After the news came, Ma Chao was overjoyed, and immediately ordered the trial and Zhao Yun to escort Gongsun Yue, Gongsun Xu and others to Gaoyang City. Liu Yu sent his henchmen to clear the remnants of Gongsun Zhan's forces in Yijing, Yuyang, and Youbeiping, and he came with Zhao Gai, Guo Qian and other officials.

Ma Chao ordered the tens of thousands of corpses of the enemy to be cremated, and the soldiers who died in his own battle were cremated and placed in the jar, with information such as surname, place of origin, and military rank pasted on it. At that time, only someone needs to send these ashes to the local government, and the local government is fully responsible for the bereavement matters.

Most of the more than 5,000 elite soldiers captured were reduced to slavery and sent to the slave camps in Yanmen and Yecheng for three years of high-intensity unpaid labor. Those who perform well can be reinstated** after three years and transferred to collective cantonment camps for paid labor or return to their places of origin. The elite soldiers were directly incorporated into the army to replenish the military losses, and the rest were repatriated to their hometowns and ordered not to serve in the army again.

After another day, the two of them led the remaining 3,000 men and horses to rush to the outside of Gaoyang City with 100 Xiangyang cannons and more than 500 prisoners, along with Liu Yu and Zhao Qi.

Ma Chao can't attack Liu Yu in the short term, otherwise Youzhou will be in chaos. Although Gongsun Chan successfully killed Liu Yu in history, the counterattack of the rest of the troops also made Gongsun Chan suffer a lot, so that he was easily eliminated by Yuan Shao in the end. In order to welcome and deter Liu Yu, Ma Chao personally led 4,000 heavy armored cavalry out of the city for ten miles to greet him, the purpose of which was to ask Liu Yu to be honest, if he dared to do something wrong, Gongsun Chan would be his fate.

The four thousand heavily armored cavalry were like a torrent of steel, and the whole body of the iron Kai shone in the sunlight, giving people a kind of coercion from afar. The trial and Zhao Yun, who were walking in front, hurriedly greeted him, and immediately bowed his hand and said: "The trial (Zhao Yun) meets the lord, fortunately he has fulfilled his mission, and the families of Gongsun Zhan's main subordinates are all here, and the lord is also invited to send it down!" ”

Ma Chao nodded and smiled: "Very good!" The two of you have made great contributions this time, the military rank is increased by five years, the bounty is one hundred, a mansion is given in Luoyang City, and the combat exploits of the rest of the soldiers are doubled! The basic monthly income of the month is doubled! ”

"Thank you, Lord!" The two of them were overjoyed, this bounty was nothing, mainly to give an explanation to their subordinates.

Ma Chao said: "First take this group of people to the city for detention, the main people will stay, and those who have nothing to do with it can be reduced to slaves." Gongsun Zhan and his subordinates' wives and concubines left only one wife in custody, and the rest of the concubines were all rewarded to meritorious soldiers! ”

"Order!"

After the two of them were ordered to retreat, Liu Yu and Zhao Cai and a group of more than ten people rushed up, immediately turned over and dismounted, bowed down and said: "Youzhou Mu Liu Yu and his subordinate officers have seen the general!" ”

Ma Chao fixed his eyes and saw that this Liu Yu was nearly fifty years old, dressed plainly, with a scarf, quite an elegant demeanor. At that moment, he also turned over and dismounted, hugged his fists and saluted: "I have heard the name of Liu Zhoumu for a long time, and now I am fortunate to have the fate to see three lives, but I am only a junior, why should Liu Zhoumu be polite?" ”

Liu Yu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw Ma Chao's kind attitude and regarded himself as a junior, and said: "Compared with the general, the reputation of the old decay is like a firefly compared to the moon, if there is no great help from the general this time, I don't know when the civil strife in Youzhou will be calmed down!" But I don't know if the thief leader Sun Zan has been captured? ”

Ma Chao said: "It's just a matter of the general's share, why do you need to say thank you?" Gongsun Zan was defeated this time, Yi Jing was lost, and led the remnants of the cavalry to flee into Jizhou, and the general had sent 10,000 cavalry to chase and kill, but there would be news coming! ”

Liu Yu frowned, and said to himself: "Gongsun Zhan is not a stupid person, this defeat is only a way to defect to Yuan Shao, but I don't know if General Ma Tie has been saved!" ”

Ma Chao sighed and said: "That's right, most of Jizhou is a plain area, and Gongsun Zhan's cavalry is dragged down by heavy baggage, if he turns the whole into pieces and goes straight to Yanzhou, it will be difficult to make a contribution to the 10,000 chasing soldiers!" The matter of rescuing Ma Tie still needs to be considered in the long run, with Gongsun Yue's uncle and nephew in hand, it is expected that Gongsun Chan will not dare to hurt Ma Tie! ”

Liu Yu nodded, hugged his fists and said: "Gongsun Zhan's power is in Youzhou, this time he has taken refuge in Yuan Shao, and it will be difficult to become a climate in the future, from now on, the general can go all out to conquer the princes of the south, if necessary, I Youzhou will definitely help!" ”

Ma Chao nodded, glanced at Liu Yu with deep meaning, and kept calculating in his heart how to completely tie this old fox into his camp.

After the greetings, Ma Chao did not have a deep talk with Liu Yu, and immediately welcomed his group into the city, preparing to feast Liu Yu and others that night, and at the same time reward the three armies. There were thousands of war horses killed outside Gaoyang City, and they couldn't eat them all in the short term.

Before the banquet, Ma Chao listened to the detailed reports of the trial and Zhao Yun in the mansion, and was extremely satisfied with the actions of the two. Speaking of which, this Gongsun Chan is not a good thing, there are twenty-three wives and concubines alone, most of them are young and beautiful women. Gongsun Yue and Gongsun Fan also have a group of wives and concubines, and there are hundreds of daughters in the Gongsun family.

Ma Chao has not been close to women since he set out on the expedition, and he is at the age of blood and strength, and he can't help but be ready to move when he hears the words, and now he personally inspected the camp in the name of appeasing the prisoners, accompanied by Zhao Yun and the judge.

I can't help but be disappointed at a glance, although the daughters of the Gongsun Zhan family have good looks, they are all vulgar fans, and it is really difficult to get into the eyes of Ma Chao. The judge on the side had insight into people's hearts, and vaguely guessed Ma Chao's intentions, and said with a strange look at the moment: "How can such an ordinary appearance be worthy of the identity of the lord?" Could it be that the lord intends to find a beauty to solve the problem**? ”

Ma Chao's face turned red, but he praised the judge in his heart for knowing how to figure out his intentions, and smiled at the moment: "The surname of Shise is also!" Mr. Shen is okay, Brother Zilong has not married since he lost his wife, if there is a good match, please ask Mr. Shen to bother! ”

Zhao Yun's face flushed when he heard this, and he hugged his fists and said: "It's hard to worry about the labor master, Yun is busy with military affairs, and it is time for the decisive battle with Yuan Shao, so I really have no intention of marrying a wife to continue the string!" ”

Ma Chao shook his head and said: "There are three unfilial pieties, no queen is the greatest, Brother Zilong is close to the age of standing, if you don't marry a wife and have children, don't you bear the name of unfilial piety?" Chao had been blessed by Brother Zilong's life-saving, and he was entrusted by Brother Zhao, so he had the obligation to promote this matter, and asked Brother Zilong not to shirk it! ”

Zhao Yun was a little overwhelmed when he heard this, the Han ruled the country with filial piety, and unfilial piety was a big crime, Ma Chao forced him to force this matter, he couldn't refuse at all, and said at the moment: "There is a labor lord who cares, everything is subject to the lord's arrangement!" ”

Ma was overjoyed, but he kept thinking about the right person in his heart. It is true that he has a sister-in-law, but now he is just fourteen years old, less than half the age of Zhao Yun, and the two are really not a good match. I wanted to get my hands on Big Qiao, give Da Qiao to Zhao Yun, and keep Xiao Qiao for myself, but Xiao Qiao's father has always been in a ** state, and he is not in Lujiang Wancheng at this moment. Besides, in history, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu only broke through Wancheng in 199 and forcibly married Xiao Qiao, and now it is only 193 years, and it is estimated that the two are still an ungrown Lori.

Hearing this, the judge moved in his heart, hugged his fists and said: "If the lord is not elected, there is a proposal in the bottom!" ”

Ma Chao said: "Zhengnan has something to say, but please speak up!" ”

The judge asked, "I wonder if the lord has ever heard of the name of the Penglai Three Immortal Gu?" ”

Ma Chao was stunned for a moment and muttered, "Immortal Gu? Could it be that there are really fairies in this world? ”

It is said that the three of them studied under the old Taoist priest Zuo Ci, and in the past two years, they have a reputation for treating diseases in Youzhou, Qingzhou, and even Jizhou, and all of them are unique in the world. ”

"Zuo Ci?" Ma Chao's heart moved, Zuo Ci was one of the three immortals in the late Han Dynasty, and he lived for more than 100 years and became an immortal after his death. Ma Chao has never believed in ghosts and gods, but this Zuo Ci is by no means a single one, "Three Kingdoms", "Book of the Later Han" and many Taoist scriptures are recorded, according to legend, this person is proficient in the Five Classics, Xiaofang Zhongshu, but also knows astrology and alchemy, and even the legendary Taoism.

The judge said: "Yes, it is the generous scholar Zuo Ci, this humane is superb, charitable, the first emperor once recruited this person to make alchemy and was rejected, and then disappeared!" And his three female ** also have a great future, and they are all related to Youzhou! ”

Ma Chao said: "You can tell me and listen to it!" ”

The judge said: "The three of them are named Guo Shaoyao, Zhao Ai'er, and Wang Lulian, who studied under Zuo Ci and devoted themselves to the Tao, and they are as beautiful as flowers, and they are not worse than the wives of the lord. That Guo Peony is the daughter of Guo Qian, a soldier in Youzhou. Zhao Aier is the sister of Zhao Gai in Youzhou. Wang Lulian's father is also a powerful figure under Liu Yu, and he is currently engaged in Youzhou Bo Cao, in charge of a state's money and grain. After a pause, he said: "These three girls are from famous families, both their identity and appearance are enough to match General Zilong, if this matter is successful, it will also be extremely beneficial for the lord to control Youzhou!" ”

Ma Chao nodded, he was naturally clear about the pros and cons of this, and asked at the moment: "Since these three people are immortals, how can they easily get them?" Later, Ben will personally propose to Guo Qian in private, if it fails, Mr. Shen can also privately probe Zhao Cai. Brother Zilong was a hero at that time, with a handsome personality and world-renowned martial arts, and it is not an exaggeration to marry the three immortal aunts at the same time! ”

Zhao Yun said: "This matter must not be done! Yun has been on the border of Youzhou for the past two years, and he has long heard of these three people! The three of them are all contemporary chivalrous women, and they have an excellent reputation among the people, and it is a great luck to be able to get one of them, otherwise they will be jealous! ”

Ma Chao smiled: "So what's the matter? In the eyes of the general, they are just Zuo Ci's tools to fool the people and deceive their reputation. Now that I have heard about their heels, I can't escape from the palm of the general! ”

The two frowned slightly when they heard this, people at that time had always believed in ghosts and gods, and Ma Chao didn't take it seriously at all, but looked down on those who became famous and enlightened, and it was difficult to accept it!

Seeing this, Ma Chao knew that the concept of the two was difficult to change for a while, and immediately said: "Let's not mention this matter first, how much does Zhengnan know about Liu Yu?" Ben wants to win over Liu Yu and let him continue to govern Youzhou, it is better for you to have a clever plan! ”

The judge pondered for a while and said: "Youzhou is a rich land, densely populated, fertile land, Liu Yu has a very high reputation in Youzhou, and now he only wants to stabilize the situation, so it is really not appropriate to replace him!" The lord has Liu He as a hostage in his hand, which is enough to make Liu Yu dare not act rashly, but it is not enough to make Liu Yu completely return to his heart with one Liu He. (To be continued.) )