Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

After a brief moment of shock, Ma Teng suddenly woke up as if from a dream. He walked quickly to Xu Huang with a nervous look, grabbed Xu Huang's shoulders tightly with both hands, and said in a trembling voice: "Yes, yes, Gongming, please tell me quickly, what happened to Chao'er in Chang'an? Why did you rush back to Xiliang from Chang'an for help? What is the current situation in Chang'an?" The civil and military officials around him also held their breath and cast their eyes on Xu Huang, with worry written all over everyone's face.

Xu Huang had an anxious look on his face, with veins on his forehead bulging slightly due to his anxiety. He said eagerly: "Ah, lord, Chang'an is fine at the moment. But the general ordered me to come back and asked you to prepare another 6 soldiers and horses, and then I will lead these soldiers and horses to meet up with the general. We must join forces and gather an army of 10 to conquer Yuan Shu! Yuan Shu and Liu Yao are fighting fiercely in Yangzhou. The general has already led the army to set off. Time is running out. Lord, you must quickly provide me with reinforcements so that I can rush to help the general, otherwise I am afraid the situation will be unfavorable!" As he spoke, he looked at Ma Teng with earnest eyes, his eyes full of eager desire for reinforcements.

A group of people gathered there, bewildered expressions on their faces, as if they were shrouded in a thick fog. They couldn't understand why Ma Chao, clearly in Chang'an, had suddenly become involved with Yuan Shu in Huainan and Liu Yao in Yangzhou. Everyone looked at each other, waiting for an answer.

At this moment, Li Ru stood up slowly and leisurely, his expression calm, as if none of this had anything to do with him. He slowly picked up a glass of wine and walked to Xu Huang with steady steps. He reached out and pulled Xu Huang up, gently patted the snowflakes on Xu Huang's shoulders that had not yet melted, and said with a faint smile on his face, "Come on, General Xu, drink this glass of wine first to warm yourself up and calm your mind. Speak slowly. The sky hasn't collapsed yet, why are you so flustered? Look at you talking so incoherently, everyone is confused by you. You are so impatient, you really are a fool."

Xu Huang's rage instantly flared up at the mention of "idiot." He shrugged his shoulders, attempting to shake off Li Ru's hand, his face ablaze with discontent. He shouted, "I'm discussing military intelligence with the lord. This is a matter of utmost urgency! Unlike you, all of you, so relaxed and at ease, enjoying wine, meat, and this feast? We've followed the general for years, campaigning in battles and sleeping in the open air. How could we have the time to enjoy such pleasures? And, you pedantic scholar, don't even come near me! I don't want to be tainted by your pedantic aura!" Xu Huang hated being called "idiot" the most. After all, he always mocked others for being foolish. Being called that by Li Ru today, his anger instantly flared up. However, he didn't know Li Ru well, having had very little contact with him, so he didn't realize how his two rebuttals had already caused the generals' faces to change dramatically. Those who were close to Li Ru all looked at Xu Huang as if he were an idiot, but Xu Huang was completely unaware of this and continued to stare at Li Ru with resentment on his face.

Seeing this, Ma Teng sternly rebuked Xu Huang, "Gongming, do not be disrespectful to Mr. Wenyou! Mr. Wenyou is a resourceful and important advisor to our Xiliang forces. How can you be so offensive?" Xu Huang, however, felt aggrieved and angry. He stiffened his neck and said, "I have followed the general for many years, through thick and thin, and he has never called me a fool. Moreover, I have often read military books and improved myself over the years, yet he humiliates me like this."

Li Ru, however, remained calm and composed. He waved his hand, saying, "Alas, my lord, it's all right. General Xu has served the young master for many years, experienced battles, and read military books. I'm sure he's made great progress. It was a slip of the tongue. Please don't take it to heart, General Xu. Please forgive my unintentional mistake." Seeing Li Ru's attitude, Xu Huang didn't want to argue any further. He quickly said, "Since that's the case, I'm not a petty person. I'll let this matter go. The most important thing right now is to dispatch the troops as soon as possible."

Li Ru's affable demeanor astonished the civil and military officials present. They were secretly amazed at how good-tempered and approachable Li Ru had become. Back in the days of Dong Zhuo, Li Ru, both his son-in-law and his trusted advisor, held a powerful and influential position. Back then, a single glance from him could send a chill down the spine of a general.

Li Ru, in the eyes of many, has always been a formidable figure. He possesses a sinister character, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, making him impossible to guard against. He is usually taciturn, but when he speaks, his words are like a cold blade, piercing the heart and sending shivers down your spine.

His eyes were particularly sharp, seemingly able to see through people's hearts. The generals felt as if they were wearing no armor in front of him, their thoughts exposed. Furthermore, he was incredibly meticulous, and even the slightest mistake would not escape his notice. Those who made mistakes due to negligence were like lambs to the slaughter, waiting for his ruthless judgment.

His schemes were often unexpected and ruthless, and he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. His schemes not only cornered his enemies but also implicated innocent members of his own ranks, yet he showed no concern. This ruthlessness instilled fear and dread in everyone. In his presence, everyone had to be cautious, not slacking off, fearing they would be tricked and face a tragic end. Therefore, when Xu Huang was not punished for his offense against Li Ru, everyone was surprised. After all, they had always imagined Li Ru to be a difficult person to deal with. In the past, Xu Huang's offense would have had disastrous consequences. However, the crowd did not dwell on this matter. After all, the current situation in Chang'an was their primary concern.

Li Ru frowned slightly and said solemnly, "Don't worry, General. There are many things to deal with here, and we need to sort them out slowly. I see your thoughts are a bit disorganized, so why not let me ask the questions and you answer them?" Xu Huang frowned and muttered impatiently, "Alright, alright. I really don't know why you scholars are so long-winded."

Li Ru's eyes were as sharp as a torch, as if piercing the fog. He slowly asked, "About the last incident, although no troops were dispatched, Miss Lu Wan was appointed empress by the Emperor. Do you know the details of this? In particular, what conditions did the Emperor propose?"

Xu Huang scratched his head, trying to recall, "The Emperor did indeed enthrone Lu Wan as empress, but I'm not entirely clear on the conditions he proposed, and I didn't inquire about them at the time." Li Ru nodded gently, a subtle glint in his eyes as he continued, "Did anyone interfere on the day of the enthronement?"

Xu Huang perked up upon hearing this and described it vividly, "Hey! This is truly fascinating. You know, my general is determined to make Lu Wan his empress. He's unwavering! But Gongsun Zan's daughter is the Imperial Concubine Gongsun. How could he agree? That old bastard, Gongsun Zan, stormed into Chang'an with an army of 10 men. It was a scene that threatened to poke a hole in the sky. They were just here to support the Imperial Concubine Gongsun and ruin this whole thing. But who is my general? He's a man of steel. He declared directly that if Lu Wan wasn't made empress, this matter wouldn't be over. Even if it meant a fight to the death, he wouldn't back down. The scene was truly tense! People on both sides were glaring at each other. It felt like a single spark was about to break out."

Li Ru listened intently, not missing a single detail, and pressed on, "Was it just a standoff? No more intense conflict?" Xu Huang slapped his thigh and said in a booming voice, "Of course not! It was intense. Both sides were fully prepared, and we were all ready, just waiting for the general's order to fight them. I had my sword drawn, hoping to rush in and cut down a few people. But strangely, I don't know what the emperor did, but the situation suddenly eased up and there was no fighting."

Li Ru sighed thoughtfully, a trace of regret lingering in his voice. "Alas, if a battle had broken out then, perhaps the situation would have been clearer." Xu Huang glanced at him disdainfully and shouted, "That's easy for you to say! Gongsun Zan, that old scoundrel, led an army of 10. We only have a little over 4 in Chang'an. If a real fight had broken out, wouldn't we be completely overwhelmed? That would have been the end of us." Li Ru didn't respond to Xu Huang's dissatisfaction, but simply said, "You don't understand the ins and outs of this. Let's continue. Now that the matter of the Empress is settled, why did the young master go to Yangzhou to fight Yuan Shu?"

Xu Huang frowned and said helplessly, "I'm not entirely sure of the reason. I only remember that day, after the empress was crowned, the young master returned to camp with an imperial edict. It demanded that our Xiliang forces send troops to aid Liu Yao in Yangzhou and defeat Yuan Shu's attack in Huainan. As you know, this was no easy task."

He paused and continued, "Then, Xu Yuanzhi and the general began to discuss countermeasures. Yuan Shu in Huainan is not someone to be trifled with. He has many soldiers and generals, and we only have a little over 4 cavalry. If we send this small number of troops, it would be like throwing a stone into the sea, unable to cause any waves and would be of no use at all. After careful consideration, the general arranged for me to return immediately and request another 6 troops. When I bring these troops to meet up with the general, we will have 10 men. When the time comes, we can use this powerful force to intimidate Yuan Shu and let him know how powerful we are. He will no longer dare to have any improper thoughts about Yangzhou, nor dare to launch an attack rashly. As soon as I received the general's order, I didn't dare delay for a moment. I immediately said goodbye to the general and rushed back without stopping to request reinforcements, hoping to lift the siege of Yangzhou as soon as possible."

Li Ru frowned and said solemnly, "Huainan's Yuan Shu is no ordinary figure. Leveraging the Yuan family's distinguished status as a family of three dukes for four generations, he has recruited numerous talented individuals and commanded numerous soldiers and generals. Furthermore, the south boasts numerous waterways, providing a natural barrier and combat advantage. Even if the young master assembled an army of 10, it would likely be difficult to defeat Yuan Shu in such a short period of time."