Ma Chao read the military report in his hand at a glance, and this military report had just exhausted a messenger and three horses to death.
The letter said that Zhang Lu suddenly assembled an army of 80,000 without any warning, appeared at the border of Tianshui County, and divided into two groups to attack the two camps of Gan Ning and Zang Ba, which were at odds with each other. , overnight, the Ma family's 50,000-strong army was caught off guard and fled in confusion.
Fortunately, the generals chosen by the Ma family were indeed top-notch generals.
After gathering the defeated army, Gan Ning and Zang Ba not only did not withdraw to Tianshui County, but instead boosted morale and turned their guns to fight back Zhang Lu's army.
Like a divine soldier descending from the sky, he appeared in front of Zhang Lu's military camp where he was celebrating his victory, severely dampening the morale of Zhang Lu's army and bringing the battle back to a draw.
But even so, the Ma family's 50,000-strong army only has 30,000 left.
Those are just the elites of the Ma family who can compete with five or even ten.
Ma Chao looked at the report in the military newspaper and beheaded more than 4,600 people, defeated more than 12,000 people, and confiscated countless supplies from Zhang Lu.
He still couldn't help but sigh in his heart: Defeated, still defeated.
On the surface, it looks like two families.
The losses this time were similar, especially since Gan Ning and Zang Ba achieved such results after a major defeat.
But Ma Chao knew that the Ma family's army could not be calculated like other princes.
Among all the princes of the Han Dynasty, only the Ma family was a completely professional soldier.
They did not produce, did not do corvee work, and even enjoyed absolute care in terms of taxes.
Such a price is to exchange for the most sophisticated, powerful and powerful people in the world.
But at the same time, because of this, the number of Ma Jiajun has always been the smallest among the entire Han princes.
Until now, when the Ma family has the largest territory in the country, it only has a ratio of 150,000 Ma family troops, which is completely unbelievable.
Therefore, the Ma family's loss of 20,000 troops and Zhang Lu's loss of 20,000 troops and horses are not the same concept at all.
Therefore, Ma Chao knew that the Ma family was defeated in this battle.
However, what is even more disgusting is that Ma Chao has no idea why he lost The previous reports were all about the people's resentment under Zhang Lu's rule and the good news about the Ma family.
Even the reply from the Ministry of Rites a while ago still said that Zhang Lu agreed to peace talks and discussed a plan to completely surrender to the Ma family.
Before this, Zhang Lu had already mentioned his submission.
The Ma family's request, but because the Ma family has never agreed to Zhang Lu's request to continue to govern Hanzhong, the peace talks have been in a stalemate.
And then, after spending a miserable New Year, Zhang Lu seemed to finally be unable to withstand the pressure of rebellion from all the counties and people under his rule, and made his only request that he could continue to preach under his rule.
The two families finally began to prepare for the settlement of peace talks.
Ma Chao has always been very confident about Hanzhong.
Zhang Lu's attitude also made Ma Chao think that Zhang Lu just couldn't let go of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect that he had grown and was unwilling to surrender to the Ma family.
In fact, in Ma Chao's opinion, the Ma family's economic blockade was external and internal.
In response to Yang Song's slander, the army has 50,000 fine horsemen from the Ma family.
With the troops stationed on the side, Zhang Lusan betrayed the Ma family as a sword, and Zhang Lu had no power to fight back.
But now the ironclad fact is before his eyes.
Zhang Lu not only did not surrender to the Ma family, but at the critical period when the Guandong storm was brewing. , once again completely betrayed the Ma family.
Perhaps, it was Zhang Lu who later discovered Ma Chao's frame-up.
Perhaps, Zhang Lu really jumped over the wall and fought to the death.
Or perhaps, Zhang Lu had been pretending to obey, and finally turned against the Ma family when they were most lax.
But in any case, after Zhang Lu betrayed the Ma family twice without any pain, he finally launched a fight to the death with the Ma family without any instructions from any major power and without completely defeating the Ma family.
"What should we do?"
was Ma Chao's first sentence after sitting back down, and his eyes immediately fell on Xun You and Li Ru.
Xun You glanced at Ma Chao's expression and said directly: "My lord has already made up his mind, why do I need to ask you?"
Walking to the sand table simulation map, Xun You said again: "The Ma family has developed for many years and is no longer restricted by Zhang Lu.
Weak princes, now the grass has grown and the horses have grown fat.
It is the time for the Ma family's cavalry to regain its majesty.
The lord only needs 20,000 cavalry to defeat Hanzhong."
Li Ru did not wait for Ma Chao to ask, but walked to the map and pointed at the country: "The weather is turbulent in Guandong.
The Ma family showed a low profile last year.
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The heroes will not provoke the Ma family; the geographical location is favorable, and the Ma family controls Sanguan in the west. , Looking south to Qishan Mountain, there are more shadows to explore the road to Hanzhong, advance and retreat freely; Harmony, Although the two generals Gan Ning and Zang Ba were defeated, they turned the tide and their morale increased.
One hundred thousand elite soldiers lay in arms, eager for military glory all night long, and the people of Hanzhong were so occupied.
The time is right, the place is right, and the people are harmonious.
The lord's reputation is far-reaching.
If he personally leads the expedition, Zhang Lu's army will definitely flee and a battle will be fought."
When Ma Chao heard what the two military staff said, his face was not very happy, but showed some hesitation.
He hesitated and said: "As you two expected, the number of winners and losers between the Ma family and Zhang Lu is between seven and three."
"The battle is dangerous and the outcome is unpredictable.
But comparing the two families, the Ma family has an 80% chance of winning."
It is not only a fight between two forces, but also a life-and-death battle for Hanzhong.
Therefore, those ghost soldiers who have been brainwashed by Zhang Lu will definitely fight to the death. " After saying this, Xun You retreated and said no more.
But Ma Chao couldn't help but ask: "Then there is still a chance of success or failure, why didn't Gongda say anything?"
"Soldiers are deceitful, and there is no guarantee of victory.
The remaining 10% is an unpredictable variable.
I have not studied heaven and man, so I dare not make any unreasonable judgments."
Ma Chao nodded, secretly praising Xun You's caution.
However, he had something on his mind after all, and despite the judgments of Xun You and Li Ru, he still had not made up his mind.
He didn't doubt whether he could defeat Zhang Lu, but he didn't want to really transfer the Ma family's troops to Hanzhong at this time, completely away from the flames of war outside Guandong.
Even though Hanzhong at this time is like a delicious meal exuding an alluring fragrance, and there is no one who can stop the Ma family's progress.
Ma Chao was not willing to watch the land of Guandong, the most economically prosperous and densely populated land in the Han Dynasty, drain out the vitality of the Han people in rivers of blood.
He originally thought that after a grand meeting, he only needed to select some capable candidates of the Ma family in Chang'an City, and take control of Hanzhong with the Ma family's new policies and ideas of governing the people.
But now that things have developed into such a situation, it completely disrupted his plan.
He originally planned to have a showdown with the Ma family's civil and military forces when the Ma family completely regained Hanzhong and Guandong was in chaos.
Because at that time, Ma Chao knew that as long as he revealed the hidden dangers of the Five Chaos in China, the foxes of the Ma family would definitely change their strategies and easily find the weaknesses of the Kwantung princes, and then send troops to Kwantung, advance slowly, and steadily protect the Han people step by step. foundation, unifying the world arduously and unremittingly However, Zhang Lu called at this time.
Although he really didn't have any power to support him this time, he came at a very bad time.
Moreover, he forced the Ma family to respond.
If the Ma family is indifferent to Hanzhong's provocation, then how about the Ma family's momentum and unification of the world?
"Lord, don't worry too much.
Although I don't know what my lord is worried about, I do know."
When Guo Jia said this, he paused deliberately.
After seeing that Ma Chao's eyes had turned to him, he showed his richness.
Junlang's calm smile: "The sooner the battle in Hanzhong is over, the more time there will be to deal with the future."
"good" Ma Chao, who woke up from his dream, glanced at Guo Jia gratefully, and continued: "According to Gongda and Wenyou's words, I personally command the army to pacify Hanzhong.
Tomorrow, I will be in the court." , seeing the approved plan, I want an army of 30,000 to be ready to take over Hanzhong."
"I want this time to completely eliminate the hidden dangers in Hanzhong, and there will be no more Zhang Lu Si rebellion against the Ma family":