Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

A flurry of noise came from behind the door. The old doorman quickly helped the staggering Xun Yu back to the side, his white beard trembling with shock.

Upon hearing his lord's command, Dian Wei, standing outside the door, suddenly slumped his towering body, his arms bulging with muscles, and slammed his fist against the door with a loud thud. The wooden door trembled violently, the frame creaked, but it wouldn't budge.

This attempt failed, and Dian Wei's dark face seemed to be covered with frost—he had never stumbled on the matter of "ramming down a door" in his entire life. The guards around him held their breath; everyone knew this guard's temperament, and he couldn't stand the slightest "mockery," even if it was the door's "silent" resistance.

He took three steps back, then suddenly planted his feet in a horse stance. With a deep shout, he slammed his entire body forward like a boulder thrown from a chest!

"Clang-!"

With a deafening crash, the fairly sturdy wooden door collapsed, sending splinters and dust flying and revealing a panicked figure inside.

The old gatekeeper huddled in the corner, looking at the mess on the ground, and secretly gasped, thinking to himself: It's that evil spirit again... But last time it was that spoiled Miss Dong who ordered the door to be smashed, now it's the powerful and influential Prince Liang. I'm afraid the gate of the Xun residence will be damaged no matter how many times it's repaired.

Ma Chao's boots crunched over the scattered wood chips, making a soft creak that was particularly clear in the quiet courtyard. He stopped on the inside of the threshold, his gaze passing through the rising dust and landing on Xun Yu's face, illuminated by the candlelight.

The candlelight flickered in Xun Yu's astonished eyes, casting a cold light on the silver strands at his temples. This strategist, known for his composure, now had his fingertips trembling slightly, clearly not expecting Ma Chao to barge in so directly—he had assumed the other would stand outside for a while or simply walk away, but to his surprise, the King of Liang had actually had his guards break down the door.

“Mengqi…” Xun Yu began instinctively, but swallowed the words back. He wanted to say, “Why do you have to do this?” but when he met Ma Chao’s sharp eyes, he stopped himself. There was no gentleness in those eyes, only an undeniable stubbornness, like a drawn sword, carrying a do-or-die determination.

Ma Chao took half a step forward, the candlelight flickering on his face: "Mr. Wenruo, I know what you're waiting for." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a penetrating power: "You're waiting for the opportunity to 'restore the Han Dynasty,' but the Han Dynasty is no longer what you and I remember."

Xun Yu's Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally lowered his eyes and said, "The Prince of Liang broke down the door in the middle of the night just to say these things?"

“More than that,” Ma Chao said, his gaze sweeping over the half-withered plum tree in the courtyard. “I came here to let you see the world outside. You are trapped in this courtyard, clinging to those old customs and traditions, but the people outside no longer care about the words ‘Han Dynasty.’ They care about who can make crops grow in the fields, who can keep children from going hungry, and who can give fallen soldiers a home to return to.”

Suddenly, the candlelight crackled and popped, illuminating Xun Yu's furrowed brows. He looked up at Ma Chao, his eyes swirling with complex emotions—shock, resentment, and a hint of panic at having his secret exposed.

Ma Chao's anger surged, and his voice suddenly rose, each word like a spark crashing into the silent courtyard: "I know you have great talent, but what good is it for the world to bury all that talent in this secluded mansion? What good is it for the people?"

He stepped forward, his gaze piercing Xun Yu: "Is this chaos in the world caused by me, Ma Chao? How the emperor treated me back then is clear to all, but when did I ever voluntarily get involved in the chaos in the Central Plains?"

"Open your eyes and see! When Xiliang and Bingzhou were trampled by the iron hooves of foreign tribes, who led the troops to repel them? In the past two years, I have not only guarded the borders, but also traversed the grasslands to avenge the blood feud of the Han people who were captured!" His voice carried the fierceness of the battlefield. "But what about you? You stay at home all day, talking about loyalty and righteousness in front of tattered scrolls—what have you done for this chaotic world? What have you done for those people struggling in the flames of war?"

"Restore the glory of the Han Dynasty?" Ma Chao sneered, his voice filled with sorrow. "What good would it do? Would it bring the displaced people home? Would it bring the children who starved to death back to life? The cause of this chaos is those powerful clans vying for power and profit. It is their infighting that has led to the corruption of the court! But in the end, who suffers? The common people!"

He pointed to the door, his voice filled with an almost hoarse plea: "Why won't you open your eyes and see? Why don't you try to break this deadlock? All I, Ma Chao, have ever sought in my life has never been supreme power or position, but rather to ensure that the people of the world have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a peaceful night's sleep!"

"And what you call 'the world' is nothing more than a situation where powerful clans continue to control everything, leaving the common people with nowhere to turn! Even if we restore that Han dynasty, what's the point?"

His words were so powerful that the candlelight flickered violently, and Xun Yu's face turned deathly pale. He stumbled back half a step, bumping into a pillar behind him. He opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but the burning anger and pity in Ma Chao's eyes silenced him—those words were like a dull knife, dissecting his carefully constructed facade of "loyalty and righteousness," revealing the already festering reality beneath.

Xun Yu's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes filled with hesitation, yet he stubbornly met Ma Chao's gaze: "But as the King of Liang, aren't you also pursuing power in the end? Gathering troops, training soldiers, expanding territory—isn't it all to make more people submit?"

"Hahaha..." Ma Chao laughed in fury, his laughter echoing in the silent courtyard, tinged with sorrow and resentment. "I didn't want to mention the Chang'an Incident again! But since you've brought up the word 'power' today, I'll remind you once more—you witnessed the Emperor setting a deadly trap in the Chang'an Palace, intending to grind me, Ma Chao, to dust! If I hadn't been lucky, I would have long since turned to dust in Guanzhong, and there wouldn't be this situation today."

He stopped laughing, his eyes suddenly sharpening: "The world is already in chaos! If I, Ma Chao, truly wanted to seize power, why did I retreat to Xiliang back then? Why did I fight to the death with the foreign tribes on the grasslands? I only wanted to find a way for the people to survive in this chaotic world!"

"This world is rotten to the core, don't you even think about changing it?" Ma Chao pressed on, his voice filled with exasperation and frustration. "Ultimately, the root of the problem lies with those powerful families! They monopolize resources, control official positions, and treat the common people like dirt, which is why this world is sliding step by step into the abyss!"

“If you really want to do something, you can’t stand still!” He pointed to the door. “Solutions are never found by hiding in a room! Over the years, every step I’ve taken has been a process of trial and error. Even if it means going against the grain, I have to try!”

"Back when Bo Fu and I were in Jiangdong, we wanted to start by targeting the powerful clans, returning the land to the common people, and giving those from humble backgrounds a chance to rise up. But what was the result?" Ma Chao's voice deepened, filled with profound regret. "The powerful clans retaliated, and Bo Fu lost his life because of it!"

“Now I’m implementing the military-agricultural colonies in Xiliang, so that displaced people have land to cultivate; I’m opening up libraries so that poor families can study—every step of these is a challenge to the old rules, a slow and steady effort to shake the foundations of those powerful families!” He stared at Xun Yu and said, word by word, “Only when the people know that there is hope for the future, and that they are no longer held back by powerful families, can there be a real possibility of change in this world!”

The candlelight flickered violently between the two men, casting Xun Yu's face in alternating light and shadow. He opened his mouth, but the words about "orthodoxy" and "loyalty" stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Ma Chao's words struck him like a heavy hammer, slamming into his fortified defenses. He suddenly recalled Sun Ce's fearless spirit back in Jiangdong; he thought of the Liang King before him, who, after escaping death in Chang'an, had carved out his own path to survival in Xiliang. They were both trying to break down that locked door in their own ways, while he remained trapped inside.

Silence fell over the courtyard once more, broken only by the howling wind whistling through the broken door, as if weeping for the struggles of this chaotic world. Xun Yu's hands, hanging by his sides, clenched quietly.

Ma Chao's anger gradually subsided, and his eyes became earnest. He solemnly cupped his hands to Xun Yu, his tone filled with unprecedented sincerity: "My lord, I know you are a man of great vision and talent. This chaotic world is dangerous, and I am merely feeling my way across the river, exploring little by little, trying to find a way for the people of the world to survive."

He looked up at Xun Yu with an open and honest gaze: "If the fire in your heart for the world and for the common people has not yet been extinguished, then please come out of seclusion and lend me a hand. I do not expect you to be loyal to me alone, Ma Chao, but only that you can put your talents to practical use—go and see if the farmland is missing any farming tools, go and ask the students at the school if they are lacking any classics, and go and calculate whether the grain in the granary can last through the next winter."

“These things may not sound as dignified as ‘restoring the Han Dynasty,’ but they can give real people an extra bite to eat and an extra piece of clothing to wear.” Ma Chao paused, his voice becoming heavier. “I know you have a heavy burden in your heart, but this world doesn’t allow us to wait any longer. Those children crying for food in the flames of war, those farmers waiting anxiously on the ridges of the fields—they can’t wait for empty words about ‘the restoration of the Han Dynasty.’ They can only wait for someone to actually do something for them.”

The candlelight illuminated his profile, highlighting his sharp features. The anger in his eyes had vanished, replaced by an almost obstinate seriousness. The wind in the courtyard seemed to have calmed down; even the scattered wood chips had stopped swirling, as if awaiting Xun Yu's reply.

Xun Yu stood there, looking at the King of Liang who was bowing and inviting him, listening to the conversation about "farm tools," "classical texts," and "grain." Suddenly, the taut string in his heart began to loosen. Wasn't the "great righteousness" he had pursued throughout his life hidden in these most basic aspects of people's lives?

He remained silent, his fingertips trembling slightly inside his sleeve, the beliefs he had held for so many years clashing fiercely with the reality before him.

Xun Yu let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. He straightened his clothes, bowed solemnly, and said with a steady and firm demeanor: "What the King of Liang said is like a wake-up call. I was previously fixated on empty fame and almost missed the point. The livelihood of the people in this world is far more important than the vague concept of 'the world'."

When he looked up, his eyes were no longer confused, but clear: "From now on, I am willing to follow the King of Liang, to work hard to improve people's lives, and not to shy away from difficulties. Whether it is the work in the fields, the work of the schools, or the work of the granaries and grain... I will do my best and serve the people with utmost loyalty and dedication."

The candlelight illuminated his face, dispelling the worry that had once etched itself on his brow and revealing a relieved smile. Ma Chao reached out to help him up, and their eyes met, both seeing the same heavy resolve in each other's eyes—to do something practical for this chaotic world, for the common people.