“Hearing Cao Rui’s question, Sima Yi suddenly coughed lightly.”
Cao Rui seemed to remember something and looked at his chancellor Yang Fu, who was a short distance away. As expected, Yang Fu's eyes were wide open and he was obviously very excited.
After dismounting from his horse, Yang Fu hurried a few steps to stand before Cao Rui, saluted with his hands raised and exclaimed loudly, "Ma Dai should be executed by the whole clan! Absolutely not allow this scoundrel to survive in the world!"
As the conversation continued, Yang Fu's face became more and more fervent: "Your Majesty, in Yanling City, Emperor Wu wiped out the Ma clan, leaving only Ma Chao and Ma Dai to wreak havoc in the regions of Meng and Liang. Gathering Qiang and Huns, seizing cities, massacring innocents, fleeing to Liu Bei... All of these are too numerous to count!"
Cao Rui and Sima Yi exchanged a glance, and Sima Yi nodded slightly to give a hint. Cao Rui understood immediately.
Yang Fu spoke more and more excitedly, ignoring the saliva spraying from his mouth and completely ignoring the surprised looks of those around him. He was speaking out to the emperor: "Your Majesty, when Ma Chao gathered Qiang and Huns to seize Lintong, there were seven brothers in my clan who died in battle, not to mention countless casualties from other families! With your supreme power within the country, all of the generals from Shu can be at your command. However, there is no place for someone like Ma Dai who has committed heinous crimes beyond measure!"
"Yang Chancellor…" Cao Rui softly tried to interrupt Yang Fu's speech.
Yang Fu seemed to ignore everything and deeply bowed one time: "Now that Ma Chao is dead, people in Lontuo all want to kill Ma Dai! Please Your Majesty, don't let this bandit escape!"
Just a short distance from the emperor's presence, Sun Li, Huan Fan, Dian Man and other generals who were previously excited about the war all stood solemnly.
This battle may indeed be to suppress chaos and relieve difficulties, but the blood and tears of the people in Lintong cannot be ignored!
"I have heard it all, stand up, Yang Chancellor!" Cao Rui sighed softly and gestured for another person from Lontuo who was standing nearby to come over: "Boya, you and Yang Chancellor are both from Ji Province. During the rebellion of Ma Chao's brothers in Lontuo, did your family have any casualties?"
Jiang Wei dismounted and quickly walked towards the chariot, bowed with his hands raised, and said with a serious expression, "Your Majesty, my clan's uncle and the former General of Ting Shu Jiang XU formerly fought against Ma Chao along with Yang Chancellor. He was killed by Ma Chao's mother and brother, and then died of grief."
"This sentiment, akin to that between my family and the Yang Chancellor's, is not a minority in the region of Tian shui."
Cao Rui sat on his horse and looked in the direction of the army array nearby, saying at the same time: "Yang Chancellor, Ma Dai is over there. I'll leave it to you. I will order Sun Li to assist you."
Sun Li gave a slight bow to Yang Fu as he heard the voice.
Yang Fu bowed to the emperor, got onto his horse, and arrived at the army array with Sun Li together. He then sent someone to persuade Ma Dai.
Yang Fu also clearly instructed the messenger: "If Your Majesty personally leads the army to this place, please don't act like a futile attempt. If Ma Dai's subordinates lay down their arms, only Ma Dai will be punished. If he doesn't surrender, with the 4,000-odd soldiers under his command, he will only face a fate of being completely slaughtered."
Upon learning that the great emperor of Wei was here, the Shu soldiers, whose war spirit had plummeted to the lowest point, began to throw away their long spears and round-hand swords. As one fell, so did many others. The Shu troops had already kneled to the ground.
Before a quarter of an hour had passed, Ma Dai, whose face was as pale as death, was dragged out of the ranks by a knight from Sun Li's forces and brought before the emperor.
Cao Rui observed the people on the scene calmly and then extended a finger pointing at Sima Yi: "It's up to Sima Yi to decide this person's fate!"
Ma Dai knew that there was no hope of survival, just as he was about to open his mouth to curse, he was caught by Sun Li, who had grabbed a bunch of withered grass and stuffed it into his mouth. Ma Dai could only be pressed on the ground and struggled to make incoherent noises.
"Reporting to Your Majesty," Sima Yi said aloud, "Ma Dai, this traitorous scoundrel has three major crimes: assisting the rebellious Mar Chao in his plot to establish a separatist state, enlisting the Qiang and Huns to cause havoc in Lintao and wantonly slaughtering the innocent, and assisting the two traitors Liu Bei and Liu Chan in their separatist rebellion against the great Wei."
"He deserves to be executed by the whole clan."
Cao Rui glanced at Ma Dai, nodded his head, and said: "Execute the law in a clear and fair way! Order Huan Zhao's forces to gather the surrendered troops here. Cheng Xi, Sun Li, and Dian Man will accompany the emperor westward!"
After saying this, he turned his horse to the west and rode away without a moment's hesitation.
Since the people of Lontuo have a deep grudge against Ma Chao and Ma Dai, their death will be nothing but a matter of course, with no real harm. It is no longer the era when Cao Cao and Lu Bu were competing, and they still needed to protect Zhang Liang.
With Cao Rui's command, the Wei army advanced westward in full force.
They left Xiahou He and his three thousand cavalry behind, encircling the combined force of Wei Yan and Ju Fu, totaling over two thousand people, and trapping them at the foot of a mountain to the southeast of a small river, isolating them from the battlefield and almost immobilizing them.
Standing on higher ground, Wei Yan watched as most of the Wei troops were advancing westward, gritting his teeth and saying to Ju Fu: "Horses cannot charge straight ahead here. Use the mountain foot for cover and resist for half a day. Zhuge Liang's reinforcements will arrive in half a day!"
"If we can hold out until evening, we can retreat to the mountains regardless of whether General Zhuge arrives or not!"
Ju Fu nodded repeatedly, "I will follow your orders."
……
The cavalry pressed from west to east towards Zhao Yun's camp, abruptly accelerating the pace of the Shu army's retreat towards the southern uplands in an orderly rhythm.
A knight rode from the south gate of Lanyang City, heading towards Cao Zhen's camp.
"Reporting to General Cao, from the watchtowers on the city, it is clearly visible that the imperial troops from the east have won and are heading west. The Shu army is advancing southward to the uplands within their camp."
Fe Yao rushed over and said, "General Cao, it must be that Your Majesty has won on the other side, so they are coming here! When will we move?"
Cao Zhen replied calmly, "What are you waiting for, with Zhao Yun so self-confident on the other side?"
"I am waiting for the emperor. But Zhao Yun not only does not retreat along the Longshan Road guarded by Wang Ping's camp, but instead occupies the uplands? Could it be that he is waiting for Zhuge Liang's reinforcements?"
Without waiting for Fe Yao to respond, Cao Zhen suddenly drew his sword from his waist and pointed to the east, ordering loudly, "Order Wen Cheng's forces to retreat to my side, Chen Ping from the north to destroy the Shu camps, and Zhang He with his six thousand foot soldiers to attack Wang Ping's camp urgently!"
"Tell Zhang He, in the past, Xu Yang, while at Fucheng, once captured ten layers of reinforcements around Guan Yu. Now he faces only Wang Ping's four or five thousand men."
"As for you and me," Cao Zhen faced Fe Yao with a solemn expression, "Today, I will lead the five thousand elite cavalry of the central army personally. We will dismount and charge into the camp with Zhang He. If we fail, then neither of us should be this general or that governor of Yong and Liang!"
Fe Yao was taken aback for a moment, then nodded and accepted the order, immediately ordering his subordinates to dismount and form battle formations.
The courier quickly dispersed, and the Wei troops positioned near Lanyang had been holding back since early morning. They began their fierce attack now.
It was not until the sky grew dark and the sun slanted in the west that Zhuang He and Cao Zhen, a total of over ten thousand troops, had jointly broken through Wang Ping's camp at the end of the Gap.
However, after observing the terrain south of the Gap Mountain, Cao Zhen abandoned the plan to encircle Zhao Yun's position on the uplands from the west.
The uplands are a unique terrain in Yong and Liang, with a flat and broad top surface and steep gullies surrounding it.
The upland where Zhao Yun's camp was located was about five li long from north to south. The widest part was more than two li, while the narrowest part was less than one li. To the west of this unnamed upland was the road from Lanyang to Shanggui.
If soldiers were sent to try and encircle the upland, which still had around ten thousand remaining troops under Zhao Yun, along its five-li width, it would undoubtedly be a gift of victory to Zhao Yun, who was at a vantage point.
Therefore, Cao Zhen immediately made a decision and ordered his men to quickly occupy and repair the remaining camp of Wang Ping.
The Wei army camps at the Gap Mountain, Lanyang City, and Zhao Yun's upland to the north of the new camp, three places supporting each other, were temporarily deadlocked with the Shu army to the south.
Throughout the afternoon, in addition to the remaining less than four thousand foot soldiers of Ma Dai's troops surrendering, Wei Yan, Ju Fu, and Wu Ban had not been able to hold out until nightfall at the foot of the mountain.
Under repeated attacks by Xiahou He's cavalry and the arriving reinforcements from Cheng Xi's forces, Wei Yan had no choice but to order a retreat into the mountains behind him. By dusk, fewer than a thousand men could make it to Zhao Yun's upland.
The rest of the soldiers either scattered or surrendered to the Wei army.
In the evening, the main tent of Zhao Yun's army.
Yang Fu hurriedly entered from outside and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the left general reports that there is a Shu army moving from south to north four li south of the Gap Mountain camp. It seems to be heading towards Zhao Yun's forces."
Cao Rui asked, "Another Shu army? Is it Zhuge Liang or Wu Yi?"
Yang Fu replied, "I am not aware of the details. However, the left general said that as night falls, the roads south of the Gap Mountain are narrow and some places are only half a li wide. It is impractical to encircle the upland from the west."
Cao Zhen added, "Your Majesty, the south of the Gap Mountain is more of a valley than a road, narrow and long. It is not suitable for a large army to enter."
Cao Rui smiled lightly, "General Cao, are you arguing with the left general to persuade me? I may want to win, but I have not become so desperate as to order soldiers to fight the Shu army in the valley at night."
Yang Fu hesitated for a moment, then asked, "What if this Shu army unites with Zhao Yun's forces?"
Sima Yi stood up and bowed to Cao Rui, "Your Majesty, since dawn this morning, each department and army has been fighting hard for a whole day. This matter should be considered in the long term. At least we should discuss it tomorrow."
Cao Rui nodded lightly, "I understand. How are the conditions of each department? Have you counted them?"
Cao Zhen also asked, "Yes, Your Majesty, how many casualties in each department?"
Sima Yi replied, "Your Majesty, I have just summarized the battle conditions of each department here. We have approximately obtained a result."
"Let the Marquis speak," Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi.
"Among all the troops that have gradually advanced to Lanyang, the most casualties and the hardest fighting is under General Yin Zhao."
"The total casualties for General Yin Zhao's troops are six thousand, with Captain Pan Yi killed in action during the attack on Wei Yan's camp. Six officials of the level of a marquis and a general were also killed in action. The remaining troops are extremely exhausted and need to be reorganized; they cannot fight again in the short term."
"Left General Zhang He's troops, 2000 horsemen lost 300, and nearly 2,500 foot soldiers were killed."
"The central troops led by General Cao Zhen, the two departments are commanded by Generals Fe Yao and Wen Jin. The department of Wen Jin with 3000 cavalry has not yet participated in the battle. General Fe Yao's department has suffered nearly 1,000 casualties when attacking the camp."
"As for the 16,000 cavalry led by Your Majesty, there have been approximately 1,000 casualties, half of which were from Dian Man's department during the afternoon's assault on Zhao Yun's upland."
"As for the captives, around 3,600 Shu soldiers surrendered to Ma Dai's department. When pursuing Wei Yan and Wu Ban, nearly 2,000 more Shu soldiers surrendered." (This chapter ends)
