Chapter 1204: A Hero Seen in a Fleeting Moment

Even though Ma Teng was angry at Liu Xie’s cold treatment, his father’s dying words still bound him. Thus, Ma Teng continued to silently observe the state of the Han dynasty.

Much like Xun Yu, Ma Teng didn’t agree with the notion that the imperial throne of the Han dynasty could be passed around. The Han emperor was the son of heaven in his eyes, and his education had instilled in him loyalty to the emperor, though he had been deeply hurt by the court’s treatment.

Liu Bei was a true hero—this was Ma Teng’s impression after meeting him. During the brief time he spent with Liu Bei, Ma Teng even entertained the thought that Liu Bei should be emperor.

Unfortunately, Liu Bei wasn’t the emperor, but this thought shook Ma Teng. Liu Bei truly had the ambition to unite the realm. If Liu Bei succeeded and sought the throne, what would Ma Teng do?

Ma Teng had no idea what he would do. He repeated to himself countless times that Liu Xie was the rightful emperor, but Liu Bei’s image remained etched in his mind. The thought that Liu Bei might one day become the ruler of the world was firmly planted in Ma Teng’s heart.

Ma Teng felt deeply conflicted. He admired Liu Bei and wanted to befriend him, but this clashed with everything he had been taught. In the end, Ma Teng chose to distance himself, staying out of the fray and focusing solely on developing his own family.

If the emperor ever repented and sought his aid, Ma Teng would support him. But if the emperor continued as he had, then Ma Teng would be content to retire, knowing that his children had already grown strong and capable, no longer needing him to hold the family together.

Ma Teng was aware of Cao Cao’s attempts to woo him, and he could feel the pull of it. So far, Cao Cao had never shown any disloyalty to the throne, though he had been cold and distant at times. To Ma Teng, it seemed that Cao Cao, like him, had also been deeply wounded.

In this sense, Ma Teng believed he could understand Cao Cao. However, this understanding brought another question: why were Cao Cao and Liu Bei assembling troops along their borders? What was the meaning behind this?

After much thought, Ma Teng could only sigh and conclude, Liu Bei is a true hero. He, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei all seemed to be striving toward the same goal: the restoration of the Han dynasty.

In truth, after seeing the situation in Yongzhou and Sili, as well as Liu Bei’s governance, Ma Teng realized that if they compared it to the chaos during the Yellow Turban Rebellion at the end of Emperor Ling’s reign, the goal of restoring the Han dynasty had already been largely achieved.

Unlike a decade ago, when the land was overrun with bandits and famine victims, now the rule under both Cao Cao and Liu Bei had led to a situation where people had land to farm, houses to live in, and stability.

In essence, if all the remaining powers were truly dedicated to restoring the Han dynasty, they could all sheath their swords and let the horses roam the southern mountains. The goal had already been achieved.

But alas, the lords of the realm were still at war with each other. The constant conflict between Cao Cao and Liu Bei made Ma Teng realize that his path and Liu Bei’s were different. Liu Bei seemed to be striving for the throne, while Ma Teng’s goal was to protect the emperor. To Ma Teng, this was their greatest difference.

Ma Teng knew he couldn’t convince Liu Bei to abandon his ambitions. After all, the imperial throne of the Eastern Han was, in theory, open to all members of the royal clan. Liu Bei, as the most prominent member of the imperial family, had every right to say, “The throne is my destiny.” And there was no way to argue against that. Liu Bei was, indeed, a remarkable figure.

It was precisely because Ma Teng understood his own role as a loyalist that he reluctantly gave up on Liu Bei and chose to ally with Cao Cao. He felt that Cao Cao shared his mindset, believing that they both sought to protect the emperor. This belief was especially reinforced by Xun Yu, who made Ma Teng feel a deep sense of kinship.

With such a wise and loyal strategist like Xun Yu at Cao Cao’s side, Ma Teng was naturally inclined to think that Cao Cao was just like him—someone who had been deeply hurt but still remained loyal to the emperor. As for the massacres Cao Cao had committed, well, nobody is perfect.

This was why Ma Teng gradually began to accept Cao Cao’s overtures. Even Sima Lang and Zhong Yao, two officials loyal to the Han dynasty, had started aligning themselves with Cao Cao.

Were Sima Lang and Zhong Yao loyal? Of course they were. In the Han dynasty’s darkest times, they remained steadfast by the emperor’s side, devising strategies to secure his survival. They were the ones who invited Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Ma Teng, and Yuan Shao to rescue the emperor from captivity.

Were they intelligent? Undoubtedly. Zhong Yao’s decisions were always swift and decisive, never bogged down by hesitation. Sima Lang’s words were like a refreshing spring breeze, instilling confidence in those who heard them.

These two brilliant and loyal ministers had aligned themselves with Cao Cao. Surely, that meant Cao Cao was a loyalist like them, just a wounded one. After coming to this realization, Ma Teng began to communicate with Cao Cao, and soon discovered that Cao Cao was also a man of extraordinary talent!

To combat a hero, the best strategy is to find another hero. Cao Cao entered Ma Teng’s view as a fellow loyalist, someone with both the ambition and the ability to support the emperor. Ma Teng silently observed Cao Cao.

The more he observed, the more he came to believe that Cao Cao was indeed a remarkable person. Cao Cao had no shortage of talented ministers and mighty generals at his side. One day, Cao Cao even expressed an interest in forming an alliance with Ma Teng. Ma Teng gladly took the opportunity.

The fact that Cao Ang was present at the Ma family’s home was no accident; it was with Ma Teng’s tacit approval. Ma Teng truly admired Cao Ang. He saw him as another extraordinary figure. With a man like Cao Ang in the Cao family, they would only grow stronger in the future. Thus, Ma Teng was happy to see that Cao Ang had his eye on Ma Yunlu.

A man must marry when he’s of age, and a woman must find a husband when the time comes. Ma Teng thought Cao Ang was an excellent match, so he made it easy for him to court Ma Yunlu. Unfortunately, Cao Ang was just a step too late. If not for that, winning Ma Yunlu’s heart wouldn’t have been too difficult. But such is life—sometimes timing is everything.

Of course, Ma Teng also admitted that, though he and Liu Bei had different paths and could never truly ally, he still admired Liu Bei deeply. Because Ma Teng was born in Xiliang, had experienced the downfall of his family, and had suffered hardships, he could understand Liu Bei’s benevolence.

Liu Bei’s kindness wasn’t just empty words—it was real. His people had food, clothes, and shelter. For this reason, Ma Teng could appreciate Liu Bei’s benevolence, which made him feel even more conflicted.

Emotionally, he wanted to befriend Liu Bei, but rationally, he knew that any attempt to do so would be like trying to catch water with a basket—it would ultimately be fruitless. In the end, he and Liu Bei were simply walking different paths. Ma Teng was loyal to the emperor, while Liu Bei sought the throne.

This was the core of their conflict. Ma Teng wished Liu Bei could share his goal of supporting the emperor, but he knew deep down that if he himself had the power that Liu Bei did, he might not be able to remain loyal to the emperor either.

Ambition is always proportional to one’s strength. The stronger you become, the greater your desires grow. Ma Teng realized that, in Liu Bei’s position, he too would struggle to maintain his loyalty to the emperor. How could he expect Liu Bei to do any different? After all, Liu Bei was a member of the imperial family, and in a sense, it was his turn to sit on the throne.

In the end, Ma Teng chose the path he believed was right for him. To serve as a loyal minister in the way he thought was correct was, in itself, not a bad choice.

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