The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 212 Pang Tong: Ma Chao is actually your fanboy?

In 201 AD, Xia.

Jizhou, Yecheng.

After the defeat at Cangting, Yuan Shao returned to Ye with his remaining troops.

After returning, Yuan Shao fell ill and was unable to govern the country.

The reason why Yuan Shen is called Yuan Shen is because his tolerance rate is too high.

Henan must be cautious and dare not make mistakes when fighting against him.

Throughout the entire battle, Yuan Shao made many stupid moves.

In the end, after the two battles of Guandu and Cangting, more than 100,000 troops were lost.

In terms of military strength, Yuan Shao is now paralyzed on one side.

It would take at least seven or eight years to rebuild an army that could sweep across the world like the one before the war.

But Yuan Shao is old and his energy is not as good as before. How can he wait another seven or eight years?
Yuan Shao was also very confused about the future of Hebei.

In addition to the military defeat and the damage to his mental strength, Yuan Shao's health became increasingly serious.

Not only did he ignore the affairs of the state and counties, he also ignored the affairs of the south.

Among all the scholars at that time, only Yuan Shang served Yuan Shao.

Therefore, all the officials in Hebei supported Yuan Shang to act as the agent for Hebei affairs.

Yuan Shang had broad vision and was able to gain people’s loyalty.

Now my father is seriously ill and unable to manage affairs, so the land in Hebei is all under his control.

It can be said that it was a time of unparalleled glory.

However, Yuan Shang already knew that his two brothers were still in other states, and although his father was the "emperor emeritus", as long as he was still alive.

Yuan Shao still made the decision on the affairs of Hebei.

Yuan Shang then sent doctors to keep a close eye on Yuan Shao's health, while at the same time he wanted to create new achievements.

He took advantage of the time when he held great power to gain enough prestige so that after Yuan Shao's death, he could inherit the throne more smoothly.

As for how to establish prestige, it is of course to save Hebei's decline and pull the people of Hebei out of the shadow of defeat.

Yuan Shang then gathered his ministers to discuss the matter of advancing the army.

Shen Pei remonstrated:

"I have just been defeated and have no intention of fighting."

"Sir, you shouldn't start a war."

"The reason Cao and Liu joined forces was that they were afraid of our strength in Hebei."

"Now that Lord Yuan has been defeated, Hebei can no longer threaten Henan. I expect the alliance between Cao and Liu will not be stable."

"You can first make friends with one of them, and then focus on the other one."

“This is the best policy.”

Yuan Shang agreed with Shen Pei's suggestion. It was no longer possible for Hebei to take on the two major forces at the same time as before.

However, the weakening of Hebei's strength will also indirectly cause the division of Henan's alliance.

After all, when there is no common powerful enemy threatening us, our allies are our strongest enemies.

"Liu Bei is related to my Yuan family, so why not ask someone to befriend Liu Bei first?"

"I will send more troops to attack Cao Cao."

"What do you think?"

Everyone agreed.

However, Yuan Shao was still alive at this time, and the news spread quickly to his ears.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao summoned Yuan Shang and shouted:

"If it weren't for Li Yi, how could I have suffered such a defeat?"

"One hundred thousand people in Hebei were all killed in the Yellow River."

"This feud is irreconcilable, and the people of Hebei are unwilling to reconcile with Henan."

"You are in charge of the affairs, but you want to make peace with Xuzhou. How can this be possible?"

Yuan Shang was scolded by Yuan Shao and apologized repeatedly.

"Father, please forgive me. I just want to think that Henan is now strong and Hebei's military strength has been greatly reduced."

"If we can unite with one family and attack the other, our chances of success will definitely increase greatly."

"It's not for the sake of making peace with Xuzhou. After we destroy Cao Cao, it won't be too late to turn against Liu Bei."

Yuan Shao was furious when he heard this and shouted:

"Why is my son so short-sighted?"

"Cao Cao and Liu Bei are both outstanding people in the world. They have formed an alliance and are determined to destroy our Yuan family."

"Now that the Yuan family still controls Hebei, how can you dream of making peace with one of them?"

Yuan Shao understood this matter clearly.

Although Hebei's strength was greatly reduced, Yuan Shao's influence on Hebei did not weaken at all.

As long as the Yuan family is still around, Hebei will always be a major concern.

Given Cao and Liu's vision, how could they attack each other before completely destroying Yuan, let alone contact the Yuan family?
Isn't this just shooting yourself in the foot?
After being scolded, Yuan Shang realized his naivety and made promises to Yuan Shao again and again.

Hebei will not compromise with any party and they will fight to the end.

Yuan Shao felt relieved and told Yuan Shang:

"Since my defeat at Cangting, my military strength has been greatly reduced."

"Cao Cao and Liu Bei will turn around and attack Hebei soon. If we can hold the Yellow River, the Henan troops may not be able to cross the river to attack us."

"But there is one place where you must be careful."

Yuan Shang hurriedly asked which place it was.

Yuan Shao then ordered him to bring the map and explained it to Yuan Shang on the couch.

"Ma Teng and Han Sui gathered in Guanzhong."

"I heard that they are closely connected with Henan. Ma Chao, the son of Ma Teng, once led 10,000 soldiers and threatened the flank of Bingzhou."

"Because we have not seen the success or failure in the Central Plains, we have kept our troops in place and have not advanced."

"Now that our army has just been defeated, they will surely attack us soon."

"My son, you can prepare early."

Yuan Shang listened carefully and said:

"Don't worry, father. I have my own way to deal with this."

Seeing Yuan Shang's firm determination, Yuan Shao thought that it was time for him to let the young man have some training.

During this period of time, I can just rest and recuperate in Ye.

After I recover, I will fight with Cao and Liu again!
After getting Yuan Shang's guarantee, Yuan Shao felt relieved to hand over the power to him.

Yuan Shang did not want to miss this good opportunity to show off in front of his father.

So he summoned all the ministers to discuss the matter again.

The review suggested:
"In the old days, Cao Cao ordered Zhong Yao to hold the imperial seal and supervise the army in Guanzhong. Ma Teng and other generals in Guanzhong were all held by Zhong Yao."

"If Zhong Yao is killed, the connection between Henan and Guanzhong will be cut off."

Yuan Shang then asked how to kill him.

Shen Pei Road:

"Now you can order Gao Gan, the governor of Bingzhou, and Guo Yuan, the governor of Hedong, to lead the troops of Bingzhou to attack the counties in the southern part of Hedong."

"Cao Cao's army is all at the front line in Yanzhou. They may not be able to rescue us in a short time."

"As long as we march fast enough and kill Zhong Yao, the disaster in Liang Province will be solved."

Yuan Shang readily followed his advice and immediately sent a letter to his cousin Gao Gan, Yuan Shao's nephew and the governor of Bingzhou, who was far away in Bingzhou.

He was ordered to cooperate with Hedong Governor Guo Yuan to jointly attack Zhong Yao.

At the same time, he sent envoys to persuade the generals in Guanzhong to remain neutral.

When the letter arrived in Bingzhou, Gao Gan, as a member of the Yuan family, had no right to participate in internal competition.

Yuan Shang ordered him to advance in the name of Yuan Shao, so Gao Gan could not disobey.

He then raised 10,000 soldiers from his county and joined forces with Guo Yuan.

The army has not yet set out,

People reported that the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu Luanti Huchuquan personally led an army of 10,000 to help in order to avenge the loss of Cangting.

It turned out that in the previous battle of Cangting, the Xiongnu general Wuwei was killed in battle, and the 5,000 men he brought with him were all killed by the Han army.

This number is very large for the Huns.

Out of five thousand men, not a single one was brought back alive.

Huochequan, the new Chanyu who had only been in power for a few years, was unable to explain himself to the tribal leaders.

For this reason, he could only lead his troops south in person on the pretext of revenge to cooperate with Yuan's attack.

Because, if Huochequan went alone, he would not be able to defeat any warlord in the late Han Dynasty.

He could only go up to play auxiliary role, and when Yuan Shang was using his troops, he hurried out to show his loyalty.

Gao Gan was overjoyed to have captured Huchuquan's 10,000 Xiongnu soldiers. He gathered an army of more than 30,000 people and launched a fierce attack on Zhong Yao.

Zhong Yao learned the news early.

They received accurate intelligence that Gao Gan had indeed allied with the Xiongnu Chanyu and wanted to capture the Hedong area.

The force was so powerful that it was impossible to stop it with only the soldiers Cao Cao left for Zhong Yao.

So everyone advised Zhong Yao to give up Hedong and leave.

Zhong Yao refused:

"The Yuan family was just getting stronger, and when Guo Yuan arrived, all the generals in Guanzhong secretly colluded with him."

"The reason why not all of them rebelled is probably because they care about my reputation."

"If you abandon it, you will show your weakness."

"The people in Hedong are all my enemies."

"Even if I want to go back, how can I get there?"

"This is a defeat before the battle even begins. I hope you will take note of this."

What Zhong Yao meant was that the people in Hedong were already wavering between the Yuan and Cao families.

The reason why there was no rebellion was because Zhong Yao was here to keep the situation under control.

Once Zhong Yao withdrew, the local residents would immediately rebel.

After losing the important strategic location of Hedong, Ma Teng and Han Sui, who had originally been on the sidelines, might also raise the price.

Therefore, Zhong Yao believed that retreat was absolutely not an option.

Seeing that Zhong Yao was unwilling to give up Hedong, everyone advised:
"Since you are unwilling to abandon Hedong, you should ask Cao Gong for reinforcements."

Zhong Yao still refused:
"Lord Cao's army is all at the front. If we divide our forces to defend it now, the front will inevitably get out of control."

Two pertinent proposals were rejected in a row.

So, everyone asked how they could withstand Gao Gan’s fierce attack without Cao Cao’s reinforcements.

Zhong Yao pondered for a while, then said to everyone:
"Earlier, Lord Cao appointed me as the Inspector of the Imperial Guards and ordered me to supervise the troops in Guanzhong."

"Now that Gao Gan's troops are invading, we should send troops from Guanzhong."

The Guanzhong troops naturally refer to the princes such as Ma Teng and Han Sui.

However, there were actually more than a dozen warlords in Guanzhong, and Ma Teng and Han Sui were the two largest ones.

Long before the Battle of Guandu began, in order to resolve the worries of Guanzhong.

At that time, Zhong Yao sent Zhang Ji to persuade the two to join the anti-Yuan alliance.

Ma Teng and Han Sui also agreed, and both sent their sons to the court in Chen.

But during the entire Battle of Guandu, Guanzhong remained in a state of inactivity.

Although this move aroused the dissatisfaction of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, it was not easy for him to remain neutral.

Today, the situation is much clearer than before.

Gao Gan is leading his troops to attack Hedong, and it is time for you, the Liangzhou warlords, to express your stance.

Therefore, Zhong Yao sent an envoy, Zhang Ji, to Liangzhou to explain the pros and cons to Ma Teng and Han Sui.

They hoped that he would send troops to help Henan defend against the attacks of high-ranking officials.

Not stated.

……

However, Ma Chao led an army of 10,000 and had been stationed in the Guanzhong area, threatening the flank of Bingzhou.

Although it was a military operation, no actual action was taken.

At that time, Ma Chao was 25 years old, in the prime of his youth and full of courage and strength.

During this period, he had been keeping a low profile in Guanzhong, paying close attention to the movements of the Hebei and Henan armies.

When battle reports were delivered to his desk one after another, Ma Chao was deeply shocked after reading them.

Gu said to the people around him:

"Henan Governor Li Yi, I heard he is two or three years older than me, but his achievements have far surpassed mine!"

Ma Chao was also a young man with great ambitions, and among his peers, he was already very outstanding.

As early as the age of sixteen, he followed his father into the army.

During the battle with Han Sui, Ma Chao, who was only sixteen years old, even had a duel with Han Sui's general Yan Xing.

In fact, the prototype of Xu Chu's naked fight with Ma Chao was this single challenge.

At that time, Yan Xing's spear was broken by Ma Chao.

However, it was not like in the novel, where Ma Chao and Xu Chu each held half of a broken spear and fought each other.

On the contrary, Yan Xing almost injured Ma Chao's neck with a broken spear and nearly killed Ma Chao.

This is actually more in line with common sense, because the moment a spear breaks, it is very easy to be scratched.

Ma Chao is still lucky.

This battle is quite famous in the Northwest region.

Ma Chao also became famous for his military achievements and could be called a child of destiny.

Among the younger generation, the truly outstanding ones are Sun Ce, Ma Chao, and Li Yi.

Sun Ce had been stabbed to death.

Ma Chao then secretly competed with Li Yi, the rising star.

Unexpectedly, after a few years, Ma Chao not only failed to widen the distance between him and Li Yi.

Instead, Li Yi overtook him on a curve and left him far behind.

Li Yi not only surpassed him in fame, but also in strength and power.

Everyone who has come into contact with Li Yi speaks highly of him.

He is said to have the talent to assist the king, comparable to Liu Hou.

While Ma Chao was dissatisfied, he was also full of curiosity about this talented man of the same age as him.

At this time, a minor official came over and bowed to Ma Chao and said:

"Major General, an envoy from Henan has arrived!"

"Henan has an envoy?"

Ma Chao raised his eyebrows and felt secretly surprised.

If Henan sent an envoy, it was simply to ask them to send troops to assist and cooperate.

But if we really want to send troops, we should send them to find his father or Han Sui.

Without the approval of these two big bosses, the warlords in Liangzhou would not dare to act rashly.

"…Which messenger is it?"

Ma Chao asked again.

Because Henan was home to two vassal states, the only one who could normally have contact with them in Guanzhong was Cao Cao's family.

But Ma Chao asked for some unknown reason which family it was, and it was not known whether he was longing to have contact with people from Xuzhou.

Ma Chao's eyes were filled with hope. Although he said nothing, he was feeling a little emotional inside.

The clerk began to speak:

"That person claimed to be from the imperial court, but judging from his accent, he sounded like a native of Jingchu."

From Jingchu?
This……

Ma Chao hesitated for a moment and said:
"… Well, call him over."

After a while, the messenger was invited in.

Ma Chao looked him up and down. He was a man of refined temperament and honest appearance. He was indeed a typical scholar from Jingchu.

"Pang Tong Pang Shiyuan, the senior official of the palace of Marquis Li Tan in Xuzhou, greets the Major General."

Pang Tong lifted his clothes and bowed to Ma Chao.

Ma Chao had never heard of Pang Tong, but when he heard him mention the three words "Li Tan Hou", he almost blurted out:

"Are you from Li Yi's house?"

Pang Tong was slightly displeased when he saw Ma Chao calling him by his name, but he remained calm and said:

"Exactly."

Ma Chao thought to himself that he had been secretly competing with Li Yi in the past few years.

But he himself had never had any contact with Li Yi, and Pang Tong clearly stated that he came on behalf of the court, not Xuzhou.

This is strange.

Pang Tong was Li Yi's secretary, and his arrival should have been to carry out Li Yi's will.

Is there another way?
Ma Chao then asked in a deep voice:

"What are you doing here?"

Pang Tong bowed and replied:
"I have received the imperial decree and have come to confer the title upon the general."

Ma Chao laughed loudly and said:

"Now my father is still in Longxi, and the imperial court has issued an edict, not to confer a title on my father first, but to confer a title on me first."

"Are you here to sow discord between my father and me, and make my father suspicious of me?"

Pang Tong is actually three years younger than Ma Chao.

He was ordered to go on a diplomatic mission, and it was actually the first time he met Ma Chao.

The first impression Ma Chao gave him was that he was arrogant, frivolous, and lacked stability.

"…Just as you expected, sir."

Pang Tong secretly admired Li Yi's evaluation of Ma Chao, which was indeed pertinent.

"I am not here to sow discord between the young general and the old general, but only to convey the emperor's will."

When Ma Chao heard this, he remembered that the court was now controlled by Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

The message he conveyed was probably the intention of Xuzhou.

But Ma Chao still couldn't understand why he came to see him alone.

"…The court, what do you want me to do?"

Ma Chao stared and asked in a deep voice.

Pang Tong took the opportunity to take out the imperial edict and said to Ma Chao:
"The court wants to appoint the general as the military commander of the Sili Commandery."

"I would like to ask the general to send troops to Bingzhou to cooperate with the imperial army to eliminate the bandits and support the Han Dynasty."

Ma Chao laughed when he heard this:

"Is this Li Yi's intention or Liu Bei's?"

Pang Tong was startled, then said calmly:
"Marquis Tan is my military advisor for Xuzhou, and General Liu is the ruler of Xuzhou."

"What Marquis Tan meant is what General Liu meant."

snort!
Ma Chao suddenly frowned and shouted sternly:

"I don't know that Li Yi is a man of many tricks and good at deceiving people."

"You must be here to lobby for Li Yi."

Pang Tong didn't know why Ma Chao was so hostile to Li Yi, but he still answered calmly:
"I'm here to lobby for Marquis Tan!"

Shine——

Ma Chao drew his sword, a layer of frost covered his face, and said coldly:
"The sword in my sheath has just been sharpened."

"Please try to explain it to me, if it doesn't make sense."

"Then please try your sword!"

After saying this, he slammed the sword heavily into the ground.

When Pang Tong saw this, he was not afraid, but instead he raised his head and laughed.

"……Hahaha."

"Why are you laughing?" Ma Chao asked with a frown.

"The general's misfortune is not far away!"

"But I am afraid that the newly sharpened sword cannot test my head, so I will try it myself!"

Ma Chao was shocked. He was just pretending to test Pang Tong's courage.

Seeing how confidently he spoke, I was actually a little frightened and asked hurriedly:

"What trouble have I got?"

Pang Tong analyzed for Ma Chao in an orderly manner:

“As the ancients said, those who follow the way will prosper, and those who go against the way will perish.”

"General Liu obeyed the emperor's order to put an end to the rebellion."

"Since Li Tanhou took charge of Xuzhou's political affairs, the country has been governed by laws and regulations."

"The whole army and the people are united in their mission."

"Those who have made contributions must be rewarded, and those who have made mistakes must be punished. This is the way of the world."

"The Yuan family disobeyed the king's orders and drove the barbarians to bully China."

"When you do great things, you cherish your life, and when you see small gains, you forget your life."

"Although their soldiers are strong, they have long lost the hearts of the people."

“This can be regarded as against morality.”

"Now that the general has a plan, we should seek a wise strategy."

"Sikong Cao and General Liu are both unhappy about the delay in advancing the troops, and they are going to hold someone accountable."

"It was Marquis Tan who mediated and asked me to come and advise the general."

"I hope the general can make a decision soon, otherwise he will be blamed and will be executed first!"

Ma Chao was shocked when he heard this, and thought that his decision to keep his troops here was just the wish of his father and uncle.

It's not like he was wavering, he was just following orders.

If Cao and Liu really want to settle the score, they should go find their father and Han Sui.

Why are you looking for me to settle the score?
Pang Tong continued:

"The general has a large army in Guanzhong and has the power to act at his own discretion."

"Now, after a long wait, the person that Sikong Cao and General Liu are holding accountable should be the general."

This……

Ma Chao was indeed frightened by Pang Tong's words.

You have to know that Yuan Shao was the number one prince in the world, but even he was defeated by the Henan coalition forces.

If Henan really sends troops to attack Guanzhong, how can he hold out on the front line?
Ma Chao invited Pang Tong to take the seat and apologized:

"Your words are very good. I was just joking. Please don't be offended."

"I am very willing to follow your words and listen to your wise instructions."

Pang Tong carefully analyzed for Ma Chao:
“…A wise man turns misfortune into fortune.”

"Henan is now in a protracted battle with Yuan. We cannot advance into Henan anytime soon."

"It is because Guo Yuan alone controls Hedong, and Gao Gan leads the people of Bingzhou."

"Hedong is connected to Guanzhong. Henan wants to advance into Hebei, so it should first control Hedong."

"If the general can lead his troops and horses, he will be dispatched immediately to cooperate with the court."

"It would cut off Yuan's arm and relieve the local emergency."

"Sikong Cao and General Liu will certainly respect you for your virtue."

"The general is no longer bound by any constraints. You can make your own choice!"

Ma Chao's heart moved slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, he still bowed and said:
"I will first inform my father and then advance."

Pang Tong advised:

"It's a long way from here to Longxi. It would take at least a month to go back and forth. This would greatly delay the opportunity to fight."

"General, since you are already leading your troops outside, have you not heard that you may not obey the king's orders?"

"We should dispatch troops immediately without any hesitation."

Ma Chao thought to himself that Pang Tong was so anxious to persuade him to send troops in order to attack the Yuan family, and there was nothing wrong with that.

But why was it Pang Tong?
You should know that Xuzhou is separated from Guanzhong by Yanzhou.

Even if Cao and Liu are allies, we should persuade them to send troops to Guanzhong.

Shouldn’t it be Cao Cao who sent people?
Why did Xuzhou send people instead?

"You have come here to urge me to send troops immediately."

"If I take control of Bingzhou, what will happen to Xuzhou?"

Ma Chao finally found the highlight.

The Cao-Liu alliance was essentially intended to strike at the Yuan family.

If Yuan Shao was really defeated, Cao and Liu would definitely divide Hebei together.

As for how to divide it, the richest Jizhou will definitely be shared by the two families.

Qingzhou must belong to Liu Bei, and Bingzhou must belong to Cao Cao.

Because from a geographical point of view, it is impossible for the two families to extend their influence to the opposite states and counties.

In particular, Cao Cao's Taishan County in Yanzhou was ceded to Xuzhou, so Cao Cao's connection with Qingzhou was completely cut off.

Then, apart from Jizhou, Cao Cao could only take the relatively poor Bingzhou.

Now Pang Tong, who came on behalf of Xuzhou, came to me alone and asked me to send troops to Bingzhou.

Could it be that you want to...?
"Do you want me to return to Liu Bei?"

Ma Chao asked in a deep voice.

Pang Tong replied:

"General Liu will be able to accomplish great things if he respects the wise and humbles himself."

"General, since you have great ambitions, if you can make an agreement with General Liu to fight against the enemy."

"Then you will achieve success and fame, which cannot be recorded in books or silk!"

Hahaha……

Ma Chao laughed loudly and said:

"My family is doing well in Guanzhong, so General Liu doesn't need to worry about it."

Ma Chao decisively rejected the olive branch thrown by Pang Tong.

Ever since Han Sui killed Ma Teng's legitimate son, Ma Chao has been the first heir to the Ma family.

This means that Ma Teng’s Xiliang heritage will sooner or later belong to Ma Chao.

Having soldiers and power is the way to survive in this chaotic world.

Why did Ma Chao go to join Liu Bei?
Pang Tong knew that Ma Chao would say this, so he said:
"I am not here to make you submit to General Liu."

"Instead, we agreed to work together, General, and Lord Xuande!"

Working together...

Ma Chao narrowed his eyes, implying that he should form an alliance with Liu Bei.

If it's just an alliance, then we can still discuss it.

"My father may not accept this proposal."

Ma Chao explained the reason to Pang Tong.

When Zhong Yao conquered Guanzhong, Ma Teng and Han Sui both sent hostages to Cao Cao.

When the relationship between Cao and Liu breaks down, Ma Teng will definitely stand more on Cao Cao's side.

Not to mention the hostages, the resources Cao Cao invested in Guanzhong alone were far beyond what Liu Bei could compare to.

After all, Cao Cao was not a fool. He knew that Guanzhong was like his left arm and he could not be careless.

That is why Ma Chao asserted that Ma Teng would definitely not agree to form an alliance with Liu Bei.

"I am here on the orders of Marquis Tan, for the general!"

There was a flash of touch in Pang Tong's eyes, but then he restrained his expression.

Ma Chao was startled and asked hurriedly:

"What do you mean by that, sir?"

Pang Tong lowered his eyes and whispered to Ma Chao:

"Before the Marquis of Tan came, he praised the general for his ability in both civil and military affairs, his extraordinary bravery, and his outstanding talent of the time."

"Liangdi cannot display the general's talents. If the general is willing to start an uprising in Bingzhou."

"The Marquis of Tan is willing to devote the whole country's strength to help the general gain momentum."

hiss……

Ma Chao took a breath of cold air.

Isn't Li Yi's intention to let him break away from Ma Teng and run to Bingzhou to establish his own regime?
Li Yi also promised that he would mobilize the whole country to support him.

Don’t think that Ma Chao is already Ma Teng’s first-line successor.

But there were actually more than a dozen princes in Guanzhong, and Han Sui's power was also considerable.

Not to mention when Ma Chao will be able to inherit Ma Teng's legacy, even if he does, he will still need to work with these Guanzhong generals.

But if he went to Bingzhou, he, Ma Chao, would be an absolute "local emperor."

only……

It takes a lot of courage to leave your hometown and go to a place where you are unfamiliar with the environment.

Ma Chao was very famous in Guanzhong and Longxi, and the local soldiers and civilians respected him.

If he could take over Ma Teng's military power and manage it well for a few years, he would have a chance to achieve success in his hometown.

Li Yi now gave him a completely difficult choice.

He wanted to go to Bingzhou to be a local emperor, but he was unfamiliar with the place and there was a high possibility of failure, or even becoming a pawn in the struggle for supremacy between Cao and Liu.

It is better to stay in Liangzhou and take every step carefully, but the time for him to take power will definitely not be faster than going to Bingzhou.

After all, if Ma Chao didn't stand from a God's perspective, he wouldn't have known that Ma Teng would later go to the capital to become an official.

Pang Tong's words were still ringing in my ears.

"Li Tanhou is known for his integrity and never breaks his promise to anyone."

"Since I have made a promise to the general, I will never break it."

The image of Ma Chao in the novel is very different from his historical image.

When we mention Ma Chao in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, we are referring to Jin Ma Chao, the mighty general who raised an army to avenge his father.

When talking about history, Ma Chao is the first man in the Three Kingdoms period who killed his father and was a truly filial son.

It is true that Ma Chao cheated his father.
However, if we really look at it from Ma Chao's perspective, it is actually understandable that he started a rebellion.

Because Cao Cao wanted to send troops directly across Liang Province to attack Hanzhong.

This is already like shitting on the heads of warlords like Ma Chao.

Let’s not talk about whether Cao Cao might have used the opportunity to destroy Guo and remove Ma Chao’s military power.

The question is, if you have soldiers and guns, can you tolerate others ignoring your sovereignty and passing through your territory at will?

Some people say that Cao Cao fought with Ma Chao for a year and did not kill Ma Teng, which gave Ma Chao a chance to repent.

Ma Chao did not cherish it.

But is there a possibility that Cao Cao did not dare to kill Ma Teng because Ma Chao posed a threat?

After Cao Cao defeated Ma Chao, he immediately killed Ma Teng.

Ma Chao was certainly not a very filial son, but it was also unreasonable to put all the blame for Ma Teng's death on him.

Ma Chao is a capable and ambitious person.

The current situation in Guanzhong is so dire that there is no end in sight.

Now suddenly the most powerful man in the world tells you that he is willing to fully support you in going to Bingzhou and becoming a local emperor.

Even though you know it may be a trap, few people can resist jumping into it.

After thinking for a long time, Ma Chao walked up to Pang Tong and said:
"Xuzhou wants me to send troops to Hedong, and I am willing to do so."

"But I have one condition!"

……

(End of this chapter)