Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

In this brightly lit yet solemn palace, Emperor Liu Bian was consumed with anxiety. He knew full well that the situation surrounding Wang Yue and his apprentice, as well as Dian Wei, was crucial to the current situation, so he quickly dispatched his eunuchs to investigate. As for himself, he paced back and forth in the empty palace, his footsteps echoing in the silence, yet his heart remained restless, like an ant on the hot pan.

Just then, a faint commotion erupted from outside, drawing nearer and shattering the already tense silence. A moment later, a eunuch hurried in, announcing, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. Princess Gongsun...she hasn't consumed the medicinal food. Instead, she's coming angrily towards us with a group of palace maids." The eunuch's voice trembled slightly, clearly frightened by Princess Gongsun's aura.

As he was speaking, Princess Gongsun rushed in. Her delicate face was distorted by anger, and her beautiful eyes were full of rage, as if they could spit out fire. She rushed to Liu Bian in a few steps, pointed at his nose and shouted loudly: "Liu Bian, stop pretending to care for me! Don't forget that my father and I have gone through life and death for you, and how much help have we provided you? How many times have we stood up for you in times of crisis? But you, on the other hand, use sweet words to deceive us on weekdays. Now you bring some medicinal food and want to get rid of me? Humph, I have eaten all kinds of delicacies in Gongsun Mansion. Do you care about your stuff? Do you think you can buy me off with this little thing? I have seen a lot of the world, and I don't care about your tricks!" The more Concubine Gongsun spoke, the angrier she became. Her mouth was like a machine gun, cursing non-stop, and her noisy voice echoed throughout the palace.

Seeing this, Liu Bian secretly groaned inwardly, but he had to force himself to keep a straight face. He patiently said to her, "Alas, my beloved, you really misunderstood me. The reason I let you use the medicinal food is because I am truly worried about your health. You see, I specifically ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare it carefully, hoping that you could take good care of yourself. Moreover, I was also worried that if I only sent it to you, the Empress would have some opinions, so I sent a portion to her as well. How could I not know how hard you and your daughter have worked for me? However, the state affairs are difficult now, and the forces of all parties are complicated. I am worried every day, and it is inevitable that there are some things I can't take into account. I hope you can understand my difficulties."

But Princess Gongsun refused to listen and continued to argue relentlessly, "What do I understand about you? Tell me, what is it about you that deserves my understanding? What is your attitude towards me and my daughter on a normal day? When you need us, you use all kinds of sweet words to coax us around. But when you don't need us anymore, you immediately change your face and show all kinds of disgust. Humph, don't think I can't see through your little tricks!"

Seeing this, Liu Bian knew that if he didn't fool Concubine Gongsun completely, there would be no peace today. So he hurriedly continued to persuade her gently, with a flattering smile on his face. He walked forward and gently took Concubine Gongsun's hand, saying: "My dear, please calm down. You see, you are getting sick from anger, and I am so distressed. I know that you may have been wronged in some places before, but I have always valued you and your father-in-law. This medicinal meal is just a small token of my appreciation. I just want you to replenish your body so that you can have the strength to help me deal with the complicated state affairs. Think about it, in this court, those ministers have different thoughts. Who else can I really trust besides you and your daughter? So, please don't get angry with me because of this little thing, okay?"

After hearing Liu Bian's words, Concubine Gongsun's expression softened slightly, but she still snorted coldly, "Humph, you only know how to say nice things."

Seeing this, Liu Bian quickly struck while the iron was hot and continued, "My beloved, I am speaking from the heart. Look, I am not worried about your health. You must recover as soon as possible so that you can give birth to a prince. As long as you give birth to a prince, I will make him the crown prince. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Concubine Gongsun's heart wavered. After all, she was already married to the Emperor, so even if she felt unhappy, what could she do? The temptation of her child being crowned Crown Prince was too great for her to resist. She curled her lips slightly and said, "Hmph, that's more than enough. But I'm telling you, if you dare break your promise, I'll show you how I'll deal with you!"

Liu Bian nodded hurriedly and replied, "Don't worry, my beloved concubine. My words are as good as gold and I will never go back on them. My beloved concubine must be tired now. Go back and rest quickly. I will have someone send you some fun toys to entertain you."

Only then did Empress Gongsun turn around and leave with her maids in satisfaction. Liu Bian looked at her receding back and breathed a sigh of relief, secretly glad that he had finally fooled Empress Gongsun away, so as not to ruin the good things he was planning next.

Another half hour passed in agonizing waiting, each moment feeling like a year for Emperor Liu Bian. Unsure about the potency of the medicine, the emperor secretly took out another so-called miracle cure, a popular aphrodisiac that contained a bit of Wu Shi San. Finally, the hurried footsteps of the eunuchs were heard, followed by an urgent report: "Your Majesty, I just checked. Master Wang Yue and his apprentice are drunk and staggering, and I'm afraid they're not in their right mind. And Dian Wei is also drunk as a draught, snoring deafeningly."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian felt relieved, and a fierce yet triumphant expression instantly appeared on his face. "Hmph, everything has gone according to plan. Those annoying guys have been completely subdued. Nothing can ruin his plans anymore."

Thinking of meeting Lu Wan, Liu Bian's eyes instantly turned cold and sinister. Lu Wan, ah Lu Wan, the woman who made him hate and irritate him. Every time he saw her feigning weakness, Liu Bian felt a surge of inexplicable anger in his heart. Why did she always look so pitiful, as if everyone in the world was unfair to her? It was really disgusting.

On the hurried journey to Lu Wan's palace, Liu Bian's mind was filled with thoughts of how to torture her. He thought that when he saw Lu Wan later, he would definitely slap her hard, making her innocent face swell up. Then he would see how she could pretend to be so arrogant in front of him. He wanted to force out all the little thoughts she usually hid and let her know the disastrous consequences of offending him.

He even imagined Lu Wan begging for mercy in terror, her tears streaming down her face. But so what? It would only make him feel better. Liu Bian felt that only by torturing Lu Wan could he alleviate his hatred. Hadn't she always relied on Ma Chao's power, feeling proud and arrogant? Today, he would let her know that in his presence, she was nothing, helpless to be manipulated and humiliated by him.

Thinking of this, Liu Bian quickened his pace and rushed towards Lu Wan's palace with two eunuchs. He looked so impatient, as if he would not be able to vent his resentment if he was a moment late.

The more Emperor Liu Bian thought about the burning heat within him, the more difficult it became to suppress. It was as if a raging fire was burning within him, yet he could find no outlet. The aphrodisiac he had taken earlier was now causing him unbearable pain. The drug's effects surged through his body, leaving him in a state of extreme arousal and agony. The urgency and discomfort were like a caged beast, frantically pounding against its cage, desperate to break free.

He kept imagining Lu Wan's appearance in the room, thinking that her delicate figure might already be in a state of disarray. Humph, when she saw him coming, wouldn't she pounce on him like a hungry wolf? Just thinking about it filled Liu Bian with a twisted sense of pleasure, as if it could slightly alleviate the unbearable heat within him. To be honest, the Five Stones Powder in the elixir had already left him somewhat dazed, but he didn't notice it at all.

Liu Bian hurried to Lu Wan's palace with his eunuchs. However, the scene that greeted him startled him slightly. He saw that the outside of the palace was completely dark, without a single light coming out. The whole house was silent, and the courtyard was also cold and gloomy, revealing an indescribable gloom.

But Liu Bian was so consumed by his evil fire and the thought of torturing Lu Wan that he didn't think much further. He waved to the eunuch, who understood and hurried to the palace. Liu Bian followed, and without a word, he kicked the palace door open.

A loud bang sounded, abrupt and unexpected in the still night. Lu Wan, already awake, had sensed something fishy about what had happened today. The sudden noise startled her, and she sat up in bed. Instinctively, she reached for her pillow, clutching the dagger she usually used for self-defense. With eyes wide open and a face filled with terror, she called out to the door, "Who is it?" Her voice trembled, echoing through the empty palace, a wave of dread.

Emperor Liu Bian was still lost in his own twisted fantasies, his mind still swirling around Lu Wan's miserable state. The lust ignited by the aphrodisiac he'd taken earlier had completely clouded his mind, driving him mad and out of control.

He had an obscene smile on his face and laughed wildly: "Hahaha, I am the queen. Are you feeling hot and unbearable now? Come on, if you come and beg me obediently, I will be merciful and give you relief, so that you can have a good taste of my power, hahaha." After that, he waved his hand and signaled the eunuchs to quickly light up all the lights in the room.

The eunuchs, not wanting to delay, quickly and skillfully lit the candles one by one. In an instant, the lights came on, and a soft glow filled the room. The bright light reflected on Emperor Liu Bian's face, revealing his lustful expression. It looked especially hideous and hideous, as if the one standing there wasn't a monarch, but a demon driven by lust.