"Lord, although you value Liu Bei, in Liu Bei's eyes, you don't seem to have the idea of beating the Ma family." After Duanmu Ruoyu listened to Ma Chao's plan, he couldn't help but shake his head lightly and said: "After Liu Bei became the pastor of Xuzhou, in order to ensure that Xuzhou would always be in his hands in the future, he did carry out a series of diplomatic tricks. It's just ........"

"It's just that the Ma family wasn't included in the list?" Ma Chao chuckled after hearing this, and immediately wanted to explain, but after thinking for a while, he still spoke: "Then in order to ensure that Xuzhou is in his hands today, tomorrow and forever, what diplomatic activities did Liu Bei carry out to consolidate his power?" ”

"The first step is to recommend Kong Rong as the Thorn History of Qingzhou." Duanmu Ruoyu pointed to the Beihai place on the sand table simulation map, and said succinctly.

"Well, this is expected, it belongs to Liu Bei's reciprocation."

As a pastor of Yongzhou, Ma Chao naturally knew that after the Han officials became the state pastor, they had the power to recommend and appoint senior local cadres. And his debut with this power, he recommended his newly met good friend Beihai Xiang Kong Rong to be promoted to the post of Qingzhou Assassin, on the one hand, to further strengthen the deep revolutionary friendship with Comrade Kong Rong, and on the other hand, to ensure that Qingzhou, the gateway to the north of Xuzhou, is in his own hands, so that he can sleep soundly at night.

In the troubled times of the Three Kingdoms, sleeping soundly is destined to be a luxury for many people. And Liu Bei did this first, which is indeed very understandable. Therefore, what Ma Chao is waiting for is the 'second step' in Duanmu Ruoyu's mouth. Because he knows that the best is usually behind.

Sure enough, Duanmu Ruoyu saw Ma Chao's lack of interest, shook his hand, pointed to the Jizhou piece again, drew a circle, circled Yuan Shao's range, and said: "Liu Bei's second step is to send someone to Yecheng to meet Yuan Shao, and also bring a request form for the alliance alliance. ”

At this time, Yuan Shao had already taken the initiative in the war against Gongsun Zhan, and his strength was further enhanced. Hugging the thighs is about hugging the thick, everyone knows this. Liu Bei's decision to take refuge in the leading brother is understandable. It is estimated that the invitation form brought with him was to report to Yuan Shao the causes and consequences of Liu Bei's succession as Xuzhou pastor, and by the way, he expressed his desire to strengthen contacts with Yuan Shao, cultivate feelings, and establish revolutionary friendship in order to help each other.

Although Liu Bei worked for Gongsun Zan for a long time against Yuan Shao, except for those who had their heads in water, everyone understood that there were no eternal friends and no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. Especially in troubled times, making an extra friend is at least one less enemy, and if this friend can still help at a critical moment, it will really make a lot of money.

However, according to Ma Chao's opinion, whether Yuan Shao will agree to Liu Bei is still two words. After all, Ma Chao and Yuan Shao have no intersection, and judging from the historical commentary, Yuan Shao doesn't dare to say much, but he is definitely arrogant. What's more, Liu Bei showed the virtue of having milk is a mother in a blink of an eye, Ma Chao estimated that Liu Bei was in Yuan Shao's place, even if he could please him, but it was inevitable to be ridiculed.

But to Ma Chao's surprise, Duanmu Ruoyu actually said that Yuan Shao readily accepted Liu Bei's invitation, and immediately expressed his support for Liu Bei to take over as Xuzhou pastor, and even said to the messenger sent by Liu Bei: "Liu Xuande Hongya has faithfulness, and now the people of Xuzhou are willing to support him, that is what everyone expects, a good thing, I Yuan raised my hands in favor." ”

Since then, Liu Bei has become the little brother of Yuan Shao's side. At this time, Yuan Shao was busy expanding to Youzhou to get Gongsun Zhan, and Cao Cao was still cleaning up Lu Bu to stabilize the Yanzhou base. Coupled with this layer of alliance, Liu Bei can not worry about the two of them getting along with him for the time being.

However, if Liu Bei doesn't come to Ma Chao, Ma Chao won't necessarily let Liu Bei go. Because Liu Bei can also see that the Ma family whip is beyond his reach, and he has no substantial connection with himself.

"Yuan Shao really impressed me this time. At present, the alliance with Liu Bei is really a sure deal. But in this transaction, our Ma family also has to get involved. Ma Chao also stretched out his hand, pointed to Yuan Shu and Cao Cao on the map, and said: "No matter what, Liu Bei is afraid that Cao Cao will trouble him after he turns over." Yuan Shu in the south may come to him at any time. And we have a small grudge with Cao Cao and Yuan Shu, and the enemy of the enemy is a friend. Especially Liu Bei, a friend, is still holding my two friends........."

Ma Chao said inscrutablely, Duanmu Ruoyu and Diao Chan both knew that the 'two friends' in Ma Chao's mouth were Zhao Yun and Tai Shici.

"The younger brother has always taken refuge in the eldest brother, and he needs to show sincerity. And if the eldest brother goes to find the younger brother in person, then Liu Bei doesn't know the current affairs, so he has to mean it, right? Thinking that Zhao Yun, who had been gone for more than half a year, had not returned with Tai Shici, Ma Chao was also a little jealous of Liu Bei's ability to employ people: "I want to go to Xuzhou to see what kind of ecstasy soup Liu Bei poured into Zilong, so that Zilong still did not return for more than half a year!" ”

"Since the husband has these meanings, but the husband's trip to Xuzhou must be decided....... "Diao Chan brushed up, Ma Chao went to Xuzhou, which has political significance, as well as the matter of Zilong Ziyi, and the shackles of official hats and chairs. Such three layers are enough to move Ma Chao, the hussar general, to go there in person.

But Ma Chao entered Xuzhou so blatantly, but the route was difficult to decide: if you choose the shortest distance of two points and one line, not to mention Yanzhou, which has walked through the war and riots in the middle, Cao Cao in the east is likely to take the opportunity to destroy Ma Chao; can take Yuzhou, not to mention the dangerous road, but also through Yuan Shu's territory; From Jizhou, you have to cross the river at least twice, which is too long. And Yuan Shao has always been worried about the Ma family's detention of Tian Feng........

It can be said that Ma Chao is now multiplied, and his every move can affect the situation in the Han Dynasty. Therefore, forming an alliance with Liu Bei seems simple, but if Ma Chao goes in person, it will be a bit too outrageous.

Diao Chan and Duanmu Ruoyu looked at the sand table simulation for a long time, but they didn't find a safe route. But Ma Chao was a little unimpressed by this, and sneered beside the two girls: "Who said that I want to go to Xuzhou openly?" Turning into a guard and moving forward with the Ma family's rite department, do those princes dare not give the Ma family a face? ”

"Husband, although this plan works........." After pondering for a moment, Diao Chan still agreed with Ma Chao's method. However, she was still worried: "The matter of the backyard, the concubine can explain it to her aunt and sisters. But above the court, the civil and military cadres must not agree to the husband to go to Xuzhou. ”

After Ma Chao heard this, the hope on his face collapsed: Yes, now that the Ma family's power is getting bigger and bigger, the more scruples and constraints Ma Chao has. When he first entered Chang'an, Ma Chao was opposed by a lot of civil and military forces, and if it weren't for Jia Laohu's support, it would be difficult for him to make the trip.

And now it is not as good as it was at the beginning, even if Jia Fox still supports it this time, but Ma Chao can't say anything about the official hat chair and the locust plague in Yanzhou this year. And without these two points as a basis, even if it is Jia Fox, it is only possible to think that his brain is in water, right?

"It seems that I still need to find a reason to coax the group of foxes in the Ma family........." Ma Chao scratched his head in annoyance, to tell the truth, he was really uncomfortable: "How high does it take to fool those foxes!" ”

However, when Ma Chao saw the information that Liu Xie had also appointed Liu Bei, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he immediately had a vague plan in his mind: "Rich and handsome brother, it seems that buddy is going to let you be a-stirring stick again this time......."