Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

After a long journey, Liu Bei and his companions returned to Chang'an, exhausted. While the army remained stationed outside, Liu Bei and his brothers, along with Lü Bu, led their generals to the imperial court. The court was solemn and dignified. The emperor sat on the dragon throne, flanked by eunuchs and civil and military officials.

After everyone had finished paying their respects, the Emperor, with a solemn expression, spoke slowly, "Since Dong Zhuo's reign, the people of the land have been plunged into dire straits, and I, too, am in deep distress. In the past, you have fought for me, risking your lives on the battlefield. With a single call, you led the various princes in a united effort to defeat the traitor Dong. The campaign was arduous and arduous, but you steadfastly steadfastly defeated the traitor Dong and restored some peace to the Han. I will remember your deeds in my heart."

The emperor paused, his eyes filled with worry. "I thought peace would reign from this point forward, and the people would live in happiness. However, Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao, with their wicked ambitions, disobeyed the king's orders and sought to establish their own territories, disrupting the government. The battlefields of Jizhou are shrouded in smoke, and the people are suffering. Liu Bei, you have a heart of righteousness, and you have used your virtue to gather talented people. At the Battle of Jieqiao, you devised a brilliant strategy, halting Yuan Shao's advance and hindering their siege, which greatly damaged their morale. Lü Bu, you are the bravest of the three armies. At the Battle of Longcou, you personally led your elite cavalry, descending like a divine force from the sky, directly attacking Yuan Shu's army, forcing them to flee in panic."

Liu Bei hurried out and knelt respectfully, "Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your praise. This is all thanks to your wisdom. I have only been diligently following your orders and working alongside the other officers and men. I do not dare to take any credit for it."

Lü Bu clasped his fists in salute, his voice resounding like a bell: "I am deeply grateful for your Majesty's kindness. I will serve you with all my heart and soul, crushing the rebellion and restoring the Han Dynasty's glory!"

The emperor nodded slightly with a look of satisfaction on his face, and continued, "The soldiers under your two beloved ministers also risked their lives on the battlefield of Jizhou and fought bloody battles for the Han Dynasty. They are all the white jade pillars that support the sky and the purple gold beams that span the sea of ​​our Han Dynasty. Today I will reward you two beloved ministers and your soldiers. I hope that you will be more loyal in the future and ensure that our Han Dynasty will be forever stable." After that, the emperor ordered people to read out the reward edict. The rewards included everything from gold, silver, treasures to fertile fields and beautiful houses. When the soldiers heard it, they all knelt to thank him and shouted "Long live the Han Dynasty."

The court meeting ended, and the ministers filed out. Liu Bei and Lü Bu were about to return to their quarters when a palace guard hurried over and whispered the emperor's message, inviting Liu Bei, his brothers, Lü Bu, and Wang Yun to the inner hall for a secret meeting.

The men exchanged glances, each a flicker of doubt, but nonetheless immediately followed the guards. In the inner hall, the emperor dismissed his attendants, his expression solemn. After everyone had finished their formalities, the emperor spoke, "I have summoned you today to discuss an important matter."

Wang Yun frowned slightly, then bowed first and asked, "Your Majesty, what exactly is causing you to be so cautious?"

The emperor looked at the crowd and said slowly, "The situation is complicated now. Ma Chao and Sun Ce are growing in power, and I am deeply worried. You are all my trusted ministers. Do you have any good strategies to deal with this?"

The atmosphere in the inner hall was slightly solemn and oppressive. After the emperor expressed his concerns about the power of Ma Chao and Sun Ce, Liu Bei bowed slightly, his expression respectful and sincere. He slowly said, "Your Majesty, Ma Chao is my fellow disciple. We both studied under Master Lu. Master Lu has lived an upright life, teaching us through words and deeds, and has deeply instilled the principles of loyalty and righteousness in us. Ma Chao has been carefully nurtured by our master for many years, and he will certainly not commit any acts of rebellion."

"Your Majesty, Ma Chao previously fought alongside Sun Ce on the battlefields of Yangzhou, bravely facing danger. With their extraordinary strategy and fearless courage, they successfully defeated and slew Yuan Shu, completely dismantling this devastating power and freeing the people of the Jianghuai region from suffering. Now, Ma Chao is joining forces with our army to jointly confront Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao is an ambitious and self-important individual, intent on usurping the Han throne. His wicked ambitions are known to all, and he has become a grave threat to our Han dynasty."

"Ma Chao's Xiliang cavalry are exceptionally elite, possessing incredible combat effectiveness. With his assistance, we have a much better chance of victory against Yuan Shao. Yet, Your Majesty is wary of Ma Chao, which I find incomprehensible. Now is a crucial time for our concerted efforts to defeat Yuan Shao. Ma Chao is devoted to the Han. To be suspicious of him would not only chill the morale of Ma Chao and the Xiliang soldiers, but could also give Yuan Shao an opportunity to exploit. The gain is simply not worth the loss."

The atmosphere within the inner hall was as heavy and oppressive as frozen frost. Upon hearing Liu Bei's words, Emperor Liu Bian let a slightly bitter smile cross his face and spoke slowly, "Uncle, I know you are truly sincere and solely concerned for the good of the court. But how can everyone in this world be as loyal and devoted as you, serving the court and striving for the well-being of the nation?"

Liu Bian paused slightly, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes that was difficult to conceal. He continued, "Take Ma Chao for example. Uncle, do you still remember? For Empress Lu Wan, he completely disregarded the etiquette between monarch and subject and openly turned against me. I can still vividly remember the way he intimidated me. I considered that he might have been impulsive, but for the sake of the greater good and the stability of the Han court, I swallowed my anger and endured all of this."

"But his actions on the battlefield in Yangzhou are truly unforgiving to me. Not to mention his sworn brother Sun Ce's unauthorized execution of a close relative, Liu Yao. As a member of the Han royal family, even if Liu Yao committed a crime, he should be dealt with according to the law. What right did he have to decide his life or death?" Liu Bian's voice unconsciously rose a few degrees, tinged with anger and helplessness. "During the entire battle, no matter how intense and urgent the fighting, he never submitted a single report to the court. I was completely unaware of the fighting on the front lines and was filled with anxiety."

"After finally waiting for news of victory, he took matters into his own hands and executed Yuan Shu. While Yuan Shu's blatant defiance of the imperial court was heinous, he acted recklessly, without consulting the court. The siege of Yangzhou has been lifted, but what about the land itself? It's now completely in the hands of Ma Chao and Sun Ce. Uncle, consider this carefully: how is his behavior any different from that of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, who wielded their own military might and plotted rebellion? While ostensibly serving the imperial court, he's secretly expanding his own sphere of influence. How can I not be wary of him?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's heart tightened, but his expression showed a hint of understanding. He slowly knelt, his expression solemn and sincere, and methodically expounded his thoughts: "Your Majesty, please calm down. I have indeed heard what you are saying, but there may be a misunderstanding. Junior Brother Ma Chao and I once studied together under Master Lu. Master Lu's teachings were as heavy as a mountain. How could he easily forget them? His argument with Your Majesty over the Empress was purely due to youthful impulsiveness."

Liu Bei raised his eyes slightly, a trace of thought in his gaze as he continued, "At the time, I secretly thought to myself, Your Majesty cares about the world. For the sake of the stability of the country, there is really no need to confront a minister who commands a large military force over a woman. Wouldn't it have been a better strategy to win her over, appease her, show her kindness, and make her more loyal to Your Majesty? Thinking about it now, Your Majesty's approach at the time, while majestic, was somewhat lacking in weighing the pros and cons."

"Let's talk about Sun Ce's killing of Liu Yao. Prior to this, Sun Ce's father, Sun Wentai, had been killed by Liu Biao, and Liu Yao had colluded with Liu Biao, who had even loaned him troops to help him fight against Sun Ce. To avenge his father, and given this complex situation, it was understandable that Sun Ce killed Liu Yao. It was understandable, indeed."

"As for Ma Chao's execution of Yuan Shu, Yuan Shu had long been an enemy of the imperial court. Ostensibly attacking Liu Yao, he was actually gathering his own forces and attempting to establish his own territorial power. He had long been a public enemy. Ma Chao's execution, while not seeking Your Majesty's prior approval, was a violation of protocol, was not wrong in the interests of justice. His single-minded desire to eliminate this scourge for the imperial court was a testament to his loyalty."

"Finally, regarding the failure to transmit battle reports to Your Majesty, Yangzhou is a long way from Chang'an, and military situations are changing rapidly. Any delay could result in missed opportunities. Ma Chao, perhaps concerned about the overall situation, poured all his energy into the battle, thus failing to transmit military information in a timely manner. I hope Your Majesty will understand this."

In the inner hall, candlelight flickered, and Emperor Liu Bian's face appeared particularly solemn in the interplay of light and shadow. After hearing Liu Bei's words of comfort for Ma Chao, he shook his head gently and sighed deeply, his tone filled with worry and helplessness: "Uncle, you always assume too much of others. This Ma Chao, is this the first time he has arbitrarily killed a member of the royal family?"

Liu Bian narrowed his eyes slightly, lost in memories. "Back then, Liu Yan of Yizhou sent his two sons, commanded by the Yizhou army, to come to the defense of the emperor, fighting against the traitor Dong Zhuo. They were sincere, determined to protect the Han dynasty. But Ma Chao, at the time, was loyal to Dong Zhuo, a willing lackey. Even in those circumstances, he had the audacity to murder Liu Yan's two sons. Remember, Master Lu Zhi was still alive at the time! Even with Master Lu Zhi's guidance and prestige, he still dared to commit such a heinous act. And now that Master Lu Zhi is gone, there are even fewer people left in the world who can restrain him."

"If I hadn't married Lu Wan as my empress and leveraged the Lu family's bond with Ma Chao, how could he have been willing to serve me? His obedience was conditional, not pure loyalty." Liu Bian's voice rose unconsciously, his emotions growing more agitated. "Look at the situation now. Ma Chao is on the rise, and with his sworn brother Sun Ce, their forces complement each other. If they harbored ulterior motives and attempted rebellion, the harm they would cause would be even greater than that of Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao. Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao may be ambitious, but when it comes to military strength and strategy, how can Ma Chao and Sun Ce be inferior?"

"Ma Chao now commands a large army and occupies key positions. His Xiliang cavalry gallops across the land. His power is expanding at a rate even greater than that of Dong Zhuo, who wreaked havoc on the world. How can I easily ignore such a figure and such a force? If he harbors any evil intentions, the Han Dynasty will be plunged into irreparable ruin once again. Uncle, you must understand my difficulties and concerns!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was secretly shocked, but his expression became even more respectful. After a moment of contemplation, he kowtowed again. "Your Majesty is wise and far-sighted. I, ignorant, do not know all of this. However, I still believe that everyone has the potential to reform. Ma Chao's adherence to Dong Zhuo may have been forced by difficult circumstances. At that time, the world was in turmoil, and the various forces were intertwined. As a young man, he may have been swept along by the situation and led astray. Now, times have changed, and Ma Chao has regained his sense of purpose. His loyalty and bravery in the fight against Yuan Shu clearly demonstrate his loyalty to the Han Dynasty."

"As for Sun Ce, although he and Ma Chao are sworn brothers, he has his sights set on Jiangdong and may not necessarily ally with Ma Chao in anything that would endanger the imperial court. While their power is growing, if we can summon them with righteousness, offer them imperial rewards, and guide them to serve Your Majesty, they might become a powerful ally of the Han Dynasty."

"Your Majesty is worried that their expanding power will threaten the court. This is human nature. I think it would be a good idea to place the court's confidants in the army, nominally to assist but actually to supervise. At the same time, reward the soldiers in their army according to their merits, divide their internal forces, and make them more dependent on the court. In this way, we can not only bring their strength into play to fight against Yuan Shao, but also ensure that the court has no worries." Liu Bei spoke sincerely, with sweat oozing from his forehead. He knew that this matter was of great importance and concerned the future direction of the Han Dynasty. He dared not slack off in the slightest. He only hoped that the emperor would listen to his heartfelt words.