Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

As night fell and the camp was brightly lit, Ma Chao and Lü Bu once again faced each other. Their eyes shone with determination and resolve, and a fierce night battle began.

Lü Bu carried a heavy burden. Ding Yuan's harsh pre-battle pressure on him to win had intensified the pressure. But at this moment, he had no time to think beyond the powerful enemy, Ma Chao. He spurred his horse forward, charging at Ma Chao like a gust of wind. His Fang Tian painted halberd swung down with such force that it seemed to rend the darkness apart. Ma Chao, unflinching in his presence, thrust his spear forward, the tip of his spear colliding with the halberd's, sending forth a shower of dazzling sparks.

The two engaged in a thrilling battle on horseback. Lü Bu wielded his painted halberd with impenetrable force, each strike imbued with immense power and accompanied by a whirring sound. Ma Chao's spear danced like a serpent, stabbing and piercing with exquisite skill. Both mounts neighed and galloped in the fierce battle, the clatter of hooves echoing through the night sky.

The two sides engaged in a fierce battle from dusk until midnight, the conflict raging on. Lü Bu and Ma Chao had been engaged in a long, intense battle. Lü Bu's horse, exhausted by the prolonged and intense galloping and fierce fighting, was gradually losing its stamina. Suddenly, the horse gave a heavy wheeze, its front hooves giving way, its entire body involuntarily lurching, unable to support itself, and hurling Lü Bu to the ground. Lü Bu tumbled to his feet, visibly frustrated, yet helpless to see his horse reach its limit.

Just as Lü Bu was falling, Ma Chao, observing this, felt a surge of chivalry in his heart. He decided to dismount and engage Lü Bu in a fair fight on foot. He gently patted his horse's neck and dismounted. Ma Chao's mount, Aurora, seemed deeply displeased with his master's decision. It snorted, tossed its head, and pawed the ground anxiously, as if protesting its master's surrender of his advantage. Its bright eyes betrayed resentment and doubt, but Ma Chao was determined. He simply stroked the horse's head, then, spear in hand, resolutely advanced towards Lü Bu, ready for the brutal footfight that was to follow. On the flickering battlefield, the figures of man and horse stood out.

As the battle intensified, Lü Bu knocked Ma Chao's helmet off, severing a portion of Lü Bu's flowing hair. Ma Chao tore Lü Bu's cloak, which Lü Bu then cut in half. The brocade robes of both men were punctured by their opponents' weapons. Although both commanders were quick to dodge attacks at crucial moments, minor scrapes were inevitable.

In the end, both sides were exhausted, and the weapons were recaptured by their respective soldiers, temporarily ending this thrilling night battle. Escorted back to camp by their soldiers, the two men admired each other's martial arts even more, and secretly resolved to fight to the death next time.

After Ma Chao was recaptured, Dong Zhuo was heartbroken and hurriedly summoned a medical officer to examine Ma Chao's injuries. Even after learning that Ma Chao was merely exhausted, Dong Zhuo remained concerned. He repeatedly ordered his men to diligently prepare medicinal tonics for Ma Chao and even dispatched the imperial maid Cai'e from the palace to diligently care for him. Ma Chao claimed he was fine, but Dong Zhuo continued to accuse him of not taking care of his health.

As for Lu Bu, after being captured, Ding Yuan angrily accused Lu Bu in front of all the generals in the heavily guarded tent, shouting: "You are usually known for your unparalleled bravery, but now you can't take down Ma Chao after three consecutive battles. I said in the last battle that if you can't win, you will be punished by military law. Come on, tie him up for me!" Lu Bu was exhausted and extremely sad and angry, but he had no strength to struggle. He could only sadly have his hands tied by the soldiers and be forced to kneel on the ground. Lu Bu's heart was full of humiliation.

Upon seeing this, all the generals pleaded for Lü Bu's life. Ding Yuan, however, was possessed by his scholarly temper. His face flushed crimson, his brow furrowed, and his eyes were filled with anger. His elegant features now seemed ferocious. He shouted, "He was so formidable on ordinary days, how could he be so useless now? He can't even defeat Ma Chao!" He panted heavily, his voice trembling with anger. "Last battle, I told you that if you couldn't win, you would be court-martialed. Did you all just ignore me?" With that, he ordered his men to tie Lü Bu up. Seeing Lü Bu about to be pinned down by the soldiers, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun hurriedly pushed the soldiers aside and protected Lü Bu behind them. Ding Yuan became even angrier and shouted, "Are you trying to rebel? You are a bunch of useless warriors! Today, I will temporarily record this military law of mine. If you dare to disobey your lives again next time, you will all be taken out and beheaded!" For a moment, all the soldiers in the hall were chilled to the extreme. Looking at Ding Yuan's angry look, their hearts were filled with helplessness and sadness.

After Ma Chao had rested, Dong Zhuo called Li Ru to discuss the matter. Dong Zhuo paced back and forth in the tent, frowning slightly, and said with worry: "Lu Bu is indeed extremely brave, and Meng Qi is so powerful. It is difficult to determine the winner after several battles between them. I really don't want to let the two of them continue to fight. If Meng Qi makes a mistake, I really don't know how to feel guilty, and how can I explain it to A Bai?" Li Ru sat aside, stroking his chin with his hand, squinting his eyes and thinking for a moment, then said to Dong Zhuo: "Mr. Dong, take a closer look at Lu Bu today." Dong Zhuo stopped and looked at He said to Li Ru, "This man is highly skilled in martial arts, and I like him very much. But what does this have to do with the current situation?" Li Ru continued, "Mr. Dong's observation is not detailed enough. Lü Bu seemed to be preoccupied during his last two battles. Judging from his expression and state, he was not in a peaceful state of mind. And judging from his attire and the state of his horse during his two subsequent battles, it seems that he was not given the same attention as you showed to Meng Qi. There is a lot to be said for this." Dong Zhuo's eyes lit up, and he immediately became interested. He hurriedly approached Li Ru, eager to ask Li Ru to talk in detail. Li Ru coughed lightly and said slowly: "Mr. Dong, think about it, if an ordinary general fights hard in front of the battle and does not return defeated after the battle, he will definitely be treated with all kinds of courtesy, and his expression must be very high. Look at Lu Bu, the first round was due to the loss of his horse, but in the second round, although the horses were replaced, there was no improvement. In the third round, he even had a faint sense of anxiety, and he obviously felt anxious and irritable in his heart. Furthermore, although Ding Jianyang is a general, he still has the temperament of a scholar in essence. He has never been too close to the generals under his command. I have heard that Lu Bu is famous for his bravery in the tent, but his position in his tent is only the chief clerk. It can be seen that Ding Yuan did not show much courtesy to Lu Bu." Dong Zhuo nodded frequently as he listened, and a thoughtful expression gradually appeared on his face.

Li Ru went on to say slowly, "Lü Bu and Meng Qi are of equal strength, but his horses have been in poor condition for three consecutive battles. In my opinion, Lü Bu must have a very special obsession with horses. And you, Lord Dong, own the BMW Red Hare. We might as well find someone who is eloquent and eloquent to go and give the horse as a gift, and take the opportunity to alienate the relationship between the two of them." Dong Zhuo said thoughtfully, "Oh? What's the difficulty? If giving away Red Hare can make Lü Bu surrender, then I am willing to give him two or three Red Hares. But, who do you think is suitable?" Li Ru thought for a moment and replied, "Li Su under your command, Lord Dong, is from the same hometown as Lü Bu. Li Su is, in reality, nothing more than a mediocre talent. Lord Dong, you can make an exceptional promotion for him. Think about it: Lü Bu, such a hero, is merely a clerk, while Li Su, a mediocre talent, is able to occupy a high position. This will certainly demonstrate your magnanimity, but it will also further exacerbate the conflict between Lü Bu and Ding Yuan, highlighting Ding Yuan's lack of understanding of talent and his inability to employ them. Then, let Li Su continue to sow discord. I think this strategy of alienation will surely yield significant results." Dong Zhuo pondered this plan carefully and felt it was highly feasible. He ordered Li Ru to go down and implement it as soon as possible.