OBS Chapter 203 Ma Chao's reinforcements to support Dong Jun
Chapter 203 Ma Chao's reinforcements to support Dong Jun
Li Ru and Xu Rong quickly had their soldiers shout, "Xiliang Jin Ma Chao is here with his troops to help! Xiliang Jin Ma Chao is here with his troops to help!" As the shouts grew louder, wave after wave, like surging waves rolling across the battlefield. The morale of Dong Zhuo's Xiliang troops was greatly boosted upon hearing this. Their exhausted bodies and minds seemed to be infused with a powerful surge of strength, and they erupted in a tremendous cheer, shouting in unison, "Jin Ma Chao! Jin Ma Chao!"
However, Ma Chao did not rush over to join Li Ru, Xu Rong, and the others. Instead, he sent someone to deliver a message. The messenger rode at full speed to Li Ru and Xu Rong and shouted, "General Ma has ordered everyone to quickly enter Hangu Pass. He will lead the troops to resist the coalition's attack!"
With these instructions, Ma Chao rode forth, charging towards the front line where the coalition forces were battling Dong Zhuo's army, towards the fiercest point of the coalition's attack outside Dong Zhuo's camp. He led the awe-inspiring Western Liang cavalry like a gust of wind. The clatter of hooves echoed through the air, stirring up clouds of dust. Ma Chao emerged from the dust like a descending god of war, charging straight into the enemy line with unstoppable momentum.
The Western Liang cavalry, led by Ma Chao, plunged straight into the coalition's camp like a sharp knife. Ma Chao brandished his spear, its tip gleaming coldly. Wherever he struck, coalition soldiers fell. His men were also fearless and courageous, their cries of killing deafening.
The coalition's offensive was immediately disrupted, and the soldiers began to panic. However, the coalition generals reacted quickly and organized their forces to try to encircle Ma Chao's troops.
At this time, Li Ru and Xu Rong, following Ma Chao's instructions, led Dong Zhuo's army to retreat quickly towards Hangu Pass. During the retreat, they also continued to resist the pursuit of the coalition forces.
Ma Chao charged left and right in the enemy's formation, fighting bravely and causing heavy casualties to the coalition forces. But as time went on, Ma Chao's troops were gradually surrounded by the coalition forces.
However, Ma Chao showed no fear. He roared to encourage his men and continued to fight to the death.
Ma Chao's arrival was like a boulder dropped into a lake, instantly drawing the attention of the allied generals. Yuan Shao, watching from afar as Ma Chao led the fierce and formidable Western Liang cavalry into the allied camp like a tiger descending from a mountain, was momentarily stunned. Unsure, he asked Han Fu and the others around him, "Who is this general, so brave and fearless?" Han Fu, gazing at the dusty battlefield, looked bewildered and pleaded ignorance.
Cao Cao also narrowed his eyes at this time, looking into the distance, his gaze fixed on Ma Chao's figure, and said with a little uncertainty: "Look at the bravery in the soldier camp. Everyone, do you think it is Ma Chao, the former disciple of Master Lu?" When everyone heard this, they all looked at each other, unable to determine for a moment.
Then, everyone began to discuss the matter. Yuan Shao, stroking his beard, reminisced, "I saw Ma Chao in Luoyang. I heard he was so young, yet so renowned in Xiliang. His family had been generals for generations, holding considerable influence there." Yuan Shu also leaned forward and shrieked, "I've heard it too. It's said he defeated the Qiang troops and then the Xiongnu in Xiliang. He's a skilled archer and horseman, and possesses the courage of ten thousand men." Cao Cao nodded slightly, then continued, "Back then, when Ma Chao was studying under Master Lu, he displayed extraordinary talent and courage. I also heard that it was Ma Chao who handled Dong Zhuo's brutal actions in Luoyang, forcing Mr. Cai Yong to death. Dissatisfied with Dong Zhuo's cruelty, he returned to Xiliang."
Han Fu, Zhang Yang, and the others nearby hurriedly said, "Everyone, Master Lu is here now. We should consider this. If Master Lu could persuade Ma Chao to surrender, perhaps this time he could be persuaded to turn from evil to good. This is truly the best strategy, the best option." Han Fu frowned and added worriedly, "Although Ma Chao is brave, if we can persuade him to surrender through Master Lu, we can not only avoid more casualties, but also gain a powerful force for our side." Zhang Yang nodded repeatedly and echoed, "Indeed, Master Lu and Ma Chao have a deep friendship. Perhaps his persuasion will have an unexpected effect."
In reality, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu each harbored their own ulterior motives, unwilling to allow Lu Zhi to achieve such a feat. Yuan Shao secretly mused that if Lu Zhi succeeded in persuading Ma Chao to surrender, his prestige within the coalition would undoubtedly soar, posing a threat to his own position as leader. Furthermore, Gongsun Zan, already at odds with him, coveted the position of alliance leader. He had been diligently suppressing Lu Zhi and Gongsun Zan, the master and apprentice, throughout his journey, keeping the Emperor Liu Bian in check. They had barely managed to suppress the Emperor's influence and maintain control of the situation. If Lu Zhi truly succeeded in recruiting Ma Chao, Ma Chao's prestige in Xiliang and his reputation for unparalleled bravery would undoubtedly give the Emperor Liu Bian a further leverage point, shattering the situation they had worked so hard to build, further complicating the situation.
Yuan Shu also thought so. He was only interested in expanding his own power and could not tolerate the emperor Liu Bian taking advantage of this opportunity to rise to power. So the two brothers secretly reached a tacit agreement and decided to prevent Lu Zhi from coming forward to persuade Ma Chao to surrender.
The following is an expansion based on this paragraph:
To prevent Lu Zhi from persuading Ma Chao to surrender, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, disregarding the facts, launched a malicious attack on Ma Chao's character. Yuan Shao spoke first, deliberately raising his voice and emphasizing the situation: "My friends, Ma Chao is no good. He wholeheartedly follows Dong Zhuo, acting as his accomplice. He is a diehard loyalist. His heart is worthy of death, and his actions are abhorrent!"
Yuan Shu immediately echoed, "That's right, brother! Ma Chao is aiding and abetting Zhou's tyranny, colluding with Dong Zhuo and being ruthless and cruel. If Lu Zhi were to persuade such a villain to surrender, wouldn't that tarnish Lord Lu's reputation? Furthermore, if his persuasion fails, it would put our coalition forces in a vulnerable position."
The two brothers echoed each other, describing Ma Chao as an unforgivable villain. Yuan Shao continued, "Ma Chao is a ruthless and violent man, devoid of all loyalty and righteousness. He's complicit in all of Dong Zhuo's evil deeds. How can we easily trust him to surrender?" Yuan Shu responded, "That's right. I think he's hopeless. We can't let Lu Zhi risk trying to persuade him to surrender."
As everyone discussed this, the situation on the battlefield grew increasingly tense. Ma Chao's Western Liang cavalry galloped through the coalition camp, slaughtering the allied soldiers and leaving them in disarray. Seeing this, Cao Cao said gravely, "If we can't use this boy, he'll be a serious threat!" Yuan Shao snorted coldly, "Let's defeat the enemy first, and don't encourage them!"
At this time, Ma Chao had only one thought in mind, which was to repel the coalition forces and defend his own position. He brandished his spear and roared continuously. Wherever he went, blood splattered and the coalition soldiers fled.
The following is the expanded and polished content for you
Emperor Liu Bian, accompanied by Lu Zhi and the three brothers Liu, Guan, and Zhang, slowly came to the front of the battle. They stood on a high place, gazing at the war situation from afar, each with a different expression.
Emperor Liu Bian looked at his teacher Lu Zhi beside him and said, "Master Lu, is that brave general fighting so bravely in the battle formation my senior brothers Ma Chao and Ma Mengqi?" Lu Zhi's eyes were fixed on Ma Chao, who was charging fiercely in the battle formation. His mind was full of thoughts and his expression was complicated. He nodded silently and replied, "Yes, this is the disciple I accepted in Luoyang. This boy..."
Emperor Liu Bian then said, "My senior brother seems to possess extraordinary courage and strength." However, Liu Bian only praised Ma Chao's bravery, not mentioning that he was currently engaged in a fierce battle for Dong Zhuo's army against the allied forces. The more he spoke, the more troubled Lu Zhi became. He had placed such high hopes on this disciple, but he had never imagined that he would now be fighting desperately for Dong Zhuo, a traitor who had brought disaster to the country and the people.
Zhang Fei and Zhang Yide, standing by, were immediately enraged upon hearing this. They muttered in a deep voice, "Hmph, he's just an accomplice to the tyrant's evil deeds. What's there to be grieving about?" Emperor Liu Bian, however, asked with interest, "Oh? General Yide, what do you think of his bravery?" Zhang Fei glared and shouted, "In my opinion, he's not that outstanding either. I can definitely give him a fight." He spoke with an anxious look, as if he were about to rush out to fight. Liu Bei gently, imperceptibly tugged at Zhang Fei's arm and shook his head. Zhang Fei's face was still filled with confusion, but Liu Bei looked deeply into his master's complex and tangled expression and fell silent. Guan Yu also saw the clue and quickly reached out to grab Zhang Fei.
Seeing that, with Ma Chao's help, the coalition forces were completely unable to prevent Dong Zhuo's army from retreating to Hangu Pass, Yuan Shao once again anxiously urged the crowd, "Everyone, please stop whispering and talking, and don't let your guard down! This kid will soon charge Dong Zhuo into Hangu Pass. If we can't stop him and allow him to escape, it will be extremely difficult to capture him later!" After hearing this, the princes all looked towards Lu Zhi and Gongsun Zan in the arena.