Wei Jing's goal has never been to stay in a corner of the southwest. Now that the Central Plains is in chaos, he will wait for an opportunity to leave after completely controlling Yizhou and sorting out internal affairs. This is something he and his confidants such as Ji Huan and Zhang Yong are well aware of, and they have even discussed it many times in private.
Then why did Ji Huan say it again seriously?
In addition to the old Anyang people like Zhuang Yan, Kou Xuan, there were also newcomers like Dai Guang, Yan Xian, etc. This was said for them to hear.
Dai Guang, Yan Xian, Tian Yue and others were the famous scholars from Yizhou who had defected to Wei Jing in the past few months. After their backgrounds were checked and found to be unremarkable, Wei Jing placed them in high positions. These people are indeed talented and hard-working, and they quickly entered the top-level discussion circle and filled the vacancies.
By now, Wei Jing's entire team of civil and military officials has been completely formed, and the size is finally almost the same. There is basically no situation where one person holds two positions at the same time.
As soon as Ji Huan finished speaking, Dai Guang immediately stood up and said, "My Lord, I second the motion!"
Everyone was no longer a child. Before they defected to Wei Jing, they knew that the other party was not an honest minister of the Great Chu. In troubled times, one seeks a wise ruler. So, isn't it something that has long been expected and welcomed that one would seize the opportunity to leave Yizhou and seek the Central Plains?
Yan Xian was not far behind and immediately responded: "Now the King of Ji in the Central Plains has occupied Xuzhou and Yuzhou, and the Zhenquan Army has also occupied many places. Although the Northern Army is brave, it has lost its leader and is unable to capture the two in one fell swoop. The situation in the Central Plains is stalemate, and the governors of various states have their own thoughts. The world is in chaos. What Brother Ji said is true. Now is indeed a good opportunity to make a move."
Speaking of this, we have to mention the war situation in the Central Plains first. The Zhenquan army was spreading everywhere, and Prince Ji also became more aggressive after raising the banner of rebellion, forcing the emperor to use his trump card, the northern army that Wei Jing had personally trained and led to defeat the Huns.
However, the Northern Army at this moment is quite different from the Northern Army back then.
The soldiers are still the same soldiers, the middle and lower-level military officers are still the same people, but all the generals above them have almost been replaced.
The people Wei Jing used to rely on in the past have long disappeared, and now they are all the emperor’s trusted confidants.
This is far from enough, and it goes without saying how important the commander is in an army. Therefore, without the King of Qi's northern army, Yan Xian simply called it a pack of wolves losing their leader.
The Northern Army, which had lost its Wolf Leader, was now much less powerful than before. Fortunately, the soldiers still fought bravely, and there were still some trusted generals of the former Northern Army left by the previous emperor, so no major mistakes occurred.
But they were only able to force Prince Ji and Zhenquan's army to retreat, but were unable to wipe them out. Currently, the battle situation is at a stalemate, with the three parties confronting each other, and no sign of defeat has been seen.
When Shao Qing heard the metaphor about King Qi, he couldn't help but secretly glance at Wei Jing.
No one knew what Wei Jing was thinking, but he showed no sign of abnormality on the surface. After everyone had spoken in unison, he pondered for a moment and nodded.
"You are right. It is not appropriate to stay in a remote corner. We should seize this opportunity and try to get Yizhou as soon as possible and conquer the Central Plains in the north."
In just this simple sentence, the intention to compete for the world is fully revealed. Whether it was Zhuang Yan, Kou Xuan, or Dai Guang and others, everyone present was excited, but their faces became more serious.
The tone of seeking to conquer the world has been set, so the first step is to leave Yizhou. Wei Jing cast his eyes to the left side of the meeting hall. A map of the Chu region was hung on the entire wall. He said, "I wonder if you have any good plans for leaving Yizhou?"
Leaving Yizhou is not an easy task.
As mentioned before, Yizhou's terrain is completely surrounded by a basin, with continuous dangerous peaks and steep mountains. There are very few passages in and out and no smooth roads. That's why King An was delayed and suffered a great loss.
This strategy wouldn't work in other places.
However, such an excellent place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack is not without disadvantages, and its disadvantages are as great as its advantages.
It is difficult to get in and difficult to get out.
Everyone in the hall stared at the map. Ji Huan pondered for a moment and said, "My lord, there are only two directions to leave Yizhou, the northeast, but the official road and the Yangtze River waterway should be abandoned first."
There is an official road leading out of Yizhou into the Central Plains, which is relatively the easiest route to take. Starting from Gucheng and heading north, you can enter Hanzhong County through Jinniu Road, and then cross the Ziwu Road in the northeast of Hanzhong, that is, cross the Qinling Mountains, and you will reach Guanzhong Sizhou.
Luojing is located in the central and northern part of Sizhou.
But since Yizhou fell into the hands of "Yang Ze", the emperor sent heavy troops to the other side of the Ziwu Road, making this road blocked.
The other is the Yangtze River waterway, with its 400-li Three Gorges, steep cliffs on both sides and no alluvial plains. The river is turbulent and unfathomable, and the entire waterway is thin and long. The navy from upstream can attack with great force, but it is extremely difficult to attack from downstream.
Originally, the Yangtze River waterway was a good way to export profits, but the problem was that Wei Jing had few trusted naval forces and did not have time to build large warships, so he had to give up.
When Ji Huan said this, everyone nodded.
But apart from these two roads, the others are at best as dangerous as rugged mountain roads. It is already difficult to go out with a small number of people, and it is even more difficult to lead a large army. If he is not careful, he will suffer the same loss that King An suffered earlier.
Ji Huan said slowly: "My lord, I think it would be the best strategy if we could find an ally in a place adjacent to Yizhou."
In addition to the difficulty of sending out a large army, the transportation of food and fodder is a problem that is no less serious than the former. In short, it is difficult everywhere, but if we can form an alliance with the forces on the other side of the dangerous path, many problems will be immediately solved.
Everyone agreed with him, and Wei Jing also nodded: "Bo Yan is right, forming an alliance is indeed the best strategy."
In fact, Ji Huan’s remarks above were the result of several private discussions between them. What they were going to discuss next was the key point. Wei Jing turned his gaze back to the regional map: "Who do you think should be chosen to form an alliance?"
Since you want to form an alliance, the choice of ally is of paramount importance.
Dai Guang stood up, walked to the regional map, and pointed to the south-central area of Jingzhou: "I think this place can be abandoned."
Wei Jing nodded: "Indeed."
In the central south, most of Jingzhou has fallen into the hands of King An. The battle of Cangwu Pass not only annihilated King An's 20,000 soldiers, but also raised the enemy's vigilance to the highest point.
Under the power of King An, all the roads leading to Yizhou, no matter how big or small, had camps set up at the road entrances and elite troops deployed. In addition, there were tens of thousands of soldiers stationed to the west of Jingzhou, ready to provide support at any time.
If you force your way in, there's a high chance that King An will use the same method against you.
“The north is equally inappropriate.”
Dai Guang looked up at Hanzhong County, the northernmost part of Yizhou, and drew a line along the northern edge of Hanzhong County: "Yizhou is bordered by Liangzhou and Sizhou to the north. These two places are both inferior to Yizhou, even worse than Jingzhou."
The soldiers in Liangzhou are also brave, and there are Qiang and Di people living together, the people are fierce and tough, so it is a very difficult place. Moreover, even if we took great pains to capture Liangzhou, there would only be one direction to advance to, and that was Sizhou in the east.
Sizhou, located at the foot of the emperor, is in the midst of chaos. Part of the northern army left by the emperor is here, and the defense is extremely strong. After Wei Jing came to power, Yizhou became the focus of defense, and the conditions of other roads were similar to that of the Ziwu Road.
The difficulty of capturing it was extremely high, and once they left Yizhou and headed straight for the emperor, they would surely become the target of public criticism and be attacked by everyone.
This is not even a bad strategy, it's a stupid and bad move.
Shao Qing nodded secretly when she heard this. In fact, Wei Jing had asked her similar questions. Therefore, even though he had a deep blood feud, he had given up the idea of going north and went straight to the emperor.
She turned her eyes to the eastern part of Hanzhong County, which bordered Pingyang County in the north of Jingzhou.
The two directions to the northeast of Yizhou are actually the three states of Liang, Si and Jing. Dai Guang used the method of elimination, abandoning Siliang and most of the central and southern areas of Jingzhou, so only Pingyang County was left.
Over the past few months, Wei Jing has already gotten a clear understanding of the situation in Pingyang County.
Pingyang County is backed by Yizhou and surrounded by mountains on three sides. It is plagued by bandits and is very unstable. Although many of the county magistrates who had support from powerful people had their own ulterior motives, some of them supported bandits to protect themselves, some of them simply colluded with the bandits secretly, but overall, the county governor Shi Zhuo still had the final say based on his strength.
Shi Zhuo's family was the most powerful one, and Pingyang County was his territory.
"My lord, if you want to form an alliance to get out of Yi, Shi Zhuo is the first and only choice."
Dai Guang finished his summary and bowed: "I am willing to go to Pingyang as an envoy to persuade Shi Zhuo with all my strength on behalf of my lord."
Now that the allies have been selected, it’s time to send the envoys. This is a matter of great importance, and the person needed must be a reliable and quick-witted confidant.
Ji Huan was quite capable of doing the job, but he had served in the Northern Army for many years. If there were any other options, Wei Jing would never consider him for these prestigious tasks.
The new arrivals such as Dai Guang and Yan Xian are very suitable. They come from prominent families and have broad horizons and rich experience. Wei Jing's heavy use of people has proved that there is no false talent under a great reputation, and their talents and abilities are also outstanding.
Taking all the above into consideration, Dai Guang is actually more suitable than Zhuang Yan and Kou Xuan. He seized the opportunity to recommend himself, of course, hoping to make merit as soon as possible and consolidate his position, but in fact this is just human nature.
Wei Jing nodded: "Yes."
He immediately appointed Dai Guang as the chief envoy and Zhuang Yan as the deputy envoy. Liang Danqiyun, a young general from Qing Zhaiwei, led the guards to escort them. They would set off tomorrow to go to Pingyang as envoy.
Naturally, the faster the better, but the trip needs to be low-key and avoid being seen as much as possible, so as not to reveal Wei Jing's intention to benefit in advance and add unnecessary obstacles.
Zhuang Yan immediately stood up, bowed to Dai Guang, and said solemnly: "I obey your command!"
After the important matters were discussed, Wei Jing told everyone to disperse, and Zhuang and Dai hurried down to get ready. He glanced at Ji Huan, who understood what he meant. He went out for a walk and went to find Zhuang Yan.
Dai Guang was the most suitable person to be the chief envoy, but he had just arrived, so Wei Jing assigned him a deputy envoy, Zhuang Yan. Ji Huan knew everything that needed to be told, without Wei Jing having to explain it.
The meeting hall was dismissed and it was already dusk outside, so the couple simply went back to the backyard hand in hand.
Shao Qing was a little nervous: "I don't know if Shi Zhuo is willing to form an alliance."
It is difficult to leave Yizhou, she has always been very clear about this. Now Shi Zhuo is the only ideal option. If the other party refuses to form an alliance, she will be in trouble.
Wei Jing said in a gentle voice: "Don't worry, Shi Zhuo has many hidden worries now, and he will definitely be tempted by the idea of forming an alliance."
Pingyang County is adjacent to Sizhou in the north across the mountains, so it can be considered stable. But he is bordering Yuzhou to the east, and Yuzhou is now in a mess due to the Northern Army and the Army of Prince Ji Zhenquan. Although the three parties have not paid attention to him at present, it is hard to say whether the war will affect him if he is not careful.
Yuzhou is a small matter, the key is King An in the south.
Pingyang County borders Nanling County to the south, and Nanling County was conquered by King An less than half a year ago. The latter went straight to Cangwu Road west of Nanling County after conquering this county, and suffered a great loss at the hands of Wei Jing.
Prince An moved northward from the southern border of Jingzhou, ostensibly to encircle the Zhenquan Army, but Shi Zhuo, who was in Jingzhou, must have known exactly what was going on. Now that the battle line has been pushed to him, how can he not be nervous?
According to reports from scouts, even though Prince An showed no signs of attacking for the time being, Shi Zhuo had already deployed a large number of troops in the southern border and was doing everything he could to guard against Prince An.
With hidden worries and obvious troubles everywhere, Shi Zhuo must be very anxious, right?
Wei Jing judged that the success rate of the alliance was more than 50%, otherwise he would not have taken this as his first move.
He spoke in a low voice, explaining the situation to his wife. Shao Qing felt relieved after hearing this: "That's good!"
She breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that Shi Zhuo was someone who knew how to judge the situation and could be successfully persuaded by Dai Guang and others.
That’s good. We can achieve our goal smoothly without any effort, and we have a good base as a starting point.
Shao Qing was looking forward to it.
But is it really that smooth?
The answer is no.
After Dai Guang and his party had traveled day and night for half a month, they sent back an urgent letter. When Wei Jing opened it, his brows immediately furrowed.
"On November 14, Dai Guang and his companions arrived at Pingyang County's capital, Pingcheng. As it was already night, and out of caution, they decided to rest in the city for one night and then go to the county governor's mansion to deliver the visiting card the next day."
It was a correct choice, but Shao Qing knew that the turning point was coming soon. He held his breath and heard Wei Jing say, "... That night, Dai Guangzhuang Yan sent someone to inquire about the situation in the County Magistrate's Mansion. Unexpectedly, he learned that a group of strangers had just visited the County Magistrate's Mansion two days ago. They were also envoys from other parties."
Someone else is coming? !
Was there a second party that sent a messenger ahead? How could it be such a coincidence? Whose is this and what is its purpose?
Will it be the same as ours?
Shao Qing's heartstrings immediately tensed up. In a split second, a secret report that she had just read this morning suddenly flashed through her mind.
Sent by Shi Liang.
Shi Liang was one of the spies that Wei Jing had previously placed in Prince An's palace. He was one of the small group of people that Wei Jing re-contacted during his last trip to Luojing. He was a minor steward in the carriage and stable, and this time he was chosen to leave Qiejia and not follow the army. However, every time Prince An captured a government office where he stayed, these daily arrangements were indispensable.
Currently, Prince An is in Hanshou County, Jingzhou, with his capital in Liling. Half a month ago, the carriage and stables suddenly received an order to prepare some carriages and horses for the long journey, and then Guo Chun, the trusted adviser of Prince An, led his men to set off overnight.
Judging from the size of the carriages and horses, it was not a small group of people. Shi Liang secretly paid attention and found out that the group was heading straight to the northwest.
To the northwest of Liling is Pingyang County.
Shao Qing was shocked: "Could it be that Prince An sent an envoy?!"
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