Chapter 10 won the Central Plains 48th July Shang, Guanzhong, Jingzhaoyin, Zheng County. Zhu Ling was unwell because of the occasional cold, so he left the army and went to Zheng County to transport grain and grass to the front line.

After Gao Gan led the army across the river to Zhengbaiqu, he told Zhu Ling in a letter that the army would launch an attack early this morning, and asked Zhu Ling to prepare grain, grass and ordnance so that it could be sent to the Zhengbaiqu battlefield at any time.

But since this letter, Zhu Ling has not received any news from Gao Gan for a whole day. Zhu Ling was very uneasy, and sent people to Qingge Ferry overnight to investigate the situation.

In the early morning of the next day, the scouts reported that all roads from Qingge Ferry to the Zhengbaiqu battlefield were blocked by the Northern Xinjiang Army, and it was impossible to get in touch with the front-line army.

Zhu Ling was taken aback, and immediately realized that the Northern Xinjiang Army had taken control of the Zhengbaiqu battlefield, and the front-line army was more than lucky.

He hurriedly ordered to stop the delivery of grain and grass to Qingge Ferry, and urgently wrote to the Xinfeng camp to inquire about the situation of the Xiliang army.

It was already noon when Zhu Ling arrived at Qingge Ferry, and he saw a shocking scene. The Northern Xinjiang army appeared on the north bank of the Weishui River, and in the flags flying in the sky, he clearly saw the battle flags of Liyi, Yan Rou, Zhang He, and Gao Lan.

Zhu Ling was dumbfounded, his body trembled, and the strong feeling of suffocation made him almost unable to breathe. The vanguard army in the north launched a river-crossing attack.

All the way to seize the bridge under the cover of the sailor's arrow array, all the way to the dozens of warships to break the waves. Zhu Ling ordered to abandon the grain and grass hoarded at the Qingge Ferry, and hurriedly evacuated Zheng County with 800 soldiers and more than 20,000 people.

Before leaving Qingge Ferry, Zhu Ling once again wrote to Xinfeng Battalion that the Northern Xinjiang Army had occupied Qingge Ferry, and I had withdrawn back to Zheng County, please tell me the battle situation of Zhengbaiqu as soon as possible, and ask Lord Gao Gan to contact me quickly.

Zhu Ling returned to Zheng County worriedly and immediately wrote to Luoyang, but when he picked up the pen, he found that he did not have any definite news about the battle of Zheng Baiqu, and he had no way to write.

Although the Northern Xinjiang Army appeared at the Qingge Ferry, and Gao Gan also lost contact with him, these two points alone could not prove that the coalition forces had been defeated.

Zhu Ling hesitated for a long time, but still put down the pen and decided to wait any longer. He urgently told Gao Rou, who was stationed at Tongguan, and asked him to pay close attention to the movements in the direction of Fenglingdu.

If the Northern Xinjiang Army defeated the allied forces at Zhengbaiqu, they would attack Chang'an next, and the Northern Xinjiang Army in the east of the river would inevitably take the opportunity to attack Guanxi to contain the forces of the Yuan army and avoid their main force falling into the predicament of being attacked on the back.

At this moment, the Xiliang Army of the Xinfeng battalion had already received an order to urgently withdraw from Chang'an City. The captain of the garrison arranged for the soldiers and the soldiers and civilians to urgently carry the grain and grass and withdraw to Chang'an, and at the same time replied to Zhu Ling, we are being ordered to withdraw to Chang'an, and the battle situation of Zheng Baiqu is not clear, if there is the latest news, we must report it quickly.

The messenger took the letter and hurried back to Zheng County by small road. After reading this letter, Zhu Ling was very disappointed, so he had to report it truthfully to Yuan Shao in Luoyang.

Judging from the various signs known so far, the battle of Zheng Baiqu may be lost. Han Sui and Gao Gan may have led their troops to retreat to Chang'an.

In the roaring horn of the iron cavalry in the northern Xinjiang, Zhu Ling quickly withdrew to Huayin City with a thousand men and horses, tens of thousands of people and a large amount of grain and grass.

After leading his army across the Weishui River, he occupied both Zhengxian and Xinfeng. After entering Xinfeng City, he immediately ordered Yang Ming to rush to Duling with iron cavalry to cut off the connection between Chang'an and Nanyang.

He Feng led the army to follow up, and after the two armies met, they went south along the Danshui River to Shangluo and Shangcheng to occupy Wuguan.

Zhang He and Gao Lan led the army to attack and kill Huayin. Yang Feng and Zhang Baicai led the army to follow, and the two armies immediately attacked Tongguan after they met.

On the beginning of July, Chang'an. The Xiliang army withdrew to the south bank of Weiqiao and stopped. Xu Rong, Huangfu Li, and Duan Xuan rushed to the north bank of Weiqiao with 5,000 men and horses and set up camp.

Xu Rong told Han Sui that the iron cavalry of Pang De, Wei Jun, and Nie Xiao had now returned to the area of Wugong and Yicheng from the direction of Meiyang, cutting off the retreat of the Xiliang army.

Yang Feng is attacking Tongguan with a large army, Yang Ming has galloped through Wuguan with iron cavalry, and the road for Yuan Shao's reinforcements to enter Guanzhong has been blocked.

At this moment, the Xiliang army had no reinforcements outside, no food and grass inside, and it was completely in a desperate situation. If the gentleman held the city, the consequences can be imagined, but if the gentleman is willing to sit down and talk to us, things will turn around.

The next day, Ma Chao and Ling Ru rushed to the camp of the Northern Xinjiang Army with ten personal guards and Pegasus. After Huang Fu Li saw Ling Ru, he sneered: "Mr. Wenyue has finally got his wish this time, what else do you have to say?" Ling Ru's expression was gloomy, and he bowed his head and said nothing.

Ma Chao came because of multiple injuries, barely supported, his face was extremely ugly, and when he heard Huangfu Li's rebuke, his eyes turned red, and he said in a low voice: "Sir...... Already...... Already killed. Xu Rong's face changed suddenly, and he exclaimed in shock,

"What do you say? You repeat. ”

"The gentleman was shot by a stray arrow during the breakout and died that night." Ma Chao hissed and said again.

Xu Rong's mind was blank, and his eyes stared at Ma Chao speechless for a long time. Huangfu Li sighed sadly, turned around and walked out of the big tent.

Chen Wei stood behind Xu Rong, dazed. Who would have expected that Han Sui would die at this critical moment.

Oh my God, how can this be? The matter in Western Xinjiang is in great trouble.

"Now......" Xu Rong frowned deeply, looked at Ling Ru and asked,

"Who has the final say in the Xiliang Army now? Han Yi? Ling Ru shook his head,

"Before Mr. died, he entrusted Western Xinjiang to Meng Qi." Ling Ru gently patted Ma Chao's back,

"Now it is Meng Qi who has the final say in Western Xinjiang." Xu Rong and Chen Wei's eyes looked at Ma Chao at the same time, and then looked at Ling Ru again.

Xu Rong asked who had the final say in the Western Liang Army, but Ling Ru did not answer, he said that Ma Chao had the final say in the Western Frontier, that is to say, the Western Liang Army is now controlled by Han Yi, and Ma Chao is just Han Yi's shield.

In a place like Western Xinjiang that advocates force, what can you do without strength? Xiliang's army wanted to be put back and let the Xiliang people defend their homeland, but Hebei could not control Han Yi, so he could only support Ma Chao to balance Han Yi.

But in this way, Ma Chao's strength plus Han Yi's strength, the force of the Xiliang people is very strong, which is a huge threat to Guanzhong, and Hebei is not very sure of Ma Chao's loyalty.

Xu Rong's expression became more and more cold. If Ma Chao is not supported, Han Yi's strength is not strong enough to fight against the Qiang people alone.

It is possible that in order to survive, to take revenge, and to dominate the western frontier, he simply secretly joined forces with the Qiang people to invade Guanzhong frequently, and the matter became more and more out of control.

Han Sui's arrangement before his death forced Hebei to take risks to support Ma Chao and enhance Xiliang's strength.

Ma Chao has become an extremely key figure in the stability of Xiliang. Xu Rong secretly complained. Although this battle was won, it left a terrible hidden danger.

If Han Sui didn't die, Xiliang's affairs would be very simple. In the future, as long as the Han Dynasty steadily embarked on the road of Zhongxing, as long as the Han Dynasty was invincible, Han Sui had only one choice, that is, to submit to the imperial court, and work with the people of northern Xinjiang to formulate and implement a series of Zhongxing policies that were conducive to the stability and development of the border areas, but now, ...... Ling Ru didn't wait for Xu Rong to ask again, and after Han Sui's death, the generals of Xiliang gave a detailed explanation of the agreement on the affairs of Western Xinjiang.

Honor the Son of Heaven of Jinyang and follow the orders of the Jinyang court. After the army retreated to Xiliang, Ma Chao, Ling Ru, Zhang Ming, Zhang Ji and others temporarily took charge of the military administration of Xiliang in Hanyang.

Han Yi, Yang Qiu, Cheng Yi, Cheng Yin, Liang Xing and others led the army back to Jincheng, Longxi and other places to defend the border counties.

Ling Ru said a lot, but none of the key issues were involved. Xu Rong listened patiently, and then said to him, "I want to talk to Meng Qi." Ling Ru comprehended and bowed out.

Chen Wei accompanied him out of the big tent.

"I saw you twice when you were very young." Xu Rong said,

"At that time, you were very tiger-headed, not bold, not much talking, very likable. I remember that you like to eat cakes, and you often sit alone on the stone steps in front of the government office and eat slowly, and one cake can be eaten for half a day. Ma Chao smiled bitterly,

"Uncle, remember those things?"

"I'm getting older, but the past is getting clearer." Xu Rong pointed to his head and sighed softly,

Over the years, many of Xiliang's old friends have passed away one after another. Sometimes, in the dead of night, I think of them too. Now that Brother Wen Yue is also gone, there are not a few people left in Xiliang, and Xijiang is indeed the world of you young people. Ma Chao looked lonely, staring at the bamboo slips on the desk with a pair of blank eyes, without saying a word.

"What do you think now?" Xu Rong asked.

"What?" Ma Chao looked up at Xu Rong absentmindedly and asked blankly. Xu Rong sighed silently.

Zheng Baiqu was defeated, almost all of his brothers were killed, and Han Sui was suddenly killed, and this series of blows seemed to knock the young man down.

It seemed that when Han Yi and Ling Ru pulled him out as a shield, he didn't have to think about it at all.

"Can I trust you?" Xu Rong asked in a different way. Ma Chao thought for a moment and said slowly: "I am from Xiliang. Xu Rong nodded and continued to listen to him.

Ma Chao thought about it again and said slowly: "If the Son of Heaven and the imperial court are wholeheartedly for Xiliang, the people of Xiliang will be loyal to the Son of Heaven and the imperial court." ”

"Okay, that's enough for your promise." Xu Rong sat up straight and said loudly,

"What do you want the Son of Heaven and the imperial court to do for Xiliang?"

"Does Uncle really trust me?" Ma Chao was stunned for a moment and asked hesitantly.

"Doesn't the battle of Zheng Baiqu explain all the problems?" Xu Rong waved his hand very casually,

"You have to have everything to have it. No matter how strong the strength of the Western Xinjiang is, it cannot compete with the entire Han Dynasty. At the moment we can't trust Han Yi, just as Han Yi can't trust us, so I don't have a choice, and you don't have a choice. Now I trust you, and you should trust me too. Ma Chao's eyes lit up, and his face showed a hint of joy,

"Uncle, the top priority is for the Xiliang Army to return to Western Xinjiang immediately. Once the news of Mr. Wenyue's death leaks out, the Qiang people in Western Xinjiang will inevitably take the opportunity to enter the hinterland of Liangzhou. Now the Western Liang Army has suffered heavy losses and is unable to fight again, and the Northern Xinjiang Army is in Guanzhong, beyond the reach of the whip, and the Western Xinjiang is in danger. ”

"The Xiliang army has gone back, what are you going to do?" Xu Rong asked.

"I wonder if my uncle can let Master Pang De enter the western Xinjiang and station troops in Hanyang?" Xu Rong glanced at him approvingly,

"Okay, what else?"

"After the death of Mr., the forces of all parties in Xiliang are scattered, and Han Yi, Yang Qiu, Cheng Yi, and Liang Xing will all support their own troops. Coupled with the mixing of Qiang forces in various places, all kinds of contradictions in Western Xinjiang that have been forcibly suppressed by Mr. for more than ten years will break out in an instant, and the war in Western Xinjiang will be endless, and there will be no day of peace in Western Xinjiang that has been stable for more than ten years. Ma Chao said helplessly,

Therefore, in addition to letting Master Pang De garrison Hanyang, it is also necessary to let a respected old minister immediately rush to the western Xinjiang to take charge of the military administration of Liangzhou, and temporarily suppress the contradictions between the various forces in the western Xinjiang, so as to win valuable time for us to win over, recover and fight against the various forces in the western Xinjiang. As long as we can win the support of most of the forces in the western frontier, we can quickly stabilize the western frontier and quickly gather the maximum strength against the invading Qiang. ”

"Okay, good way." Xu Rong's face showed a look of relief,

"Mr. Wenyo has a very unique vision. In my opinion, he entrusted Xiliang to you completely out of his heart. Tell me, which old minister in the DPRK is suitable for going to Western Xinjiang? ”

"Lord Gaixun Gai." Xu Rong laughed, he reached out and patted Ma Chao's shoulder hard,

"Meng Qi, your father's spirit in the sky will be proud of you." After sending Ma Chao and Ling Ru away, Xu Rong sat alone in the big tent and pondered, and it wasn't until Chen Wei walked up to him that he was shocked.

"What are you thinking?" Chen Wei said happily,

"Everything is as expected by adults, the people of Xiliang can't wait to leave, and we will be able to enter Chang'an City soon. It's incredible that Guanzhong won it so quickly, it feels like a dream. Xu Rong didn't have any joy on his face, he snorted coldly, suddenly smashed his fist on the desk, and said angrily: "Yuntian has missed a big thing, Xiliang's nightmare is coming." Chen Wei smiled for a moment, took half a step back, and looked at Xu Rong suspiciously.

Xu Rong jumped up and walked around the big tent restlessly with his hands behind his back.

"My lord, although the death of Han Sui has complicated the situation in Western Xinjiang, we have severely damaged the Xiliang army, and the Xiliang people will not be able to pose a threat to us in the short term." Chen Wei whispered,

"If you weigh the pros and cons carefully, it's not a bad thing."

"The Xiliang army has suffered heavy losses, and the threat to us has indeed decreased, but what about the invading Qiang? Is the threat also reduced? Xu Rong asked,

"Han Sui is dead, all the big and small forces in Xiliang have lost their control, in order to dominate the Western Xinjiang, will they fight? They are not strong enough, in order to destroy each other or to survive, who will they turn to for help? Chen Wei's face changed suddenly.

"Back then, in order to defeat us, Bian Zhang and Han Sui joined forces with Qiang Shuai such as June Thunder and Northwest Rain. If it weren't for the general who killed them in the Battle of Yicheng, Han Sui would have been able to dominate Xiliang later, and could Xiliang have been stable for more than ten years? Now that the Qiang people are strong again, the Western Xinjiang has become their prey again, and Han Yi, Ma Chao, and Yang Qiu will lure wolves into the house in order to compete for the Western Xinjiang? After Ma Teng was killed, Ma Chao fled back to Longxi, borrowed troops from the Qiang people, and soon beat Han Sui to a great loss. This time, Han Sui sent troops to Guanzhong, didn't he also bring the Qiang people? It can be seen that whether it is Han Yi, Ma Chao, or Yang Qiu, as long as these people return to Western Xinjiang, they will immediately call the Qiang people brothers, and Western Xinjiang will be in chaos. Xu Rong was annoyed and shook his head again and again,

"The most feared thing of the court will inevitably happen, my sin is unforgivable, my sin is unforgivable."

"My lord, isn't General Pang De going to be stationed in Hanyang? Lord Gaixun is also very likely to return to Liangzhou, and there may be room for salvation. Chen Wei comforted.

"The first to provoke the incident must be Ma Chao." Xu Rong waved his hand angrily,

"The boy grew up and was scheming, far more than his father. No wonder Han Sui asked him to lead the military administration of Liangzhou on his behalf before he died, and his methods were really extraordinary. He let Pang De be stationed in Hanyang and let Lord Gai Xun take charge of Liangzhou, not to suppress the forces of the various governments in Liangzhou, but to quickly stimulate the contradictions between the various forces in Liangzhou and ignite the fire of the war in Western Liangzhou. Xiliang is in turmoil, he can safely return to Longxi to make a comeback, Han Yi has the opportunity to rebel, and if we want not to fall into the quagmire of Western Xinjiang, we can only withdraw as soon as possible. ”

"Then why did the Lord promise him?"

"Won't I promise him? I don't promise him, Ma Chao's plea form can be sent to the court, and the eldest princess will give an order. In order to hold Guanzhong, I can only promise him to jump into the quagmire of Western Xinjiang, otherwise what will Guanzhong do? Luoyang still can't fight? Xu Rong looked up to the sky and sighed,

"Western Xinjiang is a nightmare for the Han Dynasty and a nightmare for the great cause of Zhongxing."

"What now?" Chen Wei asked.

"If we kill them now at all costs, it will be tantamount to ceding the western frontier to the Qiang people. If you don't kill them, you are tantamount to digging your own grave, but fortunately, there is still a chance of life in digging your own grave. Xu Rong's face showed determination,

"This time, we must completely solve the problem of Western Xinjiang no matter what, and even if the great cause of Zhongxing is hindered by this, we must move forward and never retreat." Two days later, Ma Chao and Han Yi led their troops to withdraw to the western frontier.

On the same day, Xu Rong led his army into Chang'an City. Xu Rong played the imperial court. In the Battle of Zhengbaiqu, 40,000 troops of Gaogan were annihilated, and the Xiliang Army suffered heavy losses and lost 28,000 people, and finally only 25,000 people withdrew from the battlefield.

More than a dozen generals, including the rebel leaders Han Sui, Gao Gan, Xia Zhao, and Yan Xing, were killed. Our army suffered 33,000 casualties, including five generals including Li Yao, Yang Zhen, Guo Hua, Zhao Feng, and Yan Jie, six lieutenant generals and lieutenants of Wang Fang and Du Ping, and eight Hu generals including Zuo Dadanghu Lanrong were killed.

Seventeen generals, lieutenant generals, and lieutenants, including Yan Rou, Xian Yuyin, Liang Baiwu, Yang Chun, Tie Yue, Lei Zi, and Xie Wu, were injured.

Five days later, the Xiliang army surrendered, and Ma Chao, Han Yi and other Xiliang generals accepted all the conditions of the imperial court and led the army back to Western Xinjiang.

Due to the death of Han Sui in the war, not only did the imperial court's strategy of stabilizing the western Xinjiang set before the war fail to be realized, but the situation in the western Xinjiang fell into an unprecedented crisis.

Chen believed that under the current circumstances, in order to stabilize the western Xinjiang, at least 50,000 to 80,000 troops were needed.

If the western frontier is abandoned, Guanzhong will need at least 100,000 troops to defend it. As a result, whether it is the recent attack on Kansai or the attack on Luoyang next year, the troops are seriously insufficient.

In order to ensure the steady progress of the great cause of Zhongxing, the minister suggested that the imperial court should temporarily give up the attack on Luoyang and concentrate its forces to stabilize the western frontier, so as not to cause the army to take care of one or the other due to the lack of troops, and then lead to the failure of the great cause of Zhongxing.

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