It's only April, and the temperature has suddenly risen.
Perhaps affected by the raging war, the north of the river became hotter. Since March, Yecheng was almost soaked in blood... Yuan Shang showed unprecedented tenacity and fought fiercely with Cao Jun for a month.
The towering city walls of Yecheng collapsed several times, but Yuan Jun fought to the death.
Cao Cao has lost count of how many times Cao Cao's army attacked the city walls of Ye City, only to be driven back by Yuan's army tenaciously.
Norimitsu was injured in the thigh and withdrew from the battle.
Xu Yi was shot several times. If his own soldiers had not fought to protect him, he might even have died on the city.
In addition, there are countless generals of Cao's army who are either dead or injured... Cao Cao and Yuan's army both fought with real fire. Cao Cao, who originally thought he could easily conquer Ye City, did not expect to encounter such a ferocious encounter.
Resistance. In one month, Cao's army suffered numerous casualties, while Yuan's army also suffered heavy casualties, which are difficult to calculate clearly.
For this reason, Yuan Jun in Yecheng also knew that once Yecheng was defeated, they would definitely not end well.
And Cao Jun was also furious. Such heavy casualties made them all red-eyed...
However, everyone can see that Yecheng is now a trapped beast, and its defeat is basically irreversible.
The war situation in Hedong also began to take a turn for the better.
Although senior cadres have temporarily gained the upper hand, they have been unable to advance...
There was no movement in Liangzhou, which Yuan Shang had placed great hope on. After Ma Teng captured Jincheng County, he lost his hometown in Wuwei County. Fortunately, his father-in-law Fei Wo had some skills in Jincheng County and quickly helped Ma Teng stand.
Steady foothold. Moreover, through Feiwo's relationship, Ma Teng reached an understanding with the Hehuang Qiang and Hu, especially the Shaodang Qiang, and temporarily stopped making peace with Ma Teng. Ma Teng opened Longqi City and no longer targeted the Shaodang Qiang.
The Shaodang Qiang were also willing to listen to Ma Teng's orders and provide Ma Teng with military support when necessary. It sounded like everyone was happy.
But Ma Teng knew that he still lacked sufficient deterrence in Jincheng County.
The reason why Shaodang Qiang are willing to negotiate peace is because in the past years, Ma Teng invaded Hehuang, which greatly damaged Shaodang's vitality.
Shaodang Laowang needs a breathing process!
Once Ma Teng reveals his flaw, Shaodang Laowang will definitely rush up and bite him to pieces like the wild wolves living in the Hehuang area. Therefore, there are only two ways in front of Ma Teng, or to regain Wuwei
County, or find another way to achieve other victories, whether to appease or intimidate, and quickly establish a foothold in Jincheng County.
But how to choose?
Ma Teng hesitated...
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There has been no progress in the Liangzhou war.
Hedong also fell into anxiety.
Liu Bei did not dare to act rashly and test Cao Cao's bottom line.
Especially when Jia Xu arrived in Nanyang County from Runan and took up residence in Wancheng, he quickly stabilized the chaotic situation in Nanyang County.
After all, he left Nanyang County and submitted to Cao Cao.
Therefore, Zhang Xiu's tribe expressed great welcome to Jia Xu's return.
Even Zhang Quan of Rangcheng was willing to obey Jia Xu's orders. Therefore, after Jia Xu arrived in Wancheng, his first order was to have Li Dian and Zhang Quan change defenses. Li Dian took over Rangcheng's defense.
An excellent choice. After all, Li Dian is cautious and calm, and he understands the importance of things. In comparison, Zhang Quan is still a bit young.
Later, Jia Xufu asked Xu Du for orders, and transferred the general Wei Yan out of Huyang.
Wei Yan was a native of Nanyang County and could, to a large extent, appease the fluctuating public sentiment in Nanyang County. In this battle of Hebei, Wei Yan did not go with the army, but stationed in Yanjin to ensure Cao Cao's food supply. Xun Yu was there
After thinking about it, he agreed to Jia Xu's request and ordered Wei Yan to immediately lead his troops to Huyang and take over the defense...
Jia Xu did not rush to launch an attack, nor did he order the immediate recapture of Anzhong and Nieyang.
He had stabilized Nanyang County with an extremely stable mentality, so that Liu Bei could no longer gain any advantage. Then he calmly arranged his defenses and waited for the opportunity. Jia Xu was like a northwest wolf, waiting for Liu Bei to reveal his flaws.
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The war in Wuwei has subsided.
The sun in April was blazing, and the weather in Wuwei began to get hotter... Cao Peng did not return to Hexi County, but ordered Bu Zhi to temporarily take charge of the affairs of Hexi County. He led his troops to garrison in Guzang and began to deal with the affairs of Wuwei County.
affairs.
People often say that it is easy to conquer the world but difficult to govern it.
In fact, governing a Wuwei County is also a troublesome matter.
It only took a short month from the time Cao Peng sent troops to capture the nine counties of Wuwei. However, it would take more energy and time to calm down Wuwei County. Wuwei County is the key for Cao Peng to open up the Hexi Corridor.
.
Therefore, if Wuwei is prosperous, Hexi will be prosperous.
If Wuwei is peaceful, Cao Peng's wealth will come rolling in.
How can we stabilize Wuwei County?
First of all, it is impossible to replace a large number of officials. This will inevitably cause unrest in the minds of the surrendered generals and may be counterproductive.
However, some county officials must be reassigned.
For example, Wuwei County, Xiutu County, Cangsong County, and Luanniao County... If Gu Zang is also included, Cao Peng must appoint five officials. Among them, Gu Zang's order is the top priority. If there is no suitable candidate,
Cao Peng did not dare to delegate easily.
Pang Tong was a little unwilling!
He planned carefully and prepared to mobilize troops to teach Ma Teng a profound lesson.
Unexpectedly, the village was suddenly captured, and Ma Teng's army was so frightened that Ma Teng's army retreated immediately, and even retreated to their residence, not daring to move rashly.
As a result, all the tricks and traps prepared by Pang Tong were useless.
Not only was it useless, but just to restore it to its original appearance would cost a lot of manpower and material resources. After learning the news, Pang Tong was so angry that he simply became the shopkeeper. He handed Cangsong over to Pan Zhang and led Xia Houlan and Han De.
Return to Guzang.
It is understandable that Pan Zhang was stationed at Guzang in order to protect the Qiang captaincy.
Then Cao Peng ordered Deng Fan to garrison Wuwei County, echoing Meng Jian of Fengming Fort, in order to intimidate the Western Qiang tribes in the capital.
Although Tang Ti surrendered!
But Xiqiang is not at peace...
A new round of competition is about to begin.
Yadan, Cheliji, and Tang Ti are all ready to make a move. Cheliji is Yadan's subordinate, but after the battle in Wuwei County, he has become ambitious. He is unwilling to stay under Yadan for the rest of his life, and even wants to replace him.
There will inevitably be a fight between the three of them.
When Xu Shu left Wuwei County, he told Deng Fan: Pay no attention to Qiang personnel affairs and abide by neutrality. Qiang personnel affairs should be dealt with by the Qiang people, but remember that they must not let them tell the results immediately. The Xiqiang is getting more and more chaotic, and Tang Ti and others
The more fierce the fight, the easier it is to control it for so long. At the same time, Xu Shu also arranged for Li Ding and Dou Hu to stay in Wuwei County.
The two of them are familiar with the habits of the Qiang people, so they can let them interact with the Qiang people and take the opportunity to win over and naturalize...
By the time Tang Ti and the others come up with the results, the overall situation of Duye must be in Deng Fan's hands...
"General Yanfa, you are the captain of Zheng Qiang.
The word 'Zheng' means that you must not be too merciful. If the Xiqiang is disobedient, you should give them a good education."
Deng Fan couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.
"Don't worry, military advisor, Deng knows how to deal with it."
Later, Xu Shu led Cao Zhang Niugang and left Wuwei County and went straight to Guzang.
"Xuanwei County Magistrate and Luanniao County Magistrate can make Geng Qing take over."
Cao Peng checked the list in front of him, then raised his head and smiled bitterly: "But who can take on the role of Guzang Ling?"
Pang Tong and others also shook their heads helplessly.
They really weren't very clear about the situation in Wuwei County, so they turned their attention to Jia Xing.
Jia Xing shook his head, "Don't look at me... I left Liangzhou with my adoptive father. How could I know that there are so many things going on in Wuwei?"
Cao Peng thought for a while and waved his hand.
"Let's just do this. Order Yin Feng to serve as the commander of Xuanwei's army, stationed in Xiutu, and command Xuanwei.
Jiang Xu went to Lianbao to serve as Lieutenant Lian and assist Jia Kui in garrisoning Lingwu Valley. We can let go of Guzang Ling's candidates first.
By the way, after retreating, can you send someone to Jiuquan to contact Su Ze?"
Jia Xing said: "We have sent an envoy. Now that Wu Wei has succeeded, Zou Qi is a little panicked. He may not be able to hold on for too long. The general has to make preparations to take over the affairs of Zhangye County. Presumably, Governor Su will have good news soon."
Cao Peng didn't understand Su Ze well.
But from what Jia Xing said, it seemed that he admired Su Ze very much.
Presumably, that was another outstanding person hidden by the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. However, Cao Peng also knew very well that the reason why Su Ze assisted him was not necessarily because he loved Cao Cao, but because he was an official appointed by the imperial court...
It is still unclear whether he went to the Han Dynasty or to the Cao Wei Dynasty.
It is inevitable to deal with Su Ze, but you must have reservations. You can cooperate, but you cannot trust everything. You need to observe slowly.
Cao Peng thought for a while and said in a deep voice: "I'm afraid it's difficult for me to interfere in Zhangye County's affairs.
Please tell Prefect Su that we should use weak water as the boundary. I only ask for Rile. I cannot control the other five counties. Please forgive me."
When Jia Xing heard this, he immediately laughed.
"What the general said is very true, and I also think that asking for help is enough."
Rile is adjacent to the Han Great Wall to the north and Weushui to the south. It is the closest town to Wuwei. Beyond the Great Wall is the Qianghu District, which is of little significance to Cao Peng. If he wants to take over the six counties of Zhangye, it will inevitably be further dispersed.
The lack of military strength caused problems in staffing. If Cao Peng hadn't swallowed Wuwei County, why should he forcefully swallow Zhangye?
The reason why Cao Peng wants Rile is because this Rile is the place where Hu merchants from the Western Regions must pass. At the same time, this Rile can also be used as a bridgehead in the west of Wuwei County. With weak water as a barrier, it can at least ensure Wuwei to a certain extent.
The safety of the county. After all, just past Rile, there are three counties in the west of Wuwei. That is not a stable area...
"Rile, who can go?"
Cao Peng scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
There are indeed many capable people under him now.
But there are not many that can come in handy... If Kan Ze can come, it may be able to alleviate Cao Peng's shortage of manpower. However, he is currently in Haixi, and it is estimated that he will not be able to come to Wuwei County in a short time...
…
To be an official, you need to have certain qualifications.
Xu Shu is better off. After all, he has served in Dongjun County and is more than enough to serve as the county magistrate of a lower county. But the problem is that asking Xu Shu to be a county magistrate is really too unqualified! He played well in Wuwei County.
Cao Peng even hoped that Xu Shu could stay by his side to work. Apart from that, Cao Peng really couldn't find a suitable candidate.
"Sir, I do have a candidate who is quite suitable."
"who?"
Pang Tongyi smiled, "Why did you forget your disciple?"
"You mean... Ziwen?"
"Exactly!"
When Cao Peng heard this, he couldn't help frowning and said softly: "Ziwen is not yet fourteen, so it would be inappropriate for him to serve as the county magistrate. Besides, Rile is quite crucial, and Ziwen is not strong enough to take charge of his own duties."
"Haha, what's so difficult about this?"
Pang Tong opened the folding fan with an extremely graceful movement.
"Young Master can order Su You to serve as the commander of the day, and then order Ziwen to command the troops to assist.
Come to think of it, you want Jile, sir, more because you hope to use Jile to open up the trade routes in the Western Regions. Ziwen can lead troops to fight, which can be a good training. At the same time, Su You is the son of Su Shuang and is good at business. He can be very good at it.
The good ones are rooted in Jile.”
Cao Peng, I'm a little moved.
It was getting late, and the night wind from the northwest blew away the heat of the day.
Cao Peng walked out of the study alone, stood on the porch, holding on to the railing, watching the lilacs blooming in the courtyard, but his thoughts were not very calm.
He has not yet decided whether to let Cao Zhang leave Zhenrile.
But I have to say that letting Cao Zhang take over Rile is indeed the best choice. Think about it, Sun Quan took the position of Fengyi captain at the age of thirteen. Cao Zhang was also thirteen years old, so why couldn't he take over Rile? But
The question is, will Cao Cao agree? This is a question... At the same time, when he arrives in Jile and is far away from the Central Plains, can he endure the loneliness?
Scratching his head, Cao Peng felt very embarrassed.
The issue of Jile can be put aside for the time being.
After all, there is no result yet on Su Ze's side, so it is a bit early to consider Zile's affairs now... If something unexpected happens, we need to make a decision based on the situation. So there is no need to rush to make a decision at the moment.
Gu Zang Ling!
This is the problem that gives Cao Peng the most headache.
Out of the corner of his eye, a figure suddenly flashed across his face.
Cao Peng turned around suddenly and shouted sharply: "Who is there?"
A graceful figure walked out from the corner of the two verandas. Through the light, Cao Peng recognized the person. It was Ma Wenlu, the daughter of Ma Teng.
Ma Wenlu appears in unofficial history, but there is no record in official history.
It didn't even appear in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
There is only one theory that Ma Wenlu is Zhao Yun's wife. But Cao Peng doesn't believe it... because Zhao Yun is already over thirty now, while Ma Wenlu is less than twenty. She has never left Liangzhou,
Zhao Yun had never entered Wuwei, so how could the two of them meet? Even if Ma Chao later defected to Liu Bei, it would be unlikely.
Cao Peng said in a deep voice: "Miss Wenlu, is something wrong?"
After the Ma family members were captured, Cao Peng did not give them much trouble. Except for a few places where access was prohibited, they could travel throughout the entire back house. Of course, they could not leave the county without Cao Peng's consent.
In addition, Cao Peng did not deduct any money from them regarding food and clothing expenses, just like before.
Ma Wenlu bit his red lips, hesitated for a moment, and said loudly: "General Cao, I just ask, when will you let us go..."