Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

This burst of laughter instantly shattered the look of astonishment Yang Song had originally hoped to see. Yang Song felt his face burning, extremely embarrassed by the laughter. He lost control of his emotions and shouted in a rather unruly manner, "What are you laughing at? Your young master is in our hands, don't you worry about his life at all? And you still have the mind to laugh!"

Pang De stood up, still recovering from his wild laughter. He propped one hand on his knee, leaning forward, unable to straighten his back. He gasped, "What did you say? You said my young master was captured by you? Are you confused by the fever? Or did I hear wrongly? With the limited capabilities of your Hanzhong, could you capture my young master? Moreover, my young master is in Chang'an, serving the court. How could he run to your Hanzhong? You must be crazy!"

Yang Song stiffened his neck and said stubbornly, "Why? You still don't believe me? Then I have to ask, why did your young master appear in my Hanzhong? But the fact is that he was indeed captured by my Hanzhong. According to the schedule, he is now detained in Hanzhong City. If you don't believe me and don't care about his life, you can attack me. Otherwise, how could I dare to come here so brazenly and let you open the city gates?"

Li Ru didn't believe Yang Song's words at all, but seeing that the Hanzhong envoy spoke so seriously, he continued, "Okay, okay, tell me how you captured my young master? I never thought you Hanzhong people had such great capabilities." His words were full of sarcasm and suspicion. Yang Song had come here to negotiate peace. If they didn't believe this, how could the negotiations proceed? In desperation, he had to reveal everything he knew: "Your young master disguised himself as a merchant caravan and sneaked into Hanzhong. In my opinion, he was probably trying to steal intelligence from Hanzhong. However, he never expected to be discovered by the Hanzhong emperor and his ministers. Then, the entire Hanzhong city tracked him down, launched a full-scale manhunt, and finally successfully captured him. Humph, such a petty trick, and you still want to hide it from the world? It's simply wishful thinking. Don't you think that Hanzhong people are not easy to fool!"

Qiang King Cheliji frowned and said loudly, "My brother Ma Chao is an extraordinary martial artist and a rare talent. Apart from anything else, his unique attire and outstanding appearance alone make him stand out in a crowd like a crane among chickens, making him instantly recognizable. He has a face as beautiful as a crown of jade, with sword-like eyebrows slanting into his temples, eyes like cold stars, deep and bright, a high nose bridge like a peak, and thin lips that are slightly pursed, giving him an air of cold majesty. He often wears a white helmet and white armor, the armor is made of fine material, and the patterns on it resemble dragons and snakes. He glittered in the sunlight, his presence accentuating his imposing presence. He held a spear, the shaft of fine iron icy cold to the touch, nearly a foot long, its tip razor-sharp, its gleaming cold light seemingly capable of cleaving the wind and splitting the air. The white horse beneath his crotch was a majestic beast, its coat pristine white, its hooves strong and powerful, its mane billowing as it galloped, like a steed treading the clouds. "Have you ever considered that someone might be impersonating him? You dare to speak nonsense in our army without even verifying your identity? You're truly asking for death!"

Yang Song hastened to add, "How could we not know Ma Chao's appearance? Since we can trace his figure, we must have a deep understanding of him. His white helmet and armor are spotless, and the cold light in the sunlight is dazzling, as if a god of war has descended to earth. When he dances with the spear in his hand, it is like a dragon emerging from the sea, the cold light at the tip of the spear flickers and is unstoppable. The white horse he rides complements him perfectly. As he gallops, it is like a white lightning streaking through the sky, and the dust he raises seems to cheer him on. He is a man of heroic spirit, with an imposing demeanor, and his head held high and chest puffed out, showing the heroic spirit. He is truly a rare talent, with a dignified appearance and extraordinary handsomeness."

As soon as these words were spoken, the soldiers, who had been laughing, stopped laughing. They looked at each other, then cast their gazes with confusion at Li Ru standing beside Pang De. Yang Song's description clearly showed him to be the young master they admired, the renowned General Shenwei Tianjiang of Xiliang, or Ma Chao of Xiliang. After all, this unique image and outstanding appearance had already been deeply imprinted in everyone's minds. How could anyone else easily imitate him?

Li Ru's brow furrowed upon hearing Yang Song's words, lost in deep thought. He was certain that Ma Chao could never have traveled to Hanzhong and been captured. Firstly, Ma Chao had no necessary reason to go there; secondly, the strategic plan for Xiliang's advance into Hanzhong had been orchestrated solely by him, Li Ru, without any consultation with Ma Chao. Common sense would dictate that Ma Chao should have been heading for Yangzhou at this point. However, seeing Yang Song's confident and resolute words, Li Ru still harbored a lingering doubt. But he quickly reaffirmed his conviction, convinced that Ma Chao would never set foot in Hanzhong. He believed someone had deliberately impersonated him, intent on creating confusion and chaos.

Li Ru's thoughts raced like rapidly spinning gears. After a moment's hesitation, he had already formulated a response plan. He believed this situation was likely caused by someone impersonating Ma Chao, leading Hanzhong to miscalculate. If so, why not exploit their tactic? This way, he might be able to seize the initiative in the future, controlling Hanzhong's lifeline and forcing them into submission.

With this in mind, Li Ru, under the gazes of everyone filled with both expectation and doubt, slowly spoke, "Yang Biejia, you've most likely mistakenly identified the wrong person. You found an imposter somewhere, and now you're using him as a threat to our army. You've come to speak nonsense and put forward such absurd and unreasonable conditions. You're truly arrogant and don't take our Xiliang seriously. You should return immediately and stop harboring such futile fantasies. Our Xiliang army will never agree to this. Be prepared to hold your ground with all your might. My Xiliang Young Master is renowned, and we will not tolerate such wanton insults. This time, we will not only conquer Wudu County, but we will also march straight into Hanzhong City and demand a satisfactory explanation from you."

When the generals heard what Li Ru said, their morale was greatly boosted, and they seemed to be filled with infinite strength. They clamored: "Go back! Go back! Don't embarrass yourself here. You are making fun of our young master. You are simply tired of living!" For a moment, the cheers in the camp were deafening. Everyone supported Li Ru's decision, scoffed at the so-called "Ma Chao was captured", and vowed to use force to make Hanzhong pay the price for its arrogant words and deeds.

Yang Song was quite surprised by Xiliang's unwavering and resolute attitude. However, before leaving, he and Zhang Lu had already made some assumptions, anticipating that the people of Xiliang might not readily believe them. Yang Song sneered, his neck stiffened, and he said loudly, "Humph! If we weren't absolutely sure, how could we act rashly? How could I, the dignified Deputy Governor of Hanzhong, easily step into your ferocious territory? Since you don't believe me, you can send someone capable and decisive to Hanzhong. That way, it will be clear whether it is your Young Master of Xiliang. Don't be so shameless and threaten to overwhelm Hanzhong. If Hanzhong hadn't captured Ma Chao, we would have fought you to the death long ago. I just wonder if anyone in your army has the courage to go to Hanzhong like me to investigate. If it's not Ma Chao, then we will fight openly. If it is Ma Chao, you will have to think carefully. You will not let go so easily for humiliating this envoy."

Yang Song's suggestion perfectly matched Li Ru's thoughts, and Li Ru responded without hesitation: "Okay, it's a deal. In that case, I will go to Hanzhong on behalf of my commander to find out. Whether it is true or not, we will have a final say after we see it with our own eyes."

As soon as Li Ru said this, Cheliji and Pang De immediately looked anxious and said in unison: "Sir..."

Li Ru raised his hand slightly, signaling them to remain calm. Seeing this, Yang Song said with some disapproval, "You're just a small clerk in the army. How can you be so capable as to represent your commander? It would be better to send someone more influential." His words implied that he questioned Li Ru's status and decision-making power, believing he was unfit to make such a crucial decision on behalf of Xiliang.

Li Ru's lips curled up slightly as he chuckled softly, "Hahahaha, you're truly a country dweller living in a remote corner, so narrow-minded you haven't even heard of my name. I'm Li Ru of Xiliang, and my reputation has long been known. I wonder if you, Yang Biejia, a man with such high self-esteem and in such a high position, have ever had the pleasure of appreciating the little fame I've accumulated in these troubled times?"

Yang Song was immediately shocked, his face filled with shock and confusion. He mumbled, "Li Ru? This name sounds so familiar, but I can't remember where I've heard it before."

Seeing Yang Song's expression, Pang De, out of kindness, shouted a reminder, "My master was once a prominent figure in Luoyang City, following Lord Dong to fight against the princes of the world. At that time, the situation in Luoyang was turbulent, and various forces gathered. My master, with his extraordinary wisdom, masterminded those thrilling battles. Could it be that you in Hanzhong are so closed-minded and ignorant of news that you don't even know the name of a figure as famous as my master, Li Ru?"

After Pang De's reminder, Yang Song's mind flashed through countless rumors and stories of the past, finally coming to its senses. He thought to himself, "Yes, yes, why did this name sound so familiar? It turns out he was the man who had once colluded with the notorious and destructive Dong Zhuo, the most trusted advisor to that devilish king. This man was profound in strategy and ruthless in his methods. He had once single-handedly stirred the world and instilled fear in countless heroes." At this thought, Yang Song felt a chill run up his spine, and he shivered involuntarily. He knew that his previous ridicule had been a grave mistake. Although he now held Ma Chao's so-called "equipment," facing such a cunning and formidable figure, the fear in his heart still surged like a tidal wave, difficult to suppress. He tried to remain calm, but his trembling lips betrayed his inner panic. He spoke with some difficulty, "Since you are Mr. Li Ru in person, your status and prestige are unmatched. Your weight is enough, enough." After that, he quietly raised his sleeves and gently wiped the fine beads of sweat on his forehead that kept appearing due to extreme fear. The action was extremely covert, as if he was afraid that Li Ru would notice his guilty conscience and timidity.

Li Ru took in all of Yang Song's reactions, sneering inwardly, but remaining expressionless. He simply said, "Okay, since you think I'm capable of accompanying you to Hanzhong, then please wait patiently in Wuwei City. I'll arrange everything, and then I'll go with you to Hanzhong to find out what's going on. There's no point in wasting words here. Whether our young master is trapped in Hanzhong or not, we'll know once we arrive."