New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

Seeing that Dong Zhuo's eyes hadn't left Diao Chan since she appeared, and that he kept praising her, with "I want her" practically written all over his fat face, Wang Yun was overjoyed.

He winked at Diao Chan and urged, "Diao Chan, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and help the Prime Minister inside!"

Diao Chan responded softly, then reluctantly walked to Dong Zhuo's side and said softly, "Please, Prime Minister."

Dong Zhuo's eyes narrowed into slits with laughter, and he said "Good" twice. Then, he suddenly waved his hand and said in a serious tone:

"No, no, no, Miss Diao Chan is a celestial fairy. How can we let her help us? It should be us helping Miss Diao Chan!"

After saying that, he grabbed Diao Chan's small hand with his large, calloused hands.

Diao Chan was startled by his sudden action and instinctively wanted to shrink back, but she managed to hold back. She remained frozen in place as Dong Zhuo half-dragged and half-brought her into the house.

Wang Yun stood there, watching the two figures disappear into the distance, a smug smile slowly spreading across his old face.

The group arrived at the pavilion, where several singing girls were already waiting with their zithers. As soon as Dong Zhuo arrived, they plucked the strings and the music began.

On the stone table were two unopened jars of wine, several small dishes, and a few empty bowls.

Dong Zhuo happily pulled Diao Chan to sit down, but before they could even settle in, Diao Chan suddenly stood up, bowed, and said, "Prime Minister, you are always worrying about the affairs of the country. You must be very tired. Let me dance for you."

Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh, exclaiming, "Dancing? Dancing is great!"

Diao Chan smiled slightly, turned around, and walked towards the center of the courtyard. As soon as she turned her back, an expression of annoyance appeared on her face, but Dong Zhuo was behind her and couldn't see it at all.

She stopped outside the pavilion, swayed her waist and started to dance. Her movements were light and beautiful, and Dong Zhuo stared at her, his mouth practically watering.

Wang Yun picked up his wine cup and said to Dong Zhuo with a smile, "Prime Minister, let's drink!"

Dong Zhuo then came to his senses, turned around and clinked glasses with Wang Yun, downing the wine in one gulp. When he turned back to look at the courtyard, Diao Chan was gone.

Dong Zhuo was taken aback, turned to look at Wang Yun, and asked urgently, "Where is my Diao Chan?"

Wang Yun explained with a smile, "My daughter is going to change her clothes and will be back soon."

Dong Zhuo was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter: "She's going to change her clothes? Hehehe, changing clothes is good, changing clothes is good!"

Just as Wang Yun was about to offer him another drink, Dong Zhuo stopped him, leaning closer to ask, "Minister Wang, wait a moment. I have a question for you. How old is Diao Chan this year?"

Wang Yun was secretly delighted, knowing that the old scoundrel had taken the bait, and casually replied, "Seventeen."

Dong Zhuo chuckled and clicked his tongue, "Seventeen? Seventeen is good, seventeen is good!"

He patted Wang Yun on the shoulder and said, "Wang Yun, tell me, isn't it a waste to have such a beautiful woman in your house?"

Wang Yun pretended not to understand and asked, "What does the Prime Minister mean?"

Dong Zhuo stroked his white beard and said loudly, "What I mean is... the current emperor! Yes! The current emperor is not married yet! Diao Chan should enter the palace to become the emperor's imperial concubine!"

Wang Yun frowned. This old scoundrel clearly wanted Diao Chan himself, so why did he bring up the Emperor?

If Diao Chan were really sent to the palace to become a concubine, wouldn't his elaborate scheme have all fallen through?

He quickly cupped his hands and said, "No, Prime Minister, my daughter is not worthy of the Emperor."

Dong Zhuo's face darkened, and his voice hardened: "If I say she's worthy, then she's worthy!"

Wang Yun hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward and whispered:

"But Prime Minister, the Emperor is still young and not mature enough in that regard! I think it would be more appropriate to marry my daughter to you, Prime Minister, rather than to marry her to the Emperor."

A hint of joy flashed across Dong Zhuo's face. He did want to bring Diao Chan back to his residence, but he was afraid that the officials and ministers in the court would gossip behind his back. So he wanted to use the emperor's name to bring Diao Chan into the palace first, and then secretly take her back to his home.

Now that Wang Yun had said that, he hesitated. After thinking for a moment, reason prevailed, and he waved his hand, saying:

"We're all getting on in years. If we were to marry such a beauty, wouldn't people be pointing fingers and gossiping about us behind our backs?"

He then turned around and lectured Wang Yun, saying, "Wang Yun, we, as subjects, should know how to be grateful. The Emperor has done so much for us, so what if Diao Chan waited for him for ten years?"

Wang Yun opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. Dong Zhuo had already made his position clear; if he tried to back down, the old scoundrel would probably turn on him on the spot.

Seeing that he was no longer silent, Dong Zhuo smiled with satisfaction and waved his hand as if the matter was settled: "Wang Yun, today I will act as matchmaker for the Emperor and let Diao Chan enter the palace to become the Emperor's Noble Consort. This matter is settled."

Wang Yun inwardly groaned, but could only force a grateful expression on his face, cupping his hands in thanks and saying, "This old minister thanks you for your grace."

Dong Zhuo was in high spirits and laughed, "In that case, the day after tomorrow..." He paused, then shook his head, "No! Today! Tonight, I'll send the imperial carriage to fetch Diao Chan to the palace!"

Wang Yun's heart tightened, and he quickly said, "Today? Isn't today too hasty, Prime Minister? How can the Emperor's wedding be so casual?"

"According to the rules, the engagement letter must be issued first, then the imperial decree, and a ceremonial band must be prepared. An auspicious day must be chosen based on celestial phenomena. It will take at least several months, and there's also..."

Before he could finish speaking, Dong Zhuo impatiently waved his hand to interrupt him:

"Oh, Wang Yun, why are you so stubborn? The world is in such a mess now, can't things be done more simply? Besides, even the Emperor can't wait any longer!"

Wang Yun was taken aback at first, then a knowing look appeared on his face. He chuckled and teased, "Oh, the Emperor can't wait any longer!"

The two laughed at each other for a while. Wang Yun smiled, but his mind was racing.

If Dong Zhuo were to send Diao Chan to the palace tonight, given Lü Bu's impulsive nature, he would likely storm the palace that very night to assassinate the emperor. Wouldn't his elaborate scheme then be completely ruined?

He suddenly had an idea, so he made an excuse to go to the toilet, letting Diao Chan continue to dance to keep Dong Zhuo calm. He then quickly went into the outhouse, called over two trusted servants, and began to whisper instructions for the next steps.