Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

"Report!" The military advisor rushed into Guanqiu Jian's tent and hurriedly bowed, saying, "General, our scouts have captured a group of Shu soldiers thirty li south of Guangdu!"

General Guanqiu Jian and Attendant Cui Lin exchanged a glance; their words sounded strange no matter how they were said.

Their army came from the south, and the route they took was thirty miles south of Guangdu. How could there be Shu troops there? Besides, if there were Shu troops, how were they captured by scouts?

"How many men are in this Shu army?" Cui Lin asked.

"Reporting to Lord Cui," the military advisor replied without hesitation, "This group of eighty-three Shu soldiers claimed to have come from the south to serve the king. They are all soldiers from the south. Although they were captured, they kept insisting on seeing the army's commander-in-chief, and refused to say anything else."

Cui Lin's lips twitched, and he looked at Guanqiu Jian, as if asking why someone from the south had come.

Guanqiu Jian was somewhat embarrassed and abruptly stood up: "Come on, take me to see this Shu army. I've fought my way through the south, how come I didn't know there were such heroes here!"

"Mr. Cui, you might as well come along."

“Alright.” Cui Lin stroked his beard and agreed. He didn’t intend to question Guanqiu Jian; he was just watching the show. Cui Lin felt no tension at all in this situation, since he didn’t have to lead the army himself.

Soon Guanqiu Jian and Cui Lin arrived at the place where the eighty-three people were being held. These people were dressed in the clothing of the South, and they were clearly exhausted from the journey, but they all looked like Han Chinese.

Upon seeing a general approaching amidst a crowd, the leader of the Shu soldiers stood up. The general's leather armor was dirty and tattered. He bowed respectfully and asked, "General, what is the current situation of the Han Dynasty? Have the Wei army completely entered Shu territory?"

Guanqiu Jian did not answer, but frowned and looked at the man for a few seconds. Then he pointed and two soldiers stepped forward to hold the man down and force him to kneel on the ground.

Although the man had already knelt down, he showed no anger or struggle, and continued to repeat his previous question: "General, how is the Han Dynasty now?"

Guanqiu Jian then spoke: "Who are you?"

The man replied, "I am Ma Su, the magistrate of Ailao County of the Han Dynasty. I have heard that the Wei army has entered Yizhou, so I have come to protect the emperor!"

Guanqiu Jian raised his eyebrows, exchanged a glance with Cui Lin beside him, and then asked, "Ma Su? The Ma Su who faced the Wei army at Lueyang?"

“Exactly.” Ma Su took a deep breath, and although he was kneeling on the ground, he straightened his body and tried his best to appear dignified.

Guanqiu Jian said, "If I hadn't heard Li Zhengfang mention that you were in Ailao, I probably wouldn't have remembered you. Did you come from Ailao?"

“Exactly,” Ma Su replied.

"How many people did you bring?" Guanqiu Jian asked again.

Ma Su said, "I brought 172 men from Ailao, but some fell ill, some fell behind, and some died on the way. Only 83 men remain here."

Guanqiu Jian nodded: "He's quite a man. Sima, since he asked, you should talk to him. There's nothing to hide, you can tell him anything."

"As you command." Sima Shi bowed and responded, then slowly recounted the military situation and battles that had occurred in the past year since the Great Wei attacked Shu.

Of course, with his own general right in front of him, he naturally had to tell the story of General Guanqiu's long march from Jiaozhou into Shu, which only required a few words.

One event after another occurred, causing Ma Su's expression to almost freeze. In particular, when he heard about the death of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, Yang Yi's surrender, and the siege of Chengdu by the Wei army, he instantly burst into tears.

"Prime Minister! Prime Minister!" Ma Su struggled free from the armored soldiers holding him, then kowtowed heavily to the ground: "Ma Su is late and has failed to see the Prime Minister one last time. Ma Su is guilty!"

Then she burst into tears.

Cui Lin couldn't stand it any longer, so he stepped forward and kicked Ma Su with his toe. After Ma Su's crying subsided, he looked down at Ma Su's face and asked, "Ma Su, why are you crying?"

Ma Su was momentarily surprised: "The Prime Minister has passed away. Shouldn't I, as his former subordinate, weep?"

Cui Lin said, "There's no need to rush to cry now. Wait a few days until Chengdu falls, then you can go into the city and cry in front of Zhuge Liang's coffin. We have long heard in the court that His Majesty respects Zhuge Liang, and we believe he will give you the opportunity to pay your respects."

"Chengdu, Chengdu! Alas!"

Ma Su cried even harder, louder than before, and almost fainted from crying.

Guanqiu Jian said to the people around him with some helplessness, "I thought this person was a real man who had traveled thousands of miles from Ailao. I had just thought too highly of him, but now I find that he is as worthless as the rumors say."

"Detain his soldiers, tie him up and keep him in the camp. When you see His Majesty tomorrow, hand him over to the imperial camp."

"Your subordinate obeys." Sima Shi bowed and accepted the order. After Guanqiu Jian and Cui Lin left, he ordered his subordinates to drag Ma Su away. Seeing Ma Su's lifeless appearance, he couldn't help but kick him.

The two armored soldiers dragging Ma Su exchanged a glance, not daring to speak, but simply pulled Ma Su even faster.

……

The army from Fuxian marched south, first passing through Mianzhu, and upon reaching Luocheng, they met two envoys sent by Liu Shan, Pei Jun and Chen Zhi. These two men, along with their ten attendants, were escorted by Shangguan Qi, a military advisor under Jiang Wei.

Pei Qian led his armored soldiers into the central military tent, where the two knelt and kowtowed, standing two zhang apart.

"Your subject Pei Jun pays respects to Your Majesty!"

"Your humble servant Chen Zhi pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Now that it's time to surrender, kneel when you should, kowtow when you should, and address him as Your Majesty when you should. There's no need to go through the usual formalities.

Cao Rui glanced at Pei Qian, noticed Pei Qian's slightly strange expression, and couldn't help but smile before asking:
"Pei Qing."

Pei Qian and Pei Jun both looked at Cao Rui at the same time.

Cao Rui burst into laughter. It seemed that Pei Jun was indeed Pei Qian's younger brother; not only did they resemble each other in appearance, but their mannerisms were also quite similar. The other officials in the tent couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"I'm referring to the new Minister Pei, not the old one like you." Cao Rui smiled and pointed at Pei Qian, then looked at Pei Jun and asked, "You two are called Pei Jun and Chen Zhi, right? Pei Jun, why do you address me as 'subject' directly, instead of 'outer subject' like Chen Zhi?"

Pei Jun replied loudly, "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king. I was born into this world and am naturally Your Majesty's subject, therefore I address myself as a subject rather than an outsider."

Cao Rui feigned a question: "Then why have you stayed in Chengdu for so many years instead of returning to Wei?"

Pei Jun replied, "The Shu bandits have cut off the roads, and I cannot return. It is not that I do not wish to, but that I am truly unable to."

Cao Rui laughed even harder, pointing at Pei Jun: "Your Pei family of Hedong is indeed full of outstanding talents. Pei Qing, now that you have submitted to me, I will be your lord and reward you with a position of two thousand shi (a unit of grain). Chenliu is a large prefecture; after we return to the Central Plains, you will go to Chenliu to take up your post!"

"Your subject Pei Jun accepts the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude!" Pei Jun kowtowed heavily on the ground.

This conversation left Chen Zhi, who was standing to the side, dumbfounded. (End of this chapter)