Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Before the clappers of the Chang'an city wall had faded, black smoke rose from the northwest sky. Three swift horses burst through the city gates like arrows from a bow. The foremost rider bore three broken arrows in his chest, his blood-stained cloak rustling in the wind. He stumbled off his horse, clutching the blood-soaked secret letter tightly in his palm: "The Xianbei... The Xianbei army is attacking Xiliang in three directions! Wuwei County is under siege, and Zhangye is in distress! General Ma Dai will defend Wuwei, General Pang De will go to Beidi County to resist, and Generals Yang Qiu and Ma Wan have already reinforced Jiuquan County."

In the meeting room, the charcoal fire in the copper furnace suddenly exploded with sparks. Ma Chao's knuckles turned white as he gripped the secret letter. The handwriting on the parchment was blurred by blood stains: "Wuwei County has been invaded by the Xianbei on a large scale, and the people have been brutally massacred... The Xianbei use the wolf flag as a symbol, and wherever they pass, no grass grows... If reinforcements are delayed, Guzang will be lost!" Ma Dai's bloody handwriting at the end of the letter hit him like a hammer.

"The Xianbei!" Jia Xu coughed violently, holding onto the table. His cloudy eyes stared at the suddenly spreading red mark on the map. "This tribe has swallowed up the remnants of the Xiongnu in recent years and secretly colluded with the Jiedi. This surprise attack must have been planned long ago! If Guzang falls, the Qilian Mountain Pass will be isolated!"

Jia Xu swept his wide sleeves across the violently trembling map, and the jade tablet clattered against the table with a sharp sound. "Your Majesty! The alliance between Cao Cao and Gongsun Zan has just been established. If you lead the army in person now, it may cause unforeseen circumstances! Xuchang and Jizhou are eyeing us covetously. If we take advantage of this opportunity..."

"Enough!" Ma Chao unsheathed his sword, its cold light splitting the stagnant air. The blade struck the word "Xiliang" with a fierce blow, the sound of silk tearing cloth sending the swallows scattered from the beams. He tore open his cloak, revealing the hideous scars beneath his armor. Each scar told of the bloody battles the Ma family had waged against foreign tribes. "Xiliang is the foundation of our Ma family, the homeland of countless men! How dare the Xianbei wreak havoc in my heartland, slaughtering my people and plundering my cities!" He tossed the secret letter into the brazier, the flames instantly engulfing the bloody words. "If we can't even defend our homeland, what good is this alliance?"

Lu Su's fanning hand suddenly tightened, the fan bone leaving a bluish-white mark on his palm. "The Xianbei cavalry moves like the wind, and they are accustomed to guerrilla tactics. If we send out hastily, we may be ambushed..."

"I can't wait!" Ma Chao turned abruptly, his eyes burning with fury. "Pass the order: Tomorrow at noon, one hundred thousand cavalry will march! The baggage carriers must carry three days' worth of rations and travel light!" He grabbed the tiger talisman from his desk, the coolness of the metal seeping into his palm. "Tell Ma Dai to hold Wuwei firmly! I, Ma Chao, will lead my cavalry to crush the Xianbei camp and teach them the price of offending Xiliang!"

Night fell over Chang'an, and bonfires blazed brightly in the parade grounds. Ma Chao stroked his golden-headed spear as the distant neighing of horses echoed. As the first rays of morning light pierced the clouds, he gazed upon his armored cavalry, a forest of steel. The rage burning in the eyes of the men of Xiliang mirrored his own. In this bloody battle, the very survival of his homeland depended on the Xianbei, and he vowed to stain every inch of the Qilian Mountains red with the blood of the Xianbei.

On the eve of the expedition, the west wind howled over the walls of Chang'an. Ma Chao stood in the shadow of the arrow tower, gazing at the cavalrymen ready for battle in the parade grounds. Behind him, the sound of footsteps approached from afar. Li Ru's sleeves brushed across the blue bricks, and the gentle clink of a jade plaque shattered the silence. "Does the king truly entrust Chang'an to me?"

"Besides you, sir, who else can subdue the princes of Guandong?" Ma Chao clenched the tiger talisman at his waist, the bronze lines hurting his palm. "But strategy alone is not enough, we need a fierce general to take charge." Before he finished speaking, the sound of armor colliding came from afar - Wei Yan, wearing a black cloak, was leading his personal guards to inspect the city defense, and the big knife at his waist shone coldly in the moonlight.

The midnight bell pierced the night sky of Chang'an. Ma Chao stood atop the Arrow Tower, gazing at the cavalrymen gearing up for battle in the parade grounds. A chill wind whipped gravel against his face, but it couldn't match the solemnity in his eyes. In the distance, Wei Yan, clad in black armor, patrolled the city defenses, appearing and disappearing. The tiger-headed broadsword at his waist shone in the moonlight, like a dormant beast.

"What do you think of this man, sir?" Ma Chao stroked the tiger talisman, his voice low and thunderous. Li Ru's wide sleeves brushed the city wall, and the slight sound of the jade token startled a night owl from under the eaves: "Wei Wenchang was originally a former subordinate of Sun Ce. Although he has a reputation for bravery, he has not been tested in the battlefields of Xiliang." His eyes fell on the fierce movement of Wei Yan's sword to split the target. "Chang'an is the foundation of Xiliang. Entrusting the city defense to a general who is not a direct descendant and has not been proven is too risky."

Ma Chao said, "Unusual times call for extraordinary men. Wei Yanchang is brave and diligent, and with his meticulous mind, he has the potential to be a great general."

Ma Chao turned around abruptly, his eyes ablaze with fire. "Do you remember Wei Yan's bold words when he asked for orders that day? 'If Chang'an cannot be defended, I will die as an apology!' Such arrogance, such courage, looking at all the generals in the camp, how many can match him?" He clenched the tiger talisman in his hand, "I saw that day that this boy has excellent martial arts skills and is definitely not an ordinary person. What's even more rare is his fearlessness in the face of danger!"

"But, Wei Yan after all..." Li Ru hesitated to speak.

"If you are afraid before a battle, how can you be of great use?" Ma Chao strode forward, his voice like a bell, "Chang'an is the foundation of Xiliang. If the defenders are timid, how can they resist the princes from Guandong? Wei Yan has faced danger without fear many times. This courage and perseverance are exactly what we need to defend the city!" He looked out the window at the cavalry ready to go, his eyes as sharp as a torch, "Let the world see that I, Ma Chao, only look at the ability of my men! With Wei Yan in charge of Chang'an, I can focus on crushing the Xianbei!"

As the morning light pierced the clouds, a solemn atmosphere filled the conference hall. Ma Chao slammed the blood-stained battle report onto the table. The news of Wuwei's fall was like a hammer: "The Xianbei have conquered three cities. I will march west today!" His sharp eyes swept across the generals in the hall, finally settling on Wei Yan. "Chang'an needs a general to hold it firmly. Wen Chang, now that you have escorted Lu Su, are you willing to stay here for a while and take on this important task?"

Wei Yan knelt on one knee, knocking his iron gloves against the blue bricks: "I am willing to serve you!" Before he finished speaking, Ma Chao suddenly drew his sword, and the cold light flashed in front of Wei Yan's eyes: "If this city is lost, Xiliang will be in danger. Are you sure?"

The air froze in an instant. Li Ru stroked his beard and gazed, Xu Shu's feather fan hanging in the air. But Wei Yan looked straight at the sword with his head held high, his eyes ablaze with fire. "Your Majesty, you witnessed me when I followed General Bo Fu to Jiangdong. Amidst the mighty host, Wei Yan never once felt a timid heart. Today, the walls of Chang'an are high and the moats are deep. If you can't even hold the city defenses, I will be willing to be punished by military law!"

Ma Chao stared at the confidence in his eyes, remembering Wei Yan's decisiveness in deploying troops under Sun Ce. He sheathed his sword with a jerk, causing the bamboo slips on the table to clatter. "Very good! From today on, you are the General Guarding the Capital!" He slammed the seal into Wei Yan's palm, the metallic clang echoing through the hall. "The defense of Chang'an is now in your hands. But remember—" He stepped closer. "What I want is not a death defense, but to make sure the princes of Guandong dare not even peek!"

After the meeting, Li Ru still had doubts: "Just based on a few bold words, you entrusted him with such an important task?" Ma Chao looked at the dark clouds rolling in the sky and said in a deep voice: "In troubled times, we can't just rely on our own people. If Wei Yan can hold Chang'an, it will be a blessing for Xiliang; if he can't..." He gripped the sword at his waist, "This is a good opportunity to test our army's contingency plan."

Late in the night, Ma Chao's hand, clutching a wolf-hair brush, hovered over a plain silken scroll, a drop of ink splashing onto the inkstone, leaving a dark mark. Zhou Shan stood by with his head bowed, watching his master's knuckles turn pale blue in the candlelight. On the desk lay Zhou Yu's letter, its wax seal stained dark red, like dried blood.

"Tell Gongjin for me." The wolf-hair brush fell sharply, the words penetrating the paper like a knife's carving. "Bofu's sudden death has left me, Ma Chao, heartbroken. I wish I could immediately lead my troops to Jiangdong and crush the enemy's lair!" The tip of the pen pressed down heavily on the word "enemy," and the ink smeared like a tear. "But this matter has far-reaching implications. Now the Xianbei cavalry has reached Wuwei, and one hundred thousand people in Xiliang are wailing in the sea of ​​fire..."

Zhou Shan gazed at his lord's tense jawline, suddenly remembering the young general who had fought alongside Sun Ce at Hulao Pass years before. The ink still wet on the parchment, new words were added: "National vengeance is at hand, and family hatred must be mitigated. Fang Yu and all the brothers, please be patient for now. Once I have annihilated the barbarians, I will drink the blood wine of my enemies with Gongjin!"

"And more!" Ma Chao suddenly grabbed the tiger talisman on the desk, the sharp edges of the metal causing pain in his palm. "Wei Yan is a powerful general from Jiangdong. I have appointed him General Guarding the Capital." His wolf-hair brush whirled as he quickly wrote on the blank space, "Gan Ning is clever and brave, and will be of great use. I have him train the navy and keep him under my command."

With that, Ma Chao suddenly slammed his hand down on the table, shaking the bronze candlesticks violently. He gazed up at the tiger-headed battle flag dangling from the beam, his Adam's apple rolling twice before he spoke hoarsely, "Bo Fu is dead..." Before he could finish his words, his knuckles had already dug a half-moon-shaped indentation into the edge of the table. "Now I'm heading far to Xiliang, the road ahead is filled with swords and seas of fire."

Zhou Shan looked at Ma Chao's cold, sorrowful profile, and recalled the time, when he had just arrived in Chang'an, when he had drunk alone until dawn, reading Zhou Yu's letter. As the man turned around, a rare softness shone in his eyes: "Bofu's youngest son, Sun Shao, and my son, Ma Yue, are both being fostered with Gongjin." He pulled a jade pendant engraved with the character "Ma" from his sleeve and stroked the smooth jade face. "My dear brother, when you leave, please tell Gongjin to take good care of the children for me."

"If I go on this western expedition..." Ma Chao's voice suddenly trembled, and he thrust the jade pendant into Zhou Shan's palm. "If anything unexpected happens, please ask Gongjin to raise the two children." He suddenly grabbed Zhou Shan's shoulders, and the collision of armor made a sharp sound. "I know that Gongjin endured humiliation and dealt with the Jiangdong gentry. It was far more difficult than fighting on the battlefield for me." A bitter laugh escaped his throat. "I am not as good as him, far less than him..."

Ma Chao released his hand and gazed toward the dark clouds swirling in the eastern sky. His voice was low, yet every word carried weight: "Tell Gongjin for me—if anything unexpected happens on this journey, I pray that in my next life, we can drink the Yangtze River water together and fight against all enemies in the world again!"

As Zhou Shan carefully placed the secret letter into the lacquer box, Ma Chao suddenly pulled out another piece of wax-sealed paper from his bosom. The edges of the parchment had become hairy from being rubbed, evidently from being kept close for days. The ink shone dark red in the candlelight, like uncured blood.

"This...must be delivered to Shamoke personally." Ma Chao's voice suddenly became hoarse, and his fingertips unconsciously stroked the raised totem patterns on the envelope. "Tell him that I, Ma Chao, am by no means a heartless or ungrateful person." He clenched the golden tiger-head spear at his waist, the metal guard rubbing his palm painfully. "I dare not forget this blood debt of Sally's!"

Ma Chao's Adam's apple rolled with difficulty. "If we can lift the siege of Xiliang, I will marry Sally and have her coffin moved to Chang'an, where I will bury her with the ceremony of a princess!" He suddenly grabbed Zhou Shan's wrist, and the sound of armor clashing startled the gray sparrows from the beams. "And Ma Yue..." When he mentioned this name, his eyes softened in a rare way. "Tell Chief Shamoke that when I return, I will personally take Ma Yue and his son home. Although Sally has passed away, Ma Yue will be made the crown prince and inherit the throne..."

As the morning bells rang in Chang'an, Zhou Shan returned to Jiangdong, bearing Ma Chao's two secret letters and a heartfelt message. Wei Yan stood atop the city walls, watching the dust rising as Ma Chao headed for the old Xiliang camp. He gently stroked the scar on his left rib, a mark from his days fighting with Sun Ce. "I will definitely live up to your trust," he muttered, his eyes sweeping across the newly posted sentries outside the city. "I will let everyone know that even those of us from Jiangdong can defend the gates of Xiliang."