Ma Chao thought for a moment and said, "Then do you think we should tell Jian Shuo the truth and His Majesty behind Jian Shuo?" Tell Your Majesty that in just a few days, our army has repeatedly defeated the officers and troops, and even surrounded Chang'an City and plundered the Sanfu family? ”

Jia Xu said: "My subordinates believe that this is extremely necessary. ”

"Why?"

Jia Xu said: "Please imagine how Your Majesty and the court should react when they learn that the battle situation is like this?" His Majesty saw that the young lord was victorious, and Huangfu Song and others, who obeyed the orders of the two powerful ministers of the great general He Jin and Taifu Yuan Kui, were defeated, so he naturally supported the young master with greater strength above the imperial court and suppressed He Jin, Yuan Kui and Huangfu Song. In this way, it is more beneficial to the young master. What's more, if His Majesty is bold enough, he will even punish the two powerful ministers heavily for colluding with the foreign generals. ”

Ma Chao shook his head and said, "Impossible." He Jin is a general, and Yuan Kui is a prince. The power of the two people is extremely powerful, and if they are severely punished, the court will be in turmoil, and there is even a fear of overthrow. His Majesty is not the master of decisive decisions, and will no longer punish him severely, at most he will only reprimand and deal with it softly. ”

Jia Xu said: "The subordinates also think so, Your Majesty can't take the opportunity to remove the power of the two powerful ministers from this war, but Your Majesty can still use this to suppress the two fiercely." is not only because the two colluded with foreign generals, but they were suspected of rebellion, but they risked the condemnation of the world; Moreover, because the official army of Huangfu Song, who belonged to the wings of the two, was defeated, their power was greatly weakened; And you, the young lord who belongs to His Majesty's wings, defeated the official army and surrounded Chang'an City, which directly greatly enhanced His Majesty's power. ”

Ma Chao was surprised and said, "When did I become loyal to Your Majesty?" How is it His Majesty's Wings? ”

Jia Xu shook his head and said, "The young master is fighting against the left cavalry general Huangfu Song, who obeys the orders of the great general He Jin and the Taifu Yuan Kui, and in fact belongs to His Majesty's wings; And without His Majesty's several times of protection, the young master would not be so calm and save a lot of trouble.

In addition, since ancient times, you must choose a team from the team selection station. Staying neutral, and fighting with both teams at the same time, is certain death. The young master has been in the same boat with the general He Jin and the Taifu Yuan Kui, if he does not take refuge in His Majesty, then His Majesty will also target the young master together. It is already so difficult for the young master to defeat the general He Jin and the Taifu Yuan Kui, if His Majesty opposes the young master, how can the young master survive? Therefore, at present, the young master has no other way out but to take refuge in His Majesty and become His Majesty's wings. ”

Although Ma Chao is very disgusted with being controlled by others, but the trend of the times, if he does not take refuge in Liu Hong, his situation will be even more sinister. As Jia Xu said, he can't do it anymore to maintain neutrality, because the general He Jin and Taifu Yuan Kui have already made a move and sent Huangfu Song to exterminate him; As for Liu Hong, the Son of Heaven, the general He Jin and the Taifu Yuan Kui, it is even more impossible for these two factions to fight at the same time. That would inevitably lead to a joint attack by both factions.

Ma Chao raised his eyebrows and said, "Okay, since the situation is like this, then I will have the right and be a loyal and patriotic minister!" ”

Jia Xu smiled and said, "Being a loyal minister, is it so difficult for the young master?" ”

Ma Chao said angrily: "Those who should be kings are kings, and those who should be ministers are ministers." I have always believed that I am not the order of my ministers. ”

Jia Xu smiled: "Ambitious and unyielding, this is why my subordinates are willing to be loyal to the young master." ”

Ma Chao also smiled happily.

Jia Xu said: "Then the subordinates will carefully transmit the battle situation back to Jian Shuo, so that Your Majesty and Jian Shuo can take the opportunity to strike at the arrogance of the general He Jin and Taifu Yuan Kui." ”

Ma Chao nodded and said, "Well, go ahead and do it." ”

Jia Xu said again: "If the young master can conquer Chang'an City and completely eliminate the Huangfu Song Department, it will be equivalent to completely destroying the most important hole card in the hands of the general He Jin." The power of the great general He Jin has greatly decreased, and His Majesty can even take the opportunity to be imprisoned for the crime of colluding with foreign generals and plotting rebellion. ”

Ma Chao said: "That is, even though we let Your Majesty know the battle situation here, so that Your Majesty can suppress the general and the Taifu, I still have to conquer Chang'an City?" ”

Jia Xu said: "Not bad. ”

Chang'an City is the second largest city in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, there are Taiye Pond, Shenmingtai, Shuangfengque, Qiandian in the west of Chang'an City, there are Sheji, Biyong and the people live in the south of the city, there are also Li in the east of the city, and Weishui in the north of the city. It can be said that there are barriers around Chang'an City, and if you want to cross these barriers to attack Chang'an City, there are serious constraints and difficulties. Moreover, the city wall of Chang'an City is tall and strong, the defense facilities are perfect, and there are more than 30,000 officers and soldiers stationed there, and there are veterans such as Huangfu Song. After the defeat of this harassment war, Huangfu Song would not easily send his troops out of the city. If the official army does not leave the city, he forced Ma Chao to take Chang'an by forcibly attacking the city by the Xiliang Iron Cavalry. However, there is a 99 percent chance of storming Chang'an City, and it can only be exchanged for serious losses of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry, not for the change of ownership of Chang'an City, and not for the elimination of the official army.

Ma Chao had no choice but to say: "I'll do my best!" ”

Since the last time Ma Chao formed an alliance with Jian Shuo, he has established information communication with Jian Shuo as the main way of flying pigeon biography. Immediately, Jia Xu wrote the letter, rolled it up and stuffed it into a small bamboo tube tied to the pigeon's leg, and released the carrier pigeon, which flew towards the east where Luoyang City was located.

Jia Xu mentioned in the letter that Ma Chao defeated Huangfu Song, Huangfu Song colluded with the Sanfu family, and the Xiliang Army surrounded the remnants of Huangfu Song's troops in Yixian, Huaili City, and Chang'an City. This can still be done for Liu Hong.

After the establishment of the big camp, Ma Chao thought that after this defeat, he would give Huangfu Song ten guts, and he would never dare to lead the army out of Chang'an City again. Not to mention the two mediocre people of Bao Hong and Yuan Peng, they would never dare to lead a light horse out of the city to sneak attack Xiliang's convoy and Xiliang's iron cavalry.

In the past, he ordered the Xiliang army to plunder Jingzhao County and Fufeng County, and let Feng Ling County go, because he was worried that if he crossed Chang'an City to attack Feng Ling County, it would be for the lone army to go deep, and Huangfu Song was likely to take the opportunity to unite with Bao Hong and Yuan Peng, cut off the retreat, and surround the troops that went deep into Feng Ling County in Feng Ling County.

And now, Huangfu Song, Bao Hong, and Yuan Peng have tasted the consequences of going out of the city to fight, and they will never dare to go out of the city again. At this time, if you loot Feng Ling County, it will be safe.

Ma Chao then ordered Zhang Ji and Yan Xing, each with 7,000 horsemen, to cross Chang'an City and attack westward, and go to plunder the big clans and clans of Fengling County who had assisted the official army and opposed the Xiliang army.