Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The city of Wuwei was brightly lit and decorated for the evening, and a banquet to celebrate the army's triumphant return was held in the government office. However, the atmosphere at the banquet lacked the jubilation of a great victory. Ma Chao's kneeling outside the city gate during the day seemed to have dampened most of the joy of victory, leaving a heavy feeling in everyone's hearts.

Ma Chao, holding a wine cup, toasted his sworn brother, Cheliji, the King of the Western Qiang, and the leaders of the Eastern Qiang tribes beside Pang Rou. The wine, warm and spicy, went down his throat, but could not dispel the melancholy between his brows. "I am deeply grateful for your presence today, but..." his voice was low, filled with undisguised sorrow, "This victory is indeed a victory, but the price has been too heavy, and I cannot hide my grief."

Seeing that he was still frowning, Cheliji put down his wine cup and said, "Brother, please relax. Putting aside your sweeping victory over the grasslands and the elimination of the Xianbei, this major threat, just think about the past—if it weren't for your guarding of Xiliang, how could the people of Dongqiang, Xiqiang, and Xiliang have such peaceful days today? Today you have returned with a great victory, which is a time to celebrate. Your low spirits are making all the officers restrained and afraid to drink heartily."

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao gave a bitter smile and shook his head: "Brother, you don't know. This time, 170,000 troops went on the expedition, but only 20,000 or 30,000 returned... How can I be at peace with such losses? During the day, outside the city, I saw the elders and folks anxiously waiting, every household searching for their sons, some weeping with joy, some heartbroken... How can I explain this to them?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the leaders of the Eastern Qiang tribes present began to offer their condolences. One of the elder leaders bowed and said, "Your Majesty, you are mistaken. The warriors who died in battle all perished while protecting their homes. They are the pride of Western Liang and the heroes of all our tribes! Although the people are grieving, they know even more the difficulty of Your Majesty leading your army in such a bloody battle. Without Your Majesty, the Xianbei hooves would have already trampled Western Liang. At that time, it wouldn't just be a matter of families being torn apart; our homes would likely have been reduced to ashes!"

Another leader chimed in, “Exactly! King Liang has destroyed the Xianbei and cut off the root of trouble on the grasslands. This is a great achievement. The heroic spirits of those who sacrificed their lives will surely protect Xiliang, and their deeds will be praised for generations to come. King Liang should not blame himself too much, but should cheer up for the living and for the future of Xiliang.”

The crowd spoke one after another, their words filled with sincere understanding and admiration. Hearing these words, Ma Chao, though not entirely free of his burdens, gradually felt a weight lift. He raised his wine cup, drank it all in one gulp, and a renewed resolve rekindled in his eyes: "I have remembered what you all have said. For the sake of our fallen brothers, for the peace of Xiliang, I will certainly live up to your trust."

The crisp sound of clinking wine glasses gradually spread throughout the room, and the gloom that had been weighing on everyone's hearts faded a little with each sip of wine.

Seeing the atmosphere at the banquet gradually warming up, Xu Huang's smile deepened. He pulled Zhang Liao and Pang De aside and said loudly to Cheliji, "King Qiang, we must toast you properly today! Your Marshal Yueji has been incredibly brave in this battle. He always charged ahead, and his cooperation with our soldiers is so seamless, it's like they've been partners for years!"

Although Zhang Liao and Pang De were usually calm and composed, they nodded in agreement with Xu Huang and raised their wine cups toward Cheliji: "Qiang King, what Xu Huang said is absolutely right. We have all seen the bravery and tacit understanding of your army's marshal. We should indeed offer him a toast."

Upon hearing this, Cheliji laughed loudly, raised his wine cup and clinked it heavily with everyone, the wine swirling in the cup: "You flatter me! If it weren't for the Liang King guarding this Xiliang, this Northwest region, and all of you fighting to the death, how could we have such a prosperous and peaceful scene today?" After saying this, he and everyone tilted their heads back and drank it all.

Setting down his wine cup, Cheriji personally filled it to the brim and strode over to Ma Chao's seat. He looked intently at Ma Chao and said in a deep voice, "Brother, I will take the liberty of calling you brother again today."

Ma Chao was taken aback upon hearing this, and hurriedly stood up, gesturing with his hands to help him up: "Brother, what do you mean by this? We have been sworn brothers for many years and are as close as brothers. Why say such formal things?"

Cheriji waved his hand, his tone becoming increasingly solemn: "With your current abilities, it would be presumptuous of me to call you 'brother.' Let alone the powerful ruler of the grasslands, Kobineng, even the former Xiongnu Huchuquan, and the Dongqiang Midang and Mitang father and son—weren't they all formidable figures who gave my Qiang tribes a lot of headaches? But now, you have swept across the grasslands and destroyed the Xianbei. The peace you have enjoyed for these past few decades is enough for all the tribes in the Northwest to be grateful for. Now, you are an unyielding banner in the Northwest."

He took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Brother, there is something I have kept in my heart for a long time, and I must say it today."

Seeing his solemn expression, Ma Chao said sincerely, "Brother, we brothers have been sworn brothers since humble beginnings, and have gone through thick and thin together. You can speak freely without any hesitation. Why be so formal?"

Cheliji suddenly raised his wine cup, his voice resounding: "The Eastern Qiang have long been incorporated into your Western Liang. Now that I have integrated the various tribes of the Western Qiang, I am also willing to lead the Western Qiang to serve my brother like a dog or a horse!" Before he finished speaking, he knelt on one knee, raised the wine cup above his head, and his posture was extremely respectful.

"Brother!" Ma Chao exclaimed in surprise, quickly reaching out to help him up. "What are you doing? We are sworn brothers, how can I accept such a grand gesture?"

Cheliji remained unmoved, looking up at Ma Chao with unwavering determination in his eyes: "Brother, this is not mere politeness, but the sincere sentiment of the entire Western Qiang. You protect the peace of the Northwest, and we, the Western Qiang, are willing to submit to Xiliang and jointly safeguard this land. I have already discussed this matter with the leaders of the various Western Qiang tribes, and today, in front of everyone, I am here to give you clear proof!"

Everyone at the table was shocked. Zhang Liao, Pang De, and the others exchanged glances, all seeing the shock in each other's eyes. Ma Dai even stood up and stepped forward to try to persuade Cheliji to get up, but he was stopped by Cheliji's hand.

Looking at his sworn brother kneeling before him, Ma Chao was overwhelmed with emotion. He knew Cheriji's character; once he made a decision, there was no going back. This profound trust and submission moved him more than any military achievement.

Ma Chao gazed towards the grasslands, veins bulging in his eyes, his voice trembling with barely suppressed emotion: "Brother, do you know that in this battle, thirty thousand Qiang soldiers perished on the grasslands? Their blood stained the grass red, even the wind carried the stench of blood!" He gripped Cheliji's wrist tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. "Before they left, they said they would return alive to celebrate their victory, that their wives were still sewing new clothes..."

At this point, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed back a sob. He raised his hand to wipe the tears from the corner of his eyes, and his gaze suddenly became sharp as a knife: "But they didn't come back."

Cheriji patted him on the back and said in a deep voice, "I know. But look at the new grass sprouts on the grassland. Next spring, they will surely cover up the bloodstains. We must protect the land that those men risked their lives to protect. We cannot let them die in vain."

Ma Chao forcefully helped Cheliji up, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling Western Qiang people, and he said loudly, "Please rise, everyone! Since you trust Ma Chao, I will take on this responsibility! From now on, all the tribes of the Northwest will drink from the same river and guard the same land. No one will dare to bully us again!"

"Long live the King of Liang!" Yue Ji shouted, and everyone echoed in unison, the sound reaching the sky.

Cheriji patted Ma Chao on the shoulder and laughed, "This is the Ma Chao I know!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was immediately overjoyed, and the somber atmosphere at the banquet vanished, replaced by laughter and cheerful chatter. Cheriji said with a smile, "Now that the grasslands are at peace and the northwest is tranquil, my virtuous brother, why don't you stay in Wuwei City for the New Year? Let's brothers have a good get-together and give each other a break."

Ma Chao shook his head, his expression becoming more serious: "Brother, after this battle, there should be no more war on the grasslands for decades, and with you guarding the northwest, I have no worries. However, the Central Plains are currently engulfed in war, and I will be gone for two years. I don't know what the situation is like in Chang'an. I need to go to Chang'an before the end of the year to put my mind at ease."

Ma Dai was the first to step forward, grabbing Ma Chao's arm and saying urgently, "Brother, wait! Although Chang'an is in a hurry, a few more days won't make a difference. Look at this table full of wine and meat, and how hard it was for us brothers to get together. How can we just leave like this?"

The Eastern Qiang chieftain nodded in agreement, raising his wine bowl: "General Ma, we toast you! If it weren't for your guarding of the Northwest these past two years, our tribe would have suffered countless humiliations. Today, you must stay, so we can express our gratitude!"

At this moment, Xu Huang chuckled and said, "You all really have no sense of propriety. Can't you see that His Majesty is eager to return home? There are still several princesses in Chang'an waiting for His Majesty to return and get married. Are you trying to keep him here for His Majesty's own good, or are you trying to delay His Majesty's good deed?"

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter, their eyes all turning to Ma Chao, making him blush deeply. Ma Chao glared at Xu Huang and said with a laugh, "You fool, always talking without thinking! I'll teach you a lesson sooner or later!"

Xu Huang was glared at by him and immediately ran to the side with his head down, not daring to say another word, which caused the crowd to burst into laughter again.

Ma Chao waved his hand to stop the laughter and said loudly, "Stop laughing! Listen to my order, no one will renege on their promise today. We must get Xu Gongming drunk and see if he dares to talk nonsense again!"

Before Xu Huang could react, Ma Dai, holding a wine jar, smiled at him and said, "Gongming, you just said that the King is thinking about the 'good things' in Chang'an. You must be craving something, right? Here, I'll punish you with three bowls first, because you were too quick to speak!"

"Exactly!" Cheriji chimed in, refilling Xu Huang's empty bowl. "General Xu, you're joking with the king, but are you actually just looking for a drink? If we don't get you drunk today, we'll consider ourselves the losers!"

Xu Huang belatedly realized he was being "besieged." Looking at the hostile stares from everyone at the table, and then at Ma Chao's ambiguous smile, he immediately shrank back, forcing a bitter expression, and said, "I...I was just joking, please don't take it seriously!"

“Even jokes deserve punishment!” Ma Dai wasn’t about to let him off the hook. He personally picked up a bowl of wine and held it to his lips. “Drink! Otherwise, you’re disrespecting me, Ma Dai!”

With his arms held, Xu Huang had no way to dodge and could only grit his teeth and force down a bowl. The wine dripped from the corner of his mouth onto his clothes. Just as he was about to catch his breath, Cheliji brought out his second bowl: "One bowl isn't enough! General Xu's words just now revealed the King's 'heart's secrets.' You must drink three more bowls as an apology!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Three bowls!" Everyone cheered, the clinking of bowls and the laughter mingling together, bringing the atmosphere inside the tent to its peak.

Surrounded by people, Xu Huang drank bowl after bowl, becoming dizzy and his tongue was slurring. He slammed his fist on the table, protesting, "I...I'm telling the truth..."

"Oh??" Ma Dai deliberately dragged out his words, winking at everyone. "It seems General Xu knows quite a bit! Another bowl, please!"

"I...I can't drink anymore..." Xu Huang waved his hand, but someone grabbed his chin and gulped down a bowl of wine. He shook his head, the figures in front of him blurring, but he still stubbornly insisted, "I...I'm not drunk...If the King really marries the Queen, I can drink again..."

These words made everyone laugh even harder. Ma Dai, holding the wine jar, poured it directly into his mouth: "Still thinking about it? Finish this jar first!"

Xu Huang waved his hands, making "whoosh" sounds, but couldn't stop the wine from pouring into his mouth. Soon after, he collapsed onto the table, muttering something under his breath.

Seeing that he was so drunk that he was unconscious, the others stopped and, laughing, dragged him to the couch next to them to settle him down.

Ma Chao picked up his wine bowl, looked at everyone, and the helplessness in his eyes had long since turned into warmth: "Alright, for the sake of Gongming's drunkenness, let him go. Everyone, drink this cup to the brim."

"Good!" Everyone cheered in unison, raising their wine bowls and drinking them down in one gulp. The laughter, the smell of wine, and the brotherhood hidden beneath the lively atmosphere inside the tent mingled together, becoming the warmest light in the cold northwestern night.