Chapter 588 Cao Wei takes a chance
Jiang Ji now wished he could tear the two officers who had deceived them into pieces with his own hands. It was precisely because they tried to conceal their responsibilities that Ma Su successfully broke out of the encirclement for more than half a month before Jiang Ji got the news.
Half a month’s time! In the Battle of Guanzhong, half a month would be enough for Ma Su to defeat Chen Tai! Moreover, Luoyang was only so big in total. Jiang Ji was afraid just thinking about how many things Ma Di had done in half a month.
Therefore, after discovering the problem, Jiang Ji immediately sent his cronies to search the situation to see if there was still hope of saving the situation.
Then, he heard that the military garrison in the south of Luoyang was attacked by Ma Su, and countless soldiers from the garrison surrendered to the enemy. At the same time, some people from Hulao Pass risked their lives and came to report, and Shu general Ma Di led more than 10,000 troops to the pass.
After hearing about this, Jiang Ji's heart finally died.
"Look at the good deeds you have done! You let Ma Su raise an army of tens of thousands of people on our territory!"
"Do you know what this means? I have been preparing the Luoyang defense line for three years, but now I have failed!"
Jiang Ji's eyes were red with anger, and the veins in the hand holding the sword hilt were exposed.
At the moment, Jiang Ji is not only angry, but also desperate. You must know that the Luoyang defense line is already the easiest to defend and difficult to attack in Guandong, and it is also the area with the most preparation time.
He had painstakingly deployed the defense line for three years, but in just two months the entire defense line was in crisis. Whether on the front line or in the hinterland, Han troops were active everywhere, and they were about to be unable to hold on.
Luoyang has reached this point, what should we do in the future, where the vast plains of Guandong are flat?
Can they really survive until Ma Di and Zhuge Liang die of illness?
Just when Jiang Ji was in despair, an official suddenly walked out of his subordinates and bowed his hands to him with a serious expression.
"Sima, it's not time to give up hope yet. Give me 20,000 people and I promise to trap Ma Su for you and stabilize the war situation!"
"As long as Ma Su is trapped, the current situation can be saved!"
Jiang Ji was startled and looked over quickly. After seeing the person clearly, Jiang Ji's brows relaxed slightly, but he still shook his head.
"Shiji, now is not the time to be clever, the risk is too great. It is better to gather the entire army and withdraw to Kanto as soon as possible for the future..."
"Sima! If Luoyang and Hulao Pass cannot be defended, the confidence of the entire Kanto states will collapse. Then there will be no need for the Shu army to leave Kanto, and we will be in chaos internally."
"Have you forgotten why Emperor Wu did not dare to retreat during the fierce battle at Guandu in the past?" The middle-aged civil servant who was called Shizhi immediately said, refuting Jiang Ji's words without hesitation.
"According to what Taiwei Sima said, we still have a big advantage. But as Grand Sima, don't you know how the hearts of people in Guandong are changing now?"
This civil servant's argument made Jiang Ji hesitate, and he began to hesitate whether to withdraw his troops. At present, Hulao Pass has not been breached by Ma Su, and everything is still too late. The withdrawal of troops will also have the opportunity to withdraw the main force to Guandong.
But as the other party said, Luoyang is now the morale of the entire Kanto. Once this place is captured so quickly, I am afraid that the major wealthy families in Kanto will start voting in line.
Therefore, withdrawing troops is a defeat, and not withdrawing is also a defeat. It is better to stay and give it a try. At least it would be better to delay it for a few more months.
But soon, Jiang Ji had another question.
"Although you are my disciple, you were just working in Hedong County before. It has only been a few years since you became military attache. Is it possible for you to trap Ma Su?"
"Da Sima, I don't think you can find another person who has the courage to face Ma Di." Shizhi replied calmly, silencing Jiang Ji with one sentence.
Yes, except for this tough guy, no one dares to face Ma Su anymore. But even so, Jiang Ji still asked worriedly.
"How do you plan to deal with Ma Di?"
"I set off at three o'clock in the morning and stopped before dusk. I marched no more than a few dozen miles in a day. I sent out scouts throughout the army. When I discovered the enemy, I immediately defended it and dug deep ravines as barriers to resist the enemy." The civil servant replied. It's watertight and sounds very stable.
At this point, Jiang Jicai breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in agreement.
"Okay, it's up to you... You will lead 20,000 troops and horses first. After I stabilize Luoyang, I will mobilize 20,000 troops to support you. And when you arrive at Hulao Pass, the reinforcements from Hebei will not be far away. Don't fight slowly. Let Ma Su seize the opportunity."
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Under Hulao Pass, Ma Su has arrived here and returned to the camp from Guandong smoothly. However, Ma Su, who had gained a lot in Guandong and won a battle, was not excited, but was extremely disappointed.
After chasing Cheng Gao, Ma Su was still unwilling to give up, so he bypassed Cheng Gao and planned to try his luck in Xingyang. The result was the same result. When the generals who defended the city knew that the Shu army was coming, they immediately began to write suicide notes, preparing to live or die with the city.
As for the Wei army who had the misfortune to encounter Ma Di in the wild, they either fled or raised their hands and surrendered. Ma Su traveled from Hulao Prison to Xingyang for several days. Not only did he not lose many people, but he also brought back many who surrendered.
This phenomenon gave Ma Su a premonition, fearing that it would not be so easy to commit suicide in Guandong in the future. Even if he is unlucky, he may not have the opportunity to have a fun outdoor duel again.
Look at my fate. In the beginning, I wanted to die and go home, but now I have become a strong man descended from the sky. It belongs to the kind of Ji Han history book that must be recorded on a separate page...in a separate book.
After returning to the camp outside Hulao Pass, Ma Su also received a report, and his confidants said everything was normal. The scouts they deployed outside even explored twenty miles away, but found no trace of the Wei army.
"General, these Wei people all retreated after seeing your flag. Even tens of thousands of people dare not look at us, which shows how terrifying the general's deterrence is..." One of Ma Di's personal guards smiled and said to us. When Ma Su reported his work, his words were filled with endless pride.
However, Ma Su could only smile bitterly, waved his hand and replied.
"If possible, I would rather not be intimidated..."
"Now I'm afraid you can't do it even if you want to. No one in the Puppet Wei Dynasty dares to provoke..."
"Little Ma Su! Come out quickly and die!"
Before the guard could finish speaking, a howl suddenly came from outside, interrupting his words. Then there was a burst of shouting and fighting outside the camp, which immediately made the guard's smile freeze.
However, a smile gradually appeared on Ma Su's face, and he was even a little more excited.
"Okay, okay, finally I met someone brave..."