The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 257 Old Huang Zhong Slays Xiahou Dun in Battle, Jinma Chao Crosses the River and Defeates Cao Cao

Meanwhile, Huang Zhong led his troops to attack Beiqiu, where they had a commanding view.

Xiahou Yuan led his elite cavalry to the foot of the mountain to repair the deer antlers.

Huang Zhong had already led his troops and captured the mountain.

They ran into Xiahou Yuan and his men, who had already dismounted.

Xu Shu seized the opportunity and shouted repeatedly:
"It's time to attack! It's time to attack!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Zhong immediately raised the red flag.

Immediately, drums and horns sounded in unison, and shouts resounded.

Huang Zhong took the lead and galloped down the mountain.

It was like the sky collapsing and the earth crumbling.

Xiahou Yuan heard the noise from the mountain and saw Huang Zhong's troop of men galloping towards him.

They were shocked and caught off guard.

Just as he was about to turn around and mount his horse, Huang Zhong had already arrived under his banner.

He roared, like a thunderclap.

Xiahou Yuan shouted, but before he could greet Huang Zhong, Huang Zhong's precious sword had already fallen.

It was cut in two, head and shoulders included.

When Xiahou Yuan died, the rest of the crowd were all horrified.

They fled in disarray, each trying to escape.

Taking advantage of the momentum from killing Xiahou Yuan, Huang Zhong went to seize Guantao.

The garrison commanders of Guantao were Lu Zhao and Zhu Ling, who saw Huang Zhong leading his troops to attack.

They immediately went out of the city to meet the enemy, each leading an army to attack from both sides.

After a fierce battle, when things had reached a good point, Lu Zhao suddenly asked:

"Where is General Xiahou?"

Just then, an army appeared from the north.

It was Du Xi, who had previously guarded the shell mound,

Du Xi found Lu Zhao and Zhu Ling, and cried out in anguish:

"General Xiahou has been killed by Huang Zhong, and Liu Bei has led his troops across the Qinghe River, cutting off our army's retreat!"

Lu Zhao and Zhu Ling were both surprised to hear this, thinking to themselves that Xiahou Yuan had only been gone for half a day.

How could he have been killed by Huang Zhong, an old soldier?
"With General Xiahou dead, there is no benefit for us to defend this place empty-handed."

"It would be better to withdraw the troops and return to see Duke Wei, and then make other plans."

Once the agreement was reached, Zhu Ling and Lu Zhao joined forces with Du Xi and led the defeated troops to set up camp upstream of the Qinghe River.

On one hand, someone was sent to quickly inform Cao Cao that Xiahou Yuan had been beheaded and Guantao had fallen.

At that time, Cao Cao was in Yedu, and he was filled with anxiety.

Just as they were hesitating, a messenger arrived with news that Xiahou Yuan had been beheaded by Huang Zhong!
"What!?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao's expression changed drastically.

I couldn't believe my ears.

He had considered the worst-case scenario for the Eastern Front.

Even if Cao Cao used Guantao as his base and lost all the surrounding territories, he still had room to maneuver.

But no one expected that his Eastern Theater Commander-in-Chief would be killed in battle.

Cao Cao was heartbroken and wept uncontrollably.

He then asked for the detailed process of Xiahou Yuan's execution.

The scouts reported the truth to Cao Cao.

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao sighed repeatedly.

In his grief, he personally wrote a military letter.

He ordered the military letter to be sent to the Qinghe front, saying that he would soon personally lead troops to provide support.

Make sure Lu Zhao, Du Xi, and others hold the line.

Cao Cao originally planned to observe the situation in the north and south first, but Xiahou Yuan's death in battle disrupted all his plans.

The scouts led their troops and brought back Cao Cao's military dispatch.

It was passed down in the armies of Du Xi and Zhu Ling, and its contents are briefly described as follows:

"Yuan was not skilled in military strategy; the army called him 'General of the White Land'."

"Even a commander-in-chief should not personally engage in battle, let alone repair deer antlers?"

This means that, in Cao Cao's view, Xiahou Yuan was not a capable military strategist.

As a commander-in-chief, one should not personally engage in battle, let alone go to repair deer antlers.

Then Xiahou Yuan was called "General of the White Land," which means "lacking talent."

Without a doubt, the fall of Guantao was a setback for the eastern front.

Cao Cao blamed all the failures on Xiahou Yuan alone, believing that he deserved to die.

Of course, this was definitely Cao Cao's way of winning people's hearts.

Judging from Xiahou Yuan's resume, he was not without talent; he possessed military ability.

If he were truly incompetent, why would Cao Cao have made him the commander-in-chief of a region?
Not to mention Xiahou Yuan in history, who "marched into Guanzhong" and helped Cao Wei conquer a large territory.

But one must always look forward; once you're dead, there's no use in regretting it.

Cao Cao could only appease the remaining defeated generals by blaming the dead.

Such as Zhu Ling, Lu Zhao, and Du Xi.

Tell them it's all Xiahou Yuan's fault.

It's none of your business, so don't feel guilty. Just keep doing your job.

Of course, it's not entirely accurate to say that this statement was solely a political maneuver by Cao Cao.

This may also be Cao Cao's true inner thought.

After all, he invested so many resources in Xiahou Yuan, hoping to mold him into the second-in-command of the Cao Wei imperial family.

Despite having read so many military books, Xiahou Yuan still made such a basic military mistake.

Cao Cao felt both angry and heartbroken towards him.

That's why he wrote this sentence in his military strategy, hoping that other generals could take it as a warning.

Lu Zhao and the others felt much more at ease after receiving Cao Cao's letter.

They established a camp at Qinghe and held their ground, waiting for Cao Cao's army to come to their aid.

Let me talk about two things.

Meanwhile, Huang Zhong beheaded Xiahou Yuan, displayed his head, and brought it to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei was overjoyed and immediately sent someone with a golden seal to reward Huang Zhong, and also promoted him to General Who Conquers the West.

Then a banquet was held inside the tent to celebrate the victory, especially to welcome Huang Zhong back.

This is consistent with the way the Emperor treats meritorious officials, giving them the highest honors.

Just like when Li Yi first joined the company, Liu Bei specially sent Chen Dao to bring Li Yi over in a horse-drawn carriage.

Then, in front of all the civil and military officials, they celebrated their victory.

Ten years have passed, and Liu Bei remains the same.

During the banquet, a hundred imperial guards stood solemnly outside the tent, holding halberds.

Inside the tent, incense burned in a hundred different ways, and candlelight illuminated the space as if it were daytime.

Liu Bei occupied the main seat, with Chancellor Li Yi to his left and strategists such as Xu Yi to his right.

Huang Zhong, his white beard stained with blood, carried Yuan's head inside and threw it on the steps.

He knelt on the ground and said:

"This humble general has successfully completed his mission and has already beheaded Xiahou Yuan."

"To pay homage to Your Majesty for your first battle in Hebei."

Liu Bei was overjoyed, personally poured a golden cup, and bestowed it upon Huang Zhong, saying:

"Lian Po was still able to eat at seventy, and now the general has slain a famous general of Wei. How magnificent!"

Huang Zhong knelt down to express his gratitude and drank the fine wine in one gulp.

The generals cheered in unison, praising the old general's bravery.

Huang Zhong was smug and thought to himself, "Who will dare to bully me because I'm old?"
Li Yi ordered someone to bring Huang Zhong a bow with an iron core and ten bolts of fur from Youzhou.

Looking at these furs, Liu Bei couldn't help but sigh, pointing to them and saying:

"Is this what the Prime Minister did when he went to Youzhou?"

“…Exactly.”

Li Yi readily admitted, "With this wealth, both the Han and the Hu people are rich, and they dare not easily look south."

"We can now focus our attention on the affairs of the Central Plains."

Liu Bei nodded, "The Prime Minister has truly gone to great lengths."

Therefore, he ordered someone to bestow upon Li Yi a hundred bolts of brocade and ten pearls.

Afterwards, Liu Bei gathered his civil and military officials to discuss the next steps for advancing the army.

"Now that Xiahou Yuan has died in battle and Cao Cao's eastern defenses have been lost, I predict that Cao Cao will definitely lead his troops here personally."

"What brilliant strategies do you gentlemen have to offer me?"

Liu Bei glanced around and asked his generals.

Zhang He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"This humble general is willing to lead a troop of soldiers to set up camp by the Qinghe River."

"If Cao Cao attacks, Your Majesty will come to your rescue."

"If we attack from both sides, the Wei bandits will not be difficult to defeat."

Liu Bei agreed with his words and immediately ordered Zhang He to lead his troops there.

He then asked Li Yi:
"Now that Xiahou Yuan has been beheaded, the Wei army has been routed."

"In your opinion, Prime Minister, how should this be continued?"

Li Yi replied calmly:
"With Yuan's head hanging, the entire state of Wei was terrified."

"Cao Cao will surely lead his fierce army here in person. This is the time when Heaven has ordained these two heroes to fight to the death!"

"Your Majesty, with your victorious army, awaits the opportune moment when the enemy is exhausted."

"While they are struggling, our morale is soaring."

"But we must form a formidable battle formation, display our awe-inspiring might, and fight Cao Cao to the death in Hebei!"

"At this juncture, why bother asking about battle formations?"

"We are sharpening our weapons, waiting only for Cao Cao!"

In layman's terms, our army is currently enjoying a great advantage.

Just do it!

Liu Bei was overjoyed and immediately provided food for the three armies.

He still appointed Huang Zhong as the vanguard, leading the army to continue south to fight Cao Cao to the death.

Meanwhile, Cao Cao led his large army across the Qing River to defend against Liu Bei's attack.

Cao Cao deeply resented Huang Zhong for killing Xiahou Yuan, and upon hearing that this old scoundrel would again be the vanguard in this battle.

He immediately addressed his generals:
"That old traitor Huang Zhong killed my general, I will surely capture him!"

Everyone asked Cao Cao what his brilliant ideas were.

Cao Cao then began to mobilize his troops, first speaking to Li Dian:

"Huang Zhong won a battle the day before yesterday, beheading one of my generals. He is feeling very proud of himself."

“Mancheng can lead an army north to guard the grain supplies, with only a small number of men.”

“Huang Zhong will surely come to seize our grain. I order Yue Jin to lead an army to attack from the rear.”

"Once Huang Zhong is trapped, the two of you should join forces and fight him to the death here."

Li Dian and Yue Jin each accepted their plans and led their troops away.

Huang Zhong returned to the camp and said to his deputy Ma Yan:
"I have killed Xiahou Yuan, and the Wei army is terrified."

"I plan to raid Cao Cao's army's supplies tomorrow. I'll give you five hundred soldiers to guard the camp."

Ma Yan advised:

"I have heard that Cao Cao has come in person. Cao Cao's military tactics are divine, so we should not act rashly."

"...Otherwise, we'll have to take a risky approach."

"If I hadn't seized Beiqiu, how could I have killed Xiahou Yuan?"

"Now is the time to prove ourselves with bravery and merit, so why hesitate?"

"Otherwise, other generals will surely get there first."

Huang Zhong planned to take advantage of this great victory to deal with Cao Cao in one fell swoop.

Because each general had his own independent troops.

They each set up camp at other strongholds, and the camps were some distance apart from each other.

Therefore, Huang Zhong's deployment of troops can indeed be considered a surprise attack.

After all, once they send out their entire force, they cannot receive immediate support from other military camps.

Huang Zhong is now the General Who Conquers the West, ranking above Ma Yan.

Ma Yan was a surrendered general from Hebei who brought his own resources into the group.

Therefore, his rank and position were not low, even surpassing many veteran officials of Xuzhou.

However, if you rely solely on past achievements, you are destined to be overtaken by newcomers.

If Huang Zhong were to truly win, Ma Yan, as the deputy general, would certainly also gain a great deal of military merit.

This also brings to mind Huang Zhong's recent victory over Xiahou Yuan, showcasing his formidable military prowess.

"Let's take a gamble," he said.

“…Very well, in that case, I will assist the old general.”

"Let the soldiers eat their fill at midnight tonight."

"At the fourth watch, they separated from their camp and charged straight to the foot of the northern border."

"Burn all of Wei's supplies and provisions, and first dampen Cao Cao's morale before making any further moves."

Huang Zhongxi then proceeded according to the plan.

It was the fourth watch of the night.

Huang Zhong led his troops forward, advancing with gags in their mouths.

As they moved northward, the east was already bright and the sun was just rising.

Huang Zhongguo saw that the grain and fodder piled up like mountains here were where the Wei army stored their grain.

So he led his troops in to attack.

Li Dian led his troops to defend the city and meet Huang Zhong in battle.

Li Dianjun was outnumbered, and after a brief battle, he led his troops to retreat.

Upon seeing this, Huang Zhong ordered his soldiers to dismount, pile firewood on top of the rice and grain, and set it all on fire.

Just as the Qi soldiers were about to light the fire, they suddenly heard shouts and the neighing of horses behind them.

Le Jinjun arrived and engaged Huang Zhong in a fierce battle.

Li Dianfu led his army back and joined forces with Yue Jin to attack, trapping Huang Zhong in the center of the enemy lines.

Cao Cao climbed to a high point and looked down at the foot of the mountain. Seeing Huang Zhong trapped, a faint smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

"You old scoundrel, you deserve to die today."

"When your head is on the table, it will be used to sacrifice my brilliant talent."

Cao Cao gritted his teeth and said bitterly.

Then, he ordered Lü Qian to lead a troop of soldiers to Guantao to intercept their path.

Be on guard against Liu Bei's army coming to rescue Huang Zhong.

You should know that this is a rare opportunity.

Huang Zhong dared to use a risky and unexpected tactic because he had just killed Xiahou Yuan and was feeling very proud of himself.

Cao Cao exploited this psychology of the old Huang Zhong to devise a plan to trap him.

If that doesn't work, teach him how to escape.

It will be difficult to make him fall for the trap again next time.

Therefore, Cao Cao was willing to suffer greater losses in his troops in order to retain the spoils of this battle.

—That is, to kill Huang Zhong and avenge Miao Cai!

By noon, Ma Yan had not seen Huang Zhong return from the camp and sensed something was wrong.

He then wanted to lead his army to the rescue, but his men said:
"My camp has only five hundred men. If you go there, you will only be sending yourselves to your deaths."

Ma Yan thought so too, and asked around whose camp was the closest.

The men on either side replied that the camps of Generals Zhang He and Xu Huang were the closest.

Therefore, Ma Yan sent twenty riders to each of them to seek help from Zhang He and Xu Huang.

The message reads: General Huang may have fallen into an ambush by the Wei army. Please, both generals, send troops to his rescue immediately.

Each battalion commander has the authority to act expediently at the front.

After all, Liu Bei wasn't a master of micro-management.

In ancient times, with underdeveloped transportation and communication, reporting everything to him would inevitably delay military operations.

Therefore, Huang Zhong could decide to raid the camp on his own, and Zhang He and Xu Huang naturally did not need to inform Liu Bei before sending troops to rescue Huang Zhong.

"……good."

"The two of us are looking for General Huang. General Ma has fewer men, so he can go back first."

"Go and inform the King of Qi that we are already engaged in battle with the Wei troops at the front."

After the three men reached an agreement, they each went about their duties. At this time, Huang Zhong was surrounded by Cao Cao's large army, and Huang Zhong made several attempts to lead his troops to break out of the encirclement.

Ultimately, due to their small numbers, they were surrounded by the Wei army and unable to escape.

The Wei army was not in a hurry to fight Huang Zhong, but simply prevented him from breaking through the encirclement, thus exhausting his soldiers' strength.

By noon, Huang Zhong's troops were exhausted and their horses were weary.

Huang Zhong thought to himself, if he concentrated his forces and attacked one place...

I can surely escape with just a dozen or so riders.

However, his soldiers had served him for a long time and he could not bear to abandon them.

On the mountain, Cao Cao shouted down:

"Huang Zhong! You killed my Xiahou, I should have beheaded you."

"But I cherish talent and cannot bear to harm it."

"If you are willing to dismount and surrender, I will spare your life and forgive all past transgressions!"

At this time, Cao Cao's old habits resurfaced.

Seeing that Huang Zhong was nearly sixty years old, he still fought fiercely all morning and was still full of vigor.

These fierce generals are truly the ancient equivalent of Lian Po.

Cao Cao then decided to recruit Huang Zhong and ordered his soldiers not to fire arrows at him, but to capture him alive.

Cheng Yu, standing nearby, offered his advice:
"Lord Wei, you should know that Huang Zhong and Guan Yu are the same kind of people."

“Since they have chosen Liu Bei, they will not have any other intentions.”

"Now we've finally managed to lure Huang Zhong into an ambush."

"The soldiers fought all morning and suffered heavy casualties."

"If the Qi army reacts quickly enough, they will send someone to rescue Huang Zhong."

"Then all our previous efforts will be in vain. Lord Wei, you must not hesitate!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a scout rode up on horseback.

The report said that Zhang He and Xu Huang each led an army to attack.

They have been blocked by Lü Qian, but I fear they won't be able to hold out for long.

Cao Cao immediately ordered Zhu Ling to lead an army to support Lü Qian.

He glanced again at Huang Zhong in the center of the battlefield, and said in a bluffing manner:
"Huang Zhong! Now you are trapped in the heart of the enemy's lair."

"There is no way to go to heaven or to go to hell."

"It would be better to surrender early to avoid troubling your soldiers."

Huang Zhong was leading his troops in battle when he heard Cao Cao's words. He pointed his sword and cursed:
"Don't be so arrogant, Cao Cao! Watch how I break your formation!"

So they roused their spirits, mustered their strength, and charged fiercely into Cao Cao's army formation.

After killing more than a dozen people, they were about to break through Cao Cao's encirclement.

Cao Cao was greatly alarmed upon seeing this and immediately ordered men to be dispatched to the foot of the mountain to trap Huang Zhong.

"...How many fierce and capable generals did Liu Bei have under his command?"

Cao Cao sighed helplessly, his heart filled with mixed feelings, a feeling he couldn't quite describe.

Finally, Cao Cao made up his mind to kill Huang Zhong.

He ordered Du Xi and Lu Zhao to each lead an army to reinforce the area.

At that moment, a loud shout suddenly came from the north.

Cao Cao asked in surprise why there was a commotion to the north.

Someone had already reported:
"Reporting to Lord Wei! A large force of troops is attacking from the north!"

This is impossible!

Cao Cao's eyes widened, and he roared in fury:

"I have already sent men to thoroughly investigate the movements of Liu Bei's army."

"What ability does he have to launch a sneak attack from the north right under my nose!"

Cheng Yu said from the side:
"My lord, it's entirely possible!"

"Have you forgotten that there is still a major threat in the north that has not been eliminated?"

Ma Chao!?
Cao Cao gasped and shook his head repeatedly.

"How did Ma Chao, who was in Bingzhou, end up in Qinghe?"

“It must be Ma Chao who, just like last time, used the route through Heishan Zhang Yan to raid our Zhao territory.”

Cheng Yu analyzed the situation carefully; he was extremely experienced in Ma Chao's detour techniques.

When they chased him to Bingzhou, he was repeatedly humiliated by Ma Chao.

This incident left Cheng Yu with a lingering grudge.

Just then, Ma Chao led his army to attack.

He could see flags waving on the opposite bank of the Qinghe River, and knew that the armies of Qi and Wei had already clashed.

Ma Chao was known for his decisive military style.

Without hesitation, he immediately ordered the entire army to cross the Qinghe River and enter the battlefield.

Just like when we crossed the river and captured Bingzhou in one battle.

"Ma Chao is here! Who dares to fight me!"

Ma Chao brandished his spear, spurred his horse, and led his army to charge forward.

They ran headlong into a general, Cui Lie, a subordinate of Li Dian.

Wielding twin swords, he charged straight at Ma Chao on horseback.

Before they could exchange three blows, Ma Chao stabbed him to death with a single spear thrust.

Cao's army was defeated and fled. Ma Chao led his army to surround them, but another force blocked their way.

The leader was Wang Zhi, a general of Wei.

Ma Chao brandished his spear and shouted:

"Whom are you surrounding here?"

Wang Zhi immediately replied:

"Please come inside and take a look."

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao flew into a rage, spurred his horse, and charged forward with his spear to stab Wang Zhi.

Wang Zhi was unable to dodge in time and was stabbed to death on his horse.

Taking advantage of the situation, Ma Chao led his army into the encirclement, charging left and right as if entering an empty land.

His troops were all soldiers from the Western Liang army who had fought against him for many years.

After arriving in Bingzhou, he recruited some Bingzhou soldiers and also mixed in some Hu cavalry.

These people are characterized by their extremely strong combat capabilities and fearlessness in the face of death.

However, their weakness was their extremely poor military discipline; whenever they conquered a place, they would loot it completely.

Otherwise, the soldiers will be unhappy and won't fight to the death next time.

Ma Chao turned a blind eye to this.

He only wanted his soldiers to fight to the death.

As long as we win the battle, that's enough; we don't ask about anything else.

As for the spoils of war captured from the enemy, they naturally belonged to the soldiers.

The more you kill, the more you gain; the fewer you kill, the less you gain.

Thanks to this, Ma Chao's men were all as fierce as wolves and tigers, and every single one of them was a strong warrior.

Under Ma Chao's guidance, it was like a steel knife piercing cheese.

They broke through the Wei army's encirclement.

Li Dian and Yue Jin were both unable to withstand the attack, and Huang Zhong was rescued by Ma Chao.

"Is the general not Huang Zhong?"

"Is that General Ma?!"

Although the two had never met, after seeing each other's military flags, they could guess each other's identities to some extent.

"It is indeed Ma Chao!"

"I heard shouts of people and neighing of horses on the other side of the Qinghe River, so I came to their rescue!"

Huang Zhong was overjoyed and repeatedly said:

"General, you've arrived just in time!"

"Will you join me in killing the traitors?"

Therefore, Huang Zhong urged his men to be alert and focused.

They shouted that reinforcements had arrived and that the enemy would be defeated today.

Huang Zhong's troops then roused their spirits and fought fiercely.

Cao Cao was furious when Ma Chao rescued the man he was about to catch.

"...Quickly! Continue to redeploy troops."

"Do not let Ma Chao and Huang Zhong escape."

"Let's settle all our old and new scores today!"

Huang Zhong had a blood feud with Cao Cao for killing his brothers, while Ma Chao had a blood feud with Cao Cao for cutting off his beard and discarding his robe.

Two great enemies gathered together, and it was time for them to fight.

The Wei generals, having received Cao Cao's orders, led their troops to pursue Ma Chao and Huang Zhong.

Unexpectedly, the two generals joined forces and their fighting power was extremely fierce.

Huang Zhong nocked his arrows and never missed, hitting his target with every shot.

Ma Chao, in his imposing manner, shouted:
"Your lord Cao Cao was killed by me, forced to cut off his beard and abandon his robe. How dare you block my way?"

Although Huang Zhong had the merit of beheading Xiahou Yuan, Ma Chao's reputation was actually much greater.

Because he became famous at a young age when he was in Liangzhou.

The Battle of Hedong, in which he defeated Guo Yuan, propelled Ma Chao's reputation to its peak.

Wherever Ma Chao went, his soldiers saw only the three characters "Jin Ma Chao" on his banner.

They then recalled his bravery in the battle to subdue Bingzhou, and the story spread among them, causing them all to flee.

Soon, Ma Chao and Huang Zhong joined forces to break through the encirclement.

Cao Cao climbed to a high place and looked down, seeing that Ma Chao and Huang Zhong were invincible and none dared to meet their attack.

Enraged, he led his men to chase after the two men.

Just as the two armies were fighting, a great shout was heard from behind.

Drums and horns sounded in unison, and the Qi army rushed over.

Zhang He was on the left, and Xu Huang was on the right.

It turned out that the two generals had already defeated Lü Qian and were rushing north.

While Cao Bing was engaged in fierce fighting with Ma Chao's and Huang Zhong's armies, they were suddenly caught off guard by an army that appeared from the rear.

They suffered a complete rout and retreated repeatedly.

They trampled each other and were driven to the banks of the Qinghe River by the Qi army.

Countless people have drowned.

Upon seeing this, Cao Cao had no choice but to abandon the grain and supplies at Beishan and the main camp, and retreat to the north bank of the Qinghe River.

Thus, Ma Chao, Huang Zhong, Zhang He, and Xu Huang seized the opportunity to occupy Wei's camp.

They also seized the grain and fodder from the northern mountains and retrieved all the Wei soldiers who had drowned in the water.

They stripped him of his clothes and kept him as a weapon or war trophy.

In the Battle of Qinghe, the Qi army achieved a great victory.

The soldiers were overjoyed and immediately sent messengers to report the victory to the King of Qi.

Upon hearing of the great victory at the front, Liu Bei was overjoyed and took Li Yi with him to the Qinghe River to reward the troops.

Huang Zhong sustained several knife wounds due to prolonged fighting.

Liu Bei then personally took the wound medicine and applied it to Huang Zhong's wound, smiling as he said:
"General, this battle, though perilous, was truly extraordinary!"

Huang Zhong bowed in shame and said:
"Although this battle was a great victory, it was ultimately due to my underestimation of the enemy and reckless advance that I nearly caused the deaths of the entire army."

How could Zhong dare to covet credit?

Liu Bei said solemnly:

"...Otherwise, if you hadn't bravely charged into the fray, how could Cao Cao have forced out all his ambush troops?"

"If you hadn't been the one who led the siege, how could we have achieved such a great victory at Qinghe!"

If the Battle of Beiqiu, in which Xiahou was killed, dampened the morale of the Wei army...

Therefore, this great victory at Qinghe truly annihilated Cao Cao's manpower.

This laid a solid foundation for Liu Bei's future pacification of Hebei.

After much deliberation, Liu Bei awarded Huang Zhong the title of the second most meritorious official in this great victory.

As for the number one contributor...

Li Yi led Ma Chao to meet Liu Bei.

"...Your Majesty, this man is none other than Ma Chao of Xiliang."

Ma Chao, introduced by Li Yi, immediately bowed before Liu Bei and said:
"This humble general, Ma Chao, greets His Majesty the King of Qi!"

Liu Bei saw that Ma Chao's eyes were like bright stars and that he looked majestic and awe-inspiring, and he was overjoyed.

He immediately stepped forward, took Ma Chao's hand, and said:
"...Very well, I have longed to meet Mengqi for a long time."

"I long to meet you, but alas, the time is not right."

"I've finally met you today, and you are indeed remarkable!"

Ma Chao had spent several years training under Pang Tong in Bingzhou, and his mindset was no longer what it used to be.

He immediately took Liu Bei's hand and said:
“Now that Ma Chao has abandoned his father and come to Your Majesty, I hope Your Majesty will not doubt him.”

"We can take Ma Chao as our son, and work together to eliminate the traitor to the country!"

This is Ma Chao expressing his loyalty to Liu Bei.

The following story is recorded in the "Records of the Duke of Shanyang".

It is said that after Ma Chao joined Liu Bei, Liu Bei treated him well.

Because Ma Chao had spent half his life as a warlord, he was improper in his manners and often addressed Liu Bei by his courtesy name.

This aroused the dissatisfaction of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Doesn't Ma Chao's action seem similar to that of another person?
That's right,

When Lü Bu first joined Liu Bei, he also addressed him as "Brother Lü."

This may truly be a common trait among frontier warriors.

However, the authenticity of this story is questionable.

Many people believe that Ma Chao was already at his wit's end and had matured considerably.

How could someone be so naive as to call Liu Bei by his courtesy name?

Judging from Ma Chao's later performance, he had indeed become a seasoned official after entering Shu.

For example, Ma Chao led the way in urging Liu Bei to become king.

That's right. Historically, it wasn't Zhuge Liang who led the persuasion for Liu Bei to declare himself king, but Ma Chao.

Judging from the rewards Liu Bei bestowed upon Ma Chao later, Ma Chao held the highest position.

He was ranked first on the list and was appointed Left General with the authority to act on behalf of the emperor.

The position of General of the Left was one that Liu Bei once held, which shows that Liu Bei genuinely liked Ma Chao.

Later, when Liu Bei became emperor, he directly appointed Ma Chao as General of the Cavalry and Governor of Liang Province.

General of the Flying Cavalry was the highest-ranking military officer in Shu Han.

He is ranked above Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Ma Chao's high position certainly had political factors, but it cannot be entirely attributed to politics.

After all, the title of the top military officer is given after careful consideration from multiple perspectives.

Ma Chao was in his prime at this time, and was handsome and dashing.

Liu Bei took a great liking to Ma Chao and invited him to a banquet to drink with him.

After drinking, Ma Chao became drunk, and Liu Bei ordered his men to bring him into his tent.

She shared a bed with him, sleeping side by side.

After a night.

Not to be discussed.

……

The next day, early morning.

When Liu Bei awoke, someone reported that Li Yi was requesting an audience.

After being summoned to an audience, Li Yi held a scroll in his hands and handed it to Liu Bei.

"Your Majesty, this is the list of rewards for the meritorious soldiers in the Battle of Qinghe."

“I completed the draft last night.”

"Please take a look, Your Majesty. If there is anything inappropriate, please make your own decision."

Liu Bei quickly scanned the area.

He then closed the bamboo scroll and said to Li Yi:
"I do not find anything wrong with the rewards and honors bestowed upon the generals."

"But why was there no reward or honor bestowed upon General Huang?"

Liu Bei asked.

……

(End of this chapter)