Overlord!

The reason why Badong County rushes to increase or decrease the table is actually not complicated.

Zhu Ran said: "Badong County was originally the easternmost place where Liu Zhang divided Ba County and established a new county. It is close to Hanzhong. Liu Bei took Hanzhong County and threatened Badong County to the south."

This terrain and topography are actually quite beyond ordinary people’s expectations.

In ordinary people's impression, Hanzhong should be in the north of Yizhou. In fact, its location is a bit east. If there was no Bashan, it would be only about a hundred miles away from the main road from Jingzhou to Sichuan.

In fact, the geographical location of Hanzhong is closer to Jingzhou than Yizhou.

This is why Cao Zhen, Sima Yi, and Zhang He attacked Shu in three directions. Sima Yi set out with heavy troops from Jingzhou, went up the Han River, and stormed Hanzhong from Shangyong and Xicheng.

This support for the ban was precisely the Yizhou clan that raised troops to attack Liu Bei from the rear after Liu Bei entered Shu in history. However, Huo Jun only used a few hundred people to block it, and he held it for more than a year.

This is enough to prove that the terrain of Yizhou is steep. If there is no one to support it, it will not be easy to invade Yizhou.

Sun Ce originally thought that this was just an ordinary rebellion by the governors. Since the end of the Han Dynasty, there have been countless rebellions by the governors under the banners of various princes.

It is difficult for the governor of a state to control the state's ministers and governors.

But Zhu Ran continued: "However, Pang Xi himself should not be afraid of Liu Bei."

"Pang Xi is not afraid of Liu Bei? What does this mean?" Sun Ce asked in surprise.

Zhu Ran explained: "The reason why Pang Xi served as the governor of Brazil was because there were often rebellions among the Ba people in Ba County. Liu Zhang ordered Pang Xi to station in Langzhong to resist Zhang Lu. Pang Xi wanted to disturb the world, so the county should defend it with force. He ordered it many times Recruiting people as subordinates, some people used this to frame Pang Xi for rebellion, which made Pang Xi jealous of Liu Zhang."

"Pang Xi's subordinates are not short of troops, and they even gathered many people as soldiers, numbering more than 10,000. Now, in line with the powerful forces in the territory, they may have 20,000 subordinates. Their stronghold is dangerous and difficult, and Liu Bei may not be able to defeat it."

The composition of Bajun is really too complicated. There are not only Mi people but also Ba people. In fact, it was precisely because the seven Yi kings of Bajun rebelled and rebelled against Liu Zhang and returned to Zhang Lu that Liu Zhang was able to control the land of a single state. The soldiers in Zhanglu County were helpless.

So after listening to Zhu Ran's explanation, Sun Ce suddenly reacted and said: "If it is as you said, Pang Xi's ambitions are very great. If Liu Zhang does not surrender early, might he be forced to get involved in the war?"

Whether Liu Zhang surrendered in advance or surrendered after a fight, the status he enjoyed was completely different.

The former might have been treated as an honored guest by the Song Dynasty, and it was almost impossible for Sun Ce to kill him.

Since ancient times, princes who surrendered before the war was over have been treated with courtesy. No monarch would trouble such princes.

The most typical example in the late Han Dynasty was Zhang Lu. He transferred the county to Cao Cao, so Cao Cao made him a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households, and he enjoyed peace for generations.

But if the troops came to the city and surrendered, Yuan Shang, Yuan Tan, etc. would all be slaughtered.

If Pang Xi leads his troops to attack Brazil, I'm afraid Liu Zhang will no longer be able to sit still!

If nothing else happens, Sun Ce will be able to meet Liu Zhang's envoy within a few months.

But in this case, how can there be no accidents?

In February, while Sun Ce was still waiting for envoys from Liu Zhang, Zhang Lu and others in Jiankang, bad news first came from the Central Plains.

The military intelligence report was urgently sent to Sun Ce's case, bypassing all the officials.

The messenger who delivered the message ran for three days and three nights in a row, and lost seven stagecoach horses. Finally, he rushed 800 miles away to deliver the war information as soon as possible!

Cao Cao and Gao Qianyin formed a rebellion and joined forces with more than 100,000 troops. In the Central Plains of the East, the north and south of the Yellow River were in danger at the same time!

Although the generals of the Song Dynasty had long expected that Gao Gan and Cao Cao would plot to advance eastward, when they launched a rebellion, they were still unable to stop their mighty troops. The Song army retreated steadily, even losing troops and generals, and the city was repeatedly lost.

For more than a month, all that came to Sun Ce was bad news and a disastrous defeat.

Sun Ce has lost no less than three kilograms in this month.

If he hadn't been young and strong, he would have been so angry at these successive defeats that he fell ill and fell into a coma.

At this moment, he had a profound experience of how brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu felt when they faced their subordinates' consecutive defeats!

The position of monarch is really not something that ordinary people can bear.

If you don't have a good attitude, you may be angry and lose more than ten years of your life.

Today, the emperor and his ministers gathered again in Chui Gong Hall to discuss countermeasures. Zhang Hong also comforted Sun Ce before discussing the matter.

"Song Gong, the current frontline battle losses are nothing more than small losses. As long as the army's losses are not heavy, we will definitely be able to stabilize the front."

"Aren't the losses heavy?" Sun Ce felt depressed and angrily shouted: "Zhang Fei, Zang Ba, Li Tong, and Quan Cong all lost consecutive battles and lost tens of thousands of people at the hands of Cao Cao. The important town of Yecheng in Hebei fell, and the important town of Puyang in Henan fell. Weijun, Dongjun, and Zhaojun Dongping all fell into the hands of thieves, how can it be said that they are not serious?"

"Zhang Fei, in particular, was entrusted with a heavy responsibility. He led more than ten thousand infantry and cavalry to help, but was defeated by Cao Cao. Thousands of people were beheaded, and tens of thousands of armors and equipment were abandoned. The entire army's military strength in the past ten years was almost as much as one day. Lost!"

Sun Ce didn't care much about the loss of armor and baggage, but after being beheaded thousands of times, Sun Ce simply wished he could beat him to death himself.

These are all Jiangdong's elite soldiers who have fought in hundreds of battles. Thousands of them were lost in one day, and it will take who knows how many years to recover. And no detailed figures have been calculated yet. The scattered soldiers are fleeing from all directions back to Qinghe, where the army started.

Zhang Hong analyzed carefully: "Zhang Fei's defeat was not a crime of war. Now Cao Cao is going east and sending troops from Liyang. He is walking on the flat land north and south of the Yellow River. Our army has no danger to defend."

"The enemy army suddenly advanced and launched a large-scale attack, which was really difficult to defend against. The enemy troops were very sharp. In fact, we should have retreated slightly and then fought as if we were elite troops. However, the frontline generals did not dare to lose the city. Can be forced to fight.”

In fact, a sudden start of war can always achieve certain results.

Especially Cao Cao's desperate attack with all his strength. On the flat terrain of the Central Plains, even if the Song army guessed that Cao Cao might launch an attack, they could not withstand his advance.

The 100,000-strong coalition force of Cao Cao and Gao Gan captured Ye County, an important town in Hebei Province, with a sharp military front. The generals of the Song Army, Zhang Fei, Zang Ba and others, had successive unfavorable battles with them, losing troops and generals. A large number of counties in the north and south of the Yellow River fell, and the world was shocked.

The criticality of the situation is actually far beyond what Sun Ce described.

But more importantly, the Song Army could no longer distribute food and wages internally!

The Zhao family was destroyed in the last battle, and the Song army's Northern Expedition with more than 100,000 troops, plus more than 200,000 corvees, had already emptied the Jiankang treasury.

Sun Ce and his ministers worked hard to raise funds, stabilize the finances, avoid large fiscal deficits, and ensure the stability of people's hearts.

Everyone expected that the war with Cao Cao, Gao Gan and others would be postponed until after the autumn harvest, but they did not expect that Cao Cao would suddenly attack in February. Moreover, the more than 100,000 coalition troops were extremely powerful, and the Song army had no danger to defend on the plains and was simply difficult to resist.

Fortunately, Jiangdong's advisers were able to stabilize the situation amidst the bad news.

Zhang Zhao said: "Song Gong, in fact, there is no need to worry too much about a small defeat. Although Cao Cao's sudden attack has made some gains tactically, strategically the situation has been lost. It is a desperate blow."

"The reason why he launched a surprise attack in February may also be because he learned the intelligence of Shu. The gate of Shu has been opened, and both Liu Zhang and Zhang Lu wanted to surrender to the Song Dynasty. It was difficult for Liu Bei to do anything, so the Han Dynasty had lost the opportunity to break through from the flank. It is difficult to obtain a grain-producing land for the rear."

"That's why Cao Cao had to strike decisively, hoping to fight with military force and go against the general trend of the world."

"However, its power cannot last long. If the front of the army stops for a moment, it will be destroyed!"

Zhang Zhao had already told Sun Ce about this analysis before. Everyone could see that Han De was declining.

Especially in the direction of Hanzhong, Zhang Lu's resolute resistance made it difficult for the Han Dynasty to hope for a comeback.

Last year, there was dew falling in Hanzhong. Zhang Lu's Sima saw that Zhang Lu had tens of thousands of elite soldiers and that the four fortresses were fortified. He advised Zhang Lu that the red power had been declining for a long time and the Huang family should be prosperous. He hoped that Zhang Lu would raise his command, but Zhang Lu would not listen.

Therefore, it can be seen that he has already had the intention to join the Song Dynasty. Now he has retreated to the Xicheng and Shangyong areas, relying on Nanyang in Jingzhou to resist with all his strength.

What the plan was, not only the monarchs and ministers of the Song Dynasty could see clearly, but also the ministers of Luoyang.

After Pang Xi surrendered, the situation in the world became completely clear.

It has become inevitable for Sichuan and Shu to surrender to the Song Dynasty. If we wait at this time, we will just sit back and wait for death.

Therefore, Cao Cao made a decisive decision, went to war without declaring it, directly joined forces with senior officials, and launched a fierce attack on the Song army after the spring plowing.

But the problem is that the Song army is short of food, and Cao Cao is even more short of food!

Sun Ce used the land of ten states to support an army of 100,000. Cao Cao did not even have the land of ten counties, but he also raised an army of 100,000.

Even if he combines military and peasantry, food shortage is inevitable!

Perhaps if the battle continues, Sun Ce does not need to increase his troops. If he wins, the three armies will be disintegrated and dispersed, and the one hundred thousand people will collapse without fighting.

Therefore, someone in the Song Dynasty suggested: "The thieves are so powerful that it is difficult to compete with them. It is better to abandon the land in Hebei and stick to Henan."

This is to clear the country with a strong wall in Hebei, leave a piece of white land to Cao Cao, let him win all the way, and then march hundreds of miles, the whole army collapses under the strong city.

Sun Ce had been hesitant to take this strategy before, but fortunately, Zhuge Liang recently sent a letter, resolutely requesting a fight, which completely strengthened Sun Ce's confidence.

So during today's court meeting, Sun Ce directly announced Zhuge Liang's statement to the public, saying: "Zhuge Liang recently stated that the foundation of the royal industry in Henan and the foundation of the country is the prosperity of Hebei, and the capital of the Northern Expedition to the Huru the next day. If he abandons it, I am angry and resentful. I hope that with 30,000 fake elite soldiers, we will be able to put an end to Cao Cao's rebellion and conquer Wei and Jin!"

"I think what he said is true. Even if we borrow money and run a deficit, we still have to fight to put down the rebellion of Cao Cao and his thieves."

If what other counselors said is true, Hebei will be reduced to ashes. Although it will be easy to pacify Cao Cao, the people of Hebei will definitely lose the support of the people in the future, and they will no longer be able to expedition north to Youzhou and drive away the barbarians within the Great Wall.

The prosperity of Hebei must be ensured in order to maintain a solid rear treasury for the army to leave the fortress.

Sun Ce was different from other princes in that he was somewhat idealistic and could not tolerate the barbarians outside the Great Wall controlling the sacred lands within the Great Wall, especially Bingzhou and Youzhou, which were almost completely lost and no longer owned by the Central Plains.

Even during the Cao Wei period, due to heavy troops fighting with Shu and Wu, the main focus was on defense in the north. The so-called five Xiongnu tribes were directly stationed in the Hedong and Hexi areas. Even in the later period, Cao Wei directly issued an order to abandon the land of Jinyang.

Jinyang!

That was the land of Longxing in Li Tang, and it was also the heart of the Jin Kingdom in China since ancient times.

As a result, counties in such an important place were directly abolished, and the Han people were moved inward, leaving the territory to the barbarians.

The Xiongnu even herded horses directly in the sacred land east of Hedong. Where was that place in Hedong?

The mountains and rivers inside and outside are directly on the edge of the Yellow River, and the Fen River flows through the Kingdom of Tianfu. It can also be said to be one of the birthplaces of the entire Zhuxia.

If Sun Ce unified the Central Plains and changed dynasties, he did not take back the places that the Han Dynasty had abandoned. The entire Bingzhou territory would be filled with hustle and bustle, and the entire northern territory would not even see the Great Wall.

To be honest, even if he completes the reform of the Yuan Dynasty, he can hardly be called a wise king through the ages, or a great talent and great strategy.

So he also clearly expressed his support for what Zhuge Liang said.

A month into the war, the Jiankang court finally strengthened its determination to defend the war. All that was left was to go all out in this direction.

Sun Ce's prestige today is still unmatched. When he expresses his support clearly, several ministers can only serve for this. Whoever advocates peace or retreat at this time will have only one outcome, that is, he will be removed from office and replaced. The last official to support a determined fight to ensure that the court could work in one direction and avoid internal strife.

Bu Zhao, the envoy of the Third Division, was the first to speak, saying: "If we want to continue fighting now, we can only use salt to attract powerful people and merchants to lend money, so as to provide logistical supplies."

That is to say, the output of the salt farm in the next few years will be sold in advance.

Sun Ce adopted this suggestion without hesitation and said: "We can promote the method of salt introduction to the world. The imperial court will spend 20 million stones of salt introduction and leave it to Zhuge Liang of Hebei."

"Any wealthy merchant in the world who can deliver grain and money to the military camp can withdraw salt from Zhuge Liang, and then use the salt to deliver salt to the salt field."

Twenty million stones of salt are produced, which is the output of the salt field for four to five years.

In this battle, the Song Dynasty also borrowed money to fight.

But the effect was immediate. Salt was a national treasure and the profits were huge.

Which businessman doesn't want to obtain salt and support salt sales?

As soon as this news came out, Hebei's wealthy businessmen were all excited.

As long as they send the grain to Zhuge Liang's army nearby, they can obtain salt. This saves a lot of road transportation costs and increases profits.

Moreover, Cao Cao was conquering the city, and their food was stored in the cellar. Maybe one day it would no longer be his. But at this time, giving it to Zhuge Liang and taking hundreds of salt baits with him to escape south was equivalent to completely preserving their wealth!

Hebei's wealthy businessmen have come out to support this good deed. The food and wealth that had been hidden immediately flowed quickly to Zhuge Liang's camp. (End of chapter)