After Lu Zhi and Liu Bian carefully finalized everything, they repeatedly deliberated over the details, confirming there were no omissions.
Then, they slowly rose, a hint of weariness and reluctance on their faces.
Liu Bian looked at Lu Zhi, his voice tinged with emotion, "Master, I shall return now.
Everything is in your hands."
Lu Zhi bowed slightly, saluting Liu Bian and saying, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this old subject will exert his utmost effort."
With that, Liu Bian turned and departed.
Lu Zhi remained standing, watching Liu Bian's figure gradually disappear from sight, his heart filled with complex emotions.
Subsequently, Lu Zhi also left Cai Wenji's room with heavy steps, each returning to his own residence, silently praying that everything would proceed smoothly.
Afterward, Lu Zhi thoroughly reviewed the entire plan with Ma Chao.
Upon hearing it, Ma Chao also felt the plan was feasible and expressed his approval of Lu Zhi's arrangements.
Then, Lu Zhi solemnly handed the secret letter for Gongsun Zan and the specific requirements to Ma Chao, entrusting him to ensure its proper delivery.
Because this matter was of great importance, it absolutely could not follow official channels; if transmitted through a relay station, it would almost certainly be discovered.
Before this, Ma Chao had already sent word home that he would be forging weapons for Sun Ce.
Now, he was also burdened with the crucial task of delivering Lu Zhi's plan, and he deeply understood the weight of his responsibility.
Thus, Ma Chao used the Ma family's merchant caravan channels to carefully and secretly send out the letter and requirements, ensuring the message would safely reach Gongsun Zan.
Of course, after this, when Gongsun Zan received the message from his master, Lu Zhi, he immediately made a decisive move, dispatching his younger brother, Gongsun Yue, to lead two thousand White Horse General soldiers to depart at once.
They rode swiftly, day and night, galloping towards their destination.
And all of this was merely the beginning of a subsequent series of magnificent events, but that is a story for later.
After the message was successfully delivered, everyone could only wait patiently in anxiety and anticipation.
Before the troops arrived, they indeed dared not act rashly, and during this time, they had also failed to find an opportunity to meet with the Emperor.
Amidst this waiting, before they even received a reply from their side, they unexpectedly received an even more important and urgent piece of news.
Recently, shocking news came from Liang Province: Han Sui of Jincheng Commandery had allied with eight tribes, including Hou Xuan, Li Kan, Yang Qiu, and Ma Wan, to besiege Ma Teng.
It was rumored that this was a long-premeditated action, with the various tribal forces seemingly having secretly colluded long ago, intending to deliver a fatal blow to Ma Teng.
Among them, there were even shadows of the East Qiang.
A tense atmosphere permeated Liang Province, both inside and out, as Ma Teng and his forces were besieged in Wuwei, their situation precarious.
Han Sui and the others led their tribal armies to attack Wuwei.
Although Ma Teng fought valiantly, facing so many powerful enemies, he appeared somewhat overwhelmed.
This great upheaval in Liang Province plunged the entire Western Liang region into turmoil and unrest.
When the Imperial Court received this news, it was indeed greatly shocked.
The fierce confrontation between the Eunuch Faction and the aristocratic families temporarily put aside their differences due to this sudden turn of events and had to compromise on the matter.
After in-depth analysis, the Imperial Court recognized the severity of the situation in Western Liang.
Western Liang was already prone to frequent wars and chaos, and the East Qiang and Western Qiang often rebelled after surrendering.
Ma Teng's defense of Wuwei was like a solid line of defense, maintaining relative stability in the surrounding areas.
If Wuwei were to fall, the consequences would be unimaginable; not only would Dunhuang, Zhangye, and other places fall into chaos, but the entire Hexi Corridor might break away from the Han Dynasty's control and no longer be Han Dynasty territory.
Under such severe circumstances, the Imperial Court had to quickly devise a countermeasure to stabilize the situation in Western Liang and preserve this important frontier land.
At this moment, Dong Zhuo, the representative of the clans stationed in Beidi and Longxi, had achieved remarkable results in multiple pacification campaigns.
In the Imperial Court, ministers argued endlessly over this matter.
Some ministers believed that Dong Zhuo had a long-standing reputation and had performed excellently in pacifying rebellions, making him a suitable candidate to quell the rebellion in Western Liang; while others harbored doubts about Dong Zhuo, fearing that he would become too powerful with his troops and pose a threat to the Imperial Court.
But under the pressure of the situation, the Imperial Court ultimately decided to support Dong Zhuo in dispatching troops to quell the rebellion.
Now, even though the Eunuch Faction and the aristocratic families supporting He Jin were extremely unwilling, they had no choice but to push forward Dong Zhuo, a loyal supporter of Grand Empress Dowager Dong's family, hoping he could quell this sudden rebellion.
Regardless of the various reactions within the Imperial Court, when Ma Chao learned of this news, he could no longer sit still, his anxiousness evident.
Ma Chao carefully analyzed the situation in Liang Province, knowing full well the importance of Wuwei as a crucial strategic choke point.
Since Ma Teng established his merchant caravan, by virtue of its geographical advantage of occupying a vital pass and connecting to the Hexi Corridor, Wuwei became a transit hub.
Its unique conditions allowed its wealth to accumulate rapidly, which made the surrounding minor warlords covetous.
And after Western Qiang established contact with Ma Chao, Western Qiang also gained numerous wartime benefits from it, which greatly angered Mitang, the Great King of East Qiang, and this was the fundamental reason for the current turmoil.
From a broader perspective, perhaps for the Han Dynasty, once they defeated Ma Teng and Han Sui and his ilk seized control of Wuwei, holding the choke point, then the Hexi Corridor might no longer be under Han Dynasty rule.
From Ma Chao's personal interests, if Wuwei were to fall, the Ma family would be plunged into utter ruin.
Ma Chao pondered this, believing it to be a conspiracy against Ma Teng and against Wuwei.
Therefore, after Ma Chao thoroughly explained all of this to Lu Zhi, he requested to end his studies and return to defend Wuwei and assist his father.
Although Lu Zhi had always been fond of Ma Chao, even reserving a place for him in his plans for the Emperor's future, at this moment, facing the potential crisis for Ma Chao's family and even the territory of the Han Dynasty, his heart fell into deep contemplation.
He knew that Ma Chao was a courageous and resourceful young man with great ambitions.
During his studies, Ma Chao displayed diligence and an unusual bravery in handling the palace coup, which made Lu Zhi feel gratified and appreciative.
However, the current situation was so grim, and he understood the immense responsibility Ma Chao bore.
Lu Zhi weighed the pros and cons in his heart.
He knew he could not be an obstacle in Ma Chao's path forward.
Despite his deep affection for Ma Chao, in the face of his family's survival and the nation's security, he had to give Ma Chao his support and approval.
At the same time, he also believed that Ma Chao had the ability to cope with this challenge and would strive his utmost for the future of his family and the Han Dynasty.
Lu Zhi knew that the journey would be fraught with danger, so he asked Ma Chao to bring both Pang De and Dian Wei with him to ensure his safety.
However, Ma Chao stated that although the journey would be perilous, he was capable of handling it.
Furthermore, Lu Zhi also needed someone to protect him and could not be left unguarded.
Ultimately, Ma Chao decided to take Pang De and leave Dian Wei with Lu Zhi to guard his safety.
After Ma Chao finished discussing with Lu Zhi, he began preparing to leave and return to Western Liang.
He first went to the back hall to bid farewell to his mother.
His master's wife, knowing Ma Chao was leaving, was filled with reluctance but also knew she could not stop him.
Next, he went to bid farewell to his junior martial brother, Lu Yu.
Lu Yu did not quite understand the challenges Ma Chao was about to face and only regretted that their time together had been too short.
Afterward, Ma Chao went to bid farewell to Lu Wan, who, upon hearing the news, was instantly unable to accept it.
Her feelings for Ma Chao were deep, and she found it difficult to face the impending separation.
