It was still dark, but people were already arriving at the Xinye Prefecture's mansion.
In the lobby, Yan Liang held a sharp sword in his hand and sat upright, his heroic body exuding majesty.
On the two wings in front of the hall, Xu You, Jia Xu, Wenpin, Wen Chou and other civil and military officials stood solemnly. Except for Gan Ning who was guarding Wancheng, all the elites under Yan Liang's command had gathered.
The 40,000 elite Xiliang army is approaching. This time, Yan Liang must use all his strength to deal with this unprecedentedly powerful enemy.
The news that the Xiliang Army was about to invade also caused quite a stir in the new fields. Whether it was the people of the new fields or the civil and military officials, most people felt deep fear.
The brutality of the Xiliang army is well known to everyone, and what Dong Zhuo did back then still makes people all over the world fear.
Zhang Xiu's invasion a few years ago made the people of Nanyang deeply aware of the power of the Xiliang army. Now that they heard that the even more powerful Ma Teng was about to kill them, how could they not fall into fear.
Not just ordinary people, but even the generals in the hall, many of them were fearful.
It is a taboo for military strategists to be afraid of fighting before a strong enemy arrives!
Yan Liang looked around at everyone, took a deep breath, and said loudly: "The enemy this time is extremely strong. I know that many of you are afraid."
Those loud words, as loud as a bell, seemed to have an innate charm, and immediately made everyone present listen in awe.
"When I first raised my army, there were no more than a thousand soldiers and only one general. Looking around, I saw that none of the enemies were a hundred times stronger than me. However, I defeated many powerful enemies and laid down the foundation that I have now.
"
Yan Liang's tone gradually became bold, and his sharp words surged with intense confidence.
Everyone was affected by his words, and their originally uneasy mood gradually calmed down.
At this time, Yan Liang stood up and said proudly: "So, I want to tell you that no matter how powerful the enemy is, I have nothing to fear. No matter forty thousand or four hundred thousand, no matter how many enemies come, I vow to let you down."
They know what it means to fail miserably!"
The thunderous and heroic words swept away the gloom in everyone's hearts like a violent storm.
Inspired by Yan Liang, the enthusiasm of the civil and military people in the hall gradually boiled, and the hunting and fighting spirit surged on the excited faces.
Suddenly, Wen Chou was the first to stand up and shouted loudly: "Brother, don't worry, I, Wen Chou, am willing to follow my brother to the death and kill all those Xiliang people, leaving no one behind, so that they know my brother's reputation."
As soon as Wen Chou expressed his stance, everyone else was also enthusiastic and generous, and expressed their willingness to fight to the death for Yan Liang.
This is not the first time Yan Liang has boosted morale before a battle, but the effect is the same as before. His strong charisma seems to be innate, making those who hear it can't help but feel excited.
Jia Xu, who was sitting among the crowd, was placed in such an important military meeting for the first time as a subordinate of Yan Liang.
When he listened to Yan Liang's heroic words and looked at the angry colleagues on the left and right, he couldn't help but secretly marvel at Yan Liang's confidence and ability to inspire people.
However, even though Jia Xu was a little agitated in his heart, he was able to skillfully restrain this irrational emotion and just sat there quietly, stroking his beard and smiling lightly.
Yan Liang on the steps was observing the changes in the expressions of his subordinates all the time, and how could he not miss Jia Xu's calmness and calmness.
"This old fox is always so calm. A poisonous man is indeed a poisonous man."
While Yan Liangliang was thinking secretly, he suddenly remembered that if Jia Xu was not from the Xiliang Army, he would naturally have a deep understanding of Ma Teng and other Xiliang generals.
Knowing one's own selves and knowing one hundred things will lead to victory in every battle. Yan Liang wants to fight a powerful enemy, but how can he not know their details?
Thinking of this, Yan Liang then said: "Mr. Wenhe, you are from Xiliang and you should know Ma Teng very well. There is something that I have been unclear about. I would like to hear what you think, sir."
"I only know Ma Teng once, so I don't know him well. I wonder what the general doesn't understand?" Jia Xu cupped his hands and said with a smile.
"Is Ma Teng stupid?"
Yan Liang asked suddenly, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
Jia Xu looked surprised. He was startled for a moment before he smiled and said: "General, this question is... really interesting. Ahem, as far as I know, although this Ma Teng was born as a martial artist, he can now become the number two in Xiliang
The princes, I think they are not stupid people."
Yan Liang nodded, "If Ma Teng is not stupid, why can't he even see Cao Cao's plan of borrowing a knife to kill people, and is willing to sacrifice his life for Cao Cao to deal with this general?"
This is what Yan Liangliang doubts.
Jia Xu stroked his beard and pondered for a while, then his frown gradually relaxed.
"I'm not a worm in Ma Teng's belly. I have no way of knowing what he really thinks. But I'll forgive you for guessing. I think the reason why Ma Teng worked for Cao Cao was because he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to become powerful."
Take the opportunity to sit big?
After hearing these four words, Yan Liang fell into deep thought, his thoughts racing. After a long silence, a light suddenly flashed in his eyes.
Yan Liang's thinking was already quick, and with just a little reminder from Jia Xu, he figured out the reason.
You must know that there are more than a dozen Xiliang warlords in Guanzhong. Although Ma Teng and Han Sui are the strongest, their strength compared with other Xiliang small princes does not occupy an overwhelming absolute advantage.
If you think about it from his perspective, Ma Teng must have been thinking about annexing other princes and dominating Guanlong.
In normal times, the Xiliang princes were not subordinate to each other and each occupied one area. If Ma Teng sent troops to attack one of them, it would inevitably arouse the wariness of other princes and attack them in groups.
At present, Ma Teng can command the five princes in the name of responding to the imperial edict, and then secretly use various means to weaken the other princes, or annex them at random, in any case, to make himself stronger.
"What a good Ma Teng, it turns out he is also a cunning guy."
Many generals in front of the hall, after hearing Jia Xu's words and seeing Yan Liang's sarcastic remarks, still failed to understand the truth behind them, and they all looked at a loss.
Only Xu You, who was more resourceful than others, suddenly realized what he was doing.
However, while he was in a trance, he said: "Ma Teng is cunning, and the other four princes are not necessarily stupid. They should be able to see the benefits and harms, so how can they be willing to listen to the edict?"
Jia Xu smiled slightly, and when he was about to clear up his doubts, Yan Liang spoke first.
"If the four princes did not respond to the edict, Ma Teng would take the opportunity to send troops to annex the four princes in the name of resisting the edict. In order to weaken the strength of the generals in Guanzhong and establish his authority, Cao Cao would definitely send troops to help Ma Teng. With these two major forces joining forces
, how can the four princes protect themselves?"
Yan Liang's words were exactly what Jia Xu meant. The poisonous man couldn't help but secretly admire Yan Liang. He secretly praised Yan Liang for his quick thinking. He only reminded one thing that Yan Liang could understand the overall situation.
Only then did Xu You fully understand, and couldn't help but sigh: "I didn't expect that the situation in Guanlong would be so complicated. After this battle, Cao Cao and Ma Teng will benefit, but we will suffer losses. It is really not cost-effective."
.”
Of course, Yan Liang is not someone who suffers easily. This time, Cao Cao and Ma Teng each used their own tricks to gain profits by attacking themselves. How could Yan Liang passively let them succeed?
After pondering for a moment, thinking carefully about the words of Jia Xu and Xu You, Yan Liang suddenly raised a sneer at the corner of his mouth.
"Mr. Ji Bo, I'm afraid I'll have to help you again this time." Yan Liang turned his attention to Yi Ji.
Yiji looked startled and quickly asked Yan Liang what his instructions were.
Yan Liang looked far to the west and said calmly: "I want you to go to Xiliang and bring a few words to a person for me."
