We were about to reach Nanzheng City. I put on some makeup and stuck a small mustache on my lips. I also changed my clothes and dressed up as a small soldier. I asked the people sent by uncle to bring me to the central army to see uncle. When uncle saw me, he was very strange. He asked the person who brought me here,
"Who is this person? Why do you want to see me?"
"Great General, it's me, Liu Han."
When Uncle heard that it was me, he held back his laughter. He was afraid that someone would know it was me, so he asked me,
"Why did you come over and tell me what you want?”
After I got close to uncle, I begged him to bring me to see Zhang Lu. Uncle didn't want to agree, but he couldn't persuade me. He almost couldn't recognize me when he saw me dressed like this. Anyway, it wasn't anything dangerous, so he could only agree. In order to prevent Zhang Lu and the others from recognizing me, he asked me to be his personal guard. I didn't say anything and just followed him. Naturally, I agreed and followed my uncle.
Nanzheng City was right in front of them. Ma Dai had already sent someone to inform uncle that Zhang Lu was already waiting outside the city. He asked uncle to go to the front of the army. Uncle then led me and some other generals of the central army to the front of the army. Following uncle's flag, we came to the front. The officers and soldiers of the three armies made way for us. I followed uncle. From uncle's side, I could see a lot of people waiting in front of us. From the flag, Zhang Lu and the main officials of Hanzhong had arrived. Uncle jumped off the horse and walked forward. We also jumped off the horse and followed him. I stared at the people in Hanzhong and observed them carefully. The person in front was dressed in a Taoist robe. There was a Tai Chi Yin Yang fish on his chest. His face was like jade, and he had a kind expression. There were three long strands of beard under his chin, and he looked like a sage-like person. He quickly stepped forward and held his uncle's hand tightly.
"Heavenly Lord Immeasurable, General Meng Qi wants to kill me.”
His uncle also held Zhang Lu's hand tightly and said polite words to Zhang Lu. After that, Zhang Lu introduced the various officials of Southern Zheng who had come with him to welcome his uncle, such as Chancellor Yang Song, Yang Ren, Zhang Wei, etc. Following Zhang Lu's introduction, Yang Song and the others also greeted uncle one by one. I paid special attention to Yang Song. This guy was very famous in history and was especially greedy. Zhang Lu's foundation was mainly buried in his hands. Back then, he was greedy for money and forced his uncle, who had defected to Zhang Lu, and Uncle Pang De away, causing the entire Hanzhong to fall into Cao Cao's hands. I saw that Yang Song was also wearing a Daoist robe. At first glance, he looked like a gentleman, but those triangular small eyes, as well as a thin aquiline nose, and the thin lips that were pulled down revealed his jealous and greedy character. After the introductions, his uncle left the army to set up camp outside the city. Zhang Lu then brought his uncle into South Zheng City. After entering the city, Hanzhong was indeed a " pure land " at that time. People came and went, and it was bustling. Those who did business and work were not in a hurry, and their faces were filled with satisfaction and happiness.
When we arrived at Zhang Lu's residence, Zhang Lu held a banquet to entertain Uncle. As Uncle's personal guard, Uncle let me stand behind him. After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Zhang Wei, Yan Pu and the others all toasted Uncle. As the main guest, Uncle drank with them one by one. Perhaps because he was drunk, he heard someone in the corner of the hall say,
"I heard that General Ma is as brave as Lu Bu back then, but I wonder if it's true?”
"Then you'll know when you go up and compete with him. It's just that I'm afraid you don't dare!”
"Why not?"
Then, a person came out from the corner of the hall and bowed to his uncle. Then, he said,
"I heard that General's martial arts are outstanding, so I would like to ask General for a few moves.”
Zhang Lu heard it and shouted at the man,"
"Yingying, you're being unreasonable. Hurry up and leave."
The man straightened up, turned to look at Zhang Lu, and said unwillingly,"
"I only want to ask General Ma to give me some pointers on martial arts, why not?”
Only then did I notice this person. He was less than seven feet tall and also wore a fat Daoist robe. I could only see that his figure was relatively slender. He wore a hat on his head and hid his hair inside. She had big eyes, a high nose bridge, red lips, white teeth, and fair skin. She looked like she was 17 or 18 years old. Although she was dressed like a man, she did not look like a man. Zhang Lu said to his uncle,"
"General Meng Qi, this is my son, Zhang Ying. He has loved to play with spears and clubs since he was young. He has always liked to find people to spar with.”
Uncle laughed.
"No worries."
At this moment, Zhang Ying added,
"General Ma, are you going to compete or not?”
Zhang Lu was about to scold her again, but her uncle waved his hand to stop him.
"Master Zhang, there's no need. Since he loves martial arts, there's no harm in exchanging a few moves with her.”
Just as his uncle was about to get up, Uncle Ma Dai stood up and said to his uncle,"
"Elder brother has a body of ten thousand chariots, how can you enter the battle so easily?”
His uncle also knew about Uncle Ma Dai's martial arts skills. Among the original generals in Western Liang, only Uncle Pang De and his uncle could defeat him. The others did not have much confidence in defeating him. His uncle nodded.
"Alright, but you can't hurt Young Master Zhang.”
"Yes."
Ma Dai's uncle left his seat and walked into the arena. He stood on both feet, and he was almost eight feet tall. His body was strong, and he looked majestic. Ma Dai's uncle drew the sword under his ribs and cupped his hands at Zhang Ying.
"Young Master Zhang, please."
Zhang Ying was a little unhappy that her uncle did not participate in the battle, but seeing Uncle Ma Dai's appearance, she knew that Uncle Ma Dai was also a rare expert. She also took out her own weapon, a nine-turns soft whip. It was a weapon of the outer sect. This whip was more than 16 feet long, and there was a little red tassel at the tip. When not in use, it could be held in one hand or wrapped around the waist. When I use it, I pull open the whip head, lasso it around my wrist, and pull it with great force. The whip straightens up. The handle is about one foot long and is a hard handle. The front end of the handle is a red tassel handguard. Looking at the material of the whip, I really can't estimate its material. Zhang Ying swung the whip, making a crisp sound in the air. After the sound of the whip, Zhang Ying also cupped his fists at Uncle Ma Dai.
"General Ma, this brat has offended you."
Seeing Uncle Ma Dai nod, Zhang Ying brandished her whip and attacked him. This was also the first time I saw someone use a soft whip, so I paid more attention. I saw Zhang Ying's whip flying up and down, clashing with each other, like a silver snake dancing in the air, causing people's eyes to be confused. I've also heard from my father and Yan Rou that this kind of soft whip is more difficult to train, but once trained well, it can often defeat the enemy's sword. Looking at this posture, this Zhang Ying must have really received guidance from an expert. Uncle Ma Dai's martial arts were also extraordinary. Facing Zhang Ying's wave of attacks, Uncle Ma Dai was busy but not chaotic. He hacked, hacked, smashed, lifted, blocked, washed, intercepted, stabbed, stirred, pressed, and hung. He countered every move he made, fully demonstrating the combination of hardness and softness of the sword, freely swallowing and spitting, light and agile, vigorous and beautiful. I think it's only because Zhang Lu's venue is spacious, and the ancient feasts are usually held on both sides of the hall that there's a place for these two to stretch out their hands. Otherwise, looking at these two's dodging and moving, their weapons would definitely hit the heads of the spectators. Uncle Ma Dai watched Uncle Ma Dai exchange blows with Zhang Ying while he invited Zhang Lu to drink with him. He had a confident look on his face. I know that in Western Liang, many people have driven horses before and have some understanding of whips. Although Ma Dai's uncle was not proficient in this art, he had played with the family's meteor hammer before. Its usage was somewhat similar to the whip technique, so he could still deal with Zhang Ying's attack for a while. Soon, Uncle Ma Dai and Zhang Yingjian exchanged whips. After more than 30 rounds, Uncle Ma Dai was still able to deal with Zhang Ying's attacks. Although Zhang Lu's martial arts skills were not very high, he could see that if Zhang Ying only used a whip, it would take some effort to defeat Uncle Ma Dai. If they continued to fight, who knew what would happen. He shouted,
"General Ma, Ying Er, let's end the competition here.”
Upon hearing this, Uncle Ma Dai and Zhang Ying each jumped back and out of the circle. Looking at them, they were also slightly panting. Uncle Ma Dai held the hilt of his sword, the tip of the sword pointing downwards. He cupped his fists and said,
"Young Master Zhang, how about we end today's competition here?”
Zhang Ying's face was already a little red, and upon closer inspection, she was already sweating. Hearing Uncle Ma Dai's words, she put away her whip and cupped her hands.
"As you wish, General."
Uncle Ma Dai and Zhang Ying returned to their seats and continued drinking. After this battle, I could see that Zhang Lu's subordinates looked at Uncle with more respect. After all, martial artists admired people who were more powerful than them.
One of Zhang Lu's men stood up." I recognized him." Zhang Lu introduced him at the city gate." His name is Yan Pu. He is Zhang Lu's top advisor. He has contributed greatly to Zhang Lu's ability to resist the attack of Liu Zhang's army, which is several times his size, in the past few years. These few years, Zhang Lu has been scheming against the Cao army, and forming an alliance with my uncle was also part of his plan. He raised his glass to his uncle and said,
"General Ma, I have a question. Please answer it.”
Uncle looked at Yan Pu and said calmly,
"Chancellor Yan, I don't dare to answer your questions, but I will definitely answer your questions.”
"General Ma, we have the Cao Army in the northeast of Hanzhong, and Uncle Liu and Liu Yizhou in the south.”
Uncle pondered for a moment and said in a clear voice,
"I think that Cao Cao is a traitor of the Han Dynasty and will usurp the Han Dynasty sooner or later. This person is extremely cruel and evil. He has long wanted to spy on the southwest. The two Liu's in the south were brothers. Liu Zhang was weak and gentle. Liu Bei was praised by Cao Cao as the hero of the world. He was kind. With the bravery of Guan Zhang and the wisdom of Zhuge, he would occupy Xichuan sooner or later. In the future, Hanzhong would also be connected with him sooner or later.”
"Then what General means is that both of them will spy on our Hanzhong in the future?”
"Chancellor Yan, do you think that Hanzhong is a pure land that will never be tainted by the flames of war?”
Yan Pu stopped talking. Another Yang Bai jumped up. This person was Yang Song's elder brother. In history, he was once an uncle's supervisor. Yang Bai said loudly,
"General Ma, do you think that there is no one in Hanzhong?”
"General Yang, I know that Zhang Shijun of Hanzhong has many civil and military officials under him. I am only talking about the future of Hanzhong.”
Hearing his uncle's words, Zhang Lu nodded and stopped his subordinates from talking. He said to his uncle,"
"General Ma, Lu also knows that Hanzhong will be a land that many will fight for in the future. That's why he formed an alliance with you and tried to extend the good days of the people under his rule.”
"Chao also feels lucky for the people of Hanzhong to have such a ruler.”
"General Ma, this time, we invited General Ma to help because Liu Zhang of Xichuan sent Huang Quan to ask for help. He said that the lips are gone and the teeth are cold. Hanzhong and Xichuan are one. I also heard that Liu Bei's third brother, Zhang Fei, has also entered Sichuan. Zhang Fei has the courage to fight against ten thousand men. He once ordered the Cao army to retreat at Dangyang Bridge. To say something disheartening, no one in my camp is his match. In order to deal with him, I have no choice but to ask the general to come out. Only by joining forces with Liu Zhang to repel Liu Bei will Liu Bei not dare to invade Hanzhong in a short period of time. We will also have time to prepare for Cao Cao's attack.”
"Master Zhang, I understand."
After talking for so long, I stood there and looked at so much delicious food. I couldn't eat it, and my stomach started to rumble. I accidentally called Uncle and heard it. This disappointing stomach. Uncle knew that I was also hungry. He estimated that the army outside the city had also set up a camp, so he discussed the date of sending troops with Zhang Lu. Zhang Lu also arranged for Yang Song to replenish food and weapons for uncle as soon as possible. After everything was ready, uncle took his leave and took us back to the camp outside the city.
Back outside the city, the camp had been set up. I was really hungry just now. As soon as I returned to the camp, I ate a big meal to nourish my stomach. Uncle told me to slow down so that I wouldn't choke. Seeing me eat so fiercely, the two uncles laughed, laughing that I was reborn from a hungry ghost. I don't care. I can't mistreat the stomach of a genius child who is growing. Eating well is the most important thing. After eating and drinking to their fill, the two uncles discussed the next step of the plan. As the nephew of my uncle who had repeatedly made military achievements in Western Liang, I naturally participated in the discussion.
After a long journey to Hanzhong, we were tired. During these few days of rest, Zhang Lu replenished the military supplies for us. Yang Song was in charge of the military supplies in Hanzhong. Although this kid was greedy, he was really talented. He knew the amount of money, grain, and weapons stored in an amazing way. After Zhang Lu promised to replenish them for us, he quickly gathered them for us. Since Zhang Lu was willing to let us replenish our supplies, we really made a profit. The clothes and armors we wore when we came were mostly tattered. Now, they were all changed into brand new clothes and armors. Many generals, big and small, even wore iron armors. Our defense power increased by more than one level. It seems that Zhang Lu is really rich. We have 10,000 people here. Oh my god, a big fat sheep. Looking at his generosity, I can see Brother Kong Fang in front of me.
After resting and changing, we bid farewell to Zhang Lu and set off for Jiameng Pass. Zhang Lu also sent Yang Ren with 10,000 men to travel with us. Yang Bai is responsible for the transportation and distribution of grain. However, I also found a familiar face among Zhang Lu's men. Zhang Ying, the one who fought with Uncle Ma Dai last time. This time, he will travel with us as Deputy General Yang Ren. However, he has set up another camp and will not travel with Uncle and the others unless it's a meeting.
There were two roads from Hanzhong to Xichuan. One was from Nanzheng to the south through Micang Road, which was the road from Hanzhong to Bazhong in Sichuan along Lianshui Valley Road and Bajiang Valley Road. This road went along the river, and many places were boardwalk. The road was dangerous and only many woodsmen took it. It was very difficult for the army to pass through, and the place they passed through was Bazhong. Liu Bei's team was in Mianyang area in the west of Brazil. If they wanted to pass through, they had to continue south, bypassing Guang 'an and Nanchong. They had to come from the southeast of Chengdu. The other path was simple. They would go west through Yangping Pass and then south to Jiameng Pass. Liu Bei had stationed troops here for a year. Although Liu Bei had already gone south to attack Liu Zhang, he would definitely have left some troops behind to guard it. We decided to head west and make contact with Liu Bei's army as soon as possible. I passed by Yangping Pass again, but I still didn't meet Yang Ang. Hiding in the army is also very fun.
Along the valley road south of the Jialing River, he could hear the rumbling sound of the river beside him, smell the fresh air filled with the moisture of the river, and occasionally hear the chirping of birds on the mountain. If it was in the future, this would be such a pleasant trip. But now, I could only hear the rumbling of horses 'hooves and see the soldiers' weapons and armor shining with cold light. All of this reminded me that this was a war. This road could be considered as a main road into Sichuan. Although it was built by the river, after many years of renovation and widening, it could be used by four horses in most places. It was still easy to walk. We didn't travel far, only about 400 miles. We came from Xiliang on horseback. If we ride fast horses, we can reach the pass in a day or two. But Zhang Lu's troops can't do that. Most of them are infantry. We can only slow down and march slowly with them. Anyway, they provide us with food and drink. There's no hurry. However, no matter how slow we are, we will reach Jiameng Pass in 5 days. Uncle and I reckon that Liu Bei should have received the news that we and Zhang Lu's army are heading towards Jiameng Pass.
Finally, they arrived at Jiameng Pass. Jiameng Pass was the first gateway to Xichuan. Behind it were Qiangu Xiongguan Pass, Sword Garret, and Zitong. Jiameng Pass was located in the southwest of Guangyuan, Sichuan Province. It was a mountain pass that led into the mountains. On the right side was the river, and on the left side was the mountain. The river in front of the pass happened to turn here, just like the natural moat of Jiameng Pass. Jiameng Pass was built with green stones and was 40 feet high. The front of the pass was not wide. Although it was much wider than the front of Chencang Pass, it could not accommodate many people. It was almost impossible to use more people to attack the city and seize the pass. After walking for a few days, Yang Ren didn't want to attack immediately. Naturally, his uncle would set up camp and rest. Therefore, we set up camp about three miles away from the pass. Most of the people found a relatively flat place on the hillside and set up camp on the hillside according to the order of left, right, front, back, middle. However, some people really didn't have any space to set up camp, so they directly set up camp on the main road. When we were setting up camp, in order to prevent intrusions, according to the prior arrangements, we, Yang Ren, and Yang Bai's team took turns to cover and patrol on two levels. I specially observed Jiameng Pass. There were not many flags on the city, and it was quiet on top. Occasionally, a few heads would stick out to take a look. The gate below was tightly closed. I reckon that there won't be many people left at the pass. I remember that in history, Liu Bei left Meng Da and Huo Jun with a few hundred people to guard the pass. After they hurriedly reported to Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Third Master, and the others rushed over, and then a great battle broke out.
After walking for a few days, even though he was riding a horse, his butt was still uncomfortable. It was uncomfortable without a saddle. Meng Da and Huo Jun weren't super experts, and they were capable of fighting tens of thousands of people. With just the few of them, he didn't even have the courage to come out for a night raid. Looking at our camp from Jiameng Pass, the lanterns and torches are as bright as day. Just the sentries we have standing guard are more than all of his troops, not to mention those patrols. If we don't attack him, he's already burning incense.
After a good night's sleep, Zhang Bao and the others still hid in the camp and didn't show their faces. I even pretended to be uncle's personal bodyguard and went to uncle's place to listen to military affairs. In the big tent, Uncle's table was in the middle, and Yang Ren's table was under him. The other civil and military officials were already lined up on both sides. From the looks of it, everyone had a good rest. This time, the main purpose of the camp was to coordinate the siege and cover matters. His uncle's Xiliang soldiers were mainly cavalry and were not good at attacking cities. After besieging Ji City for half a year, Zhang Lu knew that it was impossible to rely on his uncle's men to attack cities, so he sent almost all infantry. Yang Ren knew why Zhang Lu was sending troops, because his uncle's position in the court was higher than Zhang Lu's. Although Zhang Lu was the master, Yang Ren did not dare to be arrogant and wanted to command his uncle to attack Liu Bei. It seemed that Zhang Lu had entrusted Yang Ren with the task before he left. As soon as he ascended the tent, Yang Ren handed over the temporary command of the Hanzhong army to his uncle, who would arrange the war. His uncle did not stand on ceremony. He arranged for Zhang Lu's army to take the lead and go to the front of the pass to curse. After Liu Bei's army came out, they would retreat and the Xi Liang army would be in charge of the battle. Yang Ren, Yang Bai, and Zhang Ying had no objections. Uncle took out a token arrow and asked,"
"Which general will go to the pass to attack the enemy?”
Yang Bai, who was next to him, jumped out and said with his chest puffed out,
"Great General, I am willing to go."
When his uncle saw him, he also knew that although Yang Bai was considered a passable master in Hanzhong, it was mainly because of his brother Yang Song that he climbed to a high position. In fact, when placed outside, he was only slightly better than an ordinary general. He didn't want to give him the token arrow, but he was afraid that he would lose face, so he had to give the token arrow to him.
"General Yang, you must not act on impulse and fight to the death with the enemy. As long as the enemy comes out, you will make a great contribution.”
Seeing that Yang Bai didn't care at all, he indifferently accepted the order and went to recruit soldiers. Uncle looked at Yang Ren and Zhang Ying and saw that they were a little worried. After all, they had been with Yang Bai for many years and knew Yang Bai's level. Just as Zhang Ying was about to stand up and speak, Uncle pulled out another token arrow.
"Ma Dai, listen up!"
Uncle Ma Dai flung the leaf in front of him and stepped forward.
"I'm here."
"Quickly bring 2000 soldiers and follow behind General Yang. We will engage the enemy at any time and seize the pass if we can.”
"I will obey your orders."
Uncle Ma Dai has also gone down to lead his troops. We will wait for news in the camp. As a general who had been fighting for many years, his uncle could see that there were not many people at the pass. As long as a portion of Liu Jun came out, Jiameng Pass would not be able to hold on. Therefore, he was not worried about anything.
Who knew that in less than two hours, Yang Bai came back with his arms crossed. His hand was still stained with blood. Once he entered the big tent, before his uncle asked him, Yang Bai said breathlessly,
"Great General, it's bad. Liu Bei's reinforcements might be here. The one who injured me was probably Liu Bei's second brother, Guan Yu.”
Hearing this, Uncle Ma Dai was worried about Uncle Ma Dai. If it was really Guan Yu, then Uncle Ma Dai would be in danger. He quickly asked Yang Bai,
"General Yang, report that person's appearance.”
Yang Bai told her what happened just now. It turned out that Yang Bai had brought 1000 men to the front of the pass to scold the enemy, but the city simply ignored them. If they wanted to get close to the city gate, they would not be able to get close even if there was a flurry of arrows on the city gate. Just as he was feeling bored and helpless, the city gate creaked open, and a general rushed out. He was nearly nine feet tall, had a face like a heavy jujube, eyes like bright stars, and five long strands of beard under his chin. He dismounted from his red horse, held a large saber in his hand, and rushed out with 500 saber shieldmen. Yang Bai looked at the legendary Second Master Guan Yu, who also had a red horse saber, a long beard, and a red face. Yang Bai thought that if he could capture or kill Second Master Guan Yu, wouldn't he be famous all over the world? Therefore, he didn't think much and urged his horse to stand with that person. Reaching out, Yang Bai knew his own gap. He was really one level higher than him, and he was restrained step by step. He was not a match for the other party at all. After a few exchanges, the web between his thumb and forefinger split open and blood flowed out. Fortunately, he didn't throw the knife away. After just ten rounds, he couldn't lift his arm. Yang Bai had to take advantage of the time when the two horses crossed, he jumped out of the circle and retreated. However, that person still chased after him closely. Thanks to Uncle Ma Dai's men who came out from behind, Yang Bai managed to escape with his life. It was just that he didn't know how Uncle Ma Dai was doing.
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