Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

As Yuan Shao's son, Yuan Tan holds a crucial position within the Yuan family, his safety crucial to the family's reputation and future. Any misfortune for Yuan Tan would plunge Yuan Shao into endless pain and chaos, potentially leading to significant divisions and unrest within the family.

Yan Liang, a renowned general under Yuan Shao, commanded a formidable reputation for his prowess. Yuan Shao's strategic plans and military operations relied on the execution and implementation of a warrior like Yan Liang. Like a sharp blade in Yuan Shao's hand, he slashed through the battlefield. Now that Yan Liang was in Li Ru's hands, Yuan Shao naturally hesitated to act rashly, fearing that Li Ru, driven by desperation, would kill Yan Liang, thereby crippling his right-hand man.

In his Chang'an residence, Li Ru sat with a group of generals, discussing countermeasures. Zhang Yan, a worried look on his face, said, "Military Advisor, Yuan Shao's army is approaching. Although they haven't moved yet, they remain a serious threat. How should we respond?"

Li Ru narrowed his eyes slightly, a glint of wisdom flashing in them, and he spoke slowly, "Don't panic, everyone. Yuan Shao's sending of troops this time is more of a test and a deterrent. He's afraid to act rashly against us. We just need to hold our troops still, closely monitor the enemy's movements, and strengthen the defenses of Chang'an City, so as to respond to any changes with the same strategy."

Wei Yan nodded in agreement and continued, "Military Advisor, you are absolutely right. However, we cannot let our guard down. Yuan Shao is a man of great ambition, and he might come up with some cunning scheme."

Li Ru sneered and said, "Hmph, if he dares to play any tricks, I will make sure he never returns. With Yuan Tan and Yan Liang in our hands, we have the greatest confidence. As long as they are safe and sound, Yuan Shao will not dare to act rashly. But we can't rely solely on these two cards. We must also actively prepare and enhance Chang'an's defenses, just in case."

Under Li Ru's command, Chang'an City and its surroundings were heavily guarded. Numerous defensive devices were added to the city walls, and soldiers patrolled day and night, maintaining a vigilant and prepared position. Craftsmen toiled day and night, crafting more arrows, stones, and other defensive weapons while also reinforcing the walls' weak points. Logistics personnel also busied themselves preparing sufficient food and fodder to ensure the soldiers' continued supplies.

Li Ru also deployed spies to closely monitor the movements of Yuan Shao's army. Every detail, from the soldiers' drills to the layout of the camp, was meticulously recorded and reported promptly. Though worried, the civilians within the city gradually calmed down under Li Ru's reassurance and organization, cooperating with the government and contributing their own efforts to the defense of the city. Some helped transport supplies, while others sewed clothing for the soldiers. The entire city of Chang'an was in a tense yet orderly atmosphere, awaiting further developments.

Li Ru had received Ma Chao's reply half a month earlier. Unfolding the letter, Ma Chao detailed the battle report from Xiliang, his words brimming with the pride of victory. He had led his army successfully overwhelmed the entire Western Liang region, and now the land was at peace, its people returning to a stable life. Upon first reading the letter, Ma Teng and Li Ru were overjoyed, their faces breaking into smiles of relief.

However, as he read further, Li Ru's expression grew increasingly solemn. When he read about Ma Chao's plan to seize Bingzhou, he was momentarily taken aback. Then, smiling, he stroked his thinning beard and muttered to himself, "Excellent! Your Majesty's ambitions are becoming even greater." But as he read further, the smile vanished completely, and his expression grew even more solemn.

At the end of the letter, Ma Chao stated that Chang'an was safe and he planned to clear the grasslands once and for all. Li Ru couldn't help but blurt out, "How foolish! This would be too costly!" Ma Teng, beside him, was also filled with worry, stammering, "This...this, if the princes in Guandong knew about it, how would we protect it from now on?"

Li Ru knew the gravity of this matter, so he quickly calmed himself and rethought his strategy. His top priority was to stabilize the situation in Chang'an and not let any news of Ma Chao's subsequent plans leak out.

So, on the one hand, he touted Ma Chao's glorious achievements in Xiliang, creating an atmosphere of unstoppable and invincible Xiliang. On the other hand, he urgently summoned several of his confidantes who had also received Ma Chao's letters. Each of these women was deeply concerned about Ma Chao and eagerly anticipated his return to marry them.

Li Ru's face was serious. He glanced at the girls one by one and said solemnly, "Girls, General Ma Chao's whereabouts and subsequent plans are related to the safety of the entire Chang'an and even Xiliang. The situation is complicated now. Once the news leaks out, the consequences will be disastrous. Therefore, I give you a strict order here. You must keep your mouths shut and never reveal a word to anyone." When the girls heard this, although they were dissatisfied, they also knew that the matter was serious.

But with Ma Chao's return uncertain, the women were overcome with anxiety and worry, nearly losing control. Some couldn't hold back their tears, while others even clamored to go to Xiliang to find Ma Chao. This scene gave Li Ru a headache, and his kind words of persuasion were ineffective.

At the critical moment, Ma's mother and Ma Yunlu appeared just in time. Ma's mother, with a loving and solemn expression, gently soothed them, "Girls, I know you're concerned about Chao'er. But Chao'er is away fighting, shouldering a heavy responsibility. Causing a disturbance here will only distract him. Trust Chao'er; he will return safely." Ma Yunlu chimed in, "Sisters, we must trust our brother. Right now, stabilizing the rear is the greatest support we can give him."

After Ma's mother and Ma Yunlu's patient persuasion, the women gradually calmed down and finally agreed to keep the secret. Li Ru was secretly relieved when he saw this.

Afterward, Li Ru sent a letter to Zhang Lu by carrier pigeon, instructing him to continue building momentum. He was to vigorously publicize Ma Chao's magnificent achievements in sweeping across Xiliang and annihilating the foreign invaders, even going so far as to publicly disclose the exact number of foreign invaders killed to highlight Ma Chao's remarkable military exploits. Furthermore, he was to emphasize Ma Chao's patriotic spirit, contrasting his heroic efforts to maintain peace and resist the foreign invaders with the actions of the other princes, who were preoccupied with internal strife and disregarded the lives of the people.

Thanks to Li Ru's meticulous planning, for the next two weeks, Chang'an, both civilians and soldiers, were immersed in the joy of Ma Chao's victory, filled with jubilation and excitement, without a trace of panic. This was precisely Li Ru's skill. Chang'an was so vast, and there were countless spies from various factions lurking. If Ma Chao's subsequent plans were accidentally leaked, and the allied forces of the princes attacked, the situation would be disastrous. Ma Chao's return was unlikely to last more than a year or two, and during this period, Chang'an's safety depended entirely on their defense.

Outside Tongguan, Yuan Shao deployed a hundred thousand troops, with his two great generals, Wen Chou and Zhang He, in command. Tents stretched out in a continuous line, flags fluttered in the wind, and while the army appeared to be imposing, Yuan Shao was actually hesitant and cautious. He knew that Yuan Tan and Yan Liang were like two chess pieces in Li Ru's hands, and he was hesitant to act rashly.

Yuan Shao had originally planned to move Zhen Mi's family to Chang'an, hoping to exchange them for Yuan Tan and Yan Liang. However, Yuan Shao was deeply unhappy about this, realizing that relying solely on his own strength to deal with Ma Chao would undoubtedly benefit the Guandong vassal states. Meanwhile, Cao Cao had just annexed Xuzhou and was rapidly expanding, becoming a formidable force.

Just as Yuan Shao was agonizing over this matter, his advisors Tian Feng and Ju Su offered him advice. Tian Feng bowed and said, "My lord, Ma Chao's power is growing. He has been crowned King of Liang, blatantly violating Emperor Gaozu's oath that only those with the surname Liu can claim the throne. Given our army's current strength, if we rashly engage in battle with Ma Chao, we risk not only being unscathed but also allowing Cao Cao to reap the benefits. Cao Cao is incredibly ambitious, and his power should not be underestimated. It would be wise for my lord to temporarily set aside our prejudices and form an alliance with Cao Cao. Our 100,000 troops threaten Tongguan and also intimidate Cao Cao. If Cao Cao refuses to send troops, once you have recovered the hostages, we can force him to join our army in attacking Ma Chao. This way, we can ensure the safe return of Yuan Tan and Yan Liang, and unite with Cao Cao to jointly fight Ma Chao and eliminate future threats."

Ju Su nodded in agreement. "Mr. Tian is absolutely right. Ma Chao's power is growing, and he's become a major concern for the Guandong vassal states. Although Cao Cao and our lord have long harbored grudges, he certainly doesn't want to see Ma Chao's power grow any stronger. If we can form an alliance with him and join forces, our chances of victory will be greatly increased."

Yuan Shao pondered for a long time and felt that this plan was feasible, so he decided to send an envoy to Cao Cao's camp.

The messenger galloped and soon arrived at Xudu. Cao Cao sat high in the Sikong Mansion, looking at the messenger sent by Yuan Shao with an indifferent expression. After the messenger saluted respectfully, he said: "General Cao, my lord Yuan Shao is well aware that Ma Chao has now claimed to be the King of Liang, breaking the oath of Emperor Gaozu. He is ambitious and poses a threat to all the princes. Our army is now stationed at Tongguan with 100,000 troops, intending to deter Ma Chao. However, my lord's son Yuan Tan and general Yan Liang are now in the hands of Li Ru. My lord is afraid to act rashly. Therefore, my lord is willing to form an alliance with you to fight Ma Chao together. If you send troops to help us now and attack Ma Chao together, after the success, our army is willing to share the land of Xiliang with you. If you are unwilling to send troops for the time being, wait until my lord exchanges the hostages. I also hope that you can cooperate with our army to fight together to destroy Ma Chao, to correct Emperor Gaozu's law and maintain the orthodoxy of the Han Dynasty."

After listening to the speech of Yuan Shao's envoy Xin Ping, Cao Cao remained expressionless. He just gently stroked the armrest of the chair and fell into deep thought.

Guo Jia, upon seeing this, understood Cao Cao's intentions. He leaned closer to Cao Cao, lowered his voice, and whispered in his ear, "My lord, the conflict between Yuan Shao and Ma Chao is a godsend. Both are powerful individuals, and while they clash, we can reap the benefits. To rashly get involved now would not only cost us manpower and financial resources, but could also lead to self-destruction and disrupt our overall plan. In my opinion, we should reject Yuan Shao's offer for now and hold our troops in place."

Cao Cao nodded slightly, agreeing with Guo Jia's words. He raised his head, looked at Xin Ping calmly, and said, "Mr. Xin, I understand your master's proposal. However, our army has just annexed Xuzhou, and we are overwhelmed with work and need to rebuild. We simply cannot spare any troops to join Yuan Shao in the fight against Ma Chao. I hope you can tell Lord Yuan that Cao Cao is willing but unable to do so, and I'm afraid we cannot agree to this alliance."