"Horses should be tamed first and then be good; people should be trustworthy first and then be capable."
Jing Zhaoyin, Chang'an.
After learning that his father endured the humiliation, sneaked into the enemy camp to carry out counter-insurgent tactics, and finally helped Yi County win the victory. Ma Chao's grievances and resentment for many days were wiped away, and he jumped up from the couch in excitement, repeating it over and over again.
Sima Lang, who was packing up his books in front of him, said: "Is this true? I, Aweng, did not rebel, but actually made great achievements... and now you want to summon me to serve in front of Chen Cang's army?"
Sima Lang was holding a scroll in his hand and was hesitating whether to take it with him on this trip. Seeing Ma Chao's cheerful look, he smiled helplessly: "With Duke Huangfu personally guaranteeing it, there is no doubt about this matter."
, Sima Lang saw Ma Chao fidgeting happily and knew that he couldn't make up his mind to stay here. He also felt that it was a bit annoying that this man kept jumping out in front of him, so he said: "Now is the time to employ people.
When you arrived before the army, it was the imperial court that showed its eclecticism and magnanimity. Go back and pack your bags quickly. Don't wait for me anymore. I will wait for you outside Hengcheng Gate tomorrow morning. If you miss the time, I won't wait for you.
Already."
"Wei! Wei!" Ma Chao hurriedly agreed and thanked him, then turned around and walked out.
Sima Lang saw that he was gone like a gust of wind, the smile on his face slowly disappeared, and the book in his hand slowly dropped.
Ever since Zhang Chang fell ill due to overwork, the imperial court's always orderly food and fodder dispatch suddenly became dysfunctional. Many tasks were placed on Liu He, the chief agricultural officer, before he had time to hand them over. Liu He was still young, and at the same time,
The power of shouldering the duties of two governments was insufficient, so Chengming Palace thought of many ways to do this, such as selecting capable people in the court to serve as officials in the local areas to share part of the local transportation pressure; or alternatively evacuating the emperor and requesting reassignment.
The minister took over as Shaofu.
In order to unite all forces, General Wang Bin, who had always been appointed according to his ability, quickly made assignments one by one based on everyone's recommendations, evaluation of moral integrity and talent. Former Jinyang Commandery Sima resigned due to illness two years ago and was recuperating at home.
Lang also took this opportunity to be worshiped as Chencang Ling, and soon took office, responsible for coordinating the specific expenses of food and fodder for Huangfu Song's army.
In addition, the memorial requesting the emperor to reassign cadres to replace the Shaofu was also sent to Kanto along with the recommendation. Before the emperor's approval came down, as a veteran who had served in the Shaofu for several years, Wang Bin thought it was necessary
Ask Zhang Chang personally what he thinks of his successor, and check on the other person's condition.
"I am not worthy of this position. It is all thanks to the country's persistence and the grace of my ancestors that I only took this position." Zhang Chang said weakly. He stretched out his hand from the quilt and was held tightly by Wang Bin. He opened his eyes with difficulty.
He opened his eyes and looked at the other person: "It was General Wei who introduced me to the country. Otherwise, how could I be where I am today? I will never forget the great kindness that the prince showed to my brother..."
Why am I not?
Wang Bin thought this in his heart, but did not say anything. He lowered his eyebrows, held Zhang Chang's hand tightly, and sighed constantly by the couch.
"The prince asked me if I have any successors. There are too many people who can be better than me in the court... But according to my opinion, no one here can compare with my own family." Zhang Chang's eyes were cloudy and he tried hard to see.
But Wang Bin of the Qing Dynasty couldn't see clearly: "I know the prince's intentions, but I don't avoid relatives when I'm married. There are some things where you don't need to avoid suspicion... The country has a rare wise and wise king in history. The prince must not doubt himself.
Doubt makes people suspicious, so it is better to be frank.”
Wang Bin responded in a low voice, and Zhang Chang realized that the other party was sobbing. He turned his head to the side, as if talking to himself, or saying his last wish: "Your Majesty, Mr. Zhao,
Tingwei Fangong is also not well... The current situation is that the period of victory is only counting the days... I really want to wait until that day. The country likes my writing and ordered me to serve as a prisoner before going out.
, let the craftsmen carve my eight-point regular script into clay blocks and pass it down as a model for generations to come. It’s a pity that the matter has not been completed..."
When he walked out of the door, Wang Bin was so sad that he could not stand. Wang Fu, who was under the door, helped him. The father and son got into the car one after another, and Wang Fu asked: "I see that Mr. Zhang's face is not good."
Okay, the imperial doctor also said that he can only control the situation for a few days. The young man is concerned about money, food and taxes. Does Mr. Zhang have anyone to recommend?"
Without waiting for Wang Bin to answer, Wang Fu directly spoke of his own opinion: "In my opinion, the uncle of the Mi family is quite a character. When there was a grain shortage in Sanfu and various families were hoarding grains, it wasn't because of him that everything was lost and the situation was stabilized."
Prices? Now that he is in charge of the young master's house, it is justifiable and no one can say anything about it."
He kept talking for a long time, but Wang Bin ignored him. His energy in the past two years has not been good. Since I took the last look at Zhang Chang today, I found that my energy has become even worse. The carriage began to be driven by the coachman.
The road was bumpy for a while, which made him feel a little sleepy. Wang Bin waved his hand impatiently and said, "Let me rest for a while. Call me when you get home."
Huangfu Song organized several great victories in Youfufeng and successfully drove away Han Sui, resolving a crisis in Sanfu. The people of Sanfu, especially the citizens of Chang'an, were all happy and praised Huangfu Song. As for the princes of the imperial court, who had always been prudent, seeing
The emperor just breathed a sigh of relief, because the biggest external threat had been eliminated, and the forces that had temporarily cooperated naturally began to make their own calculations.
For Ma Chao, who is not yet qualified to join the court, the situation in the court is beyond his concern. The most important thing at the moment, besides rushing to Chencang to make contributions, is to immediately go to Su Ze's home in Chang'an to tell the truth. The two reunited
Get back together.
"Literary Master! Literary Master!" No matter how Ma Chao shouted outside the door, Su Ze refused to come out to see him.
Seeing that idle people had gathered around to look around, the old servant beside Su Ze had to come out and persuade him: "Mr. Sir, my master is in mourning and we really cannot see outsiders."
"Then go in and tell him, saying that I, Aweng, have to pretend to surrender because of a heavy responsibility, and there is absolutely no trace of rebellion!" Ma Chao believed that as long as the truth is revealed, Su Ze will naturally let go of the rift between the two of him, but who can
I know the crux between the two of them is not like this.
"Hey!" Even the old servant who was a bystander could see this clearly. He sighed and said bluntly: "But so what? The Su family's castle was still attacked by the Qiang people. I, the Su family...
...Hey! Sir, please come back!"
These words were like a thunderbolt in his ears. Ma Chao was shocked on the spot. It turned out that the matter was still due to his father's conspiracy with Han Sui and bringing Han Sui into the Kou Sanfu. No matter what the purpose of his father Ma Teng was, it indirectly caused
After the fall of the Fufeng Su family, could it be that just because Ma Teng was pursuing a general strategy, he could ignore the people who lost their lives as a result?
"I understand." Ma Chao clenched his fists tightly. The old servant looked frightened and wondered whether his door could withstand the violence of the other party. But in his rage, Ma Chao did not do anything extraordinary.
, instead he said at the door like an oath: "You have one hundred and fifty members of the Su family, and I will kill one hundred and fifty Qiang thieves for you. If Master Su Wen is not satisfied, I will kill one thousand five hundred, until
Until he is satisfied!"
After saying that, Ma Chao turned around and left resolutely.
The old servant sighed, and then returned to the house and told Su Ze who was sitting in front of the desk reading about the matter.
Su Ze was wearing a pair of shoddy, low-quality linen clothes. Even the cuffs were not sewn, and a few threads were exposed, which made his wrists red. He looked at an order on the desk and listened to the old servant's words.
After the narration, Su Ze said with an indifferent expression: "He will leave tomorrow?"
"Yes, right at Hengchengmen."
"Then let's go through Luocheng Gate." Su Ze reached out and moved the order away from his eyes, and suddenly said a little tiredly.
Luocheng Gate is located at the easternmost gate among the gates in the north wall of Chang'an City. It is named because it faces the Wei River and can lead to Luoshui. The Hengcheng Gate that Ma Chao wants to go through happens to be among the gates in the north wall of Chang'an City.
The westmost gate and the two city gates both face the Wei River. The two sides will be separated from the front and back as soon as they start here.
The old servant glanced at the transfer order on the table worriedly. It was to transfer Su Ze to Youfufeng to serve as a farmer. Since Su Ze was still an intern student, the transfer order was directly handled by Taixue and Da Sinong.
, without the approval of Zhongtai. This is the care given to Su Ze by the teachers of Taixue and Su's relatives who were left in the court. However, the old servant has his worries about this heavy 'care': "The Lord is really
Are you going to take office?"
"I have not forgotten my filial piety. After three years of mourning, I cannot miss a day." Su Ze said softly: "I just want to go back to Wugong County to see if I can bury my family."
The old servant knew that he would be wrong, so he hurriedly raised his hand and retreated in shame.
Su Ze sat alone in the room. He knew the ins and outs of the Yixian battle a moment earlier than Ma Chao. If he were to consider it from the perspective of Huangfu Song, a decision-maker, he would probably choose to avoid a direct battle and instead lure the enemy deeper.
The tactic is to use Ma Teng to cooperate with others to defeat Han Sui in one fell swoop. This way, losses will be minimized, results will be achieved, and profits will be maximized.
But from the perspective of a family member of the victim, Su Ze really couldn't understand Huangfu Song and even Ma Teng and others. He said that he was a scholar and was not cold and decisive enough, so he accepted it. Originally, Su Ze thought, if
When Ma Chao came to see him, he would continue to refuse to see him out of anger. However, although Su Ze did not see Ma Chao, it was not because of the reasons mentioned above, but because he didn't know how to see him.
This idea was very strange, and Su tried to figure it out for a long time, one year, two years, or even three years.
"Hengchengmen..."
This is the place where Ma Chao and Su Ze met for the first time. After being rejected yesterday, Ma Xiu and others who came to see him off were worried that Ma Chao would be depressed, so they thought of many words to enlighten him. But who knew what Ma Chao was about?
He didn't say anything to them. He packed up his armor in silence, rode a black and shiny horse, and hurried slowly to the gate of Hengcheng.
"Okay, you all go back." Ma Chao said angrily to Ma Xiu, Ma Tie and the others: "Don't cause trouble for me at home. If I know, I will be whipped."
Matthew and others shrank their heads with lingering fear, and stood tacitly under the city gate and stopped seeing each other off.
After beating his brothers, Ma Chao rode alone through the long corridor under the city gate. Outside the city gate was connected to a wide Weihe River bridge. People were constantly coming and going on the bridge. A thin, ugly-looking yellow horse with a black mouth was alone.
Railings attached to the bridge.
"This isn't..." Ma Chao's heart skipped a beat, as if an idea flashed through his mind. He spurred his mount and rushed to the horse in a few steps. The horse obviously knew Ma Chao and took the initiative.
He stretched his head over and rubbed Ma Chao's calf.
Ma Chao turned over and dismounted, and saw that the horse was fully equipped with its harness, but there was no sign of its owner around. He knew that this was a gift given to him by Su Ze. The two of them had met on this Wei Bridge because of this horse, and now he
The horse came into Ma Chao's hands as he wished, which made him particularly happy.
He immediately changed his mount into a horse, walked briskly across the Wei Bridge, and met up with Sima Lang and the others at the bridge.
Sima Lang looked at Ma Chao's posture of one man and two horses, which was a little strange, and said: "The horse carries the luggage on its back, and the rogue horse carries the people? What's the saying here?"
"Confucius said you can't 'judge a person by his appearance', let alone a horse?" Ma Chao's joy was beyond words, as if the cheerful and optimistic Liangzhou Jianyong was finally back: "Don't look at this horse being thin and ugly, wait a while and start running
, Mr. Lang may not be able to pursue you yet."
"Really?" Sima Lang smiled reservedly: "Then I'll wait and see." After saying that, he tightened the reins and followed the horse forward smoothly, which invisibly showed his proficiency in equestrian skills: "
Wang Fu has something to do at home, so he won't come to see you off. Time is tight, so let's set off now."
Thanks to the imperial court's vigorous construction of the post road in Guanzhong, it didn't take long for the group to arrive at Chencang. Sima Yi, the supervisor of the army, came out to receive him on behalf of the hussar general Huangfu Song, and immediately allocated two thousand to Ma Chao, who had been recommended by Sima Yi as the cavalry captain.
Men and horses, let him guard Chencang.
Ma Chao was so valued and trusted as soon as he arrived, which made him very happy. He knew that during this period, thanks to the care of the Sima family, his father Ma Teng also sent him a message before sending troops to Hanyang, asking him to get closer to the children of the Sima family. Ma Chao
He took it for granted that after this battle, not only the Sima Lang brothers, but also Zhijinwu Sima Fang, who ensured the security of Chang'an, would receive certain rewards. By relying on the Sima family's relatives, the Wang family, it would be a shortcut for his Ma family's official career.
So Ma Chao was extremely serious when listening to Sima Yi's introduction to Yongliang's military situation, and he would echo his words from time to time. But what he hadn't yet figured out was that the Ma family really needed the Sima family to make up for their political shortcomings, but the Sima family didn't need the Ma family.
Make up for shortcomings in the military?
This was originally an equal position of win-win cooperation, but Ma Teng and others took the initiative to lower their stance, which greatly satisfied Sima Yi.
"At the beginning, the country suspected that Wang Chang's meritorious service in the Battle of Fuche Mountain was fake, so he specially took the exam. If General Ninghu hadn't come forward to recommend him, how could General Pingnan advance to the imperial court and become well known to the country?" Sima Yi mentioned that Xu Rong was
Appreciating Xu Huang's story, Ma Chao, who was opposite him, nodded repeatedly: "So although General Ninghu did not ambush Han Sui at the street pavilion, and caused chaos in Anping, Han Sui escaped. But we should also look at Pingnan.
As a general, the only way to maintain a long-term foothold in the army is to praise the veteran and treat each other well."
Ma Chao understood clearly that Xu Huang, the general of Pingnan, was now leading the armies to surrender to Yuan Shu. He was powerful in Jianghuai and was a popular figure in the court. If he could indirectly show his favor to the other party, even though they would not stand together, it could still be regarded as a good relationship.
He knew that Sima Yi intended to treat him as one of his own, otherwise he would not have said these sincere words to him: "I would like to be taught."
This past incident is well known to everyone, and anyone would do this. Sima Yi specifically told Ma Chao about it, naturally to achieve the desired effect.