In the emperor's bedroom in the Xiangyang Palace, Liu Bei leaned on the wooden slump and looked at the three of them with turbid eyes.
Zhuge Liang, Shen Chen, and Guan Yu stood by the bed and waited worriedly.
The spices were burning in the furnace indoors, which slightly dissipated the smell of medicine. The windows were opened to let in some fresh air. The sun was shining brightly outside, but the atmosphere inside the house was heavy.
Liu Bei saw the serious expressions on the three people's faces and said with a smile: "What's wrong with you three? Even Kong Ming pacified Nanzhong and became generals and prime ministers. They are all generals on the battlefield. They are used to seeing separation between life and death. Why do you become sad instead?" .”
"Brother. Alas."
Even though Guan Yu was a man who didn't shed tears lightly, seeing Liu Bei's current state, he still couldn't help but shed tears from the corners of his eyes.
Liu Bei stretched out his hand and motioned the three of them to come closer, and then said to them: "I asked you to come, and I believe you also know why. The great cause of national unification has not been achieved, but I am going to die, and the rest of the matter will be entrusted to you."
"Brother."
Guan Yu went up and squatted on the ground. His two-meter tall body became rickety at this moment. He held Liu Bei's outstretched hand tightly, looked at him and said: "Don't say such depressing words, brother. National affairs are still in progress." On the elder brother."
Liu Bei smiled and said: "Okay Yun Chang, I know my body. Everyone has this time, so don't be so affectionate. Xiaoqing said, don't indulge in fantasies, but accept the facts."
"Brother."
Guan Yu and Liu Bei had a very deep relationship. Even if Liu Bei said this, how could he not feel sad?
Liu Bei clapped his hand and said softly: "I am about to die. With the help of all the kings, I can revive the Han Dynasty in the south. I have no regrets. I only hope that the country can be unified as soon as possible, Kong Ming."
"His Majesty."
Zhuge Liang stepped forward and cupped his hands.
Liu Bei said: "After my death, the prince will inherit the throne and the king will carry out the affairs of Duke Zhou. The affairs of the country will all depend on Kong Ming's assistance."
"I will bear this in mind."
Zhuge Liang solemnly raised his hands and bowed.
This is a plan to take care of one's life.
Ever since King Cheng of Zhou entrusted state affairs to Duke Zhou before his death, Minister Gu Ming was born.
Moreover, ministers who take care of life are often not just one person, but a team composed of multiple people.
For example, King Cheng of Zhou left Zhou Gongdan, Zhao Gongsi, Bi Gonggao and others to assist King Zhou Kang, so the rule of Chengkang came into being.
The team left behind by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty before his death was the general Huo Guang, the chariot and cavalry general Jin Rixi, the left general Shangguan Jie, and the imperial censor Sang Hongyang to assist Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty.
Now Liu Bei obviously intends to follow the example of King Zhou Cheng and Emperor Wu of Han, leaving Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, General Guan Yu and Cavalry General Shen Chen to take on the role of taking care of his fate.
After Liu Bei gave Zhuge Liang his instructions, he called again: "Yun Chang, Xiao Qing."
"Brother."
"His Majesty."
Guan Yu and Shen Chen both responded.
Liu Bei continued: "The great cause of the Northern Expedition is entrusted to you. The soldiers, horses and troops are all under your control and will be distributed by the prime minister. Major matters must be discussed together."
"yes."
Both of them took orders.
Liu Bei said: "Did Xiaoqing say before that he was ready to attack Bingzhou?"
Shen Chen replied: "Yes, Your Majesty, I have prepared troops, horses, food, grass and equipment. We will first capture Hedong, and then attack Bingzhou to threaten Hanoi, Luoyang and other places."
"Um."
Liu Bei asked Guan Yu again: "Yun Chang, how is Huainan?"
Guan Yu replied: "We have just captured Hefei, and our soldiers and horses are still quite tired, so we are still reorganizing our military affairs. After all the subsequent grain, grass, weapons and ordnance are delivered, we can continue to attack Guangling, Runan and other places."
Liu Bei said: "Can Xiaoqing support Yun Chang and attack with Yun Chang?"
Shen Chen shook his head and said: "We still have to adapt to military situations. If we attack together, we may lose the opportunity. Besides, I think it is a good thing for me to attack first."
"Why?"
"If I attack Hedong and threaten Bingzhou and Hanoi, Cao Wei will be frightened. At this time, the general will not move, or even pretend that he cannot go north. He will only send people to garrison Hefei, and the main force will withdraw to Ruxukou. Cao Wei may mobilize the Runan garrison to defend Bingzhou. Maybe Runan will be better able to break through then."
"Well, that's it."
Liu Bei tapped his chin, and after a moment he sighed: "I am satisfied with Xiaoqing in Guanzhong and Yunchang in Huainan. The only thing I worry about now is that if I die, there will be no general in the battlefield in Henan, Yide will be reckless, and Meng Qi will not be able to If they control the military too much, Shigen and Takanao will sometimes disagree to the left, which is worrying."
This is what Liu Bei is most worried about now.
Historically, Ma Chao died of illness quickly, but now he is living a pretty good life in the south. He even followed Liu Bei to defeat Cao's army several times and barely avenged his family, so he did not die of vomiting blood due to hatred like in history.
But among the five tiger generals, only Guan Yu has the ability to command an army. Although Ma Chao can command, he was defeated by Cao Cao several times when he led an army. It would be difficult for him to serve as the commander-in-chief.
In addition, his character was flawed, headstrong, and capricious. Liu Bei had always known how to recognize people, so it was naturally impossible for him to hand over the post of general to Ma Chao.
The remaining Huang Zhong died of illness.
Zhang Fei also has character flaws, he is hot-tempered and impulsive and prone to bad things.
Zhao Yun is quite calm, and may be able to serve as a commander, but in his many years of military service, he has almost no experience in leading an army alone. The limited time he raided Sun Quan in the defense of Xunyang City, it is difficult for him to be able to command an army of more than 100,000 people.
However, Pang Tong and Fazheng's staff are more important, and Pang Tong has a gentle temperament, while Fazheng has a violent temper, so they are not suitable to be the leader. Sometimes they even have quarrels, which can easily lead to conflicts.
Therefore, once the mediator Liu Bei dies, there will indeed be no one on the battlefield in Henan who can assume the responsibility of the general.
Zhuge Liang recommended: "Your Majesty can make Zhao Yun the commander-in-chief of Guanzhong and Xiaoqing return to Henan."
"Xiaoqing?"
Liu Bei looked at Shen Chen and said, "What do you think?"
"Do you want me to go back to Henan?"
Shen Chen lowered his head and thought for a while.
Currently, there are only three truly powerful commanders, himself, Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu.
Zhao Yun may be able to serve as the commander-in-chief, but after all, he has no experience in leading large-scale military operations. Despite his command in the Battle of Jigu in history, he did not cause much loss when he lost the battle with Cao's army.
The problem is that the Guanzhong battlefield is a large-scale war involving more than 200,000 to 300,000 people between the enemy and ourselves. There are very few people in the Three Kingdoms of the late Han Dynasty who can command so many people at the same time.
Sun Quan did lead him, and then he was tortured into a fool by Zhang Liao. Cao Cao also led him, and Chibi was burned to ashes. After that, the only people who could lead a hundred thousand-level victory or no major defeat were Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi, Jiang Wei, and Zhong Hui. , Sima Fu, Sima Zhao and a few others.
Even Jiang Wei had doubts, because Zhong Hui had led more than 100,000 troops at most, while Jiang Wei had only led 50,000 to 60,000 troops at most. There was no record of bringing more than 100,000 men at one time. The gate blocked Zhong Hui's army of more than 100,000 men.
In addition, Sima Fu and Sima Zhao were playing tricks. In the Battle of New City, Sima Fu only defended, waiting for Zhuge Ke to retreat due to the plague. Sima Zhao fought against a ragtag group, not an elite opponent.
Therefore, such a large-scale corps battle, involving the elite main forces of both sides, requires strong military capabilities.
Zhao Yun may be a good man when he can lead a few thousand or 10,000 to 20,000 men in small-scale battles, but whether he can be the military commander of more than 100,000 people in Guanzhong is definitely a matter of question.
Thinking of this, Shen Chen shook his head and said: "Uncle Zilong has no experience in commanding an army of more than 100,000 people. I'm afraid that he made some oversights in the confrontation with Cao's army and affected the entire battle. Therefore, for the sake of safety, I think it is necessary to do it." There is an experienced general in Guanzhong."
"What about Henan?"
Liu Bei asked.
Shen Chen looked at Zhuge Liang and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, the prime minister's military skills are not inferior to mine, so why should he sacrifice the near for the distant?"
"Prime Minister?"
Liu Bei turned his head. It was not that he doubted Zhuge Liang's military ability. After all, Zhuge Liang had proven himself in the battle of Nanzhong. He easily defeated Nanzhong with almost no losses. It can be said that he was an unparalleled wise general.
The main reason is that the current South is not like the Liu Bei Group that only owned Yizhou in history, but owns the entire south of the Huaihe River, plus Guanzhong and Liangzhou in the northwest.
Such a large territory is almost twice the size of Cao Wei.
Even though most of them are vast and sparsely populated mountainous areas and habitats of ethnic minorities, the larger the territory, the more government affairs they handle will increase exponentially.
Now Liu Bei is ill. When he dies, Liu Chan will not be able to handle government affairs even if he has just inherited the throne.
Therefore, the political affairs of the entire south will be tied to Zhuge Liang.
Not even just government affairs.
They were at a critical stage of the Northern Expedition, and Zhuge Liang had to raise grain, grass, weapons, and supplies and transport them to the front line.
If Zhuge Liang leaves, there will obviously be no one to take care of the country's government affairs. Even if Zhuge Liang achieves success on the front line, the rear area will probably be in chaos.
When Liu Bei heard that Shen Chen recommended Zhuge Liang, he hesitated and said: "But now all national affairs are related to Kong Ming. If he goes to war,"
Shen Chen said: "Your Majesty, the government affairs of the country are indeed complicated, but the three deputy prime ministers and so many officials from the three provinces and Taiwan are enough to handle it. However, this major military matter requires a mastermind to avoid damage."
"Um."
Liu Bei thought it made sense. He looked at Zhuge Liang with hopeful eyes and said, "Kong Ming, if I die, Henan will be handed over to you."
"I obey."
Zhuge Liang did not refuse and finally agreed to the request.
Because what Shen Chen said is right.
Large-scale legion operations are not fought by tens of thousands of people. They are related to the fate of the country, so we must be cautious.
After all, Zhao Yun has no experience in leading troops in this area. If something goes wrong, it may cause the Northern Expedition to completely fail, so it is safest for him to take charge personally.
At that moment, Liu Bei did not hesitate and divided the current military power of the Han Dynasty into three, controlled by Shen Chen, Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu respectively.
At the same time, three people were allowed to be in charge of national affairs as Minister Gu Ming, with Zhuge Liang taking the lead, while Shen Chen and Guan Yu could respectively manage the appointment of officials and local government affairs in Liangzhou, Hanzhong, Guanzhong, Huainan, Yangzhou and other places.
In this way, the entire Han Dynasty was almost divided into three, and the power was controlled by three people.
But Liu Bei was not afraid that they would rebel and separatist power. He clearly realized that he was born as a commoner, and that his success depended on the help of these three people.
If they had had different intentions, they would not have been able to have such a big South.
So he had full trust in them.
After that, the four of them chatted for a while, and Liu Bei's energy quickly became worse and worse, and he slowly fell asleep tiredly.
They didn't dare to disturb them, so they had to retreat outside the temple first.
When everyone saw them coming out, they crowded over. Empress Wu, Mrs. Gan, Mrs. Mi and others entered the palace to accompany Liu Bei. The rest of the people chatted in the palace.
In the evening everyone dispersed.
On the way out of the palace, Shen Chen and Zhuge Liang walked together.
The palace has a post every three steps, a sentry every five steps, and is heavily guarded. There are countless pavilions, carved beams and painted buildings, and dense bamboo shadows.
They headed towards the main entrance of the palace, and when they walked under the eaves and brackets on the left side of Deyang Hall, Zhuge Liang suddenly asked: "Xiao Qing."
"Um?"
"Why do you recommend me to be the commander-in-chief of Henan?"
"After much thought, the only one left is my brother."
Shen Chen sighed.
"Your Majesty feels that the end is approaching. Can we continue the Northern Expedition?"
Zhuge Liang looked towards the north worriedly.
If Liu Bei really dies, the shock to the south will definitely be huge.
Now that the war has been going on for a year and a half, the soldiers are actually exhausted, and their morale is no longer as high as it was at the beginning.
If it weren't for the consecutive battles on the Western and Eastern fronts, I'm afraid morale would be low and we should have withdrawn our troops long ago.
If Liu Bei really dies of illness not long after, and the news reaches the frontline troops, the morale of the soldiers will definitely fall to the bottom. Even if he goes there in person, he may not win.
This was a huge blow to the big man.
Shen Chen thought thoughtfully: "Brother, what you mean is that we should retreat and come back?"
"Um."
Zhuge Liang nodded and said: "If your Majesty is really in danger, the best choice would be to retreat back to Nanyang first."
"I also agree to withdraw the troops."
Shen Chen said.
Zhuge Liang gave him a strange look and said, "Aren't you worried that after you retreat, the Northern Expedition will be more difficult in the future?"
Shen Chen shook his head and said: "The unification war is not that easy to fight, but we have to fight it no matter how difficult it is. Besides, we are at least at a strategic advantage. As long as we manage Guanzhong and Huainan properly, we can quickly launch a new round of offensive .Now that Cao Wei has withstood us and continues to attack, our troops and horses are all exhausted, and it’s time to come back and rest.”
"well"
Zhuge Liang let out a long sigh.
In fact, there were some things he never said to Liu Bei.
That is, although Shen Chen and Guan Yu have gained a lot of advantages.
However, the battlefield in Henan has been in a stalemate for a long time, and even has some passive disadvantages.
This means that the two sides will be locked in a protracted war.
At the level of Cao Wei and the Han Dynasty, no one can annex the other in one fell swoop. They can only win by slowly wearing them down and cannibalizing them step by step.
Therefore, if the war continues, it is likely that both sides will suffer losses, or they will eventually have to retreat sadly.
Therefore, it is best to stop when the situation is good, occupy Guanzhong and Huainan first, and then slowly devour the north.
It is a pity that Liu Bei has not listened to the advice before and insisted on continuing to attack the north. As a result, the last six months have been basically in vain and the food and fodder were wasted.
Now Liu Bei is seriously ill. Even though no one wants him to die now, if he really dies at this time, it may be time to withdraw his troops and come back to rest and prepare for the next Northern Expedition.
I didn't break the chapter on purpose yesterday. I haven't broken the chapter for a long time. It must have been accidental. It was a small problem. I haven't had enough energy to code today, so I coded it out forcefully. The weather was too hot. I felt like I had a heat stroke. I was drowsy.
, I'm still sleepy now, my energy is too low. I'll see if I can code out the second chapter. If I can't code it and I go to sleep, it means it's gone and I probably won't be able to make up for it. But at least there should be two chapters tomorrow, the day after tomorrow.
The day after tomorrow may be a separate chapter, because I have to go on a blind date in another place, hehehe.