Silver Fox of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 258 Garrison Baqiu, in charge of military power (Happy New Year's Day everyone)
In mid-November of the 13th year of Jian'an, the midwinter sun hung in the sky like this, but it seemed that it did not bring even a little warmth to the earth. The pale light fell down, only giving people a bone-chilling cold.

The north wind was still blowing, and countless ships outside Jiangling City were swaying back and forth in the wind and waves, and the khaki-colored river waves rolled, rolling up the mud and sand.

A few days ago, Cai Mao's main force was destroyed in Yiyang, and Zhang Yun withdrew back to Yicheng. Since then, Jingnan has returned to peace, and at the same time, almost all the south of Nanjun is owned by Liu Bei. Liu Cong is currently only half of Nanjun, and the name of Nanyang.

Today, Liu Bei's army is all deployed in Jiangling, Dangyang, and Jingling in the south of Nanjun. In this way, he can take Dangyang to Yicheng by land, and he can go north from Hanshui to Xiangyang from Jingling by land and water.

Therefore, in the county government mansion in Jiangling City at this time, in addition to the leading generals, Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, Xu Shu, and Shen Chen, the four masterminds, sat side by side to discuss matters.

"To unify Jingxiang, it is necessary to fight quickly and not delay. Cai Maoxin is destroyed, and Xiangyang is in panic. At this time, going north is our best opportunity."

Shen Chen believed that now was the time to go north and take Xiangyang directly, so he suggested that Liu Bei send troops immediately.

Liu Bei was surprised and said: "Xiaoqing often said that once Cai Mao is destroyed, Jiangdong will inevitably come and harass him. Shouldn't we deploy troops and horses along the river to guard against Sun Quan?"

"Jiangdong rats, why do you need an army to guard against death?"

Shen Chen said with a smile: "What's more, if the emperor's uncle is suspicious and does not enter at this time, Sun Quan's soldiers may enter Jiangxia by land and join forces with Liu Cong to fight against us. Therefore, the emperor's uncle must lead the army northward, lure Sun Quan into the hinterland, He annihilated him in one fell swoop!"

Xu Shu thought for a while and said: "Xiaoqing is trying to lure the enemy into a deep strategy, but the Jiangdong Navy is really powerful, and now the Jiangxia Navy only has 3 troops. If there is no emperor's uncle to support, I'm afraid."

"It's okay."

Shen Chen shook his head and said: "I will place the station in Baqiu. Even if I can't defeat Jiangdong, at least I can delay their progress. Uncle Huang can just go to Xiangyang."

"Put the defense against Jiangdong in Baqiu?"

Knowing Shen Chen's next military suggestion, Xu Shu was a little surprised and puzzled, and said: "This place is not an important place. It is better to be in Jiangling, it is the north wind season, at least even if you fight on the water, you will go with the wind. .”

Zhuge Liang was also a little puzzled, but he knew that Shen Chen would never target indiscriminately, so instead of questioning, he asked: "Xiaoqing, what's so good about guarding Baqiu?"

Shen Chen said with a smile: "There are three advantages. One is to guard the Jingnan Passage and prevent Jiangdong from attacking Jingnan when we seized Nanjun. Second, Baqiu is located at the entrance of Jingnan. If Jiangdong chooses to take a detour through Yunmengze If we attack Jiangling, we can attack from the north and the south. Three things. We will see when the time comes."

"Ah."

Zhuge Liang nodded slightly: "Since Xiaoqing thinks it's feasible, then let's arrange it like this."

"Xiaoqing is right."

Liu Bei looked at the three of them, and said in a deep voice, "We must make a quick decision in this battle, and go north to attack Xiangyang as soon as possible. As long as we quickly defeat Liu Cong and stabilize Jingzhou, we don't have to worry about Jiangdong's raids."

Shen Chen said: "I also ask the emperor to go north as soon as possible, so as not to cause changes if it is too late."

"Ah."

Liu Bei nodded.

At that moment, everyone discussed some details, and Shen Chen returned to Baqiu by boat that day.

At this time, Baqiu had not yet cast a city, and it would not be until Sun Quan built the city here in the 15th year of Jian'an that there would be a city wall. Therefore, Baqiu at this time is actually a rural pavilion.

The Jiangxia navy built a wharf in the big lake in the south, and the fleet docked in the lake. This lake is the South Lake of Yueyang City in later generations. It was called Yonghu Lake in Tang Dynasty. In Han Dynasty, this lake was still part of Dongting Lake and connected to the Yangtze River. .

And Baqiu is surrounded by mountains in the north and east, and it is a natural strategic location. After Yunmengze completely disappears, it will become the only Yangtze River estuary, guarding the traffic between east, west, north and south.

Although the geographical position of Baqiu was not obvious due to the existence of Yunmengze in the Han Dynasty, its importance was gradually reflected with the emergence of large land areas in Yunmengze such as Hongkou and Nan'an.

Therefore, Shen Chen asked the soldiers to build a camp in Baqiu, and built a large number of defensive facilities on the lakes and mountains in the north, which meant building a fortress.

On November [-]th, Shen Chen returned to Baqiu. Huang Zu immediately called a military meeting when he learned of his return.

Zhang Hu, Chen Sheng, Su Fei, Deng Long, Zhang Shuo, Zhang Nan, Qu Gan and other generals under his command, together with some assistant officials such as chief secretary, Chang Shi, Cao Shi, etc., more than [-] or [-] people gathered one class.

In the camp, Huang Zugao took the main seat, while Shen Chen sat cross-legged under his right hand. At present, Huang Zu is the oldest under Liu Qi's command. second person.

Regarding Shen Chen and Huang Zu's attitude, there are actually some fears and other complicated emotions. The fear lies in the fact that Shen Chen's prestige is rising day by day, and he has overwhelmed him as the chief general.

But in other respects, Shen Chen couldn't tolerate Huang Zu's suppression. Firstly, Shen Chen was young and his future was limitless. Suppressing him would be a hindrance to his descendants.Secondly, both Huang She and Liu Qi and Shen Chen have a good relationship, there is no need to ruin the friendship between their children because of the current fear.Three times, Shen Chen had saved his life, so he couldn't repay his kindness with revenge.

So Huang Zu could only keep this fear in his heart, and even asked Shen Chen's opinion on everything before giving orders.Including giving up the Shaxian Xiakou lair that he had been running for many years this time, and retreating the main force of the army to Baqiu, he also followed Shen Chen's suggestion.

But Huang Zu didn't know that Shen Chen planned to stay here. The purpose of this meeting was also to ask about the next plan. According to Huang Zu's idea, they had two choices next. One was to go north to fight Xiangyang with Liu Bei, and the other It's back to Shaxian to guard against Jiangdong's attack.

Therefore, at the meeting today, Huang Zu sat on the main seat, looked around first, and then said: "Everyone, now Cai Mao has been destroyed, and Zhang Yunkuai in Xiangyang is left to resist. I want to lead the army to Xiangyang with the eldest prince. You guys What do you think?"

"No!"

Shen Chen immediately stopped him and said: "Now that the eldest prince is ill, he can't travel around by boat, let alone by land? It's better to let the eldest prince rest and recuperate."

Huang Zu said in a deep voice: "Xiaoqing, now Liu Bei has gone north to attack Xiangyang, if he wins Xiangyang, do you know the consequences?"

"I am aware of Duke Yuanyang's concerns."

Shen Chen smiled and said: "However, Lord Xuande established the world with benevolence and righteousness. Once he seizes the foundation of the same clan, he will lose the trust of the people in the world. Therefore, Lord Xuande will not be like this. I predict that if he wins Xiangyang, he will definitely go to Baqiu to welcome the elders. Prince go back."

"Xiaoqing!"

Huang Zu's tone suddenly became more serious, and he reprimanded: "How can we rely on the trustworthiness of others for important national affairs? Back then, Jin Huigong was able to succeed to the throne with the help of Qin State, but he was unwilling to realize the city and land promised to Qin State. , everyone in the world only seeks their own interests, so how many things do people break their promises?"

Shen Chen pondered.

From his own point of view, Liu Bei will never seize Liu Qi's foundation because of the backup foundation of Yizhou, just like in history, he clearly had the opportunity to capture Xiangyang, but he did not attack Liu Cong in the end.

But from the perspective of others, now that Liu Bei is strong and strong, and has helped Liu Qi reset, if Liu Qi can't go to Xiangyang as soon as possible to seize the opportunity, then Liu Bei will preemptively occupy Nanyang and Nanjun, the two most prosperous and most populous counties in Jingzhou. For Liu Qi, it would be a disaster.

To some extent, this is equivalent to the fact that national interests are stronger than personal interests.Liu Bei occupied Xiangyang and took the opportunity to seize Jingzhou, which was in the interests of his side.Therefore, it is very reasonable for Huang Zu to have concerns in this regard. This is the result of different perspectives and positions.

However, Shen Chen pondered for a moment, and finally shook his head and said: "At this critical moment, the eldest prince can only entrust all his trust to Duke Xuande, otherwise, if he follows Duke Yuanyang's wishes at this time, I am afraid that Jingzhou will be destroyed." disaster."

"What do you mean?"

Huang Zu was a little dissatisfied. Could it be that he wanted Liu Qi to lead troops north to recover Xiangyang, and would Jingzhou be defeated?

Shen Chen analyzed: "Duke Yuanyang's intention is that he wants Duke Xuande to leave Jingzhou and go to Bashu? Then Prince Chang will lead the army to the north, surround Xiangyang, and take back Jingzhou!"

"good."

Huang Zu admitted: "We will never forget Liu Bei's help to the eldest prince. Jingzhou has a lot of food and supplies, so give him more at that time, and help him go to Xichuan to seize Bashu."

"But has Mr. Yuanyang ever thought that Sun Quan will not let it go?"

Shen Chen pointed to Dongfang and said, "Jiangdong Navy is strong, and now there are only [-] Jiangxia Navy in Jingzhou that can compete with it. Duke Yuanyang led the army to go north, and Jiangxia and Jingnan became empty overnight. Jiangdong went along the river." Go ahead, take Changsha in the south, join forces with Liu Cong in the north to take Jiangling, our troops and horses are stretched, do you think Duke Yuanyang can handle it?"

Now Liu Bei and Huang Zu Liu Pan have a combined total force of only 10 troops. Although there are more than 3 Cai Mao's captive army, these captives may not be converted into combat power immediately. Their own morale is low, and they need to re-dispatch generals to build loyalty and organizational structure.

So once Liu Bei really withdrew his troops immediately as Huang Zu said, their situation would become very embarrassing.Now Liu Qi's army mainly comes from Huang Zu and Liu Pan, who together have about [-] to [-] troops.

And Liu Cong still has tens of thousands of horses on his side, and Xiangyang is surrounded by water, which is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and it is difficult to capture in a short time.

If when Huang Zu Liu Pan attacked Xiangyang, Jiangdong suddenly launched an attack, and the whole situation would very likely evolve into a situation where Guan Yu had just flooded the Seventh Army and captured Xiangfan in history, and Sun Quan had taken Jiangling with a backstab. .

Therefore, the prerequisite, or the only solution, for Liu Qi to regain Jingzhou is that Liu Bei must not be allowed to leave. They need Liu Bei to share the pressure.

"This"

Hearing Shen Chen's words, Huang Zu was stunned for a moment, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "Then let Liu Bei help defend Jiangxia, and we attack Xiangyang. Or we attack Xiangyang together, that is better than letting Liu Bei's army go north."

"Do not."

Shen Chen shook his head: "General Zuo doesn't have a navy, how can he defend Jiangxia? If they go north together, Jiangxia and Jingnan will be handed over to Jiangdong. Once the Jiangdong navy blocks the Yangtze River, General Zuo may not be able to go to Xichuan even if he wants to. Duke Yang not only wants to kill the eldest prince, but also puts General Zuo in danger!"

"Shen Xiaoqing!"

Huang Zu slapped the table angrily and said: "Don't talk nonsense, when will I kill the eldest prince and General Zuo?"

Shen Chen advised: "Duke Yuanyang has also fought against the Jiangdong navy for many years, and he is naturally aware of the strength of the Jiangdong navy. At this time, Jingzhou is about to be recovered. Jiangdong is not a kind-hearted man who watched us defeat Cai Mao. They We are also waiting for the opportunity, once there is no Jiang Xia navy to stop us, the river will become a place for them to gallop, this is the lifeblood of Jingzhou."

Since ancient times, the Yangtze River has always been an important strategic location in the South in the era of cold weapons. It can be said that whoever controls the Yangtze River controls the entire South.Therefore, the princes in the south often have a powerful navy, such as the Jiangxia Navy and the Yangtze River Navy owned by Liu Biao at the end of the Han Dynasty, the Jiangdong Navy owned by Jiangdong, and so on.

Liu Bei does not have a navy. Even if Liu Bei is obedient, according to Huang Zu's tactics, let him stay to guard against Jiangdong. The Yangtze River, which is several miles wide, and Yunmengze, which is tens of thousands of square kilometers, almost become the Jiangdong navy. In the back garden of Jingzhou, Jingzhou's defense will be smashed into a sieve.

Therefore, the only way is to use magic to deal with magic, and the fleet to deal with the fleet. Although the Jiangxia Navy has only 3 people left, if they stick to one place, they can still seriously threaten the Jiangdong Navy, and they will not be easily defeated on the Yangtze River. looting.

Therefore, it is actually the best choice to let the Jiang Xia navy stay to deal with Sun Quan, and Liu Bei to go north to help Liu Qi capture Xiangyang.

Huang Zu was silent for a long time when he heard Shen Chen's words, because he knew what Shen Chen said was the truth.

So in the end he let out a long sigh, and said with some concern: "Xiaoqing's words are indeed reasonable. But if Liu Bei captures Xiangyang, what should I do if I keep it for myself?"

Shen Chen said with a smile: "General Zuo established the world with benevolence and righteousness. His helping the eldest prince to restore his position is an act of winning the hearts of the people. In the future, when he goes to Xichuan, the eldest prince must also help him with all his might, otherwise he will be ungrateful. If General Zuo takes Jingzhou as his own If you own it, you will destroy the city wall and lose your reputation, is there such a reason for this?"

"Well"

Huang Zu hesitated for a long time, and finally said: "Maybe that's the only way to go, then let's set off for Shaxian tomorrow."

"Sha Xian?"

Shen Chen shook his head and said, "We're not going anywhere, we're just in Baqiu."

"Just in Baqiu?"

Huang Zu was startled and said: "Baqiu is not guarding the main road of the great river. What's the purpose of stationing here?"

Shen Chen said with a smile: "Although Baqiu is not guarding the main road of the great river, he is located between Jingnan and Jingbei. It is true that the Jiangdong Navy can enter Nanjun from Yunmengze, but if they go north to fight with General Zuo Isn't that what Duke Yuanyang likes to see?"

"What if they come to attack us, or stop at Jiangxia and not enter?"

Huang Zu asked again.

Shen Chen replied: "We will confront General Zuo when he comes to attack Liu Cong. Then Sun Quan will be attacked from north to south. If they stay in Jiangxia and don't enter, then the army will attack both land and water. General Zuo will attack Jiangxia by land and we will go by water. How can Sun Quan be invincible if he rushes forward?"

"This"

Huang Zu hesitated endlessly, and asked him to give up Shaxian, which he had been running for many years, and come to Baqiu in the south, which in itself made him feel very uneasy.

What's more, there is no city in Baqiu, and the terrain is not particularly dangerous, far less stable than Sha Xian.

He shook his head and said, "No, I still can't be in Baqiu."

"It's in Baqiu!"

At this moment, another voice came from the door.

When everyone looked around, they saw Liu Qi standing at the door with a slightly pale face, and someone helped him into the hall.

"Meet the eldest prince."

Everyone quickly stood up and saluted.

After Liu Qi walked in, he looked around and said in a deep voice, "My life was saved by Xiaoqing, and Duke Yuanyang's life was also saved by Xiaoqing. I believe him!"

"But."

Huang Zu still wanted to say something.

Liu Qi said: "Xiaoqing has his own reasons for stationing troops in Baqiu. I hope Duke Yuanyang won't stop him."

"only."

Huang Zu had no choice but to compromise.

Liu Qi said loudly again: "Jiangdong is bound to strike in this battle. I will appoint Shen Chen as the governor and let him command the battle. Do you have any objections?"

All the soldiers looked at each other, Su Fei took the lead and said: "The last general has no objection."

"The last general has no objection."

"No objection."

"My old minister has no objection."

The corner of Huang Zu's mouth twitched slightly, the more afraid he was, the more he would come up with something.

His own military power was finally taken away.

　In the new year, I wish you all success and good health.Because Ah Snake is dizzy and has a runny nose, I am sorry that Ah Snake can't add more updates. I'm really sorry. When I recover, I promise to update every day.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)