Facing this Bao Tang's questioning, Sikong Xun smiled lightly: "I heard that Qizhai has been rampant again recently, and there is a plan to help the general completely exterminate Qizhai." ”

If someone else offered advice, Bao Tang would naturally humbly ask for advice, but this person offered advice, Bao Tang seemed to have a trace of uneasiness in his eyes, he pondered for a long time, and said: "Lord Sikong, how many days have you been in Huizhou?" ”

Sikong said with a smile: "I arrived in Guizhou the day before yesterday, and the prince has already told me about the situation of returning to Guizhou." The general is on the front line, so he must know more about the current situation in Guizhou than I do. ”

"Now the resurgence of Qizhai, not only the thieves in Badong County are rampant, but also the other two counties in Guizhou, there are many remnants of Qizhai recently walking in tandem in it, with bad intentions. I have advised the prince to send 3,000 Guizhou troops to help the two counties and suppress them on the spot. But presumably General Bao also knows that whether Qizhai is dead or alive is no longer in the other two counties, but here in the general. ”

Seeing Bao Tang nodded, Sikong Xun continued: "The general's prestige is far and wide, and the people of Qizhai are frightened and flee from the flag, so that they have not confronted the remnants of Qizhai head-on until now. ”

Bao Tang's old face flushed, and Sikong Xun's sycophants seemed to him to be more like revealing his shortcomings, what kind of "frightened, looking at the flag and running away", it is obvious that people don't fight with you, and you can't catch others, so you don't look at each other. The big army is not looking at each other, but the bastards of Qizhai are not less yin, today's sneak attack is smoothed, tomorrow is a sneak attack on Guojiazhai, these bits and pieces have knocked out one-third of Bao Tang's troops. So much so that Bao Tang doesn't dare to divide his troops now. The remaining 2,000 people can only be confined to Padang County.

Sikong Xun looked at Bao Tang's expression, and couldn't help but be happy in his heart, hehe, usually quite horizontal, I didn't expect you to have today, but his face was still unfazed, and he continued: "Even so, the general must know that someone must be secretly supporting the remnants of Qizhai in Badong County." These people dare to compete with the elite soldiers of Nanping, and they must also be well-trained troops. ”

Bao Tang suddenly felt in his heart, he had always felt strange, why Qizhai had lost so badly at the beginning, but now it suddenly became so difficult.

Sikong Xun paused for a moment and said: "Chu in the south, Jin in the Central Plains, and Shu in the west have always been immortal. Now they must be using the people of Qizhai to disturb the situation in Nanping in one fell swoop, and then fish in troubled waters. ”

Bao Tang paused and said, "According to Lord Sikong's opinion, who should support Qizhai?" ”

Sikong said with a smile: "Who else can there be, Dajin is too busy to take care of himself, Ma Xicao of Langzhou is in name only, presumably it should be the group of people from Shu Kingdom." "Recently, Jiangling City has been talking everywhere about the news that Shu is about to raise troops.

Sikong Xun said again: "This is the second state of Guixia, which is originally the land of Shu, but it was conquered by my king of Nanping, presumably they have always coveted it, and now is an opportunity to take advantage of." ”

Bao Tang's mind moved, no wonder those groups of people could escape in dangerous situations many times, firstly, someone reported the news, and secondly, they were familiar with the terrain.

Sikong Xun said: "As long as we can quickly exterminate Qizhai and stabilize the state, then those people will not dare to act rashly." There is a plan in the next place, and the prince also thinks it is very good, maybe he can help the general. ”

Sikong Xun seemed to inadvertently move out of the world, and Bao Tang reluctantly smiled: "Lord Sikong's plan must be a good plan." Speak, speak, and the last will listen. ”

Sikong Xun said, Bao Tang listened; Sikong Xun said lightly, as if he didn't care, but Bao Tang frowned and sighed when he heard it, who said that the hearts of scholars are good, this Sikong Xun is too ruthless.

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The morning sun shines on Daba Mountain, reflecting a sparkling patch on the dew. In a hollow deep in Daba Mountain, smoke curls and more than a dozen cauldrons are cooking breakfast. Under a big poplar tree on the left, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy said to another sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy: "Cao Bin, go and gather the troops for your master, after breakfast, let's go to Badong County to inspect and inspect, Bao Tang's turtle grandson is shrinking like this, let's go east to Wu County to play with the Guizhou soldiers." ”

If Ma Yun was here, he would be surprised to hear this name, Cao Bin was not a famous general in the early Song Dynasty. These five generations are messy and don't look good. However, maybe Ma Yun's careful thinking may have some other ideas, with Pan Mei, Cao Bin, and Zhao Pu, can the five princes of our Ma family also do something!

In order to protect Ma Guangmeng, Ma Yun not only sent Zhou Xingfeng, but also gave Ma Guangmeng a privilege - he could choose a sergeant to return to the state at will among the Yuezhou soldiers. But Ma Guangmeng only drew 500 from the 1,000 people he trained himself, which originally did not include Cao Bin, Cao Bin's status is sensitive, he is Cao Yun's son, Ma Guangmeng didn't want to take him, but Cao Bin had to come in vain, and he also said that his father Cao Yun would come to Ma Guangmeng's door, so Ma Guangmeng reluctantly agreed to take Cao Bin with him.

Just as Cao Bin was about to assemble the team, the sergeant in charge of reconnaissance in the distance walked over with a person. Cao Bin said to Ma Guangmeng: "General, Pan Mei is here." ”

Ma Guangmeng raised his eyes, jumped up suddenly, and said with a smile: "Lao Pan, I can look forward to you, is there any new news?" ”

In Cao Bin's eyes, this action looks a bit sloppy and reckless, which is not in line with the identity of Lord Yingzheng, but he knows that Ma Guangmeng is such a "rough" person, but there is always a little weirdness in his heart.

Pan Mei had a lot of mud on her trouser legs, and her clothes were also stained with a lot of moss, so she must have fallen somewhere. Seeing that he looked flustered, Ma Guangmeng was suspicious, but his face was unconcerned.

When Pan Mei saw Ma Guangmeng, her heart calmed down a lot, and said, "General Ma, something is wrong. Last night, the news came out that Bao Tang of Badong suddenly led his soldiers and horses to Lijiagou, sixty miles north of the city, and rescued all the 5,000 old and weak women and children in Qizhai who had been placed there. It is said that they will all be driven into the Yangtze River. General Ma, you must save them. ”

Ma Guangmeng's heart sank, and the words of Sima Li Xiang before leaving for the Yuezhou march were indeed fulfilled!

At that time, when discussing the strategy after entering Guizhou, Ma Yun, who had never known soldiers, actually proposed that "the enemy advances and I retreat, and the enemy retreats and I advance, so as to fight more and fight less, and run if you fight." These 16-character combat guidelines, and elaborated on them, made Ding Sijin, Cao Yun, Ma Guangmeng and others quite admire, and used these 16 words as a strategy for war.

After the discussion ended, Li Xiang specially left Ma Guangmeng behind, and said: "The sixteen-character policy of the five princes is naturally very wise, but the Nanping army can't find you, the dog jumps over the wall in a hurry, and everything is done, in case they want to hold the captives of Qizhai and force you to show up, do you think about what to do?" ”

Ma Guangmeng thought for a while at that time and said: "He is in the light, I am in the dark, and I must save people, but how to save and when to save it, then I have the final say." ”

Li Xiang smiled and said, "Childe's idea is very good, but in my opinion, it's best - I can't save it!" ”