High Martial Arts Three Kingdoms: The Incompetent Strategist

Tang Ke was shocked and horrified. Ma Yuanyi had already recognized him.

He's been holding back until now, he must have something in mind! What exactly is he planning to do?

Ma Yuanyi's tone was full of self-mockery: "I really didn't expect that our situation would be reversed in such a short time. Two months ago I was still chasing you, but now I have become your prisoner."

Tang Ke remained silent, his mind racing as he considered how to handle the awkward situation before him, and he was even tempted to take the risk of eliminating this troublemaker.

The thought of killing him to silence him startled even himself.

Ma Yuanyi seemed to have guessed his thoughts: "You don't need to worry. If I wanted to expose your identity, I would have done so in court long ago. There's no need to wait until today."

Tang Ke asked in a hoarse voice, "What do you want?"

Ma Yuanyi shifted his body slightly, trying to sit up straighter: "I've been locked in this dark cage for too long, my mind is completely turned upside down, I don't even know what year it is?"

"March 5th." Tang Ke suddenly realized something and couldn't help but blurt out, "An uprising is about to begin."

This was the date he had set for the uprising when he was still in the Taiping Dao. This massive people's uprising was about to begin on this day.

"Indeed, the Great Teacher should have already rallied hundreds of thousands of followers across the land to rise up in rebellion. This corrupt court does not have much time left."

Ma Yuanyi's listless eyes suddenly filled with hope, even fervor.

Tang Ke sighed inwardly. As an outsider, he knew clearly the outcome of the uprising.

Throughout China's five-thousand-year history, peasant uprisings have generally had significant limitations or shortcomings. They lacked long-term goals and strategic vision, military skills, or financial support. Very few were able to establish a regime in stages, and most of them split and disappeared due to internal conflicts, let alone achieve overall success.

Although the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, the corrupt Eastern Han Dynasty still managed to survive for many years. In fact, if it weren't for the frequent internal strife, it might have lasted even longer.

Ma Yuanyi sighed with regret: "Tell me, if we had succeeded in assassinating the dog emperor that day, the court would have been leaderless, wouldn't the chances of success have been much greater? What a pity."

Tang Ke shook his head silently: "No, even if the emperor dies, there will be an heir. The Three Dukes and Nine Ministers are still here, and officials at all levels are still here, so there's no way to overturn the dynasty. The operation of the Han Dynasty cannot be driven or stopped by one person. Assassinating the emperor is a high-risk, low-reward gamble."

Ma Yuanyi lowered his head and pondered for a long time before smiling wryly and saying, "Your way of thinking always seems to be different from ours. If you were still in the Taiping Dao, this assassination might not have happened?"

Tang Ke said with certainty, "Of course, I would never use this method to alert the enemy. There are too many Taiping Dao followers, and their composition is complicated. If a problem occurs in one place, it will be traced back to the source and may even be eradicated."

“Yes! Patience is what you’ve always wanted us to do.” Ma Yuanyi looked at the torch stuck in the wall, the blazing flames casting a faint glow of blood on his pale face.

"You just asked me what I wanted to do. Actually, I didn't have anything in mind. I just wanted to talk to you."

Tang Ke's pupils contracted slightly. He took a deep breath and asked the question that had been troubling him: "Why did you suddenly betray me in the first place?"

His voice trembled slightly. This was not only his first true friend after he transmigrated, but also a partner who had gone through life and death trials with him.

Ma Yuanyi continued to stare at the flames, seemingly oblivious to his words, and did not reply.

Tang Ke quietly looked at Ma Yuanyi's face without pressing him further. Perhaps he was acting under Zhang Jiao's orders, or perhaps he wanted to start an uprising as soon as possible to avenge his family. In any case, he, who had been trying to delay the uprising, must have become an obstacle for Ma Yuanyi in some way.

After an unknown amount of time, Ma Yuanyi finally broke the silence and said in a dry voice, "It looks like I won't live to see tomorrow."

Tang Ke didn't reply. Not to mention him, given the current situation, it was uncertain whether Feng Xu and Xu Feng could even survive today.

Ma Yuanyi finally withdrew his gaze from the flames and turned to Tang Ke: "I have something I haven't finished. I hope you can help me complete it, considering our past relationship."

"Our relationship ended on Lingxiao Mountain."

Ma Yuanyi still didn't give up trying to persuade him: "Then I'll do this because I didn't implicate you in court. You know, if I had implicated you back then, you would have been dead for sure."

"Speak, what is it? As long as it doesn't go against my will, I can help you."

Tang Ke's curiosity was successfully piqued. What could have made him give up the chance to perish together with himself?

"I recently acquired a divine stone, which is incredibly mysterious. Unfortunately, I was captured before I could decipher its secrets. I hope you can help me bring it back to Jiuyuan County in Wuyuan Prefecture and deliver it to my brother."

Tang Ke frowned and said, "What is your brother's name? If I travel thousands of miles to find him, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Lü Bu".

"Lu Bu of Wuyuan?" Tang Ke couldn't help but blurt out.

"You know him?" Ma Yuanyi looked at him in surprise, then shook his head to himself: "No, he never travels far, and you've never been to Wuyuan County, so how could you know him?"

Tang Ke also realized that he had overreacted. Although Lü Bu was the number one warrior in the Three Kingdoms, he was just an unknown nobody at the moment.

"Where is your divine stone? I can bring it to you." Just for the sake of getting to know Lü Bu, Tang Ke felt that he wouldn't lose out by going there.

"In the yard of the house you bought, under the loquat tree in front of the courtyard."

Tang Ke's heart skipped a beat. It turned out that his identity had already been exposed when he went to He Jin to buy a house. It seemed that all the subsequent actions, including Dong Ruyun setting a trap for him, were planned in advance.

"Aren't you afraid I'll swallow your treasure?"

“Since you’ve agreed, you’ll never embezzle it.” Ma Yuanyi’s lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. “You’re not me; you wouldn’t do anything to betray your brothers.”

Tang Ke looked at him and said, word by word, "You are not my brother."

Ma Yuanyi laughed loudly: "Although Tang Ke is not Ma Yuanyi's brother, Ma Yuanyi is Tang Ke's brother. I knew this from the very first day I met you."

He laughed for a long time, his convulsions causing blood to seep from his wounds, and he coughed violently.

"Cough, cough, this divine stone can enhance a person's strength. If you want it, take it. I'm sorry for what I did to you this time, consider this compensation."

"No need. I have my own way of increasing my strength, so don't worry about it. Since I promised to bring him the item, I will never go back on my word."

Tang Ke turned and left the prison, and Ma Yuanyi's voice drifted back: "Ji Bu never goes back on his word, and Hou Ying keeps his promises! Ziyou, thank you."