Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1205 A Banquet Interlude: Zhou Lang's Advice

Ma Xiang, Ma Guan, Jiang Wei, Wu Niu, Gan Xiang, Pan Hu, and others who accompanied Ma Yue stood aside and waited while Ma Yue and Zhou Yu reminisced. Only after Ma Yue, Sun Shao, and Zhou Yin gathered to speak did these young men begin to bow to Ma Chao, who sat in the main seat. The young men, dressed in neat military uniforms, though still somewhat immature, walked with steady steps and bowed in unison: "Your humble servants pay their respects to Your Majesty!"

His voices were clear and resonant, carrying the discipline honed in military training, a stark contrast to the boisterous atmosphere of the hall. These were all key members of the Young Lin Army, and Gao Shun had been training them in the afternoons for the past few days. Gao Shun was calm and collected, possessing the air of an ancient general, unlike Xu Huang and his ilk who were like rascals, fond of fooling around. He valued discipline above all else, which explained the boys' behavior. Zhou Yu observed the boys' demeanor, secretly marveling at their quiet strength.

Ma Chao smiled and raised his hand: "Get up, all of you. There's nothing much to do today, so there's no need for formalities." He turned to Zhou Yu beside him, "Gongjin, Gan Xiang and Wu Niu go without saying. These three are my adopted sons: Ma Guan, Ma Xiang, and Jiang Wei. They are currently training in the Youlin Army. Recently, Gao Shun has been training them. Look at how well-behaved they are, haha..." The civil and military officials of Xiliang all smiled.

Zhou Yu put down his wine cup, glanced at the young men, and saw that although they were facing a group of powerful and influential people, they were calm and composed, and stood upright like pine trees. He clapped his hands and laughed, "Brother, you are very fortunate! Your nephews are so young yet have such a demeanor. They will surely inherit their father's will and guard this region in the future."

Before the words were even finished, a small figure suddenly darted out from the table. Sun Shaoben, Ma Yue, and Zhou Yin were embracing and reminiscing when they heard the name "Ma Xiang." Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he abruptly broke free from Ma Yue's embrace, ran up to Ma Xiang, clenched his little fist, and punched him in the stomach, shouting angrily in a clear voice, "You're Ma Xiang? You're the one who messed with Big Brother?"

A muffled thud echoed clearly amidst the noisy banquet. Caught off guard, Ma Xiang's brow furrowed instantly, and he instinctively clutched his lower abdomen, remaining silent and offering no resistance. Although he didn't know who this person was, he knew he was close to Ma Yue, but he couldn't understand why he would attack upon first meeting. As a guard in the Young Lin Army, he hadn't received orders, and although he didn't know why Sun Shao had attacked, he didn't hold it against him. However, that fist, like a small hammer, did indeed hurt a bit.

The entire room was taken aback, and the clinking of cups and goblets abruptly ceased. Zhou Yu was first stunned, then his face darkened, and he quickly stood up and pulled Sun Shao aside: "Shao'er! What nonsense are you spouting!" He looked at Ma Xiang, his face apologetic, "Nephew, please don't be offended, this child..."

"He got into an argument with my older brother!" Sun Shao struggled, his face flushed red, glaring at Ma Xiang. "Uncle said in the carriage that you upset my older brother!" He then turned to Wu Niu, Gan Xiang, and Pan Hu and yelled, "Why are you all on his side? Not only are you not helping our older brother beat him up, but you're also standing with him!"

Wu Niu and the other two looked at each other, wondering what Sun Shao was up to.

Ma Yue also quickly got up and came over to pull Sun Shao: "Second brother, we've already made up."

Sun Shao, his neck stiff, suddenly caught sight of Zhou Yin beside him and hurriedly shouted, "Third brother! He's messing with eldest brother!"

Zhou Yin, who had been standing to the side with everyone's attention focused on Sun Shao, ran over and punched Ma Xiang in the arm, yelling, "That's right! You dare mess with my big brother? I'll beat you up!"

Ma Xiang was truly dumbfounded. He clutched his arm and took a half step back, looking at Ma Chao with a blank expression. Why did these two little brats start fighting as soon as they met? He looked down at his military uniform, then at the two sulking little guys, and felt that this banquet was more unexpected than a battlefield.

Ma Chao coughed lightly, about to speak up to smooth things over, when Zhou Yu pulled Zhou Yin over as well, and said to the two children in a stern voice: "Stand still, both of you! Ma Xiang is your elder brother. Even if there is a misunderstanding, you should ask him to clarify it first. What kind of behavior is it to resort to violence? Especially you, Yin'er, you're just making things worse!"

Sun Shao and Zhou Yin were scolded into silence, but they still glared at Ma Xiang. Ma Xiang stood there, looking at this and then at that, and suddenly felt that the fatigue from the military training was nothing compared to the headache he was feeling now.

Seeing the scene before him and hearing Sun Shao shouting "I've offended my elder brother!", Ma Yue finally understood what had happened. He was both annoyed and amused, and quickly stepped forward to pull the two sulking little ones away: "Hey, hey, what are you doing? Stop it!"

He patted Sun Shao on the back first, then ruffled Zhou Yin's hair, and laughed loudly, "It's all a misunderstanding, we should have talked it out long ago!"

As he spoke, he walked over to Ma Xiang, put his hand on the other's shoulder, and shook him vigorously: "Look, we're doing great now! Brother Ma Xiang is the Central Protector of the Youlin Army, and I am the commander of the Right Lin Army. We are comrades-in-arms who fought side by side, and we are brothers even closer than compatriots! From now on, we will guard Xiliang and protect Jiangdong together. How can we really hold grudges?"

Sun Shao blinked, glancing at Ma Yue's hand on Ma Xiang's shoulder, then at the forced smile on Ma Xiang's face that betrayed his helplessness. He finally lowered his fist reluctantly and muttered, "Since Big Brother says so, then...then we're all brothers from now on." He paused, then raised his chin and glared at Ma Xiang, "But if you dare to upset Big Brother again, I'll still beat you up!"

Zhou Yin nodded in agreement, as if to chime in, which made everyone in the room burst into laughter.

"This young lord of Jiangdong is really fiercely protective of his own!"

"A group of kids together is more interesting than us adults!"

Amid the laughter, some people nodded in agreement. Watching Ma Yue pull Sun Shao and Zhou Yin in front of Ma Xiang, insisting that the three of them shake hands to "reconcile," and seeing Sun Shao, though unwilling, still being pushed by Ma Yue to bump fists with Ma Xiang, that childlike stubbornness and pure emotion warmed people's hearts.

In the midst of chaos and the clash of swords, such vibrant camaraderie is a rare sight. Ma Chao watched the children huddle together, chattering away about whether the Right Forest Army or the Jiangdong Navy was more powerful. He raised his wine cup and lightly clinked it against Zhou Yu's, a hint of wistfulness in his smile.

The laughter and conversation at the banquet grew louder, and after several rounds of drinks, everyone's faces showed signs of intoxication. Ma Chao, holding a wine cup, clinked it against Zhou Yu's, spilling a little wine onto his clothes, but he didn't seem to care. It wasn't until the moon was high in the sky that the guests began to take their leave, and the noisy courtyard gradually quieted down, leaving only the two of them sitting opposite each other at the table, the wine jar in front of them already more than half empty.

"Gongjin, don't leave tonight." Ma Chao patted Zhou Yu's shoulder, his breath reeking of alcohol mixed with laughter as he sprayed it onto Zhou Yu's face. "Let's sleep side by side and have a good talk." Zhou Yu smiled and agreed.

Only an oil lamp was lit in the room, its dim light casting long shadows of the two men. Ma Chao had just taken off his outer robe when he saw Zhou Yu suddenly sit up straight, his hands resting on his knees. Although he was seven or eight parts drunk, his eyes were unusually clear, even more serious than when he was sober.

“Brother,” Zhou Yu’s voice was hoarse from drinking, but every word was clear, “There’s something I wanted to tell you in the carriage.”

Ma Chao was taken aback. Seeing his expression, he also stopped smiling and sat down opposite him: "Gongjin, what do you want to say? We are brothers, what can't we say? Please speak freely."

Zhou Yu leaned forward, the light of the oil lamp flickering in his eyes. His tone was earnest, tinged with the effects of alcohol, yet every word was firm and purposeful: "Brother, Jiangdong should either submit to Xiliang and unite as one!"

Ma Chao silently gripped his wine cup tightly. The wine swirled over the rim, splashing onto the back of his hand; the cold touch sobered him up somewhat. "Gongjin," his voice was hoarse, "Bofu is gone, but Jiangdong was won with his life. How can I..."

"Brother, you're being foolish!" Zhou Yu abruptly interrupted him, his drunkenness making him even more urgent. "Bo Fu and you swore an oath to conquer the world together, not to have you hold back your efforts for his cause!" He stood up, causing the oil lamp to flicker and his shadow to sway violently on the wall. "Shao'er is Bo Fu's flesh and blood, but he's only so young. He should be sitting at his desk studying, not being pushed to the forefront, forcing himself to appear calm in front of a bunch of old foxes! If you truly care for him, you should take him in—protect him with the iron cavalry of Xiliang as he grows up, instead of letting him tremble and carry the burden in this chaotic world!"

Ma Chao's Adam's apple bobbed as he gazed out the window at the deep night sky, towards Jiangdong, the place where he and Sun Ce had ridden horses together in their youth. "Let me think..."

"Brother, what are you hesitating about?" Zhou Yu's eyes reddened.

The room fell silent, save for the heavy breathing of the two men. The oil lamp crackled and popped, illuminating Ma Chao's furrowed brow and Zhou Yu's red-rimmed eyes.

After a long silence, Ma Chao gazed at the flickering candlelight outside the tent, his fingertips lightly tapping on the table. When he finally spoke, his voice was heavy with melancholy: "That scoundrel Sun Quan coveted the legacy left by Bo Fu, but we drove him out together. This clean endeavor was hard-won. But if we were to turn around and take Bo Fu's legacy into our own hands, what would the old lady think?" He paused, then turned his gaze to Zhou Yu. "We have a clear conscience; we were only trying to protect Bo Fu's legacy. If we were to 'take over' it like this, we would be suspected of having a premeditated scheme. Wouldn't that be counterproductive?"

Zhou Yu picked up the wine pot and poured half a cup of wine for Ma Chao, his eyes gleaming with understanding: "Brother, you are overthinking it. When the old lady betrothed Shangxiang to you, she made it clear—how could she not know that in a chaotic world, it would be difficult to defend the isolated Jiangdong? Bofu is gone, and the children are still young. Rather than let the family business be devoured and torn apart in the warring states, it is better to entrust it to someone trustworthy."

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice: "The old lady spoke to me privately, saying that seeing how you treat Bo Fu's orphan like your own flesh and blood, and how you treat the people of Jiangdong like your own children, she knew that you were not the kind of person to take advantage of others' misfortunes. What she hoped for was not some seclusion in a corner of the world, but that the people of Jiangdong could live in peace and that Shao'er could have a reliable backer in the future."

"Now that warlords are everywhere and swords are flashing, what is there that is truly secure forever?" Zhou Yu pointed to Xiliang on the map. "My brother's iron cavalry has conquered Guanzhong and held the north in check. If Jiangdong and Xiliang could unite, they would be as close as lips and teeth. Once the world is at peace, the people of Jiangdong can live in peace and prosperity. Shao'er can use this achievement to reward his wife and children, and his descendants will be ennobled for generations. This is what the old lady truly desires."

Seeing Ma Chao's hesitant expression, he added, "Brother, consider this: if you insist on refusing today, what will happen when Yue'er and Shao'er grow up and each has their own power to rely on? If they really come to blows, will you and I be able to live up to Bo Fu's trust from back then? The old lady has put it this way not so that we care about empty reputations, but so that we can shoulder real responsibilities."