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

Chapter 679: Attack Wu on Behalf of Others
As the general of Ji Han and the holder of the world's military power, Ma Su's status was extremely important. It was precisely because of this that his serious illness instantly caused a shock throughout Ji Han.

The first to arrive was the Crown Prince Liu Xuan, a student of Ma Su who ran very fast. After hearing the news that Ma Su was seriously ill, he rode his horse and galloped 300 miles to Xudu without saying a word.

Later on came Deng Ai, Liu Yin and others who were stationed in Shouchun and Xuzhou. Even Zhang Yi, Jiang Wei and Shu Ji in the north applied for leave to visit him.

However, all their requests were rejected by Zhuge Liang on behalf of Ma Su, and he strictly prohibited officials of all ranks from abandoning their work in order to visit the general.

After issuing repeated orders and stabilizing all officials, Zhuge Liang shamelessly came from Luoyang to Xuchang to visit his seriously ill student.

This is the first time that Zhuge Liang has been slapped in the face since he came out of his humble beginnings...

Fortunately, Zhuge Liang was highly respected in recent years. Most officials could understand such insincere words.

However, when Zhuge Liang arrived in Xuchang, he found that Ma Su was already very ill. Ma Su, who had looked very strong before, was now lying on the bed, his face as pale as paper.

"How is the general?" Zhuge Liang also realized the seriousness of the problem. Seeing the doctor who had just taken Ma Su's pulse, he asked seriously.

"Your Majesty...it's not a big problem. I'm just suffering from overwork." This doctor was Hua Fei's apprentice. When he saw Zhuge Liang coming, he immediately bowed and saluted.

"The general's body is not as strong as imagined, and he has numerous hidden injuries. In addition, the general has been traveling in southern Henan for a while, and he is not used to the climate and water there. He has become ill from overwork, so he caught a cold..."

"Is there any danger?" Zhuge Liang stared at the doctor closely, and the anxiety in his tone was hard to conceal.

"There is no danger for the time being, but the general may not be able to get out of bed for a long time." The doctor shook his head and gave an honest answer.

"That's fine!" Zhuge Liang let out a long sigh, only to find that his palms were soaked with sweat.

He was really nervous, this was his most proud student! Now Jiang Wan had already left the Han people before Zhuge Liang, and Zhuge Liang could not accept that Ma Su also left before him!

Zhuge Liang relaxed after knowing that Ma Su was not in danger of death and was just suffering from overwork. After taking a breath, Zhuge Liang walked into the house.

At this time, Crown Prince Liu Xuan was already squatting beside Ma Su's bed, while Deng Ai, Liu Yin and others were waiting at the door. When he saw Zhuge Liang coming in, Liu Xuan quickly stood up and saluted him carefully.

"Prime Minister, I heard that your father was seriously ill and was too nervous, so I had to..."

"Your Highness, there is no need to do this. It is only human nature." Zhuge Liang shook his head slightly and also bowed respectfully to Liu Xuan.

"You Chang is a pillar of the country. Your Highness cares about his subjects. This is a blessing for the Han Dynasty."

After paying homage to Liu Xuan, Zhuge Liang sat down beside Ma Su's bed and looked at his pale face, feeling filled with emotion.

"Youchang, you have worked so hard these years... If it weren't for you, I'm afraid the Han Dynasty wouldn't have been able to revive. It's a pity that I have been so busy with government affairs these years that I have forgotten that you have also been overworked for many years."

"Forget it. From now on, you should just stay back and rest. As for conquering Wu and destroying Wei... leave it to me, the master!"

Before he finished speaking, Ma Su shivered as if he had a nightmare. Then, in Zhuge Liang's stunned eyes, Ma Su suddenly woke up.

"Have I returned home?" The moment he opened his eyes, Ma Su felt as if his whole body had been trampled by horses. This feeling even made Ma Su feel a little strange.

Could it be that he has already returned home?
"Not yet, Youchang, I'm still in Xudu."

But soon, Zhuge Liang's gentle words came over, breaking Ma Su's fantasy. "If you want to go back to your hometown in Yicheng, then go back to Jingzhou to recuperate for a while after you recover from your illness. After you have recovered, it won't be too late to come back and continue to lead the army."

"No need, Prime Minister!" Upon hearing this, Ma Su was no longer sleepy and spoke hurriedly.

How can I lead the troops? How can I do that?

Young children often cannot bear to hear these...

"Oh, I just had a nightmare. I dreamed that the Prime Minister didn't let me lead the troops..." Ma Su turned over with difficulty, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said.

This was such a horrible nightmare, luckily I woke up.

However, before Ma Su could express his emotion, he saw Zhuge Liang speaking with a serious face.

"That's not a dream, Youchang. The court has made a decision. In view of your poor health, the remaining strategies for conquering Wu and destroying Wei will be taken over by the Prime Minister's Office."

"As for you, the most important thing now is to recuperate and take good care of your body..."

After hearing these words, the smile on Ma Su’s face suddenly froze.

"Prime Minister! Is this a joke?"

"You Chang, your teacher never jokes!"

"I am the general! For the sake of the soldiers, I should be the one leading the troops..."

"Why, Youchang no longer believes in my military strategy?" Zhuge Liang's expression suddenly became dangerous, and Ma Su swallowed subconsciously.

Tsk... The Prime Minister is determined to let him recuperate!

But it's not Zhuge Liang's fault for making a fuss about this matter. It's really that Ma Su is not fit to continue leading the army. If he fell down again on the way to the expedition, Zhuge Liang would really cry to death.

So no matter what, Ma Su could no longer go to the battlefield. Zhuge Liang would rather lead the army himself after many years, and was determined to replace Ma Su.

This decision should be a good thing for Ma Su, but he found it difficult to accept.

No, I was just about to die, and you just stopped me like that?
This is more frustrating than taking off your pants and suddenly having no traffic.

But obviously, Ma Su's protest was fruitless. After Zhuge Liang made this decision, he immediately called dozens of soldiers from the Prime Minister's Office to watch over Ma Su and not allow him to run around until he recovered from his illness.

As for Zhuge Liang himself, he personally wrote a letter to Chang'an, asking for permission to replace Ma Su to attack Wu.

From the beginning to the end, if you don't know, you might think Zhuge Liang wanted to seize Ma Su's power. But those who know know that this is purely a move by the prime minister who is worried that the general will be in danger.

After all, Ma Su was really capable of climbing over the wall and sneaking to the front line even when he was seriously ill. If Zhuge Liang didn't keep an eye on him, he would see Ma Su again in the central army not long after he left.

(End of this chapter)