Chen Yan, a graduate of the Department of Modern History, accidentally traveled to the late Eastern Han Dynasty and joined Ma Teng's command in Xizhou. At that time, there were frequent wars in Liangzhou. Ma Teng's camp was troubled by internal and external troubles. Outside, it was surrounded by princes such as Cao Cao and Yuan Shao. It was also troubled by Qiang and Hu hybrids and a lack of food and grass inside. Chen Yan does not have a golden finger at his side. He only relies on his understanding of historical trends and basic modern knowledge to stand cautiously.
He helped Ma Teng pacify the Qiang and Hu tribes, integrate Liangzhou's resources, improve farming methods to supplement the army's food supply, optimize military training techniques to strengthen the combat effectiveness of Xizhou's cavalry, and even urged Ma Teng to avoid trouble in Chang'an and stay away from the central whirlpool controlled by Cao Cao. He assisted the growth of brothers Ma Chao and Ma Dai, connected Liangzhou, Guanzhong, and Bashu, and formulated a gradual strategy of "stabilizing Xizhou, uniting with Liu Biao, rejecting Cao Cao, and uniting the Central Plains".
At key moments such as the Battle of Guandu and the Battle of Chibi, Chen Yan repeatedly offered pragmatic strategies to help Ma Teng's camp gradually get out of trouble and grow from a force in Liangzhou to a powerful force competing in the world. Along the way, through bloodshed on the battlefield, games in the court, and tests of popular support, Chen Yan and Ma's father and son stood side by side, using human wisdom and iron-blooded power to buck the trend and rewrite history, and finally strive to unify the country and restore peace to the Han family.
