When Pan Geng moved to Yin, I initiated Jian Shang

"Report - Xue's family robbed the grain route! Our army suffered heavy losses in grain and fodder!"

"Report! Lord, our army's food and fodder can only guarantee us seven days of food. And the subsequent food and fodder will only arrive every ten days. We must find a way to gather three days of food and fodder."

"Report! Recently, insects and snakes have revived, and many of our brothers have been bitten by poisonous snakes!"

A series of bad news came one after another.

King Shang felt more and more headache.

"I asked you to hunt down Huaiyi!"

"How much did the nearby tribes rob?!"

Faced with King Shanghe's questioning, the ministers looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

"Your Majesty, this is not a good thing."

Some people stood up, while others remained silent.

"Or should we just withdraw?"

"Yes! It may still be in time to retreat now."

"..."

King Shang angrily slammed the table: "Unfavorable? Trash! All trash! Are you really not afraid of death? Since Xue is already on the robbery road, it must be that they are in good company with King Shang.

Many of you were the ones who betrayed Zigeng with me.

If he comes back to kill you, will he let you live?"

Everyone's faces darkened, and some of those who were hoping for a lucky break had a lot of thoughts in their mind.

"I can lose, but what about you?" King Shang glared at them and said, "Even if I lose more, I still have three younger brothers, and they each have their own troops.

When I started the rebellion, I had already promised them that they would be the successors.

It’s just that after I go back, the government affairs will still be handed over to Zixun. With his and Bei Boqu’s abilities, Hebei will definitely be fine.

But Yan Shang is in Henan.

At most, I would die in battle in Yan Shang and let Zixun move the capital to Hebei.

And what about you? "

The expressions of these nobles all changed.

"I am the only one you can rely on now!" Shang Wanghe pointed at himself, "Zixun, Zilian, Zisong and their forces are mostly from the Hebei Duozi Clan.

But you just want to join Zigeng. Even if Zigeng agrees to recruit you, he will not give you the current treatment.

Because Zi relied on Huaiyi to survive. Once you surrender to him, except for the top few, the rest will be second-tier or even third-tier nobles.

What's more, Zixun now has three sons, and even someone like Zihu can stand on his own.

If you were involved in their future struggle for the throne, how many of you would survive?"

Having said this, the nobles felt depressed.

That's right, weighing the pros and cons, it seems that the only way they have the right to survive is to continue supporting Zihe and winning the current war.

"So what should we do next?"

"Yeah! We can't just do nothing, right?"

"Please give me your instructions, Your Majesty."

Facing everyone's inquiries, Zihe took a deep breath and said, "You all go out and plunder. The other side only has so many people, and it's impossible to delay for too long.

Also send people to urge Gao Xin and Feng Fu to deliver grain and fodder and increase the transportation volume.

Finally, appoint your confidants to contact your clansmen and gather more troops in Shangqiu. Send as many as you can. If necessary, go south from Shangqiu and directly attack the Peng family.

This way, we won’t be attacked from all sides.”

Everyone nodded and immediately got to work.

For the next half month, both sides fought and hunted each other, but with the beginning of spring rains, an epidemic between winter and spring began to break out, and more and more people fell near Liyang City.

“I checked all the nearby water sources. These damn Huaiyi people actually piled up all kinds of livestock and human feces by the river, allowing the water to pollute the river.

This water is not drinkable. We have gathered people and started digging a well.”

"Bad news has come from Shangqiu. The Danshan Rong are gathering in the Rushui area and are showing signs of heading east. The Shangqiu defenders may be unable to move at any time."

"Let's retreat! Otherwise, if we delay any longer, we will never be able to go back."

The nobles were a little panicked because of the intimidation before, but now they have basically calmed down.

They are powerful nobles with soldiers and people. No matter which force wants to occupy the Central Plains, they must win them over. Compared to being trapped and killed here, and then being swallowed up by other old six after losing soldiers and generals.

They can completely ensure that they have as much manpower as possible and wait for the right price when the time comes.

The worst that can happen is fleeing after being defeated.

The world is so big that you can go anywhere.

On the contrary, now, we stay near Liyang City and are attacked and harassed every day, and the losses are even greater.

In this southern expedition alone, they lost more than 10% of their soldiers and population, and about another 10% lost their combat effectiveness due to various reasons.

They suddenly came to their senses and knew they could not go on.

Or choose to escape.

Only by running away can there be a future.

But their thoughts made Zihe almost unable to hold back.

If they ran away, I would have to step down immediately if I returned.

If we can't win this battle...

How to do?
"Even if we want to retreat, we need to make some arrangements. We must find a way to bring our people back safely."

"That makes sense."

This group of nobles has begun to ignore Zihe and discuss the steps of retreat.

Zihe could only return to his room in disappointment and lie there, not knowing what to think.

"Your Majesty, are you worried that those nobles will be disadvantageous to you after they withdraw?"

Upon hearing this, Zihe's eyes fell on the dusty young man: "Father Lu? Why is it you?"

"Of course it's me." Father Lu smiled and bowed, "The nobles in the country are unwilling to go south to transport food and grass, so I can only lead the Lu clan here in person. Of course, I also hope to lend a helping hand to the king."

"You...what can you do?" Zihe sneered and waved his hand disdainfully.

"This military advisor on the Liyang battlefield is named Liwu, and he is Lixin's adopted son. In terms of seniority, he should call me uncle." As soon as Lu's father finished speaking.

Zihe looked at him coldly: "So, this is the work of Yan State?"

"No." Father Lu shook his head slightly, "I told you this just to let you know that if you want to rule safely after returning and not be overthrown by the nobles below, then these nobles cannot live here.

Liwu was a person sent from the Zhennan General's Mansion.

This time, when Li Bing sent Li Wu to intervene in the affairs of Huai Shang, he did not inform me. Instead, Li Wu was about to lose control of the situation, so he hoped that I could help. "

"Zhennan...Zhendong..." Shang Wanghe sat up and asked suspiciously, "In other words, you Yan people don't want to see Zigeng go north?"

"Yes." Father Lu smiled at King Shang and said, "Prince Xun and my brother have been playing games for a long time. Is it that Prince Xun is only allowed to send Mo Xuwu to the northeast, thereby restraining the development of our Yan State, while my brother is not allowed to help you, the king, to maintain the situation as much as possible and let Huaiyi have a common leader?

As long as Your Majesty nods, I can get the Zhennan General's Mansion to cooperate with me and use the battle report that 70% of the nobles were killed in the war in exchange for the surrender of Pi Zi Zi Hu.

As for the price, all you need to do is for you, King Shang, to order Pi Zi to be enfeoffed as Marquis of Xu and for the Peng family's land to be changed into his fiefdom.

In this way, Xu Hou can even help you attack the Peng family in the south and suppress King Geng of Shang, and by the way, wipe out all the nobles who are now looking down on you.

While solving the two major problems in one fell swoop, you can also stabilize your throne, and make Prince Xun, who is ambitious for your position, dare not act rashly. "

"..."

Zihe stared at Lu's father and said, "You don't look like a betrayer."

"It's not betrayal, it's gambling. Since it's a game, there are winners and losers. Everyone is playing chess, and no matter what the result is, it's all for the sake of gaining the greatest benefit.

I am a Yan citizen. No matter how close I am to the royal family, if I want to go further, those princes and nobles who stand in my way will always have to be pulled down, right?
What's more, Zixun is guarding me tightly. I only have the title of General Zhendong, but the resources I can actually obtain are far less than those of Li Bing's General Zhennan Mansion.

And now, if Xu Hou rises, in order to defend against Xu Hou, we need someone who can suppress him.

The nobles must definitely not be used anymore, otherwise, once they become too powerful, they will inevitably liquidate the royal family.

Therefore, we, the governors, internal officials, and external vassals, are the bargaining chips that you can unite with in the future.

In this way, the status of Yan State will be unprecedentedly high.

I can get more resources.”

After Lu's father finished speaking, Zihe calmed down completely and looked at him twice more: "So, are all you Yan people so scheming?"

"That's right. Under the military merit system, the prerequisite for promotion is that you have to have enough power." Father Lu nodded. "How do you decide? Do you want to listen to my plan and solve it once and for all? Or do you want to be put under house arrest by Prince Xun who has been driven back immediately after you return, or even use your head as a sacrifice to appease those nobles whose interests have been damaged?"

"How to do it?" Zihe gritted his teeth and stared at Lu's father.

"This way, this way, this way, great things can be accomplished." (End of this chapter)