Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Gongsun's every word cut like a knife, and the atmosphere in the hall froze instantly. The knuckles of the generals turned white as they pressed their swords. Their heavy breathing mixed with the rustling of armor, steaming with anger. Because the woman was a woman, no one dared to attack first. Instead, they glared with their red eyes as sharp as copper bells, their cold glare threatening to burn through.

Ma Chao was about to raise his hand to signal for everyone to calm down when he heard a sudden rustle of wind. Dong Bai, her scarlet gauze skirt fluttering, had already swooped down before Gongsun Shi like a fledgling swallow. She raised her hand and delivered a resounding slap. The sound of "slap" sent gilded lacquer cascading down the Panlong Pillar, and five finger marks appeared on Gongsun Shi's snow-white cheek.

"How dare a prisoner be so presumptuous!" Dong Bai raised her eyebrows, her fingertips almost poking the other's nose, her hair full of pearls and jade trembling with anger. "My husband respects you as a descendant of a military family, but you don't know how to live or die! If you dare to speak nonsense again, I will immediately strip you of your crown and clothes and throw you onto Zhuque Street for everyone to see. The so-called imperial concubine is nothing but a crazy woman who doesn't know her place!"

Gongsun had been training in the Youzhou martial arts arena since she was young. How could she tolerate the humiliation of being slapped by a mere woman? Almost as soon as Dong Bai finished speaking, she turned her hand to slap him, and the mutton-fat jade bracelet on her wrist collided with a crisp sound. However, before her fingertips could touch the other person's cheek, Dong Bai's wrist was gripped with an iron-like force.

The two women faced off in the center of the hall. Gongsun's free hand reached for Dong Bai's hair, but she sneered and elbowed her in the ribs. The pain ripped through her, and Gongsun fell heavily to one knee, her hairpin dangling at her ear. Her eyes widened in anger as she struggled to pull her hand free. Her knuckles turned white from the strain, and her wrist crackled softly against Dong Bai's palm.

"Dare you move?" Dong Bai leaned forward, her warm breath sweeping across the corners of Gongsun's bloodshot eyes, "You are the daughter of a general, and I am also from a famous family." As the words fell, she suddenly exerted force with her palm, and Gongsun let out a muffled groan from her throat. The sharp gaze that was as sharp as poison just now gradually turned into physiological tears in the corners of her eyes.

Seeing Gongsun finally fall silent with her eyes downcast, her hair disheveled as she slumped to the ground, Ma Chao stepped forward and grasped Dong Bai's wrist. "Bai'er, she is, after all, General Gongsun's daughter. Don't go too far." Dong Bai was still clutching Gongsun's brocade robe, her fingertips white from the strain. Upon hearing this, she sneered and shoved him hard. "For your husband's sake, I'll spare you today!"

She leaned over, grasping Gongsun's chin and forcing her to look at her. "If you dare to act like a spoiled child again, I'll have you thrown into the laundry!" Gongsun's throat churned, but she swallowed her words, lowering her eyes and gently nodding her forehead. Dong Bai then released her hand, slipping a white handkerchief from her sleeve and casually wiping her fingertips, as if she had touched something filthy. As Gongsun stumbled back to her feet, the tense atmosphere in the hall slowly dissipated, like the tide receding.

Ma Chao walked into the hall, his hands behind his back, his dark cloak rustling softly against the blue bricks. His gaze swept past Gongsun's flustered form, then around the assembled crowd, breathlessly waiting. He spoke in a deep voice, "I summoned you not to humiliate you. The Han dynasty is in decline, the world is in turmoil, and you are caught in the maelstrom of this chaotic world, your lives drifting like floating duckweed." He paused, then gestured outside the hall. "If I let you leave the palace, the road ahead is vast, and amidst the flames of war, where can you find refuge? Staying here, however, means you have no place to go."

"What Imperial Concubine Gongsun said is true. We are indeed 'traitors,' but it's high time for change in this world." Ma Chao's voice suddenly rose, making the bronze bells on the beams hum. "If you wish, you may choose where to go. If you wish to return home, I will provide you with travel expenses. If you have nowhere else to go, I will show you a way." He glanced at the women, who looked terrified, and bowed deeply. "I hope you will not mistake the Western Liang cavalry for bandits who plunder, burn, and kill."

As soon as Ma Chao finished speaking, the hall erupted in a murmur of discussion. The maids whispered to each other, some clutching the hems of their garments with delight, others, their eyes reddened, sobbing softly. A moment later, a maid wearing a silver hairpin took the first half step forward. Her voice, though soft, was resolute: "I wish to return home! My parents are old, and I haven't seen them in three years..." Immediately, seven or eight more stepped forward timidly, their embroidered shoes clacking against the blue bricks. As more and more women expressed their opinions, the sobs and suppressed discussions in the hall intertwined, resembling the gentle drumming of rain on a cold night window.

Ma Chao's expression was solemn. He immediately said in a deep voice, "Come here! Get the silver and prepare the carriages!" With the sound of hurried footsteps, dozens of boxes of silver ingots were carried into the palace. The lids were opened, revealing a dazzling silver glint that was blinding. He glanced at the delighted palace maids and solemnly instructed, "Give each of you a hundred taels of silver for travel expenses, and send two teams of elite cavalry to escort you. We must take good care of you along the way and get you home safely! If you make any mistakes, I will bring you my head!"

After the maids, having received their silver, withdrew with profuse thanks, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became oppressive. When the noise died down, more than twenty figures were still standing inside. The remaining women looked at each other, all dressed in simple clothes, their hairpins and jewelry dull and lifeless. One of the women, dressed in a skirt, clutched the corner of her clothes, her eyes red as she spoke, "I'm originally from Luoyang. My hometown was razed to the ground by war, and my parents and brothers have been separated for many years..." Before she finished speaking, another girl beside her broke down in tears, "All my houses were burned down. If I go back now, there will only be ruins. Where can I go?" Everyone's face was filled with misery, and low sobs echoed in the hall, as if unable to express the helplessness and sadness in this chaotic world.

Seeing the crying sounds rising in the hall, Ma Chao raised his hand and gestured, saying in a deep voice, "Don't be sad, and listen to what I have to say!" He turned and looked at the generals standing at the steps, his black cloak sweeping across the gilded patterns on the Panlong pillars. "You gentlemen in this hall are all my loyal ministers who have been with me through thick and thin, but most of you are still unmarried." Before he finished speaking, Xu Huang, Ma Dai and others straightened their backs unconsciously, and rubbed their rough palms on the iron armor.

"If there is a girl willing—" Ma Chao glanced at the palace maids who lowered their heads, "she may come forward. If both parties are interested, I will immediately grant the marriage!" He paused, tapping his fingertips lightly on the hilt of the sword at his waist. A cold light flashed, "I swear here that anyone who dares to treat my wife harshly because of past events will be punished by military law! He will be made to know that the women of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry are not to be bullied!" The sound of armor clashing suddenly rang out in the hall, and the generals clasped their fists in a roar that shook the roof tiles: "We obey the king's order!"

Ma Chao's resounding promise slammed like a hammer into the deadly silence of the palace. The women, who had been huddled together, raised their drooping heads like startled birds. The pink-clad woman in the lead, her fingertips still stained with tears from wiping them, now clutched her handkerchief tightly. She was the daughter of a tea merchant in Luoyang. Luoyang had been burned by Dong Zhuo, her family's fortune destroyed. Her father had died of illness on the way to the palace, leaving her and her mother helpless. For three years, she had been nothing more than an unloved embroiderer in the imperial court. Now, gazing at the general below, blades dangling from his waists, her dry eyes suddenly welled up with moisture.

Suddenly, there was the soft sound of a silver hairpin falling to the ground in the crowd, and a young girl with twin buns stumbled forward half a step. She was originally a peasant girl from Hedong, and had been exiled to Chang'an after the Xiongnu invaded from Hedong. She was selected as a member of the imperial selection of concubines, and spent all day in the Shangshi Bureau, accompanied by the charcoal fire. Her delicate palms were covered with burn scars. Hearing that she could choose a good man, her ears flushed red. She secretly glanced at the handsome young general standing in the second row, and a suppressed gasp escaped from her throat. There were also concubines who had been favored by the emperor. Thinking of the king who was violent and capricious because of the elixir, and the tragic scene of the blood-stained bedroom when he was whipped, she knelt and saluted with a slight tremor, choking out: "I...I am willing to give it a try."

Under the flickering candlelight, the sleeves of women in the palace moved slightly. These women, drawn into the palace by their impoverished backgrounds, wore only thorny hairpins and plain hairpins in their hair, yet their eyes and brows could not be concealed from view. Their intertwined figures cast fragmented shadows on the blue bricks, like new buds on branches in early spring, finally grasping a glimmer of hope for life in a chaotic world entwined with bloodshed and political intrigue.

As the atmosphere in the hall heated up, a few bold women exchanged glances, then lightly sauntered toward Ma Dai, Xu Shu, Zhang Liao, and Zhang Xiu. Two of the most beautiful women, blushing, prostrated themselves before Zhang Liao and Zhang Xiu. The scent of jasmine in their hair mingled with the incense of sandalwood, leaving the battle-hardened duo bewildered. Zhang Liao, usually composed, was now caught in a dilemma, gripping the hilt of his sword, his Adam's apple rolling. Zhang Xiu's ears flushed red as he retreated half a step, his armor rattling in panic.

Xu Shu's folding fan half covered his face, his pale face even more unnatural than usual. He waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no!" As the three of them refused, Ma Chao had already strode forward, laughing so loudly that the bronze bells on the beams rang: "Don't be so shy! It's just a matter of an extra set of bowls and chopsticks. I'll take it for you!" After saying this, he raised his hand and pressed the hands of the women on the arms of the three generals, "You followed me through life and death in the past. How can you refuse such a good thing today?" The three generals looked at their lord's unquestionable eyes and could only smile bitterly and clasp their fists in gratitude. The hall immediately erupted in laughter.

Xu Huang's eyes widened, a smile etched beneath his thin beard as he allowed the woman to tuck the handkerchief into his palm. Zhang Ren's usually stern face flushed, and he scratched the back of his head with a silly smile, a hint of uneasiness visible even through the cracks in his armor. This lively scene intensified the atmosphere in the hall, like ripples spreading across the room. Two more women, their skirts lifted slightly, stepped forward and timidly stood beside the two generals.

As the noise settled, the women in the hall looked at each other. Lu Su's refined scholarly air and Xu Rong's calm demeanor became new focal points. Jia Xu, over forty years old, stroked his goatee. Seeing the graceful figure approaching, he was so startled that he nearly dropped his feather fan. For a moment, the cold flash of swords and halberds intertwined with the fluttering of silk skirts. Almost every general in the hall had found someone they loved.

Only Hua Xiong stood in the corner, his towering figure clad in heavy armor. His muscular form stretched his robes taut, and a fierce look shone through his fleshy face. He paced anxiously, shaking the bricks. He shouted in a muffled voice, "Just look at me! I... I'm a skilled fighter. I can protect you!" As he finished speaking, the remaining women shrank back a half-step, some even clutching their companions' sleeves and sobbing softly. This ruthless warrior on the battlefield felt a vein popping out of his forehead with anxiety.

Hua Xiong's drum-like voice startled the sparrows on the beams, and Ma Chao immediately shouted, "Hua Xiong! Don't scare them!" His voice was as frosty as ice, startling the strong man's neck and causing his armor to clash with a small sound. He pursed his lips in grievance, but he didn't dare to contradict him. Instead, he squatted down - his huge body curled up in a ball, like a clumsy black bear.