Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1206 Ma Yue's Current Situation Reassures Zhou Yu

Zhou Yu's words were like a stone thrown into a lake, creating ripples in Ma Chao's heart. He stood with his hands behind his back by the window, silent for a long time, before slowly turning around. The hesitation in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a clear understanding, and a relieved smile even appeared on his lips: "Gongjin's words have indeed enlightened me."

“Even without the foundation of Jiangdong, Shao’er is Bo Fu’s flesh and blood, how could I mistreat him?” He spoke with certainty and an unquestionable composure. “My desire to take the world is not for empty fame, but simply to bring peace to this chaotic world as soon as possible, so that the people can have land to cultivate, food to eat, and a few days of peace and stability.”

At this point, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "Now that I dare to bear the infamy of being a traitor, I don't care about taking on any more. The merger of Jiangdong and Xiliang is a natural outcome, but..." He changed the subject and looked at Zhou Yu, "...the time is not yet ripe."

Zhou Yu frowned slightly: "What does my brother mean?"

“Look,” Ma Chao walked to the table and spread out two maps, one showing the territory of Xiliang and the other showing the mountains and rivers of Jiangdong. “Xiliang was severely weakened after the battle on the grasslands. The soldiers need to rest and recuperate, and the farmland urgently needs to be recultivated. This is not something that can be recovered in a short time. As for Jiangdong, the turmoil among the aristocratic families was just quelled a few days ago, and the people’s hearts are not yet settled. Everything needs to be rebuilt.”

He pointed heavily on the map with his fingertip: "If we force a merger now, it will cause too much of a stir and attract the attention of other lords. Those covetous guys are just waiting for us to show a weakness, and they will definitely take the opportunity to join forces to attack. At that time, we will be attacked from two sides, and the war will continue. Not to mention recuperating, even our existing foundation will be shaken."

Zhou Yu followed his fingertip and pondered, "Brother, you mean..."

"In the next four or five years, let's stabilize our position first." Ma Chao said resolutely, "Xiliang will stay at home and nurture its people, while Jiangdong will rectify its officialdom. We will not provoke each other and will just watch from the sidelines. Those warlords are always scheming against each other. Their peaceful days will not last long. They will definitely fight to the death over territory and supplies."

A sly glint flashed in his eyes: "Once they've fought to the bitter end, we can wait in comfort and wait for them to tire themselves out. Wouldn't that be like the snipe and the clam fighting while the fisherman reaps the benefits? At that time, we can support each other from both sides, and no matter who we're dealing with, we can catch them off guard and have a greater chance of winning."

A glint flashed in Zhou Yu's eyes, and he was about to praise him when Ma Chao changed the subject again: "Not only that, Mr. Li Ru has also offered a plan that can be used to confuse them."

"Oh?"

“In the coming period, I will take a new princess every now and then.” Ma Chao said calmly, as if he were talking about something ordinary. “I want the world to think that I have become complacent and obsessed with beauty after gaining some power, and that I have no ambition left. In this way, their fear of me will gradually decrease, and their attention will naturally turn to each other.”

After listening, Zhou Yu clapped his hands and laughed, "Brother, your plan is brilliant! It is indeed a well-thought-out strategy!" He stood up and walked to the map, his fingertips tracing the territories of Xiliang and Jiangdong. "Xiliang has just finished the great battle on the grasslands and needs to recuperate; Jiangdong has just quelled the rebellion of the powerful clans and also needs to stabilize the hearts of the people. It would be too hasty to merge them at this time. The other warlords are already wary of your iron cavalry. If they see the two sides united, they will definitely see us as a major threat and join forces to crush us. Brother, your four or five years of reassurance is the best strategy to avoid their sharp edge and plan for the future."

He turned around, his eyes gleaming: "As for the 'concubine-taking' plan, it's a stroke of genius! Even King Goujian of Yue, who endured hardship and humiliation, still needed to use sensual pleasures to bewitch King Fuchai. How much more so now, surrounded by wolves? Every time you take a concubine, the feudal lords will look down on you more, thinking you're indulging in a life of pleasure and have lost all ambition for hegemony. Once they've fought each other to the death, we'll have regrouped and our strength will be restored. Then, the Xiliang cavalry will sweep across the Central Plains, and the Jiangdong navy will sail up the river. With a pincer attack, we'll surely conquer the world in one fell swoop!"

Zhou Yu bowed respectfully: "Brother, rest assured, I will handle the affairs of Jiangdong with all my might. The remnants of the aristocratic families must be wiped out, agriculture and water conservancy must be improved, and the navy and warships must be replenished—within four or five years, I will make Jiangdong your strongest support. When the time is ripe, I will only need your command, brother, and Jiangdong and Xiliang will advance by land and water, surely sweeping across the world and restoring a peaceful and prosperous world to the people!"

The sky outside the window gradually changed from inky blue to a pale white, with a faint blush of crimson appearing in the east. Ma Chao and Zhou Yu sat facing each other, the tea on the table having been changed several times. Amidst the rising steam, their conversation remained lively, showing no signs of weariness from talking all night. From the allocation of provisions to the maintenance of military equipment, from the movements of the various warlords to the planning of people's livelihood, they discussed every single matter in detail, their eyes shining even brighter than in the middle of the night.

"I might as well not sleep." Ma Chao stood up and stretched his stiff shoulders and neck. "I'll take a look at this snow scene."

Zhou Yu smiled and agreed, and the two went together to the side hall to wash up. Soon after, a servant brought breakfast: several delicate side dishes, two bowls of hot porridge, and freshly steamed red bean buns, steaming hot. The two brothers sat facing each other, ate simply, and tacitly avoided mentioning the heavy plans, only chatting casually about everyday matters.

Just as I put down my chopsticks, I heard a burst of noisy laughter coming from the courtyard, like a string of shattered jade falling onto the calm surface of a lake.

The two walked down to the corridor and immediately burst into laughter.

Sun Shao and Ma Xiang, who had blushed yesterday, were now rolling around in the snow, writhing together. Sun Shao grabbed a handful of snow and stuffed it around Ma Xiang's neck, while Ma Xiang retaliated by throwing a snowball at his forehead. The two laughed so hard they couldn't stand up straight. Several other children nearby joined in the commotion, some making snowballs, others hiding behind plum trees to launch sneak attacks. Their cotton shoes crunched on the snow, the sound blending with their cheerful laughter and dispelling some of the morning chill.

Dong Bai, wearing a light red cloak, stood under the eaves with Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, watching the children play and occasionally whispering and laughing. Dong Bai reached out and caught a falling snowflake, smiling at Da Qiao, "Look at Shao'er, he was fighting with Ma Xiang yesterday, and today he's all mixed up with him." Da Qiao covered her mouth and chuckled, "Childish nature, forgets everything in the blink of an eye."

Even more lively was the scene on the other side, where Sun Shangxiang had joined the fray at some point. With nimble movements, she grabbed a snowball and hurled it at Ma Xiang, who was closest to her, shouting, "Eat my ball!" Ma Chao's unmarried confidantes weren't idle either; some helped the children make snowballs, while others pretended to "ambush" them, causing the children to scream and swarm around them, covering their cloaks in snow.

Zhang Fubao, the most lively of them all, made a sturdy snowball, spotted Ma Yue, and chased after him, his silvery laughter filling the courtyard: "Little Yue, don't run! See if I'll throw a snowball at you!"

Ma Yue was only six or seven years old, but he ran like a nimble little rabbit, dodging and weaving around the corridor. Just as he was about to be caught, he suddenly darted to Dong Bai's side, hugged her waist, and hid behind her, shouting, "Mother! Look at Aunt Fu Bao! She has no martial virtue and bullies the younger ones!"

Dong Bai smiled and pulled him into her arms, patting the snowflakes in his hair. She looked up at Zhang Fubao and scolded, "Fubao, you crazy girl, why are you arguing with a child!" Although she scolded him, her eyes were full of laughter.

Zhang Fubao stuck out his tongue, but didn't stop walking. While Dong Bai was talking, he raised his hand and threw a snowball, shouting, "Mother and daughter, let's throw it together!"

With a "poof," the snowball exploded behind Ma Yue, splashing snow all over Dong Bai, even staining her light red cloak. Ma Yue let out a "howl" and crawled out of Dong Bai's arms to get revenge, but Dong Bai was infected by the childish playfulness, so she simply rolled up her sleeves, bent down and made a snowball: "Fine, you dare to hit me? Take this!" With that, she threw it at Zhang Fubao.

This completely ignited the flames of war. Da Qiao, who had been watching with a smile, couldn't help but pick up snowflakes and help Dong Bai fight Zhang Fubao when she saw him being hit. Xiao Qiao, who loved excitement, pulled her maid to join in. In an instant, snowballs flew through the courtyard, and laughter, shouts, and screams mingled together, like a pot of boiling sweet soup, bubbling with happiness.

Ma Chao stood under the eaves, his gaze fixed on Da Qiao. Over the years, Sun Ce's departure had weighed heavily on her heart like a boulder. She was always quiet, a faint sorrow lingering in her eyes, rarely laughing heartily like this. Now, her head was covered in snowflakes, yet her eyes crinkled with laughter, even the fine lines around her eyes shone with light.

He turned his head to look at Zhou Yu, who was also looking in that direction, a gentle smile in his eyes. The two smiled at each other, and Ma Chao exclaimed, "This scene... is truly wonderful."

Yes, it's wonderful. There are no swords clashing, no treachery, only family sitting together, the lamplight warm and inviting, even the snowflakes falling on them feel comforting. Zhou Yu picked up a cup of hot tea from the veranda and handed it to him: "Things will always be good."

Ma Chao took the tea, the warmth spreading from his fingertips to his heart. He looked at the figures playing in the courtyard, then at Zhou Yu beside him, and nodded heavily.

Ever since Ma Yue left Jiangdong, Zhou Yu's worries had never subsided. While in Jiangdong, he always felt that Ma Yue had a hard life; orphaned and prematurely aged, he possessed a maturity beyond his years, rarely smiling, and always carrying a deep, unyielding melancholy. When Ma Chao said he would take Ma Yue back to Xiliang, he was extremely uneasy. After all, Ma Chao was now the King of Liang, surrounded by people with all sorts of ulterior motives. He feared the boy would suffer there, and that his hard-earned spirit would be further worn down.

Standing in the courtyard, watching Ma Yue circling around Dong Bai, calling out "Mother" in a clear voice, full of childlike intimacy and dependence, Zhou Yu was stunned. Where was the gloom on the child's face from when he was in Jiangdong? His eyes shone like glass bathed in moonlight, and when he smiled, they revealed a joy that emanated from the bottom of his heart.

Dong Bai was bending down to tie Ma Yue's shoelaces when she heard this. She looked up, smiled, and patted his bottom, saying, "Run slowly, don't fall." Her gentle tone was as natural as water flowing without leaving a trace, and the affection in her eyes was even more undisguised, as if Ma Yue were truly her own son.

Zhou Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, his worries vanishing silently like snow melting in the sun. He turned to look at Ma Chao beside him, his voice tinged with a touch of regret: "It seems I was overthinking things."

Ma Chao laughed and patted Zhou Yu on the shoulder: "I told you, Dong Bai is thoughtful and treats Yue'er really well."

Zhou Yu looked into the distance and saw Ma Yue holding Dong Bai's hand, chattering away. Dong Bai listened patiently, nodding in agreement from time to time. He said sincerely, "For this child to open his heart and acknowledge her as his mother from the bottom of his heart, my sister-in-law truly loves him like her own son."