Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

It's not that I'm overly pessimistic; the situation is indeed dire. The Xiongnu are advancing aggressively, and the prefecture governor is powerless to resist. If no reinforcements arrive from the imperial court, the fall of Hedong is likely to be a matter of time.

Wei Ji returned to the training ground and looked at the servants who were on high alert. He secretly swore in his heart that he would do his best to protect the family.

Wei Ji's wife returned to the inner chamber, filled with worry, but she also began to pack up her belongings, preparing for the worst. As she did so, she silently prayed, hoping that the situation would improve.

As the days passed, the Xiongnu's attacks intensified, and the situation in Hedong County grew increasingly critical. Wei Ji was overwhelmed with worry, but he never gave up his resolve to resist.

However, bad news continued to arrive: several nearby towns had been captured by the Xiongnu, leaving the people displaced. The Wei family also suffered considerable losses in a Xiongnu raid.

Liu Bao, the Xiongnu Left Wise King, had tasted the sweetness of success, plundering a large amount of supplies in Hedong County without encountering a large-scale counterattack from the Han army. However, Liu Bao knew that this situation would not last long, and his greed drove him to take a risk. He mobilized a large number of his people from the torn hole, preparing to raid Hedong County and return to the grasslands after looting everything.

The county governor anxiously awaited news from the imperial court, hoping daily for reinforcements. However, he could never have imagined that catastrophe would strike so swiftly. Liu Bao led a vast horde of Xiongnu people, pouring into Hedong County like a tide, burning, killing, looting, and committing all manner of atrocities. The county governor hastily organized a resistance from the military and civilians, but this resistance seemed insignificant against the onslaught of the Xiongnu army.

Flames shot up from the city, the cries of terror from the civilians mingled with the cries of the Xiongnu. The once prosperous Hedong County was instantly engulfed in a sea of ​​blood and fire. The prefect, observing the devastation before him, was filled with despair and regret, hating his inability to protect the people. But now, it was too late. Hedong County had suffered heavy losses under Liu Bao's rampage, leaving it in ruins.

As the largest clan in Hedong, the Wei family was naturally targeted by the ferocious Xiongnu immediately after the city fell. The massive Xiongnu army surged forward like a tidal wave, completely surrounding the Wei family's residence, making it impossible to escape.

Wei Ji remained undaunted in the face of danger. Clad in armor and holding a longsword, his eyes wide open, he roared and commanded his servants and clansmen to resist. The servants, their weapons tightly gripped and their faces steely, led by Wei Ji as they erected a series of defensive lines.

From the outset of the battle, the Wei clan displayed fearless courage and tenacious fighting spirit. They fought fiercely against wave after wave of Xiongnu attacks, their cries of slaughter resoundingly resonating with the earth. Wei Ji led the charge, his sword rising and falling, blood splattering everywhere. He personally slew several Xiongnu enemies charging forward, greatly boosting morale.

But there were simply too many Huns, and they pounced on the Wei family like hungry wolves. Although the Wei family's servants and clansmen fought desperately, using all their strength, with people constantly falling and being replaced, they still couldn't stop the Huns' torrent-like offensive.

The Xiongnu's arrows rained down mercilessly on the Wei family like a swarm of locusts. The Wei family's defenses gradually crumbled under the Xiongnu's fierce attacks, and casualties mounted. Yet, they gritted their teeth, holding on to every inch of land and every line of defense until they were finally overrun by the Xiongnu.

The sturdy gate of the Wei family finally collapsed under the continuous and fierce attack of the Huns. The Huns swarmed in like wolves, and the Wei family was instantly plunged into chaos and bloodshed.

Inside the mansion, smoke filled the air, cries and screams intertwined. The once magnificent courtyard was now covered in blood and rubble, precious antiques and paintings were trampled on the ground, and exquisite furniture was burned in the flames of war.

Covered in blood, Wei Ji still brandished his sword in a final stand, but he was ultimately outnumbered and surrounded by the Xiongnu. His eyes were wide open, filled with resentment and anger.

The women fled in terror but were roughly captured by the Huns. Their cries and pleas for mercy echoed in the air but could not move these brutal invaders.

The children were trembling with fear and hiding in the corner, their eyes filled with fear and helplessness.

The storehouse was forcibly opened by the Huns, and all the gold, silver and treasures inside were looted. The Wei family's servants and clansmen lay scattered on the ground, some dead, some still groaning in pain.

A raging fire engulfed the house, sending plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky. The once-prominent Wei family had now become a living hell, devastated and horrific.

Most of the male members of the Wei family were killed in the fierce battle with the Xiongnu. The battlefield was splattered with blood, a horrific sight. Those who were once full of vigor and vitality now lay in a pool of blood, some with their heads severed, others hacked to pieces. The scene was horrifying.

The Xiongnu rushed into the Wei family like demons, violently dragging all the women out of their rooms and mercilessly taking them to the courtyard. The women cried and wailed, their hair disheveled, their clothes in disarray, their faces filled with fear and despair.

Although Wei Ji had repeatedly told his wife to do everything possible to escape this disaster with their young son, the wife and the young son still could not escape the strict search of the Xiongnu and were mercilessly captured in the courtyard.

At this moment, Liu Bao, the Left Wise King, rode a tall horse and strode into the courtyard with a haughty air. He glanced at the trembling women of the Wei family and the desperate Wei Ji, and a cruel smile curled his lips.

"Take all these women away and distribute them to the brothers to enjoy!" Liu Bao ordered loudly.

When Wei Ji heard this, he suddenly opened his eyes and glared at the Xiongnu leader, "You beasts, you will not die well!" he roared at the top of his lungs.

However, his resistance was met with only a barrage of punches and kicks from the Huns. Wei Ji fell to the ground, barely breathing, yet still staring at the Huns with an angry gaze.

Wei Ji's wife hugged her young son tightly, tears streaming down her face. The young son was so frightened that he cried loudly, and his voice was particularly mournful in this courtyard filled with the aura of death.

Pinned to the ground by the Xiongnu, Wei Ji watched helplessly as the scene unfolded, his grief and rage boiling like a volcano. He watched his wife and young son tremble in fear, and the women he knew so well now filled with helplessness and despair. His heart ached like a thousand arrows.

Wei Ji's eyes were bloodshot, their sockets brimming with bloodshot. A deep roar erupted from his throat, but the sound was choked by the blows from the Xiongnu's fists and feet. Finally, he closed his eyes in agony, his heart broken. A tear trickled down his cheeks, a tear of helplessness at his fate, grief over his family's plight, and deep remorse for not being able to protect his loved ones.

Outside, the cries of killing and shouting shook the heavens. Cai Wenji was in the room, holding Ma Chao's portrait, and her maid held a Jiaoweiqin, both of them trembling slightly. Cai Wenji's face was not filled with fear, but rather with a strange calm, as if the impending doom was truly a relief.

The courtyard door was violently smashed open by the Huns, sending wood chips flying. Several Huns rushed inside, their eyes filled with greed and astonishment at Cai Wenji's beauty. After a brief exchange, they decided to present Cai Wenji to their leader, avoiding any excessive violence.

"Go!" The Huns shouted in stiff Chinese, pushing Cai Wenji and her maid out.

Cai Wenji hugged the portrait tightly, and her maid tightly protected the Jiaoweiqin. Under the escort of the Xiongnu, they slowly moved towards the courtyard. Along the way, Cai Wenji's eyes were empty, and it was unknown what she was thinking.

When they arrived at the courtyard, it was already crowded with the captured members of the Wei family, with cries and pleas for mercy echoing one after another. Cai Wenji stood silently by, her eyes wandering, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her.

Liu Bao was immediately attracted by Cai Wenji's beauty. His eyes were fixed on her, with a flicker of surprise and greed in them. Seeing Liu Bao's expression, a subordinate fawningly asked for credit: "Your Majesty, this is a beauty we found especially for you. Are you satisfied?"

Liu Bao raised the corner of his mouth, revealing a satisfied smile, and said, "Well done, there will be a generous reward!"

When the subordinates heard Liu Bao's praise, they nodded and bowed immediately, with flattering smiles on their faces.

When Cai Wenji heard their conversation, she felt sad and hugged the portrait tightly in her arms, her eyes revealing indomitable spirit and despair.

At this time, the atmosphere in the courtyard became increasingly tense, and the captured people kept crying, but Liu Bao's mind was all on Cai Wenji, thinking about how to make this beauty his own.

Liu Bao swaggered up to Cai Wenji, his eyes wandering over her body wantonly, and he started to tease her, "Look, my little beauty, if you follow me, I will let you wear gold and silver jewelry, choose silk and satin as you like, and enjoy delicacies. I guarantee that you will enjoy endless wealth and glory." But Cai Wenji seemed to hear nothing, her face expressionless, her eyes empty, like a statue that had lost its soul, as if she didn't hear his frivolous and rude words at all.

Seeing Cai Wenji's lack of reaction, Liu Bao grew furious. His gaze fell on the scroll Cai Wenji was clutching tightly. His rough, large hand reached out, attempting to pull it away. Seeing this, Cai Wenji, like a mother animal protecting her calf, clutched the scroll tightly in her arms, desperately resisting Liu Bao's attempts to snatch it away.