Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Liu Bei frowned slightly, his tone filled with sadness as he spoke, "Third brother, the emperor is indeed clever, but he always likes to take risks and play with people's hearts. How can he truly convince people with such behavior? Take Ma Chao, for example. Ma Chao is upright and brave, always caring about the people. He is a rare and powerful general. But the emperor used the matter of that woman as an excuse to control Ma Chao, causing Ma Chao to feel resentment and gradually alienate him. Is this the behavior of a wise ruler?"

Zhang Fei snorted and said disdainfully, "Brother, how can you call Ma Chao a good man? He once threatened the emperor. We can't compare ourselves to such a traitor."

Liu Bei patiently explained, "Third brother, although in that situation, women's affairs may not seem to be a big deal to others, and I have never taken women's affairs very seriously. But the emperor used this as an excuse to control Ma Chao, causing Ma Chao to feel resentful and gradually alienate himself. Originally, the situation in the world was relatively good, with a bright future, but the emperor insisted on manipulating people's hearts like this. If this continues, peace in the world will be difficult to achieve. The vast territory of the Han Dynasty should have been a place where all generals were united and the people were happy. Now, due to the manipulation of people's hearts, it has become shaky. How can we not be heartbroken? The three of us brothers have made the ambition to support the Han Dynasty. In this chaotic world, we must work hard to clear away the fog and find the true path to peace. But how easy is that!"

Gongsun Zan's mood had been utterly awful lately. Ever since his repeated requests for grain had failed, he'd felt like a heavy stone was weighing on his heart, and the more he thought about it, the worse it felt. Back then, the emperor had made so many promises to him, pouring sweet nothings into his ears like it was free, coaxing him into a frenzy. He'd even thought he'd finally found his footing, that he could work with the emperor on a grand project and reap a ton of tangible rewards.

But what was the result? He had brought a full 100,000 troops to support him this time, showing such sincerity and determination! He had hoped to gain some practical benefits for himself. For example, the emperor had hinted that if Gongsun Zan served well, the position of empress would most likely fall to his family. But what was the result? Even now, there is no sign of her, and the position of empress was taken away by someone else.

That would have been fine, but they denied him even the most basic food and fodder supplies. After all, the army needs food before it can move. Without it, how could these 100,000 soldiers fight? How could they risk their lives for the emperor? Gongsun Zan felt like a fool being played around with. The flames of anger in his heart surged upward, burning in his chest, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

After much deliberation, Gongsun Zan decided that since he couldn't get any firm answers from the emperor, he might as well go see his daughter. After all, she was in the palace, and given Gongsun Zan's status, there was nothing wrong with him visiting his daughter. So, Gongsun Zan arranged a trip to the palace to meet his daughter.

As soon as the father and daughter met, Gongsun Zan couldn't help but pour out all his grievances and dissatisfaction. Princess Gongsun felt a mixture of emotions as she listened to her father's words. Having spent so long in the palace, she had a good understanding of the emperor's temperament. She knew that while the emperor usually appeared pleasant and affable, she had to carefully consider how much of his words were sincere and how much were just flattery to achieve his own goals.

She took her father's hand and whispered, "Father, during my time in the palace, I've seen clearly that this emperor isn't as kind as he claims. He's a man of deep thoughts, and he mostly acts out of his own self-interest. While he sometimes values ​​our Gongsun family, he mostly exploits us. I must be extremely careful in everything I do in the palace, and I dare not trust him too much."

Gongsun Zan's daughter was known for her domineering personality. While she had to restrain herself somewhat in the palace, her inherent pride remained. After hearing her father's words and learning about her family's experiences both inside and outside the palace, her pride felt like it had been harshly trampled upon, instantly hurting her. She had thought that with the Emperor's support, she would be able to bring honor to the Gongsun family, but she hadn't expected this to happen. She gritted her teeth, feeling a surge of resentment towards the Emperor.

Gongsun Zan's face was solemn, and he lowered his voice to his daughter, saying, "My daughter, you must remember that in the current situation, the most important thing is to give birth to a prince with His Majesty as soon as possible. Only in this way can our Gongsun family maintain its power in the court, unrivaled. After all, the emperor himself promised that if you can give birth to a prince, he will be made crown prince. When that happens, our Gongsun family will be truly honored." After saying this, Gongsun Zan stared at his daughter, his eyes filled with anxiety, and urged her, "You must hurry and make this happen as soon as possible."

Upon hearing her father's words, Concubine Gongsun felt a pang of grief. The long-simmering grievances suddenly surged up within her, and she couldn't help but burst into tears. Sobbing and choking, she began to speak, "Father, you don't know. When we first got married, even though His Majesty lived with me, he never touched me. He was either busy handling court affairs or discussing this and that with the ministers. We rarely had a genuine conversation. Gradually, he became even more distant from me. Now, he lives almost entirely alone. It's difficult for me to even see him. How could I possibly conceive a child?"

Upon hearing his daughter's sobbing, Gongsun Zan's face flushed with rage. His eyes widened as he roared, "This emperor is clearly toying with my Gongsun family by acting this way! I was so loyal to him, leading a hundred thousand troops to serve him, and yet he hasn't won the position of empress for us, nor has he provided us with sufficient food and fodder. Now he's even treating you so perfunctorily. Humph!"

The father and daughter expressed their dissatisfaction with the emperor one after another, and their good impression of the emperor gradually decreased until it disappeared completely.

Gongsun Zan angrily flung his sleeves and left the palace. The rustle of his robe in the wind seemed to speak of his rage. He hurried, each step carrying a tremendous force, stomping heavily on the palace corridors, making a dull sound that echoed the rage within him.

After exiting the palace, the sunlight shone down on him, but it offered no warmth at all. He felt a chill running through his body, a bone-chilling chill from being deeply hurt by the emperor's perfunctory and calculating treatment. He mounted his warhorse, gripping the reins tightly until his fingers turned white, as if only this could vent the raging rage within him.

Along the way, Gongsun Zan replayed his conversation with his daughter in the palace. Her aggrieved cries still seemed to echo in his ears. "Your Majesty didn't understand me when we first got married, and now he's even more distant. How can I conceive a dragon child..." Every word cut through his heart like a sharp blade. He was filled with resentment towards the emperor. He had come here with a hundred thousand troops, thinking he would be able to follow the emperor and achieve great things, bringing unparalleled glory to the Gongsun family. But what happened now? The position of empress was gone, there were no food and fodder supplies, and even his daughter was being neglected in the palace. All of this made him feel like a complete fool, toyed with by the emperor.

He galloped towards the camp, the dust kicked up by his horse's hooves billowing behind him, as if he could no longer suppress his desire to return home. After returning to the camp, he rushed straight into the tent, and his imposing presence scared the surrounding soldiers out of the way.

As soon as he entered the tent, Gongsun Zan shouted loudly: "Come here, listen to me! Prepare for the expedition quickly, we will go back to Youzhou now, without any delay!" His voice echoed in the tent with unquestionable majesty.

Upon hearing this, the generals were somewhat surprised, but they did not dare to ask further questions and hurriedly took orders and left. Gongsun Zan paced back and forth in the tent, his eyes revealing determination and unwillingness. He thought of the land of Youzhou that he had managed for many years. There were his roots, his people, and the soldiers he could trust. In this court, he finally saw the true face of the emperor. This was not a place where he could make a difference. Rather than being schemed against and humiliated here, it would be better to return to Youzhou and guard his own piece of land, rather than being tossed around in the whirlpool of the imperial palace.

Soon, preparations for the expedition were largely complete. Gongsun Zan emerged from the tent, looking at the neatly arrayed troops and the gradual loading of food and supplies onto the carts. He finally calmed down a bit. He mounted his horse, gazed toward Youzhou in the distance, his eyes filled with determination, and shouted, "Let's go! Let's return to Youzhou!"

With a single command, the army marched off in a mighty procession. The clatter of hooves and footsteps blended like a stirring melody as they advanced towards Youzhou. Astride his horse, Gongsun Zan vowed to himself that upon his return to Youzhou, he would manage the affairs of the state diligently and never again allow himself or the Gongsun family to suffer such humiliation. As for the disputes surrounding the emperor and the court, he no longer wished to meddle in them. He simply wished to preserve his own world and live a carefree and carefree life.

Gongsun Zan's sudden departure was like a huge rock dropped into a calm lake, instantly causing an uproar in the palace. When Liu Xie and Xun Yu heard the news, they panicked and hurried to meet the emperor to discuss countermeasures.

The emperor, in fact, already knew about Gongsun Zan's meeting and conversation with his daughter in the palace. At this moment, facing the anxious and worried faces of Liu Xie and Xun Yu, he seemed quite calm.

Xun Yu stood aside, frowning, and said worriedly: "Your Majesty, Gongsun Zan's leaving without saying goodbye this time is really worrying. I am worried that his behavior may make him have second thoughts. What should we do in the future?" As he spoke, he couldn't help but shake his head slightly, his face full of worry.