At the end of the Han Dynasty: a stingy husband from his hometown

Chapter 262: Deploy troops and generals, divide the troops into three groups

Shu County, Chengdu, State Mufu.

Zhou Qi looked at the news coming from various counties in the south and urgently summoned his civil and military officials to discuss the matter.

At this time, although Zhou Qi had decided on the candidates for the prefectures of each county, the generals still had not had time to take up their posts and were still stranded in Chengdu.

After all the generals learned of the rebellion in Nanzhong, they were all filled with indignation and came forward to ask for a fight.

Since Wei Yan surrendered to Zhou Qi, he had not made any achievements, but he was highly regarded by the general. He was promoted to the post of Guanghan County Governor, so he was naturally eager to make contributions.

He was not in a hurry to go to Guanghan County to take up his post. He stepped forward directly to ask for a battle: "General, please lead an army of [-] to go south. We will definitely conquer Nanzhong and capture Yong Kai, Meng Huo, Zhu Bao, Gao Ding and others alive!"

The other generals sneered in their hearts when they saw Wei Yan being so arrogant and knowing that Wei Yan had not made any achievements since he surrendered to the general.

Zhou Qi did not try to dampen Wei Yan's enthusiasm, but said: "Guanghan County borders Hanzhong to the north, connects Shu County to the west, and connects to Ba Di in the east. Its geographical position is extremely important."

"Gu Zheng values ​​the length of the article and appoints you as the governor of Guanghan County."

"Although the northern part of Yizhou is settled now, there are many hidden worries. Chang Wen went to take office immediately. It will be a great achievement to manage Guanghan County well."

When Wei Yan heard this, he had no choice but to retreat, but he was also grateful for the general's love.

Zhou Qi pondered for a long time, then looked at Zhou Yu and Fazheng and said, "How do Gongjin and Xiaozhi think they should deal with the Nanzhong rebellion?"

The two looked at each other, and after all, Fazheng let Zhou Yu speak first.

Although Fazheng is arrogant, he also knows how to advance and retreat. Knowing that Zhou Yu is the nephew of the general and has the status of master and apprentice, he will naturally not steal Zhou Yu's limelight at this time.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yu pondered for a long time and then said: "When I first arrived in Yizhou, I didn't know much about the situation in Yizhou and Nanzhong, so I didn't do anything in front of the lord."

"Xiaozhi has been in Yizhou for many years and understands the situation in Nanzhong better than I do. His opinions should be more valuable."

Hearing this, Zhou Qi couldn't help but secretly nodded.

At this time, Zhou Yu was neither arrogant nor impetuous, and already had the air of a general.

When Fazheng heard Zhou Yu's words, he knew that this was an opportunity given to him by the other party. He immediately stood up and said, "In my opinion, it is not appropriate for the lord to send troops to Nanzhong at this time."

After saying this, everyone was shocked, even Zhou Yu had a look of astonishment on his face.

When Wang Shang, the governor of Shu County, heard this, he reprimanded: "Shu Zi is not enough to make plans!"

"When my lord first arrives in Yizhou, if he just sits back and ignores the rebellion in Nanzhong, his reputation will be greatly damaged, and it will also breed the arrogance of the rebels. The noble families and barbarian tribes in Nanzhong who are watching will all flock to join the thieves."

"Most barbarians are afraid of power and have no morals."

"In my opinion, your lord should use thunderous means, raise elite troops to attack Nanzhong, and put down the rebellion with thunderous force."

"This will definitely scare Xiao Xiao and make the Nanzhong barbarians dare not rebel again!"

After Wang Shang finished speaking, Huang Quan, Zhang Song and other Yizhou scholars also echoed their words. Even Yan Yan, Lingbao, Deng Xian and other Yizhou generals nodded secretly.

On the contrary, generals such as Wu Yi, Wu Ban, Xiang Hong, Xu Ding, and Huo Jun did not appear so urgent.

Zhou Qi had a panoramic view of everyone's performance and naturally knew what the generals were thinking.

The reason why Yizhou scholars and generals were so eager was because Zhou Qi had begun to use and promote local scholars since he entered Shu.

They had been suppressed by Liu Yan and Liu Zhang for many years, and finally saw the light of day, but the Nanzhong counties suddenly rebelled.

It would be easy to say if it was just a barbarian rebellion.

What made them most angry was that a wealthy family from Nanzhong was actually involved.

The Yizhou scholars share weal and woe, and originally everyone was prepared to join the general and flex their muscles under his command to accomplish a great cause.

The general's attitude towards the Yizhou scholars also pleased them.

But now, the participation of the Nanzhong nobles in the rebellion may not make the general feel grudge. The Yizhou gentry may even hide and suppress them again like Liu Yan and his son did when they were in power.

This is not the result that the Yizhou scholars want to see.

Therefore, they hope more than anyone else to quickly put down the Nanzhong rebellion.

No matter what happens, he must show that he and others are determined to be incompatible with the South China rebels.

Fa Zheng saw the Yizhou scholars speaking out against him one after another, and couldn't help but sneer secretly in his heart. General Zhou Qi could see what was going on, how could he not understand it if he was as smart as Fa Zheng?

He did not argue with the crowd until they all expressed their attitude with righteous indignation, and then calmly said to Zhou Qi: "My lord has just settled in Yizhou, the situation is not stable, and the people are not attached to it. At this time, we should focus on the cultivation of peace and tranquility for the people." Lord, it is not appropriate to use weapons rashly."

"Moreover, the mountains in the south are densely covered with poisonous insects and ferocious beasts. There are not many soldiers and horses from Jingzhou led by the lord who are good at fighting in the mountains and forests. It is inappropriate to rashly raise troops to conquer the south. I am afraid there will be heavy casualties."

"My Lord, you should recuperate first, and then recruit Shanyue from Yangzhou and Ba people from Badi, and organize them into an army."

"Both the Shanyue and Ba people are good at fighting in the mountains and forests. Even though Nanzhong is a barren land, with these people accompanying them, the Nanzhong rebels will not be afraid."

When Wang Shang heard this, he retorted: "This is wrong."

"There are many people in Yizhou's army who are good at fighting in the mountains and forests. My lord can select capable warriors from them. Why bother to recruit soldiers from Shanyue all the way from Yangzhou?"

Fa Zheng sneered and said: "Yizhou's military equipment is lax, the soldiers lack training and do not obey orders."

"Moreover, most of the Yizhou soldiers before were subordinates of Zhao Wei."

"How can he be entrusted with the important task of going south to quell the rebellion when he has just surrendered?"

Fazheng's words were very disrespectful to Wang Shang, but the other party could not refute them.

Zhao Wei's murder did make many Yizhou soldiers feel uneasy, but because Xu Shu, Yan Yan, and Wu Yi were under strict supervision, no one dared to rebel.

When Zhou Qi first arrived in Yizhou, he had not yet shown any kindness to the people, and the people had not yet attached themselves to it.

If these people are forced to go south to suppress the rebellion, there is no guarantee that the soldiers will not mutiny and eventually surrender to the South Central rebels.

On the other hand, although Yangzhou Shanyue was forced to move down the mountain, his life was getting better and better. Instead of resenting Zhou Qi, he was grateful.

Due to Zhou Qi's generous policies and the local strongman Yan Yan to soothe people's hearts, the Ba people gradually returned home.

Both Shanyue and Ba people are more reliable than Yizhou soldiers.

Zhou Qi knew this, so he brought [-] troops to frighten Yizhou into surrendering.

Zhou Qi pondered for a moment, and then asked: "If the Nanzhong rebellion is not put down now, it will probably be even more difficult to put down the rebels when they gain a firm foothold in Nanzhong."

When Fazheng heard this, he smiled and shook his head and said, "My lord, you are too worried."

"Let the rebels occupy Nanzhong first. For my lord, I'm afraid it will be easier to suppress the rebellion in the future."

Zhou Qi looked shocked and asked: "Why did Xiaozhi say this?" Fazheng said: "Yong Kai, Zhu Bao, Gao Ding, Meng Huo and other Nanzhong rebel generals relied on mostly barbarian tribes in Nanzhong. ."

"In the early days of the army, the barbarians were busy attacking cities and plundering territory, and they were deliberately restrained."

"If my lord goes south to quell the rebellion at this time, the rebels, for the sake of their wealth and life, will work together to defend against the heavenly soldiers, regardless of whether they are Han people or barbarians."

"On the contrary, if the lord does not put down the rebellion, the barbarian tribes will inevitably take credit for their unruly and lawless character and plunder all over the south."

"Now that the looting has begun, I am afraid that even Yong Kai, Zhu Bao, Gao Ding, Meng Huo and others will have difficulty restraining them, and they will definitely lose their support."

"When my lord leads the imperial army to suppress the rebellion next year, the oppressed small tribes and Han people will definitely eat pots of wine to welcome the king's army. Why worry about the uncertainty in the south?"

Zhou Qi couldn't help but be secretly surprised when he heard Fazheng's plan.

He didn't expect that Fazheng at this age would already have some of Jia Xu's style.

But Zhou Qi thought about it and finally agreed with Fa Zheng's words.

Although he had some concerns in his mind, Zhou Qi could not refute Wang Shang and other Yizhou civil and military officials in public, so he immediately said: "I am tired today, let's break up the meeting for the time being and discuss it tomorrow."

The ministers retired, but Zhou Qi secretly stayed with Xu Shu, Zhou Yu and Li Hui.

Xu Shu has now been named the Military Advisor Zhonglang General, which can be said to be a high-power position. The reason why Zhou Qi did not ask the other party's opinion in public was to give Zhou Yu and Fazheng a chance to practice their performance.

But when it came time to make a decision, Zhou Qi had to listen to Xu Shu's opinion.

Xu Shu is now not only the leading counselor under Zhou Qi, but also has been in Bajun for so many years and has had many contacts with the Ba people. He has a far better understanding of the situation in Yizhou than anyone else.

As for keeping Li Hui, it was not surprising.

Li Hui was born in the Li family, one of the eight major families in Nanzhong, and had contacts with other families.

Historically, Li Hui was the commander-in-chief of the Shu Han Dynasty. When Zhuge Liang put down the Nanzhong rebellion, Li Hui made the most contributions, so he was named Han Xingtinghou and paid tribute to General Anhan.

After that, the barbarians rebelled again, and Li Hui put it down. He also collected the barbarian cattle, war horses, gold, silver, and rhinoceros skins as taxes to replenish the Shu Han's military supplies, which greatly enriched the national treasury.

Li Hui's position as the Commander-in-Chief of Nijiang was roughly equivalent to Xiang Hong's current Commander-in-Chief of Nanzhong, and he was extremely powerful.

Coupled with Li Hui's background, he knew the situation in Nanzhong best, so it was not rude for Zhou Qi to leave him for advice.

The three of them sat down. Zhou Qi took the lead in looking at Li Hui and asked, "De'ang comes from the Li family in Nanzhong. He must be very familiar with the major families and barbarian tribes in Nanzhong."

"What did De'ang think of what Xiao Zhi said in the meeting hall today?"

Li Hui said: "What Fa Xiaozhi said is indeed true. The terrain in Nanzhong is steep, densely covered with mountains and forests, and there are countless poisonous insects and beasts. In addition, barbarians are rampant, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack."

"Today, Yizhou has been initially decided. If preparations are not sufficient, it is indeed inappropriate to rush into the army."

Zhou Qi looked at Zhou Yu again and asked, "What do Gong Jin think?"

Zhou Yu pondered for a moment and said: "What Fa Xiaozhi thinks about is indeed more comprehensive."

"However, I foolishly thought that there was not much time left to pacify Badi, and the Ba people's loyalty to the lord was still insufficient. At this time, it was not appropriate to recruit the Ba people to go south to quell the rebellion."

Zhou Qi asked: "Does Gong Jin think that all Shanyue should be recruited to put down the rebellion?"

Zhou Yu shook his head and said, "No."

"In addition to Yangzhou Shanyue, Jingzhou Jiangxia Man and Wuling Wuxi Man are also good at mountain warfare and have been loyal to them for a long time."

"The leader of the Jiangxia barbarians has a close relationship with Captain Zhou, and he is an old friend with his lord. He has been training in Jiangxia for many years, and he can fight without worrying about loyalty issues."

"As for the leader of the Wuxi barbarians, Shamoko, he admires the lord's reputation and the culture of the Han Dynasty. In the past few years, he even took the initiative to take the leaders of the barbarians to the academy for further study. He can be of great use."

When Zhou Qi heard this, a bright smile appeared on his face.

In this exam, Fazheng and Zhou Yu were equally matched.

Fazheng's advantage was that he had a better understanding of the situation in Yizhou and Nanzhong. Zhou Yu's advantage was that he had followed Zhou Qi for a long time and had a better understanding of the people and soldiers available under the rule of Jing and Yangzhou.

There are many barbarians in Jing and Yang states, and they have already returned home, so they are indeed better to use than the Ba people.

At the end, Zhou Qi set his sights on Xu Shu and asked, "Does Yuan Zhi think this is possible?"

Xu Shu said with a smile on his face: "My lord, there are really many talents under his command, and there are people who will succeed Yihou!"

"However, Nanzhong is not only densely covered with mountains and forests, but also has a lot of rivers. Moreover, transporting grain and grass southward also relies on the navy."

"In addition to selecting elites who are good at mountain and forest warfare from the Shanyue, Jiangxia, and Wuxi barbarians, we also need to select naval forces as backup."

Several people confirmed and complemented each other, and quickly decided on the most appropriate strategy for Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi stood up and said: "Pass on my military order to recruit [-] troops and horses from the mountains and rivers. Jiangxia Man and Wuxi Man will each recruit [-] troops and horses. They are all elites who are good at fighting in the mountains."

"Another [-] naval troops will be dispatched from Jing and Yang states and rush to Yizhou as quickly as possible!"

Zhou Qi did not place all his hopes on the barbarians. In addition to the 6000 people, Zhou Qi also selected more than [-] soldiers and horses among the [-] troops he brought, and also selected [-] Dongzhou troops. , preparing to go south together to put down the rebellion in the future.

Only more than two months have passed, and all troops and horses from all walks of life have been assembled.

Zhou Qi appointed Huo Jun as the captain of the vassal state, Li Hui as the captain of Dingnan, and Shamoke as the king of the Wuxi barbarians. He led [-] Han troops, [-] Wuxi barbarians, and [-] naval troops to garrison in the vassal state of Jian. .

In this way, on the one hand, it can deter the foreign races in the vassal country, and on the other hand, it can prepare for going south to suppress rebellion in the future.

Zhou Qi also asked Xiang Hong, Fazheng, and Wu Yi to lead [-] Dongzhou troops, [-] Jiangxia barbarians, and [-] navy troops to garrison Jian County to guard against the invasion of Jian County by the Zoke County rebels.

Zhou Qi asked Yan Yan, Dong Xi, and Xu Ding to lead [-] mountain soldiers, [-] Han troops, and [-] navy troops to station in the Shujun Kingdom to prepare for the future war.

After the mobilization of troops and horses was completed, Zhou Qi began to have people transport food and grass, making sure that there was no shortage of food and grass for the three armies.

But it was said that after the Nanzhong rebels learned that Zhou Qi had mobilized troops on a large scale, they were still frightened, thinking that the general would take down the Gejun rebellion.

never thought.

They waited for a long time, but did not see the army going south. They were only stationed in the vassal state of Shujun, the vassal state of Jianweijun and the vassalage of Jianweijun.

The so-called vassal state is equivalent to the ethnic minority autonomous region in later generations, which is at the same level as the county. The highest military and political officer is the vassal state captain.

Most of the people living here are Hu people who surrendered to the Han Dynasty. They can preserve their own traditions and customs here. Except for special circumstances, even the officials within the territory are served by the leaders of the Hu people from each tribe.

The Nanzhong rebellion has only affected the four counties for the time being.

Zhou Qi was worried that the Shujun vassal state and the ethnic minorities who were key vassal states would also be coerced into rebellion by the rebels, so he quickly sent troops to garrison them.

With the intimidation of the army, the tribal leaders of the vassal country naturally no longer dared to associate with the rebels.

(End of this chapter)