The officials of Tianwei Province, having understood Ma Lin's combat power, contracted their defensive line and assembled all forty thousand soldiers in the provincial capital, Tianwei City, avoiding direct confrontation with Ma Lin outside.
They underestimated Ma Lin's capacity for causing trouble.
Ma Lin roamed around different parts of Tianwei Province, setting up temporary governments, recruiting militia, promoting bureaucrats, and "selecting the virtuous for appointment," which received high praise.
Through this, he amassed a large force of over thirty thousand. And among them, there were indeed many talented individuals.
His eye for talent was good; the people he promoted were mostly very capable. His ragtag group actually seemed orderly and competent, outperforming the original government officials and military forces.
To coordinate with him, the eastern front began to cross the river.
