In front of the map of Yuzhou, Wang Zheng stood with his hands behind his back.
"The military is a major event for the country, so it is natural that we will often encounter dilemmas. If we pay attention to one thing, we will lose the other. But sometimes, this is not the case."
Looking around the audience with tiger eyes, he smiled and said: "Just now, the gentlemen were talking and debating eloquently. I have been listening for a long time, but now I want to ask first. Cao Cao wants to capture Yuzhou first and wipe out the Yellow Turbans.
Is it true that my choice in Xuzhou is to support or not to support?"
After hearing this, everyone was startled. They felt that Wang Zheng asked something rather strange. Is there a third option?
Either to rescue the Yellow Turbans in Yuzhou, or to break the contract, and to set up another front to the southwest of Xuzhou when Beihai has not been completely pacified. If not, then it is to sit back and do nothing and allow Cao Cao to continue to grow.
In fact, these two options have their own pros and cons, which is why the civil and military disputes in the Hall just now started.
"Then let's put it another way."
Wang Zheng raised his eyebrows and said sternly: "If we put aside the threat of Cao Cao's increased strength and the fact that the main force of our army is attacking Beihai, Huang Jun and Baoman sent people to ask for help. What do you think?
Should I save him or not? Should I help him?"
Guo Jia's heart moved when he heard this, and he pondered thoughtfully, while Huang Zhong on the other side said directly: "Of course there is no way to save him!"
"My lord and these two are neither close friends nor old friends, nor have we ever met. If there is any talk of comradeship, my lord is now a minister of the Han Dynasty, and there is no reason to help these rebellious ministers and traitors."
"That's right." Wang Zheng laughed and said, "Speaking of these two dear friends, I have never met them face to face. I have even heard their names for the first time. Fortunately, they can think of them at such a critical moment.
Come to me."
As he said that, he shrugged and joked to himself: "It seems that I am somewhat famous now."
While everyone was cheering and laughing, Guo Jia's eyes lit up and he immediately said: "My lord is very knowledgeable and what he said is true."
"There is indeed a third option!"
Sure enough, Guo Jia reacted the fastest.
Wang Zheng nodded appreciatively and immediately sat down again: "In that case, Fengxiao, I'll leave it to you to explain."
"Here!"
Guo Jia, who had been given the key point, stepped forward and said loudly: "Just as Zheng Fangcai said, since the two states of Yan and Xu live next to each other, there is no suspicion of rescue, and Cao Cao and the lord will have a battle sooner or later!"
"Therefore, in addition to self-strengthening, our army must also always pay attention to the movements of Cao's army, always take precautions to prevent the enemy's development momentum!"
"The Lord once said a famous saying, don't do what your enemy wants you to do. The reason is very simple, that is what your enemy wants!"
When he said this, Guo Jia raised his hands to Wang Zheng, but did not notice that Wang Zheng touched his nose in embarrassment, secretly apologizing to the foreign king in later generations.
Guo Jia continued: "What we have to do now is to do the opposite. We cannot let Cao Cao easily succeed and get what he wants. The reason is equally simple. The stronger they are, the greater the threat. In the future, the Lord will defeat them."
The more people waste time, the more time they spend!"
"So, we must not let Cao Cao easily regain Yuzhou this time!"
Speaking of this, many people present had actually vaguely reacted, but Mi Fang was half a beat slower. The more she listened, the more confused she became. She couldn't help but ask: "The military advisor meant to change his mind and agree with what Mi Heng said."
Yan De sent troops to rescue Huangjun, Baoman?"
"No, no." Guo Jia laughed dumbly and shook his head: "Hindering Cao Cao's recovery of Yuzhou and rescuing Huangjun and Baoman are not necessarily confused."
He strode forward, came to the map of Yuzhou and pointed out the country:
"According to statistics in the first year of Xingping, Yuzhou has more than 1.1 million registered households and nearly 8 million people. It is the most prosperous state in the world. It has six counties and hundreds of cities, among which Runan is second only to Guangwu.
Nanyang in the land of Longxing is truly the second largest county in the world!"
"And in this land of six counties, there are currently three parties that know how to hunt!"
"Cao Cao occupied Yingchuan, Lu State, Yuan Shu occupied Pei State, most of Runan, and Yuzhou Yellow Turban occupied Chen State, Liang State and part of Runan."
Guo Jia paused, looked sideways and asked: "The forces of Huangjun and Baoman are now in the Chen and Liang kingdoms. May I ask, gentlemen, how far are these two kingdoms from me in Xiapi? If a large army goes out, how many days will it take?"
"
This question naturally had to be answered by Huang Zhong, the most experienced person present.
He did not give in, and walked to the wall and looked at it for a while, and then said: "If we start from Xiapi, we will have to pass through the entire Pei Kingdom by land. If we go in a straight line, regardless of the baggage issue, we will
The quality of the heavenly army is enough for seven or eight days, but..."
After thinking about it, Huang Zhong added: "Although the Pei State is within Yuan Shu's sphere of influence, it is to the north of the Lu State. There is no guarantee that Cao Cao will not set up sentries to cover up the news and avoid the cities along the way, but he must be spared."
Some of the original roads may take more than ten days."
"General Huang is indeed a man who knows how to fight." Guo Jia first praised and then asked: "If our army does not rush to help Chen and Liang, do you think they can defend it?"
"We can't hold it!" Huang Zhong said without hesitation: "Yuzhou Yellow Turban originally thought that He Yi and Liu Pi were the most powerful. The general had heard of their names when he was in Jingzhou. On the contrary, Huang Jun, Baoman
Hey, not only the lord has never heard of it, but even the general didn’t know about it before, so he’s just a mediocre person.”
"Xiahou Dun is a general under Cao Cao, and now he is threatening a great victory. I predict that Huang County and Baoman will not only be unable to defend it, but will most likely be defeated in one blow!"
"What about Runan?" Guo Jia asked again: "If Xiahou Dun is allowed to seize the two countries again, Pei will not be able to survive. In the end, only Yuan Shu's power in Runan will be left. What does General Huang think about the outcome of Cao and Yuan?"
"this..."
Huang Zhong was a little hesitant. After all, with his previous status and experience involving the confrontation between two major princes, it was difficult to make an accurate judgment.
At this moment, Wang Zheng on the side gave the answer categorically.
"Yuan Shu will be defeated!"
At this time, even Guo Jia couldn't help but look over in surprise, as if he was surprised that Wang Zheng was so sure.
"Then my lord..." Guo Jia asked: "If Yuan Shu is defeated, will our army rescue him or not?"
"We must save him!" Wang Zheng said seriously: "If Cao Cao is allowed to unify Yuzhou and then use the name of the emperor, he will become a serious trouble!"
"Besides, with such a powerful enemy watching covetously and peeping at one side, the stability of our territory in Xuzhou will not be preserved. How can I spare the time to expand my power abroad?"
"If it's assistance, how will it be assisted and how many troops will be sent?"
Wang Zheng pondered for a while and said: "We will divide our troops from Pengcheng and Xiapi to assist. As for the troops, Cao Cao's strong army will require at least 20,000 troops!"
"How much food do we need to feed an army of 20,000 people? Most of Xuzhou's harvest last year has been used in the war in Beihai. The remaining food and grass are really difficult to sustain an expedition of tens of thousands of people. Not to mention that the troops are exhausted, but this is
, it’s absolutely impossible.”
"Just to collect grain and grass, if we divide our troops from Pengcheng and Xiapi to assist Runan, the grain must be transferred thousands of miles away, and a lot of waste will be wasted on the way. "Historical Records Pingzhunshu No. 8" once said, "The Han Dynasty has access to the southwestern Yi Road.
"Tens of thousands of people travel thousands of miles to carry grain, and it takes more than ten minutes to transport one stone." Calculated in this way, it is half of five hundred miles to transport one stone of grain. The road is wasted, and the consumption of the people must be at least ten times
this."
"Therefore." Guo Jia said seriously: "Our army is going to send troops at this time, but it is not to rescue the Yuzhou Yellow Turbans, but to take advantage of Cao Cao's failure to succeed, to make preparations in advance for the transfer of grain and grass, and to open up a transportation artery!
"
"If we really want to participate in the war between Cao and Yuan in the future, we must at least take the initiative first and ensure that we can attack when we advance and defend when we retreat!"
It made sense. Wang Zheng nodded and asked, "How to do it?"
Guo Jia smiled, pointed at the map with his halberd, and slowly said three place names: "Ningping, Xiangxian, and Yilu!"
"Ningping? Xiangxian? Yilu?"
Everyone looked at the map at the same time, and most of them were whispering to each other, either confused or thoughtful, but Wang Zheng and Huang Zhong watched it intently for a moment, and then unanimously praised it.
"Wonderful!"
If you look at the map, these three cities happen to be in the center of Yuzhou, forming a triangular shape with angles to each other. At the same time, there is a large water system called Pi River running through them from east to west.
"Ningping happens to be within the territory of Chen State, and Xiang County and Yilu are located at the junction of Chen State and Runan County. These places are only three to four hundred miles away from the center of Runan. The roads along the way are smooth and there are no obstacles from mountains and passes. Qingqi rides,
It can be reached in five days.”
"If our army goes out to support each other this time, getting these two cities will be like searching for something!"
Guo Jia looked at everyone and further explained: "Look, gentlemen, these three cities look to Runan in the south and Yingchuan in the west. If Cao Cao is not stationary in garrison, then I will not be stationary in garrison. Just sit back and watch. If Cao Cao
If I dare to attack Runan brazenly, I can rush out and seize its retreat! In this way, our army can temporarily avoid frontal combat with the enemy, but also appear to be defending rather than attacking, and strike from behind!"
"If these three cities are obtained, they will not only have mountains and rivers to protect each other, but also can help each other. At the same time, they will rely on the Pi River. It will also allow us in Xuzhou to transport food, grass, soldiers, horses, equipment, swords and armor in the shortest possible time.
support."
"It can even be said that if Cao Cao and Yuan Shu fight, with Ning Ping in hand, our army does not need to participate in the battle at all. We only need to find out the specific logistics situation of Cao Cao's army. At that time, we will only need a thousand elite tiger warriors from the Tianzhu Camp to go out or burn
Once the plan is to destroy its granaries or cut off its grain roads, Runan's position will be relieved, and Cao Cao will not be able to unify Yuzhou! This is one of them."
"If our army rushes from Xiapi to assist Runan, it will be a long-distance and exhausted force. If our army captures three cities and sends troops to garrison in advance, in comparison, Cao Cao in Yingchuan will become a lone and exhausted force in a long-distance attack. The host and guest
The situation suddenly changed. This is the second one."
"As long as the three cities of Ninh Binh are captured, the initiative will be under our control. Aren't our troops going to fight however they want?"
"The above two are immediate benefits. We have conquered the three cities of Ningping. The most important thing is that they will have long-term and local benefits for us in Xuzhou."
Guo Jia straightened his clothes, bowed to Wang Zheng, and said, "I have been thinking about it for a long time. I wanted to wait until Beihai Kingdom was settled before I proposed this proposal to my lord. Since it coincides with the meeting, I might as well advance this proposal."
"Oh?" After hearing this, Wang Zheng's spirit perked up, and he straightened his body immediately: "As a filial piety, I will listen attentively."
"The three cities of Ningping are located in the hinterland of Yuzhou. Within their territory, they are surrounded by lush vegetation, lush mountains, vast hectares of fertile farmland. They not only have important strategic value, but also have great economic significance. This is one of the long-term benefits."
"From Ninh Binh to the north, there are several highways that lead directly to Chenliu, Yanzhou!"
"Chenliuzhe is the place where Cao Cao raised his troops. It is also the western gateway of Yanzhou, directly adjacent to Yingchuan and Henan Yin. It is only more than three hundred miles away from Xudu!"
Speaking of this, Guo Jia's eyes glowed with confidence: "My lord, once we capture the three cities of Ningping, we can build barriers and build fortifications with the help of the surrounding mountains. Not only can we stop Cao Cao's surge, but we can also seize the future of Yuzhou.
To take the initiative on the battlefield, when the war calms down a bit, we can build a new important town based on the three cities, build earth and walls, and gather elite and strong troops. Once the time is right, we can march straight in at any time and surprise Chenliu!"
"As long as Chen Liu is captured, Cao Cao's current territory and power will be cut into pieces and cut off from it. I dare to say that Cao Cao's defeat is not far away!"
"And from Ninh Binh to the east, the roads leading to Pengcheng are all from Peiguo County. There are ready-made roads and inns. They only need a little repair before they can be put into use. Whether to take this place or not, and when to take it, all depends on it.
As soon as my lord thought about it, Yuan Shu was fierce in appearance and soft in heart. Ever since the battle in Xuzhou, he had already feared my lord like a tiger, so he did not dare to take the initiative to turn against him."
"Once the lord captures Pei Kingdom, he can connect Pengcheng, Pei Kingdom, and Ninh Binh into a line. This is done by connecting points and connecting areas, so that they can be attacked or defended."
"How can we say it can be attacked or defended? Our army has won Ninh Binh. If there is no war in the future, there will be Ninh Binh barrier in front, such as a defensible shield. If there is a war, we will use the power of the six counties to gather together, and Ninh Binh will attack in front.
, like a piercing spear!”
"If there is an army in Yuzhou, our army can arrive in a few days and influence the overall situation. If nothing happens, we can be ready to go north to visit Chenliu at any time!"
The people in the hall were all important ministers of Wang Zheng, and the meaning of Guo Jia's last sentence was naturally understood. The key to capturing the three cities of Ningping was not only to curb Cao Cao's process of unifying Yuzhou, but also to pose a powerful threat to Yanzhou, his real base.
.
Since it is a formidable and powerful enemy, rather than preventing it from growing stronger, the better way is to look for opportunities to strangle it in the cradle, which is even better!
"Okay, okay, okay!"
Wang Zheng stood up suddenly, walked quickly to the wall, and looked at the map carefully for a long time. Then he directly found the locations of Ningping, Xiang County, and Yilu. After marking them with his own hand, he turned to look at Guo Jia sideways, with an indescribable expression in his eyes.
Appreciation: "The high theory of filial piety is really enlightening. What do you think?"
Zhang Zhao was the first to speak: "The wisdom of filial piety is unpredictable even to ghosts and gods. I am ashamed of myself!"
These words were indeed spoken from the bottom of his heart, but in his heart, Zhang Zhao secretly added that this was only for military matters.
Others are also convinced, including the unruly and confident Mi Heng.
"If that's the case, then it's settled."
Wang Zheng said with a smile, and then looked at Huang Zhong: "Han Sheng, please go to see an envoy from Yuzhou on my behalf. Tell me that I will send troops to Yuzhou in the near future to help our two comrades!"