Ma Teng did not expect that the decisive battle between him and Han Sui would come so soon.
Under Cheng Yu's series of operations, the price of food in Ma Teng's land skyrocketed. The common people and powerful people took advantage of the rising food prices and consumed all the food in their hands. There was not a single grain of extra food left in the entire Longxi City, Tianshui City, and Longnan City.
Standing at the top of Longxi City, I let the cold wind howl on my face without feeling anything. The chill in my heart has surpassed the chill outside and I can't feel it anymore.
"Aweng!"
Matthew walked up to the city and put a cloak on Ma Teng. Looking sideways, he saw the graying hair on his father's head, and he felt uncomfortable: "Is Aweng still worried about food and grass?"
Ma Teng nodded.
Looking at the white snow in front of me, I felt a little dizzy. "The prices of grain and grass in Longxi, Tianshui, and Longnan have suddenly soared. The common people and powerful people have squandered all the grain and grass in their hands for money. Now even if they have money, they can't buy grain and grass. Our army's grain and grass can't support it anymore." He said with sighs. .
"Why don't you go to Zhang Xiu to borrow food?" Ma Xiu asked.
His elder brother Ma Chao is now a general under Zhang Xiu. I heard that he has been entrusted with an important task and has become a general in the army. With such a relationship as his brother, Zhang Xiu must not be able to sit idly by.
Ma Teng shook his head with a wry smile, feeling that his son was still too naive.
The skyrocketing prices of grain and grass in Longxi and other places must be caused intentionally by someone. Since it was done deliberately, you will not be allowed to purchase grain from the outside world. Besides, the only ones who can save them are Zhang Xiu and Zhang Lu.
Zhang Lu had little contact with them, so the possibility of borrowing food and grass was slim.
Although Zhang Xiu has a relationship with Ma Chao, this relationship is relatively complicated. Even if he agrees, he will not provide food happily, not to mention that Zhang Xiu may not have much food and grass in his hands.
Seeing his father want to smile bitterly, Matthew said nothing more.
At this time, Ma Teng's brother Ma Yi hurriedly ran up to the city. Before anyone could reach him, he shouted: "Brother, Han Sui has led an army of 50,000 people. They have already passed Dingxi City and are about to arrive." Arrive at Longxi City."
What?
Matthew's mouth opened wide and his eyes widened.
Ma Teng smiled calmly as expected, with a hint of misery and despair in his eyes.
"Ah Weng! We have no food and grass in the army and in the city. How should we deal with this?" Ma Xiu broke out in a sweat.
Ma Teng said calmly: "Han Sui came here to kill my Ma family. Well... you take your family with you, leave Longxi City, find your brother, and go to Zhang Xiu."
"Aweng, where are you?" Matthew asked.
Ma Teng was calm and composed: "I will live or die with this city."
"Aweng?!" Matthew's expression changed drastically. "How can we hold on to the city without food? This poisonous plan must have been set up by Han Sui. With soldiers and horses in hand, we must have a plan to turn things around. We can keep the green hills without fear of running out of firewood. Why is Aweng so determined?"
Ma Teng smiled calmly: "I have been a hero for half my life. If I take refuge with Zhang Xiu, I will definitely be suspected by him. Then it will implicate you. Without me, you will be reused. And Han Sui wants to put me to death. How can I let him? Did he get his wish? In this battle, I must fight to the death with him!"
"Ah Weng!" Ma Xiu cried and said goodbye.
"Good brother!" Ma Yi's eyes turned red.
Ma Teng raised his head and sighed, suppressing the tears that were about to flow out: "You should go quickly and go directly to Xiaoguan to find Ma Chao. With him here, you will surely live a prosperous life."
Ma Yi said resolutely: "Don't take your little one away. I'm willing to fight to the death for my Ma family. Then Han Sui killed my family. It's time to take revenge."
Ma Teng did not refuse.
Ma Xiu clenched his fists, kowtowed three times to Ma Teng and Ma Yi, and prepared to go down to the city.
The family still needs his protection, and the Ma family cannot all be buried in Longxi City.
On top of the city, the cold wind howled.
Ma Teng's face gradually hardened: "Brother, how many powerful noble families are there in the three cities?"
"Seventeen families." Ma Yi said.
"Although these powerful men don't have any food left in their hands, they must have left a lot of food for their families. Since we can't live anymore, why do we care about those useless reputations? Go! Bring your soldiers and armor and kill the powerful nobles in Longxi, Tianshui, and Longnan. Search all the houses, collect all the grain and grass and store it in Longxi City. We and Han Sui——" Ma Teng gritted his teeth and said word by word, "——Deal! One! Die! Fight!"
"Here!" Ma Yi had no objection and took the order to go down and prepare.
Looking north in the direction of Dingxi City, Ma Teng's eyes shrank and shot out two rays of cold light.
…
Cheng Yu personally accompanied the army on the expedition.
The cold and long winter on the Loess Plateau has just begun, and the first snow has already shown its edge. Even though he was wearing three thick brocade robes, his whole body still felt cold and stiff.
Han Sui smiled warmly and said: "It is extremely cold in the north, especially the Loess Plateau. The dry air combined with the icy cold wind makes it very dry and cold. Sir, I am from Shandong. It is really hard to endure this severe cold."
Cheng Yu put his hands into his sleeves to keep warm, and sucked in the cold snot: "I was afraid that Ma Teng would jump over the wall and fight to the death, so I had to come! Although Ma Teng has no food, I don't dare to look down on him."
Han Sui laughed loudly: "Sir, don't worry! Although I, Han Sui, am a rough guy, I am also rough but I am not a fool. Otherwise, I would not be able to dominate most of Liangzhou."
Cheng Yu nodded undeniably.
Xiliang is poor and it is difficult to produce talents. Anyone who can stand out from Xiliang must be extraordinary, such as Jia Xu, Li Ru, Zhang Xiu, Dong Zhuo and others.
But he still reminded: "The weather is extremely cold, and Ma Teng has no way out. We must move step by step and be cautious. We are not far from Longxi City. We can order the soldiers to walk slowly and send out scouting horses to pay attention to Ma Teng's movements."
Han Sui nodded, and then ordered: "The whole army marches slowly, and all the detective horses are sent out to go to Longxi City to investigate the situation."
As the order was issued, many scouts galloped to Longxi on horseback.
Dingxi City is one hundred kilometers away from Longxi City. Han Sui's army walked for three days in heavy snow before slowly appearing ten miles away from Longxi City.
To the east of Longxi City, there is a mountain range on the north bank of the Weihe River. It is located between the edge of the northwest Loess Plateau and the hilly areas of the Qinling Mountains. It is a typical loess mao (mao) and river valley topography, with an altitude of about 2,000 meters. It is in the shape of a long strip, long from east to west. Fifteen kilometers long and six kilometers wide from north to south, it lies across the land of Longyuan, dividing Longxi into the northern and southern rivers of the Wei River Basin and the Daxian River Basin. Later it became the Flame Mountain.
Han Sui's troops faced the Wei River and set up camp against the mountains to the north. This place is ten kilometers away from Longxi City, and the wide distance in front is enough for the cavalry to charge and fight.
Cheng Yu asked Han Sui to besiege the city and trap Ma Teng to death, but Han Sui refused to listen.
Reluctantly, Cheng Yu asked for orders to lead an army of 10,000 men and stationed them ten miles north of Longxi City. He and Ma Teng were the horns of each other to prevent Ma Teng from jumping over the wall.
The next day, Ma Teng led his army out of the city.
He ordered 5,000 horsemen to guard the 10,000 horses led by Cheng Yu to prevent him from raiding the flanks. He personally led an army of 30,000 people and headed towards Han Sui.
Han Sui patted his horse and sent troops.
The troops from both sides lined up on the Longxi Plain, preparing for a battle with the Xiliang cavalry.
