binnovel Chapter 1190 Recalling the Past: What is Comradeship?
Chapter 1190 Recalling the Past: What is Comradeship?
Ma Chao closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, the crimson in his eyes had faded considerably, leaving only a deep solemnity. He looked at the children kneeling on the ground and softened his voice: "Get up, all of you."
The children hesitated as they got up, still with their heads down and their shoulders trembling slightly, clearly still shaken from the shock they had just experienced.
“I’m angry today not because you’re arguing or fighting,” Ma Chao said, his gaze sweeping over the young faces. “It’s because you’ve forgotten that the peaceful life we have now was won with the blood and lives of your fathers.”
He turned to the generals beside him and ordered in a deep voice, "Remove your armor."
Although Pang De, Zhang Xiu, and the others were puzzled, they accepted the order without hesitation. The sound of armor plates clashing echoed one after another, and before long, all the generals were bare-chested, their exposed backs and arms covered with crisscrossing scars—some were arrow wounds, with the marks of the arrowheads still visible in the dents; others were knife scars, winding like snakes, recording the dangers of the battles fought to the death.
“Come and take a look,” Ma Chao beckoned to the children, his voice carrying an undeniable authority, “look at the scars on your fathers and uncles. These are the scars left from my battles across the country, from the bloody fights I fought alongside them.”
The children timidly took a few steps forward, and when their eyes fell on the hideous scars, they couldn't help but gasp.
"On the battlefield, we are brothers who can entrust our backs to each other," Ma Chao's voice carried the weight of the battlefield. "It is because of their desperate efforts that you can study in the mansion and play in the courtyard today. As for the fathers of the children around Ma Yue, they didn't even have the chance to have scars. They fell forever on foreign soil to protect me."
He paused, his gaze sharpening: "At such a young age, you hold prejudices against each other and look down on one another because of your background and the gossip of others—that is the most foolish and the most wrong thing to do!"
The children were shocked by these words. Some of them had tears in their eyes, and some instinctively wanted to kneel down again, but Ma Chao stopped them: "There is no need to kneel. I am not here to punish you today, but to reason with you."
“Ma Xiang, Ma Guan, and Jiang Wei, you are my adopted sons,” he said earnestly, looking at his three adopted sons. “You are the children of Pang De and Zhang Liao, and you are my brothers. Your status has never been low.”
He then turned to Ma Yue and Jiang Dong's children: "Ma Yue is my biological son, but I am protecting you today not because of his status, but because you are the descendants of the brothers who lost their lives for me—your father deserves everyone's respect."
Having said that, Ma Chao raised his hand and tugged at his armor. His personal guards quickly stepped forward to help him remove the heavy armor. The black armor fell to the ground, revealing his back, which was also covered with scars.
“Look,” Ma Chao pointed to the scars on his body, his voice resounding, “A man’s achievements and the dignity that earns him respect are never earned by the status of a ‘young master’ or ‘adopted son,’ but by fighting with his own blood and sweat. In the future, whoever can win people’s respect will not be judged by whose son he is, but by whether he has the ability, the sense of responsibility, and whether he cherishes the bonds of loyalty and friendship that have been earned with his life!”
The training ground was quiet, save for the sound of the autumn wind rustling the banners. The children gazed at the scars, at Ma Chao's resolute profile, and the awkwardness and resentment they had felt seemed to dissipate little by little in the autumn breeze. Ma Xiang stole a glance at Wu Niu, and seeing him looking back, their eyes met, and both lowered their heads somewhat embarrassed; Ma Yue's clenched fist slowly relaxed, and the stubbornness in his eyes softened.
Pang De, watching from the side, quietly smiled at Zhang Xiu and said, "The lesson the King of Liang taught us is more effective than any words we could say."
Zhang Xiu nodded, her eyes filled with relief: "The knot in the children's hearts is about to be untied."
Seeing that the children's expressions were gradually softening, Ma Chao's face warmed up. He turned to his generals and said with a smile, "Put on your armor, everyone. It's late autumn and the wind is chilly. Be careful not to catch a cold."
The generals obeyed the order, and the clanging of armor plates rang out again. Before long, they were fully dressed. The armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight, but it could not conceal the sincerity they had shown when they exposed their scars.
“Your fathers fought on the front lines to reduce the flames of war in this world,” Ma Chao said solemnly as he turned his gaze back to the children. “You should study hard to learn skills—to be able to govern the country with your knowledge and to fight with your skills, so that you can take over the heavy responsibilities on your father’s shoulders in the future, protect the people of Xiliang, and be worthy of the scars on their bodies.”
As soon as the words were spoken, the children knelt down in unison, their childish voices filled with unprecedented determination: "We understand!"
Ma Chao walked up to Ma Xiang, bent down to help him up, his gaze gentle yet weighty: "Ma Xiang, you are the son of my sworn brother Cheliji. Back in the Western Qiang, your father and I were like brothers, sharing a deep bond. Later, when Western Liang was in danger, your father led troops to our aid without hesitation. That bond was stronger than gold and stone. You are his son, and in my eyes, how are you any different from my own flesh and blood?"
Ma Xiang's eyes reddened, his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a word.
Ma Chao then turned to Ma Guan, raising his hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of his eyes: "Your family was killed by the Xiongnu back then. Although your life was bitter, you have always shown composure since childhood. I always said that you were more sensible than children your age, and I was truly gratified for you. But today, it seems that you are still just a child after all." He paused, his voice softening, "Have I treated you any differently than I have treated Ma Xiang and Jiang Wei?"
“No…” Ma Guan choked back tears and shook his head, but the tears flowed even more fiercely. “Father has never shown favoritism towards any of us…”
"Good boy." Ma Chao patted his head, then walked to Jiang Wei, his fingertips brushing the stray hairs from the boy's forehead: "Jiang Wei, your father, Jiang Jiong, fought outside Chang'an to cover my retreat, killing his entire army, and died without ever flinching. Your uncle, Jiang Xu, is still in the Xiliang army, doing his best to protect the people of this region. Tell me, have I shown favoritism to any of you three, or treated you poorly?"
"No! Father has never treated us differently!" Jiang Wei looked up, tears welling in his eyes, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall. "It was my foolishness that angered Father!"
Ma Xiang and Ma Guan also stepped forward, embracing Ma Chao's armor, and choked back tears, saying in unison, "Father, your children were wrong!"
Ma Chao smiled and patted the three men on the back: "It's good that you know you're wrong. Get up."
He turned and walked towards Ma Yue. The boy remained standing in the same spot, his back ramrod straight, but the stubbornness from before was gone. Ma Chao stopped in front of him, his voice softening: "Yue'er, you've seen it too. Every scar on these uncles and elders, wasn't it left for their father, for the people of this world?"
“When you were in Jiangdong, Gan Xiang and the others were willing to obey your orders. That was your ability, and it was also because Gongjin and Ziyi took good care of you out of respect for your father.” Ma Chao raised his hand and gently placed it on his son’s shoulder.
Ma Chao raised his hand and patted Ma Yue's shoulder heavily, the force of his palm carrying an undeniable expectation. "When you get to Chang'an, you'll understand. Those children are about your age; they should be as close as brothers. Why are there so many rifts between them?" His gaze swept over the frolicking boys in the distance, his voice carrying the weight of battlefield experience. "You can get along well with Gan Xiang and the others, so why can't you tolerate those kids in Chang'an?"
He paused, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the fabric on Ma Yue's shoulder, his tone deepening: "I'm not here today to stand up for you. A real man takes what he wants with his own hands. What kind of skill is it to intimidate others with your status?" He leaned closer, his eyes sharp as knives, "You think you're superior just because you're 'Ma Chao's son'? You're wrong—in the camp in Chang'an, you're no different from them. You're just a general's son, and you have to rely on your fists and your abilities to win people over."
Ma Yue stiffened his neck, his cheeks flushed red, but he listened with utmost concentration.
“Don’t think that the Ma family’s reputation can protect you for life,” Ma Chao’s voice suddenly rose, carrying the imposing aura of war. “This world today was won by our brothers with their lives! Without these generals fighting bloody battles, how could the Ma family have a foothold today? You must remember, it is they who support you, not you who step on them.”
Ma Yue nodded firmly, then suddenly looked up to meet his father's gaze, a stubborn light flashing in his eyes: "I understand! But I still want to be their leader!"
Ma Chao laughed loudly, slapping Ma Yue on the back, causing him to stagger forward half a step: "Good lad, that's more like the spirit of Ma Chao!" He narrowed his eyes, a provocative smile playing on his lips, "Want to be the boss? Fine—go and talk to those kids right now, show them what you've got! Can you take down three in the training ground, or can you set up an even more ingenious formation on the sand table? Let them see with their own eyes that you, 'Ma Chao's son,' aren't a spineless coward who lives off your father!"
The crowd was ignited by the youthful spirit and immediately cheered, instantly making the atmosphere in the camp boil over. Ma Chao turned around with a smile, strode back to the commander's chair at the head of the table, sat down with a flick of his robe, exuding a powerful aura like a dragon coiled and a tiger crouching. His gaze swept over the young men in the arena who were rubbing their hands together in anticipation, with a hint of expectation: "Now that the rules have been set, let's not dawdle."
The young men from Chang'an were inspired by Ma Yue's enthusiasm, and they rolled up their sleeves. Some pounded their chests and shouted, "Let's compete!" while others started to stretch their muscles. Even Gan Xiang and his group couldn't hold back and gathered around Ma Yue to discuss their strategy in whispers—the awkwardness from before had long been dispelled by the competitive spirit.
“We’ll do it your way.” Ma Chao picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his voice carried clearly through the noise. “Martial arts are about skill, archery is about accuracy, and military formations are about command. The one with the highest total score will naturally be the ‘leader’ of you kids. I’ll be here watching and see how much of the skills your fathers have taught you over the years.”
Ma Yue clenched his fist and gestured with his chin towards the surrounding teenagers: "Who's afraid of who? Don't cry if you lose!"
"Let's make this clear first, stop when you've made a move, no one's allowed to actually hurt anyone!" someone shouted from the crowd, immediately drawing a chorus of agreement—after all, it was a contest of skill, not a fight to make enemies.
The generals stood on either side of the commander's chair, all with smiles on their faces. Pang De stroked his beard, looking at Ma Yue, who looked exactly like Ma Chao in his youth, with satisfaction in his eyes; Xu Huang patted the shoulder of his adjutant beside him, pointing to his son: "See? If you lose, you'll have to train extra when you get home!"
The wind in the camp carried the boys' shouts and cheers, mixed with the distant sound of horns, creating a scorching heat—this competition had nothing to do with status, only with true skill, and it was ten times more vibrant than the usual drills.