Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Upon hearing that the children were in the mansion, Dong Bai's eyes lit up. He quickly stepped forward, took Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao's arms, and asked with a smile, "My two sisters, why didn't you bring the children? We often talked about them when we were in Chang'an, always hoping to see with our own eyes how tall they have grown and whether they have acquired any new skills."

Da Qiao smiled gently and said softly, "Sister Bai'er, we got up early this morning to greet you, but the children were sleeping soundly, so we couldn't bear to wake them. Shang Xiang is taking care of them at home right now, and I guarantee she'll be looking forward to seeing you as soon as she wakes up."

Dong Bai turned to look at Ma Chao, her tone filled with a hint of excited eagerness: "My lord, let's hurry back to the city. My heart is already with the children."

Ma Chao nodded: "Alright, let's go back soon."

The laughter and chatter among the close relatives had just subsided when Shamoke stepped forward with the four generals of the Mu family. He was as tall and imposing as an iron tower, but his face showed a rare hint of restraint as he cupped his hands and said, "King Liang, you must be tired from your journey."

Upon hearing this address, Ma Chao's heart sank. Back then, he and Shamoke had addressed each other as brothers, and later, when Shamoke's sister married him, he became her close brother-in-law; there had never been such formality between them. Now, this address of "King of Liang," though respectful in every word, felt like an invisible wall, making Ma Chao's heart ache.

He quickly reached out to help him up, and said gently, "Brother-in-law, why be so formal? There's no need for such formality between us."

Shamoke didn't move, only staring down at the ground, his voice low and heavy as stone: "There is a difference in rank. The King of Liang's status is different now, and I dare not be disrespectful." His clenched fists turned white, his knuckles throbbing—his sister had died protecting Ma Chao, and three years later, all he saw was this man's new female companion, so intimate as if the past had never existed. Thinking of his nephew who had lost his mother at a young age, Shamoke's throat tightened, and he finally let out a long sigh, silently retreating to the side, his back looking exceptionally lonely.

Ma Chao watched his retreating figure, his throat tightening, a thousand words stuck in his chest, yet he didn't know where to begin. The man was gone, any explanation seemed pale, and he could only bury this heavy, complex feeling deep in his heart.

At this moment, Jiang Qin, Ling Cao and other Jiangdong generals stepped forward and knelt on one knee: "Your subordinates pay their respects to the King of Liang!" The soldiers behind them knelt down in unison and shouted "Greetings to the King of Liang!" The sound waves crashed against the stone wall of the dock, making the stone slabs under their feet seem to tremble slightly.

Ma Chao quickly stepped forward and helped Jiang Qin, Ling Cao, and the others up one by one, saying with emotion, "Please get up, everyone! In the years since Bo Fu was gone, it has been thanks to you following Gong Jin that we have been able to maintain peace in Wu County. It has not been easy. Please get up. When we get to the city, we will have a feast and talk about the trials and tribulations of these past years."

Jiang Qin and the others stood up in response, their faces filled with undisguised excitement. Zhou Yu, standing to the side, said with a smile, "Brother, let's go. The children are probably already waiting anxiously at home."

Ma Chao nodded, his gaze sweeping over Shamoke's forlorn figure before finally taking the first step. Sunlight pierced through the thin mist, weaving golden spots of light on the ground. Ahead lay the warmth of reunion, yet behind him dragged an unspeakable heaviness—reunions in this chaotic world were always tinged with regret and indebtedness, which could only be remedied slowly by hoping for a long future to make amends and repay the debts.

By the time they returned to the city, the sun was high in the sky. Ma Chao accompanied Zhou Yu as they walked slowly. The streets on both sides were bustling with activity, Han Chinese and Baiyue people living together, their cries of vendors and laughter blending into a warm and harmonious atmosphere. Seeing Ma Chao and his entourage approaching, the people along the street stopped in their tracks, their faces beaming with excitement. Shouts of "King of Liang!" and "General Ma!" rose and fell—every inch of this land remembered his valiant figure from years past. The crowd surged forward, the procession moving very slowly, until finally they arrived at Zhou Yu's governor's mansion.

In front of the mansion gate, a beautiful woman with a heroic air between her brows was leading a group of five- or six-year-old children who were waiting quietly. The children were lined up neatly, their little faces full of curiosity.

Ma Chao saw the group of children in the distance, paused slightly, and said to Zhou Yu, "Gongjin, this is..."

Before he could finish speaking, Dong Bai and the others quickly stepped forward with smiles, squatted down to talk to the children, and were soon surrounded by the little ones, their laughter spreading instantly.

Looking at the commotion, Zhou Yu said softly, “Brother, among these children are the children of you, me, and Bo Fu, the children of our generals, and the rest… are mostly the orphans of your personal guards who fought alongside you in Chang’an.”

Ma Chao's heart sank. The figures of Pan Feng and Wu Anguo flashed before his eyes, and the faces of his personal guards who had risked their lives with him also appeared one by one—many of them had just started families in the Baiyue Mountain stronghold, but they were all wiped out while protecting him, leaving only these young children behind.

Looking at the group of little ones with their faces turned upwards, he recalled the resolute cry of their father when he shouted "General, go first!" and his eyes welled up with tears once again.

Dong Bai, Zhen Mi, and the others had prepared some small trinkets, including wooden rocking horses, colored sugar figurines, and purses embroidered with flowers and birds. They were all smiling as they spread out to give the gifts to the children.

But the group of little ones didn't rush to take it; instead, they all looked at the child at the front. The child was about six years old, with exquisitely beautiful features, fair skin, and particularly bright eyes. However, at this moment, he was holding his arms in front of his chest, pursing his lips, and his eyes held a hint of wariness, like a little animal protecting its territory.

The four of them were taken aback. Dong Bai was the first to recover, smiling as she waved the sugar figurine in her hand: "What? Don't you like these gifts?" She glanced around and asked, "Which one of you is Ma Yue?"

The children pointed at the boy with his arms crossed and exclaimed, "It's him! It's Ma Yue!"

Dong Bai's heart softened; this was A-Chao's child, who had lost his mother at a young age. She stepped forward, wanting to embrace the child, but as soon as she reached out, Ma Yue suddenly dodged backward, retreating a few steps to behind the beautiful yet spirited woman, only peeking out half his head, still staring with wide eyes and pursed lips, refusing to let go in the slightest.

The woman—Sun Ce's sister, Sun Shangxiang—patted Ma Yue lightly on the back and said in a serious tone, "Ma Yue, how can you be so disrespectful to your elders?"

Ma Yue didn't answer, but instead buried his face behind Sun Shangxiang. In his eyes, which resembled Ma Chao's, the hostility had lessened, but there was still a hint of timid distance.

Dong Bai withdrew her hand, a bittersweet feeling rising in her heart. She smiled gently and said, "It's alright, our Ma Yue is just shy, isn't she? Auntie has a little wooden horse that can run, would you like to take a look?" As she spoke, she handed the wooden horse a little closer.

Ma Yue's gaze swept briefly over the wooden horse, and he parted his thin lips, uttering two words: "Childish." As soon as he finished speaking, a tall and upright child came over from behind him. The child had bright eyes and white teeth, and his eyebrows carried a hint of heroism. He glanced at the toys on the ground, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Auntie, aren't all these things for little kids? We haven't played with these things for a long time."

Dong Bai immediately became interested, reached out and gently touched the child's head, his fingertips brushing against the child's soft hair: "Oh? So who are you?"

The boy puffed out his little chest and answered loudly, "I am Sun Shao! This is my older brother, Ma Yue!" As he spoke, he patted Ma Yue's shoulder forcefully, his tone full of admiration, "My older brother is amazing, he's the Divine Might Heavenly General! I'm his central army general!"

"Pfft—" Dong Bai couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, her eyes curving into crescent moons. Zhen Mi and the others behind her also laughed, their laughter clear and crisp, like the ringing of wind chimes.

Dong Bai smiled and asked again, "What about the rest of you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a handsome and quiet boy stepped forward. He was wearing a clean blouse and his hair was neatly combed. He first bowed respectfully with his hands clasped, and his voice was soft and polite: "Hello, aunties. I am Zhou Yin, the strategist of General Tian."

"Hahaha..." The women laughed even harder, some even laughing until tears streamed down their faces. They quickly covered their mouths with handkerchiefs, their eyes full of doting affection.

This really annoyed the children behind, who started pushing and shoving forward, shouting—

"I am the striker!"

"I am General Zuo!"

"I am the Right General!"

"I am...I am the grain officer!"

The children's voices rose and fell, like a flock of sparrows chirping on a branch, creating a lively scene.

The women smiled and handed the things in their hands forward again, but the children seemed to be pulled by invisible threads, all looking at Ma Yue. Not one of them reached out to take them, and their little faces were solemn. They looked just like a group of little soldiers waiting for their general's orders.

The scene fell into an awkward silence again, as if the air had frozen. Dong Bai and the others looked at each other helplessly. Finally, Dong Bai spoke first, his voice gentle, and said softly to Ma Yue, "Yue'er, say something to them. If you don't speak, they'll all be frozen in place, and no one will dare to respond."

Ma Yue stubbornly turned his head to the side, his jawline taut, his lips pressed into a defiant line, refusing to utter a sound.

Just then, Zhou Yu, Ma Chao, and others walked up side by side. Zhou Yu glanced at them and took in the situation. His brows furrowed slightly, and his tone carried a hint of elder authority as he said to Ma Yue, "Yue'er, you mustn't be rude. 'One should not refuse a gift from an elder.' How can you let your elders put you in such a difficult position?"

Ma Yue seemed slightly stung by these words, a flash of resentment crossing his face. In the end, he didn't hold back any longer and reluctantly stepped out from behind Sun Shangxiang. With his eyes lowered, he first reached out and accepted the gift from Dong Bai.

The children behind them lit up. Seeing Ma Yue accept the gift, they immediately responded crisply as if they had received a silent command, reaching out to take the gift boxes in front of them. The stagnant atmosphere finally dissipated like ice melting, relieving the girls from their predicament.

Seeing that the stalemate had been broken, Zhou Yu looked at the group of children and said gently, "Why aren't you greeting them? Call them uncles."

The children all bent down in unison, their little bodies ramrod straight, their clear voices like a string of silver bells: "Uncle!"

Ma Chao watched as the group of children obediently knelt on the ground, his eyes narrowing with delight. He quickly took two steps forward, waving his hands repeatedly, "Get up, get up! This child is just like his father, why bother with all this?" He then stepped forward and first helped up Sun Shao, whose brows held a touch of heroism, and Zhou Yin, whose features were delicate and refined. When his palms touched the children's little arms, he deliberately used a light touch. The other children also scrambled to their feet, chattering around him, completely forgetting their earlier restraint.

Ma Chao, with one child in each arm, half-squatted down, his gaze passing over the children's heads, looking eagerly at Ma Yue, who was still standing alone in the same spot. His tone was full of undisguised expectation, as if he were coaxing his own child who was throwing a tantrum: "Yue'er, come here."