Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Liu Bao, the Left Wise King, led his tribe, hurriedly carrying the women they had captured and a mountain of supplies, heading for their home. Meanwhile, news of the fall of Hedong County spread like wildfire. The Emperor in Chang'an was enraged, and he ordered Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei to hand over the defense of Fufeng while he led his men in a swift pursuit of Liu Bao, determined to catch up with these brutal Xiongnu and relieve the suffering of the people.

However, it was too late. The Xiongnu were known for their swift and unpredictable raids. When Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei led their troops to Hedong County, the scene before them was horrifying.

The once prosperous Hedong County now lay in ruins. The streets and alleys were filled with smoke and the smell of blood. Houses collapsed, and rubble and broken walls lay everywhere. Corpses lay scattered across the ground: elderly, children, men, and women, their faces frozen with the fear and despair of death. The living were dressed in rags, their eyes glazed over, like the walking dead, having lost all hope in life.

Liu Bei gazed upon the tragic scene, his heart weighing heavily as if a huge rock were pressing down on him. He sighed deeply and said indignantly, "We were too late, causing the people to suffer this great disaster. It's all my fault!" Guan Yu's eyes widened, his eyebrows raised, and his hand gripping the Green Dragon Crescent Blade trembled slightly with anger. He shouted, "These Xiongnu bandits have committed countless evils. If I ever encounter them, I will make sure they never return!" Zhang Fei's eyes widened, his face flushed crimson, and he shouted at the top of his voice, "These bastards! I, Zhang, wish I could chase them down right now and kill them all to avenge the people!"

Liu Bei looked solemn and said in a deep voice: "Second brother, third brother, don't be impulsive. The most urgent task at the moment is to appease the people, restore order in the county, and don't let the people suffer anymore." After hearing this, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei suppressed the anger in their hearts and responded in unison: "What the eldest brother said is absolutely right." The three of them looked at the devastated Hedong County with a heavy heart and full of anger, and they were silent for a long time.

Liu, Guan and Zhang looked at the tragic situation in Hedong County and decided to do their best to save this land and its people.

Liu Bei first organized his soldiers to clear the streets, collect the bodies, and provide a proper burial to comfort the souls of the deceased. He personally visited the people, comforted them, and promised to rebuild Hedong County and allow everyone to live a stable life again.

Guan Yu led a team of soldiers to strengthen the city's defenses to prevent further invasion. He also set about reorganizing the military, training soldiers, and improving the army's combat effectiveness to ensure that it could better defend its homeland in the future.

Zhang Fei, a man of impatience, led some soldiers to maintain order in the city, severely punishing those who took advantage of the chaos to commit crimes. At the same time, he actively organized manpower and material resources to help the people repair damaged houses.

The three of them discussed and decided to open the granaries to release grain to relieve the starving people. They also issued a notice recruiting craftsmen and laborers to rebuild the city and resume production. They sent people to the surrounding counties to seek support and material assistance.

While Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei worked tirelessly to restore order in Hedong County, they also secretly lamented. Liu Bei gazed at the still-dilapidated city and the dejected civilians, and he sighed deeply, "If it weren't for the civil strife and the various factions vying for power, leaving them with no time to spare, how could the foreigners have taken advantage of this opportunity and caused the people to suffer like this?"

Guan Yu stroked his long beard gently, his eyes filled with regret. "Brother, you are absolutely right. The Han Dynasty is in decline, and internal strife continues. This has given these Xiongnu villains an opportunity to take advantage of the situation. We should learn from this and work hard to protect the territory and people of this great Han Dynasty."

Zhang Fei's eyes widened, his fists clenched, and he angrily said, "Hmph! Those fellows who only care about fighting among themselves have no regard for the lives of the people. I, Zhang Fei, will follow my elder and second brothers and train a strong army so that the foreign tribes will never dare to invade again!"

Liu Bei nodded slightly and said with a firm look: "We should take it as our responsibility to restore the Han Dynasty, end this chaotic situation, and bring peace to the world." Guan and Zhang responded in unison: "We are willing to follow my brother to fulfill this task!" The three of them looked into the distance, their hearts full of expectations and determination for the future.

Liu Bao finally returned to his tribe, having hurried and fearful. He brought with him young, beautiful Han women and abundant supplies, which immediately caused a burst of cheers in the Xiongnu camp. The tribesmen could finally stop worrying about not being able to survive the bitter winter.

However, Liu Bao, watching his tribesmen celebrate and gather so happily, was filled with worry. Frowning, he summoned his men to his tent and said anxiously, "Although we have gained something this time, Cai Wenji is a serious problem."

One of the subordinates replied gruffly, "Zuo Xian Wang, she's just a woman. What kind of trouble could that be?"

Liu Bao glared at him fiercely and said, "What do you know? This Cai Wenji is no ordinary woman. She has a close relationship with Ma Chao. Don't you know Ma Chao's reputation? His ferocity on the battlefield and his ruthlessness towards foreigners—which one of them doesn't terrify people?"

Another subordinate said cautiously: "But we have already brought the people back. What should we do now?"

Liu Bao paced back and forth, pondering for a moment before saying, "We must devise a foolproof plan to return this woman to Ma Chao without arousing his anger. Otherwise, with Ma Chao's temper, he will surely lead his army to attack us. Wherever his cavalry goes, there will be no one left standing!"

At this point, Liu Bao shuddered, as if Ma Chao's army were already at the gates of the city. He continued, "Think about it: which of the foreign tribes that have opposed Ma Chao in the past have met a good end? His bravery and superior tactics have made him impossible for us to resist."

The subordinates listened with fear on their faces and nodded.

Liu Bao added with concern, "To the north of our area lies the ever-expanding territory of the Xianbei tribe. The Xianbei, like us, are both nomadic peoples on horseback, but we suffered heavy losses in our previous invasion of Xiliang. The Xianbei, rising to the north, are even more brutal and cold-blooded. If we anger Ma Chao, the Xianbei might take advantage of our situation and retaliate."

"Furthermore, the neighboring Qiang tribe, the Dongqiang, has been conquered by Ma Chao, who has also established the Protectorate of the Qiang. This means that if Ma Chao were to invade, he could simply march straight through Dongqiang territory. In that case, the Dongqiang would likely not only refuse to help us, but might even provide Ma Chao with supplies."

Liu Bao paused, his voice trembling slightly. "Right now, my fear of Ma Chao is even greater than my fear of the Han Dynasty. If we're not careful, our entire tribe could face catastrophic destruction."

The tent fell into silence. Everyone was so frightened by the terrible prospect described by Liu Bao that they dared not speak and thought about how to deal with it.

Liu Bao, filled with deep trepidation, hurried to Cai Wenji's presence. His face was plastered with an ingratiating smile, a smile that seemed forced, even contorted. His tone was urgent, yet cautious. "Miss Cai, after much deliberation, I have finally decided to send you to General Ma Chao. What do you think?" Cai Wenji, who had long harbored the intention of returning, nodded in agreement without hesitation, her eyes revealing a hint of eagerness and anticipation.

Seeing Cai Wenji's ready agreement, Liu Bao felt a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He quickly ordered his men to take action. Not only did he carefully select a large amount of gold and silver treasures from the numerous looted materials, filling several large carts with them, but he also carefully selected messengers and assembled a team of well-equipped and well-trained elite soldiers to escort Cai Wenji to Xiliang.

Along the way, the envoys sent by Liu Bao were exceptionally sincere. Liu Bao's attitude toward Cai Wenji could almost be described as humble. He would often personally greet her, his earnest demeanor as if she were his most honored guest. His words were filled with flattery and profound apologies, each one revealing his inner apprehension, fearing that even the slightest slight would anger Cai Wenji.

Cai Wenji sat in the carriage, following the group westward toward Xiliang. Her emotions were mixed and agitated, her thoughts swirling like willow catkins.

At the thought of escaping these days of suffering and fear, she felt an indescribable joy. But recalling the tragic scenes she had witnessed in Hedong, she couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness, her eyes slightly reddened. She missed the young general and the unfamiliar Xiliang, wondering what it would be like when they met again.

At the same time, she was also looking forward to and grateful for meeting Ma Chao, wondering how this former young man and famous general would greet her.

Meanwhile, the envoys led their team into Qiang territory. They were quickly stopped by Qiang guards, who looked wary and alert.

The following is the follow-up content created for you based on the sentence you provided:

The envoy quickly stated his purpose: "Generals, we are the Xiongnu bringing gifts to General Hu Weitian, the commander of Xiliang. Please allow us to pass."

The Qiang commanders looked at each other, their eyes still filled with suspicion. One of them asked, "Gifts? What's the purpose? Do you have the documents to pass through?"