Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

After the meeting, everyone had left. Xu Huang emerged and stood at the doorway, his eyes wide open, his face filled with bewilderment, completely unsure of what to do next. Zhang Xiu, on the other hand, continued to mock him, saying, "Hey, who told you to brag? Do you think you dare challenge the general's might?"

Xu Huang said anxiously: "You usually eat so much of my meat, and often make fun of me about the general's affairs. Now, think of a way for me to see how this matter ends." Zhang Xiu himself had no idea either. There was no way, so the two of them discussed it over and over again, and finally decided to go to Pang De together to seek help.

When they arrived at Pang De's place, they asked him for advice. Pang De shrugged helplessly and said, "What can I do? The three of us have so little knowledge combined, and we're not even as smart as Xun Lingjun. Our brains aren't as quick as his. Why don't we go find Mr. Wen Ruo and beg him? He'll definitely not leave us in this desperate situation." Upon hearing this, Xu Huang immediately ran off like a happy top to find Xun Yu. Seeing Xu Huang's expression, Xun Yu couldn't help but laugh. "Oh my! You usually look so smart, but when you're faced with something, you become so confused." Xu Huang quickly followed behind, saying nice things and flattering Xun Yu. Xun Yu smiled and said, "Alright, alright, don't waste your time here. As the saying goes, the person who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. Since it was Meng Qi who arranged this position for you, why don't you just go to Meng Qi directly? He's not the kind of person who would hold it against you. Since he arranged it this way, there must be a deeper meaning behind it."

Xu Huang and Zhang Xiu arrived at Ma Chao's door together, but they hesitated and dawdled, not daring to step inside. Xu Huang kept pushing Zhang Xiu, trying to get him to ask for an audience with Ma Chao on his behalf. Zhang Xiu refused, saying, "You provoked the general. It's already quite nice of you to let me go. I'm accompanying you." Xu Huang said bitterly, "Well, I've provoked the general, haven't I? I'm really scared! What if he wants to spar with me? With my small frame, I'll be torn to pieces." Zhang Xiu looked at his cowardly expression and said, "Look at you! When have you ever sparred with the general without gaining something?" Xu Huang muttered, "Well, I can't stand being beaten all day. My axe is so badly beaten that I can hardly lift it." As the two of them were whispering, Ma Chao heard a noise outside and called out, "Who's outside? Come in."

Xu Huang was still hesitant and didn't dare to go in, but Zhang Xiu didn't care and kicked him in. Ma Chao saw that it was Xu Huang and said, "Oh, it's Gongming. What are you doing here? Who else is outside? Come in too." Zhang Xiu hurriedly followed him in and stood aside honestly and properly without saying a word. Xu Huang said with a chuckle, "General, I didn't mean to offend you." Ma Chao waved his hand and said, "Hey, Gongming, we are brothers. I don't care at all." Xu Huang's eyes lit up when he heard it, and he ran to Ma Chao and said flatteringly, "Then General, please let someone else do this lobbying job. I don't think I can do it."

Ma Chao's face straightened as he said sternly, "Gongming, military orders are as heavy as a mountain. Since you've agreed, how can you go back on your word?" Xu Huang's face wrinkled into a ball. "General, the problem is, I don't know anything about these two tribes. Besides, I've never been a lobbyist before. You can ask me to rob houses with an axe, and you can ask me to charge into battle, but this is completely unsuitable for me."

Ma Chao said: "Alright, alright, I won't argue with you anymore. Since I arranged for you to go, I have also considered it. First of all, Gongming, you have just returned to the army. If you are suddenly asked to lead the troops, many of the generals will be dissatisfied. Other generals will also look down on you. I just want to give you a chance to show your face. I fought against the Ehe and Shaoge tribes last year. The leaders of these two tribes are also smart. Our main purpose this time is to target the tribe of Mi Tang, the king of the Eastern Qiang. In the previous battles, they also envied our friendship with the Western Qiang, but they were also afraid of the Eastern Qiang. The reputation of the King of the Eastern Qiang. They voluntarily gave in during their last encounter, yet dared not disobey the King of the Eastern Qiang. This proves they are solely concerned with the advancement of their tribe, prioritizing its interests above all else. If you go, you might as well be a little arrogant and boastful. Secondly, I'll have you bring a letter from the Western Qiang King, Cheliji, and my token. As long as they're not foolish, they'll treat you as a guest of honor. The more arrogant you act, the better, and they'll come to meet you. As long as we demonstrate sufficient strength and offer sufficiently tempting conditions, there's no doubt they'll surrender."

Xu Huang was extremely moved and said, "General, you treat me like this. Even if I die, I will never be able to repay your kindness!" Ma Chao smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, alright, stop being so cheesy. Do you understand what I said?" Xu Huang scratched his head and said, "I just need to act a little arrogant. Is it that simple?" Ma Chao said affirmatively, "It's that simple. You just need to intimidate them. I will arrange troops to cooperate with you. The more arrogant you act, the more they will flatter you. You must know that when my Xiliang army is mobilized, the Dongqiang will definitely be on guard. The bigger the movement on our side, the safer you will be over there." Xu Huang was shocked after hearing this. He was so happy that he laughed foolishly and said, "Hehe, the general is really good to me." Zhang Xiu said jokingly at the side, "I don't know who it was just now. He was almost scared to death, why was he still making such a fuss." Xu Huang said embarrassedly, "That was because I had a fight with the general and was scared." Zhang Xiu snorted and said, "Huh, when have we not benefited a lot from fighting with the general?" Ma Chao said with a playful smile, "Come on, come on, we are in a good mood today, let's fight a few more moves together." When Zhang Xiu and Xu Huang heard this, they were so scared that they quickly ran away, shouting, "No, no, Pang De is still calling us to drink," and then they ran away like rabbits.

Following Xu Huang's departure, all regions of Xiliang began actively mobilizing their forces. For a moment, the air was bustling with activity, accompanied by the shouting of men and the neighing of horses. Meanwhile, they were frantically gathering provisions and other supplies. With such a commotion in Xiliang, news quickly reached the Eastern Qiang King, Mi Tang. Ever since the thrilling battle the previous year, he had witnessed firsthand the immense might of the Western Liang army. The overwhelming momentum and unstoppable prowess had left a lasting impression on him. Ever since then, he had been plagued by a constant fear, terrified that the Western Liang would retaliate against him for the previous battle. As expected, the disaster he feared had indeed come to pass.

Recalling the fierce battle with Xiliang last year, the elite troops under the command of King Mitang of the Eastern Qiang suffered virtually no casualties throughout the entire battle. He cunningly deployed the other smaller tribes to lead the charge, risking their lives. Yet, in the end, all the benefits gained from the war were greedily reaped by King Mitang's own forces. This profound injustice infuriated the other smaller tribes, leading to widespread outcry. However, King Mitang of the Eastern Qiang offered no concrete response or action to appease the public anger. Following his defeat by Ma Chao, King Mitang relied on his past strength to maintain a firm grip on his powerful military forces. If any of the smaller tribes showed any sign of unrest, King Mitang would unhesitatingly dispatch his troops, brutally suppressing them with ruthless force and without mercy.

Mi Tang, the King of the Eastern Qiang, had only just barely managed to silence those voices that dared to defy him within the Eastern Qiang territory, after much effort. But who could have imagined that, no sooner had he dealt with this than he received news of a massive troop mobilization by the various tribes of Western Liang? This filled him with deep frustration and distress. With no other recourse but to hastily begin preparing for war, he anxiously urged the various tribes to mobilize their forces without delay. He knew the might of Western Liang and had to be fully prepared to withstand any ferocious retaliation they might launch at any moment. Any negligence would lead to disastrous consequences.