In Chang'an City, Cao Hong was holding a grand banquet in his mansion to entertain the officials of Chang'an as a sign of consolation.
In the spring when flowers bloomed, the singing girl that Cao Hong bought from Hedong wore a short gauze skirt and danced to the drums, looking very charming. Everyone present applauded and laughed.
When they were enjoying themselves, they suddenly received news that Xu Huang had been defeated at Wuguan and lost Shang County, and that troops from Jingzhou were heading towards Chang'an.
Cao Hong was furious and drove the singing girl away. He ordered someone to bring Xu Huang in. Seeing that he looked so miserable and did not have the demeanor of a great general, he shouted:
"Wuguan is the gateway to Guanzhong. The Prime Minister ordered you to take the pass to seek revenge. Since the beginning of the year, not only have you achieved nothing, but you have also suffered heavy casualties. All 30,000 elite soldiers have been wiped out. How can you have the face to come back and see me?"
He then ordered his personal soldiers to take Xu Huang out and behead him in order to uphold military law.
Zhong Yao rushed over after hearing the news and hurriedly stopped the soldiers, saying, "General, calm down. General Xu is highly regarded by the Prime Minister. The defeat of the front army must have a reason. You can ask him about the situation."
Cao Hong snorted coldly: "General Xu, the Prime Minister praised you for having the style of Zhou Yafu, why are you so embarrassed?"
Xu Huang replied dejectedly: "They also used a strange weapon to place arrows on the pass. When they fired, arrows rained down. All the soldiers were killed. They had no choice but to retreat. Who knew that Zhang Fei was in the pass? He rushed out and the soldiers could not be restrained, so they lost the camp."
Cao Hong smiled coldly: "Humph, you had no idea that Zhang Fei had arrived in Guanzhong. This shows that you used your troops incorrectly. No wonder you failed to take Wuguan last year. You can be spared the death penalty, but you cannot escape the punishment of living. You will be punished with forty strokes of the cane!"
"Absolutely not!" Zhong Yao said hurriedly: "There are wars everywhere now, and it is the time to use people. You can pardon his crime temporarily and let him make meritorious contributions while serving his sentence."
Cao Hong said angrily: "If I don't punish the defeated general, how can I lead the army in the future?"
Zhong Yao advised: "General Xu has followed the Prime Minister since Luoyang and has made many contributions. Victory and defeat are common in the military. You can report to the Prime Minister first and then make a decision."
Cao Hong then waved his sleeves and said, "Without regard for Zhong Sili, I must enforce military law and order you to temporarily guard Lantian until I can mobilize the troops to support you. You can make up for your crime and make up for your crime."
Xu Huang was filled with shame and left with a sigh, not because Cao Hong wanted to punish him, but because Cao's army did not ask about the bows and arrows and other sharp weapons. They obviously thought he was making excuses and did not take it seriously.
At this time, Zhang Ji also rushed over after hearing the news. He learned that Xu Huang was defeated and all 30,000 troops were wiped out. He was shocked and said, "Zhang Fei can defeat 10,000 people. Wei Yan is not easy to deal with either. We need a great general to fight him. We should ask for help from Xuchang as soon as possible."
Cao Hong laughed and said, "Zhang Fei is just a reckless man. He has been defeated by me many times. Why should I be afraid of him? No need to report to the Prime Minister. I will go out to fight him myself and capture this thief and break through Wuguan Pass."
Zhong Yao hurriedly said, "General, you can't do that. Ma Teng is keeping his troops in Chencang, and his intention is unclear. If we rush out, if the Xiliang army rebels, Guanzhong may not be safe!"
Cao Hong said in a deep voice: "The old thief Ma Teng, relying on his own strength, has repeatedly disobeyed orders. How about getting rid of him first?"
Zhang Ji said: "The Prime Minister ordered Ma Teng to take Hanzhong. He previously said that there was not enough food and grass, and he refused to send troops because of the cold weather. Now that spring has arrived, why not transfer some military equipment and food and urge him to send troops to Hanzhong? After he has no worries, it will not be too late to take Wuguan later."
Cao Hong nodded and said, "This is a great plan, but we need to send someone we trust to monitor the situation, to prevent him from making excuses. Who can go to Chencang to supervise the troops?"
Zhong Yao clasped his fists and said, "My brother Zhong Jin is a smart man, you can send him."
Cao Hong was overjoyed, so he called Zhong Jin forward and appointed him as General Yamen, and ordered him to escort the baggage to Chencang, urging Ma Teng to raise the army as soon as possible and report to him after the Xiliang army set out.
He dispatched another 5,000 troops to Lantian and ordered Generals Ma Yan and Zhang Xi to intensify the training of the troops. As soon as Ma Teng was ready to send out his troops, he would lead the army directly to attack Wuguan.
Zhong Jin transported grain out of Chang'an and headed straight for Chencang. He was in high spirits all the way. He came to Chang'an with his brother and waited for three years before finally getting the chance.
Although he was Zhong Yao's younger brother, the two were nearly twenty years apart in age. The elder brother was like a father, and they usually treated each other with the courtesy of an elder.
Zhong Yao had no children yet, so he loved him very much and it was natural that the family business would fall into his hands in the future.
This grain transportation was a free achievement, and my brother's recommendation was meant to give me some experience. As long as I perform well, I will be promoted in the future.
Not long after arriving at Chencang, he saw horses and men galloping outside the city. Countless cavalrymen were running wildly across the plains, raising a cloud of dust, but their formation was not at all disordered. He could not help but exclaim, "The Xiliang Iron Cavalry is indeed worthy of its reputation."
As he was watching, a group of cavalrymen came galloping over. The first one was about 20 people, with heroic spirit. He clasped his fists and asked, "Is this General Zhong?"
"Ahem, that's right!" Zhong Jin collected his thoughts and returned the greeting, "I came here on the orders of General Cao to deliver food."
"My name is Ma Tie. My father is waiting for you in the city. Please come in, General."
Cao Hong had already sent military orders to Chencang, and Ma Teng sent his son Ma Tie to meet him, which made Zhong Jin very satisfied.
After arriving in the city and checking the food and supplies, Zhong Jin came to the government office and saw Ma Teng waiting outside the government office. He was flattered and hurried forward to greet him: "General Ma is a great figure in Xiliang. I have heard of your great name for a long time. How dare I trouble you to come out to greet me?"
Ma Teng clasped his fists and said with a smile, "We are grateful to General Cao for providing us with money and food, and for transporting them personally. Please come in quickly."
When Zhong Jin was in Chang'an in the past, he always followed behind Zhong Yao and was extremely low-key. Zhong Yao did not introduce him deliberately, and he was no different from the guards and attendants, so he was often ignored.
He was suddenly treated with such courtesy today. Moreover, the other party was Ma Teng from Xiliang, a local lord. He felt a little flattered and almost fell to the ground when he entered the door.
That night, a banquet was held in the government office to welcome the guests. Ma Teng and his son took turns to toast and flatter the emperor and took the opportunity to ask about the affairs of Chang'an.
Zhong Jin was flattered to the point of being overwhelmed, and after drinking a few more cups, he told Ma Teng everything he knew, even telling Ma Teng that Cao Hong was going to attack Wuguan himself.
He ordered his men to carry the drunk Zhong Jin to the back hall to rest, while Ma Teng discussed countermeasures with his two sons.
Ma Xiu frowned and said, "Cao Hong wants to take Wuguan, but he sent people to urge us to send troops first. It shows that he does not trust us. If we don't send troops, he may become suspicious."
Ma Tie clenched his fist and said, "Cao Hong sent Zhong Jin to transport food, saying that he was cheering our army before the march, but in fact he was urging us to leave Hanzhong before returning to Chang'an. This is really too much. It is better to kill this thief as a sacrifice and take Chang'an overnight."
"Nonsense!" Ma Teng glared at Ma Tie and said slowly, "Cao Hong's departure from Chang'an is the best time to send troops. We must not alert the enemy at this time. We must first stabilize Zhong Jin. But how can we make Cao Hong feel at ease to send troops?"
Ma Xiu said: "For now, we have no choice but to make a fake play, deceive Zhong Jin, and wait for the right opportunity to act."
Ma Teng twirled his beard and pondered, "What countermeasures does Erlang have?"
Ma Xiu said, "Tomorrow we will swear to march out and lead the troops through Sanguan and into Qinling Mountains. Zhong Jin will be satisfied and leave. But hide the elite troops in the mountains. Father will raise the flags and march slowly. When the troops from Chang'an come out, we will take Chang'an with lightning speed and decide the outcome in one battle."
"Great idea!" Ma Teng was delighted when he heard this, rubbing his hands and laughing, "Now Erlang has grown up, his wisdom and strategy are no less than Mengqi's, I am very pleased."
Ma Tie curled his lips in dissatisfaction and muttered, "Brother only knows how to wield a sword and a gun, how can he have any strategy?"
Ma Teng turned around and asked, "What did you say?"
Ma Tie said hurriedly: "My son said that my elder brother is an outstanding martial artist and also has strategies. He is truly a man of both civil and military talents."
Ma Teng stroked his beard and smiled, "Meng Qi will surely greatly prosper our Ma family!"