Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Ever since the beacon fires of New Year's Eve dyed the Chang'an city walls red, the Western Liang army's assault had been unsuccessful, leaving arrowheads and rocks piling up like a mountain within the barbican. Over the past ten days, Li Ru had launched six more assaults, ladders erected only to be collapsed by scalding oil, battering rams rammed into the walls, shaking the earth, yet he still failed to shake the thousand-year-old fortress. Now, the Western Liang army's tents, spread out like dense black beetles outside the moat, have encircled Chang'an impenetrably, but the roaring, earth-shaking momentum of the past has vanished. A chill wind whirls up the smoke from the camp, and the faint groans of wounded soldiers and the clanking of blacksmiths' hammers can be heard. The stagnant siege resembles a frozen river in winter, serene on the surface, but with the arrival of spring, signs of a break in the ice appear.

The Danchi (hall of red carpets) of the Weiyang Palace in Chang'an shone coldly in the morning light. Liu Bei stood at the head of a line of military commanders, his hands hanging down, his official uniform held in place by a jade-embedded leather belt. On the steps before the emperor, a vermilion lacquer table piled high with golden and jade tablets lay. The wafting borneol incense from the copper censer within the hall, shrouded in the clatter of stringed instruments, could not mask the scent of gunpowder wafting from the Xiliang camp outside.

"Liu Bei, listen to my command!" The eunuch's shrill voice pierced the silence. Liu Bei crushed the golden sunlight on the ground and, kneeling, caught a glimpse of Lü Bu's clenched fist below him. The red tassel of his Fang Tian Hua Ji moved without wind, making a tiny rustling sound as it swept across the blue bricks.

The emperor unfolded the gilded edict, his dark robe sleeves sweeping across the mountain of gold ingots on the table: "Lord Xuande is unparalleled in his loyalty and righteousness, and has rendered meritorious service in protecting the emperor. Therefore, I bestow upon you five hundred taels of gold, ten pairs of Lantian jade bi disks, and two marquisate residences, the Yuque Garden and the Zichen Pavilion!" Even before the edict had finished, gasps echoed throughout the hall. Liu Bei glanced at the ranks of generals: Guan Yu stroked his beard and smiled, Zhang Fei rubbed his hands with excitement, and Zhao Yun's knuckles turned white as he gripped his spear, as if he were suppressing ecstasy.

When it was Lü Bu's turn to receive his reward, the emperor simply raised his hand and motioned for the eunuch to present a wooden tray: "Marquis Wen, your bravery surpasses all the other armies. I reward you with one hundred gold coins, a chainmail brocade robe, and a set of fish-scale silver armor." The plain silver armor gleamed coldly in the golden palace. Compared to the pile of gold and jade boxes piled high before Liu Bei's head, it seemed as shabby as a casual gift. Lü Bu's Adam's apple rolled violently, and the tip of his halberd dug deep into the blue bricks, sending up fragments that landed on Liu Bei's brand-new black boots.

When the court was dismissed, Zhang Fei clapped Liu Bei on the shoulder and laughed, "Brother, the eaves of our Yuque Garden are practically reaching the clouds!" Liu Bei gazed at the carriages carrying gifts along Suzaku Street, the brocade embroidered with the Chinese character "Liu" rustling in the wind, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the heavy imperial edict in his sleeve. He turned to gaze at the towering eaves of the Weiyang Palace, where the copper bells jingled in the west wind, and it almost sounded like the drums of war from Xiliang beating in his ears.

As dusk deepened, Liu Bei and his brothers stood on the Nine-Curved Corridor of Yuque Garden. In the distance, the bonfires of the Xiliang camp twinkled like wolves' eyes lurking in the darkness.

As dusk drifted over the eaves of Yuque Garden, Liu Bei stood at the end of the Nine-Curved Corridor, gazing at the flickering bonfires of the Xiliang camp in the distance, a lingering cloud of leaden gloom gathered between his brows. The bronze bells on the eaves tinkled in the wind, but they couldn't drown out Zhang Fei's exclamation behind him: "Wow! This back garden is even bigger than our Zhuo County martial arts arena!"

Guan Yu stood in the corridor, stroking his beard. His phoenix eyes keenly caught the tenseness of his brother's back. He walked forward and said in a deep voice: "Brother, the emperor has rewarded you so generously, why are you still unhappy?" Before he finished speaking, Zhang Fei rushed in from the moon-shaped door carrying Zhangba Snake Spear, his iron armor still stained with the gold foil he had just been rewarded with: "Second brother, come and see! The treasure house in the east wing is filled with boxes of gold that are stacked higher than me, Zhang!"

As Liu Bei turned around, his sleeves blew up a wisp of evening breeze, and the candlelight cast tiny shadows in his eyes. "Outside, although Xiliang has temporarily suspended its offensive, it will not disperse after all. Xiliang has many wise men, I don't think they will give up easily with such a deep blood feud." His fingertips unconsciously stroked the jade belt around his waist, "And the emperor's reward to my brothers this time is obviously different from that to Wenhou. There is a deeper meaning behind it..." Before he could finish his words, Zhang Fei was already furious: "Who cares about the deeper meaning! That Lu Bu brat is always sneaky and cunning!"

The Zhangba Snake Spear slammed heavily against the blue bricks, startling the night owls roosting under the corridor. The veins on Zhang Fei's neck bulged: "Outside Chang'an City, we brothers worked hard, but he was so bad! He retreated at the slightest setback. If he hadn't retreated so easily, we wouldn't have suffered such a loss! How dare he accept His Majesty's reward?"

Guan Yu stroked his beard and nodded, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "Brother, we have devoted all our efforts to serving our country and will fight to the death. If it weren't for Lu Bu's lack of effort, how could the Xiliang army have broken through the camp and trapped Chang'an so far?" He looked at the flickering flames of war in the distance, "Lu Bu is ambitious and now that he has been treated so coldly, there is no guarantee that he will not change his mind."

Liu Bei sighed deeply, his gaze traversing the palace walls until he rested on the towering silhouette of the Weiyang Palace. "The emperor's move appears to be a reward for loyalty, but in reality, he's using us to counterbalance Xiliang, and using generous rewards to stir up Lü Bu's jealousy... This game is a dangerous one." The candlelight in the corridor flickered, and the night wind carried the faint sound of horns from the Xiliang camp.

The darkness weighed even more heavily on the corner towers of Chang'an. Liu Bei trod in the moonlight, his jade belt buckle rubbing against his chest with each step. Behind him, Zhang Fei was chasing him breathlessly, his Zhangba Snake Spear clanging against the bluestone slabs. "Brother! It's already dark, Your Majesty, I'm afraid it's time to rest..."

"How can we neglect official duties for the sake of rewards?" Liu Bei turned abruptly, the stars in his eyes dancing like flames. He straightened his robe, ruffled by the night wind, gazed at the towering eaves of the Weiyang Palace, and strode toward the palace gate.

As he turned onto Suzaku Street, he suddenly saw lanterns swaying in front of the palace gates. A thin figure was whispering with a guard. He wore a scholar's scarf, and the jade pendant at his waist shone warmly in the moonlight. It was Xun Yu, the Minister of the Chancellery.

"Brother Wenruo?" Liu Bei hurried forward and saw Xun Yu holding a scroll of documents with a serious expression. "What brings you here so late at night?"

Xun Yu turned around, his brows furrowed. "Lord Xuande has arrived just in time. Don't worry, the emperor's uneven rewards and punishments today will surely fill Lü Bu with resentment. Xiliang hasn't retreated yet, and if Lü Bu is provoked into rebellion again, Chang'an will be in imminent danger. Yu was about to enter the palace to advise him, but unexpectedly..." Before he could finish his words, Liu Bei patted him on the shoulder: "Great minds think alike! I'm here for this very reason, too!"

The two exchanged glances, then simultaneously turned and headed for the palace gate. The eunuch's shrill voice pierced the night: "Left General Liu Bei and Chang'an Magistrate Xun Yu request an audience."

The emperor reclined on a sandalwood couch, a jade bottle on a gilded tray shimmering faintly. It was the miraculous elixir he took daily, the pill gleaming eerily in the candlelight. Just as he was about to bring it to his lips, a message from outside the palace startled him, causing his hand to tremble.

"What brings you to this late-night audience?" The emperor's brow flickered with displeasure as he gazed at the two men standing side by side on the steps. Liu Bei and Xun Yu knelt simultaneously, their foreheads practically touching the cold, gold bricks.

"Your Majesty! Xiliang is watching the city covetously. If you reward some generals unfairly, it will cause trouble!" Liu Bei kowtowed, his voice burning with anxiety. Xun Yu unfolded the document, and every word was sonorous: "Lü Bu's cavalry is brave. Now that they see that the rewards given to me and others are so different, they will surely become disloyal. If Xiliang and Lü Bu collude internally and externally, Chang'an will be in danger!"

The hall suddenly fell silent, the only sound being the crackling of camphor incense in the copper censer. The emperor fiddled with the jade bottle and sneered, "Uncle, do you think my reward isn't enough?"

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Moonlight filtered through the window lattice, catching the hem of the emperor's dark robe. He gazed at the stubborn figure on the steps, suddenly remembering Lü Bu clutching his Fang Tian Hua Ji during the day. He spun the jade bottle twice in his palm before finally placing it heavily on the table. "Since that's the case, Uncle Emperor, Wen Ruoqing, what should we do?"

Liu Bei straightened his back and said loudly: "Your Majesty, I think you can increase Lü Bu's reward by another three points to appease his resentment. In addition, grant him the power to manage some of the grain and grass allocations. This will not only show your majesty's favor, but also secretly check and balance him. In this way, Lü Bu will surely appreciate your majesty's kindness and do his best to defend Chang'an."

Xun Yu then added: "Lord Xuande is absolutely right. At the same time, you can order Lu Bu to train with our generals to enhance mutual trust. More importantly, you can take this opportunity to place your majesty's personal soldiers in Lu Bu's army, which will not only show your majesty's trust but also help us keep track of his movements."

"Furthermore," Xun Yu unfolded the document in his hand, "I have drafted a plan to reward the entire army. Your Majesty can issue an order to treat all the soldiers defending the city equally and issue consolation money. This will not only appease the army, but also dilute the differences in rewards this time, so that the soldiers will all feel your majesty's kindness."

Liu Bei nodded in agreement: "Brother Wenruo is very thoughtful. In addition, I suggest that Lü Bu be included in the upcoming military meeting to discuss strategies for repelling the enemy. This will make him feel your majesty's trust and inspire his fighting spirit. This way, the internal troubles can be resolved and we can fully resist the enemies of Xiliang."

After they finished speaking, they kowtowed again and said, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!" Silence fell throughout the hall, with only the candlelight flickering in the wind.

The candlelight flickered gently on the coiled dragon candlestick, casting a shimmering light on the dark patterns on the emperor's black robe. He raised his hand to support him, smiling gently, "Uncle Emperor, Wen Ruoqing, please rise quickly. Braving the cold to offer your advice so late at night is truly a blessing to the state."

Liu Bei and Xun Yu slowly stood up, still standing respectfully with their hands lowered. The emperor walked over to them, his eyes filled with the kindness of an elder: "How could I not know what the emperor's uncle said about Lu Bu? But the way of rewarding and punishing is like weighing on a scale; neither too light nor too heavy."

Xun Yu bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise. However, the cavalry under Lü Bu are brave and valiant. If they become resentful due to unequal rewards, something unexpected may happen."

The emperor nodded slightly, gently stroking the military books on the table, and said in a tone that seemed to sigh: "Wen Ruo, look at the Xiliang camp outside Chang'an City, which stretches for dozens of miles. Why haven't they attacked yet? They are just waiting for chaos in the city." He suddenly turned and looked at Liu Bei with a burning gaze, "Lord Xuande and his brothers have fought bloody battles for days. I have seen it with my own eyes and remembered it in my heart. This generous reward is what you deserve."

Liu Bei quickly said, "We are only fulfilling our duties, how dare we..."

"Don't refuse." The emperor raised his hand to interrupt, his tone friendly, "If I can't even treat my meritorious officials well, won't it make the world feel disheartened? As for Lu Bu..." He paused, a trace of vigilance flashed in his eyes, "Although this man is brave, he is often two-hearted. I know clearly that we must preserve our strength in this battle. Rewarding him generously will only encourage his arrogance; treating him poorly will make him resentful but he will not dare to openly turn against me."

Xun Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty is thoughtful. But I think you can slightly increase the reward and give him an empty position. This will both reassure him and make it easier to control him."

The emperor smiled and patted Xun Yu on the shoulder: "Wen Ruo is indeed thoughtful. But the degree of this needs to be carefully considered. I trust you two. If you have any good ideas in the future, just speak up. I am relieved that Chang'an has your assistance."

Outside the palace, night deepened, and the bonfires of the Xiliang camp flickered. As Liu Bei and Xun Yu took their leave, they could still sense the earnestness in the emperor's words. But the wariness against Lü Bu between the lines, like an invisible thread, quietly shackled this seemingly harmonious conversation between the emperor and his subjects.