Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The guard felt extremely aggrieved when he said this. He had been beaten and had to apologize humbly. The anger in his heart seemed to consume him completely.

Seeing him like this, Ma Chao's expression grew even more arrogant. His eyes were as cold as ice in December. He glanced coldly at the soldiers behind the commander and shouted in a voice like a bell, "Why don't you get out of the way?" The commander hurriedly smiled, his smile as stiff as a mask, his back bent like a shrimp, and cautiously stepped aside to let Ma Chao in. Seeing this, the caravan behind them hurriedly followed closely. In this tense atmosphere, the group slowly entered Lujiang County.

A soldier nearby had a look of confusion on his face. Unable to contain himself, he scrambled closer to the commander and muttered in a low voice, "General, this guy is so arrogant! Why don't we just take him down? Look, we have so many men under our command, equipped with powerful weapons like bows and crossbows. How can we be afraid of them? Besides, General Zhang Xun's army is stationed in the city. If he dares to act rashly, he'll be unable to escape."

The commander was already brimming with rage, and hearing the soldier's words was like a spark in a powder keg, instantly exploding. He whipped around and lashed out at the soldier, cursing, "Damn it! I've swallowed my anger, but you bastards can't? Fuck you, you idiots, your heads are filled with mush! Look at that guy, he's so arrogant! Compared to the young men from the wealthy families in our city, he's even more arrogant than the others. The rich young men we see every day are arrogant enough, but compared to this guy, they're nothing."

The commander cursed, panting. After a brief pause, he pointed in Ma Chao's direction, his eyes wide with anger. "Didn't you hear him say he was from Hebei and his last name was Yuan? The Yuan family of Hebei is a formidable power, don't you have any idea? What if he's Yuan Shao's son? Even General Zhang Xun would be half a head shorter than him. Who the hell are we? If we dare to stop him, he'll be even slightly displeased and it'll be as easy as crushing a few ants to deal with us."

The soldier was beaten so hard that he cried out in pain, his face full of grievance. Seeing an opportunity, he hurriedly defended himself, "General, what if he's just bragging and isn't from the Yuan family at all?" The garrison commander was furious when he heard this. He kicked the soldier twice and cursed, "Damn it! Even if he's not from the Yuan family, how can we stop him? Look at those guards around him. They're all strong and muscular, with eyes as sharp as eagles, and they exude a fierceness. And those two carriage drivers, at first glance they look like ordinary grooms, but if you look closely, they're muscular and walk with a breeze. They're clearly top-notch strongmen. Even if we can really stop them with just a few of us, how many brothers will be killed or injured? Who hasn't been raised by their parents with great difficulty? Is it worth it to throw their lives away for such a small amount of money?"

At this moment, Ma Chao, atop his snow-white steed, stood tall and straight, like a towering mountain, radiating an innate majesty. His brocade robe rustled in the wind, accentuating his stern features. His eyes, sharp as cold stars, seemed to see through hearts. Beneath his high nose, his lips pursed, revealing a steely resolve and courage. Facing the conflict before him, he remained calm, neither panicked nor intimidated. His every gesture exuded a heroic and commanding air, as if the garrison commander and his soldiers were but insignificant ants. Such a magnanimous demeanor was truly formidable, and it was no wonder that even with his anger, the garrison commander remained steadfast.

It was not until Ma Chao and his group entered the city and their figures gradually disappeared that the defending general frowned and ordered viciously: "Damn it, listen to me, we must not let them get away! I'll go inform General Zhang Xun now." He had a sinister look on his face, like a poisonous snake waiting for an opportunity, and said with gritted teeth: "Humph, it would be best if he really is Yuan Shao's son. If he dares to pretend to be, with the tens of thousands of troops in this city, we will crush his bones! Boys, remember, only those who can endure such a great humiliation can accomplish great things. You guys are still very young!" The soldiers listened and nodded repeatedly with admiration.

Upon seeing this, the defending general kicked each soldier in anger and cursed, "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and go to each city gate to notify them, and don't let them escape!" After that, he hurried towards Zhang Xun's mansion.

Zhang Xun, a man known for his indulgences, arrived at Lujiang County and set up camp, refusing even to stay in the barracks, instead commandeering the mansions of wealthy families within the city. With the Spring Festival approaching, he watched the city's aristocratic families shower him with gifts daily, mulling over whether to extort a fortune from them and potentially profit from aiding Runan County's war effort. Sitting in the mansion's hall, he watched his servants count the mountain of gifts and happily contemplated ways to make a fortune.

At that moment, a soldier stationed at the gate arrived to report that the commander of the county town had come to see him. Zhang Xun was happily planning to bring him some more gifts as the New Year approached. If he failed to please him, he would send him to the front line and never return. With this in mind, Zhang Xun ordered the commander to be brought in.

As soon as the garrison commander entered, he dropped to his knees and cried, "General Zhang Xun, please help me!" Zhang Xun was somewhat bewildered by his sudden action and cursed inwardly, "Damn it! He's not here to give me a gift. What on earth does this guy want?" But he quickly put on a hypocritical face, stepped forward to help the garrison commander up, and said, "Hey, if you have something to say, just talk it over. You're just crying like a whimperer. You don't act like a leader."

After being helped to his feet, the commander was still throbbing. Zhang Xun then noticed a fiery, bright red whip mark on his face and said unhappily, "What's wrong with you? As the commander of Lujiang County, you have the responsibility to defend the territory, and yet someone dares to be so rude to you? Where is this person? Have you captured him?"

The garrison commander wept, "Alas, General! I was on guard at the city gate when I spotted a caravan approaching. Among them was a young man riding a magnificent white horse. I knew it was a rare gem, one only worthy of someone of your station. So I thought I'd bring it to you as a New Year's gift." Zhang Xun, upon hearing this, thought this fellow was quite sensible. He thought he could keep him here next year. He eagerly asked, "Where's the horse? How did you get it in such a state?"

The commander sobbed and continued, "This caravan is truly remarkable. Not only are their leaders all incredibly strong, but the cargo they're carrying is also filled with weapons and armor. It's clear they're no ordinary people. And that young man is incredibly arrogant and conceited." Zhang Xun cursed, "Damn it! Are all your men armed with wooden clubs? Why not just capture them? You're such a mediocre person! And you deserve a whipping for such a small thing."

The defending general cried out in grievance, "General Zhang Xun, I also reported your name, saying that this is General Zhang Xun, a general under Lord Yuan Gonglu, who is guarding here. But that young man spoke arrogantly, saying that you are nothing in front of him." Upon hearing this, Zhang Xun asked anxiously, "Who is this person who speaks like that? What is that person's demeanor like?" Zhang Xun was secretly surprised, fearing that it was someone he could not afford to offend.

The commander said, "This young man is extremely arrogant. He wears a brocade robe and is very handsome. He also claims to be from the Zhen and Yuan families. Oh, and he even said he's from Jizhou, Hebei, and his father's surname is Yuan. I told him to confront you, but he told me to go and see him in person." This statement inevitably suggested that the commander was trying to sow discord. Zhang Xun was undecided for a moment, muttering, "Jizhou, Hebei?"

"The father's surname is Yuan. Could he be the son of Lord Yuan of Hebei? Has Lord Yuan always been at odds with our lord? Why would his son come here?" The more Zhang Xun thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. He became alert and didn't dare to let his guard down. He hurriedly asked, "Where is that son now? We must verify his identity. If he is truly Lord Yuan, we must determine his purpose in coming here."

The garrison commander quickly responded, "General, I have already ordered the city gates to be guarded more closely. He must not escape. He should still be in the city."

Zhang Xun nodded and said, "Well, it seems you have some brains." Then he shouted, "Order the Imperial Guards. Prepare them immediately. Come with me to the city to meet this Young Master Yuan."

The military order was as resounding as a mountain, and the soldiers responded swiftly. For a moment, the entire mansion was filled with shouts and neighs. The soldiers of the Royal Guard quickly donned their armor, blades in hand, their movements quick and decisive. Soon, they were assembled, their armor bright and spirited.

Zhang Xun, wearing an iron helmet and armor, mounted his warhorse with impressive dignity. Led by the garrison commander, he led his personal guards in a rapid pursuit of Ma Chao. The sound of horse hooves echoed like thunder through the streets, heightening the tension in the city.

After Ma Chao and his entourage finally managed to deceive the city guards and enter Lujiang County, they rode relentlessly, intent on passing through the city as quickly as possible. After all, they were impersonating someone else, and with the powerful General Zhang Xun stationed there, a potential conflict would be of no benefit to them. Therefore, they decided to avoid further trouble and continued on their way.

However, Lujiang County City is an important town after all, with streets crisscrossing each other. In addition, as the New Year is approaching, the city is bustling with people, pedestrians, and vehicles coming and going. The roads are extremely congested, making travel very difficult.

Finally, they reached another city gate and were about to leave when they discovered it was heavily guarded. Seeing this, Ma Chao signaled his personal guards to open the gate. The guards followed his orders, but were stopped by the soldiers guarding the city. With a stern look on their faces, the soldiers shouted, "You cannot leave. You must wait inside the city. General Zhang Xun will come personally to verify your identities immediately. If you are honored, you will be received and treated well. If you are impersonating, we will arrest you!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao secretly cried out in alarm, acutely sensing that the situation was spiraling out of control. He looked up and saw a dense array of arrows arrayed on the city walls, gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Not far away, the occasional sharp tip loomed, and upon closer inspection, it was clear that it was a powerful crossbow. Ma Chao instantly understood the situation was dire. If he waited foolishly for Zhang Xun to confront him, he would be surrounded and unable to escape.