Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms
Chapter 891: The flames of war rage on
A gloomy haze enveloped the land of Longyou. The Jie and Di peoples, two separate factions, simultaneously launched a wave of rebellion. Amidst the vast mountains, shouts of killing shook the heavens, the clatter of horses' hooves thundered, and billowing clouds of dust obscured the sky. A bloody storm had begun.
The Di people had long occupied the Longyou mountains, familiar with the terrain and adept at using it for warfare. When they raised their banner of rebellion, the tribes hidden in the valleys responded like dormant venomous snakes suddenly baring their fangs. They raided the border checkpoints of Xiliang, seizing food and supplies and slaughtering the guards. Their path left devastated. Countless civilians were displaced, their cries echoing through the valleys, heartbreaking.
The Jie tribes roared southward from the Hetao region, like a black torrent. Riding swift warhorses and wielding sharp scimitars, they descended upon the Western Qiang royal court with unstoppable force. The Western Qiang were caught off guard, and their border defenses were quickly breached. The Jie's iron hooves shattered the tranquility of the grasslands, blazing fires engulfed the Western Qiang's tents, and blood stained the clear rivers red. The Western Qiang King, Cheliji, hastily responded to the attack, leading his people to a fierce resistance. However, the Jie's formidable force forced the Western Qiang into a bitter struggle, leaving them in a precarious position.
News spread like wildfire throughout Western Liang. Inside Chang'an, Ma Chao slammed the table and stood up, his eyes wide with rage, eyes blazing with fire. The simultaneous rebellion of the Jie and Di tribes was no accident; a dark hand was surely behind this, intent on overthrowing the very foundations of Western Liang. Meanwhile, in Longxi, Ma Yunlu had arrived to escort his mother, but the female guard was injured, and Ma Dai's personal guards were nearly annihilated, leaving the defenses vulnerable and the situation dire.
The Xiliang cavalry prepared for battle, but a greater crisis loomed like a dark cloud over the land. If Ma Chao mobilized his forces to suppress the rebellion, Chang'an would be left empty-handed, and the warlords from Guandong would likely exploit the situation. In the council chamber, Ma Chao debated fiercely with his advisors, the atmosphere reaching peak tension. Should they prioritize securing Chang'an or dispatch troops immediately to quell the rebellion? Every decision hinged on the fate of Xiliang.
The Jiedi rebellion, like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, stirs up a thousand waves. Undercurrents surge among various factions, each awaiting a change in the situation, waiting for an opportunity to strike. The land of Xiliang is about to be swept by an unprecedented storm, and Ma Chao and his Xiliang cavalry will face the most severe test. Can they turn the tide and protect this land and its people?
The sound of a clapper from the walls of Chang'an shattered the deathly silence. A blood-soaked scout burst open the door to the meeting hall, slamming a blood-stained battle report onto the table: "Urgent news from the Eastern Qiang! Mi Dang leads a surprise attack by the steppe barbarians. General Pang Rou is leading the Ehe and Shaoge tribes in a desperate battle!"
Ma Chao's wine cup shattered, dark red wine splattering across the map like blood. "Mi Dang!" a low growl escaped his throat, the image of him personally beheading Mi Dang's father, Mi Tang, years ago flashing before his eyes. "I should have eradicated the root of the problem back then!" Before anyone could say anything, another messenger stumbled in: "Urgent news from Bingzhou! The Xiongnu Huchuquan has gathered their forces in rebellion. Yanmen Pass has been breached, and refugees are pouring in!" The warmth of the new battle report fell to the ground, and the candlelight in the conference room flickered.
Jia Xu coughed violently, holding onto a pillar. His bony fingers trembled as he traced the blood-red markings on the map. "Eastern Qiang, Bingzhou, Jiedi... rebellions are breaking out simultaneously in these three places. This is a vicious plot to hollow out the heartland of Western Liang!"
Li Ru's wide sleeves swept across the trembling bamboo slips, and the jade tablets collided with a cold sound. "We must divide our forces immediately! Order Pang De to abandon Longxi and head to Dongqiang, and Xu Huang to rush to Bingzhou to provide assistance!"
"No!" Ma Chao suddenly drew out his sword, and the cold light split the stagnant air. "The Di and Jie have not been pacified yet. If we divide our troops into Dongqiang and Bingzhou, the heartland of Xiliang will become an empty city! It is obvious that the enemy has calculated the loopholes in our defense line and wants to trap us in a desperate situation where we can't take care of both ends!" The sword blade slashed heavily on the word "Jincheng", and the sound of tearing silk cloth startled the crows on the beams.
Xu Shu fanned himself and pondered, "We can have Pang De pretend to advance eastward and set up an ambush along the way; while Xu Huang secretly gathers troops under the guise of pacifying the refugees..."
"It's too late!" Ma Chao suddenly smashed the tiger talisman against the table, shaking the bronze candlestick violently. "Didn't you see clearly? The enemy doesn't want a city or a piece of land, but to force Xiliang to split its forces! Once our defenses are broken, they will surely take Chang'an!" He tore open his cloak, revealing the hideous old wounds beneath his armor. "I've made up my mind - I will personally lead the army back to aid Xiliang. Chang'an is in your hands. If anything goes wrong..."
Li Ru stepped forward quickly, his wide sleeves blocking Ma Chao's way. "If Your Majesty leaves Chang'an, the princes of Guandong will seize the opportunity to advance westward! Only by holding the center can we achieve a decisive victory!"
"Hold on?" Ma Chao sneered, murderous intent swirling in his eyes. "Once Xiliang falls, Chang'an will be a desolate city! Pass the word down! Within three days, I want one hundred thousand cavalry ready to march!" Outside the meeting room, the morning mist drifted in with a chill, the candlelight casting a Shura-like shadow on his tense profile. This shocking conspiracy, aimed squarely at Xiliang's lifeblood, had finally forced Ma Chao into a desperate battle.
Li Ru stepped quickly in front of Ma Chao, his wide sleeves like a curtain covering the flying bamboo slips on the desk. "Your Majesty! Leaving Chang'an now would mean handing our throats to the enemy!" He pointed a pale finger at the map in the direction of Xuchang and Jizhou. "Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are watching covetously. If they see you personally marching on Xiliang, they will surely march westward. Chang'an will then be in imminent danger!"
Jia Xu coughed violently, clutching the edge of the table. His cloudy eyes reflected the flickering candlelight. "Li Ru is absolutely right. The envoys from Gongsun Zan in Youzhou and Cao Cao in Xuchang haven't returned yet. If we can ascertain the movements of the various princes, we might be able to leverage their power to counter them. Sending troops rashly would only lead to the enemy's 'luring the tiger away from its mountain retreat.'"
Ma Chao's sword grip bulged with veins. The blade was barely unsheathed, its cold gleam piercing everyone's pupils, causing them to shrink. "Wait? Wait for Xiliang to be trampled into ruins?" He fiercely kicked over the stool at his feet, sending wood chips flying. His suppressed rage threatened to burst through his chest. "My mother is still in Longxi, while war rages across Dongqiang and Bingzhou. As the ruler of Xiliang, am I to sit idly by and watch the people suffer?"
Xu Shu stepped forward quickly, lightly pressing his feather fan against Ma Chao's sword-gripping wrist. "Your Majesty, Han Xin endured the humiliation of being kicked in the crotch, yet ultimately became a military genius. For now, we must endure this for now. Wait for the envoy to bring back news. Perhaps we can find a way out." He swept his fan across the intricate distribution of forces on the map. "If we can reach an alliance with Cao Cao, or dismantle Yuan Shao's alliance with foreign tribes, the situation may turn around."
Li Ru said, "If we can take advantage of the conflicts among the princes and use Chang'an as bait to set up a chess game, we can not only stabilize Guandong, but also secretly transfer troops to support Xiliang."
Ma Chao panted heavily, his knuckles denting the hilt of his sword. The chamber was as still as a grave, the only sound being the crackling of a candle wick. After a long pause, he slammed his scabbard against a pillar, shaking off the dust that had accumulated on the beams. "Alright! Wait three more days! But if the envoys are insincere..." As he turned, the gust of wind from his cloak flipped over a half-rolled war report on the table. "I will make sure everyone knows the price of offending Xiliang!"
Outside the window, dark clouds blocked the moonlight, and a bigger storm was brewing in the darkness.
Three days later, on the Chang'an city walls, the morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the dark banners of Cao Cao's envoys had already pierced the gloom. When the bronze seal, engraved with the Han court's Vermillion Bird pattern, was presented to the desk, Jia Xu twirled his beard and sneered, "Cao Mengde is trying to save both substance and appearance—honoring the emperor in name only, while in reality he's tying the king to his chariot."
Ma Chao gripped the bamboo slips of the treaty, his knuckles white from the strain. The words "Follow the Emperor's righteous order" on the parchment scroll pierced his eyes, picturing Cao Cao and Wang Yun hastily abandoning Chang'an and escorting the Emperor to Xudu. But then, thinking of the raging war in Longxi and the men threatening Guandong, he suddenly threw the slips into the brazier, the flames instantly engulfing the ink. "Alright! Do as Cao Mengde says! But we, the Xiliang cavalry, only defend our borders and stay out of the court!"
Late spring in Chang'an was shrouded in dust, and the wind tinkled the bronze bells outside the meeting hall. As the black banners of the Youzhou envoys pierced the twilight, Ma Chao tossed blood-stained battle reports into the brazier, the dancing flames illuminating the murderous intent surging in his eyes.
"Report! The Youzhou envoy requests an audience!"
Jia Xu coughed lightly, and his skinny fingers ran across the secret letter on the table: "Your Majesty, I have arranged for someone to meet you."
Before he finished speaking, another scout stumbled in: "The envoy refuses to see anyone! He threatens to return to Youzhou immediately unless the king personally meets him!"
Ma Chao stood up suddenly, his black cloak sweeping off the bamboo slips on the table: "What a Gongsun Bogui! He's still putting on airs in times of crisis!" In the cold light of his unsheathed sword, he remembered Gongsun Zan's heroic figure riding a horse and holding his spear at Hulao Pass a few years ago. Now he had become a bargaining chip for blackmail.
Dusk deepened, the meeting hall ablaze with candlelight. As the gilded candlesticks illuminated the visitor's face, Ma Chao's grip on his sword suddenly loosened. A slender figure clad in white armor, Gongsun's pale face still stained with frost and snow from the Great Wall, a faint trace of blood scabs visible among her long black hair, held together by a jade hairpin.
"What do you mean, Miss Gongsun?" Ma Chao said solemnly, "At this critical moment for Youzhou's survival, putting on airs won't save your father."
Gongsun suddenly knelt on one knee, her black armor making a clear sound when it hit the ground: "Uncle Master! Youzhou has been surrounded by Yuan Shao, and suddenly I received a secret letter from you saying 'We will take Bingzhou together'..." When she raised her head, the flickering candlelight reflected in her eyes, "The Xiongnu leader Huchuquan is burning, killing, and looting in Bingzhou. My father asked you if the Youzhou cavalry will be stopped from advancing westward?"
The hall was as silent as a grave. Li Ru's caressing of the jade tablet came to an abrupt halt, while Xu Shu's feather fan hung suspended in mid-air. Ma Chao stared at the half-rolled, tattered map at Gongsun's waist. The Xiongnu camps marked with cinnabar still stained with fresh blood.
"Get up." Ma Chao suddenly stepped forward, and the sound of armor colliding startled the returning birds under the eaves. He grabbed Gongsun's wrist and pulled her up. The warmth of his palm came through the cold armor, "Miss Gongsun, the war between the princes in the Central Plains is a family affair, but the invasion of foreign races is a national hatred!"
The bronze candlestick suddenly burst into flames, illuminating the flames surging in Ma Chao's eyes. He grabbed the tiger talisman on the table and slammed it heavily on the word "Bingzhou" on the map, causing the bamboo slips to tumble off. "Quickly send someone back to Youzhou to tell my brother that if Bingzhou is recaptured, it will become the fief of the Gongsun family! I, Ma Chao, am willing to plead for my brother in the court and achieve this unprecedented feat!"
Gongsun looked at the "ferocious" uncle-master whom she despised, and suddenly remembered that when the late emperor was alive, he was the late emperor's concubine. At that time, she only thought that Ma Chao was full of hostility, but now, in his scarlet eyes, she saw a sincerity that was hotter than the snowy plains of Youzhou.
Outside Chang'an, the north wind whipped up a cloud of yellow sand. Ma Chao gazed at the departing envoy, the dragon pattern on his sword gleaming coldly in the twilight. The two treaties presented both a turning point and a shackle, but if it meant driving the foreigners from the borderlands, he would risk everything. After all, in his heart, beneath the bright moon beyond the Great Wall, blood burned ever hotter than political scheming.
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