Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Upon returning to the inn, Guo Jia addressed Cao Ang with a serious face, "Sir, your behavior today at Xun Lingjun's residence truly worries me. We have come to Xiliang with a heavy responsibility. We are here to form an alliance with them, jointly defeat Yuan Shao, and rescue the imperial court from danger. We must also help Xun Lingjun escape. These are matters of vital importance to the national situation. How could you, momentarily captivated by the allure of a woman, forget your mission? Ma Yunlu may be strikingly beautiful, but in this complex situation in Xiliang, we must be on guard. Perhaps this is a trap set by Li Ru and his men to disrupt our minds and sabotage our plans."

Cao Ang, upon hearing Guo Jia's words, felt a wave of guilt and quickly apologized to him, "Mr. Fengxiao, I was confused for a moment and nearly made a mistake. I shouldn't have lost my composure and been swayed by sentimentality. I will remember your teachings and will prioritize the greater good. I won't make such a mistake again. I hope you can forgive my imprudence."

Guo Jia's expression softened slightly at Cao Ang's sincerity. He said, "It's a relief, young master, that you've come to your senses in time. We're in danger, and every step must be cautious. Let's put aside our personal feelings for now. When we complete our mission and return to Xudu, we won't have to worry about finding a good partner. Our most urgent task is to do everything we can to achieve our goal and live up to the trust placed in us by Lord Cao and the Emperor."

Cao Ang nodded firmly and said, "Rest assured, sir. I am fully aware of the importance of this matter. Tomorrow we will visit Lord Xun again. I will devote myself to the plan and will not worry you again."

Guo Jia shook his head slightly, his expression solemn. "Never mind. Looking at the situation today, Xun Lingjun wouldn't normally be this busy. It's clear they're doing this on purpose, not wanting us to get too close to him. So many people coming here, non-stop from morning till night. It's obvious someone is behind this, deliberately plotting to disrupt our plans and prevent us from having an in-depth conversation with Xun Lingjun and obtaining crucial information."

He paused and continued, "Let's not visit Xun Lingjun again tomorrow. Such frequent contact will only make the people of Xiliang more vigilant, which will be increasingly detrimental to our actions. Moreover, Xun Lingjun is entangled in such trivial matters, and we will hardly have the opportunity to discuss important matters properly. It is better to go directly to that old fox Li Ru and discuss with him the matter of forming an alliance to attack Yuan Shao. Although Li Ru is a cunning man, some things must be discussed with him face to face. There is no way to avoid it. If we take the initiative, perhaps we can seize the initiative and get some information from him to see what Xiliang's attitude is towards the alliance."

Cao Ang listened to Guo Jia's analysis and nodded in agreement. He said, "Sir, you are absolutely right. We previously tried to learn about the situation in Xiliang through Xun Lingjun and then look for an opportunity to form an alliance, but now it seems that this avenue has been blocked. Direct negotiations with Li Ru, while fraught with difficulties, are still an option. However, Li Ru is extremely cunning, and we must be extremely cautious in dealing with him. If we are not careful, we could fall into his trap."

Guo Jia's eyes were firm as he spoke, "That's right. Tomorrow we will meet with Li Ru, and we need to think of a response plan in advance. We must demonstrate the benefits of an alliance to Xiliang, but we must also not let him see our eagerness, lest he take advantage of us. You and I must work closely together and act accordingly."

Cao Ang's expression was serious. He replied, "Don't worry, sir. I will do my best. I will discuss this with Li Ru tomorrow. I will be cautious in my words and actions and will leave everything to your arrangements."

In Ma Teng's mansion, everyone was eagerly awaiting Ma Yunlu's return to report on the situation. Ma Yunlu was stunned when she walked into the hall. She saw not only Ma Teng and Li Ru, but also Dong Bai and Lu Wan. She couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Sister Bai'er, Sister Wan'er, why are you two here too?"

Seeing this, Lu Wan hurriedly smiled and explained, "Sister Yunlu, I heard that the emperor's envoy this time is Cao Ang. There was a civil strife in Chang'an City that day. If he hadn't come to help, I'm afraid my Lu family would have suffered a disaster. So, when I heard that he came to Chang'an, I wanted to pay him a visit and thank him in person. But considering the difference between men and women, it would be inconvenient for me to come alone, so I asked Sister Bai'er to come with me, and wanted to ask you about the situation." Lu Wan really just regarded Cao Ang as an old friend who had done her a favor in the past, and simply wanted to meet him to express her gratitude. Her heart was devoted to Ma Chao, and she only regarded Cao Ang as a younger brother.

When Ma Yunlu heard Cao Ang mentioned, he couldn't help but say, "Oh, you mean that idiot Cao Ang? Today at Xun Lingjun's residence, he kept staring at me with a dull look. But he didn't seem to have any ill intentions."

Ma Teng frowned slightly and said, "Yunlu, don't be careless. Cao Ang is Cao Cao's son and an envoy of the Emperor. He must have come to Xiliang on an important mission. They have frequent contact with Xun Yu, so I'm afraid they have big plans."

Dong Bai, however, heard something different in Ma Yunlu's words and couldn't help but jokingly said, "Sister Yunlu has always acted decisively and never acted coyly, but today she was being rather affectionate with Cao Ang. Could it be that she's attracted to him?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Yunlu's face instantly flushed, like a gorgeous sunset glow. Flustered and embarrassed, she threw herself at Dong Bai and said coquettishly, "Sister Bai'er, what nonsense are you talking about? I'm going to tear your mouth apart!" She reached out her hand, pretending to cover Dong Bai's mouth.

Dong Bai dodged with a smile and continued, "Ah, men and women should get married when they are old enough. There is nothing to be shy about. Sister Yunlu is in her prime. If she really falls in love with Cao Ang, it might be a good story."

Ma Yunlu stamped his feet, his cheeks growing hotter. He defended himself, "Sister Bai'er, if you keep talking nonsense, I'll be really angry. I just thought the way Cao Ang stared at me today was a little funny. It didn't mean what you said."

Lu Wan watched the two of them laughing and joking, and couldn't help but laugh: "Sister Yunlu, Sister Dong Bai was just joking with you. But speaking of which, Cao Ang is a handsome man, and he has done a lot of good for the Lu family. If he is really destined to be with you, it would be a wonderful thing."

Ma Yunlu quickly straightened up and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Sister Lu Wan, you're joining Sister Bai'er in teasing me. I really don't have any other thoughts about Cao Ang. If you keep saying that, I'll ignore you."

Ma Teng looked at the girls playing around, shook his head helplessly, and said, "You all, stop it. Now is not the time to discuss these private affairs. Cao Ang and his men are here with ill intentions. We should discuss how to deal with them. Don't lose the big picture over the small."

Li Ru saw that everyone had stopped joking, turned to look at Ma Yunlu, and said, "Miss Yunlu, tell me how things went today?"

Ma Yunlu finally straightened his expression and said, "As planned today, the Black Mountain Army families held Xun Yu hostage, and he was kept busy. Cao Ang and Guo Jia were standing by, unable to find a chance to have a proper conversation with him. Finally, as it was getting late, they had no choice but to leave."

Li Ru stroked his beard lightly, a smug smile on his face, and said, "Old Lord, it seems our strategy has worked. From what I know about Guo Jia, he is very thoughtful and will probably come to us tomorrow to explain the purpose of his visit."

Ma Teng nodded slightly and asked solemnly, "In your opinion, sir, what do they want to do?"

Li Ru sneered, a shrewd look in his eyes. He said, "Yuan Shao's power has grown, but he doesn't dare to confront us easily. Instead, he has transferred the troops from Tongguan to besiege Hanguguan. Cao Cao sent his son here at this time, simply to form an alliance with us and jointly defeat Yuan Shao. Cao Cao knows that he cannot resist Yuan Shao's growing power on his own, so he wants to draw us from Xiliang into the game."

Ma Teng looked worried and asked, "Then sir, how should we deal with this?"

Li Ru did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked at Dong Bai, Lu Wan, and Ma Yunlu with a smile and said, "It's getting late. You girls should go back and rest first. You don't have to worry about these military and national affairs."

Dong Bai, Lu Wan, and Ma Yunlu exchanged a glance, realizing that Li Ru had something important to discuss with Ma Teng. They all bowed. Ma Yunlu said, "Father, sir, we'll take our leave." With that, the three women slowly retreated from the hall.

Li Ru watched Ma Yunlu's departing figure, lost in thought. Seeing this, Ma Teng, puzzled, asked, "Sir, if they want to form an alliance, should we agree to send troops to attack Yuan Shao?"

Li Ru slowly retracted his gaze and said to Ma Teng with a playful look, "Old Lord, let's not talk about this alliance for now. What do you think of Cao Ang?"

Ma Teng was stunned by Li Ru's sudden question. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Sir, why do you ask this all of a sudden? Cao Ang is a man of distinguished appearance and bearing, truly a man of distinction. Furthermore, he is Cao Cao's eldest son, and his future is limitless. But how does this relate to whether or not we will form an alliance to attack Yuan Shao?"

Li Ru smiled slightly, a sly glint in his eyes as he said, "My old lord, I used to oppose forming an alliance with Cao Cao to fight against Yuan Shao. But seeing Cao Ang's attitude towards Miss Yunlu today, and her reaction when she mentioned him, I now think an alliance with them might be a good idea."

Ma Teng frowned slightly and asked with a puzzled look on his face, "What do you mean, sir?"

Li Ru's expression froze as he slowly spoke, "Cao Cao is a treacherous hero in troubled times. He decisively welcomed the new emperor to Xudu, practicing the principle of 'serving the emperor to command the other princes.' This style of action clearly demonstrates his immense ambition. He will undoubtedly be our potential rival in the future."

Ma Teng nodded in agreement and said, "That's right, Cao Cao is definitely not an ordinary person."

Li Ru continued, "That's right. At first, I also thought it was best to sit back and watch the fight between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, letting us in Xiliang reap the benefits. But now the situation is different."

Ma Teng nodded slightly, signaling Li Ru to continue.

Li Ru continued to talk: "And now that Cao Ang is here, through yesterday's banquet and various observations afterwards, I found that Cao Ang is different from Cao Cao. Although this boy also has lofty ambitions and great aspirations, it can be seen that he truly cares about the people in his heart. His style of doing things is not as strong as his father's ambition. You also know that as Cao Cao's eldest son, he will definitely be in charge of Cao Cao's foundation a hundred years after Cao Cao. If we can win this boy over, forge a deep friendship with our Xiliang, and even closely connect through marriage, then for our Xiliang, it will undoubtedly be an extra layer of solid protection." After speaking, Li Ru looked at Ma Teng meaningfully.