Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Li Ru personally led Ma Chao to the barracks and assembled a thousand cavalrymen for him. These were recent additions to the Flying Bear Army, newly arrived after Dong Zhuo formed it. Although they had only undergone basic training and had yet to experience actual combat, Ma Chao didn't dwell on it. He held immense confidence in cavalry combat. While these thousand cavalrymen didn't appear to be an elite force, with many appearing somewhat immature, their weapons and armor were neatly arranged. Furthermore, these young men possessed a strong drive and a strong sense of obedience. Ma Chao believed that after one or two battles, if they could survive, they would surely become truly elite cavalrymen. Ma Chao was convinced that he could lead these cavalrymen to great prowess on the battlefield, and his confidence was evident.

Dong Zhuo was officially appointed and given full responsibility for responding to the rebellion of Han Sui and the Eastern Qiang. Li Ru offered him six strategies for quelling the rebellion, which Dong Zhuo adopted and quickly implemented.

First, divide the troops to encircle and suppress. Dong Zhuo dispatched Li Jue and Guo Si to lead the Feixiong Army and other elite troops to encircle and suppress Han Sui's rebels from different directions, making it difficult for the rebels to resist.

Second, lure the enemy deep into the city. Zhang Ji led his troops to feign weakness, luring Han Sui's rebels into a carefully arranged encirclement, and then waited for the right time to capture them all.

Third, wait for the enemy to tire themselves out. Xu Rong led his troops to hold key strongholds, patiently waiting for the rebels to tire or show a vulnerability before delivering a fatal blow.

Fourth, the strategy of sowing discord. The resourceful Li Ru skillfully used the strategy of sowing discord to try to alienate Han Sui from the other rebel generals, causing internal conflicts and disputes.

Fifth, using both kindness and force. Dong Zhuo personally took action and used both kindness and force against some potentially shaky rebel forces, either to make them surrender or to reduce their resistance.

Sixth, cut off the supply. The brave Hua Xiong led his troops to destroy the rebels' supply lines, thus cutting off their supplies and gradually reducing their combat effectiveness.

--split line--

Of course, these had nothing to do with Ma Chao. Ma Chao borrowed a thousand soldiers and imitated Huo Qubing's blitzkrieg. He did not bring much baggage and food and directly attacked Beidi County. Beidi County was Yang Qiu's territory. Ma Chao guessed that Yang Qiu had taken a large army to meet Han Sui, and Beidi County was underdefensible.

Ma Chao led a thousand elite soldiers and horses, galloping non-stop towards Beidi County. They marched along the steep mountain roads, trying their best to avoid being discovered.

As Ma Chao's troops approached Beidi County, he observed that the defenders on the city walls, while alert, were indeed outnumbered. Ma Chao devised a plan: he selected some clever soldiers and had them dress up as ordinary civilians, pretending to be refugees from other places.

These fake civilians pushed a few dilapidated carts piled with seemingly messy items to conceal their true identities. They arrived at the city gate, pretending to be panicked and shouting, claiming that they were affected by the war and hoped to take refuge in the city.

The defenders on the city wall hesitated when they saw these "civilians", but they still lowered the drawbridge and prepared to inquire about the situation. At this moment, Ma Chao saw the opportunity and gave an order. The soldiers pretending to be civilians suddenly drew their hidden weapons and joined forces with Ma Chao's troops who had been prepared.

Ma Chao led the charge into the city, his soldiers charging at the unsuspecting defenders like a tiger descending from a mountain. The defenders were caught off guard by the sudden attack and instantly fell into chaos. With their swift and fierce attack, Ma Chao's troops quickly broke through the city defenses and took control of Beidi County.

In the chaos, the small number of garrisons Yang Qiu left in Beidi County were unable to withstand Ma Chao's cavalry and fled in defeat. Ma Chao successfully captured Beidi County at lightning speed, laying a solid foundation for his subsequent operations.

Zhang Xiu frowned, still somewhat unwilling, but under Ma Chao's resolute gaze, he finally compromised. He knew that Ma Chao was right, and Liang Province could not afford any more internal friction.

After Ma Chao occupied Beidi County, Zhang Xiu was about to order his men to burn, kill, and loot. Ma Chao quickly stopped him, leaving Zhang Xiu puzzled.

Ma Chao said, "Liang Province is vast and sparsely populated, and every person is valuable. We cannot waste our forces on Liang Province due to internal fighting among warlords. Now that we have occupied Beidi County, our top priority is to stabilize the situation, not to create chaos. We cannot continue to engage in burning, killing, and looting. This will only disappoint the people and further confuse the situation in Liang Province."

Zhang Xiu frowned, still somewhat unwilling, but under Ma Chao's resolute gaze, he finally compromised. He knew that Ma Chao was right, and Liang Province could not afford any more internal friction.

Ma Chao continued, "We must live in harmony with the people and let them see our sincerity. Only in this way can we gain the support of the people of Liang Province and consolidate our power."

Zhang Xiu nodded. He understood Ma Chao's foresight and knew that compromise at this moment was for the sake of a better future. The fate of Liang Province needed to be protected by everyone, not achieved through violence and plunder.

The moment the city was breached, the people of Beidi County were filled with despair and fear. For years, Liang Province had suffered from unrest, whether from invasions by foreign tribes or the infighting between local generals. The people of this land seemed long accustomed to being ignored and forgotten, their lives perpetually mired in dire straits.

However, this time was different. Ma Chao's arrival brought them an unexpected surprise. The notices he posted to reassure the people were like a ray of warm sunshine, illuminating the darkened hearts of the people. He opened the treasury and distributed all supplies, except for military equipment and supplies, to the people. This gesture left the people in a state of reverie. They could not believe that this general would care so much about their suffering.

But before the people could fully recover from their shock, Ma Chao and his cavalry rushed off to the next battlefield. His figure quickly disappeared into the distance, leaving the people standing there, their hearts filled with emotion and admiration. They knew that Ma Chao was a general who truly cared about the people, and his presence might bring new hope to Liang Province.

Meanwhile, Yang Qiu's scattered soldiers and generals gradually returned to Beidi County. They were surprised to find that not only was the city intact, without any damage, but the civilians were also safe and unharmed. Only some supplies had been lost in the incident. Seeing this, the leading general was shocked and puzzled. Without delay, he immediately reported the incident to Yang Qiu.

Upon hearing this news, Yang Qiu was filled with shock and confusion. He had assumed that upon conquering Beidi County, Ma Chao would wreak havoc and slaughter, venting his hatred. After all, in these chaotic times, such was the common tendency of warlords. However, he was surprised to find that Ma Chao not only did not harm the people, but also posted notices to reassure the people and opened the treasury to distribute supplies. This was completely unexpected.

Yang Qiu began to reflect on his past actions. He had also burned, killed, and looted in other places, treating the people like dirt. Yet, Ma Chao, an enemy general, treated the people of his own territory so kindly, a feeling of deep shame. He asked himself, was he truly a qualified leader? He couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Ma Chao, but also a deep sense of remorse for his own actions.

Yang Qiu pondered this, feeling a mixture of emotions. He was baffled by Ma Chao's actions, and he couldn't understand why he did them. Was he just posturing, or did he truly care about the people? Regardless, Ma Chao's actions made him rethink his opponent and lead him to a deeper reflection on himself.

Yang Qiu reconfirmed this with the chief commander and the people of Beidi County. Hearing Ma Chao's words to the people deeply moved him. Yang Qiu felt a mixture of emotions, a whirlwind of emotions. The thought of an enemy commander caring for the people of his own territory humbled him, and he was deeply impressed by Ma Chao's generosity. He realized that Ma Chao possessed extraordinary generosity and noble character, qualities he could never match.

Yang Qiu thought to himself that although Beidi County was conquered by Ma Chao, it did not actually suffer too much loss. If the news of the defeat was revealed to Han Sui, he would only become a laughing stock in the alliance and be ridiculed.

With this thought in mind, Yang Qiu silently made a decision. He resolved that if he could capture Wuwei this time, he would spare Ma Chao's family at all costs. Yang Qiu felt that Ma Chao's treatment of the people of his territory necessitated a return of favor. Despite their hostile stance, he was deeply moved by Ma Chao's actions, and decided to repay Ma Chao in this way, a way to repay the favor.

Yang Qiu felt mixed emotions. He was impressed by Ma Chao's broad-mindedness and magnanimity, and at the same time, he had new thoughts about his role in this battle.