Outside Hulao Pass, Cao Cao led five hundred cavalrymen including Xu Chu, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, and Cao Xiu, standing there, waiting quietly.
Cao Cao looked at Hulao Pass, and saw the Qin army's flags fluttering in the wind at Hulao Pass, with bows and crossbows in hand, and spears like a forest, and the defense was extremely tight. He couldn't help but sigh and said: "The towering Hulao Pass, the most powerful pass in the world...
"
At this time, Ma Chao, surrounded by Wang Shuang and Suo Xu, appeared on the top of the city of Hulao Pass, but he did not have the same air as before.
"How have you been, King Qin?" Cao Cao saw Ma Chao appear, he rode his horse forward a few steps and said with cupped hands.
After Ma Chao's battle at Guandu, only 30,000 of his 150,000-strong army were left. They were holed up in this small Hulao Pass, their morale was low, and the Qiang and Hu people were complaining. Under duress, Ma Chao had no choice but to lead them back with Zhang Xiu.
In Guanzhong, only two thousand soldiers and horses were left to garrison Hulao Pass and wait and see what would happen.
At this time, when he saw Cao Cao, who was dusty and disheveled, he sneered: "I thought that the King of Wei would win the battle of Guandu, but I didn't know that in just a few days, the King of Wei was defeated like a mountain.
They were retreating steadily, not to mention losing the Central Plains, and almost losing their lives. I wonder if the Yan army is too strong, or the Wei army is too weak?"
When Cao Cao heard Ma Chao's sarcasm, he smiled instead of being angry and said slowly: "Compared with the King of Qin, I am pretty good. The King of Qin sent 200,000 troops to seize the Central Plains, but only two or three of them were able to return."
There are only ten thousand people. If King Qin hadn’t found a substitute to die on your behalf, King Qin would have
No longer in this world. I, Cao Mengde, just suffered a temporary defeat. It can only be said that the Yan army took advantage of the time, location, and people. The defeat of Wei was not due to war, but to the instability of the people. Xuzhou, Qingzhou
It is a cancer of our country, Wei, and cannot be compared with the defeat of King Qin!"
"Cao Cao! Don't talk arrogantly. Believe it or not, I will go down and kill you all!" Ma Chao felt uncomfortable when he heard Cao Cao's retort. He suddenly became angry and furious, pointing at Cao Cao's nose.
shouted loudly.
Cao Cao sneered and said: "With my current strength, you can definitely kill me, not to mention that I have traveled a long distance and am exhausted. However, do you know the purpose of my coming here?"
Ma Chao said contemptuously: "Is it possible that you have nowhere to go and want to come and take refuge with me?"
"That's right! That's what I mean!" Cao Cao replied unabashedly.
After hearing this, Ma Chao was stunned. He glanced at Cao Cao, then looked at Xu Chu, Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Cao Xiu and other generals behind Cao Cao. He suddenly burst out laughing and said, "Are you kidding? Half a month ago
, we are still enemies, and you burned my 20,000 elite ghost cavalry on fire. I haven’t settled this debt with you yet, and you actually dare to come and die?”
"I'm not kidding you. As long as the King of Qin is willing to take in me and my subordinates, I will be willing to advise the King of Qin. When the King of Qin rises again in the future, it will also be the time for the King of Qin to aspire to dominate the world!" Cao Cao said seriously.
"Your Highness, you must not trust Cao Cao. Cao Cao is known as the traitor in troubled times, and he is the king of Wei. How can he condescend to the prince? How about your highness give me a thousand cavalry, and I will go down to the pass to capture Cao Cao and die for us.
Brother, take revenge!" Wang Shuang said, cupping his fists.
After hearing this, Suo Xu shook his head and held a different opinion. He raised his hands and said to Ma Chao: "Your Highness, although Cao Cao is dangerous, he is not uncontrollable. Don't forget that Cao Cao also has a reputation as a capable minister in governing the world.
Talented people and great strategies are definitely no less than Gao Fei, and
As he said, the defeat of the Wei army was indeed a non-war crime and was caused by Xuzhou's grievances. If it weren't for the fact that Cao Cao massacred hundreds of thousands of Xuzhou people in his early years, making everyone in Qingzhou and Xuzhou fearful, perhaps Qingzhou and Xuzhou would not have done so at all.
It was captured by the Yan army so quickly."
After Ma Chao listened, he thought about it in his mind, turned to Suo Xu and said, "Keep going."
"No!" Seeing Ma Chao's intention to continue listening, Suo Xu continued, "Your Highness, our army has just experienced a great war. An army of 200,000 people suffered heavy losses. The Central Plains are exhausted, and the Luoyang area in the capital has long been abandoned.
For two years, hundreds of miles of land have been deserted. I thought that I should assess the situation and temporarily return to Guanzhong to appease the Qianghu people of Liangzhou.
On the one hand, we can recuperate and recuperate. The eight hundred miles of Qinchuan River occupy the geographical advantage. Only a few soldiers and horses can guard the passes, which can make the Guanzhong peaceful. However, our army lacks well-educated men, and Cao Cao's army is full of outstanding people.
, if we can take Cao Cao’s subordinates for our own use, given time, our Qin Dynasty will definitely be able to prosper, just like the Qin Dynasty of the First Emperor."
After hearing this, Ma Chao nodded slowly and said, "What you said makes sense, but how do you comfort the soldiers who died at the hands of the Wei army?"
"Thousands of armies are easy to come by, but one general is hard to find. All the ghost armies are Qiang people. Qiang and Hu are brave and fierce, and are often honored to die in battle. Due to His Highness the Crown Prince's loyalty in the hearts of the Qiang people, as long as he gives gold and silver to appease the Qiang people,
I won't say anything for sure." Suo Xu said.
"Then how will Cao Cao deal with this? This man is domineering and ambitious. If he is killed, his subordinates will definitely not join him. If he is not killed, it will be a disaster."
"It's simple. Once you collect Cao Cao and others and bring them back to Guanzhong, you can no longer control him. You can slowly separate him from the old troops and place them in different places. The prince will keep Cao Cao by his side. With the prince's bravery,
It's easy to deal with a Cao Cao. If Cao Cao is really interested, the prince can kill him at any time if he finds an excuse."
"This is a great plan. Just do as you say and open the city gate. I want to go down to see Cao Cao!"
After saying that, he turned around and walked down the tower.
Cao Cao was still standing outside the pass and saw Suo Xu and Ma Chao whispering there. He didn't know what to say. Suddenly he saw Ma Chao walking down the pass, and he frowned and thought to himself: "Could it be that Ma Chao wants to lead troops to fight?"
When he thought of this, Cao Cao hurriedly turned around and said to the subordinates behind him: "Be careful."
After hearing this, Xu Chu rode his horse forward and came to Cao Cao's side. Xiahou Dun held down his position, and Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Cao Xiu and others were all ready to fight at any time.
The city gate of Hulao Pass suddenly opened, and Ma Chao rode out first on a white horse, followed closely by Wang Shuang and Suo Xu, and behind him was a group of personal cavalry.
Ma Chao did not carry a spear, but only wore a long sword on his waist. He rode his horse and took two steps forward, cupped his hands and said: "Cao Cao! I want to interview you, come closer!"
After hearing this, Cao Cao was shocked. He visually measured the range of the crossbowmen on the tower, and then looked at where Ma Chao was standing. He thought that if he just passed by like this, if there was a cold arrow coming, he would not be able to dodge at all, let alone Ma Chao.
One person's bravery is not simple. Before he understood Ma Chao's meaning, he decided to remain unchanged in response to all changes.
When Ma Chao saw that Cao Cao was motionless, he asked: "Why, are you afraid that I will harm you? If I really wanted to harm you, I would not do this at all! Killing you is easy."
Cao Cao smiled and said: "It is precisely because it is so easy for you to kill me that I dare not approach you easily. I must not take risks easily until I am sure that you will accept me."
"Very good..." Ma Chao took off the long sword from his waist and threw it to Wang Shuang behind him. Then he pointed at Xu Chu and said loudly to Cao Cao, "You are allowed to take that fat man with you, but you are not allowed to bring weapons.
Let’s go to the middle and have an interview.”
Cao Cao felt that this proposal was very good. Even if Ma Chao suddenly attacked, Xu Chu could take care of his safety, so he nodded and whispered to Xu Chu: "Zhong Kang, come with me."
Xu Chu took off his weapons, took Cao Cao's Yitian Sword at the same time, and threw them all to the soldiers behind him, and then walked forward with Cao Cao. However, he rode in front of Cao Cao, for fear that
Ma Chao will suddenly attack.
The three people gradually approached, and finally stopped at the same time one meter away. Ma Chao turned sideways, looked at Cao Cao who was blocked by Xu Chu, and asked: "Do you really want to join me?"
"No! I mean, cooperation!"
"Cooperation?" Ma Chao laughed loudly, "Do you still have the conditions to cooperate with me?"
"Of course, my old troops brought outstanding talents this time. In the Battle of Guandu, the Qin army was defeated and suffered heavy losses. Even if they returned to Guanzhong, they would not recover at all without three to five years of rest and recuperation. Because of this,
Only the people I bring will have a place to display their talents, and they will definitely make Guanzhong prosperous."
Ma Chao said: "Then how to cooperate?"
"Now King Liang is the emperor. No matter how the little emperor died, King Liang accepted the abdication of the little emperor in name. Now the King of Qin is the crown prince, and I am the King of Wei. Although I was defeated, my title is still there. Although
The Great Han has been replaced by the Great Qin, but in my heart, the Great Qin is the Great Han, so I vote for Qin, not for the King of Qin..."
When Ma Chao heard Cao Cao go around in a big circle, he couldn't help but asked: "What exactly do you want to say? Say it straightforwardly and stop beating around the bush!"
Cao Cao chuckled and said: "It's very simple. My title cannot be changed. I still enjoy the title of king, and it must be hereditary. Only when my basic life is guaranteed can I sincerely work hard for the Qin Dynasty!"
"What a whim! In Da Qin, only the Ma family is the king, and kings with different surnames are absolutely not allowed. Moreover, you are the king who was granted to you by yourself. The former Han Dynasty did not recognize it, and the current Da Qin will never recognize it." Ma Chao's attitude
He said this resolutely, glanced at Cao Cao's deep eyes, and finally said softly, "At most, I will let you keep the title of Marquis!"
"Deal!" Cao Cao had his own wishful thinking and said immediately without hesitation as if he had already figured out what Ma Chao was thinking.
When Ma Chao saw that Cao Cao had agreed, he said, "Come into the Pass with me, and you will return to Guanzhong with me tomorrow."
As soon as he finished speaking, Cao Cao, with joy in his heart, followed Ma Chao into Hulao Pass with his troops. In the evening, Xia Houyuan, Xu Shu, Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Liu Ye, Man Chong and others and their families
They all arrived at Hulao Pass.
As the sun set and twilight fell, Gao Fei took Zhao Yun and a thousand cavalry to the outside of Hulao Pass. He saw Xia Houyuan and others entering Hulao Pass. He realized something in his heart, and he couldn't help but frown, watching
Cao Cao and Ma Chao both stood on the wall of Hulao Pass, and he felt a sense of loss.
"Cao Cao and Ma Chao actually joined forces?" Gao Fei was surprised for a while, but they were helpless when faced with the Hulao Pass.
"My lord, Mao Jie, Ren Jun, Lu Qian and others have all been captured, and the other family members have also been escorted by Chen Dao to Zhongmou. In addition, Xun Chen sent news that a spy was discovered in Jizhou. From the soldiers
Judging from the appearance of the spies, they should be Sun Ce, Zhou Tai, and Lu Su..." Zhao Yun compiled the several Fei Ge letters he had just received and reported them to Gao Fei.
"One wave has not subsided, and another wave has arisen. Since it is no longer possible to capture Cao Cao, let's give up for the time being and let Chen Dao and Xun Chen lead the troops to attack Hulao Pass. If Cao Cao can be captured, Ma Chao is the best. If not, Ma Chao will be the best."
will them
Drive out of the Central Plains. Zilong, you and I are rushing to attack Yangzhai. The Chu army is taking advantage of the situation. We must block their offensive. And if we want to deal with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, it must be you!" Gao Fei sighed heavily.
tone.
"What about Sun Ce, Zhou Tai, and Lu Su?"
"If we could have caught it, we would have caught it a long time ago. It is time for Huang Zhong to deliver the news to the State of Wu. I just hope that before Sun Ce returns to the State of Wu, Sun Jian will quickly attack Chu to relieve our army's passivity."
Situation. Let's go to Yangzhai and meet the Chu army for a while. I want to see how strong Liu Bei, whom I haven't seen for several years, is. He actually dares to compete with me for the Central Plains!" Gao Fei turned his horse's head and shouted loudly.
shouted.
"promise!"
……………………
The State of Wu built the city of Ye.
In the palace of Prince Wu, Sun Jian received the eight-hundred-mile letter that had just been sent back from Lujiang. After opening it and reading it hastily, his face suddenly changed. He was so shocked that he broke into a cold sweat. In anger, he took the letter
The letter was torn into pieces, and he raised his hand and chopped it down with a palm, breaking off a corner of the throne, and blood immediately flowed from his hand.
"Liu Bei! How dare you do this to me? I want you to pay with blood!" Sun Jian shouted loudly, with anger on his face.
In the main hall, when the officials saw such a scene, they all looked at each other. They had never seen Sun Jian lose such a temper, and there was a trace of sadness on his angry face.
Zhang Zhao took a step forward, raised his hands and asked: "Your Majesty, I don't know what happened that angered Your Majesty to such an extent that He became so angry?"
Sun Jian's eyes were filled with anger, fiery red, as if burning. He raised his hand and immediately shouted: "Cheng Pu, Han Dang, Zu Mao!"
Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Zu Mao stood up at the same time, cupped their fists and said, "I'm here!"
"Assemble the troops and horses from all over the country immediately and follow me to attack Chu."
As soon as these words came out, everyone in the civil and military circles were surprised, but no one could figure out what happened.
"Huan Jie, go to Shouchun quickly and replace Huang Gai as the governor of Jiujiang. Let him lead Shouchun's troops as the vanguard. Rush to Lujiang immediately, take away all the soldiers and horses wherever you go, and attack Jiangxia by land!"
Huan Jie stood up, cupped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, what happened? Why did you attack Chu?"
"Liu Bei killed Bo Fu. I want to avenge Bo Fu. I want Liu Bei to pay with blood!" Sun Jian was so angry that his voice became extremely hoarse due to excessive exertion.