Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Dong Bai was terribly anxious, hurrying towards Li Ru's residence. The thought of Ma Chao's potential dangers recurred in her mind, a burning worry. The biting wind ruffled her hair, but she paid no mind. Her only thought was to find Li Ru as quickly as possible and discuss a countermeasure.

At that moment, Li Ru was leisurely warming himself by the fire in his mansion. The warm flames danced, illuminating his serene face. Beside the fire, a pot of tea simmered, emitting curls of hot steam. Li Ru leisurely drank it with his pastries, enjoying this moment of peace and tranquility.

Dong Bai rushed into Li Ru's room, his eagerness like a whirlwind. The servants outside followed him in panic, their faces full of helplessness. Before Dong Bai even entered the room, the anxious voice rang out: "Uncle, where are you? Susu, I have something important to discuss with you."

Li Ru raised his eyes slightly and looked at Dong Bai who rushed in rashly. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth and he sneered softly: "Oh, my little ancestor, it's so cold, what are you doing in such a hurry? Can the sky fall?" As he said, he slowly stood up, walked away from the warm stove, walked in front of Dong Bai, and stretched out his hand to let her sit.

Dong Bai was extremely anxious and didn't even bother to sit down. He eagerly stuffed the letter in his hand to Li Ru, and said nervously as he stuffed it in, "Uncle, Brother Chao is in danger in Chang'an City." Li Ru seemed extremely calm. He raised his eyebrows slightly, clapped his hands leisurely, took the letter slowly, and said, "My dear, General Ma Chao is a hero, not to mention that he has more than 40,000 Xiliang cavalry under his command. As long as he wants, he can rule the world. Why are you so nervous?" After that, he slowly lowered his head and looked at the letter in his hand.

Dong Bai stamped his feet anxiously, still arguing, "This time is different from the past. You read the letter first. I'm so anxious I'm dying." Li Ru shook his head helplessly and said, "Okay, okay, I'll read it right away." Li Ru quickly scanned the contents of the letter, a subtle hint of joy crossing his face. Dong Bai looked at Li Ru's expression, his heart filled with confusion, wondering why the contents of the letter had caused Li Ru to react in such a way.

Dong Bai's pretty face was filled with anger, and that rage seemed to ignite the air around them. She shouted to Li Ru, "Uncle! Brother Chao suffered so much anger and injustice over there! Now the situation is so serious, and you still have the heart to laugh. I think you are even a little overjoyed."

Li Ru chuckled at this moment, and the sound was particularly harsh to Dong Bai. He looked at Dong Bai with a doting look in his eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and said with a smile: "Silly girl, my little ancestor. This matter is indeed distressing and sad for the general. But for you, little ancestor, isn't this a great thing? Originally, that old man Lu Zhi had always disagreed with the general's marriage. Now that the old guy has finally passed away, isn't this a good thing?" Because Li Ru and Lu Zhi's positions were contrary, he had no respect for Lu Zhi at all, and his words were full of disdain.

Dong Bai's brows were furrowed, like two crescent moons, and his tone was full of worry and heartache: "Even if that's the case, Brother Chao must be in great pain."

Li Ru continued, "What's more, the general has been wavering between you and Miss Lu Wan. Now that Miss Lu Wan has been married to the emperor, you have one less strong opponent. Shouldn't you be secretly happy?"

Dong Bai stamped his feet in anger, his eyes slightly red, tears flickering faintly: "But this will make Brother Chao very sad! Didn't you see that Brother Chao has grown a strand of white hair at such a young age because of this? Think about it, how much pain must he have suffered physically and mentally to be like this? You only see this little benefit, and others don't care about these things. Also, Brother Chao is now in Chang'an City, which is full of dangers. You have to think of a solution quickly! You are still smiling, aren't you nervous at all?"

Li Ru looked at Dong Bai's anxious expression, sighed slightly, and the smile on his face gradually faded. He said seriously: "Don't worry, little ancestor. Although this matter is complicated, it is not without a solution. Let me think about it carefully." Dong Bai stood aside, looking at Li Ru nervously, twisting the corners of his clothes tightly with his hands, and praying silently in his heart that there would be a good way to help Ma Chao survive this crisis.

Li Ru looked at Dong Bai's anxious expression, shook his head slightly, and began to argue with her. His eyes revealed a hint of depth and strategy, and he slowly said, "Little Ancestor, don't be so anxious. Although Chang'an City is full of dangers, the worst that can happen is that we can retreat to Xiliang. Wouldn't that be exactly what we want? What else is there to protect in this Han Dynasty? The general has always been too loyal and patriotic. Now that he and the emperor have such a rift, I can't wait for the emperor to be more radical, maybe even force the general to rebel. Then, we will occupy Xiliang and look across the world, causing those princes to fight each other. And when the time is right, Xiliang will take action to unify the world. Maybe by then, you, little ancestor, will be the empress." Li Ru's words were filled with longing and planning for the future, as if a grand blueprint was slowly unfolding in his mind. However, Dong Bai's face was still full of worry. Ma Chao's safety was the only thing on her mind. She didn't know how to respond to Li Ru's words. She just stood there in a daze, with a lot of thoughts in her mind.

Dong Bai's face was full of anxiety, and she said eagerly: "I don't care about those empty reputations! All I want in my heart is to be with Brother Chao. Now Brother Chao is in danger, and his safety has been greatly affected. You have to think of a way quickly! What's the use of saying those nonsense?" Dong Bai's eyes were full of worry and anxiety. She stared at Li Ru tightly, as if she had placed all her hopes on him.

Li Ru raised his chin slightly, his expression still calm, he slowly said: "Don't be so anxious, I will take care of everything. Things are not so bad that they cannot be handled. You just sit here with peace of mind, your uncle is here, and I will make sure your brother Chao comes back safely. Moreover, this situation will only become more and more favorable for us. Look at you, how anxious you are." Li Ru's words were calm and confident, trying to soothe Dong Bai's panicked heart.

However, Dong Bai remained anxious. She tugged at Li Ru's sleeve tightly, shaking it repeatedly, as if this would encourage him to come up with a solution faster. She said, "Uncle, stop keeping me in suspense and figure out a solution! You haven't gotten to the point yet." There was a hint of tears in Dong Bai's voice, and her heart was filled with worry and concern for Ma Chao.

Li Ru gently broke free from his arm and said helplessly: "Little ancestor, please stop shaking me. If you continue shaking me, I will really fall apart. Why are you so anxious? You can be anxious, but there is no need to be so anxious. How much ability do I have in Longxi to help the general solve such a complicated situation? You don't have to worry. The one who should be anxious is your lover's father in Wuwei County. Today, the Ma family is in its heyday in the northwest. All the power and reputation can be said to be earned by Ma Chao's hard work. His father, Ma Teng, has 300,000 Xiliang cavalry under his command. Now that his son is facing such great danger, given his protective nature, he might have already panicked. "Let's sit quietly in Longxi County and wait for old Ma Teng to come and discuss things with me. By then, I might even try to secure some benefits for you, so that you won't be disrespected or neglected by your in-laws in the future." Li Ru's eyes gleamed with shrewdness and calculation. He knew that at this critical moment, he could secure greater benefits for Dong Bai while also charting a more favorable path for the Ma family's future.

Dong Bai felt a little shy after hearing what Li Ru said, and her cheeks flushed. However, she couldn't help but mutter, "Then you have to give me a useful solution. You can't just sit here and wait."

Li Ru then put away his teasing intention, his expression became a little serious, and said to Dong Bai: "Miss Dong Bai, please think carefully. From the time this emperor started to attack us, until now he has firmly established himself in Chang'an, your brother Chao still went to Chang'an to serve. All the things that happened during this period revealed the wisdom and cunning of this emperor. Although your brother Chao seems to be facing a huge crisis in Chang'an City, they are in the game, and Xu Shu's letter slightly exaggerated the tense atmosphere. They are in the game, so naturally they can't see it. "It's very clear. Don't underestimate this little emperor. He's particularly good at manipulating people's minds, so he won't really have any major conflicts with your brother Chao. Even if a conflict occurs, it will be between other forces below. But anyone who wants to harm your brother Chao must carefully weigh the pros and cons of the 300,000 cavalry of the Western Liang army. What's more, he now has more than 40,000 Western Liang cavalry around him, so his safety is absolutely not a problem. Let me put it this way, Miss Dong Bai." Dong Bai calmed down a little after hearing these words.

Li Ru continued, "Now is the perfect time to let General Ma Chao see the Emperor's true intentions. What kind of man is he supporting? Is he worthy of his life-threatening service? He still thinks too highly of people. Even if Ma Teng comes to ask for advice this time, I will advise him to follow General Ma Chao's decision and hold his troops. We will maintain pressure to ensure the general's life is not in danger, and let him truly see the Emperor's intentions. Only when he is truly disappointed with the Emperor will he be able to wholeheartedly put aside his corrupt Confucian ideas and truly achieve great things. In fact, only then will he truly understand that only by relying on his own strength can he carve out a place for himself in this chaotic world. And we will also provide him with solid backing in this process to help him realize his ambitions."