Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Zhang Lu stopped talking at this point, his expression slightly hesitant, as if he was having trouble speaking. He gave Yang Song a subtle look, his eyes full of hints.

Yang Song immediately understood, a smile plastered across his face. He took a step forward and said to Li Ru respectfully and eagerly, "Yes, Mr. Li Ru, there is a wonderful thing going on here. You may not know this, but General Ma Chao and my Third Miss have been getting along for a while now, and they are truly in love with each other. If we can take this a step further and have them form a Qin-Jin friendship, a lifelong partnership, then our two families will become even closer, and our relationship will become even closer. Wouldn't it be as harmonious as one family? In this way, our two families can work together, support each other, and jointly deal with the turbulent times. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Li Ru chuckled in anger, saying "good" three times in a row. Then, with a gleaming gaze, he glared at Zhang Lu and Yang Song, angrily saying, "Humph, so you've been planning this all along, thinking you hold our lifeline in your hands? My young master, Ma Chao, is a young genius, renowned far and wide. His military prowess is admired by the world. Our Xiliang army dominates the region, its strength immense. No one in the world dares to underestimate our might. Our 30 Xiliang cavalry, constantly on the alert, strike fear into the hearts of the foreign tribes on the grasslands. Even the imperial court is terrified by our powerful military might."

He paused, his expression growing even more stern. "Let me ask you, with our strength, how could my young master worry about being without a wife? As long as the young master shows his interest in a certain girl, wouldn't every family be vying to send their daughters to him? Is this what you call a good thing? If you hadn't claimed that my young master was in your hands, this Wudu City would have been captured by our Xiliang cavalry by now, and they would have marched straight into your heartland of Hanzhong."

Li Ru's words became increasingly fierce. "You actually want to negotiate with these unrealistic conditions. It's simply wishful thinking. You have no sincerity in the slightest. If that's the case, then there's no need for us to continue to feign compromise. It's better to part ways now. I will return to Xiliang immediately. We will see the real outcome on the battlefield. I want to see if you really have the guts to touch a hair on my young master!"

Seeing Li Ru's fierce words and unyielding attitude, Yang Song secretly thought that the situation was not good. A little sweat could not help but seep out of his forehead. He hurriedly came out with a smile on his face to smooth things over. While apologizing, he said to Li Ru in a gentle but sharp tone: "Mr. Li Ru, please calm down your anger for the time being. Since we are sitting together today, we are here to discuss peace with sincerity. Everything can be discussed. You see, although Xiliang has strong soldiers and horses and its strength is world-renowned, General Ma Chao is now in our Hanzhong territory and under our control. This is an indisputable fact. We, on the other hand, do not want to make this peace negotiation situation, which has been opened with great difficulty, too awkward. After all, if it really breaks out and the swords are used, it will end up in a lose-lose situation, which will not benefit anyone at all."

Yang Song paused, a sly look flashing in his eyes, as if he were weighing the pros and cons. He then continued, "However, we are not unreasonable people. Look, General Ma Chao and my Third Miss have been spending time together, discussing poetry and philosophy, and going out for fun. If I say that there hasn't been some special affection between them, even Daojun Kao Ye wouldn't believe it. Let's take a step back and examine General Ma Chao's true thoughts and intentions. If he is also in love with my Third Miss and is willing to facilitate this match made in heaven, wouldn't that be a win-win for everyone? Perhaps through this marriage, the two families can put aside their hostility and work together to create a broader world in these troubled times. If so, it would be the best thing for both Xiliang and Hanzhong."

Zhang Lu, who was listening to Yang Song's words, nodded in agreement as if he had found a life-saving straw: "Yes, yes, Mr. Yang is absolutely right, absolutely right! Why don't we invite our nephew Ma Chao over and let him express his position clearly in front of all of us. We can also discuss the subsequent matters calmly according to his wishes. Mr. Li Ru, what do you think of this arrangement?" After that, Zhang Lu looked at Li Ru expectantly, with a tentative look in his eyes and a hint of imperceptible nervousness.

At this moment, the Zhang siblings were strolling in the garden with Zhen Mi. Zhen Mi feigned composure, but her heart was churning like a raging storm, her nerves reaching their limit. She overheard the Zhang siblings mentioning that Hanzhong was currently engaged in peace talks with the Western Liang envoys, and her heart instantly leaped into her throat.

The Zhang siblings excitedly envisioned a peaceful future with Xiliang. Zhang Fu said with longing, "If we can truly make peace with Xiliang, our trade routes in Hanzhong will surely be smoother, and the people's lives will improve." Zhang Gui chimed in, "Yes, perhaps we could even trade with Xiliang and learn their horse training skills."

However, Zhen Mi had no interest in participating in their discussion, her heart filled with worry. She knew that if her impersonation of Ma Chao were exposed, the consequences would be disastrous. Her mind raced, pondering a solution, but in her panic, she couldn't come up with a foolproof plan. She lamented, "What should I do? What should I do?"

At that moment, a servant hurried over and said respectfully, "General Ma, the Heavenly Master invites you to the meeting room." Upon hearing this, Zhen Mi's body stiffened, the handkerchief in her hand unconsciously clenched, and her face turned pale. She subconsciously wanted to refuse, but the words were swallowed back on the tip of her tongue. The Zhang siblings noticed her strangeness, and Zhang Qiying asked with concern, "General Ma, what's wrong with you? You look so bad." Zhen Mi forced a smile, her voice trembling slightly, and said, "It's nothing. I may have been a little tired recently. I'll be fine after a while." But her panicked eyes could not hide the extreme uneasiness in her heart.

Although Zhen Mi's heart was filled with fear and anxiety, and every step she took seemed to require all her strength, she was still involuntarily brought to the hall to meet the Xiliang delegation, surrounded by the crowd.

As soon as Zhen Mi stepped into the hall, Zhang Lu immediately put on a warm expression, with a smile on his face. His tone was full of familiarity and kindness, and he shouted loudly: "My dear nephew, you are finally here! Your envoys from Xiliang have been waiting for a long time. This important matter of peace talks depends entirely on your decision." As Zhang Lu spoke, he took a few steps forward, made a gesture to pull Zhen Mi's arm, his eyes full of earnestness.

However, Li Ru, a member of the Xiliang delegation, saw Zhen Mi appear, and a flash of surprise crossed his previously calm face. Then, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and he burst into unbridled laughter. The laughter echoed throughout the empty hall, filled with endless mockery and disdain. Li Ru suddenly stopped laughing, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, staring directly at Zhen Mi. He strode forward and shouted in a stern voice, "Who the hell are you? How dare you impersonate my General Ma Chao! Do you really think that there is no one in my Xiliang who would allow you to act so recklessly and deceive people like this?"

This sudden change was like a thunderclap, exploding overhead. Zhang Lu's smile froze instantly, his face turning from red to white, his eyes filled with fear and disbelief, as if frozen in place. Yang Song's body trembled violently, and he plucked a tuft of his beard from the hair he was gently twisting. He stared at Zhen Mi with wide eyes, as if trying to find a flaw in her that would prove this was all a misunderstanding.

The Zhang siblings were stunned, as if struck by lightning. Zhang Qiying's eyes instantly turned red, tears welling up in them. She stared at Zhen Mi in disbelief, her lips trembling slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but was too stunned by the sudden turn of events to speak. Zhen Mi, her identity exposed, felt a chill run from her feet to her head. Her blood seemed to freeze, and her body trembled uncontrollably. She knew she was now in a desperate situation, her escape route completely cut off.

Zhang Lu regained his composure, his face a moment of panic turning to fury. He whipped around, his finger practically stabbing Zhen Mi's nose as he roared at the top of his lungs, "You traitor! How dare you commit such a treasonous act! I've treated you well, so why would you harm me like this? If the Xiliang envoy hadn't seen through my plan, I would still be in the dark. Do you have any idea how much disaster this will bring to Hanzhong?" Zhang Lu was so furious that his entire body was shaking, his eyes bulging as if they were about to spit fire.

Yang Song echoed this, his face filled with ferocity and anger. "Hmph, you shameless wretch, how dare you be so presumptuous! This act of impersonation has nearly plunged Hanzhong into ruin. What are your real intentions? Tell the truth!"

Zhen Mi faced this storm of accusations, feeling both frightened and aggrieved. Fighting back tears, she loudly defended herself, "I never pretended to be someone I wasn't! From the beginning to the end, you mistook me for Ma Chao. I've tried many times to reveal my identity, but you never gave me a chance. Every time I tried to speak, you interrupted me. I... I really have so much pain to say!"

Zhang Lu refused to believe it. He sneered and shouted, "What nonsense! If you didn't intend to impersonate me, why didn't you make it clear earlier? You clearly have ulterior motives, trying to exploit this for personal gain, and now you dare to make excuses!"

Yang Song also said sarcastically: "That's right, you still want to deny it now. Your behavior is simply a vicious heart. Let's see how you can justify yourself today!"

Zhen Mi was terrified, but her instinct for survival forced her to feign composure. After taking a deep breath, she quickly began to defend herself. Her voice was hurried, filled with a hint of urgency and grievance: "Everyone, please allow me to explain in detail. I am a member of the Zhen family of Hejian Prefecture in Hebei Province. Our family has been merchants for generations. While we have accumulated some wealth, it also comes with the trappings of possessing a treasure, often coveted by scoundrels. In recent years, the world has been in chaos, with bandits rampant. In order to protect myself and my goods, I have to...

She paused briefly, a flicker of panic in her eyes, then continued, "I've heard of General Ma Chao's fame and awe. In a moment of confusion, I pretended to be General Ma Chao in order to find some protection in this chaotic world."

Zhen Mi's face was filled with anxiety and helplessness. She quickly defended herself, "But from the beginning to the end, I never actively exploited General Ma Chao's status to seek any personal gain. When we first arrived in Hanzhong, we were ambushed by your soldiers. We were so lucky to have Fu Bao let us pass, we dared not delay even a moment and simply wanted to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible. But who could have imagined that we would be trapped by you right after that?"

Zhang Lu gnashed his teeth in anger, his eyes red as he shouted, "Even so, you should have revealed your identity when you were trapped. Why did you lie all the way here?"

Zhen Mi's face was filled with helplessness, her eyes reddened, and her voice trembled as she spoke, "Think about it. Ma Chao's status as a general allows you to treat me with courtesy. Without this status to protect us, we are just merchants, powerless. How can we resist you? In these chaotic times, I have no choice but to do this to protect myself."