The forest trees have changed from their usual green attire and are now covered in silver.
A thin layer of white snow covers the mountains, paths, watersides and eaves, with dark green stained with frosty white, and crystal branches blooming; under the heavy sunshine after the sky clears, it outlines a unique "ink painting".
Hanzhong County, outside Mianyang City.
Zheng Pu led his retinue to ride several horses, carrying broken snowflakes in their beards and hairpins, and drove the horses slowly towards the south bank of Mianshui River.
The Prime Minister always enjoys tranquility.
During the winter season when business was quiet, he often stayed overnight in a courtyard outside the city.
That was the house built by Zhuge Qiao.
Just like many generals and officials successively bought houses in Longyou and Hanzhong, Zhuge Qiao also bought properties in Hanzhong because Zhuge Pan had grown up, intending for his wife and children to come and live there occasionally for a few months.
After all, the affairs of the Northern Expedition were complicated and could not be accomplished in a day.
Those who follow the army, no matter who they are, only have one chance to take leave and return to Chengdu every few years.
For example, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang never returned to Chengdu.
Zhuge Zhan is five years old, but in the memory of the prime minister, he still looks like one year old.
However, after Zhuge Qiao set up his house, when Zhuge Pan and Zhuge Zhan were older, they could occasionally come to Hanzhong to live for a while.
The house is set against the mountain.
The house with a sloping roof and overhanging eaves is built with a wooden structure and thatch, which is very reminiscent of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The interior of the house is simple and concise, with a sense of historical heaviness and simple stability.
Perhaps it is this kind of back-to-nature environment that fits the Zhuge family's family tradition.
Zhuge Qiao, who had received the news long ago, stood waiting outside the house door.
When Zheng Pu saw him, he quickly jumped off his horse ten feet away, threw the horse's reins to the servants, and strode over with a large leather bag. He came before anyone else could say, "Ge Jun leaned against the door and stood in the snow.
Did you know that I came with wine?"
As always, he enjoys joking and informality, which makes people feel heart-warming.
Hearing this, Zhuge Qiao also smiled.
He slightly arched his hands and said jokingly, "Of course, I am just afraid that Mr. Zheng will come empty-handed and live up to my good intention of cutting my flesh!"
"For what you said, Mr. Ge, are you not afraid that the prime minister will punish you according to family law?"
"If you don't practice virtue and behave like Mr. Zheng, no matter how I treat you, my father will not blame you. Hahaha~~"
"Hahaha~~~"
The two burst into laughter.
Zhuge Qiao signaled an old man to lead the accompanying servants to another room, and then he entered holding Zheng Pu's hand, "Zheng Jun, please rest with me, my father will return at dusk tomorrow."
The Prime Minister went on an inspection tour.
The winters of these years have been more severe than the previous years.
Whether it is the barbarian tribes who migrated from the south or the Qiang and Di tribes who were forcibly registered as households, they will inevitably encounter situations where heavy snow collapses their houses or their cattle and sheep freeze to death.
Therefore, at the end of each year, the prime minister would not only inspect the military camps of various ministries and reward the soldiers, but also inspect the livelihood of the common people along the counties, ask the old and the young, etc., so that the people of Hanzhong County would feel at ease.
This is also the reason why when Zheng Pu was summoned to Hanzhong, he was specifically told to come and wait at a house outside the city.
"I'm in a hurry."
Nodding lightly, Zheng Pu kept walking, "It just so happens that I haven't been together for a long time, so I will meet you tonight to talk."
After saying that, he raised the big leather bag in his hand and shook it, a smile spread across his brows, "Green ants have newly fermented wine, a small red clay stove; it's snowing in the evening, can you drink a cup?"
"Ha, that's what I meant!"
Zhuge Qiao laughed heartily.
Immediately, Yang Mei asked suspiciously, "What Empress Zheng said seemed to be rhetoric but not poetry. It seemed vulgar but elegant. I wonder what kind of stylistic error this is?"
Zheng Pu's smile paused slightly, and he waved his hand, "I'm just speaking casually, there's no way I'm going to care whether I'm going to say something or not."
"Oh~~"
Zhuge Qiao did not go into details and continued to talk and laugh, "Is what Mr. Zheng brought here mare's milk wine? I have also bought some wine for the surgery recently. It is rare to get together, so why don't you drink mine."
Although it was not as rich as the "three-year state-owned reserve", as the grain produced by Hanzhong County gradually increased each year, the Bashu land reduced the number of military grain transshipments, and the war horse trade with Jiangdong resumed, so the imperial court relaxed the prohibition on alcohol.
.
It is better to clear it than to block it.
Men in the Qin and Han Dynasties were fond of drinking. It would not be good to suppress them for a long time.
Moreover, both Longyou and Liangzhou are considered to be bitterly cold places. In winter and spring, if the soldiers of the army are not given some drinks by the court to warm themselves up and drive away the cold, they will easily become resentful.
"It's a homemade wine made at home."
Shaking his head slightly, Zheng Pu smiled calmly, "You'd better drink mine. Mr. Ge is more sleepy than me now. I'm afraid that if I drink your wine, my conscience will be uneasy day and night. Haha~~~"
"Haha~~"
Zhuge Qiao was slightly startled by this.
The Prime Minister is strict in self-discipline. Since he took office, he has relied on the government for food and clothing, and has not been concerned about his life.
Zhuge Qiao also followed suit and was penniless.
Even the money for the current house was raised by selling the gold, jade and jewelry given by Zhuge Ke when he came to Han to buy horses.
It was night, and the two of them met and talked.
After roughly recounting the feelings of separation and chatting about the scenery, Zhuge Qiao followed the prime minister's instructions and explained to Zheng Pu in detail the deployment of troops and horses in various places after Li Yan returned to Chengdu: as well as the strategies proposed by Wei Yan, Guan Xing and Jiang Wei.
The letters were forwarded to him for review.
This is the reason why he has been staying at home for the past few days.
Otherwise, as the son of the prime minister, there is no way he would be allowed to rest~~
After turning over the letter, Zhuge Qiao smiled and said, "Although I want to sleep with Mr. Zheng, I also know that Mr. Zheng needs to think quietly in preparation for a discussion with my father tomorrow, so I won't disturb you. Hmm.
, I will stay in the next room. If Mr. Zheng has something to puzzle about, you can always look for me."
"Okay, I'd like to trouble you, Mr. Ge."
Zheng Pu quickly stood up to see him off.
After closing the door and returning to sit on the couch, he lit a lamp and carefully read the plans proposed by Wei Yan and the others, then closed his eyes and pondered.
What Wei and Yan three people planned and said were all different.
Wei Yan, who was fierce in his military use, suggested that the prime minister should first put down Liangzhou on the grounds that Jincheng County was easy to defend and difficult to attack, and use some troops to guard Longyou and Xiping County to confront Wei Wei, while the main force would go out from Xiaoguan to attack Anding County.
As a result, the counter-Wei Guanzhong army will inevitably come for a decisive battle.
If the Han Dynasty wins, it will regain Guanzhong and establish the foundation of the Ding Dynasty's hegemony, which will inspire all the scholars and common people in the world who cherish the Han Dynasty.
At that time, Liangzhou will not have the support to rebel against the Wei Dynasty, so people will inevitably have different ideas.
Regardless of whether the four counties in Hexi will mobilize their counties to surrender, the Han Dynasty can calm Guanzhong and slowly plan for it, coercion and inducement, or send troops to attack Pingliang Prefecture.
It is equivalent to a battle to decide the outcome.
It also completely affects the fate of the country whether the Han Dynasty will be revived or not.
If you don't succeed, you will become a benevolent person.
And at the end of the return letter, he added a touching sentence, "Prime Minister, we and other veterans are all old, and we should fight day and night to repay the kindness of the late emperor!"
It can be said that he was inspired by the death of General Wei Zhao Yun.
However, his plan was a bit quick and quick.
Not to mention that after all the main forces of the Han Dynasty left Xiaoguan, whether the garrison sergeants in various places could withstand the disturbance of the Liangzhou troops of the counter-Wei Dynasty; just because the troops of Jingzhou and Luoyang of the counter-Wei Dynasty could rush to the aid of Guanzhong at any time, the Han army's victory rate was not high.
He is just waiting for work, how can it be so easy for us to attack the city and plunder the territory!
What Guan Xing said is much safer.
According to the previous plan of the prime minister, he asked for orders to lead the army to attack Zuli County of Wuwei County, and then approached the Eanyin Sea to threaten.
In this way, the connection between Guanzhong and Liangzhou in the reverse Wei Dynasty can be completely cut off.
This also means that the Guanzhong Silk Road is completely cut off.
The Qiang and Hu tribes and Haoyou in the four counties of Hexi have always been at both ends of the spectrum, pursuing profit in everything they do.
Without the Silk Road materials from the Wei Dynasty, they would inevitably look for Shu brocade and tea from the Han Dynasty.
By then, whether the Han Dynasty secretly attracted some tribes to join them, or deliberately set unfair prices or improper distribution of materials to stir up internal disputes among all parties, the four counties in Hexi could be divided into internal strife.
It can also create opportunities for the Han to attack.
This plan is smooth and stable, which is very suitable for the current situation where the Han Dynasty has insufficient foundation and cannot lose too much soldiers.
The only shortcoming is that this plan takes effect too slowly.
The Haoyou and Qianghu tribes that have survived in the four counties of Hexi to this day are not reckless people.
If Guan Xing's plan is followed, it will take three to five years to provoke them to attack each other.
Moreover, once the Han army is called upon, these careerists who are accustomed to dividing and reuniting may not be able to put aside their grudges and vow to form an alliance again to protect themselves. After all, compared with the interests of the Silk Road, their desire for separatism is what starts a prairie fire.
All in all, this plan is too slow, has too many uncertainties, and is difficult to achieve success.
If Wei Yan's plan was too urgent and Guan Xing's plan was too slow, then Jiang Wei's advice combined the strengths of both of them.
He suggested that nothing should be changed and things should be done as planned.
Initially, the prime minister planned to use Zheng Pu and Guan Xing to attack Zuli County, while Wei Yan and Li Yan attacked Jincheng County from both sides, restraining all the forces in Liangzhou of the Wei Dynasty and creating an opportunity for Ma Dai's tribe to make a surprise attack.
But after Li Yan fell into the trap, the plan was abandoned.
Based on this, after Jiang Wei ambushed Li Yan against the Wei Dynasty and won a great victory, he would inevitably feel that the Han Dynasty's vigor was frustrated, so he turned to seeking stability and relaxed the defense of the Wuting Nishui (Zhuanglang River) valley.
This is also human nature.
No one would have thought that after the big man tried to bypass Siwang Gorge and failed in his secret attack, he would immediately do it again.
Even in the Battle of Wancheng in the past, Jia Xu of the Wei Dynasty suggested that Zhang Xiu pursue Wei Wu Cao Cao for the second time.
This place is different from Wancheng.
In the pursuit in the hinterland of the Central Plains, if the enemy fails to win, he can still retreat without losing his troops.
But if you sneak into the Wuting Nishui River Valley and fail, you will fall into a dilemma with no way to escape.
Just like Zhi Wudai and Bai Huwen before, they were pursued by Guo Huai. Because the road was rugged and difficult to retreat, the tribesmen returned with heavy casualties.
Jiang Wei's plan can be regarded as a plan to catch people's hearts by surprise.
It is safer than Wei Yan's desperate move, and more energetic than Guan Xing's steady attack.
After Zheng Pu looked at them one by one, he couldn't help but frown slightly and sighed deeply.
It's not that he didn't have any thoughts in his mind, but it turned out to be true - the prime minister called him back to Hanzhong not just to plan a military war.
Because the three people of Wei and Yan planned, each took their own strengths, made slight adjustments and integrated them together, which was the strategy that was most suitable for the current situation of the Han Dynasty. After all, the war background between Han and Wei was very different, and no matter how they planned, it could not be changed.
It was such an obvious truth that he didn't believe that the Prime Minister would understand it in detail.
And since he had already made detailed inquiries, he still sent someone to recruit him back. It was obvious that the drunkard was not interested in drinking.
Alas~~
The Prime Minister really intends to promote me to the top~~
With a sigh in his heart, Zheng Pu gently folded the three letters and put them on the desk. He blew out the grease lamp and lay down on the couch with his clothes on.
Baozhong County, Baogukou Military Camp.
In the large tent of the Chinese army, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang put his pen on his desk and gently rubbed the root of his nose with one hand to relieve the fatigue of his eyes after staring for a long time.
The military camp was garrisoned here and it was the last place where the Prime Minister visited Hanzhong County.
This year, the morale of the Hanzhong County army and the people is quite stable.
After General Zhao Yun passed away, the prime minister asked his deputy general Deng Zhi to lead his army and garrison it in Chenggu County.
Deng Zhi is one of the Dongzhou scholars.
However, he was not taken seriously by Liu Zhang.
When the late Emperor Liu Bei established Shu, he was no more than the governor of Pixian County.
Later, when the late Emperor went out to visit Pixian County, he met Deng Zhi and talked with him. He was so impressed by his talent that he promoted him to the position of Minister.
He can be regarded as an important minister promoted by the late emperor.
Moreover, since he took up the military post, he has made clear decisions on rewards and punishments, is kind to the soldiers, and is highly respected by the army.
Lu Yi, the prefect of Hanzhong, was a simple and honest man. Since taking office, he had supervised agricultural affairs and provided military supplies, which earned him a good reputation.
The two men jointly led Hanzhong, so that the court could follow the guard general Zhao Yun, and the prime minister could lead the attack without any worries.
Of course!
After Li Yan resigned from the army and returned to Chengdu, the prime minister planned to personally lead the army to attack Liangzhou.
After all, among the many generals in Longyou now, Wei Yan has the highest qualifications and official position; if the Prime Minister does not come in person, Wei Yan will have to be in charge of the overall situation. But with Wei Yan's "conspiracy" fighting style, the Prime Minister can rest assured when he is the chief general;
If he were allowed to command all the tribes in Longyou, the prime minister would not be able to sleep at night.
There is no way, the big man's foundation is too weak.
We cannot tolerate military failure.
After Li Yan's defeat, if Wei Yan fails again, Longyou may not be able to survive.
Based on this, the Prime Minister also roughly adjusted the functions of each assistant.
For example, Xiang Lang, the rear military advisor of the Prime Minister's Office, will be relieved of his duties as Prime Minister's Office and will take over the position of Liangzhou Governor that Li Yan resigned.
On the one hand, he looked up to Langde.
Since the Prime Minister left Longyou, it was the best choice for him to come back and take charge of Hanzhong County, which connects Bashu and Longyou.
On the other hand, Xiang Lang is good at government affairs and not good at military affairs.
There are many assistants in the Prime Minister's Mansion to handle government affairs, and Jiang Wan is in charge of Shu, so it is better to let him leave Zhenzhou County as soon as possible to prepare for the future.
Well, in the prime minister's mind, Jiang Wan is more suitable to be in charge of the central government than Xiang Lang.
Because Jiang Wan at least had some knowledge of military affairs.
As for Wei Yan, who now holds the highest authority in the army, the Prime Minister plans to ask him to be the governor of Liangzhou when he sends out troops next time.
In order to appease his mood that he could not succeed Li Yan in supervising the war, and to encourage him to make meritorious deeds on the battlefield.
As for the deployment of troops and horses by other generals, that was the main reason why the prime minister recalled Zheng Pu back to Hanzhong.
Just as Zheng Pu expected, the prime minister had already made a preliminary decision in his mind on how to attack Wei Liangzhou.
The reason for calling Zheng Pu back for a discussion was not only to see if there were any omissions or improvements, but also to take this opportunity to assign functions to the younger generals of the Han Dynasty.
Because the Prime Minister feels that time is not forgiving.
For example, the cold wind that came in through the gaps in the curtains, whirling and ruffling the corners of his clothes and his gray hair and beard, made him feel the severe cold of late winter.
This body is old and no longer as strong as it once was.
Chill, loss of appetite, poor eyesight, etc. made the prime minister feel powerless for the first time in his life.
The deceased is like a man who never gives up day and night.
The Prime Minister muttered something silently in his heart.
He tightened his sleeves and slowly lowered his eyelids to cover up his loneliness.
