When the wind blew, Ma Chao was drinking under the shade of a tree in the backyard.
This is the first summer he has experienced outside Xiliang. It has to be said that the water, soil, and climate here in Hedong and Bingzhou are much better than those in Liangzhou. Just from the night breeze, you can taste the complete
Comes with different flavors.
In Xiliang, even in April, the wind and sand are still very strong. The strong wind blows the sand all over the sky and hits your face. Only those who have experienced it can understand the smell. Compared with Xiliang, the wind and frost here in Bingzhou are so gentle.
She looks like a young woman who just came out of the palace.
This is still in the relatively remote Bingzhou. If we go to the Central Plains or even the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River, what kind of beautiful scenery will it be like?
It's a pity that he may not see that day.
Thinking of the depression, he raised the earthenware bowl, raised his neck, and poured the wine in the bowl into his stomach in one breath, as if he wanted to use strong wine to drown the unwillingness and anger in his heart.
Only those who have touched the edge of glory are extremely unwilling to accept today's ending. Ma Chao is sure that he will definitely have a chance to achieve the glory he dreamed of! It's a pity that Wang Yu's appearance is like a man in the Western Regions.
Just like the eight-hundred-mile-long Kunlun Mountains, when you look at it from a distance, you always feel like you have an opportunity. The closer you get, the more you realize what it means to look up at a high mountain and be insurmountable.
It is not terrible to be defeated once in a while, but what is terrible is to lose the opportunity to wash away the shame forever.
Longshan's defeat in that battle was so miserable that he had no hope of making a comeback and wiping out his humiliation.
During these days of being trapped in a lonely city, every time he closed his eyes, he could see those soldiers who died in battle, with blood all over their bodies, looking at him with some contempt, disdain for being fooled by the enemy so easily, and
Not once or twice, but from the beginning to the end, he was completely led by others! I despise him for sending so many brothers to death because of his own overestimation.
Anxiety, guilt, disappointment, all kinds of emotions were like tens of thousands of poisonous snakes, eating away at his body and spirit bit by bit.
Under the influence of the general, the remaining Xiliang troops also languished. They also could not see where to survive, and they also understood that the reason why the enemy did not attack the city was not because of fear, but because they were completely sure that they would be defeated.
, so take your time and wait for the best opportunity.
It is precisely because of this kind of military morale that Ma Chao has never made any plans to break out. He knows that if he can't break out, the enemy will not intercept them from the front, but will only use the powerful cavalry troops to follow and chase them. With the current mental state of the brothers, it won't take too long.
After a long period of time, with only one or two casualties, the army will completely collapse.
If they cannot break out of the encirclement, they will lose control of Hedong, and there will be no way to return to Xiliang to regroup, and any hope of revenge will be completely cut off.
Despite this, Ma Chao still has to perform his duties as a general and behave calmly and at ease in front of the soldiers to stabilize the morale of the army. At the same time, he has to be on tight alert!
Externally, he had to guard against the Qingzhou Army. Ma Chao knew that the key to this Central Plains war was the outcome of Cao Cao and Wang Yu. Wang Yu would not be willing to stay in Bingzhou for too long, nor would he leave without worrying about leaving hidden dangers.
In the Battle of Longshan, the Qingzhou Army was outnumbered. In addition to using tricks, it also used its strength to fight head-on. Although it achieved an unprecedented victory in the end, it suffered many casualties.
If the main force of Qingzhou's cavalry leaves first, leaving only the Western Front Army that suffered heavy losses, let alone a breakout, Ma Chao may even be sure to recreate the glory of the night battle in Zixian County.
Of course, before Wang Yu and the Fire Cavalry left, all Ma Chao had to do was passive defense. Not only did he have to guard against Qingzhou outside the city, but he also had to guard against all kinds of monsters and monsters in the city.
"I won't give you a chance!" Ma Chao gnashed his teeth and muttered to himself as he raised the wine jar and poured himself a drink. It was as if there were a pair of ears listening in the light of the wine, and what he said could be said without hesitation.
to enemies and potential enemies.
"Never!" biting his bloody lip, Xiliang's number one general repeated stubbornly.
He reached to the side, grabbed a cold naan, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it hard. Seeing the general starting to eat, the soldiers quickly moved the cold dishes to the charcoal pot to bake, and poured hot steam over them.
Ma Chao didn't seem to notice the steaming thick soup. He didn't use chopsticks to pick up the vegetables or drink the soup. He just chewed hard and swallowed the cold naan with his own blood.
"Brother, please eat something warm! If you drink on an empty stomach, you must be careful not to injure your gastrointestinal tract!" Ma Dai looked worried, crept forward, and reminded in a low voice.
The Ma family's close generals and soldiers, as well as Yang Qiu, who was close to the Ma family, basically died in the war. Although Pang De did not die, he was nowhere to be found. To Ma Chao, it was nothing like death.
Both. Ma Yunluo is good at martial arts, but he is still too young to provide substantial help to his brother at this time.
Although Zhu Qiang's heroes were not dead, the two sides were estranged because of their escape from battle. On the surface, the relationship was still harmonious, but it was only in times of crisis that they had to stick together for warmth, and there was no way for them to return to their former self.
Such a state of saying nothing.
Now, the only person around Ma Chao who can discuss important matters is his younger brother Ma Dai.
"Well..." Ma Chao pushed the food in his mouth with difficulty, managed to pull himself together, and asked: "What time is it? How is the situation outside?"
"It's just after Xu time." Ma Dai bowed down and handed over the strong tea with salt added overnight to let Ma Chao sober up: "General Liang and the others have been busy settling in after entering the city and did not do anything else. The camps they chose are all
It's far away from the city gate, so it shouldn't be a big deal."
"That's good, that's good!" Ma Chao nodded in relief. He was not without doubts about the sudden arrival of Liang Xing and others. On the contrary, he was very wary of it. In Liangzhou, betrayal and
Betrayal is commonplace. Even a young man like him, who is only twenty years old, has seen too much. How could he not be wary of Liang Xing and others?
"The arrival of General Liang and others is indeed a bit strange. Since my brother is worried, why not just find an excuse and refuse to accept them behind closed doors?"
"Bozhan, don't you know?" Ma Chao spread his hands and said with helplessness on his face: "Liang Xing is here, and I have to accept him as my brother! The timing they seized is so good that we can't refuse...
…”
There is no way to let people like Liang Xing enter the city.
If the other party is far away, it doesn't matter if they just send a messenger and find an excuse to send them away. But Liang Xing's entire army has already arrived at the city gate, and the soldiers on both sides are watching helplessly. Once they make a decision, they will
The impact of the decision to stay out will be extremely huge.
The morale of the soldiers in the city will be greatly reduced, because the last friendly army has deserted, or there is not enough food and grass in the city. Otherwise, why would the general not let the friendly troops enter the city? The soldiers outside the city will hate themselves, and in desperation, they will be desperate.
He surrendered to the enemy and in turn attacked Pingtao.
The Qingzhou Army has bed crossbows and the legendary Thunderbolt Chariot, both of which are weapons for siege. Pingtao is just an ordinary county town, and the Xiliang Army does not have much experience in defending the city. If the Qingzhou Army attacks with all its strength, it will definitely be unstoppable.
. The reason why the enemy has been standing still and refusing to attack is simply because they are worried about losses and do not want to pay a high price.
Once Liang Xing and others rebel out of hatred, Wang Yu will definitely be used as a vanguard to attack the city. Driven by hatred, Liang Xing's troops may be able to exert their strength for a long time, and Pingtao City will be in turmoil.
Therefore, Ma Chao could only ask Liang Xing to come in first.
Anyway, the cavalry in the city cannot be deployed, and the three troops of Liang Xing, Hou Xuan, and Li Kan are dispersed and stationed far away from the city gate. If there is a change, he can lead his elite troops and use the time difference to defeat them one by one, allowing them to defeat each other.
They cannot take advantage of their military strength.
If Liang Xing and others stand still, he can also think of a way to hold a Hongmen Banquet or something and annihilate these three guys. On the one hand, he can eliminate future troubles, and on the other hand, he can expand his strength and prepare for future counterattacks.
"I'm going to inspect the city later to cheer up and boost morale!" Ma Chao nodded lightly.
In the past few days, he has been staying in the city guard's mansion without going out. His mentality is so decadent that he is almost waiting for death. All the bones in his body have become sore. Today, Liang Xing and others entered the city. Since they are potential threats, they are also a good opportunity.
, it’s time to take the opportunity to go for a walk and appease the soldiers’ morale.
With 50,000 troops in hand and a city to rely on, even if the Qingzhou Army launches a strong attack at any cost, he will be able to resist it for a while. Thinking like this, his mood suddenly became cheerful.
"Yes, I will make arrangements now!" Ma Dai stood solemnly and held his hands, but there was not much joy on his face.
This lukewarm expression was immediately noticed by Ma Chao, who had just returned to normal. He frowned sensitively and asked in a low voice: "What, is it inconvenient? Or is there something wrong?"
"Brothers all admire your bravery, and we also know that now we only have a last-ditch fight. It will definitely be beneficial and harmless if you go on inspection." Ma Dai hesitated for a moment and looked around, wondering whether he should say the last part of the sentence.
Ma Chao frowned and urged impatiently: "If you have anything to say, just say it. I don't have the habit of guessing people's thoughts! We are all our brothers, why are you acting so coquettishly?"
"Yes, that's it!" Ma Dai hesitated again and again, but decided to tell the truth: "After General Liang and the others entered the city, rumors suddenly broke out in the city. The general couldn't find out whether it was the enemy who deliberately spread it to disrupt the morale of our army, or whether it was the brothers.
I'm scaring myself..."
"What are you talking about? If you can't even stop a rumor, what do you guys do for food?" Before Ma Dai could finish what he said, Ma Chao glared and asked angrily. Although the Xiliang Army is a coalition, the general's order
It is impassable, but the control of the military from all sides is still very tight, and it is impossible for messages to suddenly become loud and dusty.
"The general is incompetent, please punish me!" Ma Dai did not defend himself and bowed down to plead guilty.
According to Ma Chao's temper, he was bound to have a fit. However, seeing the withered generals around him, he couldn't express his anger. He glanced at Ma Dai and slowly sat back on the stone bench.
Breathing heavily, he asked: "What are the rumors outside? You don't have to hide it from me. Although I am young, I have experienced a lot. How can I be frightened by mere rumors?"
"The rumors came from our own side." Ma Dai forced a smile and explained in a low voice: "Maybe it was because they saw General Liang and the others retreating into the city without any harm. Some people are saying, Wang Yu
I have always been tolerant to the sons of the Han family, and even spared old enemies like high-ranking officials. They will not have trouble with us Han people. The only ones who are in danger are the Qiang soldiers..."
"Oops!" Ma Chao secretly screamed something bad and jumped up suddenly, wanting to slap himself in the mouth first.
After he was defeated in Pingtao, he was sad and dejected. On the other hand, he only thought about how to resist the Qingzhou Army's attack on the city. He did not consider the issues of people's hearts, but he was negligent in the end.
Wang Yu's consistent style is to kill all the foreigners and give some mercy to the Han people. Normally, this is a good thing, at least there is a way to survive, but the problem is that Ma Chao does not intend to succumb to others, he still has some
The ambition to compete for the top spot.
If such rumors spread, the problem will be serious.
Ma Chao's main army was destroyed in the battle, and Han Sui's old troops who surrendered had no intention of fighting to the death. They took advantage of the chaos and fled. As a result, when they retreated into Pingtao, only more than 3,000 Ma Chao's direct troops were left, assembled by the Ma Dai brothers and sisters.
In other words, before Liang Xing entered the city, the Qiang soldiers in the city had an absolute advantage, with a total of 16,000 soldiers and horses.
Without Liang Xing's 30,000 troops, even if such rumors spread, it would not be a cause for concern. On the contrary, it would arouse the Qiang soldiers' desire to fight to the death. Anyway, there would be no way to survive if they surrendered. Naturally, one would be enough to survive, and two would be lost.
Just make a profit.
But now, when he accepted Liang Xing's 30,000 Han troops into the city, he did not communicate with the powerful commanders of the various Qiang tribes, and the troops controlling the gates on all sides were mainly his direct troops...
What would the Zhu Qiang think after hearing the rumors? Would they think that they were planning to surrender and offer the Zhu Qiang as a gift?
Cold sweat dripped down his face, and Ma Chao did not dare to delay any longer. He stood up, grabbed the iron helmet with one hand, and ordered his soldiers to wear armor for him: "It is not too late, otherwise things will change! You guys, follow me on the inspection immediately.
, no matter how the rumors spread, we can’t mess up the situation on our own!"
Ma Dai and all the soldiers were startled. After being glared at by Ma Chao, they reacted and started to move. Taking advantage of Ma Chao's armor, Ma Dai asked anxiously: "Brother, are you worried..."
Ma Chao said hastily: "The Qiang soldiers are very suspicious. They will definitely doubt us, and maybe they will cause trouble! Those Liang Xing people are not of the same mind as us. If the Qiang soldiers are in chaos again, Pingtao will definitely not be able to defend it."
If you can't break out of the encirclement, you will be in chaos, and your brothers and I will really die without a burial place!"
"..." After Ma Dai heard this, he was frightened. A thought that had been suppressed in his heart suddenly jumped out uncontrollably. He hesitated and said: "Brother, what was said in the message may not be true. Now that the matter has come to this, I'm afraid
...Why not follow the current trend and follow the example of Gongsun Bogui and others, and also try to establish a border outside the territory?"
Ma Chao had already reached the courtyard gate and suddenly froze there. After a long while, he turned to look at his younger brother with a very unfamiliar look in his eyes, as if he had suddenly lost his memory.
"Bozhan, what did you say?" Ma Chao asked in a deep voice, the haze between his eyebrows like thick ink.
"Brother, please listen to what I have to say!" After the words were spoken, Ma Dai was ready to fight.
In fact, he had had this idea for a long time. After returning from Qingzhou, he privately asked Ma Teng whether he could stop fighting and make peace, and use the bargaining chip of the coalition to negotiate terms with Wang Yu. Of course, he was
Ma Teng angrily scolded him and ordered him not to mention this matter again in the future, otherwise it would be regarded as severing the relationship between uncle and nephew.
But now that Ma Teng is dead, Ma Chao sees that he is at the end of his rope. Seeing that Ma Chao still has to make a final struggle, Ma Dai naturally cannot hold back.
"The siege of Xiliang, Jiangdong, and Luoyang was just a peaceful situation. If it hadn't been for the bravery of my eldest brother, General Cao would have been defeated at Hulao Pass. Now that I, Xiliang, have been severely defeated, it will be difficult to regain our strength.
Although there are still Yizhou soldiers and Jingzhou soldiers as backup, they are beyond our reach and are a drop in the bucket. I am afraid that the general trend of the world has already..."
Ma Dai said sincerely: "Brother, you know you can't do something but you do it. Your courage is commendable, but it is not a blessing to the Ma family! Think again..."
While he was talking, there was a sudden noise outside. When Ma Chao and others looked at him in astonishment, he saw a temporarily promoted captain running in with a bruised nose and a swollen face. As he ran, he shouted anxiously: "Hurry, let me see the boss quickly."
Handsome. It’s not good, it’s not good, someone is going to rebel!”
"Whoever wants to rebel, please speak more clearly!" Ma Chao stepped forward, held the opponent's shoulders, and asked loudly.
The newly promoted lieutenant was originally a captain and leader of the army, and could rarely talk to the commander in person. When Ma Chao pressed him, he was shocked and frightened, and he knelt down softly: "Commander, my subordinate
I am incompetent. Marshal Songbu of Baima Qiang took the lead in making trouble and wanted to rush out of the city to escape on my own. My subordinates did not stop him. I am sorry to the commander!"
"What?" Ma Chao pushed away the captain who reported the news, walked out.
No matter what they are afraid of, the Baima Qiang have a high prestige among other Qiang people. If they open the door for unrest, the situation will soon get out of control.
Ma Chao was so anxious and angry that he didn't care whether the people behind him had time to catch up with him or argue with his brother. He jumped on the horse and ran all the way.
He hates it!
Liang Xing and others must have secretly taken refuge with Wang Yu, otherwise this rumor would not have appeared so coincidentally. Let alone expecting them to suppress the Qiang soldiers, as long as they were willing to stand aside at this time, they would be lucky.
The most important thing now is to suppress the signs of this unrest before more tribes respond to the Baima Qiang. Otherwise, when the Qiang soldiers are involved, even if the suppression is successful, it will only push back the fate of their destruction slightly.
Just moved a little bit.
He whipped his mount desperately and ran towards the direction with the loudest people outside. No matter who stood in front of him, he raised his hand and whipped him. He knocked away seven or eight people who were running around and drove away two people who tried to dissuade him.
His own bodyguards used red spears to kill more than ten rebel soldiers, and he finally arrived at the scene of the incident.
However, it's too late.
A raging fire burned near the city gate, illuminating the surrounding streets as bright as day. Everywhere you could see shadowy figures chasing and fighting each other. An offensive and defensive battle was going on on the city wall, but the enemy did not come from outside.
There are no siege equipment. The attackers just climb up the inner stairs and fight with the defenders.
Cries, shouts, begging, as well as the sounds of swords and spears clashing, the sound of bowstrings being loosened, mixed with the miserable howls of the dying, the desperate wails of the injured...the world was filled with a loud noise.
The commotion spread like a spark and started a prairie fire. After a while, the east, north and west of the city were all in chaos. Only the south of the city, adjacent to the Fen River, was quieter. There were people everywhere, but no one went to put out the fire.
"Wang Pengju, you are so vicious!" Ma Chao's eyes were bloodshot and he looked up to the sky and howled in grief. Just as Ma Dai said, the matter has come to this, even if he has the courage to do anything, he can't turn things around.
To accomplish all this, Wang Yu did not even use a single soldier. (To be continued. Please search Piao Tian Literature, the novel is better and updated faster!)