"Your Majesty is merciful. Your servant is overwhelmed!" Lü Bu kowtowed heavily. The Son of Heaven's treatment of him moved him so deeply that tears faintly glimmered in his tiger-like eyes.
Yuan Shao could not help staring, tongue-tied, at this scene.
How is this fellow acting so well?
It has barely been ten days since Ju Shou briefed him, yet he has already fooled Lü Bu so easily.
Lü Bu had actually met the Son of Heaven and spent no small amount of time with him. He was not as easy to deceive as an outsider.
But once his surprise passed, Yuan Shao was delighted. The better Liu Xie acted, the more convincing his portrayal of the Son of Heaven became, the more people he could deceive, and the closer Yuan Shao came to passing the fake off as genuine.
"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Wen has crushed the traitor Yuan Shu. This is a joyous day. Rather than grieve, you should celebrate his victory," Yuan Shao said.
As he spoke, he secretly shot Liu Xie a look, signaling him to get down to business.
Taking Yuan Shao's cue, Liu Xie smiled. "The Grand General is absolutely right. Marquis of Wen, you campaigned against a Pretender Emperor who usurped the throne, stormed Shouchun, and captured Yuan Shu alive. This achievement rivals your slaying of Dong Zhuo!"
Lü Bu glared with some displeasure at Yuan Shao for interrupting his reunion with His Majesty, then said solemnly, "As the saying goes, there cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two rulers over the people. Yuan Shu usurped the imperial title. Anyone has the right to put him to death!"
"I marched against Yuan Shu by imperial decree. It was merely my duty as your subject!"
His words rang with impassioned fervor