Chapter 272: Divine Might Heavenly General, one of the Five Tiger Senior Generals

"If this Ma Chao could be put to use by me, how could we worry that the Xiongnu wouldn't be annihilated! Alas, he was born in the wrong era."

Liu Bang stroked his chin, clicking his tongue in amazement: "This pretty face— (referring to Ma Chao's jade‑like visage)… looks so delicate, yet fights so ferociously?"

"It's even more vigorous than Lord Bi's pursuit of Xiang Yu back then!"

"But the ending was too tragic—his whole family was killed by that old rogue Cao Cao… sigh."

Ying Zheng looked at the heavenly screen, snorted coldly: "Cao Cao is incompetent."

"If I were a Great Qin warrior, how could I be forced by a mere Western Liang junior general into such a predicament?"

"Nevertheless, this Ma Chao truly bears some of Wang Jian's former glory, only… too arrogant, too hasty."

Across the myriad realms of time, emperors of all ages, upon seeing this 'Jin Ma Chao', render mixed judgments.

Great Tang, Zhenguan era.

Li Shimin, watching the scene of Ma Chao cutting his beard and discarding his robe, couldn't help but laugh: "Meng Qi truly was a fierce warrior!"

"He scared Cao A‑Ma into cutting his beard and losing face, hahaha."

"But his temperament is also too blunt. Cao Cao applied a small stratagem, causing him to be alienated from all."

"A commander must combine bravery and strategy. Li Jing, what do you think?"

Li Jing bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

"Ma Chao's bravery is rare in the world. Yet his lack of wit, ignorance of politics, and stubborn self‑reliance made his defeat inevitable. Commanders should heed this as a warning."

Song dynasty.

Zhao Kuangyin stroked his beard and laughed: "This Ma Chao has Lu Bu's bravery but none of Lu Bu's fickleness; he's a fine man."

"But his mind isn't sharp; he fell for a sowing‑discord plot and lost the perfectly fine Liangzhou."

"Zhao Pu, you see Cao Cao is unlucky, having run into such a reckless youngster."

Zhao Pu laughed: "Your Majesty, this is a case of one thing subduing another."

"Ma Chao is indeed brave, but Cao Cao could employ Jia Xu to execute a sowing‑discord scheme, showing Cao Cao still had the upper hand."

"A ruler who can employ generals and also guard against them is the superior strategy."

Ming dynasty, Hongwu era.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the heavenly screen, found it quite gratifying, slapped his thigh and laughed heartily.

"Ha ha! Cut the beard and discard the robe! Good! Well killed!"

"Cao Cao, that old rascal, pretends to be a good man in daily life, yet when war breaks out, he's so shameless!"

"He cut his beard and tossed his robe, faster than a rabbit! This Ma Chao is a fine man!"

"It's just too regrettable; his whole family was slaughtered by that rogue Cao Cao… sigh, that's what I hate most!"

He turned to Zhu Biao and Zhu Di and said, "You see, this is the fate of those with courage but no strategy."

"Just knowing how to fight isn't enough; you also need a brain."

"Otherwise, the greater the ability, the faster one meets death."

"Moreover, Cao A‑Ma is ruthless, exterminating three Yi clans, something we could never compare to."

(The ministers below were internally muttering: "Your Majesty, how can you have the face to say that? You constantly talk about exterminating nine families, skinning people and feeding them grass. Cao A‑Ma doesn't even have half your ruthlessness.")

Ming dynasty, Yongle era.

Zhu Di looked at Ma Chao, admiration in his eyes: "What a tiger general!"

"Such daring bravery, such majesty, exactly what I love!"

"On the five campaigns north of the desert, if I had such a great general by my side, why would any great undertaking fail!"

"But his ending is a bit too tragic."

Qing dynasty, Kangxi era.

Qianqing Palace.

Kangxi looked at the heavenly screen and said to the princes and ministers beside him: "Ma Chao's bravery is indeed commendable, but his actions are overly impulsive."

"He raised troops against Cao Cao not for the people but for personal gain, ultimately causing his clan's annihilation and his own miserable demise."

"A ruler must prioritize benevolence and righteousness, and must not indulge in mere brute bravery."

"Yin Zhen, remember, the way to govern is to combine kindness and authority; only then can it endure."

The Fourth Prince Yin Zhen (later Yongzheng) bowed and said, "Your servant will heed the teachings of His Majesty."

Qing dynasty, Qianlong era.

Yangxin Hall.

Qianlong and He Shen gathered again to watch the excitement.

Qianlong lifted his tea and said leisurely, "Hmm, this Ma Chao is rather handsome, clad in silver armor, like a pretty boy; I never expected him to be so fierce in battle."

"Scaring Cao Cao into cutting his beard is truly gratifying!"

"But this ending is too tragic; the whole family was slain, the later days are bleak."

He Shen's eyes flicked, and he immediately added, "Your Majesty is wise! This Ma Chao is just too straightforward."

"What kind of person is Cao Cao? Old, treacherous and cunning! How could anyone match him?"

"Moreover, he raised troops against Cao Cao to settle a personal vendetta, disregarding the people's lives, and ultimately met this fate, which is just retribution."

"Unlike Your Majesty, who is benevolent and wise, understanding both warfare and governance; that is the hallmark of a timeless emperor!"

Qianlong, pleased, laughed, "You, you always know how to speak."

"But, this Cao Cao truly is disgraceful."

"Cut the beard and discard the robe… ha ha, if I were him, I'd rather jump straight into the river, sparing myself the embarrassment."

He Shen quickly echoed, "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Cao Cao lacks any dignity; I cannot compare to Your Majesty, who remains unmoved even as Mount Tai collapses before him."

ˊᵒ̴̶̷̤ꇴᵒ̴̶̷̤ˋ

In the late Eastern Han, Xudu, Cao Cao's residence.

Cao Cao was discussing affairs with the others when the celestial screen suddenly appeared.

When he saw "Seventh place: Ma Chao," Cao Cao's face instantly darkened.

When the celestial screen replayed the "cut beard, discard robe" scene in crystal‑clear, uncensored detail, accompanied by his own exclamation "If the horse does not die, I have no burial ground," Cao Cao could no longer hold back.

"Waa ya ya ya! It infuriates me!"

Cao Cao slammed the table hard, and the teacup and brush holder jumped up from the shock.

"Ma Chao brat! How dare you insult me like this!"

"If we meet again in the future, I will capture this beast alive and shred its corpse into countless pieces!"

His subordinate generals fell silent as cold cicadas, none daring to speak.

Xu Chu even bowed his head low, thinking that if he hadn't risked his life to block Ma Chao at that moment, the lord would not have been able to lose his temper here.

Only Guo Jia gave a light cough and advised:

"Lord, calm your anger; this is a matter of Heaven's way, why bother a dead man?"

"Moreover, Ma Chao is dead, and his clan has been wiped out by you, so this vengeance is already repaid."

Cao Cao, still seething, said bitterly: "Revenge is taken! But this face has been completely ruined by him!"

"This Golden List, why does it single out my shortcomings!"

Parallel timeline.

Western Liang, Ma Chao's camp.

At this moment, Ma Chao was discussing military matters with his confidants such as Ma Dai.

The celestial screen descended, and he watched the chronicle of his life, from his youthful vigor to the exhilarating vendetta of chasing Cao Cao along the Wei River.

Then to the later crushing defeat, the tragic annihilation of his family, and finally his solitary entry into Shu, ending in desolate sorrow…

Ma Chao felt a flood of emotions, sometimes laughing skyward, sometimes pounding his chest and stamping his feet, sometimes weeping profusely.

When he saw that he had forced Cao Cao to cut his beard and discard his robe, a fierce light surged in his eyes, his long spear buzzed, murderous aura radiated around him, and he shouted loudly:

"Cao thief! If we meet again, I will take your head and sacrifice it to the Ma clan!"

When he saw that over two hundred members of his family had been annihilated by Cao Cao, wiping out three generations,

This Western Liang splendid Ma Chao cried like a child, wailing, pounding the ground, his nails digging into his palms, blood gushing.

When he recalled his surrender to Liu Bei, his might shaking Chengdu, and his rank among the Five Tiger Generals,

A hint of consolation flickered in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by deeper loneliness and worry.

His former Western Liang troops, seeing their commander thus, each teared up, knelt on one knee, and shouted in unison:

"Divine Might Celestial General! Divine Might Celestial General!"

Their voices shook the heavens, as if to vent the years of suppressed grievance and anger.

Above the celestial screen, golden light swirled again.

The seventh Ma Chao, bearing his glory and sorrow, slowly faded away.

In every era and timeline, everyone wonders who will be the sixth.