Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 519 Standing as a Tripod
In the third year of Zhangwu, Xia.

Liu Bei's attack on Guanzhong shocked the Wei court. However, because the main force of the Wei army arrived, Ba Shang was blocked and could not advance into Chang'an. In order to plan for Guanzhong, he sent an envoy to see Ma Chao and asked him to send troops into Guanzhong.

Huo Jun led his troops to defeat the Wei army, and surrounded Xiapi, hoping to conquer it and flood it with the Si River.

The Southern Han Dynasty and the Northern Expedition were fierce, and Cao Pi was terrified. At the suggestion of Jia Xu, Liu Ye and others, in order to protect Guanzhong, envoys were sent to visit Ma Chao, promising to break the soil and reward the prince.

Tianshui County, Hebei County.

In the Prefectural Government, Ma Chao stroked his beard and smiled, looking particularly happy.

After conquering Ji County, due to Ma Chao's high reputation in Longyou, the counties in Longxi and Nan'an almost surrendered after hearing the news.

Then, Ma Chao made Ji County his seat of government, granted rewards to everyone, recruited tens of thousands of Han and Qiang soldiers and horses, and took over Longyou. He named himself General Shenwei. He also led the shepherd of Yizhou and commanded the military affairs of Yongliang and Yongzhou.

The official position that Liu Bei had promised Ma Chao before was completely looked down upon by Ma Chao now. Ma Chao's ambition can be seen through his official title. For example, if he takes Yizhou as herdsman, it shows that he is spying on Bashu.

As for provoking Nan Han, Ma Chao didn't care at all. If he is useful to Nan Han, Nan Han will recognize him even if he pinches his nose; if he is not useful to Nan Han, how can Nan Han ignore him?

Ma Liang hesitated for a moment and said, "General, the emperor said that if we take Guanzhong, he will grant you the six counties of Longyou and the seven counties of Liangzhou, and you will be named the King of Liang. He will build a ancestral temple and give you titles and rewards. I will engrave an oath on stone and share it with you. This will last for generations."

Obviously Ma Chao was not moved by Ma Liang's words. He longed for serious benefits, not just superficial things.

Ma Chao smiled and said: "Now I am separated from the land and the territory is separated. Chao is very grateful. However, I don't know what title your Majesty wants to use to seal me, and how to separate the territory?"

Ma Liang handed over the letter and said, "Liang is here to see the general as ordered by His Majesty."

"good!"

"If Ming Gong has such ambitions, Ying should ask Ming Gong to see the two envoys first." Cheng Gongying suggested.

"promise!"

Cheng Gongying hesitated a little, raised his hands and asked, "May I ask what Duke Ming's intention is?"

On that day, Liu Bei wanted Ma Chao to raise troops to enter Guanzhong, so he sent his servant Ma Liang to sneak through the mountain trails to Ziwu Valley. From Ziwu Valley, he entered Hanzhong and took the Qishan Road to Longyou. In order to reach Hebei County quickly, Ma Liang traveled all day and night, riding a horse at a gallop until he reached the territory of Longyou.

As his career reached its peak, both parties who could not afford to offend him in the past began to seek help from him, which allowed Ma Chao to regain his former high spirits.

Ma Liang looked calm and said: "General, the Cao family has been suffering for a long time today. Cao Cao used the emperor to determine China, and later deposed the emperor and slaughtered the Han Dynasty. His temperament is very cruel. Your Majesty raised troops to attack Cao Cao, and established the Han Dynasty in Wu Chu. To bring peace to the world, we invite the generals to take action.”

Ma Chao pondered for a while and said: "I want to protect the peace of Guanxi and then help the world!"

"Your Majesty marched straight into Chang'an, and your troops came to Chang'an; Huo Du's divine power increased greatly, and he defeated the Peng and Song Dynasties; the general used his troops like a god, and his troops occupied Longyou. Now that the Cao family is about to perish, your Majesty wants to let the general enter the pass and work together to destroy the Wei family ”

"First let the Han envoy enter the hall, and then let the Wei envoy come later!" Ma Chao said.

"Your Majesty's reputation for benevolence to the world has been heard by many."

Ma Chao took the letter from the attendant, glanced at it for a few times, then put it down and asked: "What does your Majesty mean when you invite me to raise troops to enter the pass?"

"When the Wei Dynasty was destroyed and the territory was ceded, Your Majesty promised to grant the title of Longliang and the general, divide the land and build an ancestral temple. If the world is peaceful and the soldiers are at rest, wouldn't you be happy?"

Due to the anxious situation in Guanzhong, the Han and Wei Dynasties sent envoys to Longyou one after another, hoping that he could join their side. This made Ma Chao once again deeply realize the value of his united front.

After a while, Ma Liang walked into the hall and saluted Ma Chao and everyone.

"The Han envoy Ma Liang paid a visit to the general."

"Now Han and Wei have sent envoys to Ji. I wonder if you guys have any suggestions?" Ma Chao looked at his cronies on the left and right and asked.

With that said, Ma Liang bowed his hands and said: "If the general does not help your majesty, your majesty will retreat back to Jianghan. The Cao family will send troops to take Longyou, and then all the achievements of the general will be destroyed. I hope the general will plan for the future!"

"The Han envoy's words are beyond belief!"

Ma Chao stood up, smiled, and said, "Now, please step aside for a moment and allow me to think briefly!"

"promise!"

Ma Liang was disappointed when Ma Chao didn't reply in person, but he had no choice but to retreat.

Ma Chao stopped his smile, sat back on the couch, and sarcastically said: "In the past, our great ancestor, Han Xin, Peng Yue, and Yingbu cut their talismans and swore that they would never die forever. However, within seven years, three people died and the country perished. Today, If I hear this again, it will make me laugh.”

Liu Bang won the hearts of the princes by conferring rewards and thus defeated Xiang Yu. But the sequelae are still obvious today, that is, it is difficult to convince people to confer titles on princes of different surnames.

Since Liu Bei regarded himself as a person who revived the Han Dynasty, he was bound to bear the influence of both good and bad legacies brought to him by the Han Dynasty.

Due to the current situation, Liu Bei is not allowed to grant the title of Ma Chao to the princes and kings, for fear that it will be difficult for him to be tempted. But when Xu granted the title of prince, he was afraid that Ma Chao would learn from past events.

"Let the Wei envoy enter the hall!" "Promise!"

After having a cup of tea, Yang Fu walked towards the hall holding the talisman and handed over to Ma Chao.

"Yang Fu pays homage to the general!"

When Ma Chao saw Yang Fu, his face turned cold, and he asked: "Did the former emperor advise Wei Wu, saying that if he can't do it, I will rebel in the future, so that he can kill him early and eliminate harm for the country?"

Yang Fu straightened his back and showed no fear on his face, saying: "The general is a dragon or a tiger, with the ability to trust and spread information, and everyone is afraid of him. If the general is not dead, China will definitely be in trouble. You can see the words of the past today!"

"Ha ha!"

Yang Fu's words seemed to say that Ma Chao deserved death, but in fact he was praising Ma Chao's abilities, which made Ma Chao laugh happily.

"When you enter Longyou, I wonder if there is any letter from Your Majesty?" Ma Chao asked.

Yang Fu asked the people around him to hand over a letter, saying: "Liu Bei pretended to be the emperor and raised troops to cause chaos. He planned to seize Tao Qian's Xuzhou, seize Liu Qi's old land, and invade Liu Zhang's territory. His intention was not to swallow up the whole world without stopping the army. If you are greedy and dissatisfied, you will be devoured by it.”

"Today, the situation in the world is divided into two, and the power lies with the general. If the general goes south, Liu Bei will win, and if the general goes north, the Cao family will survive. If Wei loses the pass and Liu Bei gets it, he will send troops from Yizhou to attack the general. The general is conspiring with him, so he should It’s like seeking skin from a tiger!”

"The general has a connection with the Wei family. Why not rebel against Liu and make peace with Wei, join in the division of the world and become king? Why should we be a minister and submit to others?"

Ma Chao stroked his beard and pondered, and said: "What Yang Jun said makes sense. Today, the situation in the world is divided into two parts. The north and the south are in chaos. I only want to protect Guanxi. But other than these words, what reward does your majesty have?"

Yang Fu hated Ma Chao in his heart, but in order to complete the task, he maintained his manners and said: "If the general helps Wei, it is no problem to be rewarded with a prince. And the general and his family members will be sent out of the border as gifts."

Seeing that compared with Ma Liang, Yang Fu's conditions lacked the counties of Liangzhou and had more family members and relatives, which made Ma Chao slightly uncomfortable.

After thinking for a while, Ma Chao said: "Wei envoys are tired from traveling around, please leave and rest for now."

"promise!"

After Yang Fu saluted and retired, Ma Chao looked at Cheng Gongying and asked: "Han and Wei each have their own rewards. The Han rewards Hexi, and Wei Yu's family members. What do you think?"

Cheng Gongying looked at Ma Chao's left and right, and said: "Please shield the left and right, Ming Gong, and Ying Weijun will talk to you."

"good!"

Ma Chao asked Ma Dai, Jiang Shu and others to retreat. Ma Dai hesitated for a few moments, then reminded Ma Chao about his family.

And everyone retreated, leaving Ma Chao and Cheng Gongying alone.

"It doesn't matter what you say!"

Cheng Gongying pretended to look at Ma Chao's facial bones for a few times, and said: "Young has carefully observed Ming Gong's face, but if you are granted a title of marquis and worship a general, it looks like you will die early. But looking at Ming Gong's back is indescribable."

Ma Chao raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why did you say this?"

Cheng Gongying did not show off to Guan Zi, and said: "Today's disputes between Han and Wei have made the innocent people in the world bloody, and the bones of father and son were exposed in the wilderness. Cao Cao started in Henan, pursued the north and conquered the south, swept across China, and established the Wei Kingdom. However, The Wei family was trapped in Jianghan and blocked by the Jianghuai River, and suffered setbacks all year round. "

"Liu Bei drove his troops to Wuyue, devoured Jingchu, and raided Bashu in the west. He became the old legacy of the Han Dynasty. Now he led hundreds of thousands of people to cross the dangers of rivers and lakes and expedition to the north of the Central Plains. However, he suffered a setback at Bashang. He fought several battles in a day, without any measure. Both of them are wise and brave, so they sent envoys to pay homage to the general."

"According to Ying's predictions, the current situation in the world cannot be equalized by anyone other than the Holy Lord. The victory or defeat of the two masters today depends on the generals. If the generals help the south, Liu Bei will win, and if Wei is defeated, Liu Bei will retreat. Ying boldly thinks that with the talents of the generals, , It is not enough to compete with the two for the world and quell the chaos in China."

Hearing this, Ma Chao frowned and was a little dissatisfied with Cheng Gongying's words.

Cheng Gongying was not in a hurry, and said: "But with the general's talent, relying on the land of Longyou, it is not impossible to participate in the world and stand on a tripod. The general is brave to help the world, and there are Han soldiers and Qiang cavalry, occupying the border areas, and the soldiers are marching towards In Guanzhong and Hanzhong, no two countries dare to attack each other with troops."

"Therefore, in Ying's view, the generals cannot help Han or Wei now. They send envoys to greet each other and order Liu Bei to retreat and the Wei people to stop their troops. They bow to each other deeply outside and refine their military and political affairs inside. Wait for the opportunity to conquer Hanzhong and conquer Hanzhong. Conquering Liangzhou may not lead to hegemony."

After saying that, Cheng Gongying sneered and said: "The Han Dynasty sealed Hexi. If the general led his troops to take the west, wouldn't Longyou be empty and be attacked by Liu Bei? I am sending an envoy to the Han Dynasty to say that the Qiang people are in trouble and there is no way to send troops to help. , wouldn’t it be nice to have two families working together!

"Wei sends his family members, so the general can reassure his generals and repeat the old saying. Only when the people in Long are at ease can they be driven by the general. If Longyou is uneasy, the general's foundation will be unstable."

"Ying can't bear to see a general who is greedy for temporary gains and harms his foundation!"

Ma Chao pondered for a long time and said: "I was hesitant at first, but now I have some understanding after hearing what you said. However, if I don't help the Han, I won't help the Wei, for fear of provoking the two families to attack. What should I do?"

Cheng Gongying thought for a while and said: "When Han attacks the general, the general asks to surrender to Wei and leads Wei to attack Hanzhong, while the Han army retreats. The opposite is true for the Wei army. The general seizes the danger of Longyou and leads the Qiang and Di troops to attack. If we help, the two countries will not dare to attack Longyou lightly."

"When the general prepares his troops and horses, he may not be able to achieve hegemony by sitting back and observing the power of the world."

"good!"

Ma Chao was very happy and said: "I will write letters to Han and Wei to communicate and be friendly."

(End of this chapter)