Chapter 1203: The Ruler Treats His Subjects Like Dirt

Guanyu remained silent, not expecting to encounter such a scandal right after arriving at the Ma family estate. Judging from Ma Chao’s panic-stricken entrance, crashing through walls as he rushed in, Guanyu knew that Ma Yunlu had indeed run away.

“I’ve troubled General Ma. Since Miss Ma is not here, let’s drop this matter for now. Zhao Yun will come himself next year to discuss it,” Guanyu finally spoke after a long silence.

In truth, Guanyu felt extremely frustrated. His visit to Chang’an to meet the emperor had been a disappointment. His efforts to secure Xiahou Juan as a wife for his sworn brother had been blocked by the tedious rituals of the three letters and six ceremonies. And now, trying to arrange Zhao Yun’s marriage to Ma Yunlu, she had run away from home.

In short, Guanyu suddenly realized that since arriving in Chang’an, he had accomplished nothing. All his plans had failed—every single one. How unlucky could one be?

“Mengqi, see General Guan out,” Ma Teng instructed, trying to contain his rage. Ma Yunlu had run away from home again, and worse, it had happened in front of outsiders. The Ma family, a prestigious clan from Liangzhou, had just had their reputation thrown in the dirt in front of Guanyu.

Ma Teng did his best to remain calm, but any patriarch of a long-established noble family who discovered that his daughter had run away for no reason—especially in front of guests—would feel humiliated. Ma Teng was no different, and his face had already twisted in anger.

“Lingming, gather the servants and inform the Chang’an magistrate to bring Yunlu back,” Ma Teng ordered, no longer bothering to hide his emotions. Since they had already been disgraced, there was no point in pretending anymore, at least not in front of Guanyu.

Guanyu’s expression darkened. He suddenly realized that Ma Teng seemed reluctant to allow Zhao Yun to marry into the family. Why else would he involve the Chang’an magistrate to find his own daughter? Wasn’t this a clear sign that he wanted to bring the matter to Cao Cao’s attention? Was this some sort of unspoken agreement with Cao Cao?

While Guanyu and Cao Cao could hold civil discussions, this didn’t mean that Guanyu liked or trusted him. Their respective positions had already been established long ago. If they met on the battlefield, they would surely be exchanging blows without hesitation. Personal friendships would never change that.

From Ma Teng’s earlier words, Guanyu could tell that he had deep ties with Cao Cao, or at the very least, he didn’t mind if Cao Cao knew about their family matters. This wasn’t a good sign.

In the past, Guanyu might have missed such subtle details. However, after spending years alongside Guo Jia, he had absorbed some of Guo Jia’s strategic insight.

[As much as I hate to admit it, Zilong is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding men in the world. Marrying Ma Yunlu would be as his principal wife, not a concubine. Yet Ma Teng still refuses. This means he must have other plans.]

Guanyu maintained his cold, expressionless face, offered a courteous farewell, and turned to leave. Despite the thoughts racing through his mind, he showed no trace of them outwardly. Ma Chao immediately followed after him.

“Wait, General Guan!” Ma Chao called out as he escorted Guanyu to the gate. Seeing Guanyu about to mount his horse, Ma Chao hurriedly grabbed the corner of his robe.

“What do you wish to say, Mengqi?” Though Guanyu felt some dissatisfaction with Ma Teng’s intentions, he bore no ill will toward Ma Chao. Given Guanyu’s usual cold demeanor, no one could tell what he was thinking.

“Please take care of Yunlu along the way, General Guan,” Ma Chao said, bowing with clasped hands. “When you see General Zhao in Ye City, tell him I will handle the matter of the three letters and six ceremonies.”

Unlike Ma Teng, who harbored dreams of reviving the Ma family and remained loyal to the Han dynasty, Ma Chao had no such burdens. He also cherished his sister, but his approach to securing her happiness was completely different from his father’s.

Ma Teng’s goal was to restore the Ma family and fulfill his ancestors’ dreams. The happiness he envisioned for his daughter was based on his own standards, much like how Li You arranged Cai Yan’s marriage—a life of prosperity, but whether that was what his daughter or Cai Yan truly wanted was another question.

Ma Chao, on the other hand, had none of these lofty ambitions. He also wanted his sister to be happy, but his method was to let Ma Yunlu pursue her own happiness. Whether it was the right path or not, he believed she should experience it herself, and he would clean up any messes along the way.

This was the fundamental difference between Ma Chao and Ma Teng. Ma Teng was bound by tradition and duty, while Ma Chao had a more carefree, youthful spirit. He wasn’t afraid of making mistakes or causing trouble. As long as his sister chose her path, he would support her. Even if it turned out to be the wrong path, he was confident that he could ensure she wouldn’t suffer.

Guanyu glanced at Ma Chao and instantly understood what he meant. After a brief moment of hesitation, he transmitted a message to Ma Chao: “Mengqi, Chang’an is not a place to stay long-term.”

Ma Chao fell silent before replying via voice transmission, “I cannot leave. The Ma family relies on my father, myself, and Lingming to hold it together. We can’t afford to lose anyone.”

[This is the vow of three generations of my family. The Ma family will not leave this place.] Ma Chao thought to himself. He knew that Chang’an was a place full of strife, but the Ma family had risen and fallen in Yongliang, and now it was time for their revival. Ma Teng would never agree to leave Yongliang.

Guanyu said no more. He lifted the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and turned his horse toward the post station. Ma Chao silently watched him leave, letting out a long sigh. [I have yet to prove myself. How can I leave now? Besides, whether I admit it or not, Cao Mengde has treated me quite well.]

Ma Chao understood why his father had changed so much. When they had united the forces of Liangzhou to support the emperor, their success had brought the Ma family back into the eyes of the Han royal court. Overnight, it seemed as if the Ma family had been restored.

Back then, Ma Teng had knelt before the ancestral shrine, crying and laughing, thanking their ancestors for their blessings and proclaiming that the Han dynasty would prosper once more, with the Ma family finally achieving its long-awaited revival.

But soon after, Ma Teng’s enthusiasm cooled. Although he had been promoted and honored, Ma Teng could sense the wariness of the Han officials toward him. While this didn’t bother Ma Teng too much, it planted a seed of disillusionment. As long as he could protect the emperor, he thought, everything would be fine.

Then one day, after a visit to the imperial palace, Ma Teng returned home and fell into a long silence. From that day on, he shifted his focus from national affairs to family matters, becoming more like the sons of the great families from the east.

From that time forward, Ma Teng stopped isolating himself as a lone minister and began to forge alliances with the Cao and Xiahou families. He even acted as a mediator between Yuan Shao and Liu Bei, trying to build relationships on both sides.

National affairs would be handled by others. If the emperor treated even the loyal Ma Teng this way, Ma Teng saw no reason to exhaust himself for the emperor anymore.

The affairs of the state were the state’s problem. The emperor’s issues were the emperor’s alone. Only the affairs of the Ma family mattered. Ma Teng believed that if his father had reminded him to remain loyal to the Han dynasty even on his deathbed, surely the emperor could recognize his own loyalty.

Yet the truth had shown Ma Teng otherwise. The emperor did not consider him a loyal subject. Simply saving the emperor didn’t make him loyal; only obeying the emperor’s every command—even unto death—qualified as true loyalty. If that was the case, Ma Teng saw no point in playing the role of a loyal minister, and so he stopped attending court altogether.

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