Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1165 Feeling Sincere, Stepping into a Trap

Because Ma Chao's entourage included women, Guan Yu invited them to rest at his residence. He summoned his wife, Lady Hu, and eldest son, Guan Ping, to greet them. Guan Ping, nearing twenty, though a few years older than Sun Shangxiang, was extremely respectful to Ma Chao and his party due to their difference in status. He bowed deeply to Ma Chao and respectfully addressed him as "Uncle," but when his gaze swept over the women beside Ma Chao, he hesitated—he was unsure how to address these beautiful and diverse women.

Guan Ping stood there with his hands clasped in front of him, and after a long while, he finally blushed and stammered out "Sister".

"Pfft—" Dong Bai laughed first, and the other women also covered their mouths and chuckled. Guan Ping was even more embarrassed, his face turning so red it could bleed. He quickly cupped his hands again and retreated to the side as if fleeing.

When Guan Yu introduced Xu Huang, Xu Huang still turned his face to the side, clearly not wanting to look at him. Guan Ping, however, walked straight to Xu Huang and knelt down with a thud.

Xu Huang was taken aback, but he couldn't keep up his airs any longer, so he quickly stepped forward to help him up: "What are you doing, child?"

Guan Ping looked up at him earnestly and said, "Uncle, don't you recognize me?"

Xu Huang then focused his attention and glanced at Hu Shi, who was standing with Dong Bai and the others not far away. A hint of suspicion flashed in his eyes: "Are you that boy from the Guan family back then?"

"It is indeed your nephew!" Guan Ping nodded emphatically, his voice filled with gratitude. "If it weren't for your secret help back then, my mother and I would have been in grave danger long ago, let alone be able to reunite with my father today." After saying this, he kowtowed three times to Xu Huang.

Xu Huang quickly helped him up. At this moment, the previous grudge seemed to have faded a bit, and he could no longer show a cold face.

Seeing this, Guan Yu stepped forward and solemnly cupped his hands, saying, "Gongming, there have been many misunderstandings in the past, but as for your great kindness to my Guan family, I will never forget it."

Xu Huang remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded and returned the greeting: "Fine, for the sake of the child and sister-in-law, I will not hold it against you today."

"Good! Good!" Upon hearing this, Liu Bei immediately burst into laughter, pulling Ma Chao with one hand and Guan Yu with the other. "This is truly exhilarating! Let's begin the feast! Today, we won't leave until we're completely drunk!"

Everyone laughed, and the previous slight restraint and awkwardness gradually melted away in the laughter. A banquet was soon set up in the mansion. Amidst the clinking of glasses, past grievances and future plans were temporarily left behind, leaving only the warmth of reunion and the joy of being drunk.

The revelry lasted until late into the night, leaving behind a mess of cups and plates, and everyone's faces flushed with the effects of intoxication. The next day, as the sun rose high in the sky, sunlight streamed through the windows and finally roused the hungover crowd from their deep sleep.

Liu Bei stretched and glanced at Ma Chao, who was still rubbing his forehead in the distance. He called out in a loud voice, "Mengqi, let's go! Stay in Xiangyang for a few days, and we brothers can have a good chat!"

Ma Chao yawned and agreed, the bloodshot eyes still visible, but the word "brother" warmed his heart. He glanced at Guan Yu beside him, who was bowing his head to tie his cloak belt, and smiled, "Yun Chang, you're joining us too? You and Xu Huang got along very well yesterday, let's have a few more drinks."

Guan Yu nodded, stroking his beard with his fingertips. He smiled slightly as he recalled Xu Huang patting his shoulder and calling him "Second Brother" last night. Guan Ping had already prepared the carriages and horses. Seeing everyone leaving, he quickly stepped forward and took Liu Bei's arm.

Outside Jiangxia City, the Xiliang cavalry were already arrayed and waiting, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight, their ranks as impenetrable as an iron wall. Liu Bei and his entourage left the city, the two groups joining forces and slowly advancing towards Xiangyang.

Along the way, occasional pedestrians and people working in the fields would see the large military procession from afar. At first, they would instinctively hide behind the ridges of the fields or trees, keeping their heads down and not daring to look directly at it. But as the procession drew closer, and they saw the large banner with the character "Liu" on it, and Liu Bei sitting upright on his horse at the front of the procession with a gentle smile on his face, the people gradually relaxed their restraint.

"It's Prefect Liu!" someone exclaimed in a low voice. Soon, more and more people gathered around, bowing and greeting him. "Greetings, Prefect!" "Is the Prefect heading to Xiangyang?" The children chased after the horse, running around laughing and joking, without the slightest fear.

Ma Chao observed this, his grip on the reins loosening slightly. He turned to look at Liu Bei, who was smiling and waving in response to the people, the warmth in his eyes genuine. Ma Chao nodded inwardly—no matter how many entanglements they had in the past, his senior brother's compassion for the people remained unchanged. If he could take advantage of this meeting to join hands with him in protecting the peace of the region and reduce the suffering of the people from war, then those old grievances could be left unmentioned.

The group moved along, stopping frequently. Liu Bei would occasionally rein in his horse and chat with old farmers by the roadside, asking about the harvest and the weight of taxes. Ma Chao would listen quietly from the side, occasionally interjecting to ask about the differences between crops in Xiliang and Jingzhou. The atmosphere was quite harmonious.

Upon reaching the outskirts of Xiangyang, they saw Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Zhao Yun, Wen Pin, Huang Zhong, and others already waiting by the roadside. Liu Bei dismounted, took Ma Chao's hand, and stepped forward, introducing them one by one: "Mengqi, this is Pang Shiyuan, a man of extraordinary wisdom..."

When Pang Tong was introduced, he bowed respectfully with a relaxed smile on his face. Xu Huang, standing behind Ma Chao, couldn't help but lean close to Zhang Xiu's ear and whisper, "Hey, this guy is really ugly, he's comparable to Zhang Song from Yizhou."

Before he could finish speaking, Ma Chao whirled around and glared at him, his eyes sharp as knives. Xu Huang shrank back, quickly lowering his head, daring not to utter another word. Guan Yu, watching from the side, couldn't help but twitch his lips, barely managing to suppress a laugh.

Next, it was Zhuge Liang's turn. He stepped forward and bowed deeply to the ground: "Liang greets the King of Liang." Ma Chao saw that he was eight feet tall, with a face like jade, and a calm demeanor between his brows. He couldn't help but secretly praise him as "a fine person." He also returned the greeting with his hands clasped: "I have long admired the name of Master Kongming."

Zhao Yun then stepped forward, bowed, and said, "This humble general, Zhao Yun, pays his respects to the King of Liang."

Ma Chao patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "Zilong, I knew you were a fierce general when you were under the late emperor's command. Now that you're following my senior brother, do your best, and you won't go wrong."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun's face showed a hint of unease, and he bowed his head to reply, "Yes." Ma Chao didn't take it to heart, assuming it was still about what happened in Chang'an years ago, and that Zhao Yun was feeling a little uncomfortable, so he didn't pursue the matter.

Then Liu Bei introduced Wen Ping. After they exchanged greetings, Liu Bei pulled Huang Zhong aside and said in a warm tone, "Junior brother, this is Huang Zhong, Huang Hansheng. Don't let his graying temples fool you; when it comes to archery, there are very few in the world who can surpass him. Everyone says you are good at archery, but General Huang's rapid-fire archery is truly exceptional. You two should really have a match sometime and let us broaden our horizons."

Upon hearing this, Huang Zhong, though old, leaned forward slightly and was about to bow in greeting when he saw Ma Chao's eyes suddenly narrow, a cold killing intent flashing in his eyes—his gaze was like an arrowhead chilled by the cold, and although it only flashed by, it made the air seem to freeze for a moment.

"Is this Huang Zhong, Huang Hansheng, who shot and wounded Bo Fu back then?" Ma Chao's voice was not loud, but it carried a heavy weight. Every word seemed to fall on a stone slab, making people's hearts tighten.

Huang Zhong's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, the wrinkles on his face instantly contorting, his previous composure vanishing. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but a lump in his throat prevented him from uttering a sound. His gesture of bowing was stuck halfway, neither bending nor straightening, frozen in place.

Seeing this, Liu Bei quickly stepped forward, pressed Huang Zhong's wrist with his left hand, and patted Ma Chao's shoulder heavily with his right hand, saying loudly, "Junior brother, we met on the battlefield in the past, each serving our own master, and we had no choice but to act as we pleased! General Huang is not only a master archer, but more importantly, he loves his soldiers like his own children and is extremely considerate of the people. Who in Jingzhou doesn't praise General Huang for his benevolence?"

Looking at the earnestness in Liu Bei's eyes, Ma Chao glanced at Huang Zhong's graying temples and those aged yet still sharp eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing. The image of Sun Ce being struck by an arrow flashed through his mind, ultimately turning into a soft scoff. He raised his hand in return, saying, "Let bygones be bygones. Let bygones be bygones." He paused, then turned his gaze to Huang Zhong, his tone softening slightly, "Treat your soldiers well, treat the people well, and you will be a respectable person."

Huang Zhong finally breathed a sigh of relief, his stiff shoulders slowly relaxing. He solemnly completed the half-bow, his voice slightly hoarse: "Zhong... I've remembered."

Seeing that the atmosphere was still somewhat somber, Liu Bei quickly tried to smooth things over, turning to Zhuge Liang with a smile and saying, "Kongming, are everything settled in the city?"

Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan and nodded, saying, "Rest assured, my lord, everything has been arranged. The banquet in the manor is ready, and the hot water and soup are warmed up, just waiting for you all to take your seats."

Liu Bei immediately and affectionately put his arm around Ma Chao's arm, his strength carrying an irresistible warmth: "Come, come, my good brother, come back to the manor with me. Let's have a few drinks to relieve our fatigue, and we can also meet your two sisters-in-law."

Zhuge Liang stepped forward and bowed to Ma Chao, saying, "Your Majesty has traveled a long and arduous journey, and there are women in your entourage. You must be tired. Please return to your residence and rest for a couple of days."

Ma Chao also considered that Dong Bai and the other women, as well as a group of children, had not had a proper rest along the way. After a moment of contemplation, he turned to look at the army waiting outside the city and said to Zhang Xiu, "Zhang Xiu, you lead your troops to set up camp outside the city. There are too many soldiers, and entering the city may disturb the people. Keep your brothers in check and do not touch a single tree or blade of grass among the people."

"Yes," Zhang Xiu replied in a deep voice.

"The military camps outside the city have already been set up, and the camps have all been arranged," Zhuge Liang said to Ma Chao and Zhang Xiu, then turned to Wen Ping and said, "General Wen Ping, please accompany General Zhang Xiu so that the brothers can all get some rest."

Wen Ping bowed and accepted the order, then turned and left with Zhang Xiu.

Xu Huang, standing behind Ma Chao, frowned slightly. He stepped forward and whispered in Ma Chao's ear, "Your Majesty, Liu Bei's actions... are somewhat reminiscent of what happened outside Chang'an back then..."

Ma Chao frowned almost imperceptibly, his gaze sweeping over Liu Bei's sincere smile and then catching a glimpse of Zhuge Liang's composed expression. He finally shook his head slightly: "Brother, you are not the Liu Bian of yesteryear. You cannot judge a gentleman by the standards of a petty person." He patted Xu Huang's arm. "Yun Chang has come all the way from Jiangxia. You should come with me to the banquet and catch up with him."

Although Xu Huang still had reservations, he said no more and simply nodded.

Seeing this, Liu Bei laughed loudly and pulled Ma Chao into the city: "That's right! We're all family, no need to be so formal! Kongming, come on, junior brother, come into the city with me quickly."

Shops lined both sides of the street, and pedestrians came and went in an endless stream. The sounds of vendors hawking their wares, laughter, and the rumble of carts created a lively atmosphere. Passersby greeted Liu Bei with smiles: "Greetings, Lord Liu!" "What brings you here today, Lord Liu?"

Ma Chao followed beside him, his gaze sweeping over the orderly streets and smiling pedestrians. He said softly to Liu Bei, "Brother, just looking at the scenery along the way, I know that it is no mistake for you to govern Jingzhou. I hope that you will always..." He paused, looking at the warmth in Liu Bei's eyes, and continued, "...remember this sense of security, and protect the peace and prosperity of this city."

Liu Bei patted his shoulder, smiling gently: "Don't worry, I understand. I've always kept Master's teachings in mind. This worldly life is something we should cherish and protect."