Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

As soon as Ma Chao sensed the situation was dire, his guards suddenly reacted as if facing a formidable enemy. Their expressions changed dramatically, and their steps frantically but swiftly swarmed towards him, like a group of loyal defenders, ready to use their flesh and blood to build an impenetrable barrier for him. Simultaneously, Wu Anguo and Pan Feng leaped from the carriage without hesitation. The seemingly ordinary, door-sized cushions beneath their buttocks, in this crucial moment, revealed their true purpose: two massive, thick, and sturdy shields. Their hands firmly grasped the shield handles, their eyes etched with determination. If conflict erupted, they would unhesitatingly draw their shields, guarding the general like a steel fortress.

Ma Chao, fully aware of the dire situation, remained composed. His sharp gaze swept across the crowd, his calm and resolute gaze urging everyone to remain calm. These soldiers were all elite Xiliang cavalrymen from the Feixiong Army. They possessed not only the fierceness and bravery of Xiliang men but, meticulously trained by Gao Shun, had thoroughly mastered the rigorous and efficient tactics of the Xianzhen Camp. For them, if they could quickly form a formation, escorting Ma Chao out of the encirclement was not impossible. Ma Chao again signaled for calm. Though his personal guards didn't immediately engage, their bodies tensed. In a seemingly loose yet subtle manner, they dispersed, forming a dense human wall, firmly protecting Ma Chao at the core.

Yet, Ma Chao showed no sign of retreating despite the heavy encirclement. He gave his horse a sharp kick, and the steed neighed as it charged forward. With a swish, the longsword at his waist unsheathed like lightning. With a flash of cold light, it struck the neck of the soldier who had spoken to him. Ma Chao's eyes shone with murderous intent, and he roared, "I'm leaving, and you dare to stop me?"

The man who tried to stop him was at least a lieutenant commander. His expression was solemn, yet he showed no fear. Despite the sharp sword at his neck, he remained unflinching and shouted, "I have received military orders to verify your identity. If you insist on leaving, I will not let you go, even if you kill me." His voice was firm and resolute, as if declaring his loyalty and mission to Ma Chao.

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao let a sneer of disdain play on his lips. He said coldly, "You're not afraid of death, indeed." Before he finished speaking, he swung his arm, and the blade, with a sharp whistling sound, swept out like lightning, swiftly swinging upward along the lieutenant's neck. It all happened so suddenly that the lieutenant didn't even have time to react. He felt a chill, followed by a piercing pain. Half of his helmet and ear had been completely shattered, blood gushing out instantly. He screamed in pain, instinctively covering his ears with both hands, his body shaking uncontrollably.

At that moment, the bowstrings on the city gate creaked, a low roar of fury that foreshadowed the bloody conflict to come. Seeing this, the surrounding soldiers, with nervous expressions, drew their spears and raised their swords. They quickly swarmed around like a tide, trapping Ma Chao and his men in the center. The air was thick with the smell of blood and tension, as if the slightest spark would instantly ignite this impending conflict.

Ma Chao's personal guards showed no sign of weakness either. Each one had a determined look in their eyes, and without hesitation, they drew their swords, their blades gleaming coldly in the sunlight. They stood back to back, tightly attached to Ma Chao, forming a tight battle circle, ready to face the coming battle at any moment.

Ma Chao, however, remained calm and unfazed. He pointed his sword at the officer who was screaming in pain, his eyes filled with anger and authority, and shouted, "I'm in Hebei. If a officer like you dared to speak to me like that, I would have killed him with my sword long ago. Why do you still bark like a stray dog ​​in front of me?"

Although the lieutenant general was sweating coldly from the pain, he still endured the severe pain and said in a trembling voice: "Who are you, sir? How dare I let you go if you don't tell me your name?" At this moment, he was both afraid of Ma Chao and insisted on sticking to military orders, struggling in pain and entanglement.

Seeing that his tone softened a little, Ma Chao felt something in his heart and said loudly: "I am Yuan Xi, the son of Yuan Gong of Hebei." This voice echoed in everyone's ears like a loud bell, as if announcing to everyone his noble status and inviolable majesty.

Ma Chao's face was stern, and his eyes revealed unquestionable majesty. He suddenly squeezed his legs against the horse's belly. The horse neighed, raised its front hooves high, and then continued to urge the horse forward like an arrow, approaching the general steadily step by step. He gripped the hilt of the sword tightly in his hand, and with a playful yet oppressive gesture, he gently tapped the lieutenant's head, one word at a time, as if squeezed out from between his teeth, saying: "My Yuan family has been three dukes for four generations, and our reputation is far-reaching. In the entire Han Dynasty, who dares to speak to me like this? You are just a small lieutenant, and you are so fearless. Are you really not afraid of death? Even if Zhang Xun comes to see me today, he will have to kneel down and kowtow to me obediently! My father, considering the approaching New Year, specially ordered me to prepare a generous New Year gift for my uncle to show the harmony of the family. I never thought that I would be humiliated by such a dog he raised here. If this matter gets to my uncle's ears, do you think you will still be alive? Even if I kill you today, my uncle will just laugh it off. If you really don't fear death, you can try and see if I dare to do it!"

The lieutenant's face was pale as paper, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, and his teeth were clenched. Ma Chao's oppressive words were like a hammer, hammering at his soul, while the sword on his body was like the cold hand of death, causing his flesh to endure endless torture. Under this dual torture of mind and body, he trembled, his voice trembling almost to the point of being incoherent: "Then...then...then, open...open the door, let...let Master Yuan leave..."

Ma Chao's words were extremely skillful. He not only clearly pointed out his noble status, but also made the purpose of his presence in Lujiang County logical and reasonable. Coupled with his innate powerful aura and seemingly innate self-confidence, everything he said sounded like a set fact. At this moment, the gleaming sword in his hand was pressed against the lieutenant's neck, the gleaming edge of the sword tip seemed ready to mercilessly pierce the lieutenant's throat and take his life at any moment. This calmness and confidence, like invisible shackles, tightly bound the lieutenant's body and mind, making him dare not relax even a little. After all, for him, even if he really let the wrong person go, it was better than dying at the hands of Ma Chao.

The soldiers assigned to the garrison were hardly the army's elite. Yuan Shu had already dispatched the true elite to the battlefields of Yuzhang County, so why would they be assigned to guard the city gates? These soldiers knew their lives were paramount. Seeing their lieutenant general's relentless stance, they dared not object and hurriedly opened the gates, allowing Ma Chao and his men to escape.

Ma Chao and his personal guards maintained their swagger and composure, as if the events that had just unfolded were merely a minor incident. He suddenly extended his hand, and the alert guard beside him immediately grasped his meaning and hurriedly handed over a heavy bag of silver. Ma Chao casually tossed the silver in front of the lieutenant general and said coldly, "You are a wise man. Today, I am in a good mood, so I will spare your life. Take this bag of silver and go back to get medical treatment. Don't blame me for being cruel; it's your fault for being so blind!" He then gently shook his sword, as if to shake off the blood stain. In reality, his blade was so sharp that it could cut through hair, and it hadn't been stained by a single drop of blood. Then, Ma Chao gracefully returned his sword to its sheath and calmly walked out of the city gate.

The lieutenant felt waves of pain surge like a surging tide, nearly drowning him. He swayed several times and nearly fell. The soldiers beside him hurried forward to support him. At this time, the lieutenant clutched his head tightly with both hands, but blood still flowed uncontrollably from between his fingers. Soon, he was dizzy from the excessive blood loss and his consciousness was a little hazy.

He endured the severe pain and weakly ordered the soldiers to bandage him quickly, and shouted intermittently for the medical officer to come and treat him. He was covered in blood, like a blood gourd, and his appearance was very scary.

Soon, a medical officer arrived and, after a quick inspection, quickly set to work treating the wound. With deft, he skillfully wrapped the lieutenant's head in layers of white cloth. By the time the lieutenant's head was completely wrapped in white cloth, only his eyes were visible. The appearance was both comical and absurd, like a strange white ball with two eyeballs embedded in it.

The lieutenant general was still grimacing in pain, groaning non-stop. After this delay, Zhang Xun, led by the city gate commander, finally arrived.

Zhang Xun spurred his horse, catching sight of the wide-open city gate and the general with his head wrapped like a gourd in the distance. Frowning, he thought to himself, "Oh no!" He spurred his horse hard, leaping to the front of the city, shouting, "Where's the young master of the Yuan family? Who told you to let him go?" His voice echoed beneath the city gate, brimming with fury and authority.

The lieutenant endured the severe pain in his head and reported everything that had just happened to Zhang Xun, including every word Ma Chao said and every action he took. As Zhang Xun listened, his face became increasingly gloomy and his doubts grew deeper.

He thought to himself, if this was truly Yuan Shao's son, Yuan Xi, he wouldn't have acted so hastily. Given the Yuan family's status, Yuan Xi could have stayed and confronted him. Then, he would have had no choice but to treat him with the utmost respect and courtesy. Yet, this man had left in such a hurry, there must be something fishy going on.

The more Zhang Xun thought about it, the more he felt the situation was troubling. He stared at the lieutenant from his horse, eyes wide with anger, and cursed loudly, "Oh no! This guy must have fallen into his trap! Who on earth dares to impersonate the son of Lord Yuan? You useless piece of shit! You can't even handle such a simple task! I'll deal with you when I get back!" With that, Zhang Xun left the lieutenant in a state of panic and, with a wave of his hand, led his army out of the city in a hasty pursuit like a gust of wind. The dust raised by the horses' hooves lingered behind them for a long time.