People who have never been to Qingzhou can hardly imagine how prosperous Qingzhou is today.
Even though Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, is still in Linzi, the problem is that Qingzhou's ports are not in Qi State, but in Donglai County and Le'an State.
At present, there are three major ports in Qingzhou, one is Laizhou Bay in Le'an State, the other is Jiaozhou Bay in Donglai County, and the last one is Dongmou Bay in Donglai County, which is equivalent to Yantai, Weihai and Qingdao in later generations.
Today, the most developed industry in Qingzhou is the handicraft manufacturing industry. In the age before machines, encouraging handicraft manufacturing became one of the important policies of the government and promoted business prosperity.
However, the manufactured goods are of course not sold to North Korea and Japan, but to all parts of the South. Overseas, things are getting better. North Korea is doing better, with a population of more than one million, while Japan is a completely primitive society, with a total population of only a few
One hundred thousand.
At Qingzhou's three major ports, hundreds of thousands of large ships pass through the Bohai Sea almost every day, traveling between North Korea, Japan, and Qingzhou, transporting food and supplies, and minerals and timber.
Not only are Japan's gold and silver mines abundant, but the Korean Peninsula also has coal mines and various metal minerals. After Qingzhou occupied North Korea and Japan, the uncivilized primitive indigenous people became a labor force, and with some clothes and food, they could seize large amounts of mineral deposits.
It’s not that Qingzhou engages in colonial exploitation, but that this is the current situation in the world. The Han Dynasty has the highest level of civilization, and the surrounding areas are completely in the savage era, primitive society, without even writing and civilization.
Chen Mu plans to bring Russia, Korea, Japan and even Southeast Asia into the empire's territory in the future. It is impossible for savages to talk about national sovereignty with you. The Han Dynasty belongs to the upright and open territory, and no one can control it.
Therefore, these uncivilized natives will also be Han people in the future.
Chen Mu is not as anti-human as the Angsa gang and Cao Cao and likes to commit massacres. These are the labor force that the current industry urgently needs.
To a certain extent, the appearance of the big man did not oppress them, but saved them.
You can say that you haven't asked others if they agree.
But if you think about it, are you willing to continue living the life of a primitive society savage with no food or clothing, a mortality rate of over 80%, and an average age of only over 20 years old?
Or should we live a feudal society-imperialist life where we have food, drink, clothes, and at least we won't starve or freeze to death?
If you think about it with your toes, you will know that you will choose the latter.
Therefore, in a sense, the Han Dynasty is leading Korea and Japan to cross a civilization.
And if you want to get this kind of life, it is a fair thing to exchange it with labor. Pie will not fall in the sky, only those who work hard will get something.
At the same time, Qingzhou carried out Han civilization education in the areas occupied by North Korea and Japan. All foreign ethnic policies were written in the books of Taishan Academy. If Han Dynasty wanted to become a multi-ethnic and tolerant country, ethnicity was not important, but patriotism and support for Han Dynasty were more important.
.
In an era without populism and nationalism, Koreans and Japanese did not even understand what race was. The education of the Han people successfully made them believe that they were a branch of the Han people, thus smoothly incorporating them into their territory.
As for those who are unwilling to integrate into the Han Dynasty, such as some tribes in northeastern Japan, Chen Muteng cannot take action at the moment. Otherwise, let them learn how powerful the imperialist steel sword is.
certainly.
These are just Qingzhou’s current overseas journey.
But at least for now, its existence can effectively solve the financial problems of the Han Dynasty and prevent Liu Bei from worrying about fiscal deficits during foreign wars.
After the meeting dispersed, Guo Jia slowly walked out of the mansion.
Everyone went to act according to Cao Cao's instructions, preparing food and grass, and inspecting weapons and equipment.
Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Hong, Cao Renle, Yu Jin, Li Dian and others all received orders and marched according to the deployment.
There were people coming and going outside the entire prefectural governor's mansion, there was a lot of traffic, and black-armored soldiers were constantly shuttling back and forth.
Guo Jia boarded the carriage and prepared to go back. He had to pack some things. According to his calculations, this battle would not be that easy. There were still some books at home, but they could not be left in Dingtao.
Before he could get into the car, Cao Ang hurriedly chased him out, stopped him and said: "The military advisor is offering wine, my father has something to do with you."
Guo Jia knew what was going on. Cao Cao had an idea on the surface, but he still didn't have the confidence in his heart, so he would definitely talk to him about it and want to know from him whether there was any hope of victory in this battle.
In the past, Guo Jia would definitely have tried his best to tell Cao Cao where our advantages were and how we could win. But in this battle, to be honest, even he didn't have the confidence.
But since Cao Cao was looking for him, he naturally had to go there. Guo Jia did not get on the carriage, turned around and followed Cao Ang back to the mansion, and saw Cao Cao in the central hall.
"Ming Gong."
"Filial piety."
Seeing Guo Jia coming over, Cao Cao, who was walking back and forth in the hall, turned his head and greeted him: "Sit down first."
Guo Jia then sat aside and said, "Why did Duke Ming summon Jia here?"
Cao Cao said: "Just now I saw everyone speaking freely, but Fengxiao kept silent. I don't know why?"
Guo Jia smiled bitterly and said: "I think if we fight head-on, the chance of winning in a decisive battle with the imperial court is very small. But what Ming Gong said is true. If it is true what Ming Gong said, we do have hope of bringing down the imperial court."
"Then why don't you say a word?"
Cao Cao asked again.
Guo Jia said seriously: "It's because I've been thinking about a question."
"what is the problem?"
"Chen Zigui."
"Chen Zigui?"
"good."
Guo Jia nodded lightly and said: "I was thinking, with Chen Zigui's talent, why would he make such an obvious mistake? When the court was not well-off, he brazenly launched the twenty-level military merit system."
Cao Cao was puzzled and said: "Didn't I say that? This must be a strategy of the imperial court to regain Henan as soon as possible in order to motivate the soldiers."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! A trace of doubt flashed in Guo Jia's eyes and he said: "But Ming Gong needs to know that even if the imperial court does not use the twenty-level military merit system and slowly grinds it with us, sooner or later there will be
We can be killed in one day, so why bother taking dangerous risks? And when has Duke Ming ever seen Chen Zigui take such risks?"
Cao Cao walked slowly in the hall. After a long time, he shook his head and said: "How can you explain the sudden money from the court? You and I are both people who know the war. We know how much it costs to fight. Qingzhou and Yuan Shao have been fighting for many years.
No matter how strong the foundation is, it can't withstand such consumption. Could it be that a mine fell from the sky to fill Liu Bei's monetary dilemma?"
"this......"
Guo Jia hesitated for a moment. He didn't understand that fighting cost more.
The Han Dynasty fell into such a state. In addition to several times when foreign relatives and eunuchs interfered in politics, leading to political unclearness, poverty was the fundamental reason for the collapse of the Han Dynasty.
In the final analysis, starting from Emperor An, the Qiang Rebellion that lasted for hundreds of years directly became a turning point for the Han Dynasty from prosperity to decline.
In order to quell this turmoil, the court spent as much money as sea water, reaching an astonishing tens of billions of five baht, which directly emptied the Han Dynasty's finances, so that by the time of Emperor Huan and Emperor Kang, the two had to find ways to make money.
After Dong Zhuo's Rebellion, the Han Dynasty's finances further collapsed, and the treasury was empty. The Liu Yu court was a complete empty shell, and it could barely maintain its government only by relying almost entirely on Qingzhou subsidies.
And the money in Qingzhou did not come from strong winds. The profit of sea salt is indeed profitable, but the total number of coins is only that much, and it is impossible to conjure money out of thin air.
Therefore, unless a copper mine falls from the sky that does not need to be mined, even if Liu Bei sells salt for ten years, it may not be able to make up for the current financial deficit of the imperial court. As for restoring the twenty-level military merit system and spreading coins on a large scale, it is even more impossible.
So when faced with Cao Cao's doubts, Guo Jia couldn't think of any reason to refute. After all, he was in charge of intelligence and sent many people to Qingzhou to find out information.
After several years, the only useful information that can be obtained is that the currency currently circulating in Qingzhou is a five-baht coin made of brass. As for where it came from, what materials it is made of, and how much inventory there is in Qingzhou, I have no idea.
It's not that Guo Jia's spies don't work hard, but the Military Intelligence Department is their ancestor. When it comes to spying, there are many methods. The Yanzhou spies don't understand what underground work is at all. Countless people have been discovered. In Linzi Prison
There are more than 100 people imprisoned alone.
Moreover, the ports used by Chen Mu to transport minerals are all closed for military use. All operations are run by the government and are not open to the public or announced to the public. Even many people in Qingzhou do not know about these ports.
Therefore, Guo Jia could not get any useful information at all.
It is impossible to make judgments based on information, and even the smartest people cannot analyze anything.
Therefore, in the face of Cao Cao's doubts, Guo Jia could only shake his head and sigh: "I can't explain it. It's just that I analyzed Chen Zigui and thought he wouldn't do this... Maybe I'm overthinking.
Alright."
Cao Cao smiled and said: "Fengxiao, you should also know that Liu Bei does not have the final say in the court now. Sometimes Liu Bei will not listen to Chen Zigui. I have long seen that Liu Xuande is a man of his own opinions."
, maybe Chen Zigui is smart, but what if Liu Xuande wants quick success?"
"Maybe so."
Guo Jia said noncommittally: "There are too many unexpected things in this world, and no one can tell what will happen tomorrow. Maybe as Ming Gong said, Liu Xuande insisted on going his own way and wanted to use the twenty-level military merit system to eliminate us in one fell swoop. If
If this is the case, we have a glimmer of hope."
Cao Cao asked: "What do Fengxiao think of our army's tactical arrangements?"
Guo Jia said: "Ming Gong's arrangement was perfect, and he blocked Liu Bei in stages. If Liu Bei used troops against Yanzhou, he would definitely send troops from Sili, Hebei, and Xuzhou. There is no problem with Ming Gong's tactical arrangement."
"That's good."
Cao Cao smiled. This tactical strategy was his own masterpiece, so there would be no surprises.
Guo Jia then cupped his hands and said, "In that case, Na Jia will retreat first."
"Go ahead."
Cao Cao smiled and watched Guo Jia go out. Although he was worried about the strength of the imperial court, since even Fengxiao couldn't find the money from the imperial court, there was nothing to worry about. It was enough to just follow the plan!
The meeting just now has decided on the strategy of attack. Cao Cao believes that Liu Bei will attack Yanzhou in an all-out manner and will inevitably attack from Sili, Hebei and Xuzhou at the same time.
So he thought that the enemies of Xuzhou should be handed over to Sun Ce and asked to help guard his rear, because Jiujiang was also nearby.
Sili's enemies must set out from Henan County and Yingchuan County. He has written to Liu Biao, hoping that he can cross from the Dabie Mountains, enter Yuzhou's Runan territory, and then go north from Runan to attack Ying.
Sichuan, forcing the enemy in the direction of Yingchuan to return reinforcements.
I have to say that Jia Xu's tactics are indeed exquisite, but Cao Cao and the counselors around him are no worse than him. The intelligence of Xi Zhicai, Cheng Yu, and Chen Gong are basically maintained between 92-94, and Guo Jiageng
Don't mention it, it's above 96.
Therefore, he had a plan, and Cao Cao also had a countermeasure. The imperial court did not enter Yuzhou because it wanted to lengthen Sun Ce and Liu Biao's front, so Cao Cao asked them to attack the nearest enemy.
Moreover, the imperial army in the Nanyang Basin cannot move yet. If they move there, Nanyang will be empty, and Jingzhou can go north from Nanyang, and the distance will be closer.
Cao Cao himself personally led the army to deal with the enemies coming from Hebei and Luoyang.
So where do you choose to block?
After some discussion, everyone decided on a location - Guandu!
It's not that we want to repeat history.
But the location of Guandu is very interesting. It is south of the Yellow River, at the junction of Chenliu County and Henan County, surrounded by more than a dozen rivers of various sizes. Its approximate geographical location is north of Zhongmu County in later generations and northwest of Kaifeng City.
More than a thousand years later, this place has become the Yellow River channel.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Being able to turn into the Yellow River channel is enough to show how complex the terrain here is. The Guandu River is a tributary of Honggou Water. The silt here is silted and the soil is soft. It is a
A natural terrain barrier, the most important thing is that it is located at the intersection of Hebei and Henan.
Although there are many ferry crossings on the Yellow River, the closest ferry is Yanjin Ferry in Liyang. Entering Dongjun from Yanjin, Guandu is to the south. If the Jizhou army goes south, it will meet the imperial army from Henan County.
Unless the soldiers and horses of Jizhou do not plan to join up with the soldiers and horses of Sili and bypass Xiancheng and go straight to Jiyin, otherwise, Cao Cao is very confident that he can intercept the enemies coming from Jizhou and Luoyang at the same time in Guandu.
However, in order to prevent the enemy from playing tricks according to the routine, Cao Cao also made secondary preparations. He set up a defense line on the south bank of the Pu River and sent a small number of soldiers and horses to garrison in Kuangcheng and Pucheng to prevent Jizhou soldiers and horses from crossing the Pu River to steal homes or steal homes.
He ran behind him and attacked the Luoyang army from front to back.
As long as there is a stalemate for a period of time, or there are signs of defeat, Cao Cao will immediately withdraw his troops and go to Fengqiu, the second line of defense.
Fengqiu is located between Pu River and Jishui. Two large rivers just sandwich Jiyin. If the enemy wants to attack Jiyin, they must cross Pu River and Jishui. The water flow of these two large rivers is very large.
Cao Cao prepared to set up camp at the confluence of the rivers and intercept the enemy on the other side of the river.
In Guandu and Fengqiu alone, Cao Cao estimated that he could delay the imperial court for at least a year and a half. If he still failed to bring down the imperial court's finances, he would have to use his last trump card to retreat to Dingtao and wait for reinforcements.
Or defend the city.
According to this set of tactics, Cao Cao believed that within a year at most, or even less than a year, the imperial court's finances would be unable to make ends meet, and would eventually be on the verge of bankruptcy, causing the country's financial system to collapse and having to withdraw its troops.
When the time comes, he annexes Yuzhou and takes advantage of the internal chaos in the imperial court to seize Qingzhou, Hebei Province, which may be a great achievement.