The hall of the mansion is no longer the traditional open space in the middle with tables and tables on the left and right sides. Instead, it has been transformed into a conference room that is more convenient for discussing and fighting.
In the middle is a large rectangular table with some chairs placed around it. It is filled with official documents and materials, and there are scribes on the left and right taking notes.
When Chen Mu and Jushu went in, they saw Xun You and Tian Feng lying on the table pointing at a map.
Liu Bei was sitting next to him, holding a cup of tea in his hand, listening carefully to their analysis.
Chairs existed in the Han Dynasty and were called Hu stools. However, they could not be used in formal occasions because they were not ceremonial, so the Taishi chairs made by Chen Mu could basically only be used for sitting at home.
However, Chen Mu and Liu Bei have always been pragmatic and used whatever was convenient. It was more comfortable to sit in a chair for meetings, so it didn't matter.
The two went in. When Liu Bei saw them coming, he put down the teacup in his hand and said with a smile: "Zigui, Gongyu, are you here?"
"Yeah, big brother."
Chen Mu nodded and handed over the report: "The personnel accounting has been almost completed. All troop allocations, service arrangements, and personnel changes in each department are here."
"good."
Liu Bei took it and glanced at it casually, without even looking at it carefully, and signed it. Then he stamped it with his state pastoral seal and said with a smile: "I can rest assured that Zigui will do the work."
Looking at him like that, if Liu Bei really becomes the emperor in the future, and Chen Mu secretly gets him an abdication edict or something for him to seal, he probably won't even notice.
Jushou also came over and put the report in his hand in front of Liu Bei, and said in a deep voice: "Ming Gong, this is all the baggage situation. At present, we have a total of three million stones of food and grass, which can be used by the army for half a year. The subsequent food and grass are also being mobilized.
On the road, there are enough weapons and equipment, so there will be no problems."
"Juyan Han Slips" records that a Han Dynasty soldier ate about 12-14 kilograms of grain per day, and the average was about 13 kilograms. This time the Qingzhou Army dispatched 70,000 infantry, 20,000 navy, and 8,000 cavalry.
There are hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and the total number of auxiliary soldiers and civilians is about 40,000. The total number is about 140,000, and they need to eat 15,000 shi of food every day.
After half a year, it would be about 2.7 million stones of grain and grass. From this point of view, the amount of materials used in large-scale ancient wars is extremely exaggerated. In terms of food alone, if a person eats horse chews, the money spent is like running water.
Even with the relatively cheap prices in Qingzhou, hundreds of millions of dollars would have to be spent to win the war.
Fortunately, Qingzhou has been under governance over the years and is not as chaotic as other states and counties. The two plain areas have more than 40 million acres of farmland, and half of Xuzhou now has more than 20 million acres. After years of land reclamation, Qingzhou now has more than 40 million acres of farmland.
The total number of acres of land reaches 70 million, and the annual output of grain exceeds 400 million dan. After deducting most of the expenses, the grain reserves are quite abundant, which can support the war for many years.
For example, in history, Gongsun Zan also stored 3 million shi of grain in Yijing. Even a barren place like Youzhou allowed Gongsun Zan to accumulate so much grain and grass. Qingzhou has had good weather for many years, and half of Xuzhou is naturally worse. Facts
Their reserve grain reserves amount to more than 20 million shi. Yuan Shao's grain reserves can last for ten years, and the same is true for Qingzhou.
At present, these three million stones of grain and grass are only the first batch of grain transported to the front line in the early stage. There are as many as 70,000 to 80,000 horses, oxen, and donkeys transporting grain and grass. Thousands of convoys come from the plains every day.
In Qian County, there were hundreds of scribes counting grain and grass, and it took them a full month or two to complete the accounts.
There are also weapons and armor equipment, as well as various types of arrows, crossbows, siege equipment, incendiary bottles and other consumables. Chen Mu is only in charge of personnel counting, while Jushou's tasks are more arduous. He has been busy these days.
, you can vaguely see that Jushou’s hair is already turning gray.
Liu Bei stopped being perfunctory this time. He took the official documents and reports from Jushu and read them carefully for a long time. After confirming that there were no problems, he affirmed his efforts and said to him: "I have read it, and it is indeed correct. You have worked hard these days."
Come on, sit down first."
"They are all working for Duke Ming. My hard work is actually nothing. Wen Ruo is the one who really works hard."
Jushou did not take the credit or be arrogant, so he held his hands and sat next to him. He was not modest, because Xunyu's tasks were not as easy as his. In addition to transporting grain to the front line, Xunyu also had to keep accounts. Jushou was responsible for the review, so Xunyu
Yu held many positions and sat at the rear to strategize. He was comparable to Liu Bang's Xiao He, and his contribution was indeed greater than that of Jushou.
Liu Bei said: "Wen Ruo is also working hard, and it is not easy for everyone. If we can win this battle, I will report it to the court and ask for credit for you."
"Thank you Ming Gong."
Jushou responded.
Chen Mu saw that they had made several marks on the map and asked: "Yuan Hao, Gongda, what are your plans now?"
Tian Feng pondered: "We are wondering where Yuan Shao will fight us in a decisive battle."
Xun You nodded and said: "It is impossible for the cities in Jizhou to stop our 100,000 troops. If we are trapped in the cities, we can only sit and wait for death. If I were Yuan Shao, I would definitely fight to the death with us in the wild. Now we have to consider, Yuan Shao
What would you think?"
"What do you think?"
Chen Mu agreed with their opinions. As long as Yuan Shao was not stupid, he would not be stupid enough to find a city to fight a defensive war with them.
The three major battles of the late Han Dynasty, the Battle of Guandu, the Battle of Chibi and the Battle of Yiling, as well as the slightly smaller Battle of Hanzhong, were basically not city offensive and defensive battles, but fierce battles in the wild. Most of the winners and losers were determined by the battle.
, nor is it a city war.
In addition, there were several battles between Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao in history. Except for the final battle of Yijing, the other battles were in the wild, almost all by the river, and had little to do with the city.
This is because the cities in the Han Dynasty were inherently small and could only accommodate tens of thousands of troops. It was almost unrealistic to accommodate many troops.
Moreover, the city is equivalent to a turtle shell. Once it is besieged, it can only be beaten passively. If the enemy comes to the city, it means that the situation has reached a very bad point.
For example, the Battle of Changshe, the Battle of Wancheng, the Battle of Yecheng, the Battle of Hefei, the Battle of Fancheng and other famous city offensive and defensive battles.
Except for the Yellow Turban Army in the Battle of Changshe and Sun Quan who was slightly defeated in the Battle of Hefei, in other city offensive and defensive battles, the defending side was basically in a weak position of being besieged, even in the Battle of Changshe and the Battle of Hefei.
In this way, it was just that Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Zhang Liao successfully counterattacked.
After all, in the city, there is no way to contact friendly forces outside, and there is panic inside, so it is not easy to escape. Therefore, large-scale wars are all about setting up camps in the wild for offensive and defensive confrontations. At least there is a way to survive, and you will not sit back and wait for death in the city.
The current situation is also the same. If Yuan Shao concentrated all his troops in the city and Liu Bei's army was well prepared, Yuan Shao would not be able to defend it, whether it was to encircle the point for reinforcements or to attack the city by force.
Therefore, as long as Yuan Shao is not stupid, he will definitely be able to accomplish his victory in one battle and choose to fight the Qingzhou Army in the wild.
Xun You and Tian Feng had been studying for many days and had an idea. After hearing Chen Mu's inquiry, Xun You said: "There are no natural dangers in Jizhou, and Yuan Shao has lost all his cavalry. In a head-on confrontation in the wild, his chances of winning are not good. But Jizhou
There are many rivers. If I were Yuan Shao, I would definitely occupy the path that a river must pass through to prevent our army from crossing the river."
"good."
Tian Feng nodded and said: "I have discussed with Gongda for a long time and think that Yuan Shao can only fortify two rivers."
"It's Qinghe and Zhangshui."
Chen Mu said casually.
"Yes."
Xun You said: "Although there are many rivers in Jizhou, they are all small rivers, and the terrain is not dangerous at all. Only Qinghe River and Zhangshui River are big rivers. The rivers are wide and powerful. If our army wants to attack Wei County, we must cross these two rivers.
Therefore, Yuan Shao will definitely fight us to the death at Erhe. At present, we believe that along the Qinghe River, the first point should be the boundary bridge of Guangzong, and the second point should be the Wei Bridge of Wei County."
"Only these two bridges are relatively large and can pass large armies. It is difficult for other small bridges or pontoon bridges to pass so many people."
Tian Feng added: "As for us to build a pontoon bridge, it will take a lot of time. Yuan Shao will definitely pay attention to our movements. Once we build a pontoon bridge from other places, he will definitely choose to set up camp on the other side of the river to prevent us from passing. This battle is not necessary.
When we fought in Dahegudu, it would probably not be easy to win."
"What do you think?"
Chen Mu asked.
Xun Yu and Tian Feng looked at each other and said in unison: "Boundary Bridge."
"Um."
Chen Mu nodded. In fact, the choice of the location of the battle does not lie with Yuan Shao, but with them. Which bridge they want to cross the river, or choose one of the two rivers to build a floating bridge to cross the river, Yuan Shao will choose to fight at that location.
They block it.
Just like the famous saying in the famous movie "Let the Bullets Fly". Wherever people are buried, things will happen. Wherever things happen, Huang Silang will follow.
Why did the Battle of the Border Bridge happen?
It was because Gongsun Zan was so powerful at that time that he wanted to cross the Qinghe River to directly attack Wei County, so he planned to cross the boundary bridge. So Yuan Shao intercepted him at the boundary bridge and defeated Gongsun Zan in one fell swoop through Ju Yi's advance soldiers.
The same goes for the Battle of Guandu.
Cao Cao only chose the Guandu River as an interception point. The specific crossing point was still Yuan Shao's own decision. Wherever he planned to cross the river, Cao Cao would camp on the other side of the river.
Because although the Guandu River is not a big river, it has siltation and soft geology, making it unsuitable for large-scale attacks by cavalry and infantry.
Therefore, if Cao Cao defends here, it will be difficult for the Yuan army with a large number to give full play to their advantages.
Facts have also proved that Cao Cao's choice was right. Even though Yuan Shao's troops were several times larger than Cao's army, the terrain of the Guandu River made Cao's army's camp a strong fortress, and Zhang, He and Gao Lan were unable to break it despite the efforts of nine bulls and two tigers.
Now it's the Qingzhou Army's turn to make a decision.
Do you plan to cross the river from Jie Bridge like Gongsun Zan did, or choose another bridge, Wei Bridge?
The upstream of Qingshui is Huanshui, and Weiqiao is just downstream of Huanshui. One advantage of going here is that it is closer to Luoyang. In this way, if they confront Yuan Jun at Weiqiao, the Luoyang army can take advantage of the opportunity to cross the river upstream from Huanshui.
Then they attacked Yuan Jun on the other side of Weiqiao, attacking from both sides.
But the disadvantages are also obvious.
That is, the boundary bridge is located in the middle reaches of Qinghe River, at the intersection of Qinghe Kingdom and Julu County, and just in the middle of Qinghe Kingdom and Wei County.
If Qingzhou chooses to ignore the boundary bridge and cross the boundary bridge and head south toward Wei County in Wei County, Yuan Jun can attack from the boundary bridge, just like cutting a rope in the middle, cutting off the Qingzhou army's food road and retreat route at any time.
It is very dangerous for the Qingzhou Army.
Therefore, everyone including Xun You and Tian Feng believed that the attack should be from the boundary bridge.
As for building a floating bridge.
Neither of them would consider it unless it was unreasonable.
After all, Jie Bridge and Wei Bridge are both large stone bridges, which are inherently strong. If a temporary pontoon bridge is built, it will be time-consuming and laborious, and it will also be easily attacked by Yuan Shao's half-crossing. It is better to cross the river through the original large bridge, which is more convenient.
convenient.
"The boundary bridge is indeed the first choice. After crossing the boundary bridge, we can take Ping'enchuqiu to the south, cross Boluojin to the west, enter Julu County, go around to the north of Wei County, and attack Yecheng by surprise."
Chen Mu agreed with the two men's judgment: "What's more important is that the boundary bridge is in the middle reaches of the Qinghe River. If the boundary bridge is in Yuan Shao's hands, he can send troops across the river at any time. There is no dangerous place in the Qinghe Kingdom for hundreds of miles, so he can directly attack
Our granary will cut off our food supply, so the boundary bridge must be in our hands."
"It's just that it's not easy to take the boundary bridge."
Tian Feng shook his head: "We can think of it, and Yuan Shao will definitely think of it too. The army is camping on the other side of the river for defense. If we want to cross the river, it will be as difficult as climbing to the sky."
Chen Mu thought for a while and said in deep thought: "Perhaps we can ask Luoyang to cooperate and respond by attacking in the east and attacking in the west."
Xun You thought: "What does Zigui mean by pretending to attack Weiqiao to make Yuan Shao think that we will pass through Weiqiao and wait for his army to divide his troops to Weiqiao before attacking Jieqiao?"
"Exactly."
Chen Mu praised: "Jieqiao is as good as Jieqiao, and Weiqiao is as good as Weiqiao. The biggest advantage of Weiqiao is that it allows us to unite with the Luoyang army. Yuan Shao must be afraid of this, so even if he guessed
We will want to take the Jie Bridge, but we will definitely not ignore Weiqiao. As long as we pretend to attack Weiqiao, he will send some of his troops there anyway."
"That makes sense."
Tian Feng nodded and said: "This strategy may work, and we can also plan in other directions. If Yuan Shao occupies the boundary bridge to defend, the cavalry will be of little use. It is better to divide the troops into three groups and pretend to be the main force along the way.
, pretending to attack Wei Bridge. Attack Jie Bridge along the way, while the cavalry goes north to repair the county and cross the river to surprise the enemy's rear. Once Yuan's army is in chaos, they can take advantage of the situation to cross the river and attack!"
Chen Mu deduced it and felt that this method was quite good, so he said: "In seconds, we will brainstorm and decide on these strategies first. The main attack point is still the boundary bridge, but if we attack from the east to the west, we will attack Wei County first.
, pretending to attack Wei Bridge, and then the cavalry will go north across the river, detour to the rear, and attack in a sneak attack to see if they can capture Yuan Shao in one fell swoop."
After listening to their discussion, Liu Bei made the final decision: "Okay, then let's make the arrangements as you wish. The army is now ready to go, with all the troops, horses, food and grass available. I plan to officially prepare to set off in a few days, and first take the Qinghe Kingdom.
, draw the boundary bridge again!”
"Honor your order!"
Several people stood up and raised their hands in response.
In fact, the discussion of tactics here is all on paper.
Because the war situation is constantly changing, and when the situation changes, the strategy must also change.
However, they are the attacking party and should have the initiative, so what to do depends on their subjective initiative.
Now, after determining the tactics, the Qingzhou Army will officially start setting off.