The sky is high and the clouds are light, the autumn wind is bleak, and the leaves gradually turn brown and yellow, moving with the wind and falling to the ground.

In the secluded long pavilion, Lu Xun was dressed in Confucian clothes, making tea and making cups, and he was very happy. Four plainclothes attendants were outside the pavilion, waiting for orders.

Ma Chao led more than ten riders, but was blocked by the children arranged by Lu Xun.

The little boy tied his hair in a bun and arched his hand and said: "King, the governor of my family has a word, unloads the armor, and enters the pavilion to meet in plain clothes." ”

Ma Chao held back the fire in his belly, embarrassed to vent to the little boy, so he could only signal the left and right to unload the armor soldiers and wait outside the pavilion.

Ma Chao turned over and dismounted, handed over the sword to his cronies for safekeeping, and walked towards the long pavilion by himself.

Under the troubled times, the long pavilion has been mottled, and there is a lot of dust. Fortunately, after Lu Xun sent someone to clean it, it is relatively tidy now.

Ma Chao saw Lu Xun's Confucian clothes, with an elegant scholarly appearance, without any martial spirit. If Ma Chao hadn't known his identity in advance, it is estimated that he would have regarded Lu Xun as a Confucian scholar, rather than a commander on one side.

Seeing the majestic Ma Chao, Lu Xun raised his head and smiled, and said, "Xun is from Wu County, and he likes to drink tea. There is no alcohol today, I hope the general will forgive me! ”

"Nothing!"

Ma Chao sat down on the table with a cold face and said, "I will also drink tea." ”

"That's it!"

Lu Xun poured tea for Ma Chao and said with a smile: "Huo Du likes to use bitter tea, which is one of the best among the southerners." Xun likes to use the ancient method to boil tea and cut the material, so as to mix the taste of various things. ”

Huo Jun brought the tea drinking habits of later generations to the Three Kingdoms, and under Huo Jun's long-term drinking, many southerners either liked this taste or were vassal customs, and they learned Huo Jun's tea making method. For example, Zhuge Liang, Wang Cang, Pan Jun and others like to drink Huo's tea.

Lu Xun was not used to drinking, so he still used the tea brewing method of the Han Dynasty and added various condiments to reconcile the taste of the tea.

Ma Chao took a sip of tea, which was bittersweet and uneven, which made him a little uncomfortable.

Putting down the teacup, Ma Chao sneered and said: "Lu Du invited a certain person here, I'm afraid it's not just about inviting me to drink tea!" ”

As he spoke, Ma Chao looked at Lu Xun awe-inspiringly, his tone was heavy, and he said: "Bo Yan reneged on the covenant, sent troops to seize my second county, and then ordered Li Hui to join the army to force me with the situation, could it be that I dare not fight to the death with your army?" ”

Lu Xun put down the tea stove, not afraid of Ma Chao's coercion, and said lightly: "The general borrowed the power of our army to divide Longyou, isn't he bullying me?" ”

Ma Chao snorted coldly and said: "Xi Ma Liang is the envoy, worship me as the king, I wanted to send troops to help, but Zhang Ji gathered tens of thousands of Qiang Hu people, I couldn't leave Long." In order to help your army, I will give you a thousand Qiang horses and kings to make a covenant. The covenant has been made, and the king sends troops to seize it again, how can it not be said that it is treacherous? ”

"Jun remembers the covenant, I'm afraid it's the laughing words of the world!"

Lu Xun pressed his hand on his knee, straightened his back, and said sharply: "Jun reneged on the covenant in order to take the four counties of Longxi. Why can't I follow the old story of the king and seek to take the second county of Longnan. Jun takes Longxi, I take Longnan, each other has income, and it is impossible to be safe! ”

"Inviting the general here today is for a common plan. If the general remembers the old things and wants to fight for words, he will not be accompanied. The two armies fought in formation, and the outcome was not known. It is just to let Cao Zhen gain in vain, and the general will go to the Qiang realm, and he will be inferior to the two counties of Longnan! ”

"This~"

The situation is stronger than people, Ma Chao's tone weakened after all, and said: "Governor Lu invited me here, I don't know why?" ”

Lu Xun reined in his edge, regained his elegance, and said, "I invite the general here today to reaffirm the covenant on behalf of His Majesty. And in order to help the general Yu Wei, they opened commercial markets with each other, and each took what he needed. Of course, if I take the two counties of the general, I will find an opportunity to return the two counties of the general. ”

Seeing that Lu Xun was so generous, Ma Chao hesitated a few times and said, "I would like to listen to the words of Your Majesty and Lu Du." ”

Lu Xun poured a cup of tea for Ma Chao and said with a smile: "Your Majesty's order to make the general the king will not change, and in the future, the general will be a minister, and he should be offered to Wuhan as scheduled, and there must be no mistake." With my Han canonization, it is expected that the people of Long can be obedient to the general. In the future, Wei will attack Longyou, and my Han will definitely send troops to rescue him. ”

"Second, Longyou is short of grain and wheat, and I am a big man and a few horses. The two sides open up the city and trade, exchange grain for horses, exchange more than each other, and each has its own income. The quota is fixed, and the annual mutual trade, both officials and businessmen can make the general strong and strong, and stabilize the foundation of Longyou. ”

"Third, I will take the second county of Longnan of the general, and return the second county of the general. The general's Longyou is adjacent to Hehuang, Hehuang is Jincheng, Xiping two counties, the place where the Qiang people are entrenched, and Wuwei is separated by more than 1,000 miles. ”

"The general has won the hearts of the Qiang people, it is better to lure the Qiang people to attack the second county, and the general will find another opportunity to calm down. Jincheng and Xiping counties are within easy reach. And the general sits on the river, hundreds of thousands of Qiang people can be used by the general, and it is close to the Wuwei of Hexi, the general should be able to make a big plan! ”

Lu Xun had to say that he was a master of military strategy, and as soon as he made a move, he planned the next development plan for Ma Chao, suggesting that Ma Chao seize the two counties of Xiping and Jincheng, and lead the Qiang people in the Hehuang Valley for his own use.

In fact, there are not many Han people in Xiping and Jincheng counties, and the real number is Qiang. For the Central Plains Dynasty, the Qiang people will become a scourge if they are not well governed. Ma Chao is different, his advantage compared with the Han and Wei Kingdoms is that he is good at winning the hearts of the Qiang people.

The Hehuang Valley is the entrenchment point of the Qiang people, and if it can be obtained, it will not be a problem to explode the Qiang soldiers with Ma Chao's ability. It is really more than enough to make up for the losses of the two counties of Longnan.

Showing his white teeth, Lu Xun said, "What does the general think the above three things are? ”

Ma Chao looked suspicious, he was suspecting that Lu Xun was holding back some bad water. But judging from the conditions, there is no problem, after all, almost all of the above three are beneficial to him.

After being silent for a while, Ma Chao asked: "The three things that Lu Du said are of great benefit to my Longyou, but why did Lu Du help?" ”

"The king is too late!"

Lu Xun smiled slightly, and said kindly: "Among the two weak in Kansai, only Wei Deli is strong. Today, Han and Liang are combined, and each picture is just needed. The general looked at Liangzhou, and our army looked at Guanzhong, and drew the world across Longshan. ”

Although Ma Chao didn't believe Lu Xun's words, he didn't refute it, but showed a grateful look and said: "In the future, the Liang country will be the Fan, and the Han will be the mainstay." Chao must be the saddle of the Han Dynasty before and after the horse, and help the Han to destroy Wei. ”

"Good!"

Lu Xun was very excited, and said: "Liangshu has two states, mountains and rivers are dangerous, and they are all lips and teeth. The king is a masterpiece for the moment, and in the future, you and I will depend on each other, work together, and work together to destroy Wei. ”

"Willing to work together with Lu Du!"

Ma Chao showed a friendly expression and said: "Today, the people of Longyou are small and the land is wide, and the grain and wheat they produce are not enough to eat. In addition to the sale of horses, I don't know if the Han can take pity on the cold and the suffering, and allocate grain, grass and cold every year to subsidize. ”

The Han Dynasty occupied the five southern states, especially after many years of popularizing the rice-wheat rotation system, and there was no shortage of grain at all. The front line was sometimes short of food, limited by ancient capacity levels, and traversed through no man's land. There is no shortage of food, but it does not mean that the Han Association will unconditionally fund Ma Chao.

Lu Xun hesitated a little and said: "This matter needs to be reported to the Beijing Division, and it will be approved by His Majesty and the Prime Minister, and Xun cannot agree." ”

Ma Chao showed a regretful look and said, "When there is Lao Ludu, go up and down!" ”

"Good!"

Lu Xun raised the teacup to salute him, and said with a smile: "The king has Longyou, the Han has Longnan, and the river is returned." After drinking this tea, the past is not investigated! ”

"Please!"

Under Lu Xun's coercion and temptation, Ma Chao finally signed an alliance with the Han Dynasty. The Han canonized Ma Chao as the king of Liang, and allowed the land west of Longshan; bilateral opening of trade and exchange of business; It was agreed that Han Liang would help each other and fight Wei together.

With this treaty, Ma Chao can be regarded as having the face to return to Longyou, and Lu Xun has also achieved his goal.

After Ma Chao left, the overseer Zhao Ang came and walked into the long pavilion.

Looking at Lu Xun, who was making tea freely, Zhao Ang was puzzled and asked, "Why does Governor Lu treat Ma Chao well?" ”

"Favors?"

Hearing this, Lu Xun smiled and said, "Why do you want to be favorable? Ma Chao and my big man just take what they use! ”

"Ma Chao's division of Longyou, it's not a bad thing!"

Lu Xun tasted the tea and said: "Wei sits in Guanxi, Hexi, Longyou, and Guanzhong work together, and there are Chinese soldiers and horses to help. Our army wants to invade the north of Kansai with the power of Bashu, how difficult it is! ”

"Today, Ma Chao is separating Longyou, such as cutting off the arm of Wei, it is not a bad thing for my Han. If you can plan it properly, Kansai may not be able to go down. ”

Don't look at the Han Dynasty occupying the upper and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, but due to geographical mountain restrictions, Bashu and Wu Chu are almost disconnected. Therefore, Zhang Fei and Lu Xun's Northern Expedition will always be the Northern Expedition to Guanxi with the power of Bashu.

It is easy to say that the forces in Guanxi are scattered, but Guanxi was mastered by Cao Wei, and the road of the Northern Expedition of Bashu was almost blocked. Not to mention that the Long soldiers are stronger than the Shu soldiers, and the supply of grain and grass alone is not a small problem. With soldiers as strong as Zhuge Liang, he attacked Kansai five times, and finally ended up dying of illness in Wuzhangyuan.

Lu Xunai was an outstanding general in the late Han Dynasty, but he was by no means a supernatural hero. Historically, it occupied the waterway and had several northern expeditions, which can be said to be a city that has not been built. Now that the geography of Bashu has changed from ordinary difficulty to nightmare difficulty, Lu Xun is even more bound by the terrain of Bashu and cannot exert more punches.

Offensive battles are always much more difficult than defensive battles, and there is no shame in losing the Northern Expedition. On the contrary, the Northern Expedition was a litmus test, and it was very easy to test the true level of the generals. It is often said that Sima Yi is afraid of the enemy like a mouse, but don't forget that Sima Yi has repeatedly punched Dongwu.

However, this also has a lot to do with Lu Xun's attitude towards the Northern Expedition, he is not like Huaisi and Jingchu who are eager for the Northern Expedition, he defected to Han because of the situation, and was loyal to Liu Bei because of his in-laws. Therefore, he was not so enthusiastic about the Northern Expedition, and he had to conquer the Central Plains.

Of course, Lu Xun also has the heart to make contributions, and now Ma Chao has divided Longyou and helped him disperse the forces in Kansai, which is a good thing. With proper operation and feasible strategies, the difficulty of the Northern Expedition to Kansai will be greatly reduced.

"There are horses in Longdi, and they can strengthen the army. And in the name of commerce, we can keep in close contact with the Longren to see if we can make the Longren use our Han. ”

Lu Xun put down the teacup and said with a smile: "As for the two counties of Hehuang, they are occupied by the Wei people. If Ma Chao wants to get it, he can only quarrel with Wei. When the two armies fight, one will be wounded, and our army may be able to profit from it. ”

Zhao Ang frowned slightly and said, "Ma Chao is capricious and not a good person. If the horse is too big, it will be difficult to control it in the northwest! ”

Lu Xun disagreed, and said: "Ma Chao has no long-term vision, His Majesty in the past cut down Chang'an, if Ma Chao helps Han, the northwest will be in his hands." If the two don't help each other, it's really a mediocre move. ”

Ma Chao's policy of not helping each other at that time was really right?

In Lu Xun's view, Ma Chao's vision is really shallow. If Ma Chao helped Han at that time, he helped Dahan gain a firm foothold in Guanzhong, and then took advantage of the gladiatorial battle between Dahan and Cao Wei in Guanzhong, and then led his troops north to attack Liangzhou. When the Liangzhou Road was cut off, Ma Chaofan was able to defeat the assassin Shi Zhang and be able to occupy Liangzhou.

Once Ma Chao occupies Liangzhou, it will not be a problem for Ma Chao, who has Liangzhou and Longyou, to become the king of the northwest. Han captured Guanzhong and united Wei to attack from the east and west, making Guanzhong a place for the three families to fight, and Ma Chao could take the opportunity to sit big.

After all, Guanzhong is too big, even if Liu Bei defeats Chang'an, I am afraid that he will not be able to gain a foothold in Guanzhong, but will become a flesh-and-blood battlefield with Cao Wei.

Now that he missed the opportunity, Ma Chao is destined to be difficult to achieve great things, which also makes Lu Xun see through Ma Chao's details, probably a hustle and bustle character.

Seeing that Lu Xun was prepared, Zhao Ang didn't say anything, but asked, "Will you withdraw the army today?" ”

"No hurry!"

Lu Xun smiled and said, "Now that Ma Chao is going south, Cao Zhen will be ready to move." Now he swore an oath with Ma Chao and canonized him as the King of Liang. If Cao Zhen wants to hit Ma Chao, I will go out of Chen Cang to hit his tail. ”

"No!"

(End of chapter)