Only Liu Ye and the emperor were present in the hall, so Liu Ye spoke more directly:
"If I were in Sun Quan's or Zhuge Liang's position, I would launch attacks from both the east and west on the Great Wei, in order to make it difficult for the central army of the Great Wei to cope with both!"
Cao Rui straightened up a bit: "Liu Qiong, tell me more!"
Liu Ye said, "Sun Quan and Zhuge Liang are not foolish people. After the two battles in Huainan and Longyou, I believe Wu and Shu have also understood. The outer army of the Great Wei is stationed at the border. If there is an emergency, the central army of the Great Wei will rush to assist. At that time in Huainan and Longyou, the battle situation was all resolved by the central army of the Great Wei."
"If Shu attacks the west and Wu attacks the east, what should the central army of the Great Wei do? Should it be divided in two and rush to assist separately?"
Cao Rui frowned: "If we take last year's situation, the General-in-Chief was in Chenpo, and I would not have been concerned about Guanxi. However, this spring and summer there has been a great drought in the Guanzhong and Huaian regions. The armies in Guanxi must be short of food! In addition, Zhuge Liang has rested for two years. I fear that this man's military strength will be even more superior."
Liu Ye was puzzled as to why, every time the emperor mentioned Zhuge Liang, there was an extra measure of attention and caution.
Liu Ye had seen the military campaign summary issued by the Grand Secretariat when he was in Yan State. Although it did not specify, Liu Ye's professional skill was also to advise military affairs. Based on the battle lines and conditions, before marching to Mount Qinshan and Jingcheng Red Pavilion, Your Majesty had hesitated for a long time before setting off.
However, Liu Ye never asked that question; it's better to concern oneself with more important matters.
However, if Liu Ye had asked, Cao Rui would not have been able to answer directly. Such things are difficult to explain. Before the current era, it was almost rare to find generals like Zhuge Liang who became stronger with each battle and were capable in both military affairs and governance.
Liu Ye bowed and said: "What I am concerned about is such a situation where it is difficult to handle."
Cao Rui focused and asked, "Liu Qiong, please be more specific. Where does the Great Wei most need to prepare?"
Liu Ye replied: "Tadong, Wanwan!"
Cao Rui lightly nodded, remaining silent.
At the places where the Great Wei and Shu's forces were in a standoff in Guanxi, Yangping Pass in Han middle had a stronghold that could be relied upon, and Wudu Prefecture also had Zhuge Liang's heavy troops guarding it. The only place that was farthest west and most remote was Tadong, where the troops were weakest and hardest to defend.
It's just another thing that cannot be helped.
Although the Great Wei has 300,000 troops on the surface, with such a vast territory, only around 60,000 troops are allocated to the western border.
In the second and third years of Taiping, General-in-Chief Cao Zhen had discussed the matter repeatedly with the Grand Secretariat and even Emperor Cao Rui himself.
The conclusion reached was that if emphasis is placed on defense everywhere, the military and logistics would be completely insufficient. Focusing the troops on the Wudu and Qishan line was the most rational decision.
The only option is to use Tadong as a weaker 'treat' to attract Shu's forces to attack.
However, General to the Moors Lu Xun himself had no complaints. Traditionally, the families of high-ranking generals live in Luoyang or Yè City to prevent the generals from rebelling or having doubts.
In the second year of Tahe, Emperor Cao Rui specially approved a princess to go to Tadong to marry the new Crown Prince. After the princess became pregnant in the third year of Tahe, she moved from Tadong to Qishan City, the seat of Qinzhou Prefecture. In spring of the fourth year, she gave birth to a son.
Lu Xun, a native of Yangzhou, was overjoyed at the birth of his son, as he had received permission from Cao Zhen to visit Qishan and see his son. The name of the baby was even given as Lu Tan, which means "resistance" in Chinese.
These trivial matters, Cao Rui only learned of when he was in the right north plains.
In Tadong, Lu Xun had only 10,000 Qiang soldiers, and over two years, he had discarded several times and supplemented several batches of new troops. Besides retaining 4,000 light cavalry, the remaining 6,000 light cavalry were converted into infantry by Lu Xun. According to Lu Xun's report, the overall combat strength of these 10,000 Qiang soldiers was already on par with ordinary regional troops.
If it were someone else saying it, Cao Rui might still doubt it a little. However, as this was Lu Xun, who had only 10,000 troops at most, Cao Rui still firmly believed in it.
Cao Rui looked at Liu Ye: "With Lu Xun in Tadong, even if he can't resist the Shu troops due to his lack of troops, he can prevent the situation from worsening and drag it until Zhang Heng arrives for aid."
"And at Wankou, I am not quite sure."
Liu Ye also nodded and said, "Jia Zhennan is known for his military governance and political skills, rather than being a brave general. If Sun Quan makes a large-scale attack on Wankou, it might resemble the Wei's attack on Rumenu. Both Rumenu and Rucun are by the riverside, and the Wu army relies on their water army, which is favorable to them against the Wei."
"Your Majesty, you have already ordered the three generals to move their camps. Why not send a letter to the Duke of Chen in Yan State, asking him to consider the defense of Wan City and Wankou more carefully?" Cao Rui said: "This plan can work. But since I am far away in Yan State, I will not interfere with the specific affairs. Let Duke Chen judge how to act on his own. Only make it clear what the court is worried about."
"Send it as a private letter, Liu Qiong, you draft it for me!"
Liu Ye answered, "At your service, Your Majesty. I will start drafting it immediately."
……
Jingzhou, Wuhsiang.
Yinfang held a few prepared documents and wanted to visit Hu Zong in the Wu King's palace. However, before she could see Hu Zong, she was stopped by a young eunuch in his thirties at the entrance of the palace.
"The horseman please wait a moment." The eunuch extended his arm to stop: "General Hu has gone to the Hall of Supreme Authority to discuss matters with the Supreme Authority. It's better for the magistrate monitor to wait outside. When General Hu returns, he will invite you in."
Lately, in preparation for the event of persuading Sun Quan to ascend the throne, Yinfang had been constantly traveling between the Wu King's palace and the Prime Minister's Mansion, etc. This was the first time she had been stopped. Just now, she felt a third of her heart was startled and she thought they had discovered her identity.
While on the main hall of the Wu King's palace, Sun Quan was in discussion with Sun Xuan, Pan Jun, and Hu Zong.
It was the same time era but different political entities. Besides Shu Han, there were no other imperial relatives to rely on. Wei and Wu both unconsciously relied on imperial relatives for military affairs.
In Wei, there are many examples of the royal family being involved in military affairs. In Wu, the most typical example is Sun Quan's cousin Sun Huan.
The latest novel was first published on Liushu88!
When Sun Jian, Sun Wentai, raised his troops at the beginning, his younger brother Sun Jing, Sun Xiaotai made a lot of contributions. Sun Jing had five sons, of whom three were Sun Jiao, who took over the defense of Xiaoku after the death of Cheng Pu. After the death of Sun Jiao, he was taken over by his younger brother Sun Huan.
When Liu Bei attacked Yiling, Sun Quan also moved from Yangzhou Jianye westward to occupy Wu Chang, in order to control the overall situation. At that time, Sun Huan's army was closest to Sun Quan, and Sun Quan also used Sun Huan's troops as a foundation to establish the central army of Wu.
After the battle of Wan City in Tahe's first year, the original five million scale of Wu's central army was largely wiped out, just like Liu Bei's situation at Yiling. Over three years, Sun Quan dispatched people to recruit strong troops from various places, and first put up the framework of the central army.
Although it still fell short of the central army of Wu three years ago, it was more than enough to be used.
This time, both the General of Grand Expansion Sun Huan and the General of Courageous Expansion Pan Jun arrived at Wu King's Palace in Wu Chang, not for the purpose of advocating for the imperial title, but for genuine military affairs.
Listening to Sun Huan's introduction, Sun Quan's eyebrows were tightly furrowed, as if he was making a difficult decision.
"Jiming, is this really true?" Sun Quan asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Sun Huan bowed: "Your Majesty, I came from Xiaoking to Wu Chang to report in person, how could there be any falsehood?"
"Now on the Han River, the ships of Wu are free to travel from Xiaoking to Yicheng. The vessels of Wei can only navigate a short stretch of waterway from Xiangyang to Yicheng, and dare not go south. Yicheng is not far from Xiangyang, and the water conditions and rainfall are almost the same."
"Since around the sixth of August, there has been continuous heavy rain in the Xiangyang and Yicheng area. And two days ago, one of my subordinates, Zhang Liang, learned near Yicheng that the Han River had begun to rise. He sent someone to inform me twice a day. According to this water level, I estimate that the Han River has overflowed into Xiangyang City!"
Sun Quan's brow was still tightly furrowed: "If that's the case, the Han River has indeed overflowed. But if it has reached the point where the river floods into Xiangyang City, it cannot be caused by only heavy rain in Xiangyang. Therefore, the neighboring counties that feed into the Han River, such as Nanyang, Nanxiang, and Dong Sanjun, should all have heavy rain."
"Last time the Han River flooded, as I remember correctly, it was in the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an!" Sun Quan reached up to rub his slightly purple whiskers under his chin as he spoke: "At that time, Guan Yun was able to besiege Fancheng and capture Yu Jing mainly due to the flood of the Han River."
"Does that mean, as Sun Huan said, Wu should take some action?"
Sun Huan nodded repeatedly, while Pan Chun's expression became even more agitated.
"The supreme authority, the flood of the Han River is large and overflowed, this is heavenly signs and geographical advantages! Plus the supreme authority wants to achieve the imperial business, seven ten thousand troops have been assembled in Wu Chang, Wei troops unprepared, this is human factor!"
"With the heaven's timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony all in place, this is a favorable opportunity granted by heaven to the supreme authority!" Pan Jun stood up and bowed deeply, saying: "I suggest that the supreme authority should temporarily delay the declaration of the imperial title and lead the seven thousand troops to attack Xiangyang!"
"I also agree." Sun Huan stood up, speaking with equal intensity: "The Wei army is not good at water battles. Now that the Han River has overflowed and divided the north and south, this is the time for Wu to advance on Xiangyang! Many years ago, Wu occupied Xiangyang but abandoned it. I, as a minister, am willing to be a pioneer to capture Xiangyang as a gift for the supreme authority to establish its rule!" (This chapter concludes)
