Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1161 Farewell to Jiangdong, Passing Through Jingzhou

Qiao Xuan hurried back to the Sun residence, and as soon as he entered, he shouted with a laugh, "Big sister, it's done! It's done!"

The old lady was sitting on the veranda waiting for news, her prayer beads spinning rapidly in her hands. Upon hearing this, she abruptly stood up, nearly knocking over the teacup beside her: "Master Qiao, what did you say? Meng Qi, he..."

"It wasn't Meng Qi who agreed, it was his Miss Dong who agreed!" Qiao Xuan stroked his beard and recounted the scene in the reception room. "That Miss Dong Bai is truly a shrewd person. She said it was a good thing for Shang Xiang to marry into the family, and that she would make the decisions about the inner quarters. She made the decision with just one sentence!"

The old lady paused for a moment, then suddenly covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face, yet she smiled, "Good...good...Xiang'er, that girl, finally has a good home." She wiped away her tears, turned and walked into the inner room, "I'll go and have someone prepare the dowry! It must be a grand affair, Xiang'er can't be wronged!"

Qiao Xuan quickly stopped her: "Don't worry, elder sister. Meng Qi and the others brought their female relatives back to Chang'an to get married. Miss Dong said she wants to hold the wedding in Chang'an as well, so it will be more lively."

The old lady paused, somewhat reluctant, but understanding the situation: "That's right, Chang'an is his base, it's more appropriate to handle things there." She thought for a moment and then said, "Then I have to let Xiang'er go with them. I'll have someone send her dowry along with her. She has to be by his side to serve him, so that Meng Qi will treat her well."

A few days later, Ma Chao came to say goodbye with Dong Bai, Ma Yue and others. As soon as he entered the courtyard, the old lady grabbed his hand and said affectionately, as if he were her own nephew: "Mengqi, stay a few more days. Xiang'er's dowry is not yet ready."

Just as Ma Chao was about to speak, the old lady spoke again: "You've lost weight these past few days, eat more. Xiang'er has never left my side since she was little. The journey to Chang'an is long, so let her come with you so that you can take care of her."

Her words implied that Sun Shangxiang should accompany him, leaving Ma Chao utterly bewildered. The man who would remain unfazed in the face of thousands of soldiers on the battlefield blushed as the old lady chatted about mundane matters, stammering, "Aunt, we've already been delayed for quite some time..."

"What's the delay?" The old lady glared at him, then smiled. "You're Xiang'er's husband now. As her mother-in-law, shouldn't I keep you here for a few days?" She pulled Ma Chao toward the inner room. "Come on, I think the clothes Xiang'er is sewing for you are almost finished. Let's go see them."

Sun Shangxiang was embroidering in the room when she saw Ma Chao being pulled in by the old lady. Her face flushed red, and she almost pricked her fingertips with the needle and thread. The old lady nudged Ma Chao and said, "You talk to Xiang'er for a bit. I'm going to check the dowry list." With that, she smiled and left, closing the door behind her.

The room fell silent; they could hear each other breathing. Ma Chao looked at Sun Shangxiang's reddened ears and coughed lightly, "Then... the clothes, are they almost finished being embroidered?"

Sun Shangxiang lowered her head and replied softly, "Yes, a few more stitches are needed."

These past few days, the old lady has been bringing the two of them together every day. Although Ma Chao felt a little awkward, he could also see that although the girl was shy on the surface, there was joy hidden in her eyes. The awkwardness in his heart gradually faded, and instead, a strange warmth arose.

The old lady insisted on keeping her for another three days, until the dowry boxes were loaded onto the carriages, from gold and silver utensils to silk and satin, filling ten carriages in total, before she finally reluctantly agreed to let her go.

By July 15th, Shandong was already scorching hot. The Jiangdong Wharf was bustling with activity. Ma Chao's entourage, Ma Yue's playmates, and the orphans of his personal guards, along with their mothers, crowded the shore, with long lines of luggage carts. The old lady took Sun Shangxiang's hand and solemnly placed her in Ma Chao's palm. As soon as her fingers parted, tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string.

Sun Shangxiang knelt down with a thud, her forehead pressed against her mother's hand, her shoulders trembling as she cried, "Mother..."

"Why are you crying?" The old lady wiped her face with her sleeve, her expression stern but her voice trembling uncontrollably. "Live a good life with Prince Liang..."

“Mother!” Sun Shangxiang tugged at her mother’s clothes, choking back tears and unable to speak.

Ma Chao gripped Sun Shangxiang's hand tightly and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, Madam, I will never betray her in this life."

Dong Bai stepped forward and took Sun Shangxiang's arm, gently advising, "Sister, don't cry. When we get to Chang'an, we sisters will spend more time together. If you miss home, we'll come back to see the old lady. The journey is long, but we'll always find time." She glanced at Ma Chao, her eyes filled with a smile, "If he's not available, I'll accompany you back alone. No one can stop me."

Before they could even calm things down here, a group of boys over there, not yet understanding the meaning of parting, were already crying their eyes out. The cries on the dock almost drowned out the sound of the river. Sun Shao clutched Ma Yue's sleeve, his face smeared with tears and snot, Zhou Yin squatted on the ground, his shoulders shaking with sobs, and even the usually tough Lin Tong had red eyes. Wu Niu, Pan Hu, and a few other orphaned guards, carrying small bundles, were also reluctant to leave, but they knew they had to go with Ma Yue, and their mothers would come along too. Although they were also reluctant, their feelings weren't as intense as the others; they simply stood aside wiping away their tears.

"Sun Shao!" Ma Yue straightened his face, hands on his hips in a serious manner. "Have you forgotten? Just the other day you were patting your chest and saying you would be my General Who Guards the South and protect Jiangdong. And now, after such a short time, you're crying like this. If word gets out, people will say that my general, Ma Yue, is a crybaby!"

Sun Shao sobbed and shook his head, tears streaming down his face: "I don't care... I don't want to be a general anymore, I want to go to Chang'an with you! I want to practice spear fighting with you, climb trees and raid bird nests together..."

Zhou Yin also cried, "That's right! Brother Yue, please take us with you. My mother said that if I go to Chang'an, I can study under Mr. Zhou..."

Unable to resist the persistent questioning, Ma Yue softened his tone and patted Sun Shao on the back: "Silly boy, it's not like we're never coming back. Once you've trained the soldiers in Jiangdong well, and I've honed my horsemanship in Chang'an, we might even be able to go to the battlefield together again. If you're still such a crybaby then, and the enemy comes at you with a sword, are you going to cry and beg them not to do it?"

These words made the adults nearby chuckle secretly, but Sun Shao still wouldn't let go, clinging to Ma Yue's arm.

Ma Chao watched from afar, raised his eyebrows slightly, and turned to Zhou Yu, saying, "Gongjin, you should go and persuade him. This kid is the Marquis of Wu now, he can't keep crying like this. You'll have to work on him more in the future."

Zhou Yu smiled and agreed, then walked over and squatted down among the children. He took out a piece of candy from his pocket and handed it to Yao Shao: "Shao'er, look, Ma Yue and the others went to Chang'an to learn skills. You stay here and practice martial arts with General Taishi, and learn strategy from me. When Ma Yue comes back in the future, you can compare your skills, okay?"

He then looked at Zhou Yin: "Yin'er, you too. Once you've memorized the military treatise, I'll have Ma Yue write a letter to you, okay?"

Sun Shao clutched the candy, his eyes brimming with tears as he looked at Ma Yue. Ma Yue raised his fist at him and said, "Remember this: practice hard and don't slack off, or next time we meet, I can knock you down with one punch!"

"No way!" Sun Shao retorted, his neck stiff, but his tears gradually stopped.

Zhou Yin also stood up, wiped his face, and said, "Brother Yue, I will study hard, and I will be your Grand Commander when the time comes!"

The crying on the dock gradually subsided, leaving only the children's voices as they gave each other words of encouragement. Wu Niu shouted, "Brother Shao, I'm leaving my wooden sword with you. Once you've practiced your shouting, I'll come back and challenge you!" Pan Hu chimed in, "I left you a jar of dried plums my mother made. Have your mother get them for you!"

Zhou Yu walked back to Ma Chao's side and laughed, "Look, these lads have washed away the sadness of parting in my heart."

Looking at the group of children, Ma Chao's eyes warmed: "Young people have their own concerns and their own ambitions. When they grow up, perhaps they can really fight together on the battlefield, just as they say."

As they were talking, Ma Yue had already made pinky promises with Sun Shao and Zhou Yin, and patted each other on the shoulder, bidding farewell like a group of little adults. Ma Yue took one last look in the direction of Jiangdong, and then led Wu Niu and the others onto the ship.

Sun Shao stood on the shore, watching the boat gradually sail away, when he suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brother! I will definitely master my skills! You wait for me!"

A reply came from the river breeze: "I'm waiting! Don't disappoint me—"

The sound faded into the distance, eventually swallowed by the waves. Zhou Yu patted Sun Shao's head: "Let's go back. From today onwards, we'll have to work twice as hard on what we need to learn."

Sun Shao nodded emphatically, clutching the candy in his hand. Watching the departing boat, tears still welled in his eyes, but didn't fall. The crowd on the dock gradually dispersed, leaving only the ceaseless flow of the river.

As the boat reached the middle of the river, the current gradually slowed. Ma Chao leaned against the railing, gazing at the receding reeds on both banks, his thoughts involuntarily drifting back to the night before his departure.

That night, Zhou Yu made a special trip to his residence. After dismissing everyone else, he got straight to the point: "Brother, I heard from Zijing that you plan to return to Chang'an via Jingzhou?"

Ma Chao nodded: "Yes, this route is the shortest and we can arrive a few days earlier."

Zhou Yu frowned, his tone filled with worry: "Brother, the situation in Jingzhou is complicated now. Although Liu Bei is your fellow disciple, Guan Yu under his command is arrogant and self-willed, and Zhang Fei is hot-tempered. Moreover, there is already a rift between you fellow disciples. If you take your family on this journey, I'm afraid something unforeseen will happen."

“Gongjin’s concerns are not without my own,” Ma Chao turned around, his gaze calm. “But it is precisely because the situation is so complex that we need to ask for a way to show our openness. Xuande and I are, after all, fellow disciples, and I have never wronged him. My senior brother is also a sincere gentleman, and I believe he will not make things difficult for us because of some minor grudges.”

He paused, then continued his analysis: "Furthermore, although going through Jingzhou is risky, it saves half a month of travel compared to going around Huainan. Before I set off, Zhang Liao had already gone to attack Luoyang, and we don't know the outcome yet. By passing through Jingzhou, we can return to Chang'an sooner and put Xiliang at ease."

Zhou Yu remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed: "Since you have thought it through, I will not try to persuade you any further. But... be careful in everything. If anything unexpected happens, send someone back to Jiangdong to report the news immediately, and I will definitely find a way to help you."

"Thank you for the reminder, Gongjin." Ma Chao cupped his hands and said, "The affairs of Jiangdong will require your and Gongjin's continued attention."

Just as he was pondering, he heard footsteps behind him. Ma Chao turned around and saw Dong Bai approaching with a cup of hot tea. Dong Bai said softly, "The night breeze is cool. Have a cup of tea to warm yourself up."

Ma Chao took the teacup, his fingertips touching the cool porcelain, but his gaze was fixed on Gan Ning's tense profile. His tone was calm but carried an undeniable air: "It's stuffy in the cabin. The river breeze is just right. Go and invite Liu Jingzhou to come and enjoy the breeze and have a cup of cool tea."

Gan Ning turned his face toward the ship's railing, his cheeks puffed out, clearly still sulking about being left behind. "If you want to invite them, go invite them yourself," he said in a muffled voice. "I'm here to keep an eye on the navy's progress, not to run errands."