Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The women happily accepted Ma Chao's handwritten letter, each one as if it were a treasure. However, they were in no hurry to open it. Instead, they carefully put it in their arms, intending to find a quiet place to read it slowly. Their hearts were as clear as a mirror, knowing that the letter must contain Ma Chao's sweet words to them, those sweet whispers that belonged only to them.

Ma Xiu had just been assigned the lucrative task of escorting Li Ru to Bingzhou. His previous listless look had vanished, and now he was full of energy, his face full of curiosity, and with a bit of gossip that seemed to be asking for a beating. He approached the women and said with a smile: "Sisters-in-law, why don't you read the letter quickly? Let me see what kind words big brother said to you, so that I can have some fun too." When the women heard this, they were stunned at first, and then they reached out to hit Ma Xiu with coquettish anger, muttering: "You boy, you are just joining in the fun, get out of here!"

Ma Tie was being surrounded by the girls and was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he shouted, "Hey, sisters-in-law, if you have anything you want to ask, please go to my second brother. I'm in a hurry to send a letter to Sister Lu Wan!" After saying that, he wanted to slip away.

At this critical moment, there was a sudden, crackling sound of footsteps at the door, like frying beans. Before anyone could appear, Ma Yunlu's voice came in: "Is that the battle report from Big Brother? Hurry up, let me see it, don't hide it!" Then Cao Ang chased after him, shouting: "Yunlu, slow down, no one is trying to steal it from you!"

When Ma Xiu heard the voice, his eyes lit up instantly and he shouted excitedly: "Sister is back!" Ma Tie also excitedly followed and shouted: "Sister!" After all, Ma Yunlu is both Ma Xiu's sister and Ma Tie's sister. The two were so excited that they looked up and saw a man following Ma Yunlu, behaving intimately with her. The man looked quite handsome, but their hearts skipped a beat and they became alert instantly. Ma Xiu asked seriously: "Sister, who is that behind?" Ma Tie also followed up with a question: "Sister, who is he?" With this question, the originally lively atmosphere in the hall suddenly became a little subtle. Everyone's eyes were all cast on Ma Yunlu and the man, waiting for her to explain.

When Ma Yunlu heard Dong Bai's blunt words, a blush instantly flooded her cheeks, spreading from her ears to her neck. She was as shy as a peach blossom in spring. Dong Bai couldn't help but chuckle at her shy expression. Quickly, he embraced Ma Yunlu and then, feigning anger at Ma Xiu and Ma Tie, said, "Look carefully, you two brats! This man is the apple of your sister Yunlu's eye, her future husband, and your real brother-in-law! Stop your whining."

Ma Xiu and Ma Tie finally woke up from their dream, quickly putting away their slightly playful expressions, and turned their serious gazes to Cao Ang, starting to carefully examine him from head to toe. Ma Xiu tilted his head slightly and was the first to comment: "Well, just looking at his stature, it's acceptable. He's tall and thin, and looks quite upright." Ma Tie also agreed, his eyes moving around Cao Ang, and said: "He does look like he has a lot of strength. Look at his arms and legs, they're quite strong. But why does he look a bit silly?" After saying that, he curled his lips in disdain, and then added: "Oh my god, compared to our eldest brother, he's really far behind. Our eldest brother is so majestic and imposing." Ma Xiu nodded hurriedly after hearing this, and didn't forget to boast: "That's right, take our brothers, we're also handsome and elegant, both civil and military, and we're not inferior to him at all."

Listening to their chatter, Ma Yunlu couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. She reached out and twisted Ma Xiu's arm hard, causing him to cry out in pain. Then, she reached out again and knocked Ma Tie's head lightly, scolding him, "You two are so frivolous. What are you talking about here? You have no manners. Come here, Zixiu." As she spoke, she gently pulled Cao Ang over. Although there was still a hint of shyness on her face, her eyes were full of happiness and pride. "Come, let me formally introduce you. This is Cao Ang, also known as Zixiu. He is the eldest son of Uncle Cao's family. He is outstanding in talent and has a good character."

Upon seeing this, Cao Ang hurriedly straightened his clothes respectfully, and with a solemn expression, he stepped forward, bowed deeply to Ma Xiu and Ma Tie, and said earnestly, "Cao Ang greets you two brothers. I hope you will take good care of me in the future."

Ma Xiu had a faint smile on his face. He looked Cao Ang up and down and said, "Mr. Cao, you look so handsome. You must be a man of both literary and martial arts. I just wonder how accomplished you are in literature?" Upon hearing this, Ma Yunlu quickly said, "Second brother, we just came from Mr. Xun Yu. As soon as we heard that there was a letter from eldest brother, we hurried over. Mr. Xun Yu praised Zixiu highly." Upon hearing this, Ma Xiu felt a little dissatisfied, but he said unforgivingly, "That's hard to say. Maybe they are old acquaintances. What did Mr. Xun praise him for?" Ma Yunlu had a happy and proud look on his face, and said with a beaming eyebrow, "Zixiu and Xun Lingjun handled internal affairs together. Xun Lingjun naturally praised him for his knowledge of internal affairs, his clear and insightful way of handling things." Upon hearing this, Ma Xiu felt as if he had been stuffed with a ball of cotton and was speechless. After all, if it comes to other aspects, he might be able to argue a few points, but when it comes to internal affairs management, that is simply his weak spot, and he gets a headache whenever it is mentioned.

At this time, Ma Tie was not willing to be outdone. He looked at Cao Ang with an unconvinced look on his face and said, "Looking at Mr. Cao's appearance, I guess your martial arts skills are pretty good, right? How about we have a fight? Don't worry, I will be gentle." After that, he couldn't wait to roll up his sleeves, rub his hands together, and put on an eager-to-try look, with a provocation in his eyes. Seeing this, Dong Bai quickly interjected, "Don't underestimate Zixiu. Some time ago, Zixiu and Yunlu went out hunting together. On the way, they encountered a tiger, and Zixiu killed it single-handedly! I wonder how capable you, Ma Tie, are?" Upon hearing this, Ma Tie's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief: "What? Is this true? Don't exaggerate. If you said my eldest brother had this ability, I would believe it, but based on him... he doesn't look like it." Ma Yunlu was both angry and amused after hearing this. He raised his hand and lightly slapped Ma Tie on the head, saying, "What do you mean he doesn't look like it? This is absolutely true. Otherwise, I'll show you that tiger skin later, and see if you still believe it!"

After hearing this, Ma Tie's face suddenly turned red and white, and he was so embarrassed that he wanted to find a hole to crawl into. He scratched his head, laughed dryly and said, "Oh, never mind, it seems I was wrong. You guys can chat, I'm in a hurry to send a letter to Sister Lu Wan!" After that, he hurriedly fled the hall, his back looking like he was fleeing in panic.

Seeing this, Ma Xiu was quite tactful and turned to run to Li Ru. With a look of curiosity on his face, he leaned over to Li Ru and whispered, "Sir, what are your plans for this trip to Bingzhou? I need to have a clear idea of ​​what to do so I can help you get everything done properly."

Meanwhile, Ma Yunlu's mind was completely focused on her eldest brother's letter. She looked around anxiously and shouted, "Where's your eldest brother's letter? Bring it to me! I can't wait to know what he said in it."

At this moment, Ma Teng's face showed hesitation. His gaze lingered on Cao Ang for a moment, and he pondered secretly. Ma Chao's expedition to the grasslands was a secret among secrets. If it were leaked, Chang'an would be in danger. Although Cao Ang was now close to Yun Lu, he was still Cao Cao's son, and his heart was unpredictable. If he leaked this information, the consequences would be unimaginable. Thinking of this, Ma Teng's brows furrowed tightly, and he was undecided whether to show the letter to Cao Ang.

Li Ru was incredibly clever; he immediately discerned the reason for Ma Teng's hesitation and began to ponder a countermeasure. He smiled faintly, then calmly took the letter from Ma Teng's hand and nodded gently. Seeing Li Ru's gesture, Ma Teng seemed to understand what he meant and fell silent, though a hint of worry still lingered in his eyes.

Li Ru turned around and said with a smile: "Come, Miss Yunlu, take a look at the fruitful results your elder brother has achieved on the front line. Master Cao, come and see too." Cao Ang was already curious about Ma Chao's battles, and now he was even more eager to try, and hurried over.

Ma Yunlu happily unfolded the letter, and Cao Ang sat next to her. The two of them eagerly scanned the letter, reading it almost at a glance. The letter first mentioned that Ma Chao, with his outstanding military talent, led the army to an unstoppable force, annihilated the Xiongnu in one fell swoop, and successfully recovered Bingzhou. When Ma Yunlu saw this, the corners of her mouth could not help but rise. The smile was as bright as a flower blooming in spring, and her eyes were full of pride and honor for her elder brother. Cao Ang was even more excited, and could not help but applaud: "Great! It's great, it's really great! A real man should be like this, making great achievements and conquering the battlefield!"

However, when Ma Chao surrendered the hard-won Bingzhou to Gongsun Zan, Ma Yunlu was momentarily stunned, as if struck by a crushing blow. His expression of shock was even more intense than when he heard Ma Chao had annihilated the Xiongnu. Bingzhou was, after all, a single state. For a local vassal, this was like Cao Cao giving away half his fortune—a truly unbelievable prospect. Overwhelmed with emotion, Cao Ang sighed deeply, saying, "The Prince of Liang possesses such a broad mind and such a magnanimous spirit—a true role model for us! I fear I'll never reach the Prince of Liang's heights, even in my lifetime."

The two continued reading. When they reached the end of the letter, which mentioned Ma Chao leading a large army deep into the grasslands, poised to plough through the vast expanse of land and pursue the enemy northward, Cao Ang's eyes instantly lit up with a yearning for lofty ambitions and admiration for the heroic feat. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "This is what a real man should do. Galloping across the battlefield, promoting our country's prestige, I'll live my life without regrets..."