Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The people along the road were bewildered. They only saw their own revered Heavenly Master, now extremely respectful to a thin, unremarkable scholar dressed in simple clothes. Their faces were filled with confusion and bewilderment. In their minds, Zhang Lu's prestige in Hanzhong was like a towering mountain, unmatched by others. Consequently, the people simply passed over the Xiliang delegation, focusing solely on the majesty and splendor of their own delegation, and continued to whisper and discuss. Their words expressed disdain for the Xiliang delegation, even accompanied by sneers. Zhang Lu found this inappropriate, but he had no intention of rebuking the people for their disrespect.

He turned to Li Ru and said respectfully, "Sir, please accompany me in the carriage to the palace. The banquet has already been arranged." He then turned and allowed Li Ru to board the carriage first. Li Ru, without any shyness, readily shared the carriage with Zhang Lu. Then, the procession marched in a mighty procession towards the city lord's palace, the sound of horses' hooves and wheels intertwining and raising a cloud of dust.

Entering the City Lord's Mansion, they found a beautifully laid out banquet, a feast of delicacies spread across the table, the aroma of wine wafting in the air. Zhang Lu, beaming, enthusiastically invited Li Ru to join them, repeatedly saying, "Mr. Li Ru, please take a seat." Li Ru's lips curled up in a meaningful smile, and he spoke calmly, "What's the hurry? Master, you've gone to such great lengths to announce that my young master is your guest. Now we've arrived at your residence, but he's nowhere to be seen. Are you deliberately teasing us, Xiliang? Please tell me where he is! We must visit him."

Zhang Lu's expression froze, a trace of embarrassment creeping across his face. Fortunately, he had made some preparations. He whispered to his son, who was waiting in the inner room for instructions, "Zhang Fu, where is General Ma Chao today? Why wasn't he invited to the banquet?" Zhang Fu understood and quickly stepped forward, replying respectfully, "Father, Mengqi is with my second brother and third sister at home today, so he didn't come to the banquet." Zhang Lu smiled softly and explained, "Alas, sir, you may have misunderstood. Ever since your young master arrived in Hanzhong, he and my daughter have become quite close. We are inseparable, and he also gets along very well with my other children, often reciting poetry, singing, and drinking together."

However, upon hearing this, Li Ru refused to believe it. His brow furrowed slightly, anger rising from his face. He angrily exclaimed, "Oh? How could that be? We've come all this way, and yet you won't even let my young master see me? Is this how you, Hanzhong, show your sincerity in hospitality?" His words were like a stone dropped into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves. Jiang Xu, standing behind Li Ru, suddenly drew his sword from his waist with a clang, pointed it forward, and shouted, "What? Today, no matter what, I must see my young master!" Seeing this, the Hanzhong generals refused to back down. They unsheathed their swords, one of them glaring with fury, shouting, "How dare you, a young general from Xiliang, be so impertinent in front of my master!" In an instant, the atmosphere at the banquet reached a fever pitch, and tensions mounted, a clash seemingly imminent.

Seeing this, Zhang Lu put on a well-placed smile, attempting to ease the tense atmosphere. He turned to the officers standing ready, and sternly reprimanded them, "Put away your weapons! Look at you all, how disgraceful!" He then turned his gaze to Jiang Xu, a hint of admiration in his eyes, and said, "This young general, though alone in this unfamiliar land, without any companions to protect him, is so brave and courageous, so skilled in battle. He is truly a hero!"

Hearing Zhang Lu's words, all his men sheathed their weapons. This action left Jiang Xu somewhat bewildered. He wondered whether he should put away his sword or remain on guard, sword drawn.

At this moment, Li Ru also laughed. He looked at Jiang Xu and said with a bit of sarcasm in his tone: "Okay, reckless boy, put away your sword." Then, Li Ru turned his head and said to Zhang Lu: "Master, no matter what you are thinking in your mind, I only have this corrupt scholar here. Besides, as you can see, we are only accompanied by twenty or thirty soldiers. We are obviously the weaker party here. As the saying goes, the guest should follow the host's wishes. We will do whatever you arrange." After that, Li Ru seemed to no longer be entangled in whether to meet Ma Chao, and calmly prepared to go to the banquet with Zhang Lu.

Zhang Lu was overjoyed to see Li Ru's cooperation. He had a motive for this arrangement: to whet Li Ru's appetite and prevent him from easily meeting Ma Chao. He deliberately created a situation where Li Ru felt the Young Master of Xiliang was within reach, yet he could never see him. This way, he could raise more demands in subsequent negotiations and arouse his opponent's emotions.

Li Ru, a seasoned veteran, saw through Zhang Lu's tactics instantly. However, he didn't mind. In fact, Li Ru had considered the presence of the so-called Young Master of Xiliang improbable from the outset; he simply didn't believe it. So, regarding the meeting with Ma Chao, he simply didn't want to go through the pointless formalities with Zhang Lu and the others. Since Zhang Lu insisted, he decided to cooperate, even if the other party's demands were exorbitant. He thought to himself that soon they would discover that this wasn't the Young Master of Xiliang, and only then would they realize the magnitude of their mistake. Once that happened, the situation would instantly shift to the active. No matter what he asked, Zhang Lu wouldn't be able to refuse.

Not long after, a servant hurried in and respectfully reported to Zhang Lu, "Master, Young Master Ma Chao is enjoying himself in the garden with the third young lady." A flicker of embarrassment crossed Zhang Lu's face as he turned to Li Ru and said, "Mr. Li Ru, ever since our nephew Ma Chao arrived, he and my daughter have been so captivated by each other that they've been playing all day. Your presence has been neglected, and it's all the fault of these two children, so young and playful."

Li Ru sneered inwardly, becoming increasingly certain that this wasn't Ma Chao. Knowing Ma Chao, he was a steady and measured person. If he were truly here, he wouldn't have failed to show up. Still smiling, he looked at Zhang Lu and said, "The Heavenly Master cherishes his precious daughter so much, yet he's willing to let her frequently meet my young master, a stranger. What exactly is the Heavenly Master planning?"

Zhang Lu felt a sudden flush on his face as Li Ru spoke these words. After all, those present were all prominent figures in Hanzhong, and it was indeed somewhat embarrassing for him to proactively arrange for his daughter to accompany him. However, Zhang Lu had other plans in mind. He secretly thought: If he could facilitate Ma Chao's marriage to his daughter, and later ally with Xiliang, it would be beneficial to both sides, and would also provide him with considerable support.

Thinking this way, Zhang Lu no longer cared much and forced a smile, saying, "Well, they're just young people, just having a little fun. It's nothing serious. Besides, they are so close and of similar age, so it's only natural for them to hang out more. As a father, I can't really stop them."

Li Ru's expression froze, and he said seriously, "Master, allow me to be frank. I'm afraid the news is not going through the cracks, so you haven't heard yet. My young master from Xiliang has already been engaged to Miss Dong Bai, the granddaughter of Mr. Dong. This is the will of their parents and the matchmaker. I hope Master will restrain your daughter and not embarrass either party. Although my young master is young and promising, and it's not a problem for men to be a little romantic, if any bad news gets out, your daughter's reputation will be damaged. Given your family background, I'm sure you wouldn't want to see your precious daughter in such an awkward situation."

These words were like a hammer, severely humiliating Zhang Lu. How could Li Ru not know Zhang Lu's intentions? If Ma Chao was truly present, Zhang Lu's move would clearly be an attempt to recruit Ma Chao as his son-in-law. But Zhang Lu was unaware of Li Ru's close relationship with Dong Bai. Besides being lord and subject, Li Ru and Ma Chao were also connected by Dong Bai. How could he easily grant Zhang Lu's wish? Even if this person wasn't Ma Chao, this was a warning to Zhang Lu, to discourage his unrealistic thoughts.

Seeing the tense and awkward atmosphere, Yang Song quickly put on a friendly smile and respectfully said to Zhang Lu and Li Ru, "Gentlemen, I'm sure General Ma Chao has plans for a meeting. Today's banquet has been meticulously prepared to entertain our distinguished guests, and it reflects the Lord's good intentions. If we just sit around waiting, we'd be betraying his kindness. Why don't we start the banquet now and relax together? With all the wine and food in hand, perhaps General Ma Chao will arrive soon, and you'll all enjoy yourself even more."

Zhang Lu's heart was filled with hatred, but facing the powerful Xiliang, he was helpless and could only sigh, "I am the fish on the chopping board." He thought viciously: Humph, Li Ru, you are so arrogant. When the formal negotiations begin, I will show you how to control you and vent my anger!

As he thought this, Zhang Lu suddenly put on a bright smile and said, "Never mind, let the young people handle their own affairs. Mr. Li Ru has come all this way and must have worked hard on his journey. Please take a seat. The banquet will begin." At Zhang Lu's command, attendants filed in, and exquisite dishes were served one after another. Simultaneously, songs and dances, full of the unique charm of Hanzhong, took the stage. The dancers' graceful movements, their colorful sleeves fluttering, and the melodious music instantly added a touch of joy to the banquet.

Li Ru, seeing this, said nothing more. With a meaningful smile on his face, he calmly took his seat. Jiang Xu, standing tall and straight, gripping the sword at his waist tightly, stood solemnly behind Li Ru, like a towering pine tree. General Yang Bai, noticing Jiang Xu's continued presence, enthusiastically invited him to join them. However, Jiang Xu acted as if he hadn't heard him. He neither responded nor moved, maintaining his stern and serious demeanor as he stood silently.

Zhang Lu then raised his glass, stood up, and began to toast everyone. Following his lead, everyone present responded by raising their glasses. Suddenly, laughter and joy echoed throughout the banquet hall, and the atmosphere became increasingly warm and harmonious.