Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 107 Liu Bei, the Emperor, Wants to Take Ma Chao as His Disciple (Seeking Follow-up and Monthly Tickets)
"Fourth Brother actually captured Ma Chao?"

Liu Bei, upon receiving the message, was also surprised.

Ma Chao, the splendid general of Xiliang, was a valiant general who was mentioned in the same biography as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Huang Zhong. He was considered one of the Five Tiger Generals in traditional novels and fictional accounts.

Normally, Zhao Yun and Ma Chao were evenly matched in martial arts, so when Liu Bei suddenly heard that Ma Chao had been captured by Zhao Yun with one arm, he was momentarily stunned.

After a moment of stunned silence, Liu Bei finally understood the reason.

The thirteen-year-old Ma Chao was no match for the twenty-four-year-old Zhao Yun; they were simply not in the same league.

In addition, Zhao Yun had followed Liu Bei for many years, and his horsemanship and spear skills were already superb.

If Zhao Yun were to gain more rage and become the Angry Zhao Yun, not only would the young Ma Chao be no match for him, but even Guan Yu and Zhang Fei would have to avoid his sharp edge even when they weren't angry.

Although it was unexpected, Liu Bei felt excited after figuring it out.

Fa Zheng, at the age of thirteen, could become a disciple, and so could Ma Chao, also at the age of thirteen.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

For the pinnacle of life, for brilliance and glory, for a new world.

It's worth rolling some up!
For Liu Bei, the fear wasn't of being able to make a move, but of not having the opportunity to do so. As long as he could outmaneuver others, Liu Bei would be the strongest!

The passionate rebuttal by Ma Chao, recorded in the letter, further fueled Liu Bei's appreciation for talent.

Ma Chao is a rough gem.

This unpolished gem has not yet been corrupted by the treacherous thoughts of the Western Liang bandits.

Young Ma Chao also possessed the integrity and passion that belonged to generations of Han nobles.

Even with flaws, they can be corrected.

With proper guidance, it's not impossible to cultivate a Liu Bei-style Huo Qubing.

For Liu Bei, personally training strategists and generals was an indescribable joy.

Take Zhang Fei, for example. He was dragged along by Liu Bei when he was still naked, and he was the first general personally trained by Liu Bei.

Although Guan Yu and Zhao Yun were older when they met Liu Bei, they were still in a semi-developed stage.

This sense of accomplishment fascinated Liu Bei.

If I were to become emperor in the future, Fa Zheng and Ma Chao would be my disciples, governing both the interior and the exterior, and none would dare to disobey me.

Thinking of this, Liu Bei became even more excited.

"All troops, accelerate! Head straight for Chencang!"

a few days later.

On the third day of the seventh month of the first year of Guangxi, Liu Bei arrived outside Chencang.

Before Liu Bei arrived, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhang Liao, Zhang Yang, and Xu Huang of the central army had already arrived.

When everyone learned that Zhao Yun had captured a young general, they were all very curious and rushed over to see which family's young general was worthy of Zhao Yun's capture.

Now that the two armies are facing off, once they enter the battlefield, they are enemies.

On the battlefield, the difficulty and risk of capturing the enemy alive is far greater than killing the enemy. Therefore, if you can kill the enemy, you will not capture them alive. No one will joke about their own life!

If you harbor the intention of capturing the enemy alive, the enemy might launch a surprise attack.

A single misstep could cost you your life, turning you into a stepping stone for your enemy's rise to fame.

Surrounded by Guan Yu and his men, Ma Chao was furious and, in his embarrassment, challenged them to a duel.

If Ma Chao had directly chosen Zhang Yang, who was the weakest in terms of martial prowess, to fight him one-on-one, he might have been able to demonstrate some of his skills.

If Zhang Liao and Xu Huang were to fight one-on-one, they wouldn't lose too badly.

Unfortunately, Ma Chao's first choice was Zhang Fei!

Zhao Yun captured Ma Chao in one round, and Zhang Fei naturally did not want to fall behind.

After the pressure was put on Zhang Fei, in order to save face, Zhang Fei used the same level of force he used to anger Zhao Yun.

And so, in just one round, Zhang Fei sent Ma Chao flying.

If Zhang Fei hadn't honed his spear skills to perfection over the past twenty years, Ma Chao would have been crippled if not killed.

Unconvinced, Ma Chao challenged Guan Yu again, but suffered an even more crushing defeat, nearly being cleaved alive by Guan Yu's blade.

After being repeatedly defeated by Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu, Ma Chao felt as if the whole world had turned gloomy, and he kept reflecting on himself and asking: Are all the people of the Central Plains this fierce?

Upon learning the situation, Liu Bei was speechless at Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's behavior and couldn't help but scold them: "You two are both grown men, why are you using deadly moves when sparring with a teenager? Especially you, Second Brother, your son is only two years younger than Ma Chao, would you use deadly moves when sparring with your son?"

Zhang Fei chuckled, "It's all Zilong's fault for capturing Ma Chao in one round. I wasn't confident if I didn't use my ultimate move! After all, that kid is only thirteen years old, but his strength and horsemanship are quite amazing. If I didn't use my ultimate move, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to take him down in one round, which would be too embarrassing."

Guan Yu squinted his phoenix eyes, stroking his magnificent beard with his left hand to hide his embarrassment: "I know that you value talent, so I used a deadly move to test Ma Chao's potential. Although Ma Chao failed to catch my blade this time, given time, he will surely grow into a fierce general. It's just that his temperament is a bit lacking. As you often say, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war, and a hero should be able to bend and stretch. After only three losses, Ma Chao seems to have lost his soul."

Liu Bei was speechless.

Is that what you call only losing three times?

He was captured alive by Zhao Yun in one round the first time.

He was knocked away by Zhang Fei in one round for the second time.

He was nearly cleaved alive by Guan Yu in a single round for the third time.

Anyone would be traumatized by such an attack.

"Headache!"

Liu Bei was still thinking of taking Ma Chao as his disciple. If Ma Chao couldn't get rid of his psychological trauma, wouldn't the "Splendid Ma Chao" become the "Sick Ma Chao" in the future?
With a sigh, Liu Bei ordered his men to bring Ma Chao into the main tent.

After a while.

Ma Chao walked into the main tent in a daze, and when he saw Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, he instinctively took a step back. Look how frightened this child is!
Liu Bei glared at Guan Yu and Zhang Fei with annoyance. The two dared not meet Liu Bei's eyes. One looked up at the top of the tent, while the other looked down and chuckled.

"You are Ma Chao, son of Ma Teng, a descendant of General Fubo?" Liu Bei's tone was gentle and warm, like a spring breeze.

Ma Chao looked up in surprise and was met with Liu Bei's very friendly smile. The shadow cast on his heart by Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun disappeared a lot, and instead, a bit of arrogance arose.

“I am Ma Chao. Kill me or torture me, it is all up to you.” Ma Chao turned his head and looked up at the top of the tent.

"You have backbone." Liu Bei clapped his hands in praise and asked directly, "I am Liu Bei, the governor of Yongzhou. I see that you have the appearance of an extraordinary person and I like you very much. Would you like to become my disciple?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao looked at Liu Bei in astonishment and said incredulously, "You, you, you want to take me as your disciple?"

Liu Bei remained as gentle as ever: "You are a descendant of General Fubo, and my master, Lord Lu, also studied under the tutelage of Ma Jichang of Fufeng. What's wrong with me taking you as my disciple?"

Although Liu Bei clarified his relationship with the Ma family of Fufeng, Ma Chao's tone was impatient: "I, Ma Chao of Fufeng, son of the traitor Ma Teng, a mere prisoner, would you accept me as your disciple? Do you think I'm stupid? If you want to kill me, then kill me, why humiliate me?"

"This isn't right." Liu Bei feigned surprise, took out the letter Zhao Yun had sent, and said as he read it, "This letter says that Ma Teng's uprising was in accordance with the will of Heaven, in response to General Yan Gongtong's campaign to eliminate the eunuchs, and in order to restore the Han Dynasty. How come he's become a traitor again after only a few days?"

Ma Chao then remembered that Zhao Yun had instructed He Man to add his words to the list, and hurriedly said loudly, "Yes, I said those words. I also said that you bribed the eunuch Jian Shuo to become the governor of Yongzhou, and then you drove away the officials and soldiers of the Three Auxiliary Regions without cause, causing indignation among the people and unrest among the common folk. You are an accomplice of the eunuchs, and my father wants to kill you! If I become your disciple, wouldn't I also become an accomplice of the eunuchs?"

"Hahaha--"

Everyone in the tent burst into laughter.

Zhang Fei shouted even louder, "That eunuch Jian Shuo, dares to ask my elder brother for a bribe? Ridiculous! Back then, Jian Shuo tried to imitate Xiang Yu by setting up a Hongmen Banquet, and he was almost beheaded on the spot by my second brother. My elder brother's position as Governor of Yongzhou is granted by the current emperor. What does it have to do with Jian Shuo? Go to Luoyang and ask Jian Shuo if he dares to ask my elder brother for a bribe."

"As for the unjustified expulsion of officials and soldiers from the Three Auxiliary Regions, that's even more ridiculous. Shouldn't a group of corrupt officials be expelled by our elder brother? How can we talk about the indignation of the people and the unrest of the common folk? You are, after all, a descendant of General Fubo, how can you be as easily swayed by rumors as those ignorant fools?"

Don't you read books?

Hearing the laughter of the crowd and being questioned by Zhang Fei, Ma Chao was stunned and muttered, "But General of Chariots and Cavalry is Yan Gong, a famous scholar from Liangzhou. How could he lie?"

“It seems Ma Teng didn’t tell you the truth.” Liu Bei waved for everyone to be quiet and said, “The famous scholar Yan Zhong was forced to become General of Chariots and Cavalry because he was held hostage by the rebels. Ma Teng was originally a Lieutenant General of Liangzhou. However, because Li Xiangru, the Prefect of Longxi, betrayed and killed Geng Bi, the Governor of Liangzhou, and Wang Guo, Han Sui and others killed the Prefect Fu Xie, Ma Teng was forced to raise an army and join the rebels.”

The sheer volume of information received at once left Ma Chao struggling to process it all.

When Ma Teng joined the rebel army, he always warned his wife and children at home under the pretext of "killing the eunuchs" so as not to worry them. Therefore, Ma Chao always thought that Ma Teng was a righteous army that took the initiative to raise troops and support the Han Dynasty.

But Liu Bei told Ma Chao that Ma Teng was coerced and that Ma Teng was a rebel?

"Then, then I cannot be your disciple. With the two armies at war, if I were to become your disciple, wouldn't that put my parents and brothers in danger? Kill me quickly!" Although he still refused Liu Bei, Ma Chao's tone was clearly not as strong as before.

“That makes sense. The Han Dynasty has always valued filial piety and brotherly love, and we cannot disregard our parents and brothers.” Liu Bei lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, “In that case, I will let you go back. The Ma family of Fufeng has a close relationship with me. For the sake of Ma Jichang, I will not kill the descendants of General Fubo.”

Ma Chao was stunned: "You really want to let me leave? Even if you let me leave, I will not be grateful to you and join your sect."

“A man cannot stand without integrity. Since I said I would let you leave, I will not go back on my word.” Liu Bei then ordered someone to bring a brocade robe and drape it over Ma Chao: “You are the descendant of a duke and marquis, and you possess the courage of Xin and Bu. How can you be without a robe?”

Seeing that Ma Chao's demeanor had changed significantly after donning the brocade robe, Liu Bei couldn't help but praise, "Indeed, as handsome as brocade, from now on we can call him 'Brocade Ma Chao'."

After being showered with praise by Liu Bei, Ma Chao's resistance lessened. Instead of throwing away the brocade robe, he stroked it with affection.

However, as he left, Ma Chao remained defiant: "I won't take your brocade robe for nothing. Next time I capture you, I'll let you go and give you a fine horse."

This young Ma Chao is quite unique.

Liu Bei couldn't help but burst into laughter.

After seeing Ma Chao off, Liu Bei looked at the crowd and said, "I intend to persuade Ma Teng and his son to surrender. Does anyone have a good strategy to advise me?"

“What’s so difficult about that?” Zhang Fei stepped forward first and loudly offered his plan: “Tonight I will lead my troops to raid the camp and capture Ma Teng alive for you, brother. Then you can untie him and treat him with courtesy. Ma Teng will surely be grateful and submit.”

Liu Bei remained noncommittal, waiting for the discussion among the crowd.

Not long after he finished speaking, Guan Yu stepped forward to retort: ​​"Third brother, you are mistaken. Although Ma Teng and his son are in the army, their families are in the rear. If Ma Teng is captured and surrenders, his family in the rear will surely be slaughtered by the rebels. In that case, how could Ma Teng be willing to serve you, elder brother? Elder brother released Ma Chao because he did not want Ma Chao's family to be slaughtered. How can you force Ma Teng to do the same?"

Zhang Fei, unconvinced, asked, "Then what good plan does Second Brother have?"

Guan Yu stroked his magnificent beard and said, "Brother, you previously sent a letter to Yan Zhong, which also expressed your intention to persuade Yan Zhong and Ma Teng to surrender. However, you did not mention Han Sui. This was a scheme to sow discord. Now that Ma Teng is the vanguard, it is possible that Han Sui is coercing him to slaughter our soldiers to show his stance."

"However, since Ma Teng entered Chencang, apart from sending Ma Chao to challenge us, he has neither attacked the city nor taken advantage of our army's unstable foothold to attack the camp. In my opinion, Ma Teng's original intention should not be to be enemies with you, elder brother. Today, Han Sui's banner has also appeared in the battle. Elder brother, why don't you use the strategy of sowing discord again, inducing Ma Teng and Han Sui to attack each other, and then take the opportunity to attack Han Sui's camp. You will surely win a great victory."

Zhang Liao echoed, "I think Colonel Guan is right. A good strategist should subdue the enemy without fighting. Although the rebels are powerful, they do not trust each other, and Han Sui is the most suspicious among them. If we use a divisive tactic to defeat them, we can not only defeat the rebels, but also win over Ma Teng and his son."

“I think Second Brother’s plan is inappropriate.” Zhao Yun stepped forward and retorted, “Eldest Brother has just pacified Yongzhou, which is the time to establish his authority. If we cannot use military might to intimidate them, even if the rebels are defeated this time, they will come back again. In my opinion, we can first fight Han Sui head-on, and after he is afraid, we can use the strategy of sowing discord. This will be twice as effective with half the effort.”

Zhang Yang, Xu Huang, Dian Wei, and Huangfu Jianshou each supported different groups, including Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, and Zhao Yun. After much discussion, none of them could convince the others.

Liu Bei did not stop the argument.

Everyone has a different understanding of military strategy and a different insight into the battle situation. It is normal to have different opinions, and the debate can help to identify and fill in the gaps in our knowledge.

a long time.

After the debate subsided, Liu Bei finally settled on a plan: "Fourth brother's words make a lot of sense. The rebels were defeated by General Zuo at the beginning of the year, and now they have returned before their morale has recovered. This means that the defeat at the beginning of the year was a lucky victory for General Zuo when they were weak."

"If I only use a divisive tactic to defeat the rebels this time, even if they are defeated and flee, they will return next year. This cycle will continue, and Yongzhou will be difficult to stabilize. In general, the best way to wage war is to use psychological warfare. Only by making the rebels respect and fear me will they not dare to invade Yongzhou."

"Therefore, I have made the following arrangements, and you shall act accordingly."

Everyone tensed up.

"Order Zhang Fei, the Commandant of the Central Army, to launch a surprise attack on Han Sui's camp tonight."

"Order Guan Yu, the Colonel of the Upper Army, to lie in ambush outside Han Sui's camp and meet Zhang Fei."

"Order Zhang Liao, the Left Colonel, and Xu Huang, the Right Colonel, to bypass Chencang and set up camp behind the enemy lines."

"Order Zhao Yun, the military colonel, to lead his troops to cut off the connection between Han Sui's and Ma Teng's two battalions. If Ma Teng leads his troops to rescue Han Sui, attack him immediately."

"."

The military orders were issued one after another in an orderly manner, demonstrating Liu Bei's great generalship to the fullest.

Without hesitation, the generals all accepted the order and went to make preparations.

(End of this chapter)