New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

Wang Yun chuckled inwardly, but feigned complete ignorance, frowning and asking suspiciously, "Then why do you want to acknowledge me as your godfather?"

Lu Bu lowered his head, his voice sincere and urgent: "Please, my godfather, grant me permission to marry Diao Chan!"

They've taken the bait! Wang Yun's lips twitched uncontrollably, and he almost burst out laughing on the spot.

Perhaps realizing he had gotten a little carried away, he quickly suppressed the surging joy in his heart.

But the thought of getting rid of that traitor Dong Zhuo soon, saving Diao Chan's life, and even using Lü Bu's power to become the next person to wield the power of the world made him so happy he almost trembled.

Wang Yun realized he was about to lose control, and taking advantage of the moment when Lü Bu bowed, he hurriedly called out loudly towards the door, "Diao Chan! Diao Chan! Where are you? Get in here!"

Diao Chan had been waiting outside the door for quite some time. Because the two people inside were plotting something, she naturally switched to eavesdropping and heard their conversation clearly.

Upon hearing Wang Yun's summons, she hurriedly entered and knelt down beside Lü Bu.

"This humble girl greets her godfather."

Wang Yun blinked quickly at Diao Chan, indicating that everything that followed was just an act, then snorted coldly, pointed at her nose, and shouted angrily:

"You brat, you have no manners whatsoever! Don't you even consider your own status? How could a mere woman be worthy of General Lü?"

Diao Chan lowered her head after being scolded, whether out of genuine embarrassment or desperately trying to suppress her laughter, it was hard to tell.

Wang Yun, however, refused to give up and continued to press his advantage, his voice growing increasingly sharp: "Ah, I know! It must be you who seduced the general and ruined the reputation of my Wang family!"

Knowing that everything was going according to plan, Diao Chan timidly called out, "Godfather..."

Wang Yun, however, stopped looking at her, turned to Lu Bu, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, sighed deeply, and feigned indifference: "General Lu, my daughter Diao Chan is truly unworthy of you!"

Upon hearing these words, Lü Bu felt a strange mix of emotions.

He took it as Wang Yun's sarcasm, after all, rumors about him in the capital had never stopped.

Previously, some people had spread rumors about him, saying that he broke into the palace every night, slept on the emperor's bed, and wantonly raped the concubines and palace maids, behaving like a beast. It seems that Minister Wang must have believed those rumors, which is why he looks down on me so much.

He even changed how he addressed her, saying with a sorrowful tone:

"Wang Situ, I know that Miss Diaochan is a noblewoman from a wealthy family, and she is the apple of your eye."

"And in your eyes, I, Lü Bu, am nothing but a traitor, a reckless fool, a lowly scoundrel. How could I possibly be worthy of Miss Diao Chan?"

Diao Chan looked at Lü Bu with a worried expression, about to speak up for him, but was interrupted by Wang Yun raising his hand.

Wang Yun clapped his hands and laughed, "It's already quite remarkable that Lü Bu could put his mind to this. However, there are some other reasons as well."

Lu Bu looked at Wang Yun, hesitated for a long time, and finally spoke, "Lord Wang, do you really want me to say everything?"

Wang Yun nodded slightly, gestured for them to proceed, and said with a smile, "It was you who wanted to become my adopted son, and it was you who came to me to propose marriage. If family members do not share the same path, they will be exterminated sooner or later."

Lu Bu slowly stood up from the ground and sighed deeply: "Alright, then I'll tell you."

Wang Yun raised his hand again, gesturing for him to continue. Lü Bu had no choice but to grit his teeth, steel his resolve, and begin:

"Lady Diaochan is the descendant of a loyal minister and a member of the royal family. But I, Lü Bu, am seen as lowly in your eyes, a lackey who serves a traitor."

A strange sense of familiarity suddenly welled up in Wang Yun's heart, but he couldn't quite grasp what it was.

He suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and, following Lü Bu's words, smiled and asked further:

"General Lü, why did you stop? Continue! How did you show such contempt and subservience? Whose lackey are you? Whose thief are you working for?"

Lu Bu suddenly raised his head and blurted out impassionedly, "The traitor Dong Zhuo!"

Wang Yun's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly looked around, only then remembering that there were only the three of them in the room. His tense nerves relaxed slightly, but he still quickly lowered his voice and urgently reminded them, "Keep it down, keep it down!"

Lu Bu smiled slightly, showing no sign of restraint, and instead asked, "What's wrong, Lord Wang? Haven't you officials already hated the word 'traitor' to the core and worried yourself sick over it?"

Wang Yun was stunned for a long while before he recovered from his shock. He stared at Lü Bu in disbelief, his voice trembling slightly: "Fengxian... how did you know all this?"

Lu Bu sighed softly, his tone tinged with sincere remorse:

"To be honest, Minister Wang, when you were attending a banquet at the Prime Minister's Mei Wu, I overheard you whispering and plotting with someone in the courtyard. I then reported Zhang Wen to the Prime Minister, which is why Prime Minister Dong had him killed."

"In the end, why did Minister Wang have to drink those three bowls of blood wine? It wasn't Prime Minister Dong who harmed you, it was me, Lü Bu, who harmed you!"

Wang Yun's face turned deathly pale. He raised his finger and pointed at Lü Bu, his lips trembling several times, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Lu Bu, however, preemptively knelt before him again, speaking frankly: "But I did not denounce you, Minister Wang. I only denounced Zhang Wen."

Wang Yun was so shocked that he couldn't speak, and just stared blankly at Lü Bu kneeling in front of him.

Taking advantage of the situation, Lü Bu once again expressed his loyalty, his voice earnest and sincere: "Minister Wang, to be honest, I have long harbored resentment towards Chancellor Dong. I also know that you ministers and officials have always wanted to get rid of Dong Zhuo."

"If only Minister Wang—no, my godfather—would be willing to marry Diao Chan to me, I, Lü Bu, would be your vanguard and eliminate that traitor Dong Zhuo!"

Wang Yun's face remained expressionless, but his mind was rapidly weighing the options.

Lu Bu, that fierce tiger, could bite Dong Zhuo for Diao Chan today, and bite himself for Diao Chan tomorrow.

Diao Chan was his trump card for prolonging his life. He could keep this a secret for a while, but not forever. Once Lü Bu found out, his old bones would probably be reduced to ashes.

The elaborate scheme was only halfway through; another step was needed. First, they would use Lü Bu to eliminate Dong Zhuo, then find a way to deal with Lü Bu as well, and finally, firmly grasp Diao Chan in their grasp, ensuring she continued to prolong their lives.

Having made up his mind, Wang Yun showed only a perfectly measured hesitation on his face before asking, "General, is what you say truly true?"

Lu Bu was overjoyed and quickly lowered his head, his voice so sincere it seemed he wanted to tear his heart out: "If you, my lord, are willing to betroth Diao Chan to me, I, Lu Bu, will naturally serve you as my father, obey your every word, and be at your beck and call."

When the word "father" was mentioned, Liu Bei's expressionless face suddenly popped into his mind, and a surge of old resentment at being tricked rose from his chest, a shadow passing over his eyes.

But this emotion only lingered for a moment before he suppressed it, raised his head again, and looked solemnly at Wang Yun:

"Lu Bu hereby swears an oath to Heaven and Earth: In this life, I vow to grow old with Diao Chan and share both glory and shame with my adoptive father. If I break this oath, may I be struck down by Heaven and Earth, never to be seen again, and die amidst a hail of arrows! I humbly beg my adoptive father to grant us permission to marry!"

Diao Chan's eyes were already red. She and Lü Bu lowered their heads together, their voices choked with emotion yet resolute: "Father, please allow us to marry!"

Wang Yun sighed deeply and reached out to help the two of them up, one on each side.

He glanced at Lü Bu, then at Diao Chan, a gentle, elder-like smile appearing on his face. He said softly, "Very well. Then I will entrust Diao Chan to the general."

Just then, a melodious song by Xiao Qiao began to play. Lü Bu and Diao Chan exchanged a smile, their hearts overflowing with joy in that single glance.