Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Lu Su completely ignored the pressure exerted by the Mu brothers and calmly asked, "General Mu Jin, you said that if all the Shanyue tribes were fully mobilized, they could gather a force of 100,000. I believe this. After all, as you said, you dispatched 50,000 troops to attack Wujun this time. I don't doubt your ability to mobilize troops. But I want to ask, among these 50,000 troops, what percentage are truly brave and strong elite soldiers? Since we are discussing cooperation, we must be honest with each other and not hide anything."

Upon hearing this, Mu Jin instinctively glanced at Shamoke. After all, this involved the tribe's core secrets and foundation. Shamoke, in turn, turned his gaze to Ma Chao, who remained impassive, a faint smile playing on his lips as he quietly observed the crowd, as if the heated argument before him had nothing to do with him. Ma Chao hadn't taken his earlier slight to heart, either. Shamoke sighed inwardly and nodded slightly at Mu Jin.

After getting the leader's permission, Mu Jin finally spoke: "To be honest, only about half of the people are truly capable of fighting and are brave and fearless. The rest are mostly old and weak, just to make up the scene and boost morale."

After hearing this, Lu Su smiled with understanding and continued, "So, that would give you 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers ready for battle. But as far as I know, Sun Ce led only 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers in Wujun this time. If your forces were evenly matched, why were you so badly defeated by him and forced to retreat back to the mountains?"

Upon hearing this, Mu Jin immediately became furious and loudly retorted, "Stop your nonsense and random comparisons! How can your Jinfan Army be compared with the troops of the Jiangdong Little Overlord? Furthermore, they have the advantage of terrain, while we Shanyue are short of supplies and cannot defeat them. What is there to mock?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Su's expression was filled with sincerity and earnestness, and he spoke in a gentle voice, "Brother Mu Jin, this is the crux of the problem you face today. The Shanyue people are numerous, scattered across the land, unable to unite and form a powerful and effective force. On a daily basis, you have no fixed place to live, no cities or fortresses to rely on for defense, and you have long wandered through the mountains and forests, lacking supplies, and your life is extremely difficult.

I believe that you are not ruthless and evil people. You are rebelling because you have been oppressed by the government and have no other options. You have no choice but to take up arms. In the long run, although the Shanyue people are brave and fearless in order to survive, the tribe has always been unable to achieve long-term and stable development.

If you encounter incompetent officials who only know how to exploit the people, you may be able to win a few battles with your passion and gain a respite. However, if you encounter a brave and resourceful general like Sun Bofu of Jiangdong, you will be restricted in every way and face difficulties.

If Sun Bofu is given time to systematically govern and conquer the Shanyue region, I believe that no matter how numerous and brave you Shanyue people are, you will eventually be completely conquered by him and suffer a complete defeat."

Lu Su's words really hit the crux of Shanyue's current predicament, but when the Mu brothers heard it, they felt their faces burning, as if they had been slapped in public, and their hearts were filled with embarrassment.

Mu Jin's face flushed red, and he stiffened his neck as he retorted, "Hmph, don't use Sun Ce, the Little Overlord of Jiangdong, to bully us! You're just a bunch of bandits roaming the river, how dare you be compared to him? What qualifications do you have to compare yourselves to Sun Ce?"

Mu Yin also joined in, his eyes wide open and he said angrily: "That's right! Don't think you can control us by telling us a few truths. Although we Shanyue people live in the mountains, we will not be controlled or ridiculed at will!" The two of them spoke back and forth, their words were fierce, with strong resentment and dissatisfaction, as if they wanted to vent their self-esteem that was hurt by Lu Su's words.

Lu Su wore a playful smile as he watched the humiliated and nearly losing their composure Mu brothers with great interest. He then said slowly, "Oh? From the way you speak, it seems as if you know nothing about my master. Then, do you know the exact relationship between my master and this Jiangdong Overlord, Sun Ce?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the Shanyue people present looked at each other in confusion. Seeing this, Lu Su continued slowly, "To be honest, Sun Ce of Jiangdong and my lord are sworn brothers, a bond stronger than gold. When Sun Ce first established himself in Kuaiji County, the vital troops he had were generously gifted by my lord."

Upon hearing this, the Mu brothers' faces suddenly changed drastically, and they completely lost their composure. Their eyes widened, their blazing rage blazing in them. Their hands suddenly shot to their waists, and they quickly drew their weapons. Turning to face Shamoke, they anxiously shouted, "Chief! This is terrible! These people are actually enemy spies sent by the Little Overlord Sun Ce! Who would have thought they would dare to come to our camp so openly? God knows what evil intentions they harbor! Chief, there is no time to lose! Give the order and take them down swiftly, before we have any more trouble!" With that, the four of them gripped their weapons tightly, staring fiercely at Lu Su and the others, as if ready to strike at any moment.

Shamoke looked alert at this time. He stood up with a "whoosh", supported himself on the table with both hands, leaned forward, stared at Ma Chao with sharp eyes, and his tone was full of obvious questioning: "Chief Ma, what is going on? You have to give me a clear explanation!" The atmosphere in the tent froze instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on Ma Chao. A conflict seemed to be imminent.

Ma Chao, a sincere smile still plastered on his face, said calmly, "Chief Shamoke, please don't get angry. We've made our intention clear from the outset: we sincerely care about the future of the Shanyue people. We want to work together to help your tribe thrive in a stable and harmonious environment, free from the ravages of war and chaos."

Shamoko frowned and asked with a burning gaze, "If that's the case, why are you getting involved with that little tyrant Sun Ce?"

Ma Chao smiled brightly and said frankly, "I haven't concealed my identity since I arrived here. I come from the Ma family of Xiliang. While I wouldn't be so arrogant as to boast of my high reputation, if Chief Shamoke had asked around, he wouldn't have been unaware that Sun Ce and I are sworn brothers."

After hearing this, Shamoke fell into deep thought. Thinking back, Ma Chao had indeed never concealed his identity. It was just that in their perception, the Xiliang Ma family was just an ordinary military family located on the border, so they didn't pay much attention to it, and therefore didn't take Ma Chao's relationship with Sun Ce to heart.

Gan Ning's face was brimming with pride, his lips curled high as he laughed uncontrollably. "Mr. Lu told you a story about Yelang's arrogance, and you're not willing to listen! Humph, all you care about is Jiangdong, how we were beaten back by the Little Bully Sun Bofu, and how he had a strong army and horses, but you know nothing about my lord's identity."

He straightened his back, hands on his hips, his expression growing increasingly proud. "My lord controls the vast land of Xiliang, and the entire northwest is intimidated by his military might. He is a marquis personally appointed by the Han Emperor. In Xiliang and even the northwest, no one dares to disobey his orders. It's no exaggeration to say that he has the final say. Even within the Han court, my lord is a powerful and influential figure. Looking across the world, there are few who can surpass my lord in power!"

As Gan Ning spoke, he glanced at the Mu brothers, his eyes filled with disdain. "How ridiculous, you, a bunch of people who only see the world from a well, dare to speak so arrogantly, your words are full of contempt. All the Shanyue tribes have put together a force of 100,000 old and weak, and yet you dare to be so arrogant. Little do you know that my lord has a fully armored and elite Xiliang cavalry of 300,000!"

Gan Ning grew increasingly excited as he spoke, his spit flying, his triumph evident in his words. Meanwhile, the Mu brothers' faces grew increasingly pale, their panic growing as Gan Ning continued his description. At the end, their eyes widened in disbelief, their gaze flickering between Ma Chao and Gan Ning, their faces etched with disbelief.

Not only the Mu brothers, but even Shamoke was stunned. He stood there for a long moment, then gasped in amazement, his tone unconsciously tinged with awe. "Captain Ma, no, sir, we are truly flattered by your distinguished status and your presence. But I simply cannot understand what brings you here. We Shanyue are merely a group of impoverished folk living deep in the mountains, driven to desperation by the government. In the eyes of others, we are nothing more than uncivilized savages. What could possibly be so worthy of a man of your status to come to our humble tent?"

Not only the Mu brothers, but Shamoke was also stunned, frozen in place. Initially, he was skeptical of Gan Ning's description of Ma Chao's power, dismissing it as an exaggeration. But when his gaze fell on Ma Chao again, he saw the calm smile on his face. That smile was like a gentle spring breeze, radiating a reassuring power.

Shamoke stood there for a long moment, his throat rolling involuntarily as he gasped in astonishment. When he spoke again, his tone was unconsciously filled with awe, and he said respectfully, "Captain Ma, no, sir, we are truly flattered by your distinguished status and your presence in this remote village. However, we are truly puzzled as to what has brought you all this way here. We, the Shanyue, are but a group of impoverished people trapped in the mountains, long oppressed by the government. With no other options left, we rose up in rebellion. In the eyes of outsiders, we are nothing more than uncivilized savages. What could possibly have so eloquently lured a figure of your stature to personally enter our humble camp?"

Ma Chao bowed slightly, his smile growing even warmer. His eyes shone with sincerity as he said, "Chief Shamoke, please stop saying that. In my opinion, all people, regardless of their origin or origin, are Han Chinese citizens and should be treated equally. There's no need to distinguish between high and low. I've come here for no other reason than my admiration for the bravery and tenacity of the Shanyue people."

He surveyed the crowd with a piercing gaze, then continued, "The world is in chaos, with conflicting factions constantly vying for power. Although I rule Xiliang, I have always harbored a lofty ambition to uphold the Han Dynasty and restore peace and prosperity to the people of the land. You Shanyue people are all fearless and unafraid of death, possessing a fierce and unyielding spirit, much like the Xiliang cavalry under my command. If we work together, we can surely become a formidable force."