Yueji and his subordinates rushed forward, pointing their weapons at Ma Chao, fearing that Ma Chao would harm Che Li Ji. Ma Chao laughed heartily and threw his long spear away. Che Li Ji angrily reprimanded his subordinates, "Who told you to act rashly? A competition is a competition, and losing means losing. When have our Qiang people ever been so unreasonable?" He then said to Ma Chao, "I lost, and I am completely convinced. You were already exhausted, and I had the advantage, yet I still couldn't defeat you. This fully proves your strength. We Qiang people are straightforward; since I lost, you may take the Horse King. I have nothing more to say."
Ma Chao smiled and said, "As the saying goes, 'one does not know a person until they fight them.' I see that you, Prince, are also an honorable man. You could have just taken it directly, and I couldn't have stopped you, yet you were willing to fight me fairly. Although you lost, you didn't become angry out of shame; you faced it calmly, which proves your magnanimity. I have felt your sincerity. Good horses are common, but true friends are hard to find. You sought this treasure horse to show filial piety, and I am willing to help you achieve your wish."
Che Li Ji was overjoyed and ordered his subordinates to set up camp, light a fire, roast meat, and chat and drink heartily with Ma Chao. Both were heroic and outstanding individuals, and they had a very pleasant conversation.
The two recounted their ages: Che Li Ji was 18, and Ma Chao was 14. They addressed each other as brothers, discussing their ambitions and martial arts. They became increasingly excited as they talked, until the moon was high in the sky and a bonfire was lit. Ma Chao and Che Li Ji both drank heavily and were then helped back to their tents by their subordinates to rest.
The next morning, Che Li Ji repeatedly invited Ma Chao to be a guest at the King's tent, but Ma Chao politely declined, stating that he would visit the King's tent in the future. Seeing Ma Chao's persistence, Che Li Ji did not insist. Ma Chao's purpose in going to the Qiang was to obtain meteorite iron, but if he went with Che Li Ji, then seeking meteorite iron would make his intentions too obvious, giving the impression that he was exchanging the horse for the meteorite iron, which might damage their friendship.
At their farewell, Che Li Ji took off the short saber from his waist and gave it to Ma Chao, saying, "Brother Mengqi, since you insist on not coming with me, I have nothing to give you as a parting gift. This short saber was forged at the same time as the seven star treasure blade. My Lu Zhi wore this short saber back then, and later he bestowed it upon me. I cherish it greatly and wear it daily, never letting it leave my side. Today, I give it to you, brother, just as you and I, brothers, will never be separated." The scabbard and hilt of the short saber were adorned with gold and gemstones, looking exceptionally valuable, and the blade was incredibly sharp. Ma Chao, hearing how precious it was, refused to accept it. Che Li Ji's face showed displeasure, and he spoke, "Brother can give me a treasure horse, but cannot accept my treasure saber? Is our brotherhood not more valuable than external possessions?" He forced it into Ma Chao's hand. Ma Chao had no choice but to accept it.
Because Ma Chao had rushed after the treasure horse, all his weapons and luggage were lost, and he had no return gift. After a brief thought, he untied the cloak from his back. The cloak was somewhat tattered from the journey. He presented it with both hands and said, "Yesterday, I chased the horse too eagerly, and all my luggage was lost. I only have this tattered robe with me. My mother made this stitch by stitch. Although the cloak is torn, it represents a mother's love for her son. I hope my elder brother will not dislike it."
Che Li Ji took it with both hands, immediately put it on, and looked left and right, overflowing with joy: "This was personally sewn by my aunt! I love it so much! It makes me happier than if you gave me a thousand gold coins. This is what a good brother is."
Che Li Ji presented the red horse he had captured yesterday, and also gave him weapons and gold and silver. Ma Chao, moved by Che Li Ji's sincerity, accepted everything. The two reluctantly parted, neither willing to leave first. Finally, Ma Chao, having no choice, clasped his hands in farewell. He galloped far away, and could still see Che Li Ji waving with his subordinates. Ma Chao secretly thought that Che Li Ji was truly someone he could entrust himself to. For this visit to the Qiang King, he needed to carefully prepare a gift; it could not be too simple.
Only when Ma Chao was out of sight did Che Li Ji lead his subordinates towards the royal court. Along the way, Che Li Ji was in high spirits, having made a new friend and obtained this peerless Horse King. Imagining his Lu Zhi's joy, Che Li Ji felt delighted, and even the journey did not seem tiring.
In the Qiang King's tribe, the leaders of various tribes were gradually arriving. The welcoming and sending off were all handled by the Qiang King's brother, Tuguli. The Qiang King was no longer as brave as he had been in his youth. In recent years, with stability among the tribes, Tuguli had continuously presented beauties, causing the Qiang King to indulge in wine and women, and seek pleasure. Many Qiang affairs were handled by Tuguli. Once a person tastes power, many undesirable thoughts arise. Tuguli secretly used his power to win over some tribal leaders. Some small tribes were already oppressed by larger tribes and were not valued by the Qiang King. After being won over, they secretly pledged allegiance to Tuguli. Tuguli favored the tribes loyal to him and secretly instigated discord among the tribes loyal to the Qiang King, accumulating immense power.
For the Qiang King's birthday this time, news of a wild horse herd also spread. Che Li Ji, being young and impetuous, was incited by Tuguli's few words, becoming fervent and insisting on obtaining the Horse King to present to his Lu Zhi for his birthday. The old Qiang King, being deeply fond of his son, allowed Che Li Ji to take the elite royal tent guards. This also gave Tuguli an opportunity. This time, the tribal leaders came to celebrate the old Qiang King's birthday. Tuguli incited the leaders loyal to the Qiang King to send their personal guards to hunt the Horse King, partly to celebrate the Qiang King's birthday and partly to get closer to Che Li Ji, the future Qiang King. Tuguli was too deeply hidden, and the leaders had no suspicion, thinking it was a good suggestion, and sent out all the elites they brought. However, the tribal leaders loyal to Tuguli all remained still, unifying their personal guards under Tuguli's command.
Tuguli arranged the tribal leaders loyal to him around the King's tent, while the tribal leaders loyal to the Qiang King were arranged in marginalized areas. Having made all these arrangements, he waited for all the tribal leaders to arrive. When the Qiang King held a banquet to summon the leaders, he would launch a coup to seize power.
It was when Che Li Ji and Ma Chao discovered the traces of the wild Horse King on the grassland that all the tribal leaders in the King's tent were settled, and the Qiang King held a banquet.
Tuguli had positioned the rebels around the King's tent in advance. Here, halfway through the Qiang King's banquet, Tuguli left on a pretext, leading his troops to surround the King's tent. Before the King's tent guards could react, most of them were killed. Inside, hearing the commotion, they were about to go out and check when the leaders loyal to Tuguli suddenly launched an attack at the banquet, directly attacking the Qiang King. The Qiang King's trusted leaders did not have time to rescue him, and the Qiang King was already stabbed to death. The scene instantly erupted into chaos. The Qiang King's trusted leaders, seeing the Qiang King killed, could only band together and rush out. Since Tuguli was well-prepared, and the rebels had the numerical advantage, it didn't take long to clear out the King's tent guards outside. As soon as the trusted leaders rushed out of the King's tent, they found it densely packed with rebels. Tuguli also guaranteed not to harm the leaders. With the Qiang King dead, the leaders had no choice but to lay down their weapons and surrender.
Tuguli, using an unprepared opponent against a prepared one, had laid out his plans for many years. Seizing this opportunity, he launched a lightning strike and successfully completed the coup and rebellion.
Tuguli held the leaders under guard. The rebellion was largely successful. Now, the only remaining threats were the King's tent guards led by Che Li Ji and the elites of the tribes loyal to the Qiang King. Tuguli did not let his guard down at all. He immediately sent people to clear the scene, restoring the lively environment on the surface, while secretly ambushing troops, waiting for Che Li Ji's return.
