Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Ma Chao fled the palace in a frenzy, as if he were pursued by a thousand pursuers. He spared no thought, galloping towards He Jin's residence. In his panic, he even stole a passerby's horse, still wearing his conspicuous eunuch garb, with no time to change. He was furious, whipping his horse furiously. Passersby, seeing him in this state, hurriedly dodged in panic, wondering why he was so unpredictable. But Ma Chao paid no mind to any of this; his only thought was to reach He Jin's residence as quickly as possible.

Not long after, Ma Chao arrived anxiously at He Jin's residence. He arrived like a gust of wind, his horse's hooves kicking up clouds of dust. As the empress's brother and a great general, He Jin's residence was magnificent and imposing. The tall, red gate stood majestically, its lintel intricately carved and gleaming with gold, as if proclaiming the residence's nobility and glory. As Ma Chao approached the residence, he saw two groups of soldiers neatly lined up on either side of the entrance. Clad in gleaming armor and imposing helmets, they wielded gleaming halberds. They stood solemnly, exuding an awe-inspiring aura. The entire residence, bathed in sunlight, shone with a brilliant light, a display of grandeur and luxury.

Seeing Ma Chao galloping towards the palace gate like a gust of wind, the two groups of soldiers immediately became alert and shouted in unison, demanding that Ma Chao dismount and be questioned.

Ma Chao reined in his horse, bowed, and said, "I have an important matter to discuss with the General. Please help me report it."

The doorman then slowly emerged, hands on his hips, chin raised, and said arrogantly, "My General's Mansion is not a place you can just enter whenever you want. Don't you know the rules at all? Get off your horse right now! Take out your visiting card and wait on the side! As for whether you can enter, that depends on my mood!"

As he spoke, he looked Ma Chao up and down with contempt. His arrogant look made people feel very uncomfortable.

Ma Chao couldn't get angry, so he suppressed his anger and humbly said to the other party, "This is an emergency. I hope you will be flexible. I have come from the palace to present an important matter to the general."

As Ma Chao spoke, he handed over the tiger talisman and seal with an earnest expression on his face.

The doorman didn't even glance at me, saying contemptuously, "Hmph, you think you're worthy enough to be seen by me, Grandpa? I don't need your filial piety now, and it's too late to show your filial piety now!"

As the doorman spoke, he deliberately spat to the side, his attitude extremely arrogant and domineering.

However, Ma Chao was extremely anxious at this time. He didn't care about these things. He packed up the tiger seal and suddenly pulled out the golden knife. With a flash of cold light, the doorman's head rolled down.

The entrance to the mansion was instantly thrown into chaos. Numerous guards rushed out like a tide, surrounding Ma Chao. They held sharp blades in their hands, their eyes filled with hostility, ready to attack Ma Chao at any moment.

Ma Chao held his golden sword high, his eyes wide with anger, a gleam of determination in his gaze. With lightning speed, he charged into the group of guards, brandishing his golden sword in a flash of cold light. The guards raised their halberds to meet him, but Ma Chao's speed was so great that their attacks couldn't even reach the corner of his clothes.

Ma Chao's golden sword clashed repeatedly with the guards' halberds, sending sparks flying. He charged left and right, each swing of his sword carrying immense force, forcing the guards back repeatedly. Some guards attempted to attack Ma Chao from the side, but he nimbly spun and swiftly struck back with his golden sword and scabbard, repelling the attackers one by one.

In the fierce fight, Ma Chao displayed extraordinary martial arts and fearless courage. Like a ferocious beast, he rampaged through the group of guards, and no one could resist him. Although the guards were numerous, they gradually fell into panic under Ma Chao's powerful offensive.

The clamor spread like a tide to the backyard, and soon guards hurried in to report that someone had forced their way into He's residence. At that moment, He Jin was enjoying a feast in the garden with his generals and the sons of prominent families. The sun was just setting in the west, and it was unclear whether the banquet had begun at noon or only in the evening. This was too early, wasn't it?

He Jin was drinking in the garden with a group of military commanders and young men from aristocratic families. Upon hearing the guard's report, he frowned slightly, a flicker of displeasure crossing his face. He put down his wine glass and slowly stood up, his eyes revealing a hint of confusion and anger.

He pondered for a moment, then looked at the guard who reported, and asked with a somewhat majestic tone: "Who is so bold as to break into my mansion?" The guard hurriedly described Ma Chao's situation in detail to He Jin.

After hearing this, He Jin's face became even more gloomy. At this time, Chunyu Qiong slowly picked up the wine glass, drank the wine in it, then stood up and said to He Jin: "Please sit here and wait for me to capture this arrogant man, and then kowtow to you and confess his guilt." After he said that, he put the wine glass heavily on the table, a hint of fierceness flashed in his eyes, and he turned around and strode towards the gate of the mansion.

Cao Cao stood up and was about to stop Chunyu Qiong, but before he could say anything, Yuan Shao held his hand. Yuan Shao shook his head and urged Cao Cao to mind his own business. However, Cao Cao couldn't help but say to He Jin, "My lord, this man, dressed in eunuch's attire, galloped here, and even dared to force his way into the He residence, must have a reason. Perhaps something has happened. I hope you will hold back your anger and meet him."

He Jin, however, showed a hint of displeasure on his face, and said to Cao Cao: "Meng De, you are wrong! I am the general of the current dynasty and the queen's brother. Who in the world dares to offend me like this? Even if this person dies ten thousand times, it will not be able to eliminate the hatred in my heart!" After he said that, he sat back in his seat heavily, his face full of anger.

Yuan Shu on the side suddenly stood up and said with a tone full of disdain, "Meng De, Meng De, what you said is really ridiculous! A person of noble status like Mr. He, even if the eunuchs sent by the emperor come here, it depends on whether Mr. He has time to meet him. A little eunuch like this who doesn't know etiquette dares to be so arrogant, he should be beheaded immediately to set things right!" As he spoke, he waved his arms, looking extremely indignant.

He Jin was flattered by Yuan Shu's flattery and laughed heartily, stroking his beard, saying, "I still like Gong Lu the most."

When the people around saw this, they quickly echoed, "General Yuan is absolutely right!" "General Yuan is absolutely right!" "Mr. He is of noble status, and that little eunuch should be severely punished!" Everyone spoke one after another, expressing their respect for He Jin and their agreement with Yuan Shu's remarks. For a while, the scene was extremely lively.

At this moment, another soldier ran over in a panic, reporting, "General, General Chunyu Qiong has been injured by this man! That arrogant fellow is charging towards us with all his might. We soldiers have tried our best to stop him, but no one can stop him! Please make a decision quickly, General!"

As soon as the sergeant finished speaking, everyone around him widened their eyes in surprise and looked at each other. When He Jin heard the news, the smile on his face instantly disappeared, replaced by a look of shock and anger.

Yuan Shu frowned, a look of disbelief on his face. He angrily exclaimed, "What? This little eunuch is so brazen! How dare he injure General Chunyu!" The people around him chimed in, expressing their indignation at the intruder and their concern for the situation. For a moment, the entire scene became tense and chaotic.

Upon hearing this news, He Jin was immediately enraged. His eyes widened, veins popping out on his forehead, and he roared angrily, "Quickly bring me a crossbow and shoot that arrogant fellow to death! Dead or alive!"

His voice was filled with rage, and his entire body seemed to be on fire. Those around him were intimidated by his anger and dared not speak. He Jin's face flushed crimson, his hands clenched into fists, and his body trembled slightly with anger.

After receiving the order, the soldiers quickly took action, dispatching crossbows and arrows to kill the man who dared to injure Chunyu Qiong. The whole garden was filled with a tense atmosphere, and everyone was waiting for the upcoming fierce conflict.