New Three Kingdoms Tales: Starting as the expressionless Liu Bei

As soon as Wang Yun stepped out of the outhouse, he saw Dong Zhuo's infatuated state from afar.

The old thief was completely dumbfounded, his neck stretched out as far as it could, his eyes fixed on Diao Chan without him even noticing the drool dripping from the corner of his mouth onto his chest.

Wang Yun chuckled inwardly, then stepped forward discreetly, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, and gently wiped the corner of his mouth.

Dong Zhuo suddenly came to his senses, realizing his lapse in composure. His old face flushed red, and he chuckled awkwardly, waving his hand and saying:

"Minister Wang, while you were relieving yourself, I thought about it and decided to postpone it to the day after tomorrow. After all, it's the Emperor's wedding, and I have to do some preparations for him."

Wang Yun was overjoyed; this would save him a lot of trouble. He quickly bowed and replied with a smile, "As you command."

Seeing his submissive demeanor, Dong Zhuo threw his head back and laughed heartily. Then he turned his head back and continued to revel in Diao Chan's graceful dance, not even bothering to blink.

Not long after, Dong Zhuo finally left in his carriage with great reluctance.

Wang Yun stood before the late emperor's memorial tablet, burning incense. After timing it, he estimated that it was about time and turned to walk out the door.

He had just stepped onto the small stone bridge in the courtyard when a loud bang suddenly exploded in his ears.

The heavy wooden door of the Prince's mansion was kicked into pieces by a figure, sending splinters flying. The two servants guarding the door were thrown dozens of meters away by the force of the kick, crashing to the ground with two loud thuds. They were unconscious before they could even utter a sound, their fate unknown.

Through the smoke, the tall figure strode in. Wang Yun's heart skipped a beat. He knew Lü Bu would come, but he hadn't expected this tiger to be so enraged.

Lu Bu rushed to him in a few strides, grabbed Wang Yun by the collar, and lifted him so high his toes almost left the ground. His handsome face was contorted with rage, and he squeezed out each word through clenched teeth:

"Wang Yun! You have already promised Diao Chan to me, why are you giving her to the Prime Minister now!"

Wang Yun, barely able to breathe from being gripped so tightly, said in a trembling voice, "General Lü, I've been waiting for you. Let go of me first, and let me explain slowly. Calm down, there are too many people around outside. Come inside with me, and I'll make sure you understand everything."

Lu Bu snorted coldly and abruptly released his grip. Wang Yun staggered a couple of steps before regaining his balance. He straightened his disheveled clothes and led Lu Bu quickly into the house.

Upon entering the room, Wang Yun first helped Lü Bu sit down in a chair, then personally poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him before speaking slowly:

"General, please calm down. Anger will diminish your wisdom. Sit down and listen to me carefully."

Seeing that Lü Bu's chest was still heaving violently, he lowered his voice, as if he wanted to reveal a huge secret to him.

"After court today, the Prime Minister suddenly came to my humble abode, saying he wanted to drink wine and admire the plum blossoms. He even personally requested that Diao Chan accompany him at the banquet. Tell me, how could I, as a subject, dare to refuse?"

Lu Bu trembled with rage, his clenched fists shaking on his knees. He roared, "Who doesn't know that the Prime Minister is a womanizer? Diao Chan is as beautiful as a celestial being; he would drool over her the moment he saw her!"

Wang Yun nodded repeatedly, continuing the conversation: "General, you are absolutely right. The Prime Minister became intoxicated without even drinking the moment he saw Diao Chan."

"Before the banquet was over, he immediately gave an order, saying that such a celestial beauty was not something that ordinary mortals could covet. It would be a waste to keep her at home; she should be presented to the Han Emperor as a concubine."

Lu Bu frowned sharply, his anger replaced by a stronger sense of confusion.

How come this is different from the information he received? Wasn't it said that Diao Chan was given to Dong Zhuo by Wang Yun? How did it become the Han Emperor?

He quickly pressed on, "Prime Minister Dong intends to make Diao Chan a Noble Consort?"

Wang Yun nodded, looking at Lü Bu with a sincere expression, as if he himself had just come to his senses: "Yes, General, that's exactly what Prime Minister Dong said. If Diao Chan really becomes the Emperor's concubine, then I have nothing to say."

He changed the subject, lowering his voice even further, as if revealing a worry that couldn't be spoken aloud, "However, what I'm worried about is..."

Lu Bu, impatient, grabbed Wang Yun's wrist, his face filled with anxiety and unease: "What are you worried about? Speak quickly!"

Wang Yun sighed deeply, looked into Lü Bu's eyes, and said, word by word, "What I worry about is that my daughter will not be able to enter the palace, but will instead end up in Prime Minister Dong's Mei Village."

Lu Bu abruptly released Wang Yun's hand, slamming his fist on the table, making the teacups jump. He gritted his teeth and roared, "Absolutely not!"

Wang Yun helplessly spread his hands, his voice filled with powerlessness and grievance: "But what can I do now that things have come to this? The Prime Minister issued the decree on behalf of the Emperor to make Diao Chan a concubine. How could I, as a subject, dare to disobey the Emperor's decree?"

He glanced at Lü Bu out of the corner of his eye without making a sound, and seeing that the brute was so anxious and flustered that his eyes were red, he added lightly, as if to guide him, or perhaps to test him, "Just like you, General, would you dare to disobey the Prime Minister's orders?"

Lu Bu was already sobbing uncontrollably. He lowered his head, his shoulders trembling violently, his voice hoarse and trembling: "Where is my Diao Chan? I want to see her, I want to see her one last time."

Wang Yun frowned slightly. Lü Bu's appearance was not entirely unexpected.

He sneered inwardly. This Lü Bu was indeed unreliable. As soon as he heard that he was to enter the palace to become the emperor's concubine, most of his murderous and arsonist rage dissipated.

Fortunately, I didn't let him directly assassinate Dong Zhuo, otherwise, given this reckless and indecisive nature, something terrible would have happened sooner or later.

He sighed softly and earnestly reminded him, "General, allow me to remind you. Diao Chan is now destined to become a Noble Consort. You must not violate the court's etiquette."

These words were like boiling oil poured on the embers of Lü Bu's heart. He abruptly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and slammed his fist hard on the table, cracking it. He roared fiercely:

"I'll go and kill the emperor right now!"

Wang Yun's expression changed drastically. Seeing Lü Bu turn to rush out, he rushed forward to block his path, urgently saying, "General, you mustn't! You mustn't!"

He gripped Lü Bu's arm tightly, lowering his voice to a level only the two of them could hear, his tone carrying a hint of earnestness and a hidden, unspoken message.

"How about this, you meet with Diao Chan first. After that, we'll make further plans, okay?"

Lu Bu abruptly stopped in his tracks. He turned his head, and although the frenzied killing intent in his scarlet eyes had not completely faded, a hint of wavering appeared.

He gritted his teeth and finally nodded emphatically.

(Currently, the main storyline focuses on the "Chain Scheme" aspect, and the protagonist's storyline with Gongsun Zan will begin after Li Jue and Guo Si capture Chang'an.)

(I've written these two main storylines separately to avoid making the reading experience too tiring. I hope you can understand.)

(Cherish this time, the loyal minister Dong Zhuo is about to leave the game, it's really hard to say goodbye!)