Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Ma Chao ordered a banquet to be held in Tianshui County to honor the soldiers of both sides, and a sumptuous feast was prepared. Ma Chao's generals and Dong Huang's generals were seated in attendance. Dong Huang, holding his child, teased him non-stop, his face full of affection, without a trace of attachment to power.

However, Ma Chao spoke up, "Uncle, we are now one family. Let me introduce these loyal and brave men under your command." Dong Huang, leading a group of four trusted officers, introduced them one by one. "Zhang Wu and Zhao Gang served in the Western Liang army in their early years, following my uncle on campaigns across the country. These two brothers, Jiang Jiong and Jiang Xu, serve me exclusively in Tianshui County. They are not only brave, but also resourceful. Your previous strategy of surrounding three and leaving one behind was discovered by these two brothers."

Ma Chao accepted the four generals' greetings with a hint of joy. Ma Chao helped Zhang Wu and Zhao Gang up, his eyes full of admiration. He patted the two generals on the shoulders and said, "Generals, I have heard of your great names for a long time. Since you followed Lord Dong, you have experienced countless battles and fought in many battles. You have made great contributions to Lord Dong's great cause. Later, you followed General Dong Huang and never left him, which shows your loyalty. On the battlefield, you fought bravely and fearlessly, and your heroic posture is admirable. Now, you have returned to the embrace of Xiliang, which is a blessing for Xiliang. I, Ma Chao, will not treat you unfairly. In the future, we will fight together for the prosperity and stability of Xiliang and create brilliance together." Hearing this, the two generals were deeply moved and overjoyed.

Ma Chao then helped Jiang Jiong and Jiang Xu to their feet, his gaze filled with wonder and admiration. He said, "Brothers, your intelligence at such a young age is truly admirable. You saw through Mr. Yuanzhi's strategy of surrounding three sides and leaving one side vulnerable, demonstrating your exceptional cunning. In these turbulent times, courageous and resourceful individuals are truly rare. Your loyalty in serving General Dong Huang in Tianshui County is commendable. From now on, you will surely flourish under my command. I look forward to your continued contribution of wisdom and strength to the future of Xiliang." Ma Chao then addressed Xu Shu, "Mr. Yuanzhi, these two are truly capable of seeing through your clever plan. Join them in a drink, and from now on, we will be united and alike, without any hostility." The banquet erupted in laughter from the generals, creating a lively atmosphere. In this joyous atmosphere, the once-enemies became one, looking forward to a shared future filled with hope for peace and prosperity.

Ma Chao then discussed matters with Dong Huang, saying, "General Dong Huang, lead this army, Bai Er, and the others back to Longxi County. You will continue to defend Longxi County, and your four generals will return to your command. With you holding the line, Longxi County will remain impregnable." Dong Huang had initially thought that handing over power and returning home a wealthy man would be enough, but Ma Chao was so magnanimous, not even a hint of suspicion, and simply handed over the entire defense of Longxi County to him. Dong Huang was deeply moved. He solemnly bowed to Ma Chao and said earnestly, "General, your generosity is truly profound. I, Dong Huang, and my entire clan, swear to defend Longxi County for you to the death. If you command us, we will not hesitate." Ma Chao smiled, helped Dong Huang to his feet, and said, "Uncle, that's a serious statement. Why act so pretentiously? We are now one family, and we should work together to protect this land."

Ma Chao went on to say, "Now that the court is at war with the Central Plains, it would be unreasonable for me to return to the court with only 5,000 soldiers. What's more, we have not completely followed the court's wishes, which might give us an excuse. This time, General Xu Rong and General Hua Xiong brought 40,000 soldiers from Longxi County. Now, with the troops here, there will be 45,000 soldiers in total. They will follow me to Chang'an." As a general in charge, Xu Rong did not show his joy on his face. He calmly bowed and agreed without saying much.

Hua Xiong, however, was beaming with joy. He came forward, holding a wine glass, and insisted on offering a glass to Ma Chao. He said happily, "It is a great relief for Hua Xiong to be able to fight alongside such a great hero as General Ma."

Ma Chao's move completely united Longxi County with his own people, ensuring no distinction between them. Although Xu Rong and Hua Xiong had followed him to Chang'an, Longxi County had the return of over 30,000 Xiliang warriors, including Tianshui, ensuring its strength remained intact. While the commanders Xu Rong and Hua Xiong had been transferred, with Dong Huang leading the four generals, and Niu Fu and Li Ru at the helm, Longxi County was a formidable force, free of worry. Ma Chao's arrangements convinced everyone.

Ma Chao continued, "Today we will not return until we are drunk. We will rest for three days and then begin our march back to the capital. You will all return to Longxi and spend the New Year in peace."

At the banquet, everyone was toasting each other, and the atmosphere was extremely lively. Hua Xiong ran to Xu Huang with great enthusiasm, put his arm around Xu Huang's shoulders, and said loudly: "Hey, Old Xu, from now on we will serve the general together, no one will distinguish between us. Don't bully me all day long, saying that no one will take us in. Although I, Hua Xiong, have a straightforward personality, I also know what is right and wrong. Now I can follow General Ma, it is my honor. Look at this room full of heroes, I have to work hard in the future and not embarrass the general." Xu Huang pretended to be serious and said: "You idiot, I say you are idiot, but you are still idiot. You still call me general in the future? It's time to change your words. We should have some manners and can't always be so disrespectful." Hua Xiong scratched his head and said embarrassedly: "Hehe, general, this is because I, Hua Xiong, was not thoughtful and impolite. I, Hua Xiong, will drink a glass as a punishment. From now on, my lord, I, Hua Xiong, will obey your orders."

At this moment, the banquet was filled with laughter and joy. Some generals shared stories of their heroic deeds on the battlefield, their voices passionate, as if transported back to the fierce battle scenes; others discussed the future, their eyes filled with anticipation and confidence. As the cups clinked, the atmosphere was filled with the deep camaraderie of comradery and a bright vision of the future.

Ma Chao smiled and waved his hand, saying: "It's just a title. We are all warriors of Xiliang. You can call me general or lord. What we should do is to protect the country and the people and fight for the country." The scene was very lively. Everyone was immersed in this joyful atmosphere and was full of expectations for the future.

On the way back to the capital, the army had been marching in good order for several days when a soldier suddenly arrived, announcing a request for a meeting with Ma Chao, bearing a letter from Lu Yu. Ma Chao was seized with a foreboding feeling. His master had been in poor health since he had set out, and now it was Lu Yu who had delivered the message, leaving him with a burning anxiety.

Ma Chao quickly had the letter brought back. Unfolding it, he felt a wave of anxiety. He desperately wanted to return to Chang'an, fearing he wouldn't be able to see his master one last time. Quickly deploying his forces, he ordered Generals Xu Rong, Xu Shu, and Hua Xiong to follow behind, while he, along with Zhang Ren, Xu Huang, and his personal guards, rode at top speed towards Chang'an. Their horses' hooves flew, stirring up clouds of dust, and every face was filled with anxiety and worry. Ma Chao had only one thought in mind: to return to Chang'an as quickly as possible to see his master, even if it was only for one last time. He didn't want any regrets. Amidst this tense atmosphere, they galloped towards Chang'an like an arrow from a bow.

Meanwhile, in Chang'an, at Lu Zhi's mansion, Lu Zhi had been unconscious and delirious for two days, his last breath imminent. It was estimated that he would only have one or two days left. The emperor, fearing no delay, remained at Lu Zhi's residence. Early that morning, Lu Zhi suddenly regained consciousness. Though still weak, he was able to recognize everyone. Everyone hurried to report this to the emperor. The emperor, already at Lu Zhi's residence, hurried to see him. Surprised, the emperor asked Liu Bei, "Uncle, could it be that Master Lu is improving? This is great news!" Liu Bei, with a bitter expression, said, "Your Majesty, this is probably a last gasp of life." The emperor, convinced of this, secretly thought that at this point, Lu Zhi must leave a letter behind, so that he could suppress Ma Chao's potential. So, the emperor hurried to Lu Zhi's hospital room, anxiously awaiting his arrival.

Lu Zhi was surrounded by his wife, children, and Lu Wan. He looked at Lu Wan's pitiful expression with pain and said, "Wan'er, I have truly failed you. Hate me if you want, but you must get along well with His Majesty. You must mediate the relationship between Chao'er and His Majesty, and avoid creating a rift between them, lest the empire ultimately fall apart." Lu Wan's eyes were misty with tears, and she choked with sobs, "Father, Wan'er understands, Wan'er understands." Lu Zhi reached out and patted Lu Wan's shoulder in comfort. Then, looking back at his wife, he said affectionately, "Madam, I may be gone soon. It will be hard for you." Madam Lu sobbed, unable to speak.

Lu Zhi looked at Lu Yu again and said earnestly: "Yu'er, when your father leaves, the burden of this family will fall on you. Although you are still young, you must take care of your mother. She has suffered a lot with your father over the years. Also, you must help your sister and work hard to reconcile the relationship between Ma Chao and His Majesty. Don't let any rifts arise between them, so as to avoid the world falling apart. In addition, you must not be fooled by that "Wealth and splendor have blinded us and blinded us to our true nature. We should read more, absorb the wisdom of our ancestors, and always remain humble. Our family must continue to uphold the tradition of diligence and thrift, and avoid extravagance and waste. As for your father's funeral, we should not spend excessively. Keep everything simple and reduce the expenses to half. In the future, you will know your own status and should be more cautious in what you say and do, and not act rashly." Lu Yu knelt in front of the bed, already weeping uncontrollably. Lu Zhi touched his head lovingly, his eyes filled with a thousand words, but he didn't know how to express them one by one.