Passing on the Lamp of the Buddha's Heart: Infusing Wu Song with Spiritual Power, and the Emergency Headband Is Developed! (Continued)

Lin Chen chuckled softly at that, dipped a finger in some alcoholic liquid, and drew a circle on the tabletop.

"Fine, then let's start with Splendid Ma Chao. Ma Mengqi held Liang Province for more than a decade, commanding tens of thousands of troops—a bona fide warlord in his own right. During the Battle of Weinan, he crushed Cao Cao's Army, forcing Cao Cao to cut off his beard and cast aside his robe, seize a boat to dodge arrows, and nearly be captured alive! He could certainly be called a peerless hero!"

Lin Chen's tone shifted, taking on a hint of chill. "But could he truly serve as a commander-in-chief? The nominal commander of Ma Chao's Weinan Coalition was Han Sui. At most, Ma Chao was the chief enforcer with the most terrifying killing power. Later on, Cao Cao needed only a casually altered letter to drive a wedge between Han Sui and him, leaving their ranks divided at heart and suspicious of one another."

Lin Chen looked at Zhang Fei and countered, "At the time, both sides acknowledged that the Xiliang Iron Cavalry was unrivaled under heaven. In a straightforward battle, they were unstoppable. If Ma Chao truly possessed the talent of a commander-in-chief, if he could have held overall command and united all the factions as one, then with the Xiliang Iron Cavalry in his hands, how could Cao Aman possibly have turned the tables? He had courage in abundance, but lacked strategy. He governed his army poorly and could not distinguish loyalty from treachery. A favorable situation was lost in a single day. By that measure, I say he did not possess the makings of a supreme commander."

As Zhang Fei listened, he recalled the "miserable" state Ma Chao had been in when he sought refuge