Chapter 31: Draw the line
Overnight, Han Sui's besieged army disappeared without a trace.
This situation stunned Ma Chao. Guo Jia rushed into Jincheng with his cavalry and frightened more than 20,000 troops outside Han Suicheng and hurriedly withdrew his troops.
This may be a true portrayal of Guo Jia's current strength. Whether it is Han Sui or Ma Chao, even if he wants to burn both jade and stone, it will only end up flying into the fire. In the end, facing Guo Jia, there is only one way to compromise.
The morning light was bright, and Yin Lingfei rode in the military camp in Jincheng to rest and recuperate. Guo Jia's living place was in the military camp.
Gan Ning did not sleep all night and arranged military affairs to command the city defense. He even sent people to secretly guard against Ma Chao's military movements of less than 5,000.
The military conditions are difficult. It is difficult for people like Guo Jia who have been fed and frugal all year round to say that they can be at peace with their bodies and minds. When they wake up in the morning, they are caused by the biological clock, but their minds are still a little drowsy and bloodshot in their eyes. They sit up from the bed and close their eyes and clear their minds. They say that it is difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. This is true. It is a strange bed, and it is a hardwood board, so they are a little uneasy no matter how they sleep. However, Guo Jia will not deliberately improve the environment, but chooses to adapt.
Gan Ning walked out and saw that Guo Jia had already stood up, took off a clean white brocade robe from the clothes hanger at the door of the tent, came to Guo Jia and reached out to hand over the clothes.
Guo Jia took the clothes and put them on, and asked while tying his belt, "How was last night?"
Gan Ning whispered: "Ma Chao doesn't seem to care about the military in the city at all. After he learned that Han Sui's troops were retreating, he returned to his mansion and had not summoned anyone all night. The lieutenants guarding the city in the city were also resting in the barracks. Now the entire Jincheng is under the control of the Taiping Army."
Guo Jia walked to the low table next to him, and there was a basin of clear water on the table. He reached out to scoop two handfuls of water and splashed it on his face. After awakening, he picked up a towel and wiped his face.
"Ma Chao and the soldiers in this city are exhausted physically and mentally. Besides, Han Sui's troops have just left. Even if Ma Chao has a bad intention, he must make sure that Han Sui will not kill a retaliation. Xingba, it is not my villain's heart. You have seen the ups and downs over the years. Sometimes it seems that the situation is under control, but there will be sudden changes. Ma Chao is not on guard against me now. Either he is already discouraged, or he is just watching the changes and watching how I act, or even want to use this method to make me careless, and when I seem to be about to conquer his territory, I will find it."
Gan Ning nodded calmly.
After Han Sui withdrew his troops, Ma Chao had no external worries. Instead, Guo Jia brought his troops to Jincheng, which became Ma Chao's internal trouble.
What would Ma Chao feel at this time?
"Lord, Han Sui has retreated now. If Ma Chao asks his lord to withdraw his troops back to Chang'an, what should he do?"
Gan Ning suddenly felt that Guo Jia was facing a difficult problem.
Guo Jia comes to help Ma Chao. Now his merits are complete. If Ma Chao asks Guo Jia to go back, what choice should Guo Jia make?
If you withdraw, wouldn’t you return without success?
If he doesn't withdraw, would Guo Jia want to tear his face and annex Ma Chao's territory, and then he will bear the infamy of being traitorous?
Guo Jia put down the towel, walked to Gan Ning, smiled slightly, and said, "If he opens his mouth, I will withdraw my troops."
Gan Ning's slightly tired face showed a confused look.
"this……"
Guo Jia patted his shoulder and said, "Xingba, don't just stare at the front of you, your eyes are farther away. Ma Chao's territory has been plundered and slaughtered by Han Sui, and the population has dropped sharply. Some of them were killed, and some have escaped from Guanzhong. There are very few people left behind, and most of the money and food here have been plundered by Han Sui. Think about it, after I withdrew, Ma Chao was just a little bit of troops, and he couldn't even survive this summer. In fact, he was desperate. The key is that he couldn't see the situation clearly. If he was thinking hard, then he would come to see me again when he was dead. It was the best strategy to defeat the enemy without fighting."
Gan Ning thought about it carefully and nodded with deep conscience.
Guo Jia can fight Ma Chao without any effort, but Guo Jia will bear the reputation of being unkind and unrighteous, especially because he used the banner of helping Ma Chao, but ended up annexing Ma Chao's territory. Who dares to deal with Guo Jia in the future?
Three days later, Pang De's condition improved. Perhaps the danger of Jincheng was relieved, and he had no concern in his heart, so he was able to concentrate on recuperating and recover quickly.
Ma Chao stayed in his mansion for the past three days, neither going to entertain Guo Jia nor meeting with his poor soldiers. He slept and ate every day, practiced martial arts in the yard when he was free, waving his tiger-headed golden spear. No one knew what Ma Chao was thinking, and no one dared to ask. After all, Ma Chao took back his home from a bereaved dog, but it was a home full of holes and devastated.
The sun was shining brightly, Ma Chao was still practicing martial arts, with gun shadows gusts and wind roaring. Ma Chao was extremely powerful and powerful in every move, as if he had endless strength to vent his strength burst out bit by bit.
The servants in the mansion came to the side of the martial arts court and said to Ma Chao: "Lord, someone is asking for a meeting."
"not see!"
Ma Chao waved his spear and kept spitting out two words without looking back.
"It's General Pang."
Others may not be able to see Ma Chao, but Pang De cannot ignore it. Putting aside Pang De's own ability to contribute to Ma Chao, Pang De after all, followed Ma Teng and began to serve the Ma family for more than ten years.
Putting the weapon on the weapon stand, Ma Chao picked up a white cloth to wipe the sweat from his face, and asked the servants to invite Pang De in. He walked to the stone table beside the martial arts court and sat down.
After a while, Pang De entered from the outside and went from far to near. Although he had not fully recovered and his body was still a little weak, Pang De still held his head up and his chest held high, with a pot of wine in his left hand and a sheathed dagger in his right hand.
Ma Chao looked puzzled, and he could understand that Pang De brought the wine.
He brought a dagger and made some monks.
Pang De walked to the stone table opposite Ma Chao, first placed the wine pot, wine glass and dagger on the table, and then saluted Ma Chao respectfully. After Ma Chao reached out to invite him to take his seat, Pang De sat down expressionlessly.
Picking up the wine pot and filling the two wine glasses, Pang De pushed one wine glass in front of Ma Chao, then picked up the wine glass and said, "Lord, this glass of wine, toast to the old lord."
The old lord is naturally Ma Teng.
Ma Chao found that Pang De today was different from the past, and there was a bit of pressure that made him feel heavy.
He picked up the wine glass and drank it, and Ma Chao and Pang De drank a glass of water wine together.
Without Ma Teng, there would be no Pang De today. What many generals lacked is a Bo Le. Pang De was trusted and promoted by Ma Teng and loyally served the Ma family for more than ten years. In addition to the feelings of master and servant and kindness, this loyalty is more about Ma Teng's kindness of knowing and gratitude.
Pang De poured Ma Chao another glass of wine, and he also filled it up. He thrilled Ma Chao for the second time: "This glass of wine is toast to the lord."
The two of them drank the wine in their glasses again, and Pang De suddenly looked a little solemn, and the third time the empty wine glasses were filled with them.
"The last cup is my thankfulness to the Ma family for more than ten years."
Pang De did not toast, but he did it first. As for whether Ma Chao drinks or not, Pang De will not force others to do so.
"Ling Ming, are you?"
Without going to touch the wine glass, Ma Chao heard the meaning of separation in Pang De's mouth and his expression changed drastically.
But Pang De's expression remained unchanged. He slowly pulled out the dagger at his hand from the sheath. Silver light suddenly appeared, and the dagger reflected by the sun was particularly cold, showing its sharpness.
The dagger turned, with the peak facing inward and the tail facing outward. Pang De presented the dagger in front of Ma Chao with both hands.
"Meng Qi, I want to turn to Guo Envoy to serve my life, but the Ma family has always been as kind as a mountain. I cannot repay it. I only have this seven-foot body. If Meng Qi blames me, I can take my life away and I will never complain."
From the lord to Mengqi, the change of title is the change of position.
Pang De asked himself, the person who was kind to him was Ma Teng, and Ma Chao treated him with kindness, but when Ma Chao broke through Jincheng and ignored him, perhaps his relationship with Ma Chao's master and servant had ended, and Guo Jia led his army to save him in a night. This kind of kindness made him overwhelmed. He had no choice but to repay Guo Jia, but he had no choice except to serve Guo Jia.
He couldn't do anything to betray the master in secret, and an open and honest man never acted secretly. Since he wanted to draw a clear line with Ma Chao, then Pang De would come to show off to Ma Chao openly.
In this era, the ministers must obey the monarch unconditionally, and the monarch can command the ministers as they wish. There has never been a reciprocity. It is not that the ministers will give him favor, nor that the master will reward him with glory, and that the ministers will make a contribution.
If Pang De wants to leave, he must go through Ma Chao's consent, otherwise he will be disloyal and unfaithful.
Therefore, Pang De gave his life to Ma Chao first. He had no regrets when Ma Chao killed him. After all, he no longer had the loyalty to serve Ma Chao again, but he was still under Ma Chao's command.
Only when Ma Chao didn't kill him and let him go was Pang De who changed from a servant of the Ma family to a free and innocent man.
"Ling Ming, why did you abandon me?"
Ma Chao's voice was trembling, his head was slightly lowered, and his fists were clenched under the table, as if suppressing infinite anger.
Ma Chao wants to kill Pang De, let alone Pang De bringing a dagger in his hand, even if Pang De is fully armed and fights Ma Chao alone in his best condition, Ma Chao can defeat Pang De completely.
With Jin Ma Chao's bravery, I'm afraid there will be no one in the northwest who can compete with him.
The only one under Guo Jia's command who is comparable to Ma Chao is probably Dian Wei and Xuchu cannot wait for five people.
But Ma Chao understood that he could not kill all the enemies alone, and Han Sui had eight generals, Yan Xing and Cheng Gongying, so Han Sui could beat Ma Chao without any strength to fight back.
Pang De, the only one around Ma Chao who can take the big responsibility, wants to abandon him, how could Ma Chao remain indifferent? Whether it is emotional or rational, Pang De's departure has made Ma Chao, who has suffered heavy losses, even worse.
Pang De was silent and did not answer Ma Chao's question.
But Ma Chao was unwilling to give up and asked again: "Did Ling Ming blame me for breaking out a few days ago and leaving you in the city?"
Chapter completed!