"Oh..." Yuan Wolf asked, "Do you need me to bring Jiang Wei back too?" ”

"Just you? Kidnapping Jiang Wei? ”

"What's the matter, can't I?"

Yuan Xi snorted and said: "Jiang Wei's martial arts are far better than Wen Chou, you can't even beat Wen Chou, do you still want to fight Jiang Wei?" Okay, you go to Xuchang and bring Jiang Wei's family back, even if you complete the task, as for Jiang Wei... His family is in Hebei, and he still doesn't come over obediently? ”

"Hmph."

Yuan Wolf seemed to be a little angry, sat down and said, "You go, I'll go again tomorrow." ”

"Of course, it's getting dark, and you'll have to go again tomorrow. I will ask the household department to prepare a sum of five baht for you as a fund, because in Cao Cao's territory, paper copper currency is not used... ”

Yuan Xi negotiated with Yuan Wolf and finalized the matter of taking Jiang Wei's family back.

...........

The battle of Hanzhong is nearing its end.

Cao Cao's army of nearly 300,000 suffered heavy losses to Ma Chao, but he also suffered a lot of casualties. Especially the tiger and leopard riders, most of the casualties made Cao Cao feel distressed for several days.

In view of this situation, Cao Cao decided to implement Sima Yi's strategy.

He ordered Cao Ren to lead an army of 50,000 to the north of Yangping Pass, and set up a suspicious formation to confuse Ma Chao and Zhuge Liang. And he personally led the army, crossed Qishan, and went to Xiliang.

This time I went to Xiliang with a clear purpose.

It is to pull out this thorn in the back and completely eliminate Ma Chao's forces.

Ma Chao and Zhuge Liang were in Yangping Pass, resting for a while. During this time, Cao Ren came to challenge from time to time, but he was repelled by Ma Chao, but Ma Chao was very puzzled. It stands to reason that Cao Cao came from afar and should fight quickly, but why didn't there be a big move? He observed Cao Ren's barracks, although it was still as big as before, but it always felt a little deserted. So Ma Chao asked Zhuge Liang what the reason was.

In fact, at this time, Zhuge Liang already knew that Cao Cao was going to fight Xiliang, and the Cao army on the opposite side was just a suspicious soldier left by Cao Cao, in order to drag Ma Chao. But Zhuge Liang didn't say anything to Ma Chaoming, only that Cao Cao and Sima Yi were cunning and should be braked quietly.

Ma Chao has always respected Zhuge Liang, and he did not dare to send troops to attack.

That's it, I stayed in Yangpingguan for more than a month.

Until the end of the lunar month, the New Year is approaching. Yuan Xi rushed from Hebei, arrived at Ma Chao's military camp, and told Ma Chao about the defeat of Wen Chou, the trial match, and Cao Cao's attack on Xiliang.

Ma Chao was anxious: "General, what should I do now?" Xiliang can't be lost. ”

"Don't worry, the ten counties of Xiliang have a wide area, and there are many Qiang and Di tribes entrenched, Cao Cao will not think about making contributions in a short period of time. We will go back to Xiliang now, and we are expected to be in a hurry. ”

"Okay, let's go now..." Ma Chao called Pang De under his command and prepared to let Pang De pass the order. But at this time, he suddenly remembered something: "No, Cao Cao left Yangping Pass more than a month ago, leaving Cao Ren and tens of thousands of Cao troops behind. Even I can see that the enemy is moving, how can Zhuge Liang not see it? Until now, he has not let me enter. ”

Yuan Xi snorted: "Don't you understand this? Zhuge Liang has taken a fancy to you. ”

"Huh?"

Yuan Xi motioned to Pang De to give orders, then sat down next to Ma Chao and said: "The Xiliang Army is good at field warfare, and it is the army that Zhuge Liang dreams of. Especially in the battle of Hanzhong, the general led an iron army with one enemy and ten. Can Zhuge Liang not be red-eyed? He wanted to recruit generals, but he couldn't find a reason. If Xiliang is captured by Cao Cao, the general and Cao Cao's enmity is as deep as the sea, and there is nowhere to stay, can't he take refuge in Liu Bei? This little bit of caution could not be clearer. ”

Syllable!

Ma Chao felt that Yuan Xi's analysis was very correct, and he was immediately furious, and said: "How can this be true!" ”

Ma Dai on the side said: "We have traveled thousands of miles to help the big-eared thief, and he actually has such a mind. ”

"Did the tens of thousands of stones of grain and grass he promised deliver?" Ma Chao asked.

"Nope."

"Humph!" Ma Chao got up and said, "He must think that once I surrender to Liu Bei, he won't have to pay me grain and grass." Ma Dai, gather the whole army immediately, I want to go to see Zhuge Liang. ”

"No."

Ma Dai turned and left.

"Wait, wait..." Although Yuan Xi really wanted to see Ma Chao and Liu Bei fight, so that Ma Chao would never be recruited by Liu Bei, but the most important thing now is to rescue Xiliang and not lose his troops in Yangping Pass.

After Yuan Xi stopped Ma Dai, he said to Ma Chao: "Meng Qi is a little restless. Zhuge Liang is very good at using soldiers, and he is afraid that it will be difficult for the Western Liang army to win. ”

"What does the general think?"

"I think the most important thing now is to keep Xiliang. Cao Cao has been going for more than a month, and we may not be able to catch up now, so how can we delay the time? ”

"Then what about Liu Bei? He deceived me many times, and I.... Ma Chao was furious.

Yuan Xi chuckled and said, "Isn't it just tens of thousands of stone grains, and it should be the last gift for the big man." Liu Bei called himself the emperor's uncle, and he took these grains to deal with Cao Cao, which was not much different from the general's own use. ”

"He's really cheap."

Ma Chao was worried that something would happen to Xiliang, so he finally gave up going to Zhuge Liang to settle accounts.

That night.

Ma Chao did not resign to Zhuge Liang, so he led the remaining 30,000 Xiliang troops and ran towards Qishan. When passing by Cao Ren's camp, all the horses' hooves were wrapped in cotton cloth, and they ran very lightly, and Cao Ren's sentries did not notice it.

The Western Liang army withdrew overnight.

When Cao Ren and Zhuge Liang found out, Ma Chao had already gone to Qi Mountain.

Cao Ren thought that the opportunity had come, and led an army of 50,000 to attack Zhuge Liang's camp. He wanted to defeat Zhuge Liang and take Yangping Pass again. If it succeeds, it may be able to take Hanzhong. Of course, he also knew that Zhuge Liang was good at arranging formations and using tactics, and he was very cautious. When fighting Zhuge Liang, every military order was carefully considered.

But...

Zhuge Liang is as cunning as a fox, and when the forces of the two sides are roughly equal, he is the side guarding the camp, how can Cao Ren take advantage?

Fighting for several days.

Cao Ren lost his troops and had no choice but to withdraw from the battlefield.

He led the remnants of his army to Qishan, where he prepared to camp there. can resist Zhuge Liang, and can contain Liu Bei in Hanzhong, so that Liu Bei does not dare to divide his troops to Xiliang, and it can be regarded as indirectly supporting Cao Cao who fought in Xiliang.

Of course, after Zhuge Liang won, he did not pursue Cao Ren. His current task is to retreat to Yangping Pass, help Liu Bei occupy the entire territory of Hanzhong as soon as possible, and stabilize the situation in Yizhou.

failed to recruit Ma Chao, so that Ma Chao sneaked back to Xiliang, Zhuge Liang felt that it was a pity. But thinking about it on the other hand, Ma Chao is gone, and tens of thousands of stone grains don't have to be given, which may not be a bad thing.

So, Zhuge Liang didn't bother to bother with this matter anymore.

...................

...................

West Liang to the east, the upper reaches of the Wei River.

Ma Chao went through a lot of hardships and finally arrived here.

originally wanted to capture the important town of Chencang, but Cao Cao left Hao Zhao to garrison Chencang, and gave Hao Zhao 15,000 soldiers and horses, and more than a dozen deputy generals who were good at fighting. directly crushed Ma Chao's plan.