Three Kingdoms: I, Ma Su, just want to die

Chapter 678 Ma Su is seriously ill
"Ah!"

On a flat ridge somewhere in Yuzhou, Ma Su suddenly sneezed, and then shivered subconsciously.

"Who is talking about me again? Aren't there enough people sent away by Heyin?"

Ma Su touched his nose and muttered to himself in some confusion.

"General, I'm afraid it's not that someone is talking about you, but that you have caught a cold." Ma Zhong, who was standing next to him, considerately put a fur coat on Ma Su and said to him helplessly.

"At your age, you should sit in the government and rely on your aura to intimidate the villains. As for such a trivial matter as surveying the terrain, it is enough to entrust it to anyone."

"How can this be a trivial matter? Each of these matters involves the fate of the Han Dynasty."

Ma Su waved his hand gently and explained seriously,
"The land of Wu and Yue has always been far away from the Central Plains. The land is fertile and separated by a large river. Like Yizhou, it is a natural separatist region. If we are not careful, it may escape the control of the court."

"What's more, the water transport capacity from Lianghuai to Luoyang is insufficient, and the loss along the way is huge. The impact of all this will weaken the court's control over the southeast!"

The next is a long Little Ice Age, and the climate in the north will become colder and colder. It won't be long before Guanzhong can no longer be inhabited, and the entire Central Plains will be plunged into a 200-year-long confrontation with the nomadic peoples in the north.

By that time, the southeast would become the imperial court's backup force and the last safe haven. If there was any irresistible chaos in the future, the migration to the south would be the last choice.

Seeing that Ma Su had not yet taken over Jiangdong, but had already started to think about what to do after taking over, Ma Zhong was also helpless. This great general of Ji Han had been working diligently for the court for so many years, and he could not rest for a moment.

It must be said that Ma Su is now worthy of being called a man sent from heaven. Starting from Jieting, he won every battle and fought from the northwest to the Central Plains.

The small southwestern regime of Ji Han, which was originally relying on Zhuge Liang to hang on for its last breath, was able to fight with the remaining energy of the Second Emperor. In less than 20 years, it defeated Cao Wei and regained control of the Central Plains.

Even if Liu Bei himself knew about this in his grave, he would probably slap himself in the face.

In terms of public service, Ma Su was almost impeccable. Apart from the controversy caused by his killing of scholars and officials, he respected teachers and served the country, which made him the most respected gentleman in Confucianism.

If we don’t praise such a moral role model, there might be no such thing as a macho man falling from the sky in this world.

"But, General, you still have to take care of your health." Ma Zhong shook his head slightly and said to Ma Su helplessly.

"Compared to these, your deterrent power is your greatest asset! As long as you sit there, the deterrent power alone is enough to make all the villains in the country dare not move."

However, Ma Su did not agree with what Ma Zhong said. Instead, he glared at Ma Zhong and snorted coldly.

"What are you talking about? Can I scare someone to death just by sitting there?"

"But everyone will eventually die. If I, Ma Su, am no longer around, won't those frightened villains still come out to cause trouble?"

"It would be better if I personally went to deal with all the villains hiding in the dark. Even if we are gone one day, the Han Dynasty can still hold its ground!"

At this point, Ma Su understood why some founding monarchs later killed their meritorious officials. When the successor to the throne was unable to carry the responsibilities alone, the head of the family always wanted to eliminate all visible threats before leaving.

The same is true for Ma Su. Everything he does now is to provide a layer of insurance for the rule of Ji Han. Ma Su, who has lived two lives, is really afraid that the Five Barbarians will reappear one day. After all, if he fails to commit suicide and fails to change the final outcome of the Five Barbarians' Rebellion, then what exactly did he protect by traveling through time?
Therefore, with such worries, the older Ma Su got, the more he could not rest. He tried every possible way, regardless of his physical condition.

Anyway, for Ma Su, the sooner he died, the better.

"Since ancient times, everyone is mortal, but I will leave my loyalty to shine in history. I, Ma Su, will eventually go down in history books, and I cannot lose my integrity in my later years." Ma Su smiled and waved to Ma Zhong, then turned around and planned to jump off the horse to survey the terrain.

This was a normal action, and Ma Zhong and others didn't pay any attention to it. But when Ma Su jumped from the horse's back to the ground, he suddenly felt dizzy and fell to the ground!

"General!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Quick! Call the doctor!"

…………

…………

…………

Since Jieting, Ma Su changed his job to a military general, and then began his life of cheating. In the past ten years, he has never been sick, and his health is very good most of the time.

But in the final analysis, Ma Su himself is indeed very young. He was already in his thirties during the Battle of Jieting, and now he is even in his fifties. The hidden injuries caused before have now gradually begun to show up.

Especially since the climate in Lianghuai is mild, the long journey had a greater impact on Ma Su.

As a result, due to the combination of overwork and hidden injuries, Ma Su suddenly fell ill near Xuchang just after he finished touring Yuzhou.

Ma Zhong was right. The reason why Ma Su sneezed was not because someone was talking about him, but... he was really sick!
Ma Su suddenly became seriously ill and was bedridden in Xuchang, which immediately triggered unrest in Ji Han.

The first person to get the news was naturally Zhuge Liang in Luoyang. When he heard that Ma Su was seriously ill, the usually calm Zhuge Liang's face suddenly changed.

"Youchang is seriously ill? Is it because I hit him too hard before?" When Zhuge Liang learned that Ma Su was seriously ill, his first reaction was whether he had hit him too hard last time.

Otherwise, how could a seemingly healthy person become seriously ill in such a short time?

"Prime Minister, you are overthinking it. The general has been fighting for many years and has countless hidden injuries and diseases all over his body. Now it may be due to the recurrence of old injuries and the unfamiliar climate..." The Chief Clerk Yang Zhun's judgment was quite accurate. He smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"Maybe I put too much pressure on you..." Zhuge Liang shook his head slightly, unable to hide his self-blame. Then he stood up suddenly and gave the order directly,
"Shi Qiu, you are now in full control of the Prime Minister's Office and will assist the Crown Prince in governing the country on my behalf. I must now go south to visit You Chang in person..."

"Prime Minister, I'm afraid I can't do this." Yang Zhun shook his head and spread his hands in the face of Zhuge Liang's puzzled look.
"The Crown Prince has already fled to Xuchang. He can no longer continue to supervise the country in Luoyang..."

(End of this chapter)