Cao Ren suggested: "You can first lay down the fence for the stronghold, and then attack after stabilizing the foundation." So Cao Cao ordered his soldiers to cut down the trees, erect the fence, and divide it into three strongholds: Cao Ren on the left, Xiahou Yuan on the right, and Cao Ziju in the middle. On the second day, after a short rest, Cao Cao led the soldiers from the three villages and rushed out to the pass. They happened to encounter Xiliang's soldiers and horses. Both sides had set up formations. Cao Cao walked to the center of the formation and saw Xiliang's soldiers. Very brave and majestic. Seeing that Ma Chao was born with a powdery face, red lips, a slender waist and broad shoulders, a powerful voice, a white robe and silver armor, and a spear in his hand, he was also in the center of the formation. Pang De and Ma Dai, who were nearby, felt that they should not be underestimated. .
He said to Ma Chao: "You are the descendant of a famous general of the Han Dynasty. Why did you betray the imperial court and rebel?"
After hearing this, Ma Chao became even more angry and cursed: "Thief Cao! You deceived the king and ignored your superiors. You cannot be punished! You framed my father and killed him with a mortal hatred. I will bite your flesh off one bite at a time!" After speaking, he didn't give Cao Cao a chance to explain, and killed him directly.
Cao Cao came out to fight Yu Jin from behind. The two horses met each other. After eight or nine rounds of fighting, Yu Jin could not defeat Yu Jin and had to escape.
Zhang He came out to fight again. After fighting for twenty rounds, he was no match and could only continue to escape. Li Tong came out to fight. The horse surpassed and fought Yueyong. Within a few rounds, Li Tong was stabbed to death under the horse. Ma Chao would grab the high ground. Raised high, Xiliang soldiers rushed out together, and Cao Jun was defeated. The Xiliang army charged so fast and so bravely that the generals on the left and right could not resist it.
Ma Chao, Pang De, and Ma Dai led hundreds of cavalry and rushed directly towards the Chinese army, preparing to capture Cao Cao directly. Cao Cao was in the chaos and only heard the Xiliang army shouting: "The man in the red robe is Cao Cao! "Cao Cao immediately took off his robe and heard a Xiliang soldier shout: "The man with the beard is Cao Cao!" Cao Cao was very panicked and took out his sword and cut off his beard directly. A Xiliang soldier witnessed this After hearing this, he told Ma Chao about Cao Cao cutting off his beard with a sword, and Ma Chao said to everyone: "The one with the short beard is Cao Cao!" After hearing this, Cao Cao could only wrap a flag around his neck and ran away secretly.
When Cao Cao was escaping, a cavalryman suddenly came from behind. When he turned around, he saw that this man was Ma Chao. Cao Cao was very surprised. After seeing him from left to right, he ran away, leaving only Cao Cao alone.
Ma Chao shouted: "Thief Cao, don't leave!"
Cao Cao was also very scared. After all, he saw Ma Chao's martial arts. Ma Chao felt that he was about to catch up, so he stabbed him from behind. Cao Cao walked around the tree, and Ma Chao stabbed the tree with his spear. Because he used too much force, the spear stabbed very hard. Deep, after pulling it off, Cao Cao had run far away.
As Ma Chao rode in pursuit, a general suddenly came out from near the hillside and shouted: "Don't hurt our lord! Cao Hong is here!" Then he rode forward and blocked Ma Chao's way. In this way, Cao Cao had a chance to escape. Cao Hong and Ma Chao fought for forty or fifty rounds, but their sword skills were scattered and their strength could not keep up. Xia Houyuan also arrived with a dozen cavalry.
Ma Chao was alone, fearing that there were other Cao generals who might be plotted by him, so he could only turn his horse around and retreat, and Xia Houyuan did not pursue him.
Cao Cao returned to the camp. Fortunately, Cao Ren defended the gate, so he did not lose any extra troops.
After Cao Cao entered the camp, he sighed: "If I had killed Cao Hong at that time, I would have died by Ma Chao's gun today!" So he called Cao Hong and gave him heavy rewards. After picking up the defeated army, they held fast to the stockade, with deep ditches and high fortresses, and no soldiers were allowed to go out to fight.
Ma Chao brought his soldiers to the front of the camp every day to insult Cao Cao. Cao Cao acted as if he couldn't hear it and still ordered his soldiers to stand firm and behead anyone who made trouble.
The generals suggested: "Xiliang's soldiers and horses are all good at using spears, so they can use bows and arrows to deal with it."
Cao Cao said: "The initiative in the war is in our hands, not with the thieves. Although the thieves have spears, they can't penetrate. Just watch from the hard wall. The thieves will retreat on their own."
After the generals went down, they discussed privately: "The Prime Minister must have taken the initiative since the war. Now that he has lost to Ma Chao, how can he become so weak?"
After a few people passed by, he came to report in detail and said: "Ma Chao added 20,000 troops to fight, all from the Qiang tribe. However, Yu Yi left Ma Chao's team with his own troops. The reason is unknown!"
Cao Cao was very happy when he heard about it. The generals said: "Although Yu Yi left, Ma Chao has increased his strength after all. The prime minister was very happy when he heard about it. Why?"
Cao Cao said: "When I win, I will tell you again."
Three days later, I heard again that more troops and horses had been added to the pass. Cao Cao was even more happy when he heard about it. He even held a banquet in the tent. The generals didn't know why and could only laugh secretly.
Cao Cao had noticed this a long time ago and said: "You are laughing at me for not having a strategy to defeat Ma Chao, so what good ideas do you have?"
Xu Huang added: "Now the prime minister's troops are here, and the bandits' troops are stationed above Tongguan. From here to Hexi, there must be no preparation. If an army sneaks across Pubanjin, the bandits' retreat will be cut off. , the Prime Minister goes to Hebei to attack, and if the rebel army cannot take care of both sides, it will be in a critical state."
Cao Cao said: "What you just thought is exactly what I thought." So he asked Xu Huang to take four thousand elite soldiers and Zhu Ling to sneak attack Hexi, ambush in the valley, and wait until the army crossed Hebei to attack together.
Xu Huang and Zhu Ling took the order to leave, first sneaking away with four thousand soldiers and horses. Cao Cao ordered that Cao Hong first prepare some ships in Pubanjin and let Cao Ren guard the camp. Cao Cao himself took the soldiers and horses to cross the Wei River.
This matter was quickly reported to Ma Chao in detail. Ma Chao said: "Now Cao Cao is not planning to attack Tongguan. He has sent people to prepare ships. They are preparing to cross Hebei and cut off our retreat. I should bring a force of troops and horses." Follow the river and block it on the north bank so that Cao Cao cannot cross the river. In less than twenty days, the food in the east of the river will be exhausted, then Cao Cao's army will definitely be in chaos, and then Cao Cao can capture it."
Han Sui said: "There is no need for this. Haven't you heard in the Art of War that when the soldiers and horses have crossed the river halfway, it is best to attack at this time. After Cao's army crosses the river, if you attack head-on on the south bank, Cao's army will all die. In the river.”
Ma Chao bowed and said, "Uncle's idea is very good!"
So he sent someone to find out the specific time for Cao's army to cross the river. Cao Cao had already organized his troops and divided them into three parts.
These boats crossing the river were all used by Sima Yi when he was tracking Yu Yi, and some of them were Yu Yi's boats crossing the river. Because of Le Jin, Sima Yi was driven back to Xudu by Cao Cao to reflect.
