Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 219: Your Majesty, Your Highness, Your Honor
Liangzhou.

The base of Ma Teng’s army.

After seeing off the angel from Yecheng, Ma Teng returned to the central military camp with a heavy heart.

Ma Teng was more than eight feet tall, with a tall stature and a distinctive face and nose.

The ancestor was General Ma Yuan, who died on the battlefield.

When he was young, his family was poor and he made a living by chopping wood.

At the end of Emperor Ling's reign, he was called into the army because of the rebellion of the Qiang and Hu peoples.

In just a few years, he made many military achievements and was promoted to Military Sima and later to Lieutenant General.

Judging from the military achievements against the barbarians, it did not bring any discredit to our ancestor General Fubo.

Such a generous man, at this moment, was holding the imperial edict and was in a dilemma.

After a long time, he shouted outside the tent:
"Call Mengqi and his brothers and Lingming."

About half an incense stick of time later, his eldest son Ma Chao, second son Ma Xiu, third son Ma Tie, nephew Ma Dai and trusted general Pang De arrived at the central army camp one after another.

As soon as Pang De entered the tent, he asked, "I was about to lead my troops to go to the Qiang and Hu tribes to collect money. The general called me here. What's the matter?"

Ma Teng motioned Pang De to sit down, and handed the imperial edict in his hand to him and Ma Chao and others to circulate one by one.

After they finished reading it one after another, he asked, "Lingming, Mengqi, what do you think?"

Ma Chao said happily: "The emperor appointed my father as the general, granted him the title of Marquis of Huaili, this is a good thing. With this imperial decree, who would dare to call my father a traitor?"

Pang De nodded in agreement: "I think what the eldest master said is very true. With this imperial edict, the general will occupy the righteousness of the Han Dynasty, and Han Sui will have a headache!"

However, there was no trace of joy on Ma Teng's face.

He could see these superficial benefits without the need for his eldest son and trusted generals to analyze them.

Shaking his head, Ma Teng expressed his concerns.

"In the fourth year of Zhongping, I joined forces with Han Sui and nominated Wang Guo as our leader. We rebelled against the imperial court and plundered the three prefectures. I have been branded as a traitor."

"Wang Guo was defeated by Huangfu Song, and Han Sui and I took advantage of the situation to establish our own territory in Liang Province. This further solidified our reputation as a traitor."

"In the third year of Chuping, I surrendered to the imperial court, but when I led my troops to Chang'an, Dong Zhuo was already dead. On the surface, I surrendered to the imperial court, but in fact, I surrendered to the treacherous minister Li Jue."

"Later, I turned against Li Jue and joined forces with Han Sui to attack Chang'an. At that time, the emperor sent envoys to persuade us to make peace, but I ignored them."

"In the eyes of the emperor, I am no different from a traitor."

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao laughed disapprovingly.

"Don't worry, father. The emperor is in a precarious situation. It's time to spend a fortune on horse bones. How could he care about what you did before?"

"If Yuan Shao conquers Yicheng, he will be able to seize the entire Youzhou in less than five months. The emperor is alone in Yecheng, facing Yuan Shao's army."

"In the imperial edict, the emperor appointed father as Marquis of Huaili, guarding the important area of ​​Sanfu. The meaning is self-evident. He simply wanted father to contain Yuan Shao's army."

"Father, if you don't obey the imperial edict, there will be no loss. If you obey the imperial edict, you can station troops in Guanzhong legitimately. In this way, how can the thief Han Sui compete with father for the land of Sanfu? With the righteousness given by the emperor, the whole Guanzhong will be in father's pocket."

Pang De, who was standing by, was not like Ma Chao, who only saw the surface. Instead, he heard Ma Teng's underlying concerns and asked:
"General, are you worried that once the emperor escapes, you will end up with nothing?"

As soon as the words fell, the central army tent fell silent.

The joy on Ma Chao's face instantly disappeared.

When the birds are gone, the bow is put away. These four words are too scary.

It would be fine if Ma Teng had no bad record, but he has a lot of bad records.

They plundered the three prefectures, attacked Chang'an, and even refused the emperor's mediation.

These deeds certainly cannot be described as being of a loyal subject.

Everyone was silent for a long time, until a scout came in and reported: "General, after the angel left, he went straight to Han Sui's camp."

"what!"

After hearing this, Ma Teng stood up suddenly, his face darkened and became very ugly.

"The emperor also wants to recruit Han Sui!"

Ma Chao, Ma Dai, Pang De and others all changed their expressions.

During the Xingping period, Ma Teng and Han Sui became sworn brothers. Later, Ma Teng's wife and children were killed by Han Sui, and the two became enemies.

In Liangzhou and Guanzhong, the wars continued for years and seemed to have reached the point where the struggle would not end until one died.

"Father, if Han Sui accepts the emperor's offer of amnesty, then..."

Ma Chao stopped talking halfway through his words.

In the imperial edict, the emperor promised Ma Teng the title of Marquis of Huaili, allowing him to station troops in Huaili with legitimate reasons.

The promise to Han Sui would certainly not be too different.

The central army camp fell into silence again.

Finally, Ma Tie, who had been silent the whole time, said quietly, "Father, the emperor of Yecheng is not necessarily the legitimate emperor of the Han Dynasty. Before the legitimate emperor's identity is confirmed, we don't have to pay attention to this imperial edict."

Ma Teng shook his head and said, "Of course I can ignore it, but if Han Sui obeys the imperial decree of the emperor of Yecheng, he will occupy the righteousness, and I will be in danger!"

"This imperial edict is clearly forcing this general to accept Yecheng's offer of amnesty."

Liu Xie's imperial edict is a variation of the "Two Peaches Killing Three Warriors" plot.

Ma Teng and Han Sui are enemies. Whoever obeys the imperial edict will achieve justice and gain the upper hand in Liangzhou and Guanzhong.

Pang De carefully considered the current situation, weighed his words, and said, "Yuan Shao is attacking the emperor as a minister. This battle can only be won quickly and not for a long time. If the attack fails after a long time, the army will be in chaos and even riots will occur in the camp."

"If the general accepts Yecheng's offer of amnesty and sends troops to contain Yuan Shao, the general trend will be in Yecheng. You can get the credit of following the dragon."

Ma Teng's expression kept changing. Pang De's analysis did make sense.

He thought about it, and finally gritted his teeth and said bitterly:

"I am also the descendant of General Fu Bo, so it is my turn as Ma Teng to follow the dragon!"

He turned his head and stared straight at his second son Ma Xiu and third son Ma Tie.

"I have decided to go to Yecheng to serve the emperor. Ma Xiu, Ma Tie, you two will go to Yecheng with your father."

Then he looked at Ma Chao again and said, "After I leave, the whole army will be led by you."

Upon hearing this, Ma Chao, Ma Xiu and Ma Tie all changed their expressions.

They were about to open their mouths to dissuade him, but were interrupted by Ma Teng who raised his right hand.

Ma Teng looked through the central army tent in the direction of Han Sui, and said grimly: "I took myself and my two sons as hostages to enter Yecheng. Han Sui, what do you have to fight me?"

Pang De nodded in agreement and approved of Ma Teng's decision.

Ma Teng took his two sons to Yecheng, and the emperor would surely let bygones be bygones and no longer pursue his past misdeeds.

"General, rest assured. I will do my best to assist you!"

Ma Teng retracted his gaze and said to Ma Chao: "Mengqi, Liangzhou and Guanzhong are all handed over to you by your father."

Seeing that Ma Teng had made up his mind, Ma Chao stood up solemnly and said, "Father, don't worry and go to Yecheng with my two brothers. One day, I will chop off Han Sui's head to avenge my great vengeance!"

...Yangzhou, Shou County.

In the general's mansion, Lu Bu was furious. He flipped the table in front of him and cursed: "A mere Danyang County has blocked this general for three whole months!"

"Damn Zhou Yu, how can he be so difficult!"

Lu Bu's face turned pale and he looked angry.

Since he killed Sun Ce last time, he took over the two counties of Lujiang and Jiujiang. He thought it would be easy to wipe out the remaining forces of Sun Ce in Jiangdong, but the facts were contrary to his expectations.

After Sun Ce's death, Sun Quan inherited Sun Ce's power and quickly suppressed the rebellious forces in Jiangdong. Then, with the assistance of Zhou Yu, he blocked his offensive in Danyang County and prevented him from making any further progress.

It has been exactly three months now!
Chen Gong also sighed: "This Zhou Yu is really a great talent. Without his assistance, Sun Quan, a little boy, would have no ability to stop our army's attack."

"The main reason for this unfavorable battle is the lack of troops. The general had previously sent 10,000 troops to aid Your Majesty, and only 20,000 were left, unable to launch an offensive on multiple fronts. Otherwise, the battle would not have been so difficult."

Lu Bu had only 30,000 troops under his command, which was barely enough to attack Yangzhou. He then sent another 10,000 troops away, which further delayed the progress.

Jiangdong's military strength originally exceeded theirs, and coupled with Zhou Yu's ability, this led to the failure to achieve results for a long time.

"Gongtai, what are you talking about?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Bu immediately said unhappily: "How can a mere 10,000 soldiers compare to the safety of your majesty?"

"Let alone 10,000 soldiers, even if Your Majesty wants to take all my soldiers, this general will not say no! These are Your Majesty's soldiers!"

Lu Bu didn't think there was anything wrong with dividing the troops.

Protecting the emperor is a matter of course.

If something happened to the emperor, what would happen to his grandson? What would happen to his daughter? One lost his father and the other became a widow. His grandson's kingdom was also ruined, and the general's dream was shattered.

This was something he absolutely could not allow.

He only hated that he was not capable enough to conquer the remaining four counties of Jiangdong with his 20,000-strong army, and was instead delayed here.

Thinking of this, Lü Bu said to Chen Gong with great concern: "Gongtai, why don't we abandon Yangzhou and rush to Jizhou to help His Majesty?"

"After Yuan Shao destroyed Gongsun Zan, once he took Youzhou, he would certainly launch a large army to attack Yecheng. Yuan Shao can mobilize at least 60,000 to 70,000 soldiers. If he were to recruit soldiers, with the four states, he could easily recruit 100,000. How could Your Majesty stop him?"

When he heard that Gongsun Zan had been destroyed, Lu Bu's first reaction was to immediately gather his troops and go to the king to defend him. What bullshit Jiangdong, what bullshit Yangzhou, what bullshit Zhou Yu, all get out of the way.

No one is more important than your Majesty's safety!
If Chen Gong had not stopped him at that time, he would have attacked Qingzhou long ago. It's just that the man with the surname Yuan is someone he has fought before!

It’s just right to kill Yuan Shao to make a pair!

"No!"

Chen Gong immediately shook his head and said in a serious tone, "I have told you many times, General, you must be mindful of your status and influence. How can you lead troops forward without His Majesty's order? This is a taboo for a general!"

"Your Majesty must have some considerations for not issuing an imperial edict, which means that the most critical moment has not yet arrived. Therefore, General, you only need to follow the established plan and continue to attack Jiangdong."

"It won't be too late to rush to help when His Majesty issues an edict."

After hearing what Chen Gong said, Lu Bu looked a little depressed and seemed unhappy, but there was nothing he could do.

He knew what Chen Gong said made sense, but he couldn't help but feel worried, because what if the imperial edict came too late? What if he was too late to rescue the emperor?

"It's all the fault of these Jiangdong brats!"

"They only know how to defend themselves. They don't dare to fight this general head-on. They hide their heads like turtles. What a bunch of cowards!"

"Humph! You rat from Jiangdong!"

Lu Bu cursed angrily.

For some reason, he felt that this sentence was very smooth to say and completely consistent with his opinion of the people in Jiangdong.

Just when Chen Gong was about to persuade Lu Bu and discuss with him how to attack Danyang County, Gao Shun ran into the meeting hall in a hurry with a happy face.

"General, General! His Majesty has arrived in Shou County!"

This one sentence made Lu Bu and Chen Gong both look up, and both of them showed surprise on their faces.

Your Majesty, are you in Shou County?
Lu Bu reacted immediately, grabbed Gao Shun's shoulders with both hands, and lifted him up. He asked in disbelief: "You are not joking with me? Where is His Majesty now?!"

"It's true, General! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Your Majesty is just outside the city!"

Although Gao Shun's shoulder was pinched painfully by Lu Bu, he still endured the pain and spoke, his tone full of uncontrollable excitement.

The moment he said this, he felt a flash before his eyes, and Lu Bu let go of him and rushed out of the general's mansion at lightning speed!

"Follow up quickly!"

Chen Gong came to his senses and quickly pulled Gao Shun to chase after him.

……

Outside Shou County.

Dong Cheng was leading the horse for Emperor Xian of Han. Looking at the defenders on the wall of Shou County, who were all wearing uniform armor and looked extremely elite, he couldn't help swallowing.

Just by looking at them, he knew how elite and formidable these soldiers were. They were definitely not comparable to his two thousand soldiers. Their equipment was even better than that of the Tiger Guards!

"Where did Lu Bu get these weapons and equipment?"

Dong Cheng was very confused because he noticed that both the defenders on the city wall and the soldiers guarding the city gate were equipped in the same way.

And these are just the garrison guarding the city.

It is conceivable that the equipment of Lu Bu's real combat troops is no less superior than that of these defenders, and may even be better!
"Are you sure you want to meet Lu Bu? We still have time to leave now. If your fake emperor identity is discovered later, we will all be finished!"

Dong Cheng whispered to Emperor Xian of Han on his horse.

Since Emperor Xian of Han was coming to Shou County, he had no choice but to obey him, because Emperor Xian of Han was the emperor in name, and the Huben Army would only obey the emperor's orders.

But he extremely didn't want to come to Shou County, as it was simply too risky.

If he fails to deceive Lu Bu, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"Wait, then."

Emperor Xian of Han said calmly.

Appear calm and composed.

Dong Cheng had no choice but to shut up and lead the horse.

Not long after, he saw an extremely tall and burly figure riding a red horse galloping towards him.

It's Lu Bu!

The pressure from Lu Bu's charge was so terrifying that Dong Cheng even had the urge to turn around and run away. He knew too well how terrifying this reckless man could be.

Only Emperor Xian of Han remained calm, his eyes were shining, and his face was full of joy and anticipation!

"My Wen Hou is here!"

Lu Bu stopped ten steps away from Emperor Xian of Han, then dismounted, strode to the front of Emperor Xian of Han's horse, and knelt on one knee.

"Your Majesty, I, Lü Bu, pay my respects to you!"

"Your Majesty will live forever and ever in happiness!"

(End of this chapter)