Ji Han Liu Zhang

As dusk approached, under the afterglow of the setting sun, Ma Chao led more than a hundred elite cavalrymen under his command to the foot of the mountain west of Lueyang City.

When he saw the ambush troops hiding in the West Hill and their commander Pang De approaching him, Ma Chao said to Pang De in a contemptuous tone, "See what Mr. Cheng Gong has to say."

Hearing Ma Chao's unfriendly tone, Pang De nodded in acquiescence. Today, Ma Chao had been acting like a monkey in front of Lueyang City for half a day, but the Shu army in Lueyang City did not fall into the trap. In this situation, it was reasonable for Ma Chao to say a few unhappy words.

As for Mr. Cheng Gong mentioned by Ma Chao, his surname is Cheng Gong and his given name is Ying. He is the confidant of General Han Sui of Anqiang and a resourceful man. Today's plan to lure the enemy was the work of Cheng Gong Ying.

However, the Shu army did not fall for Cheng Gongying's plan to lure the enemy. Ma Chao was furious, but he was also a little unhappy in his heart. After all, he had been hiding in the mountains and forests for a long time, not saying a word and not daring to move lightly, but in the end he got nothing.

Therefore, when Pang De heard Ma Chao's angry words towards Cheng Gongying, he had no intention of making excuses for Cheng Gongying.

It's just that when it comes to strategies, if one or two out of ten are successful, it's considered pretty good. Even though Cheng Gongying's strategy didn't succeed, there was actually no need for Ma Chao to look so angry.

There is a story behind this, and as an insider, Pound knows something about it.

A month ago, Ma Teng attacked Han Sui's base camp Jincheng, and Han Sui retreated. Not long after, Han Sui went deep into the Qiang tribe, lured the Qiang and Di tribes, and raided Tianshui County and killed Ma Teng's wife and children. Then Ma Teng led his troops back to Tianshui from Jincheng. The Ma and Han families had been fighting in Tianshui County for more than a month, but the outcome was still undecided.

Until recently, when Ma Teng and Han Sui learned that the Shu army had occupied Longdao and attacked and captured Lueyang City, the two families stopped fighting for a while and no longer had the intention of fighting.

With a tiger at hand, how dare jackals and wolves fight?

Deeply worried about the ferocious tiger entrenched in Guanzhong, Grand Marshal Liu Zhang, Ma Teng and Han Sui began to exchange envoys after they stopped fighting. Finally, under the pressure of the powerful enemy, the two families decided to repair the alliance, join forces, first repel the Shu army that invaded Liangzhou, and then settle their personal grudges.

Although Ma Teng and Han Sui had sworn an alliance, the two families, who were still fighting each other last month, could not achieve true peace all of a sudden. It is easy to make enemies but difficult to resolve them.

Just like today when Cheng Gongying's plan failed, it was just an ordinary battle situation, but Ma Chao was furious because of it.

There was no other reason. The last time Ma Chao fought with Yan Xing, a general under Han Sui, he was almost killed by Yan Xing. Under such circumstances, Ma Chao naturally did not have a good attitude towards Han Sui and his party, and therefore had some resentment towards Cheng Gongying, whose strategy was incompetent.

"My lord, there is a powerful enemy outside. It is not easy for us to put down our weapons and swear an alliance with Han Sui. Although Mr. Cheng Gong's strategy is not working, you still need to calm down and not ruin the alliance." After thinking for a while, Pang De advised Ma Chao.

"Lingming, don't worry. I am not someone who doesn't know the priorities." Ma Chao nodded, indicating that he acted with propriety and would never do anything to undermine the current alliance with Han Sui. With a powerful enemy at the door, he would not do such a thing.

Ma Chao and Pang De, who had joined forces, marched for only a few miles before arriving at the army's camp. They saw that the camps of Ma Teng and Han Sui were separated by a clear line, each stationed in one place without interfering with each other.

This was natural. After all, Ma Teng and Han Sui had just put down their weapons and spears and attacked each other. From officers to soldiers, there was a lot of hatred between them. If they were stationed together, there would be a lot of trouble. When Ma Chao and Pang De arrived in front of the camp, they saw Ma Teng, who had a square face, and Han Sui, who had a thin face, coming to meet them side by side.

"Chao'er, have the Shu troops in Lueyang city fallen into any trap?" Ma Teng anxiously asked Ma Chao about today's battle situation. His eyes were not looking at Ma Chao, but glancing at the soldiers behind Ma Chao.

But seeing that the soldiers' attire and weapons were the same as when they set out in the morning, there was no blood on their bodies, and no heads around their waists for judging their merits, Ma Teng's face immediately darkened. He knew without Ma Chao's answer that the Shu army had not fallen into his trap.

Ma Chao dismounted when he was about ten steps away from Ma Teng. He took two steps at a time and walked quickly forward to Ma Teng. He bowed and reported to Ma Teng, "Father, Ling Ming and I acted according to Mr. Cheng Gong's plan, but the Shu army was very cunning and did not fall for it. We can only hope that Mr. Cheng Gong can come up with a clever plan to deceive the Shu army."

Ma Chao spoke in a strange tone while glancing at Cheng Gongying, a man with a goatee, standing behind Han Sui. His expression was not very good and his eyes were full of contempt.

Cheng Gongying, who was behind Han Sui, naturally noticed Ma Chao's gaze. When his eyes swept towards Ma Chao, they met each other's glances, and then the two of them exchanged glances.

"Mr. Cheng Gong's plan to lure the enemy was very clever. After all, you were not careful in your actions and the Shu army noticed it, so the Shu army failed to fall into the trap." Ma Teng, who was supposed to stand on the same front with Ma Chao, blamed Ma Chao when he heard this. He raised his eyebrows, showing the majesty of a father.

Ma Teng was in a very bad mood. He had hoped to set up an ambush and kill the Shu army today and get off to a good start, but unexpectedly, Ma Chao got nothing. This inevitably made him scold the eldest son of a concubine in front of him.

"Uh..." Ma Chao was a little stunned. He wanted to say something, but after a pause, he gave up arguing and followed his previous actions when punishing Ma Teng. He apologized to Ma Teng and said, "It's my fault. I hope you won't be angry, so as not to get angry."

Ma Chao bowed with his hands clasped and bent over, with a sad expression on his face. He had done his best to set up the ambush today, and it should not be his fault. But Ma Teng still blamed him, and in front of everyone.

"Who made me a bastard?" Ma Chao recalled the past.

In the past, his father had been very cruel to him when he was young, punishing and beating him from time to time. It was not until he grew up and showed unparalleled bravery that his father's attitude towards him became a little better. He would smile when he charged into battle and defeated the enemy, like a kind father who loved his son.

But if he had not achieved anything, he would still end up in this situation and be scolded.

After all, Ma Chao felt that his father only regarded him as a weapon. If his sharp sword could kill the enemy, then it would be a precious sword. If it rusted and rotted, then it would be discarded like a worn-out shoe and thrown aside at random.

"Hmph." Ma Teng snorted coldly when he heard this. He had been looking forward to Ma Chao for half a day, but Ma Chao only brought him disappointment.

"General, it's not your fault, but the Shu army in Lueyang City is too timid and cautious, so today's plan to lure the enemy didn't work for some reason." Pang De saw that the atmosphere was not right, so he spoke up for Ma Chao. (End of this chapter)