Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast.

This is episode 69.

Last time, we left off with Cao Cao celebrating the completion of construction on his pleasure palace, the Bronze Bird Tower,

he was throwing a huge party, and at the party he held an archery competition among his officers,

with the winner taking home a fancy battle cloak.

A bunch of his generals showed off their skills, but one, Xu Huang,

appeared to have won the cloak by shooting the branch from which the cloak hanged.

Cao Cao was just about ready to declare Xu Huang the winner, and Xu Huang assumed as much

since he had already grabbed the cloak. But just then, another general, Xu Chu, rode forward and yelled,

Where are you going with that cloak? Leave it for me, now!

The cloak is mine! Why are you trying to take it by force?

Xu Huang asked.

Xu Chu didn't even bother to answer.

He just galloped toward Xu Huang and tried to wrestle the cloak away,

forgetting the whole concept of an archery competition,

where you actually have to, you know, shoot an arrow and hit something before you can claim the prize.

When the two got close enough, Xu Huang raised his bow and tried to hit Xu Chu.

But Xu Chu grabbed the bow with one hand and pulled Xu Huang from his saddle.

Xu Huang quickly let go of the bow and leaped off his horse.

Xu Chu did likewise, and the two of them started to engage in some good old-fashioned fistacuffs.

Cao Cao quickly told his men to separate the two, but by then, the cloak had already been torn to smithereens.

So, way to go, guys.

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