chapter 84

[Jia Xu]: While you still have time,

[JX]: will you accept my well-meaning advice,

[JX]: or… choose a total defeat?

[Ma Teng]: Meng Qi, you know what you should do?
{note: Ma Chao, courtesy name Meng Qi}

chapter 84 Galloping To Success

[Ma Chao]: It’s about time I get rid of you, kid.
(“I long since look [upon] you with displeasure”)

{clack~}

[MT]: You numskull, is that how you treat a man who saved you?

[MT]: Why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken? Someone else will do it for us.
[MC]: What?

[MT]: He’s right. No matter how tasty the noodles here are, they lack that “taste of home” like the kind in West Liang.

[JX]: May you gallop to success!
(wordplay on “Ma”, which means horse)

[MT]: Meng Qi, send word to Liang Province, tell them to prepare. And as for Han Sui at the north gate…
[MT]: remind him of that strategy when he pulls out.

[MC]: Get rid of that guy? Got it.

Ma Teng’s army gradually withdrew from Chang’an by noon.

{city sign: Chang’an}
[JX]: Open up.

[JX]: The enemy has retreated. Whether you decide to pursue them or let me in, just say something.

[Li Jue]: I just received news from West Liang about the plan to exterminate Lü Bu. Why wasn’t I informed?

[JX]: Because there might be Lü Bu’s spies around you, so I took the liberty…

{stab~}

Ma Teng was right.
Someone else will do the deed for him.

[LJ]: You and your hidden agendas will bring us more trouble.

Yes, you will be sidelined… if I live.

My Lord! I have done my best to save Chang’an, but your men don’t get it. Forgive me!
(more literally the last part is “don’t blame me”)

This arrow is a sign from you, right?

What I can do now…

is to complete my grand scheme!

But… I am more thrilled by something else at this moment…

[JX]: Fourth, you’re alive!
(“…resurrected” or “you’ve been revived”)
[Fourth]: Yes!

Jia Xu left Chang’an that afternoon.
There were many rumors about his reason. Some said he quit because of his mother’s passing; some said he left because he could not gain the trust of his superiors.

{Liang Province}
Lü Bu’s remaining faction is currently facing the onslaught of Dong Zhuo’s loyal forces at Liang Province.

[captain]: Sir! Lü Bu’s hereditary troops are all dead!
(“report…”)

[soldier]: Sir! Lü Bu’s third battalion is finished! His fourth battalion is nearly wiped out as well!

[soldier]: The fifth battalion is finished too!

{banner reads: “pay homage to the dead” or “in mourning”}

[general]: So is the commander…

My Lord!
We have avenged you!

We have avenged you!

We have avenged you!
We have avenged you!

[captain]: Sir! We have avenged our Lord!

[captain]: Good news! General Chen Xiu has taken Lü Bu’s head inside the city!

[general]: Lü Bu? What’s wrong with your eyes?

[general]: His body is right here!

[?]: Huh?

{south gate of Liang Province}

[captain]: How is it?
[scout]: Looks like a mutiny in the city.

[captain]: Is there an attack signal?
[scout]: Not yet.

[scout]: He might’ve met his match.

[?]: My, my, not bad!
[?]: You look dignified, must be Lü Bu’s number one man.

[?]: You look so downtrodden, brother Zhang Liao, have you been ambushed?

[Zhang Liao]: If you want a piece of me too, just try.

[?]: We each take what we need. I doubt you want to keep fighting.

What?

[?]: I want in, you want out, no conflict of interest.
[captain 1]: Go!

[ZL]: I certainly can’t refuse such courtesy.
[captain 2]: Make way! Let them go in!

{gate sign reads: south gate}
[ZL]: By the way, what’s your name?

{clank~}

[?]: One of your kind.
(assassin-like, nameless)

KILL~

[ZL]: Ma Chao’s deputy Pang De?
[ZL]: No wonder he’s that skilled. Looks like Ma Teng has seen through our plot.

[?]: Now… we’ve lost our main force and resources, right?
[?]: Yes, and without resources… Yuan Shu won’t take us in.

[ZL]: I think… perhaps Jia Xu wouldn’t have expected to lose his home base after killing us.

[Lü Bu]: No, I think he has accounted for that too. Don’t you see how Liang Province is now its own power?

[LB]: In other words, Ma Teng and Li Jue will keep each other in check.

[LB]: Jia Xu must’ve already left Chang’an.

[LB]: A man is freed when he loses everything. His thoughts will become clearer than before.

[LB]: I finally understand Jia Xu’s goal.

I see the light of dawn beyond the darkness.
The Darkness Ideology!

Ma Teng’s subordinate Pang De breached the south gate the next morning. Ma Chao arrived by the next day, taking Liang Province which was Dong Zhuo’s home base.

Ma Teng set a scheme in motion on his way out of Chang’an.

It is said that Fan Chou did not pursue Han Sui’s retreating forces because they were from the same town.

Li Jue’s faction believed the rumor and charged Fan Chou with treason so he could be executed during the banquet. Though another explanation was that Li Jue killed Fan Chou for his share of military power.
Without Jia Xu around, the remaining three began to alienate each other and proceeded toward their doom.