Chapter 742 Where is the capital of Wu?
Yangtze!
The natural barrier of Jiangdong, the lifeline of Tiannan!
The Jiangdong warship, with a large flag bearing the Chinese character "Wu" flying high, was sailing in the turbulent river, stirring up layers of white waves. Everyone on the ship had an inexplicably excited look on their faces.
Especially Lu Su, who had already made plans, couldn't help but laugh out loud.
That’s Jingzhou!
If the Huaihe River basin is not in our hands, we can still rely on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to defend it. But if we do not occupy Jingzhou, we will not occupy the entire Yangtze River, and Jiangdong will have no way to defend it. If we send out warships from Shu and go downstream, Jiangdong will surely be defeated!
It is very difficult to defend Jingzhou, otherwise the gentry in Jingzhou would not have surrendered directly, but would have learned from the gentry in Shu and directly established their own regime to protect themselves.
But it is not difficult to say so, it is really not difficult, you just need to guard two places.
In the eyes of Luo Chu and other Wu people, there are two most important places in Jingzhou.
One of them is Xiangyang City on the border of Nanyang County and Nan County. Duke Wen of Luo built Hanyang Zhuji here. It was the first city built here and it was the last guarantee for Duke Wen of Luo to defend against the State of Chu.
The Han River runs through the city of Xiangyang, dividing it into two.
To the north of the Yangtze River is Fancheng, and to the south of the Yangtze River is Xiangyang. The two cities support each other and control the strategic point of the Han River. When the army marches south from the Nanyang Basin, Xiangyang is unavoidable. It is a place of strategic importance that must be fought for by military strategists. Bai Qi flooded Xiangfan here, causing millions of corpses in the State of Chu, which is still recorded in history books.
The Jingzhou gentry controlled Zhao Hong through Xiangyang.
The second is Yiling City in Nanjun, which was built more than a thousand years ago by the State of Chu at a cost of a large amount of manpower and material resources in order to deal with the State of Ba.
Once this city was built, the land of Bashu was trapped in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and could not move down.
The river channel for hundreds of miles before Yiling is narrow and the water is turbulent, so boats often get into accidents when passing through. The roads on both sides are also rugged and bumpy. Not to mention a large army, even a small group of pedestrians find it difficult to pass through.
Yiling is connected to Zhangshui and Jushui in the north, which leads to Xiangyang, while Yiling to the south can go to Wuling through Yidao. From Yiling, one can attack Bashu, threaten the Central Plains, and eye the Yangtze River to the east.
But once they passed Yiling, the river surface suddenly became clear, the water flow became gentler, and the roads on both sides became flat areas where horses and carriages could be chariots. Within a day, the army would be able to reach the capital of Nanjun County and even the entire Jingzhou provincial capital - Jiangling City!
Jingzhou will fall in an instant!
There is poetry as evidence——
I left Baidi in the morning among the colorful clouds and returned to Jiangling a thousand miles away in one day.
The monkeys on both sides of the river are crying non-stop, and the boat has already passed through thousands of mountains.
The two sides of the river are surrounded by mountains with steep rocks and lush green pines and cypresses. Luo Chu is in an unprecedented mood of happiness. Only after obtaining Jingzhou can Jiangdong be considered an indestructible iron wall!
The remaining waves hit the side of the boat, making bursts of noise. A bright moon in the sky cast a silver light on the ground, reflecting the magnificent waves of the river.
In Jiangling City, Liu Biao's eldest son Liu Qi was walking drunk in a deserted courtyard.
The moonlight was so bright that it could clearly illuminate every detail of the grass and trees on the ground, but it could not illuminate the deep darkness in his eyes.
He stumbled along with an expression on his face that looked like he was neither crying nor laughing.
He slipped and fell into a bottomless dry well. He heard a splash, but no one struggled. The bright moonlight in the sky could not illuminate the darkness of the well.
Perhaps in history books, there would be a record in Liu Biao’s biography that “eldest son Qi fell and died”, or perhaps there is no such person. History books are vast and sprinkling with information, but they are also extremely stingy.
Outside Jiangling City, the river is surging and the moonlight is leisurely.
The leaders of the Jingzhou gentry, Cai Mao and Kuai Yue, surrounded the new Jingzhou governor Liu Cong and waited quietly on the shore.
Amidst the darkness, a tall ship came riding on the wind and waves, and even the ground shook when it docked at the shore.
The first to jump off the boat were soldiers wearing black armor. Everyone's eyes suddenly focused. This was one of the elite armies of Jiangdong Wu and Danyang soldiers.
Jiefanwei means "invincible in battle and able to resolve danger and distress."
After Jie Fanwei got off the boat, the soldiers of Jingzhou met the ruler of the Wu State in Jiangdong, the gentle and elegant Prince Chu. The years seemed to have brewed wine on his body.
Liu Cong stepped forward and followed his uncle's instructions, speaking in a childish accent and speaking loudly, "Han Jingzhou Mu Cong leads the officials of Jingzhou to pay homage to the Duke of Yuzhang County!"
Jingzhou Mu Liu Cong and everyone from Jiangdong Wu State raised their eyebrows and looked aware of the situation.
No one asked about Liu Biao's whereabouts.
No one asked about Liu Qi's whereabouts.
Luo Chu's voice was steady and gentle, and he said loudly: "You are too polite, Governor. After tonight, we will be one family.
The State of Wu has no king. It is not a country belonging to this duke alone, but a country belonging to all the nobles and subjects of the State of Wu. In the future, all the people in Jingzhou will be subjects of the State of Wu.
In the future, we should work together to revitalize the Wu Kingdom."
Seeing that Luo Chu was indeed very friendly, the nobles of Jingzhou were all delighted. They surrounded the people of Jiangdong and went to Jiangling City.
In the moonlight, the water of the Yangtze River outside Jiangling City sparkled and shone brightly. More than a thousand years ago, this was the capital of the Chu State.
Luo Chu's visit this time may not be without the intention of investigating this place.
After all, if Jingchu and Jiangdong were united, it would be great for the newly born Wu Kingdom.
The former Wu County, now Gusu County, is a bit too remote and is located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It is a strategic low-lying area south of the Qinling Mountains and the Huai River.
However, the matter of moving the capital is a serious matter. Luo Chu is sure that as long as he dares to propose it, all the nobles in Jiangdong will oppose it unanimously!
Everyone welcomed Luo Chu to the main seat, and then the civil and military officials of Wu sat on the left, and the civil and military officials of Jingzhou sat on the right, with a clear distinction.
This is not only a manifestation of lack of mutual trust between Jiangdong and Jingzhou, but also an external manifestation of the current political situation in the Wu State.
The stability of Wu State depends on Luo Chu alone!
As long as he was there, the Wu State had the possibility to dominate the world.
In his absence, there would immediately be a brutal factional fight, until one faction won and the rest surrendered.
Luo Chu looked around and then slowly said, "The governor of Jingzhou is willing to surrender to our Wu State, and I am overjoyed.
Now, I have been appointed as the chief of the Regency Council of Wu. After discussion among the ruling officials of Wu, the governor of Jingzhou has been appointed as the Governor of Jingzhou of Wu and has been included in the Regency Council.
Considering that you are still young, would you be willing to go to Wujun to take charge of the affairs of Jingzhou Governor?"
In politics, remote command means no command; no matter how high the honorary title is, it is not as good as the real power, no matter how low the title is, just as a Duke of the Three Dukes with a salary of ten thousand stones is not as good as a Shangshu Ling with a salary of one thousand stones.
The nobles of Jingzhou were overjoyed when they heard this, and transferred Liu Cong with an empty title to prove Wu's sincerity. At the reminder of his uncle Cai Mao, Liu Cong immediately knelt down and kowtowed to thank them for their grace.
After accepting the loyalty and surrender of the Jingzhou nobles, Luo Chu asked the question that concerned him most, "Can Xiangyang be stable?
Is there a way to get to Shu?"
The four great families of Jingzhou all originated from Xiangyang. Huang Chengyan and Pang Tong were both famous people in Xiangyang. Upon hearing Luo Chu's question, Pang Tong immediately stepped forward and said, "My Lord, Xiangyang is as solid as a rock.
The roads leading into Shu are all controlled by Liu Yan, so it will be difficult to attack Shu."
Luo Chu saw that the man in front of him was quite ugly, which was really the most ugly he had ever seen in his life. He also saw that he spoke eloquently and with great style, so he guessed that this was Pang Tong of Jingzhou.
He immediately asked in a strange voice: "Are you the famous scholar Pang Tong Pang Shiyuan of Jingzhou? It is said that the scholars of Jingzhou call you 'unparalleled in talent, the best in Jingchu'?"
Everyone in Jiangdong looked to Pang Tong. In the battle between Jiangdong and Jingzhou, Pang Tong came up with many brilliant strategies and could almost be said to have fought against the Jiangdong advisers alone.
I didn't expect it was this person.
This is too ugly!
Especially in front of Luo Chu and Zhou Yu, handsome men famous in Jiangzuo, almost everyone couldn't help but frown.
When Pang Tong heard the eagerness in Luo Chu's words, he was delighted at first, but then he felt the emotions of the people in Jiangdong. Suddenly, his heart was blocked and a fierce look flashed in his eyes.
He has been discriminated against because of his appearance since he was a child. Even though he has become famous for his talents, he is still discriminated against everywhere. This is why he has a bad temper and is very extreme.
Damn these Jiangdong people!
Luo Chu looked at the big man with white beard who was sitting at the end of the group of people from Jingzhou. He had a sense of majesty without even getting angry. Everyone in Jiangdong was very familiar with this man. He was none other than Huang Zhong, the great general of Jingzhou who was a match for ten thousand men!
Luo Chu retracted his gaze and asked Pang Tong, "Shi Yuan, how is Nanyang Governor Zhao Hong?"
The importance of Nanyang, the key to Heluo!
Chang'an and Luoyang, without Nanyang, the two capitals are unstable. If Wu wants to go to the Central Plains, it must seize Nanyang, so Luo Chu asked this question.
Pang Tong asked tentatively, "Zhao Hong and Jingzhou have always been at odds with each other. He has been defending himself in Nanyang County. Do you want to attack him?"
Luo Chu immediately shook his head. What he needed to do now was to integrate the internal affairs of Wu State, so he said, "Of course not.
The current situation in the world is such that one move can affect the entire body.
The area of Nanyang is of great importance. Once our army moves, we will become the target of public criticism.
If you are attacked by everyone, it will be too late to regret. "
Pang Tong was an extremely skilled military strategist, so he naturally knew the disadvantages of attacking Nanyang. He felt relieved after hearing what Luo Chu said.
They took over 70% of the land of Jingchu at once. Nanyang and Shuzhong could not move lightly for the time being, so the Wu Kingdom's rapid progress slowed down at once.
After the trade route between Jingzhou and Yangzhou was completely opened, the State of Wu immediately ushered in a period of vigorous prosperity and development.
This stability lasted for a long time.
Until the news of Luo Chu's intention to move the capital spread, it quickly turned into a rumor and spread throughout the entire Yangtze River.
From the fishermen at the head of the Yangtze River to the common people at the tail of the river, everyone was talking about the Wu State's plan to move its capital.
Not long after, Lu Su, the two Zhangs, Gu Yong and other ministers of Wu State all arrived at Luo Chu's mansion. Only Zhou Yu, as the commander-in-chief, did not come back.
But everyone knows that Lu Su's opinion represents Zhou Yu's opinion.
In Luo Chu's mansion, all the former political enemies had solemn expressions. Gu Yong, as the current Prime Minister of Wu, held a high position and looked around at everyone and said, "Moving the capital is absolutely not feasible.
Jiangdong is where the prosperity of Wu is located. This is where the foundation of Wu is. The capital is here and will last for a thousand years. How can we move to the poor and mountainous land of Jingchu?"
As he spoke, he exchanged glances with Lu Su, who slowly nodded in agreement with Gu Yong's point of view. He did not agree with moving the capital, but still whispered, "But this reason is not acceptable. The Duke of the County will not agree with this statement."
Luo Chu and Xiao Qiao came out hand in hand. After so many years, Xiao Qiao still looks like a teenager, innocent and sweet. They were a perfect match back then, but now they seem like people from two different eras.
"Prince!"
Although everyone was very dissatisfied with Luo Chu's decision to move the capital, they all clasped their fists and bowed in unison. After Luo Chu returned the greeting, he seemed not to notice the solemn atmosphere in the hall and asked with a smile: "Are you here because of the rumor of moving the capital?"
Seeing everyone nod, Luo Chu asked: "Since you are here for this, do you have anything to say?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Su said in a loud voice: "My Lord, I think it is not appropriate to move. As early as ten years ago, I told you that I, Jiangdong, want to dominate, first by seizing Jingzhou, and second by seizing Huaishui.
Why?
Because to defend Jiangdong, we must defend the Yangtze River!
Now that Jingzhou is in the hands of our Wu State, our army can set up defenses in Yiling and Xiangyang. Whether it is Shuzhong downstream along the Yangtze River or Nanyang downstream along the Han River, they have all become rootless. The western line of our Wu State is as stable as the majestic Mount Tai, impregnable!
But this is not the case on the eastern front. To defend the Yangtze River, one must defend the Huai River. Now the former Jiujiang County and Huainan County are in the hands of our Wu State, but they are not stable.
Cao Cao and Liu Bei are both eyeing the land north of the Yangtze River. My Lord, you have stationed a large army in Huainan and appointed Gongjin to be in charge. Isn't it because the pressure on the eastern front is extremely great?
I believe that the next opponents of our Wu State should be Cao Cao and Liu Bei, and the capital should be located in Jiangzuo.
If the capital is to be moved, I think it can be moved to Jianye.
It is closer to Huainan and can provide food and soldiers more quickly."
Lu Su's words were well-reasoned and powerful, and everyone in the hall immediately applauded and praised him.
Gu Yong couldn't help but admire.
Although he was born into one of the six surnames of Wu County, he was not a person who was completely obsessed with family interests, otherwise Luo Chu would not have let him serve as the prime minister of Wu.
Gu Yong knew that it was impossible for the Wu capital to remain in Gusu. Gusu was too remote and could only serve as the capital of the Jiangdong separatist regime.
Then moving the capital to Jianye is more acceptable than moving it to Jiangling.
Luo Chu's face was full of smiles. The Wu Kingdom was truly full of talented people. He partially agreed with Lu Su's words.
After pondering for a while, he said: "What Zijing said is all about the country, but maybe you have lived in Jiangdong for too long and have been blinded by one thing.
Cao and Liu would never attack Huainan first. Jizhou was their target.
When Cao Cao was conferred the title of Duke of Wei, Wei County was the first priority.
Although Liu Bei established the State of Chu, judging from his actions, he intended to establish his capital in Qingzhou.
If our Wu State moves to Jianye, it will certainly arouse the vigilance of Cao Cao, King of Wei, and Liu Bei, King of Chu. Wouldn't that be preparing wedding dresses for the Zhao State and the Yan State?
I went to Jiangling because I received news that King Liu Yan of Shu was in poor health and that Liu Yan had always been in conflict with King Zhang Lu of Hanzhong. It might be possible for him to find an opportunity to invade Shu.
Although Wu has occupied Yiling, it is not as stable as Mount Tai. Only by conquering Shu and completely controlling the entire Yangtze River can we rest assured! "
After Luo Chu finished speaking, everyone in the hall fell silent, but these words still could not convince everyone present.
Seeing this situation, Luo Chu knew that moving the capital was not an option for the time being.
Born in the Luo family, he rolled his eyes and stopped persuading everyone. Instead, he said, “When I went to Jiangling earlier, the nobles of Jingzhou entertained me and the other ministers, and a famous scholar from Jingzhou wanted to marry me.
Among them were Madam Cai, a famous beauty in Jingzhou, and the legitimate daughter of Huang Chengyan, a famous scholar in Jingzhou. The four major families in Xiangyang were intermarried, just like the six surnames in Wujun. By marrying one person, they would be related by marriage to the other three major clans.
I wonder what you think?"
marriage?
Since ancient times, the easiest way to bring people closer together is marriage.
The four major families in Jingzhou are all from Xiangyang, not Jiangling.
In Luo Chu's opinion, moving to Jiangling would not necessarily harm the interests of the Jiangdong gentry.
As long as there are sufficient benefits in Nanjun, or even in the neighboring Changsha County or Jiangxia County, it will be fine.
Everyone present was smart, and they all looked thoughtful.
In order to bridge the ubiquitous political rifts in the Wu Kingdom, Luo Chu decided to use means to arrange marriages between the major families.
He could naturally see the dangers in this, but there was no such thing as having the best of both worlds in this world.
The interests in Wu State are now complicated and intertwined, and it is already quite difficult for him to keep this chariot moving forward.
Human power is sometimes exhausted!
————
On a cold and snowy day, Taifu Xie gathered to discuss history with his children. He asked, "Among the states at the end of the Han Dynasty, Wu was the most competitive for the capital. All the talented and wise were attracted by it. Why was that?"
The elder brother's son said, "There are many people who are eager to make a profit. Each of them has his own desires, so there is contention."
The elder brother's daughter said: "If we put our capital in Gusu, we want to defend Jiangzuo, so there will be no disputes; if we put our capital in Jianye, we want to attack Huaisi and go out of Qingxu; if we put our capital in Jiangling, we want to attack Shuzhong and go out of Hanzhong. Those who are eager for profit are easy to defeat, but those who hold different national strategies are difficult to defeat, so there will be disputes!"
The Duke laughed loudly, for it was Daoyun, the daughter of his elder brother Wuyi, the wife of the Duke of Gusu! —— A New Account of Tales of the World
(End of this chapter)
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