Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Time slipped by, and news arrived from Dong Huang's forces in Longxi. Ma Yunlu, leading a female guard, finally arrived in Longxi, escorting Ma Chao's mother. All the female guards were wounded. Ma Dai's personal guards, sent to escort the troops, were nearly wiped out. Ma Yunlu reported that there seemed to be renewed movement among the foreign tribes. Through Dong Huang's communication with Cheliji, King of the Western Qiang, news reached Chang'an that the Di people, who bordered the Western Qiang, were poised for another rebellion.

The dusk was blood-red, and the atmosphere in the Chang'an meeting hall was heavy as lead. The flickering flame of the tallow candles cast a crimson glow on the map of Longxi. Ma Chao's knuckles turned white as he gripped the desk, veins bulging. His gaze, like a torch, stared intently at the word "Longxi" on the map, as if he wanted to see through it.

"How dare the Di people be so rampant!" Ma Chao stood up suddenly, unsheathed his sword, and with a flash of cold light, he chopped it heavily on the pillar next to the map, sending wood chips flying. "My Xiliang cavalry hasn't moved, but these jumping clowns think they can do whatever they want!" He turned and looked at the counselors in the hall, his eyes full of murderous intent.

Jia Xu coughed lightly, stepped forward, and pointed his bony finger at the spot on the map where the Di people were entrenched. "Your Majesty, calm down. The Di people have been entrenched in Longyou for a long time, and this rebellion is probably not a sudden one. Xiliang and Xiqiang have formed an alliance. If the Di people succeed, they can not only plunder food and people, but also cut off our army's connection with Xiqiang. Their intentions are sinister."

Xu Shu waved his feather fan and pondered, "The most urgent task now is to stabilize the situation in Longxi. Although Ma Yunlu has protected the old lady well, the female guards and Ma Dai's personal guards have suffered heavy casualties, leaving Longxi defenses unprotected. We can first order Dong Huang to draw troops from the surrounding areas to strengthen Longxi's defenses. At the same time, we can send people to appease the Western Qiang and consolidate the alliance to prevent the Di people from alienating us."

Li Ru's sleeves fluttered as he stroked the jade token and sneered, "Xu Yuanzhi is absolutely right. However, passive defense alone is not enough to deter the Di people. Our army must take the initiative to attack, only then can we demonstrate our military might. We can send a fierce general to lead elite cavalry to attack the Di people's lair, blunt their edge with a thunderous force, and then talk about pacification. This is the best strategy."

Ma Chao frowned, pondering for a moment before suddenly drawing his sword and pointing it at the map. "Alright! Let's do as you say. Xu Huang is both loyal and brave, and he's familiar with the terrain of Xiliang. Send him as vanguard, leading 5,000 cavalry and setting out immediately. We must nip the Di rebellion in the bud!" He paused, a fierce look flashing in his eyes. "Tell Xu Huang that if the Di people don't surrender, their tribe will be razed to the ground!"

Jia Xu nodded slightly and added, "Your Majesty, the Di people are adept at mountain warfare. We must not underestimate them. Order Xu Huang to divide his forces into three groups: one for a feint attack head-on, and two for a flanking attack to cut off their retreat. At the same time, we must be vigilant against other foreign tribes taking advantage of the chaos. Have Ma Dai station secret sentries within Xiliang territory to maintain close surveillance."

Ma Chao nodded and turned his gaze to Xu Shu. "Yuanzhi, I'll leave the matter of contacting the Western Qiang to you. Bring a generous gift and go to my brother Cheliji to express our determination to suppress the rebellion and request his assistance. This time, I will exterminate their clan and their entire race."

Xu Shu bowed and accepted the order: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will definitely live up to your trust."

Li Ru stepped forward and warned, "Your Majesty, this Di people rebellion may be caused by a hidden hand. We cannot rule out the possibility that other forces are secretly colluding with the Di people to disrupt our Xiliang foundation. We should send spies to investigate the movements of all parties, especially paying attention to Hanzhong and Yizhou, to prevent Liu Zhang and others from taking advantage of the situation."

Ma Chao's expression froze. He said in a deep voice, "Sir, you are absolutely right. Immediately dispatch secret guards to closely monitor the surrounding forces. If anyone makes any unusual movement, they will be killed without mercy!" He gripped his sword tightly and looked around at the crowd. "How can we allow others to trample upon our Xiliang cavalry? This time, we must teach the Di people the price of offending Xiliang!"

In the conference room, everyone responded in unison. Under the candlelight, Ma Chao's eyes were firm, as if he had foreseen that a bloody battle to quell the rebellion was about to begin, and the land of Xiliang would be plunged into bloodshed again.

As dusk fell over the Long Mountains, Xu Huang's five thousand Western Liang cavalrymen galloped across the gravel. The night wind carried the clatter of hooves across the river valley. Xu Shu leaned against his horse, tapping the word "Tianshui" on a map with his feather fan. Suddenly, a scout ahead called out, "Military Advisor! The Western Qiang King's envoy is blocking our way!"

Amidst the swirling yellow sand, a knight clad in animal skins stumbled and fell from his horse. The blood from his arrow wound had already formed a black scab. "Jie... surprise attack!" He clutched the corner of Xu Shu's clothes, a deathly roar rising from his throat. "The royal court is in danger. Cheliji asks... asks Xiliang..." Before he could finish his words, the knight collapsed to the ground, the bloodstained wolf-head token in his hand rolling to Xu Shu's feet.

"Hold!" Xu Huang abruptly pulled the reins, his iron spear pointed toward the northwest sky. Smoke billowed from the distant horizon, the direction of the Western Qiang royal court. Xu Shu bent down to pick up the token, his fan trembling slightly. "The Jie people are entrenched in the Hetao region, so why would they suddenly move south? There must be something fishy going on!"

The night wind carried the faint cries of battle, as if thousands of troops were galloping across the grasslands. Xu Shu acted decisively, ripping the hem of his shirt to wrap the token and thrusting it into the hands of his personal guards. "Ride quickly back to Chang'an! Tell the king that the Jie rebellion is by no means isolated. The simultaneous movements of the Di and Jie must be the product of a secret conspiracy!" He turned to Xu Huang, his gaze piercing. "General Gongming, temporarily station the army in the Qingshui River Valley and establish a defensive line! Immediately dispatch scouts to investigate the key roads between Wudu and Yinping to prevent the Di from exploiting the situation and advancing eastward!"

Five days later, candles exploded in the Chang'an meeting hall. A messenger slammed a bloodstained letter onto the table: "Military Advisor Xu, urgent report! The Jie tribe has launched a surprise attack on the Western Qiang, and this, along with the Di rebellion, may be part of a coordinated conspiracy!"

Ma Chao suddenly stood up, his black cloak sweeping off the bamboo slips. "Cheriji's Western Qiang army is fighting the Jie people, and the Di people have no help to suppress their rebellion!" His eyes swept across the red marks that lit up one after another on the map like a hawk, and he poked his finger hard at the Western Liang border. "Mr. Li Ru, the simultaneous rebellion of these alien races is no coincidence!"

Li Ru's wide sleeves brushed across the intersecting mountain ranges on the map, his frosted white temples gleaming coldly in the candlelight. "Your Majesty, be advised. The Jie and Di, thousands of miles apart, rose up simultaneously. This must be a conspiracy. We must be even more vigilant—if our army moves eastward to quell the rebellion, the heartland of Western Liang will be left empty, and other forces may exploit this vulnerability." His bony fingers suddenly stopped at the "Jincheng" fortress. "This place is the throat of the Western Qiang and Western Liang. If we lose it, the situation will be disastrous."

Jia Xu coughed violently a few times, his cloudy eyes staring at the war mark on the parchment scroll. "The most urgent task is to recall Xu Huang's army. The Jie and Di tribes must have powerful reinforcements behind them. If our army is divided and fights, it will play into the enemy's hands."

"Recall the army?" Ma Chao's sword-gripping hand bulged with veins. "What about the safety of my mother and the people of Longxi?"

Xu Shu suddenly slammed his feather fan down on the map. "Order Xu Huang to temporarily station himself in Tianshui and establish a defensive line!" He swept the fan blade across Wudu and Yinping. "This area is rugged and mountainous, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. General Xu Huang can use the terrain to slow the Di people's eastward advance. At the same time, send light cavalry to aid the Western Qiang and help Cheliji stabilize the situation."

Li Ru clapped his hands and sneered, "A great strategy of using stillness to control movement! But Xu Huang alone isn't enough to deter the enemy." He turned and grabbed the command arrow from the desk. "Send a message to Ma Dai, Pang De, and Pang Rou: Ma Dai will defend the heartland of Xiliang to the death. Pang De will lead his troops to aid Tianshui. Pang Rou will command the Eastern Qiang army to guard the Hexi Corridor. If any foreign tribes make any unusual movements, attack immediately, without even asking for orders!"

Ma Chao pondered for a moment, then suddenly tore open the collar of his cloak, revealing hideous battle scars. "You are all quite right. But I want to let the mastermind know that even though the Western Liang Iron Cavalry has been divided, they still hang like a sharp sword over their heads!" He grabbed a cinnabar pen and drew bloody marks next to the Jie and Di tribes on the map. "Send a message to Xu Huang: While setting up defenses, send troops to infiltrate the tribes and find out who is stirring up trouble! If we can capture the leader, no further questions asked, just behead him on the spot!"

Outside the meeting hall, dusk deepened, and a chill wind whipped dust against the window frames. Ma Chao gazed at the battle flags dotted across the map and whispered, "Whoever is plotting this, I will make him pay for his ambitions with blood!" As the command arrow soared through the air, the clatter of hurried horse hooves echoed once more outside Chang'an City. A fierce battle, crucial to the survival of Xiliang, had begun.

At midnight, the sound of the night watch drum pierced the silence of Chang'an. Ma Chao dismissed his guards and stood alone under the eaves of his study, gazing at the waning moon in the sky, his brow knitted into a knot. Suddenly, he heard the rustle of a robe. Li Ru's broad sleeve brushed across the threshold, the bronze lamp in his hand casting their shadows on the mottled brick wall, like trapped beasts.

"Sir, I have made up my mind." Ma Chao turned around abruptly, and the sword at his waist made a clear sound. "If the Di and Jie rebellion is not quelled soon, the tribes in Xiliang will surely become disloyal. I will personally lead the cavalry to crush the rebels' nest!" Before he finished speaking, a corner of the sheepskin map on the table was lifted up by the strong wind, revealing the dense red markings of Longxi.

Li Ru slammed the lamp down on the desk, and the flames suddenly grew. "Your Majesty, do you understand that if you leave Chang'an now, you'll be exposing your territory to the enemy?" He traced a bony finger across the map towards Xuchang and Jizhou. "Cao Cao holds the emperor hostage to command the princes, and Yuan Shao is eyeing northern Ji. If he hears of civil unrest in Xiliang and you personally lead the army, he'll undoubtedly march west. If Chang'an is in danger, will you return to aid, or continue to suppress the rebellion?"

Ma Chao's pupils shrank slightly, and his grip on his sword slowly loosened and tightened. The candlelight cast a shadow on his angular face, intensifying the anxiety in his eyes. "But my mother is still in Longxi, and the people are suffering from the war!" His voice was a suppressed growl. "How can I be worthy of the soldiers and people of Xiliang if I sit back and do nothing?"

"It is precisely for Xiliang that we must stabilize Chang'an." Li Ru suddenly lifted his wide sleeves, revealing a secret letter hidden within. The handwriting glowed dark red in the firelight. "Scouts report that Liu Biao of Jingzhou has exchanged envoys with Sun Quan of Jiangdong. However, the envoys sent by each party have not yet returned. I wonder what the princes of Guandong are planning. They appear to be fighting on their own, but in reality, they are all waiting for a chance—for you to leave Chang'an, for Xiliang's defenses to weaken."

A sudden gust of wind blew outside the window, sweeping up dead leaves and hurling them against the window frame. Ma Chao stared at the flickering candlelight and thought of the corner of the table he had cut off in the meeting room the day before. After a long silence, he suddenly slammed his fist on the table, sending lamp oil splattering everywhere. "What do you think, sir?"

"Hold your troops still, and use stillness to counter movement." Li Ru dropped the secret letter into the copper furnace, and the flames instantly devoured the paper. "Xu Huang will hold Tianshui, and Pang De will rush to Longxi to support. With these two generals, the Di and Jie rebellions will be in vain. Once Xu Shu has uncovered the mastermind behind this, we will strike with lightning speed. As for you, sitting in Chang'an, you will be the sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of the princes in Guandong."

Ma Chao took a deep breath and slowly untied his cloak. Moonlight filtered through the window panes, casting a chilling light on the silver armor on his shoulders. "Alright! As you say, sir." He turned and squeezed Li Ru's hand, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. "But if Longxi is lost, I will make sure everyone knows the price of offending Xiliang!"

As the night watch sounded, their figures gradually overlapped in the moonlight. The faint sound of the night watch drum could be heard in the distance, but it could not disturb the turbulent undercurrent hidden in the deep night of Chang'an.