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Ma Chao paused mid sentence and then turned to looked at her with raised brows. "Hm? What is it, Yunlu? You look too serious. Did Zilong mess up somehow?" Zhao Yun who hears that nearly choked on his tea.
"No!" Ma Yunlu said quickly, elbowing her husband lightly. "Brother Zilong didn't do anything wrong."
Zhao Yun, recovering, straightened and cleared his own throat. "Your sister and I… have something to tell you."
Ma Chao blinked, taken off guard by how solemn they suddenly became. He uncrossed his arms, leaning forward slightly. "Something to tell me?"
Ma Yunlu smiled softly, placing her hand on Zhao Yun's and gently intertwining their fingers.
"Yes, Eldest Brother." Her voice trembled with emotion, though joy radiated from her eyes.
"I'm… pregnant."
For a heartbeat—
Silence.
Utter, complete silence.
Ma Chao stared at them, unmoving. His expression was blank, eyes wide, mouth slightly open, as though his brain took a full moment to process the words.
Then he suddenly shot to his feet so quickly the chair nearly toppled behind him.
"What... WHAT?!" he burst out. "You... are you serious?! Yunlu, Zilong, are you telling me the truth?! You're pregnant?!"
Ma Yunlu laughed lightly, nodding her head. "Yes, Brother. It's true."
Zhao Yun's smile was warm, serene, filled with pride. "We confirmed it just last week."
Ma Chao felt something swell inside his chest, a blend of shock, joy, and a deep, aching longing.
Then he let out a breathless laugh, rubbing the back of his neck, overwhelmed.
"I... I can't believe it… I'm going to be an uncle… My sister's child… our Ma Clan's next generation…"
His voice softened, turning wistful. "If only Father were still here… he would have laughed louder than anyone. His first grandchild…"
Ma Yunlu's smile wavered for a heartbeat, sadness flickering across her features. But then she lifted her chin and murmured gently,
"Father must be smiling from the heavens."
Zhao Yun squeezed her hand reassuringly.
Before Ma Chao could gather his thoughts again—
A flutter of wings cut through the quiet room.
All three turned as a raven swooped through the open window, landing right on the table between them. Its black feathers glistened under the sunlight, and tied to its leg was a sealed scroll.
Ma Chao's eyes sharpened instantly.
He reached forward, untying the message from the raven's leg. The bird took flight again immediately, soaring back through the window once the pressure on its leg disappeared.
Ma Chao broke the seal and unfurled the scroll.
Zhao Yun and Ma Yunlu watched quietly.
At first, Ma Chao's eyes widened in surprise.
Then—
A smile formed.
A soft, tender smile that neither of them had ever seen on his face before.
His entire expression changed, strength melting into warmth, seriousness dissolving into affection so deep it softened the edges of his normally fierce demeanor.
Ma Yunlu smirked.
"Well," she said with a teasing lilt, "judging by that look, it's from Sun Shangxiang, isn't it, Brother?"
Ma Chao blinked, snapped out of his daze so violently it was almost comedic.
"H... how did you know?!"
Ma Yunlu crossed her arms smugly. "Brother, please. It's obvious. And besides… Second Brother told me. And so did our cousin." She leaned forward. "So? What did she write to make you smile like that?"
Ma Chao cleared his throat, face turning faintly red. "Shangxiang… thanked me."
"For what?" Zhao Yun asked, genuinely curious.
"For keeping my promise," Ma Chao replied softly. "For requesting His Majesty to act as the matchmaker between us."
He blinked, looking down at the letter again. "And she wrote that His Majesty himself told her that he plans to accompany me to Yuzhang… so we can begin formal betrothal discussions with her family."
Zhao Yun froze.
Ma Yunlu's jaw dropped.
"He WHAT?!" they said in unison.
Ma Chao nodded, still stunned himself. "I didn't know. His Majesty didn't tell me yet. This… caught me completely off guard."
Ma Yunlu leaned back, eyes sparkling with amused disbelief. "Brother Mengqi… you actually asked His Majesty to be your matchmaker? Just like how Brother Zilong did for me?"
Zhao Yun coughed, sheepish. "It worked very well for us. I still remember the day I asked. Your Highness was rather merciless with me."
Ma Yunlu pinched Zhao Yun's arm. "And you still married me, so clearly it wasn't that merciless."
Zhao Yun kissed her forehead. "It was worth every trial."
Ma Yunlu flushed and swatted him lightly.
Ma Chao could only laugh, rubbing his forehead. "I didn't have a choice! I promised Shangxiang I'd do it. I told her I would ask His Majesty properly. That I wouldn't let anything stop me. And after the southern campaign ended… I went straight to him."
Zhao Yun smiled proudly. "That is a man's resolve."
Ma Yunlu grinned. "That is a man in love."
"Yunlu!"
She giggled, flicking her brother's forehead. "Oh hush, Brother. Everyone within the clan already knows. Even our servants have been whispering about how you rushed to the capital because you 'couldn't wait another hour to speak to the Emperor about your future wife'."
Ma Chao nearly choked. "They said what?!"
Zhao Yun nodded solemnly. "It was quite the rumor."
Ma Chao groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Heavens…"
But even through his embarrassment, the joy in his heart couldn't be hidden. Shangxiang had written to him, she had thanked him, and now she was waiting for him to come to Yuzhang.
Zhao Yun suddenly placed a firm hand on Ma Chao's shoulder. "Mengqi," he said earnestly, "I'm happy for you. Truly. Shangxiang is a remarkable woman, fiery, loyal, and courageous. You two are a good match."
Ma Yunlu nodded supportively. "Yes, Brother. She's strong, bold, and she loves you. I could tell the moment I saw her looking at you during the banquet where his majesty appointed the noble titles."
Ma Chao's eyes softened again. "She… really does."
Zhao Yun chuckled gently. "Well, you'll see her soon. Preparations must be immense if His Majesty himself is accompanying you."
Ma Chao nodded. "Yes. I need to prepare gifts, formal documents… and I should write a reply. She wrote this letter with her own hand. Her handwriting is so… delicate. Elegant."
Ma Yunlu burst into laughter. "Brother, stop blushing!"
"I'm not blushing!"
"You are!"
Zhao Yun merely smiled knowingly.
Ma Chao took a deep breath, letting his gaze linger on Shangxiang's letter once more. Tracing her ink strokes with his thumb, he felt her warmth, her sincerity, her heart reaching across the distance.
Ma Yunlu seeing this continue to tease him playfully. "Then you have two weeks to prepare yourself before going to Yuzhang! Brother Mengqi, are you nervous?"
Ma Chao froze.
"…I wasn't," he said stiffly, "until you said it like that."
Zhao Yun laughed openly this time.
Ma Yunlu continued mercilessly, "And Mother's not here to lecture you on your posture, so Brother Zilong and I will have to do it."
Ma Chao groaned loudly. "Please don't."
Zhao Yun patted his shoulder sympathetically. "It is part of marital preparation."
"No it is not!" Ma Chao protested.
But neither of them let him escape. Zhao Yun stood and adjusted his robes. "I will help you prepare everything. This is no small affair."
Ma Yunlu also rose, her demeanor changed into a more serious one as she lean in to hug her brother tightly. "Eldest Brother… congratulations."
Ma Chao froze for a moment, then hugged her back gently, careful not to squeeze too tightly now that she was expecting.
"Thank you, Yunlu."
Zhao Yun placed a supportive hand on Ma Chao's shoulder once more. "We will stand with you, Mengqi. Just like you stood with us."
Ma Chao felt a wave of emotion sweep through him, gratitude, happiness, and hope.
His family.
His future wife.
His Emperor supporting him.
And in the quiet halls of the Ma residence, for the first time in months—
Ma Chao felt at peace. He looked down at Shangxiang's letter one more time.
Then, with a steady breath and a heart full of love, he sat at his writing table and began writing his reply. A reply that would soon set in motion the next step in the story of Ma Chao and Sun Shangxiang, a story of two warriors, two families, and a bond forged by courage, devotion, and destiny.
The prosperity and warmth blooming in Xiapi and Yuzhang, the laughter of families, the glow of promise surrounding Ma Chao and Sun Shangxiang, none of it reached the rugged stone walls of Chengdu.
Far to the southwest, beneath a sky thick with the scent of rain, the palace of Han felt cold.
Not merely cold, it is hollow as well.
The grand hall, once a place where imperial majesty was meant to reside, now felt more like a puppet stage, stripped of its dignity. The pillars of lacquered red gleamed under flickering lantern light, but the room carried none of the strength or solemnity the Han emperors of the past once knew.
And at the very center, seated upon the imposing throne that should have symbolized unyielding authority, sat Emperor Xian.
But authority was the one thing he no longer possessed.
He sat stiffly, both hands resting on his knees, his posture tall and composed, but only on the surface. His knuckles were pale. The joints of his fingers trembled faintly. His breath was shallow enough that only those watching him with a predator's attentiveness would notice the strain.
Those watching were few.
Fa Zheng. Zhang Song. Meng Da.
And no one else.
Not because they were loyal.
But because they were the only ones who knew exactly how trapped he was and how fragile the mask on his face had become.
Everyone else… was blind. Or worse, indifferent.
The court of Chengdu had long since ceased to be the Emperor's court. The officials standing in neat rows below him, many with hopeful, eager, even sycophantic smiles, were not looking toward their sovereign for guidance.
They were looking at Fa Zheng.
Waiting for his next words.
Obeying his next command.
And Fa Zheng did not disappoint.
He stepped forward confidently, hands tucked neatly into his sleeves, eyes gleaming with an intelligence both brilliant and ruthless. He bowed with perfect etiquette, then raised his voice in a tone designed to sway even the weakest minds in the room.
"Your Majesty," Fa Zheng began, "after much deliberation, we three ministers have decided that the most effective method to ensure lasting peace for the Han, and protection for Shu territory, is to proceed with the royal marriage alliance between our Han Dynasty and the Hengyuan Dynasty."
The murmurs began at once.
Soft at first. Then louder.
Nods. Murmured approval. Expressions of sudden, almost rehearsed support.
Even Liu Zhang, who should have been the loudest opponent to such a proposal, was clapping enthusiastically like a fool who didn't understand he was applauding his own irrelevance.
"Brilliant!" "This will bring peace!" "The Han will prosper again under this alliance!"
Emperor Xian's breathing nearly stopped. He forced air into his lungs slowly, carefully, his expression composed yet unnervingly pale.
Fa Zheng continued, unchallenged. "I propose," he said, voice smooth as silk, "that Her Highness, Princess Liu Jie, daughter of His Majesty, be engaged to the Crown Prince of the Hengyuan Dynasty, Lie Muchen."
______________________________
Name: Lie Fan
Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty
Age: 35 (202 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 2325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 966 (+20)
VIT: 623 (+20)
AGI: 623 (+10)
INT: 667
CHR: 98
WIS: 549
WILL: 432
ATR Points: 0