The Three Kingdoms: Rise to Power Starting with Intercepting Liu Bei

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Xue and Fang exchanged a glance, and then the latter slowly said:

"Zhuge Liang's trip to the Xiongnu alliance is not surprising to us, after all, we have deployed a large force in the three provinces of Ji, You and Bing, which includes tens of thousands of cavalry."

They can't cause much trouble, so we're not in a hurry!

This wasn't Fang Xuanling exaggerating; it was something Qin Xuan himself assured them.

At the time, the anti-Qin coalition was a formidable force, and Xue and Fang were worried that the northern nomadic tribes would take advantage of the chaos to plunder the Central Plains. They advised Qin Xuan to send more local troops from Xuzhou to defend the north and relieve the strategic pressure on the three provinces.

However, Qin Xuan rejected this suggestion on the spot. As for the reason? It's very simple!

Yue Fei's army could easily deal with those nomadic tribes, without needing to transfer troops from other places and increase logistical pressure.

Xue and Fang were stunned. Was this newly established field army so arrogant?

Qin Xuan noticed their expressions but didn't say anything, after all, Yue Fei's army was all produced by the system.

The Beiwei Army was a famous and powerful army in the Southern Song Dynasty. If it were placed in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, wouldn't it be a complete dimensional reduction attack?

With Yue Fei and other military generals added to the mix, how much of a threat could those nomadic tribes pose?

Seventy thousand men are enough!

"..."

Seeing that Xue and Fang were unmoved, Sima Yi was extremely anxious. If they didn't take the bait, how could he continue?

Then wasn't this trip a waste?

With his mind racing, Sima Yi quickly came up with a solution.

The reason these two remained unmoved was simply because the benefits hadn't been offered yet.

If the benefits are right, how could they remain indifferent?

"My lords, what conditions would make you take this matter seriously?"

Sima Yi also revealed his trump card: if they still didn't respond, he would leave immediately without asking any more questions.

Seeing Sima Yi's gritted teeth, Xue and Fang immediately understood his attitude and stopped their veiled attacks. Fang Xuanling then made the request:

"If you want us to take action, you must issue a decree ordering the entire world to withdraw from the anti-Qin alliance. Only then can we act as agreed. Otherwise, it is absolutely impossible!"

Upon hearing this request, Sima Yi was instantly dumbfounded.

He never expected that the other party's request would be both simple and difficult; Cao Cao might not be able to agree to it!

Think about it, how long has it been? Cao Cao is about to issue an edict to the whole country to openly withdraw from the anti-Qin alliance. Doesn't this show that the internal conflicts between them have been going on for a long time and that the two sides have officially broken off relations?

If this requirement were implemented, Cao Cao would lose the trust of the other warlords, and who would dare to form an alliance with him in the future?

This plan is undeniably ruthless!

"My lords, isn't this... a bit... a little...? Could we change the terms?"

Sima Yi gave an awkward smile. He still wanted to try his best, but if he settled on this condition, Cao Cao would definitely not let him off easily.

"No, we only have this one condition!"

Fang Xuanling refused Sima Yi's request without even thinking about it.

For them, nothing is better than this. They have no shortage of money, food, or territory. If they could use this condition to cause Cao Cao and Liu Bei to fight each other, that would be a huge win.

"I need to consult my lord before I can give you an answer!"

Seeing that the two were so insistent, Sima Yi had no choice but to leave the final decision to Cao Cao, as he himself could not make the decision.

"Go ahead!"

Sima Yi left with a bitter expression.

Xue and Fang looked at each other's lonely figures, and smiles appeared on their faces simultaneously.

They soon put it out of their minds, after all, they had many important military and political matters to attend to.

············

Just as Sima Yi was nervously sending a letter to Cao Cao, who was far away in Chang'an, Cheng Yu, escorted by guards, arrived in the Xiliang region.

Anding Prefecture, Linjing.

The main force of the Xiliang army led by Han Sui was stationed here, numbering as many as 30,000.

Among them were 10,000 of Ma Teng's former troops. When Ma Teng led his army to aid Cao Cao, he did not take all his men with him, but left 10,000 to guard against Han Sui.

The relationship between Ma Teng and Han Sui was not particularly close; they were merely allies, at best relatively strong.

After Ma Teng's death, Han Sui went to great lengths to securely annex the 10,000-strong army.

They amassed troops on the border under the pretext of avenging the Ma family, which was quite intimidating, but they did not take any actual action.

That day, Han Sui was drinking in the county government office, thinking about how to proceed next. After all, if a large-scale conflict were to break out with Cao Cao, both sides would suffer heavy losses. However, he also wanted to get those 10,000 former subordinates of Ma Teng to surrender willingly. He couldn't do without making some noise.

This greatly troubled Han Sui!

Just then, a guard rushed in, panting, and reported:

"General, our men apprehended a group of suspicious individuals while patrolling outside the city. The leader says he has urgent business to discuss with you!"

"Hmm? You want to see me?"

It was truly strange that someone would come looking for him at this time.

Driven by curiosity, Han Sui had the visitor brought to him, wanting to see who it was.

A short while later, a middle-aged man dressed in coarse cloth and with an elegant demeanor entered, led by a guard.

"Greetings, General!"

The man didn't register his name; he simply bowed and waited for Han Sui to ask him questions.

"Who are you? This general has never seen you before!"

Han Sui exhaled a strong smell of alcohol, his eyes darting around as he looked the middle-aged man in front of him up and down.

"My name is Cheng Yu, and I am an envoy sent by Lord Cao. I have important matters to discuss with the general!"

After the guards left, Cheng Yu revealed his identity.

"What? You were sent by Cao Cao?"

Upon hearing that the person before him was sent by Cao Cao, Han Sui sobered up completely. He suddenly stood up from the table, staring fiercely at Cheng Yu like a bloodthirsty beast.

"How dare you come here? Aren't you afraid I'll have you killed?"

Han Sui couldn't understand why Cao Cao would dare to send someone to his door when both sides were now stationed on the border and a conflict was imminent.

Despite Han Sui's threatening words, Cheng Yu showed no fear. He looked up and met Han Sui's gaze, speaking in a very amiable tone:

"I have the confidence to come and pay you this visit. Wait until I've finished speaking before you consider whether to have me executed!"

"Good, you have guts!" Han Sui laughed, wanting to hear what gave the other party the confidence to speak so recklessly.

Cheng Yu then recounted in detail how Liu Bei had sent people to persuade the Xiongnu and other tribes, emphasizing the threat this action posed to Liangzhou. He then explained that Cao Cao wanted to use this opportunity to ease tensions between the two sides.

Finally, Cheng Yu added:

"General, the alliance between you and Ma Teng is not static. Times are changing. Now that Ma Teng and his sons are dead, you no longer need to take a tougher stance. It's time to back down."

How long can your logistical reserves last?

These words were like a thorn piercing Han Sui's heart, especially the last sentence, which made Han Sui unable to hold back any longer.

In order to garrison troops on the border to avenge Ma Teng, Han Sui spared no expense, using all of his grain reserves on this task, which was quite an effort.

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