Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Li Ru's spine burned from the glare of the crowd. Ma Chao's seemingly playful, yet actually earnest, words hit him like a hammer. He suppressed a sigh, tapped his folding fan against his palm, and said in a deliberately nonchalant tone, "It's just a beautiful woman in the harem. Why should a man's ambitions be limited by sentimental relationships? Miss Zhen saved my life, so taking her as a concubine makes perfect sense." Even so, the thought of Dong Bai's icy face made his temples throb. With his niece's temper, he feared he'd be yanked out another handful of his beard.

After calming down, Li Ru put on a serious expression and asked, "May I ask, sir, where is Miss Zhen now?"

"In Zhang Lu's territory in Hanzhong." A calculating glint flashed in Ma Chao's eyes. "Sending you is a matter of careful consideration. Back when you were sent to Hanzhong, you eloquently persuaded Zhang Lu to allow passage, alleviating Xiliang's urgent need for food and fodder. This old friendship is our confidence. Your personal presence not only demonstrates my regard for Zhen Mi, but also provides an opportunity to appease Zhang Lu." He paused, his voice suddenly lowering. "Now that I control Chang'an, Yizhou will sooner or later be part of my empire. On this trip, you must make it clear to Zhang Lu that as long as he behaves, Xiliang is his strongest support. Never harbor any second thoughts."

Li Ru lowered his eyes to gaze at the map on the table, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the topographical pattern of Hanzhong. The candlelight stretched his shadow thinly across the red pillars. After a long pause, he tapped the Chencang Ancient Road on the map and said solemnly, "We must present the airs of a king welcoming his bride when we go to meet Miss Zhen." Before he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his eyes, scanning the hall full of generals and ministers. "My lord, please assign Generals Zhang Ren and Hua Xiong to accompany me, and select five thousand Xiliang cavalrymen, with banners covering the sky and drums blaring!"

Ma Chao raised his eyebrows slightly, his eyes suddenly sharp: "Why are you making such a big fuss?"

"First," Li Ru's finger traced the air, drawing a sharp arc, "Miss Zhen and the lord have secretly agreed to spend their lives together, without any name or status. This time, with bright banners and a large army approaching, it is to announce to the world: She is the one that the king wants to welcome to Chang'an with great fanfare!" He tapped his folding fan lightly on his palm and continued, "Second, Zhang Lu is suspicious by nature. The deployment of 5,000 cavalrymen on the border of Hanzhong is both a show of sincerity and a deterrent - to let him know that the Xiliang cavalrymen can flatten Yizhou, but can also become his most solid backing!"

After a brief pause, Li Ru suddenly lowered his voice, a cunning look flashing in his eyes: "Third, we must pay attention. Miss Zhen is engaged to the Yuan family. If Your Majesty goes to marry her with thunderous force, it will be a blatant challenge to Yuan Shao. Yuan Benchu ​​is very proud. If he rashly takes action against the Zhen family, he will be known as an intolerant woman and child. This tough stance can not only protect the Zhen family, but also make Yuan Shao fall hard in front of the princes of the world!"

Ma Chao clapped his hands and laughed, his sword clanging out of its sheath: "Excellent! Wen You's scheming is indeed far-reaching!" He turned abruptly, his eyes sweeping across the hall like lightning, "Zhang Ren, Hua Xiong!"

Two fierce generals stepped forward, the sound of armor clashing causing the candlelight to flicker. "You two will immediately select five thousand elite soldiers from your command and assemble at the parade ground at noon tomorrow!" Ma Chao pointed his sword south. "This time, we are escorting Mr. Wen You. We must not only protect him, but also let Zhang Lu of Hanzhong and Yuan Shao of Hebei witness the might of the Western Liang cavalry!"

Zhang Ren clasped his fist like a spear and said, "I will ensure that Mr. Ding is unharmed!"

Hua Xiong roared like thunder, shaking the dust on the beams and making them fall: "Whoever dares to stop me will be killed on the spot!"

All the generals in the hall responded in unison, and the sound made the bronze bells under the eaves of the Weiyang Palace ring.

Having established Chang'an as the foundation of his hegemony, Ma Chao was beset with numerous matters, a myriad of issues that needed to be sorted out. His marriage loomed large on his mind. He needed to fetch his mother and family from Wuwei City to manage the situation, while also worrying about Shalier and his son, whose whereabouts remained unknown in Jiangdong. He also had to wait for Li Ru to bring Zhen Mi back from Hanzhong, to complete the double celebration. Even more thorny was the situation at court: the emperor had suddenly passed away, and Cao Cao had taken the new emperor to his fiefdom. Although Ma Chao had been crowned king, he had yet to receive the official imperial decree, leaving him with no official title. At this crucial moment, he needed to maintain control of Chang'an to deter the restive princes.

Standing atop the ruined Chang'an city wall, Ma Chao gazed at the mottled cracks in the city walls. Below him lay barren fields and emaciated refugees. The few vendors in the market wore panicked expressions. The devastation made him tighten his grip on his sword. This place had been repeatedly ravaged by war, its treasury empty, and its people destitute. To rashly mobilize troops now would be like drinking poison to quench thirst. He knew that only by ensuring the people's well-being and making the land productive could he truly transform Chang'an into the foundation for his quest for world domination.

Upon returning home, Ma Chao immediately issued decrees: He reduced taxes for three years, opened government granaries to provide relief to the hungry, recruited skilled artisans from Xiliang to repair city walls and dredge rivers, and ordered the military commander to lead his troops in reclaiming thousands of acres of abandoned farmland. He even set up a "platform for suggestions" in front of Zhuque Street, where he courteously sought advice from merchants offering trade tips and farmers offering irrigation solutions.

In the conference hall, Ma Chao's gaze was piercing as he surveyed the assembled generals and ministers. "Do you understand why we must suspend hostilities? The once powerful Qin conquered the six kingdoms, relying not only on its elite soldiers but also on the vast fertile plains of Guanzhong after Shang Yang's reforms! Now Chang'an is a battlefield on all sides. If the people can't even get enough to eat, how can we defend it, even with a million strong soldiers?" He suddenly drew his sword, pointing it directly at the Hangu Pass on the map. "When the granaries are overflowing and the people are united, the moment our Xiliang cavalry marches out of Hangu Pass, that will be the time for all the princes to tremble!"

Li Ru waved his folding fan, his eyes full of admiration: "My lord, this plan is just like Goujian sleeping on firewood and tasting gall. Let's rest for three years to nourish the people. When Chang'an can once again see the splendor of 'eight rivers surrounding Chang'an, and fields connecting to mulberry fields', we will have sufficient money and food, and well-equipped armies. We can advance to conquer the Central Plains, or retreat to defend Guanlong. Hegemony is just around the corner!"

For months thereafter, the cries of war ceased within and outside Chang'an. Instead, the cries of the common people reclaiming wasteland and the clanging of craftsmen chiseling stone were heard. Ma Chao, stripped of his armor and donning a short, coarse cloth shirt, wandered through the fields, personally directing farm work and mediating disputes. Watching this awe-inspiring king, the common people wept—they knew that this seemingly peaceful labor would eventually transform into a thunderous force that would transform the world.

When Cao Cao welcomed the emperor back to Xuchang, renamed it Xudu, and Liu Xie offered sacrifices to heaven and earth before being proclaimed emperor in Xudu, posthumously honoring the late emperor as Emperor Xiaomin and conferring the title of Prince of Liang on Ma Chao, bestowing the Nine Gifts upon him, the imperial edict spread throughout the nine provinces. In Yecheng, Jizhou, Yuan Shao was enjoying a feast with his guests. The wine in his gilded jug was barely empty when a messenger stumbled into the hall, holding the yellow silk edict high above his head.

Yuan Shao's rough fingers gripped the imperial edict, his pupils suddenly constricting. With a loud "bang," he kicked the carved wooden table over, spilling the delicacies all over the floor. "You bastard!" he roared, his jade belt clashing against his waist. "This Ma Chao claims to be loyal to the emperor and his country, but at heart he's still a barbarian from Xiliang! How is he any different from Dong Zhuo, the man who brought chaos to the court?"

All the guests were silent, except Tian Feng, who stepped forward, stroking his long beard, his eyes piercing: "My lord, please calm down. Ma Chao's appointment as King of Liang may seem like an honor, but in reality, he has become a target of public criticism. Cao Cao's move is intended to use the princes to eliminate the threat." Ju Su also clasped his fists and said: "Exactly! The court is seriously injured at this time and can no longer take care of the war in Youzhou. Gongsun Zan is isolated and helpless. If our army takes advantage of the situation and marches north..."

Yuan Shao's roar came to an abrupt halt, his iron-like face a shifting expression. He suddenly drew the sword from his waist, its edge gleaming with a cold gleam, slicing a semi-arc through the twilight. "Great! This is a godsend! First, crush Gongsun Zan and capture all the Youzhou cavalry! When I control four states, I will personally lead my army south to Xuchang and ask the Emperor of Heaven—" The sword slammed heavily onto the table, sending wood chips flying. "If a common man like Ma Chao could be crowned king, how much more exalted a position should our Yuan family, with three dukes for four generations, hold!"

Outside Jizhou City, the sunset glowed like blood, casting Yuan Shao's shadow on the white marble steps, like a ferocious beast seeking its prey. In the distance, the faint sound of war drums echoed, as if sounding the prelude to the struggle for supremacy in the Central Plains.

Yuan Shao's banner had barely been raised on the banks of the Yi River when a secret report, like a poisoned arrow, struck the Hebei overlord straight in the chest. When spies learned that Ma Chao's chief adviser, Li Ru, had personally ordered 5,000 cavalrymen to march south to Hanzhong to secure Ma Chao's hand in marriage to Zhen Mi, who was already betrothed to Yuan Xi, Yuan Shao roared and overturned the table. The crash of the bronze wine tripod startled the crows guarding the tent.

"Rebellion! Rebellion!" Yuan Shao clutched the secret report tightly with his veins bulging in his hand, his knuckles almost crushing the bamboo slips. "Pass the order! Recall Zhang He and Gao Lan immediately! I want Ma Chao's wild horse to be splattered with blood at Hangu Pass!" His roar shook the curtains of the general's tent. The generals looked at each other in bewilderment. Only Tian Feng and Ju Su rushed forward, one on the left and one on the right, firmly holding down Yuan Shao's sword-holding arms.

"My lord, think twice!" Tian Feng's forehead veins throbbed. "Hegemony is the most important thing. How can I lose my mind because of a woman?" Ju Su knelt on one knee and said in a loud voice: "Gongsun Zan's city defenses are empty right now. This is a godsend opportunity! If we turn back and fight Ma Chao now, not to mention the bravery of the Western Liang cavalry, if the battle becomes stalemate, Gongsun Zan will take the opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Jizhou..." His words stopped abruptly, and he saw Yuan Shao's eyes wide open with anger, and the veins in his neck throbbing.

"So, I have to swallow this bitter pill?" Yuan Shao suddenly shook off the two men, unsheathing his sword, a cold gleam flashing across his face. "Pass the order! Arrest the entire Zhen family immediately! I will grind them to dust!"

Shen Pei and Ju Su exchanged a glance, the former quickly stepping forward: "My lord, be careful! The Zhen family has been operating the Hebei trade route for generations, and they are the lifeline of our army's money and food!" He lowered his voice, "Besides, Zhen Mi's capture may not be the Zhen family's original intention. If the Zhen family is slaughtered for this, wouldn't the heroes of the world be disheartened? Who would dare to join my lord in the future?" Ju Su also made an earnest suggestion: "It is better to send people to monitor the Zhen family first, and then make plans after pacifying Youzhou. Now the army is about to set out, and the food, fodder and weapons all depend on the Zhen family for transportation. If we act rashly..."

Yuan Shao slumped heavily into his chair, slamming his sword into the ground. His chest heaved violently as he glared at the map in the direction of Chang'an, his teeth clenched as he spoke coldly: "For now, spare their heads! When I conquer Youzhou, I will make Ma Chao and the Zhen family pay with blood for this day's humiliation!" Outside the tent, a strong wind suddenly arose, rustling the battle map on the table, as if foreshadowing the brewing of a greater storm.

On the banks of the Yishui River, Gongsun Zan stood atop a watchtower piled with arrowheads, gazing at the endless stream of torches from Yuan Shao's distant camp, like a giant crimson python entwined on the border of Youzhou. A chilling wind whipped fine snow against his armor, yet it couldn't compare to the bone-chilling chill he felt. Previously, with the help of Liu Bei and Lü Bu, the imperial court had negotiated a peace agreement with Yuan Shao, but now he was left alone to endure Yuan Shao's thundering offensive.