Ji Han Liu Zhang

Longxi County, Didao City.

The riots of last night have ceased, and with the cessation of the riots, the city of Didao has a new owner. At this moment, on the top of the city wall of Didao, a large flag with the surname "Han" written in black on a white background whistles in the cold wind.

As for Ma Teng, the hero of Liang Province who once dominated Didao City, he has long since turned into a wandering ghost.

At that moment, the heads of Ma Teng and his two legitimate sons, Ma Tie and Ma Xiu, were hanging prominently on the top of the Didao city wall. Their faces contained expressions of fear, anger, and disbelief, their eyes were wide open, and their pupils revealed a resentment that they would never close until they died.

Just when Han Sui's troops were cleaning up the chaos in the city, several riders from outside the city flew in front of the city. However, these people were not here to attack the city. They just passed by the city wall and then left Didao City and disappeared in the heavy snow.

Soon, Pang De, who had investigated the situation in Didao, reported to Ma Chao at the temporary station: "Sir, it is indeed the thief Han Sui who attacked Didao at night. The flags hanging on the city walls now are those of the Han family."

"How despicable." Ma Chao gritted his teeth until they made a popping sound. He said unwillingly, "I have always known that Han Sui is a treacherous villain and should not be trusted. I have repeatedly advised my father to kill him. Han Sui came to Didao for a banquet a few days ago, which was a good opportunity. Unfortunately, my father did not listen to him. Otherwise, how could this happen today?"

"Have you heard about the movements of my father and younger brothers? Have they been captured by Han Sui?" After a regretful tone, Ma Chao asked Pang De about the current situation of his father Ma Teng and his two younger brothers. According to his speculation, his father went to Jincheng for a banquet and was captured by Han Sui. As for whether Han Sui would harm his father's life, he thought Han Sui probably wouldn't do it. After all, his father was Han Sui's sworn brother, and everyone was hanging out in Liangzhou, so Han Sui wouldn't kill him.

For a long while, Ma Chao still didn't hear Pang De's response. Pang De looked a little sad. He was silent for a long time before speaking. This long silence made Ma Chao feel a little uneasy. Looking at Pang De's face, he had some bad thoughts.

"Young master, the general and the two young masters were all killed by the thief Han Sui, and their heads are now hanging on the city wall of Didao." Pang De responded in a shrill voice. He actually didn't want to inform Ma Chao so soon. After all, when Ma Teng died, all major matters still needed Ma Chao to decide. If Ma Chao heard such sad news, he would be heartbroken and lose his mind, and the army would end up without a leader.

Just as Pang De had expected, Ma Chao, who heard the news of his father's death and the deaths of his two brothers, felt as if struck by lightning. He stood there in a daze, his mouth slightly open, his eyes had lost their former luster, and his entire soul seemed to be sucked out, leaving only a torso standing.

When Ma Chao heard the news of his father's death, his mind was in a mess and he didn't know what he was thinking.

Looking back on the past, when Ma Chao was young, his relationship with Ma Teng was not very close, because although he was the eldest son, he was only a concubine's eldest son. Ma Teng's fatherly love was more given to his two legitimate sons, Ma Tie and Ma Xiu. He often took Ma Tie and Ma Xiu with him when he traveled. Just like this time when he went to Han Sui's banquet, Ma Teng took Ma Tie and Ma Xiu with him, and as usual, left Ma Chao to guard Didao City.

It was only when Ma Chao grew up a little, acquired good martial arts and became famous for his bravery in Liang Province that Ma Teng paid a little more attention to his eldest son and relied on the unparalleled brave Ma Chao as his pillar of strength. However, there was no father-son relationship between them, and he just took advantage of Ma Chao's bravery.

Although he and Ma Teng did not have much of a father-son relationship, he was still his father after all, and he had raised him up. Ma Chao was filled with grief. He stared with wide eyes and roared, "Han thief, I cannot coexist with you. I will sleep on your skin and eat your flesh to vent my hatred."

After venting his anger, Ma Chao suddenly felt dizzy and fell straight on his back. He seemed to be extremely sad and fainted. Pang De and Ma Dai on the side hurried forward, supported Ma Chao who was about to fall to the ground, and helped him to relieve his depression and fed him soup.

After a long time, Ma Chao finally came out of his dizziness. He opened his eyes and looked at the people surrounding him. The slight sense of oppression made him feel a little short of breath. He quickly waved his hands, signaling everyone to step back.

"Disperse, disperse." Ma Dai understood what Ma Chao meant, and he waved his hand to dismiss everyone as Ma Chao meant.

After everyone dispersed and only Pang De, Ma Dai and his younger sister Ma Shu were left in front of him, Ma Chao took the opportunity to take a few deep breaths, and with each breath he released most of the depression in his heart.

"Brother, my uncle was killed by Han Sui. You are the only one who has the ability to avenge him. Please don't be too sad or frustrated." Ma Dai said with concern when he saw that Ma Chao was gradually recovering.

After a moment, Ma Chao nodded. His expression was no longer sad, and he regained his former vigor and vigor. He swore solemnly, "I understand this principle. Even if I die, I will kill Han Sui first. If I don't kill Han Sui, I will not be a human being."

Next, Ma Chao led several riders out of the temporary camp. He sneaked to the front of Didao City and looked at the big "Han" flag on the city wall. There was a gleam of hatred in his eyes. After a moment, he put away the gleam of hatred and looked at the three heads hanging on the city wall.

The three heads were clearly those of his father Ma Teng, and his two younger brothers Ma Tie and Ma Xiu. All three of them died with their eyes open. Ma Chao, with a look of grief, paid his respects from a distance, then turned away.

After returning to the temporary station, Ma Chao considered the current situation, which was very bad. He was attacked suddenly, and it was a night with howling wind and snow. Therefore, the Ma family soldiers in Didao City were scattered and did not form a team. They just ran around in the city. In this situation, Ma Chao escaped from the city with only more than a hundred personal guards. Most of the rest were killed or captured by Han Sui's army. He could not gather the defeated soldiers and boost morale to seek a chance to fight again.

At night, the stars are dim and the cold moon is silent.

Ma Chao fiddled with the campfire in front of him, with a thoughtful look on his face. After a long time, Ma Chao stopped thinking and made a decision. At the same time, his voice suddenly rang in the ears of Pang De and Ma Dai.

"Now I only have a hundred men under my command. It is difficult for me to fight against Han Sui and avenge my father and brother. I intend to go east to Guanzhong and surrender to Grand Marshal Liu Jiyu. With the help of Grand Marshal Liu Jiyu, I can avenge my father and brother."

Ma Dai heard this and hesitated, "Our army had just joined forces with Han Sui to attack the Shu army in Lueyang and Longdi. We just fought a battle with the Shu army. If we surrender to Guanzhong now, I wonder if the Grand Marshal will accept us?"

"I heard that Grand Marshal Liu Jiyu is known for his unparalleled benevolence and virtue, so he should accept us." Pang De said after thinking for a while.

After a few words, Pang De and Ma Dai turned their eyes to Ma Chao who made the decision. Ma Chao looked calm. He fiddled with the bonfire, causing sparks to fly and burning more vigorously. After a while, Ma Chao dropped the stick in his hand and said affirmatively: "Grand Marshal Liu Jiyu is planning to govern Longyou, and it is the right time to recruit heroes. Although we have had conflicts with the Shu army, Liu Jiyu wants to accomplish great things, so he will definitely put aside his small grudges and accept us as his help."

Hearing this, Pang De and Ma Dai nodded involuntarily. According to the past deeds of the Grand Marshal Liu Jiyu and Liu Jiyu's plans, there was a high chance that they would be accepted when they went east.

On the second day, Ma Chao packed his luggage, looked back at the unseen Didao City, and never looked back again, leading his men eastward.

So, when Liu Zhang finished his inspection in Chencang and returned to Chang'an from Chencang, he stayed in Wugong County one night. At that time, he received a message from Wu Yi who was stationed in Chencang - Ma Chao, the son of Ma Teng, had come to surrender.

Liu Zhang was initially unable to believe the news that Ma Chao had surrendered. However, after reading the document and learning why Ma Chao had surrendered, he suddenly felt deeply saddened.

Han Sui actually killed his sworn brother Ma Teng, captured Longxi County, and killed all the members of the Ma family. Now only a few people are left in the Ma clan. Such a ruthless and decisive method can be said to be shocking.

Liu Zhang thought about the gains and losses of this matter. Although Ma Teng was killed and the Liangzhou rebel coalition lost a force, considering that Han Sui is now the only one in power in Longyou, the people's hearts are more united than before the coalition of Ma Teng and Han Sui. It can be said that there are gains and losses.

"As expected, the people of Liangzhou are dishonest and selfless, and they put profit first." Putting aside the analysis of the situation, Liu Zhang lamented the character of the people of Liangzhou through Han Sui's murder of Ma Teng. The people of Liangzhou received a very bad evaluation in the Eastern Han Dynasty, especially after Dong Zhuo's rebellion, when they were almost reduced to the same level as barbarians.

But it is no wonder that the people of Liangzhou are not like this. After all, Liangzhou is a remote border area of ​​Western Province, the land is barren and the production is not abundant. In addition, the Qiang and Hu people often rebel, so the scholars and common people live on saddle horses and make a living by hunting. Men have few benefits from farming, and women lack the wealth of weaving. They are good at force, and benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness are gradually disappearing.

When the lives of the scholars and common people in Liangzhou were extremely difficult and their lives were in danger, it was naturally impossible to talk about benevolence, righteousness, and morality. The only real truth was to survive, and there was no need to worry about how to survive. Living in the light or in the darkness, both are living. As for other good virtues in life, they can all be abandoned.

Liu Zhang was a little hesitant about this. He was hesitant about one thing, that is, whether he should accept Ma Chao's surrender. You know, although Ma Chao had a very glorious identity in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he was a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, a pillar of the Han Dynasty, and one of the Five Tiger Generals of Shu Han.

But those who have studied the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, without exception, will praise Ma Chao as a "great filial son." Of course, the term "great filial son" here does not mean that Ma Chao is a filial person, but the opposite, it is a satire on Ma Chao's unfilial character.

After all, the real Ma Chao in history did not care about Ma Teng and hundreds of his clansmen who were in Xudu. When Cao Cao intended to control Guanzhong, he and Han Sui raised an army in Guanzhong and started a rebellion. He did not change his bad habits. After losing Guanzhong, he fled to Qiang land and lured Qiang and Hu to cause trouble in Liangzhou. Finally, Cao Cao's patience was exhausted, and more than 200 members of the Ma clan were wiped out.

Liu Zhang did not want to accept such a "filial son" with a bad character at the first time. At first, he planned to manage Longyou later and get rid of Ma Teng and Han Sui, the two sources of unrest in Liangzhou.

But now that Ma Teng is dead, Ma Chao has come to Liu Zhang as a distant man. If Liu Zhang refuses to accept him and excludes him because of Ma Chao's identity as a native of Liang Province, it would not be a good approach at the moment.

From a politician's perspective, Liu Zhang should accept Ma Chao's surrender. This is the most correct approach. Liu Zhang did so. He told the clerk Cheng Yu: "Send a letter to Chencang and ask Wu Yi to send someone to escort Ma Chao to Wugong County. I will meet Ma Chao in Wugong County."

"Yes." Cheng Yu accepted the order respectfully, then took a few steps back to carry out Liu Zhang's instructions.

After Cheng Yu left, Liu Zhang half-closed his eyes and began to think. His fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a crisp sound that continued to move up and down with his fingers.

"Records of the Three Kingdoms·Wei Zhi·Biography of Yang Fu": "(Yang Fu) said to Taizu (Cao Cao): '(Ma) Chao has the courage of Xin and Bu, and has won the hearts of Qiang and Hu people. The Western Province is afraid of him.'

Ma Chao possessed the same bravery as Han Xin and Ying Bu, and was deeply loved by the Qiang and Hu people. Cao Cao lamented, "If Ma Chao is not dead, I have no place to be buried." If he is used well, it would be very beneficial to Liu Zhang's subsequent military operations in Longyou.

However, although Ma Chao was so brave, he had a very bad character, perhaps because he had some Qiang and Hu blood. He was strong but unrighteous, brave but not kind, and did not think about justice. In history, he was scolded by Jiang Xu's mother as "a rebellious son who betrayed his father and a traitor who killed his king."

Even so, Ma Chao was a capable general, but also a person from Liang Province with a bad character. If Liu Zhang used Ma Chao well, Ma Chao would become a sharp sword in his hand, but if he used him improperly, Ma Chao might become a considerable disaster.

It was easy for Liu Zhang to accept Ma Chao's surrender, but to restrain, control, and use Ma Chao, this sharp sword, and to subdue Ma Chao, this fierce horse from Liang Province, indeed required extraordinary means.

After waiting for a day in Wugong County, Liu Zhang saw Ma Chao. He was eight feet tall and had a majestic appearance. Ma Chao, dressed in mourning clothes, had a heroic air and was worthy of the name "Jin Ma Chao".

"My father was murdered by Han Sui and died in Jincheng. I am a fugitive and have fallen to this predicament. I hope you will understand my mistake. If you send troops to Longyou in the future, I will be the vanguard and will fight to the death to avenge my father." Ma Chao burst into tears and knelt before Liu Zhang.

"My father and your father had formed an alliance and sent troops to Chang'an to rescue the emperor from Li Jue and Guo Si and to assist the royal family. Recently, I appointed your father as governor of Liang Province and hoped to work with him to stabilize Guanxi and comfort the people... But we did not expect Han Sui to be so dangerous and harm our sworn brothers. I am deeply saddened by your father's death."

Without mentioning the fact that Ma Teng and Han Sui joined forces to attack Lueyang, Liu Zhang only talked about the past alliance between Liu Yan and Ma Teng, as well as his recent interactions with Ma Teng, in an effort to get closer to Ma Chao.

As he spoke, Liu Zhang stepped forward, helped the prostrated Ma Chao up, and consoled him: "You stay in Guanzhong for now. When I send troops to Longyou in the future, I will definitely take you with me." (End of this chapter)