Three Reconstructions of the Han Dynasty: I Helped Zhuge Liang Perfect the Longzhong Plan

He stood up, walked into the tent, and his tone gradually became firm, without a trace of hesitation:

"My defection to Zhang Lu was merely a stopgap measure after the defeat in battle."

This man has no ambition, is content with a small corner of the world, is incompetent and suspicious, listens to slander, and his ministers are scheming against each other. Such a person is not worth my life to assist.

Continuing to follow him will only lead to a pointless death.

Upon hearing this, Pang De solemnly cupped his hands and said, "General, this humble general is willing to follow you to the death. Even if it means fighting our way out of Hanzhong and returning to Longyou, I will not hesitate. I will never submit to a foolish ruler!"

"To break out of Hanzhong and return to Longyou is nothing but a pipe dream."

Ma Chao shook his head, his gaze becoming clear and resolute. "The elite cavalry that my troops have left are no longer enough to support our return to Liangzhou."

Among all the warlords in the land, Cao Cao was a blood feud, and he could not go there;

Sun Quan was too far removed from the Han dynasty and was not a legitimate successor.

Only Liu Bei, a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, harbored the ambition to restore the Han Dynasty. In the past, he and his father had jointly received the imperial edict and were both people who wanted to punish the traitors.

Liu Bei was known throughout the land for his benevolence. After entering Sichuan, he treated the people kindly, maintained strict military discipline, and had loyal civil and military officials under his command. He was a wise ruler of his time.

I fought fiercely with Huang Zhong on the battlefield several times, and I can clearly see that the Shu army is upright and honorable, not a wolfish force. If he gains control of Hanzhong, he will surely protect the peace and stability of the people there, and he will also be able to accommodate us, the sons of Xiliang.

He looked at Ma Dai and Pang De, and said each word with conviction: "Now we have nowhere else to turn but to choose a new master."

If you surrender to Liu Bei, you can join him on his northern expeditions in the future.

If the Northern Expedition succeeds, it will avenge the blood feud of Cao Cao who wiped out my family, restore the prestige of Liangzhou, and assist a wise ruler in restoring the Han Dynasty, achieving great success and fame. This is a hundred times better than being suspected and humiliated under Zhang Lu's command!

My Ma family has been nobles and dukes for generations. Our ancestors in heaven would surely be overjoyed.

What do you two think?

Ma Dai pondered for a moment, his doubts vanishing, and bowed, saying, "Brother is absolutely right. I am willing to follow your arrangements and join Liu Bei."

Pang De's voice was firm and resolute: "Since the general has made up his mind, I am willing to follow him to the death, with absolutely no second thoughts!"

Ma Chao helped the two up, his eyes no longer showing any hesitation, and said in a deep voice, "Alright!"

Tonight we will reorganize our troops, control the passes, and first execute Yang Ren and Yang Ang, those two villains who framed us, to eliminate any future troubles.

Tomorrow morning, open Yangping Pass wide and surrender it to Liu Bei!

"yes!"

After Ma Chao finished devising his plan in his tent, he immediately wrote a letter detailing Zhang Lu's secret communication with Cao Cao, his own decision to abandon the darkness and join the light, and his plan to kill the two Yangs and surrender the pass. He then sent a trusted guard to sneak out of Yangping Pass under cover of night and head straight for the Shu army's camp.

Night had fallen, and Liu Bei was still in the central command tent discussing military matters with his men, pondering how to steadily advance into Hanzhong and appease the people within the pass.

Suddenly, a guard rushed in from outside the tent, bowed, and presented a secret letter: "My lord, someone has secretly delivered a letter from the direction of Yangping Pass, saying they have important matters to report!"

Liu Bei's heart skipped a beat: "Quickly, let me see it."

He took the secret letter, unfolded it, and read it carefully. The more he looked, the brighter his eyes became. His tense brows gradually relaxed, and he couldn't hide the smile on his lips.

Seeing this, Pang Tong stepped forward and asked softly, "My lord, has something happened at Yangping Pass?"

Liu Bei handed the letter to everyone and laughed loudly, "The strategist is a genius!"

Ma Chao saw through Zhang Lu's incompetence and his secret collusion with Cao Cao, and decided to surrender. Tonight he would kill Yang Ren and Yang Ang, take control of Yangping Pass, and open the gates to surrender first thing tomorrow morning!

Gu Sulin took the letter, glanced at it quickly, tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, and said with a smile, "My lord, Ma Chao is not one to be content to serve under an mediocre lord."

In this vast world, his only way out is to seek refuge with his lord.

Our army gained control of Yangping, a natural stronghold, without losing a single soldier, and also acquired this valiant general. The situation in Hanzhong is now settled!

Pang Tong waved his feather fan lightly, nodded and smiled, "Ma Chao is the bravest in the army, and his cousin Ma Dai and his subordinate Pang De are also fierce generals. With their surrender, our army will be even more powerful."

"With Ma Chao by our side, we can ensure the safety of Longyou during future campaigns against Cao Cao in the north."

Upon hearing this, all the generals in the tent showed joy on their faces.

Huang Zhong stroked his beard and laughed loudly: "Ma Mengqi is a man of great righteousness, abandoning darkness for light, truly a hero!"

After several battles, this man's martial arts are superb; he is indeed a valiant general. With his assistance, our lord is better than a million soldiers!

After he finished speaking, everyone looked at each other, nodded in agreement, and clapped and laughed.

Liu Bei could not contain his joy and nodded repeatedly.

However, he remained calm and immediately ordered: "The entire army shall guard the camp strictly and not disturb it. We shall wait until dawn tomorrow."

"Pass down the order: do not reveal Ma Chao's surrender, lest it cause unforeseen complications. Also, prepare the ceremonial regalia to welcome Meng Qi's surrender!"

The group accepted the order, and the atmosphere inside the tent was relaxed and filled with excitement.

Meanwhile, inside Yangping Pass, Ma Chao had personally killed Yang Ren and Yang Ang, completely taking control of the pass's defenses. The entire army was fully reorganized and was waiting for dawn to open the city gates and surrender.

The next day.

As dawn broke, the gates of Yangping Pass slowly opened.

Ma Chao, dressed in neat silver armor, with a sword at his waist and the military seal of Yangping Pass in his hand, walked to the pass.

Ma Dai and Pang De led the elite troops of Xiliang to stand on both sides of the pass with the garrison troops inside the pass. The entire army was brightly armored and the ranks were neat. There was no dejection like that of surrendered soldiers. They showed the solemnity of the Xiliang iron cavalry.

Liu Bei had already led the Shu army, both civil and military, out of the camp and into battle formation. Banners were waving, military discipline was strict, and there was no trace of arrogance.

Upon seeing Ma Chao leading his troops, Liu Bei stepped forward to personally greet him, followed closely by Pang Tong, Gu Sulin, Huang Zhong, and other civil and military officials, all with expressions of respect.

Ma Chao approached Liu Bei, holding the seal of office and military tally in both hands, bowed respectfully, and spoke in a calm and frank tone:

"I was previously misled and served a foolish ruler, and I have offended many people. I hope you will forgive me, Your Highness."

Zhang Lu was incompetent and tyrannical, suspicious of loyal officials, and secretly colluded with the traitor Cao Cao, abandoning the people of Hanzhong. Chao refused to associate with him.

I have long heard that my lord is a member of the Han imperial family, with a heart for the world and benevolence spreading to all corners of the land. Moreover, he and my late father jointly received the imperial edict, determined to punish the traitors and restore the Han dynasty. Now I am willing to lead the entire army of Yangping Pass to surrender the pass.

"From now on, I will follow my lord, restore the Han dynasty, and kill the traitor Cao to avenge the blood feud of my clan. I will not hesitate to die ten thousand times!"

Liu Bei quickly stepped forward, personally took the seal of office, and then steadily helped Ma Chao up. With earnest eyes, he said loudly:

"Meng Qi was a descendant of loyal and virtuous men, and his bravery was unparalleled. However, he had not met a wise ruler, which led to his many hardships."

"It is a great fortune for the Han Dynasty that General Bei has won your heart and soul. Past battles were fought between different lords; there is no need to dwell on them!"

After saying this, Liu Bei looked at Ma Dai and Pang De, who were also bowing respectfully to each other, his eyes full of praise: "I have long admired your great names, your younger brother and your wise man."

From now on, I will work together with Mengqi to achieve great things, and I will certainly not let down my generals!

He immediately ordered that Ma Chao continue to lead his old troops from Xiliang, with Ma Dai and Pang De assisting him, and that he continue to hold command of his own troops, receiving the same treatment as other generals in Shu, without distinction of kinship.

Seeing Liu Bei treat the surrendered generals so well, the soldiers of the three armies were all sincerely convinced and cheered, and their morale was greatly boosted.

Subsequently, surrounded by his generals, Liu Bei led his army to Yangping Pass, ordering the entire army to refrain from committing any offenses against the people within the pass, to appease the people, to gather the surrendered soldiers, and to reorganize the defenses.