Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

A boisterous banquet was in full swing within Han Sui's army, as the soldiers reveled in the joy of victory, laughter and cheers filling the air. Successive victories, like a blazing fire, buoyed the morale and passion of the Han Sui coalition. They were all in high spirits, their faces brimming with confidence and pride.

Inspired by victory, the soldiers of the Han-Sui coalition seemed an unstoppable force. They held their heads high and marched with a resolute stride through the camp, each step imbued with hope and confidence for the future. They chatted and laughed loudly among themselves, sharing the joy of victory, as if they could already see final victory beckoning them.

Inside the tent, cheers echoed as the soldiers enthusiastically celebrated this hard-earned victory. They raised their glasses high, quaffing the fine wine, transforming the joy of victory into endless pride. All the fatigue and worry of the past were cast aside in this moment, replaced by endless anticipation for the battles ahead.

The victory on the battlefield boosted the morale of the Han Sui coalition. They believed that as long as they maintained this morale, they would be able to overcome all difficulties and achieve ultimate victory.

Inside Dong Zhuo's tent, a dead atmosphere reigned. A gloomy atmosphere of low morale enveloped the entire camp, as if even the air itself had grown heavy. Since the start of the campaign, the small victories achieved elsewhere in Wuwei County had been overshadowed by the successive defeats. The first defeat of the vanguard cast a pall over the hearts; the second defeat in the duel with the generals was even more devastating. And today, even Hua Xiong, Dong Zhuo's renowned foremost general, had been defeated in battle, a crushing blow to Dong Zhuo's army.

Dong Zhuo stood there with a gloomy expression, his gaze sweeping over his generals. Each of them hung their heads, faces filled with shame. They knew their martial arts were inadequate, and that they had failed to bring honor to their lord on the battlefield, only to lose face. They remained silent, afraid to utter a single sound, fearing they would anger Dong Zhuo.

Dong Zhuo sighed helplessly and discussed with Li Ru how to restore morale. Li Ru's brow furrowed as he racked his brains for a solution, but for the moment, nothing good could come to mind. He understood that the low morale caused by the defeat of three consecutive generals was indeed a very thorny problem. If morale remained at this low level, the prospects of this war would become extremely dim.

Dong Zhuo paced restlessly in his tent, his heart filled with worry and frustration. He knew that if a solution wasn't found quickly, his army would face a grave crisis. His lieutenant generals, sensing Dong Zhuo's anxiety, secretly vowed to fight tooth and nail in the coming battles, to restore Dong Zhuo's reputation and bolster the army's morale. But now, they could only wait in this dejected atmosphere, awaiting their fate.

In that solemn atmosphere, Ma Chao led Pang De, Zhang Xiu and more than a thousand elite Feixiong soldiers under his command, and after going through untold hardships, finally arrived at the place to meet Dong Zhuo.

Ma Chao strode into the tent with great swiftness, acutely aware of the heavy atmosphere within. Dong Zhuo forced a smile, praising Ma Chao's bravery. However, Ma Chao's gaze remained fixed on Dong Zhuo, sensing his absent-mindedness. He bluntly asked, "Lord Dong, our army has been advancing with unstoppable force, and victory is within sight. Why do you look so worried?"

Dong Zhuo smiled wryly, and Li Ru interjected bitterly, "Young General, you don't know this. Since we launched our rebellion, we've recovered much lost territory, leading up to this decisive battle with Han Sui. Yet, we've suffered defeat after defeat. Yan Xingshi, Han Sui's general, is a formidable warrior. Even our foremost general, Hua Xiong, was injured by him. Alas, Hua Xiong, once renowned among his peers, has fallen to this fate."

Hua Xiong was ashamed when he heard this. He stepped forward and said, "I am new here and have failed to help you, my lord. Please punish me."

Dong Zhuo walked forward, helped Hua Xiong up, stroked his back and said, "Hua Xiong is extremely brave. Although you were defeated in this battle, you have done your best. You just need to rest well." All of Dong Zhuo's generals looked ashamed and full of self-blame.

Ma Chao frowned slightly after hearing this, a wave of worry welling up in his heart. He looked around at Dong Zhuo's generals. They all had solemn expressions, and their morale seemed to have been severely damaged. Ma Chao knew that he had to boost morale at this moment, otherwise it would be difficult to win the next battle.

He stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Lord Dong, victory and defeat are common in war, so there's no need to worry too much. Now that we've gathered, we should regroup and discuss strategies to defeat the enemy. Yan Xing may be brave, but our army is no slouch either. As long as we work together, we'll surely find a way to defeat the enemy!"

Pang De echoed, "Lord Dong, I am willing to fight Yan Xing again and avenge our previous defeat!" Zhang Xiu, unwilling to be outdone, shouted, "My lord, I am also willing to join the battle and fight alongside General Pang De!"

Dong Zhuo looked at Ma Chao, Pang De, and Zhang Xiu, feeling a sense of relief. He knew these three men were among the bravest of the three armies, and with them, they might actually be able to turn the tide of the battle. He nodded and said, "Excellent! Your generals are determined. Excellent! Let's fight again tomorrow. We must show Han Sui's army the strength of our army!"

The atmosphere in the big tent eased a little, and the generals began to discuss tomorrow's battle plan. Everyone was eager to avenge the previous defeat on the battlefield and restore the army's prestige.

Zhang Xiu, watching Ma Chao from the sidelines, eyes full of admiration. He approached Dong Zhuo and whispered, "My lord, Ma Chao is truly a formidable general! His courage and strategy are truly a blessing to our army!"

Dong Zhuo also nodded slightly, and he was quite impressed with Ma Chao's performance.

Just then, a sudden commotion erupted outside the tent. A soldier hurried into the tent, panicking, "Oh no! My lord! Han Sui's army has launched a sudden attack, and our camp is under heavy assault!"

Dong Zhuo's face changed drastically, and the generals also showed panic. Ma Chao made a quick decision and shouted, "Quick! Follow me to meet the enemy!"

Everyone quickly grabbed their weapons and followed Ma Chao out of the tent. Outside, flames shot up into the sky, and shouts of killing echoed everywhere. Han Sui's army surged forward like a tide, and the situation was extremely critical.

Ma Chao led the charge, wielding his spear, charging into the enemy lines. Pang De and Zhang Xiu followed closely behind, each fighting bravely. Like three sharp blades, the three of them tore through the enemy lines.

Dong Zhuo's generals were also inspired by the bravery of Ma Chao and others and rose up to resist. For a time, the battlefield was filled with the sound of killing and the flying of blood and flesh.

During the fierce battle, Ma Chao spotted a brave general among the enemy troops, one who was unmatched. With a glint of anger in his eyes, he spurred his horse on and galloped towards the enemy general.

Yan Xing also noticed Ma Chao and rushed forward, brandishing his spear. The two men instantly engaged in battle, their spears clashing with each other, making loud noises.

Ma Chao's spearmanship is powerful and domineering, and each move contains great power. Not to be outdone, Yan Xing also uses his spearmanship to be tricky and exquisite, and he and Ma Chao start a thrilling contest.

The two fought fiercely for dozens of rounds, with no clear winner. Han Sui, seeing that although he had not broken through Dong Zhuo's camp, had inflicted considerable damage on Dong Zhuo's army, sounded the retreat and Han Sui's coalition forces fled.

After Han Sui called back his troops, the battlefield was filled with smoke and the smell of blood. Dong Zhuo's army watched Han Sui's coalition forces retreat wearily, their hearts filled with helplessness and frustration.

Dong Zhuo's army had already suffered considerable damage in the previous battle, and this surprise attack was even worse. The soldiers were dejected, and morale was extremely low.

Inside the tent, Dong Zhuo sat grimly in the main seat, his brow furrowed, his heart filled with worry. This defeat had made him realize the severity of the situation. He knew that if he couldn't quickly boost morale, the next battle would be even more difficult.

At this point, Ma Chao inquired about the identity of the local general he had just engaged. Li Ru, who had not participated in the battle but had only observed Ma Chao and Yan Xing's thrilling encounter from afar, spoke up. "That was Yan Xing, Han Sui's foremost general. I wonder how it felt, young general, to face him? Are you confident of victory?" As soon as Li Ru finished speaking, all the generals' gazes converged on Ma Chao, their eyes filled with fervent hope, even Dong Zhuo's anticipation.

Ma Chao frowned slightly upon hearing Li Ru's words, then declared, "Yan Xing is indeed quite capable, a truly formidable general. Fighting him has certainly put me under considerable pressure. But if I were to fight him head-on, my chances of victory would be over 60-70 percent." Ma Chao's words rejoiced the generals. Dong Zhuo, overjoyed, burst into laughter, "Haha, young general, you truly are the son of the Ma family! If you can defeat Yan Xing, the Han-Sui coalition will be broken in no time!"

Dong Zhuo ordered his generals to return to rest and await tomorrow's battle. Upon receiving his orders, they dispersed. Ma Chao also returned to his tent, secretly contemplating tomorrow's rematch with Yan Xing. Dong Zhuo, standing high above, gazed upon the departing generals, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes. He firmly believed they would triumph in tomorrow's battle and defeat Han Sui's coalition. As night gradually fell, the camp fell silent, awaiting the rekindling of tomorrow's battle.