Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The situation at court was volatile, and Ma Chao was completely oblivious to all that was happening. Whether it was Liu Bei and Lü Bu embarking on their respective expeditions, or Lu Wan being forced by the emperor and nearly losing her chastity, none of this reached Ma Chao's ears. By this time, he had already personally led his army towards Yangzhou, determined to save it from disaster.

Arrangements had already been made long before. Xu Shu, following orders, went ahead to contact his sworn brother, Sun Ce. Sun Ce's current strength could not be underestimated. He had practically occupied the entire Kuaiji County, commanded a formidable army, and was already a powerful lord.

Ma Chao, on his part, made another important move, dispatching Xu Huang to Xiliang to seek assistance. He requested an additional 6 troops from Xiliang. This way, with a force of 10, he could exert immense pressure on Yuan Shao in Huainan, deterring Yuan Shu from any further ambitions towards Yangzhou, and thus resolving the crisis in Yangzhou.

Xu Huang, upon receiving Ma Chao's instructions, wasted no time and hurried towards Xiliang. His mission was to quickly replenish his forces and reunite with Ma Chao to fight against Yuan Shu. But his mission extended far beyond this. He also shouldered the heavy responsibility of mobilizing food and fodder for the Xiliang army. Ma Chao had received no resupply of fodder and supplies from the emperor for this expedition. With the army already on the march, the depletion of fodder was staggering, especially in the harsh winter, which made replenishing fodder even more difficult. To ensure a stable supply of fodder, at the very least, it had to be transferred through Tianshui and then transported to Chang'an to meet the army's needs. Xu Huang, fully aware of the weight of his responsibility, galloped towards Tianshui, the dust kicked up by his horse's hooves lingering behind him.

After a long and tiring journey, Xu Huang finally arrived in Tianshui. Upon entering the city, he was warmly received by Dong Huang. Xu Huang and Dong Huang had once faced off on the battlefield, but now, under Li Ru's careful arrangements, Tianshui County was under Dong Huang's control. In fact, Ma Chao and Dong Huang had already put aside their past grudges and reconciled, so Dong Huang was quite surprised to see Xu Huang arrive in such a cold winter's day and hurriedly treated him with the highest standards. He first arranged a sumptuous meal for Xu Huang to enjoy, and then prepared comfortable accommodations for him.

After a satisfying meal and a few drinks, Xu Huang explained his purpose to Dong Huang. With a serious expression, he said, "General Dong, my general has been ordered by the Emperor to rescue Yangzhou alone. As you know, Yangzhou faces a powerful lord like Yuan Shu! However, my general currently has only 40,000 soldiers under his command. This force is far too limited to face such a formidable enemy. I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to defeat such a powerful enemy. I'm here to go to Wuwei County and ask the old lord to mobilize more troops to assist my general."

Dong Huang frowned slightly and asked with concern, "Have you arranged the food and fodder? Do we still have to transport it to Chang'an as usual? After all, we used to supply the Xiliang army with our own food and fodder, and there's almost no food and fodder in Chang'an for the army."

Xu Huang sighed helplessly and said, "Hey! We still have to provide our own food and fodder. This emperor is really making things difficult for us. He only asks us to work without providing any supplies. It's like asking a horse to run without giving it any grass. He just throws this hot potato on us and doesn't care about anything else. If we brothers don't prepare our own food and fodder, we will all starve."

Dong Huang said indignantly, "Isn't this too much? How can this be justified? Young Master, how can you be so obedient to the Emperor?"

Xu Huang also became excited: "That's right! You didn't see it. When I was in the court, I saw the emperor's face and I was so angry that I wanted to chop him with an axe. My general is good in every way, but he is loyal to the emperor. I really don't agree with him."

Dong Huang felt a momentary embarrassment. Although he and Ma Chao had reconciled, their relationship wasn't close enough for him to freely discuss Ma Chao behind his back. Only a close confidant like Xu Huang, who had accompanied Ma Chao on his campaigns, would dare to speak so. He could only let out a dry laugh to ease the awkwardness before saying, "General Xu, you don't need to go to Wuwei County anymore. The lord is already stationed in Longxi. The lord brought 100,000 troops with him. I've taken 30,000, and the lord still has 40,000. That's 10,000 more than you expected. As for food and fodder, I can't do anything about it. I need to see Mr. Li Ru and hear his arrangements."

Upon hearing this, Xu Huang was overjoyed, his eyes sparkling with delight. He excitedly exclaimed, "Oh, that's fantastic! My lord is in Longxi County. This way, I won't have to make the long journey to Wuwei County, and I can lead my troops to support you more quickly." He then looked at Dong Huang and earnestly requested, "General Dong, please give me some food and supplies. Time is running out, and I can't stay here overnight. I must hurry to the Longxi army." Seeing his eagerness, Dong Huang gave up trying to persuade him and immediately ordered his men to prepare. Soon, sufficient rations, water, and other necessary supplies were ready. After thanking Dong Huang, Xu Huang, without stopping, mounted his warhorse and galloped towards Longxi, raising a cloud of dust in his wake.

The weather was bitterly cold, a piercing wind whistling like a knife. The further northwest one went, the more ferocious and violent the wind grew. Before Xu Huang even reached Tianshui Commandery, the sky began to scatter snowflakes, initially scattered but soon swirling like goose feathers. The swirling snow made the already difficult journey even more arduous, requiring immense effort from both Xu Huang and his horse to achieve each advance.

Xu Huang trudged through the harsh, snowy conditions, the snow growing heavier and heavier, almost covering his horse's legs. Finally, nearly freezing, he hurried to Longxi County. He saw the county guards huddled in shelter, almost all huddled together by the fire, oblivious to the raging snow outside. The county gates were sealed, leaving Xu Huang helpless, shouting for them to be opened amidst the howling wind and snow.

After a long while, a soldier impatiently opened the door, cursing as he did so. Xu Huang, already cold and exhausted, was furious. Upon hearing the curses, he glared at them and shouted, "If you curse again, I'll chop you off!" His typical Xiliang officer attire, coupled with his furious expression, made him look particularly imposing. If it hadn't been for his attire, the guards would have likely engaged in a violent confrontation.

Xu Huang suppressed his rage and didn't dwell on the impolite soldiers. Without even bothering to brush off the thick snow, he rushed straight towards the county capital, dusty and exhausted. Anxious, he simply wanted to meet with Ma Teng and Li Ru as soon as possible to complete his mission of seeking assistance and secure more troops for Ma Chao to lift the siege of Yangzhou. A hurried figure weaved through the wind and snow, sprinting towards hope.

The weather was bitterly cold, threatening to freeze everything in its depths. A fierce wind howled and raged outside the county capital, threatening to breach the thick walls. Ma Teng had arranged a magnificent banquet within the capital. Inside the vast hall, blazing charcoal fires lit up the walls, their dancing flames illuminating everyone's faces and temporarily dispelling the chill. During the feast, civil and military officials toasted each other, their laughter and cries of converse intermingling in a lively atmosphere. The military officials, clad in resplendent armor, gleamed in the firelight. They laughed heartily and recounted past military exploits. The civil officials, clad in brocade robes and holding wine glasses, engaged in gentle conversation, occasionally exchanging knowing smiles.

Just as the bustle threatened to lift the roof off the room, a soldier rushed in, his face flushed with both running and anxiety. Without even a moment's greeting, he eagerly reported, "My lord, General Ma Chao has sent Xu Huang from Chang'an, requesting assistance." Ma Teng's face paled instantly, and his wine glass clattered to the ground, splashing the liquid and forming a puddle. His eyes widened with terror, and without a word, he abruptly stood up, his weight so strong that the chair fell backward. He waved his arms and shouted, "Bring Xu Huang in quickly! No delay!" His voice trembled with nervousness, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

Soon, Xu Huang arrived. He was covered in snow that hadn't melted yet, like a white cloak, falling down with every movement. His face was exhausted, yet his eyes held a resolute look. His hair, a little disheveled, lay plastered to his cheeks, and he didn't even bother brushing it off as he barged into the banquet. His gaze was like lightning, fixed on Ma Teng, who sat at the head of the table, as if he had seen a single ray of hope in the darkness. Then, without hesitation, he knelt with a thud, his knees clacking against the ground. He cupped his hands, raised them high above his head, and spoke with an urgent, worried tone, "My lord, the general has sent me back to coordinate reinforcements! The young master's situation is critical, and we can't afford to lose any time!" Upon hearing this, Ma Teng was terrified, frozen in place as if his soul had been taken away. His lips were trembling violently. He opened his mouth, but it was as if something was choking his throat. He couldn't speak for a while. He just stood there blankly, his face growing paler.

Upon seeing this, Niu Fu hurriedly stood up from his seat and quickly walked over to Xu Huang. His face was filled with anxiety as he asked, "Young Master, what's wrong? Don't worry, just tell me the whole story." His brows furrowed, his eyes filled with concern, and he placed a hand on Xu Huang's shoulder, as if trying to calm him. Li Ru, however, remained calm in his seat, his eyes slightly narrowed. The surrounding civil and military officials also stopped their chatter and cast their gazes at Xu Huang, some with worried expressions, others with puzzled faces. The atmosphere at the banquet suddenly became tense, with only the crackling charcoal fire as the only accompaniment to the tense atmosphere.