Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Lu Zhi brought Ma Chao with him to teach him, and arranged for Pang De to hone his skills in the military camp. After attending the court meeting, he returned home to explain and test Ma Chao. In his spare time, he took Ma Chao to the military camp and explained military laws and battle formations to Ma Chao and Pang De with the help of tents and maps.

In the study, the winter sun shone through the window lattice onto the floor, casting patches of mottled light and shadow. Lu Zhi sat at his desk, his expression focused and serious, his eyes gleaming with wisdom.

Ma Chao stood upright by the side, his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed on Lu Zhi, his eyes full of thirst for knowledge and awe.

Lu Zhi raised his right hand slightly, pointed to the books on the table, and said softly: "The classics, history, and literature are the crystallization of the world's wisdom." His voice was low and magnetic, as if it could penetrate time.

Ma Chao leaned forward slightly, listening intently, afraid to miss a single word. When he encountered doubts, he frowned slightly, opened his lips slightly, and asked questions without hesitation, his eyes brimming with anxiety.

Lu Zhi smiled, his eyes full of love and admiration. He patiently answered Ma Chao's questions and used encouraging eyes to guide Ma Chao to think deeply.

Under Lu Zhi's careful teaching, Ma Chao's eyes became more determined. He secretly made up his mind to study hard and live up to his master's expectations.

--split line--

Lu Zhi, Ma Chao, and Pang De sat around a map. Lu Zhi pointed to a location on the map and said, "Today, let's talk about the Battle of Changping."

Ma Chao and Pang De's eyes were fixed on the map, their expressions full of concentration.

Lu Zhi continued, "The Battle of Changping was a major battle in history. That Zhao Kuo was only good at talking about war on paper, and what was the outcome? A crushing defeat!"

After saying this, he glanced at Ma Chao and Pang De, and continued, "You two must not be like Zhao Kuo, who only has theory. You must learn how to apply it in practice!"

Ma Chao nodded vigorously and said, "Master, then why was the Qin army able to win?"

Lu Zhi smiled faintly and replied, "The Qin general, Bai Qi, is both brave and resourceful. He is adept at employing military tactics and knows how to exploit terrain. This is what you need to learn from him."

Pound interrupted, "What should we do if we encounter such a situation?"

Lu Zhi pondered for a moment and said, "We must be good at observing the terrain and understand the strength of both sides. We must also be flexible and not be stubborn."

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao and Pang De nodded repeatedly, as if thinking about something.

.........

Another day, Lu Zhi prepared to test the two men's leadership abilities and led them to the parade grounds. Lu Zhi, a legendary figure in the late Han Dynasty military, though not currently leading troops, was largely led by his former subordinates, allowing him unimpeded access to the barracks. The sight of Lu Zhi was met with excitement, with soldiers cheering, "Great General, Great General..." Lu Zhi nodded in greeting with a smile.

"Hey, do you know? Lu Zhi is a great general who is both civil and military!" a soldier said excitedly.

"Of course, he has extraordinary connections in the army!" another soldier nodded in response.

"I have received guidance from General Lu before!" another soldier interrupted.

"Really? That's so lucky!" The soldiers around showed envious expressions.

"General Lu is not only a martial arts expert, but also resourceful. He is truly admirable!" someone exclaimed.

"Yes, with him here, the strength of our army will definitely be improved!" Everyone echoed.

Lu Zhi stood on the high platform, his majestic gaze sweeping over the noisy and excited soldiers below. He raised his hands, signaling for silence, and a resounding voice rang out: "Everyone, be quiet!" The noisy voices gradually subsided.

Lu Zhi continued, "Today, I will recruit two teams of soldiers, led by Ma Chao and Pang De, to conduct a confrontation drill."

When the soldiers in the audience heard this, their expressions became excited, with excitement flashing in their eyes. They raised their hands enthusiastically, eager to be selected.

Ma Chao and Pang De stood aside, their faces filled with confidence and expectation.

Lu Zhi thought to himself, "Ma Chao and Pang De are both promising talents. This exercise is a good opportunity to train them." So he shouted, "Ma Chao, Pang De, today we will select two teams of soldiers and each of you will lead this exercise."

Ma Chao and Pang De exchanged a glance, their eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation, and replied in unison, "As you command!"

Lu Zhi then said seriously, "This exercise is designed to test your tactical command capabilities. You must give it your all and not slack off in the slightest."

Ma Chao secretly vowed in his heart: "I must seize this opportunity, show my strength, and live up to Master's expectations!"

Pang De also encouraged himself in his heart: "I will lead the team to achieve outstanding results and let Master see my ability!"

With Lu Zhi's order, the drill officially began.

Pang De led the troops, wielding his weapon majestically, and led the soldiers to charge into battle like a gust of wind.

Ma Chao was calm and composed, skillfully deployed tactics, and calmly commanded his soldiers to deal with the enemy's attacks.

The training ground was filled with flying dust and the shouts were deafening.

Lu Zhi stood on a high place, closely watching the progress of the drill, his heart filled with satisfaction: "These two disciples really did not disappoint me."

Soon, the outcome of the battle between the two teams was decided, and Ma Chao was more powerful and won.

Lu Zhi slowly approached the crowd and first gazed at Ma Chao, his eyes filled with admiration. He spoke softly, "Ma Chao, you performed exceptionally well in this battle. You led the troops with courage and determination, and your tactics were masterful. You are truly a talented general." He then turned his gaze to Pang De and said earnestly, "Pang De, everyone knows your bravery. However, you lack strategy. If you can improve your intelligence, you will surely become a great leader in the future."

Ma Chao bowed and said, "Thank you for the praise, Master. I will definitely keep up the good work!" Pang De then said loudly, "I will follow your teachings, Master, and redouble my efforts to make up for my shortcomings." Ma Chao patted Pang De's shoulder and encouraged him, "Brother Pang, don't be discouraged. We should learn from each other and make progress together." Pang De nodded and replied, "Brother Ma, you are right. I will practice diligently."

Lu Zhi looked at Ma Chao and Pang De with a satisfied smile on his face.

He turned to face all the soldiers and spoke loudly, "You all performed brilliantly in today's battle. You all witnessed the bravery of Ma Chao and Pang De. However, victory and defeat are common in war, so there is no need to be discouraged."

"The essence of our army lies in unity and courage. Your performance today has proven the strength of our army. In the future, we must continue to train hard to prepare for any emergency."

Lu Zhi paused, then continued, "I believe that with your combined efforts, our army will be invincible and unstoppable!"

After hearing Lu Zhi's words, the soldiers' morale was greatly boosted, and they shouted in unison: "Invincible! Unstoppable!"