sjar Chapter 1188 Ru Chao's Discord, Dong Bai Mediates
Chapter 1188 Ru Chao's Discord, Dong Bai Mediates
The candlelight flickered in the study, casting the shadows of the two figures on the wall, sometimes bright, sometimes dim. The King of Liang sat upright behind his desk, his fingertips tapping the table, and in a deep voice recounted the arrangements for posthumously honoring Sally and then marrying Dong Bai with the rites due to a second wife.
Li Ru had been listening intently at first, but when he heard "Sariel is posthumously granted the title of Queen" and "Dong Bai is to be his second wife," he abruptly looked up, his face instantly turning red as if someone had doused him with a bucket of hot water. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, his voice filled with suppressed anger: "Your Majesty! Have you forgotten how Lord Dong treated you when he was alive? If Sariel were alive, granting her the title of a concubine would have been a tremendous honor. She was originally a barbarian woman, and now she is to be posthumously granted the title of Queen, making Dong Bai his second wife without any real power—how can Lord Dong rest in peace in the afterlife? Do you have any respect for Lord Dong's trust?"
A chill ran down the Liang King's face. This was a blatant interrogation, a clear challenge to his authority. He slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to bounce and spill tea. "Young Master Wenyou! This is a matter for my family. Do you insist on interfering?"
"Family matters?" Li Ru slammed his hand on the table, his voice booming like thunder. "Your Majesty, do not forget that you are the ruler of Xiliang and will one day dominate the world! How can there be a distinction between family matters and state affairs? The stability of the inner quarters is the foundation of the empire. Are you trying to make the Dong family feel disheartened by this arrangement and make the world laugh at you for valuing lust over righteousness?"
"Li Ru!" The King of Liang suddenly stood up, his black brocade robe sweeping across the table, knocking down a scroll of bamboo slips. "Do you really intend to defy me?"
Li Ru, his neck stiff and the veins at his temples throbbing, refused to budge an inch: "Your Highness, Prince Liang! I, Li Ru, am wholeheartedly devoted to your grand plan! I have no objection to how many concubines you wish to take, but Dong Bai is Dong Gong's only hope. How can we allow her to be treated so unjustly?"
"Feeling wronged?" King Liang sneered, his gaze sharp as a knife. "I didn't want to spell it out—the discord between Ma Xiang, Ma Guan, and Ma Yue, wasn't it instigated by you? Bai'er and I aren't even married yet, and you dare to scheme against the children. Do you really think I wouldn't dare kill you?"
Li Ru's face turned deathly pale, as if he had been nailed to the spot by these words. Then he threw his head back and laughed, his laughter filled with sorrow: "King Liang! What have I, Li Ru, sought? Fame? Profit? I only wanted to complete the great cause that Lord Dong had not finished! Everything I have done, wasn't it all for your sake to secure your rule over this country? And now you want to kill me over such a trivial matter?"
"Aren't there enough examples of brothers fighting amongst themselves?" The King of Liang's voice was as cold as ice. "If you sow the seeds of trouble in your inner quarters before your great cause is even accomplished, how will you rule the world in the future? I'm accommodating you today, but what about the future? You will eventually die. If the Dong family takes advantage of this relationship and causes trouble, or if I disregard loyalty and kill you, would that be fair to Lord Dong?"
These words struck Li Ru like a hammer blow. He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word. His face turned pale and then red, and his chest heaved violently, as if a fire was burning inside him, or as if a chill was rising from the soles of his feet.
The study fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the crackling of the candlelight, which illuminated the tense faces of the two men.
In the corridor outside the study, Dong Bai had been standing for a long time. At first, she just wanted to see how the two were discussing, but she didn't expect to hear such a fierce argument, especially Ma Chao's words, "Do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill you?", which were like an ice pick piercing her heart, making her burst into tears.
She didn't care about titles or honors. Sally came before her, and she already had Ma Yue as a child. Whether it was a posthumous title or a second marriage, she was willing to do anything as long as she could be by Ma Chao's side. But her uncle had argued with her husband to this extent for her sake, every word he said was to protect her status; and although her husband was angry, it was also for the sake of the stability of the household and for the children to get along harmoniously... In an instant, heartache, guilt, and grievance all surged up, and she could no longer hold back, pushing open the door and going inside.
"Bai'er!" When Ma Chao saw her face covered in tears, his heart tightened and his anger vanished instantly. He quickly stepped forward to support her, his voice full of pity, "You heard everything? I misspoke and spoke too harshly."
Dong Bai grasped his hand in return, shook her head, and tears streamed down her cheeks: "It's not my fault, my lord. It's my uncle who is too stubborn. You are destined for great things in the future and should not be distracted by these trivial matters of the inner quarters. If this has disturbed your mind, then it is my fault."
Her understanding words made Ma Chao feel even worse. He just stared at her, his eyes full of tenderness.
Dong Bai wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and turned to walk towards Li Ru. Li Ru was sitting stiffly in his chair. Seeing her approach, a complex expression flashed across his face—guilt, resentment, and a hint of helplessness. Dong Bai gently supported his arm, pressing him back into his seat. She then turned and poured him a cup of hot tea, her voice hoarse from crying, yet unusually calm:
"Uncle, I remember all the kindness you've shown me. As your granddaughter, I am naturally deeply grateful for your kindness. But think about it honestly, can my grandfather truly be considered a perfect person in the eyes of the world?"
Li Ru tightened his grip on the teacup, but remained silent.
“You always say that the Dong family bloodline is important,” Dong Bai continued, his gaze clear and firm. “But if that’s really the case, why don’t you choose to assist your second uncle Dong Huang and other relatives in the clan, instead of giving your all to Brother Chao? Isn’t it because Brother Chao is capable and responsible, and can do some practical things for the people and enable them to live a peaceful life?”
She laughed self-deprecatingly: "In the eyes of the Central Plains lords, our Dong family bloodline is nothing more than 'Western Liang barbarians,' so what's so noble about it? Brother Chao isn't fighting for the Dong family, but for the people of this world—I see that clearly."
“You always protect me, afraid that I will be wronged,” Dong Bai looked at Li Ru with earnest eyes, “but Sister Sally died for her husband, and her love is heavier than a mountain. If it were me, I would do the same. Does that mean that my child will be ostracized because of this? No, this is not what I want.”
She sniffed, her voice growing clearer: "I love my husband, not for his status and power, but for his heart that desires peace and stability for the world. Ma Yue is also his child, and I treat him like my own son. How could I care about the word 'remarriage'? Uncle, please let go of this obsession and stop arguing with my husband about these things, okay?"
Looking into her tearful yet resolute eyes, and listening to her clear and insightful words, Li Ru felt the stubborn anger in his heart gradually subside, as if extinguished by her tears. He thought of watching Dong Bai grow up over the years, watching her transform from a naive little girl into the sensible and understanding woman she was today. Reflecting on his own harsh words just now, a hint of shame crept onto his face. In the end, he could only sigh heavily, downing the hot tea in his cup in one gulp. The bitterness of the tea washed over his tongue, but it cleared his confused mind considerably.
The atmosphere in the study finally eased with Dong Bai's arrival. The autumn wind outside the window seemed to have softened as well, swirling up a few fallen leaves and gently landing them on the windowsill, as if drawing a temporary pause to this storm.
After a long pause, Li Ru picked up his teacup and took a sip. The steam from the rim blurred the fine lines around his eyes. Finally, he spoke first, his voice carrying a sigh of age: "Alas, I'm getting old, my mind can't keep up anymore." He put down the teacup, his gaze falling on Ma Chao, his tone becoming much more solemn, "From now on, I, Li Ru, will no longer interfere in the trivial matters of the inner quarters. I will devote all my efforts to assisting Your Majesty and helping you achieve your hegemony. As for the young master Ma Yue, I will also teach him with all my heart and will never fail Your Majesty's trust and expectations over the years."
He paused, as if making a decision, and looked up at Ma Chao with a pleading look in his eyes: "But I have one more request. I only hope that in the future, when Your Majesty or the young master reigns supreme and commands respect across the land, you will not mistreat the Dong family. I hope that Your Majesty and the young master will remember the bond between the Dong family and Your Majesty that began when they were both humble.
As Ma Chao listened, his fingertips tapped lightly on the table. Only after Li Ru finished speaking did he slowly reply, "Sir, you are overthinking it. I am not afraid of what others say, but Ma Yue is only five or six years old now, and he has not been raised by my side since childhood. I will definitely teach him carefully and personally in the future, and I will never slack off." He changed the subject, looking at the distant mountains outside the window, his tone somewhat solemn, "Besides, my Xiliang is just a small corner of the land now, and it is still a long way from dominating the world. It is too early to talk about such things."
“I, Ma Chao, would not presume to say that I am all-knowing, but I am certainly not a stubborn or inflexible person.” He turned back to look at Li Ru, his eyes open and honest. “I will definitely teach Ma Yue well, so that he can become the successor in my heart who can shoulder the responsibility. But if he is really not cut out for it, that’s fine too. Wealth and honor can always be guaranteed. I will never force him into that position for the sake of the so-called ‘inheritance’.”
"Sir, you must also understand," Ma Chao's voice deepened, carrying an undeniable firmness, "what I, Ma Chao, want to do is to make some changes for the world and seek some real benefits for the people. If Ma Yue grows up and can't even tolerate this small amount of affection from the Dong family, how can such a person possibly work for the people? If he doesn't even have this much magnanimity, and can't protect this world, how can I entrust the future of the people to him with peace of mind?"
After hearing this, Li Ru was taken aback at first, then clapped his hands and laughed heartily, the gloom in his eyes dissipating considerably: "It seems that I was too attached to appearances, judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person. My words today may have been offensive, please do not take them to heart, Your Majesty."
Ma Chao quickly stepped forward and helped Li Ru up, a relieved smile on his face: "Sir, you flatter me. With your words, I have no more worries." Their eyes met, and the slight estrangement from before seemed to vanish in their smile and words.
After dealing with Li Ru's matter, Ma Chao discussed with Xu Shu and Lu Su the matter of posthumously conferring the title of Queen upon Sally. He specifically instructed them to bring their advisors and prepare several alternatives for consideration at the time.
After everything was arranged, the sun outside the window had risen to its zenith, and the sundial under the eaves pointed directly to noon. Ma Chao rubbed his temples, pushed the documents on the table aside, and instructed the guards standing by: "Go to the inner quarters and tell Ma Yue to take Gan Xiang, Wu Niu, and Pan Hu, as well as the orphans of the guards from Jiangdong, to make preparations."
He paused, then added, "Also, Ma Xiang, Ma Guan, and Jiang Wei, who are already in Chang'an, along with the children of the generals in the army, have them all gather at the Xiliang camp in the west of the city this afternoon."
"Yes." The guard responded and left.
Ma Chao got up and walked to the window, gazing at the lush locust tree in the courtyard, his fingertips unconsciously tapping on the window frame. Among these children were his own sons, his adopted sons, the orphans of his subordinates, and the offspring of his generals. Though young, they were the future of Xiliang.
Before long, a commotion came from the inner quarters, indicating that the children had received the news. Ma Chao straightened his clothes and called out to the door, "Prepare the horses, let's go to the camp."
His personal guards brought over his mount, "Ta Xue," and Ma Chao mounted it. A dozen or so guards followed behind him, and with the clatter of hooves, they headed west of the city.