NOVPUBIn the bitterly cold Xiliang, Ma Teng and Han Sui found themselves playing the role of the mountain’s king in the absence of a tiger after Dong Zhuo met his fiery end. Unfortunately for them, a single mountain could not contain two tigers...
Because of this, immediately after Dong Zhuo’s death, Han Sui and Ma Teng, who had been like brothers in adversity, turned against each other. They openly led their troops against one another and started a battle in Xiliang!
Relative to Ma Teng, Han Sui could boast of a larger army and greater numbers of generals, as well as more cunning strategies. However, Ma Teng also had his own advantages. Following Ma Yuan’s legacy and fighting on his home turf, not to mention with the support of his Qiang brothers, he was not necessarily doomed to defeat. He often fell for some insignificant strategies, losing up to a thousand or eight hundred men each time, but the Qiang People were numerous, and such losses placed no pressure on Ma Teng.
After Dong Zhuo’s death, the two fought incessantly, the battles so fierce that they seemed to darken the skies. Compared to the endless scheming in the Central Plains, these two men were devout believers in the power of fists. Even though Han Sui was known in Xiliang as "Nine Curves" for his devious tactics that thoroughly vexed Ma Teng, when it came down to pure intellect, he was nothing noteworthy.
Not long ago, Ma Teng and Han Sui had both received news of the Emperor’s Envoy’s imminent arrival. Willing or not, they both ceased hostilities to await the Envoy’s descent.
Ma Teng arrived with his son, a contingent of elite troops, and met with Han Sui in Jincheng to wait for the coming of the Envoy.
However, as soon as they saw each other, they exchanged cold quips and hot jeers. It wasn’t long before they returned to the Xiliang tenet that might makes right and once again resorted to fighting. Obviously, this time they were much more restrained compared to their previous deadly encounters, as the Envoy was about to arrive. Failing to bathe, change clothes, and burn incense in prayer would already be considered disrespectful. To fight to the death as before would be to show outright disregard for the Emperor.
"Yan Xing, this time I must kill you!" Ma Chao, having thrown down his helmet, mounted his horse fiercely and stared at Yan Xing, who was following behind Han Sui, exclaiming that he had to avenge the great disgrace of the previous year when he almost got killed by Yan Xing in a careless moment!
"No matter how many times we fight, you will die!" Yan Xing sneered, gripping his long spear, "This time I definitely won’t hold back!"
"Who needs your mercy? Prepare to die, Yan Xing!" Ma Chao’s eyes blazed with fury as he spurred his horse towards Yan Xing.
"Report, the Emperor’s Envoy has entered Jincheng!" A messenger rushed in, timely interrupting Ma Chao’s actions and giving Ma Teng a reassuring pill. He didn’t feel the pressure of losing others, but Ma Chao was his eldest son, the one he had high hopes for. He could not allow him to do battle with Yan Xing, knowing that if not for Ma Chao’s good fortune the previous year, that spear would have broken his neck.
"Meng Qi, stand down." Ma Teng said.
"Yan Ming, you too should rein in your temper. Why squabble with a child? If you accidentally slipped, and he ended up bedridden for months, that wouldn’t be good." Han Sui said, with a voice tinged with sarcasm.
"You! Ling Ming, let go, I want to kill that guy!" Ma Chao, who had been dragged back by Pang De, instantly flared up with rage upon hearing Han Sui’s taunts and struggled fiercely, attempting to go and kill Yan Xing.
Yan Xing glanced coldly at Ma Chao, his eyes brimming with disdain. If not for his lowly status and being unfamiliar with the spear last year, how could Ma Chao be so lively now? He would have been long dead!
Ma Chao grew even more furious, yet Pang De’s strength was no less than Ma Chao’s. Older and more robust in physique, naturally stronger, he wouldn’t let Ma Chao charge forward.
In truth, Pang De was well aware that Ma Chao faced no real danger against the current Yan Xing, but he did not wish for Ma Chao to rush into battle. After all, Ma Chao was only seventeen years old (recall that in this book all ages are given in nominal years, and the calendar is also lunar, as befits the Three Kingdoms era).
A seventeen-year-old at the peak of Qi Refining to Gang, just short of a breakthrough opportunity, how could he be compared with someone like Yan Xing, who was over twenty and whose path had more or less reached a dead end? Pang De knew that, barring an unexpected event, the Ma Clan could have a supreme expert within three years at most. There was no need to let a moment of anger expose their most significant trump card!
"Heh heh heh, Shoucheng, it seems your son needs to be disciplined. Tsk tsk, lacking respect and humility. I’ve heard your family descends from General Fubo, but it seems you are devoid of the Han Dynasty’s proprieties." Han Sui’s words were now outright insulting, showing his disdain for Ma Chao’s behavior.
"Chao’er, stand back!" said Ma Teng, his face etched with anger.
"Father!" Ma Chao stared at Ma Teng with dissatisfaction and called out.
"Step back! Ling Ming, watch him!" Ma Teng glared at Ma Chao and commanded.
Before long, someone claiming to be the Emperor’s Envoy arrived. Both Hann Sui and Ma Teng rose to greet him solemnly, but upon laying eyes on him, they were astonished; the envoy’s clothes were tattered, his complexion sallow, physique emaciated, and his eyes lifeless…
This was, indeed, an image carefully chosen by Jia Xu. Only such a sorry state could illustrate how miserable the Son of Heaven of Han was faring, and was enough to suggest that the Emperor was now in desperate need of help.
"May I know why the Angel has come…" Hann Sui frowned and inquired.
The envoy, with lifeless eyes, gave Hann Sui a listless look and, with a right hand as thin as a chicken’s claw, drew an Imperial Edict from within his chest and limply handed it to Hann Sui, and then Ma Teng grasped the other half.
"Both of you… I haven’t had a grain of rice to eat for several days…" The envoy seemed to lack even the strength to read the Imperial Edict.
"Set the banquet quickly, please have the Angel take a seat," Ma Teng directed to a side room, "the feast is already prepared."
The messenger lethargically returned the gesture and then shuffled towards the side room, leaving Hann Sui and Ma Teng exchanging bewildered glances.
"It seems the Emperor has not been having good days," Ma Teng sighed after the envoy had walked away.
"I think we should open the Imperial Edict first," declared Hann Sui, uninterested in the Little Emperor’s well-being. In his view, as long as he himself was doing well, that was all that mattered. As for the Emperor, if you can benefit me, you are the Emperor; if not, to hell with the Emperor!
Ma Teng and Hann Sui each holding one end of the document, approached the table and opened the Imperial Edict.
"Today, the Han Dynasty is in decline, and the Han Court has fallen into the hands of traitors… Hearing that Ma Teng, descendant of General Fubo Ma Yuan, is virtuous, loyal, and has made contributions in punishing traitors, he is hereby conferred the title of General Who Conquers the West. Jincheng’s Hann Sui, wise and resourceful, coordinating the Han Qiang, is hereby conferred the title of General of the West. Both are to come to the capital to Support the King!"
In short, it was a simple message: I need your protection now; I give you titles, you come protect me.
After reading, Ma Teng immediately knelt down, tears brimming in his eyes, "My Ma Clan for generations has been loyal and true. Upon hearing of the Son of Heaven’s hardships, we empathize deeply and pledge to die in service!"
Hann Sui pulled a face, but with Ma Teng having made such a statement, he had little to say, and also knelt to swear his willingness to die in service.
"Wen Yue, since both of us are willing to risk our lives for the Han Dynasty, why don’t we become sworn brothers, putting an end to this endless fighting? The Qiang and the Han are all brothers, how about it!" Ma Teng, his eyes bloodshot, looked at Hann Sui and suggested.
"Good, since both of us are exerting efforts for the Han Dynasty, we should indeed be brothers. The blood spilled in this endless warfare is unnecessary. Let’s put an end to this endless war!" Hann Sui, as if moved by Ma Teng, replied, "United in effort, we will surely save the Han Dynasty from collapse!"
"Excellent!" Ma Teng laughed heartily, "Let us burn incense and and pray to the heavens and become sworn brothers. Then we will march to Yongzhou to defeat Li Que and Guo Si, saving the Han Dynasty!"(To be continued. If you enjoy this series, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com), including with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
