Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

In Chang'an at dusk, Ma Chao, fully awake from the previous night's drunken stupor, stepped into the meeting hall. The tallow candlelight illuminated the map, staining the mountains and rivers depicted on the parchment scroll a dark crimson, as if drenched in blood. Ma Chao pressed his fingers hard on the border between Hanzhong and Yizhou, his rough fingertips scraping across the three characters "Jiameng Pass," making a rustling sound.

"Everyone, Liu Zhang's ambitions are clear, and Hanzhong is our throat." He looked around at the group, his eyes sweeping over Jia Xu's graying beard and Li Ru's flowing sleeves. "Although Zhang Lu's former subordinates have surrendered, their morale is still unsettled. How should we deploy our defenses? I would appreciate your guidance, gentlemen."

Jia Xu coughed lightly, his bony finger tapping the map. "We could emulate Han Xin's strategy of 'repairing the plank road in public while secretly crossing Chencang.' Surface troops to reinforce Yangping Pass, but in reality set an ambush at Dingjun Mountain. Send dedicated troops to infiltrate Chengdu and incite Liu Zhang's frustrated generals to revolt." Before he finished speaking, Li Ru clapped his hands and smiled, "Wenhe, that's a good idea. However, the choice of garrison commander is crucial. Zhang Ren is a renowned general in Shu, both prestigious and skilled in military command. If he were entrusted with this important task, Hanzhong could become an ironclad fortress."

Ma Chao pondered for a moment, then suddenly drew out his sword, the tip of which gleamed coldly in the candlelight: "Okay! Immediately appoint Zhang Ren as the garrison commander of Hanzhong, and allow him the power to execute first and report later. Also send secret agents to monitor Liu Zhang, and if there is any unusual movement, report it within three days!" When the order arrow was thrown, it landed on the word "Chengdu" on the map, causing the bamboo slips on the table to rustle.

After resolving the matter in Hanzhong, Ma Chao walked to the window, looked out at the vast moonlight outside the Great Wall, and suddenly said, "Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan are fighting fiercely in Youzhou. What do you think, how can we take advantage of their strength?"

Xu Shu gently waved his feather fan, casting tiny shadows in the moonlight. "Gongsun Zan may be brave, but he's short of food and supplies, and his defeat is inevitable. Why don't you send a message, Your Majesty, allowing him to retreat to Bingzhou and join forces against Yuan Shao? This would not only weaken Yuan Shao, but also allow us to recruit Gongsun Zan as our wingman."

Jia Xu twirled his beard and added, "This strategy is brilliant, like 'driving a tiger to devour a wolf.' But Gongsun Zan should be reminded that Mayi in Bingzhou has ample food and fodder, but its defenses are weak. Only by joining forces with our army can this be accomplished."

Ma Chao nodded, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write across the silken paper with his wolf hair. After finishing his final stroke, he pressed the wax seal onto the letter, watching the dragon and tiger pattern slowly take shape. "Send an envoy to Youzhou immediately. There's no need to fight a life-and-death battle with Yuan Shao there. If things don't go well, give up Youzhou. I'm willing to join him in taking Bingzhou. Tell him that my junior brother still wants to see the White Horse General on the frontier!"

Candlelight flickered in the conference room. Xu Shu gently waved his feather fan, the fan bone dotting the border between Xuchang and Xuzhou on the map: "Everyone, please see. Cao Cao, since serving the emperor in Xudu, has conquered cities and territories under the pretext of 'suppressing rebellion,' and in just a few months, he has taken three cities in Yanzhou. Now, his sword is pointed directly at Tao Qian in Xuzhou. Guangling Commandery, under Tao Qian's rule, is closely linked to Wu Commandery, where Zhou Yu holds sway. If Cao Cao succeeds..." The feather fan suddenly stopped at the word 'Guangling,' causing the military reports on the desk to rustle.

Jia Xu stroked the yellowed bamboo slips, his cloudy eyes gleaming coldly: "Using the emperor to command the princes is a strategy of 'taking advantage of the weather'. Wherever Cao Cao points his sword, no prince dares to disobey. If Xuzhou is captured, the gates to Jiangdong will be wide open. Even if Zhou Yu has a navy, he will be unable to resist Cao Cao's sweeping power."

Li Ru's wide sleeve brushed across the crimson line stretching across the map, and the jade plaque clanged against the table. "Forming an alliance is like feeding a tiger. But if we're at odds with Cao Cao right now, we might force him to join forces with Yuan Shao. It's better to set up shackles—use him to contain Yuan Shao, and use Wujun as bait to tie up this hungry wolf." When he raised his head, the frost on his temples was dyed blood red by the candlelight.

Ma Chao suddenly drew his sword, and the tip of the sword brought up the draft of the alliance on the table. The flames instantly engulfed half of the bamboo slips: "What a trick of using a tiger to drive away a wolf!" He sneered and threw the burning paper into the copper basin. The flames illuminated the murderous intent surging in his eyes. "Tell Cao Mengde that Xuzhou and Yanzhou are his to rule, but if he dares to set foot in Wujun within a hundred miles—" The sword blade slammed heavily on the word "Xuchang" on the map, and the sound of tearing silk echoed throughout the hall. "The Western Liang cavalry will make him take the emperor away again!"

A dim candle flickered in the conference room. Ma Chao slammed his hand heavily on the word "Jingzhou" on the map, causing the bamboo slips to fall off. "Old Liu Biao secretly helped Huang Zu ambush Sun Ce, and young Sun Quan poisoned his brother. How can we let this go so easily?" His eyes swept over Jia Xu's pale face and Xu Shu's gently waving feather fan. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.

Xu Shu thought Ma Chao was about to bring up the past again, and worriedly held his feather fan across his chest, obscuring Liu Biao's sphere of influence. "Your Majesty, please think twice. Yuan Shao is eyeing Jizhou, and Cao Cao is engaged in a fierce battle in Xuzhou. If we rashly advance south, we will be attacked from all sides. Liu Biao is known as a 'discusser,' and while he has no ambition to dominate, he might join forces with Sun Quan if pushed too hard."

Jia Xu repeatedly hammered at the location of "Wancheng": "Back then, Zhang Xiu and I, General Zhang Xiu, were stationed in Wancheng. Liu Biao said that during the battle of Yangzhou, he sent General Wen Pin to attack. After General Zhang Xiu withdrew with the king, Liu Biao took advantage of the opportunity and occupied Wancheng. This city is not only a strategic point between the north and the south, but also an excellent leverage." A fierce look flashed in his cloudy eyes. "We can send an envoy to rebuke Liu Biao for 'plundering and treason.' There's no need to attack the city with real weapons, just show some posture - Liu Biao is suspicious by nature and will definitely be wary of our army's offensive, and will have no time to ally with Sun Quan."

Li Ru stroked the jade tablet and chuckled, his wide sleeves sweeping across the pile of battle reports: "Brilliant! He then blamed Sun Quan of Jiangdong for Sun Ce's death, indicating that the conflict between Xiliang and Sun Quan would be endless. Seeing that the spearhead was pointing to Sun Quan, Liu Biao would be relieved if he was not held accountable. At the same time, he sent people to spread the news that "the Xiliang cavalry has assembled at Wuguan." The combination of truth and falsehood taught Liu Biao not to act rashly.

Ma Chao suddenly grabbed the cinnabar brush on the table and drew hideous bloody circles around "Wancheng." The ink seeped down the lines of the silk: "Prepare five thousand veteran soldiers. Tomorrow they will conduct a drill with drums beating at Wuguan Pass!" He stuffed the silk cloth filled with reprimands into the black iron box and said, "Tell Liu Jingsheng that the Western Liang Iron Cavalry can settle this old score over Wancheng at any time! If you dare to collude with Sun Quan again..." Before he finished speaking, his sword had already shaved three inches off the corner of the table. Amidst the flying wood chips, the candle flame suddenly grew three feet.

At three quarters past the hour of the morning, the gates of Chang'an flew open in the morning mist. Several teams of envoys in black cloaks, escorted by the Western Liang cavalry, rushed out like arrows from a bow, their horses' hooves crushing the lingering night sky. One team carried a gold-stamped secret letter north to Youzhou, the wax seal glowing a cold blue in the dim morning light; one team galloped east to Xuchang, the bronze bells hanging on both sides of the saddle jingling with the sound of the horses' gallop; another team went south to Jingxiang, and the cowhide envelopes on their horses' backs were filled with sharply worded declarations of war.

When the last wisp of dust dissipated at the end of the official road, Ma Chao still stood on the city wall, gazing in all directions. The morning sun climbed up the silver armor plates on his shoulders, but it couldn't warm his suddenly tense back.

On the top of the Chang'an city wall, Ma Chao and a group of advisers watched the envoys disperse and return to the conference room.

Ma Chao looked at the location of Xiliang on the map with a worried look on his face. He said, "Ma Dai returned to Xiliang in the spring to take charge of the overall situation. According to his itinerary, he should have arranged for someone to escort his mother to Chang'an. Why is there no news from him until now?"

Xu Shu's feather fan hung in the air. Jia Xu lowered his head and coughed lightly. Only Li Ru stepped forward slowly. The sun shone on his frosty temples, and his wide sleeves swept across the words "Longxi" and "Tianshui": "Don't worry, my king. Longxi is guarded by Dong Huang's old subordinates, Pang De and Fa Zheng, one civil and one military, guarding the foundation of Xiliang; Xiqiang Cheliji is your sworn brother, Dongqiang Pang Rou commands the Protectorate Army, and Jiang Xu is also heading to Tianshui." He suddenly raised his hand to catch the falling lamp, "If there was really any unusual movement, the 800-mile urgent beacon fire would have burned to Chang'an long ago."

Ma Chao suddenly ripped open his cloak to ease his irritation. "I'm always afraid..." His voice suddenly became hoarse, and his nails dug deep into his palm. "The terrain in Xiliang is complex. If someone cuts off the main road..." Before he finished speaking, he grabbed the tiger talisman on the desk: "Pass the order down. Immediately send ten groups of messengers to investigate along different routes! No matter where my mother is, be sure to bring back news!"

The first batch of messengers rode swiftly, crushing the morning frost in Chang'an. Jiang Xu's handwritten letter was slapped on the desk in the conference room, its wolf-hair brush calligraphy piercing through the paper: "The old lady's convoy has not yet reached Tianshui. The territory is peaceful, with no signs of abnormality." Ma Chao stared at the word "not yet reached," his knuckles wrinkling the parchment. The flame on the candlestick suddenly shook violently, casting a distorted shadow on the map.

A few days later, urgent reports from Longxi arrived like snowflakes. Dong Huang's seal was bright red, but the words within were as icy as ice: "We have rigorously checked all checkpoints along the way, but have heard no sign of the old lady's convoy. The garrison troops are in good order." Ma Chao violently overturned the table, sending bamboo slips and military reports scattering to the floor. The bronze candlesticks toppled over with a thud, spilling candle wax across the word "Xiliang," leaving a trail of blood.

"Impossible!" He loosened his crown belt, and the jade scale fell to the ground with a crisp shattering sound. "It's only a month's journey from Xiliang to Longxi. Even if the women walked a little slower, we should have reached Longxi. How could my mother's caravan disappear out of thin air?!" Xu Shu's feather fan froze in mid-air, and Jia Xu's pale fingers unconsciously stroked the abacus. Li Ru looked at the necessary route marked on the map and suddenly tapped "Jincheng". "This is the throat of Longxi. If someone sets an ambush to intercept it..."

Ma Chao drew his sword and shouted, "Could it be Jincheng? The remnants of Han Sui?"

Li Ru stepped forward quickly, his wide sleeves brushing against Ma Chao's raised sword, the candlelight flickering on his graying temples. "Your Majesty! Impatience at this moment will only create uncertainty!" He pressed his bony fingers heavily on the map at the junction of "Longxi" and "Tianshui." "Dong Huang and Jiang Xu are both experienced and prudent men. Now that they have confirmed that the old lady has not arrived, they should be ordered to secretly check the passes along the way under the guise of patrolling the border."

Xu Shu also stepped forward, fanning himself, and tapped the Jincheng Ferry with the fan rib. "There are three important routes from Xiliang to Longxi. We can order Dong Huang to strictly guard the Yellow River ferry, and Jiang Xu to block the Weishui Pass. This deployment will conceal our presence and cut off any suspicious movements."

Ma Chao's grip on the hilt of his sword bulged with veins, his knuckles practically digging into his palm. He gazed at the winding route on the map when he heard Li Ru's deep voice: "When Dong Gong moved west, it was the Western Liang cavalry that turned the tide, covering 700 miles in three days." The old strategist's voice mingled with the smoke from the copper furnace. "Now that the king holds the tiger talisman, all he needs to do is hold his ground. Once the truth is known, the million-strong cavalry will crush any obstacle!"

The candle on the desk suddenly flickered, illuminating Ma Chao's gradually calming features. He took a deep breath and sheathed his sword. "Pass my orders! Order Dong Huang to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation of Longxi, and Jiang Xu to reinforce the Tianshui garrison! Report any disturbance immediately." He swept his gaze over the people in the hall, his eyes as cold as frost. "If anyone dares to touch my mother, I will unleash unrest upon the world!"