Ma Chao said: "The intention is very simple! I want you to surrender to the imperial court, and the imperial court will help you recover the four counties of Zhenfan, Lintun, Xuantu, and Lelang. After that, I can make you the king of Liaoxi and hereditary rule from Wangcheng River to Wangchenghe." The land of the south!" Gongsun Zan frowned when he heard this, and kept thinking about the feasibility of this matter. Wangcheng River was also called Zhushui at that time, which is the Yalu River from the beginning of the Tang Dynasty to the present. The four counties of Zhenfan, Lintun, Xuantu and Lelang are naturally the current North and South Korea. As early as the Western Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty conquered the Korean Peninsula and established four counties. Later, due to the collapse of the political power, its ruling power was gradually disintegrated by the local natives. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, small countries or large and small tribes such as Fuyu, Goguryeo, Woju, and Dongyi gradually formed. Based on the current situation, it is almost impossible to conquer the Korean Peninsula with Gongsun Zan¡¯s 50,000 troops alone. You must know that the Korean Peninsula is adjacent to the Northeast Plains. At that time, the Northeast was not a modern grain-producing area, but a vast prairie. Only some nomadic people made a living here by grazing and hunting. Due to backward transportation, military supplies were extremely difficult. Furthermore, at that time, the population in Northeast China and the Korean Peninsula was extremely thin, and the agricultural industry was also extremely backward. It was difficult to maintain the military supplies of tens of thousands of troops even by supporting war. Gongsun Zan has only 20,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry, which is more than enough to occupy the Liaodong Peninsula. However, if he wants to further conquer the Korean Peninsula, he will have more than enough ambition and insufficient strength. Otherwise, he would have attacked North Korea long ago. After all, he would be a local emperor there. Prestige is also a good choice. After pondering for a long time, Gongsun Zan clasped his fists and said: "The general is interested, but I don't know if I can elaborate on it!" Ma Chao said: "Conquering the four counties of Liaodong is no child's play. It is also unrealistic for you to send troops immediately! On the occasion of the great war in the Central Plains, You can lead your troops and the local powerful people attached to you to rush to Liaodong County to recharge and develop your strength. After I have wiped out Yuan Shao and other princes, I can concentrate on supporting you in sending troops. At that time, the four northern states will provide supplies and wipe out the local area. Natives, it is not difficult to regain the four counties. " Gongsun Zan was greatly moved after hearing this. Ma Chao's proposal can be said to be the best of both worlds. He does not have to fight to the death with Ma Chao, but he will also have the opportunity to break the soil and become the king in the future. Of course. No one can tell what the future holds. At least Ma Chao can retreat at the moment and avoid the end of himself being defeated. After all, Ma Chao's strength was there. If Yuan Shao hadn't been there to contain him, Gongsun Zan wouldn't be worthy of letting Ma Chao take action in person. He couldn't resist Zhao Yun. What's more, the current Youzhou Mu Liu Yu has also defected to Ma Chao. If he really fights the generals, he will be attacked from both sides and will die even more miserably! "The general's words are very good. However, the matter is of great importance. Can you please allow me to think about it carefully and give the general an answer in three days?" Ma Chao was not afraid of Gongsun Zan's deception, so he agreed. At that time, the two armies returned to their camps. carry. He did this just to save Ma Tie's life, and by the way, he used a delaying strategy to drive Gongsun Zan to Liaodong County without spending a single soldier. When the war in the Central Plains calms down in the future, a mere Gongsun Zan will not be a concern. If he understands his situation, he can be spared. Otherwise, he can just find an excuse to send troops to destroy him, and then use Liaodong County as his base to defeat Goryeo. The ancestors were disabled. When I returned to Gaoyang City and had not yet dismounted, some soldiers came to report that Zhao Gai and Bing Cao, who were not riding in Youzhou, were engaged in military affairs, and Guo Qian, the general from Liao Dynasty, came to visit. Ma Chao was stunned, knowing that these two people must be envoys sent by Liu Yu. After all, he was here in person this time. Liu Yu, as the shepherd of Youzhou, couldn't escape, but he couldn't be less polite. After pondering for a while, Ma Chao held a banquet in the Chinese army's tent that night to summon the two of them. Zhao Yun, Shen Pei, Du Xi, Qin Yi, Tian Hukang and others were present. "Zhao Gai (Guo Qian) has met the general and all of his colleagues!" As soon as the two entered the hall, they bowed and saluted with a very respectful attitude. Ma Chao took a closer look and saw that Zhao Gainian was a handsome young man with fine features and delicate features. Guo Qian is already in his forties, with a majestic figure and a majestic air. He has quite the power of a general! "You two are welcome, please take a seat!" After the greetings, the guests and hosts took their seats, Ma Chao said: "Wu Heng in the north invaded the border, causing wars to break out again, and the people moved inward! But I don't know what the current war is like?" Guo Qian said: "Since Since the generals united with the Southern Huns cavalry to conquer Wuheng five years ago, Wuheng's population has dropped sharply and they have retreated to the western Liaoning area to recuperate. Although they have recovered in the past few years, their military strength is far less than before, and this invasion is just a bluff. That's it! Master Zhou Mu has already sent out an army to attack Gongsun Zan, so he sent us two to report to the general in advance!" Ma Chao was overjoyed and nodded: "That's great! I already have the heart to surrender to my general, please wait a moment before speaking!¡± The two frowned upon hearing this, and Zhao Gai said: ¡°The general must not be merciful, Gongsun Zan is so ambitious that he only allows his soldiers to rob the people. This time it¡¯s fine. The crime of colluding with foreigners to attack our great Han is unforgivable! Please ask the general to send troops to destroy him, so that we can once and for all keep peace in Youzhou!" Ma Chao said: "It is not difficult to get rid of Gongsun Zan, but the Gongsun family is extremely powerful in Youzhou. If it cannot be uprooted, there will inevitably be another trouble in the future! Besides, General Ma Tie fell into Gongsun Zan's hands by mistake, and he would have to surrender!" Hearing this, Zhao Gai clasped his fists and said, "Don't worry, General, the two of us are here just for this matter. Gongsun Zan comes from a powerful family and has many wives and concubines, but he only has an only son named Gongsun Xu, who is currently in Yijing City. Since Gongsun Zan used Ma Tie as a bargaining chip, so why didn't the general treat him the same way and attack Yi Jing in one fell swoop? "That's right!" Guo Qian agreed: "As for the Gongsun family, it's a big deal. The general has no need to worry. Gongsun Zan's two younger brothers, Gongsun Yue and Gongsun Fan, are both in Yijing City. If the city is destroyed, Gongsun Zan's family can be uprooted! " "Is this happening?" Ma Chao was stunned when he heard this. Asked: "As far as I know, there is a local warlord Gongsun Du in Liaodong, but I don't know what relationship this person has with Gongsun Zan?" Guo Qian said: "Gongsun Du is a native of Liaodong. He is currently the governor of Liaodong and has always supported my family's prefecture. Sir. Gongsun Zan is from a wealthy family in Liaoxi, but he has nothing to do with Gongsun Du. " "That's it!" Ma Chao suddenly realized, and he was ecstatic. He had always thought that Gongsun Zan and Gongsun Du were not from the same family. , are also two branches of the same family, no matter how bad they are, they are closely related. Unexpectedly, the two of them have nothing to do with each other, and they belong to two hostile camps. This would be easier to handle. Since Gongsun Zan only had two brothers and one son, it would not be difficult to get rid of them. After pondering for a moment, Ma Chao was slightly confused: "However, I have reached an agreement with Gongsun Zan and agreed to give him three days to think about it. If he goes back on his word, I may be criticized by others!" Your Excellency divided your troops to attack Yijing, and now they are approaching the city. However, Yijing city is strong and there are 20,000 elite troops stationed by Gongsun Zan. I heard that the general used hundreds of Xiangyang cannons to defeat Hu in less than half an hour. The prison is in danger. If we have the Xiangyang artillery to help us, why worry about Yijing not being defeated? " "That's it" Ma Chao couldn't help but hesitate. The Xiangyang artillery is a powerful weapon for siege, and it is not considered the highest secret in his army. However, if it were handed over to Liu Yu, the consequences would be disastrous if it were leaked. Shen Pei, Zhao Yun and other confidants heard what he heard clearly. Seeing Ma Chao's hesitation, Shen Pei cupped his fists and said, "My lord, don't hesitate any longer. Gongsun Zan has always been ambitious. The delaying strategy can only guarantee temporary peace. If he is allowed to use the imperial court, With the resources to pacify the four counties in Liaodong, dissent will inevitably arise in the future. Wouldn't this be like raising a tiger to bring trouble? " Ma Chao also thought of this. Gongsun Zan's credibility is almost zero, and he will most likely really establish himself as king in the future. If he does this? He just wanted to retain some of the strength of the Han Dynasty, and more importantly, Ma Tie was still in Gongsun Zan's hands, so he had to resolve the matter peacefully. He immediately asked: "I wonder what Zhengnan has a clever plan!" Shen Pei said: "Since the lord has come in person, there is no reason to return without success. Gongsun Zan only relies on General Ma Tie in his hands. If the lord can send troops to attack Yi Jing, capture Gongsun Zan and his family alive, and all problems will be solved!" Ma Chao hesitated: "But I have promised to give Gongsun Zan a chance. As a general of the imperial court, how can I betray my promise regardless of my integrity?" Shen Pei said: "My Lord? The difference between these words is that since ancient times, soldiers have never been tired of deceit! Furthermore, three days is enough to break through Yijing, and Gongsun Zan will not be able to agree even if he wants to. In this way, the lord only needs to pay a very small price to disintegrate Gongsun Zan's group. We can use Liu Yu's hand to completely get rid of Gongsun Zan, and the lord will not break his promise." Ma Chao thought for a moment, and he already had an idea in his mind, and asked loudly: "Are you two from Yijing?" "Exactly! The two men pondered for a while and immediately understood what Ma Chao meant. Zhao Gai said: "It's only more than two hundred miles from Yijing to Gaoyang. It only takes two days for a carriage and horse to travel around Gongsun Zan's camp without anyone noticing." Rush to the gate of Yijing City!" Approval stepped forward and asked for orders: "We are not talented enough. I am willing to lead 10,000 elite troops with General Zilong to escort 100 Xiangyang artillery to assist Liu Zhou Mu in attacking Yijing. We must capture Gongsun Yue, Gongsun Fan, and Gongsun alive. The next three people will be sacrificed under the lord's tent?" Zhao Yun also stood up and said with fists in his hands: "Please give me the order, my lord, I will fulfill my mission!" Ma Chao pondered for a moment and finally made up his mind and said loudly: "Okay, that's it. Without further ado, Zhengnan and Zilong immediately mobilized 10,000 elite soldiers, quickly disassembled and loaded all the Xiangyang artillery in the city, and set off at the second watch tonight!" Ma Chao thought for a while and said: "I want to go around. It is not easy to pass Gongsun Zan's camp. At least he must distract his scouts first. After nightfall, King Zuo Xian divided his cavalry into several small groups and went to the bluff ten miles east of Gongsun Zan's camp., so that Zilong and Zhengnan can take the opportunity to pass by! " "Don't worry, my lord, Xiao Wang promises to complete the mission! "(To be continued)