Chapter 155...
Hu Yantori's whispered propaganda did not escape her ears at all, perhaps because Qiao Yan had raised his physique too high.
Her eyes also saw clearly that when faced with the definition of raw bone powder from the people of Bingzhou, the expressions of the Shaodang Qiang people changed from their original eagerness to learn to one of horror.
“……”Qiao Yan really wanted to kick this idiot and then send him to Bingzhou to study in a fertilizer-making place for a few months.
No matter whether this guy was originally the King of Zuoguli or held some other position, he must be made into a good farmer before being released.
But she suddenly realized one thing -
Considering the relatively primitive and brutal style of the Qiang people in Liangzhou, could some groundless information help her gather people around her?
If this matter is indeed just a rumor, it would not be difficult for her to dispel it.
When she thought of this, she gave up her plan to walk behind Tuoli and ask him to shut up. Instead, she continued to walk down the mountain with Cheng Yu and talked about the progress of building the raft in Gaoping City.
Tuoli spoke in a low voice, but she didn't.
The moment the voice came, Toli's originally mysterious expression froze on the spot.
However, when he turned his head back frame by frame, all he saw were the backs of Qiao Yan and Cheng Yu walking down the mountain.
Seeing that the other party didn't seem to hear his nonsense explanation here and just happened to pass by, he covered his suddenly beating heart and let out a sigh of relief.
He complained that Qiao Yan had taken away all his property and said that he was like an eagle with all its feathers plucked out, but he never really wanted to experience the feeling of being settled with by Qiao Yan in real life.
It would be best if I hadn't heard this nonsense.
However, the next day his heart was hanging again.
Who made the first words of a group of Laojie Qiang who came to Qiao Yan today after kneeling down to surrender: "We are willing to serve you, please don't turn us into raw bones and fill us with fat!"
“……”After hearing the news, Tori’s whole body froze.
"What's wrong with you?" Yu Furuo patted him on the shoulder and saw this relatively chubby guy jump up.
Toli looked at Yu Furuo with a bitter face.
A few days ago, he was still laughing at the fact that Yu Furuo was actually captured by a Qiang woman. This was considered to have brought disgrace to the Southern Xiongnu in Liangzhou.
But now he felt that Yu Furuo's mistake could actually make people less wary of him. In a sense, it could even be a self-preservation strategy.
But he is different!
He might become a dead eagle today.
He spent most of the day in this uneasy mood, and then received an order from Qiao Yan -
He was ordered to lead the newly surrendered Laojie Qiang people to visit the burial place of the Zhong Qiang people's ashes in Gaoping City, and to remember to "personally" dig up the grave area to ensure that everyone can see clearly how many remaining bones and ashes are inside.
Qiao Yan was too lazy to really seal his mouth.
Her attention is not on these rumors now.
Faced with the death of a total of 15,000 Qiang people caused by her, even if Tuoli hadn't made up stories, there would always be people who would come up with some strange explanations.
These things had no effect on her.
Instead of all this, she might as well think about her opponent.
Just as Qiao Yan guessed, when she was building farming military settlements near Gaoping City and suppressing the rebellion with blood on one hand and winning it over with gentleness on the other, the one who was most uneasy would definitely not be Han Sui, who had the strategic terrain like Kuiyuan Gorge as protection.
Under the current circumstances, Han Sui can limit the battle area to a narrow strip of land and retreat to Huangzhong behind Jincheng. Otherwise, he can take a small team of people over the mountain and evacuate in the direction of the Hexi Corridor.
Besides, if you have to count, the people he offended were only those within Liangzhou.
For a man like him who can get along well among the Qiang people and has the ability to command troops, even if he leaves the territory of Liangzhou, he may be able to find a job elsewhere.
But there is one person who has no such escape route.
It was Dong Zhuo who was in Luoyang at this moment.
The news of Qiao Yan's advance to Gaoping reached him later than it did to Han Sui.
By the time he learned about this, the deadline for the battle of Fengyi Mountain agreed upon by Qiao Yan and Han Sui was almost approaching.
Dong Zhuo did not expect that the battle would not take place - if Han Sui was not a fool, he would not have chosen such a place to start the battle.
However, Qiao Yan did not choose to advance directly, but instead completed a series of actions in Gaoping, which was really beyond Dong Zhuo's expectations.
"Qiao Yeshu is good at winning by surprise. What do you think she is waiting for?"
Dong Zhuo became a little restless when he thought about how Gaoping, the first city northwest of Chang'an, had quietly changed its ownership from Zhong Qiang to Bingzhou Army.
He immediately summoned Zhang Ji and Duan Wei, who were guarding key points under his command, to discuss the matter.
Most of the officials in Chang'an were not obedient to him in their hearts, no, some people like Lu Zhi were not obedient even on the surface, so the only people he could use were his subordinates.
In the situation of extreme shortage of manpower, Dong Zhuo even gave Li Jue's nephew Hu Feng the position of Cavalry Commander.
But if you count them all, he still relies more on Zhang Ji and Duan Wei.
The two of them were also quite perceptive and realized that after Dong Zhuo finished his question and paced around the room with his hands folded, he must have something else to say, so they didn't speak at this time.
Sure enough, Dong Zhuo asked again: "Is it possible that she challenged Han Sui on the surface, but actually wanted to attack Guanzhong directly?"
It was difficult for Dong Zhuo not to come to such a conclusion.
Relatively speaking, the route from Gaoping to Chang'an is easier than the route from Gaoping to Jincheng in the heart of Liangzhou.
This was also the route chosen by the Qiang people in recent years to invade the Three Auxiliary Regions.
Dong Zhuo continued, "During the battle at Mengjin, the Yellow River ferry, she ostensibly built a boat to cross Mengjin, but in fact she relied on sheepskin bags to cross the river."
After Luoyang was captured, it was impossible to hide this special tool for crossing the river from others. In the face of the victory created by Qiao Yan, it became a good story in the capital area.
"In the battle of Gaoping City, she pretended to be a southern Xiongnu who cultivated land in Ziwuling, but in fact she brazenly sent troops to storm and break into the city."
"In the past two wars, we used deception to defeat the enemy. It may not be impossible to do so now."
Dong Zhuo stopped and looked at the map in the room.
When he was making his fortune in his early years, there was a period of time when Li Ru did not plan for him.
But maybe it's been too long, and now I'm trying so hard to think, but my brain feels a little rusty.
But it is also possible that the situation he is facing is too troublesome, which makes him feel a dull pain in half of his head.
"Han Sui did not go to the appointment at Fengyi Mountain and prepared for battle in Jincheng and Yuzhong. Ma Teng coordinated in Longxi and could borrow Taoshui for support at any time. But if the two of them did not move their troops, what would happen if Qiao Yan turned around and attacked Sanfu directly?"
"Do you think we should weaken the defenses in other locations and focus on defending this line west of Chang'an?"
Dong Zhuo's original plan was very clear. He had Ma Teng and Han Sui as support in Liang Province. Even if Qiao Yan chose to attack Chang'an first, he could mobilize the scattered Qiang people and the two Liang Province warlords to attack from behind, which was a two-pronged attack.
But now his supporters, the scattered Qiang people, had lost the courage to launch a surprise attack on her due to the expansion of Qiao Yan's military settlements and violent looting.
Ma Teng and Han Sui were defending their own little piece of land, and it would inevitably take time for them to gather their defensive forces before going into battle.
With this time difference, based on the strength shown by Qiao Yan's troops in the battle of Gaoping City, can she really not break into Sanfu?
Meiwu, located west of Chang'an, was blocked. No matter how Dong Zhuo built it into a strong city and ordered Li Jue to guard it, it was still not as strong as Gaoping with its deep river and strong city.
This line of defense may not be effective.
"I don't recommend that the Prime Minister withdraw the defense of Huayin." Duan Wei replied after listening to Dong Zhuo's analysis.
"The Bingzhou army wants to attack Chang'an. According to the current battle line, there are three routes. The one in Gaoling is the narrowest, sandwiched between two mountains. The straight road is the easiest to monitor and relatively easy to defend. However, Huayin needs to guard against Bingzhou's internal direct access to the Guanzhong Plain via the Yellow River or Beiluo River. The pass itself is too wide, so it must still be heavily guarded."
Dong Zhuo nodded, agreeing with Duan Wei's judgment.
Duan Wei continued, "The other road is the one that leads to Gaoping. This road is also difficult to guard..."
He thought for a moment, as if hesitating whether to continue. Seeing Dong Zhuo gave him an approving look, he continued, "My suggestion is that although it is not appropriate to change generals in the middle of a battle, it is necessary to do so in order to achieve the full defense of Chang'an."
"Please ask the Prime Minister to order General Zhang to move to Huayin. The military settlement I set up here has shown initial results, and those who come later will just follow the rules. The cavalry under General Zhang's command is not bad, and they can also fight in Luochuan."
"Order General Li to station at Gaoling instead. This place is dangerous and it is not easy to make mistakes. As for me——"
"I will go and defend the rear of the country from the invading troops from Liang Province!"
When Duan Wei said this, Dong Zhuo immediately clapped his hands and laughed: "With Zhong Ming's words, I don't have to worry anymore."
Dong Zhuo would never doubt Duan Wei's loyalty, because Duan Wei, Duan Xing's cousin, knew better than anyone that under the situation where people from Liang Province could not take the normal path to promotion, only by letting Dong Zhuo, who was from Liang Province, be in a high position could Duan Wei avoid the same fate as Duan Xing.
The biggest threat now comes from Liang Province, and only by letting Duan Wei guard that direction can Dong Zhuo feel at ease.
After vaguely catching a glimpse of the people in the court's joy at Qiao Yan's attack on Chang'an, Dong Zhuo completed this personnel arrangement without hesitation.
He had already fled from Luoyang to Chang'an once, and he had no intention of running away a second time, so he had to guard this place strictly!
West of Chang'an, Duan Wei.
North of Chang'an, Li Jue.
East of Chang'an, Zhangji.
This is the layout after these adjustments.
Dong Zhuo's positive attitude towards preparing for war was obviously conveyed to the generals under his command, so the mobilization of troops was carried out extremely quickly. Perhaps the only one who was somewhat dissatisfied with this matter was Li Jue.
He complained to his wife who was accompanying the army, "What do you mean by this, Prime Minister? Gaoling is easier to defend than Meiwu and Huayin. I can see that if I have a pair of eyes. Isn't it obvious that he wants to divide us into different levels?"
Li Jue certainly knew that he could not compare with Duan Wei in strength, but he was on equal footing with Zhang Ji after all. So why did he let Zhang Ji take over Wei's military farming while he could only stay in Gaoling?
The Prime Minister implied that his strength was not as good as those two!
Don't show disdain for people with such subtext!
Li Jue's dissatisfaction was evident in his words.
But his wife said, "What's the matter? Didn't the Prime Minister also tell you to station part of your troops at the location of Ganquan Palace in the past to form two lines of defense? I gave you this task because you still have a nephew to delegate."
"Gaoling is the mouth of the Jingshui River, and its location is important. Chunhua is the end of the straight road, and it is also a strategic place. It was even the secondary capital of the Former Han Dynasty. If I had to choose, I would rather live there. If Shi'er was not young, how could this good job be given to Hu Feng?"
Li Jue thought about it and it seemed to be true, so he temporarily suppressed his dissatisfaction.
But whether he really didn't care about it or was just pretending to be so on the surface, probably only he knew.
Dong Zhuo's adjustment of Chang'an's defenses was not difficult to convey to Qiao Yan's ears as there were many traitors inside Chang'an.
But this adjustment does not affect her plan to send troops.
From the very beginning, she had no intention of attacking Chang'an directly.
At the end of April and the beginning of May in the second year of Guangxi, Gaoping gradually received grain and fodder sent from Bingzhou and completed the storage in the city. The Huoshizhai military settlement also completely completed the sowing of farmland and the construction of farmhouses.
This made the nail that Qiao Yan had driven into Liangzhou completely become a base that could not be ignored.
What surprised her most was Yao Chang's performance.
She did have a keener judgment than other Qiang tribesmen. After Qiao Yan gave her some authority to manage the military settlement, she quickly formed a team of Qiang people who were willing to fight for Qiao Yan in addition to farming.
She said that Qiao Yan should choose her instead of Yu Furo and other Southern Xiongnu people, and it was not just an exaggerated statement for the survival of her tribe.
After she reported to Qiao Yan about the origins, family members and expertise of each of these Qiang people, Qiao Yan met their motivated eyes and confirmed another thing -
The people she mentioned could stand on Qiao Yan's side, and it was not a random judgment.
She is now looking for an opportunity to make a contribution to prove that she can play a greater role.
Qiao Yan waved to her, motioning her to come closer.
Yao Chang saw Qiao Yan immediately pointed to the map in front of her and asked, "If I need you to capture Ayang for me, how confident are you?"
Ayang?
Yao Chang lives locally, so naturally she knows something about Ayang.
This is exactly the source of the Qingshui River used by the Huoshizhai military settlement.
In the fourth year of Yan Xi, the Shen Di Qiang, who originally lived in Shangjun, joined forces with the Laojie Qiang to attack Bingzhou, Liangzhou and Sanfu. After being defeated, they fled to Ayang.
The place of Ayang can be regarded as the other end of Liupan Mountain. There are mountains as a screen on the east, and Lujiaokou on the west, which leads to the Hanyang County seat. It is a strategic location to be guarded.
Therefore, even though Qiao Yan caused so much trouble in Gaoping area, it did not cause any movement among the Shen Di Qiang people in Ayang.
They have the confidence to resist like this.
But Yao Chang vaguely felt that with the magnanimity displayed by Qiao Yan, she should not have launched an attack just because the other party was disobedient.
She asked tentatively, "Your Excellency, do you want to take Ma Teng first?"
Qiao Yan replied: "Isn't it possible?"
Yao Chang quickly replied: "No, of course!"
When Qiao Yan challenged Han Sui to a duel, seemed to intend to attack, and controlled a key route to Guanzhong, ready to take Dong Zhuo at any time, it was easy to overlook that she actually had a third option:
Hanyang with its internal support was a smooth road for her, so it was completely feasible to enter Hanyang County from Anding County, go straight to Longxi, and get rid of Ma Teng first!
And the only trouble along the way was Ayang.
Then, just pull out this nail!
This is not a task that must be assigned to the Qiang people. On the contrary, the Qiang people need to use this battle to prove that they can still be useful under the command of Qiao Bingzhou.
This is their true token of allegiance!
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