Plan to cut off the nine states

Gao Shengze came in from outside, kowtowed three times, and raised his head and said: "Your Majesty, everything is ready."

Ma Wei nodded, his eyes swept over his crying wife and bewildered children, and finally fell on Xu Chu, smiling and said: "Although we did not live together, we can die together, and it is worth knowing each other. When you and I stood up in white clothes to assassinate the emperor, we were so heroic, and our deaths today are also magnificent."

"I'm lying to you." Xu Chu said.

Ma Wei smiled and nodded, "You are a counselor, and lying is your profession. I don't care if I get fooled twice occasionally."

"I mean this time when I enter the city, at this moment."

"What do you mean?" Ma Wei was a little confused.

"I just said that if King Liang wants to seize the world, he must first go south to Huaizhou."

"I think it makes sense. Is that a lie?"

Xu Chu shook his head. "That's not a lie, but going south to Huaizhou is only useful to King Liang. If it's King Ning, going north to Huaizhou and Jizhou is a wrong move."

"Hmm?"

"Standing in Jiangdong to observe the world, the north is not a top priority, especially after winning over Bao Dun, there is no need for King Ning to go to war in person. The best strategy is to promise Bao Dun a heavy bribe and let him seize Bingzhou by force, or at least not withdraw from Bingzhou, to contain Ji and Qin, so that the two states cannot join forces, and point to Huaizhou from afar, so that the Sheng family can maintain a wait-and-see attitude. If there is no strong enemy in the north, King Ning can send his heart to pacify Jiangnan, and the army will go upstream to seize Jingzhou, and then send a letter to Yizhou to jointly send troops north to divide the states, unite the weak to attack the strong, and the overall situation is in the hands of King Ning."

"Yizhou can be conquered by issuing an edict?"

"The new king of Yizhou may have just been born. The Tie brothers have no intention of competing for the throne, but they often have the intention of seizing Hanzhou in the north. King Ning only needs to guarantee the title and safety of the new King of Shu, and then promise Hanzhou to the Tie family, and the edict can be conquered."

"Hey, at least you didn't lie to me. Gao Shengze..."

"Your Majesty, please listen to me."

Ma Wei hesitated for a moment, did not order the old eunuch, and said: "I know you are stalling for time, there is really no need to do so, at least for now, no one in the city will save you."

"Wait until I finish, your majesty, please decide for yourself."

"You say it."

"King Ning is indeed my enemy. I don't want to see him seize the world, so I traveled to Qin, Bing, and Ji. There is only one purpose for what I do, to attract King Ning to the north and lure him into making mistakes."

"Well." Ma Wei vaguely understood something.

Xu Chu bowed and said, "To be honest, after your majesty was defeated in Bingzhou, all that was left was Yecheng. With few soldiers and generals, it is difficult to dominate again and it is impossible to attract King Ning to the north."

"The Ning army and Bao Dun will gather at the foot of Yecheng soon. It is said that King Ning will personally serve as the commander." Ma Wei was a little annoyed.

"Ning's army will come, but not necessarily King Ning. This Ning's army may come from Dongdu, just under the banner of King Ning."

Ma Wei was silent for a while, his eyes showed a bit of sternness, "Go on."

"I came here this time to capture Yecheng for Yuyang and use the Tiancheng court to attract King Ning."

"Why didn't Yuyang send troops?"

"Most of the Jizhou army is still in Bingzhou. Yuyang has few soldiers and can only protect itself."

"You... are here to assassinate me?"

Xu Chu shook his head, "I have long stopped using this trick, and I don't have the ability to do it. In fact--" Xu Chu glanced at Lin and the children who had stopped crying, and continued: "I guessed you would commit suicide."

Ma Wei's eyes were cold, for a long time Huicai said: "But you didn't expect me to drag you along?"

"I thought His Majesty would not act so early, at least he would wait for the enemy troops to arrive."

"If I die, can you defend Yecheng by yourself? Do you know how many soldiers are left in the city? Will they listen to your orders?"

"I defended Yecheng not with soldiers, but with this mouth. Those who came to attack Yecheng were the Dongdu Ning Army and Bao Dun's Army. Without King Ning, the two generals would definitely fight for power. Bao Dun and I have an old relationship. I can persuade him to take a step back. Within ten days, the Jizhou army will also arrive."

"What a Xu Chu, he is really full of tricks."

"It was my fault to let King Ning go, and I should make up for it. King Ning has thousands of troops, I only If you have this mouth but don't use risky tactics, you are definitely not his opponent. "

Ma Wei said nothing, but Gao Shengze, who was kneeling at the door, heard some of his meaning and couldn't help saying: "If Mr. Xu can persuade Bao Dun to retreat..."

Ma Wei said sternly: "So what? Daliang has no reinforcements. If you can persuade Bao Dun to retreat, there are still Ning Army and Jizhou Army."

"Bao Dun has just joined King Ning, and it is hard to say that he is loyal. He has changed masters many times before. Even if King Ning believes in him, Bao Dun himself cannot be without doubts in his heart. I may not be able to persuade him to return to His Majesty, but I can use a strategy of alienation to make Bao Dun and the Dongdu Ning Army turn against each other, and both sides will be unable to attack Yecheng. As for the Jizhou Army, His Majesty has already surrendered to the court. I can let Princess Huanyan recall the soldiers, but there is only one thing, Your Majesty must give up the title of emperor."

"Are you familiar with Bao Dun?"

"The first person Bao Dun surrendered to was me."

Ma Wei remembered that Bao Dun was indeed a subordinate of Xu Chu, but he held on to Runan and did not follow Dongdu. He only sent hundreds of soldiers. "Will Princess Huanyan agree to let me occupy Yecheng alone?"

"The King of Jin fled to the north of the border. Although he is no longer a strong enemy, he will lead his troops back once Bingzhou is empty. Just based on this point, I can persuade him successfully."

"Hey, Princess Huanyan will certainly listen to you."

While Ma Wei was not paying attention, Lin had pulled all the children to her side, and then interrupted: "Daliang is on the verge of collapse. Even if there is a glimmer of hope, Your Majesty should not give up."

Ma Wei looked at the relics of the front beams in the room, and then looked at the next door, where the memorial tablets of the previous Liang emperors were enshrined, and murmured: "Is it true that the ancestors are manifesting themselves?" Suddenly, he raised his voice, "Xu Chu, I How do you know that what you said is not a lie to save your life?"

"Your Majesty can make your own decision."

Ma Wei thought for a while, "If you lure Prince Ning to the north, who will benefit?"

"Jingzhou Song took bamboo?"

"Never heard of it."

"He is still weak now, but he has established himself in Jingzhou. Guo Shifeng went south to Hunan and Guangzhou for him..."

"Did Guo Shifeng follow him?" Ma Wei was surprised.

"Yes, although Hunan and Guangzhou are scattered states, they have a lot of people. By this time next year, they will be able to provide soldiers and generals to Song Qizhu."

"What is the origin of Song Qizhu?"

"He is also a disciple of Fan Guan and is highly regarded. He himself was a hero in Xiangyang and was known as the 'Thousand-Hand Song'."

"Oh, I have some impression of the 'Thousand Hands Song'." Ma Wei's suspicion subsided, "If I hold Yecheng, what can you do to attract King Ning to the north?"

"I will go to Huaizhou to persuade the Sheng family to enter Jiangdong again to avenge their defeat. If that fails, I will have to adapt to the current situation and change my strategy. It will take some time for King Ning to pacify Jingzhou, and I will find him another one in the north. opponent."

Ma Wei stared at Xu Chu.

Xu Chu cupped his hands and said, "Everything I say is true: Your Majesty has not yet come into my eyes. Between the court and Bao Dun, I will choose the one who is good and follow him."

"How can I get into your eyes?" Ma Wei asked calmly.

"Standing alone in a lonely city without giving up, being in a desperate situation and being able to be reborn, I will consider when your Majesty can have 30,000 troops, 50,000 troops, I will observe, and 100,000 troops, I have no other choice."

Gao Shengze interjected again from a distance: "We still need a hundred thousand troops..."

When Ma Wei glanced at him, Gao Shengze immediately shut up and lay motionless on the ground.

"You gave me a difficult problem."

"If it's not a problem, how can you show your ability?"

Ma Wei looked at his wife and children again, and after a long while he said: "Bodun's army will probably arrive the day after tomorrow."

"I will set off now to greet Bao Dun. If the Ning army from the Eastern Capital arrives first, I hope your Majesty will hold on and never abandon the city."

"Hey, although Liang Jun is small, he won't be able to defend for even a day or two. You..." Ma Wei came to Xu Chu in two steps, "If you lie to me, God will not tolerate it, and I will not spare you even after I die. "

Xu Chu looked calm, "Can your Majesty temporarily give up the title of emperor?"

"Can."

"Then I don't have to lie to you."

Ma Wei beckoned, "Come here, Lao Gao."

Gao Shengjie stood up and ran over in small steps, "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

"Don't call me 'Your Majesty' yet. I will still be the King of Liang."

"It's just for the time being. What is Prince Liang's order?"

"You take your trusted soldiers with you and escort Mr. Xu to meet with Bao Dun. You don't have to worry about what Mr. Xu says. But if he changes his mind midway and refuses to meet Bao Dun, you can do it for him." I killed him."

"According to the order."

Ma Wei returned to the throne and sat down, put his hand on his forehead, and said feebly: "Everyone, step aside. I want to be alone."

From life to death, and from death to life, Ma Wei was exhausted.

Outside the palace, Xu Chu raised his hands to Mrs. Lin and said, "The princess is precious, and the children of Prince Liang all depend on you."

Mrs. Lin was only stunned, and then said: "Mr. Xu, you must be careful along the way."

Gao Shengze had already called seven or eight guards and urged: "Mr. Xu, without further ado, let's get on the road as soon as possible. Don't talk nice but don't do it with all your heart."

Xu Chu smiled and said: "General Manager Gao's loyalty to King Liang is obvious, and the sun and the moon can teach him a lesson."

"Prince Liang treats me sincerely, and I treat Prince Liang sincerely. Stop talking nonsense and let's go."

The group of people left the palace first, and just as they were about to mount their horses, Xu Chu said: "I still have something left at my residence, I must take it with me."

Gao Shengze had no choice but to take Xu Chu back to his residence to take the luggage with him, which wasted some time and made him even more anxious after going out.

The group of people rode a short distance away and were stopped by another group of soldiers on the street.

Gao Shengze was furious and shouted: "Who is blocking the road? Don't you know who I am?"

"It's dark and I can't see clearly."

"I am Gao Shengze, the chief chamberlain of King Liang."

"It turns out to be the senior manager. Why are you out late at night?"

Gao Shengze became even more angry and urged his horse forward, "Who is the leader, so bold..."

Before he finished speaking, several soldiers on the opposite side stabbed him with spears, knocking him off his horse.

The guards behind were shocked, and while they were hesitating, they were surrounded by the group of soldiers.

Someone said loudly: "Gao Shengze deceived his subordinates and flattered his superiors. We have ordered him to be punished. It has nothing to do with you."

Seven or eight guards immediately threw away their weapons, dismounted, and stood aside.

Xu Chu also dismounted.

The soldiers moved aside, and Mrs. Lin came out of the darkness, holding her youngest son in her arms, "Thank you, Mr. Xu, for your help in getting rid of this treacherous traitor for King Liang."

"It takes a little effort." Xu Chu knew that these words were meant for the soldiers around him.

Lin ordered his soldiers to take Gao Shengze's guards away, leaving only three close followers with him. He whispered, "I hope I didn't misunderstand Mr. Xu's meaning."

"No. The princess saved my life again."

"What Mr. Xu said in the palace before..."

"Most of it is the truth, but I can't persuade Bao Dun to retreat. Yecheng is about to fall."

Mrs. Lin didn't ask any more questions. She handed the sleeping son to a servant girl beside her and said, "Take good care of my son." Then she said to Xu Chu, "I saved Mr. Xu just for this one thing."

Xu Chu did not refuse, "Please bring the other children with you, Princess, and come with me out of the city."

Lin shook her head, "One is enough. The road of King Liang is about to end, and mine will also end. Alas, I am just an ordinary woman, and I can no longer withstand the ups and downs of the world. Please stop persuading me, Mr. Xu, and leave the city quickly. It is a great honor to be able to save a son of the Ma family."

Xu Chu nodded, led the horse away, and the maid held the young son of King Liang, and the other two male servants followed closely, rushing to the city gate.

Lin looked at the figures disappearing in the night, feeling exhausted, and suddenly became calm again, and walked towards the palace alone.