It is said that the competition in the world is like playing chess. Cao Cao has made a move, so he will see how Liu Bei should deal with it.
In the eyes of Ma Chao and Sun Quan, they are naturally heroes who are enough to make a move in Wenping. All the measures they have made will also affect the overall situation of the world.
After receiving the support of Liu Bei's food and fodder, Ma Chao used hundreds of cavalry and remnants to carry the Qiang and Di tribes, and suddenly launched a fierce attack on Longxi, Wudu, Hanyang and other counties. He also received the noble family of Liangzhou, Ren Yang and others to welcome him. He then broke through important towns and besieged Liangzhou Governor Wei Kang in Jicheng.
When he was absconding Liangzhou, the famous scholar Yan Wen fled out for help. He was discovered by the besieged soldiers and arrested in front of Ma Chao.
When Ma Chao was rampant in Long, such a famous short-seller was like an ant, and he died under the knife. But after several failures in Guanzhong and Yizhou, he became more calmer than before, and he also tried to use the means of respecting the wise and humble men to comfort the scholars in Liangzhou a little.
At that time, Ma Chao personally untied Yan Wen's bondage and said to him: "The situation of success and failure is clear now. I am asking for help from an isolated city, but I am holding it. How can I talk about the righteousness of showing my mind? It is better to listen to me and tell the city that there are no reinforcements, so that misfortunes can be turned into blessings. Otherwise, you will have to move your head today!"
Yan Wen immediately agreed. Ma Chao took him to Jicheng and asked him to shout to the city. Yan Wen then said, "The army will arrive in only three days, please help me!" The city cried loudly, and his persistence became more and more determined. Ma Chao asked Yan Wen again, if there were any people in Jicheng who were shaken and seeking surrender, Yan Wen did not answer. Ma Chao killed him.
Yan Wen was only famous but actually had no military and political talents. He told Jicheng that reinforcements were coming. In fact, Xiahou Yuan, Hanzhong, was confronting Duke Xuande's headquarters at that time. The Cao army in Guanzhong was shocked several times a day and had no possibility of coming to rescue him. Therefore, these calls only showed his own name of loyalty and righteousness.
The problem is that this lord has a great reputation in Liangzhou. When he died, the scholars in Liangzhou decided to fight to the end with Ma Chao. After Ma Chao captured Jicheng, he killed Wei Kang and other officials who refused to surrender. The chaos in the counties broke out one after another and could no longer control them.
Ma Chao had no ability to manage government affairs, so he could only run around and deal with it for a while, using force as a threat, killing all the way to blood. However, no matter how invincible he was on the battlefield, he was as powerful as a storm, and he could not truly gain a solid foothold, and he was already in a state of turmoil.
But Ma Chao's personality was so stubborn. The more he was, the more he had to ensure his strength on the battlefield and show his fierceness to the outside world. For this reason, he had to expand his army almost madly and collect food and grass. In just two or three months, in the few counties that were originally under control, the Han people fled in large numbers, and the Qiang and Di tribes gradually became overwhelmed.
A month ago, Ma Chao accepted the position of fake Liang Gong and General Anxi from the imperial envoy. It seemed that he was wise and confused. He was lured by this unprecedented ban, but in fact he had carefully prepared it.
Even with his arrogant arrogance, he actually understood that this kind of power based on plunder and killing could no longer be maintained for a long time.
At this moment, Ma Chao's troops were like a wolve barking wildly. Although they were ferocious, they were actually starving to death, their ribs were bulging, and they would faint at any time. At this time, if they didn't find a reason to stop the troops, would they die for others to see?
It might as well take the imperial court's title as a reward, first concentrate on cleaning up the four counties of Wudu, Hanyang, Longxi and Jincheng, and then free up hands to clean up the hundreds of Qiang and Di tribes from the West Sea to the east.
According to Ma Chao's estimate, after eliminating hidden dangers and integrating the tribes, he could integrate at least 200,000 Qiang Di tribe army. With this force, it was enough to block Longshan and sweep northwards into Anding, Beidi and other counties, and then subjugate Shangjun and the five southern Xiongnu tribes in Xihe to form a huge Qianghu alliance.
By then, Ma Mengqi would be Liang Gong in the Han family, and the Hu tribe could be Shanyu. No matter whether the flags were east or south, their power would be like the sky collapsed and the earth was broken. Who could stop it?
Since this is the case, what's wrong with accepting the title of the court?
I, Ma Mengqi, was a high-ranking family member who had been a descendant of General Fubo and had read poetry and books when I was young. The historical books say that in order to achieve my ambition, Han Xin could even endure the humiliation under his crotch. So what if I, Ma Mengqi, be a fake Liang Gong? Moreover, this is indeed a great official position, and it is not a loss!
As for Liu Bei...
It would be fake to say that Ma Chao is not afraid of this big man who has thousands of miles of land and has more than 100,000 troops.
Ma Chao had a long-term relationship in this life, and suffered defeats on the battlefield twice. Once, he was colluded with Xiahou Yuan by Han Sui and took advantage of it, and the other was he was attacked by Liu Bei's subordinate Lei Yuan at the city of Hanchang, Brazil. Liu Bei's subordinates were said to have generals such as Guan, Zhang and Zhao, who were better at fighting than Lei Yuan. Han Sui and Xiahou Yuan were defeated by Liu Bei in Hanzhong and even lost their lives.
Since that’s the case, how powerful should Liu Bei be? Now that I have received the official position given by Cao Cao, should I give Liu Bei an explanation?
After all, Longshang is bitter and remote, and the support of grain, fodder and weapons from Yizhou is indispensable. Although Ma Mengqi, I, will not be inferior to Liu Bei, it is very unwise to have a quarrel with Liu Bei.
Ma Chao frowned when he thought of this.
The problem is that we must not only show our strong strength to show that we are not inferior to Liu Bei, but also respect our allies and explain the origin of this fake Liang Gong... Such operations are too subtle and subtle, which is really a problem for Ma Chao.
Ma Chao is confident in his ability to prepare for his own big plans, but he has to admit that the ideas of heroes in the Han area are sometimes different from those of the heroic men in the border area, and the way to deal with them is even more than his common sense.
When the ten generals of Guanzhong were all present, Han Sui, an old ghost, came forward for the generals. Although Han Sui was not a good thing, Ma Chao could understand his actions and statements, and he could also feel the key points and weigh them. But now, the ten generals of Guanzhong died and scattered, and there were no such talents around him.
At this moment, the ones surrounding Ma Chao were Yang Qianwan, Agui, Dou Mao, Lei Ding, and Qianghu Qushang, and rebels like Song Jian. These people were either cunning or stupid. Apart from fighting on the battlefield, these people could not do anything and could not come up with a little good idea.
Since this is the case, Ma Chao can only slowly guess.
No matter what, after accepting the title of the imperial court, his status is higher than that of Liu Bei. His basic reserved attitude must be lacking. Then he needs an explanation to maintain the relationship between the two sides and take advantage of the two sides... Well, Han Sui used this trick skillfully back then, and I, Ma Mengqi, had to carefully consider it.
No matter what, having such an idea proves that he is much more thoughtful than before and no longer has to rely on his courage. Ma Chao is very satisfied with this.
Chapter completed!