Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Ma Chao's sudden salute startled Ma Yunlu. A flush rose in her cheeks, and she stamped her foot in annoyance. "Brother, you're the king now, how can you be so frivolous?" Even so, a smile played in her eyes. Ma Chao, however, avoided his usual teasing. Instead, he stepped forward and stroked the damaged armor on her shoulder. "If you hadn't fought to the death with the female guards, this moment of family reunion might have been..."

Ma Yunlu's expression suddenly dimmed. Looking at the blood-red setting sun in the distance, she whispered, "It's a pity that all the personal guards arranged by Brother Ma Dai have been killed or injured, and more than half of the female guards have also been killed..." She clenched the blood-stained soft sword at her waist, and the copper bell on the sword tassel whimpered softly.

Ma Chao slammed his palm against his little sister's shoulder, and the sound of armor clashing startled birds from the eaves. "On the battlefield, there is always bloodshed! When I return to Chang'an, I will ensure that the families of those loyal and brave men have a good life and a peaceful death!" He looked at the smoke billowing in the sky, his eyes ablaze with the flames of revenge. "I, Ma Chao, will reclaim the blood debt owed by the Xianbei people with interest!"

Ma Chao finished his conversation with Ma Yunlu, his peripheral vision casually glancing across the crowd before his gaze suddenly fixed on Cai Wenji, who was gazing at him affectionately. The dusk fell on her softly shimmering face, and the Western Region glass hairpin in her hair swayed gently with her movements. His Adam's apple rolled unconsciously as he gazed at that gentle figure, a wave of emotion welling up in his heart. His eyes grew deeper and gentler, filled with unspoken emotions.

Sensing that fiery gaze, Cai Wenji's fair cheeks instantly flushed, like the sunset glow on the horizon. She frantically looked up, her gaze meeting Ma Chao's affectionate gaze. Her fingertips tightly gripped the music sheet, her ears burning, and she shyly turned her face away.

In this delicate atmosphere, Cai Wenji gently raised her slender hand and called out the two children hiding behind her: Ma Chao's adopted sons, Ma Guan and Ma Xiang. Their childish faces were filled with solemnity. They quickly stepped forward, knelt on their knees, and shouted in unison, "Greetings, father!"

Ma Chao's tiger eyes flickered as he gazed at the two sincere faces before him. Ma Xiang, who had inherited the deep brows and features of his father, Cheliji, was still a young man, clad in armor and carrying a wooden sword at his waist. He stared up at his armor, his eyes filled with admiration and curiosity. Ma Xiang, on the other hand, was delicate and refined, dressed in a brocade robe. Perhaps thanks to Cai Wenji's careful attention to detail, he had a certain youthful elegance to him, yet he also imitated his brother, holding his chest straight.

"Get up." Ma Chao squatted down, gently stroking the children's heads with his rough hands. He felt a surge of emotion. After he adopted these two boys as his adopted sons, they had been away fighting in the battlefields, and he hadn't taught them much. Ma Xiang suddenly pulled out a cloth bag from his arms. Inside was a few dried wild fruits. "Father, these are what my brother and I picked outside the city. I'm saving them for you to eat on the way."

Cai Wenji, her eyes slightly red, whispered, "These days, they've been wondering when you'll return. Ma Xiang, armed with just a wooden sword, can protect us." Ma Chao's heart warmed, and he hugged the two children tightly, the chill of his armor blending with the warmth of the children. He recalled the amulet Dong Bai and the others had given him before the expedition, and now he felt the weight of worry.

"When I drive the Xianbei away, I'll take you to watch the sunset over the grasslands and ride the most majestic warhorses," Ma Chao whispered in his children's ears. He looked up at the smoke of war in the sky, his eyes rekindled with fighting spirit. Outside the city gates, the silhouettes of a hundred thousand cavalrymen shone in the twilight like a moving Great Wall of Steel. The child in his arms was a tenderness he would protect no matter what. The graceful figure beside him was the tenderness he cherished most deeply.

As dusk shone through the vermilion gates of Tianshui County's capital, Ma Chao and his companions stepped across the bluestone steps. He paused, turned to Jiang Xu beside him, and whispered, "I should avoid suspicion, but your brother died fighting for me in Chang'an. It's only right that he see his wife and children. Besides, with my mother and family present, it shouldn't be a problem."

Jiang Xu's throat rolled, his eyes welling with tears. "It's all right! The king's willingness to see me is a blessing for our Jiang family!" Before he'd finished his words, he was already sprinting toward the inner courtyard. Soon, Madam Jiang Jiong, wearing a white silk flower in her hair, appeared in the hall, her toddler in her arms. The child's dark eyes darted around curiously, his delicate hands clutching his mother's skirt.

"Your Majesty!" Just as Madam Jiang Jiong was about to bow, Cai Wenji stepped forward, her hand in hers, and took the child. The child giggled in her arms and reached for the dangling glass hairpin in her hair. Ma Chao gazed at the child's chuckled face, feeling an indescribable bitterness well up in his chest. "Jiang Jiong shed his blood for me in Chang'an. Without the countless loyal and brave men, how could I, Ma Chao, be where I am today? Madam Jiang, if there are any difficulties at home..."

"The king's relief is never too late." Madam Jiang Jiong interrupted, biting her lip, tears welling in her eyes. "With my brother-in-law's help, we can still get by. But this child..." She choked back tears and looked at her youngest son. "Before he could even remember what his father looked like, he was already gone forever..."

Cai Wenji gently patted the child's back, and Ma Chao reached out to take the child. The little one, chubby and strong, clutched the tiger head decoration on his armor and babbled. "What a heroic child!" Ma Chao's eyes lit up with a smile. "Have you given him a name?"

"The child wasn't even born before his father left for the war," Mrs. Jiang Jiong said, wiping away tears. "Before he died, he sent a message, naming him... Jiang Wei."

"Jiang Wei, what a nice name!" Ma Chao stroked the child's soft little hand, then turned and pointed to Ma Guan and Ma Xiang standing beside him. "Look at these two, they're my adopted sons. Madam Jiang, I have a humble request - if you trust me, I'd like to adopt Jiang Wei as my adopted son, letting him call Guan'er and Xiang'er brothers. In the future, I'll treat him like my own!"

When Jiang Xu heard this, his eyes sparkled with surprise. He winked at his sister-in-law repeatedly, and his throat overflowed with suppressed excitement: "Sister-in-law! This is a great opportunity!" However, Mrs. Jiang Jiong clenched her sleeves, her knuckles turning white. Looking at the ignorant Jiang Wei in her arms, her voice trembled: "Your Majesty... I only have this one child now. If he goes with you, I would like to see him in the future..." Before she finished speaking, tears rolled down her face.

Ma Chao gently rocked Jiang Wei in his arms, and the little fellow giggled. "Don't worry, Madam." His eyes were as gentle as spring water. "He summoned Jiang Xu to the battle because he was worried about you and your son. My mother and family are temporarily stationed in Tianshui, so it's a good opportunity to arrange for you to settle down in Chang'an together." He paused, reaching out to gently stroke Jiang Wei's soft head. "Although Wei'er has become my adopted son, you will still raise him personally. In my free time, I will teach him martial arts and literary tactics. Chang'an is full of strategists and brave generals, and he will be able to learn from their strengths."

These words, like the warm spring sun, melted the frost in Mrs. Jiang Jiong's eyes. She suddenly realized that this wasn't just about securing a future for her child; it also meant allowing Jiang Xu to fight on the battlefield without worries. Thinking of her late husband's spirit and the future of the Jiang family, she steeled her resolve and bowed deeply, "This little woman thanks the king on behalf of Wei'er!"

Jiang Xu's eyes welled up, and he fell to his knees with a thud. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your help! I will repay you with my death!" Ma Chao stepped forward to help the two men to their feet. Jiang Wei suddenly threw his arms around his neck, his saliva soaking his armor. Gazing at the innocent child in his arms, then at the resolute expressions of the Jiang siblings, a surge of warmth welled up in his heart. This battle was not only to annihilate the Xianbei, but also to bring peace to these loyal descendants and the countless people of Xiliang!

As the dawn of the second day pierced the clouds, Ma Chao and Ma Yunlu entered the female guards' camp side by side. Amidst the shattered walls, a fluttering crimson battle flag danced like dancing flames. Over five hundred female guards, clad in chain mail and bandages soaked with blood, stood in formation, standing tall and proud. As Ma Chao's black cape swept past the camp gate, the clashing of armor echoed, startling jackdaws from their perches on the eaves.

"Greetings to the Divinely Mighty General!" the female guards shouted in unison, their voices weary yet resonant as if they were stone. Ma Chao's gaze swept over their bandaged arms and bloodstained skirts, remembering that these women had once been "gifts" from foreign tribes, transformed by him into sharp swords to protect Xiliang. Now, in the sunlight, the scimitars they wielded were no different from those of men, but the fiery heat in their eyes was even greater.

"Everyone!" Ma Chao suddenly drew his sword, the cold light reflecting off the resolute faces of the female guards. "In the past, some treated you as playthings, hoping to crush the ambition of Xiliang! But you took up your swords and used your flesh and blood to build a defense for my mother and the people of Xiliang!" His voice suddenly choked, and the tip of his sword pointed heavily toward the sky. "Look at these scars! This is your glory! This is the pride of the daughters of Xiliang!"

Ma Yunlu gripped the soft sword at her waist tightly, tears welling in her eyes as she gazed at the sisters who had fought alongside her. Ma Chao stepped forward and personally fastened the crooked wrist guard of a seriously injured female guard. "You are not anyone's subordinates! You are the sharpest blades under my command! After this battle, I will let the world know—the female guards of Xiliang are more courageous than men to drink the enemy's blood! And more capable of defending the country!"

The female guards erupted in thunderous cries, their roars making the camp's flagpoles buzz. Ma Chao sheathed his sword and suddenly took off his cloak, draping it over the shoulders of the oldest female guard. "On the day of our triumphant return, I will erect a monument for you in Chang'an! Let future generations remember that a group of women once defended the dignity of Xiliang with their lives!"

After two days of rest in Tianshui, it was time to part ways again. The morning mist outside Tianshui City hadn't yet dissipated, but already a hundred thousand cavalrymen formed a long, black line along the ancient road. Ma Chao turned one last time and looked at his mother in the carriage. Mother Ma leaned against her daughter, Ma Yunlu, her white hair disheveled in the wind, but she forced a smile and waved at him. In Cai Wenji's arms, Jiang Wei babbled, his chubby little hands waving at Ma Chao. Mrs. Jiang Jiong, her eyes red, bowed in greeting. Beside Ma Chao, Jiang Xu had already gripped the sword at his waist, his gaze as resolute as steel.

"Father! You must return safely!" Ma Guan and Ma Xiang broke free from Cai Wenji's grasp and stumbled to the front of the battle formation. Ma Chao dismounted and hugged the two children tightly to his chest, the chill of his armor blending with the warmth of the children's bodies. He bent down and kissed the soft crown of Jiang Wei's head, whispering, "When you grow up, I'll teach you horseback riding and archery."

Ma Yunlu suddenly stepped forward and stuffed a heavy brocade bag into her brother's hand: "Inside is the golden wound medicine made by the female guards overnight, and..." She paused, her ears flushed, "a summary of the military book written by Sister Wenji." Ma Chao opened the brocade and saw Cai Wenji's neat and beautiful tiny calligraphy on the yellowed parchment, gleaming in the morning dew.

"Take good care of mother." Ma Chao squeezed his little sister's hand for the last time and mounted his horse. The golden spear, adorned with a tiger head, stirred the remaining clouds in the sky, and the clatter of the iron hooves of a hundred thousand cavalry startled birds from the mountains. Behind him, Ma Chao's mother's voice was gradually swallowed by the wind, leaving only the female guards led by Ma Yunlu, like a crimson torrent, escorting the family slowly towards Chang'an. Ma Chao's gaze had already been cast to the northwest, where the Di people were wreaking havoc.