Summary of the previous chapter: Cao Cao personally conquered Liu Bei, and Ma Xiaoquan used this opportunity to write a letter to Xia Houyuan. Xia Houyuan conducted a thorough investigation of the generals and officers according to the contents of Ma Xiaoquan's letter...
Xia Houyuan unfolded the roster and read it carefully, hummed several times, and then threw the roster on the table with a "pop" sound.
"I didn't expect that there would be so many miscellaneous people in the army. Well, thank you to Master Shangxian for reminding me about this!" Xia Houyuan breathed out heavily and ordered, "Report this matter to King Wei!"
...
Cao Cao quickly received a report from Xia Houyuan and learned that there were mixed people in the army. Cao Cao was also horrified.
Master Shangxian Ma Xiaoquan once told himself that Lu Xian was vicious and acted strangely. Today he placed shadow guards in his army, and tomorrow he might place shadow guards beside him.
Safety issues cannot be effectively guaranteed, which is what Cao Cao cannot tolerate.
"Pass my order to conduct a thorough investigation of everyone in the army, including the generals, starting today!"
After giving the order, Cao Cao felt more relaxed.
In the following days, Cao Cao spent time with Liu Bei on the one hand, and on the other hand, he focused on the thorough investigation within the army.
It didn't take long for Liu Bei to capture Yizhou, and Yizhou was not a prosperous place. However, Cao Cao occupied a large territory in the north and had money and food. When it comes to fighting a war of attrition, Cao Cao could afford it, but Liu Bei couldn't.
.
The two armies fought for several days. Although Liu Bei achieved partial victory, he was unable to harm Cao Cao's bones.
Late at night, Liu Bei summoned his staff to discuss countermeasures.
Fa Zhengdao: "Lord, my subordinates believe that our first task is to capture Yangping Pass!"
Fa Zheng's words were unanimously affirmed by all the soldiers.
Liu Bei nodded: "Yangping Pass is the only way to Long, and it is easy to defend but difficult to attack. I understand what you said, but Yangping Pass is a natural danger, how easy is it to win? Furthermore...
We don’t have enough food and supplies to spend a long time attacking.”
Zhao Yun said: "Lord, why don't we encircle Yangping Pass? This way we will have a better chance of winning."
Liu Bei did not answer quickly, but looked at everyone and then at Fazheng. Seeing Fazheng nodding his head in agreement, Liu Bei then said humbly: "Then just follow what Zilong said."
At night the next day, when Cao Jun was conducting a thorough inspection of his troops, Liu Bei suddenly attacked Yangping Pass with his army.
Xia Houyuan, the general guarding the pass, was caught off guard, but after all, his experience was there. After a slight adjustment, Xia Houyuan quickly made response arrangements.
From the beginning of the thorough investigation to the present, Xia Houyuan has found a total of more than twenty unidentified people. Although Xia Houyuan cannot guarantee that all the shadow guards are on the list, it has at least served as a warning to the monkeys.
Looking at the twenty or so people in front of him, Xia Houyuan said: "There may be some of you whom I have misunderstood, but the war is urgent now, and I need you to prove your innocence to me... In other words, you must
I want to show that you are loyal, so as to alleviate your misunderstanding in my heart... So..." Xia Houyuan pointed at the door, "I want you to go and guard the door for us, you.
.....Can you do it? Do you dare to do it?"
Before these twenty or so people could speak, Xu Huang couldn't sit still: "General, you have to think twice. Yangping Pass Gate is the most critical point of this pass. Once it is lost, we will..."
Before Xu Huang finished speaking, Xia Houyuan stretched out his hand to stop him and said, "I believe they can hold on!" After that, Xia Houyuan waved his hands to the twenty or so people.
Xu Huang was very worried and stepped forward and said: "General, I want to guard the door with these twenty or so people."
Xia Houyuan nodded: "That's what I meant, but... Gongming Xu Huang's words, there is something else... I have to tell you..."
Xia Houyuan leaned into Xu Huang's ear and said a few words. After Xu Huang heard this, his eyes widened and he asked in disbelief: "General, although this is good, it is too risky...More
What's more, Master Shangxian didn't mention this in his letter...General, how can you be sure that Master Shangxian said it?"
Xia Houyuan laughed, took out the letter Ma Xiaoquan wrote to him from his arms, unfolded it, and pointed out the first word of each column to Xu Huang according to the reading order.
Xu Huang was a little confused and read out the words one by one along Xia Houyuan's finger. Halfway through, he couldn't help but exclaimed that it was magical.
"This..." Xu Huang shook his head in disbelief, "General, how could you understand Lord Shangxian's intention?"
Xia Houyuan laughed and said a little bit: "This is a tacit understanding. Hehe, Master Shangxian must be proud of me for seeing the meaning of his letter now, haha..."
...
Yecheng, Ma Family Courtyard.
"Sneeze," Ma Xiaoquan rubbed his nose and said to himself, "As long as I sneeze, someone will definitely talk about me..."
Next to Ma Xiaoquan, Mrs. Mingyue Hua Yuexin said angrily: "How old are you, why are you still so talkative?"
Ma Xiaoquan said disapprovingly: "Well, madam, do you dare to say that you didn't miss me?"
Hua Yuexin rolled her eyes at Ma Xiaoquan: "I've been seeing you every day these days, and I'm almost bored to death by you. What's there to think about?"
"Ah" Ma Xiaoquan pretended to look sad, "It turns out that I am such a person in Madam's heart. Hey, it's so sad, hey."
Hua Yuexin pinched Ma Xiaoquan and said: "Okay, don't be so poor. By the way, I saw the letter you wrote to Xia Houyuan a few days ago... Do you really think there is someone from Lu Xian in Cao's army?
"
Ma Xiaoquan nodded: "Xian Lu probably got something he shouldn't have, so it is necessary for me to remind Xia Houyuan. I think Cao Cao has also received my reminder now."
"Then why don't you just give it to Cao Cao?"
Ma Xiaoquan smiled slightly: "Some things, if too direct, will make the other party feel disgusted...Cao Cao is already suspicious, and now that he is old, he is even more suspicious, so I reminded him directly
, he will definitely be dissatisfied..."
Hua Yuexin asked: "My lord, don't you think that Xia Houyuan will definitely tell Cao Cao what you believe?"
Ma Xiaoquan nodded and smiled: "Xia Houyuan will definitely say it, but because there is a procedure in between, Cao Cao will respect me instead..."
Hua Yuexin made a few oohs and aahs: "Then there's no other hidden meaning in your letter?"
Ma Xiaoquan shook his head and said with certainty: "What kind of letter can I write with my literary talent?"
Hua Yuexin covered her face with a smile, shook her head and said, "That's not certain."
"Oh, Madam, did you see something?"
Hua Yuexin cleared her throat and recited the letter Ma Xiaoquan wrote to Xia Houyuan verbatim.
Ma Xiaoquan was astonished. The seventh lady, Qing Yi, had the ability to have a photographic memory. When did his first wife, Hua Yuexin, also have it?
"Madam, you"
Hua Yuexin's pretty face turned red: "Yeah, sir, actually, Yue'er also has the ability to have a photographic memory!"
Ma Xiaoquan shook his head in disbelief. He had lived with Hua Yuexin for more than twenty years, but he didn't know she had such abilities. It was really...
"Why didn't you tell me earlier, madam?" Ma Xiaoquan complained a little.
"My husband has never asked me?" Hua Yuexin asked in response.
"Well... well, let's not talk about it for now. Madam, what did you see from my letter?"
Hua Yuexin stared at Ma Xiaoquan suspiciously: "Ms. sir, do you really not know?"
Ma Xiaoquan spread his hands: "If I really knew, I wouldn't ask you this!"
"Okay!" Hua Yuexin asked someone to bring in pen and ink paper, and quietly wrote Ma Xiaoquan's letter on the paper. After writing silently, Hua Yuexin pointed to the first word of each column on the letter and said: "
Sir, please take a look.”
Ma Xiaoquan came up to him without knowing why, and read it in the order of Hua Yuexin's fingers. He couldn't help shouting: "What's going on with me, Ci'ao?"
Hua Yuexin slapped Ma Xiaoquan on the head: "How to speak? What is the situation? You wrote it yourself, you ask me?"
Ma Xiaoquan rubbed his head, his smile was worse than crying and he said, "Madam, I really don't know."
Hua Yuexin curled her lips: "Then how could my husband write such a letter? Really, could it be possible that someone taught you how to write it?"
Ma Xiaoquan nodded and was about to say "yes" when he suddenly realized and shook his head quickly: "How is that possible? I must have written it myself."
"Forget it if you don't tell me! Humph!" Hua Yuexin crumpled the paper into a ball and walked away proudly with her head held high.
Ma Xiaoquan smiled bitterly and asked in his mind: "What a stupid thing, look at what nonsense you taught me. Madam can see it, but I don't know anything."
In his left eye, Yuan said rather dissatisfied: "Hun Dan Ma Xiaoquan, I kindly teach you how to write, but you still have so many complaints, think about how long you held it in that day? One hour...one hour
You just wrote four words: hour! You said...you said..."
"Okay, okay, okay! Let's not talk anymore, hehe... Yuan, you taught me how to write. Did you think of the meaning of the first word in each column?"
"Nonsense, you guy with an IQ of 90!"
"..."
...
Ma Xiaoquan's judgment was correct. Cao Cao did have a brief moment of suspicion after receiving Xia Houyuan's report, but Cao Cao soon felt relieved. The truth was that there was a procedure in between as Ma Xiaoquan said.
At this time, Cao Jun had changed from being passive before to confronting Liu Bei Jun.
Among them, the successful defense of Yangping Pass built great confidence for Cao Jun.
Cao Cao inquired about it and found out that the only people guarding the gate at Yangping were Xu Huang and about twenty others.
Cao Cao couldn't help but sigh. After thinking about it carefully, he suddenly remembered the letter Ma Xiaoquan wrote to Xia Houyuan.