Wait, please don't call me Emperor Zhaolie

Chapter 379: Fufeng Ma Clan Will Never Betray the Han
Han Sui's messenger held his breath and hurried for two days before finally arriving in Ji County. He rested in the inn for half a day and immediately handed over a visiting card to Ma Teng.

"I followed the order of Lord Han and traveled across mountains and rivers, regardless of the dangers, to come and pay my respects to the former general!"

The envoy changed his robes and tidied up his attire before he dared to pay a visit to Ma Teng.

It is strange to say that Ma Teng is just the son of a Qiang woman. When he was young, he could only support himself by cutting wood and firewood. Now he is a general in the court, but he has completely forgotten his origins. A mere Qiang beard, he actually asks others to follow the Han etiquette.

Han Sui's messenger showed respect on the surface, but in his heart he was mocking and teasing Ma Teng.

Unexpectedly, Ma Teng also just sat on the bed. Not only did he not ask the servants to bring a seat, but he also turned his body to the side and left him alone for a long time. After a while, he sneered and said, "I didn't expect Han Wenyue would ask me for help today. Has he forgotten that he sent his troops to attack and kill my wife? His intention to unite the two families is just wishful thinking."

"Come here! Cut off this man's ears and nose, chop off his fingers, and send him back to Han Sui."

Ma Teng sneered and scolded.

He knew very well what kind of person Han Sui was. This man was selfish and associated with the Qiang and Hu people. He had no integrity at all.

I don't have the chance to humiliate the other party's confidant on normal days, but now that he is delivered to my doorstep, I can just humiliate him a little and temporarily relieve the hatred in my heart.

He, the Youfufeng Ma family, was a descendant of Ma Yuan, the Fubo General of the Han Dynasty. Their family had been dukes for generations. Even if they were in decline now, how could they follow the example of the Qiang and Hu people and openly rebel against the Han Dynasty? Wouldn't that make them disloyal and unfilial?
Han Wenyou may not care about his reputation, but how can Ma Shoucheng go along with such a rat-like man? If he goes with him to rebel against the Han Dynasty, he will be laughed at by all the heroes in the world.

"Wait a minute, General, wait a minute. I have something to say to you alone."

Ma Teng's words were like an icy sharp blade, making the dark-skinned middle-aged man so anxious that his tongue almost got tied and his temples throbbing. He quickly waved his hands to stop the Qiang soldiers from drawing their swords.

He was afraid that if he was a step late, his ears, nose and fingers would be chopped off and fell to the ground.

At this time, we cannot bet that the Hu people do not know how to respond flexibly. Some of the dull-witted Qiang people will really start fighting if they say they will. They will draw their swords and chop down. If their aim is good, only the ears will be lost, but if their aim is bad, the neck will be cut directly, and the person will die.

I saw Ma Teng raise his hand at the last moment and stop the Qiang soldiers.

The messenger wiped the sweat off his forehead, took a deep breath, bowed respectfully and said, "General, the King of Han led his troops to Guanzhong to attack the generals under Dong Zhuo. In addition to capturing and killing Zhang Ji, Yang Feng and others in Hedong County, he also wanted to enter the pass to completely wipe out Li and Guo, who controlled the court and threatened the emperor. However, because of you, the two thieves fled thousands of miles away."

"If the King of Han sends someone to hold you accountable, how will you deal with it? The reason why the river is turbulent is because the water is stirring it up."

"As the ancients said: If you plan ahead, you will prosper; if you plan ahead, you will perish. If you don't make plans now, and wait for the King of Han to hold you accountable before taking action, it will probably be too late!"

After saying this, the envoy wearing a military cap shook his head and sighed, as if he was worried about Ma's future.

Ma Teng stroked his beard and pondered in silence, as if he was quite interested.

This undoubtedly gave Han Sui's envoy infinite hope in his heart. He looked at the other party with shining eyes, and even his previously violent heartbeat finally slowed down a bit.

but--

"Do you have any last words?"

Under his gaze, Ma Teng seemed to have made up his mind, but he ended up asking a question that caused Han Sui's envoy to suffer a cardiac arrest.

"Two companies joining forces, what..."

The middle-aged man's brain exploded, his ears buzzed, and a chill instantly crept up his limbs. What was going on?

He was clearly offering sincere advice and suggestions to Youfufeng Ma, but how did it turn into a dying sigh and a last will and testament like "I am gone from now on".

"General, no. I came here for the two families. Even if they don't want to unite, I should humiliate them. How can I kill them so easily?"

The messenger's mind was in a mess, and his brows were filled with panic. His legs and feet immediately became weak, and he knelt on the ground and kowtowed loudly to apologize.

But Ma Teng could not help but sneer and said: "I cut off your ears and nose and chopped off your fingers just to avenge my wife. Now Han Sui wants to rebel against the Han family. He is a traitor. I am the descendant of General Fu Bo. How can I ally with the traitor Han Sui and make my ancestor lose face in the underworld?!"

"I am killing you today not for personal vengeance, but for the sake of the Han Dynasty. I want you to understand clearly that the Fufeng Ma family will never betray the Han Dynasty!"

Ma Teng glared angrily, raised his hand and pointed at the messenger who was still bowing his head. His words were directly different from those of the messenger, and there was a chasm between them.

Unless he was really bored and wanted to make a fool of himself by risking the lives of his entire clan, he would join hands with Han Sui and lead the Qiang and Hu tribes to rebel against the Han Dynasty.

He has come from obscurity to where he is today, and has survived countless life-and-death situations. How could he suddenly lose his mind and believe Han Wenyou's clever words at the most critical moment?

Although he let Li Jue and Guo Si go, it was because the two thieves used the emperor and the empress's carriage as a shield, and the three dukes, nine ministers and other ministers were stationed in front and behind the army that he dared not take any action at all.

Otherwise, I would have led my army to attack from both sides of the mountain road and defeated the Li and Guo villains to avenge them.

Besides, even if he let the other party go, he would send troops to follow closely. If they surrendered to the King of Han, he would be forgiven and allowed to redeem himself by bringing back the emperor and the empress, and then he could immediately lead his troops in pursuit.

At this moment, the enemy has no source of food and grass, and their marching speed is too slow. If they were not afraid of taking responsibility, they could have defeated the enemy army long ago.

Once Li and Guo lead the Liangzhou army out of Wuwei County and arrive at Zhangye County, Ma Teng will be out of reach.

It is necessary to write a letter to the King of Han as soon as possible and explain the cause of the matter thoroughly, so as not to bear the blame for the loss of the emperor.

After Ma Teng thought about it, he waved his hand and ordered his soldiers to drag Han Sui's envoy down and behead him in public, and then hang his head on the city gate as a warning to others.

While they were still thinking about who to send to replace Ma and go to Chang'an to pay a visit to the King of Han and convince the King of Han of their sincerity, they suddenly heard a soldier coming to report that Captain Ma stationed in Zhudao County had rushed back to Ji County.

Although Ma Teng was puzzled and was about to scold, his eyes suddenly lit up. At this moment he had to guard against the rebellion of Han Sui and Qiang Hu, and also pay attention to the movements of Li Jue and Guo Si. He could not go to Chang'an to meet the King of Han, but his eldest son Ma Mengqi was able to go in his place.

After years of training and high regard for his eldest son, he could also keep him in Kyoto as a hostage, allowing the King of Han to rest assured in Longyou.

Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. So, he would never dare to make any unusual moves, otherwise Meng Qi would surely die.

"Quickly let Meng Qi in, I have something important to discuss with him!"

Ma Teng stroked his beard and said with a smile.

In this way, the King of Han would surely believe that Youfufeng Ma would never dare to rebel, but it was a pity that Meng Qi was wronged.

Fortunately, he had two sons, Ma Xiu and Ma Tie, by his side who could help him understand his longing for his son.

(End of this chapter)