Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1149 Liu Biao's Effortless Performance Leads to His Trick

Zhang Hong was terrified and scrambled to his feet, replying, "I wouldn't dare! I would never have a word of complaint!"

Ma Chao waved his hand, and his personal guards immediately stepped forward to drag Zhang Hong away. "Give him some clean clothes, and don't let Liu Biao notice anything amiss," he coldly ordered. "Take him to the ferry in half an hour."

Before long, Zhang Hong, neatly dressed, was brought back by his personal guards. He had changed into a moon-white brocade robe, and his hair was combed meticulously. Although the fear still lingered between his brows, he had regained some of the dignity of a former Jiangdong scholar. He kept his head down, his eyes fixed on the ground, not daring to even glance at Ma Chao out of the corner of his eye.

Ma Chao suddenly cupped his hands in a gesture of politeness, saying, "I am Lü Meng. Mr. Zigang, the carriages and horses are ready. Please come in."

Zhang Hong stiffened, slowly raising his head to look at Ma Chao, his eyes filled with fear and hesitation. His feet seemed rooted to the spot, and he dared not move for a long time.

At this moment, the curtain of the carriage parked to the side was lifted, and two young men dressed in blue robes, who looked like civil officials, stepped out. The two men stepped forward and took Zhang Hong's arms on either side, speaking respectfully: "Sir, the carriage is ready, please get in."

The moment their arms touched, Zhang Hong felt a chill on his waist, and two subtle yet sharp sensations came through his brocade robe—it was a short blade! He trembled with fright, cold sweat instantly soaking his back. Without daring to hesitate, he hurriedly took a step and was almost half-supported and half-carried by the two men towards the carriage.

Ma Chao stood still, watching his flustered figure, and laughed loudly, "Mr. Zigang, you'd better calm down. Is such trembling unbecoming of a renowned scholar of Jiangdong?"

Zhang Hong dared not reply. He stumbled into the carriage, the curtain slamming shut, isolating him from the outside world. Inside, the two young men remained on either side, the short blades at their waists constantly grazing his skin, a constant reminder of his predicament. Zhang Hong slumped onto the cushions, his heart pounding, his fingertips icy cold—he had long heard of Ma Chao's ruthless methods, his iron fist known since his time in Xiliang, his swift and decisive actions. Now, in Ma Chao's hands, his fate was uncertain, how could he not be terrified?

Ma Chao stared at the closed carriage door, his smile fading. He whispered to Pang De beside him, "Keep an eye on the carriage. Don't let him pull any tricks."

“Yes!” Pound replied in a deep voice, his eyes fixed intently on the carriage, as if trying to see through it.

The wheels rolled on, heading towards the ferry. Inside the carriage, Zhang Hong huddled in a corner, his mind a jumbled mess. He knew that once this charade began, there was no turning back. Success might allow him to survive for a while; failure meant certain death. But regardless of victory or defeat, his life was no longer in his own hands.

The wind at the ferry crossing carried moisture, causing the flags on the shore to flutter wildly. Liu Qi, unable to contain himself any longer, paced back and forth on the pier, glancing frequently towards the city, his brow furrowed: "Mr. Kuai, are they deliberately keeping us waiting? It's already this late and they still haven't come..."

Kuai Yue remained seated under the makeshift bamboo shed, toying with a jade pendant in his hand, his expression calm: "Take it easy. The more critical the moment, the more we need to remain calm." Despite his words, he frequently glanced at the distant intersection out of the corner of his eye, clearly pondering the other party's intentions.

Just as Liu Qi was about to lose his composure, a cloud of dust rose in the distance, and a troop of knights escorted a beautifully decorated carriage at high speed. The knights' armor gleamed, and sharp blades hung at their waists, clearly indicating that they were elite; the carriage was pulled by four white horses, and its interior was decorated with carvings and gold, exuding an air of grandeur.

"They're here!" Liu Qi's eyes lit up, and he quickly went to greet them. Kuai Yue also stood up, straightened his clothes, and his gaze fell on the "Lu Meng" in front of the carriage, who was wearing silver armor and had an extraordinary demeanor—it was Ma Chao.

Ma Chao dismounted and bowed towards the bamboo shed, smiling, "Mr. Yidu, you've kept me waiting."

At this moment, the carriage curtain was lifted, and Zhang Hong stepped down with the "support" of two young men in blue robes. His steps were unsteady, clearly his legs were weak, and although he tried to appear calm, a hint of panic was hidden in his eyes.

Kuai Yue stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Mr. Zigang, it's been a long time. How have you been?" Inwardly, however, he was seething with anger—back when Zhang Hong came to Xiangyang, he had treated him like an honored guest. Now, in his distress, he had come seeking refuge, yet Zhang Hong was putting on airs, insisting on being helped off the carriage. It was utterly arrogant and rude. But since he needed Zhang Hong's help, he could only endure it for the time being.

Zhang Hong was subtly nudged by a short blade from behind. He quickly composed himself and, following Ma Chao's prior instructions, said, "General Lü has already told me about Mr. Yidu's purpose in coming, and I have also informed my lord. But I wonder what exactly you seek in your heart?"

Kuai Yue took a half step forward and lowered his voice, saying, "My lord knows that Zhou Yu is causing trouble in Jiangdong, so he has led 30,000 naval troops to help. He only asks for a place to settle down in a prefecture, and has no other plans."

A hint of unease flashed across Zhang Hong's face. He wanted to warn him but dared not make a sound. However, Kuai Yue caught this subtle change in expression.

Kuai Yue's heart skipped a beat, thinking that he was hesitating, so he took another step forward, his tone carrying a hint of threat: "What? Could it be that your lord is unwilling? Mr. Zigang, don't forget that we still have some 'evidence' in our hands regarding what happened back then."

Zhang Hong was startled by his words, his heart skipped a beat, and he forced a smile, which looked more like a grimace. Seeing this, Kuai Yue assumed that he had been hit where it hurt, and a smug smirk flashed in his eyes. He pressed further, saying, "Master Zigang is a wise man. He should know what's best for everyone. As long as Lord Wu agrees, those 'proofs' will naturally remain buried in his heart forever."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Qi behind him quickly chimed in, "Yes, sir, my father came here sincerely and without any ulterior motives!"

Zhang Hong was sandwiched between the two men, with a sharp blade pressed against his waist behind him and Kuai Yue closing in on him. He felt his scalp tingling and could only mumble, "My lord... my lord has already made arrangements and specially invited Liu Jingzhou and you to come ashore for a detailed discussion."

Seeing that he had relented, Kuai Yue was secretly pleased. They were still being manipulated by them. As long as they didn't want to be disgraced, they had no choice but to cooperate with them. He wanted to laugh inwardly but didn't show it. He said, "In that case, I would like to invite my lord to come and discuss this."

Ma Chao stepped forward, his tone becoming even warmer: "Sir, you must be exhausted after your journey up the river, braving the wind and waves. In my opinion, why don't you have the generals on the ship bring their families ashore and rest in the city?"

He paused for a moment and then laughed, "How can we keep our guests cooped up on the boat? The city may not be as bustling as Xiangyang, but it's still better than being stuck on the boat."

Hearing his earnest words, Kuai Yue relaxed his guard slightly and quickly returned the greeting with a cupped-hand salute, his tone somewhat declining: "Oh, General Lü, you're too kind! We're already inconveniencing you, how can we trouble you to arrange accommodations?"

“Sir, you’re too kind.” Ma Chao waved his hand, a genuine smile in his eyes. “Our soldiers are working hard on the front lines, and their families have suffered a lot along with them. It’s only right that they can have a few days of comfortable rest.”

Looking at Ma Chao's open and honest expression, and then at the relatives peeking out from the boat—who indeed looked tired from the journey—Kuai Yue did not insist further. He cupped his hands and said, "Then... thank you for your consideration, General Lü. It's just that I've troubled you too much, and I feel really uneasy."

When Kuai Yue heard Ma Chao speak, the smugness in his heart sank again—this "General Lü" seemed enthusiastic, but his words contained a test. He smiled and agreed, but his feet didn't hesitate. When he returned to the ship in the middle of the river by fast boat, the smile on his lips had disappeared.

Liu Biao was anxiously wringing his hands in the cabin. When he saw Kuai Yue enter, he jumped up and asked, "How is it? Have they relented?"

Kuai Yue sat down, picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, and said, "They have agreed, but that 'Lu Meng' is quite the smooth talker, actually inviting everyone on our ship to come ashore to rest." He put down his teacup, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes, "My lord, this matter is suspicious. Who invites the entire army ashore as soon as they meet? I think he wants to take this opportunity to find out our strength."

Huang Zu chimed in from the side, "Who cares about their background! We have 30,000 naval troops here, are we afraid of the garrison of Moling?"

Kuai Yue glanced at him: "General Huang is brave, but don't forget that we are here to seek a safe place, not to start a war." He turned to Liu Biao and said with certainty, "I have already told them that the lord should take the core entourage ashore for the banquet first, while the rest of the people wait on the ship—this is to give them face and also to leave room for maneuver."

Liu Biao breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly: "Sir, you have considered everything very thoroughly." He then looked at Huang Zu and softened his tone, "General Huang has protected us all the way and has worked extremely hard. We should go and have a seat at the banquet prepared on the shore. Cai Zhong and Cai He are familiar with naval warfare. Let them lead the main force to guard the ships. That will ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Huang Zu initially wanted to decline, but seeing Liu Biao's tone of trying to win him over, and considering that going ashore might allow him to probe the strength of Moling, he clasped his hands and said, "Since you are sharing the burden for my lord, I will naturally accompany you."

Before long, Liu Biao, accompanied by Kuai Yue, Cai Mao, Huang Zu, and a thousand elite soldiers, stepped onto the pier. Cai Zhong and Cai He stood at the bow of the ship to see them off with clasped hands, while the navy on the warships remained stationary, their warships arrayed in formation, subtly protecting the center of the river—Kuai Yue had calculated that as long as the main warships were present, the shore would not dare to act rashly.

Liu Biao stepped onto the ferry and immediately spotted Zhang Hong standing on the shore. The weight in his heart lifted, and his steps became more relaxed. He took two steps forward, cupped his hands, and smiled, saying, "Master Zigang, it's been many years! You still look as dashing as ever."

Zhang Hong had a forced smile on his face and was about to speak when a thunderous exclamation suddenly came from behind him: "Ma Chao?!"

The one who shouted was Huang Zu. A few months ago in Jiangxia, he was intimidated by Ma Chao's thunderous power. The image of that silver-armored war god was already engraved in his mind. Although he saw that the other party had changed his clothes, he recognized that cold and handsome face at a glance, and was so frightened that his soul left his body.

"Where is Ma Chao?" Upon hearing this, Cai Mao instinctively drew his sword and cautiously scanned his surroundings.

Seeing that his identity had been exposed, Ma Chao's eyes flashed with cold light, and he no longer bothered with pretense. He swiftly drew his sword from his waist, the blade slicing through the air with a clear, sharp sound, and shouted sharply, "Take him down!"

Before he finished speaking, the personal guards who had been lying in ambush in the surrounding streets and buildings surged out like a tide, drawing their swords and spears, and instantly surrounded Liu Biao and his entourage.

Liu Biao was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground. Pointing at Ma Chao, he stammered, "You...you're not Lü Meng? You're Ma Chao?!"