Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Inside Chang'an, the setting sun stained the eaves and brackets of the Prince of Liang's palace a bloody red. The newly painted black dragon patterns on the vermilion palace walls shone coldly in the twilight. Wei Yan, still in his black armor, the blood stains from the wind-splashing blade at his waist barely dried, escorted Yuan Tan and the others into the palace. The clatter of chains dragging along the white marble steps, mingled with the distant drumbeats, startled the crows from their perches on the eaves.

Inside the palace's main hall, gilded animal-head candlesticks illuminated the dome like daylight. Ma Teng, draped in his Nine-Chapter Imperial Robe, sat at the head of the table, his dark brocade dragon patterns faintly visible in the firelight. Jia Xu, the chief seatholder on his left, gently waved a feather fan, a smile between his brows. Wei Yan strode forward and knelt on one knee. Behind him, Gao Ming, holding the captured Yuan clan seal, bowed beneath the pillars. At the long banquet to the right, the Black Mountain Army commanders sat with their swords drawn, wine jars clashing with scimitars. Their raucous laughter set the bronze chimes humming.

"General, you've worked hard!" Ma Teng raised his hand, his voice resonating like a bell. He glanced at Yuan Tan, who knelt on the steps below—the former nobleman from Hebei. His brocade robe was now stained with blood, his crown askew, but his eyes still held a fierce glint of unwillingness. Yan Liang's knuckles turned white as he gripped the chain. Blood seeped from the cracks in his chainmail, dripping drop by drop into the cracks in the blue bricks.

Jia Xu tapped the table with his folding fan, breaking the brief silence: "Everyone has come from afar, let's drink this celebratory wine first." Before he finished speaking, maids filed in carrying gilded wine cups. The clear sound of wine pouring into the jade cups and the clashing of armor outside the hall intertwined into an eerie melody. Ma Teng raised his cup and pointed at Yuan Tan, the amber wine gleaming coldly in the candlelight: "Master Yuan, is the moonlight in Chang'an better than that in Jizhou?"

Amidst the roar of laughter in the hall, Yuan Tan gritted his teeth, unspoken curses swirling in his throat. Xin Ping lowered his head, his trembling fingers unconsciously rubbing the broken fan bones. Yan Liang suddenly raised his head, his eyes wide, and his glare, like a sharp blade, swept across the table. This look, like the last roar of a trapped beast, gradually turned into a silent rage amid the complacency and contempt of the audience.

Ma Teng raised his hand and gave a false pressure, and the laughter at the banquet stopped abruptly. He personally stepped forward and broke the chain from Yuan Tan's wrist, patting his trembling shoulder with his warm palm: "Don't worry, Master Yuan." The dark royal robe swept across the scattered chains and led him to the guest seat on his right. "From Jizhou to Chang'an, through ice and snow and war, it must have been a tough journey for you." The gilded wine jar was filled with amber wine, and ripples appeared between the two of them. "Drink this cup of wine to calm your nerves first. The house west of the city has been cleaned up early. After the New Year, I will discuss this with your father..."

Before he finished speaking, Xin Ping suddenly stood up from the steps, his wide white sleeves brushing across his bloodstained collar: "We are defeated generals, our lives and deaths all depend on your will." He clutched the broken jade hairpin tightly, his knuckles turning white. "I just don't know what you are asking for by treating me so kindly."

Ma Teng stroked his beard and laughed, shaking the bronze lamp slightly. He turned to look at Li Ru, who was sitting at the head of the table on his left. Li Ru was fiddling with venison on a plate with silver chopsticks, a smile in his eyes: "Mr. Xin is indeed a man of quick words." The "folding fan" opened with a "swish", "It's nothing serious - it's just the future concubine of the Prince of Liang, who happens to be the jewel in the crown of the Zhen family in Hebei."

The hall suddenly fell silent. Yuan Tan looked up abruptly, meeting Jia Xu's sinister gaze. The counselor tapped the table with his fingertips, and the scent of sandalwood mixed with blood filled the air: "Seeing that the princess's wedding is about to begin, her family is trapped in Jizhou and unable to congratulate her. Isn't it a pity?" The folding fan suddenly pointed at Xin Ping, "Why don't you ask the sir to pass on a message - the eldest son is doing well in Chang'an. If Yuan Shao wants to take him back..." He paused, and the swords of the generals in the room rang out simultaneously, "Let the Zhen family, young and old, come to Chang'an to share the joy of family."

Upon hearing this, Xin Ping dug his fingertips into his palm. The Zhen family, a family of generations that traded in salt and iron, was wealthy enough to rival a nation. Half of Yuan Shao's army's rations and money came from their hands. His second son, Yuan Xi, married Zhen Mi, ostensibly as a marriage alliance, but in reality, it was a way of tying this cash cow to the Yuan family's chariot. But at this moment, the candlelight flickered in the Prince of Liang's mansion, and the condescending gazes of Ma Teng and others were like knives. His throat tightened, and even the saliva he swallowed tasted of rust.

"Since that's the case, I'll go back and report this to Lord Yuan." He bowed deeply, his fingers trembling slightly beneath his wide sleeves. "I'm sure Lord Yuan will agree." Before he finished speaking, Li Ru clapped his hands and chuckled, tapping the table with his folding fan: "Mr. Xin, don't forget—the Zhen family's daughter is about to marry into the Prince of Liang's mansion. If the dowry is even a little short, it will be a slap in the face of the prince." Every word was gentle, but like a venomous snake spitting out its tongue, it clearly swiped the Zhen family's assets, including the entire Hebei granary, into the hands of Xiliang.

Cold sweat trickled down Xin Ping's back, soaking through his lining. This seemingly hostage-for-Zhen deal was actually a desperate move. Without the Zhen family's financial support, even if Yuan Shao commanded an army of 100,000, he would be nothing more than a trapped beast without food. "Of course it is! Of course it is!" he repeated, wiping his forehead with the handkerchief in his sleeve, but it couldn't wipe away the chill rising from his heart. "I will..."

"Mr. Xin, wait a minute." Ma Teng raised his hand to interrupt, his smile as gentle as a spring breeze. "Mr. Yuan has just arrived in Chang'an and is not used to the climate there. You have all traveled thousands of miles, so it's time for a rest." He personally filled two glasses with wine, the amber-colored liquor rippled in the luminous cups. "Rest for two days before setting off again. This is also my hospitality."

Yuan Tan's face was as pale as paper, and the blood stains on his brocade robe had turned a dark brown. He forced himself to stand and bow, his voice hoarse: "Since I have been so kind, uncle, I will take my leave first." Ma Teng pretended to urge him to stay, but did not stand up to stop him. He just smiled and watched the group leave the hall.

As the footsteps faded, Li Ru slammed his folding fan shut and pointed outside the hall: "Five hundred assassins have been deployed in that house." He looked at Ma Teng, a cold glint in his eyes. "Let alone Yuan Tan, even if a rat tried to slip out and tip off..." Before he finished speaking, Ma Teng had already picked up the wine cup and drank it all.

Ma Teng lost the cold sternness he had used to intimidate the surrendered general, replaced by a beaming expression. He lifted the gilded wine jug in both hands and slowly stood up. The candlelight illuminated the coiled dragon pattern on his Nine Chapters Royal robe, and his voice resounded like a bell throughout the palace: "Everyone! Fifty thousand Yuan troops came with such force, yet they collapsed within half a month, and even the commander was taken prisoner!" The wine poured onto the jade table, emitting a faint golden glow. "This remarkable achievement is entirely due to your courage! On behalf of my son, Ma Chao, I offer a toast to you all!"

Before he finished speaking, the banquet erupted in a flurry of refusals. Wei Yan was the first to step out, the blood stains on his black armor trembling slightly with his movements: "Old Master, you have brought such a terrible defeat upon me! We are but warriors swinging swords in front of the battle formation. What merit can we possibly have?" He turned abruptly, his razor-sharp gaze fixed on Jia Xu, "If it were not for your meticulous planning and the net you had set up long ago, how could we have won today?"

Gao Ming hurried after him, holding his wine cup high above his head. "General Wei is absolutely right! You're such a mastermind, even planning the change of ownership of Tongguan. Such unfathomable wisdom is beyond the reach of us!" His voice was filled with genuine admiration, and the bronze chimes hanging in the corridor began to hum.

Zhang Yan staggered to his feet, shaking the wine jar. His coarse cloth shorts didn't fit in with the fancy clothes in the room, but he couldn't hide the heat in his eyes: "Thinking of my brothers from Heishan, they were poorly dressed and hungry in the mountains!" He patted the new scimitar at his waist, "If it weren't for you, sir, who helped me join the King of Liang, how could we have the opportunity to eat and wear warm clothes and make achievements today?" The wine in the jar splashed on the blue bricks, mixed with the smell of blood, "All this is thanks to your kindness!"

Li Ru gently waved his feather fan, a faint smile curling the corners of his lips as he let the praise from the audience pour in like a tide. Ma Teng, watching this scene, a subtle flicker of admiration flashed in his eyes. He slammed the wine jar down on the table, a sound that shook the roof tiles: "Excellent! In that case, when Ma Chao returns, I will definitely reward him handsomely! I won't leave until I'm drunk tonight!" The hall was filled with a resounding response, the sound of clinking glasses, laughter, and the sound of Hujia intertwined, echoing for a long time above the Liang Palace.

As the wine was flowing in the hall, Ma Teng slowly walked to Li Ru's side, holding a wine cup. His gilded royal robe brushed the blue bricks on the ground, making a subtle sound: "Sir, you have worked hard for the past half month. It is really hard." He lowered his voice and glanced at the noisy generals in the room. "That Xun Yu... still refuses to come to the banquet?"

Li Ru downed the wine in his cup, his Adam's apple rolling as a cold look flashed in his eyes. "You've been staying indoors ever since we resettled the refugees. What a stubborn ass!" He tapped the table with his knuckles, causing ripples in the amber wine. "Don't worry, old master. Just wait and see how I handle this." He stood up and left the table, swaying three times, his robe sleeves fluttering in the wind, startling Wei Yan so much that he reached out to help him.

"Move aside." Li Ru waved his hand and walked straight towards Zhang Yan. The leader of the Black Mountain Army hurriedly left the table, his coarse cloth shorts standing out among the elegant clothes: "Sir, you called me?"

"General Feiyan is famous in Hebei, I have heard of him a long time ago." Li Ru put a hand on Zhang Yan's shoulder, and his fingertips felt a slight coolness through the fabric of his clothes. "Are the Black Mountain tribesmen now well settled?"

Zhang Yan was so flattered that she almost fell to her knees. "It's all thanks to your brilliant plan, sir, that 300,000 old and weak people have a chance to survive. We..."

"Hey, you can't say that." Li Ru suddenly interrupted, his tone intimate but sharp, "If you have any difficulties, you should go to Mr. Xun - since he is in charge of people's livelihood, he can't just build sheds and not take care of food, right?" He patted Zhang Yan's back casually, "If you have any trouble, just go to his house and have a seat, don't be polite."

Zhang Yan's entire body trembled violently, understanding the wit behind the words. His grip on the wine cup threatened to shatter the clay. Li Ru's icy palm patted his shoulder through the coarse cloth: "Remember this—if you're short of food or clothing, just go find Mr. Xun. Don't be polite." The counselor deliberately dragged out the last word, his fingertips vaguely tracing the back of his neck. "Mr. Xun is well-read in the books of sages and philosophers, and he hates to see the people suffer. How could he find you troublesome?"

The gilded candlelight danced in Li Ru's eyes, making his smile even more sinister. "As long as the general leads the Black Mountain men to work hard," he suddenly leaned in, his drunken breath wafting against Zhang Yan's ear. "In the future, ennobling your wife and son, granting you land and a title of nobility, is just a matter of a word from the King of Liang." Before he finished speaking, his robe sleeves fluttered in the wind, and his drunken steps were steady as he returned to Ma Teng's side.

"My lord, please relax." Li Ru picked up the luminous cup on the table, and the amber wine in the cup emitted tiny golden rays. "Xun Yu prides himself on caring about the people. He can't just watch tens of thousands of refugees starve and freeze, right?" He raised his head and drank the wine, his Adam's apple rolling as he chuckled happily. "All we need is the help of the Black Mountain brothers and a little trick..." He stopped talking and pointed at the people toasting at the table. "In this world, is there any knot that cannot be untied?"