I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 777: The Central Plains family plots rebellion, Ma Teng is attacked at Yanmen (Chapter 5K2)

"It doesn't make sense, it really doesn't make sense!"

In Anyi City, inside a large mansion, a group of young men from aristocratic families were extremely excited.

Within just a few days after Su Yao took control of Hedong and ordered the Jinyiwei to arrest people, dozens of county officials and children of aristocratic families, including Yang Qi, were arrested and tried.

Moreover, as time went on, the scope of its attack gradually expanded, and gradually it was no longer limited to the issue of collusion with bandits.

Those children of wealthy families and powerful people who usually act tyrannically and oppress the people are now like ants on a hot pan, running around in a panic.

They could never have imagined that General Su Yao would be so swift and decisive and launch such a severe attack on them as soon as he arrived in Hedong.

"What does the general want to do? Does he want to arrest us all?"

A young man from a noble family said indignantly, his eyes full of fear and unwillingness.

In this panic, many people were talking about how they wanted to mobilize their connections, buy favors, and get leniency.

They can’t get through Su Yao’s relationship, but they do have a chance with Wang Ling and Sima Lang.

One of these two people is responsible for the arrest and the other is responsible for the trial. As long as I can convince them, maybe I can escape.

For a moment, everyone started racking their brains, thinking about who had a marriage relationship with them or a fellow schoolmate.

It’s no wonder that this thinking helped them find a lot.

Not to mention that the Sima family in Henei is a wealthy and powerful family. They are all from Sanhe, Sizhou, and have many intermarriages with the aristocratic families in Hedong.

Although the Wang family of Taiyuan was only a rising star in Bingzhou, Taiyuan and Hedong were neighboring counties, so if they wanted to establish a relationship with them, they could find quite a few.

This made everyone very happy. They hurriedly shared their information and prepared to show off their abilities. Suddenly, a young man named Li snorted coldly:
"It's just a waste of effort. Don't you really think that they will let us go just by building some connections?"

Mr. Li's eyes were cold and full of resentment:

"That Su guy is just trying to scare the monkeys and give us a warning so that we, the noble families, will obey him and cooperate with his actions!"

"Cooperate in the action?"

The young men from the noble families all looked confused.

"Haven't you heard about what happened in Hongnong and Hanoi?"

Master Li stamped his feet and said angrily:

"Since the Su defeated Dong Zhuo, he has been carrying out some kind of land reform every time he gains a piece of land."

"He ordered people to check the fields and measure the land. Any land that could not be explained and that exceeded the limit he set had to be returned for unified distribution."

"Those aristocratic families who don't cooperate with his actions will be arrested by his lackeys, the imperial guards, for reasons that may be considered cruel. At the very least, their property will be confiscated and they will be exiled. At the worst, their entire family will be executed. Their methods are extremely cruel!"

"Now that he has come to Hedong, I think he is just using his old tricks again."

"What, what did you say?!"

Mr. Li's words instantly made everyone jump up and down.

They knew very well that land was the foundation of their family and the source of their wealth and power.

Now Su Yao actually wants to check the farmland, measure the land, and take back the excess land for unified distribution. This is undoubtedly a serious infringement on the fundamental interests of their family.

"This...how is this possible?"

"How dare the general act like this? Isn't he afraid of being attacked by the whole world?!"

Another young man from aristocratic family said in a trembling voice, his eyes full of disbelief:
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Master Li sneered, "Why shouldn't he be afraid? Now that he has taken over the two capitals and Sizhou, even a tyrant like Dong Zhuo is no match for him. What else in the world should he be afraid of?"

"Don't forget, that guy became a tyrant, establishing a female emperor and abolishing the three dukes and nine ministers, which are all things that broke thousands of years of convention. Do you expect him to be nice to us?"

"So, if you guys want to bribe his lackeys to get him to stop, that won't work at all!"

"I'm not exaggerating."

"To be honest with you, my uncle in Hongnong was just hoping for a lucky break. He wanted to find Jia Xu, who was in charge of Hongnong at the time, to build some connections."

"In the end, they accused me of bribing a superior, and made a big fuss about it. In the end, I lost my head and my property was confiscated."

"All those fertile paddy fields of my uncle's family were eventually distributed to those dirty untouchables."

"If you guys don't wake up, I'm afraid you will follow in their footsteps sooner or later."

Upon hearing this, all the young men from the noble families turned pale, and an unprecedented fear and despair surged in their hearts.

They never imagined that Su Yao's methods would be so cruel that even the marriage relationship between the aristocratic families could not save them.

What shocked them even more was that Su Yao actually dared to do that in Hongnong and succeeded.

Now, the same storm has swept to the Three Rivers area, and these children from aristocratic families seem to have seen the end of their own family.

"Then, what should we do?"

"Are we just going to sit here and wait for death?"

Another young man from aristocratic family asked anxiously, his voice trembling slightly, and then everyone's focus was on Master Li.

The Li family is also a big family in Hedong. Coupled with his personal experience just now, he has unknowingly become the center of attention.

All of this is what he hoped for: "Of course we can't just sit there and wait for death, we must resist!"

"Resist? Resist the General??!"

Mr. Li's words left everyone dumbfounded.

Su Yao is a very famous and powerful man with a large army under his command. This time he defeated the Baibo Army and forced Anyi City to surrender without bloodshed. Isn't it all because they couldn't defeat him?

If Su Yao could be dealt with, why would Governor Wang need to surrender the city?

"Everyone, don't think we have no chance of winning."

Seeing the hesitation on everyone's faces, Master Li frowned and continued to encourage them:
"Although General Su Yao is strong, he only brought 3,000 elite cavalry to Hedong. Although he has defeated the Baibo Army, he must have suffered some damage and his military strength is not at its peak. However, our clansmen, servants, and tenants add up to tens of thousands."

"As long as we unite and work together, we may be able to defeat him!"

His words were full of incitement, trying to ignite everyone's determination to resist.

However, not everyone is as impulsive as Mr. Li.

An older young man from the Wang family shook his head and calmly analyzed, "Brother Li, you are wrong. General Su Yao is well-known and his soldiers are all elite, not comparable to our family's private soldiers."

"Not to mention the 3,000 elite cavalry he has, he can mobilize troops to reinforce the two capitals at any time. If we confront him head-on, it will be like hitting a rock with an egg."

Master Li sneered and said, "The general's troops are indeed brave, but he is not the only strong army in the world."

"Haven't you heard that Ma Teng from Xiliang has now marched into Bingzhou?"

"That Su guy is eager to pacify our Sanhe area. I'm afraid he wants to focus on dealing with Ma Teng."

"Therefore, there is no need for us to confront him head-on."

"We just need to work together, stick together, resist his policies, and not give him any chance to take advantage of us."

"So after Ma Teng arrives at Taiyuan, do you think he will still want to mess with us again?"

Master Li's words were like a gust of cold wind, blowing away some of the heat and impulse in everyone's hearts, making them start to calm down and think.

However, the prince still had doubts:
"Brother Li, that being said, what does Ma Teng's invasion of Bingzhou have to do with us in Hedong? If the general wants to deal with us, why would he be afraid of Ma Teng?"

Young Master Li shook his head, a sly look flashing in his eyes: "My brother, you are wrong. Although the general is strong, he is not a god, and there are things he cannot take care of."

"Ma Teng is invading Bingzhou, and the general must lead his army to fight. This is something he cannot avoid."

"During this period, if he fails to rectify the Three Rivers, this place will become his fatal weakness."

"If we can take advantage of this opportunity, we can not only create trouble for the general, but also cut off his supply and make him unable to take care of both ends, and run around for his life." Upon hearing this, another young man from aristocratic family had a trace of doubt in his eyes: "But even if we resist, what can we do? The general has strong soldiers and horses, and with our limited manpower, aren't we just like an egg hitting a rock?"

Master Li smiled slightly and said confidently, "Don't worry, I have already made a plan."

"First of all, although General Su Yao is arrogant, he represents the imperial court after all, so there should be a reason for bullying someone."

“Therefore, we should unite all the noble families in Hedong and Hanoi. From today on, we should restrain our clansmen, close our doors to visitors, and quickly get rid of those people and evidence that may cause trouble. We should work together to not give him any chance to take advantage of. Naturally, it will be difficult for him to implement his land reform policy in Hedong.

"Secondly, we must secretly contact those princes and forces that are dissatisfied with the general, such as Ma Teng of Xiliang, or other people with different intentions, and inform them of the situation in Hedong. As long as they can confront Su Yao, we will respond to their actions immediately."

"Finally, as long as the general is in conflict with other forces, we can work together with the Baibo bandits to take advantage of the terrain in Hedong, cut off the general's food supply, set up ambushes in dangerous places, and severely strike his forces in the rear!"

"No matter how strong the general is, he can't split himself into two. As long as the anti-Soviet forces like us unite, he will be trapped in a dilemma of being attacked from all sides, and eventually die without a burial place!"

Mr. Li's words brightened everyone's eyes and they all nodded in agreement.

They knew that they could not be a match for the general alone, but if they could unite and use all available resources, they might be able to defeat him.

"Good! Brother Li, this is a brilliant plan!" Prince Wang slammed the table and stood up, his eyes flashing with determination, "We will follow your plan and fight the general to the death!"

"Yes! Fight to the death!" Other children from aristocratic families also echoed, and the atmosphere suddenly became heated.

Their blood was boiling and their hearts were pounding. They were ready to fiercely oppose Su Yao and let him see the capabilities of their Central Plains families.

They knew very well that this was not only to protect their own land and interests, but also for the future of the world.

After a brief discussion, the children of the noble families immediately took action.

According to Master Li's plan, they began to restrain their clansmen, close the door to visitors, and clean up those people and evidence that might cause trouble.

At the same time, they also sent envoys to secretly go to various parts of the world that Su Yao did not control, such as Bingliang, Youji, etc., to contact the princes and forces who were dissatisfied with Su Yao, inform them of what was happening in the Sanhe area, and seek their support and help.

In the north of Bingzhou, Ma Teng laughed out loud after learning about this.

"Su Yao is such a short-sighted kid that he actually did something so self-destructive. God is really helping me!"

Ma Teng's laughter echoed on the road.

Ma Teng, a young man from a poor family, has long coveted the prosperity of the Central Plains, but has had no chance to get involved in it. Now, Su Yao's actions in Hedong undoubtedly provide him with an excellent opportunity.

"Pass the order down, speed up the march, and make sure to capture Bingzhou before Su Yao comes to our rescue - anyone who hinders our army will be killed without mercy!"

Ma Teng waved his hand with great vigor, ready to fight a great battle.

Ma Teng knew very well that time was of the essence for him. He had to take Bingzhou as soon as possible to pose a threat to Luoyang and force Su Yao to be distracted to deal with it.

His trusted generals took orders and quickly conveyed the command, and the entire Xiliang army began to accelerate towards Bingzhou.

However, his military advisor clearly had other plans:
"Don't worry, sir."

"General Su Yao has disrupted the government and suppressed the noble families. The noble families in the Central Plains have wept and complained. This is a godsend opportunity for me."

"As long as it is used properly, the land of Bingzhou may be conquered without fighting!"

Hearing this, Ma Teng raised his eyebrows slightly and asked with interest: "Oh? What brilliant plan does the military advisor have? Tell us quickly."

Fu Gan bowed slightly and said calmly, "Have you ever thought about why those Central Plains noble families hate Su Yao so much?"

Ma Teng thought for a moment and replied, "Of course it's because he suppressed the noble families, checked the land, measured the land, and confiscated private land, which touched the fundamental interests of the noble families."

Fu Gan nodded and smiled, "Your Excellency is right. Su Yao's move is undoubtedly to undermine the family's foundation, so they naturally cannot sit idly by and watch."

"Now, these noble families have secretly united and are preparing to rebel against Su Yao. To this end, they are actively contacting the princes of the world to conspire against Su Yao."

"If the Central Plains family is like this, what about the Bingzhou family?"

"As long as we publicize this matter, the Bingzhou families will be terrified."

"And the envoy is the official governor of Bingzhou. As long as we use the name of protecting the interests of the aristocratic families, wouldn't it be a natural thing for us to take over Bingzhou?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Teng's eyes flashed with realization. He clapped his hands and laughed, "Military Advisor, this is a brilliant plan. In this way, Bingzhou can be conquered with just one order!"

"Your Excellency is wise."

Fu Gan smiled slightly and continued:

“Moreover, we can go a step further and contact other surrounding princes, such as Jizhou Mu Han Fu, Youzhou Mu Liu Yu, as well as Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, to jointly fight against Su Yao.”

Ma Teng frowned slightly and said thoughtfully:

"It's good to contact allies, but will these people easily join forces with us?"

Fu Gan smiled slightly, with wisdom flashing in his eyes: "Don't worry, lord. Although the princes of the world have their own thoughts, Su Yao's strong rise has undoubtedly threatened their interests. As long as we can show enough sincerity and interests, they may join forces with us."

"Besides," Fu Gan paused and continued, "Su Yao abolished the three dukes and nine ministers, established three provinces and six ministries, and promoted the imperial examination. This series of reforms has touched the fundamental interests of the world's aristocratic families. Although they dare not oppose openly on the surface, they have already hated Su Yao in their hearts."

“As long as we can cleverly use this to make Su Yaoshu the target of public criticism, I believe that many princes will be willing to join forces with us to fight against this common enemy.”

Upon hearing this, Ma Teng's eyes flashed with excitement.

He knew very well that if he could unite the princes of the world to fight against Su Yao, he would not only be able to take Bingzhou, but he would also be more likely to rise in troubled times and become a hegemon.

"Military Advisor, what you said is absolutely right!" Ma Teng slammed the table and said loudly, "You should contact those princes immediately, tell them our plan, and win their support."

"Yes, sir!" Fu Gan bowed and turned to leave.

Next, under Fu Gan's lobbying, the counties outside the Great Wall in the north of Bingzhou, such as Yunzhong, Shuofang, Wuyuan, Dingxiang and other counties successively surrendered to Ma Teng without a fight.

Ma Teng's troops marched south all the way to Yanmen, and at the same time received positive responses from the surrounding princes.

Han Fu, the governor of Jizhou, was an indecisive person. Facing Su Yao's strong rise, he had long been worried. Fu Gan's arrival undoubtedly provided him with an outlet to vent his dissatisfaction. Under Fu Gan's lobbying, Han Fu quickly expressed his willingness to form an alliance with Ma Teng to fight against Su Yao.

Although Youzhou Mu Liu Yu was known for his benevolence, facing the threat from Su Yao, especially the troops stationed outside the Great Wall by Liu Bei and others, he had to consider his own safety.

Not to mention Su Yao's establishment of a female emperor, which was a real infringement on the interests of the Liu clan. Therefore, although Liu Yu did not express it openly, he was secretly preparing for war, secretly supporting Ma Teng's career, and concluding a non-aggression treaty with Han Fu.

All this put Ma Teng in a good mood along the way. He hummed a little tune and laughed secretly at Su Yao for giving him a big gift. He was full of expectations for the upcoming capture of Bingzhou.

"Su Yao, just wait a bit."

"If you underestimate the heroes of this world, I, Ma Shoucheng, will let you know how powerful I am!"

Ma Teng was secretly proud of himself, thinking that Su Yao's mistake had given him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

However, his joy did not last long.

Just outside Yanmen Pass, Ma Teng, who had been having a smooth journey, suddenly encountered a tough opponent.

"kill!"

With the big flag with the word "Xu" fluttering in the wind, Xu Huang pretended to open the gate and surrender, and launched a sneak attack on the unsuspecting Ma Teng army.

Yanmen Pass is the strategic point of Bingzhou, so Su Yao would naturally not be unprepared for it.

It turned out that after realizing that Ma Teng might launch a surprise attack on Bingzhou from the north, Su Yao not only strictly ordered the governors of Bingzhou to defend the city to the death, but also urgently transferred Xu Huang, who was previously stationed in Youzhou, to Yanmen Pass just in case.

Ma Teng's Xiliang army was immersed in the joy of conquering Bingzhou, but they did not expect that an ambush would suddenly appear outside Yanmen Pass. The elite cavalry led by Xu Huang was like a tiger descending from the mountain, and instantly dispersed Ma Teng's vanguard troops.

"What's going on?! Where do the enemies come from?!" Ma Teng was shocked and quickly waved his sword to command the army to fight.

However, Xu Huang's cavalry was well-trained, extremely fast, and flexible in tactics. Sometimes they charged into battle, sometimes they made detours and outflanked, making Ma Teng's army dizzy.

"Quick, organize defense!" Ma Teng's trusted generals shouted, trying to stabilize the situation. But at this time, Ma Teng's army was in chaos and could not hear any command.

Seeing this, Xu Huang curled his lips into a sneer.

He knew very well that this battle was of vital importance to his side. He had only a few troops with him, so he had to seize the opportunity to severely damage Ma Teng's army in order to buy time for Su Yao's action.

So he personally led the cavalry into the enemy camp, the spear in his hand was like a dragon emerging from the sea, wherever it went, people and horses fell to the ground.

In the end, the unprepared Ma Teng was defeated in this surprise attack and retreated thirty miles. His previous momentum of advancement was finally successfully blocked.

(End of this chapter)