Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The banquet was in full swing, and Yang Song enthusiastically recounted his experiences and the current situation in Wudu. He spoke vividly, and everyone listened with rapt attention. However, the conversation suddenly changed, and someone at the table could no longer hold back and began to accuse the Western Liang side, saying fiercely: "Western Liang started the war without reason, causing the people to be displaced and plunged into dire straits. They are innocent people who have suffered this disaster!" As soon as this statement was made, everyone echoed it, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Li Ru, however, remained smiling, drinking leisurely, as if these accusations had nothing to do with him, his emotions unmoved. Zhang Lu, seeing Li Ru's composure, felt a little irritated, and quietly leaned over to discuss matters with Yang Song. After a brief exchange of words, the two men came to a conclusion: leave Li Ru and his companions alone for two more days to see how much longer he could hold his composure.

So, after the banquet, Zhang Lu arranged for Li Ru and the others to go and rest. For a day or two thereafter, Zhang Lu did not send anyone to discuss peace with Li Ru, and the situation remained deadlocked.

Over the past day or two, Li Ru, arriving as an envoy from Xiliang, hadn't brought along a large entourage. Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, perhaps out of consideration for the envoy's status, or perhaps due to other considerations, had refrained from imposing travel restrictions on Li Ru and his companions. This, in turn, gave Li Ru ample freedom, and he remained unhurried, taking his time each day.

Li Ru was accompanied only by Jiang Xu. The two had deliberately changed into ordinary clothing and slowly emerged from the posthouse, leisurely wandering the streets and alleys of Hanzhong City like ordinary citizens. They stopped and walked, occasionally stopping at small vendors' stalls to select small items such as handicrafts and specialty snacks. As they browsed, Li Ru struck up a conversation with the vendors in a remarkably natural manner, seemingly chatting casually but secretly observing various information.

While Zhang Lu appeared to be letting Li Ru and his men run their course, he secretly deployed personnel to closely monitor their every move. However, after several days of observation, the monitors found nothing unusual. Li Ru's conversations with the others were mostly about family matters and everyday life, never touching upon military secrets or sensitive topics. Consequently, Zhang Lu felt no need to interfere and allowed them to continue their activities.

Li Ru, through his in-depth interactions with numerous merchants over the past few days, had already gained a detailed understanding of Hanzhong City's overall structure and power structure. He was well aware that Hanzhong practiced a theocratic system of rule. In this land, Zhang Lu was not only the supreme ruler, wielding the power of life and death, but also the supreme spiritual figure of the Hanzhong people. The Five Pecks of Rice Sect, promoted by the Zhang family, had a profound influence throughout Hanzhong and throughout Zhang Lu's sphere of influence, becoming a near-universal belief. Whenever the people spoke of Zhang Lu, their expressions were filled with solemnity and fervent admiration. From their words and expressions, Li Ru could clearly sense the people's happiness and pride in Zhang Lu's rule, as if living under his rule was a matter of great fortune.

During his conversations with the people of Hanzhong, Li Ru gained a deeper understanding of Zhang Lu's children and heirs. When the people mentioned Zhang Lu's sons, Zhang Fu and Zhang Gui, the response was unanimous, praising their respect for etiquette and gentlemanly conduct. Li Ru pondered this, wondering if such comments might suggest that the two men lacked exceptional talent, acting in a conventional manner and appearing somewhat mediocre and incompetent.

As for Zhang Lu's two daughters, the third, Zhang Qiying, lived a secluded life, displaying the demeanor of a lady from a noble family. The public rarely saw her face. However, the youngest, Zhang Fubao, was the one who appeared most frequently in public conversation and was the one Zhang Lu doted on. Zhang Lu constantly mentioned her in his speeches about religious matters, even employing sectarian narratives to portray her as mysterious and enigmatic, as if she possessed some special connection to destiny. From all these indications, it's clear that Zhang Fubao was Zhang Lu's most cherished child.

With this understanding, Li Ru had already formed a preliminary plan for how to deal with Hanzhong. He knew that Hanzhong was not something that could be easily seized by force. The people were united and strongly supported Zhang Lu and the rule he represented. Even if Xiliang could forcibly capture it, they would only be seen as invaders by the local people and thus incur their hatred. Moreover, the people would always miss Zhang Lu's rule, and this deep-rooted influence would not be easily eliminated.

Furthermore, Zhang Lu himself possessed the courage to confront Xiliang. A forceful attack by Xiliang would only enhance Zhang Lu's image as a tragic hero, solidifying the people's solidarity with him. After all, it was impossible to completely massacre the entire population of Hanzhong. Therefore, whether Xiliang occupied Hanzhong or not, the Zhang family's influence must be preserved to win over the people and stabilize the situation, both now and in the future.

After two days of wandering around Hanzhong City, Li Ru remained calm, showing no signs of impatience, but Jiang Xu was terribly anxious. Finally, Jiang Xu couldn't help but lean closer to Li Ru and whispered, "Sir, we've been hanging around here forever, and Zhang Lu and his men haven't arranged an audience, nor have they confirmed whether our Xiliang Young Master is actually here. Isn't this a complete waste of time? What are they planning?"

Li Ru said calmly, "They're not worried, so why should we be? Don't you understand? They're just trying to make us anxious by holding our Xiliang Young Master hostage and not letting us see him. However, thanks to these two days of free time, I've had enough time to understand the situation in Hanzhong and figure out how to control Zhang Lu's lifeline during the negotiations and create the most favorable situation for us."

Jiang Xu, still hesitant, said, "Sir, they seem so confident. Could it be that they've actually captured our Xiliang Young Master?" Li Ru glanced at him with a half-smile and teased, "Oh? So you actually believe it?" Jiang Xu scratched his head and said, "I don't really believe it either, but continuing to waste time like this is not a solution. We have to meet in person first before we can discuss further matters. Otherwise, what's the point of coming here?"

Li Ru smiled softly and soothed them, "Don't worry, don't worry. Get some rest today. Tomorrow morning we'll pack up and head back to Xiliang without any hesitation. There's no need to say goodbye to them. If we withdraw like this, they'll definitely be anxious and will naturally come to negotiate with us. Why rush to see that so-called young master? He's their biggest reliance. If they find out the young master is a fake, then we'll have the initiative! We need to make them put on a show and put forward all their demands. Once we finally break through this window paper, we'll be able to gain the greatest benefit."

Over the past two days, Zhen Mi had learned from the Zhang brothers that Li Ru of Xiliang had arrived in Hanzhong and was awaiting negotiations. This news was like a hammer, sending her, pretending to be Ma Chao, into a state of panic, like an ant on a hot pan, spinning in circles. Seeing her carefully woven lie about to be exposed, she racked her brains, but still had no idea how to escape.

During this time, the Zhang siblings continued to hang around her daily. Zhen Mi understood clearly that they were intentionally or unintentionally trying to match her with the Third Miss, Zhang Qiying. With her intelligence, how could she not understand their intentions? Yet, with her life now in danger, she had to feign composure and play along.

Of the Zhang siblings, the older Zhang Fu and Zhang Gui were relatively easy to deal with, easily dismissed with a few perfunctory remarks. The third daughter, Zhang Qiying, was intelligent, but whenever Zhen Mi encountered a difficult question, she would blush, stop questioning, and quietly retreat to the side. But that affectionate gaze truly gave Zhen Mi a headache.

However, the person Zhen Mi found most difficult to handle was Zhang Fubao, disguised as a man. This man was incredibly clever, and whenever Zhen Mi's words didn't make sense, she'd resort to considerable deception and deception. For two days, Zhen Mi was utterly frantic, yet she couldn't come up with a solution. Finally, she decided that if she couldn't hide her true identity, she'd have to use the Yuan family as a cover to try and get away with it.

Zhang Lu ignored Li Ru for two days. On the third day, before he had decided whether to summon Li Ru to initiate peace talks, a soldier arrived with a hurried report: "My lord, Li Ru and his followers have packed their belongings and are apparently preparing to leave!"

Zhang Lu and Yang Song panicked instantly when the news broke. Confused, Zhang Lu quickly looked at Yang Song and asked, "Sir, what exactly is Li Ru planning? The Young Master of Xiliang is in my hands, and I've left him hanging for two days, yet he's not in a hurry. Instead, he wants to leave now. What does this mean?"

Yang Song also had a troubled look on his face. He thought and analyzed, "When I was in the Xiliang military camp, I felt that they didn't believe that the young master had been captured by us. Now that we are in Hanzhong, they still have this attitude. Could it be that this Ma Chao is fake? Are we really mistaken?"

Zhang Lu's expression was firm, and he said decisively, "It can't be wrong! I've confirmed it over and over again, and Fu Bao is also certain it's Ma Chao. There's no way we're wrong!"

Yang Song was so anxious that he pulled at his beard, almost tearing it off. He said, "Then their actions are really puzzling. Could it be that they are trying to force us to negotiate by retreating because we haven't summoned them yet?"

Zhang Lu understood something and said, "Yes, that's what I mean. What do you think? Why don't we just let them go and prevent their plan from succeeding?"

Yang Song thought for a moment and said, "My lord, no matter what, peace talks must be held. Why waste time? In any case, Ma Chao is in our hands. I don't think they can do anything. We might as well start the peace talks now. Every day of delay means the crisis in Wudu will continue."

Zhang Lu nodded in agreement and said, "In that case, we should quickly send people to bring them back. Don't let them make a real move and get away. It would be a waste of time."

Zhang Lu and Yang Song didn't dare delay even a moment. With solemn expressions, they immediately assembled a group of men and horses and hurriedly set off in the direction Li Ru and the others had left. Their horses' hooves kicked up clouds of dust as the anxious figures swiftly shuttled through the roads of Hanzhong City.