Behind him, dark clouds were pressing down, lightning and thunder were flashing, and in the blink of an eye, heavy rain was pouring down. From a distance, it seemed as if a curtain of sky was covering the grassland.
The Di tribe is just behind this grassland. Although there is only a mountain ridge between them, the dark clouds never cross the border. In a blink of an eye, the wind and clouds dissipate and the sky becomes sunny again, which is amazing.
The group arrived at the camp, and after a brief greeting, they were arranged to wash and rest. After days of fighting, everyone's energy had been exhausted, especially Ma Chao and others, who were completely supported by the will for revenge.
He slept soundly and woke up at noon the next day. Agui had ordered people to prepare roasted lamb with milk and treat everyone with the best food so that they could recover their strength as soon as possible.
The Di people's flocks of sheep all have thick fur and rich, oily meat. A bowl of mutton soup is more nourishing than a panacea. After eating and drinking, I continued to sleep for three days before I felt that my fatigue disappeared.
A Gui re-selected horses for Ma Chao and others, and trained them in the mountains for half a day to stretch their muscles. When he returned to the tribe, Xu Shu had already written and drawn on the map.
Ma Chao asked in confusion: "Now that we have the Di people leading the way, we can return to Hanzhong very quickly. Why do we need a map?"
Xu Shu sighed and said, "General, you don't know that two days ago, Cao's army had already blocked all the important roads in Longxi County, and stationed 50,000 elite soldiers in Didao. Han Sui and the Qiang people have surrounded Fuhan and are heading here to kill us."
Ma Chao was shocked and asked, "The military situation is urgent, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Xu Shu laughed and said, "This battle depends entirely on your might. If you don't focus on recovering your strength, how can you fight the enemy?"
Ma Chao said angrily: "Han Sui, the old villain, will not stop until he has wiped us out. This time, I will definitely take his head."
Ah Gui walked into the tent and said with a smile, "General Shenwei is the White Tiger Star descended to earth. No matter how many troops he brings, it will be in vain."
Ma Chao patted Agui's shoulder heavily and said, "Thank you for your help, Your Majesty, but this also brings you trouble."
Ah Gui laughed and said, "General, what are you talking about? We Di people have always been clear about gratitude and resentment. If it weren't for your help, our people might have died out long ago. We can't rest easy if we don't repay your kindness."
Ma Chao sighed and said, "Life and death are unpredictable in this battle. Your families must be evacuated as soon as possible."
Ah Gui nodded and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Xu has already explained two days ago that they are now entering the Evil Spirit Grassland and are very safe."
Ma Chao was shocked and asked, "If we let them enter this place, won't they never come back?"
A Gui smiled and said, "Evil Spirit Grassland is dangerous at every step and the weather is abnormal, but it is not impossible to get out. As long as we carefully explore, we can still find a way in and out. We have lived in this area for many years and have often competed with the Qiang people for territory, so we must have a way to protect ourselves."
"That's good!" Ma Chao let out a long sigh: "I feel relieved that you have arranged it."
Agui said, "Now the eight thousand bravest soldiers in the camp will obey the orders of General Tian."
"Good!" Ma Chao clasped his fists and said, "If I can escape danger, I will never forget the king's kindness when I become successful in the future."
Ah Gui also saluted and said, "We respect brave heroes the most. General, you are so powerful and mighty. It is our honor to fight alongside you."
Xu Shu smiled and said, "As long as the two of you work together, even if Han Sui sends a hundred thousand soldiers, it will be in vain."
Ma Chao pulled Agui to sit beside him and asked, "What's your plan, sir?"
Xu Shu said: "The general's escape this time has made Han Sui and the Qiang people uneasy, so they came out in full force at all costs. They seem to be aggressive, but in fact they are panicking. With a few big victories, they will naturally fall apart."
Ma Chao clasped his fists and said, "Since the battle with Cao's army, I know that bravery alone is not enough to defeat the enemy. This battle depends entirely on your command. We should fight with all our strength."
Ever since the defeat at the Battle of Weishui, Ma Chao, who had been traveling across Xiliang, felt extremely frustrated. In addition, Ma Teng was murdered by Sima Yi's conspiracy, which made him realize the horror and importance of counselors.
This time Liu Qi sent Xu Shu to rescue, and they managed to retreat calmly without any danger along the way. Although he had not yet deployed his troops, he had already been recognized by Ma Chao and others.
Xu Shu nodded and said, "In the past two days, I have asked the Di King to send a guide to take Shi A to draw a map of the surrounding area. With the help of the terrain, we can fight the enemy with half the effort."
"Mr. Xu, I heard that Han Sui led 50,000 troops across the Tao River this time. How confident are you in dealing with them?"
Although Agui tried his best to help Ma Chao, this was after all a matter of fate for the entire clan. It was impossible to say that he was not worried at all.
Xu Shu smiled and said, "To use troops, one must have favorable weather, favorable terrain, and favorable people. Although Han Sui has many soldiers, the Tangut Qiang have just surrendered and are not as united as they seem. They have come from afar to pursue us and are not familiar with the geography. With our united will and our ability to wait for them to tire themselves out, it will not be difficult to defeat them."
Ah Gui seemed to understand what he said, but when he saw Ma Chao nod, he felt relieved and said, "I have followed Mr. Xu's plan and sent people to contact the Baima Di in Wudu. If they get any news, they will report it to Hanzhong immediately. Our reinforcements should arrive soon."
He had already known Liu Qi's reputation. This time, helping Ma Chao to join Liu Qi was also for the development of the entire tribe in the long run.
Ever since he learned of Liu Qi's attitude towards the Ba people, Agui has wanted to make friends with him, but he was thousands of miles away and was powerless. Now that the opportunity is before him, he must seize it.
Ma Chao was pleasantly surprised and asked, "Yang Qianwan? How has he been doing these past few years?"
Ah Gui smiled and said, "Qianwan has become the chieftain of the White Horse Tribe. Like me, he had planned to help the general to fight Cao's army at Weishui, but he didn't expect the general to withdraw his troops before the New Year, so he had to give up."
Ma Chao said in a deep voice: "The thief Cao has many tricks, which are really hard to guard against. This time he has instigated Han Sui to turn against us. The blood feud between Xiliang and the Cao family will be settled sooner or later."
While they were discussing, Ma Leti received the package and said with joy, "Sir, the things you requested are ready. The whole army is working hard to make them."
Ma Chao asked in confusion: "What are you preparing for?"
Ma Le took out a round thorny lump from his cloth bag and handed it to Ma Chao: "Brother, what do you think this is?"
Ma Chao took it in his hand and turned it around. He saw four sharp spikes carved on it with a knife and an axe. He frowned and asked, "What is this?"
Ma Le took out another one, which turned out to be made of iron. He threw it on the table, and one or two sharp spikes were pointing upwards. He laughed and said, "Brother, what do you think would happen if this thing was scattered on the ground and a war horse stepped on it?"
"Ah, this?" Ma Chao was shocked. He was a cavalry general, so he naturally knew the lethality of this thing to war horses.
Xu Shu smiled and said, "This thing is called Iron Caltrops, it was made by Zhuge Kongming, and it is specially used to deal with cavalry. It seems that Han Sui wants to try it."
"Zhuge Kongming?" Ma Chao picked up the iron spike again and asked, "But what about Mr. Wolong?"
"That's right!" Xu Shu nodded and said, "Crouching Dragon and Phoenix, their talents are ten times better than mine!"
"General Liu's army is really full of talented people!" Ma Chao sighed, and suddenly exclaimed: "Oh no!"