"Li Zhengyan and Cai Qinjun are aggressive on the surface, but in fact, I have the advantage."
"Oh? How do you get it?"
"Throughout the ages, when fighting for civil war, the most important thing has always been not the territory or the source of troops...these are secondary. What is really important is the great righteousness.
"To revive the army, to revive the army, the greatest righteousness is to revive the army. Everything else is just superficial. No matter how vast the territory is conquered in a short period of time, no matter how many troops are recruited, it is like icing on the cake, cooking oil in the fire.
"There are two reasons.
“Firstly, those who have great righteousness win the hearts and minds of the people. Great righteousness can disintegrate the will of resistance in the states and counties along the uprising, and it can also affect the morale of the imperial army. Once the victory is won, it can snowball and become unstoppable.
"Secondly, even if you are defeated and frustrated, as long as you have great righteousness, you can allow the defeat, and you can lose several times. As long as people run away, the righteousness is still there, and it can make a comeback at any time, and it can be exterminated like wildfire, leaving the imperial army exhausted to deal with it.
"And on the contrary, the imperial army cannot bear a defeat, and its morale will only become more and more depressed.
"Even if you are weak, you can still bully the strong!
"On the other hand, if there is no great righteousness, or if the righteousness is difficult to convince everyone, no matter how strong the soldiers and horses are, they will be like flowers and flowers, and they will easily break if they are too strong."
Ouyang Rong has clear logic and calmly narrates under the attention of everyone:
"At the beginning of Li Zhengyan's uprising, he raised the banner of King Xunyang, and even used King Xunyang's original reign name. Even recently, after King Xunyang became the Jiangnan pacifier of the court, they moved out the former prince's posthumous son. new flag,
"But there is no doubt that King Xunyang is a flag that is against the imperial court. They cannot deny it. They can only downplay it. Because of this, they cannot fool the people of the world. King Xunyang is the Emperor Gaozong of Daqian. The designated most legitimate heir."
Ouyang Rong shook his head, thought for a while, then nodded and sighed:
"Actually, Li Zhengyan and the people under him are not aware of this. To be honest, they have indeed tried their best.
"Once, I took advantage of Wang Junzhi's incident to force Prince Xunyang's palace into trouble... and forced me to surrender. Unfortunately, the prince, the crown prince, saw through it with his sharp eyes."
Xie Lingjiang glanced at his senior brother, who had hidden his merits and fame. The latter could not take his eyes away. He looked at the tall old man and talked eloquently:
"Another time, it was too soft to be tough. Cai Qin's army in Hongzhou took advantage of the lack of troops in Jiangzhou to prepare for an encirclement and attack, and broke into the city to control the Xunyang Palace. Unfortunately, a slave with the third surname appeared and secretly communicated with the Wei family. He defected before the battle, his plan was ruined, and Cai Qin returned home in vain.
“Both times were good times, but it was a pity that they failed both times.
"This has also led to a dilemma that Li Zhengyan and Kuang Fujun are currently facing, or a choice related to life and death."
Qin Jingqin originally listened with a smile, but as the confident young man in fox white fur in front of him gradually analyzed, his smile gradually faded, and the wrinkles on his face became deeper, like the weather-beaten bark on an old tree:
"What dilemma?"
Ouyang Rong said slowly: "After conquering the southwest, after arriving in Hongzhou, should we go north or southeast."
"North? Southeast?"
"Yes, for a rebel team, strategy is more important than tactics. As long as they are not stupid, Li Zhengyan and others can definitely see that there are two strategic routes in front of them."
Everyone saw the fox-white furred young man raising his glass and taking a sip under the moonlight, then he immediately shook his sleeves:
"If they can't even figure this out, then there's nothing to worry about."
He continues his analysis:
"After joining Cai Qin's army in Hongzhou, he chose to go north. That is, with the slogan of restoring Kuangfu Daqian and restoring Taizong's descendants to the throne, he led the army to advance north with great fanfare. Don't worry about Jiangnan Road and Huainan Road, and lead the army to seize the gods directly. All in Luoyang!
"If you choose the southeast, then conquer Jiangzhou, enter the hinterland of Jiangnan, conquer Yangzhou, occupy Jinling, and monopolize the tax-rich southeast, which is like cutting off half of the Great Zhou Dynasty."
Qin Jingqin nodded slightly.
Qin Ying suddenly interrupted:
"It makes sense, occupying the southeast, so that the natural danger of the Yangtze River is enough to hold on, and according to Taoist Feng Shui, Jinling has a vague imperial atmosphere, which can be used as the basis for laying the foundation for hegemony... Then move northward, and slowly plan to seize the Central Plains.
"In this way, you can win if you advance, and you can find a destination if you retreat. This should be the safest strategy.
"Compared to this, the former path is too risky..."
Qin Ying was mid-sentence when she saw Ouyang Lianghan suddenly stopped laughing. She shook her head slightly and frowned: "Why are you laughing? Could it be that you said it wrong?"
Ouyang Rong said nothing, rolled up his sleeves, bent down and took a bite of the dish that was quite far away.
Qin Jingqin, who had been silent all this time, had a thoughtful look on his face and suddenly asked:
"According to the theory of great justice and civil war you just mentioned, if Li Zhengyan chooses to march to the southeast in order to covet the imperial image of Jinling, it is safe to do so. He can rule across the river, and his conservative mentality of staying in a corner will be revealed to the world. In this way..."
He stroked his beard and analyzed: "In fact, it will undermine the great cause of rehabilitation. People will wonder whether he really wants to recover, or whether he wants to stand on his own feet."
"It makes sense." Xie Xue'e stood up slightly, and actually poured a glass of wine for Ouyang Rong and Qin Jingqin. She lowered her eyes and said, "Just like the Southern Dynasties when they traveled south in clothes, they lived in a corner. For three hundred years, there was little progress in the Northern Expedition. "
Ouyang Rong nodded, put down his chopsticks, looked seriously, and explained softly to Qin Ying:
"Miss Qin's analysis is correct, but she overlooked one point. There is no need to rush in foreign wars, and there is no need to slow down in civil wars. Since you uphold the great righteousness, then the righteousness will push you away, and you will not be allowed to have the slightest thought of shrinking back and slowly pursuing it.
"Time waits for no one. On the surface, there are two roads between Li Zhengyan and Kuang Fujun, but in fact there is only one road. They can only go north. If they dare to go south, Li Zhengyan will undoubtedly die and Kuang Fujun will be destroyed."
After a pause, he smiled sheepishly:
"I don't know how Li Zhengyan's advisers are debating and making choices now. The above are just some personal opinions. In fact, I can't say for sure."
Qin Jingqin seemed to be distracted, his eyes had been away from Ouyang Rong for a long time, and he had been staring at the plate of Guanghan cake on the table. He reached out to grab a piece, and asked while eating, with some slurred speech:
"Going south of the Yangtze River is a dead end, so is it safe to go north? Hmm..."
"It's not safe, but risks and opportunities coexist. Besides, we've raised our flags and raised our troops, how can we look forward and backward? We'll just stick to our guns and go to Antu to have fun."
Ouyang Rong sat cross-legged, leaning forward, waving his sleeves and saying:
"Raise your troops to the north and make a move towards Luoyang, the eastern capital. Then everyone in the world will know that Li Zhengyan is determined to restore Li Qian and eradicate the violent guards. In this way, people from all directions will respond.
"I have heard that many of the heroes in the east of Xiaoshan are angry and pitiful because of Wei's tyranny. If they hear that Kuang Fu's army is coming, these strong-blooded heroes will not be able to prepare their own dry food, use their hoes as soldiers, and use them as soldiers. Wait for the arrival of Kuang Fu's army.
"If Li Zhengyan did not take advantage of this situation to go north to make meritorious deeds, but instead retreated to the southeast and asked to build a nest, people from far and near in the north and south would be divided when they heard about it. Because of King Xunyang's incident, there was not much righteousness left. , even more disappeared!”
The tone was decisive.
Xie Lingjiang, Xie Xue'e, Qin Jingqin, Qin Ying and others all opened their eyes wide and looked at the young man in fox-white fur in front of them.
"It's a high-level position and the logic is clear...it makes sense, Lianghan, continue."
Qin Jingqin nodded, reached out his hand again, grabbed a piece of pale golden pastry, put it in his mouth and chewed it.
Qin Ying glanced at Aweng who was in a familiar state out of the corner of his eye.
What Aweng ate was Guanghan cake, which is actually an osmanthus cake, made from the golden osmanthus from Qiantang in the southeast. Madam Xie knew Aweng’s preferences clearly and had everything prepared.
The name of this cake comes from the common name of the moon "Guanghan Palace". Because there is an old osmanthus tree in Guanghan Palace that cannot be cut down. "Toad Palace wins the laurels" became synonymous with winning the championship. It was originally a mutual exchange among the scholars who released the results in autumn. He gave Guanghan cake as a gift to express his blessing. Later, people in the Zhou Dynasty called this cake Guanghan cake.
Qin Ying remembered that when Ah Weng was leading troops to fight outside, he liked to carry a large box of Guanghan cakes. The sweeter the better.
Whenever there is any important military affairs or important decision, and when it is necessary to concentrate and think hard, Aweng will chew a piece and think about it while eating. It is like a habit or to replenish some energy. Listen to him murmur and eat some. , it is easy to feel dizzy when thinking.
Although Qin Ying didn't quite understand it, he was familiar with it. It was obvious that Aweng was indeed immersed in what Ouyang Lianghan said.
The fat female Taoist pursed her lips and looked at the young man in fox-white fur who was still talking endlessly and stating his opinions. He exuded a high-spirited confidence, but also had a touch of peace and tranquility, which made people not annoying.
It's like the morning light, not the glaring sun at noon.
This is rare.
In the past, many of the children of aristocratic families of his own age, and even many middle-aged officials and generals, stuttered and panicked under the majestic gaze of Aweng, who had experienced hundreds of battles and was famous. It was rare to be able to express his views so calmly and calmly. , not to mention getting praise from Aweng.
Is he really from a humble background? No wonder he was favored by the sister of the Xie family, accepted by the high-minded Mrs.
Qin Ying remembered some of Qin Jingqin's private warnings.
The vague dissatisfaction she felt after being denied by Ouyang Rong had dissipated a lot.
"In fact, whether it is heading north or southeast in the future, it will mean the expansion of subsequent wars."
Thank you. When Qin Sannu saw it, the fox-white furred young man shook his head and sighed softly:
"It would be fine to go to the southeast to bury the uprising. Instead, it will lead to war disasters in the hinterland of the southeast, destroying lives and affecting thousands of families.
"As for going north, it is not a good thing. Maybe for Li Zhengyan's resurgent army, it is a good thing to turn the world upside down and fish in troubled waters. However, Guanzhong is high-risk. Chaos in the north is the prelude to chaos in the world. To quell this chaos will also cost a lot of lives...
"
Everyone looked sideways at the young man in fox white fur who suddenly rubbed his face and muttered to himself.
"Fortunately, there is still an opportunity to control the scale of the war and limit the war to the south of the Yangtze River and the boundaries of Hong and Jiangzhou."
Qin Jingqin slowly said: "How to limit it?"
Ouyang Rong raised his head and smiled:
“The reason why Li Zhengyan and others are so aggressive on the surface is that they are actually in trouble.
"It's because after Li Zhengyan and Cai Qin joined forces in Hongzhou, if they wanted to take the dead end and go south of the Yangtze River, they must attack Jiangzhou and open this southeastern gateway.
"If we take another route and choose to go north, we can cross the river directly in Hongzhou and ignore Jiangzhou. But in this way, not only will our backs be easily exposed to Chen Bing and we in Jiangzhou, but we will also be blocked by Jiangzhou.
In order to find the best water transport route to Huainan Road, we can only take a detour to Shannan Road, which is extremely hilly...
"Furthermore, the failure to recruit Prince Xunyang has led to the lack of justice in reviving the army. Keeping Prince Xunyang's palace to slap Jiangzhou in the face for a long time is not a long-term solution after all.
"In this way, both vertical and horizontal obstacles have become obstacles, and it is best to overcome them. Then the problem returns to the original point. How to capture Jiangzhou has become the top priority. Li Zhengyan was right at the beginning. Jiangzhou does have a kingly spirit!"
Ouyang Rong sighed, his dark eyes clear and bright:
"How to restrict it? Now that we know the weaknesses of Li Zhengyan and Kuang Fujun, we also know how to deal with them."
"If I am in charge, the more they downplay King Xunyang, the more we must emphasize that removing the banner of King Xunyang and disrupting the great cause of reviving the army will lead to peace and harmony. The enemy will be reduced and we will be strengthened.
"At the same time, troops will be sent out tomorrow. We can't wait any longer and immediately lead our troops to attack Hongzhou. Before Li Zhengyan arrives in Hongzhou, we take the initiative to attack and catch Cai Qin's army in Hongzhou off guard. We can also wait for opportunities to find fighters and surround the points for reinforcements.
"It's autumn now, and the busy farming season has passed. There is plenty of food and fat for horses, which is suitable for going on an expedition! There is also the nearly prepared Jiangzhou Forward Army left by Zhu Lingxu before, which can be used temporarily.
"If we take Hongzhou, we will cut off all the roads between Li Zhengyan and Kuang Fu's army and block them in the southwest. Li Zhengyan can't afford it, but we can afford it. Although the imperial court has been slow to respond, soldiers from various places have been mobilized one after another.
"The Kuangfu Army, which was only supplied from the southwest, would not be able to consume the imperial army's continuous crusade. It could neither go north nor go south of the Yangtze River. It could only waste time with the imperial army in the territory of Hongjiang River.
"Even if we don't capture Hongzhou and allow Li Zhengyan and Cai Qin's army to join forces, we can still make plans, such as creating a estrangement plan, to find out who persuaded Li Zhengyan to go north. These people always have relatives, friends and the same clan, and we can entrust them to send them
Xin went over to persuade him to surrender or to go north, deliberately expressing his joy to welcome Kuang's reinstatement of the army... With such a estrangement, the more important the decision-making moment, the more suspicious people become, especially when it comes to rebellion, which is something that is tucked in the waistband. This is called
The human heart dictates...
"So, Uncle Qin, if this isn't my advantage, what is it?"
Ouyang Rong asked calmly.
Qin Jingqin picked up a piece of Guanghan cake, paused in his mouth, was quiet for a moment, put down the sweet-scented osmanthus cake, and sighed softly:
"good."
The girls looked at each other, looking at Ouyang Rong with something slightly strange.
Qin Jingqin then took a piece of Dongpo meat, tasted it carefully, and sighed:
"He's a good cook. I'm sure he came to the right place today."
The old man turned to Xie Xue'e and said in an envious tone: "The Xie family is luckier than my Qin family. It is your family's great fortune to have this chef."
Xie Xue'e's eyes were complicated and just when she was about to speak, Xie Lingjiang rushed to answer and corrected her seriously:
"Not just one family is lucky, but all families are lucky."