge forward and fight Gongsun Zan to the death. Gongsun Zan showed no sign of weakness either, his face stern, his gaze blazing as he stood straight, facing Ma Chao, clearly waiting for Ma Chao to strike first so he could return the favor.

This tense situation had Liu Bei frantically on edge, like an ant on a hot pan. He was frantic, his brow furrowed, his heart aching. He longed to step forward and dissuade the two men, but when the words reached his lips, he didn't know where to begin. These two men were his fellow disciples, now commanding vast armies and immense power, the final word in the court. Meanwhile, although he was a fellow disciple, he lacked such a vast military force, his commanding officers and generals were insufficient. Even if he steeled himself and approached them now, he feared they wouldn't listen, and he might even anger them. What was he supposed to do?

The emperor, seated on the throne, narrowed his eyes slightly, a barely perceptible smile flickering across them. He knew full well that this moment was the perfect opportunity he had been waiting for. His intention wasn't to truly provoke a war between the two, to turn the court upside down. He simply wanted to exploit their conflict to manipulate the situation, reshuffle the various forces under his control, and ultimately consolidate his imperial power.

Seeing that the situation was getting increasingly out of control, the emperor hurriedly changed his expression, which was instantly filled with misery, as if carrying all the sorrow in the world. His voice trembled as he cried out in grief, "Alas, Generals! You are my two right-hand men. I am counting on you to stabilize the precarious situation of the Han Dynasty. How can such a trivial matter lead to such a tense and chaotic situation? This makes me extremely anxious and uneasy!" After saying this, the emperor slowly turned around with a look of sorrow and looked at Lu Wan. His eyes were full of earnestness, almost pleading, and he said, "Wan'er, my beloved concubine, please say something to persuade them! If we allow these two to really come to blows, how can Master Lu's spirit rest in peace? The court is now like a lonely boat drifting in the wind and rain. If they come to blows, it will fall apart in an instant. Master Lu's life's hard work and efforts will all be wasted and turned into nothing, my beloved concubine."

Lu Wan coldly observed the emperor's anxious expression, which was clearly a show. Although she felt extremely disdainful of his hypocritical behavior, she also knew that she could not allow this situation to develop into a direction of no return. So, she bit her lip, took light steps, and quickly walked towards Ma Chao, reaching his side in a few steps. She stretched out her slender jade hand and tightly grasped Ma Chao's sleeve. Tears glistened in her eyes. With endless affection and pleading, she softly said, "Brother Ma, please calm down. After all, today's banquet was held to mourn Father. You and Brother Gongsun were both Father's disciples. Have you forgotten the friendship between fellow disciples? Brother Ma, have you ever forgotten the days of studying at home in Luoyang? Every detail of those days still echoes in my heart. On such a solemn occasion to remember Father, if a fight really breaks out, how can Father's spirit rest in peace? Please just consider it a great honor for me. It's just a toast for everyone. Please sit down for a while. I will pour some good wine, so that we can calm down and relax together."

When Ma Chao heard Lu Wan's affectionate yet distant address as "Senior Brother Ma," the anger that had been lingering in his eyes was instantly drowned by a surging torrent of pain. Vivid memories of their past as a student flashed through his mind like vivid paintings: days spent practicing together, discussing knowledge, and dreaming of the future together. That deep and sincere friendship now reverberated through his mind like a tidal wave. Yet, he felt as if he were a lone island in the vast ocean, isolated and powerless.

He looked up at Lu Wan, her eyes filled with affection, yet now shrouded in endless sadness. Tears welled up in her eyes, as if they were about to burst out. Ma Chao's heart felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand, aching violently. How could he bear to cause Lu Wan such pain? She was the apple of his eye. They had once shared so many beautiful hopes, but now...

Moreover, why would he truly want to go to war with Gongsun Zan? He knew that if war broke out, the Han Dynasty's newly-awakened hope, the slight improvement it had finally seen, would be instantly shattered, like a fragile piece of glass, slammed to the ground, shattering into countless pieces, never to be put back together again. Furthermore, this would truly be a betrayal of their master's earnest advice and guidance. Those teachings still seemed to echo in his ears, but now...

At this thought, Ma Chao felt a sharp blow to his heart, the pain so severe that he could barely breathe. He slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and, suppressing the excruciating pain in his heart, silently turned around and, dragging his legs, which felt like they were filled with lead, slowly returned to his seat. Every step he took seemed to exhaust all his strength, and his back, in the eyes of everyone, was filled with loneliness and helplessness.

Seeing Ma Chao quietly return to his seat, Lu Wan turned her gaze to Gongsun Zan again. With a hint of earnestness in her eyes, she softly said, "Brother Gongsun, please calm down and return to your seat. I, Junior Sister, have traveled thousands of miles, all the way back to Chang'an, just to pay my respects to my father. Now, Junior Sister, I would like to offer you a glass of wine on my father's behalf, as a token of my gratitude for all your hard work on his behalf."

However, Gongsun Zan remained stern and unmoved, as if Lu Wan's words had never reached his ears.

Liu Bei, realizing the situation was not looking good, quickly stepped forward, reached out and grasped Gongsun Zan's arm. With a broad smile on his face, he kindly advised, "Brother, now that Junior Brother Ma has returned to his seat, the situation has calmed down a bit. Please give us some space. We are all fellow disciples after all, so why make things so awkward? Why not just let this matter go? After all..."

Gongsun Zan suddenly swung his arms, broke free from Liu Bei's pull, and said with a gloomy face: "I will never give up! If I don't clarify this matter with Ma Chao today, how can I swallow my anger? Humph!" After that, he cast his angry eyes in the direction of Ma Chao, and it was clear that he was unwilling to give up.

Seeing Gongsun Zan's relentless defiance, Liu Bei grew increasingly nervous. His voice trembled unconsciously, even taking on a hint of pleading. He quickly said, "Brother, please stop while you're ahead! Look, although you've brought along those 100,000 Youzhou cavalrymen with you this time, and they certainly look impressive and impressive, you have to consider that Junior Brother Mengqi also has 40,000 to 50,000 Xiliang cavalrymen stationed outside Chang'an. Putting aside the question of whether you can win this battle, even if a fight does break out, Xiliang still has a full 300,000 cavalrymen ready to fight. How can we possibly withstand them with our current limited forces?"

As Liu Bei spoke, he anxiously observed Gongsun Zan's expression and continued to advise, "You've just clearly stated your request. The Emperor will undoubtedly consider it and make a decision. Please don't completely lose face now. If you do, we'll immediately be in for a major war, with disastrous consequences. Besides, you've come all the way from Youzhou, and your purpose isn't to start a war with Xiliang, right? Just consider it for the sake of Master and me, Liu Bei, and put this matter aside for now, okay?"

Gongsun Zan listened to Liu Bei's words, his brow furrowed slightly, a thoughtful look in his eyes. After a moment, he spoke with a hint of firmness, "Hmph! Forget it! For Master's sake and for your sake, Xuande, I won't bother with this ignorant junior brother." With that, he tossed his sleeves and strode back to his seat. His expression still held a hint of resentment, but at least he had managed to temporarily suppress the impending conflict.

At this time, the emperor saw that the situation had eased a little, and hurriedly ordered Lu Wan to pour fine wine for everyone, so as to further calm everyone's emotions.

Lu Wan followed his instructions. She first approached Gongsun Zan, personally picked up the wine glass, and offered it to him. Although Gongsun Zan had never taken Lu Wan seriously, considering her status as the imperial concubine, he found it difficult to refuse. He rose slightly, took the wine glass, and drank it all in one gulp, his gesture somewhat awkward and reluctant.

Lu Wan then approached Lü Bu and Wang Yun. The two had just witnessed a truly remarkable spectacle, yet their minds diverged. Lü Bu felt a pang of regret, secretly wondering why a real fight hadn't broken out. If so, the world would have been even more lively, and the spectacle would have been incredibly exciting. Wang Yun, on the other hand, was more thoughtful, pondering the deeper meaning behind the emperor's actions and what purpose he was attempting to achieve. However, both men appeared respectful and respectful, respectfully accepting Lu Wan's wine glasses and downing them in equal measure.

Soon, it was Liu Bei's turn. He had been terrified they would actually fight, but seeing the wine glass being offered to him, he quickly took it and said, "Thank you, Junior Sister." He paused, then continued, "I will certainly persuade Junior Brother Mengqi and do my best to calm their tempers. We must not let this war truly ignite." He then glanced at Ma Chao with a complicated expression and nodded gently, as if to reassure Lu Wan. Seeing this, Lu Wan also nodded gently in response, saying, "I'll take note of what you said, Senior Brother."