Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The atmosphere at the banquet was as fervent as a burning fire, like a grand and frenzied carnival before a battle. Everyone was lost in the joy, toasting each other, their laughter and conversation intertwined into a joyful melody that echoed for a long time in the tent.

At that moment, Xu Rong made his way through the bustling crowd, accompanied by a general, to offer a toast to Ma Chao. Approaching Ma Chao, Xu Rong respectfully said, "Your Majesty, this is the Bingzhou general I mentioned earlier, Qian Zhao."

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao cast his gaze over and saw Qian Zhao, a muscular man with a tall, slender figure, radiating an innate air of strength and grandeur. Upon seeing Ma Chao, Qian Zhao immediately knelt on one knee, clasped his fists in greeting, and said in a resounding voice, "I, General Qian Zhao, pay my respects to the king!" Ma Chao smiled, gently motioned him to stand, and said, "No need for formalities."

When Qian Zhao stood up, Ma Chao struck up a conversation with him. Qian Zhao spoke with bold and unrestrained words, offering unique insights into military affairs. His words were filled with fearless courage and unwavering conviction. Ma Chao was delighted to hear this, exclaiming, "Excellent! Truly a bold and courageous man!" He immediately made up his mind to submit a petition recommending Qian Zhao to Xu Rong's command, so that they could work together to defend the frontier and eliminate the aliens.

Ma Chao patted Qian Zhao's shoulder affectionately and said, "Qian Zhao, in the future you will fight side by side with General Xu, make great achievements for our Han Dynasty, and ensure the peace of our people on the border." Qian Zhao was so excited that he could hardly control himself. He knelt on one knee again and said loudly in an excited tone, "I will live up to the king's high expectations. I am willing to serve the king with my heart and soul!" Xu Rong watched this scene from the side and couldn't help but smile with satisfaction on his face.

Ma Chao cast his gaze towards Xu Rong, staring at him and pondering for a long moment before he slowly spoke, "General Xu Rong, you were a rare example of commanding talent when you served under Lord Dong. Looking at the generals under my command today, while each one is exceptionally brave, they are still somewhat immature in the art of leadership. Only you can be entrusted with such an important task."

Upon hearing this, Xu Rong hurriedly said humbly, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I only know a little bit and I really don't deserve your praise." As he said this, he bowed and congratulated Ma Chao on his great victory.

Ma Chao, however, grasped Xu Rong's arm and spoke sincerely, "No, every word I, Ma Chao, say comes from the bottom of my heart. Bingzhou has just been pacified. Although I have decided to hand it over to my senior brother Gongsun Zan, your current strength is far from enough to hold on to Bingzhou. Furthermore, Yuan Shao has been eyeing Bingzhou covetously and could attack at any moment. Therefore, after much deliberation, I have decided to leave your 20,000 troops behind to assist you in defending Bingzhou."

Xu Rong couldn't help but feel excited when he heard this. In his heart, he also longed to follow Ma Chao to the battle, galloping across the grasslands, competing for supremacy, and establishing immortal merits. Ma Chao seemed to see what Xu Rong was thinking. He patted him on the shoulder and patiently explained: "General Xu, I know your ambitions and your desire to follow me on the battle. But Bingzhou is of vital importance. It is the front line for us to fight against foreign enemies and the key to ensuring the stability of the rear. Although you are brave, you still need help from talents like you in the deployment of troops and strategic layout. If you stay to assist me and defend Bingzhou, you will relieve my worries when I go on the battle, which is also a great achievement."

Xu Rong's heartfelt words suddenly opened his eyes. He understood Ma Chao's intentions and the severity of the situation in Bingzhou. Suppressing a hint of disappointment, he clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will obey your orders and remain to assist General Gongsun. I will live up to your trust and defend Bingzhou with all my strength." Ma Chao looked at Xu Rong with approval in his eyes. "General Xu," he said, "I am relieved by your words. I leave the affairs of Bingzhou entirely to you and my brother."

Inside the tent, the aroma of wine filled the air. Following Ma Chao and Xu Rong's conversation, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively. Generals rose, toasted one another, and discussed their prospects for the upcoming battle, amidst laughter and discussion. Advisors also offered their perspectives, offering suggestions for the upcoming expedition and Bingzhou's defense, their words filled with insight and wisdom.

As time went by, the bright moon slowly climbed to the zenith, casting a silvery glow that filtered through the cracks in the tents and gently fell upon everyone. Although everyone was still immersed in joy and excitement, they gradually became a little tipsy and realized that the night was already late.

Ma Chao looked at the people who were having a great time, stood up and said with a smile: "Everyone has enjoyed drinking to their heart's content today. Now that it's late, you should all go back and rest early. We still have a lot of things to do tomorrow, and we will set out for the grassland the day after tomorrow." Upon hearing this, everyone clasped their fists and accepted the order.

Ma Chao returned to his tent, where the lights flickered. Sitting at his desk, he dipped his pen in ink and wrote a detailed war report detailing his recapture of Bingzhou from the Xiongnu and his subsequent surrender of Bingzhou to Gongsun Zan, along with the numerous battles and strategic deployments that had taken place over the past six months. This report served not only as a report of his own achievements but also as a summary of the situation, ensuring that those in Chang'an could clearly understand the dynamics of the border region.

After finishing his battle report, he unfolded several sheets of letter paper, a gentle smile creeping across his lips as he wrote letters to several close friends. In them, he might have expressed his longing for battle, described the grandeur of the frontier, or even shared the joy of victory. When he was finished, he rubbed his eyes, red from the long hours of writing and the feasting, rose, extinguished the candle, and, fully clothed, slowly drifted off to sleep.

Elsewhere, Gongsun Zan and his companions remained even after their departure. Inside Gongsun Zan's tent, candlelight shone brightly. Gongsun Zan's trusted advisor Guan Jing, generals Tian Yu, and Yan Gang were all present, gathered together to discuss matters.

Gongsun Zan, with a look of deep emotion, spoke first, "Junior brother, you are so generous! You have so painstakingly conquered the entire Bingzhou state and handed it over to me without hesitation. How can we repay you for this great favor?"

Guan Jing nodded in agreement, his face full of confusion. He said, "Yes, throughout history, I've only seen various princes racking their brains and using every possible means to fight for territory, but I've never seen someone like the King of Liang, who worked so hard to conquer territory, only to give it away. It's truly puzzling."

Yan Gang and Tian Yu exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with admiration. Yan Gang exclaimed, "The Prince of Liang's actions are truly magnanimous! A true man should act with such openness!" Tian Yu echoed, "Indeed, the Prince of Liang is magnanimous and selfless, truly unparalleled. We are truly fortunate to stand shoulder to shoulder with him."

Gongsun Rou, Gongsun Zan's daughter, stepped forward and whispered, "Father, this isn't the first time the Prince of Liang has been so generous." Everyone turned around, puzzled, and asked, "When has he been so generous before?"

Gongsun Rou blushed slightly, with a gleam in her eyes, and narrated the story slowly: "When Liu Bian was still alive, he asked the King of Liang to lift the siege of Yangzhou. Before going to lift the siege of Yangzhou, the King of Liang first met up with Sun Ce. The two joined forces, and relying on the strategy and bravery of the King of Liang, they seized all the lands in Jiangdong. But who would have thought that he would later hand over the lands in Jiangdong to Sun Ce as the foundation for Sun Ce's entrepreneurship. Later, the siege of Yangzhou was successfully lifted, and the King of Liang did not occupy any land, and returned it all to Sun Ce." Gongsun Rou's tone was full of admiration as she spoke.

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Zan was taken aback and fell into deep thought. Yan Gang, Tian Yu, and Guan Jing all exchanged glances, each one expressing their deepest emotion. Yan Gang couldn't help but exclaim, "Where have I seen such a generous and righteous person? From ancient times to the present, such gentlemanly behavior is truly unheard of!" Tian Yu nodded in agreement, "Indeed, the Prince of Liang's actions are truly admirable and rare in the world." Guan Jing shook his head repeatedly, marveling, "Even the gentlemen of ancient times would have found such courage and broad-mindedness."

Gongsun Zan looked gloomy and could not help but say with shame: "Thinking back then, when I was in charge of Youzhou, I was only focused on competing with Yuan Shao. I fought with him for that little piece of territory all day long. I never looked elsewhere, let alone paid attention to the difficult situation of Bingzhou being invaded by foreign races. Now when I think about it carefully, I am really ashamed. Compared with my junior brother, my mind is really too narrow." After that, Gongsun Zan sighed heavily, his eyes full of self-blame.

The tent fell silent for a moment. Everyone was shocked by Ma Chao's deeds, and at the same time, they empathized with Gongsun Zan's self-blame. Gongsun Rou looked at her father, heartbroken, and softly comforted him, "Father, the King of Liang has entrusted Bingzhou to you, a sign of his trust in you. Working together, we will surely govern Bingzhou well and live up to the King of Liang's kindness." Gongsun Zan listened to his daughter's words and nodded slightly, his fighting spirit rekindled in his eyes. "Rou'er is right. I must protect Bingzhou well to be worthy of my friendship with you." Yan Gang, Tian Yu, and Guan Jing also expressed their willingness to fully assist Gongsun Zan in defending Bingzhou.

Unexpectedly, the next morning, just as the sun was setting over the camp, Xu Rong arrived at Gongsun Zan's tent with several of his personal guards to report for duty. Gongsun Zan was inside the tent discussing Bingzhou's defense with Guan Jing when he heard his personal guards report that Xu Rong wanted to see him, and he hurriedly rose to greet him.

Xu Rong entered the tent, clasped his fists, and saluted Gongsun Zan, saying, "General Gongsun, by order of the King of Liang, I, General Xu Rong, have come with 20,000 soldiers under my command to await your orders." Gongsun Zan was stunned at first, but then he understood Ma Chao's intention. Ma Chao knew that Gongsun Zan had just taken control of Bingzhou and his foundation was still weak, and that Yuan Shao had always coveted Bingzhou. To ensure Gongsun Zan had sufficient strength to resist Yuan Shao, he deliberately left behind General Xu Rong and 20,000 elite soldiers to assist him.

Gongsun Zan was deeply moved, his eyes welling slightly. He gripped Xu Rong's hand tightly, his voice trembling as he spoke, "General Xu, thank you for your hard work. My junior brother has been so open and sincere with me, and I have such a deep friendship. How can I ever repay you? In my early years, we had many conflicts over trivial matters. Looking back now, I feel so much regret."

After saying this, Gongsun Zan turned to look at Guan Jing and said with emotion, "Mr. Guan, look at what my junior brother has done. How could I, Gongsun Zan, deserve such treatment from my junior brother?" Guan Jing nodded slightly and said, "The King of Liang is kind and righteous. General Gongsun, you don't have to blame yourself too much. The past is over. Now, our most urgent task is to work with General Xu to govern Bingzhou with all our heart and soul, and live up to the King of Liang's trust."

Gongsun Zan took a deep breath, his expression firm, and said, "Mr. Guan is right. Well, we must work together to govern and protect Bingzhou well. When the day comes that Junior Brother comes to claim it, we will give him a brand new Bingzhou. As long as Junior Brother can give us a place to stay when the time comes, that will be enough."