Liu Qi nodded and smiled, "Ling Ming seems to be a brave general. It's a pity for him to be a guard. Meng Qi should be promoted and given important positions."
Ma Chao suddenly fell to the ground and said, "I am the inheritor of my father's ambition and the successor of my ancestors. I am willing to help you revive the Han Dynasty and build your career. If you don't mind, we two will serve you."
Pang De didn't expect Liu Qi to praise him so much when they first met. He was so moved that he knelt on the ground and said, "Pang De is willing to serve you!"
"Please stand up quickly!" Liu Qi helped the two men up and laughed, "Let's go back to the city to celebrate our victory and welcome the two generals."
Along the way, they asked about Xu Shu's experiences after arriving in Jincheng. Everyone was amazed and Ma Chao was frightened when he thought about it. If it weren't for Xu Shu's help, he would have been doomed this time.
After returning to Angu, the soldiers rested and prepared for the celebration banquet in the evening. Zhang Fei, who originally loved the hustle and bustle, sat alone on the city wall, staring at the sunset in a daze.
In the evening, Agui and Xu Shu arrived at Angu. They met and showed respect to each other. Liu Qi gladly accepted Agui's intention to surrender.
Talking about Song Jian and his son, Agui said: "Qiangtong is far away in the depths of the Western Mountains. The mountains there are high and the roads are long. There are few people there. It is almost isolated from the outside world. They established a Buddhist country and called themselves Zhangxiong!"
"Xiangxiong?" Liu Qi frowned slightly, the name seemed familiar.
Agui nodded and said, "Xiangxiong is just a translation. It may refer to a mountain, or it may be a Buddhist language. I heard that there are many living Buddhas and monks there, and their cultivation techniques were passed down from the Kushans."
"Kushan?" Liu Qi's mind moved, and he asked, "So, the Living Buddha Master mentioned by Song Long is probably also a high monk from Zhangzhung. Are his methods also related to the Kushan Kingdom?"
Agui frowned and said, "That's probably the case. I have also heard about it occasionally. I have only seen one Zhangzhung man. He was very tall and had a slightly reddish complexion. He didn't look much different from us."
"So that's how it is!" Liu Qi seemed to be thinking about something and asked more about the situation in Xiangxiong. Agui also had only a vague understanding of it and most of it was just rumors.
According to their description, Zhangzhung should be the Tibetan region. Tubo had not yet appeared at that time. The court records called them Qiangtong people, probably thinking that they were a branch of the Qiang people, but this was not the case.
Tibet is already close to Nepal, so it is more convenient to have diplomacy with the southern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is also reasonable for it to be geographically close to the Kushans.
According to Liu Qi, the Kushan Empire at that time included the entire India, Myanmar and the western region of Xinjiang, with a territory far exceeding that of the Han Dynasty. However, like the Han Dynasty, it was in chaos, on the verge of decline, and was about to split.
The banquet ended that night. Zhang Fei and Ma Chao had a drinking contest and got so drunk that he fell asleep in the hall like a puddle of mud.
The next morning, Liu Qi transferred Zhang Ren back to the city, appointed Zhang Heng as the governor of Longxi, and went to Didao to exchange Wang Ping. He then divided Fuhan among the Di people, allowing them to govern themselves. Agui remained the Di king and was responsible for finding out news about Xiangxiong at any time.
He appointed Ma Chao as Governor of Xiliang and General Zhengxi, Ma Dai as General Pingxi, and Pang De as General Suppressing Rebellion, and they led the surrendered Xiliang army, with the help of Agui, to pacify Xiliang.
Liu Qi said: "Most of the officials and people in Xiliang were coerced by Cao's army and Han Sui, and had no choice. When Mengqi goes to Liangzhou, he must not vent his anger and seek revenge. He must be lenient and win the hearts of the people, cultivate the land and govern the country, especially pay attention to Hexi, and prepare for the future westward expedition!"
Ma Chao's eyes lit up: "My lord, do you really want to march west?"
Liu Qi nodded and said, "The countries in the Western Regions were originally vassal states of the Han Dynasty. Now the imperial court is in decline and the country is in turmoil, so they are unwilling to submit. Since we are determined to restore the Han Dynasty, we should pacify the four seas and revive the great power of the Han Dynasty. How can we ignore the Western Regions?"
Ma Chao clasped his fists and said, "I obey your command!"
Growing up in Xiliang, Ma Chao's greatest wish was to go out of Yangguan to see the scenery outside the country. However, outside Jiayuguan, there was yellow sand everywhere, bandits gathered together, the court was unable to govern, and the trade routes had long been cut off. He could only sigh and watch.
When I heard Xu Shu talk about Liu Qi’s plan before, I thought it was just talk. But when I heard him mention it specifically today, I knew that there really was such a plan. How could I not be excited
Liu Qi said: "In the past two years, I have opened the Hanzhong trade route, which can reach Xiliang from Wudu and Longxi. After pacifying Guanzhong, we can open Zhang Qian's trade route to the Western Regions. This Hexi area is of utmost importance. It all depends on Mengqi's stable governance. The general has a heavy responsibility and must not be careless."
"You will definitely live up to my high expectations!" Ma Chao agreed happily, but added: "But I have one more request."
Liu Qi smiled and said, "Meng Qi, please speak!"
Ma Chao said: "We are going to Xiliang to recover the lost territory. Although Han Sui is dead, there are still Cao troops stationed in Jincheng, Wuwei and other places. If we want to kill less and protect more people and land, we need to take advantage of the situation. Can you ask Military Advisor Xu to help me?"
Liu Qi hesitated and said, "Meng Qi values Yuan Zhi, which shows his trust in him, but he is also my right-hand man. Wei Kang and Xiahou Yuan have already led their troops to Hanzhong. It is time to use them, so it is not convenient to leave them easily. You all go back to Xiliang and attack the remnants of Cao's army. You will surely be invincible. Ma Dai is enough as a military officer!"
Ma Chao felt a little regretful, but Xu Shu smiled and said, "My lord, don't be so embarrassed. I will follow General Ma to Xiliang and can still help you."
Liu Qi said: "The war in Guanzhong is about to break out. The military advisor not only needs to make plans, but also needs to send scouts to gather information. The Yanfeng Camp cannot be without you, sir!"
Xu Shu smiled and said, "Don't worry, my lord. Shi A can command and dispatch the Yanfeng Camp troops. Ma Liang and Ma Su will be in charge of the military situation. They are much better than me."
"Ma Su?" Liu Qi frowned and asked, "Is this guy reliable?"
Xu Shu said: "Ma Su is a smart man. He can understand military tactics quickly and analyze intelligence with great accuracy. He is a rare talent, but he is still young and a little impatient. Let his brother Ma Liang take charge and we will be sure that nothing goes wrong."
Liu Qi did not expect that Ma Su could be recognized by both Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang, which shows that he is indeed very smart. But unfortunately he is Zhao Kuo of the Han Dynasty and is a little lacking in actual combat. If he had only been able to organize intelligence and gain experience, he would have been good.
After a moment's silence, he nodded and said, "Since you are willing to go to Xiliang, you can also help General Ma to pacify the territory as soon as possible, and then send troops to support us. It would be a good idea to pacify Longyou first and then join forces to attack Guanzhong."
"Thank you, lord, thank you, sir!" Ma Chao was very surprised and said, "I can't follow you to take Longyou for the time being, but the Ren family of Hanyang is an old friend of my family. Ren Yang is now the magistrate of Shanggui County. I can write a letter to persuade him to surrender."
Liu Qi was overjoyed and said, "If we can capture Shanggui, cut off the connection between Cao's army in Xiliang and Xiahou Yuan, and defeat them one by one, then Cao's army in Guanzhong will not be a concern."
After everyone had made up their mind, Ma Chao immediately wrote a letter, ordering Ma Le to go to Shanggui in person to meet Ren Yang and help Liu Qi conquer Longyou.
Three days later, everyone said goodbye to each other at the Tao River. When they reached Lintao, Liu Qi re-established the post of Southern Commander and appointed Lei Tong, a local who had cultivated land and trained troops in Dazhong.
Historically, Jiang Wei stationed troops here, so he could advance to take Xiliang or retreat to protect Hanzhong. Now the purpose of training troops is to ensure the smooth flow of trade routes. In the long run, if the Qiang and Di tribes rebel, it can also prevent threats to Hanzhong.