Chapter 819 The loyalty and treachery of people's hearts determine the world's affairs!
Hedong.
The Yellow River, which flows from west to east, turns a corner here, and thus thousands of pieces of history are created.
Hedong Hedong is naturally named after its location east of the Yellow River.
This was the center of the Jin State during the Spring and Autumn Period. Bingzhou was weak during the Han Dynasty because it lost the key Hedong area.
The land of the Three Jins is both offensive and defensive, with unparalleled geographical location. If they are united, they are invincible in the world. It is the ultimate version of Guanzhong. However, it is no problem for Qin to defeat Chu. If they are divided, they will be at the mercy of others. Either they have fertile land but no mountains and rivers, or they have mountains and rivers but no arable land and population. In the end, they will only be defeated by Guanzhong.
After hundreds of years, a big country named Yan wanted to reunify the Three Jins and even unify the world.
Murong Ke was the leader of this war—the Grand Marshal of the Yan State’s Western Expedition!
The army he led this time was not small, with 30,000 elite soldiers alone, including 5,000 black-armored cavalrymen mixed with Hu and Han people.
The Black Armor Army consists of 10,000 men, who are basically the most elite troops of the Yan State. Among them, more than 3,000 are ignorant Hu people captured from the deep mountains and forests. In addition, there are those tribesmen of the Yan State who grew up in fighting since childhood. These 10,000 men can suppress tens of thousands of Han troops, which can be said to be extremely powerful.
Another 5,000 men were stationed in Jizhou, keeping an eye on the whereabouts of the Han State.
Murong Ke brought these 5,000 men out to suppress the army. He would not send the Black Armored Army in the siege. The Yan State was not a nomadic country, so it naturally had troops and equipment specifically used for sieges. The Yan State, which came out of Liaodong, was quite skilled in the use of siege equipment.
The 30,000 elite troops basically took out more than half of the elite troops of Yan State. The entire Yan State could only mobilize 50,000 elite troops of this level.
The armies of hundreds of thousands of people that existed hundreds of years ago are almost never seen in the era when armor has been improved again. Even the militiamen who have undergone brief training are no match for the elite troops. It is no exaggeration to say that a thousand elite troops can chase and attack tens of thousands of militiamen.
Gathering elite troops for combat not only increases combat effectiveness but also reduces the loss of food and fodder. Due to these factors, the idea of everyone being a soldier has been eliminated in the Central Plains.
Murong Ke looked across the Yellow River at Guanzhong, and then said to Murong Chui and the others who followed him: "Look, that is Guanzhong, the foundation of the eternal emperors. Luoyang is a holy city, but only a holy king can rule the world.
Chang'an was able to protect every emperor who built his foundation there. If there was any mansion in the world that could be called the residence of an emperor, it was only Guanzhong.
Seventh brother, if we can conquer Wei and seize Guanzhong, Wei will definitely flee westwards. I will ask His Majesty to change your title to king, give you the position of Shangshu Pushe, establish a Daxingtai, and let you go out to Guanzhong to handle Guanzhong affairs. "
Murong Chui asked with a puzzled look on his face: "Grand Chancellor?"
The people around were also full of curiosity. They all knew about the Xingtai, but what was the Daxingtai?
Office.
This is a new institution that emerged a few years ago. In essence, it is an executive agency dispatched by the Shangshu Tai, so the whole people call it the Xingtai Shangshu Sheng. But in fact, it is a typical military institution. The chief officer of the Xingtai is the Shangshu Zuo Pushe or Shangshu You Pushe, which is quite strange.
Murong Ke said softly, "The Grand Secretariat is established in accordance with the Central Court Secretariat. The head of the Grand Secretariat is called the Shangshu Ling. This is what I prepared for you. It is definitely not possible to give you Guanzhong directly. Only this method can give you Guanzhong."
Murong Ke took great pains to do this for Murong Chui and the State of Yan.
Murong Chui was completely stunned. His brother wanted him and the court to separate Shaanxi and rule it separately. Why did his brother do this?
Murong Ke smiled softly and said, "If I can get rid of those people in my lifetime, I will remove your Daxingtai, and then you can be a king with peace of mind. I will seal you in Liangzhou, and you can go and fight Zhao Yingluo and Luo Jialan in the Western Regions.
If I fail to solve this problem, you must obey the orders of the court, but leave hope for Dayan."
Murong Ke didn't say who those people were, but everyone knew that they were none other than the Queen Mother's people. Murong Chui lowered his head and said slowly, "Brother, I know."
Smart people don't need to say anything more. How can an ideal situation ever happen?
Perhaps Murong Ke has already guessed the final outcome. All he is doing now is to do his best and leave the rest to fate.
He didn't think about things that were too far in the past. If he could conquer the Wei and Han kingdoms while he was still alive, that would be enough.
Yan's attack on Hedong was not hidden from anyone.
This is not a surprise attack by a stratagem. Under the current circumstances, no stratagem can easily seize vast lands. Only a fair and open battle, only by destroying the opponent's ruling order and then establishing one's own ruling order on it, can the opponent be destroyed.
This requires that the people at the grassroots level recognize the rule of the dynasty. This is why no matter who you are, you must gain the support of the gentry, because without the support of the gentry, a country with only the upper class is nothing but a castle in the air.
How can a land that cannot collect taxes or provide food and fodder be considered one's own territory? How can a group of people who don't even know who the emperor is and cannot serve the country as soldiers be considered one's own people?
After one war after another, the nobles in Hedong have gone from being shocked at the beginning to accepting it now. They are even ready to welcome the rule of Yan State.
This is the benefit of cultural unification.
Fundamentally speaking, although the State of Yan has always been criticized by many people for having too many Hu people and even scorned as a country of barbarians, it is recognized from the bottom of their hearts.
Coming from Ji Zhao, his biggest transformation to the Xia people was in terms of ideology.
In the world that Ji Zhao had not traveled to, the primary goal of scholars was to fulfill their mission of supporting the world, the gentry put family before the country, and the debate between the Hu and Han peoples was not so systematic.
But it is different now. After more than a thousand years of propaganda by the Luo family, although there is no nation-state now, the iron curtain between Xia and Yi still runs across the middle. This is an iron curtain that can only be entered but not exited.
The Hu people could come in and transform into Xia, but the conditions were quite harsh. They had to completely embrace Xia ideologically. Those who betrayed this would be severely discriminated against.
Yan State is the country of all Xia, which was once certified by the Luo family. Surrendering to Yan State will not cause too much waves unless the person is an extremely capricious and shameless person.
Of course, the words loyalty and righteousness cannot describe me.
…
In Luoyang, the eastern capital of Wei State, the water of Luo River still flows. On the banks of the Luo River, countless people can be seen worshipping. The reputation of the god of power as mighty as hell is truly well-deserved. Today, the belief in the Goddess of Luo River is widespread, and countless temples have been built. Statues of the Goddess of Luo River can be seen in every temple and Taoist temple. There are also countless separate temples, especially in Luoyang, which is close to the Luo River.
Even though Luoyang was only the Eastern Capital, it was still the most prosperous city in the world. Compared with the more remote Chang'an, Luoyang, located in the center of the world and with countless crown jewels on its head, was more like the capital of all the states.
However, Luoyang's current military role is indeed not great. The northern part of the Heluo region faces the Yan State across the Yellow River, the eastern part faces the Han State and Liang State across Hulao and Xingyang, and the southern part faces the Liang State across several passes.
This situation was almost like being surrounded. If it weren't for the eight passes of Luoyang and the help from Guanzhong of Wei State, the country should have been conquered long ago.
But now, as to whether it can be defended, everyone knows that Heluo cannot be defended, no matter who it is.
In the struggle for the Central Plains, when the four countries each occupied one side, they turned to avoiding the Central Plains to prevent being besieged by the three countries.
Therefore, the State of Yan had to first enter the Central Plains, and then move eastward and southward at the same time, first seizing the land west of Mount Xiao and north of the Yellow River, and then planning to take Luoyang.
The Han State should first go north to destroy the Yan State, or go south to destroy the Liang State, instead of going directly east to attack Heluo. If the Han State did so, it would immediately be faced with a fight among the three kingdoms.
Liang was the only state that could attack Heluo, just as Chu challenged the Zhou emperor in the Spring and Autumn Period. Liang could integrate Heluo with its current land, but the best choice was to go north to Qingzhou first, seize Qingzhou, then attack eastward to capture Hulao and Xingyang, and then seize Luoyang.
However, if Yan did not attack Jizhou of Han, Liang would not be able to go north to destroy Han that was entrenched in Qingzhou and other places, nor would it be able to break through Yizhou where one man could hold off a thousand. It could only settle for the next best thing and attack Heluo first.
When the Yan army attacked Heluo, the Wei king and his ministers in Chang'an were still unaware of it, but Cao Xiu, the General Zhendong who was guarding Luoyang, had already known about it.
He first rode at full speed to Chang'an to report the news, and then began to withdraw troops from the Heluo area. The power of Wei State here was no longer very strong. The former Sili had seven counties, in addition to Sanfu, there were Sanhe and Hongnong. Henei was north of the Yellow River and had fallen long ago, and Hedong was now on the battlefield.
What Cao Xiu could draw on was the prefecture where Luoyang was located, now called Sizhou. After the establishment of the Wei State, he established Sizhou in the land west of Xingyang, east of Mount Xiao, and south of the Yellow River. Sizhou had three prefectures under its jurisdiction.
It mainly depends on the manpower from Guanzhong and Shuzhong.
Cao Xiu tried his best to draw out 8,000 brave warriors from the Heluo area. He was worried that if he drew out more people, it would affect the guarding of the eight passes in Luoyang.
When the news of Yan's attack reached Chang'an, the entire city fell into chaos. Especially when the people of Wei heard that Murong Ke was leading the Yan army personally this time, they became even more terrified, especially when they heard that Murong Ke was leading the Yan army himself.
Great meeting.
The four regents stood in the front, looking at the noisy ministers. They could not just sit there and wait for death when Yan State attacked, but who should they let go to fight in the war?
Who dares to fight against Murong Ke?
The loss of talent in Wei State was really too great, especially compared with Yan State, which had an endless stream of talent. The gap was really far. Yan State had the advantage in fighting the Hu people, not only because of Murong Ke, but also because it absorbed many other talents. Although these people had a low cultural level, they were full of martial virtues.
Cao Chengsi closed his eyes slightly. He would not take the initiative to take on this matter. He knew himself well and knew that he could never be a match for Murong Ke. He had never thought of defeating Murong Ke on the battlefield.
You don't need to be on the battlefield to kill a general.
Seeing that no one spoke, the empress dowager turned her gaze to Cao Chengsi, who was implicitly the head of the regent ministers. This was certainly not because Cao Chengsi's power exceeded that of the others, but because Cao Chengsi was more active.
"Does General Zuo have any good ideas?"
Hearing the Queen Mother's question, Cao Chengsi said calmly: "Your Majesty, I am not familiar with military affairs. This matter should be consulted with several ministers who are proficient in battle formations."
One push, two, five, six.
It is impossible to ask him to take this responsibility. It would be Cao Chengsi's strength to wait until other regent ministers are defeated and then settle accounts.
Perhaps he felt that this answer was too perfunctory, Cao Chengsi pondered for a moment and said, "What I have been saying all along is to sow discord between Murong Ke and his subjects. I understand that the Queen Mother of Yan and many nobles in Yan are dissatisfied with Murong Ke, and this may be a point we can take advantage of.
Murong Ke is leading the troops in the front. If the Yan army can cut off his food and grass in the rear, the battle of Hedong may be won without a fight."
The Queen Mother asked in disbelief: "Murong Ke is an important official of the State of Yan. How could the Queen Mother of Yan cut off his food supplies? Is General Zuo joking?"
Cao Chengsi clasped his fists and replied, "Your Majesty, you are a heroine, no less powerful than a man, but the Queen Mother of Yan is not. I understand that the Queen Mother of Yan is very greedy for money and favors people based on personal connections. She once wanted to let her brother, who only knows how to eat, drink, gamble and have sex, take up an official position in the Three Departments, but was rejected by the Emperor and Murong Ke.
If we can bribe the people around her, and then take a large amount of gold and silver treasures to slander Murong Ke, it is very likely that we can achieve our goal.
Although the Emperor of Yan trusted Murong Ke, he did not trust Murong Chui.
Because I understand that Murong Chui is Murong Ke's only blood-related brother, and Murong Chui is one of the three brothers of Emperor Huan of Yan who are still alive.
The current Emperor of Yan is still young and has no children. His uncle Murong Chui is one of the heirs to the throne.
If we bribe the ministers and eunuchs in Yan State and make the emperor suspect Murong Chui.
What choice will Murong Ke make when faced with the emperor and Murong Chui?
No matter what choice he made, the relationship between him and the Emperor of Yan was bound to be broken. At that time, facing the Queen Mother's actions, as long as the Emperor of Yan was a little indulgent, someone would take the initiative to target Murong Ke.
As long as Murong Ke and the Emperor of Yan State fall out, no matter who wins or loses in the end, our Wei State will win. "
Leaving aside Cao Chengsi's other abilities, he was very skilled in conspiring and scheming, and even vaguely touched upon the realm of open conspiracy. In his plans, there were many parts that required one to jump into even though one knew they were traps.
After saying this, Cao Chengsi continued, "These are just some of the ideas we had when we discussed Murong Ke. The Queen Mother can use him or not. These are the ideas I gave to you and the Emperor. As for how to defeat Murong Ke on the battlefield, I don't know. As I said before, I am not good at that."
Cao Chengsi's last words completely extricated himself from this matter.
His meaning was very clear. I have already given my ideas in the areas that I am good at. As for fighting, you should leave it to professionals. Those things have nothing to do with me.
The ministers in the hall were still digesting Cao Chengsi's plan. This plan sounded very feasible. It was actually a counter-espionage plan. This plan has been a classic since ancient times. This plan has appeared in almost every country and organization.
The difficulty of this plan lies in the selection of the sowing discord and how to instigate it. Cao Chengsi has already determined both of these, and it sounds very feasible.
The Queen Mother of Wei stopped asking Cao Chengsi and started asking other people, but everyone lowered their heads.
Seeing this, the little emperor was still clapping his hands on the throne. He was still a child wearing open-crotch pants. The Queen Mother of Wei was already very angry. Cao Chengsi walked forward and looked at everyone and said sternly: "Ministers of my Great Wei, does Murong Ke make you afraid to this extent?
If I had the ability to lead troops, I would immediately volunteer to fight Murong Ke instead of cowering here. It's so disappointing.
If you don't have the ability, don't occupy a high position. After Murong Ke enters Guanzhong, you don't have to worry about being captured by the Yan people.
What a disappointment! ”
As he spoke, he named two regents and said in a cold voice, “Regents, what a noble honor this is!
Since ancient times, those who have been able to hold this position are the pillars of the country and should do things that are beneficial to the country. Both of you are military generals, but now you are so afraid of fighting. It is really a shame for my Great Wei. It is even more shameful for me to be a relative of my Cao family and stand in the court with you. "
Cao Chengsi's merciless ridicule and sarcasm shocked everyone. No one expected that Cao Chengsi would do such a thing directly to someone's face. Everyone thought that Cao Chengsi was so angry that he could hardly control himself, so he said these words in anger.
Little did they know that Cao Chengsi said this on purpose. He just wanted to provoke the two men. Either they would fall for his provocation and go to war, or they would become extremely cowardly and lose all respect for the court. Either way, Cao Chengsi would be able to accept it.
The method of provoking someone is very old, but it is indeed effective. Ninety-nine percent of people cannot stand provocation. It is not only because of the addiction, but also because when provoking someone, the person being provoked knows deep in his subconscious that if he is not provoked, there will be other bad consequences.
For example, this time, both of them knew that if they did not agree to this, they would face the contemptuous eyes of countless people. As regents, retreating before the battle would be enough to wipe out all the reputation they had accumulated in the past.
"General Zuo, you don't have to say such things. Are you the only loyal minister in the Wei Dynasty?
There is a saying in this world that goes "make plans before you act". Both of us don't know Murong Ke very well, so we don't want to brag. We don't want to be like someone who has been defeated repeatedly in battles with Murong Ke and still shamelessly seeks credit for it."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall suddenly became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Everyone knew who these two were referring to. It was none other than Cao Chengsi's father Cao Lin, the often defeated general of the Wei Dynasty, comparable to Xiahou Dun during the reign of Emperor Wu.
Upon hearing this, Cao Chengsi just wanted to laugh in his heart. These words could not anger a filial son like him. He himself looked down on his father from the bottom of his heart, but he still pretended to have a flash of anger on his face.
The two of them continued, "But since you said this today, if no one in the court is willing to fight, then we two are willing to fight Murong Ke to see if he is really as invincible as the rumors say."
After saying that, he looked at Cao Chengsi with disdain, but Cao Chengsi didn't seem to be provoked or angry at all. Instead, he smiled and said, "Then I have misjudged you two. If you can really defeat Murong Ke, I will definitely apologize to you two. With you two here in the Wei Dynasty, why should we be afraid of Murong Ke?"
As this conversation filled with swords and guns came to an end, the atmosphere in the court still had a taste of dispute. After the grand court meeting was over, a group of people gathered around Cao Chengsi.
His cousin asked, "Brother, what are we going to do next?"
Cao Chengsi looked at the majestic and magnificent palace with deep obsession and whispered, "The next step is to wait for them to fail, and then send them to a place of no return."
"What if they win? What then?"
Cao Chengsi's eyes suddenly widened, and he said in a deep voice: "Defeat Murong Ke on the battlefield? That's simply a dream. They are bound to lose, and there is no way they can win.
If they can really win, they must fail. We cannot allow two clan members who have won great victories on the battlefield to return to Chang'an. Absolutely!"
Cao Chengsi's tone was firm and full of unquestionable meaning.
He understood too well the current political balance in the State of Wei. Anything could upset the current balance, especially victory on the battlefield. He had to deal with these regents one by one and become a regent with absolute power, or even a regent. He absolutely could not allow these ministers to surpass his own achievements.
Even if he suffered a major defeat, he would not let these two people return to Chang'an with victory.
The Battle of Hedong was a war that could only be lost, not won.
As for what the State of Wei would do after losing the Battle of Hedong?
Not to mention that that was not something Cao Chengsi was considering.
Even if we consider this, if Wei only lost Hedong, it would not be destroyed. During the Warring States Period, Wei not only had Hedong, but also seized Hexi. Qin did not fall into the crisis of national destruction, and it should be the same now.
There is a natural barrier of the Yellow River between Hedong and Guanzhong. As long as the ferry is guarded well, the Yan army will never be able to fly over.
Moreover, the three prefectures on the other side of Hedong are all the most essential places in Guanzhong. The Wei State has ruled here for nearly a hundred years, and the people's hearts are very stable. It is not easy for the Yan State to seize it.
The people surrounding Cao Chengsi seemed to be hesitant to speak after hearing what he said. Some of his words were unacceptable even to his die-hard supporters. After all, this was the foundation of Cao Wei. Cao Chengsi knew there was something wrong as soon as he said it.
He rolled his eyes and immediately added: "I know what you are thinking, but I am also helpless. If you want a bow and arrow to have greater force, you have to pull the bowstring backwards. It is more laborious to move forward than to take a few steps back to accumulate strength.
The same is true for the country.
If we allow these insects to hold high positions for the sake of temporary interests, the future of the Wei Dynasty will be unimaginable. Cutting flesh and healing wounds now may be the best outcome for the Wei Dynasty.
Moreover, since ancient times, the fastest way for a country to fall is due to internal strife. The political struggle between Murong Ke and the Queen Mother of Yan is not like the political struggle in our Wei State. They are likely to have a civil war.
Murong Ke built another political center in Taiyuan, which must be a hidden danger. When Jinyang and Jicheng go to war, it will be our opportunity.
When that day comes, it will be the time for us to take back Hedong and other places, and even be able to attack Bingzhou in one battle. A little impatience can ruin a great plan."
Cao Chengsi's words, which avoided the main point, were still very persuasive, and he always made such words sound very reasonable.
His words are always 70% real analysis and 30% changes to the underlying logic, making it difficult for people to tell what's wrong with them.
Because what Cao Chengsi said was not pure fabrication, it was possible for it to happen. He just used his excellent eloquence to analyze it to a certain degree, which made people have to believe it.
But in fact it is a distortion of the truth. Sometimes it does make sense to give in.
Many people understand that a lack of patience can ruin a great plan, but no one has ever heard of anyone being able to send the lives of their own generals or even soldiers directly to the enemy.
Those soldiers who raised their weapons in Hedong County might never know that in the distant Chang'an, a place they had never seen before, someone was ready to betray them.
Of course, the nobles in Chang'an would never know that these soldiers from Hedong County did not know what they were fighting for and they might surrender to the Yan people at any time.
Does Murong Ke know about these things?
Know a lot of things.
He attacked Hedong at this time because he knew that with the current power struggle in Wei State, it would be even more difficult to resist the attack of Dayan, so he wanted to achieve twice the result with half the effort.
…
Nanyang, Liang State.
This is one of the most critical counties of Liang State. Nanyang County connects the Heluo area and the Guanzhong area. From here, it can directly threaten the two most critical lands of Wei State. In front of Nanyang, Guanzhong and Heluo are only separated by a few passes.
During the period when the State of Liang was in Luoyang, it repeatedly adjusted the administrative divisions here because it was worried about problems. First, it was worried that it would be seized by the State of Wei, and second, it was worried that it would become independent. Nanyang was very easy to become independent, especially after it seized Xiangyang. Nanyang had fertile land and population, as well as dangerous places that could serve as capital.
Luo Youzhi divided these, splitting one county into three counties to ensure that it would not become independent. But in the end, this way of division proved to be too fragmented, so a provincial governor was set up here, and this place was called Nanzhou. Later, Luo Xianzhi added the Nanzhou Xingtai here.
In the place of Nanyang, there are three county magistrates, one provincial governor, and one Shangshu Pushe. The county magistrate is in charge of local government affairs, the provincial governor is in charge of supervision, and the Xingtai Shangshu Pushe is in charge of military affairs. It can be said that there are many high-ranking officials, each performing his own duties. From such frequent changes, one can imagine the importance of this place.
When Yan State sent reinforcements from Taiyuan to Hedong, Liang State immediately received the news. This extremely important military intelligence was heading towards Jianye. The high-ranking officials of Nanyang, especially the Shangshu Pushe of Nanyang Xingtai sent by Luo Xianzhi, knew clearly that he came here to monitor Yan State's movements in Hedong.
News spread particularly quickly in Liang State. After all, Liang State had the fastest water transportation of that era. The messenger set out from Nanyang, went downstream along the Han River and the Yangtze River, and soon arrived in Jianye. The news was quickly delivered to the palace.
Luo Xianzhi hurried into the palace. He didn't guess what was going on. After all, Xiao Yan often summoned him to the palace. As soon as he entered the palace, he saw Xiao Yan waving his sword with great interest and gesturing on the geomancy map. He immediately knew that it was about military affairs. After another association, Xiao Yan really said, "Lingxiu, Yan State has assembled a large army to attack Wei State's Hedong. What we predicted before has come true."
Luo Xianzhi was naturally far inferior to Xiao Yan in terms of specific warfare. He walked up to Xiao Yan and looked at the geomancy map, and said excitedly: "Then Daliang can also start attacking Wei. Does your majesty have any ideas?"
Xiao Yan was a talented military commander and did not need much help from Luo Xianzhi in this regard. He pointed to Nanyang and said, "According to our previous plan, we will send troops from Nanyang and attack the pass directly. If we can break through the pass in one battle, we will directly attack Luoyang.
But now I have another idea, that is to split the troops into two groups, one group will continue to attack Luoyang from Nanyang, and the other group will pretend to attack Guanzhong from Nanyang."
Although Luo Xianzhi was not proficient in military affairs, he had no problem judging the general situation. He knew what Xiao Yan wanted to do as soon as he heard it, so he asked, "Your Majesty, do you want to use the army that attacks Guanzhong to contain the forces of Wei?
Guanzhong is the stronghold of Wei State. They will definitely guard Wuguan well to prevent any accidents. Is this your purpose?"
Xiao Yan nodded and said, "It is actually very difficult to break through Guanzhong from Nanyang, or even impossible. On this road, there are Wuguan, Shangyu, and finally Lantian. Only after breaking through many obstacles can we enter Chang'an.
But it is possible to use these to intimidate those people in Chang'an. Even though those nobles of Wei State grew up in the deep palace and were raised by women, how many of them have ever experienced a battle?
If I set up my formation here, they will be frightened out of their wits."
Luo Xianzhi nodded, agreeing with what Xiao Yan said. Among all the countries, Wei was the worst. This was something that all knowledgeable people in the world could see. However, Luo Xianzhi did not agree with Xiao Yan's approach. After pondering for a while, he said, "Your Majesty, I have a few questions."
Xiao Yan knew that Luo Xianzhi had some ideas, so he said, "Lingxiu, you speak, I am listening."
Luo Xianzhi walked around the geomancy map and slowly asked, "My first question is, our army is attacking Luoyang and heading north from the land of Jingchu, so we must pass through Yique. If Your Majesty attacks this pass, will there be reinforcements from the State of Wei?"
After hearing this, Xiao Yan pondered for a moment and said, "It shouldn't be the case. Wei has troops in Liangzhou to guard the Western Regions, and will also deploy a large army in Hedong to fight against the Yan army. Heluo is already quite powerful, so there is no need to send troops to guard Yique and Guanzhong."
Luo Xianzhi nodded and continued, "Since our army will not send troops to attack Yique Guanzhong, then what is the purpose of our attack on Shangyu? What is the purpose of our efforts to contain the Wei army?"
Xiao Yan understood a little bit, and Luo Xianzhi said: "In this way, we are helping the Yan people to contain the Wei people. Then I have a third question. Who do you think will win in the battle between the Yan people and the Wei people in Hedong?"
Xiao Yan said without hesitation: "Of course it's the Yan people. Murong Ke has proven his strength. He is a veteran general on the battlefield. However, Wei is short of talent. There are no capable people in Hedong or the court. Unless a powerful person descends from the sky in this battle of Hedong, Wei will surely lose."
Luo Xianzhi said with emotion: "Yes, we all think that Wei will lose and Yan will win, so why should we in Daliang sacrifice and shed blood to help a country that is bound to win?
It is not our duty to use the blood of the people of Daliang to bring glory to the people of Yan. Let the people of Yan shed more blood, and let the people of Daliang shed less blood."
I would rather die than let my friend die.
What's more, Yan State cannot be destroyed, and Liang State itself is relatively weak, so how can it have the ability to help the powerful Yan State?
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan fell into deep thought. He realized that this was the result of the difference in thinking between himself and Luo Xianzhi.
He is an excellent commander. When thinking about problems, he always involuntarily thinks from the best angle of war. However, Luo Xianzhi thinks differently. Luo Xianzhi is the one who truly regards war as a continuation of politics.
Luo Xianzhi walked around and came to Xiao Yan's side, then said: "Now Yan State and Daliang are cooperating very happily, but when Wei State is destroyed, Daliang and Yan State will become the biggest rivals.
Moreover, Yan State chose to attack Wei State instead of attacking Jizhou land north of the Yellow River in Han State first. Wasn't it because it had evil intentions?
They wanted to use the Han State to restrain Daliang. In order to prevent Daliang from obtaining Qingzhou, Yanzhou and the entire Yuzhou, they even chose to abandon the plan to seize the fertile southern Jizhou.
My father had seen through their plan a long time ago, but there was nothing we could do. This was the result of being inferior to our opponents in strength. Now we must seize this opportunity and expand our strength as much as possible. If we can capture Heluo, the strength of our Daliang will be greatly enhanced.
It would give the Han Kingdom a huge advantage. Breaking through Yique and conquering Luoyang would be the key to this battle."
Xiao Yan nodded slowly. What he should consider was concentrating all his forces to break through the Yique Pass that stood in the way of the Liang State.
Yique.
This place can be regarded as a battleground for military strategists. In the Bang Zhou era, it was already extremely important. It was the main place where Qin, Chu, and Wei fought against each other. Outside Yique Pass, no less than one million soldiers died in the battle.
Now a new round of war is about to begin here. Xiao Yan asked in a deep voice: "Lingxiu, how many troops can you send this time?"
Luo Xianzhi was naturally well aware of the country's money and grain, and immediately said: "20,000 elite soldiers, 50,000 auxiliary soldiers, and then recruit 100,000 civilians from Nanyang and Jingzhou to prepare a year's worth of food and grass for these people.
If we still cannot break through Yique Pass in a year, then I suggest that we retreat temporarily, because by then, the battle of Hedong should be over, and if we cannot break through Yique Pass after a year of fighting, the soldiers will be very tired, which means that we have lost the opportunity. "
Preparing a year's supply of food and fodder for nearly 200,000 people is a huge number. If it weren't for the good weather in Jiangdong in recent years and if it weren't for a complete national war, he might not have been able to come up with it.
Xiao Yan pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice: “Lingxiu, this won’t work.
I still need 50,000 troops and two years of food and grass. One year may not be enough. This attack must be successful. If we win the battle of Hedong, as long as we can cut off the Wei army coming out of Qiaohan, Heluo will be ours.
After taking over Heluo, they must also take over the eight passes of Luoyang. Otherwise, the newly acquired Heluo will be in danger at any time. One pass can only be barely maintained with 5,000 to 6,000 people, and the current number of troops is far from enough.
Moreover, Yique Pass is one of the most important passes guarding Luoyang. It is impossible to conquer it with too few people. We must attack day and night. 70,000 people are definitely not enough. "
Luo Xianzhi almost couldn't hold it in. He thought that Xiao Yan would ask him for more people and money, but he never expected that he would ask for twice as much. He couldn't help but recall what his father had said about this matter. Whenever the emperor encountered war, he would have sudden ideas. Luo Youzhi had many arguments with the emperor because of this, but it was basically Luo Youzhi who compromised in the end. After all, Xiao Yan would not ask for people and money without reason.
Luo Xianzhi never expected that it would be his turn now.
Moreover, Xiao Yan's arguments were indeed well-founded. Although the attack on Yique Pass had not yet begun, Xiao Yan had already considered everything carefully, and it was appropriate both during and after the war.
But fifty thousand people!
Luo Xianzhi knew that these 50,000 people certainly could not be elite armored troops, but even so, it would not be easy.
Luo Xianzhi looked embarrassed. The reason why he didn't give it was not because there were no people. Liang State was so big that it shouldn't be so completely without people. The problem was that if a large number of young and strong people were transferred away, it would definitely affect the country's farming in the coming year. Once these people were gone for such a long time, production would be delayed.
Moreover, with so many local troops being withdrawn, Luo Xianzhi was worried that there would be chaos in the local area.
The most important thing is, with so many troops withdrawn, he was worried that the Han State would take the opportunity to counterattack Xuzhou and the part of Yuzhou occupied by Liang State. You must know that once Yan State, Wei State and Liang State go to war, the Han State will definitely not miss this opportunity.
Between Yan and Liang, which one would the Han choose to attack? Luo Xianzhi knew without even thinking that it must be Liang!
But after pondering for a while, Luo Xianzhi slowly nodded and said: "I will prepare these supplies for Your Majesty, and the soldiers will also provide them according to the quantity."
Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised at Luo Xianzhi's straightforwardness, and could not help but say, "Lingxiu, if your father were here, he would definitely argue with me and would not agree to me so easily."
Luo Xianzhi said helplessly: "Then Your Majesty, do you think my father will agree to you in the end?"
Xiao Yan laughed out loud and said, "Once I can explain the reason to him and appeal to his emotions, Qingyun will agree with my idea."
Luo Xianzhi spread his hands and said, "I have been convinced by your majesty's reasoning, so I agree directly. If your majesty is unwilling, I am willing to argue with your majesty."
Xiao Yan couldn't help laughing, and quickly waved his hand and said, "That's not necessary, this is good enough, Lingxiu, go and get ready."
Luo Xianzhi bowed and said, "I will take my leave."
————
I have observed the affairs of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and all of them failed because of treachery, and prospered because of loyalty. The treacherous did not know why, and the loyal were also confused. People's hearts were confused, and the world was full of dust, and they were caught in the trap. - "Miscellaneous Notes on the World"
(End of this chapter)
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