The fifth year of Zhangwu, the 20th day of the first lunar month.

Five days have passed since the suburbs of Shangyuan, but many senior generals who returned to Beijing to report their duties remained in Luoyang and had not returned to the defense zone yet.

Since Liu Bei became emperor, four and a half years have passed, and there has never been such a grand occasion again. Li Su, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, Zhuge Liang, Gao Shun, Xu Huang, and Taishi Ci all gathered in the capital to discuss the country's status.

Anyway, when the generals returned to Beijing, they made proper arrangements. Before the cold winter was over, Cao Cao could not seek death and instead launched an attack. The central plains had the most dangerous geographical locations under Liu Bei, blocking various passes. Even if the Cao army suddenly attacked, it would not cause trouble.

Liu Bei took this rare opportunity to roughly arrange the strategic deployment of the troops to attack Cao Cao this year and the timing of sending troops. Of course, when it comes to the specific battle, the generals of all parties will definitely give certain independent and random authority to adapt to the situation.

During the entire decision-making process, Liu Bei felt that his thinking was refreshed again.

Although he thought he was already a veteran of military intelligence who had fought for seventeen years, Liu Bei was still a little unfamiliar with this kind of attack of hundreds of thousands of troops.

At least he felt that if he had to dispatch all the details, he would definitely have a lot of randomness in the allocation of various troops and make decisions. In that case, it would be easy to cause chaos of disconnection and poor supply.

Li Su and Zhuge Liang were very rigorous, always insisting on considering the proportion of gains and losses of various forces to ensure the support of the troops according to the potential of population and material wars, and the difficulty of dispatching.

Finally, Prime Minister Li Su provided the accounting guidance ideology, and the division plan for the division of troops, which was specifically calculated by Zhuge Liang, the Sili Captain and Minister of War, was finally released.

During this period, Li Su and Zhuge Liang had a rare job of working overtime and lived in the former former site of the Nangong Palace. After Liu Bei officially moved the capital, it had been changed to the office of the Three Dukes, Shangshu Ling, Shizhong and the Nine Ministry.

After completion, Zhuge Liang reported to Liu Bei in person: "Your Majesty, after the guidance of the Prime Minister, I have calculated for several days. The final plan for division of troops is as follows. Please ask Your Majesty to judge.

The Jingzhou army sent 200,000 troops, and completed all dispatches in early April, transporting all the combat materials mobilized by Jing and Yizhou to three attack positions in Kunyang, Dingling and Ye County. Then, in mid-April, they launched a full-scale attack, launched an offensive against Yancheng, Xuchang and other places, and fought steadily, seeking a decisive battle between the main force of the Cao thief.

The remaining groups also sent a total of 200,000 troops, and the distribution was as follows:

Youzhou sent 40,000 troops, all of which were mainly cavalry, crossing the Yishui River to threaten the Bohai Sea, Hejian, Qinghe, and Julu.

Bingzhou sent 30,000 troops, from Huguan Xing and Changshan County to Yecheng.

Sili sent 60,000 troops, and the Henei troops descended along the Yellow River waterway to attack Liyang, and from the south to the north to cover Yecheng; Luoyang troops went out of Hulao Pass and attacked Chenliu through sour jujube.

Yangzhou sent 80,000 troops and then divided into two routes: the east route was from Jingkou to cross the Yangtze River north, through Guazhou to cross the Hangou, and attacked Guangling; the west route was from Wuhu to cross the Yangtze River north, through Ruxukou to join Chaohu, and attacked Hefei.

Among them, Youzhou and Bingzhou were barren and had no storage and had difficulty in military ration turnover, so they could temporarily postpone the dispatch of troops. In particular, the Youzhou army was all cavalry and the expedition was huge. They could wait for July and cross the Yishui again when the autumn harvest was about to be held.

This will allow the main cavalry to accumulate energy on the Shanggu Grassland for several months before the war, reducing material consumption. Once the war begins, there is no need to attack the city. As long as the food is harassing and seeking field battles, the enemy's autumn grain from the Bohai Sea and other places is supplied to our army.

The troops and horses of Sili and Yangzhou can attack earlier than the Youbing soldiers, but they should also be significantly later than the Jingzhou army. In this way, there is sufficient time difference for the Jingzhou army to seek the main force of the Cao army to fight first, and lure the Cao army to gather the main force to Yuzhou. In this way, the other defense areas of the Cao army will become increasingly empty.

After careful calculations between me and the Prime Minister, I believe that it is better for the Yangzhou army to send troops in early May, and the south is hot, so that it will prevent the heat from falling into the hot summer just after the war begins. The Sili army can wait until late May."

The plan stated by Zhuge Liang has to be said to be very grand.

The 400,000 army is farther from north to south than 1,600 miles, and the time difference between the troops is at most three months.

Moreover, it is a dignified soldier, so it doesn’t rely on any magic tricks. Anyway, the advantages are obvious. Just fight steadily and use the right way to use the troops.

Liu Bei had nothing to ask about the deployment of scale and timing, but just added: "Hundreds of thousands of troops, which may have sent troops in two or three months apart, have successively raided the three states under Cao Cao's rule. With the vastness of the Central Plains, the war will definitely not end within one year.

In this case, which army in attacking Jizhou, Yuzhou and Huainan is expected to make a breakthrough first? Where should the subsequent reinforcements prepared by the court be focused on rushing for assistance?"

Liu Bei’s problem is very critical. After all, the General Staff made an offensive plan, except for how many people were assigned to each group and what the offensive target was, the most important question was to estimate a progress.

Once the battle starts, it changes rapidly. This progress may not be possible, but it cannot be eliminated. Otherwise, such a big situation will easily be inconsistent with the main and the secondary.

Even if you are like Barbarossa, you can slap your forehead and estimate the "X month solution to R problem" than not estimating the time.

After years of training and guidance from Li Su, Zhuge Liang is already the best among the world's strategists at quantitative analysis of problems. He has also calculated this problem:

"Your Majesty, the Central Plains is vast. The battle to destroy Cao is not only a decisive battle with the main force of the Cao army, and annihilate it, and then head straight to Juancheng to achieve the successful capture of the pseudo-emperor, or kill Cao Cao himself. Otherwise, it is indeed impossible to end the battle within one year.

As long as Cao Cao is not dead, the war will last for at least two years, and it may even be delayed into the third year. Therefore, our army's plan is indeed staged and primary and secondary, and we will give priority to ensuring that Jizhou or Huainan is taken this year. The specific situation depends on whether the corresponding strategy and deployment work.

When the Jingzhou army's attack on Henan failed to annihilate Cao Cao's headquarters, the second phase of the attack would be launched first by the Yangzhou army. At that time, the Yangzhou army could spread rumors at the same time to alienate the relationship between the prefect of Lujiang Zhu Zhi, and the nominal pseudo-Yangzhou Muslim Sun Quan and Cao Cao.

He pretended to be cowardly and weak, and planned to surrender to the court for his entire life. If Cao's army was indeed trapped, he was afraid that Sun Quan and Zhu Zhi would both ends of the rat, and put the reserve troops into Huainan to consolidate the defense of the river.

Then, the You and the Bing army of our army can take advantage of the failure of the enemy's troops to change from plunder and restrain to main attack, strive to use the city and the heart to pacify Hebei.

Although there were only 70,000 troops attacking, as long as the Cao army's direct troops were empty enough in Hebei, our army would make full use of the resentment of Yuan Shao's old subordinates and the Jizhou family being tortured by Cao Cao to instigate some people to rebel, and they should have the opportunity to take all of Jizhou.

On the other hand, if the aforementioned plan to frame Sun Quan and contact our army did not work, Cao Cao would not doubt the employment of people, or he felt that the generals stationed in Huainan could completely control Sun Quan, so he did not add troops to Huainan, then our army would insist on taking the Yangzhou army as the main attack and strive to seize the entire land of Huainan within this year.

In the future, there are too many variables, which cannot be deduced by pre-war planning. However, I believe that Ma Pingchuan, one of the Central Plains, has no danger to defend, and Ji, Yu, Xu, must be the target that our army can solve in the first year and even the first half of the second year.

If the war could really be delayed until the second half of the second year, or even the beginning of the third year, it would be mostly in some areas of Yanzhou and even Qingzhou to resist. The dangers of Mount Tai and Mount Meng in the southeast of Yanzhou and most of Qingzhou are considered to be the last danger in the Central Plains.

However, when it really comes to that point, unless Cao Cao himself has not been surrounded and killed by the imperial army, he may still insist on resisting. Otherwise, as long as Cao Cao is killed, the other warlords and generals will only collapse and surrender even if they occupy Qingzhou and half of Yanzhou."

Zhuge Liang's estimate is not very accurate, but it is also very rare. At least it has been roughly divided into three or four situations, and the corresponding further actions of our army are given.

He estimated that the war could end within two years, and at most it would be another fight at the beginning of the third year. This situation is quite comparable to many similar unified war history in later generations.

For example, the current situation of Cao Cao's resistance to Liu Bei is basically equivalent to the end of the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The Northern Zhou and Chen land were added to unify the Northern Qi Dynasty (Liu Bei had one more Youzhou than the Northern Zhou and Chen)

The Northern Zhou Dynasty's unification war against Northern Qi lasted for about three years. Cao Cao's territory was smaller, but fortunately the commander was still a talented and strategic leader, and there was no civil strife that destroyed the Great Wall, so he could barely hold on.

If the unified process can accelerate, these disturbances are mostly due to people's hearts, not military.

For example, are there any muslims in the places controlled by Cao Cao, who are not determined and want to rebel and surrender to Liu Bei. Are there any fencemen among the old subordinates of Yuan Shao and Sun Quan?

Or maybe something happened to Cao Cao himself, because he had not yet been elected as emperor, and had not even been crowned as king. He was just a duke and could not have passed the throne to Cao Ang successfully.

Under such a bad political status, as long as Cao Cao died and the puppet dynasty of Kanto collapsed instantly, the states could even choose to recognize and join Liu Bei's rule independently, and there was no need to fight.

Similarly, there is no need for Cao Cao himself to have an accident, but for the fake emperor Liu He, the pseudo-de-Kandong puppet dynasty, and the pseudo-de-de-de-Canton Dynasty will also collapse directly. If Cao Cao is still alive, at most he will save Yan. Qing will struggle to death and will surrender in an avalanche at other moments.

This is the biggest uncertainty factor for the puppet monarch when the real power monarch court and the puppet monarch court are in conflict. The puppet monarch court is too dependent on the survival of key figures and does not have a stable intergenerational inheritance mechanism.

"If we can capture Cao Cao or force the surrender of Yuan and Sun's old subordinates, then the battle may end in one or two years. If none of these are achieved, it may have to be delayed to the third year... Yes, after this analysis, I know it."

Liu Bei pondered Zhuge Liang's deduction for a while and nodded in praise. Then he realized that there were many variables and branch plans in this plan.

For example, in Jizhou or Huainan, which route is the most preferred main attack direction for land grabbing is not something that Liu Bei can decide on himself, but it depends on Cao Cao's response. Cao Cao transferred his troops to assist in defense, and when there is emptiness on the other side, he can turn to the main attack at any time.

Therefore, the plan seems to be comprehensive and requires high demands on generals and staff during implementation.

You must observe the situation on the battlefield carefully and make quick decisions. You must be good at seeing through the virtual and real smoke deployed by the enemy. You must never be deceived by the "empty city scheme" and delay the fighter plane.

Fortunately, Liu Bei is now full of talents, and even if he is equipped with famous generals and top strategists in every way, he can do it.

Some senior civil servants who have been transferred to civil affairs before can be temporarily transferred to military positions as long as they have talents in military affairs, which is equivalent to "going to generals and ministers".

Anyway, it was the last battle against Cao Zhe, and everyone should give full play to their talents. Other less important work priorities can be put aside.

The final focus of this consultant case is to choose the general and dispatch.

In this regard, Zhuge Liang's previous plan was not too rigid, but gave him several configuration plans for Liu Bei to choose.

After all, Liu Bei is still very strong in knowing people and responsibilities, and he is the best at employing people in the world. In this regard, even Li Su and Zhuge Liang, who was in his twenties, may not be as good as Liu Bei. If he has specialized in his profession, let the emperor make the decision himself.

Finally, Liu Bei personally considered the plan to transfer troops after profit and loss as follows:

(The ranking is in no order, and it is sorted from the battlefield from north to south)

On the East Road of Youzhou Army, Crossing Yishui: the main general Zhao Yun, deputy general Taishi Ci, Xu Rong, Tian Chou and Tian Yu, the insufficient logistics of the army, were responsible for Mi Zhu, who had been in charge of Liaodong for more than ten years.

On the West Road of Youzhou Army, leaving Zhongshan: the main general Zhang Fei, deputy general Wei Yan, and the military officer Liu Ye, and the logistics were in charge of Jian Yong, the newly appointed Youzhou governor.

Bingzhou Army, leaving Huguan, Changshan: the chief general Ma Chao, deputy general Ma Dai, joined the army, and the logistics of Deng Zhi, the governor of Bingzhou.

Deng Zhi had been the chief clerk for Li Su for nine years, from the chief clerk of the right general to the chief clerk of the Jingzhao Yin, the chief clerk of the Yizhou Patriarch, the chief clerk of the Sikong, and the chief clerk of the prime minister...

After being secretary for the great leader for nine years, he finally made it his way. This time, the court found that although the scale of troops sent by Bingzhou was not large, it also needed a reliable person to uniformly dispatch military supplies. Moreover, there were too many powerful generals and advisers in the front, and there was a talent gap. Deng Zhi finally got a guest appearance by a poor state governor with the smallest population.

The Sili Army, the water route was from Mengjin, and the Henoi went down the Yellow River, and the land route was from Hulao Pass: the chief general Guan Yu, ;w;;.; Deputy General Xu Huang, Tuo Yi, Zhang Ren, and Xu Shu, the military commander Xu Shu, and the logistics was personally responsible for Zhuge Jin, the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Jingzhou Army: Liu Bei personally led the army and sent 200,000 troops. The actual commander was Gao Shun, deputy generals Huang Zhong, Huang Quan, Wu Ban, Wu Yi, and Wang Ping. The former governor of Jingzhou was Lu Su.

Because the governor was transferred to a military position, the governor of Jingzhou could only be replaced by Yiji and undertake the wartime logistics dispatch and transportation. After the battle, Lu Su naturally became promoted and would not only be the governor of the state.

Yangzhou Army, leaving Jingkou, Wuhu: The commander of Prime Minister Li Su, was actually commanded by Gan Ning and Zhou Tai. Gan Ning went out of the west route, attacked Ruxukou, Hefei, Zhou Tai went out of the east route, and attacked Guangling by Guazhou. There were also deputy generals Chen Deng, Li Yan and Huo Jun on both routes.

He joined the army as the Sili Clerk, the Minister of War Zhuge Liang, and the logistics of Yangzhou Governor Gu Yong.

Four hundred thousand troops, five states all came out.

P: Some relatives from the countryside came to Hangzhou for a few days during the National Day holiday. As a result, there were too many tourists during the holidays, and some attractions could not be visited. They were convenient for them to take leave, so they took leave to extend the play until the 9th before going back... I also had to drive a tour guide, and I couldn't hold on to the manuscript.

So the reduction of 2,000 words today and tomorrow is only 4,000 words per update (fortunately, there were actually many words in the previous few days, basically 8,000 words a day). I really didn’t expect that I didn’t ask for leave on National Day, and just started to save the manuscript after the holiday, but I lived in Bengbu instead.
Chapter completed!