Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

On the grasslands, the war unfolded like a surging tide, ever-changing. Meanwhile, in the Central Plains, the situation was far from tranquil. As Ma Chao prepared to depart for the grasslands, he was acutely aware that this journey would be fraught with countless unpredictable variables.

Brothers Ma Xiu and Ma Tie longed to join their brother on the expedition. They pleaded with Ma Chao, eager to follow him and achieve great feats. However, Ma Chao firmly refused. He was filled with worry. He knew the journey across the grasslands would be treacherous and dangerous, the enemy fierce, and the slightest mistake could lead to desperate consequences. As an elder brother, he could not bear to see his two younger brothers risk their lives and face such unknown dangers. So, no matter how much the brothers pleaded, he remained unmoved.

Despite the brothers' reluctance, Ma Chao, now the King of Liang, held his decisions unquestionable. Since childhood, they had been obedient to their brother's orders. Ma Chao's gaze, filled with both authority and concern, reassured the brothers, though filled with grievance, they could only silently obey. Ultimately, the brothers reluctantly accepted the battle reports and letters Ma Chao had prepared before their departure and set off on their journey back to Chang'an.

By this time, the middle of August had quietly arrived. After a long journey, the two brothers finally caught sight of the majestic and magnificent city of Chang'an. Gazing at the familiar city walls, a rare hint of joy finally appeared on their exhausted faces.

When they arrived at the city gate, the garrison commander immediately reported to Wei Yan, informing him of the return of Master Ma Xiu and Master Ma Tie. Upon hearing this, Wei Yan's heart tightened, thinking that something had happened on the front lines, and he hurried to greet them. He saw that the two brothers looked downcast and listless. Ma Tie said dejectedly, "Alas, there was no emergency. Everything is fine. It's just that my brother was worried about our safety and wouldn't let us follow him. He insisted that we return to deliver a letter to our father and military advisor." Wei Yan knew the importance of military intelligence and did not dare to delay. He quickly led the two men and hurried towards the Prince of Liang's mansion.

Ma Teng and Li Ru had recently returned to a relatively leisurely existence. While war raged across the Central Plains, it seemed to have somehow avoided Western Liang. After all, Western Liang had Ma Chao, the mighty ruler of Chang'an. The renowned Western Liang cavalry had always been a lingering nightmare for the various warlords. Even the powerful Yuan Shao, let alone the other warlords, held a certain respect for Western Liang and dared not provoke them.

The two men were delighted with their leisure time, and the recent situation was just as they had anticipated. The Black Mountain Army had lost over ten thousand men and horses during their last expedition, and since then, families of the Black Mountain Army had been arriving daily with various questions. However, their targets had changed, and they were no longer just looking for Xun Yu; they were also frequently seeking Ma Yunlu and Cao Ang.

For over a month, Ma Yunlu remained by Cao Ang's side. Under his meticulous care, Cao Ang gradually recovered. Restless, Cao Ang spent his days helping with matters concerning the people's livelihood and domestic affairs. It must be said that Cao Ang was a man of both civil and military talents, handling domestic affairs with ease. Furthermore, with the assistance of the exceptionally resourceful Xun Yu, everything naturally went smoothly. Ma Teng and Li Ru watched Cao Ang and Ma Yunlu's growing bond grow, occasionally teasing them behind their backs.

In such a relaxed atmosphere, Wei Yan hurried in with Ma Xiu and Ma Tie, reporting that a battle report from the King of Liang had arrived. Upon hearing this, Ma Teng and Li Ru hurried forward to watch. Seeing the battle report showing a great victory in the Battle of Bingzhou, both of them were filled with joy. But when they read further, they learned that Ma Chao had actually handed over the Bingzhou they had conquered with great difficulty to Gongsun Zan to garrison. Ma Teng's heart suddenly ached, and he couldn't help but say, "Isn't this nonsense! How can we give up the territory we fought so hard to conquer to Gongsun Zan so easily? Didn't he and Gongsun Zan have many conflicts in the past?" Even Li Ru, who was always calm, couldn't help but rub his teeth when he saw the battle report, muttering, "This King of Liang is too generous."

Ma Teng frowned and paced back and forth in the hall, his heart filled with confusion and regret. Li Ru stroked his chin, lost in thought, trying to figure out the deeper meaning behind Ma Chao's action.

Ma Teng seemed to have just come to his senses. He looked at Ma Xiu and Ma Tie and asked, "Ma Xiu, Ma Tie, what's going on with you two? Your brother went to the grassland to fight, why are you two back?" When the two heard this, they immediately cried out in grievance. Ma Teng frowned and said, "Is it because you didn't listen to your brother's orders in the barracks and refused to cooperate with his command that you were sent back?"

Upon hearing this, the two brothers became even more anxious. They immediately cried out in dismay, arguing, "Father, we are so loyal to you, brother. We follow you wholeheartedly and never slack off! But we really don't understand why you had to arrange for us to come back as messengers."

Li Ru was pondering the deeper meaning of Ma Chao's action when Ma Teng suddenly turned to him and asked, "Sir, what do you think Chao'er means by this?" Li Ru raised his head, squinting his eyes and glancing at the two brothers with a half-smile. He said slowly, "Hey, the king must have known the heavy responsibility and danger of going to the grassland. He was afraid that something might happen to the two brothers if they went with him, so he sent them back. It seems that the king was also very nervous and uneasy before going there."

Ma Teng helplessly held his forehead and sighed, "Oh, Chao'er has really grown up. It's no longer up to me, an old man, to worry about him. It really makes me worry."

Li Ru paced back and forth in the hall. After a moment, he suddenly stopped, looked at Ma Xiu and Ma Tie, and said, "No, we can't just sit there and wait. Ma Xiu, Ma Tie, what was your brother's relationship with Gongsun Zan like during this attack on Bingzhou?"

The brothers were stunned for a moment, then burst into conversation. They recounted Ma Chao's generosity toward Gongsun Zan, and Gongsun Zan's profound gratitude. They also remarked on how Gongsun Zan, after his defeat in Youzhou, seemed to have lost none of his former ambition. In their excitement, the brothers vied with each other to describe Gongsun Zan's zeal in battle: "He always led the charge, especially in the final battle, where he personally led the charge. What a scene! He was truly valiant!"

Li Ru listened and felt that it was inappropriate to just give Bingzhou to Gongsun Zan. He turned to Ma Teng and said, "Lord Shoucheng, you will be in charge of Chang'an for the time being. I plan to go to Bingzhou. We have worked so hard to conquer such a vast territory. How can we just give it away to Gongsun Zan for nothing?"

Ma Teng looked worried and said, "But I really feel uneasy without you in charge of Chang'an."

Li Ru consoled him, "Your Majesty has achieved a resounding victory in Bingzhou, but the news hasn't spread beyond Xiliang yet. Just stay here and guard the city. I'll be going to Bingzhou for a while and will be back in a month or so. I must personally see the circumstances that have led Your Majesty to so generously surrender Bingzhou. They're hoping to get something for free, but it won't be easy. They'll have to pay a price."

Ma Teng nodded and asked, "In that case, sir, when are you planning to leave?"

As they were talking, several of Ma Chao's close female friends heard the news and hurried over. After all, it had been almost a year since the large-scale invasion of foreign tribes last year, and Ma Chao had been away fighting. Hearing that the messenger had returned, the women were filled with anticipation, thinking that Ma Chao would bring them a letter. As soon as they entered the room, they heard Ma Teng asking Li Ru about the departure time. Dong Bai asked curiously, "Why, where are you going again, uncle? What will Chang'an do without you?"

Li Ru explained worriedly, "The king went to great lengths to take over Bingzhou, only to hand it over to Gongsun Zan. How can we let Xiliang's things be taken away so easily? I must go no matter what and make them pay."

The women all said, "Sir, since Brother Chao is away, we are counting on you. You must have worked hard on this mission."

However, Dong Bai's face darkened. "Go ahead, uncle," he said, "but don't cause any more trouble." The other women blushed slightly upon hearing this. Zhen Mi was brought back by Li Ru, who also brought Zhang Qiying and Zhang Fubao with him. Dong Bai's words clearly had a hidden meaning, and Li Ru couldn't fail to hear it. He smiled bitterly and said, "Ah, little aunt, how dare I? Look at my once lush beard, now it's sparse. Please let me go."

The atmosphere in the hall was a little subtle for a moment. Ma Teng frowned slightly, thinking about the pros and cons of Li Ru's trip; Li Ru looked helpless, a little embarrassed by Dong Bai's words; the women had different expressions, they were concerned about Ma Chao, and worried that something might happen to Li Ru when he went to Bingzhou.

Ma Teng looked at Li Ru with concern and asked, "Sir, which general would you like to arrange to escort you on your journey to Bingzhou?" Li Ru smiled and waved his hand, saying nonchalantly, "Bingzhou is now pacified. The entire area is our Xiliang territory, and it's very stable. There's no need to arrange special guards."

However, Ma Teng was still worried. He turned to look at his two sons who looked a little tired and weak. After thinking for a moment, his eyes fell on Ma Xiu and said, "Ma Xiu, your brother is anxious to send you back. Now you should shoulder the important task of escorting Mr. Li Ru to Bingzhou." Ma Tie became anxious when he heard this and asked hurriedly, "Dad, what about me? I also want to work with my brother." Ma Teng glared at him and said earnestly, "You should stay in Chang'an and take advantage of this time to learn about internal affairs. You, don't just wield swords and fight all day long. If you want to make a difference in the future, you have to understand some internal affairs." After hearing his father's words, Ma Tie looked at his brother who looked overjoyed, and immediately shrank back like a deflated ball, and said no more.

Dong Bai looked at Ma Tie and spoke first, with a hint of eagerness and curiosity in his tone: "Ma Tie, did your brother ask you to come back this time? Did he bring anything special?" Ma Tie nodded quickly with a flattering smile on his face: "Yes, I brought a lot of precious treasures from Xiliang and Bingzhou, which my brother prepared specially for you." Dong Bai raised his eyebrows slightly, pretending to be unfriendly, took two quick steps closer to Ma Tie, and asked: "Is that all?" When the girls heard this, they all came up expectantly, surrounding Ma Tie, their eyes full of expectation. Ma Tie was a bit flustered by the surrounding crowd and hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, there are more." As he spoke, he carefully took out several letters from his body and said flatteringly, "Auntie, sisters-in-law, you all have a share, please let me go." The crisp call of "sister-in-law" made Zhen Mi, Zhang Fubao, Zhang Qiying and others blush instantly, like the sunset in the sky. Cai Wenji and others also lowered their heads shyly. Only Dong Bai remained calm and composed, as if she had already determined her future as a princess. She snorted proudly and said, "You are smart, kid." For a moment, the hall was filled with laughter and a warm and joyful atmosphere.