Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The White Horse Cavalry's hooves pounded across the bluestone streets of Chang'an, the crisp sound of their horseshoes striking the pavement echoing through the alleys. This elite force, which had once struck fear into the hearts of foreign tribes on the grasslands of Youzhou, now stood in neat formation, their white horses and silver saddles gleaming in the sunlight, their manes meticulously combed, exuding the composed air of seasoned warriors.

Before long, the group arrived outside the Liang Prince's Palace. This former forbidden area of ​​the imperial city, though now renamed the Liang Prince's Palace, still retains its original layout—the outer city is spacious, with corridors and guards on duty, and the vermilion gate is inlaid with bronze animal rings, exuding majesty; passing through the square of the outer city leads to the main gate of the inner city, where the palace walls are high and the eaves are upturned, faintly revealing the grandeur of the imperial family in the past.

Upon seeing the arrival of the White Horse Cavalry, the guards stationed at the outer city gate had already prepared their ceremonial guard as ordered. Although not as grand as the welcome for Ma Chao, their posture was still upright and their manners impeccable. The leading female general reined in her horse, which reared up and let out a clear neigh. She dismounted with swift and decisive movements, her silver armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Her gaze swept across the outer city of the royal palace before her, a subtle and complex emotion flickering in her eyes—this former imperial city had now become the residence of Xiliang. The vicissitudes of life were truly lamentable.

The palace gate guard, Gao Ming, was the very same person who had distinguished himself in the great battle against Yuan Tan at Tongguan two years ago and had been promoted to the position of imperial city guard by Li Ru. Now, clad in armor, he stood before the inner city gate, his expression solemn yet respectful. Seeing Gongsun Rou and his entourage approach, he bowed respectfully, his voice steady: "General Gongsun has come from afar, and the manor has prepared a feast. However, according to the rules of the manor, officials and their personal guards must wait outside the city. Please forgive us, General."

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Rou showed no displeasure whatsoever. Instead, a slight smile appeared on her lips. She raised her hand and waved it, then called out to the White Horse Cavalry behind her, "You shall remain here and not move without orders." After saying this, she simply pointed to a dozen or so female guards beside her—each dressed in a tight-fitting outfit with their hair tied up, a sword at their waist, and eyes as sharp as eagles—"Follow me."

As soon as she finished speaking, she took the lead, her silver armor reflecting a cold light in the shadows of the palace walls, her steps steady and firm. The dozen or so female guards followed closely behind, their footsteps in perfect unison, a stark contrast to the tranquility of the surrounding vermilion walls and glazed tiles, yet strangely exuding a harmonious sharpness.

Before the inner city gate, civil and military officials were already lined up in two rows, their blue robes and armor exuding a solemn air. All eyes turned to the end of the palace road, and when they saw the group approaching, many people secretly widened their eyes and couldn't help but lower their heads to whisper among themselves.

The leader, Gongsun Rou, was clad in silver armor, and the dozen or so guards behind her, though also dressed in neat, close-fitting clothes with short swords at their waists, were clearly young women in terms of figure and gait. The armor on them lacked some of its ruggedness, instead displaying a unique kind of strength and grace, which secretly surprised the scholars and military officers accustomed to rough, burly warriors—the Gongsun family had actually sent a female guard?

Li Ru stood beside Ma Teng, initially composed, but when his peripheral vision caught Gongsun Rou's spirited face, his heart sank. He inwardly groaned: How could it be this young lady? Back in Bingzhou, he had dealt with the Gongsun family, and in order to secure their allegiance to Xiliang, he had even made numerous overt and covert hints to this girl. He instinctively wanted to shrink back, but before he could take a step, Ma Teng grabbed him.

"Sir, the Gongsun family has arrived. Let's go greet them." Ma Teng, oblivious to the situation, smiled and pulled Li Ru forward.

Seeing this, the civil and military officials straightened their robes and followed suit. The previously whispering chatter at the inner city gate fell silent, leaving only the sound of boots clattering on the stone slabs. Li Ru, being pulled along by Ma Teng, felt his heart pounding, but he could only grit his teeth and follow, hoping that this young lady had come to offer congratulations rather than cause trouble.

Gongsun Rou stopped when she saw everyone coming to greet her. She nodded slightly and said in a clear voice, "I am Gongsun Rou. I heard that the King of Liang has returned in triumph from the grasslands and will soon be returning to Chang'an. I have come to pay my respects to General Ma and everyone in the King of Liang's residence."

Ma Teng cupped his hands and smiled, "Miss Gongsun has come from afar, you must be tired from your journey. Please come in." As he spoke, he stepped aside to let her in, his eyes full of enthusiasm, completely unaware of Li Ru's tense and wary expression.

Ma Teng turned around and looked at the civil and military officials behind him, and said loudly, "Since it is a lady visiting, and you are all busy with official duties, please go back first. We will summon you again if needed."

Upon hearing this, everyone bowed and took their leave, but before leaving, they couldn't help but glance at Gongsun Rou and her group a few more times, clearly still curious about this female guard team.

After the officials dispersed, Ma Teng said to Ma Xiu, who was standing to the side, "Go and invite your mother over so she can keep Miss Gongsun company. Also, go and invite your sister-in-law Bai'er over; she's lively and can keep you company."

Matthew responded and left, walking briskly towards the backyard.

Gongsun Rou's gaze shifted to Li Ru beside Ma Teng, a sly glint in her eyes. She subtly took a half-step forward and lowered her voice, saying, "Mr. Li Ru, how have you been?"

Li Ru was just figuring out how to avoid this young lady when he was suddenly called out. He could only bite the bullet and bow, saying, "Miss Gongsun, you're too kind."

"No need for formalities." Gongsun Rou's voice was even softer, carrying a hint of unquestionable authority. "The King of Liang will be returning soon. As you mentioned in Bingzhou, I have come here as agreed. He is here now, and I hope you can mediate between us."

Li Ru's hand trembled, and the force with which he gripped his beard increased. He sighed inwardly, "What I feared most has come to pass." Back then, in order to win over the Gongsun family, he had indeed mentioned Gongsun Rou and Ma Chao in Bingzhou. Who knew this girl would take it so seriously and choose this moment to come knocking on his door? He glanced at Ma Teng and saw that the old general was looking towards the inner courtyard, seemingly waiting for his family to come out, unaware of the whispers over there. He breathed a slight sigh of relief, but felt even more overwhelmed. Ugh, what kind of mess is this?

He could only vaguely reply, "Don't worry, miss. Since you've said so, I'll naturally take care of it. However, this matter needs to be discussed carefully. Please come inside and have some tea first."

Gongsun Rou raised an eyebrow and smiled, as if she saw through his embarrassment, but she did not press him further, and simply said, "Then I will trouble you, sir."

As they were talking, Ma Teng's wife hurried over with her maid. Upon seeing Gongsun Rou, she greeted her warmly, "This must be Miss Gongsun, right? You must be tired from your journey. Please come in and warm up with me."

Gongsun Rou concealed her sharp edge, smiled and greeted Madam Ma, and the group turned and walked into the inner hall. Li Ru followed behind, feeling that the road beneath his feet was even more difficult than when he braved a hail of arrows on the battlefield, and he almost plucked out half of his beard.

Ma Xiu hurried to the inner courtyard and saw Dong Bai sitting around the stove talking with Cai Wenji, Zhang Qiying and others. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Sister-in-law, Father wants you to come over. Miss Gongsun from the Gongsun family has come and wants you to keep her company."

Upon hearing this, Dong Bai paused, a hint of suspicion flashing across her face. She was no stranger to the name Gongsun Rou—he had entered the palace as a concubine a few years earlier, and after the Western Liang army captured Chang'an, the late emperor suddenly passed away. It was Ma Chao who arranged for him to be sent back to the Gongsun family. How could he suddenly appear at the Liang King's residence now?

"A member of the Gongsun family? And a young woman at that?" Zhang Qiying's eyes lit up.

"Shall we go and take a look?" Zhang Fubao couldn't contain his curiosity either. "This sudden appearance sounds like there's a story behind it."

Cai Wenji frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and quietly leaned close to Dong Bai's ear, her voice as soft as a feather: "Sister, I think this matter is not simple. Although the Gongsun family has dealings with our Xiliang, we have never seen her come here before. The King is about to return, and her coming at this time is probably for private matters."

Dong Bai raised an eyebrow: "Private matters? What private matters could she possibly have with our Liang Prince's Mansion?" Though she said this, her doubts only deepened. She suddenly remembered Gongsun Rou's identity as the "former imperial concubine," and her eyes flickered as she began to formulate a plan.

“Matthew,” she put down her teacup, her tone becoming calm, “go to the Lu residence and invite Sister Lu Wan over as well. Tell her that we have a guest from afar and ask her to come and keep us company.”

Matthew was taken aback: "Inviting Sister Lu Wan?"

"Hmm." Dong Bai nodded, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Gongsun Rou was once the late emperor's concubine, and Sister Lu Wan was once the late emperor's empress. In terms of status, we should be more considerate. Go ahead, we'll be there shortly."

Although Matthew didn't understand what was going on, he still went as instructed.

Zhang Qiying asked, puzzled, "Why invite Sister Lu Wan?"

Dong Bai straightened her sleeves and said calmly, "What Sister Wenji said earlier is correct. Gongsun Rou has come here now, probably for Brother Chao. Since she is a former confidante of the late Emperor, it would be more appropriate for Sister Lu Wan to come forward and reminisce." What she didn't say was that Lu Wan, as the former Empress, had a calm demeanor and a higher status than Gongsun Rou. With Lu Wan present, Gongsun Rou would probably find it difficult to speak up easily.

Cai Wenji was incredibly intelligent and instantly understood Dong Bai's intention. She nodded gently, "Sister's consideration is correct."

The group said no more, straightened their clothes, and followed the maid leading the way toward the main hall. Dong Bai walked at the front, his steps unhurried, but in his heart he was thinking to himself—Gongsun Rou's sudden visit, especially on the eve of Ma Chao's return, if it was really for personal matters, then those so-called "personal matters" were probably related to the person they cared about most.

Ma Xiu arrived at the Lu residence and met Lu Wan, conveying Dong Bai's message. Upon hearing this, Lu Wan frowned slightly, inwardly troubled. She and Gongsun Rou were both former servants of the late emperor; one had been an empress, and the other an imperial concubine. Meeting again in the Western Liang Prince's residence was bound to create an awkward atmosphere, and she had no intention of getting involved.

But then she thought again, since Dong Bai had made the invitation, she couldn't very well refuse. Dong Bai's current status in the Ma family was clear; she was the daughter-in-law everyone recognized, and she always acted with great care. As for the relationship between herself and Ma Chao, she couldn't quite explain it herself, so when facing Dong Bai, she inevitably felt a little weaker in terms of presence.

"I understand." Lu Wan composed herself and said to Ma Xiu, "Wait a moment, I'll change my clothes and then I'll go with you."

She returned to her inner room, tidied her hair in front of the bronze mirror, and chose a simple, elegant lake-blue dress that was both dignified and understated. Having composed herself, she stepped out of the room and said to Ma Xiu, "Let's go."

As Lu Wan walked towards the Liang Prince's residence, gazing at the red lanterns lining the street, she pondered to herself—Gongsun Rou's sudden visit, and Dong Bai's special invitation to her, must be more than just a formality. She wondered what secrets this former imperial concubine harbored for her visit today.

Upon arriving at the inner courtyard of the Liang Prince's residence, Dong Bai and the others were already waiting under the eaves. Lu Wan stepped forward, exchanged a smile with Dong Bai, and said softly, "I heard we have guests from afar?"

Dong Bai held her hand, his voice gentle yet resolute: "With my sister here, I feel at ease."

The group walked together toward the main hall, their steps light and quick. Although they were chatting and laughing, there was a hint of tension and danger in their conversation.