Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Ma Chao smiled, bent down, and picked up Linglong, deliberately putting on a stern face: "What, you don't even recognize your father anymore?"

Dong Bai chuckled softly from the side: "My lord, you're wronging the child. When you left, Hu Niu was only a little girl, and now she's grown so tall."

Ma Chao rubbed his stubble-covered chin against her delicate, fair face, making her giggle and push her father's face away. Just then, the half-grown tiger cub beside them suddenly growled at Ma Chao, sounding somewhat resentful—as if protesting his bullying of its "little master."

Only then did Zhang Song and his entourage notice the magnificent tiger lying behind the princesses. Its fur shimmered with golden stripes in the sunlight, and though it lay docilely, it still exuded the awe-inspiring power of the king of beasts. Zhang Song subconsciously swayed, secretly marveling: This family, even their pets are so ferocious?

Ma Chao noticed this little gesture and laughed loudly, "Yongnian, come here, don't be afraid. It's strange, but my tiger girl grew up drinking tiger milk, so this little tiger is her milk brother." As he spoke, he reached out and patted the little tiger's head.

Like a child who had done something wrong, the tiger cub drooped its head and huddled back to its mother, whimpering softly. The mother tiger, however, merely licked her cub gently, showing no reaction to Ma Chao's actions. She was already accustomed to the aura emanating from her master that commanded the submission of all beasts; even the occasional hint of murderous intent from him was enough to deter her from any rash action.

Zhang Song's curiosity was piqued, and he cautiously moved closer to get a better look at the little tiger. Linglong, however, spotted him at a glance, tilted her head up, and laughed, "Oh, this person is so ugly."

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao's smile froze instantly. He quickly hugged Linglong tightly and said seriously, "At such a young age, how have you learned to judge people by their appearance?" He turned to Ma Yue and the young men of the Young Lin Army behind him, his voice deepening, "You should all remember this: a person's appearance is given by their parents, and good or bad has nothing to do with looks. Just like this Mr. Zhang Yongnian, although he is not tall and has an ordinary appearance, he is my honored guest and a capable right-hand man who can share my burdens. What he does is the behavior of a dignified man. You must never learn such rudeness in the future."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Song's face immediately broke into a wide smile, and he quickly waved his hand, "Oh, Your Majesty, you flatter me! The little princess speaks without thinking, and what she said is the truth. I am ugly, so what's there to mind?"

In truth, Zhang Song had always been concerned about what others said about his appearance, but hearing Ma Chao praise him so publicly and specifically instruct his children to respect him, any resentment he felt had vanished, leaving only the warmth of being valued. Looking at Ma Chao's earnest expression and then at the thoughtful looks of the young Lin Army soldiers, he suddenly felt that everything he had done to serve Ma Chao had been worthwhile.

Dong Bai quickly tugged at Linglong's hand and said softly, "Tiger Girl, don't be rude to Mr. Zhang, apologize quickly."

Linglong looked at her father, who seemed to understand, then at Zhang Song, and whispered, "Mr. Zhang, I'm sorry."

Zhang Song quickly laughed and said, "It's alright, it's alright. The little princess is so innocent and adorable, I'm overjoyed."

Ma Chao breathed a sigh of relief, carrying Linglong into the palace. As they walked, he said to Zhang Song, "Yongnian, please don't be angry. The children are spoiled."

"Your Majesty is too kind."

As soon as Zhang Song finished speaking, he stood stiffly at the palace gate, his feet seemingly nailed to the ground, not daring to move forward another step. The civil and military officials of Xiliang following behind him were all curious about his appearance. Why was Zhang Song, who had been so composed at the city gate, suddenly so hesitant at the palace gate?

Xu Huang, being the most cheerful, stepped forward and nudged Zhang Song with his elbow, grinning as he said, "Hey, Lao Zhang, what's wrong with you? Come on, let's catch up with the lord!"

A hint of unease appeared on Zhang Song's face as he said in a low voice, "This...this is, after all, His Majesty's palace, a grand mansion. How can we, as foreign subjects, arbitrarily intrude?"

Just as Xu Huang was about to say something more, Ma Chao, who was in front, seemed to have noticed the movement behind him. He turned around while holding Ma Linglong and saw Zhang Song standing alone in the same spot. He laughed and said, "Yongnian, why aren't you moving?"

Xu Huang answered first: "My lord, Old Zhang said this is your residence, and it is inconvenient for me to go in!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao laughed loudly: "Ask them, when have they ever not gotten completely drunk in my Liangwang Mansion and couldn't even find their way home?" He pointed to Li Ru and the others beside him, "We're all family, why are there so many taboos!"

After saying that, he lowered his head and said to Ma Yue beside him, "Go and invite Mr. Zhang over."

Ma Yue immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to Zhang Song, and said with a solemn expression, "Mr. Zhang, please come with me."

Zhang Song was flattered and nodded repeatedly, "Oh, oh, oh, I'm coming, I'm coming!" He quickly followed.

Li Yan, who had accompanied Ma Chao from Chengdu back to Chang'an, had remained silent the entire way, quietly observing the actions of the Xiliang army and Ma Chao's behavior. Only now, seeing Ma Chao's warm hospitality towards Zhang Song, leaving no room for retreat even within the palace walls, did he finally submit. He quietly approached Zhang Song and whispered, "Mr. Yongnian, no wonder you decided to pledge your loyalty to the King of Liang so early. Such magnanimity is truly admirable."

Zhang Song could no longer suppress his smile, and tears welled up in his eyes. His voice trembled with emotion as he said, "You don't understand... Since I was born, how many times have I been mistreated and ridiculed because of my appearance? Only Your Majesty has never judged me by my looks, and has treated me like an honored guest. How can I, Zhang Song, not repay this kindness with my life?" As he spoke, tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Hurry up and come to my side." Ma Chao, who was in front, turned around and urged, his tone warm and familiar. "I was just about to tell you about the sights in the palace. The chrysanthemums over there are in full bloom!"

Zhang Song quickly wiped away his tears with his sleeve and replied, "Yes, yes, I'm coming!" He hurried to catch up with Ma Chao and walked alongside him.

Sunlight filtered through the ancient cypress trees lining the palace path, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone slabs. Zhang Song gazed at Ma Chao beside him, chatting and laughing, listening to him recount the palace's trees, pavilions, and terraces. All his previous grievances and resentment vanished in that instant. He knew that this step he had taken was truly the right one. Having met such a lord, no matter how many storms lay ahead, it was worth following him with all his might.

Li Yan followed behind, watching Zhang Song's moved expression and then looking at Ma Chao's unpretentious back. His last shred of doubt vanished completely. He quickened his pace, blending into the group, as if he could already foresee that following such a lord, he would surely achieve great things in the future.

The banquet was held in a side hall of the Liang Prince's residence, without elaborate etiquette or strict hierarchical rules. The table was laden with Chang'an specialties: steaming mutton soup, golden-brown flatbreads, and the aroma of strong liquor filling the air as the jars were opened.

Ma Chao sat in the main seat, but showed no airs of a king. When he saw Xu Huang approaching with a wine cup, he smiled and clinked cups with him: "You blockhead, you didn't drink enough in Xichuan, and now you're back in Chang'an you're trying to get me drunk?"

Xu Huang laughed heartily, tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp: "My lord, you do not know, what we drink in Chengdu is rice wine from Shu, which is not as strong as the liquor from Chang'an!" After saying that, he filled his cup again and insisted on toasting with Ma Chao again, which made everyone burst into laughter.

Sitting at the table, Zhang Song watched this scene as if in a dream. He saw nine-year-old Ma Yue dressed in the brocade robes of a prince, yet carrying a wine jug, moving between the tables and serving wine to veteran ministers like Li Ru and Pang De, his face bearing a sincere smile, without a trace of arrogance. Ma Chao's adopted sons Ma Guan, Ma Xiang, Jiang Wei, and others were also busy adding wine and serving dishes to everyone, their manners respectful but not obsequious, no different from ordinary boys.

After a few rounds of drinks, Pang De, emboldened by the alcohol, laughed and said, "Does my lord still remember? Back in Liangzhou, after we won a battle, we drank heartily in the tent just like this. That rascal Xu Huang got drunk and grabbed the horse post, shouting, 'My lord, drink three more bowls!'"

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this, and Xu Huang scratched his head and chuckled, "Old Pang, don't expose my weakness! I was young then and didn't know how much alcohol I could hold!"

Ma Chao also raised his glass with a smile: "Don't laugh at him. If it weren't for you brothers who risked your lives to protect us back then, we wouldn't be where we are today. Come, this glass is for everyone, and for every inch of land we've trod!"

Everyone raised their glasses in unison, the wine warming their throats. Zhang Song held his glass, his hand trembling slightly. In his life, he had witnessed the hypocrisy and deceit of officialdom, and tasted the bitterness of being looked down upon because of one's appearance, but he had never seen such a scene. Those in power were unpretentious, subordinates dared to joke freely, and even the heir apparent and adopted son served him like family. This harmony was more heartwarming than any reward of gold or silver.

He watched Ma Chao chatting and laughing with the others, and saw the moonlight streaming through the window illuminating everyone's faces. Suddenly, he felt his eyes welling up with tears. At this moment, he wouldn't hesitate to die for what he was facing, let alone endure mountains of knives or seas of fire.

"Yongnian, why aren't you drinking?" Ma Chao saw him standing there in a daze and raised his cup to him. "This wine is strong, but it won't give you a headache. Try it."

Zhang Song quickly drank it down. The strong liquor went down his throat, but he didn't feel any burning sensation. Instead, it transformed into a warm current that flowed through his body. He put down his wine cup, looked at Ma Chao, and had only one thought in his mind: To have met such a lord in this life is truly worthwhile.

The merriment at the banquet continued, laughter and the sounds of drinking games mingling together, penetrating the windowpanes and blending with the chirping of autumn insects in the Chang'an night. Zhang Song knew that from this moment on, his heart truly remained here, in this warm and welcoming Liangwang Mansion, and by the side of his lord who valued loyalty above all else, regardless of rank.

The next morning, in the study of the Liang Prince's mansion, the morning light shone through the window paper onto the map on the desk. Ma Chao pointed to the Hebei region and said to Li Ru, "Wenyou, how's the investigation going in Hebei?"

Li Ru took the dossier brought back by the spies and frowned slightly: "My lord, Yuan Shao has sealed off the entire city of Ye. All messengers are being interrogated, making it difficult to send out messages. At present, we only know that Ye City is issuing frequent and strange decrees—first, he urgently summoned Yan Liang and Wen Chou back to the capital, and then he ordered the surrounding counties to strengthen their defenses, prohibiting even ordinary merchants from approaching."

He paused, then added, "According to reports from spies lurking outside the city, the atmosphere inside and outside Ye City is tense. There are 30% more soldiers guarding the city than usual, and the frequency of night patrols has doubled. However, it is unclear whether they intend to launch an attack or if something has happened internally."

Ma Chao tapped his fingertips lightly on the location of Ye City, pondering, "Yuan Shao is a man of many schemes but few decisions. He would never mobilize such a large force unless it was a major event. Yan Liang and Wen Chou are famous generals from Hebei. Their sudden recall from the front lines suggests either internal strife in Ye City or that he has noticed Cao Cao's unusual movements..."

“But the situation is unclear right now,” Li Ru said. “I have sent more men to try to infiltrate the city, but Yuan Shao is very vigilant, so it will probably take some time.”

“Continue the investigation.” Ma Chao nodded. “But there’s no need to rush. Let’s stabilize the situation first.” He looked up at Li Ru and softened his tone. “The war in Xichuan has just ended. The soldiers have worked hard for more than a year. Let’s reward them for their merits and give everyone a break. The civil and military officials should also perform their duties. Those who need to handle civil affairs should handle civil affairs, and those who need to reorganize the military should reorganize the military. We will make further plans once we have definite news from Hebei.”

Li Ru understood his meaning. The situation in Hebei was extremely complex, and any rash speculation or action at this moment would easily lead to mistakes. It would be better to stabilize the internal situation first and respond to any eventuality with a wait-and-see approach. "Your Majesty's consideration is correct," he replied with a bow. "I will draft the documents for rewarding merits immediately, and they will be submitted this afternoon."

"Okay." Ma Chao waved his hand. "Go. Also, tell everyone not to panic about what happened in Hebei. The sky won't fall. Just defend the territory we've conquered."

After Li Ru left, Ma Chao sat alone facing the map for a long time. The sunlight gradually moved across the desk, making the map of Hebei clearer. He knew that Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, these two fierce tigers of the north, were bound to clash sooner or later, and the return of Yan Liang and Wen Chou's troops might be the harbinger of an impending storm.

But right now, with Xichuan just pacified and Chang'an's foundations needing to be solidified, he cannot allow the fog of uncertainty in the distance to throw him off balance. Rewarding those who have rendered meritorious service is to appease the people; relaxing vigilance is to accumulate strength. Once the dust settles in Hebei, regardless of whether there is chaos or war there, he will be able to calmly face the ensuing changes.