Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Upon hearing Li Ru's analysis, Ma Teng felt as if he had fallen into an icy cellar, his mind completely at a loss. His eyes were panicked, his lips trembling slightly as he spoke, "Then... what should we do? Are we just going to stand by and do nothing? Let Chao'er lead an army of over 40,000 men to face Yuan Shu alone? Yuan Shu has so many soldiers and generals, how could Chao'er and his men possibly withstand him?" As he spoke, his brows knitted together, a look of distress on his face. Visions of Ma Chao's desperate plight kept resurfacing in his mind. "This situation is so dire. Chao'er's predicament is precarious! In my opinion, it would be better to let Chao'er lead the army back to Xiliang. It's better than dying there."

Ma Teng paused, then looked at Li Ru again, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Mr. Wenyou, you just mentioned a long-term plan. Could you please tell me what this long-term plan is? Please think of a way to resolve this crisis quickly, or I'll be unable to sleep or eat."

Everyone around held their breath, looking at Li Ru expectantly, their eyes searching for a glimmer of light in the darkness. Li Ru narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression grave, and said, "My Lord, in my opinion, this is a good opportunity for the Young Master to experience a setback. Only by allowing the Young Master to deeply experience the court's indifference and ruthlessness during this crisis, only by allowing him to fully realize the court's indifference and ruthlessness, and by allowing him to see the court's true face, will he resolve to return to Xiliang. Only with the Young Master's return can we achieve our hegemony. Otherwise, even if we have the best plans, without a wise leader to implement them, what good will they do?"

Seeing Li Ru's confident expression, Ma Teng knew that he must have a plan. So, he said in a pleading tone, "Mr. Wenyou, please stop keeping me in suspense and just tell me what you're going to do. I'm completely confused and don't know what to do."

Li Ru's eyes were firm and his expression was serious. He said decisively, "Since that's the case, then I'll be frank. In my opinion, we will ignore the young master's request for assistance and not send a single soldier."

Upon hearing Li Ru's words, Ma Teng's eyes widened in shock, as if he had just heard the most absurd thing in the world. Disbelief was written all over his face, and every wrinkle concealed his resistance to the proposal. He stood there as if struck by a bolt from the blue, frozen in place, motionless like a statue without a soul. His lips trembled slightly as he tried to retort, but the sheer shock of his heart froze him, as if an invisible hand were gripping his throat.

It took a long moment for him to come back to his senses, as if awakening from a nightmare. His emotions instantly erupted like a volcanic eruption. He cried out, "Mr. Wenyou, this... how can this be? Chao'er is my own flesh and blood, the blood of my Ma family. I cherish him like a treasure. How could I have the heart to watch him sink into such dire straits without rescuing him?" His voice cracked with emotion, his eyes red, the pain evident in his eyes. "Furthermore, the situation is so dire. If we don't rescue him, what will become of the over 40,000 brave men of Xiliang? They've fought bravely with Chao'er, brave warriors of Xiliang! If we don't rescue them, how many of them will return safely? Are we just going to stand by and watch them plunge into the fire like moths to a flame, indifferent and helpless?" His eyes were filled with pain and struggle, the heartache of a father worrying about his son's safety, the anxiety of a lord worrying about the fate of his soldiers. His hands unconsciously clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, and his body trembled slightly, as if he was fighting a fierce battle with the contradictions in his heart.

At this moment, the hearts of everyone present felt as if gripped by an invisible hand. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Li Ru to continue his explanation. Li Ru, however, remained calm, speaking slowly and unhurriedly, "My Lord, you are correct. Chao'er is your own flesh and blood, and it is natural for you to feel for him. But this time, we must force the Young Master into a desperate situation. Only in this way can he truly see the true nature of the court he serves. This army of over 40,000 will inevitably suffer severe damage in this confrontation with Yuan Shu, perhaps even losing more than half. If the situation deteriorates further, there may truly be very few left." He paused briefly, scanning the expressions of those present, and continued, "But only by placing the Young Master in such danger can we fully unleash his inner fighting spirit, making him realize that the court is unreliable and that returning to Xiliang is his true home. If this resolves the Young Master to return to Xiliang and conquer the world, then the sacrifice of these 40,000 soldiers will be well-deserved."

Li Ru uttered these words so casually, yet the implication within them sent chills down Ma Teng's spine and those of the other generals present. Those cold, ruthless words pierced their hearts like a cold blade. Even the usually carefree Xu Huang felt a chill run down his spine. As if under a spell, the chicken leg he was clutching fell to the ground with a clatter, and he forgot to swallow the meat he was chewing. He stared at Li Ru with wide-eyed disbelief, his face filled with terror and disbelief at the very thought.

Xu Huang couldn't help but feel a wave of fear, a cold sweat oozing from his forehead. He thought to himself, "How foolish I was just now, contradicting Li Ru. Now it seems that Li Ru's heart is colder than winter ice! He can so easily decide the life and death of 40,000 Xiliang troops. How can he let me off so easily for my previous offense?" The more Xu Huang thought about it, the more fear he felt, his body trembling slightly. "What should I do if he wants to make a fuss with me? He is so wise and trustworthy, and he can easily plot to put me in a desperate situation. I am just a military commander. In the face of such political tactics, I am like a bare hand facing a mighty army. I am powerless."

Xu Huang's eyes were filled with worry and anger. He looked at Li Ru, feeling even more wary of this cold-blooded strategist. Forty thousand soldiers! Those were forty thousand living Xiliang brothers, each with a family eager to see them return. They had followed the young master through thick and thin, loyally and devotedly, yet Li Ru could so easily abandon them. It was pure madness.

Ma Teng's brows were tightly knit together, as if they could pinch a fly to death. His face was filled with pain and entanglement, and his lips trembled slightly. After a long period of deliberation, he slowly spoke: "Sir, what you said is indeed reasonable. Considering the long-term situation and the great cause of Xiliang, your ideas are far-sighted. However..." His voice was a little choked, and his eyes were full of reluctance. "Those more than 40,000 soldiers are all good men of our Xiliang! Each of them has a deep friendship with me. They have followed me in battle for many years, through life and death, and are loyal to me, Ma Teng, as if they were my own brothers and sisters. Now, I have to watch them fall into despair and abandon them like this. My heart feels like it is being cut by sharp blades repeatedly. The pain is simply indescribable. I really can't bear it! Sir, is there really no way to remedy this situation?" His eyes revealed a strong expectation, and his eyes were like a drowning man grasping at a lifeline. He stared at Li Ru closely, hoping to hear a glimmer of hope from him.

Li Ru looked at Ma Teng's pained expression, but the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile. He whispered, "My lord, since you are so concerned about the future of Xiliang and are willing to seek a better solution to this difficult decision, I will continue to explain a few things to you. There are naturally remedies." He paused, his eyes becoming penetrating, as if he could see through the current situation and into the future. "We must open up a new food supply route. This is of vital importance. Chang'an's existing food supply route is like a bomb that can explode at any time. We can no longer rely on it. If we continue to stubbornly refuse to change our ways, and Chang'an chokes us and cuts off our food supply route, all our efforts will be wasted, and everything will be in vain. Our great cause for Xiliang will be completely ruined."

Li Ru's eyes flashed with a fierce light when he said this. He took two steps forward and continued, "For now, we can mobilize all 40,000 troops in Longxi to support Pang De. These 40,000 troops are like a tiger descending from the mountain, exerting pressure on Zhang Lu with overwhelming force. We must make Zhang Lu feel our strength and determination, and subdue him completely so that he dare not have the slightest thought of resistance. In this way, we in Xiliang can open up a channel for transporting food and grass from Hanzhong, bypassing the dangerous Chang'an. Moreover, if we need to withdraw the army in the future, this route can also serve as a guarantee for our safe withdrawal. This not only solves the current food and grass crisis, but also provides more guarantees for our subsequent operations."

After hearing Li Ru's words, Ma Teng slowly lowered his head, lost in a long, deep thought. It felt as if two minds were fiercely conflicting within his mind: one concerned for the safety of his 40,000 soldiers, the other concerned about the future of Xiliang. His brow furrowed, his eyes wandered, as various possible scenarios flashed through his mind like slideshows, carefully weighing the pros and cons. Time seemed to stand still at that moment, as those around him held their breath, silently awaiting Ma Teng's decision. After a long moment, Ma Teng, as if waking from a difficult dream, slowly raised his head. Though the pain of losing his soldiers still lingered in his eyes, a look of determination for the greater good prevailed. He knew this decision was incredibly difficult, like using his own flesh and blood to block a flood dam. But for the future of Xiliang, for Ma Chao's complete return to Xiliang, free from the constraints of Chang'an, he gritted his teeth and made the difficult decision to accept Li Ru's advice.