Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Inside the spacious and grand tent, numerous generals, tribal leaders, and envoys were all intimidated by Ma Chao's fierce, powerful, and intimidating presence. The atmosphere at the banquet was heavy and oppressive. Ma Teng was the first to break the silence, saying, "Mengqi, no matter what, today each tribe has come with sincerity to offer gifts to our Wuwei City. You must not be too harsh, nor should you be too hard on us." He then looked at Ma Chao with a gentle gaze, his eyes full of expectation. Ma Chao then respectfully clasped his fists in agreement. Then, Ma Teng calmly and slowly raised the exquisite wine jar before him and said in a loud and generous voice, "Everyone, drink this cup to the full!"

After Ma Teng finished speaking, everyone was momentarily startled, then their faces were filled with respectful, flattering smiles. The generals straightened their bodies, expressions solemn, and responded in unison, "We will obey your command, Your Majesty!" The tribal leaders and envoys quickly echoed him, their eyes filled with awe and respect. In unison, they raised their wine glasses and said in unison, "May your majesty be in good health and Wuwei City be prosperous!" For a moment, the entire tent was filled with echoing voices, and the atmosphere became more lively.

In reality, the Qiang and the generals in the Great Tent didn't fear Ma Teng. Before Ma Chao's sudden emergence, Ma Teng hadn't demonstrated any remarkable military achievements. However, his fathering of such an exceptional son necessitated respect. However, fear wasn't solely due to Ma Teng. Intuitively, everyone in the Great Tent had suffered at Ma Chao's hands. Therefore, they held Ma Teng in high esteem, while Ma Chao was the one they deeply feared.

After drinking a cup, Ma Chao's eyes were sharp as he continued, "Leader of the Eastern Qiang, come out and tell me how you got involved with the Xiongnu envoys?"

Upon hearing this, the three leaders, E He, Shao Ge, and Shao Dang Qiang, became anxious and quickly stepped out of line, saying, "General Tian, ​​allow us to report this. This Xiongnu leader, the Xiongnu Zuo Xian Wang, has sent an envoy, claiming to present you with gifts. We have never had any affection for the Xiongnu, and our hearts are solely devoted to you and General Tian, ​​and we have our best interests at Xiliang. We have long admired your kindness, and have brought you this gift. Firstly, to monitor the Xiongnu's actions and prevent any ill intentions, and secondly, to sincerely pay our respects to General Tian and you."

Ma Chao remained silent and continued to ask with a stern expression: "Come on, Hun envoy, come out and tell this general, what exactly is your Zuo Xian Wang planning this time?" Upon hearing this, the Hun envoy hurried out of the line and said in fear and trepidation: "General Tian, ​​General Tian, ​​our Zuo Xian Wang is deeply in awe of your majesty, and this time we are giving you a gift with all our heart. Moreover, just some time ago when we were sending troops to Hedong County, we accidentally robbed one of your old friends, and now we have specially sent him back to you." Ma Chao's heart was suddenly gripped when he heard this, but his face remained calm.

At this moment, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu seemed to realize something. Sun Ce asked, "Who is the old friend you're talking about?" The Xiongnu envoy continued hurriedly, "It's a woman. She has a portrait of the general hanging in her room. We dispatched troops to Hedong only because our tribe needed to survive. We had no choice but to do so! But we dare not offend anyone related to you in the slightest." Ma Chao narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a deep voice, "Oh? How is she doing now?" The Xiongnu envoy quickly replied, "General, General, we treated her with great respect along the way and dared not neglect her in the slightest. We have brought her to you unharmed."

After the leader finished speaking, Ma Chao suddenly looked displeased. His brows furrowed like two sharp, cold rays, and his thin lips pursed tightly, revealing an undisguised coldness. But Ma Teng seemed very happy. He smiled, stroked his beard, and laughed heartily, saying, "The Ma family appreciates your kindness."

Seeing this, the other tribes, taking advantage of the increasingly enthusiastic atmosphere, began to shout. "General, we have brought women with us too. They are all as beautiful as flowers, gentle and virtuous. Their looks are so stunning that they can shame the moon and flowers. They will surely satisfy you." "Our women are even more talented in singing and dancing. Their every smile and frown is captivating. They will surely bring you endless joy." "General, our women are clever and skillful. They are good at managing household chores and will surely take care of your daily life." For a moment, the tent was filled with a clamor of noise as everyone racked their brains, trying their best to recommend women from their own tribes.

Ma Teng then said, "Oh, that's true, Chao'er. My Chao'er has reached marriageable age. The leaders are so kind, the girls can stay. I can't refuse your kindness."

Ma Chao knew that his father acted this way, but he could do nothing about it. He could only grit his teeth and suppress his dissatisfaction even though he was extremely unwilling.

The atmosphere in the tent was heating up. The leaders all smiled smugly and began to boast to each other about the merits of their women. Ma Chao, however, sat there with a gloomy face, silent as a mountain, his clenched fists revealing his inner resentment.

Seeing that they were really going too far, Ma Chao shouted angrily, "Stop talking!" Everyone was startled by Ma Chao's sudden shout and immediately quieted down.

"Xiongnu envoy, please send my old friend into the tent. I want to talk to her," Ma Chao said anxiously. The Xiongnu envoy hurried out to make arrangements.

A moment later, Cai Wenji entered. Her face was haggard, yet her natural beauty was undeniable. Her eyes betrayed the weariness and fatigue of a life grieving. Seeing Ma Chao again, she felt a mixture of emotions. Her delicate body trembled slightly, and her eyes instantly reddened. Her eyes, filled with endless longing and grievance, concealed a deep well of emotion. But she struggled to control her emotions, maintaining the demeanor expected of a lady from a noble family, biting her lower lip to prevent the tears from falling.

When Ma Chao saw Cai Wenji like this, he felt heartbroken. He took a few steps forward, wanting to hug her in his arms, but stopped when he was about to touch her. He just looked at her with deep affection and concern, and said softly, "Wenji, I'm sorry for making you suffer." His voice trembled slightly, as if he was suppressing the surging emotions in his heart.

Cai Wenji raised her head slightly, forced a smile, and said, "General, it's all worth it to see you again." Her voice was soft but firm. Although she tried to remain calm, the slightly trembling ending betrayed her excitement at the moment.

Ma Chao couldn't take his eyes off Cai Wenji, as if he wanted to etch her image deeply into his mind. Cai Wenji felt the same way, staring at Ma Chao with a gaze filled with a thousand words. The two of them stared at each other in silence, time seemingly standing still in that moment. Everything around them had become blurry, only each other's figures were crystal clear.

Ma Chao slowly reached out and gently smoothed the messy hair on Cai Wenji's forehead, his movements as gentle as if he were handling a rare treasure. Cai Wenji felt the warmth from his fingertips, and her heart was filled with longing like a tidal wave, but she still tried to hold back, not letting herself lose her composure.

"I've been worried about you all these days." Ma Chao's voice was low and hoarse.

Cai Wenji nodded slightly, tears welling up in her eyes: "General, Wenji knows, Wenji has always known."

At this moment, the air between the two seemed to be filled with strong attachment and concern. Although they did not hug each other and cry, the deep emotions were conveyed vividly in the exchange of each other's eyes.

Ma Chao introduced his father to Cai Wenji, his expression somewhat solemn as he said, "Wenji, this is my father." Upon hearing this, Cai Wenji quickly suppressed the sadness that had just been flowing freely on her face. She knew that she couldn't lose her manners in front of her elders, so she bowed slightly, saluted gracefully, and said in a soft and polite voice, "Wenji greets Uncle Ma."

Ma Teng narrowed his eyes, his gaze tinged with scrutiny and gentleness. He thought to himself, "This woman seems dignified and polite, with a gentle expression in her features and a noble demeanor. A daughter-in-law to the Ma family would be a wonderful prospect." Her father, Cai Yong, was a renowned scholar, but it's a pity that he met with a tragic end during these turbulent times. It's truly a shame. He looked at her as if he were observing his future daughter-in-law.

But then, Ma Teng's attention was suddenly drawn to a three-year-old child being led by a maid behind him. Puzzled, he immediately asked Cai Wenji, "Who is this child?" Cai Wenji lowered her eyes slightly, a wave of sadness welling up in her heart as she recalled her own experiences over the years. She softly replied, "This is my nephew, the orphan of my late husband's brother." Ma Teng suddenly understood, yet his heart was in turmoil. He wondered: How could this girl be married, and still be so entangled with Chao'er? What should he do? Chao'er's feelings for this woman were obvious to everyone, but her current status presented a challenge. Then there was Dong Bai, also deeply in love with Chao'er, and a childhood sweetheart, a junior apprentice, who also couldn't forget Chao'er. Chao'er, usually decisive and ruthless on the battlefield, was so troublesome in matters of love. For a moment, Ma Teng was a little confused and didn't know what to do. He just hoped that this incident would not affect the reputation of the Ma family and Chaoer's future.