Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Today, Ma Teng returned home and talked to his wife about Cai Wenji. When Mrs. Ma heard this, she was confused and at a loss.

If it had been an unmarried woman of marriageable age, whether Ma Chao took a wife or a concubine, the Ma family's pedigree and Ma Chao's prestige would have made it easy. However, Cai Wenji's status was unique. She was the daughter of the renowned scholar Cai Yong, a man already highly respected and admired. Previously, Cai Yong had cursed Dong Zhuo in the palace, even hurling himself at a pillar and dying. This heroic act imbued the story with a profound sense of tragedy. Furthermore, Cai Wenji was already married. Furthermore, the entire Hedong Wei family had sacrificed their lives heroically in resisting the Xiongnu invasion, leaving the family's long-cultivated reputation intact. In these circumstances, Cai Wenji, as the last adult member of the Wei family, shouldered the heavy responsibility of raising the family's orphans. Any rumors of her relationship with Ma Chao would undoubtedly tarnish the Ma family's reputation.

Ma Teng said worriedly, "Madam, Chao'er already has two close female friends, Dong Bai and Lu Wan. Dong Bai is the daughter of my master, and Chao'er's childhood sweetheart; Lu Wan is the daughter of my benefactor, and she's the one who's entrusted the care of my son. If we now add Cai Wenji, who's already married and carries such a tragic past, to the mix, Chao'er won't be able to handle this properly, and our Ma family's reputation will be ruined! As a father, I'm wholeheartedly concerned about our family's reputation and future, and I hope Chao'er can have a smooth and uneventful life. But his stubborn nature is giving me a real headache."

Ma's mother didn't think too much about it and said bluntly, "As long as Chao'er is happy and as long as these three women are willing, I wish Chao'er could marry them all. In my heart, Chao'er is my dearest child no matter what, and I just hope he can live a happy life."

Ma Teng frowned and said, "Madam, this is purely a woman's opinion! Chao'er is the hope of the Ma family. His every move is related to the family's honor and disgrace. How can he be so casual?"

Ma's mother retorted, "Chao'er has a stubborn personality. It's caused discord between you and your son before. Are you still going to force him now? Can you bear to watch him suffer and see the rift between you and your son grow deeper?"

After hearing this, Ma Teng sighed heavily, his face filled with helplessness and sorrow. He muttered to himself, "I don't mean to force him, but the interests involved are at stake. If he doesn't understand, he will be the one who suffers in the future."

Ma's mother's eyes were red as she said, "Master, Chao'er has had his own opinions since he was young. Once he makes up his mind, no one can change it. As his parents, we should stand by him and support him at this critical moment."

Ma Teng looked at his wife, remained silent for a long time, and finally shook his head helplessly.

Ma's mother continued, "In any case, the girl has been brought here. What can I say? Putting everything aside, she is also a girl with a pitiful life and is lovable. After all, she is not even Chao'er's age, and now she has experienced the pain of losing her family twice. I don't know how much pain she must be in. In any case, you can't show such thoughts. Our Ma family is rich and powerful, so how could we be stingy with a girl? If the girl is not afraid, why should we be afraid?" Ma Teng quickly responded, "That's right, that's right."

The lady said, "You don't have to worry about the affairs of the inner house. Let's clean up a proper courtyard first and let Miss Cai live in it first. All necessary items must be included, and she must not be neglected in the same way as Madam Lu." After saying that, the more Ma's mother thought about it, the more she felt that this was the case. She no longer paid attention to Ma Teng and went to make arrangements in a hurry.

However, Ma Teng's headaches had only just begun. A servant hurried in to report that the tribal leaders had sent their women to the Ma residence. The Ma residence was bustling with activity, like a beauty pageant. Ma Teng rubbed his forehead, aching, remembering how, at the banquet, he had impulsively agreed to send all the women to the Ma residence. Looking at the bustling crowd outside the residence, he felt a surge of regret, realizing he had dug himself into a hole, and he didn't know how to end it.

He paced back and forth, muttering to himself, "What should I do? What should I do?" The servants around him were also silent, afraid to offend the master. Ma Teng took a deep breath, tried to calm himself, and thought about his response.

After a moment, Ma Teng gritted his teeth and muttered to himself, "Forget it, forget it. Things have come to this point. I can only take it one step at a time." He walked towards the gate of the mansion. As he reached the door, he gasped in shock at the scene before him. He saw a group of women dressed in colorful clothes, some shyly lowering their heads, some gazing boldly, and chattering.

Ma Teng forced himself to remain calm, forced a smile, and said, "Ladies, you've worked hard. Come into the mansion and rest first." He then instructed the servants to place the girls in a side hall. However, accommodating so many women was no easy task, and the servants were so busy that they had no time to rest. The entire Ma mansion was in chaos.

Ma Teng watched the chaotic scene with a vexed heart. He had hoped to find a good marriage for his son and consolidate the Ma family's position, but he hadn't anticipated this, ultimately causing himself so much trouble. While directing his servants, he pondered how to explain this to his wife and how to deal with these women, without offending the tribal leaders or embarrassing the Ma family.

At this moment, Ma Teng felt overwhelmed and full of helplessness and sorrow.

The more Ma Teng pondered, the more he lost his mind as to how to handle this difficult situation. No clear ideas emerged. Filled with resentment, he muttered, "Hmph, this brat is to blame! This old father of mine is practically dying of worry, and I wonder what this brat is up to!" Then, he called to his servants, "Hurry and find the young master!" Upon receiving the order, the servants quickly searched the mansion for him.

Meanwhile, Ma Chao was standing outside the garden where Cai Wenji and Lu Wan were meeting. He was torn between two thoughts, unsure how to face the two women he loved. His brow furrowed in worry, and he was at a loss for what to do. The situation between father and son was truly one of equals: one preoccupied with his son's marriage, the other torn between facing his beloved.

Just when Ma Chao was still thinking hard outside the garden, a servant of the family hurried to his side and said, "Young master, the master is calling you over." Ma Chao hadn't figured out how to meet the two women for a moment. He stamped his feet helplessly and simply stopped thinking about it. He said to himself, "Let me see if there is anything wrong with my father first." After that, he followed the servant to where Ma Teng was.

Ma Chao followed the servants as they hurried along, secretly wondering why his father had summoned him. Was it because of the women from various tribes who had been sent here, or was it because of Wen Ji? His heart grew heavier, and so did his steps.

Meanwhile, Ma Teng waited anxiously in the hall, fidgeting and glancing toward the door from time to time, hoping that Ma Chao would arrive soon. The atmosphere in the hall was oppressive and dull, as if even the air had frozen.

Finally, Ma Chao appeared at the door. Ma Teng stood up immediately upon seeing him, eagerly saying, "You're finally here, boy! Look at the mess you've caused. What are we going to do now?" Ma Chao lowered his head, not daring to meet his father's gaze. He whispered, "Father, I never expected things to turn out like this."

Ma Teng sighed heavily, pacing back and forth. "We can't easily offend these women sent by the various tribes' leaders, nor can we accept them all. And then there's Cai Wenji. The relationship is so complicated. The slightest mistake could bring disaster to the Ma family!" Ma Chao frowned and replied, "Father, I do have true feelings for Miss Cai. As for the other women, I have no intention of accepting them."

Ma Teng glared at him and said, "Sincerity? Can sincerity be eaten? This matter concerns the reputation and future of the Ma family. How can you act as you please?" Ma Chao raised his head and said with a firm gaze, "Father, I am willing to take responsibility for my choice. I only ask for your approval."

Ma Teng angrily threw his sleeves and said, "You're responsible? How can you be responsible? If you can't handle this situation properly, the Ma family's long-standing foundation may be destroyed!" Ma Chao gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, father. I will come up with a proper solution and will never let the Ma family fall into trouble."

Ma Chao pondered for a moment and offered his own suggestion: "Father, regarding the women sent by the various tribes, they're not too old now. Could you take the lead in organizing a female guard for my sister Ma Yunlu? When she's older, she can choose a good soldier as her wife." Ma Teng said, "We can put that aside for now, but this idea is feasible. However, you must not touch Cai Wenji. I know from the look in your eyes that you have feelings for her, but her status is special, and the slightest misstep could bring bad reputation to our family. Although the Ma family is wealthy and powerful, outsiders still see them as Western barbarians. We've worked hard to build up some reputation, and you can't let it all be ruined by you."

Ma Chao hurriedly said, "Don't worry, father. I will make sure Wen Ji is well taken care of."

Ma Teng snorted coldly, "Place them? If you were as decisive and ruthless as you are in the army when it comes to women, I don't know how much worry I would have saved. You, you always make me worry about things like this. If you can't handle this time, I'll show you how I'll deal with you!"

Ma Chao clasped his fists and saluted: "Father, I understand the pros and cons of this matter and will not let you down."

Ma Teng waved his hand and said, "Forget it, forget it. Go down and think about it carefully. You must come up with a comprehensive plan and don't cause any more trouble for the Ma family."

After Ma Chao left, he was also very upset. On the one hand, he felt the friendship for his beloved, and on the other hand, he felt the responsibility for his family. He felt unprecedented pressure. But he secretly made up his mind to find a way to solve the problem and live up to everyone's expectations.