Chapter 116: Ma Teng of Fufeng

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Liu Yao paused, then glanced at Shi A and introduced him. “This is Shi A, commander of my personal guard. With him protecting Wenhe and you, I can rest easy.”

He then turned to Shi A. “Shi A, I will be perfectly safe here in Chang’an. Why don’t you make this journey for me?”

“Yes, my lord,” Shi A replied.

Shi A would naturally never disobey Liu Yao’s orders—especially since Liu Yao was indeed extremely safe within Chang’an.

“Very well. Rest early tonight. You shall depart tomorrow,” Liu Yao said with satisfaction.

“Yes, my lord.”

Liang Province, Wuwei.

At this time, Ma Teng was merely a minor military officer under Liang Provincial Inspector Geng Bi. However, Ma Teng possessed formidable martial skill and was highly capable at leading troops in battle. He commanded ten thousand Xiliang soldiers, and his power could by no means be considered insignificant.

Two figures now appeared before Ma Teng’s residence. They were, of course, Jia Xu and Shi A. Traveling light, the pair had encountered no obstacles along the way and had arrived in Wuwei without incident.

Looking at the somewhat familiar residence, Jia Xu could not help feeling wistful. It had been many years since he had left Wuwei to travel throughout the realm in pursuit of learning. He turned to the servant guarding the gate and said, “Go and inform your master that an old acquaintance of the Jia family has come to pay him a visit.”

The servant glanced at Shi A beside Jia Xu. The man’s cold and forbidding appearance filled him with fear; clearly, he was no one to trifle with. The servant hurried inside to report their arrival to Ma Teng.

Before long, Ma Teng’s voice rang out before the man himself appeared.

“Wenhe? Is that truly you, Wenhe?”

As he spoke, a figure burst from the inner hall. He stood nearly eight feet tall, his face covered in a thick beard and his features rough and rugged. If not Ma Teng, then who could he be? Most striking of all, Ma Teng had not even put on his shoes before rushing out to greet his guest—a clear sign of how delighted he was.

“Brother Shoucheng, how have you been of late?” Jia Xu asked with a smile as Ma Teng approached.

“Hahaha! I am doing wonderfully. But you, Wenhe—who knows where you have vanished to all these years?” Ma Teng roared with laughter. “Come, Wenhe. Let us go inside and talk.”

With that, he seized Jia Xu’s hand and led him toward the inner hall. Shi A followed behind at an unhurried pace.

Within the main hall of the Ma residence, Ma Teng and Jia Xu sat facing one another. Shi A and a burly man stood beside them. The two guards stared directly at each other, each sensing the killing intent in the other’s eyes and realizing that neither was someone easy to provoke.

“Wenhe, where have you been all these years? I searched for you for a long time, but could not find you,” Ma Teng asked.

“I merely traveled throughout the Han Empire to broaden my experience and see more of the world,” Jia Xu replied casually.

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Ma Teng frowned slightly. “Wenhe, since you have come, do not leave again. Stay here and help me. Though I am only a minor military officer, I still command ten thousand men. One day, I will surely become like my ancestor Ma Yuan.”

Jia Xu smiled knowingly and came straight to the point. “Shoucheng, I will not conceal the truth from you. I have come this time to recruit you into my lord’s service.”

“What? You already have a lord? Who is he?” Ma Teng cried in astonishment. He was one of the few people who understood that Jia Xu possessed extraordinary talent, and he was immensely curious about the man capable of winning Jia Xu’s allegiance.

“He is the current Eldest Imperial Prince, Grand General of the Cavalry, and Governor of You Province—Liu Yao, Liu Bogao. I currently serve beneath him as a military strategist,” Jia Xu said lightly.

Those casual words struck Ma Teng like a thunderclap.

“What did you say? You have entered the service of the Grand General of the Cavalry?” Ma Teng exclaimed, his face filled with shock. “Then you have come to recruit me on the Grand General’s behalf?”

Jia Xu smiled and nodded without saying more.

“And who is this?” Ma Teng asked, pointing at Shi A behind Jia Xu. He had initially assumed that Shi A was merely Jia Xu’s escort, but it now seemed that the matter was not so simple.

“Shi A, commander of my lord’s personal guard,” Shi A said, cupping his fist.

Ma Teng’s heart trembled once more. Shi A was the commander of Liu Yao’s personal guard, meaning that he was specifically responsible for protecting Liu Yao. Yet Liu Yao had sent him here to protect Jia Xu. This revealed just how highly Liu Yao regarded Jia Xu.

If Ma Teng pledged himself to Liu Yao, then with Jia Xu’s assistance, his position within Liu Yao’s army would surely not be low. Moreover, who in the realm had not heard of Liu Yao’s renown? Not long ago, he had even defeated the armies of the Qiang. Only by following such a wise and worthy lord could Ma Teng’s hopes possibly be fulfilled.

“Wenhe, since the Grand General thinks so highly of me, Ma Teng will naturally join his ranks and serve him,” Ma Teng agreed without hesitation.

“Excellent. Then half the purpose of my journey has already been accomplished,” Jia Xu said with a smile.

“Half? Does my lord have some task he wishes to entrust to me? Wenhe, speak freely. Let this be the first service I render my lord,” Ma Teng said firmly.

It was, in effect, Ma Teng’s pledge of loyalty to Liu Yao.

Jia Xu glanced at the burly man standing behind Ma Teng and asked, “And who is this?”

The matter concerned military secrets, so naturally Jia Xu could not allow outsiders to hear it.

Ma Teng understood his meaning at once and introduced the man. “Wenhe, have no worries. This is Pang De, courtesy name Lingming, one of my senior generals. He possesses the strength to withstand ten thousand men and is my most trusted subordinate. You need not be concerned.”

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“This subordinate, Pang De, pays his respects to Military Adviser Jia,” Pang De said hurriedly, saluting Jia Xu.

Jia Xu studied Pang De with keen interest. He knew Ma Teng well: when Ma Teng said one, he meant one; when he said two, he meant two. If Ma Teng claimed that Pang De possessed the strength to withstand ten thousand men, then Pang De undoubtedly did.

Liu Yao’s generals Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun possessed the same kind of peerless valor, and Jia Xu could not help wondering which of the three was stronger.

There was naturally no need to ask that question. Had Liu Yao been present, he could have determined the answer with ease. Pang De’s martial skill was probably comparable to that of Zhang He beneath Liu Yao’s command, though he was still a level below Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun. He was likely a peak first-rate general.

What was worth mentioning, however, was that Pang De, like Zhang He, was steady and cautious. He also possessed considerable knowledge of military formations and troop deployments. He was the sort of commander capable of leading an army independently.

“General Pang, there is no need for such ceremony. If you truly are as Shoucheng describes, then once we meet my lord, I shall certainly recommend you to him,” Jia Xu said with a smile.

“Thank you, Military Adviser,” Pang De said, visibly excited. He possessed absolute confidence in his martial abilities.

“Wenhe, surely you can tell me now. What task does my lord wish to entrust to me?” Ma Teng asked anxiously.

He was eager to distinguish himself and earn merit.

Seeing Ma Teng’s impatience, Jia Xu asked, “I have heard that you and Han Sui have some past acquaintance. Is that true?”

Ma Teng immediately flew into a rage. “Hmph! We did once share some acquaintance, but ever since he began his rebellion, there has been no relationship between us whatsoever.”

That was all Jia Xu needed to hear. He smiled and said, “Shoucheng, my lord will soon dispatch troops to burn the Qiang grain depot. When the time comes, you must take provisions and soldiers to Jincheng and join Han Sui’s forces…”

Before Jia Xu could finish, Ma Teng immediately refused.

“No! I, Ma Teng, am a man of honor. How could I associate with that traitorous rebel?”