The Three Kingdoms: The Cold Gate World

Chapter 307 Drawing the Line
Overnight, Han Sui's besieging army disappeared without a trace.

Ma Chao was stunned by this situation. Guo Jia just rushed into Jincheng with cavalry, and scared the more than [-] soldiers and horses outside Han Sui's city to withdraw in a hurry.

This may be the true portrayal of Guo Jia's current strength. Whether it is Han Sui or Ma Chao, even if they want to die together, it is just a moth to the fire. In the end, facing Guo Jia, there is only one way to go.

At dawn, Yin Lingfei was resting in Jincheng's barracks, where Guo Jia lived.

Gan Ning stayed up all night, arranging military affairs to direct the city defense, and even sent people to secretly watch out for Ma Chao's less than [-] soldiers and horses.

The conditions in the military are harsh, and people like Guo Jia, who are well-clothed and well-fed all the year round, can hardly say that their body and mind are at peace with the situation. Waking up in the morning is caused by the biological clock, but the mind is still a little groggy, and the bloodshot eyes are densely covered. It is said that it is difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. This is true. It is an unfamiliar bed, and it is still made of hard wood. No matter how you sleep, it is a bit uncomfortable. However, Guo Jia will not deliberately improve this environment, but chooses to adapt.

Gan Ning came from outside and saw Guo Jia had got up, took off a clean white brocade robe from the hanger at the door of the tent, came to Guo Jia and stretched out his hand to pass the clothes over.

Guo Jia took the clothes and put them on, and asked while tying the belt, "How was last night?"

Gan Ning said softly: "Ma Chao doesn't seem to care about the military affairs in the city at all. He returned to the mansion after learning that Han Sui's troops had retreated. They are all resting in the barracks, and now the entire Jincheng is under the control of the Taiping Army."

Guo Jia walked to the low table next to him. There was a basin of clear water on the table. He reached down and scooped up two handfuls of water and splashed it on his face. After he regained consciousness, he picked up a towel and wiped his face.

"Ma Chao and the soldiers in the city are already exhausted physically and mentally. Besides, Han Sui's troops have just left. Even if Ma Chao has the wrong intentions, he must ensure that Han Sui will not kill him. Xingba, it's not my villainous heart. , These years have been ups and downs, ups and downs, you have also seen that sometimes it seems that the situation is under control, but there will be surprises and sudden changes. Ma Chao is now defenseless against me, or he is already disheartened. Either he is just waiting to see how I behave, or even trying to use this method to paralyze me, and then try to see me when I seem to be about to conquer his territory."

Gan Ning nodded calmly.

After Han Sui withdrew his troops, Ma Chao had no external worries. Instead, Guo Jia came to Jincheng with troops and horses, which became Ma Chao's internal troubles.

How would Ma Chao feel at this time?

"My lord, Han Sui has retreated now. If Ma Chao asks my lord to withdraw his army back to Chang'an, what should I do?"

Now Gan Ning suddenly felt that Guo Jia was facing a difficult problem.

Guo Jia came to help Ma Chao, and now the meritorious deeds are complete, if Ma Chao lets Guo Jia go back, what choice should Guo Jia make?

If you withdraw, will you return without success?

If they don't withdraw, Guo Jia will tear up his face and annex Ma Chao's territory, so that he will bear the infamy of treachery.

Guo Jia put away the towel, walked up to Gan Ning, smiled slightly, and said, "If he opens his mouth, I will withdraw the troops."

Gan Ning looked puzzled on his tired face.

"This……"

Guo Jia patted him on the shoulder and said, "Xingba, don't just stare at your eyes, look farther away. Ma Chao's territory was plundered and slaughtered by Han Sui, and the population dropped sharply. Some of them were killed, and some of them had already escaped." In Guanzhong, there were very few people left, and most of the money and food here were looted by Han Sui. Think about it, after I withdrew, Ma Chao only had such a small number of soldiers and horses. Can't get over it, in fact, he has nowhere to go, the key is that he can't see the situation clearly, if he is dead-headed, then come to see me when he dies, it is the best policy to surrender without fighting .”

Gan Ning thought about it carefully, and nodded in agreement.

Guo Jia can fight Ma Chao without any effort, but Guo Jia will bear a notorious reputation for injustice, especially when he used the banner of helping Ma Chao, but in the end he annexed Ma Chao's territory. Who would dare to fight with Guo after this Chia dealings?
Three days later, Pang De's condition improved. Perhaps it was because of the crisis in Jincheng that he had no worries in his heart, so he was able to concentrate on recuperating from his illness, which allowed him to recover quickly.

These three days Ma Chao stayed in his mansion, neither went to entertain Guo Jia, nor met with the poor soldiers under him, slept and eaten as before, practiced martial arts in the courtyard in his free time, brandishing his tiger-headed golden spear , no one knows what Ma Chao is thinking, and no one dares to ask. After all, Ma Chao has regained his home from the bereaved dog, but it is a devastated home.

The sun was shining brightly, and Ma Chao was still practicing martial arts. There were gunshots, and the wind howled. Ma Chao's every movement was full of strength and might, as if he was bursting out bit by bit with inexhaustible energy.

A servant from the mansion came to the edge of the martial field and said to Ma Chao, "My lord, someone wants to see you."

"not see!"

Ma Chao kept waving his spear and uttered two words without looking back.

"It's General Pang."

Others may not see Ma Chao, but Pound, he can't turn a blind eye. Leaving aside Pound's own contribution to Ma Chao, Pound also followed Ma Teng and began to serve the Ma family for more than ten years.

Putting the weapon on the weapon rack, Ma Chao wiped the sweat off his face with a white cloth, and asked his servants to invite Pound in. He walked to the stone table next to the martial field and sat down.

After a while, Pound came in from the outside, approaching from far away. Although he had not fully recovered and his body was still a little weak, Pound still held his head high, with a jug of wine and two glasses in his left hand, and a dagger with a sheath in his right hand.

Ma Chao looked puzzled, he could understand that Pound brought the wine.

He came with a dagger, which made him feel like a second monk.

Pound walked to the stone table opposite Ma Chao, put the wine jug, wine glass and dagger on the table, and then saluted Ma Chao respectfully. After Ma Chao stretched out his hand to ask him to take a seat, Pound sat down expressionlessly.

Picking up the jug and filling the two wine glasses, Pang De pushed one wine glass in front of Ma Chao, then raised the wine glass himself and said solemnly to Ma Chao, "My lord, this glass of wine is for the old lord."

The old master, of course, is Ma Teng.

Ma Chao found that today's Pound was different from the past, and he felt a heavy pressure.

Picking up the wine glass and taking a sip, Ma Chao and Pound drank the wine in the glass together.

Without Ma Teng, there would be no Pound today. Too many generals lack only a Bole. Pound was trusted and promoted by Ma Teng, and he has served the Ma family loyally for more than ten years. This loyalty is in addition to the love and kindness of the master and servant. , more is Ma Teng's kindness.

Pang De filled another glass of wine for Ma Chao, and filled it himself. He saluted Ma Chao for the second time, "This glass of wine is for my lord."

The two filled their glasses again, Pang De suddenly looked a little dignified, and filled their empty glasses for the third time.

"The last cup is for me to thank the Ma family for their kind treatment for more than ten years."

Pound did not toast, but he did it first as a respect. As for whether Ma Chao would drink or not, Pound would not force others to do so.

"Ling Ming, what are you?"

Without touching the wine glass, Ma Chao heard the farewell in Pound's mouth, and his expression changed drastically.

On the other hand, Pound's expression remained unchanged, and he slowly pulled the dagger out of its sheath, a silver light suddenly appeared, and the dagger under the sunlight was extraordinarily cold, showing its sharpness.

Turning the dagger, with the peak facing inward and the tail facing outward, Pound presented the dagger in front of Ma Chao with both hands.

"Meng Qi, I want to transfer to Guo Shijun's tent to serve, but the Ma family has always been kind to me, and I can't repay it. I only have this seven-foot body. If Meng Qi blames me, I can take my life. No complaints."

From the lord to Mengqi, the change of address is the change of position.

Pang De asked himself, Ma Teng was the one who was kind to him, and Ma Chao was also kind to him, but when Ma Chao broke through from Jincheng and abandoned him, maybe his master-servant friendship with Ma Chao had come to an end, and Guo Jia led the way all night. Jun came to rescue him, this kindness made him overwhelmed, but he had no choice but to serve Guo Jia.

He can't do things that betray the master secretly, and an upright man never acts in a sneaky way. Since he wants to draw a line with Ma Chao, then Pang De will come to Ma Chao to show his cards openly.

In this era, subjects must obey the monarch unconditionally, and the monarch can order his subjects as he pleases. Make a contribution.

If Pang De wants to leave, he must get the consent of Ma Chao, otherwise he will be disloyal and unrighteous.

Therefore, Pang De gave his life to Ma Chao first, and Ma Chao killed him without any regrets. After all, he no longer had the loyalty to serve Ma Chao in his heart, but he was still under Ma Chao's command.

Ma Chao didn't kill him and let him go, so Pang De was transformed from a servant of the Ma family back to a free and innocent man.

"Ling Ming, why did you abandon me?"

Ma Chao's voice was trembling, his head drooped slightly, and his fists were clenched under the table, as if suppressing infinite anger.

Ma Chao wants to kill Pound, not to mention that Pound personally offers a dagger, even if Pound is fully armed and in the best condition and fights Ma Chao alone, Ma Chao can completely defeat Pound.

Jin Machao's bravery, I am afraid that there is no one in Northwest China who can stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

Among Guo Jia's subordinates who can compete with Ma Chao, Dian Wei and Xu Chu are probably the only ones who can't wait for five people.

But Ma Chao knew that he couldn't kill all the enemies by himself, and Han Sui had eight generals, Yan Xing and Cheng Gongying, so Han Sui was able to beat Ma Chao with no power to fight back.

Pound, the only one around Ma Chao who can be a great leader, wants to abandon him. How can Ma Chao remain indifferent? Whether it is out of emotion or reason, Pound's departure will make Ma Chao, who has been hit hard now, even worse.

Pound remained silent and did not answer Ma Chao's question.

But Ma Chao was not reconciled, and asked again, "Could it be that Ling Ming blamed me for breaking out a few days ago and leaving you in the city?"

(End of this chapter)