Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

A north wind blew yellow sand across the parade grounds. A hundred thousand armored cavalrymen formed a forest, their spears piercing the leaden clouds. Ma Chao stepped onto the platform under the blood-red setting sun, his dark cloak rustling in the wind, the golden, tiger-headed spear at his waist reflecting a chilling light.

"Soldiers!" his voice boomed like thunder. "The Xianbei bandits have trampled upon our homeland and slaughtered our people. Even now, the enemy's wolf flag flies high in Wuwei County!" Before he had finished speaking, a deafening roar erupted from the audience, the clatter of horses' hooves scraping the ground blending with the clashing of weapons. Ma Chao drew his sword fiercely, pointing it northwest. "Today, we will make known to these foreigners—those who trespass against Xiliang will be punished, no matter how far they are away!"

At the stage, command flags fluttered. "Xu Rong, listen to my command!" Ma Chao threw the first arrow. "Lead five thousand cavalrymen, march day and night, to join Xu Huang and Xu Shu's forces, and serve as the vanguard!" Xu Rong knelt on one knee, the clink of armor crisp and clear. "I will fulfill your command!"

"Zhang Liao!" The second command arrow broke through the air, "Follow me in the central military camp and obey my orders. You must personally kill the enemy commander!" Zhang Liao clasped his fists in response, with a bloodthirsty light in his eyes.

"Niu Fu!" Ma Chao slammed the seal on the table, "Governor of the entire army's supplies. If anyone dares to delay military affairs, he will be punished by military law!" Niu Fu fell to the ground and kowtowed, cold sweat soaking his back.

"Zhang Xiu, Hu Che'er, Hu Chi'er, Wang Fang, Niu Jin...!" Ma Chao glanced at the brave generals below the stage, "Each of you lead your troops and follow me to destroy the Xianbei camp!" The generals responded in unison, and the weapons in their hands reflected murderous intent.

Holding the last command arrow tightly in his palm, Ma Chao's gaze swept across each young and resolute face. "The men of Xiliang are all men of steel! If we win this battle, we will be promoted; if we lose..." He suddenly plunged his sword into the bluestone in front of the stage, shaking off the gravel. "We will be buried here, and become a boundary marker to protect Xiliang!"

Suddenly, a thunderous shout rang out in the parade ground: "Crush the Xianbei! Blood debt must be repaid with blood!" Ma Chao jumped on his horse, pointing the tiger-head golden spear straight to the sky. One hundred thousand cavalrymen rushed out like a black torrent, and the dust they raised covered half of the sky.

A northerly wind, swirling with gravel, lashed the soldiers' armor. Just as the hundred thousand cavalry were about to leave the Xiliang camp, clouds of dust rose from the direction of the Chang'an city gates. Several ornately decorated carriages raced through the twilight. The sound of wheels grinding over gravel startled the entire army. Zhang Liao raised his hand to signal the troops to halt, and the soldiers all turned their gazes to the slowly opening curtains of the carriages.

Dong Bai, clad in a crimson skirt, emerged first from the carriage like a dancing flame, her skirt, embroidered with twin lotus flowers, sweeping the dusty stone steps. She looked up, her eyes filled with worry and reluctance, yet she forced a smile: "Your Majesty, please do not be distracted." Zhen Mi followed closely behind, her white cape billowing in the wind. Clutching a talisman embroidered with prayers in gold thread, her fingertips trembling slightly: "This journey is perilous. I hope you return safely."

Sisters Zhang Fubao and Zhang Qiying came down together. The elder sister Zhang Qiying stuffed a brocade box full of healing medicine into Ma Chao's hands and said in a nasal voice: "If you are hurt, remember to use these medicines." The younger sister Fubao blushed and handed him an embroidered handkerchief. The mandarin ducks embroidered on the corner of the handkerchief still had the warmth of her fingertips.

The most surprising person was Lu Wan. She hesitated for a long time behind the carriage curtain before emerging, biting her lip. The former queen's ears were now red, and her fingers were trembling as she twisted the hem of her skirt. "We'll pacify Xiliang... Xiliang will be waiting for you. Take care of yourself, brother..." Before she could finish her words, she pressed a jade pendant into Ma Chao's palm and retreated back into the carriage.

The training grounds were hushed, the gazes of a hundred thousand soldiers focused on this small world like searchlights. Ma Chao gazed at the beauties before him, remembering that he should have walked hand in hand with them into the wedding hall, but the war had forced his wedding to be postponed. Guilt washed over him like a tide, and he slammed his golden spear into the ground: "I should have married you all, given you a grand wedding, but now Xiliang is in imminent danger. As the lord of Xiliang, I am compelled to go to the battlefield. If I cannot protect Xiliang's peace, what can I do for my family?"

The women exchanged a glance, tears in their eyes but unwavering resolve. Dong Bai stepped forward first, gently helping Ma Chao to his feet. Her voice was crisp yet resolute, "We understand. The people of Xiliang await your rescue. This amulet is our token of our love. Carry it with you, and you will surely return victorious." The other women thrust amulets, sachets, and other items into Ma Chao's hands, each one carrying their care and blessings.

Ma Chao, clad in armor adorned with prayer symbols, looked like a battle banner adorned with colorful silk. The sachet dangling from his golden tiger-head spear jingled softly with his movements, making a subtle, crackling sound. Zhang Liao, Lu Su, and the others were stifling laughter until their faces flushed red, their neck veins bulging, yet they dared not falter in such a solemn occasion and could only duck their heads to conceal their presence.

Amidst this subtly subtle atmosphere, a carriage, adorned with simple yet majestic ornaments, slowly approached. The sound of its wheels grinding over gravel resonated with the hearts of the crowd like the drumbeat of fate. Ma Chao's spirits suddenly perked up as he saw the carriage stop, the curtains opened, and his father, Ma Teng, alighted, supported by Li Ru and carefully guarded by Dian Wei.

Ma Teng was slightly stooped, his face deeply wrinkled by age and toil, but his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle's, revealing an air of authority without anger. Ma Chao looked at his father, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He stepped forward quickly, knelt on one knee with a thud, and said in a low but respectful voice, "Father!"

Ma Teng reached out a trembling hand, his rough palm gently stroking Ma Chao's cold shoulder armor, then slowly rubbing along the outline of his helmet, as if he wanted to engrave his son's appearance into his heart. "Chao'er, you are now the king. I thought you wouldn't have to risk your life in battle anymore, so that I would have less worries. I just hope you can be safe." His voice paused, and he looked toward the northwest sky shrouded in gunpowder, his eyes becoming firm. "But Xiliang is the foundation of our Ma family. The people love our Ma family far more than we have given them protection. Now they are in dire straits. As a son of the Ma family and the lord of Xiliang, you should fight bravely and don't worry about Chang'an! Don't worry, with me here, Chang'an will be as strong as a rock!"

Ma Chao listened to his father's words, tears welling up in his tiger eyes. The long-suppressed emotions burst out like a dam breaking. "Father! When I go, I will make Xiliang an iron wall, so that those scoundrels won't dare covet even a sliver of the Central Plains! If I can't keep Xiliang peaceful, I will never return to the court!"

Before Ma Chao could finish his words, Dong Bai had already stepped forward and grasped Ma Teng's trembling arm. Her red skirt flared like a flame in the wind and sand. "Don't worry, Brother Chao. I and my sisters are here in Chang'an. We will protect father and his family." As soon as she finished her words, Dian Wei's towering figure blocked the carriage, his iron gloves pressing on the twin halberds at his waist. His muffled promise shook the ground: "Don't worry, my king! If any foreigners dare to invade Chang'an, they will first step over my body!"

Ma Chao glanced around at the beauties before him. Zhen Mi's pristine white cape shrouded her unspoken worries. The fingers of Zhang Fubao and her sister, clutching the medicine bag, were pale. Lu Wan's face, half exposed from behind the carriage curtain, was flushed. His throat churned as he embraced each of them in his arms—the hair ornaments in Dong Bai's hair brushed against his pauldron, the amulet Zhen Mi pressed into his palm still tinged with her body temperature, and the twin lotus flowers on Zhang Fubao's embroidered handkerchief rubbed against his palm lines.

"Wait for me to come back," he whispered in each ear, his voice shattered by the wind and sand into a hoarse promise. When he finally looked at Ma Teng, the hope and reluctance in the old general's eyes were like a blunt knife, cutting his heart.

"Gee!" Ma Chao suddenly leaped onto his horse, his golden spear ablaze with tiger hair, catching the morning sun as a hundred thousand cavalrymen crushed the frozen ground of the parade ground. Behind them came the creak of wheels. Dong Bai's hand, lifting the curtain, paused mid-air until the black torrent vanished in the dust of the Longxi Ancient Road. Only then did she look down and see Ma Chao's discarded black hair tie, clutched tightly in her palm.

A chilly September wind swept across the land of Longxi. A hundred thousand cavalrymen, like a black tide, galloped down the winding ancient road. Their hooves crushed the fallen leaves, and the dust they kicked up traced a majestic path in the twilight. The battle situation in Xiliang weighed heavily on the minds of the soldiers, who marched relentlessly until they reached the border of Tianshui. Only then did Ma Chao order his troops to halt for a moment, as his mother, younger sister, and their families were resting in Tianshui.

The city walls of Tianshui County stood majestically in the afterglow of the setting sun. Jiang Xu, accompanied by a group of soldiers, had already arrived at the city gates. Seeing Ma Chao from afar, Jiang Xu strode forward, his excitement evident. He knelt on one knee and shouted, "General Jiang Xu, I greet the king!"

Ma Chao dismounted and helped Jiang Xu to his feet, his eyes filled with respect and emotion. "Your brother died fighting for me in Chang'an, and you remain here defending Tianshui. The Jiang family is a family of loyal warriors, and I will always remember them. This time, as we head to Xiliang for a decisive battle with the Xianbei, I want to take you with me. I wonder if you have any concerns?"

Jiang Xu's expression was resolute. He knelt on one knee again and said in a strong and resonant voice, "I dare not deceive the king. I am willing to charge into battle for the king and never turn back!" He lowered his eyes slightly, his face showing difficulty, "But..."

"If you have any difficulties, please tell me everything." Ma Chao saw Jiang Xu's hesitation and said in a gentle tone.

Jiang Xu kowtowed deeply, his voice choking with sobs. "My brother Jiang Jiong died, leaving behind his widowed sister-in-law and young son in Chang'an, unattended. I should have followed the king into battle without a care, but I'm truly worried about them, fearing they might struggle to survive..."

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao's eyes flickered with emotion. He helped Jiang Xu up again and said solemnly, "You are truly a righteous man! Don't worry, I will not put you in any difficult position. Come with me to see mother and younger sister first. I will take care of all the family matters."

As dusk deepened, Ma Chao and Jiang Xu walked side by side towards the county town, with 100,000 cavalry standing solemnly behind them, like an indestructible Great Wall of steel.

The sound of horse hooves ripped through the twilight of Tianshui County. As Ma Chao dismounted, his cloak, embroidered with a tiger head, still stained with the dust of three days' forced march. Standing at the gate of the county capital, Ma's mother leaned forward slightly, supported by Cai Wenji. Her white hair trembled in the wind, and she seemed to resemble the woman who had seen him off to war by the Wei River in his memory.

"Mother!" Ma Chao knelt on one knee, his golden tiger-head spear propped diagonally against the ground, scattering the golden sunset all over the ground. His mother's withered hand stroked his shoulder armor. "You've lost weight again." His mother's fingertips brushed across her son's angular face, as if smoothing out the scars left by a childhood fall.

Just as Ma Chao leaned over to hold his mother's trembling hand, a fiery red figure swept across his face, swept by a strong wind. The blood on Ma Yunlu's silver armor had not yet dried, but he could not hide the joy that burst out in his eyes: "Big Brother!"

Ma Chao suddenly stepped back, raised his hand, and saluted solemnly: "Greetings, General Ma!" This gesture startled everyone, and Ma Yunlu's eyes widened. The setting sun dyed Ma Chao's dark cloak blood-red. He looked at his little sister's blood-stained wristband and said in a deep voice, like the beating of a drum: "If you hadn't led the female guards to protect mother at this time, our entire Ma family would have been slaughtered. You are worthy of being called a female general!"