Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

A flash of panic crossed Wang Jie's face, but it disappeared in an instant. Instead, he stiffened his neck, his chest heaving violently, and shouted at the top of his voice: "Ma Chao, you are so bold! How dare you draw your sword in front of the emperor? Do you have any respect for the law? What? Come and kill me if you have the guts! Do you think that by killing me, you can cover up the shameful things between you and the queen? Can you stop the people from talking about it?" As he spoke, he moved forward with a fearless look, completely ignoring the fact that the tip of the sword, flashing with cold light, was almost touching his throat. At this moment, Wang Jie's eyes flashed with madness. He knew that every word he said was heartbreaking, and he wanted to force Ma Chao into a desperate situation to achieve his ulterior motive.

The banquet was in chaos. All the officials retreated in fear, some even hid behind the tables, only daring to stick their heads out to watch.

The emperor stood up suddenly and shouted at Wang Jie, "Wang Jie, stop talking nonsense! How can you be so presumptuous in the court?" Then he changed the subject and advised Ma Chao, "Marquis Wei, put down your sword first. Don't be impulsive and hurt the harmony." As he spoke, he paced forward, seemingly trying to reconcile, but in fact he was pressing forward step by step.

The emperor then turned his gaze to Lu Wan, who knelt on the ground. A look of helplessness and heartache appeared on his face as he slowly spoke, "Empress, I have always believed in your virtue and your concern for the greater good. I also understand your friendship with Marquis Wei. However, today's situation is truly misleading. The reputation of the royal family is of paramount importance. I have always been mindful of our relationship as husband and wife, and have been very tolerant of you. But in this situation, how can I quell the officials' discussions and silence the world's gossip?"

These words, though seemingly gentle, placed the blame squarely on Lu Wan, each one piercing her heart. Lu Wan collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face, her entire body trembling, filled with despair and helplessness. As Ma Chao listened to the emperor's humiliation of Lu Wan, the veins in his sword-grip bulged, his forehead bulged, and his eyes burned with rage.

The emperor sighed softly, a look of deep sorrow on his face. He spoke slowly, "Empress, I, for the sake of our marital bond, have never delved into the past between you and Marquis Wei, treating it simply as the friendship of our youth. I have always trusted you and treated you with respect." He paused, a subtle glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes, and he emphasized his tone, "But today, in public, you are so open and unconcealed. This is truly inappropriate. How will the entire court view you? And how will the people of the world discuss the royal family? As empress, the mother of the country, yet you are so shameless, allowing outsiders to see your inner thoughts so easily. Where does this put the dignity of the royal family?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao suddenly looked towards the emperor, his eyes filled with anger and disbelief, and asked loudly: "Your Majesty, as the emperor, how can you treat your queen in this way? Have you ever considered the dignity she deserves? Have you ever thought about the love between husband and wife?" After saying this, he gripped the sword tighter in his hand, and the tip of the sword trembled slightly, as if venting the raging anger in his heart.

Wang Jie was secretly delighted as he saw the situation becoming increasingly favorable. He strode forward, pointed his finger at Lu Wan, his face filled with artificial indignation, and shouted at the top of his voice, "Your Majesty! The Queen has committed such a crime that disregards the dignity of the royal family. She is absolutely guilty! Her disgraceful behavior today was witnessed by the entire court, both civil and military. If we don't punish her severely, how can we establish the rules of the royal family? How can we enhance the prestige of our great nation? In my humble opinion, the Queen must be deposed immediately to uphold the law and appease public anger!"

As he spoke, Wang Jie's eyes darted around, quietly assessing the Emperor and Ma Chao's expressions. His calculations were clear. He knew that if he could only provoke the Emperor's wrath against Lu Wan, he could severely suppress Ma Chao and further elevate his position in the court—killing two birds with one stone.

As soon as these words were spoken, the officials erupted in an uproar. Some were stunned, their mouths wide open, unable to believe Wang Jie's audacity. Others frowned, hesitant, unsure of what to do. Some officials, who had been promoted by the emperor along with Wang Jie, immediately joined in the commotion, saying, "Master Wang is absolutely right! The Queen's actions are truly unbecoming and must be severely punished!"

Ma Chao's chest heaved violently, veins popped out on his forehead, his eyes seemed to be spewing fire, and he roared angrily: "Wang Jie, you treacherous villain, stop spewing shit!" After that, without hesitation, he raised his sword and swung it towards Wang Jie. The blade cut through the air, making a sharp whistling sound.

Wang Jie's face flashed with fear when he saw this, but he quickly calmed himself down. While crawling to avoid it, he shouted at the top of his voice: "Your Majesty, save me! Ma Chao openly used force in front of the emperor and had no respect for the law! If he and the queen were just ordinary subjects, why would you protect him so impulsively? There must be an affair!" His voice was sharp and piercing, echoing in the banquet. He deliberately added fuel to the fire, just to put Ma Chao in a desperate situation of disloyalty and injustice.

The emperor looked at the scene in front of him with just the right amount of panic on his face. He took half a step back, pointed his finger at Ma Chao, and exclaimed: "Marquis Wei, how can you be so rude! The court is not a place for you to act recklessly? Do you still have me, the emperor, in your eyes?" The emperor's shout seemed to be filled with shock and anger, but in fact he was secretly helping himself, making the chaos escalate in the direction he expected.

All the officials were so frightened that they fled in all directions. Some hid behind pillars, and some lay under tables, daring only to show their eyes, watching the tense scene in horror. No one dared to step forward to stop it.

Ma Chao's eyes burned red, a vein bulging on his forehead. His sword, shrouded in murderous intent, thrust straight at Wang Jie's throat. At this crucial moment, Lü Bu leaped to his feet, fiercely kicking over the table in front of him. With a clang, he unsheathed his sword. With lightning speed, he thrust the sword with uncanny precision at Ma Chao's. With a resounding clang, sparks flew, and Ma Chao's sword was knocked aside.

With a faint smile on his lips, Lu Bu said loudly: "Marquis Wei, this is in front of the emperor, you can't act wildly! If you and the queen are really innocent, the emperor is wise and will make the decision. If Wang Jie dares to slander the queen, the emperor will not let him off easily. But you are so impulsive and wantonly use violence, how can you be so unreasonable?" These words seem to be persuasion, but in fact, every word is heart-breaking, putting Ma Chao on the spot, implying to everyone that Ma Chao has something to hide and is so impulsive.

Upon seeing this, the emperor put on an anxious expression on his face, trotted towards Ma Chao, and shouted: "Marquis Wei, put down your sword! Let's talk it over nicely, don't be impulsive! We cannot allow such chaos in the court!" But his pretentious look was so obvious to anyone with a discerning eye that he was just pretending, and in fact he was condoning the development of the situation and wanted to force Ma Chao into a desperate situation.

Ma Chao's rage blinded him, his mind preoccupied with the single thought of slaying Wang Jie. Undeterred, he lunged at Wang Jie again. The emperor, observing this, flashed a subtle glint of delight, then feigned panic, stumbling forward as if Ma Chao's sword was aimed directly at him. Wang Yue followed closely behind the emperor, a look of alarm on his face.

The emperor screamed in terror, "Marquis Wei, how dare you kill the emperor? Protect me! Protect me!" The sharp voice echoed throughout the palace, instantly shattering the already tense atmosphere. Wang Yue reacted quickly, unsheathing his sword with a swift movement. With a flash of cold light, he charged at Ma Chao without hesitation.

Almost instantly, hurried footsteps echoed outside the palace. Zhao Yun, leading the palace guards, surged in like a tide, surrounding the entire banquet hall. Spears gleamed like a forest, the atmosphere tense to the extreme. Ma Chao, besieged by this sudden turn of events, felt a mixture of shock and anger, yet he remained steadfast in his grip on his sword, unflinching. His gaze swept around him, searching for a glimmer of hope amidst the encirclement.

The moment the aerial guards arrived, Dian Wei hurried to protect the panicked Lu Wan. Liu Bei's face was full of anxiety, with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. His voice was trembling a little as he shouted to Ma Chao anxiously: "Mengqi, put down the sword in your hand! I will definitely protect you. Even if the crime is huge, I will bear it all. Don't make any more mistakes!" However, his shouts were instantly drowned out by the chaos.

Wang Yue, Lü Bu, and Zhao Yun exchanged a knowing glance, giving Ma Chao no time to react. Wang Yue's figure drifted like a ghost, his sword flashing with a cold gleam as he stabbed Ma Chao's throat. Lü Bu, relying on his innate strength, wielded his sword, each strike a powerful force, splitting mountains and shattering rocks, aiming for Ma Chao's vital points. Zhao Yun, with his masterful spearmanship, flew his silver spear up and down, impenetrable and deadly.

Lu Wan stood by, her face pale with fear, watching the scene in horror, her heart filled with endless worry. Seeing Ma Chao trapped in a desperate situation, she could no longer care about anything else. She turned to Dian Wei, who stood guard like an iron tower before her, and pleaded with tears in her voice, "Brother Dian, please, save Brother Chao! It will be too late!"

Dian Wei, serving only as a guard due to the banquet, carried no weapons. Glancing around, he spotted the bronze crane lantern beside him. Without hesitation, he shouted, "General, I'm here to help you!" His voice was like a resounding bell, a roar that shook the air around him. Veins bulged in his sturdy arms as he firmly grasped the pure copper crane lantern with both hands. With a sudden force, he lifted it from its base. The lantern was incredibly heavy; an ordinary person would struggle to lift it, let alone wield it. But in Dian Wei's hands, it felt like a light club.

He took a few steps to Ma Chao's side, held his palace lantern horizontally, and with a resounding clang, he precisely blocked Lü Bu's powerful halberd. The impact cracked the bricks beneath Dian Wei's feet, but he remained unmoved, like a towering mountain. "General Ma, don't be afraid! With me, Dian Wei, here, they can't hurt you!" Dian Wei turned to Ma Chao and shouted, his eyes filled with determination and trust.

Wang Yue saw this, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He didn't expect that the seemingly reckless Dian Wei could have such extraordinary power. He tapped the ground with his toes, turned his body, and stabbed the long sword in his hand towards Dian Wei's throat like a snake. Dian Wei was not in a hurry. He quickly returned to defense with the palace lantern in his hand. With a "ding" sound, he blocked Wang Yue's fierce attack. At the same time, Zhao Yun also took the opportunity to attack. The silver spear flashed and stabbed Dian Wei's side. Dian Wei suddenly turned sideways and used the pole of the palace lantern to block Zhao Yun's spear. Then he shouted, swung the palace lantern, and swept it towards Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun hurriedly stepped back and narrowly avoided the attack.