Before this, Dong Zhuo dispatched Li Su to Western Qiang, attempting to persuade the Western Qiang King to send troops to restrain Han Sui's Jincheng, so that Han Sui could not fully attack Ma Teng. Li Su, carrying generous gifts, finally arrived in Western Qiang territory after a long journey.
However, he was unexpectedly informed that the Western Qiang King had already gone on an expedition, which instantly astonished and puzzled him, filling his heart with doubts.
Despite this, Li Su still suppressed his unease and came to the Western Qiang royal court, where he met Prime Minister Ya Dan.
Prime Minister Ya Dan looked at Li Su with a serious expression and directly told him that Ma Chao was Qiang King Che Li Ji's sworn brother.
When Ma Teng faced danger, Qiang King Che Li Ji unhesitatingly led many brave warriors of his tribe to quickly go to his rescue.
Prime Minister Ya Dan continued, "We Qiang are people who value loyalty and righteousness.
For brothers, we will bring out the best wine and delicacies to entertain; but for enemies, we will never be soft-hearted.
We have swift steeds, sharp bows and arrows, and deadly scimitars."
At this point, a sharp glint flashed in Prime Minister Ya Dan's eyes.
Subsequently, Prime Minister Ya Dan solemnly asked Li Su to inform Dong Zhuo that Western Qiang and Ma Teng had allied, and "we have no connection with Dong Zhuo of Liang Province.
Dong Zhuo should pay attention to our situation here and actively take action to rescue them.
Otherwise, we Qiang will regard Dong Zhuo as an enemy, and by then, Dong Zhuo will surely face the wrath and counterattack of our Qiang.
This is not a threat, but our firm stance and attitude."
Prime Minister Ya Dan hoped that Dong Zhuo would understand this and not underestimate the strength and determination of Western Qiang.
After Dong Zhuo heard the news brought back by Li Su, he frowned deeply and fell into contemplation.
He immediately discussed with Li Ru, and Dong Zhuo said with a solemn expression, "Wen You, this alliance between Western Qiang and Ma Teng is somewhat beyond my expectation."
Li Ru nodded, a hint of joy appearing on his face.
He cleared his throat and said to Dong Zhuo, "Father-in-law, in my humble opinion, this is actually a good thing.
Think about it, that boy Ma Chao is exceptionally brave, a rare talent, and we have witnessed his prowess before.
As for Ma Teng, although he is a Marquis of one region, he has always flown the banner of loyalty to the Han Dynasty, and still harbors feelings of loyalty and righteousness in his heart.
Such a person, as long as we win him over in the name of righteousness, he will surely be used by us."
The more Li Ru spoke, the more excited he became, continuing, "Their good relations with the Qiang will make our Western Liang as solid as gold.
In this way, our Western Liang will have double protection, and when we conquer other places, Western Liang will be our strongest rear support.
The key now is to find a way to win over Ma Chao; as long as we can control him, we can restrain Ma Teng.
With the two of them guarding Western Liang, what do we have to fear when we are campaigning outside? We can simply rest easy!"
Dong Zhuo listened to Li Ru's analysis, and the worry on his face gradually dissipated, revealing a slight smile.
He nodded and said, "Wen You is absolutely right, then in your opinion, how should we win over Ma Chao?"
Li Ru thought for a moment, then said, "Father-in-law, we can offer Ma Teng high official positions and generous emoluments, giving him some tangible benefits to make him feel our sincerity.
At the same time, we should fully relieve the siege of Wuwei and send an additional one thousand Flying Bear Army to Ma Chao, so that he develops a sense of reliance on us, making it even harder for him to betray us."
Dong Zhuo listened to Li Ru's words, nodded repeatedly, and immediately ordered reinforcements for Ma Chao, and the main army to advance with full force towards Wuwei, striving to quickly resolve the predicament at Wuwei.
After successfully capturing Beidi Commandery, Ma Chao allowed his army a brief rest.
During this process, he seriously summarized the gains and losses of this war.
He knew that although the soldiers were all brave and fearless, there were indeed some shortcomings in terms of warfare, such as the soldiers not yet fully obeying military orders.
Regarding this, Ma Chao solemnly said to his soldiers, "Brothers, I have only one demand of you, and that is to follow me closely.
Where my long spear points, that is our direction of advance.
When I charge first, you follow my steps closely and just charge forward with all your might.
After the battle, just do as I ask."
Ma Chao's words were forceful, making every soldier feel his firm resolve and strong belief.
They all expressed that they would obey Ma Chao's command, follow him to bravely kill enemies on the battlefield, and fight for victory.
After a short rest, Ma Chao led his troops to attack the Xianling Qiang tribe, located north of Beidi Commandery in East Qiang.
On that vast grassland, the camps of the Xianling Qiang were scattered like stars.
Ma Chao led his army, marching mightily towards the Xianling Qiang.
Ma Chao rode on his warhorse, looking at the camp composed of tents ahead, his eyes gleaming with firm resolve.
The nomadic nature of the Xianling Qiang meant their camps were relatively dispersed, but this did not cause Ma Chao to retreat in the slightest.
As the army gradually approached, the people of Xianling Qiang sensed the approaching danger.
They ran around in a panic, shouting and trying to organize resistance.
However, Ma Chao's army, like an unstoppable torrent, quickly broke through the Xianling Qiang's defenses.
Ma Chao charged at the forefront, his long spear sweeping, and wherever he went, the Xianling Qiang warriors retreated in defeat.
His army displayed powerful combat strength, engaging in fierce battle with the Xianling Qiang on the grassland.
Although the Xianling Qiang were brave, facing Ma Chao's well-trained army, their resistance seemed somewhat powerless.
Tents were toppled one after another, horses bolted in fright, and the entire camp fell into chaos.
Ma Chao seized the opportunity, directing his army to press deeper, completely routing the Xianling Qiang.
The defeated Xianling Qiang scattered and fled, their camp occupied by Ma Chao's army, becoming a desolate wreck.
Ma Chao, considering their difficult lives and the considerable losses both sides had suffered in the war, decided to spare them and implemented measures to pacify the Xianling Qiang.
He hoped that through this method, the Xianling Qiang would understand the preciousness of peace and no longer easily provoke war.
However, the Xianling Qiang were, after all, different from the Han people; their way of thinking and habits of behavior had great differences.
These Qiang people, feeling that Ma Chao had not severely retaliated against them, thought Ma Chao was weak and easy to bully, and so they rebelled again.
They gathered together and pursued and fought Ma Chao's troops while Ma Chao's army had not yet gone far.
Ma Chao's troops suffered some damage due to being caught off guard.
Upon learning of this, Ma Chao was furious.
He never expected that these Xianling Qiang would be so ungrateful and provoke trouble again.
He immediately led his army to turn back and counterattack, engaging in an even more intense battle with the Xianling Qiang.
Ma Chao led the charge; his long spear once again danced, like a flash of lightning, weaving through the Xianling Qiang's formation.
His army was also inspired by his anger, their morale high, and they fought bravely.
Under Ma Chao's leadership, they once again defeated the Xianling Qiang, making them taste the bitter fruit of defeat.
This time, Ma Chao showed no mercy.
For those Xianling Qiang youths who rebelled again, he directly ordered their execution.
In an instant, blood flowed like rivers in the Xianling Qiang camp, and wails filled the air.
Ma Chao used iron-fisted means to show the Xianling Qiang his determination and authority, making them never dare to easily challenge his bottom line again.
The victory in this battle also made Ma Chao's reputation even louder on this grassland, making everyone revere him.
After this campaign, Ma Chao paid a heavy price for his past soft-heartedness.
Originally, in the battle between Beidi and Xianling Qiang, his army only lost over two hundred men, but after the second rebellion of the Xianling Qiang, although the rebels were finally successfully suppressed, he was left with only about five hundred men.
Although these five hundred men had been tempered by blood and fire, and had been reborn, becoming true military elites whose strength was no less than that of other strong armies, it must be admitted that compared to the one thousand men he initially led, the losses were truly heavy.
And these one thousand men were originally borrowed from Dong Zhuo, which made Ma Chao feel quite ashamed.
Just at this difficult moment, Dong Zhuo actually sent an additional one thousand true Flying Bear Army elites, who quickly caught up with Ma Chao and joined him.
Ma Chao was moved beyond words by Dong Zhuo's actions.
He knew that Dong Zhuo's move was not only support for him but also recognition of his ability.
Ma Chao secretly swore that he would lead these brothers to bravely kill enemies on the battlefield, not betray Dong Zhuo's trust, and win glory for himself and his brothers.
Perhaps, all of this was within Li Ru's meticulous planning, and it was also the outcome Dong Zhuo hoped to see.
When Ma Chao, this passionate young man, went alone to borrow troops, Dong Zhuo unhesitatingly arranged for one thousand soldiers as support, and soon after added another one thousand elites.
For a young man of only fourteen or fifteen years old, how could he not be grateful in the face of such trust and support?
How could he not develop deep gratitude towards Dong Zhuo?
This undoubtedly connected Ma Chao emotionally with Dong Zhuo, and Dong Zhuo's actions left Ma Chao in deep emotional turmoil.
When Dong Zhuo later brought chaos to the world, Ma Chao on one hand saw Dong Zhuo's evil deeds, and on the other hand, found it difficult to let go of his gratitude towards Dong Zhuo.
This complex emotion made it even harder for Ma Chao to make choices when facing Dong Zhuo, and he fell into a struggle between morality and emotion, which also added more twists and troubles to his future destiny.