Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Ma Chao still felt this move was inappropriate. He secretly assessed the difficulties and dangers of the journey to Yangzhou. He knew that even if Zhang Xiu brought 30,000 troops, it would be a drop in the bucket in the current battle. Yangzhou, crisscrossed with lakes and marshes, was a serious disadvantage for his cavalry-savvy side. A head-on confrontation with Yuan Shu would have little chance of success. Only by seizing the opportunity and taking unexpected risks could he have a chance of survival. Therefore, despite everyone's urging, he hesitated to agree.

Seeing Ma Chao's resolute attitude, Zhang Xiu was at a loss for words and could only look to the crowd for help. Just then, he caught a glimpse of Xu Huang behind Ma Chao, winking, pretending to wipe tears, and then twisting his body, as if hinting at something. Zhang Xiu understood and cried out at the top of his lungs, "Oh, my dear brother, I really can't leave you!" Unexpectedly, Ma Chao glared at him, and Zhang Xiu fell silent. He looked at Xu Huang timidly and asked, "Old Xu, you're just twisting around like that, and I don't understand what you mean. Tell me how I can get the general to stay?"

Xu Huang slapped his forehead helplessly and sighed, "You idiot, you can't even throw a tantrum, and you just stay here and refuse to leave. What can the general do to you?" Ma Chao was immediately furious when he heard this. His eyes shot towards Xu Huang like sharp arrows, and he shouted angrily, "Xu Huang, you are never decent on weekdays. You can't stop your powerful behavior. How could you do such an instigative thing today! I said that Ah Xiu has always been upright, how could she suddenly lose her composure and act like this? It turns out that you were fanning the flames and giving advice behind the scenes! Don't forget, you already have similar "bad deeds". Now you dare to do the same trick again. Do you really think I won't punish you?" Ma Chao became more and more angry, his chest heaving violently, and his majestic face looked even colder because of anger, like a volcano about to erupt, and the air around him seemed to condense because of his anger.

Xu Huang was so frightened by Ma Chao's angry rebuke that his collar tightened and his body shuddered instinctively. Then he fell to his knees with a plop, took two steps forward on his knees, hugged Ma Chao's legs tightly with both hands, and said anxiously: "General, I really do this for your own good! I have no idea what the situation of the Battle of Yangzhou will be like. Our existing military strength is clearly here, and one more person means more strength. Besides, Ah Xiu is sincere to you, and the world can witness his kindness." As he spoke, he quickly signaled to Zhang Xiu with his eyes. Zhang Xiu understood what he meant and hurried forward to hug Ma Chao's other leg, saying earnestly: "General, my good brother, I have made up my mind and will never leave. I only wish to fight side by side with you on the battlefield, so that I will have no regrets in this life." Ma Chao frowned and roared angrily: "Let go!" Then, he fixed his eyes on Zhang Xiu and asked: "A Xiu, have you really thought it through? My uncle is in critical condition now, and I am afraid he won't have much time left. At this last moment, you are not by his side to serve him medicine, "Will you really not regret it later?" Zhang Xiu raised his head slightly, his eyes firm. "My uncle means the same thing. He's eager for me to follow you, General, and achieve great things. He says this is the way to pass on the family's honor." Ma Chao sighed, the anger on his face gradually fading. He said helplessly, "Well, since you're already here, then come with me. However, the situation in Yangzhou is complicated, and it's hard to distinguish friend from foe. This journey is extremely dangerous. I'm afraid many of my brothers will not be able to escape unscathed, and there will inevitably be casualties."

Seeing that Zhang Xiu had been successfully retained, Ma Chao was relieved and excited. He jumped up and grabbed Zhang Xiu with his hands like a pair of iron tongs, with such strength that it seemed that he could lift Zhang Xiu and spin him around. He grinned smugly, "Haha, Ah Xiu, I knew I had a clever mind. Now that this idea has come up, we can fight side by side. Isn't it wonderful?"

Ma Chao's face darkened, as dark clouds gathered around him. He roared, "Xu Huang!" The roar was like thunder, frightening Xu Huang so much that he jumped up on the spot, put his heels together, and straightened his back with a "crack". He shouted at the top of his voice, "Here! General, what has made you so angry? Let me calm you down. Do you want me to perform a somersault or imitate the monkey's cry?" Ma Chao gritted his teeth and said, "You rascal, you are full of evil ideas. Can't you be serious? Come, drag him away and give him thirty lashes to wake him up!"

Xu Huang's eyes bulged like bells, and he jumped up and down, shouting, "General, this won't happen! Last time, I surrendered halfway and got beaten up, but I accepted it. It was my fault for being so impatient. But this time, it's Zhang Xiu who's coming. How can you pick on the weak, hitting me and not him? This is so unfair! Brothers, please help me plead for mercy, or I'll die unjustly!" The surrounding soldiers were already laughing so hard that their stomachs hurt. Some covered their mouths, their shoulders shaking; some squatted on the ground, tears streaming down their cheeks.

Seeing that no one paid any attention to him, Xu Huang stamped his feet in frustration and cursed: "You bunch of heartless people are laughing at me. When I become rich one day, you will beg me for help! General, if you want to fight, let's fight Zhang Xiu together, otherwise I will die with my eyes open!" Ma Chao waved his hand, and Wu Anguo and Pan Feng carried Xu Huang away like a chicken.

When he arrived at the execution place, Xu Huang took off his clothes while muttering, "Be gentle, my skin is so tender and I can't stand the beating." As the whip fell, Xu Huang howled like a ghost, "Oh my God! This is going to kill me! General, please be magnanimous and spare me! I won't dare to do it again!" The sound was so loud that it could scare away the birds in the sky.

Ma Chao, looking at Xu Huang's exaggerated behavior, was both angry and amused. He said to Zhang Liao, "Wenyuan, go and take a look. Don't really hurt him. It's winter, and if he gets hurt, it would be a waste of medicine. Our medicine is precious." Zhang Liao smiled and nodded, then walked towards Xu Huang. Ma Chao stood there, shaking his head helplessly, but he also understood that although Xu Huang was mischievous, he was also sincerely concerned about the team.

Zhang Liao walked towards Xu Huang with a smile on his face and joked, "You fool, the general is still thinking about you, so he sent me here to tell them to be gentle." Xu Huang was howling at the top of his lungs, "Ouch, it hurts so much! General, please be kind and spare me!" But the other man took a break from his busy schedule to wink at Zhang Liao and whispered in a smug voice, "Of course, don't you see who I am? I'm the general's darling." As he said this, his body twisted exaggeratedly in time with the rise and fall of the whip. "Ouch, this is really killing me!"

Just like that, twenty lashes were dealt out at a leisurely pace. Ma Chao watched Xu Huang's exaggerated performance from a distance, feeling both angry and amused. Finally, unable to hold back his laughter, he let out a "puff" and waved his hand helplessly: "Forget it, forget it, stop it, let this guy come over! He really can't give me enough trouble."

Xu Huang ran over happily, pretending to be struggling to adjust his clothes and armor, muttering, "General, look at me, my body is covered with red marks from being whipped. It's winter, I must be freezing to death." As he spoke, he deliberately shivered violently, followed by two loud sneezes in succession, "A-choo! A-choo!"

Seeing this, Ma Chao's heart softened. Without a second thought, he took off his cloak and gently draped it over Xu Huang, scolding him, "Alright, alright, you fool! Go make yourself a bowl of ginger soup and drink it. Don't catch a cold."

Xu Huang danced with joy, as if he had found a rare treasure. He winked at everyone and boasted, "Did you see that? Who is the general's trusted and beloved general? Now it's clear! Humph, look at me, Old Xu, wearing this cloak. Isn't I majestic and domineering?" After that, he wandered around in front of the crowd like a funny clown. Now he would come to one person and ask with a smile, "Brother, what do you think of my look? Does it fit me? Doesn't it look handsome?" Then he would jump in front of another person, deliberately holding his head high and chest out, showing off, "Look, with this cloak on, my temperament has instantly changed, hasn't it?"

Xu Huang's laughter crackled in the crowd, echoing through the camp like waves. Xu Huang, growing increasingly elated, shook his head and said, "Alas! This cloak looks impressive now, but it's still a little late. If I had this treasure back when I returned from Longxi, I would have worn it and dazzled in the Golden Palace in Chang'an! I would have stood in the center of the court, pointed at the ministers, and scolded them for their usual posturing and scheming. Then I would have pointed my finger at the old emperor and denounced his incompetence. That would have been a truly exhilarating scene, truly impressive! Look at the material of this cloak, the cut of it, it looks like it was tailor-made for me, and I'd look so majestic!"

Ma Chao had been amused by the absurdity of the scene, but upon hearing Xu Huang's outrageous words, his smile froze, replaced by shock and confusion. His brow furrowed, his eyes sharp as he stepped forward and asked, "Xu Huang, what exactly did you say about cursing the ministers and insulting the emperor from the Golden Palace in Chang'an? Tell me the truth!"

Xu Huang, oblivious to Ma Chao's unusual behavior, remained engrossed in his own "glorious deeds," boasting endlessly to the crowd. He recounted the scene with rapturous enthusiasm, describing how he had held his head high in the court, how he had silenced the ministers with his sharp rhetoric, and how he had left the emperor blushing and speechless. He spoke with increasing enthusiasm, his gestures and gestures reminiscent of his "glorious moments." The surrounding generals, captivated by his vivid recounting, erupted in cheers, lost in this captivating "story," oblivious to the darkening of Ma Chao's expression, like gathering dark clouds and the approach of a storm.

Although Ma Chao had numerous conflicts with the current emperor and expressed dissatisfaction with some of the court's actions, deep down, he harbored a lofty ambition to revitalize the Han Dynasty. Xu Huang's reckless words undoubtedly trampled upon the sanctity of imperial authority, undermining the already shaky prestige of the court and eroding his brothers' respect for it. If this continued, the army's cohesion and discipline would inevitably be severely impacted, a situation he absolutely did not wish to see.

Xu Huang was speaking with a spitting, triumphant air when he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if a cold gaze was thrusting down his spine. He instinctively turned his head to look, and what he saw was a startling sight: Ma Chao's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, his eyes brimming with suppressed rage, as if he were ready to devour him alive. Xu Huang was instantly startled, waking from his sweet dream. He hurriedly wrapped his cloak around himself and stammered, "Oh my! I... I'm afraid I'm really going to catch a cold! I need to make some ginger soup! I'll be right back." Without even stopping, he scurried off, leaving his still-shocked soldiers staring at each other in bewilderment.