The east wind blew, the war drums beat, and fighting broke out again in Guanzhong. While Cao Xiu captured Wuguan, the Western Liang army also marched into Hanzhong.
When the news reached Hanzhong, the prefect Zhang Lu was shocked and hurriedly gathered civil and military officials to discuss countermeasures.
Since Zhang Lu took over Hanzhong, he has governed the people with Taoism and the law, which he called the "Five Bushels of Rice" religion. He emphasized honesty and trustworthiness, and the people did not pick up things on the streets, and the people were rich in money and grain.
However, due to his enmity with Liu Zhang, Zhang Lu's mother and brother were killed by him, and the two sides formed a feud. Zhang Lu wanted to take the opportunity to raise an army to seize Sichuan, and fought for years. At this time, the Western Liang army came to attack, and he was caught in a dilemma.
Yang Song was surprised and said, "Xiliang Ma Teng has 100,000 strong soldiers. Cao Cao did not dare to offend him and appeased him with a gentle strategy. Now his troops have entered Hanzhong. Who can resist? Why not send an envoy to ask for peace with Cao Cao and order Ma Teng to withdraw his troops."
Military Advisor Yan Pu sneered, "Cao Cao is afraid of Ma Teng and his son, so he uses this strategy of driving the tiger to devour the wolf. Now that the army has been dispatched, asking him to withdraw is nothing but a fool's dream."
Zhang Lu was worried: "The Xiliang army is strong and powerful, and no one in Hanzhong can defeat them. What should we do?"
Yan Pu said: "Hanzhong is a mountainous area with high and steep terrain. Yangping Pass is easy to defend but difficult to attack. The Western Liang army is only strong in cavalry, but they are useless in the mountains. My lord, you have 100,000 people in Hanzhong, and you can recruit 20,000 elite soldiers, which is enough to resist."
Yang Song pulled the curly beard on his lips, raised his eyebrows and asked: "Don't forget that Liu Zhang of Yizhou has been sending troops year after year. If he attacks at this time, we will be attacked from both sides. What should we do?"
Yan Pu laughed and said, "Liu Zhang of Yizhou is weak. If you withdraw your troops instead of attacking him, he must be secretly happy. If he wants to live in peace, why would he send troops?"
Yang Song sneered and said, "General Yan underestimated the people in Shu, didn't he? He only believed that Liu Zhang was weak, but there were many heroes and wise men. What if he could persuade Liu Zhang to send troops?"
Yan Pu disdained to argue with Yang Song and said calmly: "Liu Zhang is indecisive. By the time he decided to send troops, Ma Teng would have already retreated!"
Yang Song is a representative of the Yang family, a prominent family in Hanzhong. He is greedy, has no knowledge of military intelligence, and always likes to give orders.
Since most of the charity houses, rice and meat in Hanzhong were provided by the Yang family, Yang Song was the chief priest of the religion, and his status was second only to his master Zhang Lu.
Yang Song clasped his fists and said, "Master, this is about the survival of Hanzhong and the safety of all the disciples. We must prepare for everything! Since Ma Teng was sent by Cao Cao, we should ask for reinforcements. Otherwise, Hanzhong will be in danger if we are attacked from both sides!"
Zhang Lu frowned and asked, "Where can we get reinforcements?"
Yang Song said: "The Shangyong Shen family has always been close to the envoy, you can ask them to send troops to help in the battle."
Zhang Lu nodded and said, "The Grand Priest's words make sense. Hanzhong and Shangyong are like skin and fur. If the skin is gone, where will the fur attach to? They will definitely come to help."
The brothers Shen Dan borrowed the power of the Shen family and took advantage of the Yellow Turban Rebellion to occupy Shangyong and Xicheng, gathering thousands of people. The court promoted them to generals and made them the prefect of Shangyong.
The two places are very close to each other and have maintained close ties for many years. It is also Zhang Lu's only good ally, so it is a good choice.
Yang Song smiled complacently, and said: "In addition... I have another humble idea, I don't know if I should tell you or not."
Zhang Lu laughed and said, "Laozi said: Great wisdom appears clumsy, great eloquence appears mute, but it doesn't hurt to talk."
Yang Songyan said: "Liu Qi of Jingzhou has become famous, and he is also a member of the imperial family. He defeated Cao Cao in Nanyang. The two families are like water and fire. You should go there as soon as possible to make friends with him so that you can prepare for the future."
Zhang Lu frowned and said, "Liu Qi and Liu Zhang are from the same clan, how can they help me?"
Yang Song sneered, "Brothers have a deeper hatred than brothers! When Liu Yan entered Shu, he had evil intentions and made carriages and clothes for the emperor. It was Liu Biao who reported him. Later, Liu Yan died of illness. Liu Biao sent people to Yizhou to incite rebellion. Liu Zhang also sent Zhao Wei to lead troops to attack Jingzhou. The two families have long been enemies. I heard that Liu Qi had the intention of entering Shu. If you can unite with him, attack Yizhou from the north and south, divide Xichuan together, and get revenge, wouldn't it be wonderful?"
Yan Pu glanced at Yang Song in surprise. This guy who only knew how to make money and enjoy himself suddenly came to his senses today and thought so far ahead. It seemed that he must have come up with an idea in a hurry to protect the Yang family.
Zhang Lu hesitated for a moment and looked at Yan Pu: "What do you think, General Yan?"
Yan Pu nodded to Yang Song, saying, "It's a temporary solution."
Zhang Lu asked, "I have no ties to Liu Biao, who can serve as my envoy?"
Yang Song clasped his fists and said, "I am willing to share your worries. I will first persuade Brother Shen Dan to come to help, and then go to Jingzhou to make friends with Liu Qi and test his strength."
Zhang Lu was very satisfied and said: "In this case, I will trouble the Grand Master to go there in person."
Yang Song stood up and said, "Master, rest assured. I have ordered my subordinates to burn incense and pray to the Taoist Ancestor and the Heavenly Master in the morning and evening, asking them to show their power and help us to drive away Ma Teng as soon as possible and protect the disciples."
Zhang Lu encouraged Yang Song for a few words, and then he sighed, "Laozi said: Heaven and earth are not benevolent, and treat all things as straw dogs. The way of heaven is unpredictable, and I am afraid that the gods may not be willing to help. Shen Tan has few soldiers, and Liu Qi is far away and can't help the nearby fire. How can we resist the enemy now?"
Yan Pu said with a smile: "The Qinling Mountains are high and the roads are dangerous. Yangping Pass is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Ma Teng has come from afar and will not be able to hold out for long. Once his food and grass are exhausted, he will retreat."
Zhang Lu was relieved and said, "Laozi said: Water benefits all things without competing. I have guarded Hanzhong for more than ten years, only for the peace and prosperity of the country and the people, not for fame and fortune, but powerful enemies surround us and we have no choice. Today Ma Teng is attacking, I am afraid Cao Cao also intends to invade Hanzhong, we should think of a long-term plan: I want to call myself the King of Hanning, command the troops to resist the enemy, what do you think of joining the army?"
Yan Pu said: "The Xiliang army is invading, my lord, you can take this opportunity to recruit soldiers and train them, the people will be happy to surrender, and when Ma Teng retreats, you can lead the army to attack Xichuan in one go, take the two Sichuans as your foundation, and then claim the throne, and great things will be accomplished!"
"Wonderful!" Zhang Lu's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he clapped his hands happily and said, "Laozi said: Blessings and disasters lie in the same place! My left and right arms have come together by coincidence, which shows that this is God's will. I will issue a notice to recruit troops immediately."
In fact, Zhang Lu had long intended to become king, but he was afraid of losing the support of the people, which would provoke attacks from the princes and lead to the same fate as Yuan Shu.
When he heard Yan Pu's plan, he was overjoyed and ordered his brothers to guard Zhang Wei's Yangping Pass and train troops to resist Ma Teng.
After leaving the government office, Yang Song did not rush home. Instead, he took a group of "ghost soldiers" and "priests" and went straight to the Taoist temple, burned incense himself, and ordered the disciples to chant scriptures and pray.
After the ceremony, Yang Song came to the quiet room in the back hall alone. This room usually receives famous Taoist masters and distinguished guests who have made donations over the years. Some people do not want to reveal their identities, so they are received in secret.
Yang Song knocked on the door and entered, impatiently clasping his fists and saying, "Sir, your plan is great. I have made such a brilliant argument that Yan Pu could not refute it and could only nod in agreement."
The man turned around and was none other than Sun Qian, who had left Chencang not long ago. He stroked his beard and said with a smile, "To protect Hanzhong, this is a foolproof plan. When will you leave for Jingzhou?"
"There is no time to lose, we will leave tomorrow!" Yang Song showed off his face in front of Yan Pu today, and he had never been so happy before. He asked again: "Sir, are you sure that Ma Teng will really withdraw his troops?"
Sun Qian nodded and said, "My Lord, please rest assured tonight and make a big announcement. The bigger the better. This is your chance to become famous, so don't miss it."
Yang Song nodded heavily and said, "Okay, I will immediately summon all the priests from all over the country to gather together, burn incense and chant scriptures inside and outside the four cities, and ensure that even the passing gods can know."