Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 509 The mighty general

"Han Chronicles: Chronicles of Emperor Zhaowu": "In the fourth month of the third year of Zhangwu, the Zhongzu troops marched towards Wancheng, and other troops went to Wuguan. They lured Pi to Nanyang, and then left the generals to secure Jianghan, and then marched in with 40,000 infantry and cavalry. At Wuguan, Lu Xun, the governor of Baliang, was ordered to go out to Tangluo."

"When we arrived at Wuguan, Huang Quan, the general in the north of the town, supervised the Dan and Shang armies and resisted the enemy on the Hongnong Road. With General Zhang Fei as the vanguard, they attacked Luo. The thieves defeated Feiyaoshe City and occupied Qingni with Guo Huai. When they attacked Qingni, Guo and Fei fled across the Ba River and defeated them. Zhongzu led his generals to march and camp in Qingni."

The world is in chaos. From Huaidong to Guanlong, wars are everywhere along the thousands of miles of Han-Wei border. Such a chaotic situation has been fertile ground for careerists since ancient times.

On that day, Ma Chao killed Cao Zhen's messenger. Taking advantage of the fact that everyone in Longyou didn't know about his rebellion, he immediately led his army northward and left Qishan, intending to go down to Longyou.

Gao Gang, the guard of Qishan Fort, became friendly with Ma Chao. Ma Chao lured Gao Gang out of the city in the name of hunting, and then captured him with the knights on his left and right.

When Gao Gang was captured, Ma Chao first persuaded him to surrender with his great ambitions, and then threatened his life. Gao Gang was frightened and asked his men to surrender. After Qishan Fort surrendered, Ma Chao asked Yao Jing to garrison it, and then led Gao Gang into Longyou.

Longyou was not the land of Longxi and Hanyang counties in the Eastern Han Dynasty, but was divided by Cao Cao into the four counties of Tianshui, Longxi, Nan'an and Guangwei.

Ma Chao's reputation in Longyou was admired and obeyed by many. When the army entered Longyou, Xi County surrendered, and the strong men of Tianshui County Ren Yang drove to Guicheng to welcome Ma Chao. Ma Chao was able to enter Shanggui and was appointed as a general.

In May, Ma Chao established a stronghold in Shanggui, and counties in Longyou responded one after another. Ma Chaode sent someone to represent Ma Dai as the governor of Guangwei and asked him to march westward from Chencang along the Wei River to attack the cities of Guangwei.

Ma Zun glanced at Jiang Ji, suspicious of him. Jiang Ji was a member of a prominent family in the county, and the situation was critical. Ma Zun was afraid that he would sacrifice his troops to the city.

Ji County, government office.

In order to expand the fruits of victory, Ma Chao sent troops to besiege Ji County, the seat of Tianshui County. At that time, Pang Rou successfully persuaded seven Qiang and Di tribes to serve as soldiers, and contracted more than 10,000 people to join Ma Chao. Ma Chao's troops rapidly expanded, with nearly 30,000 troops, and they besieged Ji County.

Ma Chao stayed in Shanggui for a few days, and made the lords of Longyou generals, with thousands of his troops forming an army.

When he saw Cheng Gongying, Ma Zun hesitated for a few times and said: "Chang Shi, Ma Chao has heavy troops to besiege the city. What should we do now? Will General Zhenxi send troops to help?"

Jiang Jiu wanted to stop talking, but in the end he had nothing to say.

Ma Zun was pacing and sighing with worry, often looking at the county officials. He was wondering whether these people would sell themselves like other rebellious people in exchange for wealth.

Ma Zun pounded his fists and sighed, and said, "I only hope that General Zhenxi can defeat Lu Xun as soon as possible and lead his troops into Long to relieve the siege."

His son Jiang Wei was even better than Jiang Ji in literature and martial arts, and was famous in Tianshui County.

Cheng Gongying stroked his beard and sighed, and said with a wry smile: "Now that the inside and outside are cut off, how can Ying know what the situation in Guanzhong is like!"

While lamenting, someone among the county officials stood up and spoke, raised his hands and said, "Master Fu, the bandits are now heavily sieging the city. I would like to lead people to collect grain and store it in the warehouse for long-term defense."

The war in Guanzhong is intense and the Wei River is cut off. Even if Cao Wei wants to rescue Longyou, it may not be that easy. They were even afraid that Cao Wei would give up Longyou and concentrate on resisting the enemies in Guanzhong.

Previously, Cheng Gongying was ordered by Cao Zhen to go to Longyou to recruit soldiers and appease the powerful people in preparation for Ma Chao's rebellion. However, Ma Chao's rebellion was too sudden, so Cheng Gongying could only temporarily lead a thousand people to Shanggui and stick to the Weishui River to wait for support.

Ma Chao knew that he had not yet fully taken charge of the army, and the Longyou Han Qiang soldiers and horses were good at field battles, but not good at siege warfare. After understanding the actual situation in Hebei County, we adopted the policy of encirclement and persuading surrender.

"This~"

Ma Zunxun looked for fame and saw Jiang Jiong, the county's meritorious officer, speaking.

The prefect Ma Zun kept pacing in the hall, while Cheng Gongying and the officials around him looked sad.

Cheng Gongying stroked his beard and shook his head, his expression mostly helpless. He knows more about the situation in Guanzhong than anyone else. Now that Ma Chao has hooked up with Liu Bei, and Liu Bei has already gone to Wuguan, it is estimated that someone from the Southern Han Dynasty will go to Wuguan, thus threatening Chang'an.

After a little hesitation, Ma Zun said: "Let me think deeply about the arrangement!"

Jiang Jiong, from the Tianshui Jiang family, was nearly forty years old, tall and tall, with thick eyebrows and a broad face. He was especially good at riding and shooting, and studied scriptures. He was recruited as a county meritorious officer because of his martial arts and knowledge.

It is a pity that the people of the county raised troops to respond and opened the city to welcome Ma Chao into the city. Cheng Gongying had no choice but to turn to Ji County.

"Report!"

The attendant quickly stepped inside, raised his hands and said, "Master Fu, Ma Chao reined up his horse at the foot of the city. I specially invite Mr. Cheng to come out of the city to meet you."

"Ok?"

Ma Zun glanced at Cheng Gongying and asked: "What is the reason why Ma Chao asked Chang Shi to leave the city today?"

The attendant replied: "Ma Chao said that he has a deep relationship with Chenggong Changshi, but he has not seen him for several years. Now that I heard that Changshi is in the city, I specially invited him to come out of the city to reminisce about the past."

"Do you want to see Ma Chao?" Ma Zun asked.

"This~"

Seeing Ma Zun's suspicion, Cheng Gongying felt helpless and said, "If the prince is relieved, Rong Ying can go outside and have a detailed talk with Ma Chao to understand the truth and reality of his ministry."

"You should go early and come back early!"

Outside the city, Ma Chao held the reins and sat on his horse, looking high-spirited. The humiliation of kneeling down before had long been washed away by him.

Behind Ma Chao, the Han and Qiang cavalry were arrayed in formation, with flags flying, the cavalry holding reins, and the infantry holding spears. Although the Han Qiang cavalry were powerful, their military discipline was indescribably strict. They were whispering to each other and looking left and right. However, if they are trained and drilled, military discipline is strict, and Longyou's fierce folk customs are used, they will definitely become elite soldiers.

Looking back at the rider behind him, Ma Chao proudly puffed out his chest, cracking the earth and sealing the territory, just around the corner.

After a while, a basket was hung from the tower in Ji County. Cheng Gongying took it out of the basket and came to see Ma Chao wearing cloth clothes and bare hands. "File the case!"

Ma Chao gave an order, got off his horse, and came up with a whip to greet Cheng Gongying.

"Berger, I haven't seen him in a few years, how are you doing?" Ma Chao laughed.

Cheng Gongying shook his head and smiled bitterly, and said: "The situation has reversed, An Nengyan is good!"

Ma Chao held Cheng Gongying's arm, pointed at the army behind him, and said with a smile: "Are the troops and horses under Chao's tent strong?"

Cheng Gongying glanced at the Han and Qiang cavalry under Ma Chao's tent, shook his head and said: "Old and weak soldiers cannot be said to be elite. If they encounter a Chinese army, it may be difficult to win."

Seeing that Cheng Gongying spoke truthfully, Ma Chao was not angry, but raised his head and laughed, saying: "Select the old and the weak to train sergeants, what's the difficulty?"

As he spoke, Ma Chao said meaningfully: "Today, China's soldiers are far away in Nanyang and Guanzhong, so how can we spare the time to take care of Longyou?"

Cheng Gongying looked at Ma Chao beside him and asked: "When Ma Jun invites Ying out of the city, shouldn't he ask about the military affairs?"

Seeing Cheng Gongying's direct inquiry, Ma Chao did not hide anything, invited him to take a seat, and said: "Today the world is divided, Han and Wei are fighting for hegemony in the Central Plains, and the people of Guandong are untrustworthy. If you want to secure Guanxi today, I am the only one who is from Guanxi. I want to Gather the strength of Kansai to fight against Kanto. I wonder what Berger thinks?”

Cheng Gongying sat without answering, obviously not interested in Ma Chao's words.

Ma Chao took his time and said: "I raised my troops from Wudu, and since I went north, they have all surrendered after hearing the news. Nearly half of the counties in Longyou surrendered, and only Ji County among Tianshui County failed to conquer. However, I know the actual situation in the city, and Ji County I will get it soon. Do you want to serve the people of Guandong and don’t want to worry about the future?”

Cheng Gongying looked slightly moved and asked: "What is the situation in Guanzhong today?"

Ma Chao put the riding whip on the table and said with a smile: "Liu Bei went to Wuguan to attack Chang'an, and Lu Xun went out to Tangluo. Cao Zhen was alone in guarding Lu Xun, and his troops did not dare to escape; Guo Huai stationed a few soldiers in Lantian to prevent Liu Bei from attacking. Now that Guanzhong is in ruins, Cao Wei has no time to take care of Longyou."

Hearing this, Cheng Gongying's face changed slightly and he said, "If Meng Qi makes a rebellion, won't Liu Bei benefit from it?"

After saying that, Cheng Gongying sneered a few times and said: "If Liu Bei takes Guanzhong, can he allow Meng Qi, a fierce tiger, to live in Longyou?"

Ma Chao shook his head and smiled, then looked hard and said in a deep voice: "Longyou is in my hands. I want Liu Bei to win Guanzhong, so Liu Bei can win Guanzhong. If I don't want Liu Bei to win Guanzhong, how can he win it?"

Holding his belt, Ma Chao stood up from his chair and said: "In the past, Han and Chu were fighting for hegemony. Han Xin, Peng Yue, and Yingbu helped Gaozu establish the country, and were granted the title of princes. Their achievements were famous and they were famous. However, the world was united, and their achievements shocked the emperor and were killed. How can I repeat the failures of my predecessors?”

Ma Chao walked up and down and said: "If I want to win Longyou, I should take advantage of the dangers of Longyou, attack Liangzhou up, look down at Guanzhong, and then go to the northwest to approach Guanzhong. I want Guanzhong to be the place where Han and Wei struggle. Han wants to capture Guanzhong. Then I will attack Wei; if Wei attacks me, I will lead Han to attack Guanzhong."

Ma Chao doesn't want to be someone's servant anymore in this life. Especially after he read the Historical Records and understood Liu Bang's character, he felt more and more that the Han family deserved to be destroyed, and the heroes could be treated like this. Who would be willing to conquer the world for him.

Liu Bang was ruthless, so how could Liu Bei, who had the legacy of his great ancestor, be any different?
Now he just wants to fight for himself. Taking advantage of the terrain of Longyou, he jumped back and forth between the Han and Wei dynasties, acting as a stir-up stick in Guanxi. He slowly strengthens himself and breaks the soil to claim control. Wouldn't it be happy?
Cheng Gongying let out a long sigh and said: "Meng Qi is eager for profit. If he is not careful, he will be defeated and die."

"A man can't eat with five tripods, so he should cook with five tripods!"

Ma Chao pressed his sword and looked at Cheng Gongying, and said in a deep voice: "Ji County is trapped now, and reinforcements cannot reach it. Since Berger is from Longyou, are you willing to surrender to me?"

Cheng Gongying remained silent, he didn't want to play for Ma Chao. But given the current situation, if he does not serve Ma Chao, he will undoubtedly die.

Ma Chao did not want to force Cheng Gongying too much and said, "Can Berger clarify the situation in Guanzhong to you outside the city?"

Cheng Gongying hesitated for a long time and said: "Feiying is unwilling to persuade the king to surrender. Most of the military power in the city is in the hands of the prefect Ma Zun. He is jealous and suspicious. If he is unwilling to surrender, even if my mouth is parched, it will be difficult for Meng Qi to persuade him to surrender." ”

"In Ying's opinion, if Meng Qi can besiege the city for many days and let Ma Zun know that reinforcements are difficult to come, then Ma Zun will offer the city and surrender. And Ma Zun is greedy and afraid of death. If he is frightened by punishment, he may be able to make him surrender."

After pondering for a while, Ma Chao smiled and said: "In that case, I will stay in your tent temporarily!"

Cheng Gongying's lack of cooperation made Ma Chao angry, but in order to win the city, he decided to tolerate Cheng Gongying.

Then, Ma Chao pretended to be chatting and laughing with Cheng Gongying in front of everyone, so as to make everyone think that Cheng Gongying had surrendered.

Seeing this situation, Ma Zun was so angry that he cursed Cheng Gongying as treason, and became increasingly suspicious of the powerful locals in Longxi in the city. Cheng Gongying seemed to understand Ma Chao's operation and regretted leaving the city, feeling helpless.

For more than ten consecutive days, Ma Chao sent letters into the city, exaggerating Cao Wei's decline in Guanzhong. He divided his troops to attack and surrendered the two counties of Longxi and Nan'an. And informed Ma Zun of the results he had achieved. Not only that, Ma Chao often wrote letters to persuade Ma Zun to surrender on the grounds that he had the same surname, and his words were full of temptation.

By the end of May, Cheng Gongying learned that Liu Bei had arrived in Lantian. Seeing that Ma Chao's situation was getting better and better, and knowing that he could not return to Cao Wei, he decided to serve Ma Chao.

With the addition of Cheng Gongying, Ma Chao is even more powerful. Ma Chao used Cheng Gongying as his mastermind to attack the cities in Longyou. Under Ma Chao's offensive, except for a few diehards, most of the cities in Longyou were captured by Ma Chao.

During this period, Ma Chao left Pang Rou to besiege Ji County. Ma Zun saw that the war was becoming more and more intense. Ma Zun had no choice but to abandon his prejudice and hand over military power to the people in the county, such as Jiang Xu, Jiang Ji and others. But the country is easy to change and its nature is hard to change. Because Ma Zun was suspicious of everyone, someone came out of the city and surrendered to Pang Rou.

After being besieged for dozens of days, seeing the situation becoming increasingly critical, Ma Zun could not bear the pressure and finally ordered the door to be opened and surrendered to Ma Chao.

Ma Zun returned from the city and surrendered. Ma Chao was overjoyed. Because he had been trained under Cao Cao for many years, and there was a rift between Ma Zun and the people in the county, Ma Chao did not resort to massacre, but adopted gentle methods to appease everyone in the county.

Ma Chao took Ji County as his administrative seat and governed Tianshui County affairs autonomously. Don't appoint Ma Dai as the governor of Guangwei, worship Pang Rou as the governor of Nan'an, and worship Gao Gang as the governor of Longxi. Yao Jing and Dong Zhong were appointed governors of Wudu and Yinping counties respectively.

At Cheng Gongying's suggestion, Ma Chao recruited dozens of children of Jiang Xu, Jiang Jiong, Liang Kuan and other powerful families in various counties as officials, and collected Han and Qiang soldiers and horses for his own use.

"Han Ji: Biography of Ma Chao and Sun Quan": Chao Tong rebelled and united with the Rong to attack the counties in Longshang, and initially surrounded Qishan Fort... Chao took control of Ji County and collected tens of thousands of Han and Qiang people in Longyou. Chao called himself General Shenwei, shepherd of Yizhou, and supervised the military affairs of Yongliang.

(End of this chapter)