What worries him is not the millions of people around Chang'an who are waiting for food, nor is it the princes in the court who cause him trouble from time to time.
In the eyes of the cruel and ruthless Dong Zhuo, the people and officials were no different from a group of livestock that could be slaughtered at will.
What he really cares about is the current situation where he is surrounded by enemies on all sides.
Except for Yizhou in the south, which has not been attacked, the Kwantung Allied Forces are in the east, Zhu Jun is in the north, and Han Sui and Ma Teng are in the west.
These two people did not want to imitate Liu Bei and Zhu Jun in joining the capital, but they just followed the old rules and started to plunder the Sanfu area once the Liangzhou area got hard in winter.
However, Han Sui and Ma Teng's troops were mainly Xiliang Qiang cavalry, and the infantry went up to deliver food. Dong Zhuo had no choice but to send the most elite Xiliang cavalry.
This is also the reason why Chang'an City's military strength is stretched thin.
In fact, if Liu Bei's army really arrived at Chang'an City, even if Dong Zhuo gathered all the troops around Chang'an to fight him, the outcome would still be uncertain.
Because Chang'an City is the capital of the Western Han Dynasty, like Luoyang, it is divided into inner and outer cities. The inner city does have city walls for defense, but the outer city does not. Once Liu Bei's army settles in the outer city, with a million people outside the city, there will always be a way to get food and grass. .
As long as Liu Bei's army survives this month and the grain and grass transported from the Qinling Mountains continue to arrive, in the end, it will turn into a siege that will last for several years.
Therefore, everyone including Dong Zhuo and Xu Rong knew that the most important thing now was to deal with Liu Bei's imminent Kwantung Army, and then slowly deal with Zhu Jun and Han Sui Ma Teng.
For this reason, Dong Zhuo sent people to recall Lu Bu as early as a few days ago. Although doing so would inevitably cause the Youfufeng area to be plundered by Han Sui and Ma Teng's Xiliang army, he could not control that much now and wanted to defend Chang'an first. Say it again.
After Xu Rong held Zuo Fengyi for one day, he immediately evacuated, leaving behind a shocking city, just like Xiagui County, without a grain of food, filled with Luoyang refugees and a devastated city.
It was not until midnight that the scouts discovered the retreat of Xu Rong's army and reported it to Liu Bei. Liu Bei immediately ordered a pursuit, but it was too late and Xu Rong withdrew to Yangling.
When Xu Rongjun withdrew from Zuo Fengyi, the people in the city were like prisoners being released from a cage. Hundreds, thousands, and then tens of thousands of people who were still able to move rushed towards the Weihe River, towards the surrounding woods, grasslands, and plains. In the barren fields.
They are like locusts, withered tree bark, remaining grass roots, fish and shrimps that can be caught in the river, and in the winter when food is scarce, they desperately stuff their mouths with everything they can eat - including dirt.
This time Liu Bei didn't even need to enter the city to see this apocalyptic scene. The hungry and crazy people were no longer humans, but animals, weeds, and dust.
Liu Bei must not have known that such things would not only happen in the areas around Chang'an when the Five Husbands invaded China a hundred years later.
But in the whole of China, in every part of our Han territory.
Just eating tree bark, grass roots, and soil is already considered restraint.
After being pushed to the limit, a person is just a delicious two-legged sheep...
But witnessing such a thing happening before our eyes, isn’t it the misfortune of a nation? Isn’t it the misfortune of a benevolent person?
Liu Bei's eyes were a little confused.
At this moment, he suddenly wondered whether the young emperor whom he only wanted to save was worth having to cruelly abandon these innocent people.
Is it what I should do to exchange thousands of people for a person who symbolizes the power of the Han Dynasty?
Even if he has a distinguished status.
Even if its actual meaning is far greater than its symbolic meaning.
Because only by welcoming Liu Bian back to Luoyang can the people of the world be stabilized and the great Han Dynasty be restored.
But......
How innocent are these people?
Because of this war, they became homeless and their families were destroyed.
Own.
Obviously there is no need to start this war.
if that is the case.
They would not have become what they are today, so painful and difficult.
Liu Bei looked at Chang'an with sad eyes.
Staring dreamily.
Maybe.
Everything I did was a mistake.
he.
Shouldn't have come.
...
...
"Xuande has already reached Yangling."
In Chang'an City, at the residence of Dr. Taizhong, Zhao Lin said to Yan Zhong with a little excitement: "Now the Dong thief is fighting on all sides, and his troops are stretched thin. It is the time to defeat him and welcome back the emperor."
Yan Zhong glanced at him. Until now, Zhao Lin still didn't know Chen Mu's strategies and routines, and thought she would really welcome back the emperor.
Little did he know that before leaving, Chen Mu had already secretly given him instructions on the outcome.
That is, small defeats are acceptable, but big defeats are not allowed.
The small defeat was to allow Liu Bei to retreat in the face of difficulties and wait for Chang'an to wait and see what would happen.
If there was a big defeat and Liu Bei really died here in the chaos, no one would be able to control the beast in Chen Mu's heart.
In these troubled times, we don’t know how many people will die.
Thinking of this, Yan Zhong shook his head and said: "Although Xuande Gong is invincible, he has forced an urgent march along the way. The subsequent food and grass will definitely not be able to keep up. They can fight for a few days at most. If they cannot take Chang'an, they will still have to retreat."
"Ah, there's not enough food and grass?"
Zhao Linru was showered with cold water. He was not in the inner circle of Dong Zhuo's advisers. Li Ru and Yan Zhong were already two thousand stone ministers. He was a thousand stone Taizhong doctor and had no idea about the intelligence Dong Zhuo's top brass had.
Xu Rong had reported this matter to Dong Zhuo a long time ago, and everyone, including Li Ru and Yan Zhong, approved of his plan and believed that it could indeed lure the enemy deeper and take advantage of Liu Bei's lack of food and fodder to attack.
So after coming back, Yan Zhong also knew very well that once Liu Bei was completely short of food and grass, it would really turn into a big defeat, so he asked Zhao Lin to handle the matter.
"good."
Yan Zhong nodded: "That's why I came to you. I want you to secretly contact some people to help Xuande deliver some food and grass."
Zhao Lin hesitated and said: "The Chang'an Military Intelligence Department is seriously short of manpower, and the price of food in the city has risen to one thousand four hundred yuan per stone. It is almost impossible to get food and grass for an army of 780,000 to 80,000 people at this price, even if it can be obtained
Some, I’m afraid, are just a drop in the bucket.”
Eight thousand dan can feed 10,000 people for seven to eight days. So even if a 70,000-strong army eats sparingly, it will require at least 50,000 dan to sustain food for a week.
How did Liu Beijun prepare ten days of military rations?
It was up to each soldier to carry a cloth bag weighing about fifteen kilograms, which would contain a large amount of long-term storage of biscuits, beans, fried corn and other coarse grains. Only then could he leave behind the baggage troops and fight all the way to Chang'an.
Come.
But these grains will eventually be used up. With the skyrocketing grain prices in Chang'an, it would cost 70 million yuan to collect 50,000 shi of grain and grass. Even if Zhao Lin and Yan Zhong were sold, they would not be able to get that much money.
Therefore, after hearing Yan Zhong's words, Zhao Lin frowned. In the face of such a general situation, his individual power was too small and could not help at all.
Unexpectedly, Yan Zhong smiled and said in a low voice: "We don't have it, but there are powerful families in the city."
"You mean?"
Zhao Lin thought that she had gained her identity by seeking refuge with Dong Zhuo, and that her colleagues in the DPRK and China usually despised her. She hesitated and said, "But if I contact them in my capacity, I'm afraid it will be considered that Dong Zhuo is testing them. No."
People will believe it.”
"So you have to find someone."
Yan Zhong smiled slightly.
Zhao Lin asked: "Who?"
"Liu Yu!"
Yan Zhong said the name calmly.
Historically, Liu Yu served as the governor of Youzhou and was later killed by Gongsun Zan.
But the opportunity for him to serve as the governor of Youzhou was because after Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju's rebellion, Xianbei in Youzhou was in rebellion with the Wuhuan people, and Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty had to send him to suppress the situation.
However, Gongsun Zan made a fortune through strong liquor. After he got rich, he quickly settled the Xianbei and Wuhuan people and even recruited them to fight. Youzhou naturally calmed down and there was no need to send Liu Yu anymore.
Therefore, Liu Yu did not return to Youzhou. After Liu Yan left, Zong Zheng, who had been one of the Nine Qings, was lured to Chang'an by Dong Zhuo.
Yan Zhong continued: "Liu Yu has always had a good reputation, and has high prestige with Yang Biao and others. If they can come forward, they can join forces with Wang Yun, Yang Confucian scholar Sun Rui, the fifth scholar Wei Jie and other powerful Jingzhao Yin families to help.
Then the big thing can be settled."
Zhao Lin stood up from the mat and said happily: "Brother Chenghan is still smart. If they help, this matter will be done. Then I will immediately send someone to Zongzheng to discuss the matter and help Xuande tide over the difficulties."
"etc."
Seeing him hurriedly wanting to go out, Yan Zhong quickly stopped him and said, "Xiang Heng is confused. He went to Liu Yu rashly. What if he gets suspicious? We must make him believe that Xuande is asking him for help."
, we must not let him think it is Dong Zhuo's temptation."
"What should we do?"
Zhao Lin thought the same thing. Now Chang'an City is in turmoil. Dong Zhuo is upset because of the siege by Liu Bei, Zhu Jun, Han Sui and Ma Teng. He has killed many people in Weiyang Palace. All the officials are trembling and everyone is in danger. At this time, he comes to the door. , maybe Liu Yu would not necessarily choose to help in order to protect himself.
"You can send someone to Xuande Camp in your name and ask him to write a divorce letter."
Yan Zhong smiled.
This would delay another day's work, and Liu Bei's food supplies would gradually run out.
In such a hurry, even if Liu Yu and the others choose to help, they won't be able to get too much food and grass.
Therefore, we only need to control the timing, so that the food and grass in Liu Bei's army are at the bottom, but completely cut off, and temporarily stabilize the morale of the army.
According to the analysis of Li Ruxurong and Li Ruxurong from the Military Intelligence Department and Yan Zhong in the court, Liu Bei's first batch of grain and grass will not arrive in Huayin County until about five or six days later.
It would take several more days to get from Huayin County to Zuo Fengyi.
If Liu Bei attacks fiercely in the next few days and cannot defeat Chang'an, he will have to withdraw his troops. Otherwise, if the soldiers are starved for two or three days, it may turn into a rout.
Therefore, Yan Zhong had to figure out how to control this situation, so that Liu Bei could barely be supplied with food and grass, but at the same time, he would not be full.
In order to complete the task assigned by Chen Mu, Yan Zhong could be said to have tried his best.
Finally he came up with an idea.
That is to use Liu Yu and others to find a way to make Liu Bei last a few more days.
After a few days, he was deprived of food.
In this way, Liu Bei's army will be without food for two or three days, and the morale of the army will be weakened. As long as Liu Bei is wise, he will definitely choose to withdraw his troops.
And Xu Rong will not miss this opportunity and will definitely choose to pursue it.
If the morale of the army is weakened and morale is strong, then Liu Bei will inevitably be defeated. No matter how well he handles it, a small defeat is inevitable.
However, due to the delay of a few more days, the first batch of grain and grass for the Guanzhong Army has been shipped, so by the time Liu Bei withdraws to Zheng County, the grain and grass will be almost available.
In this way, we can complete the impossible task that Chen Mu told us to only achieve a small defeat but not a big defeat.
I have to say that Yan Zhong is quite capable and came up with a good idea.
The core of this strategy is time!
Let’s reorganize the timeline from Liu Bei’s attack on Hangu Pass.
After the Hangu Pass was captured, Liu Bei abandoned his baggage and took only ten days of food and grass. He marched all the way, marching forty or fifty miles a day, passing five passes and killing six generals. He even defeated Hangu Pass, Hongnong County, Hu County, Tonghe, Huayin and other places. , it only took seven or eight days.
On the way, he supplemented his supplies by beating Hu Zhen and Dong Yue, and when he arrived at Huayin, he still had eleven days of food left.
If you eat sparingly with these grains, you can last for twelve or three days.
Because the distance from Shaanxi County to Huayin is about 200 miles in total. The grain transport team moved at a tortuous speed of more than ten miles every day, and it took about 20 days to cross the Qinling Mountains.
When Liu Bei arrived at Huayin, they still had eleven days of food and grass on them, so the food transport team had also walked for about seven or eight days at that time, and it was still about twelve or three days away from Huayin.
Food and grass lasted for twelve or three days on the eleventh day.
Liu Beijun can completely wait in Huayin with peace of mind and have enough time to wait until the first batch of subsequent grain transport teams arrive in Huayin County.
However, Xu Rong used a trick to deliberately pass the empty information about Chang'an to Liu Bei, taking advantage of Liu Bei's eagerness to save the Han Emperor Liu Bian, and then put pressure on Niu Fu to return to the army, luring Liu Bei to attack Chang'an.
This time point occurred four days later.
At that time, the food transport team was still eight or nine days away from Huayin, and Liu Bei also only had seven or eight days of food and grass on him.
Therefore, the surprise attack on Chang'an plan completely led him to a narrow escape path.
Because Liu Bei went to attack Chang'an, the grain transport team had just arrived at Huayin, so there was a time lag from Huayin to Chang'an from when Liu Bei ran out of food to when the grain transport team arrived.
The distance from Huayin to Chang'an is also two hundred miles, but since it is already in a plain area and is not as difficult as the mountainous road, it only took Liu Bei three days to reach Zuofengyi, and it should only take four or five days to reach Chang'an.
about.
At this time, Liu Bei's army still had two or three days of food and grass, and it would take five or six days for the food transport team to reach Huayin.
But when the grain transport team reaches Huayin, it still has to go to Chang'an, and the grain transport team is definitely better than the infantry who cannot move lightly, so it has to be slower and walk at a speed of twenty to thirty miles a day. Then when the grain transport team arrives in Chang'an
The time is about twelve or three days.
The twelve or three days between when Liu Bei ran out of food and when the food transport team began to deliver food to Chang'an were the fatal twelve or three days.
Although Chang'an is indeed empty, it can still be done if it takes a few days.
In this way, as long as Liu Bei is held back for about five days, Liu Bei's food will be used up in advance. The food has just arrived at Huayin, two hundred miles away. Even if Liu Bei withdraws his troops at this time, Huayin's food and grass will begin to be transported to Chang'an.
Moving, shortening the distance and time, also takes four or five days.
At this time, Liu Bei's army had been hungry for a day or two, so how could he still fight against the Xiliang army?
If Xu Rong had been smarter, continued to choose defense, and waited until Liu Bei's army began to withdraw before pursuing him in succession, he would have just delayed it for a day or two and waited for the Kwantung Army to be hungry for about three or four days. Then there would be no need to fight a tough battle, maybe
The Kwantung Army itself will mutiny.
People only need to be hungry for two or three days to lose their strength. Coupled with Xu Rong's constant harassment, Liu Bei will definitely be defeated.
So how should Yan Zhong avoid this situation from happening?
Of course, it is to shorten the time Liu Bei's army is hungry. For example, they would have been hungry for three or four days, but now they only need to be hungry for one or two days. This can be achieved by raising about 20,000 to 30,000 stones of food and grass for Liu Bei.
So this strategy is actually the same as the one that Chen Mu gave to Lu Zhixian back then, which was a strategy of exchanging time for space.
But Chen Mu is good at mathematics, understands logical thinking, and knows how to use time to exchange space.
As for the level of mathematics of the Han Dynasty people...
So if Yan Zhong hadn't learned arithmetic very well in Jiuzhang, I'm afraid he would really be at his wits' end.
Think of this.
Yan Zhong stroked his beard and smiled.
Fortunately, my level of knowledge is not low, otherwise there would be big problems.