Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Ma Chao, looking at Xu Huang's adorable behavior with a hint of disdain, said with a nagging headache, "Gongming, I've always hoped you'd read more, learn some strategies, and stop being so lazy and idle. You'll one day command a great army, and I have high hopes for you. How can you just frolic all day?" Ma Chao's earnest sermon sent a cold sweat down Xu Huang's spine, and his head felt like it had grown larger. Xu Huang hurriedly said, "Okay, okay, my good general, I won't go. Of course I won't go! I'll definitely study hard with Mr. Xu Shu." Ma Chao knew he was just lip service and wouldn't really listen, so he stopped preaching.

At this moment, Xu Shu frowned and said after a moment's thought, "General, General Pan Feng and General Wu Anguo are indeed too conspicuous with their figures. In my opinion, perhaps they should be given a change of appearance so that they will not appear so out of place." Ma Chao was immediately interested and said quickly, "Oh? Sir, what are your thoughts? Feel free to share."

Xu Shu turned to the two generals and said, "I do have some ideas, but I'm afraid it will be a bit hard for you two generals." Wu Anguo and Pan Feng, with honest faces, said in unison, "Gentlemen, please feel free to speak. As long as we can serve by your side and protect you, a little hardship is nothing!" Xu Shu nodded approvingly and said, "Well, you two are truly brave men! In that case, please dress in more worn-out clothes and stop riding. Stay with the team, driving the carriages when you have nothing to do. This way, you can hide your height advantage, and your position as coachmen will be less conspicuous. In case of emergency, your weapons will be within easy reach, ready to be used at any time. Besides, you two are not good at horseback combat, so this arrangement will allow for greater flexibility."

When the two generals heard this, they scratched their heads and smiled naively, "This is a good idea, this is a good idea! We are thick-skinned and not afraid of hardships. We don't like fighting on horseback, so this is indeed more flexible." Xu Shu said with admiration, "The two generals are truly loyal and righteous ministers." After that, he waited for the two generals to change into a destitute look, wearing a shabby fur hat and a tattered fur coat, and then drove the carriage to their positions.

Thus, the entire team was assembled. There were guards leading the way in front, guards in the rear, and several carriages in the middle driven by Pan Feng and Wu Anguo. Ma Chao was at the center of the front group. The carriages were marked with the Zhen family's business name, with one or two Yuan family flags interspersed. The group was ready to set off.

Perhaps it truly was beyond the expectations of the Runan commanders, or perhaps the high-flying Zhen clan banner, mixed with the Yuan clan's, had a miraculous effect. As the group journeyed through Runan County, although they had to pay some money at each city gate and checkpoint and endured extortion from officials, they ultimately escaped the county without incident.

As soon as everyone entered Lujiang County, bordering Runan County, a tense atmosphere of awe and sternness overwhelmed them. The streets were lined with soldiers, guards every three steps and sentries every five. Their expressions were stern, their gazes sharp as torches, warily scanning passersby. This stark contrast to the relatively relaxed and peaceful atmosphere of Runan County was like stepping from a gentle breeze and warm sunshine into the bitter cold of winter. Everyone felt a chill in their hearts, and they couldn't help but be on high alert.

When they arrived at a checkpoint, they saw a burly and serious-looking guard holding a spear. He stood in front of everyone with a menacing look and shouted, "Stop! Who are you? What are you doing here?" A smart guard beside Ma Chao hurriedly stepped forward with a smile on his face, bowed respectfully and said, "Sir, please calm down. We are from the Zhen family trading company, and we are responsible for transporting weapons and armor to various places. Look, we are flying the flag of the Yuan family all the way..." As he said, he pointed to the flags on the carriage that were fluttering in the wind and were particularly conspicuous.

The commander's hawk-like gaze swept over the group. Though small, each one exuded a fierce and sturdy aura, far superior to ordinary merchants. He cast his gaze upon the weapons and armor loaded aboard the carts, his brow furrowing slightly, a sense of alarm building within him. Then, his expression stern, he stared intently at the group and asked, "You're from Runan County? What's the situation there?"

Seeing this, Ma Chao smiled slightly and calmly clasped his fists in response, "Your Excellency, I am currently stationed in Pingyu County. With the New Year approaching, he seems to have no plans to move on. Runan County is also heavily guarded, so you can be assured, Your Excellency."

Upon hearing this, the commander paused in thought, his gaze once again scanning the crowd. He thought to himself: These men involved in the arms and armor trade are clearly skilled, each possessing real skills. If a confrontation erupted just to investigate them, it would inevitably lead to casualties among the soldiers. It was simply not worth it. Besides, they seemed quite tactful... Just then, Ma Chao gave a subtle glance, and the guard beside him understood. He quietly produced a heavy ingot of silver and discreetly passed it to the commander. The commander nodded slightly, quickly slipping the silver into his sleeve. His expression softened slightly, and he waved his hand, saying, "If that's the case, you may proceed." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and slowly drove their carriages through the checkpoint.

Having successfully passed the checkpoint, Ma Chao dared not slack off and immediately dispatched trusted confidants to gather information. Soon, news arrived: Yuan Shu had previously deployed his entire army to attack Yuzhang County, and Lujiang County had just been captured, leaving it vulnerable. Therefore, Yuan Shu had specially dispatched General Zhang Xun to garrison there. Just then, reports of the battle from Runan reached Lujiang. Upon learning of this, Zhang Xun acted decisively, immediately strengthening security throughout Lujiang County.

When Ma Chao heard the reason, he secretly rejoiced in his heart: "Fortunately, I chose to travel light this time. If I lead a large group of people, the target will be too conspicuous, and I am afraid it will not be so easy to get through." Thinking of this, he hurriedly gathered everyone and ordered with a serious face: "Everyone must act carefully. There are dangers everywhere along the way. Don't act rashly because of a momentary impulse. Be cautious in everything. Don't lose sight of the big picture because of small gains and ruin our big plans." Everyone nodded in agreement and then continued on their journey carefully.

In this way, the group traveled through the territory of Lujiang County. Although there were occasional setbacks along the way, they managed to escape danger. They passed through Gushi County, Bo'an County, and Longshu County one after another, and saw that the county seat of Lujiang County was ahead of them. Most of Lujiang County had been left behind.

During the days of travel, various news continued to arrive from behind. One day, word spread that Ma Chao was leading his army from Pingyu to the southeast; the next day, rumors spread that Ma Chao was also heading southwest from Pingyu. It was almost the end of the year, a time of peace and preparations for festivals, but such news continued to arrive. Meanwhile, Lujiang County was still frantically preparing to reinforce Runan County, completely unaware that Ma Chao had already arrived near Lujiang County City, leading this caravan like a ghost, unnoticed.

The towering, thick walls of Lujiang County were almost within sight. The towers were densely packed with soldiers on patrol, each one looking alert. Ma Chao glanced around at everyone around him and solemnly warned, "Everyone, proceed with caution and make no mistake. Yuan Shu's general, Zhang Xun, is stationed in Lujiang County. Everyone, be extremely vigilant. Spring Festival is just around the corner, so don't let anything slip. If we can successfully make it through Lujiang County, we can rest and enjoy the holiday for two days."

When everyone heard this, they cheered and said in unison, "Don't worry, sir. We will definitely ensure that everything is safe."

Meanwhile, the commander of Lujiang County's city wall stood atop the city walls, a troubled expression on his face. Spring Festival was approaching, yet Runan County was in turmoil due to Ma Chao. General Zhang Xun, despite promising to march to Runan County to confront Ma Chao, remained silent. The commander, knowing Zhang Xun's intentions, knew exactly what he was up to. While Zhang Xun possessed considerable strategic prowess as a general under Yuan Shu, he was also a man of unwavering greed. After entering the city, he extorted every wealthy household, demanding generous supplies to bolster his army, yet he remained unsatisfied.

As the commander of the county town, the garrison commander naturally enjoyed a lucrative salary. Faced with Zhang Xun's behavior, he naturally felt compelled to honor him. Judging by Zhang Xun's demeanor, he suspected he wouldn't leave before the Spring Festival. The garrison commander knew that if he didn't prepare a Spring Festival gift for him, and if Zhang Xun ever became displeased, he might remove him from his lucrative position and send him to fight on the front lines, it would be a disaster.

As the saying goes, "If the top beam is crooked, the bottom beams will be crooked." The commander of Lujiang County was already avaricious, and under his influence, the soldiers responsible for checking the city gates became even more corrupt, turning the checkpoint into a den for wanton extortion and molestation of decent families. On weekdays, whenever a merchant or wealthy family passed through, they would swarm like hungry wolves, extorting money under various pretexts without mercy. If they encountered a beautiful young woman of even the slightest appearance, their lust would become even more intense, not only making frivolous remarks but even physically abusing her, their behavior being appalling.

At this moment, the commander atop the city wall frowned, his mind tangled. He knew Zhang Xun's greed was insatiable, yet he worried that his lack of "filial piety" would lead to him being transferred from his lucrative post to fight on the front lines. Faced with this dilemma, he racked his brains, but found no solution.

Meanwhile, at the gate, the soldiers were gazing around boredly. Suddenly, they spotted a caravan led by Ma Chao and his men, leisurely approaching the gate. Instantly, like hungry wolves smelling blood, their eyes lit up and their spirits perked up. The leading soldier rubbed his hands together, a malicious smile on his face, and excitedly shouted, "Hey, brothers, look! It's freezing cold, and the Spring Festival is almost here, and a caravan is showing up! This is a gift from heaven! We can't let them pass so easily! We have to make a killing!" The other soldiers echoed him, rubbing their hands in anticipation of a big fight.