Overlord!

Chapter 257 Zhuge Wuhou marches
Liu Xie, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, was unlikely to accept his attempts at peace.

When Cao Cao attacked Huainan and captured the city, the emperor did not come out to dissuade him.

Sun Ce had just achieved some success and was about to launch a counterattack when the emperor came out and called a halt.

It is impossible for Jiangdong's civil and military officials to agree.

Duke Xiang restored the vengeance of the ninth generation and brought justice to him in the Spring and Autumn Period.Nowadays, Zhu Xia advocates repaying grievances directly and avenging shame.Otherwise, the public sentiment in Xuzhou would not be so turbulent.

Of course, the emperor did not intentionally favor Cao Cao, but when he got the news and sent people to persuade him to make peace, it happened to be stuck at the time when Sun Ce launched a counterattack.

Therefore, as an angel, Zhao Yan also knew that he could not persuade Sun Ce immediately.But no one, including him, thought that Wu Hou would refuse so directly!He refused the emperor's order in person.

Zhao Yan was so angry that he almost fainted in one breath. He was a strong man and had certain rules that could not be violated. He immediately held his staff and shouted angrily: "If the general insists on having his own way, Yan will hang himself in the general's camp today. Everyone in the world will say that Wu Hou is good at it." By killing an angel, his disobedience is revealed!"

His strength was so strong that Jiangdong's civil and military officials in the court were shocked. If the angel died in Jiangdong's camp, Jiangdong would inevitably be severely damaged in terms of reputation and justice.Zhang Hong repeatedly signaled Sun Ce with his eyes to put the situation on hold.

Sun Ce never thought that there would be such loyal ministers in the Han Dynasty today.

So Sun Ce said: "It is said in the world that ten thousand people chase the rabbit, and one person can catch it. The greedy ones will all stop, and Gaifen Ding is dead. Now Huainan has not been settled, and my people's blood feud has not been avenged, so the four directions cannot be settled. How can the angels think that I can do it alone?" Truce?"

Shenzi said, "A rabbit is walking in the street, and a hundred people are chasing it."This is because greed is inherent in humans and is understandable.People chase rabbits because their ownership has not yet been determined.

But in the shops and shops, the market was full of rabbits, and countless pedestrians passed by, but no one took a second look at the cages.It's not that people don't want rabbits, it's because rabbits already have owners.

After the points are determined, even if you are humble, you will not argue.

Now that Cao Cao dares to invade south, it is obviously because he is still greedy for Huainan and the wealth of Jiangdong.If you don't hurt him and make him afraid to look south, his greed will never stop.

This is also one of the reasons why Sun Ce firmly refused the emperor's mediation this time. Everyone in the world must know that Huainan already has an owner, and the building is owned by the Sun family.

This can not only prevent the powerful enemy from invading south, but also calm the hearts of people in the south of the Yangtze River.This is also the strategy Pang Tong set for Sun Ce, to declare the principles and disciplines and to stabilize people's hearts.To put it into practice, it would naturally be to eliminate bandits and help the weak, so as to restore order and discipline to China and gather the people in the south of the Yangtze River.Within the confines of the city, cocks crow and dogs bark, reaching the four realms; the common people rejoice and enjoy peace.

Of course, Sun Ce also made the roads south of the Yangtze River be repaired, and the people were prosperous. They were more prosperous than in the past and richer than usual.

Once Jiangnan is established, we can proceed to the Northern Expedition safely, and we can have no worries about the future.

Sun Ce is not a saint. Of course he has his own selfish motives. It is impossible for him to think only about how to bring peace to the world.Against princes like Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, he did not dare to say that he would definitely be able to dominate the world.So for now, we must first ensure that we can secure Jiangnan, at least have the Sun family's century-old foundation, and be able to claim the title of emperor in the Southern Dynasties.

After stabilizing the south, the south and even the whole world recognized the Sun family as the lord of the south. After Sun Ce's position was stable, he could further expand the north to the Central Plains.

Sun Ce's thoughts on this point are similar to Liu Yu's.

After hearing Sun Ce's words, Zhao Yan just said: "General Sun's words are not unreasonable. The imperial court is not ignorant of right and wrong, forcing the general to retreat immediately. If Cao's army retreats and evacuates Huainan, will the general be willing to stop the war?"

Of course, Sun Ce could not make a promise, but said calmly: "The war has not yet been decided, and Gu Shang does not know the direction of the war. How can he dare to say what will happen after Cao's army is defeated? Angel might as well stay in Huainan temporarily to observe the direction of the war before making a final conclusion."

If this is said, it actually means that the emperor's mediation has failed.

Sun Ce and Cao Cao insisted on continuing the war in front of the emperor's mediating angel, and it was impossible to end the war just by drawing a border.A battle must be fought to determine the difference between north and south!
Zhao Yan failed to mediate, so he could only suppress his anger and said: "Since General Sun cannot lead the court's virtues, the court can only summon the general's younger brother Yi to join Santai as a visitor in the middle palace to express the court's favor."

Sun Ce glanced at Zhao Yan in surprise and called Sun Yi into Santai?

In the Han Dynasty, Shangshu, Yushi and Yezhi were the three platforms, among which Shangshu was the middle platform, Yushi was the Xiantai, and Yezhao was the outer platform.

The visitor belongs to the Changqiu period, and the main hall is the majesty of the season, and he also introduces ministers and conveys missions and other matters.

To put it bluntly, these are the personal attendants around the emperor.

Regarding this matter, Sun Ce thought about it for a while but did not refuse. Sun Yi Haoyong was most like his late father. His bravery was extraordinary, but his strategy was insufficient. There was nothing wrong with going to the Emperor of the Han Dynasty to expand his horizons.It will also make it easier for him to leave town and become king in the future.

Moreover, Sun Ce really needed a trusted person who could deliver the news from the court to him.

Therefore, Sun Ce did not care too much about sending clan members to the court.

Besides, this is still a visitor. In the future, he will be able to participate in the mission to Jiangdong to promote the emperor's kindness.

Sun Ce replied to Zhao Yan: "Yes. When I defeat the Cao thieves, I will send my third brother Yi to the emperor to deliver tribute."

Zhao Yan then bowed his hands and said goodbye, saying: "The imperial court is in turmoil today, and the ancestral temples are destroyed. Looking at the states and counties, although they are dragging in rebels outside, they are actually showing their true intentions inside. At present, the emperor is showing kindness, and the general should welcome the imperial court's wishes as soon as possible. Yes, the time is right. I hope the general will think about it again."

After sending Zhao Yan away, Sun Ce kept Zhang Hong and Zhuge Liang. In fact, both of them were counselors who were proficient in civil and military affairs, a bit like Jushou. They were powerful both internally and externally, and could make suggestions.

After the angel left, Zhang Hong stood up and said: "The Han Dynasty has been in Lingchi for a long time. Heroes from all over the world have risen together, and their disciples have gathered together. They have thousands of plans. This is a real situation where thousands of people are chasing rabbits. Only the first one can win." The general is now determined in the south. He has a strong army and a large number of soldiers. He must defeat Cao Cao in order to eliminate the covetous captives from outside and secure the hearts of heroes at home. Emperor Kuang has come to envoy to reconcile Guandong and the battle of Huainan. It is no longer appropriate to postpone the battle, and it is better to march in as soon as possible to support him. .”

Zhang Hong was talking about strategic considerations. Defeating Cao Cao enabled the southern regime to ensure that it would not be threatened by foreign enemies and that it could block the ambitious heroes in the country and their attempts to collude with internal and external forces.

In fact, tactically, Sun Ce had to march to fight Cao Jun.

Otherwise, Xu Kun might not be able to support it!Xu Kun and Xu Sheng's battle to defend the city has reached a precarious level, but although they both have problems, the specific situations are completely opposite.

Xu Sheng had too few manpower. Although Xiacai County was an important military town with a strong city and sufficient soldiers and supplies, in the face of Cao Ren's fierce attack, his five hundred elite soldiers and more than a thousand young men suffered heavy losses, and all defense lines were stretched thin.

But Xu Kun's situation is completely opposite.The Battle of Dongshan has been going on for more than two months. By the end of September, this battle to defend the city will have been going on for hundreds of days!
He, Xu Kun, had the aid of a large number of elite troops from Huaiyin and recruited a large number of young men. The army could hold on, but the food and grass in the city had already been exhausted.

Gaoshan is not a major military town. It is just a county government, relying on the county government's treasury for support. If it were not for the more than 2 stones of grain in the righteous warehouse, the city would have been unable to support it.

However, [-] shi of food was enough for five thousand strong men, but it was completely insufficient to feed the tens of thousands of people in the city.

The tragedy of Sun Ce's siege in Shouchun happened again in Gaoshan.

In the high mountain city, grain was cut off, and most of the people died from the epidemic. Corpses were scattered on the roads, and they were taken for food. Among them, those who had not died yet had their flesh cut off, mixed with pork and horse meat, and sold to the people.

Dou Liang has soared from three qian before the war to more than [-] yuan now.To buy one stone of grain, it costs more than [-] yuan!
All the horses in the army were slaughtered, and the soldiers were forced to dig rats and boil their sinews for food.

But fortunately, the morale of the defenders in the city was still relatively high. Even if thousands of the defenders died of hunger and distress, there would be no rebels.

In addition to Cao Cao's evil reputation, which made the men and women who defended the city afraid to open the city and surrender, the most important thing was that Jiangdong's reinforcements were not far outside the city.

As long as the city holds on and everyone is judged for their merits after the war, everyone will be greatly rewarded.

Sun Ce's advance was precisely to break the eastern siege of Cao Ying and relieve the siege of Gaoshan.

As long as grain, grass, and troops can be continuously transported from the east into the mountains, Gaoshan County will become a de facto pass and danger barrier, resisting Cao's army in the front and receiving strong reinforcements in the back.

Zhuge Liang said: "I thought that Lord Xu Fu, as a general of the clan, would defend the mountain to the death. Even if the general's reinforcements did not arrive, he would still fight to the death, let alone the reinforcements that have arrived now. I thought that victory could be expected. Defeat is only arrogance. If you rely on the strength of the masses and advance rashly, it is the only possible reason for defeat. Therefore, we should attack carefully and defeat the enemy in counterattack."

Hearing this, Sun Ce couldn't help but smile. Zhuge Liang was indeed cautious in his life.

However, his proposal this time coincided with Sun Ce's.

Here in Huaiyin, tens of thousands of elite soldiers have been assembled. The [-] troops that Jiangdong can mobilize include Zhou Yu's troops at Shouchun and Zhongli who are preparing to attack Cao Ren, and the more than [-] troops from Wei Yan who are attacking Xuzhou. Most of them are stationed near Gaoshan County and are stationed in preparation for reinforcements.

Huaiyin has more than [-] of Sun Ce's most elite infantry cavalry, including Zhuge Liang, Zhang Liao, Huang Zhong, Xu Huang, Zhao Yun and many other famous generals. The Jie Fan Army and the Dragon Bird Cavalry all gather here.

With an army numbering over ten thousand, there is rarely a decisive battle in which victory or defeat can be decided in one battle.They often have to go through various trials and win or lose before launching a decisive battle.

Just having a decisive battle with Cao Cao here is obviously not in Sun Ce's interests.

You can win by yourself, so there is no need to take risks.

As long as Zhou Yu defeated Cao Ren, Cao's army's retreat would be greatly threatened. Tens of thousands of his main troops were surrounded in the small area of ​​​​Linhuai, and it was impossible to break out without leaving more than [-] corpses.

This battle was a disastrous defeat for Cao Cao. He lost more than 2 people, and his military strength was bound to be damaged.

However, strategically speaking, despite this, we still have to fight a few battles here in Dongshan to try to see if we can use elite troops to repel Cao Jun's peripheral defense line and open up the connection with Xu Kun.

So Sun Ce said: "What you said is very consistent with the art of war, and I have exactly what I meant. So I appointed you as the general of the defense division, Zhonglang General, and supervised Fan's army, equipped with dragon and bird cavalry, and Zhang Fei's five other troops. Army, advance to relieve the siege of Dongshan."

After Sun Ce finished speaking, Zhuge Liang's pupils trembled instantly, and Zhang Hong looked at the young man in front of him in disbelief!

Military strategist Zhonglangjiang!
This position has extraordinary significance in Jiangdong. This military position was previously held by Zhang Hong. He now serves as General Zhaoyi, supervising the internal and external affairs, and is powerful in the three armies.Basically, Zhang Zhao is in charge of government affairs, and he is in charge of military affairs.

But even so, when Zhang Hong served as military advisor, he did not have as much authority as this young man does now. He only supervised the four counties of Lujiang, Jiujiang, Linhuai, and Guangling, and adjusted their taxes to strengthen the army.

And Zhuge Liang now directly commands the five most elite armies in Jiangdong. Whether it is the Jiefan Army or the Dragon Bird Cavalry, as well as the elite armored cavalry that Zhuge Liang previously commanded, they are all the absolute elite formed by the brave men recruited by Jiangdong. The troops' saddles, armor, and armor are all newer and better, and the generals and generals are stricter. Military discipline is strict, and all the troops are equipped with elite soldiers and well-equipped weapons, which is far beyond ordinary.

The generals of the troops under Zhuge Liang's command, including Huang Zhong, Xu Huang, Chen Wu, and Zhang Fei, were all brave and adept at fighting and had great military achievements!
Zhuge Liang is a young man who is appointed as the commander of the garrison. How can he be able to command these veterans who have experienced many battles on the battlefield?
So Zhuge Liang was also shocked, and he quickly raised his hands to persuade: "General, is it inappropriate to be so afraid? Liang's military achievements, being promoted to Zhonglang General are not enough to convince people. What's more, as a Zhonglang General, he is the governor of all generals? If you are young and shallow, I'm afraid you won't be popular enough."

Sun Ce smiled and said, "Because I am young, I have to practice more. I trust you, so I give you a sword. Anyone who disobeys military orders can be killed first and then punished."

As for whether you are young or not, it doesn't matter.

Before Sima Yi became an official, Zhang He was already a partial general.When Xia Houshang was still a boy, Zhang Liao was already powerful in the world.But don't these senior generals have to succumb to these four friends of Cao Pi?

If Cao Pi was able to promote Sima Yi, why wouldn't Sun Ce dare to promote Zhuge Liang?
When Wei Qing led the army to the expedition, Li Guang also looked down on Wei Qing, who was a slave, based on his seniority and background as a Longyou general. However, Wei Qing was able to lead the army to a complete victory, and Huo Qubing was able to conquer the desert at a young age.

So Sun Ce personally handed the sword to Zhuge Liang, who was bowing to greet him, caressed his back and said: "Huo Qubing was already a hussar general at a young age and was highly relied upon by Emperor Wu. You are also a young man and commanded thousands of people. If our army raises a partial division in front of Gu to defeat the enemy, Gu Xinqing will definitely be able to defeat the enemy and become Gu's Wuhou! I hope you will not underestimate yourself and live up to Gu's high expectations."

Zhuge Wuhou, this is one of the ten philosophers of the Martial Temple!
His military achievements made him known as the only military strategist in the late Han Dynasty.

Sun Ce believed that this young man would gain experience in commanding thousands of troops as soon as possible, and he would definitely be able to grow into his humerus in the future.

Even now, he will definitely be able to kill thousands of soldiers and defeat the peripheral generals of Cao's army for himself.

(End of this chapter)