The Three Kingdoms: I asked you to save Guan Yu, not to destroy Sun Quan.

Chapter 213 Ma Chao emerges from seclusion and regains military power.

Liu Bei slept for two whole days before waking up. Without even washing his face, he went to ask Zhuge Liang about the situation.

He trusted Zhuge Liang, but trust doesn't mean he can just ignore everything and be a hands-off manager.

This was the most important northern expedition of the Shu Han dynasty, carrying all the hopes of restoring the Han dynasty. If they were defeated, he might never be able to leave Sichuan again in his life.

This battle is so important to the Shu Han, how could Liu Bei really do nothing but deliver the message? He did that on the day because he was too exhausted to continue, but now that he has recovered, he naturally wants to get involved.

Upon learning of Liu Bei's arrival, Zhuge Liang came out of his tent to welcome him in. After exchanging pleasantries, before Liu Bei could ask any questions, Zhuge Liang reported, "Your Majesty, I have already ordered Zhang Da to disguise himself as a Wei scout and go to Jieting to contact the Three Generals. As soon as the Three Generals arrive at Jieting, we will know immediately."

Liu Bei stroked his beard and said, "Guo Huai and Fei Yao are not fools. Even if they can't stop Third Brother, they will definitely try their best to inform Zhang He. At that time, Zhang He will definitely send heavy troops to guard Jieting. It will not be easy for Third Brother to break out of Jieting. Therefore, we will have to deal with Zhang He's main force ourselves. Does the strategist have any plans for this?"

Liu Bei rose through the ranks and knew the hardships of life, so he naturally wouldn't dream of Zhang Fei easily capturing Jieting and striking Zhang He in the back.

Zhuge Liang said, "Your Majesty's thoughts coincide with mine. Let me first tell Your Majesty about the current situation in Longxi."

"Now, Shanggui Lucheng, Xundao, and Zhangxian and Xiangwu in Longxi County have all been recovered. However, You Chu, the governor of Longxi County, is a tough guy who is unwilling to surrender. Fortunately, he is from Guanzhong and does not have a deep base in Longxi. The local strongmen and Qiang and Hu leaders are not loyal to Cao Wei, so he does not pose a great threat."

"I have ordered Feng Xi, who is stationed in Zhang County, to try to win over and divide the powerful clans in Longxi. The powerful clan leader Li Yue has also raised the Han flag and clearly surrendered. He is also leading his troops to harass the area near Didao City. You Chu is in trouble in his own backyard and can no longer participate in the decisive battle."

If You Chu had truly remained neutral and watched the two sides fight from the sidelines, Zhuge Liang would not have bothered with him. However, since this You Chu dared to attempt to attack Lucheng and cut off Cheng Ji's retreat after Cheng Ji withdrew his troops, Zhuge Liang naturally had to teach You Chu a lesson.

Do you really think I, Zhuge Liang, have such a good temper that I won't fight back when I'm beaten?

Liu Bei laughed and said, "That's great. As long as things don't get out of hand, Zhang He is nothing to worry about. Zhang He, how do you plan to deal with him?"

Zhuge Liang said, "I have released all the Wei prisoners I recently captured and had them tell their Wei colleagues that the Three Generals are about to attack from Longxi Road to cut off their retreat, thereby disrupting the morale of the Wei army and damaging their fighting spirit."

Humans are emotional creatures. Knowing that their escape route has been cut off and they can't go home, they will definitely panic and become anxious. If the army knows that the outcome will be even worse, there is even a possibility of mutiny.

Liu Bei said with satisfaction, "That's right, this news will at least lower the morale of the Wei army by more than 20%, but Zhang He is not stupid, he will definitely block the news and not let the soldiers know."

Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan and calmly smiled, "He can only blockade us with my permission. I have already ordered General Guan Ping to lead cavalry to the Wei army camp and shout. Any Wei soldier who is not deaf can hear him."

"This move may not be effective in the short term, but it can plant a seed in the hearts of the Wei army that the Third General has arrived at Jieting to cut off their retreat. When the decisive battle comes, we can send troops to circle around to the rear of the Wei army, attack the Wei army's flank under the Third General's banner, and create the illusion that the Third General has already rushed out of Jieting. This seed will sprout instantly and deal a heavy blow to the morale of the Wei army."

"What I am most worried about now is not defeating Zhang He, but that after defeating him, if Zhang He retreats to Jincheng to establish a defensive line, then gathers the Qiang and Hu troops in the four counties of Hexi to launch a counterattack, and then makes contact with the Wei army reinforcements from Guanzhong to attack from the east and west, we will be in a lot of trouble."

The four commanderies of Hexi refer to Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang, which are located west of the Yellow River. The powerful families there have already submitted to Cao Cao. If Zhang He were to retreat to Jincheng and rely on the four commanderies of Hexi, and Cao Cao were to lead his army from Guanzhong to attack again, they might not be able to hold on.

Liu Bei frowned and said, "You're right, so we must block Zhang He's escape route to the west and absolutely cannot let him escape to Jincheng. But that's a bit difficult. You know, more than 20,000 of Zhang He's 50,000 troops are cavalry. If he really escapes, we may not be able to catch up. By the time we catch up, he may have already established a foothold in Jincheng."

Zhuge Liang said, “Therefore we need to make preparations in advance. I have ordered Ma Dai and Ma Cheng to go to Jincheng to contact the Qiang and Hu leaders, but Zhang He has also sent Yang Qiu to Jincheng to do the same thing. Ma Dai and Ma Cheng have too little prestige and may not be a match for Yang Qiu. Therefore, I would like to ask General Ma Chao to go to Jincheng.”

"Ma Chao is known as the Divine Might Heavenly General and is trusted by the Qiang and Hu peoples. If he goes to Jincheng, not only the Qiang and Hu leaders, but even the Champion General Yang Qiu might be won over."

Ma Chao had once been Yang Qiu's nominal lord, and had led Yang Qiu in the campaign against Cao Cao. There was a bond between them, and if Ma Chao were to intervene, Yang Qiu might very well defect on the battlefield.

Even if we assume that Yang Qiu had no regard for past friendship and was unwilling to surrender, he would still be no match for Ma Chao.

In other words, as long as Ma Chao is released, the four counties of Hexi and even Jincheng County will fall into Liu Bei's hands instantly. If Zhang He then tries to escape to Jincheng, he will be walking into a trap.

Liu Bei stroked his beard, frowned, and hesitated, saying, "This..."

He certainly knew the benefits of sending Ma Chao to Jincheng, but strictly speaking, Ma Chao was not his subordinate. What if he returned to Jincheng, raised his own banner, and was no longer under his control? Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?

Zhuge Liang understood his concerns and continued to persuade him: "Our most urgent task right now is to encircle and annihilate Zhang He, but Zhang He is too strong. If we want to take such a big piece of meat, we must unite all the forces that can be united, including Ma Chao."

"Even if we take a step back and assume that Ma Chao returns to Jincheng and becomes powerful, so what? It's still better for him to occupy Jincheng than for Zhang He to occupy it."

"You must know that Ma Chao and Cao Cao have a blood feud. The possibility of him surrendering to Cao Cao again is extremely small. From this point of view, he is our natural ally. Even if he occupies Jincheng and the four counties of Hexi, he will not betray us when Cao Cao launches a counterattack."

"Our biggest enemy is Cao Cao, and after defeating Zhang He, we will definitely face a fierce counterattack from Cao Cao. If Jincheng falls into Zhang He's hands, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Liu Bei immediately said, "You're right. Jincheng can be given to Ma Chao, but it absolutely cannot be given to Zhang He. To prevent Zhang He from betraying us when Cao Cao launches a counterattack, we must completely crush Zhang He this time. Someone, summon General of the Cavalry to see me immediately."

Upon receiving the news, Ma Chao quickly arrived and entered the tent, bowing and saying, "Your subject Ma Chao greets Your Majesty and the Military Advisor."

Liu Bei reached out and helped him up, then briefly explained before getting straight to the point: "Mengqi, I want you to go to Jincheng to meet Ma Dai and Ma Cheng, and intercept Zhang He's escape route to Jincheng. Are you willing?"

Ma Chao was overjoyed and asked, "Is Your Majesty truly telling the truth?"

He was a spirited steed galloping across the grasslands, not a timid horse tied up in a stable. He dreamed of returning to the battlefield to lead his troops into battle, but Liu Bei did not trust him.

He was well aware of why Liu Bei did not trust him, and although he had no complaints, he was still somewhat frustrated.

But what did he hear now? Liu Bei not only wanted to use him, but also wanted to let him return to Jincheng.

Jincheng is his stronghold. As soon as he returns, he can immediately raise an army and become a regional commander like Guan Yu.

Liu Bei was aware of this, yet he still intended to let him go back. What does this mean? It means that Liu Bei truly intended to let him lead troops on his own.

Ma Chao trembled with excitement, and couldn't help but shout in his heart, "God, you've finally opened your eyes!"

He was only forty-five years old this year, much younger than Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun. He was far from being old enough to retire, so naturally he didn't want to stay by Liu Bei's side as a figurehead forever. He was determined to seize any opportunity to lead troops. Upon hearing this, he quickly bowed and said, "Your subject is willing."

Liu Bei said, "Time is of the essence, so I will not keep you any longer. Pack your things and set off as soon as possible."

Ma Chao bowed again and said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty and strategist, I will definitely take Jincheng before Zhang He and block his escape route to the west."

Liu Bei didn't say exactly how to do it, and Ma Chao didn't ask either, because in addition to being the General of the Cavalry, Ma Chao also served as the Governor of Liangzhou, meaning that in theory, all the military and political affairs of Liangzhou were under Ma Chao's control.