Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Zhou Yu, accompanied by a group of children, Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao, and Sun Shangxiang, arrived to greet Cao Ang's troops. Compared to the casual presence of Zhou Yu's group, accompanied by women and children, Cao Ang's troops appeared much more organized and solemn. Five thousand Xiliang cavalrymen stood in formation, their armor gleaming and their presence awe-inspiring.

Zhou Yu sat on the carriage, gently stroking Ma Yue's head with one hand, and said with a smile, "Yue'er, look at the army over there." Ma Yue followed his gaze and saw the tall and majestic cavalrymen and their majestic war horses. He couldn't help but murmur, "Such a majestic cavalrymen, how enviable it is to see them."

Zhou Yu carefully examined the soldiers' attire, a flash of understanding in his eyes. He stroked Ma Yue's head and explained, "Yue'er, although they claim to be Cao Cao's envoys, those soldiers are all Xiliang cavalrymen under your father's command."

Ma Yue's eyes widened upon hearing this. He scanned the cavalry formation, a surge of pride welling up in his heart. So this was the army under his father's command. It was truly magnificent! He stared in a trance, as if he could already imagine his father leading such a powerful army across the battlefield.

As they spoke, both sides had arrived at the battlefront. Cao Ang and Ma Yunlu had already dismounted and were waiting by the roadside. Zhou Yu also dismounted his carriages and led the others forward, leading the children.

Cao Ang straightened his robe, bowed to Zhou Yu, and said solemnly, "General Zhou, I have long heard of your great name. I have come to Jiangdong on my father's orders. I hope you will forgive any intrusion."

Zhou Yu returned the greeting with a smile and said, "Mr. Cao, you are too polite. You must be tired from the long journey. Please come into the camp and rest." His eyes fell on the team behind Cao Ang. Although he did not say much, his eyes were calm and examined.

At this time, Ma Yunlu stepped forward in silver armor, the sword at his waist clanging softly. He smiled as he bowed to Zhou Yu and said in a familiar tone, "Brother Gongjin, it's been many years since we last met. You're still as charming as ever."

Zhou Yu laughed heartily and patted her arm. "Sister Yunlu has truly transformed! When I first met you in Xiliang, you were still a little girl chasing after Brother Mengqi. Now, wearing this silver armor, you seem to have some of your brother's bravery."

A trace of nostalgia flashed across Ma Yunlu's eyes, and then a shy smile appeared on his face. He waved his hand and said, "Brother, you are too kind. Compared to the reckless me in Xiliang back then, I am just a little more experienced now."

Cao Ang stood aside, observing Zhou Yu's familiarity with Ma Yunlu without seeming to mind him. He had heard that Ma Yunlu had long been friends with the Jiangdong people from their time in Xiliang, so such familiarity was perfectly natural. He calmly stepped forward and said to Zhou Yu, "General, besides official business, my father has asked me to bring some northern specialties. I'll have my attendants deliver them to your tent later. I hope you will accept them."

Zhou Yu smiled and nodded when he heard this, saying, "Prime Minister Cao, you are so thoughtful." He then turned back and introduced Ma Yunlu, "Yunlu, this is Da Qiao, the wife of your brother Sun Ce." He then pointed to the smiling woman on the other side and said, "This is Xiao Qiao, also my wife."

Ma Yunlu quickly stepped forward and greeted him politely. He then looked at Sun Shangxiang standing beside him and asked curiously, "Brother Gongjin, who is this sister?" Zhou Yu replied, "This is Bofu's younger sister, Sun Shangxiang."

Ma Yunlu stepped forward and was about to greet him, but Sun Shangxiang grabbed her arm first, her tone as warm as a flame: "Hey, sister, don't be so formal! You don't have to be so polite to me—" She raised her chin, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and leaned closer, smiling, "I'm going to marry your brother Ma Chao someday. After the wedding, I'll be your full-fledged sister-in-law. Sooner or later, we'll be a family. Why bother with all this fake formalities now?"

Ma Yunlu staggered at her sudden intimacy, blinking in a daze as a look of confusion slowly appeared on his face. "Sister, are you telling the truth? Why haven't I heard my brother mention this before?"

Sun Shangxiang laughed even more brightly, swinging her arm towards Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao. "Hey, I haven't had time to tell you yet! I'll ask your brother to explain it to you in detail later. Look, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao are here. They know everything."

Da Qiao, who was standing behind him, heard this and nodded with a smile, "Don't doubt it, Sister Yunlu. Shangxiang's words are indeed true. Your sister Xiao Qiao and I both know this." Xiao Qiao also nodded, covering her lips with a smile, "From now on, we're a family. Don't worry, sister."

Ma Yunlu stood there, watching Sun Shangxiang chatting and laughing with Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, and thought to himself, this girl is about the same age as her, how could she be involved with her brother? He couldn't help but secretly criticize his brother in his heart, saying that he was good in every way except that he had too many women.

Sun Shangxiang pulled Ma Yue over and said cheerfully, "Yue'er, this is your aunt. Come meet her."

Ma Yunlu had actually noticed Ma Yue a long time ago—the boy's features clearly resembled his older brother, especially when he frowned slightly, which was very much like his high-spirited brother back then. However, since everyone was busy greeting each other, no one had introduced him, so she didn't speak rashly and focused on socializing with the people around her.

Hearing Sun Shangxiang's words, Ma Yue took two steps forward, looked up at Ma Yunlu, and whispered, "Are you my aunt?"

Ma Yunlu's heart felt like it was struck by something, a mixture of bitterness and warmth surging in her. She had long known her brother had left a child in Jiangdong, but for various reasons, she had never seen him. Now, the child stood before her, looking timid.

She squatted down, gently held Ma Yue's hand, and said with an imperceptible tremor in her voice: "Yes, I am your aunt."

Ma Yue's fingers felt a little cold, and he shook her hand timidly: "Aunt."

Ma Yunlu couldn't hold back any longer, and took the child into her arms, her eyes warm: "Oh, good boy... I'm sorry for letting you down over the years." She knew that the child had lost his mother since childhood and was raised by Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao. Holding this little body in her arms, she felt that the stone in her chest had finally fallen to the ground - her brother's blood was here, and she had finally lived up to their trust.

Zhou Yu smiled and waved his hands: "Hey, this little devil also has times when he is shy, how rare!"

When everyone around heard this, they all started laughing.

Xiao Qiao tugged at Zhou Yu's sleeve and said softly, "Alright, alright, stop teasing the child. Master Cao and Sister Yunlu must be exhausted from their journey. Please come into the city and rest."

Upon arriving in the city, a banquet was immediately held. After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Zhou Yu raised his cup, looked at Cao Ang, and said with a smile, "Master Cao has been dealing with Yuan's army for quite some time. I wonder what the Cao army's current situation is like?"

Cao Ang put down his cup and said calmly, "I dare not hide it from the Commander-in-Chief. Our army has been robbed of Yanzhou and Qingzhou by Yuan Shao, and Xudu has been captured by Lü Bu. We can only defend Qiao County, leaving us with only three counties: Lu, Pei, and Qiao County. Fortunately, Yuan Shao has withdrawn his troops for the time being, which has eased the pressure on our army."

Zhou Yu nodded slightly when he heard this and asked, "Then I wonder what advice you have for me, Master Cao?"

Cao Ang sat up straight and said solemnly, "I've come here on my father's orders to form an alliance. Our army's next plan is to capture Shouchun and Xuzhou, which border Jiangdong. We're concerned about Jiangdong intervening, so I've come to ask the governor for help. I know the governor is familiar with Sun Quan, so I'd like to ask him to mediate and contain Sun Quan, so that Jiangdong won't interfere while our army attacks these two places."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu laughed out loud and raised his hand to press it lightly: "Hey, Mr. Cao, you just arrived today and you must be tired from the journey. You should rest for two days first." He glanced at the table and added, "Besides, Yunlu and Yue'er are meeting for the first time. It's a good opportunity for them to get to know each other during these few days. There's no rush. We can talk in detail in two days." After that, he raised his glass to gesture, leading the topic to the local dishes on the table, and the atmosphere became relaxed again.

The lingering warmth of the banquet had not yet dissipated, leaving only the flickering candlelight within the tent. Zhou Yu dismissed his attendants, and the moment the curtains fell, his smile faded. He turned to Wei Yan, his tone grave, "Wen Chang, do you think Cao Ang was too frank today?"

Wei Yan's brow furrowed as he pondered the topic, "The Commander-in-Chief is saying... that he even bluntly pointed out Cao Cao's lack of food and fodder, and the difficult situation he was facing in the standoff with Yuan Shao?"

"That's right." Zhou Yu walked to the edge of the tent, his fingertips brushing against the cold tent wall. "You and I both know that Chang'an was stretched thin at the time, but Mr. Li Ru was willing to dispatch 20,000 Western Liang cavalry for support. If it was only because Cao Ang and Yun Lu were in love, this is definitely not his style." Li Ru's calculations have always been unfathomable. He would never gamble military power for a romantic relationship. There must be some unspoken reason behind this.

Wei Yan pondered for a while and whispered, "When Master Cao Ang was on a diplomatic mission to Chang'an before, he did have a lot of contact with Mr. Li Ru. Perhaps... Mr. Li Ru had already made follow-up arrangements, but he just didn't tell us clearly." He followed Li Ru to experience the Battle of Chang'an in person, and he knew very well that the gentleman never did anything without benefit. He was so devoted to helping, and there must be a bigger game behind it.

Zhou Yu paused, the candlelight casting a crisscross pattern of light and shadow in his eyes. "Even I have to admire Li Ru's wisdom. His willingness to help the Cao family must have a deeper meaning." He tapped his fingertips lightly on his palm. "It seems I need to find another opportunity to test Cao Ang's intentions. If I can understand Li Ru's intentions, I'll understand the connection behind this assistance. Then, it wouldn't be a bad idea to agree to Cao Ang's request."

The next day, the sky was clear and the vegetation outside the city was lush and green. Zhou Yu took Ma Yue, Sun Shao, and the other children, along with Sun Shangxiang, and invited Cao Ang and Ma Yunlu to join him on a hunting trip. The sound of horses' hooves pounding the green grass, the children's laughter filling the air, created a cheerful atmosphere.

While resting, Zhou Yu handed Cao Ang a pot of wine and chatted with him, smiling: "Mr. Cao, you look young, but you are very calm and composed. I guess you don't care about the fun of ordinary young people?"

Cao Ang took the wine jug, raised his head and took a sip, then said frankly, "Compared to having fun, I admire those who can stabilize the country and ensure its security."

Zhou Yu's eyes flickered, and he followed up with a question, "Oh? In Master Cao's opinion, who is worthy of such an evaluation?"

Cao Ang gazed at the rolling hills in the distance and said with genuine admiration, "I admire Ma Chao, the Prince of Liang, the most."

Zhou Yu said, "Brother, you are renowned for your bravery on the battlefield. You are indeed formidable. However, since Young Master Cao praises you so highly, surely it's not just because of your martial arts, right?"

"Of course not," Cao Ang said earnestly. "His extraordinary bravery on the battlefield is one thing, but what's even more remarkable is his determination to expel the foreign invaders and protect the people. Look at those border areas, how many people have been displaced by foreign invasions, yet the King of Liang and his troops have been able to hold the line with all their might, allowing the people in that area to live in peace."

Zhou Yu pretended to playfully strum his bowstring. "Listen, Master Cao seems quite eager to follow him."

Cao Ang didn't notice anything unusual and said with emotion, "It's more than just yearning! If I could serve as a general under him and follow him to establish a peaceful dynasty where the people live and work in peace and there are no more foreign invasions, I would be willing to die for it!"

Zhou Yu understood, but remained calm. He raised his glass and said, "Mr. Cao has such a heart. It's truly rare. Come, let's drink to this aspiration!"

The sound of children chasing and playing came from the distance. Sun Shao came running to claim credit, holding the hare he had just shot. Zhou Yu smiled and rubbed his head, but a trace of deep thought flashed in his eyes - it seems that Cao Ang's admiration for Ma Chao is much deeper than it appears on the surface.