As the year drew to a close and a new one began, Ma Teng keenly sensed something unusual, and a feeling of worry welled up within him. In fact, last winter's snow was quite heavy, but for the Western Qiang region, due to the frequent comings and goings of Ma Teng's caravans, despite the heavy wind and snow, it did not significantly impact the lives of the Western Qiang. However, the corresponding East Qiang region suffered severe casualties and heavy losses due to the severe snow disaster. It was precisely because of the biased allocation by Ma Teng's caravans that Western Qiang was able to safely get through this snowy year.
Precisely because of the year of snow disaster, the lives of the Qiang people fell into difficult circumstances. However, Che Li Ji, due to the frequent comings and goings of Ma Teng's caravans, had abundant resources and a certain amount of military power in his hands. For those docile Qiang tribes that surrendered, he would provide corresponding assistance; for those forces that took the opportunity to cause unrest, he would mercilessly eliminate and suppress them. It was by relying on such a carrot-and-stick strategy that Western Qiang, under Che Li Ji's governance, had initially achieved remarkable results. It was also due to the unification and prosperity of Western Qiang that King Mitang of Dongqiang felt a deep sense of crisis. East Qiang had already suffered heavy losses due to the snow disaster and urgently needed to plunder supplies to enrich the lives of its tribesmen so that the tribe could survive. Western Qiang, under Che Li Ji's governance, safely got through the year of snow disaster, which also created unstable factors within East Qiang. Therefore, after Han Sui provided some material support and verbal instigation, King Mitang of Dongqiang raised an army and began to stir in Wuwei.
King Mitang of Dongqiang first led his troops to attack the southern part of Wuwei, an action that alerted Ma Teng to the abnormality. Ma Teng immediately deployed his forces in an emergency, preparing for a fierce battle with King Mitang of Dongqiang.
Nomadic peoples have always been known for their strong mobility; they are accustomed to striking quickly, plundering, and then retreating swiftly, only to return again. This tactic caused Ma Teng great distress. Ma Teng knew that facing such an enemy required effective countermeasures.
Fortunately, the Xiliang Iron Cavalry led by Ma Teng were no ordinary soldiers. Although there would be some casualties in battle, they remained brave and fearless, engaging in a desperate struggle with King Mitang of Dongqiang's forces.
However, misfortunes never come singly. Just as Ma Teng was locked in fierce combat with King Mitang of Dongqiang, Han Sui seized the opportunity of Western Liang's emptiness, united with the smaller warlord forces of the West Liang Eight Divisions, and launched a full-scale assault on Wuwei. In an instant, Wuwei found itself in a difficult situation, attacked from both front and rear, suffering heavy losses.
Under these severe circumstances, Ma Teng faced enormous challenges. He had to quickly adjust his strategy, rationally deploy his forces, both to counter King Mitang of Dongqiang's attack and to resist the combined assault of Han Sui and other forces. At the same time, he also needed to find every possible way to boost the morale of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, making them maintain their tenacious fighting spirit in adversity and fight to defend their homeland.
When Ma Teng first engaged in battle, his forces were not sufficient. It was only after Han Sui and others launched a sneak attack on his rear flank that he hastily requested reinforcements from the imperial court and also sought aid from the garrisons in Zhangye, Jiuquan, and other places. However, due to the long distance, reinforcements could not arrive quickly and could only contain some local small tribal warlords, such as Yang Qiu and Hou Xuan, preventing them from fully attacking Wuwei.
When Qiang King Che Li Ji heard that Ma Chao, with whom he had a deep friendship, was not at home, and that Wuwei was besieged, his heart was instantly filled with endless anxiety and worry. He knew that Ma Chao was a brave and fearless hero, and now that Wuwei was in distress, but Ma Chao was not by his side, this made Che Li Ji extremely anxious and restless.
He paced back and forth in his tent, his brows tightly furrowed, his face full of worry. His heart was concerned about the safety of Wuwei and the situation of Ma Chao; that anxious feeling made him feel as if he was sitting on pins and needles, unable to calm down for a moment. Che Li Ji knew that the siege of Wuwei was a huge challenge for the entire situation, and he had to quickly come up with a countermeasure to help Ma Chao and Wuwei get through this difficult time.
After Qiang King Che Li Ji received the urgent news of Wuwei's siege, despite having just endured hardships to successfully pacify and unify the various tribes of Western Qiang, he did not hesitate for a moment. He immediately and decisively led a large army to march out. He knew the battle situation was critical and dared not delay for an instant, pushing his horses relentlessly straight towards Han Sui's stronghold in Jincheng.
During the march, Qiang King Che Li Ji's heart was filled with firm belief and a sense of mission. He understood that Wuwei was currently in peril and needed his support. And the Western Qiang army he led, due to their love for their homeland and their determination to defend it, had high morale and advanced fearlessly.
At the same time, the surrounding Western Qiang tribes also responded to Che Li Ji's call, joining the battle. Their advance was like a powerful force, putting immense pressure on Han Sui's forces in Jincheng, greatly delaying Han Sui's troop deployment and operational planning.
As for the other small warlords of the Eight Divisions, although they nominally participated in this action, in reality, most of them merely held the attitude of coming to cheer. They attempted to fish in troubled waters during this chaos, taking the opportunity to gain some benefits and satisfy their selfish desires. However, their actions could not change the direction of the entire battle, merely adding some complex factors to this fierce battle.
It was precisely because of this crucial reason that, in a situation where multiple forces competed, Wuwei, despite being fraught with danger, stood firm and unshakeable, unwavering.
At this moment, Ma Teng's army was in an extremely miserable state. They had endured long periods of fighting and marching, and were already utterly exhausted. The soldiers' faces were etched with fatigue and hardship, and their eyes revealed deep despair and resilience. Their steps became heavy and slow, each one seemingly using up all their strength.
Their battle robes were soaked with blood and sweat, some places even torn and no longer providing effective protection. Their weapons had also suffered varying degrees of damage in battle; some blades were blunted, some spear tips bent. Many soldiers were covered in wounds, new ones layered over old, some still bleeding, and pain tormented them constantly.
However, despite having suffered such immense physical trauma, their will remained as firm as iron. Their determination to defend their homeland never wavered, a resolve stemming from their deep love and attachment to this land. They knew that behind them lay their homes, where their loved ones resided, and they could not let the enemy succeed, could not let their homes be destroyed.
Under Ma Teng's army, the ordinary soldiers and civilians also displayed admirable courage and determination. They all took up arms and joined the battle to defend their homeland. Whether young men or elderly people; whether delicate women or tender children, all fought hard to defend their homes. They worked together, resisting the foreign enemy, interpreting their love and loyalty to their homeland with their actions.
Their hearts were filled with hope for the future; they believed that as long as everyone united, they would certainly be able to defeat the enemy and protect their homeland. Their determination was as hard as steel; no matter how powerful the enemy, they would not retreat, would not give up. This spirit of defending their homeland burned brightly in their hearts, becoming their motivation and support to persevere.
