New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

Today is the hour of Wei, which is 2 PM.

Dong Zhuo was sitting in the Wanle Palace reviewing the mountain of memorials. Although his eyes were fixed on the dense text on the bamboo slips, his mind had already drifted far away.

He was thinking of Lü Bu.

He was both angry and resentful towards Lü Bu. He couldn't understand why this kid kept trying to steal Diao Chan when he had already given him the position of Grand General and promised to make him the Crown Prince.

As his godfather, isn't he giving enough?

He thought about it for a long, long time, his brows furrowing and relaxing intermittently, until finally he felt relieved.

He put down the bamboo slips in his hand, and the image of Lü Bu's stubborn and reckless face appeared in his mind. A kind smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

Ultimately, Fengxian is still a child who never grew up.

Fine, fine, I'll forgive him this one more time. After all, he's my son...

Just as Dong Zhuo was pondering how to swallow his pride and apologize to Lü Bu, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

Before the person even arrived, that shrill, excited voice had already entered the hall: "Prime Minister! Huge good news! Huge good news!"

Dong Zhuo frowned, looked up, and saw Li Ru's beaming face peeking in from the palace gate.

He leaned back in his chair and asked unhurriedly, "Oh? Isn't this Minister Li? What's making you so happy?"

Li Ru took three steps forward in two, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and his voice trembled slightly with excitement:

"Your Excellency, I was just summoned to the palace by the Emperor. He told me personally that he is frail and ill, and is truly unable to hold court."

"At this moment, many heroes are rising up, and only the Prime Minister can bring peace to the realm and comfort the people. Therefore, the Emperor has made up his mind to abdicate the throne to the Prime Minister! We respectfully request the Prime Minister to ascend the throne, change dynasties, and become the Emperor!"

Dong Zhuo abruptly stood up from his seat. He braced himself on the table, leaned forward, and stared intently at Li Ru with his cloudy eyes, asking with a hint of disbelief:

"Really? Is the emperor really going to abdicate in our favor?"

Li Ru nodded rapidly: "Exactly! Absolutely true!"

But as soon as he nodded, he shook his head, a hint of hesitation appearing on his face.

Dong Zhuo's heart clenched, fearing that the emperor might change his mind and demand exorbitant prices.

But Li Ru's next words completely put his mind at ease:

"However, the emperor made one small condition. He said that after the prime minister ascended the throne, he should not kill him. Let him live a peaceful life, free from worries about food and clothing, and that would be enough."

Dong Zhuo chuckled, plopped back into his chair, and leaned back comfortably, a smug smile on his face.

"That's easy! That's perfect! As long as he's willing to relinquish the throne to our family, we'll not only spare his life, but also bestow upon him lifelong wealth and honor!"

Li Ru smiled and nodded, then straightened his clothes, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and sang loudly:

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! From this day forward, Your Majesty is the master of this land!"

Dong Zhuo threw his head back and laughed wildly. The powerful and strange force within him surged out uncontrollably, causing the beams and pillars of the entire Wanle Palace to tremble and the bamboo slips on the table to scatter all over the ground.

He laughed for a while, then suddenly stopped, staring at Li Ru suspiciously, and asked with a frown:

"That's not right! The emperor's decree alone isn't enough! What's the attitude of those officials and ministers? Will they jointly submit a memorial impeaching us and blocking the emperor from abdicating the throne?"

Li Ru secretly breathed a sigh of relief, put on a prepared smile, and bowed as he reported:

"Your Majesty is unaware that the Emperor not only summoned me but also Wang Yun, the Minister of Works. Minister Wang wholeheartedly supports Your Majesty's ascension to the throne!"

"He even volunteered to personally draft the abdication edict for the emperor, offering His Majesty a grand gift in person!"

Dong Zhuo slapped his thigh, laughed heartily, and said "Good" twice.

Just as he was about to say something, a loud announcement came from outside the hall:

"Report! Your Excellency, Minister Wang Yun, along with a group of senior officials, are waiting outside the palace for an audience!"

Dong Zhuo jumped up from his seat excitedly, urging repeatedly, "Quickly, quickly! Please invite them in!"

Then a high-pitched eunuch's voice rang out: "The Prime Minister commands that all officials come before him!"

Holding a bright yellow abdication edict in both hands, Wang Yun, head held high and chest out, led a large group of white-haired old ministers into the main hall of Wanle Palace.

He walked up to Dong Zhuo and presented the imperial edict with both hands. The eunuch beside him quickly took it and respectfully handed it to Dong Zhuo.

Dong Zhuo unfolded the edict and scanned it from beginning to end. The hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

His face suddenly darkened. He raised his eyes, stared coldly at Wang Yun, slammed the imperial edict on the table, and questioned him sharply:

"Wang Yun, the abdication edict you drafted is indeed well-written. But what does it mean that you've already chosen the name of the country and the era name for me? In this new dynasty, is it you, Minister Wang, who is in charge, or me!"

Wang Yun was so frightened that his face turned ashen. He fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead hitting the cold floor tiles hard, his voice trembling with fear:

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty is wise! This name of the country and the reign title are the will of Heaven, and the hearts of the people are with you! We are merely following the will of Heaven and the people, and sharing Your Majesty's burdens!"

"If Your Majesty truly dislikes it, we will change it immediately, immediately! We are willing to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty and devotion!"

The group of veteran officials behind Wang Yun also knelt down in unison, prostrating themselves on the ground, and shouted in unison, "We, your subjects, obey the will of Heaven and respectfully request Your Majesty to ascend the throne!"

Dong Zhuo's expression softened slightly. He snorted coldly and muttered to himself:

"Hmph, fate? Fate says we won't live much longer and will soon pass away. I refuse to believe in such evil! I will not only become emperor, but also defy the heavens!"

He raised his head again, looked down at the officials prostrate on the ground, and laughed loudly.

"If destiny truly favors our family, then every one of you will be a hero, every single one of you! Alright, alright, rise!"

"I'm granting you a day off. No need to attend court or hold meetings tomorrow. Eat, drink, and have fun—do whatever you want!"

The officials slowly rose to their feet, cupped their hands in unison, and shouted, "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!"

They then lined up and filed out of the hall. After the crowd had dispersed, Dong Zhuo could see a figure kneeling outside the hall gate from afar.

The man knelt upright on the cold stone steps, motionless, like a stone statue that had lost its soul.

Dong Zhuo's face stiffened for a moment, then he called out impatiently towards the outside of the hall, "Fengxian, you've come too?"

Lu Bu slowly stood up and walked into the main hall. Every step he took felt like he was stepping on his own heart.

Upon reaching Dong Zhuo, he knelt down with a thud, lowered his head, and said in a hoarse and low voice, "Your subject has come to beg forgiveness from Father Emperor."

Dong Zhuo's anger had already subsided considerably, and with the great news of the emperor's abdication, the rage that had been building up in his chest for days had completely dissipated.

But wanting to test Lü Bu, he deliberately put on a stern face and asked in a cold voice, "Fengxian, what crime have you committed?"

Lu Bu lowered his head even further, his voice hoarse:

"Your subject should not have flirted with the Empress, and even more so, should not have disobeyed Father. Your subject has realized his mistake, and was utterly wrong."

"I beg Your Majesty to issue an edict stripping me of all my titles and banishing me to the border as a soldier for life, never to return to the capital."

Dong Zhuo stared blankly at Lü Bu, who was kneeling before him, trembling all over. The anger that had long since died down could no longer be rekindled in his heart.

He sighed deeply, slowly stood up, walked to Lü Bu, and reached out his thick, fat hands to help him up from the ground.

Looking into Lü Bu's tear-filled eyes, whether from genuine regret or lingering fear, he softened his voice and said earnestly:

"Fengxian, I've told you before, I'll ascend the throne sooner or later and become the emperor! Then the whole world will belong to us, father and son!"

Lu Bu lowered his eyes, his voice still trembling: "Your subject congratulates Your Majesty."

Dong Zhuo reached out and patted Lü Bu on the shoulder, then sighed. His tone held no trace of blame, only weariness and affection:

"Alright, alright, Fengxian. Let's not talk about the past anymore, let's just pretend it never happened."

"Remember, as long as you remain loyal to our family, we will still regard you as our son. We will still succeed you as crown prince, and you will still enjoy countless riches and honors. After our family passes away, the throne will be yours."

Lu Bu suddenly raised his head and stared blankly at Dong Zhuo.

Tears welled up in his eyes and rolled down his face, which was filled with guilt.

He had been kneeling outside the hall, his mind preoccupied with how to put on a convincing performance and how to use the repentant words he had memorized to deceive the old man before him.

But when Dong Zhuo put his words to this point, when he heard that this old scoundrel intended to forgive him and really intended to pass the throne to him, the regret that had been suppressed for so long surged up like a flood breaking through a dam.

These were real tears, not feigned. But he knew it was too late.

He had already boarded Wang Yun's pirate ship, Chen Gong's plan had been finalized, and the emperor's abdication edict had been drafted. There was no turning back now.

Looking into Dong Zhuo's cloudy yet loving eyes, his knees buckled, and he knelt down again, his voice choked with emotion: "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness!"

Dong Zhuo smiled slightly, bent down, brought his massive body close to Lü Bu, and stretched out his arms to embrace him.

He gently patted Lü Bu's back, as if comforting a wronged child, his voice full of affection and soothing:

"Alright, alright, Fengxian, how can a grown man cry like this? Stop crying, stop crying. It hurts me to see you cry!"

Lu Bu didn't speak. He simply buried his face in Dong Zhuo's broad and warm chest, letting his tears flow freely.

He wished time could stop at this moment, at this instant when he could still be forgiven, still be treated like a son. Never, ever move forward.