Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

One day, Wang Yun suddenly sent for Lü Bu, demanding his immediate return to Xudu for a meeting. Lü Bu was filled with confusion upon receiving the news, unable to fathom Wang Yun's motive. But Wang Yun was, after all, his father-in-law, and he had to honor his invitation. So, Lü Bu hurriedly arranged all matters in Xiapi, and after addressing every matter within the city, he hurriedly set off for Xudu, accompanied by his personal guards and whipping his horse.

Wang Yun was now an elderly man, the years had mercilessly left their mark on him, his hair and beard were all white, and his face was haggard. However, perhaps the only thing that had not changed was his almost obsessive dedication to power.

When Lü Bu arrived, dusty and exhausted, he was seen dressed in military uniform, his heroic spirit undiminished. Although Lü Bu's political performance was often criticized, he always remembered Wang Yun's favor of betrothing Diao Chan to him, and his heart was filled with gratitude. Upon seeing Wang Yun, Lü Bu knelt on one knee without hesitation and said in a loud voice, "My son-in-law Fengxian, I pay my respects to my father-in-law!" Wang Yun looked at Lü Bu, who was still so respectful, and a rare smile appeared on his weathered face. He quickly reached out and helped Lü Bu to his feet, saying repeatedly, "Well, well, my son Fengxian has arrived."

The father-in-law and son-in-law then returned to the hall side by side. As soon as they sat down, Lu Bu couldn't wait to ask, "Father-in-law, you called me here so anxiously, but what's the urgent matter?" Wang Yun sighed slightly and said, "Hey, what else could it be that I called you here for? It's just that the situation in the court is quite unsatisfactory." Lu Bu was immediately anxious when he heard it. He subconsciously made a gesture to draw the long sword at his waist and said with wide eyes, "What? Cao Mengde is still so unscrupulous and wants to monopolize power?" Wang Yun hurriedly stood up, stretched out his hand to hold Lu Bu's arm, and persuaded him, "Fengxian, why are you so anxious again? We need to think about everything in the long run." Although Lu Bu suppressed his anger, he still couldn't hide his heart. Indignant, he drew out his sword, a flash of cold light flashed, and then slowly retracted it. He sat down on the chair and sighed deeply, "Alas, to be honest, our situation in Xudu is not much better than when we were in Chang'an. I think it's even worse! When the late emperor was on the throne, although he often excluded us, he would at least try to win me over. But now in Xudu, we are clearly being sidelined by that brat Cao Cao! This Cao Cao is truly ungrateful. If we hadn't supported him back then, how could he have allowed the emperor to ascend the throne so smoothly today? But now he holds all the power, but he completely ignores us father and son. We don't even have a say in the court!"

Wang Yun, hearing Lü Bu's angry words, was filled with indignation. He sighed deeply and said with emotion, "Who says it's not true? Back when I was in the position of Minister of Education, Cao Cao was just a nameless lieutenant, a minor figure in the court. But now, the world is so unpredictable, and times have changed. He is so ambitious that he has coerced the emperor to appoint him as Minister of Works, making him my equal. Humph, to be honest, his position as Minister of Works carries great power, while my position as Minister of Education is now just an empty title. Compared to him, the difference is like heaven and earth, far inferior!"

Lü Bu's anger was reignited when he heard Wang Yun's words. He couldn't help but interject, "If it weren't for that Xiliang Ma Chao and his men, who led the Xiliang cavalry and surrounded Chang'an like wolves, putting the situation in jeopardy, how could we have been forced to make such a helpless and humiliating choice? If it weren't for that damned Xiliang army, we would have successfully welcomed the Emperor and taken control of the situation. By then, I, Lü Bu, would have been promoted to the rank of Grand General, and you, my father-in-law, would have become the Grand Tutor, second only to the emperor and above all others. How could we have ended up in this miserable situation today, living under someone else's roof and depending on their wishes? All of this trouble can be blamed on that Xiliang Ma Chao. He ruined our entire plan!"

At the mention of Cao Cao's appointment of Minister of Works, Wang Yun's face flickered with an irrepressible glint of greed, his eyes revealing an extreme thirst for power. He spoke slowly, his voice soft yet possessing a bewitching power: "Fengxian, that being said, the world is unpredictable, but there is still hope. Right now, we still have a glimmer of hope, a chance to turn the tide."

Lü Bu's face was still thick with resentment. Hearing Wang Yun's words, he couldn't help but frown slightly, a mixture of confusion and anger on his face. He spoke anxiously, "Father-in-law, you don't understand. Xudu has now become Cao Cao's absolute center of power. Here, our every move is dependent on Cao Cao's will. We are like birds trapped in a cage, with no freedom at all. Take this year's conquest of Xuzhou, for example. I, Lü Bu, led the charge and fought bravely. I thought that after taking Xuzhou, we would at least have a place to settle down, a chance to catch our breath and regroup. But Cao Cao was extremely stingy, completely unappreciating our contributions. If I hadn't acted decisively and forcibly occupied Xiapi and Xiaopei, I'm afraid we wouldn't even have a place to station our army. Even so, we still have to rely on him for food and fodder. With such constraints at every turn, what chance do we have?"

Wang Yun gently stroked his beard, his gaze deep and cunning, like a shrewd fox plotting a formidable chess game. He spoke slowly, "Fengxian, you must understand that human nature is the most fickle thing in the world. I misjudged Cao Mengde in the past, misjudging his ambition and ruthlessness. His current ingratitude is truly chilling. However, consider this from another perspective: what would have happened if Cao Cao had suffered a devastating defeat, his power crumbling?"

After hearing Wang Yun's words, Lü Bu lowered his head and fell into deep thought. After a moment, he slowly analyzed, "What you said makes sense. Cao Cao is now surrounded by enemies. To the north, there's the powerful Yuan Shao, eyeing him covetously. To the west, there's the ambitious Ma Chao. To the south, there's Liu Biao of Jingzhou, who is entrenched and a potential threat to him. It seems his life is indeed very precarious. Perhaps in a critical moment, he will really need our help."

Wang Yun shook his head slightly, a hint of anxiety on his face. He said, "Fengxian, if we just sit and wait for the opportunity, I'm afraid even after my old bones have turned to dust, the opportunity may not come!" Lu Bu's expression suddenly changed. He secretly speculated on Wang Yun's intentions. After a long hesitation, he asked cautiously, "Father-in-law, what do you mean...?"

Wang Yun saw Lü Bu's suspicion and slowly said, "Mr. Zhengnan, please come out." Just as he finished speaking, a figure slowly emerged from behind the screen. Lü Bu was immediately shocked and blurted out, "What does this mean? How could someone be hiding behind such a confidential matter?"

The visitor was none other than Shen Pei, the chief clerk under Lord Yuan of Jizhou. He was a slender figure with a calm demeanor. He bowed slightly to Lü Bu and said respectfully, "Shen Pei, courtesy name Zhengnan, chief clerk under Lord Yuan of Jizhou. Greetings to Marquis Wen." Surprised, Lü Bu turned to Wang Yun and asked anxiously, "Father-in-law, what exactly is going on?" A fierce look flashed across Wang Yun's face, and he spoke firmly, "General Yuan Shao sent Mr. Zhengnan to contact me, saying he wants to join forces with us to defeat Cao Cao."

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu's brow furrowed as he began to analyze the situation carefully. "Father-in-law, think about it. We are now in Cao Cao's territory. A single order from him could put us in imminent danger. How could we rashly attack Cao Cao based on Yuan Shao's words? For years, we've been engaged in campaigns, suffering heavy losses in our forces, yet we lack adequate supplies. Even our food rations are being tightly controlled by Cao Cao. How could we possibly overthrow Cao Cao in such a situation?"

Shen Pei smiled faintly and said calmly, "Marquis Wen, you're worrying too much. Since my lord has invited you to join us in defeating Cao Cao, we will certainly not leave you alone. Our Hebei army will be the first to march forward and engage Cao Cao head-on. Furthermore, my lord has already contacted Liu Biao of Jingzhou, who will raise an army south of Cao Cao. This way, Cao Cao will be attacked from two sides and will be unable to cope with his own situation. Marquis Wen, you can take advantage of this chaos to raise your army. With a three-pronged attack, Cao Cao will undoubtedly be defeated."

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu's heart ignited with a flicker of hope, his face brimming with excitement. However, he remained concerned and pressed on, "That being said, even if we defeat Cao Cao, what benefits will we gain?" Shen Pei's eyes flickered with temptation as he offered gentle counsel, "Marquis Wen, you must have seen how powerful Cao Cao is these days. You witnessed the grand occasion when Cao Cao welcomed the Emperor to the throne in Xudu. He now commands such prestige by 'serving the Emperor and commanding the other princes.'" Lü Bu nodded and said, "That's true, but if Yuan Shao defeats Cao Cao, he'll likely be the one 'serving the Emperor.'"

Shen Pei quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no. If my lord was determined to 'serve the Son of Heaven,' he would have gone to welcome the new emperor when the previous emperor of Chang'an passed away. My lord's ambition is not this. After defeating Cao Cao, my lord has promised that Yuzhou will be transferred to the general. The emperor will still be under the general's protection. Then, it will be you, Marquis Wen, who will 'serve the emperor and command the princes.' And Lord Situ will naturally be honored as the Grand Tutor. My lord only seeks benefits, not fame. Qingzhou and Yanzhou are what my lord desires. Marquis Wen, what do you think of this plan?"

Lu Bu's heart was in a mess, and he subconsciously cast an inquiring look at Wang Yun.

Wang Yun, seeing this, smiled meaningfully and nodded slowly. He spoke in a firm and alluring tone, "Fengxian, in my opinion, this is feasible. If we can place the Emperor under our protection, that would be the best strategy. Only then, Fengxian, can you truly realize your grand ambitions and accomplish something earth-shattering."

Wang Yun's words were like a bombshell dropped into Lü Bu's heart, instantly igniting his long-suppressed ambition and passion. Lü Bu slammed the table with a resounding thud that echoed throughout the hall. His eyes widened, and he roared through gritted teeth, "Good! A true man, born between heaven and earth, cannot remain sullen and inferior to others for long? Go!" His voice was filled with determination and heroism, as if long-simmering resentment and unwillingness had finally erupted.

When Shen Pei, who was standing by, heard what Lu Bu said, a hint of imperceptible pride flashed in his eyes, and then a smile of triumph appeared on his face.