New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

"I hereby report to the Chancellor that Han Fu, the Prefect of Ji Province, has recently fallen out with Yuan Shao. He has submitted a memorial to the court, requesting the Emperor to issue an edict to punish the traitor..."

Dong Zhuo yawned deeply, staring at the stack of bamboo slips in front of him that was almost burying him, his eyelids drooping.

He grew increasingly annoyed, and finally couldn't help but wave his hand to interrupt Wang Yun, saying irritably:

"Hey Wang Yun, why didn't you talk about these things with me during the morning court session? What are you babbling about now? Why didn't you just tell Li Ru?"

He pointed to the pile of bamboo slips on the table, then sighed, his tone full of complaint.

"Look, look! We still have so many things to approve, we don't have time to listen to your nagging."

Wang Yun shrugged, wearing an innocent expression, but his words carried a subtle, sarcastic tone:

"Prime Minister, you are destined to ascend the throne and become the Emperor, in accordance with the will of Heaven. If you can't even endure this little hardship, how will you secure your position on the dragon throne?"

Dong Zhuo was speechless, choked by his words. He could only rub his temples hard, sigh, lean back in his chair resignedly, and wave his hand, saying:

"Alright, alright, I've been working tirelessly all night. Let me rest a bit and catch my breath. Wang Yun, Fengxian, you two go out first, go out first."

Wang Yun and Lü Bu exchanged a glance, bowed in unison, and then turned and left.

As soon as he stepped across the threshold, Wang Yun turned his head, lowered his voice, and asked Lü Bu with a smile, "General Lü, how have you been these days?"

Lu Bu's face showed no sign of being "well". His eyes were still red and swollen, his beard was unshaven, and he looked like an eggplant that had been hit by frost.

He sighed deeply, his voice hoarse and low: "I think of Miss Diaochan day and night, I even dream of her. If I could see her again, I, Lü Bu, would have no regrets in this life."

Wang Yun glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then took a half-step forward, lowered his voice to a level where only the two of them could hear, and said mysteriously:

"General, I have just heard some news. Diao Chan is currently admiring the flowers alone in the Phoenix Pavilion. Why don't you take this opportunity to meet her, even if it's just for a moment?"

Lu Bu's heart skipped a beat, and the dejection on his face was instantly replaced by wild joy. His voice trembled with excitement: "Is what my godfather said true?"

Wang Yun stroked the few strands of white beard under his chin, smiled and nodded, his tone as certain as if he had seen it with his own eyes: "It is absolutely true, how could I dare to deceive the general?"

Lu Bu was about to take a step, but then suddenly hesitated. He clenched his fists, the joy on his face gradually replaced by worry, and lowered his voice to say:

"But, but if the Prime Minister finds out that I went to the Phoenix Pavilion to meet Diao Chan in secret, he will definitely not forgive me."

Wang Yun, however, waved his hand calmly, his smile as composed as if everything had been planned out in advance.

"General, rest assured, I can cover for you. If the Prime Minister asks later, I'll say that you drank too much last night and have a terrible stomachache today, so you're stuck in the outhouse and can't get out."

"The Prime Minister has always treated you well, so he will not suspect anything. I can at least hold him off for half an hour. If the Prime Minister does notice anything amiss, I will immediately send someone to the Phoenix Pavilion to inform you."

"Fengyi Pavilion isn't far from here. You can rush back then, without anyone noticing. That way, it'll be flawless!"

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu could no longer contain himself. He clasped his hands in a deep bow to Wang Yun, his voice filled with gratitude and urgency: "In that case, I will trouble you, my godfather!"

The two huddled together and whispered a few more details before splitting up to carry out their respective tasks.

Lu Bu strode toward the outhouse, lingered there for a moment to make sure no one was following him, and then climbed out the window.

He didn't even reach for Red Hare. Instead, he channeled the strange power within his body into his legs, transforming himself into a blur as he swiftly traversed the palace walls and corridors, dodging patrol after patrol of guards, and silently made his way to the outside of Phoenix Pavilion.

He leaped forward, grabbed the top of the wall with both hands, and landed silently in the pavilion with a somersault.

Diao Chan indeed sat alone by the pavilion, gazing absently at the blooming lotus flowers in the pond.

Lu Bu was overjoyed and crept closer, wanting to surprise her from behind.

As he drew closer, he noticed that Diao Chan's shoulders were trembling slightly; she was actually crying.

She gazed at the lotus pond, her eyes wandering to who-knows-where, and murmured softly:

"General Lü, Diaochan misses you so much. I wonder when my adoptive father's elaborate scheme will succeed, and when I can be with you forever, never to be separated again."

Lu Bu's steps faltered. He stared blankly at Diao Chan's slender back, his lips moving several times before finally managing to squeeze out a low call:

"Miss Diao Chan, I've arrived..."

Diao Chan trembled, thinking she was hallucinating from excessive longing.

But when she turned around and saw the figure she had been longing for standing right in front of her, she was completely stunned.

Just then, a melodious song of Xiao Qiao began to play, and the two began to reminisce about the past in the Phoenix Pavilion.

(I'm sorry, if anyone wanted to see a romance drama featuring Lu Bu and Diao Chan, I have to apologize, because I'm going to use the Crimson King technique to skip that part.)

Meanwhile, after resting for a while, Dong Zhuo summoned Wang Yun and Lü Bu to discuss Cao Cao's subjugation of the Qingzhou army.

Seeing that only Wang Yun had entered, Dong Zhuo frowned and asked, "Minister Wang, where is Fengxian? Why can't we see him?"

Wang Yun chuckled inwardly, knowing the time was right, but his face remained impassive. He cupped his hands in greeting and replied calmly:

"Reporting to the Prime Minister, General Lü said he drank too much last night and his stomach is not feeling well; he is currently squatting in the outhouse."

Dong Zhuo nodded, a hint of worry on his face, and asked again, "Is he alright? Should we send a royal physician to take a look?"

Wang Yun shook his head and replied with a smile, "The general said it's nothing, he'll be right back, please rest assured, Prime Minister."

Dong Zhuo was relieved and discussed with Wang Yun for about twenty minutes about Cao Cao's subjugation of the Qingzhou army.

The longer he waited, the more uneasy he felt, and his brows furrowed deeper and deeper. Finally, he couldn't help but ask:

"Minister Wang, send someone to check the outhouse. It's been twenty minutes, why hasn't Fengxian returned yet? Could he have fallen into the latrine?"

Wang Yun acknowledged and sent someone to investigate. A moment later, the man returned hastily, cupped his hands, and reported, "Your Excellency, General Lü is not in the outhouse."

Dong Zhuo stroked his sparse beard, looked at the messenger suspiciously, and then asked:

"Not here? Is it in another outhouse? Investigate again and report back! Search every single outhouse in the entire Chang Le Palace!"

Ten minutes later, the man came running back, panting heavily, and reported that all the outhouses in the entire Chang Le Palace had been searched, but not even a trace of Lü Bu could be found.

Dong Zhuo's mind raced, and his face gradually darkened.

He suddenly turned his head sharply, stared at Wang Yun, and his voice turned noticeably colder: "Where is Diao Chan now?"

Wang Yun shrugged and replied innocently, "Prime Minister, how would I know? This old minister has been reviewing memorials in the palace the whole time and hasn't even looked up."

Dong Zhuo immediately sent people to investigate. A short while later, he received a report: Diao Chan had recently gone to the Phoenix Pavilion alone to admire the flowers.

Dong Zhuo was an extremely shrewd man; with a quick glance, he immediately understood what was going on.

That bastard Lü Bu must have used the outhouse as a cover to sneak off to the Phoenix Pavilion for a secret rendezvous with Diao Chan!

He felt a surge of anger shoot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and he sprang up from his seat, cursing as he stormed out of the room.

He grabbed Lu Bu's halberd leaning against the wall, spun around, mounted Red Hare, and without even taking the whip, spurred the horse on, galloping wildly towards Fengyi Pavilion like a madman.

He's going to catch the adulterer in the act!