Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The fire in the Luoyang Imperial Palace burned until midnight, leaving officials restless and unable to sleep, terrified for the entire night. When the morning light broke, the officials entered the court with mixed feelings. However, the sight they encountered was a shock: the throne was empty; there was no emperor.

On the side, the Grand Empress Dowager sat dignified, her expression slightly solemn, while the Crown Prince Liu Xie stood quietly beside her. Seeing this, the court officials immediately began to whisper and discuss, and an atmosphere of unease permeated the court. Below the throne, Dong Zhuo stood majestically, sword in hand, his gaze sweeping around as if asserting some kind of authority.

The entire court was shrouded in tension and confusion, and everyone's heart was filled with worry and speculation, not knowing what would happen next.

Dong Zhong bowed in front of the emperor and said, "Excuse me, Empress Dowager, why is there no sign of the Emperor?" A look of sorrow fell on the Empress Dowager's face as she slowly spoke, "The country is in misfortune. The Ten Eunuchs are causing chaos. When the Ten Eunuchs were executed, General He Jin was also assassinated. Now the Emperor has been abducted by Lu Zhi and his whereabouts are unknown. Who could have imagined that Lu Zhi, a man renowned throughout the land, could have such wicked ambitions?"

Dong Zhong continued, "Grand Empress Dowager, given the current situation, the Emperor's fate hangs in the balance, but the country cannot remain without a ruler for even a day! I ask the Grand Empress Dowager for your decision." The Grand Empress Dowager sighed and said, "I'm at a loss for the moment. I can't even find the Emperor, and the country cannot remain without a ruler for even a day. What are your thoughts?"

For a moment, the court was abuzz with discussion. Dong Zhong's official bowed and said, "Yours truly, the Empress Dowager." He hurriedly stepped forward and said, "The late Emperor Lingdi had two sons. Although the current emperor is missing, the prince, Liu Xie, is still alive. For the sake of the Han Dynasty's four hundred years of prosperity, I implore the Empress Dowager to establish Liu Xie as emperor!" His words were earnest and filled with anticipation.

After hearing this, the Empress Dowager frowned slightly and fell into deep thought, while the atmosphere in the court became increasingly tense.

For a moment, discussions arose in the court.

Some ministers were whispering to each other with worried looks on their faces. They all knew that Empress Dowager Dong and Dong Chong were playing a double game, wanting to take the opportunity to support Liu Xie to take the throne in order to achieve their goal of controlling the government.

"This is clearly their premeditated plan. They want to support Liu Xie as emperor to make it easier for them to act!" A minister said in a low voice.

"Yes, but what can we do in the current situation?" Another minister shook his head helplessly.

"Alas, Dong Chong has always been domineering, and now he is even more unscrupulous. We can only watch him manipulate us." Another minister said angrily.

"But, the Han Dynasty..." A minister sighed with deep sorrow.

Everyone was talking at once. Although they all knew the truth in their hearts, they could only worry secretly under the might of Dong Zhuo, who was standing in helmet and armor with sword in hand, and did not dare to show it easily.

Wu Fu, who was devoted to his country and his people, could no longer suppress his inner indignation. He took a firm step forward, straightened his back, glared, and said in a voice as loud as a bell: "Grand Empress Dowager! You must understand! The current emperor is still alive and has done nothing wrong. How can you be so hasty to appoint a new emperor? How is this different from Wang Mang who usurped the throne? As ministers of the Han Dynasty, we should be loyal and righteous, and take it as our responsibility to defend our country! How can we allow such treasonous acts to run rampant in the court? The Han Dynasty has survived countless generations of emperors, persevering through storms and hardships. How can we allow this magnificent nation to be destroyed by the selfish ambitions of a few individuals? We must not allow the foundation of the Han Dynasty to be destroyed in a single day! Wu Fu's words resounded loudly, echoing through the court for a long time. His eyes were filled with determination and fearlessness as he met Dong Zhuo's fierce gaze fearlessly. The other ministers nodded in agreement. Although they were filled with fear of Dong Zhuo, his words undoubtedly spoke to their hearts, giving Wu Fu a thumbs-up and admiring his courage and resolve. However, facing the immense power of the Dong clan, they could only secretly worry about Wu Fu, fearing that he would suffer retaliation from Dong Zhuo.

A sinister glint flashed in Dong Zhong's eyes, and he exchanged a quick glance with Dong Zhuo. Seeing this, Dong Zhuo stepped forward, his sword drawn, and declared loudly, "With the Empress Dowager in the throne and the Emperor nowhere to be found, we are all concerned for the country and its people. Wu Fu, what are you thinking about? Are you questioning our sincerity? Everything we do is for the Han Dynasty, for the people of the world!"

Wu Fu was furious after hearing Dong Zhuo's words. He straightened his body, his eyes wide, and cursed fiercely: "Dong Zhuo, you treacherous villain! You keep saying that you are doing this for the country and the people, but in fact, you are a traitor and a traitor who is trying to usurp the throne and bring chaos to the world! Your Dong clan is full of greedy and heartless people! Dong Zhuo, you are an accomplice to the tyrant! And Dong Zhong, you are a despicable villain! You are in cahoots with each other, colluding with each other and putting the Han Dynasty in danger! Even if I die today, I, Wu Fu, will expose your ugly faces to the world! I am fearless and I am ready to die!"

Dong Zhuo was enraged by Wu Fu's scolding. He roared with a ferocious look on his face, "Aren't you afraid of death?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Fu suddenly rushed towards the warriors in front of the palace, attempting to snatch the sword from their waists and confront Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo was furious when he saw this and roared, "Capture this madman! Behead him!"

The guards pounced on Wu Fu like wolves and tigers, and soon Wu Fu's head was brought to the hall.

For a moment, there was a dead silence in the court, and all the ministers were silent. Everyone was shocked by Dong Zhuo's cruelty, and their hearts were filled with fear and despair.

The Empress Dowager saw that the officials in the court had no reaction for a moment, so she slowly said, "For the sake of the Han Dynasty and the foundation laid by our ancestors, the country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. Now, forced by the current situation and for the sake of the inheritance of the country, I have no choice but to let the Crown Prince Liu Xie succeed to the throne."

After hearing this, everyone was silent, neither opposing nor agreeing. After a while, the Empress Dowager saw that no one reacted, so she waved her hand and said, "Forget it, everyone go down and prepare."

Several important officials, including Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, Minister of Works Xunshang, and Minister of Rites Wang Yun, stepped forward. Grand Tutor Yuan Wei bowed and said, "Grand Empress Dowager, this matter is of great importance and requires careful consideration. The throne of the Son of Heaven cannot be changed casually!"

Sikong Xunshuang also continued, "Grand Empress Dowager, we believe that this matter requires careful consideration and should not be hastily decided."

Minister Wang Yun also stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Grand Empress Dowager, the emperors of the Han Dynasty have all been legitimate successors. It is hard to convince the people that the emperor can be replaced so easily now."

The Grand Empress Dowager looked at these important officials. They represented not only her own opinion but also the opinions of the aristocratic families. Although she felt unwilling, she could not directly refute their opposition. She had to give up for the time being, but her face could not hide the slightest bit of unwillingness.

The Grand Empress Dowager frowned and said, "Then what do you say we should do? If this continues to drag on, will the government be left alone?"

Grand Tutor Yuan Wei and the others exchanged a glance and replied, "Grand Empress Dowager, send someone to find the Emperor's whereabouts. Now that the Emperor is missing and his fate is uncertain, how can we so hastily replace him? We should quickly locate the Emperor, and once we have the results, we can make further plans."

The Empress Dowager listened to the advice of Grand Tutor Yuan Huai and the others with an expression of extreme reluctance, but faced with the insistence of the ministers, she felt helpless. She suddenly stood up and stormed off in anger, her sleeves swung in a sharp arc through the air, as if releasing all the rage in her heart.

After the Empress Dowager's departure, the court erupted in chaos, with officials whispering and discussing the situation. Some expressed concern, fearing for the nation's future; others shook their heads, bewildered by the situation. Dong Zhong and Dong Zhuo, while seemingly dispatching troops to investigate the emperor's whereabouts, actually had their own agendas, their every move tinged with hypocrisy and affectation.

Amidst this atmosphere of worry and helplessness, the court slowly dispersed. Each of them felt a heavy weight on their hearts, as if a huge rock was pressing down on them. They didn't know how to deal with this complex situation, nor did they know where the fate of the country would end.

******

Later generations wrote a poem in praise of Wu Fu: "Wu Fu was a loyal minister in the late Han Dynasty. His heroic spirit was unparalleled in the world. His reputation for killing thieves in the court is still remembered. He will be hailed as a true man for all eternity."