Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

On the battlefield, dust billowed as Xu Huang and Prince Midang stood facing each other. Xu Huang's face was grim, axe in hand, his armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Meanwhile, Prince Midang stood tall like a towering iron, his eyes gleaming with wildness and dominance.

Battle erupted instantly. Prince Midang galloped forward, his long sword wielding a fierce gust of wind. Undeterred, Xu Huang met his blows with his axe. Axe blade clashed with the blade, creating a deafening clang and sending sparks flying. Prince Midang was immensely powerful, and each strike was formidable. Xu Huang fought back with all his might, and the two exchanged blows for dozens of rounds in the blink of an eye.

Xu Huang unleashed his full might, his axe wielding with a ferocious gust of wind, slashing and hacking with ferocious force. But Prince Midang's swordsmanship was also masterful, his defense impenetrable, and his occasional counterattacks left Xu Huang flustered. As the battle dragged on, Xu Huang felt the pressure mount, his attacks growing more ferocious. He was left struggling, his strength gradually failing him. Sweat streamed down Xu Huang's brow, but his gaze remained resolute, his teeth gritted as he persevered.

After more than a dozen rounds, Xu Huang was already showing signs of fatigue, his movements becoming slightly sluggish. Prince Midang seized the opportunity and launched a powerful strike. Xu Huang barely managed to block it with his axe, but the immense force caused him to stagger. Prince Midang seized the opportunity and continued his attacks, forcing Xu Huang back repeatedly, seemingly on the verge of defeat.

At this critical moment, Pang De, standing by, shouted, "Enemy, stop being so arrogant! Pang De is here to fight you!" He then stepped forward, sword in hand, to meet Prince Midang's attack. Pang De turned to Xu Huang and said, "Gongming, return to the formation and rest. I will avenge you." Xu Huang nodded and dragged his exhausted body back to his main formation to rest.

Meanwhile, Prince Midang grew increasingly excited as the fight progressed, bursting into laughter. Pang De and Prince Midang engaged in a fierce battle, their blades flashing like cold stars, clashing constantly with the long sword. Pang De unleashed his full might, his blade techniques sharp and unpredictable, but Prince Midang was able to counter each blow, demonstrating immense strength and combat skill. They fought from horseback to foot, their figures crisscrossing in the dust.

After fifty or sixty rounds, Pang De began to feel the strain. Prince Midang's power seemed boundless. With each clash, Pang De could feel the immense pressure. Prince Midang's swordplay became increasingly ruthless, and Pang De's moves were gradually suppressed.

After more than a dozen rounds, Pang De began to lose the upper hand. His breathing became rapid and his physical strength was greatly depleted. However, Prince Midang remained fierce and aggressive, showing no signs of fatigue. Everyone on the battlefield was shocked by Prince Midang's strength. He was fighting two people alone and still had the upper hand.

The battle lasted for seventy or eighty rounds, and Pang De was already exhausted, but he still fought tenaciously with Prince Midang. Although he was at a disadvantage, he also displayed an unyielding fighting spirit. The atmosphere on the battlefield was extremely tense. Everyone was closely watching this thrilling battle, and they had a deeper understanding of Prince Midang's strength.

On the battlefield, the situation was tense and intense. Ma Chao had been closely watching the situation in the camp. He was well aware of the abilities of Pang De and Xu Huang, and Mi Tang's performance also piqued his interest. At the same time, he did not want to let his own morale drop.

Ma Chao's expression was stern. He held his spear and tapped his horse's belly. The Horse King, Jiguang, understood his intention and rushed into the battle array like a whirlwind. With a swift charge and a swing of his spear, he easily parted the fierce battle between Pang De and Mi Dang. Seeing Ma Chao's arrival in the Han army, the drummers beat their war drums even harder, the sound like thunder. The Xiliang soldiers frantically shouted Ma Chao's name, their momentum shaking the heavens.

Upon seeing Ma Chao march into battle, King Mi Tang was horrified. Knowing Ma Chao's formidable strength, he feared any mishap for Prince Mi Tang, and hurriedly ordered his troops to retreat. Ma Chao and Mi Tang had only exchanged a single round, barely testing each other's strength. Prince Mi Tang watched in bewilderment, and upon hearing the signal to withdraw, he retreated with a somewhat unhappy heart. The dust gradually settled on the battlefield, leaving only the aftertaste and reflection of this brief but intense encounter.

Upon returning to his base camp, Prince Midang was immediately surrounded by flattery, which only fueled his arrogance. He complained to Mi Tang, "Those brave generals are nothing special. I haven't had enough fun yet. That pretty boy Ma Chao just left the battle, and you've already called for a retreat. I was even planning to capture him." King Mi Tang couldn't let Midang down, but he knew Ma Chao's formidable strength, so he reluctantly offered him some words of comfort. "My son, you're a brave man. I know your bravery, but I know you've fought two battles in a row and must be hungry. Ma Chao is well rested, so even if you go to fight him, he won't be easy to deal with. I experienced Ma Chao's strength last year. Come back and have some wine and meat. Tomorrow, after a good rest, you can fight him again. You'll definitely capture him alive." Mi Dang's anger finally turned to joy, and he burst into laughter.

King Mi Tang watched Mi Dang, beaming with joy amidst the flattery of the Qiang leaders, his worries deepened. He knew full well the dangers of a clash with Ma Chao; Ma Chao's near-invincible strength was no match for Mi Dang. However, the constant praise from these people, overly boosting his confidence, left King Mi Tang feeling frustrated. He knew the difficulty and uncertainty of tomorrow's battle, so he secretly instructed his trusted leaders that if they saw signs of danger from Mi Dang during the clash with Ma Chao, they were to rush forward and rescue him immediately, regardless of any rules. He truly hated to see Mi Dang suffer any harm and simply wished to ensure his safety as much as possible. However, he also knew that this was ultimately only a temporary solution. Facing a formidable foe like Ma Chao, everything was full of uncertainty and challenges.

After Ma Chao returned to his base camp, Xu Huang and Pang De both approached to plead for mercy. They believed their failure to defeat Mi Dang had caused their once-high morale to plummet. However, Ma Chao didn't take the incident to heart. Instead, he burst into laughter, helped the two men up, and said with a smile, "Victory and defeat are common in the military, not to mention Xu Huang's victory over a major general, which greatly boosted morale. Since Mi Tang dared to fight like this, he must have something to rely on. From this, it seems that Mi Dang is his trump card. You two have fought so hard for so long, and I have a clear idea of ​​Mi Dang's strength. When we go into battle tomorrow, we will definitely weaken Mi Dang's prestige and break down his psychological defenses."

After hearing this, Pang De's face was still etched with shame. Meanwhile, Xu Huang began to wink at Zhang Xiu, boasting, "Well, even the general praised me. You'll have to be proud to say otherwise. Humph, I was just too aggressive in those first two rounds. Otherwise, I could have captured Mi Dang alive just the same." Xu Huang continued to boast, but Pang De knew they were no match for Mi Dang. Zhang Xiu responded, "You're only good at talking. If Ling Ming hadn't come to your aid, you'd have been defeated by Mi Dang long ago. And you're still showing off?" Pang De nodded repeatedly, saying, "I'm no match for Mi Dang either. He's certainly got some bad blood." However, Xu Huang showed no shame at all. Seeing his smug, boastful demeanor, the atmosphere in the tent brightened considerably.

Ma Chao ordered a banquet, but Pang De, with a hint of worry, said, "General, our army's current advantage is only temporary and not yet secure. We must be vigilant against nighttime attacks by the Qiang." Ma Chao paused, then ordered his generals to exercise extreme caution and vigilance at night. He summoned Generals Xu Huang and Zhang Xiu, instructing them to each lead two thousand men, their horses' hooves wrapped in cloth and their mouths tethered with harnesses, and to set up an ambush early that night on either side of the camp. At the sides of the tent, Xu Huang muttered, "We just fought a battle today, and we haven't even started eating yet, and the general is giving me another task." Pang De smiled and said, "This shows the general values ​​you." Xu Huang, reflecting on the situation, thought, "Well, that seems to be the case." He began to show off to Zhang Xiu again, infuriating him to the point of gnashing his teeth.

Ma Chao solemnly instructed the two generals, "Even if they do come to raid the camp, do not act rashly. Simply wait patiently for them to enter. Once they flee, you will pursue them. If you can seize this opportunity to follow the chaotic army into the Qiang camp, you might be able to achieve extraordinary feats." The two generals respectfully obeyed, ate a simple meal, and then went back to make the necessary arrangements. The camp, on the surface, was bustling with activity. Ma Chao also ordered a hearty meal for the soldiers and the slaughter of cattle and sheep. The soldiers were unaware of the general's specific strategic plans, but for a bowl of broth with large bones in the cold weather, they were filled with gratitude. This gratitude was difficult to express in words, almost reaching the level of gratitude.