Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The emperor, from his high position, overlooked the disputes among various factions. He had mixed feelings about Liu Bei. Liu Bei's good-natured personality irked the emperor, who felt he was too lenient and gentle, lacking decisiveness and dominance.

However, it must be said that the emperor never questioned Liu Bei's loyalty. Liu Bei was renowned for his loyalty and honesty, and more importantly, he was a descendant of the Han Dynasty, carrying the blood of the Han dynasty. This status was particularly important at this critical moment in recruiting talent. Furthermore, Liu Bei had risen from the grassroots, without a deep family background to rely on. Therefore, in the eyes of the emperor, he was a man he could rely on with confidence.

The emperor was well aware of the current state of affairs within the imperial clan. Most of the members were mediocre, with few capable of distinguishing themselves. Those who accrued even a modicum of power harbored ulterior motives, harboring all sorts of illicit ambitions. They cared nothing for the future of the Han Dynasty, only seeking greater personal gain.

But Liu Bei was different. He and his two sworn brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, were both deeply loyal to the Han Dynasty and held the prestigious status of royal relatives. Furthermore, they had risen through the ranks from the grassroots. This experience had given them a deep understanding of the suffering of the people and a deeper appreciation for these hard-won opportunities. They were undoubtedly grateful to the Emperor and the Han Dynasty, dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to their service. Therefore, the Emperor felt truly at ease in appointing Liu Bei.

Looking at the current situation, Ma Chao, Gongsun Zan, and Lü Bu have formed a three-way confrontation. The emperor, relying on his wisdom and strategic strategy, skillfully employs balancing tactics to control each of these three factions, preventing any of them from acting rashly. Although Liu Bei's current forces are extremely limited, they are far from enough to form a fourth force capable of countering these three. However, the emperor holds the title of righteousness, and with Liu Bei's forces, he can manipulate these three forces at will.

Under the emperor's meticulous planning, Liu Bei was like a hidden gem. Whenever the timing was right, the emperor could call the shots and have Liu Bei join one faction. Leveraging his status as emperor and the influence he brought, he could effectively suppress the other two, thus maintaining the balance among the three factions. Because of this, while some of Liu Bei's behavior slightly displeased the emperor, he was generally very tolerant of him. After all, in this treacherous situation, Liu Bei played a unique and indispensable role.

In the court, the atmosphere was subtly tense. The emperor, seated on the dragon throne, glanced casually at Liu Bei below him. The two instantly understood each other, and then they began their long-agreed "drama," chorusing in unison to pressure Lü Bu, their sole aim being to force him to deploy his troops.

Even though Lü Bu was extremely reluctant and wanted to drag his feet, the current situation didn't allow him to do so. Gongsun Zan and Ma Chao's troops had already left Chang'an for the battlefield, leaving only Lü Bu dawdling. He simply couldn't come up with any more excuses to shirk his responsibility.

Liu Bei, on the other hand, volunteered with an extremely sincere and positive attitude, which put Lü Bu in an awkward position and made it difficult for him to refuse. Lü Bu had no choice but to bite the bullet and make excuses, saying that he was seriously short of military equipment and supplies, and that Bingzhou was in turmoil and there was no way he could collect enough food and fodder to supply the expedition.

The emperor was exceptionally generous and immediately ordered Xun Yu to replenish the necessary food and fodder for Lü Bu's army. This time, Xun Yu did not procrastinate as usual and simply provided Lü Bu's army with a certain amount of food and fodder as support.

At this point, Lu Bu saw that he could no longer deny it and could only reluctantly embark on the expedition.

As soon as Lu Bu left, Liu Bei hurriedly bid farewell to the emperor, saying that he would leave for the battlefield that very day. However, the emperor kept Liu Bei and insisted on taking him to a secret room for a detailed discussion.

In the palace's secret chamber, a mysterious silence permeated the air. The emperor solemnly addressed Liu Bei, "Uncle, when you go to Jizhou this time, don't expect to win instantly. We don't seek a quick victory. Just drag it out as long as possible, fight the battle slowly and steadily, and conserve your strength. The original goal was to prevent the Yuan brothers from rapidly growing stronger. Furthermore, you, uncle, must seize this opportunity to recruit more troops to expand your own strength. You've seen that while Ma Chao, Gongsun Zan, and Lu Bu appear to be loyal to the court on the surface, in reality, each of them harbors their own ulterior motives. Let them fight to their heart's content. Uncle, you only need to cheer them on from the sidelines. We must not let the little strength we've worked so hard to build up in Chang'an be utterly wasted."

Liu Bei was completely bewildered as he listened, feeling overwhelmed. He wondered to himself, "The emperor wants them to fight the Yuan brothers, yet he's just sitting there watching. This looks like a deliberate attempt to drain the court's resources." So, with a puzzled look on his face, Liu Bei said, "Your Majesty, aren't you wasting the court's resources with this arrangement?"

The emperor listened to Liu Bei's words and only chuckled softly. Then he slowly said, "The power of the imperial court? Uncle, you must have misunderstood. Ma Chao, Gongsun Zan, and Lü Bu possess the power of Xiliang, Youzhou, and Bingzhou, respectively. Although Chang'an nominally commands them and they are all under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, in reality, how many of them truly serve the imperial court? The imperial court's greatest enemy right now is the Yuan brothers. If we can delay their development, they will both be exhausted after a period of time. If the Yuan brothers are unable to develop, we can also weaken the power of these three parties. In this way, the imperial court will have absolute control. Uncle, you are too kind. Some things need to be more thorough."

Liu Bei was stunned by the emperor's thoughts, and kept muttering to himself, "How can I go to war like this?" The battle hadn't even started yet, but his mind was already in a mess.

In this way, Liu Bei was full of doubts and confusion, and was still in a daze, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to the complicated guerrilla battlefield.

After sending off all the relevant troops from all sides and officially starting the war, the emperor finally had some free time. But who could have imagined that once the emperor had some free time, the anger that had been forcibly suppressed in his heart, like a long-suppressed underground fire, began to slowly rise.

Ultimately, it was Ma Chao's actions during this period that had deeply displeased the Emperor. This all started with Lu Wan. After all, Lu Wan was the Empress of the Han Dynasty, a position of such noble honor. But Ma Chao, for some unknown reason, completely disregarded the fact that Lu Wan was now Empress. Just because they had a previous relationship, he was still so passionate about her, showing no regard for others, as if he had no regard for the palace's rules or the opinions of others.

In the emperor's twisted mind, Lu Wan, now empress, should sever all ties with the past and serve him peacefully. Ma Chao's actions were a blatant challenge to his authority. Therefore, the emperor secretly resolved to completely capture Lu Wan, making her his own, completely and solely devoted to him.

But that wasn't all. The emperor not only wanted to capture Lu Wan, but also to continue using Ma Chao and keeping him in his service. Furthermore, he wanted to keep Ma Chao under his thumb, imposing a demeanor that said, "I'm clearly bullying you, so you must be respectful and obedient." Perhaps this was the inherent pride and arrogance of being a member of the Han royal family.

However, the emperor never seemed to truly consider that Lu Wan and Ma Chao had originally been a loving couple, yet it was he who, in order to control Ma Chao, had intervened, resorting to all sorts of tactics, and only then had Lu Wan been forcibly acquired. Now, not only did he not feel he had done anything wrong, but he had intensified his actions, not only continuing to suppress Ma Chao but also treating him with a condescending and wanton bullying attitude. It truly made one sigh at the complex and tangled palace situation and the fickleness of human nature.

The emperor summoned Wang Yue and Shi A, master and disciple, to his presence. Wang Yue was a renowned figure in the martial arts world, possessing exceptional martial arts skills, but his personality was flawed, with a tendency towards bureaucracy. Shi A, on the other hand, was a disciple he had recruited during his wanderings in Luoyang. Born in the marketplace, he spent his early years struggling in the city. While he had developed considerable skills while working alongside Wang Yue, his manners remained somewhat more bourgeois. Now recruited by the emperor as a bodyguard, they remained inseparable, serving the emperor together.

The emperor's face was solemn, with a hint of doubt in his eyes. He asked, "Earlier, you two told me that you had a way to deal with Dian Wei. Can this be accomplished now? Please don't let me get away with it."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yue and Shi A felt an overwhelming surge of eagerness. Master and disciple had truly dedicated themselves to this matter, expending immense energy and time on planning and preparation. They had spent countless hours day and night pondering various strategies, repeatedly rehearsing possible scenarios, eagerly anticipating the emperor's inquiries.

At that moment, the two of them couldn't help but look at each other, and they saw excitement and anticipation in each other's eyes. In that instant, they already knew in their hearts that this opportunity had finally come, and it was finally their turn as master and disciple to perform such a great deed before the emperor.

The Emperor's request to deal with Dian Wei is actually a hidden conspiracy against Lu Wan. The master and disciple are well aware of Dian Wei's importance to Lu Wan. If Dian Wei can be eliminated, Lu Wan will be like losing a powerful arm, and many things will be much easier. At this moment, this carefully planned conspiracy is about to begin, but once it unfolds, what kind of storm will it unleash in the palace?