Liu Chan has always been a professional when it comes to suppressing laughter... unless he really can't hold it back.
The last time he went to Shangyong with Lao Liu, he realized that this place was full of mountains and rivers.
It's just that last time, my mind was on Liu Feng and Jingzhou, and I didn't take a close look at the complete topographic map of this place.
Now take a closer look... How can this be so mountainous and watery?
There is nothing else in the three eastern counties except mountains, valleys, Mianshui River and its tributaries.
Cultivated land can only be used on gentle slopes and large intermountain valleys, which are fragmented and the farming efficiency is extremely low.
Liu Feng felt that the Shen brothers had been wronged because they were short-changed. If Mianshui had not been able to mine gold, the Shen family might not have been able to develop in this broken place for another hundred years.
The land of the three counties is not only difficult to communicate with the outside world, but also has layers of barriers between the three counties within it. If it were not for the Mian River to communicate between them, they would become three independent small communities.
Fangling was even used as a place to exile prisoners in the pre-Qin period, which shows its sinister nature.
Not far to the southeast is Shennongjia... Fortunately, the temperature has not completely warmed up yet. If everything recovers, Cao Jun will be able to drink a pot of poisonous snakes and insects.
Even without these now, Cao Jun still faces the biggest weakening.
Your horse is gone!
In this kind of terrain, the Yunnan horses, which were born in the mountains, can still travel in the less steep places in the mountains. However, the big northern horses like Cao Jun, who were born in the prairie and plains, are completely useless.
Cao's army's greatest cavalry advantage was gone in the three counties!
Cao's army and horses were all gone. How could Liu Chan hold back and not laugh?
Look at who are the people under your command?
Yizhou bandits, Jiangdong Shanyue and Danyang mountain people... these guys are no less capable of climbing over mountains and ridges and climbing trees than monkeys.
Even the newly joined Bashu people are far more familiar with the mountains than the soldiers of Cao Wei.
"Just thinking of some happy things." Liu Chan put away his smile, "General Wenchang, Hanzhong is the gateway to Yizhou and cannot be lost. In order to prevent Cao Wei from planning to attack the east and attack the west, the soldiers and horses in Hanzhong must not be moved lightly."
Although the possibility of Boss Cao attacking Liu with all his strength this time is very small, as long as it is not zero, Liu Chan does not dare to gamble.
Boss Cao can afford to lose, lose to Wancheng, lose to Chibi, lose to Hanzhong, lose to the Seventh Army... Even if it slows down his continued expansion, he can still make a comeback quickly.
This is the benefit of a vast territory and a large population. When fighting a war, you are basically fighting for resources and population.
You can win many times on your side, but as long as you lose once, you may completely ruin your future.
Wei Yan said anxiously: "But the three eastern counties cannot be lost..."
"Guqin led the Red Star Army to rescue the three counties." Liu Chan interrupted Wei Yan with one sentence, causing him to fall into silence for a moment.
"..." Wei Yan was stunned for a moment, but immediately persuaded, "The Shen family and Meng Da, why bother the prince to come in person? We also ask the prince to guard Hanzhong. When Yan quells the rebellion, the three of them will be bound in front of the prince."
Liu Chan shook his head and said: "No, Hanzhong's defense was built by General Wenchang. I don't know the details when I come alone. If the military plane is delayed, everything will be over."
"This..." Wei Yan had to admit that Liu Chan was right.
"General, don't worry. Although the Shen family is powerful in the three counties, but the powerful private soldiers in the small area, even if they are fully equipped, how can they be the opponent of the Guchixing Army?" Liu Chan comforted with a smile, "Cao's army won't come back. That's all. If he comes? Humph, he will never come back."
It's not that Liu Chan underestimates the enemy, the general is the bones of the soldiers, and the king is the soul of the general.
As a crown prince, if he tries to inflate the ambition of others and destroy his own prestige before the battle, he will lose 10% of his momentum before the battle begins.
Wei Yan also heard about Liu Chan's achievements in Jingzhou. Wei Yan only came to prominence after the Hanzhong War, but he still knew Guan Yu very well after following Liu Bei for many years.
That was not someone who would try to please the monarch by exaggerating Liu Chan's achievements.
Seeing that Liu Chan was so confident, Wei Yan nodded and said: "That's good...it's just the prince. If you are unable to cope with it, you must send someone to inform Yu Yan, and Yan will recruit elites to help the prince!"
Liu Chan smiled and said: "Okay, general, just stay calm and wait."
Although Ma Chao has a higher official position than Wei Yan, he is very clear about the difference between himself and Wei Yan in Liu Bei's heart.
In the past, he had never said much about major strategic matters like this, but this time he rarely spoke.
"I am willing to go with the prince and lend him a helping hand."
Wei Yan looked at Ma Chao in surprise.
This person is even more aloof and arrogant than himself. He usually rarely talks. What happened today?
Ma Chao, who has reached the age of 40, feels angry again after the ups and downs. He wants to see with his own eyes whether the young man who caused the incident is a person worthy of trust.
If so, he, Ma Chao, also wants to change his way of life from now on, "start over and clean up the old mountains and rivers." For this reason, what if he is ambitious and heroic and walks with him through water and fire again?
If not...he now has nothing, his life is dead, and he has nothing to lose.
Today, the youngest son Ma Cheng is taken care of by his younger brother Ma Dai, which is enough to prevent the Ma family from becoming extinct.
Wei Yan frowned and said, "General Ma still needs to guard Yangping..."
"I will not lead the generals, but will go with the prince alone. At Yangping Pass, my younger brother Ma Dai leads the troops to garrison the pass. Even if Cao Jun sends tens of thousands of elite troops to attack the pass, what can he do to me?"
Liu Chan and Ma Chao looked at each other for a moment, then raised their lips slightly: "Okay, now with the help of the general, it is like adding ten thousand troops. The general will go with Gu to suppress the rebellion and defeat the enemy!"
If you want to see it, just come and see it for real.
When Ma Chao heard this, his usually cold eyes seemed to have a flash of light, and he slowly clasped his fists: "My lord, take your orders!"
[Ma Chao favorability +3] (43)
The plan was decided, and Wei Yan immediately sent people to transport ships and boats.
Within Hanzhong, the transportation of materials to the east and west also relies on water transportation, and the ships are all ready.
Although the Mianshui River can also be used by large boats, the two tributaries of "Blocking Water" and "Zhushui" that lead directly to Shangyong and Fanling are many twists and turns and narrow, so it is not as convenient as a small boat.
"I'll go back and get ready. I'll be here soon." Ma Chao saluted with clasped fists and turned around to leave.
He rushed to Yangping Pass on horseback and hurried straight to the pass.
"Brother, what's the hurry?" Ma Dai couldn't help but wonder when he saw this.
Ma Chao still strode forward without looking back: "The three counties are rebelling, and I want to follow the prince to put down the rebellion."
"The prince actually has this fate?"
"It was not the crown prince's order. I requested the order and recommended myself for this matter."
"ah?!"
Ma Dai exclaimed. What surprised him was not the rebellion of the three counties, but the attitude of his brother Ma Chao.
He could see that Ma Chao really wanted to go.
The sun rises from the west? When he followed the King of Hanzhong to fight against Hanzhong, his elder brother was not so active.
He persuaded Ma Chao to bring some personal guards, but he was also rejected.
At this time, the two of them had walked to the place where Ma Chao stored his armor. Yangping Xiongguan Tianxian had been quiet since the war in Hanzhong. Apart from daily maintenance, these things had not been used for a long time.
Ma Chao was wearing armor, raised his hand and picked up the lance that had been with him for many years, and then said to Ma Dai: "Take my spear and take it."
Then he walked away vigorously and resolutely without stopping.
Ma Dai hurriedly opened a large box, and neatly arranged inside were Ma Chao's usual armor-breaking throwing guns.
The name is armor-breaking. In fact, the heads of these throwing spears are made of fine iron. The elongated triangular pyramid design allows them to break shields when thrown with human power.
He quickly picked up three throwing spears and went after Ma Chao.
When they arrived at Guanxia, Ma Chao was already on his horse, with his lance hanging on his side.
Helping his brother to hang the throwing spear on three sets of special hooks on the other side of the horse, Ma Dai took two steps back and clasped his fists and said: "Brother is going alone, please be more careful."
Ma Chao didn't seem to hear it. He squinted his eyes and stared eastward, wondering what he was thinking.
However, the famous horse "Lifeisha" under his crotch, which had accompanied him in many years of battle, seemed to have sensed the change in his master's mood. He changed from his usual lazy look of drooping his head, walked around with his head held high, and snorted from time to time.
"Guard Yangping Pass."
"Brother, don't worry." Ma Dai bowed and said solemnly.
With only these words left, Ma Chao pinched the horse's belly with his legs.
"drive!"
"咴咴儿~!" Li Feisha, who was already restless, hissed with his hoofs, and then ran with all his strength, throwing up a burst of smoke and dust.
Watching Ma Chao riding away, looking different from the past, Ma Dai, who was standing there, didn't know what happened, but felt his nose was a little sore...
(End of chapter)
