In the next two days, the remaining Qiang gathering places were directly swept by cavalry led by three generals: Guan Yu, Ma Chao and Pang De.

Faced with the one-sided massacre, and with Beigong Ye's persuasion to surrender at the critical moment, everything went extremely smoothly.

Ten days later, at the foot of Wuwei Mountain.

Ma Teng led his army to meet Guan Yu, Ma Chao and Pang De.

After some greetings, Ma Teng looked at the more than 200,000 Qiang people who were obedient and had no intention of resisting. He could not help but admire them and said, "General Guan, you are still good at it. You conquered more than 200,000 Qiang people just like that."

"Send out 30,000 elite soldiers to expand China's territory."

"I was originally worried that the Qiang people would cause trouble when the army went out to conquer. Now it seems that I can rest assured."

"They are all old, weak, sick and disabled. What kind of waves can they make?"

Guan Yu waved his hand and said, "General Ma, please don't flatter me. This plan was set by the lord, and I am just executing it."

"Although the mission was accomplished, I was cursed."

"That's not a very nice name for an executioner."

Ma Teng laughed and said, "These are just the opinions of the barbarians. Don't take them seriously."

"Now, the people of Xiliang all regard you as their patron saint. They say that as long as they hang up the portrait of General Guan, the bandits and horse bandits will be terrified and look down on them."

"It's been many years since I've been called this way."

"General, such an honor is really enviable."

Guan Yu, who had a smile on his face, frowned and said, "General Ma Teng, who spread these words?"

"How can there be such a sound?"

Ma Teng did not notice the change in Guan Yu's expression, and smiled, "Most of them are spontaneous actions of the people. After all, such a great victory will be spread to a hundred people, a hundred people to a thousand people, and the more it is spread, the more amazing it becomes. This is normal."

Guan Yu's expression changed slightly: "This is harmful!"

"General Ma Teng, please give orders immediately and explain to the people that the biggest siege in this battle is the Lord. If the Lord had not been thousands of miles away and made plans for the western frontier, how could I have won this victory?"

"The Qiang people are afraid to surrender and are willing to agree to such harsh conditions because of the intimidation of our Lord God General. It has little to do with Guan."

Ma Teng was stunned, obviously not understanding why Guan Yu would refuse such a good offer.

Could it be that Ye Feng is intolerant?
Isn't it?

Seeing that Ma Teng still didn't understand, Guan Yu pulled him aside and lowered his voice: "My lord, you are broad-minded and a genius. Naturally, you won't be unhappy about such a small matter. Don't worry about this, General."

Ma Teng looked at Guan Yu even more puzzled. Although he did not speak, his eyes clearly showed his questioning of the meaning of Guan Yu's words.

Guan Yu continued, "It is normal for a general to have high martial arts skills. The higher his martial arts skills, the greater his achievements and the higher his prestige in the army. This is normal. After all, only by knowing each other's ins and outs can we unite as one and win the battle."

"But we must not have reputation among the people."

"A man who has military power, high prestige in the army, high martial arts skills, and the support of the people, what is the difference between him and a prince?"

"Even if we are loyal, there is no guarantee that there won't be others who will spread rumors against us."

"When Your Majesty loses control of this place, that is when disaster strikes." "So the people's hearts cannot be won. The only one who can win the people's hearts is the lord, the emperor. Otherwise, you shall die."

"These rumors are not helping me, but hurting me!"

Ma Teng, who had been fanning the flames of this news, suddenly changed his expression. He hurriedly apologized to Guan Yu: "General Guan, I did not do it on purpose. It was really..."

Guan Yu waved his hand and said, "Of course I know what kind of person General Ma Teng is. Otherwise, why would I tell you everything?"

"Fortunately, these words have not spread out and have not reached the Lord's ears. Change the propaganda immediately and spread the news that the Lord is so accurate in predicting things and is assisted by God. Let all the people in Xiliang know that I, Guan Yu, am just an ordinary man and definitely not a man of both civil and military talents. Also spread the news that I love wine and beautiful women."

These words made Ma Teng feel dizzy and even as if he was in a dream. He felt that Guan Yu was too sensitive.

Guan Yu also noticed that Ma Teng didn't seem to believe it, so he lowered his voice and continued, "Do you know Mr. Jia Xu and Jia Wenhe?"

Ma Teng said: "The name of the poison scholar is well-known throughout the world. How could I not know it?"

“But there wasn’t much overlap.”

Guan Yu said: "Mr. Wenhe and I have known each other for a long time. We once talked about the principles of dealing with people when we were drunk."

"When he was having a great time, he talked about his way of dealing with people, and I admired him from the bottom of my heart."

“It was then that I understood what it meant when the moon is full, it wanes, and when the water is full, it overflows.”

"The world has been unified, and a brand new empire is about to be established. At this time, we need to keep a low profile and save our lord from trouble. This way, the passion for conquering the world will never fade."

"Your son and I have known each other since we fought, and we have similar interests, so I will say a few more words today. If it were someone else, I would not be willing to say more."

Ma Teng looked thoughtful: "General Guan, do you think the Ma family can still stay in Xiliang?"

Guan Yu smiled and said: "If we generals are not needed to expand the territory, we must enjoy the glory and wealth, and can't always think of staying in one place without moving."

Although there was no direct answer, Guan Yu's meaning was very clear.

Ma Teng bowed and said, "Thank you for your advice, General. I know what to do next."

Guan Yu waved his hand and said, "I'll leave the Qiang affairs to you. After three days of rest, we will head towards the Western Regions."

"I hope that we can pacify the Western Regions in a month or so. Otherwise, how can we go back to attend the coronation ceremony of the Lord?"

Ma Teng said: "Don't!"

"General, you must come back. I am still waiting for you to bring Meng Qi and the others to meet the lord. You are here to introduce them!"

Guan Yu laughed heartily: "In this case, I really have to speed up my pace."

"You clicked on me on purpose!"

"Then let's go in two days!"

Ma Teng laughed and said: "Then I will wait for you in Wuwei."

(End of this chapter)