knife

Chapter 222 The Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves forward, and the front waves die on the beach.

Mrs. Ma came out of the house in a panic, only to find her husband eating a bowl of mushy stewed bear paws.

"Husband, Liang'er was just confused for a moment. Don't be angry with him. He'll release you in a while!" Madam Ma said this with a little lack of confidence. But what could she do? One was her son, and the other was her husband.

It can only be used to make things difficult.

"Why should I be angry? I'm very happy!" Ma Dacheng looked up at his wife, then lowered his head to gnaw on the bear paw. After a few bites, he picked up the wine jug and gulped it down.

"Husband, are you alright?" Madam Ma reached out to touch Ma Dacheng's forehead with some concern, worried that her husband might get seriously injured because of this incident caused by their son.

Ma Dacheng tilted his head back and said with displeasure, "What are you doing? Do you think I'm crazy?"

"No, I just feel that you, my husband..." Madam Ma looked at Ma Dacheng with difficulty.

Ma Dacheng laughed.

"Madam, I'm not lying to you. I'm really not angry. I'm actually very happy."

Reaching out, Ma Dacheng pulled Madam Ma to sit beside him and said, "There's one thing my son is right about: chaos is coming, and who knows how many years of turmoil will follow. And in such a chaotic era, it will inevitably be a time of cannibalism!"

Ma Dacheng looked up at the sky and sighed deeply.

"Cannibalism?" Madam Ma's face changed color.

"I'm just using an analogy!" Ma Dacheng said, "In this kind of era, things are turbulent and heroes emerge in great numbers. If someone is just an ordinary person who goes with the flow, that's fine, since they're just muddling through anyway. But if they want to do something and have some power, they might bring disaster to their family if they're not careful."

Mrs. Ma nodded as if she understood.

“I’ve been hesitating about what to do next. The imperial court can’t be relied on anymore. You don’t know that since He Zudao caused the chaos, the supplies and military pay transported to Yangguan have been cut off for almost half a year. Most of what Yangguan needs is transported from Hedong and Hexi. Now that He Zudao has turned Hedong and Hexi into this state, where will they have the spare capacity to support us?”

If an army runs out of money and supplies, the consequences will be extremely serious. Even if Madam Ma doesn't understand military affairs, she is, after all, the wife of a general, so how could she not understand this principle?

"Do you know why Liang'er was able to so easily persuade my old brothers to abandon me and follow him?" Ma Dacheng asked.

"Could it be money and provisions?" Madam Ma whispered.

Ma Dacheng nodded: "In the past six months, Yangguan has not lacked food, and the military pay has been paid on time and in full. Others may not know, but the generals of Yangguan all know that this money was obtained by Liang'er, not by me, the commander. During this time, I was at a loss and didn't know what to do. Should I enter the pass to quell the rebellion? Should I join Linghuye? I have thought about all kinds of paths. But I have been hesitant."

"Didn't Liang'er say he's allied with Xiao Changche?"

Ma Dacheng nodded: "I couldn't make up my mind for a long time, but Liang'er had already done everything. He had already reached an agreement with Xiao Changche and Li Dachui. Perhaps they had been plotting to take my position as the Yangguan garrison commander even earlier. Now, it's just a matter of course being carried out."

"My lord, don't be angry with Liang'er. Whether Yangguan Pass is in your hands or Liang'er's, it makes no difference, does it?"

"That's not bad. I used to worry that Liang'er was ambitious but incompetent, but now it seems I underestimated him. He's meticulous, patient, and ruthless. Once he said he'd take action, he didn't hesitate for a second to deal with me. One dose of medicine knocked me out." Ma Dacheng still felt a bit indignant as he said this.

"My husband is still angry!" said Madam Ma.

"I'm angry as I am, but to be honest, I'm actually more relieved than angry!" Ma Dacheng reached out and held Madam Ma's hand, saying, "Compared to Liang'er, or in this era, he's more suitable to make decisions than I am. Without ruthlessness and decisiveness, one can't go far on this path."

"My lord, are we really going to Tai'an City?"

“Go, and this matter is no longer up to us. That kid Ma Liang will probably tie me up and take me there!” Ma Dacheng said, “However, compared to Yangguan, Tai’an City is really a good place to live. It is the most prosperous place outside the pass, and with Zhou Zhi, a master of innate cultivation, in charge, it is safe and secure. It is rich in resources and is indeed a good place to relax and retire.”

"The general is only in his early fifties! He's in the prime of his life, full of energy and strength!" Madam Ma reached out and touched Ma Dacheng's face.

"The success of my children and grandchildren is more important than anything else!" Ma Dacheng chuckled. "Moreover, this is a good opportunity to hone my martial arts skills. If Xiao Changche and Li Dachui can truly become a force to be reckoned with, perhaps I will have the chance to return to the world stage one day."

"My lord, if Commander Linghu is going to enter the pass, will Protector Xiao and Protector Li also enter the pass to compete for the throne one day?" Madam Ma asked in a low voice.

"Who knows? But it seems that Linghu Ye's future is not good!" Ma Dacheng shook his head and said, "That kid Ma Liang only speaks halfway, but there is definitely a conspiracy waiting for Linghu Ye. If Linghu Ye leads an army of 100,000 into the pass, it will naturally shake the world, but what if he can't take it with him? What if he is abandoned by his people because of this? Then he is finished!"

Ma Liang is clearly a man of action.

After serving his father a meal of bear paws, Ma Dacheng's soldiers began packing up his parents' belongings in the backyard. Ma Dacheng continued to curse, while Madam Ma smiled and directed her two concubines and maids to carefully pack the house, preparing to go to Tai'an City to enjoy life.

Compared to the bustling city of Tai'an, Yangguan was just a rural place. Standing on the city wall, Ma Liang and his garrison watched the carriage gradually disappear into the distance. Behind him, a group of young generals were excited and eager to try, while some middle-aged and older generals had complicated expressions, a mixture of reluctance, guilt, and, above all, anticipation for Ma Liang.

In their minds, working for Ma Liang didn't count as betraying Ma Dacheng, right?
Father and son are one!

Does it really matter who you pledge allegiance to?

Yangguan is no longer the Yangguan of the Qin Dynasty.

At this very moment in Chang'an, the imperial court was completely oblivious to the changes happening in Yangguan, which was thousands of miles away. From the outside, however, Yangguan appeared unchanged.

Grand Secretary Wei Zhengdao and Black Ice Terrace Magistrate Kou Zhong are conducting a large-scale purge in Chang'an.

To put it bluntly, it's about eliminating dissidents.

If Hedong were to achieve great success, neither of them would do this. Instead, they would sit down and negotiate with the opposition, going through a series of bargaining and exchanges of interests to achieve a smooth transition.

But the rice cooked in Hedong was only partially cooked.

The Hedong aristocratic family was wiped out completely, even the outlaws were cleared out, and their wealth was taken, but He Zudao escaped.

Not only did he run away, but he also took in many fugitives from prominent families in Hedong, especially Feng Congwen from the Feng family, who was quite famous. With this person's testimony, Wei Zhengdao and Kou Zhong were immediately drawn into a vortex.

In the provinces, powerful families across the land began to recruit soldiers on a large scale under the pretext of resisting He Zudao. Some even boldly raised the slogan of eliminating treacherous officials and purging the emperor's inner circle.

In the imperial court, the accusations against the two men and the calls for their resignation, especially Wei Zhengdao's, grew louder and louder.

Faced with such internal and external difficulties, Wei Zhengdao and Kou Zhong immediately tore off their previously amicable facade and began to take swift and decisive action.

Zhang Quanyi led 10,000 newly formed troops to Chang'an with lightning speed and took control of the city in the shortest possible time. Although the Imperial Guards, which had been attacked by powerful families, put up some resistance, their morale was low and their fighting strength was questionable. Some of them were still loyal to the emperor, but after the emperor personally intervened, they did not cause any further trouble.

While making every effort to reorganize the Chang'an Imperial Guards, he also began to rectify the court.

Anyone who isn't mine, get the hell out of here.

If you still don't know what's good for you and keep making trouble for yourself, then I'll send your head flying far away.

In the shortest possible time, Kou Zhong and Wei Zhengdao stabilized Chang'an. At the same time, another 10,000 newly formed troops from Hedong, commanded by Wei Yi, arrived in Luoyang, taking control of the eastern capital of the Qin Empire and ensuring the smooth transport of supplies from the eastern capital to Chang'an.

The situation eased slightly, but the local situation remained unchanged.

Because Wei Zhengdao and Kou Zhong don't have the extra resources to clean up the area right now.

Whether in Chang'an, Luoyang, or other places, they all retracted their fists and began to gather strength, preparing for the next powerful blow.

Only He Zudao, the catfish, is still thrashing about.

However, now that things have come to this point, He Zudao is no longer acting recklessly; he has started to increase his transactions with the local area.

If you want me to stay away from causing trouble and attacking you, fine, then hand over the money and provisions.

Buy peace with money.

He Zudao, though a bandit in name only, is a man of considerable military strength.

With 5,000 Southern Garrison soldiers at its core, he built an army of 20,000 to 30,000 men. Using the wealth of the Liu family of Hedong and the Taiyuan family, he armed this army to the teeth, making it a force that no one wanted to accept but no one wanted to offend.

The Qin Dynasty is developing from a nominally unified country into a situation where warlords and powerful families vie for power in various regions.

A pall of gloom hung over Chang'an.

Even the most ordinary people began to feel the impact of the turbulent times.
Prices have started to skyrocket.

As a commodity that is a symbol of people's livelihood, the price of grain has tripled this year, and this is the result of the imperial court's efforts to stabilize grain prices.

(End of this chapter)