Fu Gan was arguably the most intelligent strategist in Ma Teng's army. While his wisdom paled in comparison to top strategists like Jia Xu, it was still comparable to the best.
In a place like Xiliang, this was more than enough.
Fu Gan entered the hall and bowed slightly to the tipsy Ma Teng. "Greetings, General. I received a letter from Mr. Jia Xu yesterday and came to pay my respects. General, the situation is extremely urgent. But heaven never closes all doors; I have good news. Young Master Ma, Ma Chao is still alive."
"What!" Ma Teng was overjoyed. In truth, Ma Chao was not the eldest son of the legitimate wife, but rather the eldest son of a concubine, meaning he was the first child born to a concubine, not the son of the legal wife.
Ma Chao, with Hu (non-Han) ancestry from a young age, was sent to the battlefield and nearly died several times. Not long ago, during a civil war between Ma Teng and another Xiliang warlord, Han Sui, Ma Chao was almost stabbed in the neck by Yan Xing, a general under Han Sui. This clearly shows that Ma Chao, born out of wedlock, had a distant relationship with his father, Ma Teng. Ma Teng treated him more as a capable general than a son.
Now, his sons are all dead, and none are alive, only his daughter remains. Hearing that his son, whom he didn't particularly like, is still alive, he had to accept it, even if he didn't love him.
"Is this true?" Ma Teng excitedly stood up, pacing barefoot on the floor, displaying a complete lack of manners.
"Absolutely true, Clerk Jia said. The Governor knows that you, sir, were coerced by Han Sui, and therefore is willing to release the general and return Young Master Ma." Fu Gan paused, seemingly giving Ma Teng some time to process his words.
Ma Teng seemed to lack emotional intelligence. He looked left and right at the doorway, but still couldn't see his son. He couldn't help but wonder, "Why hasn't my son returned yet?"
Fu Gan inwardly cursed him as an idiot. How could he have served under such a boorish man!
So he cleared his throat and said, "General, the Governor has conditions. First, he wants you to submit to the Governor of Liang Province and await relocation. Second, he hopes you will offer your daughter to Governor Lu as a concubine, thus establishing a marriage alliance between the two families. What does the General think? Once your daughter arrives in Pengyang, Governor Lu will send Young Master Ma back."
This was an exchange: trading his daughter for his son, and gaining the prestige of a marriage alliance.
In fact, this was a form of diplomacy—a strategy of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones—to win over Ma Teng and annex Han Sui.
Fu Gan saw through it, but didn't say anything.
In his view, siding with Lu Ming was a wise choice. A good bird chooses its tree, a good minister chooses his lord, a talented person chooses his wife, and a good teacher chooses his mentor.
This was merely a natural choice, not a betrayal.
Lu Ming was the emperor's son-in-law, the imperial son-in-law, and also the governor of Liangzhou—all appointed by the court. Logically and morally, he was far superior to Ma Teng and Han Sui, who illegally occupied Wuwei and Jincheng counties.
Now that Lu Ming had shown a desire to annex Liangzhou, unify it, and weaken the governor's power, this was the perfect time to ally with him!
Upon hearing this, Ma Teng frowned and glared at Fu Gan. "You want to persuade me to surrender? Humph! How will I face Xiu'er and Tie'er!"
Fu Gan calmly cupped his hands and said, "Not at all. General, this is a golden opportunity for you to bring glory to your ancestors and avoid being scorned. You cannot bring glory to your ancestors, nor can you protect your wife and children. Now, a broad road lies before you, waiting for you to take it."
Before Ma Teng could erupt in anger, Fu Gan continued, "General, if..." "If this matter succeeds, the General and Governor Lu will be related by marriage. Moreover, the deaths of the two young masters were not at Governor Lu's hands; he has no connection to this matter. On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes; death and injury are inevitable. A true man, even if he dies on the battlefield, will not forget his own life! Governor Lu is currently favored by the Emperor and possesses extraordinary talent. If the General marries into him, he may one day use his influence to accomplish great things and benefit his descendants!"
Ma Teng was furious and helpless; he knew this was the best choice.
However, if his two sons died in battle, what would he gain by immediately surrendering? He still needed a way to save face.
"Let me think about it. Dai'er, please see the master out for me."
"Yes, Uncle." Ma Dai didn't understand why, so he bowed to Fu Gan, "Please, master."
Fu Gan nodded, then turned and left.
His task was complete; he hadn't used his own wisdom to analyze Lu Ming's situation and potential.
He simply trusted Jia Xu, the strategist's foresight.
This strategist, previously loyal to Dong Zhuo, had now switched allegiance to Lu Ming and was even in charge of the entire Longxi Commandery—a position of immense prestige.
Even the Jia family of Chang'an had sent people to contact him, saying that branches of the Jia family were inextricably linked.
This demonstrated Jia Xu's insight and achievements; following Jia Xu was surely the right choice!
Besides, Jia Xu also sent people to Jincheng Commandery to spread rumors that Ma Teng had betrayed them and was about to marry his daughter to Lu Ming in exchange for peace, and that his most capable son had survived.
Both sides agreed to a truce and form a marriage alliance.
Then the next target was Han Sui. The only option was to take advantage of Ma Teng's unpreparedness, seize Guzang, eliminate Ma Teng first, and absorb his power. Only then might they be able to challenge Lu Ming.
It must be said that Jia Xu's strategy was very effective. After Fa Zheng's plan failed, he immediately began sowing discord.
Fa Zheng's original idea was to have Lu Ming win a battle, then force Han Sui and Ma Teng to retreat, and then use scribbled letters to ignite suspicion and conflict between the two.
However, Lu Ming won a great victory, rendering his original plan largely useless.
With Ma Teng and Han Sui no longer together, the original strategy of sowing discord was no longer applicable.
Furthermore, Fa Zheng was in charge of the affairs of Anding County and had to recruit suitable clerks to assist him, keeping him extremely busy and leaving him no time even for drinking.
He had even less time to devise strategies. He was no match for Jia Xu; Jia Xu was even better at slacking off. If he saw Jia Xu's work methods, he would probably be furious!
Lu Ming also knew that Jia Xu had written to him.
So he focused on containing the plague within a certain area and began large-scale construction projects—not for his own residence, but for the people.
Every six days, the people were allowed a day off, a holiday.
During these holidays, he would explain the policies and brainwash them with praise of his own greatness, essentially portraying himself as a saint, a saint deeply loved by the people.