Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1185 Ma Chao Returns to the Capital, People's Hearts Turn to Him

Autumn winds swirled withered leaves along the official road outside Chang'an, as if guiding the returning army. The King of Liang reined in his horse, which snorted restlessly, its hooves kicking up dust. The outline of the city walls grew clearer in the twilight. The soldiers on the walls recognized the fluttering banner bearing the character "Liang" and panicked—some knocked over their quivers, others trampled off their helmets, creating utter chaos.

General Gao Ming was dozing against the battlements when his personal guards shook and pulled him awake. He was still rubbing his eyes and muttering to himself. When he saw the dusty cavalry below the city, especially the figure in black armor at the front, he broke out in a cold sweat. The belt of his armor hung loosely on his shoulder, and he was rushing down the city walls with his helmet in his hand. His footsteps on the stone steps thumped loudly, like the beating of drums.

"Your Majesty! This humble general is late in welcoming you, I deserve to die!" Gao Ming ran to the King of Liang's horse and knelt down with a thud, his forehead touching the dust. Seeing this, the soldiers on the city tower and at the city gate also knelt down in unison, the sounds of clashing armor and weapons hitting the ground filling the air, as they shouted in unison, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Get up, all of you." The King of Liang dismounted, his voice carrying the calm honed by the battlefield, carried by the wind. His gaze swept over the people kneeling on the ground, his brows furrowing slightly—he had intended to enter the city quietly, but had still alerted so many people.

The commotion at the city gate had already attracted the crowd. At first, it was just a few peddlers peeking out with their loads, but when they saw that it was the King of Liang returning, they erupted into a frenzy. "Is that the King of Liang?" "I heard he defeated Lü Bu at Hulao Pass!" "He looks so young, even more heroic than in the paintings!" The discussions surged like a tide, and more and more people squeezed out of the streets and alleys. There were women carrying vegetable baskets, schoolchildren carrying schoolbags, and elderly people leaning on canes, instantly blocking the city gate.

Gao Ming had just gotten up when he was so shocked by the scene that he shrank back down. He awkwardly approached the King of Liang and said, "King of Liang, why didn't you send a message beforehand? The old lord and the people in the mansion don't know yet. How about... I send someone to deliver the message right away?" As he spoke, he took the reins of the King of Liang's horse and pretended to lead the way.

"No need." The King of Liang patted his shoulder, his fingertips bearing the marks of the journey. "The war is over, returning is just a normal thing. Making a big fuss is not appropriate. Your guarding of the city gate is more important than anything else." He looked up at the crowded people and said loudly, "Fellow villagers, please disperse. Blocking the city gate will only delay the passage of people."

Gao Ming hurriedly directed his soldiers to clear the way: "Everyone, make way, let the King of Liang enter the city! Everyone step back!" But the people were unwilling to comply. Shouts of "We want to see the King of Liang" and "Thank you, King of Liang, for keeping us safe" rose and fell. Instead of stepping back, they crowded even more tightly. Some people even offered the fruit they had just bought, shouting, "King of Liang, have a taste."

The soldiers struggled mightily to carve a narrow path through the crowd, just wide enough for one person and one horse to pass. The King of Liang stepped forward first, his black armor gleaming coldly in the twilight. With each step, the shouts around him grew louder. "Please don't push, everyone. If anything goes wrong, it will be my fault." His words were gentle, yet carried a persuasive power, and the crowd indeed loosened its grip slightly.

Jia Xu followed behind him, looking at the crowded scene, and sighed in a low voice: "King Liang, the people love you so much, it is truly a blessing for Xiliang. I admire you."

The King of Liang paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the eager faces. Suddenly, he recalled the scene in Jingzhou—Liu Bei was surrounded by the people then. How similar was that scene to the present? Both had a heart to benefit the people, so why are the two brothers now drifting further and further apart?

He remained silent and continued walking. The last rays of the setting sun filtered through the gaps in the crowd, casting dappled shadows on him. Though the street was crowded, people gradually parted to make way under Gao Ming's skillful direction. The horses' hooves pounded on the bluestone slabs with slow, steady sounds, as if measuring the weight of this land and the significance of the people's hearts.

The commotion in the city had already reached the depths of the palace. This former palace of Liu Bian, now renamed the Liang King's Mansion, still exuded royal grandeur with its vermilion walls and gilded eaves. Scouts had already galloped back to report that the Liang King had returned. In an instant, civil and military officials gathered at the palace gates, their brocade robes and jade belts mingling with the cold steel of their armor, creating a scene even more lively than a typical court assembly.

Ma Chao's family members also waited before the steps. Dong Bai, dressed in a red ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), stood at the front, with Ma Chao's biological son, Ma Yue, beside her. The child's features resembled Ma Chao's, but his brows carried a hint of aloofness. Behind them, the group of orphaned guards who had grown up in Jiangdong silently gazed at the end of the palace path. On the other side, Ma Xiang, Ma Guan, and Jiang Wei stood side by side, followed by a group of sons from generals' families. They were all six or seven years old, yet they stood like two distinct groups of small animals, not even glancing at each other, an awkward tension hanging in the air.

"Yue'er," Dong Bai gently patted Ma Yue's back, "Your father has just returned from the battlefield, covered in the hardships of war. Don't be stubborn. Although Ma Xiang and the others aren't your blood brothers, they are the children who have been with your father since he was little. They are the people you can rely on in the future. How can you hold a grudge all the time?"

Ma Yue pursed his lips and didn't speak, but clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

On the other side, Cai Wenji frowned at Ma Xiang and the other two: "Ma Yue is your adoptive father's own flesh and blood. He suffered in Jiangdong since childhood and never received much fatherly love. You grew up by your adoptive father's side and received much of his affection. You should have given way to your younger brother." Her gaze fell on Ma Xiang, and her tone became harsher, "If you hadn't spoken so recklessly and said such hurtful things, how could things have escalated to the point of fighting? Now, if the King saw you like this, how heartbroken would he be?"

Ma Xiang's face flushed crimson, his head drooping to his chest, his fingers twisting the hem of his clothes. Ma Guan tugged at his sleeve, his own head bowed, but the tips of his ears were bright red. Jiang Wei, the youngest, also pursed his lips and remained silent, only stealing glances at Ma Yue's group with a hint of resentment and a touch of guilt. The children of the generals behind them dared not utter a sound, their toes shuffling on the ground, their eyes shifting between the two groups, but none of them daring to take the first step.

In this delicate stalemate, the sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, growing ever closer, mingling with the soft clatter of armor plates, like a series of steady drumbeats striking the hearts of everyone present. Looking over, they saw Ma Chao, still clad in his silver armor, the plates stained with traces of battlefield mud and dark red blood, yet unable to conceal his imposing heroic spirit. Behind him followed Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu, their personal guards leading the horses, their steps steady, crunching the fallen leaves on the palace path.

As the figure at the end of the palace path became clearer, Ma Yue's breathing quickened slightly, his clenched fists clenched and unclenched again, and complex emotions surged in his eyes—a mixture of unfamiliarity, filial piety, and a touch of youthful stubbornness. Ma Xiang and the other two also quietly raised their heads, their eyes filled with tension, guilt, and a hint of resentment, like little dogs who had done something wrong, afraid of being punished yet unwilling to easily bow their heads.

Dong Bai and Cai Wenji exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of anticipation and trepidation in each other's eyes. The civil and military officials at the palace gate also fell silent, their gazes all fixed on the approaching figure—the King of Liang had returned, and this mansion, this land, seemed to have instantly found its anchor because of his return.

Ma Chao stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the civil and military officials below the steps, nodding slightly in acknowledgment, before settling on the family members. When his gaze passed over the invisible boundary between Ma Yue and Ma Xiang, he paused, but said nothing. He first looked at Dong Bai, his voice carrying a hint of weariness from his journey, yet gentle: "I'm back."

A smile instantly appeared in Dong Bai's eyes, and he nodded: "You must have had a long journey."

Just then, Ma Yue suddenly took a small step forward, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words back. Ma Xiang also suddenly raised his head and met Ma Yue's gaze. Both of them were stunned for a moment, and then looked away at the same time.

The tension in the air seemed to loosen slightly at this moment.

Ma Chao's gaze swept over the childish standoff, and without saying a word, he turned to look at the civil and military officials below. Li Ru was dressed in a brocade robe, Pang De was still in his armor, and all the civil and military officials stood in order, their expressions full of respect.

“Mr. Wenyou,” Ma Chao nodded to Li Ru, his voice earnest, “I’m grateful that you’re here in Chang’an to keep the rear stable.” He then glanced at everyone, “My trip to Jiangdong will take another year. I will remember your hard work in staying behind.”

Li Ru stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty bears the weight of the world on your shoulders; this is truly a difficult task. We are merely fulfilling our duty to defend our land." Pang De and the other generals echoed in unison, "We are willing to die for Your Majesty!"

"I heard that Your Majesty went to Hulao Pass again a few days ago and fought a great battle with Lü Bu?" Li Ru stroked his beard, his tone filled with concern. "Now that you have returned, the most important thing is to rest well and not overwork yourself."

Ma Chao smiled, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes appearing even more pronounced from the dust of his journey: "Very well. After I have seen my father and mother and washed away this dust, I will host a banquet at the Liang Prince's residence tomorrow, where we can all drink a cup together. It will be a celebration of our victory and a way to relieve our fatigue."

The crowd responded in unison, bowed, and dispersed. The crowd at the palace gate gradually thinned out, leaving only Ma Chao's family and children.

A group of close female friends then gathered around. Dong Bai handed over a clean handkerchief, and Cai Wenji instructed her maid to prepare hot water, her brows furrowed with concern. The children also moved closer, but the invisible boundary remained clear.

Ma Chao walked towards Ma Yue first and reached out to rub his head. Ma Yue stiffened his neck and looked at him with a distant and unfamiliar gaze, as well as a hint of inexplicable anger, like a small animal that had been provoked.

"You've grown so tall," Ma Chao said in a low voice, his fingertips able to touch the child's stiff hair.

Before Ma Yue could respond, he turned to the other side, pulled Jiang Wei in front of him, and laughed heartily: "You little rascal, it's only been a short time, and you've grown half a head taller!" As he spoke, he picked him up and rubbed the child's cheek with his stubble, very affectionately.

Ma Yue watched from the side, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper. Suddenly, he snorted and turned to walk back. The group of orphaned guards from Jiangdong behind him turned to look at Ma Chao, but said nothing and silently followed Ma Yue.

"Yue'er!" Dong Bai tried to call out to him, but Ma Chao stopped him.

Ma Chao put Jiang Wei down and watched Ma Yue's figure disappear around the corner of the palace road, a knowing glint in his eyes. He looked at Dong Bai and asked calmly, "Are the children having a tiff?"

Dong Bai took the cloak he had taken off and said softly, "My lord, you must be tired from your journey. Go back and wash up and rest first. I will tell you the details later."

Cai Wenji also tried to smooth things over, saying, "He's just a child; he'll be fine in a few days. Your Majesty should hurry back to your room; the old lady must be getting impatient."

Ma Chao nodded, glanced at Ma Xiang and Ma Guan who were still standing there in a daze, and ruffled their hair: "You two go too, I'll test your studies tomorrow."

The two children breathed a sigh of relief, replied "Yes," and pulled Jiang Wei away.