Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Everything had been ordered. Ma Chao looked at the generals who had been running around in the hall for several days and were exhausted. He raised his hand and signaled, "You've been tired these days. Go down and rest. In three days, I'll build a high platform, ascend the throne, and give out rewards. Then I'll drink a celebratory wine with you all!" Xu Huang, Ma Dai and others smiled. Their tense nerves of the past few days finally relaxed a little. After clasping their fists, they prepared to retreat in order.

At this moment, a flash of cold silver armor suddenly appeared. Zhang Ren, who had been the first to enter Chang'an, stepped out quickly, his bronze wristbands clattering heavily against the ground. "Your Highness, Prince Liang! Although our army controls the palace, we still have a thorny matter to contend with—what should we do with the concubines and beauties of the previous emperor?"

These words resonated like thunder. The generals who had retreated to the outside of the palace paused, their heads turning in unison to gaze inside. A deathly silence instantly enveloped the hall; even the gentle chiming of the bronze bells on the eaves seemed frozen by the solemn atmosphere. Ma Chao's expression remained unchanged, but he slowly walked to the base of the Panlong Pillar, his hands behind his back. His vigorous fingertips traced the mottled dragon patterns on the pillar. The cool touch penetrated his palm, as if he could touch the bloody storms and tragedies that the Weiyang Palace had endured.

Suddenly, he turned abruptly, his gaze blazing, and his deep voice shook the pillars: "Pass on my order! The Imperial Palace is the former residence of the Son of Heaven. Although we have temporarily occupied Chang'an, our status is not yet established, and we are not allowed to occupy the inner palace without permission! Immediately seal the nine-story palace and assign five hundred elite soldiers to guard it day and night. Anyone who trespasses will be executed!" Before the lingering sound faded, he added in a resounding voice: "Renovate the side halls and use them as a place for daily meetings. The palace maids and eunuchs who have not yet left the palace are to be assigned to clean the place and are not to slack off!"

"As for the concubines and beauties..." Ma Chao was at a loss for what to do with them. His brow furrowed, and he sank into deep thought. The palace was silent, with only the sound of the cold wind carrying the remaining snow against the window frames.

At this moment, Li Ru straightened his wide black sleeves, stepped out of the line, and bowed, saying, "My lord, this is easy." He glanced at the generals in the hall and continued, "The generals here have followed you in battles across the country, through life and death, and many of them are still unmarried."

"However, the late emperor's concubines hold a special status. They are the emperor's wives and concubines. Even though the late emperor and my Xiliang have a deep blood feud, we must not treat them with disrespect or insult. We must treat them with courtesy." Li Ru changed the subject. "As for those ordinary beauties, we can ask them about their wishes. If they have a home to return to or a place to stay, we will generously donate money and provide them with travel expenses to help them return home. If they are helpless and have nowhere to go, why not let the unmarried generals in the hall adopt them? This will solve the livelihood problems of these women and also help the soldiers find their lifelong happiness. Isn't that the best of both worlds?"

After Li Ru finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment, then the occasional rustling of armor could be heard. Xu Huang rubbed the back of his head, a blush spreading across his dark face. Ma Dai excitedly nudged the lieutenant beside him, the red tassel on his spear swaying with his movements.

Ma Chao frowned, his eyes full of confusion. He stared at the cloud pattern embroidered on Li Ru's dark blue wide sleeves and said in a deep voice, "After all, since they have entered the palace, they have had a relationship with the late emperor. If these women are betrothed casually, wouldn't it be against etiquette?" His voice was three parts doubtful and seven parts tentative.

Li Ru clapped his hands and smiled. "My lord, why not gather the harem here and ask them directly about their wishes? Those who wish to leave will not be allowed to stay, and those who wish to stay..." He paused, a cunning glint in his eyes. "They will all have better destinations."

Seeing Li Ru's confident words, Ma Chao glanced at the generals in the hall, clasping their hands in anticipation. Xu Huang's front teeth flashed as he scratched his head and smirked, and the still-dry blood on Ma Dai's spear tassel bore witness to his life-and-death struggles. After a moment's deliberation, he turned to Dong Bai, who stood by the pillars of the corridor, and softly said, "Bai'er, please invite the concubines and beauties from the harem here so we can ask them our opinions in person."

After Dong Bai left with her skirt fluttering, Ma Chao calmly pulled Li Ru behind the Panlong Pillar and said in a low voice, "Sir, is this really just a gesture of helping others? There must be a deeper meaning behind it."

Li Ru took two steps closer, the scent of pine smoke and ink lingering around him. He whispered, "My lord, if you want to destroy the Han empire, you'll inevitably have to let your soldiers sacrifice their lives. Your wedding is imminent, but most of your generals are single. Granting marriages now would be a golden opportunity to win their hearts." Seeing Ma Chao's expression unrelenting, he tapped his chest with a finger, his words sharp as a knife. "More importantly, once these women entered the harem, they belonged to the late emperor. Marrying them would mean a complete break with the Han court. Only by wholeheartedly following my lord can you silence the world's gossip! You've saved their lives while also branding them as traitors. With such a combination of kindness and power, why should we worry about the soldiers' loyalty?"

Ma Chao's pupils constricted, and his breathing quickened. Outside, the north wind whipped snowflakes against the bronze door nails, but it couldn't compare to the turmoil surging within him. He gazed at the flickering candlelight in Li Ru's eyes and suddenly realized that this seemingly casual marriage was the axe that would sever the old dynasty's roots and lay the foundations for the new. Li Ru was constantly preparing to overthrow the Han Dynasty, and every seemingly innocent action was deeply calculated.

Ma Chao took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts, and turned to face the assembled generals. He placed a hand on the sword at his waist, his gaze sweeping across them. "I have carefully considered Mr. Wenyou's proposal. You have fought with me throughout history, through life and death, and yet many of you remain alone." Even as he finished speaking, Xu Huang, Ma Dai, and the others straightened their backs, their eyes alight with anticipation.

"When the women arrive, if they are willing, I will grant their consent. But if any are unwilling, no one must harbor resentment!" Ma Chao suddenly drew out a half-broken sword, the cold light causing everyone's faces to change slightly. "Remember this—we are the Western Liang Iron Cavalry, not bandits who claim to be kings of the mountains! Anyone who dares to use force will not blame me for my ruthless military law!"

Seeing the generals clasp their fists in agreement, Ma Chao raised his sword-like eyebrows and smiled a rare smile: "Also, put away those aggressive looks that have never seen a woman before! If you stare at a girl with those big eyes like copper bells again and scare her to tears, I will not forgive you!"

The hall erupted in laughter, the clinking of armor intermingling with the hearty laughter, startling the crows perched on the beams and sending them flying. Ma Dai slapped his thigh with laughter, the red tassel on his spear swaying. Xu Huang blushed and stammered in defense, "I...I'm not that fierce!"

Zhang Liao, Xu Shu, and Lu Su exchanged a glance, clasping their fists and bowing in unison, their movements perfectly composed. Zhang Liao's gaze was resolute, and he spoke clearly, "Your Majesty, your compassion is deeply appreciated. However, we already have wives at home, and we are not particularly interested in women. Please leave this opportunity to the unmarried. We will now take our leave." With these words, the three of them turned to leave.

Li Ru flicked his long sleeves and quickly stepped in front of the group, tapping his folding fan lightly on his palm. "Hey! What are you talking about? Xiliang's cause is just beginning to take shape, and you are the ones who have worked hard and made great contributions. How can you refuse?" He lowered his voice, a cunning glint in his eyes. "Most of these women are left over from the previous dynasty. Some are not perfect. They are not worthy of being a general's wife, but they are just right as concubines. It is common for those who have made great achievements to have three wives and four concubines. Why are you being so embarrassed? Your Majesty, what do you think?"

Before Ma Chao could speak, Xu Huang could no longer contain himself. He strode forward and said in a loud voice: "Wenyuan, Yuanzhi, what are you guys doing? The king is getting married soon and will marry several princesses. It is normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines!" As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was in an uproar.

Ma Chao's face flushed crimson, a vein in his forehead throbbing. He whipped out his sword, pointing it directly at Xu Huang. "You fool! If you dare to talk too much again, I'll give you a lesson! I've been bedridden for a while now, and I'm just worried about where to show my skills!"

Xu Huang shrank his neck in fear, and his back felt cold instantly. He hurriedly hid behind Ma Dai, muttering: "This general... This general is speaking for the king..." This made the generals laugh, and the atmosphere in the hall became relaxed again.

Amidst this joyous atmosphere, the tinkling of hairpins and pendants suddenly emanated from outside the palace. Dong Bai, dressed in a scarlet kilt and a mink fur coat, led a group of soldiers from the long corridor into the main hall. Behind her, the concubines and beauties huddled together like frightened birds. Some clutched their faded silk skirts, their fingertips twisting folds in the fabric embroidered with twin lotus flowers. Their hairpins and pendants swayed with their trembling bodies, making a subtle rustling sound. Clearly aware of the cataclysmic events in the palace, their embroidered shoes stumbled over the blue bricks. Entering the main hall, a room filled with armored generals stood like towering iron towers, their armor still caked with blood, their swords at their waists gleaming coldly. A beautiful woman let out a strangled sob and stumbled, clutching her companion beside her. Her rouge-stained cheeks instantly faded to a pale white, and her embroidered shoes trembled beneath her skirts as she dragged her unsteady steps through the empty hall.

Just as everyone was panicking, a gap suddenly opened in the center of the crowd. A woman dressed in a red gold brocade skirt sauntered out, a moon-white fox fur coat half draped over her shoulders. The goat-fat jade bracelets on her wrists clashed with each other, making a resonant sound. The nine-pearl hairpin in her hair trembled slightly, and her fingertips, dyed with cinnabar, casually lifted a stray strand from her temple. Her gaze swept over her trembling companions in the hall, and she pursed her red lips, "Why are you all trembling? What's so scary? It's just death! Since I'm in the late emperor's harem, I owe it to you to uphold the dignity of the royal family!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she jerked her head up. Beneath her willow-shaped brows, her phoenix eyes seemed icy, the flower ornaments at the corners of her eyes tilted upwards with a scornful smile. She stared directly at Ma Chao on the podium, then slowly glanced at the generals in the hall, a hint of mockery playing at the corner of her mouth. The candlelight within the hall illuminated her radiant features, highlighting the arrogance that held her at arm's length, even more clearly. Even the normally murderous generals unconsciously gripped the hilts of their swords.

Ma Chao's pupils shrank slightly as he recognized the woman before him, wearing a golden crown with pearls and a garment embroidered with phoenix patterns, as the daughter of Gongsun Zan, once appointed a concubine. Though trapped in the harem, she inherited the fierce courage of a daughter of a general.

Upon seeing this, Ma Chao raised his hand to straighten his cloak, stepped forward and bowed solemnly: "Princess Gongsun, how are you?" He stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his silver armor gleaming coldly in the candlelight, but his tone was unusually gentle.

Upon hearing this, Gongsun's beautiful face instantly turned cold, and she swung her sleeves, embroidered with golden cloud patterns, fiercely. "Who wants to listen to your hypocritical righteousness?" She stepped forward, stepping on the light and shadows that scattered like broken jade on the ground, her eyes wide and a sneer on her red lips. "The day the Western Liang cavalry stormed Chang'an, you became a traitor! Now you're pretending to be polite to me, as if I were a three-year-old child?"