I, Zhou Cang, am the number one tank in the Three Kingdoms.

"Father!" Ma Chao couldn't believe his ears. His father, Ma Teng, actually wanted to kill him!

"Uncle, please calm down! This was all my own decision and has nothing to do with my brother!" Ma Dai, who was standing to the side, also knelt down.

"Please calm down, Father!" Ma Xiu and Ma Tie also knelt down, hoping that Ma Teng would show mercy.

"You two have quite the nerve, actually going so far as to form an alliance and start a war without authorization..."

This was the first time Ma Teng had ever been so enraged that he began to tremble as he spoke.

Even though he had made several military achievements, Ma Teng could not allow Ma Chao to make such a decision on his behalf.

Even if Ma Teng did not object to Liu Bei's invitation, it was still not up to Ma Chao to make the decision.

"Go! Go and invite General Han Sui here immediately! Hurry up!" Ma Teng shouted, pointing at a subordinate general.

When Han Sui arrived in a flurry, Ma Xiu and Ma Tie had already stood up and stood to the side, while Ma Chao and Ma Dai remained kneeling.

"Shoucheng, what's the matter?" Han Sui sensed the unusual atmosphere as soon as he entered the tent; there was a hint of irritation and helplessness amidst the seriousness.

"You two can speak yourselves," Ma Teng said, rubbing his forehead, unsure how to begin.

"Lord Liu sent an envoy to invite my uncle to attack Cao Cao. My uncle hesitated and was undecided, so I took it upon myself to write back to the envoy in my uncle's voice, agreeing to the attack on Cao Cao."

Seeing that Ma Chao remained silent, Ma Dai simply took all the blame upon himself.

"Ah? Is that so? Ma Dai, Ma Dai, how dare you!" Han Sui was also shocked and broke out in a cold sweat.

"How dare he do this? It's probably my unfilial son's doing." Ma Teng said, glaring fiercely at Ma Chao.

"Has the messenger gone far? Why not retrieve the letter? A grave mistake can still be undone," Han Sui asked, bending down beside Ma Dai.

"Uh...the letter was sent back three days ago..." Ma Dai said softly.

"What?!" Han Sui took two steps back in shock. These two had gone too far.

"Although the letter has been sent, it would be better to remain still. Liu Bei is far away in Yuzhou, what can he do to me?" Han Sui muttered to himself.

"Absolutely not! If we do this, our lord will lose the trust of the world!" one of the men shouted.

Han Sui turned his head and saw that it was Pang De, a general under Ma Teng.

"Your words are reasonable," Ma Teng said slowly after a long silence.

"Sigh..." Han Sui sighed.

A brief silence fell over the tent.

"The arrow is on the string and must be released!" Ma Chao, kneeling on the ground, suddenly shouted.

"The usurpation of Cao Cao is evident to all. Liu Bei, with no more than a hundred generals and less than ten thousand soldiers, has captured Yancheng and Wancheng in two months—"

"Furthermore, after Cao Cao's defeat at Guandu, he simply sat idly by and watched Zhang Xiu's fate, demonstrating that his power was already waning!"

"But Father, you are being misled by Zhong Yao and are about to miss this golden opportunity. When Cao Cao recovers his strength, it will be too late for you to regret it!"

"Father!!!" Ma Chao kowtowed again and shouted.

"You unfilial son! You've caused a terrible disaster and you still dare to speak nonsense!" Ma Teng sat up abruptly from his tent, drew his sword from his waist, and charged towards Ma Chao.

Ma Xiu and Ma Tie reacted quickly, grabbing Ma Teng tightly and shouting, "Father, no!"

Han Sui also stepped forward and advised, "Shoucheng, why don't you listen to what I have to say!"

Ma Teng, still fuming, lowered the sword he had been holding in mid-air and said breathlessly, "Wenyue, please speak freely."

Seeing that Ma Teng had stopped, Han Sui stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before saying:

"Now that the die is cast, and upon reflection, what my nephew said makes sense, why don't we seize this opportunity to march east to Chang'an?"

"Now that Cao Cao has just suffered a defeat, we can also uphold the righteous cause of the imperial edict. Zhong Yao doesn't have many troops; how can he possibly defend against our Xiliang cavalry?"

"Even without Liu Bei's letter, we can still achieve our great cause by holding Chang'an and looking towards Luoyang!" Han Sui said eloquently.

Ma Teng was startled and asked in a low voice, "Is Wen Yue's statement true?"

Han Sui nodded and said, "In the future, we may take the pretext of the border bandits invading our territory to return to Xiliang and gather our troops."

"Besides Liu Bei, write another letter to Yuan Shao in Hebei, proposing a three-pronged attack that would prevent Cao Cao from attending to both ends. How could we not succeed then?"

Ma Teng sheathed his sword and paced back and forth in the tent, saying, "I have always been wary of Zhong Yao, Zhang Ji, and others; they are all Cao Cao's henchmen. However, Wen Yue's plan seems feasible..."

Ma Teng muttered to himself as he walked back to his tent and sat down. He glanced at Ma Chao and Ma Dai, who were still kneeling on the ground, their faces still full of anger.

"With a major battle imminent, you two rise. For your deception and unauthorized decision-making, each will receive three hundred strokes of the cane. This will be noted for now; if you commit this offense again—"

"Then don't blame me for using family law and military law to carry out life and death!" Ma Teng said, glaring at Ma Chao.

"Father, you are wise!" Ma Chao shouted as he stood up, his face filled with joy.

"Thank you for your mercy, Uncle!" Ma Dai shouted as he stood up and stepped behind Ma Chao.

"You may all leave now. Wen Yue and I have some important matters to discuss." Ma Teng waved his hand, dismissing everyone, before beginning to discuss the details of raising troops with Han Sui alone.

In Xiangyang, Jingzhou, a thousand miles away, Liu Biao received Kuai Yue, who had arrived in haste, at his residence.

"Yidu, do you really believe that with Liu Xuande's power, he can guarantee ten years of peace in my Jingzhou?" Liu Biao looked at Kuai Yue with suspicion.

"I do not believe it," Kuai Yue replied respectfully, bowing slightly.

"Since you don't believe me, why do you still try to persuade me to follow Liu Bei's words?"

"Hefei is the eye of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, and it is of utmost importance. How can I allow others to snore on my bed?" Liu Biao looked at Kuai Yue speechlessly.

"My lord, I believe that if this is done, Jingzhou will benefit in three ways," Kuai Yue said calmly, raising three fingers.

"Try to speak," Liu Biao said, frowning as he looked at Kuai Yue.

"Firstly, although Liu Bei has few soldiers and generals, his generals are all exceptionally brave. In the Battle of Wancheng, I observed their military strength. If they can be used by our lord, they can either retreat to resist Cao Cao or advance to conquer Jiangdong."

"If we obtain this army, we can help our lord suppress rebellions, quell bandits, and expand our territory. Then our lord can rest in peace in Xiangyang and no longer have to suffer the hardships of war."

Liu Biao waved his hand and said, "I know about this matter. Please continue."

"Secondly, since Sun Ce's death, his brother Sun Quan has established many guesthouses and post stations in Jiangdong to attract talented people. Our Jingzhou region is full of talented people, and there are also many who secretly join Jiangdong."

"If Liu Bei were to hold Hefei, those people might not be willing to abandon what is near to seek what is far. If they were to surrender to Liu Bei, they would still be of use to our Jingzhou. This is a double benefit."

This really struck a chord with Liu Biao. Ever since he entered Jingzhou alone, talented people had always been his top priority.

These people can't be kept anyway, but rather than watching the scholars of Jingzhou defect to the enemy in Jiangdong, it would be better to guide them to serve under Liu Bei in a different way.

Liu Biao nodded and asked, "What are the three benefits?"

Kuai Yue said, "Thirdly, Hefei is a desolate and dilapidated place. If it is to be rebuilt, it will not be completed in a day. In my opinion, it will take at least three years and at most five years."

"To rebuild Hefei, all that is needed is money, grain, and ships. Our Jingzhou is a bountiful land, and we have no shortage of money and grain."

"If it weren't for the Hefei incident, my lord's actions towards Liu Bei would have been nothing more than adding icing on the cake, a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"If my lord provides him with money and provisions, and I use my surplus to control his lifeline, then my lord can do without Liu Bei, but Liu Bei cannot do without my lord."

"Even if the city falls into ruin in three years, during those three years, my lord can summon Liu Bei at will and dismiss him at will."

"When defending against Cao Cao, we used him as a shield; when taking Jiangdong, we used him as a vanguard."

"If one day Liu Bei changes his mind, my lord, with a single order, cut off his food supply, and all our previous efforts at Hefei will be in vain."

If Wen Ping were to leave Wancheng and Huang Zu were to leave Jiangxia, Liu Bei would again have nowhere to stand.

"Then what is there to worry about?"

"My lord can use this magnanimous act to win over the hearts of scholars throughout the land."

"Given these three advantages, I believe this matter is feasible."

Liu Biao listened without saying a word, and gently tapped the table with his knuckles.

"Tap...tap...tap..."