Man Chong was ordered to go to Chenliu to investigate the case in person and confirmed that the burnt body was first committed suicide by taking poison and then burned to death. The inn caught fire because the waiter drank too much.
Except that it could not be proved that the body was Xun Yu, everything else seemed reasonable. After searching the entire Chenliu, no suspicious person was found, so he had to write a letter to Cao Cao to report.
However, Cao Cao ordered Xun Yu to die, which made everyone in the court and the Wei army feel sad. Cao Cao was suspicious by nature and killed many of his subordinates inexplicably.
Nowadays, even Xun Yu, one of Cao Cao's right-hand men, has to be eliminated for violating Cao Cao's wishes. Others are walking on thin ice. Even Jia Xu, who has occasionally given Cao Pi some advice recently, has closed the door to thank guests and recuperates at home.
The undercurrent of the Central Plains is surging, and an invisible shadow is hanging over everyone's heart. However, Jingzhou is full of joy, and the people are happy and prosperous.
Autumn is about to begin, with rice fields and wheat waves rolling in. It is another good harvest year. Three more colleges and two hospitals have been built in Nanyang and Changsha. Nanyang, as the imperial hometown, has seen a wave of prosperity for the Han Dynasty.
Liu Qi finally got his wish and ate the bananas shipped from South Vietnam, and directed them to be widely planted in the Jiaozhou area. These bananas are now sold by the root in the Central Plains, and are especially loved by ladies and wealthy ladies.
On this day, he and Zhuge Liang were studying the wood cow and the horse. Liu Neng came to report that Ma Chao was trapped in Jincheng and sent someone to ask for help.
Liu Qi was greatly surprised. He and Zhuge Liang came to the government office. Xu Shu and Pang Tong were already receiving the visitor. It was Ma Le, Ma Chao's younger brother!
Liu Qi saw that he was tired and worried, and asked: "General Ma has returned to Hexi, why did he come to Jincheng again?"
Ma Le said angrily: "Han Sui's dog thief has many tricks and deceives his brother into joining the alliance in Jincheng, but who knows that it will be a Hongmen Banquet."
Liu Qi was taken aback and reassured: "You don't have to worry. What's the specific situation?"
Ma Le sighed and said, "Eldest brother went back to Hexi to reorganize the troops and prepare to come back for revenge after the autumn. Who knew that the old thief Han Sui was bribed by Cao's thief and turned against him. He fought in Wuwei for several months and consumed my money, food, troops and horses, but the old thief had Cao's army. Secret support. When we were short of food, the governor of Liangzhou pretended to come to negotiate peace between the two parties. He held a banquet in Jincheng and set up an ambush. The eldest brother led the troops to fight out of the city. Now he is trapped on Yuquan Mountain and is in urgent need of rescue."
Liu Qi did not expect that although Ma Chao's fate had changed, he would still be in danger of being plotted. He said helplessly: "General Ma and I work together to fight against the thieves. Meng Qi is trapped now, so we should rescue each other. However, Jincheng and I are thousands of miles away. I'm afraid Distant water cannot save a near fire.”
Ma Le cupped his fists and said: "The general doesn't know. There is a five-eyed spring on Yuquan Mountain. It is said that Huo Qubing came out of the spring with a whip when he conquered the Huns. Therefore, there are temples in the past dynasties. The old general admired General Huo's merits and repaired them many times. We sent a lot of food to this view. The food we have now can last for half a year. Big brother and the others clung to the dangerous position and lowered me on vines from the cliff at the back of the mountain. They came here to ask for help from the general."
Zhuge Liang said with emotion: "General Ma has been loyal and loyal all his life and admires heroes. This can be regarded as good deeds will be rewarded!"
Liu Qi asked the three of them: "What do you think of saving Ma Chao this time?"
Everyone was unanimously opposed to the rescue of Xun Yu earlier. If Zhuge Liang hadn't cleverly devised a plan to escape, they wouldn't have let Liu Qi take the risk.
Seeing the three people frowning and saying nothing, Ma Le hurriedly stood up and clasped his fists and said, "My eldest brother's life is hanging by a thread and he is in urgent need of rescue. I hope that these three gentlemen can help me."
He also said to Liu Qi: "My eldest brother told me before leaving that he has contacts in Longxi and Wudu. If he can escape this time, he will help the general to pacify Longyou and wipe out Xiliang in one fell swoop. From now on, I am willing to be a pioneer and follow the example of my ancestors." General Bo, assist the general in conquering the Central Plains and reviving the Han Dynasty."
Liu Qi's heart moved. At this time, the situation in Xiliang was complicated. Cao Cao had just stabilized Guanzhong. Xiliang's troops were extremely weak, but it was much easier than when Zhuge Liang left Qishan. It was an excellent opportunity.
The Shu Han in Liu Bei's hands had two important comebacks. One was when Guan Yu flooded the Seventh Army, which shocked China. All parts of the Central Plains responded, and Cao Cao even prepared to move the capital.
If Soochow didn't backstab, Guan Yu could at least capture Nanyang, and the situation would be the same as his own now, with more soldiers and more generals. If Soochow attacked Hefei at this time, the situation would be reversed.
However, the mysterious operations of Sun Quan and Lu Meng caused the fate of Shu Han to take a turn for the worse, and Soochow never had the chance to enter the Central Plains again.
Another turning point is that Zhuge Liang left Qishan for the first time. The first northern expedition went smoothly, taking Longyou, Jiangwei, and Xiliang, and the entire west of Chang'an was under his control.
They were about to attack the territory of Chang'an, and were close to returning to the old days, but they mistakenly used Ma Su and fell short of the success.
The two defeats made future generations sigh with regret. Mi Fang and Ma Su were also criticized verbally and written, and were nailed to the pillar of shame.
Now that Cao Cao is marching north, all the generals of Cao and Wei are in Huainan, only Xiahou Yuan is guarding the pass, and Han Sui is still in Xiliang heading towards Qin Muchu. Isn't this a God-given opportunity?
Just as Liu Qi was about to speak, Pang Tong nodded and said, "This is God's gift to Liangzhou, general. Don't miss it!"
Xu Shu also said: "Yes, although General Ma is trapped, he has a very high prestige in Xiliang. Saving people is not only a good act of loyalty to the Han Dynasty, but also can capture Longyou in one fell swoop, and take advantage of the situation to capture Guanzhong."
Seeing Zhuge Liang, Liu Qi also nodded slightly and said to Ma Le, "Don't worry, General Ma and I have already agreed to do our best to help the court. Now that he is killed, I also feel the pain deeply. Now Meng Qi is in trouble, how can I Is there any reason not to help?"
Ma Le said anxiously: "Rescuing troops is like putting out fire. Please send the general an order to send troops immediately. I have already met General Wei in Hanzhong. He dare not act rashly without receiving the order from the general."
Xu Shu said, "Hanzhong is thousands of miles away from Jincheng. What's more, Longxi is where Cao's army is stationed. Even if a hundred thousand troops are mobilized, it will be difficult to reach Jincheng in a hurry. There is not enough money and food in Hanzhong, and the chariots and horses are not moving. We need to be cautious in using troops, and it is not advisable to startle the enemy." .”
Liu Qi asked: "What countermeasures does Yuan Zhi have?"
Xu Shu said: "For the current plan, I have to go to Jincheng personally to try to rescue General Ma first and then jointly send troops to avenge him."
"This is absolutely impossible!" Liu Qi hurriedly waved his hand and said: "Meng Qi is trapped in Yuquan Mountain. He is in a dilemma. If Yuan Zhi goes again, wouldn't it be like a sheep entering a tiger's mouth?"
Xu Shu smiled and said: "General, please don't forget Xu Shu's background. I remember that when I traveled around the world, I also had the ability to fly over walls and fly over walls. Although I have neglected practice in the past few years, I can go wherever General Ma Le can go."
Ma Le was overjoyed and knelt down and said: "If the general and sir can save my eldest brother from trouble, they will be the saviors of my family, Ma. We are willing to serve the Han Dynasty for generations to come."
Liu Qi helped Ma Le and called Xu Shu to the back hall alone, and asked seriously: "How sure are you, sir, of going here?"
Xu Shu said: "General, don't worry, even if I can't rescue Ma Chao, I still have a plan to escape."
Liu Qi also had the heart to gather together the five tiger generals, not to mention that Ma Chao also had two generals, Pang De and Ma Dai, as well as the entire Xiliang territory. He patted Xu Shu on the shoulder and said, "Take care."
Xu Shu smiled and said: "A scholar dies for a confidant! If there is no general to take him in, I will be nothing more than a prodigal son. It is a blessing for a man to meet his master and show off what he has learned in his life! He will have no regrets in this life!"
