Volume One, Chapter 14: Ma Han Deliberates; Li and Guo Halt the Troops

As expected, the Xiliang army’s provisions were exhausted within two months, and they began to discuss a retreat.

The biting winds of the twelfth lunar month whipped up grains of snow, causing the ox-hide curtains of Ma Teng’s command tent to snap and rattle. Inside, the flickering fire from the charcoal brazier cast shadows across the grim faces of the assembled men, while fine ice crystals clung to Ma Chao’s silver armor.

In the joint camp of the Ma and Han forces, the two leaders sat opposite each other. On the left sat Ma Teng, a man of towering, robust stature with a dignified, square-jawed face, a thick beard, and an air of heroic spirit. Beside him sat his son, the young Ma Chao in white robes, along with Pang De and Ma Dai.

On the right sat Han Sui, a man of more advanced years. Though lean and wiry, he possessed the sharp, dangerous aura of a veteran warrior. With a short beard and keen, piercing eyes, he exuded the demeanor of a seasoned strategist. Beside him sat his son-in-law, Yan Xing, and his strategist, Cheng Gongying.

Ma Teng was the first to speak: "Brother Wenyue, we have besieged Chang'an for nearly two months. Our supplies are running low, and no news has come from within the city. This daily stalemate is no longer sustainable."

Han Sui nodded in response. "I have heard rumors that the Li and Guo factions are fighting each other inside the city, but I cannot tell if it is true. I fear it may be a trap to lure us into a full-scale assault, only for the army outside the walls to strike us from behind."

Ma Teng, full of anticipation, asked, "Do you have a plan, Wenyue?"

Han Sui shook his head in silence and turned to Cheng Gongying: "Gongyi, what do you suggest?"

Cheng Gongying stroked his non-existent beard and proposed: "We must find a way to contact our moles within the city. Regardless of the cost, we must open the gates within the next two days!" His tone was fierce, hinting at a desperate, all-or-nothing resolve to force the gates open, regardless of the sacrifices required.

The others nodded in agreement. They had refrained from an all-out assault precisely to wait for their insiders to open the gates, which would minimize their own losses. But now, time was running short. They had to break into Chang'an, or this entire expedition would have been in vain. After all, the official titles promised by the young Emperor were contingent upon the liberation of the city and his successful rescue.

Just as they were deep in planning, a messenger arrived with intelligence from within Chang'an. As Han Sui read the message, he froze, his face turning dark.

"Shoucheng," Han Sui said, breaking the silence. "I have just received a carrier pigeon. In Chang'an..." He unfolded the silk scroll, and the four blood-red characters—"Ma Yu’s clan exterminated"—made Han Sui’s pupils contract.

Ma Teng slammed his fist onto the table, sending his bronze wine goblet leaping three inches into the air. "How dare Li Zhiran!" His thick beard trembled with rage. "That was the Attendant, Ma Yu!"

Han Sui let out a long sigh. "It is hopeless, utterly hopeless. Let us withdraw and make other plans for the future."

A few hours earlier, a servant in Ma Yu’s household had betrayed his master, identifying him to Li Jue and Guo Si as a conspirator alongside Liu Fan and Zhong Shao. They had planned to act as insiders to open the gates for the Ma-Han coalition. Even amidst their own internecine fighting, Li Jue and Guo Si were enraged by the news. They vented their frustrations on the conspirators, executing all three families down to the last servant and gatekeeper. They even hung the heads of the three men outside the city gates for all to see.

This brutal act left the people of Chang'an seething with silent fury, though they dared not speak. The reputation of Li Jue and Guo Si among the populace plummeted to freezing depths. When small groups of citizens passed one another, their shared, unspoken thoughts were palpable; after a brief, knowing nod, they would hurry on their way.

With their supplies exhausted and their morale shattered by the failure to take the sturdy walls of Chang'an and the exposure of their moles, Ma Teng and Han Sui had no choice but to strike their camp and retreat.

Li Jue and Guo Si, still engaged in battle within the city, learned of the Ma-Han withdrawal and ordered their armies to stand down. On the vacant ground between their lines, the two leaders sat on horseback, staring at one another with a mixture of resentment and confusion. They had once been close; why had it come to this?

Li Jue looked at Guo Si with a sullen expression. "Guo A'duo, we were both veterans of the Xiliang army, and our relationship was once strong. Now that we have crossed swords, have you considered the root of our conflict?"

Guo Si huffed. "What conflict? The problem is that you are suspicious by nature!"

Li Jue did not argue. He frowned and muttered to himself, "Fool!" Then he said aloud, "I feel there is a hand behind all this, fueling our discord until we reached this point of armed confrontation."

Guo Si, being more simple-minded, had not considered such complexities. He grumbled, "What is the use of asking me? If you have questions, go consult the strategist."

Li Jue thought it over and agreed. Jia Xu’s judgment had never failed; it would be better to hear his opinion. And so, Li Jue and Guo Si agreed to a ceasefire and went together to seek counsel from Jia Xu.

As the saying goes, there is a path to heaven that you refuse to take, and a gate to hell that you insist on crashing through. To see how their fate unfolds, please stay tuned!