Chapter 212: No regrets and choice

The first ray of sunshine in the morning flashed with a light yellow halo, like a layer of folded gauze hanging onto the top of Chencang City. With the arrival of the new day, the whimpering horns of the Xiliang Army and sharp Qiang pipes were shattered, and the sound of horse hooves was broken and the iron cavalry was crisscrossed. When the vibration of the earth reached the city wall, every soldier guarding the city really felt the strongest oppression.

This is a huge sound of wind sweeping away the remaining clouds, like a flood, hitting towards the rock-solid Chencang City Wall.

This is the sharpest spear and the strongest shield, but it is not them that determine the victory or defeat of each other, but the person behind them.

"Ah!" A curious young guard stood up with the battlement, poked his head out to look at the situation outside curiously. Unfortunately, before his eyes could see the situation under the city clearly, the bowstring sounded. A sharp arrow flew into his eyes like an elf with wings. Only the pain in his heart made the soldiers who were caught in the arrow roll onto the city, screaming in succession.

"The horse thief ambushed the crossbowman, be careful not to stick out!" Seeing his companions like this, the soldiers in the city changed their faces one by one. The athletes in Xiliang are all good at bent bows and shooting eagles. Even if they ride on the running horse, they can accurately hit the target.

"Don't panic, everyone will guard their battlements for me." Just as the city was panic, the sound of footsteps sounded. Yang Fu, a Liangzhou barman in military uniform, led the clan's children to the city to guard.

Chen Cang is no stranger to Ma Chao.

Nine years ago, Ma Chao, who was only thirteen years old at the time, followed his father Ma Teng to Chencang for the first time. That time, the Xiliang tribes confronted Yong, and the momentum was huge. However, in front of this city, Ma Chao really saw the iron cavalry that had no rivals across thousands of miles and was bleeding.

"The strong attack is not good, it's my command. When the people nearby are plundering as hostages, they force the enemy to surrender!" Just when the kingdom was defeated, the young Ma Chao suggested to his father Ma Teng. At that time, Ma Teng was shocked after hearing this. Although the plundering of the people has long been common, the young Ma Chao who still had a little childishness still made people stunned.

Today, Ma Chao, who made a comeback, has become the commander of the 20,000 cavalry outside the city. He has full freedom to realize all strategies. At the same time, behind him, Zhao Yun and Pang Tongyi were also commanding the cavalry of the two Hebei people to suppress the situation.

In the deep cracks of the city wall, the dead grass in late autumn trembled slightly under the rising sun, as if to say quietly to the peaceful past. The sky finally dawned. When I saw Chen Cang's towering city wall again, an indescribable feeling suddenly rose in Ma Chao's heart.

"Even the strong city Chen Cang, it cannot stop my iron cavalry from advancing!" Facing Chen Cangcheng, who was terrified of talking to the soldiers of Xiliang, Ma Chao was full of confidence.

In sharp contrast to Ma Chao's confidence, Yang Fu on the city was secretly frightened. Xiliang cavalry had always been relaxed in military discipline, and most of the grassland athletes who were used to freedom could not stand the strict constraints of military discipline. Therefore, the Xiliang Iron Cavalry often gave people the impression that they were more brave and less intelligent. However, the army led by Ma Chao and Zhao Yun was completely different from the solemn military formation, neat queues, and bright swords and guns. All of these were showing an invincible momentum, which made the enemy scared before fighting.

"Where will Wei Yuan be? Why don't you leave the city and accept surrender quickly!" Ma Chao rode his horse and twisted his gun and shouted loudly towards the city. His voice was extremely heroic, because today he is different from the young boy from Anding City two years ago.

Yuan Jiang is Wei Kang's name. When Ma Chao fought outside the city, the leader of the Wei family, who had just taken over as the governor of Liangzhou, had just been asleep for a while. The current severe situation made him sleepless all night.

"Sir, the horse thief is calling out outside the city!" The attendant's urgent shouting made Wei Kang suddenly burst into cold sweat.

"Where is Lord Yang Fu?" Wei Kang asked blurted out.

When things came to an end, the performance of this young talent who was "whose to everyone" who ascended the position of governor of the state was really disappointing. He was praised by Jia Xu and was completely unrighteous. In fact, it was more than enough to be an auxiliary official with Wei Kang's personality, but if he was asked to take charge of the overall situation, things would probably be messed up. At this point, even the old fox Jia Xu, who is good at knowing people and being good at breaking the law, was still out of sight.

"Sir, don't take the troops to guard the city!"

"Okay, wait until I change my clothes and go to the city to inspect!" Wei Kang let out a long sigh. He has been influenced by Confucianism since childhood and has not forgotten to be neat in this military emergency.

Unfortunately, this kind of self-pretentious nobleness has no help in defending the city.

When Wei Kang cleaned up and climbed to the top of the city, the verbal battle between Ma Chao and Yang Fu was at the most intense and critical moment.

"Don't be crazy, with me, Yang Fu, you don't want to step into this Chen Cang." Yang Fu mustered up the courage and shouted. Most of the soldiers guarding this western city were his clans, so based on the prestige in the army, Yang Fu was much more inspiring than Wei Kang, a scholar.

"Yang Fu, but Yang Yishan in Tianshui. You are not worried about the life and death of your family?" Ma Chao said loudly. After Zhao Mafeng swept the remnants of clouds to capture Longxi and Tianshui, Yang Fu's clan residence was also occupied by Ma Chao. Although the young and strong sects who followed Yang Fu arrived in Chencang, their parents, wives and children remained in their original place.

Chencang City was guarded by dangerous places, built on the hillside, so the city was not very large. When there was no war, most of the soldiers guarding here lived scattered around farming fields. Who had no parents or wives and children? Ma Chao's intimidation suddenly hit the key points of the defenders in the city, and for a moment, the soldiers guarding the city whispered.

Seeing that the Doukou was at a disadvantage, Yang Fu said sternly: "Don't be impulsive. If we don't defend the city to the death, how can we have the fate to wait until the horse thief breaks the city?"

"Ha, Yang Fu, why bother to exaggerate? This time I, Ma Chao, came here, and brought some acquaintances. Please ask all the warriors in the city to recognize each other!" Ma Chao pointed his gun, and the cavalry behind him were automatically divided into two strands, and slowly a group of people with worn clothes and blood-stained faces appeared in the open place.

"Then——that's my mother!" a sharp-eyed soldier shouted in an emergency.

"My brother is inside, woo, what should I do?"

Seeing his relatives being pushed down by the enemy onto the hard naked stone, these ordinary soldiers who obeyed the orders of the Zuo clan were driven to the city one by one.

"Yang Fu, you can see clearly. If you are willing to put down your weapons, I will treat your brothers and relatives well, otherwise-!" Ma Chao laughed, and a flash of lightning flashed across the sharp spear in his hand.

There was no need for Ma Chao to say anything else, and the city was silent.

Yang Fu closed his eyes in pain, and just glanced at him clearly saw that his three young brothers were tied in front of the formation. Next to them was his aunt and cousin Jiang Xu's mother.

"Yishan--!" Jiang Xu's voice was low and powerless. He was familiar with Confucianism since childhood and was very filial to his mother.

"Listen to the soldiers on the city, if you want your relatives to die, leave the city and surrender quickly!" Amid the thunderous shouts of Ma Chao's army, the will of the soldiers guarding the city were gradually destroyed. According to Sun Tzu's Art of War, the highest level of war is the highest level of war. Although Ma Chao's method of forcing surrender seemed a bit despicable, the effect was real.

Ma Chao, who was flowing with Qiang people's blood, liked to go straight. What he wanted was to choose the easiest way to hit the enemy's weakness. As for whether this method was a disgrace, he would not think about it.

Although the temperature at the end of October was not too high, the sun was still very dazzling at noon, and the dry ground was exposed to the sun without any restrictions. Most of the people pushed to the front were old, weak, women and children. How could they withstand such torture? In just less than half a day, more than ten people fell down in the crowd.

"How is it? I, Ma Chao, can afford it. I, Ma Chao, can't wait for one day, two days, and three days, but if we continue to fight, if there is any mistake in your relatives, I, Ma Chao!" Seeing that there was no movement in the city, Ma Chao was a little impatient. He took off his sweaty helmet and said loudly.

Before Ma Chao finished speaking, there was a 'bang' in the crowd, and another person fell down even though he could not stand the scorching sun.

"My mother!" Jiang Xu saw it from afar on the front of the city and exclaimed in surprise.

It was not someone else who fell down, but his mother. Jiang Xu, who was excited, roared and ran towards the city gate. He led the army, and the soldiers who were shaken by the army also followed him away from the trunk.

"Boyi, be calm and don't act impulsively!" Yang Fu stopped Jiang Xu.

"Yishan, the one tied outside is my mother and your aunt. As a seven-foot man, you and I cannot protect the safety of our family. What's the use of this skin?" Jiang Xu said loudly with tears in his face.

"Bo Yi, the Han Dynasty is in turmoil and the world is in danger. You and I have learned the books of Confucius and Mencius. You and I should know the truth that 'there will be a country first and then a family'. Now the horse thieves invade my borders. If Chen Cang is not protected, there will be no inch of the land in Guanzhong. You and I have a strong family relationship, but the survival of the country will be even worse." Yang Fu's face was exposed, and this short sentence almost made him exhaust all his strength.

Under Yang Fu's obstruction, Jiang Xu's emotions gradually calmed down. At this time, Liangzhou Mu Wei Kang also arrived in a hurry in a brand new robe.

"Bo Yi is sad, you and I are responsible for the country's important tasks. We should be afraid of doing everything we can and sacrifice ourselves to do some things for the country." Wei Kang comforted. As the highest chief in the city, he naturally tried to comfort him when asking his subordinates to make contributions.

"Don't worry, sir, I understand this principle." Jiang Xu wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his cuffs and choked.

"Okay, with the examples of Yang and Jiang, I, Chen Cang, will definitely be determined to fight against the horse thieves! On the day of the rescue, I will personally write to the court to express the righteous deeds of the two adults." Wei Kang said loudly.

At this time, Ma Chao, who was anxious outside the city, did not know the movement in the city. Seeing the setting sun hanging in the mountains, there was no sign of wavering in the city, Ma Chao couldn't help but become angry.

"Come, abandon the unstoppable prisoners in front of the city and trample on their horses to death!" Ma Chao ordered with hatred. At this moment, he just wanted to use bloody facts to teach those ignorant people in the city who were alive and dead.

"Meng Qi is slow." Seeing that the tragedy was about to happen, Zhao Yun and Pang Tong both rushed forward and advised him. As allies of Ma Chao, Zhao Yun and Pang Tong have always followed Gao Pang's instructions to keep the bottom line of their allies. They have more say in the training and strategic decision-making level of the army, and the specific command on the battlefield will fully respect Ma Chao's autonomy.

They knew that they had to have enough patience to put a cage on Ma Chao, a wild and unrestrained wild horse. Now, Ma Chao's emotions are almost out of control. If they are allowed to continue to be violent, they will only strengthen the confidence of the soldiers guarding the city.

"Meng Qi, you see that the eyes of these captured people are full of resentment. If we really kill them, wouldn't it be just right for them to be in line with their wishes? In terms of Tong's opinion, it would be better to keep it first." Pang Tong said.

"Does the military advisor have a better idea?" Ma Chao raised his dark sword eyebrows and said disapprovingly.

"Of course. It's too late today. Let's withdraw our troops and return to the camp temporarily. Everything will be settled for you and I will discuss it again." Pang Tong smiled. From Ma Chao's retorted expression, Pang Tong knew that Ma Chao had actually given up his thoughts.

Although Ma Chao's method of using prisoners to force surrender failed, it also made Pang Tong think of a better idea.

"The silence in the city does not mean that there is no change. If we can try to capture the family of Wei Kang, the leader of the city, the role of persuading surrender will be more obvious!" Pang Tong thought to himself.

In fact, whether to decline or not depends on the current subordinates, but on the front.

Ma Chao thought of the first floor, but did not think more deeply about the second floor.

"Military advisor, what's the good idea?" Just after dinner, Ma Chao hurriedly found Pang Tong and asked.

Pang Tong turned his head and said to Zhao Yun: "Zilong, you have worked hard and lead two thousand cavalry to detour An Ding tomorrow, attack Huaili, and invite Wei Kang's family together!"

Wei's old nest is Huaili in Fufeng County, which is close to the hinterland of Guanzhong. It is relatively safer than Chencang, which is located at the junction of Yongliang.

Of course, this is just relative "safety". Pang Tong sent Zhao Yun's troops to attack Huaili, which was no different from a disaster for the unprepared Wei family.
Chapter completed!