Liu Xie raised a hand and pressed it down slightly, signaling that everyone could dispense with ceremony, then asked Cui Lin, "Deru, why have you returned alone? Where is Ma Teng?"
"Your Majesty!"
Cui Lin fell straight to his knees at the question and said, his face full of self-reproach, "I have failed Your Majesty's expectations. I could not persuade Ma Chao to surrender!"
"Not only that, Ma Chao has detained Ma Teng in Chang'an as well. I have truly disgraced my mission once again!"
"Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Cui Lin wept bitterly, kowtowing without cease.
Hearing that Ma Chao had refused to surrender and had even detained Ma Teng, Liu Xie's face instantly darkened.
Although he had been somewhat prepared for Ma Chao to refuse to surrender, hearing the news still inevitably displeased him.
Suppressing his anger a little, Liu Xie told Cui Lin, "Rise. Ma Chao's refusal to surrender is no fault of yours, Deru. There is no need to blame yourself."
"Your Majesty..."
Cui Lin stopped crying and said through gritted teeth, "There is more to that villain Ma Chao than simply refusing to surrender. He declared that he would submit to the Imperial Court only if Your Majesty enfeoffed him as King of Liang and allowed him to hold Liang Province forever!"
"Never in my life have I seen such defiance and shamelessness! He is scorning Your Majesty, scorning the Imperial Court, and scorning the majesty of our Great Han!"
"If this villain is not executed, what face will our Great Han have left?"
Cui Lin indignantly denounced Ma Chao's defiance, faithfully reporting his demand to be granted territory and made a king.
After he finished, Liu Xie fell silent.
Silence descended over the Xuan Room.
All the ministers bowed their heads deeply. None dared