Hengdao Sixteen Kingdoms

Chapter 736 Stability

Hefei.

Li Jian supported Ruxu's 30,000-strong Black Cloud Army, but he stayed behind. He was self-aware and knew that he was not good at martial arts. When he arrived at the front line, he became a burden to the soldiers.

Talking about war on paper and being on the battlefield in person are two different things.

"Sir, can we conquer Ruxu this time?" Li Jian asked Xiang Huanyi.

"Jiangdong is already a candle in the wind, and I will definitely not be able to hold it." Huan Yi cupped his hands and said.

"Now that Huan Wen's 70,000 troops are marching northward, I'm afraid it will be difficult for Generals Liang and Deng to match them."

"How could the rabble Huan Wen hastily summoned be the enemy of the black cloud elite? Your Highness does not need to worry. Generals Liang and Deng are both veteran generals in hundreds of battles. The eight thousand elites severely damaged Huan Wen back then."

"It's true what you said sir."

Li Jian listened to Li Yue's words and did not interfere indiscriminately in the battles of the frontline soldiers. He was only responsible for logistics and transportation at the rear.

The essence of war is economics.

In the past two months, Li Jian has a clearer understanding of the consumption of a war.

In the past, he was assisting Chang Wei and Wang Meng, but this time he was completely in charge and managed well. Not only was the food supply sufficient, but he also mobilized winter clothes, medicine, cattle and sheep, so that the frontline soldiers could have a bite of meat.

Insight into world affairs is knowledge, and human feelings are learned.

Li Jian always remembered Li Yue's teachings.

"Your Highness, General Liang Xiao has arrived!" Liu Ying entered.

"Oh?" Li Jian's expression changed. After reading it, he realized that it was a secret letter from Jiangdong Navy Superintendent Zhu Yao, saying that he had been favored by Jin in his life and that Huan Wen had usurped the Jin Dynasty and was despised by others. He was willing to surrender to Daliang and lead the Liang army. Defeat the enemy and avenge the Sima family.

Liang Xiao couldn't make up his mind about such a big matter, so he reported it to Li Jian.

Li Jian handed the letter to Huan Yi. After reading it, Huan Yi asked, "What do you think, Your Highness?"

Liang Jun attacked Ruxu fiercely for more than two months, but Ruxu remained standing.

If we can capture this city, Jiankang will be within easy reach.

Li Jian knew very well Li Yue's intention of letting him take charge of the Eastern Front. If he had the military exploits to defeat Jiangdong, no brother would be able to compete with him in the future, and the crown prince's status would be unprecedentedly stable.

"Hmph, is it possible that Huan Wen deceived me like a three-year-old child? Soochow used this trick again and again, and he was not afraid of being laughed at by the world!" Although Li Jian's martial arts were ordinary, the art of war was taught by Li Yue himself.

Later, he followed Wang Meng to govern Guanzhong for two years.

This surrender came at the wrong time. If it was not lowered sooner or later, it would be surrendered after intensifying the offensive against Ruxu.

It was clearly with ulterior motives.

Huan Yi smiled and said: "Hahaha, what your Highness said is true. Now that the Yangtze River defense line has been breached by Your Majesty, Huan Wen does not dare to fight with Your Majesty, so he comes to fight against His Majesty. If he can defeat the Huainan army, he can use the momentum of great victory to resist." His Majesty."

Li Jian took a few steps and said, "Huan Wen bullied my three-year-old child. You can also bully him and lure the enemy deeper!"

Soldiers who, deception also.

Huan Yi shook his head, "Our army is attacking Jiangdong from two fronts. We are bound to win. There is no need to take risks. There are more than 100,000 troops on the east road. If we camp step by step, we can win. Every trick has the risk of being self-defeating."

The hundreds of thousands of troops on the east road were originally focused on suppression, not seeking to defeat the enemy, but seeking "stability".

As for the attack, look to the west and the sea.

Huan Yi didn't want the prince to take any risks. He also knew that there were people in the clan who were eyeing the prince's position, but they were suppressed by the emperor, so the fight for the throne did not start.

The prince is not an emperor, so he naturally stands at the forefront of the storm.

Once the Southern Expedition fails, the crown prince's position will be unstable even if the emperor is on top.

Ascending the throne in the future will become a reason for other princes to raise armies.

Failure on the battlefield is the most fatal in this era, and Huan Wen is a living example. "Sir... you are old enough to seek the country." Li Jian and Li Yue have one thing in common: they can listen to other people's advice.

Liu Yingdao: "What if Zhuyao truly surrenders? Now that the Yangtze River defense line has been broken, the situation in Jiangdong is over, and surrender to Daliang is the inevitable trend."

With the navy in Zhu Yao's hands, not only must Ru be defeated, but Jiankang has also lost his last support.

I have to say that this is a great temptation.

Li Jian smiled and said: "This is easy. If Zhu Yao sincerely surrenders, he can be ordered to attack Huan Wen first. If it succeeds, it will be true, if not, it will be false."

"Your Highness's wonderful idea." Liu Ying handed over.

Outside Ruxu City, the world has already been shaken.

Dense antlers, trenches, and earthen ramparts lie across the north of the city.

However, Ruxucheng is a water mouth, with a large river to the south and Ruxushui to the east. It can receive support from Jiangdong naval forces at any time.

After two months of siege, the city still stood strong.

On the boat, Huan Wen leaned on the railing and tore Li Jian's reply into pieces and threw them into the river. Everyone around him looked sad.

"The Liang thieves have captured Chaisang and will arrive at Ruxu soon!" Zhu Yao was promoted from the ranks by Huan Wen. She had the kindness of knowing him and would not betray Huan Wen.

"Our army's only chance is the Crown Prince of Liang!" Yuan Hong said.

Huan Wen turned his eyes to Xi Chao.

"Both the Eastern and Northern armies are in the upper reaches. Jiankang is surrounded by enemies from both sides. In the opinion of my subordinates, it is better to move the capital." Xi Chao's advice always challenged Huan Wen's bottom line.

"Move the capital?" Everyone around looked at him.

During the Yongjia Rebellion, the nobles came to cross south in uniform.

Now that the Liang Kingdom has invaded, it is clear that Jiankang cannot hold on.

It would be a good idea to have another trip to the south in full attire.

"Liang Jun are all northerners and are not used to the soil and water of the south of the Yangtze River. In the land of Guangdong, there are many diseases, which can be induced to penetrate deeply. Once the disease breaks out, it is still unknown whether it will come back again." This is the only feasible way that Xi Chao can think of.

The enemy has a new type of catapult and has broken through the Yangtze River defense line. Jiankang will definitely not be able to defend it.

But Xi Chao only considered it from military perspective.

Today Huan Wen is not a general, but the emperor of Chu.

Less than half a year after taking office, he once again traveled south in uniform. What do the nobles think of him? What did the soldiers think of him?

For the nobles, there is another easier option, which is to surrender directly.

Moreover, Huan Wen was defeated again and again in the military. He did not even dare to fight in this battle, and the Chu soldiers under his command would abandon him.

"It is absolutely impossible to move the capital. I still have 100,000 soldiers under my command, enough to fight." Huan Wen said solemnly.

Even if he escaped safely to Jiaoguang, he was just waiting to die.

Rather than die in humiliation in the wild forests of the south, Huan Wen would rather die on the battlefield.

In fact, when Xiangyang fell, Huan Wen had already awakened, otherwise he would not have been in a hurry to ascend the throne.

"If your Majesty is willing to fight to the death, there is still a three-point chance of victory." Xi Chao sighed in his heart and cast his gaze to the northwest, as if he had gone back to that distant afternoon many years ago on the Ba River. If Huan Wen had this determination, maybe now The world has long been a different scene.

If God doesn't take it, he will be blamed for it!

Everything is just trapped in a cocoon.

"Oh? A three-point chance of winning is enough!" Huan Wen patted the railing of the building, and his mind returned to Ba Shang many years ago.

That was his first Northern Expedition, and the one closest to success...

(End of this chapter)