"Within two strikes, you will lose."
"Zhao Yun's voice cut through the dusty air, calm and clear as a winter morning. Across the field, Ma Chao's face shifted from mild annoyance to absolute fury."
Let us be honest. Since his teenage years, Ma Chao had been hailed as a martial prodigy across the northwest. He had carved his name into the region over more than a decade. He had fought everyone worth fighting and rarely found anyone who could meet his standards.
Take Zhang Fei, for example. Ma Chao freely admitted the man was a monster in ground combat. But mounted warfare? In Ma Chao's private assessment, Zhang Fei knew just enough to stay on the horse. Barely.
Their relationship mostly involved sparring, drinking and bragging about past conquests. During those drunken sessions, Ma Chao slowly realized an uncomfortable truth. The rumors were accurate, Liu Bei had surrounded himself with an absurd number of capable men.
Zhang Fei alone was fierce enough to give grown men nightmares. Yet according to Zhang Fei himself, Guan Yu was even more terrifying. A monster in duels, a master of naval warfare and the man who had decapitated Yan Liang in the middle of a battlefield.
Recent records made things worse for the pride of Xiliang.
Last year, Zhang Fei had crushed Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. This year, Guan Yu was rampaging through Xiangyang and Fancheng. His battleships projected power all the way to Wancheng. He had chased off Cao Ren and cut down Cao Hong in a duel. These stories spread across the northwest.
Then Ma Chao looked at his own resume. He had allied with Han Sui and assembled one hundred thousand cavalry. The result? They had handed Cao Cao a victory and cemented his reputation as a tactical genius.
During one drinking session, Zhang Fei had laughed right in Ma Chao's face.
"One hundred thousand men!" Zhang Fei hollered, spilling wine everywhere. "When I attacked Hanzhong and my Second Brother attacked Jingzhou, our combined forces barely hit sixty thousand. How did your hundred thousand riders end up chased around like rabbits by Cao Cao?"
That comment deepened Ma Chao's hatred for Han Sui. It also increased his admiration for Liu Bei's organization.
If only things had been different at Tong Pass. If Ma Chao had a strategist like Pang Tong or Fa Zheng. If he had co-commanded with Zhang Fei instead of Han Sui. If Ma Chao had competent allies, he would not have ended up roasting rabbits in Yongzhou.
Driven by these thoughts, Ma Chao probed Liu Bei's camp and asked if the Imperial Uncle needed a cavalry commander. That was when he first heard Zhao Yun's name slip from Zhang Fei's notoriously loose lips.
A man with no famous battlefield achievements and no legendary dueling records. How did someone like that claim to be number one under heaven?
They had exchanged one strike moments earlier. Ma Chao recognized Zhao Yun's skill and reflexes.
But to dismiss him so completely? To guarantee victory in two moves?
The insult burned away his restraint.
Ma Chao yanked his reins, spun his mount around and dug his heels into the horse's flanks. The Xiliang warhorse shot forward with unstoppable momentum.
Ma Chao straightened his spine. Both hands gripped his heavy spear and his eyes locked onto the rider across the field.
He held nothing back and calculated the distance with practiced ease. As the horses crossed paths, Ma Chao unleashed a sweeping horizontal strike aimed at Zhao Yun's back.
It was a brutal attack. The full momentum of a charging warhorse flowed into the swing. At thirty years old, Ma Chao stood at the height of his strength.
Though he lacked Zhang Fei's overwhelming power, his technique was refined to perfection.
The blow left almost no room to evade. Zhao Yun could neither duck nor lean away without exposing himself completely.
The angle was perfect. Nothing to dodge. Nowhere to hide.
Unless Zhao Yun could fly.
Wait.
Where did he go?
Ma Chao's spear swept harmlessly through empty air. The unexpected miss carried his upper body forward and stole his balance for a brief instant.
That instant was enough.
A flash of silver filled his vision. Rather than striking with the spearhead, Zhao Yun drove the hardened shaft into Ma Chao's breastplate.
The impact landed like a battering ram.
Air burst from Ma Chao's lungs. Darkness crowded his vision and his grip loosened. A moment later, he was flying from the saddle before crashing heavily onto the hard-packed earth.
As consciousness slipped away, one final thought flickered through his fading mind.
Two strikes my ass. That was one.
Pang De watched with his mouth slightly open. He saw the entire thing unfold in clear detail.
The moment Ma Chao committed to his sweeping strike, Zhao Yun slipped from the saddle and hung alongside his horse with one foot hooked securely in an iron stirrup. The spear passed over him by the narrowest of margins.
Then, using the momentum of his galloping horse, Zhao Yun pulled himself smoothly back into the saddle. His silver spear swept across in a clean arc, the shaft slamming squarely into Ma Chao's breastplate and sending the pride of Xiliang tumbling from his horse.
The victory was decisive.
Even so, Pang De could not help feeling a little sympathy for his commander. Ma Chao had been caught by something no one could have anticipated.
His eyes lingered on Zhao Yun's saddle.
Frontier riders often tied leather loops or cloth straps to their saddles to make mounting easier. Useless once the fighting began. Pang De had never seen anything like Zhao Yun's equipment. The loop was forged from solid iron, rigid enough to bear his full weight even at a gallop. Without it, Zhao Yun could never have dropped completely clear of the attack and climbed back into the saddle in one motion.
If the stirrup had been on the opposite side, Ma Chao's sweep might have landed cleanly.
It took Pang De a moment to process what he had just seen. Then reality crashed back in – his commander was still lying face down in the dirt.
Pang De shouted and sprinted across the field.
Fortunately, Ma Chao's extravagant armor was not just for show. The layers of fur and steel had absorbed most of the blow. Nothing appeared broken. The strike had simply knocked the breath from him so completely that he had lost consciousness.
Zhang Fei arrived a moment later and let out a relieved sigh.
Still seated calmly on his horse, Zhao Yun allowed himself a rare smile.
"Was Yide afraid I might lose my temper and kill him?"
Zhang Fei slapped the horse's neck with a laugh. "I just think the fellow is useful. It would be a waste to beat him to death over a duel. Besides, he still carries influence throughout Liangzhou. Losing him would just create more work for us."
Zhao Yun lowered his voice. "Keep that to yourself. If he wakes up and hears you talking about him like that, he will challenge you all over again."
Zhang Fei scratched his beard in confusion. "What did I say wrong? I even praised his reputation."
He glanced down at the unconscious Ma Chao and clicked his tongue.
"Still, he is far too proud. A month in bed with a few cracked ribs might have taught him some humility."
Zhao Yun only shook his head. Controlling the force of a spear strike at full gallop was no easy thing. He had intended only to upset Ma Chao's balance and end the duel cleanly. He had not expected the man to pass out from a single blow.
He certainly looked sturdier than that.
Unaware of the rather unfair judgment being passed over him, Ma Chao remained sprawled in the dust.
Seeing that the excitement was over, Zhang Fei clapped his hands and roared toward the camp.
"Get Old Ma Number Five to the physicians! Then slaughter two fat lambs. Tonight we celebrate!"
The camp immediately sprang to life.
Some soldiers hurried to raise roasting pits while others led away the newly acquired warhorses for inspection and training. Before long, laughter and conversation filled the camp once again.
Zhang Fei threw an arm around Zhao Yun's shoulder as they walked back together.
"The livestock in Liangzhou is first-rate," he said with a broad grin. "Zilong, today you are eating until you cannot move."
A short while later, the command staff gathered around the fire pit. The flames cast warm light across their faces as they settled in with their portions of roasted lamb.
After a few bites and a round of nods agreeing with Zhang Fei that the frontier meat was surprisingly good, Zhao Yun steered the conversation toward business.
"I would like a briefing on Yongzhou, Longyou and Guanzhong."
A familiar voice answered from behind him. "Zilong, you should prepare yourself for a clash with Zhang Liao."
Zhao Yun recognized Pang Tong immediately and shifted his mat to make room. Pang Tong did not sit down right away. He reached into his pouch, sprinkled a ring of insect-repellent powder around his spot and only then settled onto the mat.
After that came his usual ritual: carving off a slice of lamb, examining it carefully in the firelight, giving a satisfied nod and finally taking a bite.
Watching the flames dance in the evening wind, Zhao Yun let his thoughts drift for a moment. The rugged frontier looked nothing like Chengdu, though it reminded him of Liaodong. The land here was drier, rougher and carried the familiar scent of horses and dust.
Then he turned to Pang Tong. "Shiyuan, do you think Jiangdong has already made contact with Cao Cao?"
Beside them, Cheng Gongying nearly choked on his tea. "Wait, what? Seriously? Jiangdong is planning to break the alliance?" he asked, his voice cracking with disbelief.
Pang Tong did not answer immediately.
He gave Cheng Gongying a look that clearly said relax, let me finish my lamb, then cut himself another slice. "From Sun Quan's perspective, everything changed after our victory in Jingzhou. Sun Quan wants nothing more than to rule Jiangdong in peace, while our Lord intends to reunify the empire. Meanwhile, we have been winning one campaign after another. Jingzhou, Yongzhou, Liangzhou, Hanzhong. To anyone watching from the outside, our momentum is becoming frightening."
He popped another piece of lamb into his mouth. "When one power grows too strong, the weaker powers naturally seek each other out. Sun Quan has never been fond of waiting. In his eyes, striking first is the safest choice."
Zhao Yun slowly nodded, tracing the logic to its conclusion. "Cao Cao only needs time. If he can stop our expansion and stabilize the Central Plains, the advantage returns to him. That means he has every reason to encourage Sun Quan to attack us. Jiangdong threatens Jingzhou's eastern flank. If Yunchang is forced to fight on two fronts, his northern offensive comes to a halt."
Pang Tong looked pleasantly surprised. "You have improved, Zilong. Your understanding of grand strategy has broadened considerably."
Zhao Yun smiled without explaining why. During his stay in Chengdu, he had spent countless hours studying that impossible map from the future. Some rivers differed from those of the present day and many borders looked unfamiliar, but the terrain itself never lied. Mountains, rivers, passes and roads formed a complete picture that had quietly reshaped the way he viewed warfare.
Pang Tong nodded. "Xu Yuanzhi sent me a confidential letter last month. Jiangdong has been quietly reinforcing Jiangxia. Since July, every official dispatch sent from Jiangxia toward Jingzhou has been drafted either by Lu Meng or Lu Xun."
Zhang Fei stopped chewing altogether. "Those two again?" he groaned. "Do they seriously not know any other tricks?"
Everyone around the fire smiled except Cheng Gongying, whose expression only became more anxious. "If we already know Sun Quan is planning betrayal, why are we still sitting here roasting lamb? Why not send an envoy to preserve the alliance?"
Several heads shook at once. "Waste of breath," Zhang Fei replied, wiping grease from his beard. "You would have better luck arguing with a man whose hobby is stabbing his friends in the back."
Pang Tong continued calmly. "Because by now, Sun Quan and Cao Cao already understand each other's intentions. Cao Cao no longer has to worry about his southern border. That frees him to pull troops from Shouchun and reinforce both Guanzhong and Jingzhou."
He turned toward Zhao Yun. "As for Zhang Liao, his friendship with Guan Yu makes Jingzhou an awkward assignment. Cao Cao will almost certainly transfer him west."
"To where?" Zhao Yun asked.
"Guanzhong."
The moment Zhang Liao's name came up, Zhang Fei lost all interest in eating.
He was on his feet before anyone could react, wiped his greasy hands on his tunic and wandered over to Pang Tong with a grin that immediately put everyone on guard.
"Shiyuan," he said in an unusually pleasant voice, "I have been thinking."
Pang Tong looked up suspiciously. "About what?"
"I want to capture Zhang Liao alive. With only eight hundred men."
Pang Tong stared at him for a long moment before shoving him away. "Do I look like Zhuge Liang to you? Zhang Liao is one of Cao Cao's finest cavalry commanders. You expect me to help you capture him alive with eight hundred soldiers?"
Zhang Fei scratched his beard, looking genuinely troubled. "The problem is, if I kill him outright, future generations will complain that I ruined a legend." He sighed dramatically. "That would be terrible for my reputation."
A familiar voice drifted over from behind them. "Yide, you certainly think highly of yourself."
Everyone turned. Ma Chao stood there with his arms folded, his face still a little pale but looking fully awake. "You speak as though Zhang Liao is already tied up waiting for you."
Zhang Fei grinned. "You awake already?"
Ma Chao ignored him. "Since Zhang Liao is famous for cavalry warfare, he should face the finest cavalry commander." He proudly thumped his own chest. "I will show him the strength of Xiliang cavalry. You can watch from the sidelines."
Zhang Fei looked him up and down, then silently rubbed his chin.
Zilong really should have hit him harder.
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in Jiangling, Jiang Wan broke the wax seal on a confidential intelligence report.
After reading only a few lines, he laughed. "Lu Meng again?"
He read a little farther before shaking his head. "Smuggling soldiers into Jiangxia disguised as merchants? Does he really not know any other trick?"
He folded the report and looked toward the clerk waiting outside. "Prepare a formal dispatch."
The clerk bowed. "To whom, sir?"
"General Guan Yunchang's headquarters at Wancheng. Immediately."
The clerk accepted the document with both hands and hurried out, while Jiang Wan calmly reached for his next memorial.