Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The tent flap was suddenly flung open, and blinding sunlight streamed through the gaps, causing Cao Cao and the others to instinctively squint. Leading the way was Ma Chao, his black brocade robe gleaming in the sunlight, his brows slightly flushed from the effects of wine, yet his imposing presence only amplified.

Behind him, Zhang Song followed closely.

Cao Cao's gaze swept across the room, first landing on Ma Chao, then settling on Zhang Song's face—in just half a day, this Prefect of Yi Province seemed like a completely different person. Previously, in the mansion, he had hunched his shoulders and slumped his back, his eyes darting around, a picture of utter embarrassment at being looked down upon; now, however, he stood tall, a composed smile on his face. Though his appearance remained the same, the unease hidden deep within him had vanished, and standing beside Ma Chao, he even possessed a certain air of authority.

Cao Cao's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly understood Ma Chao's intention—this was not drinking, but clearly supporting Zhang Song! By deliberately making him wait and then letting Zhang Song appear in this manner, he wanted to tell everyone: This person is someone I, Ma Chao, value, and no one can treat him lightly.

"King Liang, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Cao Cao suppressed the turmoil in his heart, cupped his hands first, and spoke in a warm tone as if the waiting had never happened.

Ma Chao smiled and stepped aside to let Zhang Song pass: "Lord Cao, you are too kind. Come, let me introduce you. This is Zhang Song, courtesy name Yongnian, the Prefect of Yi Province. He is a talented man of our time."

Zhang Song stepped forward, cupped his hands in a respectful bow to Cao Cao, and said in a clear voice, "Zhang Song greets Lord Cao." He was no longer as timid as before.

Cao Cao looked at him, then at Ma Chao's ambiguous smile, and suddenly felt that the wind in Qiao County was colder than he had imagined. In this silent contest, he had actually lost the battle while waiting outside the tent.

Cao Cao was only slightly taken aback, then a smile spread across his face as he looked at Zhang Biejia and said in a friendly but teasing tone, "Zhang Biejia, we just had a very pleasant conversation at my Cao residence. Is there any need for me to greet you again? We already know each other, so why be so formal? It would make me, Cao Cao, seem like I don't know how to treat guests."

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao laughed loudly and said, "Lord Cao, Yongnian and I met by chance on the road in Qiao County. Since he has already met you, we are acquaintances. Since we are all familiar with each other, I presume that you have prepared a banquet at your residence? Could it be that you intend for us to drink together in the tent?"

Before he could finish speaking, Xiahou Dun, who was standing to the side, could no longer contain himself. His face showed some indignation, and he couldn't help but say, "We have already prepared a banquet, hoping for the arrival of the King of Liang, but we did not expect that the King of Liang would be hosting a banquet for his friends here, making us wait for so long!" His tone was full of grievance and dissatisfaction.

Upon hearing Xiahou Dun's words, Cao Cao immediately turned around, his eyes flashing with anger as he hissed, "Yuan Rang! How dare you be so rude! The King of Liang is here; how can you presume to overstep your bounds!" His voice carried both a rebuke of Xiahou Dun and a hint of embarrassment at being looked down upon by Ma Chao.

After reprimanding Xiahou Dun, Cao Cao immediately put on a warm expression, turned to the two men, and enthusiastically invited them, "King of Liang, Yongnian, come with me! Since we are all acquaintances, we must have a good drink in my mansion today, and not leave until we are drunk!" With that, he led everyone into the mansion, his steps light and his attitude sincere, as if the previous little incident had never happened.

Ma Chao followed behind the group, his gaze sweeping over Cao Cao's tense jawline when his expression changed, and then noticing the unassuming composure with which Cao Cao led the group forward. He couldn't help but secretly admire him.

This Cao Cao was indeed a shrewd and capable leader. When he reprimanded Xiahou Dun for his slip of the tongue, the fierce look in his eyes clearly concealed his shame and anger, yet he was able to suppress his anger and put on a warm smile the moment he turned around—this control over his emotions was something that ordinary people could not match.

The banquet was held inside the main tent, brightly lit by candlelight, illuminating the entire tent. Two tables were placed side by side at the head of the table, with Ma Chao and Cao Cao seated on either side.

On the left, Guo Jia, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, and others were Cao Cao's most trusted civil and military advisors. The arrangement on the right, however, was quite different—Zhang Song was personally led by Ma Chao to the head seat, where he sat on a soft cushion covered with Shu brocade, and in front of him was a bronze wine vessel filled with fine wine from Qiao County.

His fingertips trembled, and he almost dared not sit down. Below the table were Xu Shu, Lu Su, Pang De, Xu Huang, and other advisors and generals. These were veteran generals who had followed the King of Liang for many years, and their positions were all after Zhang Song.

"Sit down." Ma Chao's voice rang out from the main seat, carrying an unquestionable certainty. "Yongnian is my good friend. Who dares to object?" He then glanced at everyone in the hall.

Everyone in the hall spoke up, saying, "Prefect Zhang, please take a seat. None of us have any objections..."

Zhang Song's throat bobbed, and when he lowered his eyes, his eyelashes were already damp. He recalled his days in Yizhou: Liu Zhang throwing his memorials into the mud and cursing him, "You with a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks, how dare you presume to discuss military and political affairs!"; when he went to Jingzhou to see Liu Bei, Pang Tong stopped him outside the tent and laughed at his "humble appearance"; just half a day ago. Cao Cao's indifference and contempt, those disdainful glances, cold mockery, and shoving, felt like needles pricking his spine, making him involuntarily hunch his back.

But at this moment, the King of Liang actually outshone Cao Cao's arrogance for him—outside the city, Cao Cao and his men greeted the King of Liang at the city gate, but for his sake, Cao Cao and his men waited outside the tent. Now, on this occasion, he sat below the King of Liang, a level of respect he hadn't experienced in many years.

Cao Cao picked up his wine cup, his gaze sweeping across the tent before finally settling on Ma Chao. He laughed loudly, "King of Liang, this time you led the Xiliang cavalry to sweep across the grasslands, utterly defeating the Xianbei, slaughtering millions, and nearly wiping out the Xianbei tribe! This achievement is enough to intimidate the northern frontier, making those grassland tribes dare not easily venture south to graze their horses again. It is truly a great feat!" With that, he raised his wine cup high, "Come, let me toast King of Liang, to rid our great Han of this mortal threat!"

Ma Chao raised his hand to clink glasses with him and said in a deep voice, "Lord Cao is too kind. Protecting the borders and ensuring the safety of the people is simply my duty." Although his tone was calm, there was a sharp glint in his eyes.

After finishing his drink, Cao Cao changed the subject, looking at Zhang Song, who was seated at the head of the table on his right. However, he was speaking to Ma Chao: "When our army was attacked by Yuan Shao, Lü Bu, and Liu Biao in Yanzhou, our forces were scattered. It was only thanks to the generous assistance of Xiliang that we were able to escape our dire situation. I will always remember this act of kindness."

Ma Chao laughed and drank it all in one gulp, but Zhang Song, holding the wine, was still lost in thought.

“Yongnian?” Ma Chao’s voice pulled him back to reality. “The wine is cold, bring me some hot wine.”

Zhang Song suddenly looked up and saw Ma Chao gesturing for a servant to refill his wine cup. When Ma Chao's gaze fell on him, there was no disgust, only open respect. He suddenly straightened his back, picked up his wine cup, and for the first time, spoke with his head held high in front of a hall full of dignitaries. His voice was hoarse, but every word was firm and resounding: "Song... thanks Your Majesty for recognizing my talent. From now on, I will brave mountains of knives and seas of fire, even unto death!"

The candlelight on the right flickered, illuminating his no longer hunched shoulders. All the humiliation he had suffered in front of and behind others over the years seemed to melt away in this moment with the warmth of the wine, leaving only the surging heat in his chest—this was what it felt like to be respected as a "human being".

Guo Jia's hand paused slightly, his peripheral vision sweeping over Zhang Song's straight back before returning to Ma Chao, who was chatting and laughing in the main seat. His eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

He had witnessed Zhang Song's quick wit and intelligence displayed at Cao Cao's residence half a day prior. Such skill, coupled with his familiarity with the landscape of Yizhou, made him a valuable asset. But who would have thought that in just half a day, Ma Chao would so subtly and effortlessly take him away? He subtly raised his eyes, his gaze meeting Cao Cao's—

Cao Cao watched Zhang Song raise his cup in a toast, a barely perceptible twitch at the corner of his mouth, a smile tinged with an indescribable regret. Was it regret for missing out on such a talented man? Or was it a sigh at Ma Chao's swift actions? Even he himself couldn't say for sure. After all, just half a day ago, he had felt disgusted by Zhang Song's appearance and arrogance, but now, seeing the man being highly valued under Ma Chao, he felt a pang of regret for "why hadn't I paid more attention back then."

Xiahou Dun, seated on the left, frowned, his hand rubbing against the hilt of his sword. He had always looked down on people of such "humble appearance," but just now, Ma Chao had suppressed his lord's arrogance for Zhang Song outside the city, and now he was elevating him above Xu Shu and Lu Su. This magnanimity was astonishing even to a rough man like him. He secretly glanced at Cao Ren beside him, noticing that the other was also looking at the person on the right, a thoughtful look in his eyes—

Cao Ren sighed inwardly: "The King of Liang's actions are truly impressive. For a newly surrendered ugly man, he doesn't hesitate to tarnish Cao Cao's reputation, and even puts his trusted advisors and veteran generals aside to show respect. Such favor would warm even the hardest heart. If it were me..." He dared not think too deeply, but he felt that the resolute determination in Zhang Song's eyes—"a scholar will die for one who understands him"—was absolutely genuine.

The flickering candlelight inside the tent cast an uncertain glow on everyone's minds. Guo Jia withdrew his gaze, chuckled softly, and whispered to Cao Cao, "My lord, the King of Liang's 'spending a fortune to buy bones' move was quite brilliant."

Cao Cao picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and felt a bitter taste on his tongue: "Yes, it's very beautiful."

On the right, Zhang Song was completely oblivious to the thoughts of the person on the left. He only looked at Ma Chao and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp. The wine was spicy as it went down his throat, but it warmed him so much that his whole body trembled.

At the banquet, everyone watched as Zhang Song raised his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. Suddenly, the tent curtain was flung open, and Cao Ang and Ma Yunlu burst in, their armor still dusty from their journey, clearly having just returned from outside the city. All the guests were taken aback, and even Cao Cao, who was about to offer a third toast, stopped, his gaze falling on the two uninvited guests.

Ma Yunlu spotted Ma Chao in the main seat at a glance. The fatigue from days of battle vanished instantly, and she instinctively called out, "Brother!" Her voice filled with undisguised eagerness and affection.

Upon hearing the sound, Ma Chao suddenly stood up. Just as he was about to step forward to greet him, Ma Yunlu caught sight of Cao Cao standing to the side. He quickly stopped and bowed respectfully, saying, "Uncle Cao."

Cao Cao stroked his beard, nodded, and smiled: "Yunlu is back. You must have had a long journey."

Turning around, Ma Yunlu could no longer contain herself. She ran to Ma Chao, covered in dust, and threw herself into his arms, calling out softly, "Brother." Ma Chao gently helped her up, patting her back lightly, his eyes overflowing with tenderness: "Little sister's back. Did something happen on the way?"

The initial astonishment in the tent gradually turned into knowing smiles. Cao Cao, watching this scene, smiled at Ma Chao and said, "It seems that Yunlu is closest to your brother."

Ma Chao smiled and shook his head, patting Ma Yunlu on the shoulder: "Go inside and change your clothes and wash your face first. The banquet isn't over yet, we'll have a few more drinks when you get back." Ma Yunlu reluctantly let go of his hand and followed the maid to the back tent, while Cao Ang stayed behind. Ma Chao looked at Cao Ang with a scrutinizing gaze.