Chương 386: Ma Teng Surrenders, the Western Expedition Ends

His hand trembled, and the steel knife fell to the ground with a clang.

The generals inside the tent were all in a panic, and chaos ensued.

Only his young son, Ma Chao, stepped forward, gripped the hilt of his sword, and roared:

"Father! What are you afraid of! I'll lead the brothers out of the city and fight them! I refuse to believe they're made of iron!"

Ma Teng shook his head, his face full of exhaustion.

He knew all too well that Han Sui's forces outnumbered his own and would be completely annihilated in a single day.

My meager savings are barely enough to fill someone else's teeth.

Moreover, Xu Da and Qin Qiong have now completely surrounded his city, and siege weapons have been set up under the city walls.

Even the grain supply lines were cut off by Li Ji.

The Qiang and Hu tribes below had already accepted the benefits and were staying indoors.

No one will come to save him.

Just as he was in a state of utter confusion, news came from below the city gate: Li Ji rode alone to the city walls, wanting to see him.

Ma Teng ordered the city gates opened and invited Li Ji in.

Li Ji didn't beat around the bush and laid out a clear path for him:

"General Ma, you have witnessed Han Sui's fate. You know the current situation better than I do. If you fight, you can't win; if you run, Liangzhou is only so big, you can't escape; if you defend, the food in your city won't last for more than a few months."

He paused, then softened his tone and said:

"My lord said you're a true man. If you surrender the city, he'll guarantee your family's safety, give you a sinecure, and ensure you a lifetime of wealth and honor."

He looked into Ma Teng's eyes and said:

"But if you insist on fighting head-on, once the city falls, your entire family will be doomed. The choice is yours."

Ma Teng remained silent for the duration of an incense stick burning.

He looked up at the spirited young Ma Chao outside the tent, then at his trembling family members beside him.

Finally, he let out a long sigh, waved his hand, and said:

"Open the gates and surrender."

...

Xu Da's army entered the city, maintaining strict discipline and committing no offenses against the people.

Xu Da plunged into the government office, pacified the people, and opened the granaries to distribute grain.

..................

On the way back to Luoyang in triumph, Xu Da, riding his horse, muttered to Li Ji beside him:

"In this campaign, we suffered fewer than three hundred casualties and yet captured the entire Liangzhou. Our lord will surely be pleased to know this."

Li Ji looked at the scenery by the roadside and smiled easily, saying:

"Of course. It's not that we're so great, it's just that Ma Teng and Han Sui are rotten to the core. Their brotherhood is just a facade; how can it withstand our provocations?"

He paused, a slight smile playing at the corners of his lips:

"To put it bluntly, we just went with the flow and gave them a helping hand."

In the distance, the city walls of Chang'an can already be seen.

...

...

...

The Prince of Yan's Mansion in Luoyang.

Liu Ce was sitting in his study, looking through the reports of victory sent from all over the country.

Yanzhou surrendered. Yuzhou surrendered. Xuzhou surrendered. Qingzhou was pacified. Liangzhou submitted.

One after another, all good news.

He handed the report of victory to Guo Jia beside him and said with a smile:

"Fengxiao, look at this group of people, not one of them can fight."

Guo Jia took it, looked at it, and smiled, saying:

"My lord, it's not that they can't fight, it's that we are too good at fighting."

Liu Ce laughed heartily.

After laughing, he stood up, walked to the top of the tower, and looked out at the city of Luoyang.

As the sun sets, wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys.

People had already begun packing up their stalls and heading home, and small groups of people chatted and laughed on the streets.

Everything was so peaceful and calm.

He took a deep breath and murmured:

"Soon."

"Once we've dealt with Jingzhou, Yizhou, Yangzhou, and Jiaozhou, the world will truly be at peace."

Guo Jia walked to his side, waving his feather fan, and said with a smile:

"My lord, Liu Yu of Jingzhou and Liu Yan of Yizhou are both members of the Han imperial family. By seniority, they are both your uncles and relatives. What should we do then?"

Liu Ce smiled and said:

"Relatives? That makes things even easier. We can talk if we can, and fight if we can't reach an agreement. Anyway, this world will eventually belong to the Liu family, to me, Liu Ce."

......

......

......

Dust swirled along the official road in Yuzhou.

Cheng Yaojin, carrying his Xuanhua axe, sat on his horse, humming a little tune, looking smug.

He had just led his troops to recapture this easternmost prefecture of Yuzhou.

Before the governor could even attack the city, he raised a white flag and surrendered. It was a swift and decisive surrender; he didn't even have time to draw his sword before the matter was settled.

He was leading his troops north, preparing to join up with Su Lie and Huang Zhong's army.

"General, at this speed, we'll definitely be able to reunite with General Su and General Huang within three days!" A personal guard leaned over and flattered him with a smile.

Cheng Yaojin grinned, slung his axe over his shoulder, and shouted:

"Of course! With me, Old Cheng, handling this is no problem! When I see Dingfang and Hansheng, I'll make sure they treat me to two jugs of good wine! Oh, and they have to treat me to some meat, the big chunks!"

The guards chimed in with glee, "General, you've fought without shedding a drop of blood! Several counties surrendered. That's a remarkable achievement!"

"That's right!" Cheng Yaojin was even more smug.

"The moment my name, Old Cheng, is mentioned, those prefects' legs go weak. How dare they fight? Are you kidding me!"

The guards laughed and echoed, "General, you are mighty!"

He thought to himself with glee that when he met Su Lie and Huang Zhong later, he would definitely show off how he had terrified those prefects without shedding a drop of blood, relying solely on his reputation to make them run away in terror.

This achievement is something to brag about for a year!

Just as they were enjoying themselves, a beautifully decorated carriage drove up from the opposite side of the official road.

Two fine horses pulled it along, running at a leisurely pace.

The carriage curtains were drawn tightly, leaving only a small gap.

Several men dressed as servants followed behind the carriage, pushing several small carts piled high with boxes and packages.

It's obviously a wealthy family moving house.

Cheng Yaojin didn't take it seriously at first; it was normal for an army to see ordinary people's carriages when it passed by.

He was just about to continue humming his little tune...

But out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the gap in the carriage curtain.

He froze instantly.

The little tune he was singing also came to an abrupt end.

Good guy!

Half a face peeked out from the gap in the carriage curtain; her eyebrows were like slender willow branches, her eyes like autumn water, and her skin was as white as a freshly peeled egg.

That one glance made Cheng Yaojin stare so intently that he almost fell off his horse.

"General? General, what's wrong?" The guard saw him in a daze and quickly reached out to support him.

Cheng Yaojin snapped out of his daze, scratched his head, his eyes still fixed on the carriage that was disappearing into the distance, and muttered to himself:

"Wow... this girl is so beautiful! She looks like she stepped out of a painting!"

The guards followed his gaze and saw only a carriage driving further and further away; they couldn't make out anything else.

"General, are you referring to the people in the carriage?"