Chapter 485 Cai Mao is stunned! How come there are so many battleships in Nanyang?
Qingzhou, plain.
Xu Rong Camp.
Central army, big tent.
At this moment, Xu Rong stood in front of the sand table, frowning in thought, and said softly: "No matter what, Youzhou is the easiest position for Yuan Shao to break through. This is the purpose for him to gather more troops here."
"That's right."
Zu Mao on the side nodded affirmatively and added: "This can also be seen from the imperial court's arrangements for Youzhou. Gongsun Zan is responsible for mobile reinforcements, while the rest of the troops are stationed at various passes, and the county towns are all fortified and clear."
"General."
Having said this, Zu Mao leaned forward and raised his hand, saying: "Now that Cao Cao's troops are under the supervision of the state leader, it is good news for us."
"Without such a strong opponent, perhaps Yuan Shao's head will naturally fall into our hands. Even if Yuan Shao prepares to escape from Banhai Road, there will still be Liaodong Gongsun Du to help the general."
In fact, Xu Rong originally had the same idea, but now he is skeptical about it and slowly shook his head: "Wen Sheng, I'm afraid things are not as simple as you think."
"oh?"
Zu Mao was suddenly stunned: "General, what do you mean by this?"
Xu Rong pinched a strand of beard under his chin and said softly: "Didn't Wen Sheng realize that your Majesty was just punishing Cao Cao and had no intention of replacing him with the abbot?"
"this......"
Zu Mao frowned and shook his head to express his ignorance: "I really didn't see it. I hope the general will give you some advice."
Xu Rong exhaled and said softly: "Actually, it's very simple. Your Majesty must be well aware of Yanzhou's strategic position. Although the abbot has fought in battles, his ability to lead troops is far from the same."
"Cao Cao has more than 100,000 troops under his command. With the capabilities of the state leader, I am afraid it will be difficult to lead them to exert their due strength. Your Majesty will never make such a mistake."
"At the normal pace..."
At this point, Xu Rong's thoughts were as fast as lightning and he continued: "His Majesty should send someone over to let our people take the dominant position and assist the abbot to deal with the upcoming battle."
"But you see for yourself, even though several days have passed, we still haven't received an order from the court. This only proves that His Majesty has not given up on Cao Cao yet. Now he is just teaching him a lesson. Once the war breaks out, Cao Cao will definitely be reinstated.
"
"this......"
Zu Mao had to admit.
Xu Rong's analysis is very reasonable.
However, he was still a little unwilling after all. After all, they had not established any great merits. If they failed to take Yuan Shao's head before the trip to the north, it would be a bit difficult to promote Xu Rong to the Tiangang Famous Officials.
Difficulty.
This is not only the honor of Xu Rong, but also the honor of the entire army.
At this moment, Xu Rong took a long breath and said softly: "After thinking about it, I always feel that there is something wrong with Xu You coming to persuade you to surrender. The court's reaction is also a bit excessive. There must be some secret that we don't know."
"secret?"
Zu Mao didn't know what he meant.
"kindness."
Xu Rong nodded: "Xu You doesn't seem to be here to persuade you to surrender, but to surrender."
Zu Mao was stunned: "Ah? How is this possible? If he comes to surrender, how can he be allowed to leave again?"
Xu Rong stared at Zu Mao solemnly and asked: "We have already grasped Yuan Shao's dynamics. Xu You's actions made Yuan Shao suspicious and changed his troop deployment. Does his surrender have any meaning?"
"Ah this..."
Zu Mao thought for a long time and finally nodded: "It really doesn't make any sense."
Xu Rong held his fists in his arms and thought for a moment: "Yes, it is precisely because it is meaningless that Cao Cao wanted to make Xu You meaningful."
"General..."
Zu Mao heard that the lake was filled with lakes and lakes, and the melon seeds in his head were like a lake of slurry: "What are you talking about? It makes no sense at one moment, and it makes sense at the next. What do you mean?"
Xu Rong sighed and praised sincerely: "Cao Cao is indeed proficient in the art of war and has good plans. I, Xu Rong, am not as good as him."
Zu Mao became more and more embarrassed and couldn't understand Xu Rong's words: "General, don't belittle yourself. In my eyes, Cao Cao is really far behind you."
Xu Rong smiled, shook his head, and said nothing.
Zu Mao was confused by what he heard, but he still firmly believed that Xu Rong was the master of the art of war. Apart from Cao Cao's ability to use fire and thunder to clear the way, in other aspects, he was worse than a dog and a piece of garbage.
*****
Nanyang, Wancheng.
Emperor's palace.
Hall of Wende.
Liu Bian sat at the top, frowning and staring at Lu Su below: "So far, it has only been raised to a mere twenty gold?"
Lu Suen nodded: "The price increase is indeed a bit weak now. I think we should release the news that we will rebuild Luoyang City, and even purchase some golden monkeys."
Although Liu Bian had prepared some trump cards in his hand, he was not in a hurry to play them. Instead, he ordered: "The news of rebuilding Luoyang City should at least wait until Yuan Shao is eliminated. There is no rush for now."
"As for the price of the golden monkey..."
Speaking of this, Liu Bian spoke loudly and said softly: "The imperial court can purchase part of it first for the purpose of training animal trainers, or for any reason."
Lu Su immediately understood what His Majesty the Emperor meant, which was to confirm the authenticity of the rumored news through a series of operations by the court, thereby further stimulating the soaring price of the Golden Monkey.
After all, businessmen's judgment is extremely sharp, and they often have a sense of smell before the market reacts. In this way, they can have the latest reflection in price.
Lu Su bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty, don't worry, just leave this matter to me."
Liu Bian nodded: "Well, I feel very relieved to have you here, Zijing. Let's go ahead and do it."
Lu Su saluted solemnly: "Here! Oh, by the way, Your Majesty."
Liu Bian raised his eyes and looked at Lu Su: "Why, does Zijing have anything else to do?"
Lu Su said softly: "The reopening of the Silk Road has been arranged. It is a team arranged by the imperial court. Mi Fang, the second son of the Mi family, is temporarily in charge of leading the team. Is it okay?"
"Mi Fang?"
Liu Bian frowned, he was a little unhappy with this person.
After all, in history, he did some bad things to Er Ye, which led to the death of such a hero.
Now that Mi Fang is allowed to lead the team along the Silk Road, it represents the dignity of a big man. Can he support it?
but.......
After all, Mi Fang is from the Mi family and knows how to do business in her bones.
If Mi Fang is allowed to reopen the Silk Road, many business opportunities will surely be discovered.
Moreover, after all, it is just a trade route, and it has not risen to the level of politics for the time being. It does not hurt to let Mi Fang lead the team, and it will not affect too much.
"That's right."
Lu Su nodded: "It is Mi Fang. This person is good at business and will definitely find business opportunities."
Liu Bian was too lazy to replace him and waved his hand: "You can make your own decision. Let him walk and try first. If it doesn't work, it's not too late to replace him."
From His Majesty the Emperor's words, Lu Su sensed the Emperor's disdain for Mi Fang and seemed to have decided that this person was not the most suitable candidate. However, since His Majesty the Emperor had already agreed, Lu Su would naturally not change it.
at best......
Just remind the other person.
Lu Su nodded, bowed and raised his hands: "In that case, I will leave for now."
Immediately.
Bowed and left the hall.
Liu Bian took a long breath and suddenly relaxed.
Backed by a team of tens of thousands of experts, it is incredibly powerful.
When operating so many things at the same time, there is no nonsense at all. Instead, everything is organized and can be done step by step.
This is the reason why Nanyang Hanting has developed extremely rapidly, because a person's energy is limited, but Liu Bian is not one person, but a team composed of hundreds of millions of netizens, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of experts.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, he was a well-known emperor, with capable ministers and generals under his command. He was able to take care of all directions in order to achieve the fastest development.
Internal affairs, economy, agriculture, military, science and technology...
There is nothing that Liu Bian cannot take care of, nothing that Liu Bian cannot conquer, and nothing that Liu Bian cannot control.
This feeling...
It’s so cool!
After Lu Su left the hall, Liu Bian communicated with experts from the Military Advisor Alliance regarding the details of economic warfare. Although he was not yet an expert in economics, ordinary economic problems could no longer stump him.
In fact, Liu Bian has been able to integrate theory with practice, sublimate theory in practice, and truly internalize economic knowledge that he has never been exposed to into his own skills.
"Master Bian is becoming more and more aware of the current progress. This is a good thing. You must still keep learning and ask if you don't understand."
"Well, don't worry, I'm still learning."
"..."
While the Military Advisor Alliance was having in-depth communication with Liu Bian.
Suddenly, a long announcement sounded outside the hall:
"Report—!"
Liu Bian raised his eyes and looked.
But then, Zhu Tong pushed the door open and walked in. He leaned over and raised his hands and said, "Your Majesty, Jia Xu of the school affairs office wants to see you."
Liu Bian waved his hand: "Let him come in."
Zhu Tong nodded: "Here."
Immediately.
Leave the hall backwards.
Not long after, a familiar figure came to the palace and stepped forward: "Jia Xu, your Majesty."
Liu Bian waved his hand to signal him to stand up, and then said, "Wen He is here. I think he has something to report."
"That's right."
Jia Xu knew that His Majesty the Emperor was a straightforward person, so he directly took out the information from his pocket without exchanging pleasantries and handed it to His Majesty the Emperor:
"Your Majesty, according to the information obtained by the School Affairs Office, the reinforcements from counties and counties in Jingnan have returned to their respective territories. Presumably, they must have understood your Majesty's thoughts, so they did not rush for reinforcements."
"kindness."
Jia Xu originally thought that His Majesty the Emperor would be shocked, or at least his expression would change.
But unfortunately, His Majesty the Emperor's expression did not change at all, as if he had already expected this to happen: "In that case, I will order Duke Yang to send the battleship to Fancheng as soon as possible."
Jia Xu frowned and asked tentatively: "Has Your Majesty expected this to happen?"
Liu Bian didn't bother to explain, but just nodded: "Yes, I have never expected my opponent to be fooled. It is good to be fooled, but even if he is not fooled, it still cannot reverse his defeat."
"In that case..."
Speaking of this, Liu Bian smiled faintly at Jia Xu: "Then why should I feel sorry for this? Just kill them step by step. When Demou's warship arrives in Jingxiang, Jingbei can be defeated in a battle."
Jia Xu took advantage of the situation and asked, "What about Jingnan?"
Liu Bian replied: "With Zhou Yu's Yuanyang army here, it will not be a problem to sweep across Jingnan."
There are some plains in the north of Jingzhou, but basically all of the south of Jing is mountainous.
Under such conditions, the Yuanyang Army's combat capabilities can be brought into full play. Coupled with Sun Jian's large army, can even Cai Mao and his ilk be able to stop them?
A proper dimension reduction attack without any suspense.
"Yuanyang Army?"
Jia Xu had almost forgotten such an army.
He admired the patience of His Majesty the Emperor, who was able to hide the army that had made great achievements in the early battles here.
indeed.
Jingnan's high mountains and dense forests are very suitable for the Yuanyang Army's small-unit attack method.
They are extremely flexible and can be organized to attack, or they can be dispersed into basic units such as groups and corps for combat. Not to mention the soldiers and horses under Cai Mao, even the local Wuxi barbarians may not be their opponents.
In fact, the most difficult thing to do to capture Jingnan was not Cai Mao's officers and soldiers, but the barbarians living in the mountains and forests. Once Cai Mao was defeated, he would definitely collude with the Wuxi barbarians.
These guys are familiar with the terrain and have extremely strong fighting ability. If they cannot be defeated, they will definitely be a big disaster in the future. It will be difficult for the Han Dynasty's political power to gain a foothold in Jingnan.
"What do Wen He think?"
Liu Bian raised the corners of his lips slightly and raised his eyes to look at Jia Xu.
"Very good, very good."
Jia Xu nodded quickly and said awkwardly: "To be honest, I almost forgot about such a force. It seems that Your Majesty already had a strategy to capture Jingxiang. Now he is just following the rules."
"Those who know me well are Wen He."
Liu Bian was too lazy to be modest and nodded slowly: "Yes, I had a basic plan on how to defeat Jingxiang as early as two years ago. However, the situation changed too quickly, and coupled with the restrictions on food and grass, this
That’s why it’s been delayed so far.”
"Now that the conditions for the imperial court to regain Jing Yang are mature, we can just follow the original method. Although Zhou Yu is just a newcomer, I have great confidence in him."
Jia Xu leaned forward and held up his hands: "Since Zhou Yu can win your majesty's favor, I think he must have something unique. I would like to take a closer look at what this person is capable of."
Liu Bidan smiled: "Let's wait and see. I can guarantee that Zhou Yu's performance will definitely open your eyes to Wen He. In the future, he will be a young commander who is not inferior to Zhang Liao."
"Commander?"
Jia Xu was astonished.
He really couldn't believe that His Majesty the Emperor regarded this person as a commander-in-chief, not a general.
You know, Zhou Yu is now just the chief general of the Yuanyang Army, not the commander-in-chief.
In other words, Zhou Yu's career has just begun and is far from reaching its peak. What ability does this person have that can actually satisfy His Majesty the Emperor?
"That's right."
Liu Bian nodded affirmatively: "It's the commander-in-chief."
When Jia Xu heard this, he tried to keep calm: "Your Majesty pays attention to cultivating new people, which shocked me."
Liu Bian smiled calmly: "Aren't I also a newcomer? Newcomers are more active in thinking and can keep up with my ideas. The war in the future will be very different from the past. What I need is a commander who can keep up with the times."
indeed.
Since the emergence of Fuhuo Thunder, Nanyang Hanting has been hopeless and unfavorable.
This kind of thing has a faint tendency to become mainstream. Even if we study it in depth, it will indeed have the possibility of changing the times. If it cannot keep up with His Majesty's rhythm, it is normal for it to be eliminated.
Jia Xu deeply believed this, and even took it as a warning. He was also an old man, not a newcomer with active thinking: "Your Majesty's lesson is correct, I understand."
Liu Bian took a long tone and said seriously: "Wen He, I don't want you to fall behind. You can read more of the books in the library when you have nothing to do. It will definitely be of great benefit to you."
Jia Xu bowed his head and said from the bottom of his heart: "Here."
*****
Xiangyang City.
Caimao camp.
Central army, big tent.
Cai Mao pinched a strand of goatee under his chin, stared at the sand table in front of him, and smiled sternly: "There has been no movement in Nanyang for so long. I must be waiting for our reinforcements to arrive from Jingnan, as Yidu said."
"It must be so."
"but......"
Kuai Yue's eyes fell on the sand table, he exhaled and said softly: "Jingnan's soldiers and horses have returned. I think it won't be long before Nanyang Hanting's navy will arrive."
"It's just the right time."
Cai Mao clenched his fists subconsciously, and his eyes seemed to be filled with fire: "I really want to see if Nanyang's navy can fight as well as his army."
"I heard that the Nanyang navy has been established since last year. Sun Jian has been training every day, but for a full year, he is from the Fuchun Sun family, and he is also a powerful navy general."
"But unfortunately..."
Cai Mao raised his head and said proudly: "Water warfare is by no means as simple as land warfare. Soldiers and horses trained in lakes cannot withstand the bumps of the Han River."
"I hope so."
Kuai Yue was not as confident as Cai Mao.
Of course, he did not overly belittle himself or elevate his opponents.
In fact, Kuai Yue still had some confidence in the Jingxiang navy, but Nanyang always liked to create surprises. This time, Sun Jian dared to challenge, proving that his opponent was still somewhat confident.
"how?"
Cai Mao glanced at Kuai Yue: "Xiandu, don't you believe me?"
Kuai Yue shook his head: "How dare you? I am very confident about the Jingxiang Navy and you, the Commander-in-Chief. However, Nanyang has always been famous for its inventions. I am afraid that this time, there will be some secret weapon."
"snort!"
Cai Mao snorted and said nonchalantly: "In water battles, battleships play a big factor, but they are only part of it. The most important thing is the method of water battles."
"I, Cai Mao, have been in Jingxiang for many years, and have fought hundreds and thousands of naval battles. The Jingxiang navy has more than ten years of experience, and I have experienced no less than a hundred battles. How can I be a match for the Nanyang navy?"
Although Kuai Yue was a counselor, he was from Jingxiang after all. He had a certain understanding of water warfare and had experienced certain battles. He knew very well that there was an essential difference between infantry warfare and water warfare, especially on large rivers.
, even more so.
"The Governor is naturally proficient in water warfare, but you still can't underestimate the enemy. Since the opponent dares to fight you on the Han River, he must have someone to rely on, so it's better to be careful."
"kindness."
Cai Mao nodded slowly and sighed: "We'll wait until the Nanyang Navy fleet arrives. If we don't see their army, we're just talking on paper here."
Kuai Yue smiled faintly: "Yes, it is indeed true."
"Report—!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a long announcement sounded outside the tent.
Cai Mao looked up.
But when they saw General Deng Long hurriedly entering the tent, he looked extremely flustered. He didn't even bother to salute, so he raised his hand and pointed outside the tent: "Captain, something has happened."
Cai Mao frowned and felt unhappy in his heart. He was still in a high-spirited and contemptuous state just now. Why did he suddenly come to ruin things now?
"What's going on?"
Cai Mao said in a ferocious voice: "Just say it bluntly, no need to be wordy."
Deng Long then raised his hand and said, "Grand Governor, the navy from Nanyang is here."
Cai Maodan smiled, his eyes flashing: "Haha, are you here so soon? How many warships did they bring?"
Deng Long shook his head: "I'm not sure. It's still being launched, and I can visually estimate that there are at least a thousand warships."
Cai Mao was stunned for a moment: "How many? Thousands of ships!?"
Deng Long nodded: "It should not be less than a thousand ships."
hiss-!
Cai Mao was surprised and couldn't help but gasp.
According to their initial investigation, although Nanyang had established a naval force, it only had three to four hundred ships. How could there suddenly be so many more warships?
Although the number of battleships is not the key to determining the success of a naval battle, it is at least one of the ways to reflect combat effectiveness. If the number of battleships reaches a certain scale, it is still very bluffing.
At this moment, Cai Mao felt that something was not right. The Nanyang navy must have been hiding, not only in terms of troops, but also in the battleships!
"Damn."
Cai Mao cursed secretly and waved his hand: "Xiandu, let's go out and take a look."
Kuai Yue was equally surprised: "Okay, let's go."
Everyone left the military camp together and ran straight to the coast of the Han River.
Look around.
One after another, like dumplings, the warships sailed from the mouth of the river onto the river.
Among them, there are even some battleships that are not inferior to the large-scale warships of the Jingxiang Navy in terms of size, and some have even exceeded the warships of the Jingxiang Navy.
You must know that ramming is a commonly used tactic in water battles. You use your own heavy warships to crash the opponent's warships, thereby killing the enemy.
Cai Mao originally thought that his navy not only had an absolute advantage in terms of combat experience, but also had an absolute advantage in the number of fleets and the quality of warships.
But I never thought...
The Nanyang navy has far surpassed itself in terms of the number of fleets and the quality of its warships.
On the river, the warships lined up neatly, as if they were sharpened steel knives, ready to pierce their hearts at any time.
Gulu!
Cai Mao's throat rolled and he swallowed. He was completely stunned: "This...could this...could it be the strength of the Nanyang Navy?"
"Oh my God!"
Not to mention Cai Mao, even Kuai Yue himself couldn't help being surprised.
At this moment, he already felt a little regretful.
If he had not been so impulsive, perhaps the Jingxiang nobles would not have faced this catastrophe: "The number of warships in the Nanyang Navy is probably at least 1,300. Where did they get so many warships from?"
"Could it be..."
Kuai Yue suddenly realized something.
Nanyang Shipyard has indeed built many ships, but most of them are merchant ships: "Are they transformed from merchant ships? Or are warships disguised as merchant ships?"