Winter is really coming, Ma Chao reached out and took a few charcoal sticks and threw them into the furnace, rubbed his hands on the rising flames, and felt that the temperature in the room had risen slightly.

At this time, his face was a little excited, after all, he never thought that Duanmu Ruoyu, who came out of the rivers and lakes again, would inadvertently smell the clues of Gongsun Zhan, so that Yuan Shao intercepted Gongsun Zhan's secret letter. As a result, under the overall planning of Chang'an, Gongsun Zhan's entire power completely collapsed.

After that, Ma Chao's plan was completely revealed, and the situation became more obvious - Yuan Shao had already written a letter in black and white to crusade against Cao Cao - it can be expected that the famous battle of Guandu in history will be staged in advance.

Of course, this big battle will not be interpreted like history, but what Ma Chao needs is chaos on the Kanto side.

In addition, there is also good news from Hanzhong: Gan Ning and Zang Ba are really worthy of being robbers, and they are handy in using those bandits, and overnight, the two destroyed four Majia exchanges and burned the 'materials' inside. Moreover, when the Ma family investigated later, they also found the fragments of Zhang Lu's ghost's standard blades and the scraps of Jizhou's clothes and silk with great difficulty.

Soon, Qin Yu of the Ma Family Rite Department brought these two 'evidences' into Hanzhong to question Zhang Lu. And Zhang Lu faced the 'ironclad evidence', and he didn't know how to answer - he had attacked the Ma family exchange twice, once in the Dong Zhuo era, under the instruction of Li Ru, to attack the Ma family; Another time, under the bewitchment of Cao Cao, he participated in the Liangzhou turmoil.

And this time, everyone in the world saw that Ma Chao and Yuan Shao tore their faces. However, the Ma family's exchange was destroyed by a group of bandits during such a sensitive period, and evidence of collusion between Zhang Lu and Yuan Shao was also discovered. Such an incident made Qin Yu scold Zhang Lu for being ungrateful and ambitious in the Hanzhong Palace!

After that, the Ma family immediately cut off trade with Zhang Lu and transferred Han Feng and others back to Chang'an. At the same time, the Ma family's army was frequently mobilized, and on the border of Hanzhong, 50,000 elite soldiers of the Ma family were concentrated, eyeing each other.

In the face of the flying disaster, Zhang Lu was helpless, so he had to deploy troops to strictly guard the pass. However, just when the war between the two families was about to break out, the Ma family's subsequent behavior was very strange, and they did not make any offensive temptations except for strict defense. This point made the hearts of everyone in Hanzhong gradually fall back into their stomachs.

However, all this was just the beginning, after losing the economic support of the Ma family, Zhang Lu was stunned to find that he could not find charcoal for heating in winter, and the food he ate returned to its previous bitter and astringent taste. What's more serious is that after losing the Ma family's cheap sweater, Zhang Lu found that this winter was extremely cold.

However, this is only Zhang Lu's life predicament, and the recent turmoil in the entire Hanzhong has made Zhang Lucao's heart broken and his brows white: those people in Hanzhong who grow tea, tangerines and raise livestock cannot receive money for the winter because of the Ma family's broken business. They had to go to the post house to get food for the winter, because they knew that there was a warm charcoal fire and plenty of food.

However, under the economic infiltration of the Ma family, Zhang Lu's set of faith management has been deducted by insatiable middle and lower-level officials such as ghost pawns, sacrificial wine, and head management, and the heating, food, and money of this post house have been embezzled. After the people of Hanzhong were deprived of food and clothing, several protests broke out immediately. Many believers smashed the post house and burned Zhang Lu's portrait. In particular, Du Hao, Pu Hu, Yuan Yue, and others, the leaders of the Bayi ethnic minorities who had previously supported Zhang Lu, betrayed the Wudoumi Sect one after another, and ceded land and stood on their own under Zhang Lu's rule.

For a time, under the entire rule of Zhang Lu, the turmoil surged, and the contradictions between the rulers and the believers intensified to the extreme. The power of faith is gone, and only repression and massacre have become the main theme of this winter. At the same time, in the turmoil, another force also emerged, that is, the people who openly opposed Zhang Lu and took refuge in the Ma family.

Although he has severed diplomatic relations with Zhang Lu, Ma Chao is gladly welcomed by the people of Hanzhong who fled into Yongzhou and Sili, and there are food, clothing, and guards along the way. Due to the population war, several small-scale battles finally broke out between the two families, and of course, the Ma family army generally won more than lost.

Zhang Lu's reign was as fierce and cold as this winter. But the more this happened, the more people knew that sooner or later winter would pass, and the foundation of Zhang Lu's rule would melt and crumble.

"I didn't expect that the turmoil under Zhang Lu would be like a wildfire burning the prairie and out of control. From this point of view, it is difficult to say whether Comrade Zhang Lu can survive this winter. Ma Chao looked at Hanzhong, which was already densely planted with a small red flag representing the rebellion, and couldn't help but shake his head slightly, mourning for Zhang Lu.

"The first news from Xuzhou also came, according to Mi Mi, Liu Bei has received Yuan Shao's secret letter. It seems that this winter, he will be vigorous, and when the weather warms up next year, he will plot against Yanzhou with Yuan Shao. Diao Chan took out a letter, shook it in front of Ma Chao's eyes, and deliberately let Ma Chao see the juanxiu font on it and said: "And in addition, there is also a affectionate lovesick letter, which makes the concubines a little can't help crying........"

"Liu Bei is a good plan, does he really think that with Yuan Shao's support, Yuan Shu will not move his Xuzhou?" Ma Chao didn't seem to care about Mi Mi's letter at all, but sneered and said: "The news from Sun Ce's side in Jiangdong, although we are lagging behind, I guess that it is estimated that Sun Ce will soon unify Jiangdong, and Liu Biao has Sun Ce's containment, and Yuan Shu will attack Xuzhou as soon as possible." Liu Bei, you really know how to choose a master........"

"Perhaps, he thinks that Yuan Shao, who started directly, should communicate better than Feng Xiangong, who we supported at the beginning." Diao Chan's mind was aroused by Ma Chao, and he frowned lightly and said.

At this time, Ma Chao turned around lightly and pulled out the letter in Diao Chan's hand: "I understand you, you are not the kind of woman who asks for trouble, and you will not read this letter privately." Sure enough, the envelope was untouched, apparently unopened.

And Diao Chan saw Ma Chao like this, and couldn't help but be unhappy for a while. But before this emotion could rise, she saw that Ma Chao actually threw the letter directly into the furnace. The fire rose from the furnace, and soon licked the letter to ashes: "I, like you, am a man who does not trouble myself. I have a sense of proportion. ”

The room suddenly fell into an awkward silence. In the face of Ma Chao's approach, Diao Chan didn't know whether to be gentle and relieved, or to smile. For a while, the two avoided eye contact with each other, as if they didn't want to be seen through by each other.

However, at this time, the door was suddenly opened, and the cold air suddenly penetrated, Ma Chao couldn't help but protect the pregnant Diao Chan, and when he turned his head and was about to reprimand the person who came, he found that the person was actually Lu Qiling, who had not been seen for a long time! And her face was full of fanatical surprise, and her whole body trembled slightly because of excitement.

"Ling'er, what's the important thing that makes you like this?" Ma Chao frowned, glanced at Lu Qiling carefully, and continued: "Speak slowly, don't worry. ”

"Husband, go to the backyard and have a look! .......Father, Father is back!!" ”

"Lu Bu?!"

"Feng Xiangong?!"

Ma Chao and Diao Chan glanced at each other suddenly, and they both saw the incredulity in each other's eyes. Subsequently, Ma Chao, who reacted, also knew that he couldn't ask anything from Lu Qiling, who was excited at this time. rushed out with a dodge directly, and at the same time said: "Inform Zhang Liao and Gao Shun to come together, as for Zang Ba, who is still in Tianshui County, notify you with an urgent flying letter!" ”

Diao Chan nodded stunnedly, and suddenly for a moment, she also wanted to take another look at the man who had a bit of fate with her in Chang'an, and wanted to know how he came back from the dead? ……..