Ma Chao and his companions came down the mountain and were overjoyed. They grabbed Ma Le and asked anxiously, "How many soldiers and horses have arrived?"
Ma Leyan said: "Fifty people!"
"Fifty?!" Everyone was stunned. How could such a small number of people escape
Ma Le had no time to explain and asked everyone to change into Cao's army uniforms and armor. Ma Dai said, "If we dress like this, we will probably be discovered by dawn and won't be able to get far."
They were still on the cliff, with Cao's army patrolling in the distance. They could barely get away with it at night, but they would definitely be recognized during the day.
Ma Leyan said: "We have already grabbed the patrol token. Let's go down the mountain to Motianling first. There will be someone there to meet us."
Everyone dressed neatly and followed Ma Le down the mountain from the small path. They passed by several patrolling teams of Cao's soldiers without arousing any suspicion.
Cao's army and Han Sui's troops had been guarding here for nearly two months and were already exhausted and numb. They just went through the motions every day and were even more perfunctory and sleepy at night. They never thought that the people on the mountain would suddenly disguise themselves and escape.
After continuous fighting, although some people were injured, they now had a glimmer of hope, so they all cheered up and did not feel tired even after traveling through mountains and rivers.
Along the way, Ma Le briefly introduced the matter of requesting help. Ma Chao felt mixed emotions when he heard it. He was happy that Liu Qi sent his trusted advisers to rescue, which must have a plan. But he was worried that the troops were too few and he didn't know whether they could escape the pursuit and interception of Cao's army.
At dawn, they finally arrived at a pass. In the dense forest, a group of people dressed as hunters were looking out for support. Ma Le gave a secret signal and entered the forest.
Seeing that Xu Shu had an extraordinary bearing, Ma Chao also knew that the fifty people traveling with him all had unique skills, so he felt relieved. After thanking him repeatedly, he asked for a plan to escape.
Xu Shu said, "Liang Province is where Cao's army is stationed. There is no way from Jincheng to Tianshui. The only way is to cross Gaolan Mountain, go from Didao to Fuhan, and then return to Hanzhong from Wudu. Han Sui will not expect the general to retreat to the south, so we can take him by surprise, attack him when he is unprepared, and retreat safely."
Ma Chao's eyes suddenly lit up, like the dawn in the east, and he said happily: "Sir, your words have opened my eyes. I have a good relationship with the Qiang, Di and other Hu tribes. As long as we can cross the Tao River, we can seek their help."
Trapped in Jincheng, Ma Chao was obsessed with escaping back to Hexi and raising an army for revenge. He never considered other ways of escape. It was only after Xu Shu’s enlightenment that he suddenly saw the light.
Ma Dai sighed, "This is really the case with the authorities. The troops here are weak and patrols are rare. I don't think Han Sui and his men would have thought that we would go south."
Xu Shu said, "We are traveling light and exploring the way here. We are running out of food and baggage. There is a stone pass ahead guarded by Qiang people. We must take it, seize the horses and baggage, and evacuate. We should retreat back to Hanzhong quickly before Cao's army can react."
Ma Chao clenched his fist and said, "The people blocking the road must be the Dangxiang Qiang people from Huangzhong. Sir, rest assured, leave everything to me!"
Ma Dai gritted his teeth and said, "Since the Tangut tribe has betrayed us and followed the old villain Han Sui to kill us all, it's time to issue a warning!"
Pang De roared, "Kill them all, leave no one alive!"
"Kill!" Several followers nearby also roared in a low voice. For them, these two months were simply too difficult to look back on.
Betrayed by allies, companions killed in battle, and almost at the end of the road, but now found a way out, there is a flame of revenge burning in everyone's heart.
Xu Shu comforted the crowd and said, "According to our scouts, the pass here is very crude. They have set up camp at the pass and stationed soldiers on the mountain. This shows that the Qiang people are not good at deploying troops. You can rest assured and act in the moonlight after dark."
So he ordered the dry food to be distributed, and then they ate, drank, rested and conserved their strength in the forest. Shi A took a few agile companions to monitor the situation first.
On this expedition, Xu Shu brought twenty elite soldiers from the Yanfeng Camp with him. After arriving in Hanzhong, Wei Yan selected thirty Green Forest masters from the Chiyan Army. Although their number was small, they all had the ability to fight ten enemies at once.
In the evening, there was suddenly thick smoke and a crowd of people on the top of Wuquan Mountain. It must be that the defenders discovered that Ma Chao and others had escaped and began to hunt them down.
Ma Chao stood on a cliff, looking out over his territory like a lone wolf, the flames of the mountain top reflected in his eyes. The revenge of Wuquan Mountain must be paid with blood by Han Sui.
At dusk, everyone finished eating all the dry food, organized their equipment and were ready to go. The searching enemy troops had already arrived at the foot of the mountain and the situation was imminent.
A bright moon rose over the eastern mountain, the sky and the earth were hazy, the mountain breeze covered the sound of footsteps, and under the leadership of Shi A, everyone came to the outside of Shicheng Pass.
I saw tents built on the mountains and hills, a simple camp on the road, and fences made of branches at the intersection. The Qiang people are not good at construction, and this pass is not as solid as a bandit stronghold in the Central Plains.
As Xu Shu expected, no one thought that Ma Chao would go south. The northern direction of Hexi must have been heavily defended at this time, and the Qiang people here had already gone to sleep.
The night wind suddenly blew hard, and everyone hid behind the rocks. Xu Shu said, "Cao's army has searched the foot of the mountain. If we attack rashly, the guards on the top of the mountain will set fire to warn people. We must first climb from the back of the mountain to the top and eliminate the sentries on the mountain. Who dares to go?"
Ma Dai clasped his fists and said, "Leave it to me."
"General Shi A and General Ma, select ten people to go!" Xu Shu pointed to the lit lantern halfway up the mountain and ordered them, "After you succeed, sound the fire signal, and when you see the lantern fall, rush down from the mountain and eliminate the defenders on the mountainside."
The two men followed the order and went to select people. Xu Shu said, "We also need someone who is brave and good at fighting, and has excellent riding skills. Who else can we find besides General Ma?"
Ma Chao patted Pang De on the shoulder and said, "Ling Ming is a skilled warrior and is best at charging into battle. Sir, just give your orders."
Xu Shu ordered: "Guard Pang, take 20 people to ambush in the forest on the left. That is where the Qiang people's horse stables are. If you see a fire in the camp, take advantage of the chaos to seize the horses, rush through the enemy camp, and guard the valley entrance in front. Don't let anyone escape."
Pang De said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, sir. None of these ungrateful people will get away."
Everyone went about their business. Xu Shu asked Ma Chao, "How good is Meng Qi at archery?"
Ma Chao laughed proudly and said, "I am not bragging. I can shoot down wild geese in the sky even when I ride my horse at full speed."
Xu Shu pointed at the lantern again and said: "When you see the signal on the mountain later, shoot down the lantern and charge into the camp. Don't let a single Qiang escape."
"How difficult is this?" Ma Chao touched the Tietaigong in his hand. This was a weapon passed down from his ancestors. It was said to be the precious bow used by his ancestor Ma Yuan.
Xu Shu then selected five men who were agile and good at stealth, and asked them to sneak into the enemy camp with firewood they had prepared on their backs. They hid at the foot of the mountain, and when they saw the lanterns fall on the mountainside, they set fire to the camp.
After everything was arranged, everyone went their separate ways. Ma Chao tightly grasped his spear, and seeing that Xu Shu was confident, organized and thorough in his work, he couldn't help but secretly admire him. It was no wonder that Liu Qi was invincible because he had such a talent.
The moon was dim and the camp was dead silent except for the howling mountain wind. Even the patrolling soldiers had taken refuge in their tents to rest. They were just doing their routine work here and had no idea that a crisis was imminent.
Estimating that the time was about right, Xu Shu signaled Ma Chao to stand up and lead the rest of the men toward the entrance of the valley.
Ma Chao hurriedly said, "Sir, just stay here and watch the battle. Leave the killing of the enemy to us."
Xu Shu pressed his sword and said with a smile: "General, do you really think that I am just a weak scholar? I came here this time because I am itching to show my skills. I want to wield my sword to eliminate evil and take revenge."