Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 381: Military meeting at Zhengdan

The first month of the twenty-second year of Jian'an.

A lot of grain, grass and baggage have been transported to Jiangdu. The Jianghuai sergeants are preparing for war. The Jiangdong sergeants are ordered to rush to the county to govern. The Northern Expedition will be launched soon.

During the Northern Expedition in the winter and early spring of the Han Dynasty, Zhuge Liang mostly took into account the busy farming work in the autumn. In autumn, after the rice harvest, Sumai will be planted. If we send troops at this time and delay the busy farming season, it will hurt the farmers.

At Zhuge Liang's suggestion, Liu Bei chose to set out in early spring. At that time, the wheat harvest had not yet arrived and there was no need to plant rice. In March and April, wheat is harvested. During this period, due to lack of manpower, rice can be planted later.

After planting in the spring, Zhuge Liang would take advantage of the slack farming season to recruit people to transport grain to the army, so as not to disrupt the busy autumn season.

War is inevitable, but Zhuge Liang tried his best to reduce the impact of the war, ensure normal agricultural production, and then supply the army.

Zhuge Liang was responsible for the logistics and dispatching, and Liu Bei led the army expedition himself. Liu Bei also made arrangements for when to go out, and decided to send out troops after Zhengdan.

What is Zhengdan?

That is the first day of the first lunar month, the first day of the king's year. The Spring Festival in later generations originated from the first day of the first lunar month.

From the Qin Dynasty to the middle of the Han Dynasty, the beginning of the year was in the tenth month of the lunar calendar, and the first day of October was the New Year. However, after the mid-Han Dynasty, it was changed to December, and Zhengdan was celebrated at the beginning of the first month.

It is a custom on the first day of the first lunar month to have family reunions, dress in formal clothes, and pay homage to the elders. For the imperial court, a large-scale court meeting will be held, where the monarch and his ministers congratulate each other.

On such a joyful occasion, Liu Bei naturally wanted to congratulate his officials and at the same time announce the news of the Northern Expedition.

At night, hundreds of torches are placed in the palace, and three-foot lamps are set up outside. The moon shines and the stars shine, making the night look like day. Along with the sound of rituals and music in the hall, it was very lively.

Liu Bei sat on the couch with Queen Mi, and Prince Liu Chan sat on the side table on the small table. Huo Jun, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun and other military generals sat in the east hall; Zhuge Liang, Zhang Zhao, Mi Zhu and other civil servants sat in the west hall.

"color!"

The illusionist performed extraordinary skills, which dazzled everyone and applauded him from time to time. However, as the illusionist's trick performance ended, the formal ceremony officially began.

Looking at the civil and military officials in the hall, Liu Bei put his hand on the table and said with a smile: "After several years of recuperation, the treasury is getting richer, the politics is clear, and all the ministers have worked hard. Today is the first day of the lunar month, and I should be celebrating together. According to etiquette , Your Majesty, you can drink and celebrate without being restrained."

As he spoke, Liu Bei pointed to the officials at the end of the banquet and said with a smile: "In the past, people would toast from the venerable on Zhengdan. Today, we can toast from the humble on Zhengdan, so that I can meet all the ministers."

Officials at official posts drink to the king, and subordinates drink to superior officials. This custom has been around for a long time!

For example, in history, Fei Yi held a Zhengdan banquet. Guo Xiu, the left general, took advantage of the drinking opportunity to assassinate Fei Yi with a dagger. In the end, Fei Yi was assassinated and Guo Xiuze was also sentenced to death.

"Even a humble person has great talents. Your Majesty wants to see the pearl!" Huo Jun said.

"Ha ha!"

Liu Bei stroked his beard and smiled, saying: "You don't have to be restrained when you drink with each other."

"promise!"

"Quan, please give me a bottle of Huo Du!"

"Drink with both men and women!"

With Liu Bei's permission, everyone toasted to each other at the foot of the stairs.

The officials at the end of the banquet were both excited and nervous when they learned that they were going to drink with Liu Bei. If you behave appropriately and leave a deep impression on Liu Bei, you will likely be promoted in the future.

"Your Majesty, Zhang Wen, pays homage to your Majesty. I wish your Majesty a happy and prosperous life!"

But he saw Zhang Wen, who was more than eight feet tall and with outstanding appearance, holding a wine bottle and drinking from Liu Bei from a few steps away.

Liu Bei smiled and said: "Gu Ruo's memory is correct, you should be the son of Zhang Yun of Wu County. I don't know what your current position is?"

"Exactly!"

Zhang Wen looked excited and said: "Your Majesty, Wen is currently serving as Cao Cao's military advisor."

Liu Bei nodded slightly and said comfortingly: "Your father is very talented and learned, and I am very respected. I cherish heaven and don't lie to you. From now on, you should encourage me and live up to my father's name."

"promise!"

With Liu Bei's encouragement, Zhang Wen grinned and looked quite happy.

While Liu Bei was meeting everyone, Zhuge Liang was chatting with the scholar captain Zhou Qun.

Zhou Qun toasted Zhuge Liang and asked, "May I ask the military advisor, is your Majesty going to launch a northern expedition to Shouchun soon?"

Zhuge Liang held up the wine bottle and took a sip, and said, "How does Zhongzhi know this?"

"The boats gathered in Wuhan and flowed to the Jianghuai River. If we don't attack Shouchun now, why don't we attack Liaodong?" Zhou Qun joked.

"Zhongzhi asked about this matter, does he have any insight?" Zhuge Liang asked.

Zhou Qun shook his head and said in a low voice: "Divining divination when the group is free, there are many unfavorable divination results. The military advisor should ask the king to be more careful."

Zhuge Liang frowned slightly and warned: "Zhong Zhi's words must not be nonsense!"

"Please rest assured, military advisor, the group is just joking!"

Zhou Qun is not a reckless person, and the divination signs are just the words of his family. Talking about unlucky hexagrams at the right time will definitely arouse Liu Bei's disgust.

"The group quits!"

As Zhou Qun dodged into the crowd, Zhuge Liang forgot about this matter and chatted and laughed with Dong He, the commander of the army.

At this time, it was Li Miao's turn to toast Liu Bei.

Li Miao stood holding the bottle, bowed his hands to Liu Bei, and said, "Li Miao has met the king."

Without waiting for Liu Bei's reply, Li Miao looked quite arrogant and said: "Liu Jiyu regards the king as the heart of the clan and entrusts him to take the life of Zhang Lu. The king first invaded Hanzhong and then attacked Bashu. Miao used the king to take Yizhou, which was a breach of faith. "Bold!"

Hearing this, the attendant scolded Li Miao with his sword, and seemed to want to arrest him on the spot.

Liu Bei suppressed his anger, waved his hand and dismissed the attendants, and asked: "Since you know that you can't do this alone, why don't you help Liu Jiyu?"

Li Miao was not ashamed and said: "It's not because I don't dare, it's because of my lack of strength!"

Liu Bei's expression changed slightly, and he now had the idea of ​​​​executing this madman.

"Catch him!"

Liu Bei could bear it, but Queen Mi couldn't. She was furious and ordered Li Miao to be arrested and questioned.

In the west hall, Zhuge Liang saw the chaos among the people and had already arrived in front of Liu Bei. At the same time, there were also generals such as Huo Jun and Zhao Yun, glaring at Li Miao angrily.

On the first day of the first lunar month, when the emperor and his ministers were celebrating, Li Miao dared to speak rudely to Liu Bei!

Seeing that Liu Bei seemed to be having a seizure, Zhuge Liang stepped out of the queue and said, "I would like to inform you, Your Majesty, that Li Miao made a liar after drinking and should be severely punished. However, it is now the first day of the lunar month and he will go on an expedition again soon. At this time, he will kill the wise men. This is not a good opportunity. Please forgive Li Miao for his death penalty, remove him from office, and send him back to his hometown."

Li Miao's brothers, Li Chao and Li Shao, squeezed out from the crowd and confessed to Liu Bei.

Li Chao looked frightened and said: "Your Majesty, my brother is arrogant and made a mistake. I hope your Majesty will spare his life!"

"Your Majesty~"

Liu Bei saw Zhuge Liang to plead for mercy. Li Chao and Li Shao were both talented people. Although he wanted to kill the madman Li Miao, he felt relieved and had to spare Li Miao's life.

Waving his hand, Liu Bei said coldly: "Li Miao committed the following crimes and should have been punished with severe punishment. Today, I am thinking of Li Miao's first offense. It is a festive season. Let's spare his life and remove him from his official position."

"Thank you so much, King Rende!"

Er Li kowtowed to Liu Bei, probably to thank Liu Bei for his tolerance.

Huo Jun sighed a few times when he saw such a scene. If his memory is not bad, Zhuge Liang spares Li Miao's life, which will eventually lead to Li Miao's ruthless impeachment.

Not everyone in the world can see the situation clearly, and there are often people who think they are different and tell the outside world their unique and violent opinions.

In Huo Jun's view, Li Miao was just a sensationalist. If you really want to be loyal to Liu Zhang, wouldn't it be tiring to imitate the king? He sacrificed his life to become a benevolent person and refused to surrender to Liu Bei.

If he is loyal to public affairs, he may learn from Huang Quan. Liu Zhang surrendered and did not have any psychological burden. He could just do things for Liu Bei.

A few years later, Liu Bei was reprimanded in front of everyone. That is to say, Liu Bei has a good heart. If it were Cao Cao now, not only would Li Miao die, but his two brothers would also be implicated.

Under Li Miao's destruction, Liu Bei's interest was gone, and the atmosphere in the meeting was also a bit solemn. Liu Bei kept his spirits up and finished meeting the remaining officials. Later, he said some encouraging words, rewarded all the money, and ended the Zhengdan court meeting.

The next day, Huo Jun went to the palace to meet Liu Bei with his army strategy.

In the side hall, Liu Bei was in a happy mood and had obviously forgotten about Li Miao.

When he saw Huo Jun, Liu Bei asked, "The troops and horses are now ready, and the general will be ready to go on an expedition in the near future. Can Zhong Miao submit a detailed plan?"

"I would like to inform you, Your Majesty, that the Huai River is a thousand miles long. If we just go north from Hangou or Feishui, it will not be enough."

Huo Jun spread out the map of the Yangtze River and Huaihe River and pointed out: "Jun thought that the army could be divided into two routes. The king could lead the army from Feishui to Shaopi and reach Shouchun. Jun would lead a group of soldiers to enter Hangou by boat and take the Huaihe River. From all the cities along the route, we will continue westward and meet with the king at the foot of Shouchun City."

Although the Huai River is not a natural cut of the Yangtze River, it is also not an ordinary stream. It originates from Runan and flows through Shouchun, Yicheng, Zhongli, Huaiyin, Huaipu and other places, thousands of miles away.

If we take the Feishui route alone and arrive in Shouchun, there will be no one to look after us in the Qingxu area and we will be vulnerable to attack. Moreover, Feishui can only travel in small boats, not large ships, which undoubtedly weakens the power of the south.

If we just go north through Hangou and then to Shouchun, we will have to cover thousands of miles of waterway. By then, Cao Cao has already led his army to prepare for it.

The best marching strategy is to take Feishui all the way and Hangou all the way, and then converge at the foot of Shouchun City. Or fight against the people of the Central Plains all the way, or divide Yu Qingxu's troops all the way.

Looking at the map of the Yangtze River and Huaihe River, Liu Bei said: "Gu led the army to Chaohu and captured Shouchun in the north. Zhongmiao divided his troops to go to Hangou and entered the Huaihe River to capture the cities on the Huaihe River. If we march like this, Cao Cao will definitely raise his troops to go south and heavily support them. Shouchun. At that time Qingxu also took action, either marching to fight or retreating to protect the people."

"Exactly!"

Huo Jun pointed his finger along the Huaihe River and said: "The Whirlpool River flows into the Huaihe River from Yicheng, which is located more than a hundred miles east of Shouchun; the Sishui River flows into the Huaihe River from Huaiyin, which is three to four hundred miles away from Xiapi. Yicheng and Huaiyin are The hub of the Huai River, these two places are dangerous and critical."

"The king has launched an expedition to the north to attack Shouchun. Jun should be the king's coordinator to ensure that the king's flank is intact and to contain Qingxu's troops."

There are rivers in the Yangtze River that flow into the Huai River, and there are naturally rivers in the Central Plains that flow into the Huai River. They are divided into four major tributaries: Ru, Ying, Wu, and Si. Whenever Cao Cao sent troops to the Jianghuai River, he always ordered the four rivers to advance together and pour into the Huaihe River, and then march south to Hefei.

Now if we want to fight for longevity, we must try our best to block the four rivers and block Cao Cao's grain and water transportation. However, it is a pity that among the four rivers, Ru River and Ying River are west of Shouchun and upstream of Huai River. At present, the Ru and Ying rivers cannot be blocked, so we can only try to block the Wu and Si rivers to ensure the safety of Liu Bei's flanks.

Xiangfan is difficult to fight because the terrain is narrow and can easily be beaten into a meat grinder; Shouchun is difficult to fight because there are many rivers in the north. For Cao Cao, it is easy to mobilize troops.

Liu Bei nodded slightly and said: "The general strategy of the march can be based on what Zhongmiao said. The troops are divided into two groups. Gu leads the army to Feishui to capture Shouchun; Qing leads the partial army out of Hangou and into the Huai River to join forces with Cao Cao."

After a pause, Liu Bei asked: "Your Majesty, the road is far away. When do you want to send troops?"

Huo Jun pondered for a while and said: "I want to set out the day after tomorrow and go to Jianghuai first. Following the king's order, we will recruit 30,000 soldiers from Xu and Yang prefectures, as well as hundreds of small and medium-sized boats to go north."

Liu Bei asked Huo Jun to lead 30,000 troops as a partial army. Most of them were Huo Jun's former Jianghuai troops, such as Ding Feng, Xu Sheng, Gao Xiang and other generals, and they were used more easily.

"good!"

Liu Bei stroked his sparse beard and said: "Gu Yu raised his troops ten days later. He first went to Chaohu and met Zijing's troops, and then went north to Shouchun."

"I invite Jiang Ji, the governor of Jiujiang, to accompany the army!" Huo Jun cupped his hands and said.

"allow!"

(End of this chapter)