Chapter 258 Garrison Baqiu in charge of military power wishing everyone a happy New Year's Day
Chapter 258 Garrison in Baqiu and take control of the military (Happy New Year to everyone)
In mid-November of the 13th year of Jian'an, the midwinter sun hung in the sky like this, but it didn't seem to bring even a little bit of warmth to the earth. The pale light fell down, only giving people a bone-chilling cold.
The north wind was still blowing constantly, and countless ships outside Jiangling City were swaying back and forth in the wind and waves. The khaki river waves were rolling, carrying mud and sand.
A few days ago, Cai Mao's main army was destroyed in Yiyang, and Zhang Yun crawled back to Yicheng. Since then, Jingnan has returned to peace. At the same time, almost all the south of Nanjun belongs to Liu Bei. Liu Cong currently only has half of Nanjun left, and the nominal of Nanyang.
Today, Liu Bei's army is all deployed in Jiangling, Dangyang, and Jingling areas in the south of Nanjun. In this way, he can take Dangyang directly to Yicheng by land, and he can take Xiangyang directly from Jingling to the north of Han River by water and land.
Therefore, at this time, in the county government residence in Jiangling City, in addition to the generals leading the army, the four masterminds Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu, and Shen Chen were sitting in rows, discussing matters.
"To unify Jing and Xiang, it is better to fight quickly and not delay. Cai Maoxin has been destroyed, and people in Xiangyang are in panic. At this time, advancing north is our best opportunity."
Shen Chen believed that now was the time to go north to take Xiangyang, so he suggested that Liu Bei send troops immediately.
Liu Bei was surprised and said: "Xiaoqing often said that once Cai Mao is destroyed, Jiangdong will definitely come to attack. At this time, shouldn't we deploy troops and horses along the river to guard against Sun Quan?"
"Why do you, Jiangdong rats, need a large army to defend us to the death?"
Shen Chen smiled and said: "What's more, if the emperor's uncle refuses to advance due to suspicion at this time, Sun Quan's troops may march overland to join Liu Cong as our enemy if they enter Jiangxia. Therefore, the emperor's uncle must lead the army north to lure Sun Quan into the hinterland and bring the enemy to the hinterland." He annihilates them all in one fell swoop!”
Xu Shu thought for a moment and said: "Xiaoqing wanted to lure the enemy deeper, but the Jiangdong Navy is really powerful. The Jiangxia Navy now only has 30,000 troops. If there is no support from the emperor, I'm afraid."
"It doesn't matter."
Shen Chen shook his head and said: "I will place my base in Baqiu. Even if I can't defeat Jiangdong, I can at least delay them. The emperor can just go to Xiangyang."
"Placing the defense against Jiangdong in Baqiu?"
After learning about Shen Chen's next military suggestion, Xu Shu was a little surprised and said: "This place is not an important place. It is better to be stationed in Baqiu than in Jiangling. It is the north wind season. At least even if we fight on the water, we will go with the wind." .”
Zhuge Liang was also a little confused, but he knew that Shen Chen would never make a mistake, so he didn't question it, but asked: "Xiaoqing, is there any benefit in stationing at Baqiu?"
Shen Chen smiled and said: "There are three advantages. One is to guard the Jingnan passage and prevent Jiangdong from attacking Jingnan when we capture Nanjun. The other is that Baqiu is located at the entrance of Jingnan. If Jiangdong chooses to take a detour through Yunmengze If we attack Jiangling, we can attack from the north and the south. Well, we will see the result when the time comes."
"Um."
Zhuge Liang nodded slightly: "If Xiaoqing thinks it is feasible, then we will arrange it like this."
"Xiaoqing is right."
Liu Bei looked at the three of them and said in a deep voice: "We must fight this battle quickly and go north to attack Xiangyang as soon as possible. As long as we defeat Liu Cong quickly and stabilize Jingzhou internally, we don't have to worry about the harassment from Jiangdong."
Shen Chen said: "I also ask the emperor to go north as soon as possible to avoid changes if it is too late."
"Um."
Liu Bei nodded.
Now everyone discussed some details, and Shen Chen took a boat back to Baqiu that day.
At this time, Baqiu had not yet built a city. It would not be until Sun Quan built the city in the 15th year of Jian'an that there would be a city wall. Therefore, Baqiu at this time was actually a rural pavilion.
The Jiangxia navy built a dock in the big lake in the south, and the fleet docked in the lake. This lake became the South Lake of Yueyang City in later generations. It was called Yong Lake in the Tang Dynasty. In the Han Dynasty, this lake was still part of Dongting Lake and connected to the Yangtze River. .
There are mountains to the north and east of Baqiu, which is a natural strategic location. After Yunmengze completely disappears, this place will become the only Yangtze River mouth road, guarding the traffic between east, west, north and south.
Although Baqiu's geographical location was not significant in the Han Dynasty due to the existence of Yunmengze, its importance gradually became apparent with the emergence of large tracts of land in Yunmengze such as Hongkou and Nan'an.
Therefore, Shen Chen asked his soldiers to build a camp in Baqiu and build a large number of defense facilities on the lakes and mountains in the north, with the intention of constructing a fortress.
On November 13, Shen Chen returned to Baqiu. When Huang Zu learned of his return, he immediately held a military meeting.
His subordinates Zhang Hu, Chen Sheng, Su Fei, Deng Long, Zhang Shuo, Zhang Nan, Qu Gan and other generals, as well as some assistant officials such as the chief secretary, Chang Shi, Cao Shi, etc., there were more than 20 or 30 people of all sizes gathered together. One class.
In the camp, Huang Zu was sitting high on the throne, and Shen Chen was sitting cross-legged under his right hand without hesitation. Currently, Huang Zu was the most senior person under Liu Qi. Shen Chen was not as qualified as him, but his military achievements were so great that he seemed to have become Jiangxia Navy. The second person.
Huang Zu's attitude toward Shen Chen was actually filled with some fear and other complex emotions. The fear was that Shen Chen's prestige was rising day by day, surpassing him as the commander-in-chief, and it would be easy to seize the military power of the Jiangxia Navy from him.
But in other aspects, Shen Chen could not tolerate Huang Zu's suppression. Firstly, Shen Chen was young and his future was limitless. Suppressing him would cause trouble for his descendants. Secondly, Huang She had a good relationship with Liu Qi and Chen Chen, so there was no need to worry about the current situation. And it ruined the friendship between his children and heirs. Shen Chen had saved his life three times, so he couldn't retaliate for kindness.
Therefore, Huang Zu could only suppress this fear in his heart, and even asked Shen Chen for his opinion on everything before issuing orders. This included giving up the Shaxian Xiakou lair he had run for many years and withdrawing the main force of the army. When it came to Baqiu, it was he who followed Shen Chen's suggestion.
However, Huang Zu didn't know that Shen Chen planned to stay here permanently. The purpose of this meeting was also to ask about the next plan. According to Huang Zu's plan, they had two choices. One was to go north and follow Liu Bei to attack Xiangyang; It is to return to Shaxian to prepare for the attack from Jiangdong.
Therefore, in today's meeting, Huang Zu sat on the main seat, looked around, and then said: "Everyone, now Cai Mao has been destroyed, leaving Xiangyang Zhang Yun and Kuai Yue to resist stubbornly. I want to lead the army to Xiangyang with the eldest prince. You What do you think?"
"No!"
Shen Chen immediately stopped him and said, "Now that the eldest prince is ill, he can't travel by boat, let alone by land? The eldest prince should still be allowed to recuperate."
Huang Zu said in a deep voice: "Xiaoqing, now Liu Bei has gone north to attack Xiangyang. If he captures Xiangyang, do you know the consequences?"
"I know what Duke Yuanyang is worried about."
Shen Chen smiled and said: "However, Duke Xuande founded the world with benevolence and righteousness. Once he seizes the inheritance of the same clan, he will lose the trust of the people in the world. Therefore, Duke Xuande will definitely not do this. I predict that if he gets Xiangyang, he will definitely go to Baqiu to greet his elders." Prince, go back."
"Xiaoqing!"
Huang Zu's tone suddenly became much serious, and he reprimanded: "How can we rely on the trust of others for national affairs? Back then, Duke Hui of Jin succeeded to the throne with the help of Qin, but he was unwilling to fulfill the cities and land he promised to Qin. "Everyone in the world is only seeking their own interests. Are there many such things that break people's trust?"
Shen Chen began to think deeply.
From his own perspective, Liu Bei will never seize Liu Qi's foundation because of his reserve foundation in Yizhou, just like in history, he clearly had the opportunity to capture Xiangyang, but did not attack Liu Cong in the end.
But from other people's perspective, now that Liu Bei has strong troops and strong horses, he has helped Liu Qi regain his position. If Liu Qi cannot go to Xiangyang as soon as possible to seize the opportunity, then Liu Bei will take the lead and occupy Nanyang and Nanjun, the two most prosperous and populous counties in Jingzhou, then for For Liu Qi, it would be a disaster.
To a certain extent, this means that national interests are stronger than personal interests. Liu Bei occupied Xiangyang and took the opportunity to seize Jingzhou. It is in the interests of his side. Therefore, it is very reasonable for Huang Zu to have this concern. It is the result of different perspectives and positions.
However, Shen Chen thought for a moment and finally shook his head and said: "At this critical moment, the eldest prince can only give all his trust to Duke Xuande. Otherwise, if he follows Duke Yuanyang's wishes at this time, I am afraid Jingzhou will be destroyed." disaster."
"What do you mean?"
Huang Zu was a little dissatisfied. Could it be that he wanted Liu Qi to lead his troops north to regain Xiangyang, and would Jingzhou be defeated?
Shen Chen analyzed: "Does Duke Yuanyang want Duke Xuande to leave Jingzhou and go to Bashu? Then the eldest prince will lead the army northward, surround Xiangyang, and take back Jingzhou!"
"good."
Huang Zu admitted: "We will never forget Liu Bei's help to the eldest prince. Jingzhou has a lot of food and supplies. When the time comes, we can give him more and help him go to Xichuan to capture Bashu."
"But has Duke Yuanyang ever thought that Sun Quan would never give up?"
Shen Chen pointed at Dongfang and said: "Jiangdong Navy is powerful, and now only 30,000 Jiangxia Navy in the entire Jingzhou can compete with it. Yuanyang Gong leads the army northward, Jiangxia and Jingnan become empty overnight, Jiangdong flows along the river Go up, take Changsha in the south, and join forces with Liu Cong in the north to take Jiangling. Our troops and horses are stretched thin, does Yuanyang Duke think we can handle it?"
Liu Bei and Huangzu Liu Pan now have a combined total strength of only 100,000. Although there are more than 30,000 Cai Mao's captive troops, these captives may not be able to be converted into combat effectiveness immediately. Their own morale is low, and they need to re-dispatch generals to build loyalty. and organizational structure.
So once Liu Bei did what Huang Zu said and immediately withdrew his troops, their situation would become very embarrassing. Now Liu Qi's army mainly comes from Huang Zu and Liu Pan, who combined have about 40,000 to 50,000 troops.
Liu Cong still had tens of thousands of troops on his side. Xiangyang was surrounded by water, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack, and difficult to capture in a short period of time.
If Jiangdong suddenly launched an attack when Huangzu Liu Pan attacked Xiangyang, the whole situation would most likely evolve into the same situation as in history, when Guan Yu just flooded the Seventh Army and captured Xiangfan, and Sun Quan captured Jiangling with a stab in the back, he would be in a situation where he lost ground at the front and back. .
Therefore, the prerequisite, or the only solution, for Liu Qi to regain Jingzhou is that Liu Bei must not be allowed to leave. They need Liu Bei to share the pressure.
"this"
Hearing Shen Chen's words, Huang Zu was stunned for a moment, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "Then let Liu Bei help defend Jiangxia and we attack Xiangyang. Or we can attack Xiangyang together. That is better than letting Liu Bei's army go north."
"No."
Shen Chen shook his head: "General Zuo has no navy, how can he defend Jiangxia? If we go north together, Jiangxia and Jingnan will be surrendered to Jiangdong. Once Jiangdong's navy blocks the Yangtze River, I'm afraid General Zuo won't be able to go to Xichuan even if he wants to. , Duke Yuanyang not only wants to kill the eldest prince, but also puts General Zuo in danger!"
"Shen Xiaoqing!"
Huang Zu slapped the case angrily and said, "Don't talk nonsense. When will I harm the eldest prince and General Zuo?"
Shen Chen warned: "Mr. Yuanyang has been at war with Jiangdong Navy for many years. He is naturally aware of the strength of Jiangdong Navy. At this time, Jingzhou is about to be recaptured. Jiangdong is not a kind-hearted person who watched us defeat Cai Mao. They They are also waiting for the opportunity. Once the Jiangxia Navy is no longer blocking the river, the river will become a place for them to gallop. This is the lifeblood of Jingzhou."
Since ancient times, the Yangtze River has been an important strategic location in the south during the cold weapon era. It can be said that whoever controls the Yangtze River controls the entire south. Therefore, the princes in the south often have a powerful naval force, such as Liu Biao in the late Han Dynasty. The Jiangxia Navy, the Yangtze Navy, the Jiangdong Navy owned by Jiangdong, etc.
Liu Bei does not have a naval force. Even if Liu Bei is obedient and follows Huang Zu's tactics and lets him stay and defend Jiangdong, the Yangtze River, which is several miles wide, and Yunmengze, which is tens of thousands of square kilometers, will almost become a Jiangdong navy. In the back garden, Jingzhou's defense line will be beaten into a sieve.
Therefore, the only way to deal with magic is to use magic to fight magic, and fleets to fight fleets. Although Jiangxia Navy has only 30,000 people left, if it sticks to one place, it can still seriously threaten Jiangdong Navy, and they will not be allowed to easily attack the Yangtze River. Looting.
Therefore, it is actually the best choice to let Jiangxia Navy stay to deal with Sun Quan while Liu Bei goes north to help Liu Qi capture Xiangyang.
Huang Zu was silent for a long time after hearing what Shen Chen said, because he knew that what Shen Chen said was true.
So in the end, he sighed and said with some worry: "Xiaoqing's words are indeed reasonable. But if Liu Bei captures Xiangyang, what should he do as his own?"
Shen Chen smiled and said: "General Zuo founded the world with benevolence and righteousness. His help to restore the eldest prince's throne was an act that won the hearts of the people. In the future, when he goes to Xichuan, the eldest prince will definitely help him, otherwise he will be ungrateful. If General Zuo takes Jingzhou as his If you have it yourself, you will destroy the city wall and lose your reputation. Is this true?"
"Hmm"
Huang Zu hesitated for a long time, and finally said: "Maybe this is the only way, then let's set off for Shaxian tomorrow."
"Sha Xian?"
Shen Chen shook his head and said: "We are not going anywhere, we are just in Baqiu."
"Just in Baqiu?"
Huang Zu was shocked and said: "Baqiu is not guarding the main road of the river. What is the purpose of stationing here?"
Shen Chen smiled and said: "Although Baqiu is not guarding the main river, it is located between Jingnan and Jingbei. Although the Jiangdong Navy can attack Nanjun from Yunmengze, but if they go north to fight with General Zuo, this will Isn't it something that Duke Yuanyang would like to see?"
"What if they come to attack us, or stop in Jiangxia and not advance?"
Huang Zu asked again.
Shen Chen replied: "If they come to attack, we will confront them. When General Zuo defeats Liu Cong, we will attack Sun Quan from the north and the south. If they stop in Jiangxia, it is fine. Then the army will attack Jiangxia by land and water. General Zuo will attack Jiangxia by land. We will take the water route." How can Sun Quan be invincible if he rushes to attack?"
"this"
Huang Zu hesitated and asked him to give up Shaxian, which he had been running for many years, and come to Baqiu in the south. This in itself made him feel very uneasy.
What's more, Baqiu doesn't have a city yet, and the terrain isn't particularly dangerous, so it's far less stable than Shaxian.
He shook his head and said, "No, we still can't be in Baqiu."
"Right in Bachu!"
At this moment, another voice called at the door.
Everyone looked around and saw Liu Qi standing at the door with a slightly pale face. Someone was helping him into the hall.
"Meet the eldest prince."
Everyone stood up quickly and saluted with their hands in hand.
After Liu Qi walked in, he looked around and said in a deep voice: "My life was saved by Xiaoqing, and Duke Yuanyang's life was also saved by Xiaoqing. I believe him!"
"But."
Huang Zu also wanted to say something.
Liu Qi said: "Xiaoqing has his own reasons for garrisoning Baqiu. I hope Duke Yuanyang will not stop him."
"only."
Huang Zu had no choice but to compromise.
Liu Qi then said loudly: "This battle will inevitably come from Jiangdong. I appoint Shen Chen as the commander-in-chief and let him command the battle. Do you have any objections?"
All the soldiers looked at each other, and Su Fei was the first to say: "The last general has no objections."
"The general has no objections."
"No objection."
"My old minister has no objection."
The corner of Huang Zu's mouth twitched slightly, the more he was afraid of something, the more he became afraid of it.
His military power was eventually taken away.
I wish everyone all the best and good health in the new year. Because Ah She is dizzy and has runny nose, I apologize for not being able to update more. I am really sorry. I will make sure to update every day when my health is better.