In September, Cao Cao's army crossed the Weishui River.
Since then, the Dangers of Tongguan, the Yellow River, and Weishui held by the Guanzhong Coalition have been lost, and the initiative in the war has been in the hands of Cao Cao.
Ma Chao and others garrisoned Weinan (渭南, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), sent emissaries to seek peace, and promised to cede the land west of the Yellow River.
Of course, Cao Cao did not agree, the land of Hexi was rebelled and occupied by Ma Chao and others, and it did not belong to them in the first place.
When he saw that Ma Chao and the others were no longer demoralized, he began to use the word "drag".
Ma Chao could not make peace, and led his army to challenge several times, but Cao Cao could not hold out the camp.
Ma Chao had no choice but to repeatedly request the cession of land, expressing his willingness to send his son as a hostage.
Jia Xu suggested that Cao Cao could first pretend to agree and paralyze the enemy.
Cao Cao and Ma Chao had a separate conversation before the battle, and agreed that the guards on the left and right were not allowed to follow, and only Xu Chu was alone.
Ma Chao was so strong that he wanted to suddenly rush over and catch Cao Cao, but he had already heard that Xu Chu was brave and fierce, and suspected that the person who came with him was Xu Chu, so he tested Cao Cao: "Cao Gong has a tiger marquis, I don't know where?" ”
Cao Cao did not answer him, signaling Xu Chu, Xu Chu stared at Ma Chao, Ma Chao did not dare to move, and the two sides returned separately.
Xu Chu has a cautious personality, strictly abides by the law, is simple and dignified, and is silent and taciturn.
Because he was as powerful as a tiger but not smart, the military called him a tiger fool.
Ma Chao mentioned him and also called him Huhou.
Everyone called him that many people later forgot his real name, thinking that "Tiger Fool" was his name.
When the Guanzhong coalition heard that Cao Cao was willing to make peace, they relaxed their guard and all gathered at Ma Chao.
Whenever a general led an army, Cao Cao was overjoyed.
When the generals inquired about the reason, Cao Cao said: "The Guanzhong region is vast and vast, and if these generals each hold out in danger, we will conquer them, and without a year or two years, it will never be pacified." Now, they are all gathered together, although the number is large, but they do not buy each other, the army has no commander, just to destroy in one fell swoop, it is much easier than to requisition one by one, so I am happy in my heart. ”
Cao Cao asked Jia Xu about his next move.
Jia Xu said, "Distancing. ”
Cao Cao understood and said, "I understand." ”
Han Sui and Cao Cao were originally old friends, and at this time they asked to see each other.
So, the two came to the front of the line, the horse's head intersected, and they talked together for a long time.
They didn't talk about the current situation, they just talked about the past of the capital and some old friends, clapping their hands and laughing when they were happy.
When Ma Chao and the Other Guanzhong and Hu people in the army heard that Cao Cao was coming, they all came to watch, overlapping and overlapping before and after, and the water leaked.
Cao Cao smiled and said to them, "Do you want to see Cao Cao?" I am also a person, I don't have four eyes and two mouths, but I just have more wisdom. ”
After the meeting, Ma Chao and the others asked Han Sui, "What did Cao Cao say?" ”
Han Sui answered truthfully, saying, "I didn't say anything." ”
Ma Chao and others did not believe it and became suspicious.
Cao Cao also wrote a letter to Han Sui, deliberately altering many places in the letter, as if Han Sui had changed it after reading it.
Ma Chao and the others saw the letter, thinking that Han Sui did not want them to see these altered contents, and were even more suspicious of Han Sui.
Cao Cao then agreed with Ma Chao and others on a date to engage in a battle.
Cao Cao first sent lightly armored troops to challenge, and only after a long battle did he send elite cavalry to carry out a pinch attack, break Ma Chao and others, and kill Cheng Yi, Li Kan, and so on.
Han Sui and Ma Chao fled to Liangzhou (治肓县, in modern Zhangjiachuan Hui Autonomous County, Gansu), and Yang Qiu fled to Anding (治林泾县, southeast of present-day Zhenyuan County, Gansu).
Xu Chu personally went into battle, killed many enemies, and was promoted to general of Wu wei Zhonglang.
The title of Wu Wei was established from Xu Chu.
In October, Cao Cao set out from Chang'an to attack Yang Qiu to the north, and joined Xiahou Yuan and Zhu Ling of the Huan people who had pacified Kui Mi (隃糜, in present-day Qianyang County, Baoji City, Shaanxi, which was a famous ink-making area during the Han Dynasty) and Huan County (汧县, in modern Sanli, southeast of Long County, Shaanxi), and besieged Anding.
Yang Qiu was weak and powerless to resist, so he had to surrender.
Cao Cao restored Yang Qiu's title and asked him to stay behind to appease his followers.