Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 107 The second step

Yuzhang, Jiaoqiu City.

Since Liu Bei adopted Huo Jun's advice, he decided to wait for Guan Yu's troops to defeat Cheng Pu and Han Dang in order to resolve the current crisis.Sun Quan and Zhou Yu seemed to be plotting something secretly, and they also refused to fight.

For a time, the two armies were quiet in the north and south of the Gan River. You fetch your water, and I chop my firewood. As long as the other side doesn't take action, our own side will not take action. There is a tacit understanding.

With nothing to do, in spring and winter, Huo Jun made a deck chair not long after seeing the sun, and sat at the door of the camp to bask in the sun, sipping freshly brewed tea, and watching the people coming and going at the door, like the five stars of later generations. General, life is not pleasant.

Taishi Heng walked up to him and politely raised his hands and asked: "General Huo, Master Xu said that the county is busy with government affairs. Can you step in to help?"

Taishi Heng, named Yuanfu, fulfilled his duties after becoming a halberd-bearing man, and no one was allowed to enter without notification.Previously, Zhang Fei tried to enter Liu Bei's camp without notification, but Tai Shiheng forced him in front of the tent with a halberd and was not allowed to enter.

This made Zhang Fei extremely angry. He had followed Liu Bei for more than ten years and slept in the same bed for a long time, but he was still blocked by an outsider.In the end, under Liu Bei's notification, Zhang Fei was allowed to enter the account, and he also told Taishi Heng, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei to enter on their own without notification.

The sun was dazzling. Huo Jun squinted his eyes slightly and said, "Where is Chengming?"

"Spring plowing is approaching recently, and Master Pan has been inspecting local counties and villages. We are short of manpower, so we specially ask the general for help." Tai Shiheng said.

Huo Jun shook his head and said: "Yuanfu, please tell Master Xu that our army is busy with military affairs and it is inconvenient to leave."

It's impossible to work overtime. After fighting for more than half a year, why don't you take this opportunity to take a break? You're doing yourself a favor!

It doesn't matter if Xu Shu is given some training. If he can't control Yuzhang County, he will still be the censor Zhongcheng in the future.After all, no one is Wolong. He takes charge of the three counties and adjusts their taxes to strengthen the army.

I don’t know if the crouching dragon is still lying down in Longzhong and taking a nap, the sun has even scorched its buttocks.Xu Shu and Pan Jun have both begun to supervise Yuzhang County. If they don't join in, the day lily will be cold.

"promise!"

Tai Shiheng looked at Huo Jun, who was lying down lazily basking in the sun, scratched his head and had no choice but to agree.

Half an hour later, Xu Shu hurried over and saw Huo Jun taking a rest in the sun. He sneered and said, "Zhong Miao is not busy with military affairs, so how can he be here leisurely basking in the sun?"

Huo Jun moved his eyes slightly and said, "I was just busy with military affairs and just lay down to rest. Does Yuan Zhi have something important to do?"

Xu Shu looked at Huo Jun suspiciously and believed his words when he saw that his expression was unmoving.

"General Guan Guan is here today to deliver the battle report. My lord and the eldest son are discussing, so I call you and Zhong Miao to go with you to discuss the matter." Xu Shu said.

After learning that Tai Shiheng had reported truthfully, Huo Jun's evaluation of him became even higher.

Standing up with a smile, Huo Jun took Xu Shu's arm and said, "Wen Yuanzhi has been busy with government affairs recently. Is it possible that he stays up late at night?"

"It'll be fine after I've been busy for the past few days. I've lost a lot of hair!"

While the two were walking, Xu Shu complained to Huo Jun about his heavy government affairs.

Although Yuzhang seems to be just one county, it has more than [-] counties under its jurisdiction, with a population of hundreds of thousands. Even if you exclude the counties occupied by Sun Quan, it is actually the size of two counties. .In addition, Liu Bei's army's food and grass expenditure, military punishment and punishment were all presided over by Xu Shu alone, how could he be busy?

……

After entering the tent, several people sat apart.

After everyone arrived, Liu Bei gave Guan Yu's letter to Huo Jun and Xu Shu to read, and said: "Yun Chang defeated Cheng Pu and Han Dang, Han Dang died, and Cheng Pu fled. Yunchang originally intended to go south. Luling, however, received a letter from Gui Lan, the governor of Danyang. He and the county magistrate Dai Yuan killed Sun Yi, the prefect of Danyang, and also ambushed and killed Sun He, the prefect of Lujiang, in order to surrender the county. Yunchang didn't know what his decision was, and asked someone to consider the order. .”

Xu Shu looked at the letter, frowned and asked, "Does the Lord know who Sheng Xian is?"

Liu Bei pondered for a while and said: "When I was chatting with Kong Beihai about the famous figures of the Han Dynasty, I heard him praise Sheng Xiaozhang highly. Kong Beihai and Sheng Xiaozhang knew each other when they were young. He was famous for his benevolence, righteousness and literary talent. At that time, Kong Beihai was in Xudu. He also occasionally talked about Sheng Xiaozhang and wanted to recommend him to become an official in the Central Plains." After a pause, Liu Bei said: "In my opinion, Gui Lan and Dai Yuan were not fabricated out of thin air to avenge Sheng Xiaozhang."

Xu Shu stroked his beard and frowned and said: "My lord, Wanling is hundreds of miles away from Geyang. It is mostly mountainous terrain with dense trees and entrenched mountains. Our army does not know the geography and easily penetrates deep into Wanling. I am afraid that Alone."

"Moreover, Wanling is located on the side of Wu County, which is the foundation of the Sun family. Gui Lan and Dai Yuan have been in office for less than a year. Their foundation is shallow and they don't have a large army. They can't go more than ten miles. How can all the counties rebel with them? .If we advance rashly, General Guan’s troops may suffer unexpected consequences.”

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yangzhou was divided into six counties: Lujiang, Jiujiang, Yuzhang, Danyang, Wujun and Kuaiji.Lujiang and Jiujiang are in the north of the Yangtze River, and the remaining four counties are in the south of the Yangtze River.

Sun Quan ascended the throne and became the lord of the six counties. He did not control Yangzhou, but set the southern part of Yuzhang as Luling County.Except for Jiujiang County, this is the origin of the six counties in Jiangdong.

It has been said before that Jiangdong can be divided into two major plains, one is Yuzhang County with the Poyang Lake Plain as the core, and the other is Wu County with the Taihu Plain as the core.The mountainous area stuck in the middle of the two is the Huangshan Mountains, which is also the main area of ​​Danyang County, where Huangshan City, Jingdezhen, and Jiande City were later located.

However, Danyang County is huge. In addition to most of the counties and villages located in the Huangshan Mountains, some counties are located around the Taihu Plain.Including the later Jianye, Jingkou, and Wuhu, they all belonged to Danyang County, and Wanling was located on the edge of the Taihu Plain together with them.

If Guan Yu wanted to meet the two men today, he would have to cross the Huangshan Mountains, travel hundreds of miles, and then go deep into the hinterland of the Sun Group without guaranteeing supplies, risking being besieged.This is also the fundamental reason for Xu Shu's opposition. It is too far away and too difficult to save.

"What is Yuan Zhi's advice?" Liu Bei asked.

Xu Shu thought for a while and then said: "My lord, the Yuzhang and Luling counties have not been calmed down yet, and the Sun brothers are entrenched in Luling and threatening our army in the south. It is better to follow Zhongmiao's strategy and let General Guan conquer the Sun brothers and completely Calm Yuzhang and Luling counties so that our army can accumulate strength and consolidate its foundation to compete with Sun Quan again."

Liu Qi and Liu Bei were silent as they thought, and then looked at Huo Jun.Liu Qi asked: "What does Zhong Miao think?"

Huo Jun raised the letter in his hand and said with a sneer: "Gui Lan and Dai Yuan, as Yuan Zhi said, have no foundation and have been in office for less than a year. Their hasty murder of Sun He has alarmed the generals in Jiangdong. Don't think that there is no one in Jiangdong. No? The veteran Zhu Zhi and the Sun clan are still here."

"Although Sun Quan has stationed troops here, he still has the advantage of the navy. If Jun expected, Sun Quan has received the news of the rebellion of Gui Lan and Dai Yuan, and he led his army back east along the river, while our army crossed the mountains to Wan Ling, which one is faster between the two, Jun Bu said that the eldest son and the envoy should also know the difference."

After a pause, Huo Jun said in a deep voice: "Not to mention whether the war will be easy, even if we rescue Gui Lan and Dai Yuan, how will our army treat them, the prefect of Danyang or the prefect of Wu County?"

It is impossible to grant Danyang and Wujun to others. Among the six counties in Jiangdong, except for Kuaiji, which has many barbarians, Danyang provides elite soldiers and Wujun provides taxes. If these two counties are given away, what else will Liu Bei and Liu Qi do? .Unless the two of them are like Taishi Ci, with tens of thousands of elite soldiers, they may not be able to hold the post of governor.

And it's not that Huo Jun doesn't want to give them anything, but that Gui Lan and Dai Yuan only control Wanling, and their foundation is too shallow. How long they can survive is a question.What great things can be accomplished by being greedy and lustful and dying at the hands of a woman?

Liu Bei nodded slightly and asked: "If our army does not save these two people, what should our army do?"

Huo Jun stood up, walked to the map of Jiangdong on the side of the tent, pointed at it and said: "If Jun's prediction is correct, Sun Quan will return to the army to put down the Danyang rebellion after receiving this news."

"General Guan can take the opportunity to go south to Luling and put down the rebellion of Sun Bi and Sun Fu; the two can lead the army to march eastward, occupy She County, Yi County, Lingyang and other Yishan counties, and conquer Shanyue; when the Yishan counties are restored, Lead the army eastward, advance into Wu Commandery, fight decisively with the Sun family, and completely pacify Jiangdong."

In Huo Jun's opinion, it would be better to strengthen his own strength to save Gui Lan and Dai Yuan and complete the second step of his strategy to enter Jiangdong.That is to say, we will completely pacify Yuzhang and Luling, go in and capture the Huangshan counties in the area between Poyang Lake and Taihu Lake, recruit Danyang soldiers, and further accumulate strength.

After the Battle of Yuzhang, Jiangdong no longer has much advantage in military strength. If Liu Bei can take advantage of Sun Quan to put down the rebellion and quickly expand his territory, he will be able to completely gain the upper hand in future duels.Relying on the two counties of Yuzhang and Luling, as well as the mountainous counties and townships of Danyang County, it was enough to suppress Sun Quan.At the same time, they can further get rid of Jingzhou's control over them.

Of course, if Gui Lan and Dai Yuan could hold on until Liu Bei pacified the counties of Yishan, completed the second step of the strategy, and entered the third step of advancing towards Wu County, they would also be saved.And that will also be the decisive battle between Liu Bei and Sun Quan, and the battle will decide the ownership of Jiangdong.

Listening to Huo Jun's story, Liu Bei's eyes lit up, and he seemed to see the dawn of victory.

The current war situation was tense, and the rebellion of Gui Lan and Dai Yuan became a signal for Sun Quan to withdraw his troops.Without Sun Quan's army, how long can the brothers Sun Bi and Sun Fu survive?Cheng Pu was defeated, and the empty counties of Yishan surrendered almost immediately.

Liu Bei understood clearly and said: "Bo Wei, I think what Zhong Miao and Yuan Zhi said is reasonable, so I prepared a letter to comfort them. If it is difficult to defend the city, we can abandon the city and run to the counties in Yishan. Bei and Bo Wei led the army to To the east, we stationed ourselves in the counties of Yishan to provide support."

"According to my uncle's words!" Liu Qi said with a smile: "Sun Quan will withdraw his troops, and our troops will also be free."

"I hope so!" Huo Jun murmured as he stared at the map and thought about it.

Logically speaking, Sun Quan, who had water transportation, would be the first to know the news of Sun He's death.But he still made no move to return to the army. Could it be that Zhou Yu was messing with something?
(End of this chapter)