Bai Xiaowen smiled. "Was it that the original plan for the Three Dependencies went awry?"
Even Zhong Yao, with all his experience, was startled by Bai Xiaowen. Could this new lord really have eyes that could see a thousand miles and ears that could hear the wind?
Zhong Yao answered honestly, "That's right."
Cao Cao had originally adopted Guo Jia's Two Tigers Contesting for Food stratagem, offering the Three Dependencies to Zhang Lu in exchange for grain, then asking Ma Teng for horses afterward. He had promised the same woman to two men, and the final result was that Zhang Lu occupied the cities first, while Ma Teng arrived afterward and refused to give up, attacking Chang'an.
With Chang'an's tall walls and sturdy defenses, Ma Teng's Western Liang cavalry should not have been able to take the city.
But... an abnormal situation had happened anyway.
The informants Zhong Yao had planted in the Three Dependencies were of low status and had only reported the outcome: Ma Teng had captured Chang'an and seized the Three Dependencies, while Zhang Lu had suffered a crushing defeat and retreated in disarray to Hanzhong. As for how Ma Teng had taken the city, they had no idea.
The two sides had also formed a grudge during this battle. It was said that Zhang Lu had used demonic spells to curse Ma Teng, causing him to fall ill in bed and vomit blood repeatedly.
Zhong Yao said, "My lord, Ma Teng is no cause for concern. However, he has several sons and nephews, such as Ma Xiu, Ma Tie, and Ma Dai. All of them are outstanding men of their generation. His eldest son, Ma Chao, is especially brave and skilled in battle. The Qiang people of Western Liang call him the 'Mighty Heavenly General,' so