Ravages of Time - thoughts after Ma Chao's spin off chapter (554.5)

 

I just want to note, side story 3 (the bulk of which was set in 208) would add a new layer of meaning to this scene in 517 (which happened around early 210) 

note that based on the chronology in Ravages, Ma Chao resolved to 'discard' his dad (who has been in the Xu capital for years at this point) sometime before or during the Chibi campaign, in order to rebuild the alliance with Han Sui and prepare to strike against Cao Cao (which means that he already wanted to attack even before the drawn-out scramble for Jingzhou and Zhou Yu's proposal to join forces in attacking Yizhou) 

so what then do we make of this scene? at first we would have thought that it's just the Ma clan encouraging Ma Chao to be patient even after Xun Yu and Zhuge Liang teamed up to pressure Ma Teng to stand down (thus foiling the initial mobilization plan which didn't directly target Cao Cao anyway)... but with the new revelation we can take this to mean that Ma Teng and his other sons could have learned about what Ma Chao had to do to consolidate the forces in Liangzhou, and yet after all that they still encourage him even with their own lives on the line (and Ma Chao, who discarded filial piety, felt that his dad and bros understood and accepted all that he did and thus he cried hard)

I think he is more similar to Sun Ce than Lu Bu, with the clan stuff - but when Sun Ce was about the sacrifices for the continuation of the clan (as he was indoctrinated by the clan to look out for the clan from the general picture), including himself, Ma Chao's case is sort of opposite, as the whole clan being basically sacrificed themselves for him (as they were indoctrinated by the clan to follow the heaven's will)

he's sort of a daddy's boy too but unlike Sun Ce, Ma Chao actually got to go along well with Ma Teng, haha

and regarding the God of War title - Sun Ce was trying to discredit and diminish Lu Bu's 'era', while Ma Chao is basically using it to accumulate his own

I almost forgot to note

Ma Chao discarding his dad to join forces with Han Sui and rebel (leading to Ma Teng's execution after) is what's recorded in the historical account, while the Romance presents Ma Chao (already chummy with Han Sui) rebelling to avenge Ma Teng's death

what Ravages basically does then is to present Ma Chao as being willing to discard his dad and yet at the end it's his dad and bros who offer the decisive encouragement to rebel (albeit at another time, after more preparation)