Chapter 159

Chapter 159: Ma Teng Surrenders

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 5: The Two Han Dynasties, Securing the West of the River, Chapter 159: Ma Teng Surrenders

Ma Chao originally came to secure a position for himself after surrendering, not to be treated as a gift for Qiao Yan’s meeting with Ma Teng.

However, as a prisoner defeated by Lü Bu, even if unwilling, he could only be tied up and thrown onto another spare horse.

From this normal observation angle, he realized that the horse Qiao Yan was riding only looked less striking than Red Hare because it had just entered adulthood and was covered in armor.

In fact, if it were allowed to grow fully, it would undoubtedly be a handsome and robust warhorse.

His mistaken identity was quite… laughable.

But considering that Qiao Yan, as the commander, could entrust a steed like Red Hare to her subordinates and spare no expense in crafting such military equipment, she must be a wise leader. This thought gave Ma Chao some comfort amidst his capture.

Being escorted towards Lintao, Ma Chao noticed the unusual hooves of the horses in the troop.

This made him realize that even if Bingzhou’s horses were slightly inferior to Liangzhou’s best, and the desperate Qiang people were more reckless than Bingzhou’s soldiers, in a direct confrontation, Bingzhou’s Iron Cavalry would not be outdone by Liangzhou’s forces.

Thus, pacifying Longxi County would have been inevitable even without his attempted ambush.

Thinking this, he felt somewhat better.

However, as a young and spirited general, while acknowledging his inferiority, he still wanted to argue about his treatment.

He glanced back towards Qiao Yan’s direction.

At that moment, through the obstructing banners, spears, and cavalry, and through the gaps in the crowd, Ma Chao saw the soldier who had heard his explanation that Lü Bu was the “Governor of Bingzhou” not killed in the ambush but instead lively reporting to Qiao Yan.

“…” Ma Chao’s expression froze, and he chose to look at the ground.

As long as he didn’t look in that direction, he wouldn’t know what reaction Qiao Yan would have upon hearing his reasoning!

“Pacifying the Yellow Turbans at ten was due to early growth, campaigning against the northern barbarians was because he was taller and stronger, suppressing the Qiang was because he was fierce…” Qiao Yan couldn’t help but laugh. “What on earth is that guy thinking?”

Although there were no news channels in the Han Dynasty to convey her image, hearing that Ma Chao imagined her as a towering, nine-foot-tall figure, Qiao Yan couldn’t resist looking at her own hand.

It was a hand with distinct tendons, capable of delivering strong force from wrist to fingertips, but likely far from what Ma Chao imagined.

For a moment, she considered having Zhaoji’s monthly report include her image in the miscellaneous section.

But then she thought, like using Qiang bones as fertilizer, those who truly wished to join her wouldn’t care about such absurd tales, and her enemies might even fear her more.

Thus, whether to debunk the rumors wasn’t crucial.

After commenting on Ma Chao’s unusual thought process, she noticed Xun You struggling to maintain his composure.

Qiao Yan teased, “Gongda, you said Ma Mengqi chose to target Lü Bu to avoid excessive casualties to our troops?”

Xun You coughed lightly, “I failed to adapt to local customs, a strategist’s mistake.”

Besides the earlier misjudgment about water quality, there was much to learn to be flawless under Qiao Yan’s command.

Fortunately, he could see that Qiao Yan treated this as a minor episode during the march, just a bit of fun.

After camping overnight, they finally reached Lintao City.

At their previous pace, reaching Lintao before nightfall wouldn’t have been difficult.

But according to Xun You’s analysis, they could slow down further.

From Ma Chao’s information, Ma Teng wasn’t heavily committed to fighting, unlikely to defend Lintao as an impregnable fortress against Qiao Yan.

This mindset was somewhat related to Ma Teng’s life experiences.

Unlike the renowned Ma Rong, Ma Lun, and Ma Ri of the Fufeng Ma clan, Ma Teng, though a descendant of General Ma Yuan, had little inherited glory.

Ma Teng’s father had been a captain in Tianshui but lost his position and had to live among the Qiang in Longxi, marrying a Qiang woman due to poverty.

This was rare in an era where Han people seldom intermarried with Qiang.

In his youth, Ma Teng chopped wood to support his family, undoubtedly yearning for wealth and stability.

If he could command a strong army and carve out a territory, he wouldn’t consider surrender, much like the court’s repeated failures to eradicate bandits made him prefer being a local warlord in Longxi.

But under Qiao Yan’s strong advance, he was losing his last barrier. Even without Han Sui’s tendency to betray allies, Ma Teng wouldn’t choose to join forces with Han Sui to resist the imperial army.

Thus, adding a bit more pressure was advisable.

The ambush force he sent out disappeared without a trace, like a drop of water merging into the Tao River.

Meanwhile, the force he feared showed no signs of being attacked or angered, steadily advancing slowly.

It was akin to boiling a frog in warm water.

If the frog in Lintao were someone else, they might choose to counterattack, engage in a fierce battle, or use the city’s resources to hold out for a change in the situation.

For instance, Qiao Yan exploited Han Sui and Dong Zhuo’s blind spots, reducing obstacles in her plan to attack Ma Teng.

But after the news spread, Dong Zhuo wouldn’t be pleased with her smooth progress and might cause trouble in her rear, giving the defenders a chance to counterattack.

However, it was Ma Teng in this situation.

With Ma Chao’s failed sortie and the unknown fear of further offending Qiao Yan, Ma Teng spent his days in anxiety.








He stayed up all night.

At night, he often felt like he was hallucinating, as if he could hear the sound of troops marching outside the city. However, when he walked to the top of the city wall and looked out under the cold moonlight, all he saw was the Tao River flowing outside the city, with no sign of any people.

He gritted his teeth, feeling that he couldn’t wait until Lintao was about to fall to make a decision.

By then, it would already be too late!

So when the Bingzhou army arrived at the city gates, what Qiao Yan saw was not a heavily guarded city, but Ma Teng standing alone outside the city, holding the seal of the former general, ready to welcome them.

He didn’t make the same mistake as his son by misidentifying someone. When he approached Qiao Yan, he raised the seal in his hands and said, “Ma Teng apologizes to the Lord.”

What crime did he commit?

Ma Teng himself explained, “The traitor Dong Zhuo held the Son of Heaven captive in Chang’an, usurping power and allying with Liangzhou. I, with my short-sightedness, accepted his appointment and became his colleague. Now, I have caused the Lord to march here, wasting resources and injuring soldiers. I know my sins are grave and only hope for the Lord’s forgiveness.”

Qiao Yan smiled and said, “General Ma, as a descendant of Ma Fubo, should have been a pillar of the Han Dynasty. It’s just that fate was against you. First, you encountered Geng Bi’s misrule in Liangzhou, where rebellion was hard to quell. Then, central orders came through rebels, and you only obeyed because the edict came from the hands of the Han Emperor. What crime is there in that?”

Hearing this, Ma Teng was delighted and quickly replied, “Exactly so.”

He had already prepared himself. Given Qiao Yan’s decisive nature, his surrender might not have been met with a warm reception. Yet, after killing Pang De and capturing Ma Chao, her first words were to exonerate him, which surprised Ma Teng.

But upon reflection, it wasn’t strange for Qiao Yan to say this.

Ma Teng’s actions could be seen as accepting Dong Zhuo’s overtures, but they could also be interpreted as him obeying the edict because it came from Liu Xie’s hands.

This at least meant that Ma Teng, like Qiao Yan, recognized Liu Xie as the legitimate ruler.

With this alliance, he had an extra layer of protection.

Seeing Ma Chao still intact and tied up as Qiao Yan’s trophy, rather than having lost his life in the chaos, Ma Teng breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally free from the torment of the night, he blurted out without thinking, “Does the Lord need me to persuade Han Sui to surrender?”

Qiao Yan glanced at him speechlessly, thinking it was all too clear that Ma Teng and Ma Chao were father and son.

Where did Ma Teng get the confidence to think he could persuade Han Sui to surrender?

She didn’t directly question his suggestion but instead asked, “Did Shoucheng mention to Han Sui about the Bingzhou army’s entry into Longxi?”

Ma Teng shook his head, “No.”

Qiao Yan’s sudden capture of Zhang County had been completely unexpected.

According to the news he had heard, Han Sui had recently been busy repairing the Kuiyuan Gorge pass. How could he have anticipated that Qiao Yan, who had only half-completed her farming efforts in Gaoping City, would launch a lightning strike while seemingly consolidating the Qiang people?

His plan to seek Han Sui’s help had also been put on hold.

Thus, Han Sui likely still believed that Longxi County, connected by the Tao River, was his ally, not a pathway for Qiao Yan to attack Jincheng County.

As soon as Ma Teng finished speaking, Qiao Yan’s gentle expression vanished, replaced by a cold tone, “Then there’s no need for any surrender attempts! Beigong Boyu and Wang Guo’s rebellion was chaotic and without order. Without Han Sui, the rebellion would have been quelled long ago. Former Hanyang Prefect Fu Nanrong wouldn’t have had to sacrifice his life for the country. I must kill this traitor!”

The sudden change in the Bingzhou Governor’s demeanor, along with the sight of her armored soldiers behind her, made Ma Teng realize that he shouldn’t mistake Qiao Yan’s brief kindness for gentleness.

Her decisive actions in Gaoping City, killing the Qiang people, proved that she was fully capable of leading the fierce Bingzhou army.

So much so that when her dark eyes turned to him again, Ma Teng almost shivered.

Fortunately, Qiao Yan’s next words were, “I see that Shoucheng’s son is exceptionally brave, and Shoucheng himself has the resolve to follow the royal command. Would you be willing to let him serve as my vanguard, leading the charge to break through Jincheng and Yuzhong?”

Ma Teng replied without hesitation, “Of course! If the Lord finds my son useful, let him serve as a foot soldier at your command.”

After all, Qiao Yan was attacking Han Sui, not him. Letting his son work for the Bingzhou Governor was nothing!

Ma Chao, hearing this clearly, rolled his eyes silently.

This plan to have him serve as a lowly soldier to ensure peace was all too obvious.

Fortunately, attacking Han Sui also meant he had a chance to prove himself. Perhaps he could even improve his standing by earning merit for killing Han Sui.

After being untied, he rubbed his wrists and glanced in the direction of Lü Bu and Red Hare, a fighting spirit in his eyes.

Today, he was no match for that guy, but he was fifteen years younger. Who knew what tomorrow would bring?

Qiao Yan watched the healthy competition among her subordinates with satisfaction.

She didn’t have much time to dwell on it.

After settling in Lintao City, she needed to coordinate with Jia Xu’s side while also listening to Xun You’s report on the powerful families in Longyou.

Ma Teng’s surrender had brought a wealth of information.

Although the population of Longyou was small, it was dominated by powerful families. For example, the Longxi Li family, which rose during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, was now within Longxi County. They had transitioned from a military family to a fallen noble house, yet to seize their second chance at rising.

These powerful families had a significant impact on the recruitment of Liangzhou’s army and were harder to control than the Bingzhou nobility.

If Qiao Yan had to say, she needed to solve not only the submission of Longyou’s powerful families and the Qiang rebellion but also more.

The land was almost in her hands, but the troubles were far from over.

As she listened to Xun You’s report, she thought that in the past two years, the weather had been favorable. While she was farming and stockpiling grain, she could also launch military campaigns. But historically, starting from the first year of Xingping, which was four years from now, there would be a four-year-long drought and locust plague recorded in history!

If she truly wanted to govern Bingzhou and Liangzhou, she had to prepare for this problem in advance!

Water conservancy wasn’t just about dredging rivers and building irrigation systems. It wasn’t an easy project to carry out on a large scale at the moment.

If mishandled, the conflicts in these two regions could easily undo all her previous efforts.

But she had more time to prepare than others. To avoid the tragic scenario of “drought, locusts, expensive grain, and people eating each other,” given the smaller population in Liang and Bing compared to the Central Plains, she had to take action!

Of course, before that—

First, take down Han Sui and win this campaign to quell the Liangzhou rebellion!