Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Lü Bu stepped forward, head held high and chest puffed out, his expression brimming with self-satisfaction. His voice boomed like a bell, "Your Majesty, even though Ma Chao possessed some ability, he was no match for my might. I drew my bow and fired three arrows in quick succession, each one striking him squarely in the heart. Blood streamed from his mouth, and he teetered, nearly falling from his steed. But who could have imagined his steed's loyalty, bearing him, gravely wounded, all the way towards Zhang He's defenses? Whether it was fate or some other twist of fate, Ma Chao and his horse ultimately plunged headfirst into the raging river. Seriously wounded, caught in such a turbulent current, he stood no chance; his death was certain!"

Upon hearing this, the emperor's brows furrowed slightly, a subtle hesitation flickering across his eyes. He subconsciously glanced at Zhao Yun, who stood beside him. After all, Lü Bu's words were often exaggerated, and Zhao Yun, with his unwavering loyalty, might be more trustworthy. Zhao Yun, sensing the emperor's gaze, nodded quietly, his movement so slight it was barely perceptible.

The emperor withdrew his gaze and slowly asked, "If that's the case, has the body been brought back? For such a serious matter, I need to confirm it with my own eyes before I can rest assured."

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu's expression changed slightly. He stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, this incident happened suddenly, and the river is extremely turbulent. Although I have immediately arranged for a full-scale search along the river, it is difficult to find Ma Chao's body at this time. However, please rest assured, Your Majesty, the body will be found." A hint of dissatisfaction at being questioned crossed Lü Bu's face, and his tone unconsciously hardened. "Your Majesty, are you doubting my archery skills and the truth of my words? My arrows never miss their target, and this time I shot Ma Chao, which is absolutely true. Why are you asking so many questions, Your Majesty?"

Upon hearing this, the emperor's face instantly lit up with a warm smile. He quickly waved his hand and said in a gentle voice, "You have misunderstood my intentions. This matter is of great importance. I simply want to ensure that it is handled thoroughly and flawlessly. How could I not trust you? You are my most trusted and trusted friend. You have removed a great worry for me today and have performed an unprecedented feat."

As he spoke, the emperor stood up and paced slowly, with a look of compassion on his face, and sighed hypocritically: "It's a pity for the Marquis Ma Chao, alas, his character is too stubborn. I have advised him many times, wanting to guide him onto the right path, but he never listened. He has also served the court and made such great contributions. If he had asked, I would have offered him high positions, generous salaries, gold, silver and beauties. How could I have been stingy with him? If he had not been so stubborn and gone astray, I would not have made things difficult for him. Now he has ended up like this, it is really a pity." In fact, the emperor knew in his heart that Ma Chao's existence posed a threat to his rule, and getting rid of him was inevitable, but he had to put on this look of regret on his face to show his kindness.

Inside the hall, there was a chorus of flattery, but beneath this bustling appearance, there were faintly surging traces of indescribable undercurrents.

The emperor continued his ramblings, lost in his hypocritical performance, attempting to project a sympathetic air. Suddenly, a sharp, eerie laugh abruptly shattered the atmosphere of flattery in the court. Everyone turned in astonishment, realizing the laughter originated from Empress Lu Wan, standing behind Liu Bei. Her eyes were hollow yet burning with rage, and her body trembled slightly, clearly overwhelmed by rage and grief.

She bit her lower lip, a hint of determination escaping the corners of her mouth. Step by step, staggering but with the determination to face death, she walked forward. Her finger pointed directly at the emperor, her voice hoarse and sharp with anger: "You hypocritical hypocrite! My father served the country faithfully throughout his military career, making countless contributions. His loyalty to the Han Dynasty is evident to all. But you, on the other hand? You are so ruthless. To suppress Ma Chao, you even used the stability of the country as an excuse and forced him to marry me to you on his deathbed. Brother Chao and I were in love, but you tore us apart. From then on, we lived apart, suffering from the pain of missing each other."

"For the sake of power, you did not hesitate to win over General Gongsun Zan, and when he was in power, you flattered him to the utmost; but you turned around and used all means to suppress the Gongsun Empress and their clan. Ma Chao devoted himself to your Han Dynasty and risked his life. He had just made great military achievements, but you were afraid of him and couldn't wait to get rid of him. A hypocritical, insidious and heartless person like you, who keeps talking about benevolence and morality, but in fact will do anything to achieve your goals, how can you have the face to stand between heaven and earth? How can you be worthy of the respect and trust of all the people in the world?" Lu Wan became more and more excited as she spoke, tears welling up in her eyes, and her voice was sobbing, but her eyes were extremely firm, and she looked directly at the emperor without fear.

These words, like a bombshell, instantly plunged the entire hall into a deathly silence. Everyone was speechless, stunned by Lu Wan's boldness and bluntness. Officials lowered their heads in fear, not daring to look directly at the emperor's sullen, almost watery face, fearing they would become the next target of his wrath. Liu Bei's face paled, his body trembling uncontrollably. He could never have imagined that Lu Wan would, in this very court, so recklessly expose the emperor's flaws to their fullest extent.

The emperor's face instantly darkened as black, a fierce glint in his eyes. He roared unabashedly, "If you weren't involved in an affair, how could you possibly be acting this way? Today, I no longer need to hide anything." He then turned his oppressive gaze towards Liu Bei and sneered, "Uncle, look at her! She's openly defying me in the court, and you still want to protect her?"

Liu Bei's entire body shuddered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He slowly stepped forward, clasped his fists, and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. The Queen... has momentarily lost her mind. I hope Your Majesty will be magnanimous." Then, he quickly turned and walked over to Lu Wan, lowering his voice and saying urgently, "Queen, please stop talking."

Lu Wan, however, looked like she had gone mad, her eyes red as she glared at the emperor, ignoring Liu Bei completely. Liu Bei had no choice but to speak more emphatically, "Why are you doing this?"

Lu Wan burst into tears, her voice filled with despair as she screamed, "Brother Chao is dead, what's the point of me living? I just want to expose his hypocritical face and let everyone in the world see his true face!"

Liu Bei was terribly anxious. He glanced around and saw that everyone's eyes were focused on him. He quickly leaned over to Lu Wan's ear and whispered softly but seriously, "Ma Chao is dead, but your brother and mother are still alive. Are you so impulsive as to destroy the entire Lu family's legacy?"

Lu Wan's body stiffened, the fury in her eyes instantly replaced by a glimmer of fear. She bit her lower lip tightly as she looked at Liu Bei, her lips trembling slightly as she tried to say something, only to swallow it back. Her eyes were filled with pain and struggle, tears streaming uncontrollably. Finally, she slowly closed her eyes, her body swaying. If Liu Bei hadn't been quick to catch her, she would have nearly collapsed to the ground.

At this moment, the court was in a dead silence, and all the officials dared not even breathe. The emperor snorted coldly, a smug smile on his face, and said, "Uncle, take care of your people. I will remember what happened today. If it happens again, don't blame me for not remembering our friendship."

The emperor seemed oblivious to Lu Wan's rebuke, his expression calm, his mind unwavering. He ignored the incident, as if the matter had been put to rest. He straightened his back, his gaze swept past Lu Wan and Liu Bei, then fixed his gaze firmly on the important officials in the court. His voice was calm but undeniable: "Now that Marquis Wei Ma Chao is dead, I will not pursue his past mistakes, considering his considerable contributions to the affairs of Yangzhou. When his body is recovered, we will bury him with the same rites accorded to Marquis Wei, as a token of my gratitude to him."

After saying this, the emperor paused for a moment, a barely perceptible sternness flashing across his face. He scanned the courtiers with a dignified gaze and continued, "As for the consequences and impact of the Ma Chao incident, you are all well aware. How this news should be disseminated and how it should be reported externally is up to you all to make appropriate arrangements. Remember, do not allow this incident to cause unnecessary unrest and undermine the stability of our dynasty."

Officials knelt hurriedly to receive the order, their voices echoing in unison as they wailed, "We obey your command." An elderly minister tremblingly rose, his eyes filled with caution as he nodded his approval. Immediately, the officials began to whisper among themselves, their eyes filled with worry about the situation and their deliberation over how to handle it. For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall was heavy. The tension created by Lu Wan's rebuke was quickly replaced by the pressure of this thorny issue. Everyone understood that calming this disturbance was the daunting task before them.

The emperor leaned slightly aside, his gaze fixed on Zhao Yun, his expression both concerned and scrutinizing. He asked, "Zilong, you are chasing him out of the city today. I heard that Ma Chao's troops are now under the command of the emperor's uncle. Are they all safe?"

Zhao Yun stepped forward, his posture erect, and after clasping his fists in salute, he finally had the chance to speak. "Your Majesty, to be honest, Ma Chao's troops and the Emperor's uncle's troops have long been engaged in a fierce battle. When I returned, the sound of fighting reverberated outside the camp. The two sides were locked in a fierce battle, the situation was chaotic, and I'm afraid it will take a while to calm down."

Upon hearing this, the emperor's brows furrowed slightly, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes. He paced slowly, his hands behind his back, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "What should we do? I had hoped to properly relocate Ma Chao's troops, but now the situation is so chaotic. If we don't handle it properly, we could end up in disaster."

As Zhao Yun spoke, everyone's expressions tensed, and an invisible atmosphere of tension permeated the hall. Liu Bei's face instantly darkened, and his hands unconsciously tightened, his knuckles turning white. His original plan was simply to weaken Ma Chao's military power. After all, Ma Chao's subordinates were all skilled warriors, and he had hoped that these generals would be used by the court to strengthen its power. However, the current situation was completely unexpected.

Liu Bei was secretly thinking about how to save the situation. Just as he was about to speak, the emperor suddenly shouted, "Wen Hou Lu Bu!"

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu strode out of the group, knelt on one knee, and said in a voice as loud as a bell: "Your Majesty!"

The emperor's gaze was as sharp as a torch, and he looked directly at Lü Bu. He said in a deep voice, "You must immediately mobilize your troops to assist the emperor's uncle's troops in deterring and suppressing them. Also, spread the news of Ma Chao's death. If they continue to resist and refuse to surrender, they will be killed without mercy!"

Lu Bu accepted the order, a hint of excitement and bloodthirstiness flashed in his eyes, and he responded loudly: "I obey your order! I will definitely not fail my mission!" After that, he stood up and strode out of the hall, his cloak fluttering behind him.