kingnovel Chapter 1242 Zhuge Liang Enters Sichuan, Ma Chao Plots Against Shu
Chapter 1242 Zhuge Liang Enters Sichuan, Ma Chao Plots Against Shu
February arrived in the blink of an eye. The snow in Chang'an City had just melted when the Liang Prince's Mansion was filled with joy again. First, his concubine Zhen Mi gave birth to a baby boy, and Ma Chao named the child "Ma Ji"—taking the character "Ji" from Jizhou.
When the news spread, the civil and military officials of Xiliang were secretly astonished. Everyone knew that Yuan Shao, the overlord of Hebei, had been enfeoffed as the King of Ji. Now, Ma Chao had given his third son this name, which was blatantly provocative, yet he did it openly. Ma Chao himself didn't care at all, only smiling as he washed the child and said, "The Zhen family's ancestral home is Jizhou. This name is to remember our origins."
After hearing this, although everyone still felt that there was something sharp behind this "reason," they didn't say anything more.
By the end of February, the people of Chang'an who believed in the Celestial Masters sect were in a frenzy. Zhang Fubao, the holy maiden of the Celestial Masters sect, had given birth to Ma Chao's fourth son, named "Ma Han." The followers of the Celestial Masters sect spontaneously took to the streets, burning incense and praying, beating gongs and drums, saying that "the holy maiden has given birth to a son, and Heaven blesses Xiliang." The excitement was even greater than during the Lunar New Year.
Both Zhen Mi and Zhang Fubao had smooth deliveries, unlike Dong Bai's, which greatly relieved Ma Chao's anxiety. With two new babies in the household, wet nurses and maids bustled about, creating a busy yet warm scene.
In Ma Chao's mind, naming his children was a very simple matter: his eldest son, Ma Yue, was named after his mother, Sally, who was a woman from the Yue region, so the character "Yue" was chosen to mark her origin; his second son, Ma Liang, was named after Dong Bai, who was from Xiliang; his third son, Ma Ji, was related to the Zhen family's ancestral home, Jizhou; and his fourth son, Ma Han, was named after Zhang Fu, who came from Hanzhong—it was simply a matter of using the wives' birthplaces as names to remind the children of their origins.
However, his subordinates insisted on over-interpreting the meaning: they said that the "Ji" in Ma Ji's name meant that he was determined to be based in Hebei, the "Han" in Ma Han's name implied the idea of unification, and even the "Liang" in Ma Liang's name was associated with the profound meaning of "based in Xiliang, radiating to all directions".
Ma Chao overheard these discussions occasionally, and simply shook his head with a smile. He summoned his wives and pointed to the infants in their swaddling clothes, saying, "You see, all we wanted was for them to know where their parents came from, but others have twisted it into such a complicated story."
Dong Bai was teasing Ma Liang when he heard this and laughed, "Let them say what they want. We know our own child." Zhen Mi and Zhang Fubao nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with the tenderness of new mothers.
Yes, regardless of how others interpret it, the joy in the household is genuine. Ma Yue held Ma Ji, who had just learned to smile, while Ma Liang was held by his wet nurse, his little face flushed. Linglong lay on Dong Bai's lap, reaching out to touch Ma Han's swaddling clothes—this whole family was enveloped in the warmth of new life, a feeling more real than any interpretation of power struggles.
The spring sunshine outside the window was perfect, streaming into the courtyard and falling on the children's swaddling clothes, as well as on the smiling faces of Ma Chao and his wives. Those names that have been over-interpreted ultimately cannot compare to the simple joy of welcoming a new member into the family.
In early March, as the warmth of spring wafted through the windows of Chang'an, a sealed letter, sealed with wax, was delivered by fast horse to the Liang Prince's residence. Ma Chao opened the letter and his brows furrowed instantly—it was Zhang Song's handwriting, filled with anxiety.
The letter stated that Zhuge Liang, the strategist of Jingzhou, had been sent as an envoy to Yizhou, where he was treated with great courtesy by Liu Zhang. During the banquet, they frequently discussed "jointly resisting Ma Chao," creating an unusually warm atmosphere. Zhang Song, in his letter, was frantic: "Zhuge Liang is eloquent, and Liu Zhang is easily swayed. If they are persuaded to join forces, it will be difficult for Your Majesty to take Xichuan again! Liu Bei has always been ambitious; if he takes advantage of the situation to enter Sichuan, Yizhou will surely fall into his hands. At that time, taking Xiliang will be even more difficult, and we will be in grave danger! Make a decision quickly!"
Ma Chao gripped the letter tightly, his fingertips turning white from the pressure. He walked to the map, his finger emphasizing the words "Yizhou." The Western Sichuan region, a land of abundance and resources, had long been his prize, but he had refrained from action until now, hoping to allow the region to recover and revitalize. Now that Zhuge Liang had personally taken action, and given Liu Bei's group's expertise in "borrowing territory for refuge," the consequences of them exploiting any loopholes would be unimaginable.
"My lord," came Jia Xu's voice from outside the tent, clearly having also been informed, "you must have read Zhang Song's letter?"
Ma Chao turned around and handed him the letter: "What do you think, Wenhe?"
Jia Xu quickly scanned the letter, stroked his beard, and said, "Zhuge Liang's visit is ostensibly to ally with Shu against Liang, but in reality, he is paving the way for Liu Bei. Liu Zhang is weak and incompetent, and his men are mostly mediocre. He is unlikely to be able to resist Zhuge Liang's persuasion. If Liu Bei enters Sichuan, with his methods, Yizhou will surely be his for the taking within three years."
"Then let's fight!" Ma Chao slammed his fist on the table. "I will muster my troops immediately and attack Xichuan today!"
"My lord, please calm down," Jia Xu shook his head. "If we launch a strong attack now, we will have no legitimate reason to fight. Liu Zhang will surely unite with Jingzhou to resist our army, which will give Liu Bei an excuse to 'help Shu defend against the enemy.' It would be better to send spies in first to cooperate with Zhang Song to find out the defenses of Yizhou, and then take it by surprise."
Ma Chao pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Good. Let the messenger wait a moment, and we'll discuss a plan first."
The candlelight crackled in the council hall, making the ink marks on the map of Western Sichuan even clearer. From major city roads to small ferry crossings and plank roads, everything was densely marked. Ma Chao sat in the main seat, his hand on his sword, his piercing gaze sweeping across the tent: "Zhang Song's secret letter says that Liu Bei has sent Zhuge Liang into Shu, ostensibly to ally with Liu Zhang against Cao Cao, but in reality, he harbors a secret ambition to annex it. Yizhou is a land of abundance; if it falls into Liu Bei's hands, our Western Liang army will be attacked from both sides—today we must devise a good strategy to take Sichuan. Everyone, please speak freely without reservation!"
Before he finished speaking, Xu Shu had already stood up, strode to the map, and pointed heavily at Yangping Pass: "My lord, please look. General Zhang Ren has besieged Yangping Pass for nearly two years, and Liu Zhang is already exhausted from dealing with it. If we order Zhang Ren to intensify his offensive now, pretending to advance straight into Jiange from Yangping Pass, Liu Zhang will surely send his elite troops from Chengdu to reinforce it. At that time, our army can seize the opportunity to act!"
"Xu Yuanzhi is only half right!" Pang De slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, his armor clanging. "Although the attack on Yangping Pass can lure the enemy, Jiange Pass is a natural fortress, impregnable by even a single man. Simply creating a show of force may not be enough to hold off the enemy! This humble general is willing to lead 30,000 iron cavalry to garrison in Wudu, and occasionally launch feigned attacks on the west side of Jiange Pass, forming a pincer movement with Yangping Pass. I guarantee that Liu Zhang will not be able to discern the true strength of our army!"
Wei Yan sneered from the side: "General Pang De is brave but lacks flexibility. The west side of Jiange is mostly cliffs. A feint attack? The enemy might see through our plan! In my opinion, it would be better to have General Pang De go around to Qishan and pretend to cut off Jiange's rear, forcing Liu Zhang to divide his troops to set up defenses. That would be the best way to contain him!"
"What do you know!" Pang De glared angrily. "Qishan is a long way away. By the time you get around it, Liu Bei will probably have already entered Chengdu! Although the west side is dangerous, it is closest to Jiange. We can attack the city with a single order. That's what I mean by 'urgent'!"
As the two argued, Jia Xu slowly stroked his beard and spoke: "Generals, please calm down. General Pang De's feigned attack is feasible, but some details need to be added. Have the soldiers prepare more banners, drums, and music, array them in formation and shout during the day, and light fires at night to create a show of force. We must make Liu Zhang believe that our main force is located west of Jiange." He then changed the subject, his fingertip sliding towards Yinping at the very edge of the map, "As for the real killing move, it will be here."
The tent fell silent instantly as everyone looked at the area marked "rugged mountain path, rarely visited by humans." Zhang Yan stroked his beard and said, "Yinping? My Black Mountain Army traversed that place years ago. Let alone marching, even a single person would have to use both hands and feet to walk through it. How can a large army possibly pass through?"
“It is precisely because it is difficult that it is a clever strategy.” Li Ru stepped forward and continued, “Gao Shun’s elite troops are well-armored and skilled at climbing; General Zhang Yan’s Black Mountain Army is adept at traversing mountains and wilderness. If the two join forces and prepare ropes and ladders, they may not be unable to sneak across. Once Jiangyou is captured, the supply lines to Jiange will be cut off. Then, with a pincer attack from both sides, Jiange will surely fall!”
Gao Shun clasped his hands and said, "The Trapped Camp is willing to go! However, there is no water or grass on the Yinping Road, so we need to prepare enough dry food and select strong soldiers who cannot carry too much weight."
Zhang Yan immediately replied, "The Black Mountain Army is familiar with mountain survival and can bring hunting dogs to scout ahead, find water sources and wild fruits to replenish supplies. We are willing to go with General Gao Shun!"
Zhang Xiu stood aside and said in a deep voice, "If my lord trusts me, I am willing to lead this army. I only ask that my lord allow me to take five hundred elite soldiers, carrying short blades and ropes, to clear a path ahead!"
Seeing the argument escalating in the tent, Ma Chao's eyes flashed with a fierce light. He abruptly stood up, gripping his sword, and shouted, "Quiet down, all of you!"
The tent fell silent instantly. Ma Chao walked to the map and declared loudly, "As you all have suggested, we will advance along three routes!"
"Firstly, Fa Zheng, along with Zhang Ren, increased the troop strength and quickly broke through Yangping Pass!"
"Secondly, Pang De will be the commander-in-chief, Xu Shu the strategist, and Xu Huang the assistant. They will lead 30,000 troops out of Wudu, arraying themselves on the west side of Jiange during the day and lighting fires and beating drums at night. They must force Liu Zhang to divide his forces and defend the front of Jiange to the death! Wei Yan will lead 5,000 light cavalry to circle around to Qishan and conduct guerrilla warfare to contain the reinforcements from Bazhou County. They must not be allowed to get close to Jiange!"
"Thirdly, Zhang Xiu will be the commander, with Gao Shun leading 5,000 elite troops and Zhang Yan leading 8,000 Black Mountain troops. They will secretly advance to Yinping within three days. Zhang Xiu will lead his elite soldiers to scout ahead, Gao Shun will lead his troops with provisions and equipment, and Zhang Yan will lead the Black Mountain troops to cover the rear. Wherever they encounter danger, they will immediately cut down trees and build bridges! After capturing Jiangyou, Gao Shun will guard the supply route, Zhang Yan will attack Fucheng, and Zhang Xiu will personally lead his elite troops to strike directly behind Jiange!"
He glanced at everyone: "Remember, the Yinping Pass crossing must be done secretly, while the attacks on Yangping Pass and Wudu must be carried out openly. All three must be launched simultaneously to prevent Liu Zhang from being able to attend to both ends!"
"Your subordinate obeys!" the generals responded in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.
Ma Chao returned to his inner room and picked up his pen to reply to Zhang Song. In the candlelight, his brow furrowed slightly, and the pen hovered over the paper for a moment before slowly falling:
"Having heard that Zhuge Liang has entered Shu, your situation must be perilous. Remember, your safety is paramount, and you must not expose yourself out of haste. Do what you can, and it is alright if you cannot. I have already dispatched a large army into Sichuan, and they will arrive soon. You only need to wait for the right opportunity and not act rashly."
After writing it, he read it carefully, added a sentence: "The road to Shu is treacherous, and I know how difficult it has been for you. When I succeed in the future, I will never forget your hard work today." Then he sealed it with sealing wax and handed it to a trusted confidant to send by fast horse.
The day after the letter was sent, the war machine of Xiliang was started with a roar.
From the direction of Wudu, Pang De, clad in heavy armor, stood atop the command platform, his 30,000 troops arrayed in a square formation, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. He drew his sword and pointed it south: "Brothers, Liu Zhang is weak and incompetent, and Liu Bei has long coveted Yizhou! Today, we will take Jiange for our lord and bring Xichuan into the territory of Xiliang!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The 30,000 soldiers shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the valley. Xu Huang stood by, reining in his horse and awaiting orders, while Wei Yan had already led 5,000 light cavalry ahead towards Qishan. With Pang De's command, the army surged forward like a raging torrent, marching westward towards Jiange, banners waving and drums and horns sounding, as if afraid Liu Zhang wouldn't know that the main force of the Xiliang army had moved.