"I understand, Yuanzhi. You will accompany me to the gathering at the Qiang tribe. Go back and prepare well. I'm going to meet Ma Chao. He's a decent general. If he can be used by me, that would be best. If not, then I'll destroy him. If this man cannot be subdued, he will inevitably rebel in time!" Lu Ming understood Ma Chao very well; this kind of person was no different from Lü Bu.
Only by being stronger than him could he be suppressed; otherwise, it would be like raising a tiger to cause future trouble!
Lu Ming only trusted the system's prompts. If the system said someone was loyal, then they were loyal.
If the system said someone wasn't loyal, then he would definitely doubt it and would never believe it.
He didn't have the time or ability to distinguish between loyal and treacherous people; relying on the system to determine this was the best option.
"Yes, my lord. If we take Ma Chao with us this time, it should be enough to win them over. Ma Teng and his son have a decent reputation in Wuwei County; they haven't been accused of exploiting the people. If we can reclaim it, things will go much smoother for the overall campaign in Dunhuang and other areas." Yuan Zhi, as the strategist, had many things to consider, currently focused on reclaiming Liangzhou.
However, he wasn't as adept at economic development.
"That's exactly what I was thinking. It seems Yuan Zhi is my right-hand man! Come, let's wait and see. Stay for dinner tonight; we haven't eaten in a long time. Later, you'll all be scattered to various places to govern, and we'll have even less time to gather." Lu Ming sighed, feeling helpless; he had too few capable men under his command and had to maximize their effectiveness.
"Serving my lord, I would die for him!" Xu Shu bowed respectfully, a sense of duty welling up within him. Despite his mother's marriage to Lu Ming as a concubine and her pregnancy despite her advanced age, he showed no smugness or pride; instead, his expression grew increasingly solemn.
Only by holding a high position could he protect his mother and younger siblings.
Shortly afterward, a young general in armor was brought in. He clasped his hands in a fist salute, knelt on one knee, and respectfully said to Lu Ming, "This sinful subject, Ma Chao, greets Your Excellency the Governor."
"Mengqi's presence is of no offense. Someone, instruct Lady Wang to take Ma's daughter to wash up. Come, Mengqi, this way." Lu Ming gestured invitingly, then clapped his hands.
A maidservant immediately brought out a copper pot, a hot pot made from copper ore.
Copper and iron have different densities and structures. Smelting copper in a traditional kiln is relatively simple, while iron ore is much more difficult to mine and smelt.
However, iron is twice as hard as copper; in a battle between armies, that's a fatal advantage—it can cut through an opponent's weapon with a single strike!
Without a weapon in hand, it's like waiting to die!
Disarming an opponent bare-handed is just a martial arts novel; in reality, it's just a matter of reaching out and then it's gone!
Lu Ming skillfully started a fire, began cooking beef and mutton, and even threw in some lemongrass. "Come on, let's eat together. Hey, who's that brave warrior?"
Ma Chao then realized that after meeting Lu Ming, he seemed to have been led by the nose. "This is my cousin, Ma Dai!"
"Oh, alright, since we're family, sit down and eat together. I'm also a soldier, a mere warrior, so sit down, no need to be polite. Since Yunlu has married me, we're family now, no need for formalities. This is fresh beef hot pot, try some, put it in the pot, boil it a little, dip it in the sauce, it's incredibly delicious!" Lu Ming demonstrated, then poured them some baijiu (Chinese liquor), "Pair it with a sip of wine, and life's greatest pleasure is good food and good wine, come on, bottoms up!"
The others dared not refuse, that would be suicide! Lu Ming could drink a little, but they dared not actually drink only a little.
Sure enough, good food has the same fatal attraction for both men and women.
Ma Chao and Ma Dai's restrained expressions gradually relaxed, and they began to explain the purpose of their visit.
Besides sending his sister, Ma Yunlu, to Lu Ming for a marriage alliance, the more important purpose was to express submission. They requested Lu Ming to send someone to take over Wuwei County, stating the Ma family was willing to submit, relinquishing military and administrative power, only asking for Lu Ming's acceptance and forgiveness!
This wasn't initially the case. Ma Teng was persuaded by his advisors that it was better to surrender decisively than to surrender outright.
Even temporary dormancy, as long as they could demonstrate their loyalty, coupled with the marriage alliance, meant they could easily rise again in the future.
Then, the Ma family would be unstoppable!
This is why Ma Chao said he would hand over all power. He himself didn't understand this, only knowing to follow his father's orders.
In truth, he harbored some resentment, but dared not voice it.
"Very well. Someone, go and summon Mr. Guangyuan and Liao Hua." Lu Ming didn't stand on ceremony; since they could accept it, he would accept it directly.
Shortly after, Shi Tao and Liao Hua arrived. Lu Ming invited them to sit down and eat, then chatted with Ma Chao and the others about the environment and characteristics of Wuwei County—information to inform Shi Tao and Liao Hua of their concerns.
"Guangyuan, you will temporarily manage Wuwei County in my stead, serving as its prefect. Yuanjian, you will serve as the county commandant, overseeing the troops and ensuring that Wuwei County is free of bandits and scattered soldiers. Are you confident?" Lu Ming's delegation of authority was actually quite simple. He was only responsible for the positions of each important officer; the rest was up to them. Whether they appointed relatives or chose the virtuous, he only cared about results. If the results weren't achieved, they were out!
"This subordinate obeys! The city stands as long as I live; the city falls, I die!" Liao Hua rose and knelt, kowtowing deeply to Lu Ming.
His expression was resolute, and his excitement was still visible, though he didn't express it incoherently; he managed to control his emotions.
Lu Ming valued his talent, so he frequently encouraged him to study military texts and practice troop deployment, hoping he would become a capable vanguard general in the future!
A general needs composure, to avoid mistakes, to advance steadily, to create openings in the army's defenses, and to create favorable conditions.
Liao Hua was clearly suitable to be the vanguard; replacing him with Ma Su would have been somewhat comical.
"I obey your command," Shi Tao bowed to Lu Ming. Xu Shu had told him that he would definitely have a chance to prove himself in the future, and now his opportunity had arrived!