Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The wind at the end of February carried the last trace of chill, sweeping across the new green of the wheat fields and casting a thin layer of frost over the eastward-bound army. Ma Chao reined in his horse, gazing at the boundary marker of Runan County in the distance. The two characters "Runan" on the stone were blackened by the rain, resembling ink-soaked calligraphy.

With several women accompanying the group, the march couldn't be as solemn as a regular army. Ma Chao made special arrangements: a vanguard scout would clear the way ahead, while a support force would stay behind to provide cover. He only brought with him a few fierce generals capable of taking on ten men each: Ma Chao, Xu Huang, Zhang Xiu, Pang De, and Dian Wei. Ten thousand soldiers followed at a distance, ensuring neither hindering the protection nor disturbing the women's rare moment of relaxation with their superior numbers.

Ma Chao knew in his heart that he had neglected the women around him too much during his years of fighting. It was a rare opportunity to take them on a leisurely trip like this, which really felt like a vacation.

"Ten more miles and we'll be out of Runan." Pang De rode up, toying with a wild plum he had just picked, its petals still glistening with dew. "The journey has been smooth so far. Apart from a few petty thieves who didn't know their place, we haven't even had a proper battle."

Ma Chao's lips curled into a smile as his gaze swept behind him—the carriages in the procession followed slowly, the curtains occasionally lifting to reveal a few smiling faces. Dong Bai was leaning against the railing, gazing at the weeping willows by the roadside. Her plain dress accentuated her serene demeanor, and as she brushed a strand of hair from her hair, her brows revealed the dignified bearing of a matriarch. Zhang Fubao, carrying a quiver, was chasing a startled pheasant, her silvery laughter echoing along the way. As she ran, her skirt fluttered, making her as charming as a fawn in spring. Zhen Mi was engrossed in a book, occasionally glancing out the window. When her gaze fell upon the wildflowers on the field ridges, her eyes would involuntarily crinkle, revealing a lively spirit beneath her dignified bearing. Gongsun Rou sat against the carriage wall, her hands unconsciously twisting the hem of her dress. A hint of envy flashed in her eyes as she watched Zhang Fubao chase the pheasant, but she merely pursed her lips and remained still, her fingertips secretly tightening around the short knife at her waist.

"What's the rush?" Ma Chao raised his hand to catch a falling willow branch. "The Central Plains are in a great mood at the end of February. After March, when the peach blossoms bloom, the roads will be much more difficult to travel."

Zhang Fubao rode back on horseback, carrying a plump pheasant in her hand, her nose smeared with mud: "My lord, look! We'll have some game tonight!" The maid following behind her hurriedly offered her a handkerchief, but she waved it off and ran straight to Dong Bai's side, presenting the pheasant like a treasure: "Sister Bai, look at this chicken, isn't it enough for us to stew a pot?"

Zhang Fubao became obsessed with archery. Ever since Ma Chao taught her the basic posture, she spent her days carrying that small bow around. Of course, she didn't actually hit the target, but her subordinates, wanting to please her, insisted that she was the one who shot it, and she was secretly pleased with herself.

Dong Bai understood immediately. He smiled, took the pheasant, handed it to his attendant, and then took out a candied fruit from his sleeve and put it into Zhang Fubao's mouth: "I just bought this in town. It's sweet and will get rid of the earthy smell. Be careful not to get your clothes dirty."

Zhen Mi had already opened the letter paper tucked inside the book and softly read, "'Peach blossoms begin to bloom in Runan in March,' there might be peach blossom wine in the town ahead." She looked up at Ma Chao, her eyes crinkling with a smile, her demeanor radiating a lively spirit.

Gongsun Rou secretly raised her eyes, saw Ma Chao looking over, and quickly lowered her head again, gently rubbing her fingers on the hilt of her short sword, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't say anything.

Ma Chao sat in the main seat, watching the lively scene before him, and took a sip of peach blossom wine. The wine was sweet and fragrant with flowers, sliding down his throat and warming him to the core. Ever since Ma Chao swept across the grasslands and decided to give the people a chance to rest, this trip had been much easier, and the journey felt like a leisurely stroll rather than a mission.

Pang De walked in carrying an earthenware jar, a smile on his face: "The boss said this is pickled fish from Runan, marinated in wine lees for half a month, perfect with wine."

Zhang Fubao leaned closer to smell it, then wrinkled his nose: "It smells strongly of alcohol, how can it taste good?"

Zhen Mi picked up her chopsticks, took a bite, and her eyes lit up: "It's not fishy, ​​it's a little sweet, quite unique." She picked up a piece and held it to Ma Chao's lips, "Would you like to try some?"

Ma Chao opened his mouth to catch it; the aroma of the fermented wine mingled with the freshness of the fish—it was indeed delicious. Just as he was about to speak, a quarrel suddenly broke out in the distance, accompanied by the crisp sound of clashing weapons.

Zhang Fubao immediately reached for the quiver at his waist: "What's going on?"

Dian Wei strode back, carrying a scholar in his hand like a chick. The scholar's robes were crumpled from being gripped, and he kicked wildly with his feet off the ground, shouting incessantly, "Rude! Insolent! An insult to scholars! I am a renowned scholar of Yizhou, how dare you be so disrespectful!"

Upon reaching him, Dian Wei slammed the man to the ground with a thud. The scholar staggered to his feet and was about to roll up his sleeves to argue when Zhang Fubao stepped forward, stared at him with his round eyes for a moment, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, young master, look at this man! He's really ugly!"

Ma Chao gave Zhang Fubao a reproachful look, signaling her not to overstep her bounds, but his gaze also fell on the scholar—he was short and stocky, his head looked like a turtle with its neck tucked in, his small eyes darted around, revealing a cunning look; his red, bulbous nose almost took up half his face, his mustache was sparse and yellowish, and his nostrils were turned up, revealing two tufts of black hair. Coupled with his puffed-out, glaring expression, it was truly unbearable to look at.

"Who...who are you? How dare you kidnap a scholar in broad daylight? Aren't you afraid of the law?" The scholar, seeing everyone staring at him, became even more enraged and shouted with his neck stiff.

Dian Wei grunted in a deep voice and said gruffly, "My lord, this fellow was sneaking around in the shadows, peeking in our direction. You have women with you, and this fellow looks rather lewd, yet he dares to spy on us like this. I sensed something was wrong, so I captured him."

The scholar, his face flushed red as Dian Wei grabbed him by the back of his collar, struggled and shouted, "Who spied on your women? And who did you call ugly? You look like a demon yourself, yet you have the nerve to criticize others! I only peeked out because I smelled the aroma of wine and meat wafting from here, and you grabbed me without even asking what happened. This is truly an insult to scholarship!"

Ma Chao sized him up and saw that although the man's face was ugly, his eyes were sharp. He could still argue calmly in the face of Dian Wei's fierce appearance, which was unlike an ordinary person. He raised his hand to signal Dian Wei to let go and cupped his hands, saying, "Brother, judging from your clothes and speech, you must be no ordinary person. May I ask your name?"

Zhang Song, still being held by Dian Wei, struggled even more fiercely upon hearing this: "You servant are extremely rude and must be lacking in discipline! Put me down right now!"

"Quickly put this brother down." Ma Chao waved his hand and said to Zhang Song, "If you don't mind, brother, sit down and have a cup of this famous Runan wine, Peach Blossom Wine, as an apology."

Dian Wei did as he was told and put Zhang Song down. Zhang Song staggered to his feet, straightened his rumpled robes, and then suppressed his anger, solemnly cupping his hands: "I am not a wild man from the mountains, but Zhang Song, courtesy name Yongnian, Prefect of Yizhou. Since you have invited me, then I will take my leave."

Without any hesitation, he walked straight to the table and sat down, his gaze sweeping over the wine pot on the table, a subtle, almost imperceptible, scrutinizing look flashing in his eyes.

After Zhang Song finished his introduction, he drank a cup with Ma Chao and said, "This young master is so young, yet his servant is no ordinary man. Putting everything else aside, your wretched servant managed to defeat so many of my entourage, which shows that you are no ordinary person either. But I wonder..." Ma Chao laughed heartily, "So you are the Prefect of Yizhou! Indeed, you have an extraordinary bearing and are no ordinary man. My name is Cao Ang, courtesy name Zixiu. Today, with spring in full bloom, I have brought my family here for a spring outing."

Zhang Song paused, his eyes suddenly brightening. His gaze swept over Ma Chao's face twice, then swept over the several upright and imposing "family retainers" beside him. He stroked his beard and smiled, "So it's Young Master Cao! My apologies! I've long heard that Lord Sikong has a son who is both learned and skilled in martial arts. Meeting him today, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved."

Ma Chao laughed heartily, raised his cup to clink with his, and said, "Prefect Zhang, you flatter me. I've only learned a few superficial skills from my father." He glanced at Dian Wei and the others, who were suppressing their laughter, and quickly changed the subject, "Prefect Zhang, what brings you here? Judging from your attire, do you seem to be on a long journey?"

Zhang Song finished his drink and sighed, "To be honest, I was sent on a mission by my lord, but I encountered some minor troubles along the way, which delayed my journey. I happened to smell the aroma of wine here, so I thought I'd ask for a cup to warm myself up, but I didn't expect to disturb Young Master Cao."

"What's so difficult about that?" Ma Chao gestured for a servant to pour more wine. "If Prefect Zhang doesn't mind, why don't you rest here for a while and let my men help you with some troubles?"

Zhang Song's eyes lit up even more. His purpose in coming here was to befriend Cao Cao's forces, and this was a golden opportunity delivered to his doorstep. He quickly stood up and cupped his hands in thanks: "Then thank you very much, Young Master Cao! Speaking of which, all of your 'family retainers' are quite skilled. That brave warrior just now subdued several of my companions all by himself. He was truly a master!"

Dian Wei listened from the side, his neck stiff and silent, but a hint of smugness crept onto his face. Xu Huang chuckled softly from behind and nudged him with his elbow: "Did you hear that? He's praising you."

Dian Wei grunted in agreement.

Zhang Song's gaze swept over the group, and the more he looked, the more he felt that these "family retainers" possessed extraordinary bearing, far from being ordinary guards. He tentatively asked, "Young Master Cao's guards look like elite soldiers from the army?"

Ma Chao smiled and said, half-jokingly, "I'm just a rough and clumsy person who trained with my father in the army. Please forgive my clumsiness, Prefect Zhang."

Zhang Song quickly waved his hand, "Not at all! Such a skilled person is priceless!" He leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Speaking of which, the purpose of my mission is to meet with Lord Sikong at this stop. I wonder if Young Master Cao..."

Ma Chao picked up his wine cup, swirled it slowly, and interrupted him: "My father has long heard of Prefect Zhang. If you are interested in cooperating, why not come with me to Qiao County? I also need to return home soon, so it would be good to have company on the way."

Zhang Song's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "That's wonderful! It would be my honor to have Young Master Cao accompany me!"

While they were having a pleasant conversation, Xu Shu quietly approached Ma Chao and whispered, "My lord, are you really going to bring this fellow along?"

Ma Chao glanced at him and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Didn't you hear him say he's from Yizhou? Let's try to get some information out of him; it might come in handy."

Xu Shu looked like he understood, and didn't ask any further questions. However, his eyes held a hint of knowing that "this man is about to be tricked."

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhang Song had loosened up a bit and started talking at length about the customs and culture of Yizhou. Ma Chao occasionally chimed in, but his gaze fell on the women chatting and laughing with their maids in the distance, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes.

At least, the sun was shining brightly, the wine was intoxicating, and even the noisy people around me seemed more agreeable.