As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, spies had already appeared.
Shen Chen has deployed a powerful spy network in the north, so it is naturally impossible for the Cao Wei Group not to have undercover agents in the south.
Such a large-scale military mobilization by the Liu Bei Group could not be hidden from the eyes of undercover agents.
Now the intelligence chief of the Cao Wei Group is Sima Yi. Sima Yi's official position is Shi Zhong and Shangshu Youpushe, and at the same time, he is also assigned to Shizhong and records Shangshu affairs.
The first three official positions are nothing. The Shizhong and Shuyoupushe are both third-rank, and the Shizhong is the fifth-rank. They are honorary casual officials. They are essentially the staff of the Emperor Cao Wei, and the real power comes from the emperor.
But the last matter of recording the minister is not simple. In the Han Dynasty, this title was often reserved for the Three Dukes, and sometimes there were even no Three Dukes. Only those with high positions and authority could obtain it.
Because Lu Shangshushi means to be in charge of the affairs of Shangshutai, when no minister has the title of Lushangshushi, Shangshuling is the boss of Shangshutai and manages the government affairs of the world. Shangshuling has become a typical representative of low position and weight.
If there is a title to record the affairs of the minister, then the order of the minister can only obey the order of the person who records the affairs of the minister. So now Sima Yi can be said to be less than one person and more than ten thousand people. His reputation and position are not that big, and his political power is close to Zhuge Liang.
Therefore, Sima Yi was in charge of the national government affairs and the news of the undercover spies was naturally delivered to him immediately.
When Cao Pi heard the news from Sima Yi, he hurried back to the Luoyang Palace. When he arrived at the Pinghong Hall of the North Palace, he immediately summoned Zhu Shuo, Chen Qun, Sima Yi, Wu Zhi, Dong Zhao, Jiang Ji, Liu Ye and others. .
Cheng Yu died of illness a few years ago, and all of Cao Cao's early counselors are almost gone now. Only Dong Zhao, the second-line counselor, is still there, and the rest are all important ministers in the middle period of Cao Wei.
At this moment, everyone gathered in the North Palace.
After everyone arrived, Cao Pi said in a deep voice: "Everyone, you already know everything."
Sima Yi said: "I have circulated the official documents to all the princes."
"Um."
Cao Pi nodded: "Liu Bei has been preparing equipment, food, grass, and materials in a big way, and he is constantly mobilizing troops. It seems that he is finally going to fight me to the death. What do you think?"
Dong Zhao said: "Your Majesty, Liu Bei's three expeditions to the north, I think there must be two truths and one falsehood, so we need to deal with it."
Two truths and one falsehood?
Cao Pi then asked: "Which part is true and which part is false?"
Dong Zhao looked around at the crowd and made a judgment: "Chang'an and Henan are true, and Huainan is false."
"oh?"
Cao Pi asked curiously: "Why is Huainan fake?"
"Because Huainan is uninhabited for thousands of miles and the city of Hefei has high walls and thick walls, your Majesty only needs 10,000 or 20,000 troops to stop Guan Yu's tens of thousands of troops."
Dong Zhao replied: "So I think Liu Bei will not place his hopes on Guan Yu."
"Well, that makes sense."
Cao Pi said: "However, Chang'an is also thousands of miles away from human habitation, so why is Chang'an also their main direction of attack?"
"Although Chang'an is uninhabited for thousands of miles, it has two shortcomings that Hefei does not have."
Dong Zhao raised two fingers and said: "First, we have to rush to help Chang'an, but the journey is long. Second, although the walls of Chang'an are high and thick, it is really too big."
Being large means there are too many directions from which the enemy can attack.
The total length of the city wall of Chang'an is 25 kilometers. Even a hundred thousand people standing on it cannot defend all sections of the city wall. It is not that it is easy to defend but difficult to attack, but it is easy to attack and difficult to defend.
Therefore, compared with Hefei City, which is small and easy to defend, Chang'an City has become a weak point that is easy to attack.
"certainly."
At the end, Dong Zhao added: "Chang'an City does have many flaws, but the enemy transports grain from Hanzhong to Guanzhong, and then from Guanzhong to Chang'an. The journey is long and supply is extremely difficult. Therefore, they only need to defend it for a period of time, and they can't."
They can only scatter themselves when the food is exhausted."
Cao Pi thought for a while and said: "Dong Gong means that Chang'an and Huainan should be defended mainly?"
"Yes."
Dong Zhao said: "Liu Bei's main force is in Nanyang, and he will attack Henan with all his strength. We must also fight decisively with him in Henan, so Chang'an and Huainan should be defended."
"Um."
Cao Pi looked at Sima Yi, Chen Qun and others and asked, "What do you think?"
"I also think so."
everyone replied.
This is an opinion recognized by all the advisers.
The Liu Bei Group has formulated a three-pronged Northern Expedition, with the main attack directions being Chang'an and Henan. The level of the Cao Wei Group's advisers is not low, so it is impossible not to predict this.
Among the three routes, Henan is usually the easiest, followed by Hefei, and finally Chang'an.
However, although Henan and Nanyang have a smooth road, it is precisely because of this that Ji Han and Cao Wei put their main forces here, but this is the most difficult point to attack.
Hefei is also a flat river, but Huainan is already thousands of miles away from people. Guan Yu's army marches north, and they can only go to Ruxukou and fight in Hefei City. As long as Hefei can hold on, then Huainan will naturally be safe and sound, so it is the next best thing.
As for Chang'an, even if Guanzhong is uninhabited, the city is easy to break. This is the easiest place to attack. Therefore, Cao Wei's counselors are convinced that the main attack points of Liu Bei's group must be Henan and Guanzhong.
Sima Yi added: "Your Majesty, I think that since Liu Bei will use Henan and Guanzhong as his base, Guanzhong will definitely be attacked by him. General Anxi rarely leads troops, and Shen Chen is now in charge of Guanzhong. If Shen Chen attacks,
It’s better to be careful.”
"You mean to replace someone?"
Cao Pi frowned.
Sima Yi hesitated for a moment, and then said: "I think that General Anxi lacks combat experience, so it would be better for him to be in charge of grain and fodder in the rear."
"Then who do you think you should let go to Chang'an?"
Cao Pi asked back.
Sima Yi thought about it and sighed: "Even if the generals cannot be replaced, generals with foreign surnames who have experienced combat operations must be sent to assist, and more troops and horses must be sent."
"Well"
Cao Pi pondered.
The relationship between Xiahou Mao and him was as close as brothers, so historically after he became emperor, he always trusted Xiahou Mao and allowed Xiahou Mao to stay in Chang'an for eight years. It was not until the reign of Emperor Wei Ming that Xiahou Mao was withdrawn to Luoyang.
Now the Cao Wei Group is in an embarrassing period. The older generation of generals are dying and getting sick. Currently, the only senior generals left are Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Zhang He, and Zang Ba. They were only second-line generals before, but now they have all been promoted.
The main force was still the clan members Xia Houyuan, Cao Xiu, Cao Zhen, Xia Houshang, Xia Houmao and others.
These people are the cornerstone of Cao Wei. It is impossible for Cao Pi to let a foreigner be the commander, so when he deployed the main force in Henan and other places, he made Xia Houyuan the main general and Xia Houshang the deputy general. In the direction of Huainan, Cao Xiu was ordered to be the main general and stationed at Zhaoling, Runan County.
County, responsible for resisting Jiangdong's attack.
As for the direction of Guanzhong, Cao Pi actually placed two people, an Anxi general Xiahou Mao, and a Western general Cao Zhen. The difference was that Xiahou Mao guarded Chang'an, while Cao Zhen was stationed in Lantian and was responsible for defending Nanyang Liu Bei's army in the Wuguan direction.
Therefore, in fact, if Xiahou Mao is really replaced, unless he replaces a general with a foreign surname like Xu Huang and Zhang He, otherwise, there will be no one from the second generation of Cao Wei to send.
Even if Cao Zhen is allowed to go, who will guard the direction of Lantian Wuguan?
This is very embarrassing.
Cao Pi did not trust foreign generals, but the talent in the clan was also withering. Every carrot was a pit, and there were no people from the Cao family or the Xiahou family in the north. This shows the lack of talent in Cao Wei.
But what Sima Yi said makes sense. Although Cao Zhen, Cao Xiu, Xia Houshang and others are also second generation, they have followed Cao Cao in the north and south for many years. Now they are in their forties and can shoulder the important task. Only Xiahou Mao has not done much. He has served in the military and lacks actual combat experience.
Moreover, his opponent is the world-famous Shen Xiaoqing. Even though it is very difficult for Shen Chen to attack Chang'an, there is no telling what conspiracy he has to capture Chang'an, so this issue must be treated with caution.
After thinking about it, Cao Pi decided to be on the safe side and said: "Although Zilin rarely leads troops, he is a man who can listen to what he says, so he ordered Xu Huang and Zhu Ling to take another 30,000 people to Chang'an, so that Chang'an would have There are 70,000 people stationed there, and with Zidan's presence, there are 100,000 people in Guanzhong, so there must be no serious problems."
"Your Majesty is wise."
Sima Yi felt that Xu Huang and Zhu Ling were also veterans for many years and had rich combat experience. If they helped to check the situation, there should be no problem.
Chen Qun then suggested: "Your Majesty, Liu Bei is already old. When he launches an offensive, he will go all out. I believe that even if a lion fights a rabbit, he must also go all out. Now that Liu Bei is using the power from the south to attack the Central Plains, we must also We should deal with it carefully, and all kinds of food, grass, ordnance, and supplies should also be mobilized."
"Yes, compared to Liu Bei, our food and grass advantage is still great. Henan, Huainan and other places are flat all the way, and food and reinforcements can arrive quickly. So we can just wait for work and spend it with Liu Bei."
Liu Ye, a descendant of Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, was also actively working for Cao Wei and made suggestions.
Jiang Ji even said: "Your Majesty, I think that Liu Bei is in a hurry for the Northern Expedition, and he must feel that he is about to die, so he is so anxious. As long as he defends patiently and blocks his attack, Liu Bei may die because of this in the long run. , once he dies, the south is likely to be in chaos, and this is a good time for your majesty to regain the south."
"oh?"
When Cao Pi heard this, he immediately became interested.
Now the north and the south are facing each other. The north is slightly stronger than the south, with a total force of more than 400,000 and close to 500,000. It can be said that it is unprecedentedly powerful.
Although like Liu Bei's group, many of the troops are county soldiers, the total number of combat troops remains at more than 300,000.
For example, Xiahou Mao currently has 40,000 people in the direction of Chang'an, and Cao Zhen has 30,000.
The largest number of soldiers and horses were in the Henan direction. Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Shang, Zhang He, Guo Huai, Jia Kui, Wang Ling and other generals numbered dozens, with a crowd of nearly 100,000, confronting Liu Bei's group in Nanyang in Henan.
In the direction of Huainan, tens of thousands of people were led by Cao Xiu, Zhang Liao, Lu Qian, and Zang Ba, who were respectively stationed in Runan County of Yuzhou, Jiujiang County of Yangzhou, and Guangling County of Xuzhou to guard against Jiangdong.
In this way, the total number of soldiers and horses facing each other was 200,000.
It seems less.
But in fact, there are still a large number of elite soldiers stationed in Luoyang and Gyeonggi.
A smaller number of soldiers and horses confronting each other can alleviate the problem of grain and grass transportation. Once a war breaks out, Luoyang soldiers and horses can quickly rush to help various places.
Therefore, in fact, except for the fact that reinforcements cannot be quickly arrived in Guanzhong in a short time, Henan and Huainan can basically be reached within ten days, and they can compete with the south.
When the Southern and Northern Dynasties were as large as each other, even if a large-scale war was launched, it would not be completed in one or two years. Unless the enemy and we had major internal problems, it was basically impossible to annex each other in a short period of time.
However, Jiang Ji believed that Liu Bei was so old now that he would probably die during the Northern Expedition. Once Liu Bei died, the backbone of the South would fall, which could lead to great chaos.
Just like when Cao Cao died, civil strife broke out in the north.
Therefore, Jiang Ji's suggestion was that Cao Pi should actively confront Liu Bei and fully mobilize the opponent's troops. Once Liu Bei died and the south was in chaos, he would immediately drink the Yangtze River and regain the world.
Sima Yi also said: "What Duke Zi Tong said makes sense. Your Majesty and I also believe that defense should be the main priority at the moment. When Liu Bei dies, great achievements can be achieved."
"Um."
Cao Pi nodded with deep understanding: "Okay, if Liu Bei comes, I will come to fight with him in person. Everyone, Liu Bei is now rectifying military affairs and allocating grain and grass, so I cannot fall behind. Send an order to ask the Taiwei to go to Chang'an to assist Zi Lin. Zhong
Da is in Luoyang and is responsible for supervising the transportation of grain and grass to the rear, and the rest of the people will follow me to Henan."
"only."
Everyone bowed their hands in unison.
Currently, the Cao Wei Group is actively responding to the offensive prepared by the Liu Bei Group.
Due to the convenient transportation in the north, Cao Pi did not plan to increase his troops. He only appointed Zhong Yao as a staff officer, Xu Huang and Zhu Ling as deputy generals, and went to Chang'an to assist Xiahou Mao in defending Shen Chen.
Preparing 100,000 troops and horses in Chang'an already gave Shen Chen a lot of respect.
Secondly, the supply of grain, grass and ordnance was greatly increased in the direction of Huainan, Henan, especially in Hefei and other places. Millions of arrows were added. The main focus was the turtle tactic, which made Zhang Liao determined not to confront Guan Yu head-on.
Finally, of course, Yan Rou, Tian Yu, Xian Yufu and others were ordered from the north to send additional cavalry to Luoyang to improve the mobility of the Luoyang army and achieve the purpose of rapid reinforcements.
A series of countermeasures were quickly prepared.
The war machines of Liu Bei Group and Cao Wei Group began to run wildly. Both sides mobilized many troops, food and grass, and also recruited civilians to do corvee work. The situation between the north and the south was tense for a while.
I may have a chapter or take a day off tomorrow. I feel unwell and want to go to the hospital for a physical examination.