Ma Wei knew that his troops were weak, so he did not dare to attack the Jin army directly, but sent someone to invite the king of Jin, saying that he had something important to discuss and planned to use ambush soldiers to plot against the other party.

But he overlooked one point, the soldiers of the incarnation army belonged to each king, and they still kept in touch with each other, and some of them had a very close personal relationship and had nothing to say.

As soon as there was a change in Ma Wei's side, the news reached Shen Tan's ears, he still went to the appointment, wearing a robe and hidden armor, and planned to plan and capture King Liang alive at the gate of the barracks.

The scene at that time was very chaotic, about who made the first move, there are different theories, in short, the plans of the two kings were not successful, the guards on both sides were in a group, and the king of Jin had few people, so he led the guards to retreat, returned to the camp, and immediately set off to attack the Liang camp.

When Xu Ji arrived with his troops, the two sides were in the middle of a battle, and they each blocked the streets and did not allow others to enter the battlefield.

Xu Ji could command the soldiers to rush in, but that would make the scene even more chaotic, he wanted to go in alone to quell the war, and was surrounded by his soldiers.

Song Xingci grabbed the reins and persuaded: "The ruling cannot be dangerous, the two kings are fighting, and the intention is not clear, even if one of them is wary of the government, the ruling will be self-defeating." ”

Xu Ji had no choice but to send messengers to meet the kings of Liang and Jin respectively to convey their intentions, hoping that they would stop fighting and explain the misunderstanding.

Ma Wei asked the messenger to reply: "I am fighting for King Wu, if King Wu still remembers a bit of old friendship, please join the war quickly, and say less." ”

Shen Tan was very polite and brought words: "If you are not careful in making friends, you will suffer from them and make people all over the world laugh." Please wait a moment for King Wu to wait for me to personally go and apologize afterwards. ”

Liang Jun is clearly at a disadvantage.

Unable to analyze the pros and cons, Xu Ji had to make a decision on the spot, and after getting the reply, he ordered the soldiers to force the Jin army, and continuously transferred more soldiers from Xicheng.

It wasn't until the two armies clashed that Xu Ji found out the reason: King Jin won, it would not benefit him at all, and this time, he had to help Ma Wei, instead of sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight.

While exerting pressure, Xu Ji kept sending messengers to both sides, one to coerce and the other to induce, to persuade them to stop the army, and even asked the soldiers of the two armies to listen to his orders in the name of the Golden Saintess and the Descendant Stick.

Nearly half an hour later, the Jin army finally couldn't bear the pressure from both sides and took the lead in retreating.

This was a complete split, Liang and Jin were originally like a family, but now they have become enemies, drawing a clear line and not allowing each other to cross half a step.

Xu Ji also ordered the troops to retreat, and asked the two kings to come to see him and explain clearly.

Ma Wei came, he was very grateful to King Wu for his help, and he also felt sorry for him, "Why did King Wu withdraw his troops?" If we attack from both sides, the Jin army will be defeated. ”

"If the Jin army is defeated, it will inevitably open the door and surrender the officers and soldiers, and the situation will be out of control at that time."

Ma Wei had to say again, Liu Youzhong came, ignored King Liang, and directly bowed his hand to King Wu: "King Jin rectified the military camp, in case someone took advantage of the chaos to make trouble and couldn't spare time, so he sent me to explain the situation." ”

Ma Wei sneered: "What is there to explain? Shen Tan decided to surrender Yecheng, this is what he said personally, and he wanted to pull me into the gang. Mr. Liu was present at the time, so he couldn't help but admit it, right? ”

Liu You's face did not change in the end, "King Wu still has a plan to fake surrender, and King Jin's thoughts coincide with King Wu." ”

"King Wu's plan for a false surrender has been announced to the kings, but King Jin's 'fake surrender' has been hidden in his heart, and the wolf's ambition is clearly revealed."

"Even so, it was King Wu who asked for the guilt, and King Liang overstepped his responsibilities, but he didn't have the ability." Liu Youzhong smiled and shook his head.

The two insulted each other and refused to give in to each other, Xu Ji listened for a while and interrupted: "Enough." King Liang has been my friend for many years, and King Jin is my sworn brother, and they don't distinguish each other in my eyes. ”

"I came, but Shen Tan didn't come." Mavi couldn't help but point it out.

Liu Youzhong didn't give an inch, "King Liang knew that he was not the opponent of King Jin, so he came to ask for help, but he didn't really defect." The king of Jin did not come, but he guarded the city gate as solid as gold, and did not surrender the officers and soldiers, so as not to worry about the king of Wu. ”

Xu Ji felt that he was worried enough, and shouted: "Are you still the two of you as the military master?" ”

Ma Wei and Liu You finally stopped talking.

"At the moment of the great enemy, regardless of right and wrong, the two armies of Liang and Jin each took a step back, gave up the southeast corner, and I sent troops to defend it. In the future, if there is any more strife, I will call upon the kings to attack him first. ”

Liu Youzhong arched his hand and said: "The Jin army believes in King Wu's justice and is willing to take a hundred steps back." ”

Ma Wei had no choice but to say: "Liang Jun also took a hundred steps back." King Wu was careful, Shen Tan mastered the two city gates, and he could let the officers and soldiers enter the city at any time. ”

Liu Youzhong sighed, "King Wu be careful, King Liang is treacherous to King Jin today, and he will be able to knife King Wu in the back tomorrow." ”

Xu Ji separated the two and ordered them to go back and retreat, before nightfall, he wanted to send people to the city, and draw a line in the city, and he also sent troops to inspect, and the soldiers of the two armies were also not allowed to cross.

Xu Ji had a little free, and he had to send someone to appease King Ning and King Shu, telling them that the southeast had been pacified, and there was no need to worry about a misunderstanding.

In the middle, he invited Cao Shenxi from the palace and invited him to have dinner together.

Cao Shenxi was very reluctant, but since he came, he had to say directly: "King Wu let me go, the warehouses in the eastern capital are empty, and I can't find anything anymore." I don't know how many rebels there are, or how much grain you have in stock, but I have enough food for a hundred thousand people to feed for a month. That's it, Dongdu is not a granary, and it can't afford to support too many people. ”

"but they can feed many people." Xu Ji said with a smile.

Cao Shenxi was slightly stunned, "Hey, King Wu has also begun to think about this." When the flag is raised, it is for the people, and when the situation is urgent, the people must be stabbed first. Well, raiding the East will keep you going a little longer. ”

"Has General Cao done anything for the people?" Xu Ji made a gesture to sit down.

Cao Shenxi sat opposite and replied honestly: "No." ”

"What General Cao has done these days is for the people."

Cao Shenxi shook his head and sighed: "I am for my own safety. I used the official treasury of the eastern capital to curry favor with the rebels, but now that the official treasury is empty, I still have to hand over the people to the bandits, and there is no way. ”

Cao Shenxi couldn't hold back for a while, and called the rebels "bandits".

Xu Ji was not angry, "'Dongdu feeds many people', this sentence is not mine, it is what the soldiers will say to me in the future, and I haven't figured out how to answer, so I asked General Cao for advice, and General Cao's answer just now ......"

"That's a momentary statement, it doesn't count." Cao Shenxi immediately changed his words, "Although the plundering of the Eastern Capital can allow the righteous army to get food, it will lose the hearts of the people." The rebel army is full of mountains, once they grab the grain and grass, they must stay in their own hands, and they no longer need to rely on King Wu, who will lose the heart of the army. The hearts of the people and the army were lost, and King Wu was worried. ”

"General Cao's words are quite strategic." Xu Ji praised.

"I'm not a counselor, I'm just telling the truth. King Wu came to me for an idea, and I naturally thought of something and said something. ”

"Please drink."

Xu Ji drank first, Cao Shenxi took a small sip, and put down the cup, "For the sake of King Wu, we must break through as soon as possible and go to other places to search for food." As far as I know, in recent years, there have been frequent droughts and floods in all directions, most of the grain harvests have failed, and the people do not have much surplus grain in their hands, and only the official warehouses are still full. The official warehouses in various places are the most abundant in Yizhou, and the king of Yidu has made violent expeditions, although he has aroused the anger of the heavens and the resentment of the people, but he has indeed left a lot of savings. ”

"General Cao has supported me so far."

"Wu Wangjiu has been in the Eastern Capital for a long time, you should have heard of these things. If King Wu thinks that occupying the eastern capital is the lord of the world, I have nothing to say. Cao Shenxi still wanted to say, paused slightly, and continued: "The emperor of all things died, the new emperor fled in a hurry, and everything happened in the eastern capital. ”

Xu Ji nodded, and toasted another glass of wine, "Yizhou is going, and the Eastern Capital can't give up lightly." ”

"The eastern capital is the land of four wars, and those who want to dominate must come to fight, and it is useless for King Wu to leave few people, and it is not enough to capture Yizhou if there are many people left. You can't have it both ways, King Wu needs to have a choice. ”

"Well, don't be in a hurry for now, wait for me to repel the officers and soldiers of Yecheng, and then make a choice."

Cao Shenxi sighed and continued to drink.

After a few more cups, Xu Ji said: "General Cao, I still have something to ask." ”

"King Wu, please speak."

"At the beginning, the famous generals of the former Liang were like clouds, why did Emperor Cheng Zhang Xi get the support of the generals?"

Cao Shenxi didn't expect King Wu to ask about such a long time, and after thinking for a while, he said: "Corporal Lixian, the first emperor, and the generals are friends of life, so they are supported. ”

"Can you elaborate on that?"

Cao Shenxi thought for a while, "King Wu wants to be detailed, I really can't say anything, the first emperor's demeanor is like a gift from heaven, which makes people fall in love at first sight, as early as a long time ago, we believed that he would definitely be the emperor." ”

Xu Ji smiled: "Such an obvious thing, why can't Emperor Qianliang see it?" ”

"Emperor Qianliang was not unwary, and he tried to harm the first emperor several times without success, but it made the first emperor more popular. This kind of thing really has to be determined by heaven, and mortals can't fight for it. ”

Xu Ji couldn't ask anything, so he had to change his direction, "General Cao once had a misunderstanding with the general, and he almost met with a sword, how did Emperor Zhang Xi solve it?" ”

Cao Shenxi understood, "The two kings of Liang and Jin are fighting, and King Wu can't calm down?" ”

"It's barely calm, but it can't eliminate the barrier."

Cao Shenxi smiled rarely, "First, I didn't 'nearly' meet the general, but really made a move, if I said 'nearly', it was me who 'nearly' died in the hands of the general." Second, the estrangement between me and the Great General has never been bridged, and we have not believed in each other for many years, if not so...... Alas. ”

Cao Shenxi sighed, if it weren't for this, the officers and soldiers of the Eastern Capital would not have been inexplicably defeated by the rebels.

"But at least the two of you are at least at peace on the surface, and there is no more fighting."

"Because I've been putting up with it...... What King Wu wanted to hear was not this, but wanted to know how the first emperor made me tolerate it? ”

Xu Ji nodded.

Things are often like this, it's easy to watch others do it, it's easy to think about it yourself, and only when you do it do you know that there are many difficulties, and you are eager to get the guidance of others.

Cao Shenxi thought about it for a long time, and unconsciously drank three glasses of wine, and as soon as the cup in his hand was empty, Xu Ji immediately poured the wine, without urging or urging, and patiently waited for the old general to figure it out.

Cao Shenxi raised his head, "King Wu just asked me, why did the first emperor get the support of the generals?" ”

"Yes."

"I think King Wu's question is wrong."

"Huh?"

"King Wu might as well ask me, why don't all the generals want to be emperors in the end, but are willing to be ministers?"

Xu Ji's eyes lit up, and he arched his hand and said, "Please advise General Cao." ”

"Because all the generals have tried, and it's not a secret, even me, I had ambitions in the early years, but sooner or later—I was earlier, and the generals were later—the generals understood that they were not the material to be emperors. There are too many obstacles in front of you, and you can solve one after another, endlessly, until everyone gets tired of it, and when there is only one person left, the problems are all solved. ”

"The remaining person is Emperor Zhang Xi."

"Yes, that's why I say 'Heavenly Grant', the first emperor may not have lasted the longest, but it was just right, just when the generals were tired of it, he was ambitious. Therefore, King Wu asked the first emperor how to solve the dispute between me and the general, in fact, the first emperor did almost nothing, rushed to the barracks and reprimanded us, it was me and the general who did not want to fight anymore, and reconciled. King Wu is unfortunate that he is at the time when the heroes are rising together, and the king of Jin and King Liang are ambitious, even if the gods and Buddhas come forward in person, they can't resolve it. If King Wu wants to be the 'last one', the only way is to hold on longer. ”