Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Ma Chao had finally managed Gan Ning's string of thorny matters perfectly. As soon as he finished, Lu Su dragged Ma Chao along, and they found a tent, where they sat down. The flickering candlelight in the tent illuminated their solemn faces, and the atmosphere was oppressive.

Lu Su's brows were knitted into the shape of a "川" character, and his tone was filled with anxiety. "My Lord, we can no longer be so slow in choosing a time for peace talks. We must race against time and sit down with them as soon as possible. General Bofu is eagerly awaiting news. Every moment of delay will only add to the uncertainty of the situation. We simply cannot afford to delay any longer!"

Ma Chao took a deep breath, nodded emphatically, and sighed, "Who said it wasn't? I just arrived in this unfamiliar territory yesterday, hoping to catch my breath and rest, but who could have imagined that today I would be plunged into the mess that Xingba had cleaned up. This mess, one thing after another." As these words came out, Gan Ning, who was standing in the corner, had a flash of unnaturalness on his face. His expression was full of guilt. He unconsciously lowered his head and muttered softly, "It's all my fault for not thinking carefully and causing trouble for my lord."

Ma Chao waved his hand, his expression firm. "Xingba, don't blame yourself. This isn't your fault. If that's the case, let's schedule it for tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll personally meet with Shamoke and have a frank discussion. The longer this matter drags on, the more complications it's likely to escalate. So many other matters are pressing. We must proceed steadily, step by step, to gain control of the situation."

Lu Su nodded slightly, his expression tinged with worry. He softly warned, "My Lord, there's one more thing you need to be careful about. At the dinner a few days ago, Shamoke's sister, Sally, looked at you with such affection and admiration. You'll need to be careful in your dealings with her in the future."

Ma Chao listened, smiled bitterly, shook his head, and sighed helplessly, "Alas, Zijing, the most difficult thing in this world to accept is the favor of a beautiful woman. My emotional affairs are already complicated and tangled, and I really don't want to incur new emotional debts for no reason and add to my troubles."

As soon as these words fell, Wu Anguo and Pan Feng, who were sitting nearby, exchanged a glance as if they had understood each other, and then burst into laughter. Wu Anguo laughed so hard that he fell forward and backward, slapping his thigh as he joked, "My lord, you are so handsome and majestic. Brother Pan Feng and I, with our rough looks, rarely get such closeness from women. Compared to you, my lord, we are truly worlds apart."

Gan Ning, standing aside, curled his lips in disdain as he sneered, "You two, don't you look at yourselves? How can you compare yourselves to the Lord with your big, strong bodies? You dare to say such things without even considering the situation. How shameless!"

Upon hearing this, Pan Feng and Wu Anguo flew into a rage, their brows raised, their eyes wide, and they glared at Gan Ning with a fierce look that seemed to want to devour him alive. Gan Ning, however, acted calm and not only did he not restrain himself, but he even escalated his teasing, "Hey, you two, don't be so unconvinced. If you could have been half as charming as the lord, you might have had that great opportunity last night and been paired with the beautiful lady."

Ma Chao listened to the laughter and scolding and feigned anger, saying, "Alright, Xingba, stop being so gullible. Are you itching for another blow? It seems Pan Feng and Wu Anguo were too lenient with you before. Thirty blows of the military stick didn't teach you a lesson, and you're still acting so disrespectfully."

After hearing Ma Chao's words, the tense atmosphere instantly dissipated. Everyone looked at each other, unable to resist another burst of hearty laughter. This laughter pierced the tents, echoing in the silent night air for a long time, dispelling the gloom and fatigue of days of travel.

On the third day after arriving at the camp, after breakfast, Ma Chao, Gan Ning, Lu Su and others went to visit Shamoke's tent. They were all dressed in neat clothes and armor, with solemn expressions, obviously having made careful preparations and looking particularly energetic.

Soon, Shamoke also hurried to the camp. Seeing Ma Chao and his group being so serious, he was slightly startled, a flash of surprise in his eyes. He said, "Captain Ma, why are you doing this today? This formality makes me feel a little uncomfortable."

Ma Chao, with a serious expression, bowed and said, "Chief Shamoke, we have come here today to discuss important matters, not something as casual as a banquet. What I am discussing concerns the development of our cooperation and may even affect our future direction, so we must not act rashly or simply brush it off."

Upon hearing this, Shamoke's playful smile instantly vanished, and he said seriously, "Since that's the case, Chief Ma, please feel free to speak up. If you require any cooperation from the Shanyue people, or any assistance or convenience, please feel free to speak up. I, Shamoke, have always respected heroes, and I'm deeply impressed by Chief Ma's abilities. Even if this cooperation doesn't work out, if you have any requests or need any help, please feel free to speak up, and I, Shamoke, will do my best to help you."

At this point, Lu Su keenly perceived that while Shamoko greatly respected Ma Chao's personal prowess and was enthusiastic, he lacked understanding of the power behind Ma Chao, his words revealing a sense of pride and arrogance. A moment's reflection revealed that the Shanyue, long isolated in the mountains and isolated from the outside world, were completely unaware of the powerful influence behind Ma Chao. This led them to view the world from a narrow perspective, failing to consider Ma Chao an equal, even naively assuming that Ma Chao had something to ask of him. Lu Su knew that if he didn't address this misunderstanding, cooperation between the two sides would be difficult to achieve.

Lu Su cleared his throat and began, "Chief Shamoke, as far as I know, you Shanyue people are composed of numerous tribes, and you haven't yet elected a true leader. Although your tribe is large and holds considerable prestige among the Shanyue, do you harbor any ambition to unify the Shanyue?"

As soon as he finished speaking, before Shamoke could respond, Mu Jin on the side took over the conversation with a tone full of disdain: "You Han people love to talk about these ambitions and great principles. How can it be so easy to put them into practice? Our Shanyue tribes have an influence spanning Wujun, Kuaijijun, Yuzhangjun, and even Nanhaijun in Jiaozhou. Although there are exchanges between the various tribes, the area is vast and the situation is complicated. How can we, as you said, accomplish things by just talking, like you Jinfan bandits roaming the river?" His words not only revealed arrogance, but also contempt for Gan Ning's background as a Jinfan bandit.

Upon hearing this, Gan Ning sensed a deep sense of contempt. His heart flared with anger, his eyes widening as he shouted, "What are you talking about? How can my Jinfan troops be so incompetent? When we were crisscrossing the river, facing the pursuit and interception of the government troops, did we ever show any fear? Not only did we escape unscathed every time, but we also repeatedly defeated them. Meanwhile, weren't you also beaten to a pulp by the government troops in Wujun a while ago, fleeing in disarray?"

Mu Jin curled his lips and responded sarcastically, "Humph, how many people are there in your Jinfan tribe? How can you compare with us? You are on the river, taking advantage of the water flow, making it easy to advance and retreat, and the officers and soldiers are temporarily helpless against you. But what about us? We are going to attack the county town in a real way, that is a real fight, a tough battle. Just a bunch of you bandits dare to compare us Shanyue people with us? It's ridiculous!"

Gan Ning's forehead was bulging with anger, and he roared, "Even though our Jinfan Army only has 3,000 men, it's still an elite force capable of fighting. How can you slander us like this? If you refuse to accept my words, let's deploy our troops and engage in a fierce battle!"

"With only three thousand men, you dare to challenge us to war?" Mu Jin and Mu Yin both laughed coldly, their laughter filled with contempt. Mu Jin then said arrogantly, "Let's not talk about anything else for now. Just look at our attack on Wujun this time. We mobilized a force of over fifty thousand men, and that's just the Shanyue tribes within our Wujun territory. Not to mention that if we include the tribes in Kuaiji, Nanhai, and Yuzhang, the combined force capable of fighting would exceed one hundred thousand. Although we Shanyue currently don't have a king, our leader, Shamoke, holds a high reputation among the Shanyue. With one order from him, who among the Shanyue tribes would dare to disobey? You, a mere three thousand men, have the audacity to come and talk about cooperation with us. Isn't this a joke? It's laughable!"

Shamoke and Ma Chao watched Gan Ning, Mu Jin, and Mu Yin argue fiercely, their faces flushed and necks raging. They both chose to remain silent. After all, this matter concerned the future of the nation and the tribe. They knew that it was particularly important to allow everyone to fully express their opinions and exchange ideas.

Just as the situation reached a stalemate and the atmosphere was tense, Lu Su suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter. The laughter was loud and clear, instantly breaking the tension. He looked at the brothers Mu Jin and Mu Yin, as well as the surrounding Shanyue people, with a smile on his face, and said, "Everyone, let me tell you a funny story first."

"Once upon a time, an envoy from the Han Dynasty visited the southwest. The King of Dian asked the envoy, 'Which is greater, the Han Dynasty or my country?' Before the envoy could answer, the King of Yelang, standing nearby, also asked, 'Which is greater, the Han Dynasty or my country?' Little did he know, Yelang was merely a small vassal state on the Han Dynasty's border, its land area barely the size of a Han county. Yet, living in a remote area with limited transportation and little knowledge of the outside world, the King of Yelang naively believed his own country was the greatest in the world."

After recounting the anecdote, Lu Su's smile faded, his expression becoming serious. His gaze, steady and full of meaning, he looked at the Shanyue people and spoke earnestly, "The King of Yelang has made such a fool of himself because of his short-sightedness and closed-mindedness. You all, having just heard of the number of my lord's troops, have so easily despised us. How is this any different from the King of Yelang? My lord, Ma Chao, is not only a martial arts master and a formidable figure on the battlefield, but also possesses immense talent and strategy. He is surrounded by many skilled and resourceful warriors, and the power behind him should not be underestimated. We come here with utmost sincerity, seeking cooperation to jointly forge a bright future, not to rely on others for support or protection. I hope you will set aside your prejudices and examine this cooperation with a broader perspective and a longer-term vision."

When the Mu brothers heard Lu Su's words, their eyes widened in anger, their facial muscles trembling slightly with rage. Mu Jin took a step forward, pointed his finger at Lu Su, and shouted, "Don't use these words to insinuate things! Aren't you trying to say that we Shanyue people are as arrogant and ignorant as the Yelang Kingdom? Humph, don't beat around the bush! If that's the case, what are your true abilities? Just show them. If you can truly convince us, then you're a real talent!"

Mu Yin was not to be outdone. He put his hands on his hips and echoed, "That's right! Don't just talk big. What we Shanyue people despise most is people who only know how to talk. If you want us to approve of your cooperation, then show us your unique skills and strengths. Don't hide them!" The Shanyue warriors behind them also clenched their weapons, their eyes revealing dissatisfaction and doubt, and the atmosphere became tense again.