Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

In this extreme anxiety, Zhang Lu's only hope was to capture Ma Chao and use this as an opportunity to negotiate peace with the Western Liang army. He knew that if Wudu City was captured, the entire Wudu County would fall into enemy hands, and Hanzhong would lose this crucial barrier, leaving the gates wide open, with disastrous consequences.

Meanwhile, his daughter was adding to his troubles at this crucial moment. Ever since her confinement, she had repeatedly pleaded with him, begging for the ban to be lifted and for her freedom to go out. Under normal circumstances, those delicate pleas might have softened his heart. But now, preoccupied with the worries of the war, he could only pretend to be deaf and blind to her pleas. Even when his daughter resorted to the extreme measure of a hunger strike to resist him, he looked at her increasingly haggard face and felt pity. However, thinking of the soldiers fighting on the front lines, with the fate of Hanzhong hanging by a thread, he could only grit his teeth and harden his heart, continuing to ignore his daughter's hunger strike. In these chaotic times of war, as the ruler of a region, he was forced to set aside his daughter's affections for the sake of the greater good.

For four agonizing days, Zhang Lu paced back and forth in the city lord's mansion like a caged beast, restless. Every passing minute felt like a sharp knife, slowly slicing at his taut nerves. He lost his appetite and couldn't sleep. The smoke of war on the front lines and Ma Chao's elusive, ghostly figure constantly surfaced in his mind. He was consumed with worry about how this fierce battle with the Western Liang army would end and what the future held for Hanzhong.

At dawn on the fifth day, a sudden burst of news, like a ray of light piercing through thick clouds, instantly brightened his gloomy mood. The guards at the city gate rushed to report that Ma Chao had been successfully captured. Zhang Lu was stunned at first, as if he couldn't believe his ears. Then, like a surging tide, long-suppressed joy instantly broke through all his worries and anxieties. His face flushed with excitement, and he shouted loudly for the messenger to be brought to him immediately. At the same time, he quickly sent orders to his two most trusted confidants, Yang Song and Yang Bai, to rush to the city lord's residence to discuss confidential matters.

After a while, the messenger, surrounded by the crowd, stepped into the main hall of the city lord's mansion with a nervous and slightly tired look. Zhang Lu could no longer suppress his inner anxiety. He took a step forward, his eyes wide open, staring at the messenger, and asked in a hoarse voice: "But have you really captured Ma Chao? Tell me quickly, don't miss any details!" Seeing that his lord was so anxious, the messenger bowed deeply and said tremblingly: "My lord, I dare not hide anything. That day, in front of the pass guarded by my family, a rather mysterious caravan slowly approached. They were in a hurry, but did not raise any flags. Such behavior was unheard of at the time. The current situation is extremely suspicious. Since receiving your strict order to capture Ma Chao with all your might, our soldiers have been on high alert day and night, not daring to slack off for even a moment. Therefore, when this caravan appeared, our general acted decisively, immediately directing his troops to conduct a meticulous investigation. After a thorough investigation, he discovered faint traces of wounded soldiers among their ranks. Upon seeing this, our general became suspicious, and after careful consideration and careful deduction..."

Zhang Lu had listened expectantly, but the messenger's narration was like a winding stream, long and tedious, failing to get to the point. His anxiety instantly flared like a raging fire. With furrowed brows and furious glares, he interrupted brusquely, "Enough! Stop rambling on. Get to the point! Are you sure it's Ma Chao?" The messenger was still rambling, but the sudden, harsh rebuke from his lord sent him shuddering and nearly collapsing. He swallowed in fear, forced himself to calm down, and quickly gathered his thoughts. Then he spoke succinctly, "My general, noticing something was amiss, immediately surrounded them. At that moment, the caravan members, realizing the situation was dire, produced a jade talisman, a treasure of our Five Pecks of Rice Sect. This treasure is unique and rare, and our lord had previously ordered special attention to be paid to anyone possessing this talisman. Therefore, our general concluded that Ma Chao must be among the caravan."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lu's heart overflowed with joy like a flood. He excitedly turned to Yang Song, his eyes filled with praise and gratitude, and exclaimed, "Yes, yes, that's certainly true! This talisman is my daughter's personal belonging. Now that it's in the caravan, Ma Chao will be unable to escape. Yang Song, your suggestion this time is truly ingenious and perfect. It has made a great contribution to Hanzhong. You are truly a great servant!" Yang Song's face remained humble and reserved upon hearing this. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he smiled softly, "My lord, you are so kind. This is all thanks to your wise leadership and decisive decision-making. Only then can the orders be quickly transmitted to all places, and your prestige ensures their resolute and thorough implementation. This is a great blessing for you, and a great honor for us, your subjects."

Zhang Lu was flattered by this perfectly balanced flattery, his entire body relaxed, his pores seemingly relaxed, his heart overflowing with joy. Only then did he turn his gaze back to the messenger and slowly ask, "Since that's the case, when does your general plan to bring Ma Chao here?" The messenger's forehead was covered in sweat, beads of sweat dripping down his cheeks. He replied cautiously, "My lord, although my general has successfully captured Ma Chao, his reputation is far-reaching, and his martial arts are beyond the reach of ordinary men. If we send too few troops to escort him, we're afraid something unexpected might happen along the way. Moreover, Ma Chao's status is special. If he were captured, his subordinates would certainly not sit idly by. If someone were to come and rescue him, the consequences would be disastrous. My general has the important responsibility of guarding the pass, so he dares not act rashly. Therefore, he has only trapped them inside and has immediately sent me to report the details to my lord. Everything depends on your wise decision."

Zhang Lu nodded slightly, stroked his beard, and said after thinking for a moment: "Well, what you said does make some sense. Well, well, you are capable, and your general is also thoughtful. Yang Bai, you will immediately arrange for the army to go and escort Ma Chao safely to Hanzhong." Yang Bai clasped his fists and accepted the order with a solemn expression, then turned around to prepare for related matters.

Zhang Lu, however, seemed to recall something, and with a hint of worry, he added, "Wait, there's one more thing we must remember. We must not treat Ma Chao with the slightest neglect or injustice. Although we've been lucky enough to capture him, the Western Liang army is coming with such force that they're no match for us. We must not let a small mistake lead to a big loss and provoke them." Yang Bai nodded quickly, "Your Majesty, you're absolutely right. I will proceed with caution and will not make even the slightest mistake."

Zhang Lu turned to the messenger and asked again, "When you captured Ma Chao, did you inflict any harm on him?" The messenger quickly replied, "My lord, absolutely not. Our general cleverly separated Ma Chao from his followers, then apprehended them separately. He suspected there might be someone or something important among them who was extremely important to Ma Chao, causing him to hesitate and act cautiously. Therefore, he refrained from attacking them and did not harm them in the slightest."

Zhang Lu's eyebrows danced with joy as he clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "Hahahaha, so your general is truly a man of wisdom and talent! Yang Song, you must vigorously promote him in the future. You must not let such a talent go unnoticed." Yang Song smiled faintly and bowed slightly, saying, "My lord is wise. I obey your orders."

Zhang Lu then said to the messenger with satisfaction: "Well, you have completed the mission successfully. It was really not easy. After you go down, you can have a good rest in Hanzhong City for a few days. I will definitely order people to prepare wine and meat as a reward for you." Upon hearing this, the messenger was as if he had been pardoned. He hurriedly thanked him profusely and retreated with tears of gratitude.

Zhang Lu stared at Yang Song, seeing him breathe a sigh of relief. He slowly spoke, "Yang Song, now that Ma Chao has been captured, the people of Xiliang will surely be wary of any consequences. In your opinion, should we send envoys to the front lines to negotiate peace with Xiliang?" Yang Song bowed slightly and responded respectfully, "My lord, you are absolutely right. With Ma Chao now in our hands, Xiliang will undoubtedly be wary, and the danger to Wudu will surely be overcome. We might even be able to take this opportunity to reclaim the entire Wudu they previously occupied."

Zhang Lu gently rubbed his temple, his face showing an apprehensive expression. "That being said, we must carefully consider the selection of this envoy. Only someone with quick wit and eloquence can take on this important task. Yang Song, do you have any suitable candidates to recommend?" Yang Song lowered his head slightly, a hint of reserve on his face, and said softly, "My lord, this matter is extremely complex and not something that ordinary people can comprehend. The grasp of the negotiation scale is quite difficult, and most people may find it difficult to handle. Furthermore, if the people of Xiliang don't believe us, we will need to mediate tactfully. If the person we send is incompetent, the matter may reach a deadlock."

Zhang Lu rested his chin on his hand, pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Well, you're right. It seems we must send someone of high rank and power. An ordinary person wouldn't be up to the task. If we can't convince them, we can just have them send an envoy to Hanzhong City to see what's going on. But how do we even choose the right person?"

Yang Song was secretly delighted. His words were meant to claim this great achievement. After all, with Ma Chao now in his hands, the Western Liang army would surely be wary of any wrongdoing. Not only would the danger in Wudu be averted, but even the occupied territory of the entire Wudu County could be easily reclaimed. How could he willingly let someone else snatch away such an unprecedented achievement? Thinking of this, Yang Song straightened his clothes, then bowed solemnly to the ground, saying loudly, "My lord, I wish to personally travel to Wudu to negotiate peace with the Western Liang generals. It's no exaggeration to say that within Hanzhong City, there's no one more suitable than me for this envoy's mission."

Zhang Lu was moved by this and felt reluctant to let Yang Song go. He quickly reached out and helped Yang Song up, saying with emotion, "It's freezing cold now. It's been a long journey to Wudu, and you've been exhausted. Sir, please be healthy..."