Chapter 123: The Pacification of the Qiang Tribes

Han Sui and Yan Xing were directly dispatched by Zhao Yun and Pang De. As for Li Wenhou and Beigong Boyu, deprived of the Qiang soldiers who had previously covered their retreat, they were easily overtaken by Zhang Fei. With a single thrust each, he sent them to their graves.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission within three months. You have been awarded twenty lottery draws. You now have a total of twenty-eight draws available." The voice of the Ancient Tome echoed once again.

"Eh?" Liu Yao could not help but feel puzzled. "Ancient Tome, shouldn't it be twenty-five draws?" He reasoned that Han Sui was worth ten, Li Wenhou and Beigong Boyu five each, and Yan Xing five. That should have totaled twenty-five.

"Beigong Boyu and Li Wenhou combined count as five."

"Pfft." Liu Yao felt as if he were spitting blood, followed by a bitter, helpless smile. Those two were truly worthless. He shook his head and resigned himself to the result.

With their leaders Han Sui and Li Wenhou dead, the Qiang tribesmen surrendered in short order. This time, Liu Yao did not exterminate them, as these Qiang people could be sent to Youzhou as laborers. After several years of development in Youzhou, the people there had fields to farm, grain to spare, and new clothes to wear. Naturally, no one wanted to work in the mines or build roads. These Qiang slaves would be the perfect candidates. As long as they were fed two meals a day—not enough to be full, but enough to stay alive—it would be the greatest mercy for people who were once accustomed to starvation, and it would prevent any uprisings.

Under the calculated strategies of Liu Yao, Guo Jia, and Jia Xu, Liu Yao’s forces had achieved victory with almost no losses, seizing forty thousand horses and countless weapons, armor, and supplies. As for the casualties suffered by Huangfu Song’s men, Liu Yao could not care less. After all, those troops were potential enemies in his future bid for dominance. He would have preferred if they had all died.

The night passed quickly. Jincheng, which had been a living hell, had been largely cleared by morning, though the damaged buildings would surely take time to repair. Naturally, that was not Liu Yao’s concern. The citizens remained huddled behind closed doors, still gripped by fear, needing time to recover.

Inside the Jincheng government office, Liu Yao, Ma Teng, Jia Xu, and Guo Jia gathered in the meeting hall, where Ma Teng and his three companions stood before Liu Yao. Huangfu Song had been sent away to reorganize his troops; there were certain matters he did not need to know.

"Ma Teng and Pang De pay their respects to the Lord." The two bowed.

Beside them, Ma Chao and Ma Dai were studying Zhao Yun, Ma Chao’s eyes burning with a competitive spirit. Zhao Yun ignored him entirely; no matter how much potential the boy had, he was still just a child. Zhao Yun was secretly appraising Ma Chao’s constitution and, finding him to be a natural talent for martial arts, felt the urge to take him as a disciple.

"You wretches! Bow to the Lord at once!" Ma Teng shouted at Ma Chao and Ma Dai.

"Ah, Shoucheng, there is no need for that. They are just children," Liu Yao said casually, his tone sounding remarkably aged and authoritative, as if he had forgotten that he himself was only a fourteen-year-old boy.

"Ma Chao and Ma Dai pay their respects to the Lord." Seeing Ma Teng’s anger, the two boys did not dare to protest and hurriedly followed his example.

"No need for such formalities," Liu Yao said. "Shoucheng, your contributions were immense. Upon my return, I shall recommend you to my imperial father as the Administrator of Wuwei." Liu Yao had his reasons; he intended to let Ma Teng build his power base in Wuwei, so that when he eventually vied for the empire, Ma Teng would be a trump card to catch his enemies off guard.

"Thank you, my Lord!" Ma Teng exclaimed in excitement. He had been a mere military commander, and this jump to become an administrator was monumental.

"Shoucheng, I will grant you half of the forty thousand horses we captured. I need you to train an elite cavalry force within the next few years. When the Han dynasty falls into chaos and I move to take Liangzhou, I will need your help. As for provisions and grain, do not worry; Youzhou will support you at any time. However, you must never let anyone else know of this." A piercing glint flashed in Liu Yao’s eyes as he revealed his plan.

Ma Teng trembled, moved that Liu Yao trusted him with such a secret. "I obey, my Lord. If I ever leak this, may I die by a thousand arrows!" he vowed firmly, glaring at Pang De and the others.

The three understood and followed suit, swearing, "We obey. If we leak this, may we die by a thousand arrows!"

In this era, oaths were taken very seriously, and their willingness to swear such a lethal vow showed their true resolve. Liu Yao was satisfied.

"My Lord," Ma Teng said firmly, "I wish for you to take my son Ma Chao and my nephew Ma Dai with you, so they may receive your teachings."

"Father! Uncle!" The two boys looked at Ma Teng in surprise but were silenced by a single glare, proving Ma Teng’s absolute authority over them.

Liu Yao’s eyes flashed with insight. He admired Ma Teng’s cunning. This move served two purposes: first, by placing Ma Chao under his wing, he ensured a position for the boy in the future; second, by sending his son as a hostage, Ma Teng was proving his unwavering loyalty.

"Hahaha! Since you have such a heart, Shoucheng, let them stay under my command," Liu Yao laughed. "Do Ma Chao and Ma Dai have courtesy names yet?"

Ma Teng was delighted, knowing that Liu Yao intended to bestow names upon them—a supreme honor. "My sons have not yet reached adulthood, so they have no courtesy names."

"In that case," Liu Yao said with a smile, "shall I provide them?"

"I am at your command, my Lord," Ma Teng replied excitedly.

Liu Yao feigned deep thought before saying, "How about 'Mengqi' and 'Zhonghua'?"

"Mengqi... Zhonghua..." The two boys whispered the names, finding them to their liking, and bowed in gratitude. "Thank you, my Lord, for the names." Even as young children, they were well-bred.

Liu Yao nodded with satisfaction. These were their historical names, after all; he was simply letting history take its course.

"My Lord," Zhao Yun suddenly spoke up, "I have a request."

"What is it?" Liu Yao asked.

"I wish to take Ma Chao as my disciple!" Zhao Yun stated firmly.

"Oh?" Liu Yao looked at Zhao Yun curiously. This was a good outcome. Both used spears, and it was a fitting match. Furthermore, Ma Chao had a fiery temperament; Zhao Yun’s guidance would be excellent for tempering his nature.

"Zilong, that is not for me to decide," Liu Yao said, turning to the others. "Shoucheng, Mengqi, what do you think?"

"I have no objections," Ma Teng replied calmly, though he was inwardly ecstatic. His family had a legacy of swordplay, but Ma Chao preferred the spear and had been struggling to learn without a true master. Having seen Zhao Yun’s martial prowess, Ma Teng couldn't have asked for a better teacher.

With Ma Teng’s approval, all eyes turned to Ma Chao.