Ji Han Liu Zhang

Tianshui County.

Among the counties in Liangzhou, Tianshui County had a higher status, because most of the aristocratic families in Liangzhou lived in Tianshui County. Secondly, the seat of the Liangzhou Provincial Governor's Office was also in Tianshui County, namely Ji County in Tianshui County.

The aristocratic families in Tianshui County, headed by four surnames, are the most powerful in the county.

As for the four surnames, they are Jiang, Yan, Ren and Zhao.

At a time when the Han emperor was still displaced, Liangzhou was without a master and the court was unable to appoint county governors. As a result, all matters and power in Tianshui County were controlled by the powerful families in the county. All affairs were discussed and handled by the Jiang, Yan, Ren, and Zhao families.

At that moment, the elders of several large families such as Jiang, Yan, Ren, and Zhao, as well as some prestigious scholars in Tianshui County, gathered in the official temple in Ji County to discuss some recent events. Some of these events were related to Liangzhou, and some were related to other states, but they all concerned Liangzhou.

The first thing that was affected was General Andi Ma Teng. Ma Teng had done a lot of great things recently. First, he wiped out several powerful families that did not obey him, and then he stabbed his brother General Anjiang Han Sui in the back, taking advantage of his brother's unpreparedness to attack and seize Jincheng County. For a time, his reputation was very great in Liangzhou.

However, no matter how great Ma Teng's reputation was, there were still some scholars in the government and temples who looked down on him.

Jiang Jiongyan, who was from the Jiang family, one of the four surnames, said: "Ma Teng has always been a man without moral principles. This time, he took advantage of Han Sui's unpreparedness and led his troops to attack his sworn brother. He is really unworthy of being a human being. Such a person has no dignity in the world."

Jiang Jiong's words were not smooth, and his tone was full of contempt. He was very unhappy about the fact that Ma Teng attacked his sworn brother, so he also had a deep disgust for Ma Teng. Even though Ma Teng was now the most popular person in Liangzhou, this could not make Jiang Jiong suppress his disgust for Ma Teng.

Yin Feng, a famous scholar with a loyal character, was also unhappy. He first sneered, and then mocked Ma Teng, saying, "Others don't know Ma Teng's origin, but I do. Although Ma Teng claims that he is a descendant of General Fu Bo Ma Yuan, it is difficult to tell the truth. Moreover, his father Ma Ping lost his official position and stayed in Longxi County. His family was too poor to marry a wife, so he married a Qiang woman and gave birth to Ma Teng."

"From this we can see that Ma Teng is not a Han Chinese. What he did is far from the way of saints, loyalty, righteousness, benevolence and filial piety, and it is not without reason." Yin Feng was disgusted by Ma Teng's actions, so he dug up Ma Teng's roots and despised him for his bloodline.

"So that's how it is." Jiang Jiong nodded as if he suddenly understood something. Since Ma Teng was not a pure-blooded man but had Qiang blood in his bones, it made sense that Ma Teng was disloyal and even stabbed his sworn brother in the back.

For a moment, everyone in the Mingtang cursed and ridiculed Ma Teng, but no matter how much they despised Ma Teng, it was of no avail.

At present, Ma Teng calls himself the Governor of Liangzhou. His power is too great to be controlled, and there is no one in Liangzhou who can rival him. Now Ma Teng has sent letters to all parts of Liangzhou, demanding that all counties and prefectures in Liangzhou show some sincerity and recognize him as the Governor of Liangzhou.

Faced with Ma Teng's request, the scholars of Tianshui County in the Ji County Official Temple were generally unwilling to show their loyalty to a figure like Ma Teng. Ma Teng was just a Qiang or Hu person, so how could he be worthy of the position of Governor of Liangzhou?

But then again, for the sake of their wives and their clans, although the people present were unwilling, they still planned to pretend to be nice to Ma Teng and wrote a letter to Ma Teng to express their loyalty.

The famous scholars in Tianshui County were not from the four surnames of Jiang, Yan, Ren, and Zhao, but Yang Fu, who was one of the most famous scholars in Tianshui County, slowly said: "It is said that Ma Teng's post as governor of Liangzhou was not proposed by Ma Teng himself, but recommended by Liu Yizhou."

"Is there such a thing?" Yin Feng was surprised when he heard this. He was surprised, not for anything else, but because of Liu Yizhou mentioned by Yang Fu. He didn't understand why a person like Liu Yizhou would recommend Ma Teng to be the governor of Liangzhou.

Ever since Yizhou Governor Liu Zhang's army arrived at Guanzhong, Yin Feng who was in Liangzhou knew about it. Not only did he know about it, but most of the scholars and common people in Liangzhou were praising and reciting the three words "Liu Yizhou", saying that Yizhou Governor Liu Zhang had carried out the old deeds of Emperor Gaozu and led his troops to conquer Guanzhong when the princes in Guandong were sitting on the sidelines, fighting against the enemy for the country, and was truly a pillar of the country.

Yin Feng longed for a pillar of the country and a hero of the royal family like Liu Yizhou, and wished to meet him. If it were not for his wife, he would have fled east to Guanzhong and joined Liu Yizhou's camp.

It wasn't just him here. Yin Feng glanced at the people in the Mingtang. He estimated that half of the people attending the meeting were willing to serve Liu Yizhou, and the other half were also willing to serve Liu Yizhou, but the urgency of the request was different.

Therefore, Yin Feng was puzzled as to why Liu Yizhou would recommend a disloyal and ungrateful person like Ma Teng to be appointed as the governor of Liang Province.

Yang Fu nodded. Although he spoke slowly, his tone was very sure: "It is almost certain that Liu Yizhou recommended Ma Teng to be the governor of Liangzhou. It must be true."

"Why would Liu Yizhou recommend someone like Ma Teng to be the governor of Liangzhou?" Yin Feng looked confused.

"It's just a temporary measure." Zhao Ang, a famous scholar from Tianshui County and Xi County, said calmly as he gave an outline-like explanation, which attracted everyone's attention.

Then, after everyone's eyes were focused on him, Zhao Ang said without hesitation: "Liu Yizhou has sent troops from Chencang, and he has no foundation in Guanzhong. If Ma Teng and Han Sui lead their troops to attack his left, and Li Jue and Guo Si lead their troops to attack his right, it will not be a good thing for Liu Yizhou. He will inevitably end up in a situation where he is caught between a rock and a hard place."

"So..." Zhao Ang continued, "So Liu Yizhou needs to divide the bandits and defeat them one by one, just like now, send troops to Chang'an, first wipe out the two bandits Li Jue and Guo Si, and then return to Liangzhou to quell the chaos in Liangzhou."

"Before defeating the two bandits Li Jue and Guo Si, Liu Yizhou needs the troops of Liangzhou not to move eastward. Among the generals of Liangzhou, Ma Teng and Han Sui are the leaders, which means that Ma Teng and Han Sui will not join forces and lead the troops eastward."

Zhao Ang's voice was clear and his words echoed throughout the hall. While everyone was contemplating, he continued his reasoning: "Ma Teng and Han Sui are both good at fame and gain, and they are not loyal. Liu Yizhou used the title of 'Liangzhou Governor' as bait to make Ma Teng happy, thinking that Liangzhou would belong to him. However, Han Sui has always considered himself a famous scholar in Liangzhou, and he is unrivaled. He naturally does not want to be inferior to Ma Teng, and will certainly not accept Ma Teng's written orders."

"Ma Teng and Han Sui have a grudge against each other, so naturally they will end up fighting each other, and they will have no spare energy to lead the troops eastward. Liu Yizhou can then rest assured in the rear and concentrate on destroying the two thieves Li Jue and Guo Si without being distracted elsewhere."

After Zhao Ang finished his speech, the hall remained silent. People either half-closed their eyes in thought, or stroked their foreheads with a look of sudden enlightenment.

After a while, Jiang Jiong bowed to Zhao Ang and said admiringly: "Listening to Mr. Zhao's words is better than reading ten years of books. No wonder people in the county often say that Mr. Zhao has a hundred thousand soldiers in his heart. Now it is true."

"With Mr. Zhao's talent and planning, if he rides east alone and joins Liu Yizhou's army, he will surely be able to get the position of military officer and lieutenant." Yin Feng's doubts were solved by Zhao Ang, and he praised Zhao Ang loudly. "You are too kind, but I only have one or two guesses. The specific situation is still unknown." Zhao Ang said modestly.

Yang Fu clapped his hands and sighed, "This specific situation is not far from the conclusion of Zhao Jun's analysis... Liu Yizhou is first near and then far, first urgent and then slow. First, he will wipe out the two traitors Li Jue and Guo Si, settle down in Guanzhong, comfort the elders, and then plan for Liangzhou."

"According to Lord Zhao's opinion, what should we do now?" After Yang Fu praised Zhao Ang, he turned to the matter of Ma Teng asking them to surrender and asked Zhao Ang, who had good ideas.

After Zhao Ang pondered for a moment, he slowly said, "For the time being, we can pretend to be friendly with Ma Teng and recognize Ma Teng as the governor of Liangzhou. First, although Ma Teng was recommended by Liu Yizhou as a temporary measure, it was Liu Yizhou who recommended him after all. Second, after Liu Yizhou defeated Li Jue and Guo Si, he will lead his troops westward to stabilize Liangzhou soon. We can secretly accumulate strength and lead our troops to help Liu Yizhou when he sets foot in Liangzhou, and serve him."

Yang Fu lowered his head and thought for a while, then he nodded unconsciously. What Zhao Ang said made sense and was very feasible.

Yang Fu, Jiang Jiong and Yin Feng looked at each other and saw that they all nodded. He made a decision: "We should do as Lord Zhao said. We should go through the motions with Ma Teng first and pretend to be nice. Then, when Liu Yizhou leads his troops westward, we will discuss it again."

Now that the matter concerning Ma Teng had been settled, Yang Fu talked about the news from Guanzhong: "Recently, I heard that Liu Yizhou led his troops eastward, and the road was unimpeded. The elders of Guanzhong were all eager to welcome him. Most of the counties in Guanzhong have hung up Liu Yizhou's flags and are loyal to him... However, the two thieves Li Jue and Guo Si are left with a few isolated cities, with no relatives on the left and right, and enemies all around. They are already at the point of exhaustion, and their defeat is only a matter of time."

Jiang Jiong smiled and said, "Liu Yizhou is fighting against the enemy for the sake of justice, so he will be successful. Besides, Li Jue and Guo Si are just dogs who are despised by heaven and people. How can they withstand the attack of Liu Yizhou?"

Yin Feng also said loudly: "The ancients said, 'Those who follow the way will prosper, and those who go against virtue will perish.' Now Liu Yizhou has raised a righteous army, eliminated violence, enforced strict laws and discipline, maintained a clear political system, and has a united mind. He rewards those who are righteous and punishes those who are unrighteous. This can be said to be in accordance with the way. However, the two thieves, Li Jue and Guo Si, have betrayed the king's orders, harmed the people, and even lured the Qiang and Hu people to bully the Chinese. They are so unrighteous that there has never been another one since ancient times... Liu Yizhou is using the right way to attack the unrighteous, so the outcome is obvious."

In the official temple of Ji County, a group of scholars chatted happily. They looked forward to tomorrow, looking forward to the day when Liu Yizhou would lead his troops westward to Liangzhou. By that day, the chaos in Liangzhou might come to an end.

Liangzhou is in chaos, and the people have been suffering from war for a long time.

……

Jincheng County, the county seat was Yunwu County.

General Ma Teng of Andi, who has a huge body, a distinctive face and nose, and others can tell at a glance that his ancestry is not pure Han, is standing on the city wall of Yunwu County, gazing at the vast land of Liangzhou, with a sudden sense of pride in his heart.

"Mover of Liangzhou." Ma Teng uttered these three words word by word. This was his current official title, a true position of power.

In the past, it would be difficult to say that Ma Teng's position as the Governor of Liang Province was worthy of the title. After all, Liang Province was in chaos, with hundreds of military leaders, big and small, each with their own succession. Although Ma Teng called himself the Governor of Liang Province, there were very few counties and prefectures that recognized him as the Governor of Liang Province.

But things are different now. Ma Teng had wiped out several disobedient Liangzhou nobles before, and now he has defeated Han Sui, who was able to compete with him in Liangzhou. Now he is the most powerful military leader in Liangzhou. With a cold glance, he can terrify the targeted Liangzhou nobles.

After defeating Han Sui, Ma Teng sent letters to all parts of Liang Province. Most of the county and prefecture governors expressed their obedience to him and dared not disobey his written orders.

That's why Ma Teng was very proud of himself. After all, he was now the undisputed number one person in Liangzhou.

"Envoy." Pang De, a captain under Ma Teng's command, stepped forward and saluted Ma Teng.

"Envoy, what a nice name!!!" When Ma Teng heard the word "Envoy", he felt relaxed and happy.

"What's the matter?" Ma Teng said solemnly, with a serious tone, in keeping with his identity as the governor of Liangzhou.

Pang De bowed and reported: "The scouts reported that Han Sui hid himself and could not be found for a while."

"It doesn't matter. Jincheng is in my hands. Han Sui is just a stray dog ​​and there is nothing I can do to you." Ma Teng had a good attitude. He no longer took Han Sui, who was fleeing after his defeat, seriously and treated him as a stray dog ​​on the street.

Pang De looked a little confused. He didn't know whether to say something or not. After a moment, he chose his words carefully and said slowly, "Sir, Han Sui has been in Liang Province for a long time. He is supported by some Qiang Hu and nobles who don't understand the situation and can't distinguish right from wrong. Now Han Sui has not been captured. If he lures Qiang Hu and nobles to help, it may cause trouble in the future."

Pang De expressed his concerns. It is said that all evil must be eradicated, but now that Han Sui is not dead, there is a hidden danger. Not to mention that Han Sui has always been well-known in Liangzhou and is supported by the Qiang, Hu and wealthy families. It is feared that if weeds are not completely burned, they will grow again in the spring breeze.

"Lingming." Ma Teng addressed Pang De by his given name affectionately. "Don't worry. Han Sui has lost his foundation and courage. How can he revive and make a comeback? I think Han Sui will only think about hiding and trying to prolong his life."

Having said this, Pang De could not say anything more. He just bowed and said, "Your Excellency is right."

Although Pang De said this, his expression of sincerity was evident from time to time. He asked, "Sir, I wonder when you will return to Tianshui County."

Here Ma Teng led his troops to attack Jincheng, but his family and wife were still placed in Tianshui County. Tianshui County was relatively stable among the counties in Liangzhou, so Ma Teng made such arrangements.

"Wait a few more days. The scenery of Jincheng is endless. I must enjoy it carefully." Ma Teng put his hands on the battlements of the city wall and took in the scenery of Jincheng. (End of this chapter)