New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

Wang Yun got up from the ground and looked towards the main seat. The large lamp had been quietly extinguished at some point, and Jia Xu's figure had also vanished without a trace, as if he had never been there at all.

Just then, he felt an itchy sensation in his palm.

Looking down, he saw a slip of paper lying silently in his palm, covered with the recipe and instructions for using the love potion.

He was in a daze when he turned his head and saw Diao Chan's anxious face right in front of him.

Wang Yun was both shocked and furious. He had clearly ordered his servants to guard the door tightly and not allow anyone to step inside. How did she get in? And she even disrupted his and Jia Xu's grand plan to eliminate Dong Zhuo!

Seeing his expression, Diao Chan knew she had made a big mistake and quickly explained in a sweet voice:

"Father, please forgive me! I heard that you were forced to drink three bowls of blood wine at Dong Zhuo's mansion, and I was worried about you, so I came to see you. But the servants at the door tried to stop me in every way, and I was afraid that you would suffer such a great humiliation, so I broke in."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yun looked at her, gave a bitter smile, and sighed to the heavens, "It's fate!"

Before he could finish speaking, Jia Xu's words suddenly popped into his mind.

"When the time comes, you will recognize her in the unseen realm."

He was startled and began to look at the girl he had raised with his own hands.

A beauty that could topple kingdoms and cities, an unparalleled beauty. This perfectly matches the conditions Jia Xu described.

But he shook his head inwardly. Jia Xu's love poison was too insidious; if they followed the plan, Dong Zhuo would certainly die, but Diao Chan would also be buried with him.

He had another important use for this girl's life.

He still needs her to prolong his life, and he absolutely cannot use her as fuel to kill Dong Zhuo.

But what if we don't follow Jia Xu's plan?

Wang Yun waved his hand impatiently, signaling Diao Chan to leave first. Suddenly remembering something, he called out to her sharply.

He had arranged for two tall and burly servants at the entrance. How did Diao Chan, a frail woman, manage to slip past them and sneak in?

Could it be that the person before me is not Diao Chan, but a ghost?!

Wang Yun shuddered at the thought, involuntarily taking two steps back, his eyes fixed on Diao Chan.

Diao Chan looked at him blankly and asked, "Father, what's wrong with you?"

Wang Yun looked around and found that the six white candles on the table had all gone out at some point. The ceremony was over, the barrier was broken, and the Diao Chan in front of him was not a wandering ghost, but the real Diao Chan.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief, cursing himself for being paranoid.

Wang Yun suppressed his shock and asked the same question again.

Diao Chan, somewhat embarrassed, said in a low voice, "I came with General Lü. After I explained the situation to him, General Lü held off the two people at the door for me, and then I came in."

General Lü! Could it be Lü Bu?

Wang Yun's heart skipped a beat, then he let out a long sigh and gave a bitter smile:

"It's over! Lü Bu is here! It must be Dong Zhuo who sent him to capture me. So be it, come with me to change my clothes, this old man will die with honor today!"

Upon hearing this, Diao Chan's expression changed drastically. Just as she was about to explain, she was interrupted by a voice that suddenly rang out from outside the door.

Since the room was the site of a classic conspiracy between two people, the servant whom Wang Yun had sent to buy supplies had somehow arrived at the door and was now acting as an eavesdropper.

He entered the room, bowed to Wang Yun, and said in a low voice, "No, my lord, Lü Bu has come to deliver a gift."

Wang Yun frowned: "A gift? What kind of gift?"

The servant bowed slightly and replied, "It's a birthday gift for Miss Diao Chan."

Wang Yun abruptly turned to look at Diao Chan. Diao Chan blushed deeply and dared not meet his gaze.

He remained silent for a moment, then waved his hand and ordered his servants to invite Lü Bu to the main hall to be served tea. The servants obeyed and withdrew.

Wang Yun was about to step out when he suddenly stopped, turned back, and coldly questioned Diao Chan: "Is today your birthday?"

Diao Chan nodded, her voice barely audible, "Yes, today is my daughter's birthday."

Wang Yun looked on with suspicion, his gaze sharpening: "I had completely forgotten about this matter. How did Lü Bu find out about it?"

Before Diao Chan could explain, Wang Yun pointed a finger at her nose and shouted sternly, "You told him! What illicit affair have you two had?"

Diao Chan was so frightened that she knelt down with a thud, her voice trembling with anxiety: "I beg my godfather to see the truth! There is absolutely no improper relationship between my daughter and General Lü."

Wang Yun didn't believe it at all and sneered, "Then why does he treat you like this?"

Diao Chan raised her head, her eyes already slightly red, and hurriedly explained, "General Lü has come several times while my godfather is not home."

Wang Yun was shocked, his voice rising several decibels: "What?! How come I didn't hear a thing? What's he doing here?"

"After General Lü rescued my daughter during the last relocation of the capital, he often found excuses to visit her. Each time he came, he brought rice, noodles, wine, and silk fabrics."

As Diao Chan spoke, her voice lowered, clearly aware that she had kept these matters a secret from her adoptive father for a long time and felt guilty.

Wang Yun stood there stunned for a long while before muttering to himself, "No wonder my household has been so well-fed and clothed lately; it turns out it was all sent by him."

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief and confusion. "All the officials are starving to death, why would Lü Bu insist on helping this old man like me?"

His gaze fell on Diao Chan's stunningly beautiful face, and suddenly he understood everything. He was instantly enraged and raised his finger to point at Diao Chan, about to unleash a torrent of curses.

Just then, a clear, yet deliberately mature, child's voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard wall, as the child was reciting something while swaying his head.

"The Records of the Grand Historian: The Biography of the Overlord" records that Chen Ping used a divisive tactic to sow discord between the Overlord and Fan Zeng, causing Fan Zeng to resign in anger and return to his hometown, where he died of a carbuncle on the way.

"Having lost his most important strategist, the Overlord's downfall was irreversible. Alas, alas!"

The voice paused, then continued, "That damned Chen Ping demanded a large amount of gold from Emperor Gaozu and had people spread rumors throughout the Chu army, saying that generals like Zhongli Mo were not granted the title of king because of their merits and were secretly contacting the Han army to betray the Hegemon-King."

"Who is the Overlord? Naturally, he wouldn't believe these rumors."

"The real step that made Xiang Yu suspicious of Fan Zeng was when he sent an envoy to the Han camp."

"Chen Ping first ordered his men to prepare a sumptuous feast, and upon seeing the envoy, he feigned surprise and said, 'I thought it was an envoy from the Father of the State, but I didn't expect it to be an envoy from King Xiang.'"

"He immediately ordered the fine wine and dishes to be removed and replaced with coarse and unpalatable food. After the messenger returned and reported back, the Overlord indeed began to suspect that Fan Zeng was having secret dealings with Emperor Gaozu."

Wang Yun stood there, stunned, his hand raised in mid-air, motionless.

He listened intently to the child's clear recitation outside the courtyard wall, as if a bolt of lightning had cleaved through the long-tangled mess in his mind.

As Jia Xu's words, the words of a child, slowly rose in his mind, an extremely unconventional and complex plan was born.

After an unknown amount of time, another servant's shouting, shooing away a child, rang out from outside the courtyard: "Where did this brat come from? Get out of here! Do you know this is the residence of Minister Wang? If you dare to spout nonsense here again, I'll chop off your head!"

The child's voice stopped abruptly, and the footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Wang Yun then suddenly realized what was happening.

He slowly turned around, looking at Diao Chan kneeling before him, her eyes red-rimmed. Suddenly, he straightened his clothes, knelt down with a thud, and kowtowed deeply to her, his voice choked with emotion and solemn:

"Daughter, please accept my bow!"