hotmtlnovel Chapter 779: Everyone expresses their opinions, Nanjun must be taken!
Chapter 779: Everyone expresses their opinions, Nanjun must be taken!
"Prime Minister, you are wise!" Zhang Liang spoke first, waving his feather fan and pointing at the map. "Among the three counties, Nan County is the most important. It is the hub connecting the north and the south. Wu Shen's main force is here. If we can quickly conquer Nan County, the other two counties will surely be shaken. We may be able to take them down without a fight! However, a strong attack will inevitably cause great losses. We should use a psychological strategy to alienate Wu Shen and his generals..."
"Mr. Zifang's words make sense, but they are too cautious!" Han Xin stood up suddenly, his eyes gleaming, his fingers like swords, pointing directly at Yingchuan County, "Yingchuan County! Although this place is not where Wu Can's main force is located, its city defense is relatively weak, and it is the hometown of Wu Rui! Although Wu Rui has fallen into the hands of our army now, his hometown roots are still there. If our army takes Yingchuan with thundering force, on the one hand, we can cut off one of Wu Can's arms and shake his military morale; secondly, we can intimidate the young men of Yingchuan so that they dare not act rashly; thirdly... we can show the world that anyone who is an enemy of the prime minister will also have a hard time protecting his foundation! This is killing three birds with one stone! After defeating Yingchuan, we will return to Nanjun with the prestige of a great victory, and Wu Can will be defeated!" His words were full of strong confidence in rapid raids and fighting to support wars.
Xiao He frowned slightly, his focus was completely different: "War is a major event for a country, a matter of life and death. The mobilization of food, weapons, and civilians are the basis for victory. The army has been fighting for a long time, and although the treasury is not empty, it also needs to be carefully calculated. Sichuan is mountainous and easy to defend but difficult to attack. A strong attack is not the best strategy. We should mainly encircle the area, cut off the food supply, and assist with internal support. The strategy for attacking Nanjun and Yingchuan also requires accurate calculation of food and fodder consumption and transportation routes to ensure that there is no risk of food shortages on the front line..." He spoke slowly, but every word hit the nail on the head, concerning the practical issues of the hundreds of thousands of troops.
The generals argued endlessly:
"General Han is brave, but if he divides his troops to attack Sishui, what should we do if Wu Can of Nanjun takes advantage of the situation and launches a counterattack?"
"The commander of Yingchuan is an old subordinate of Wu Rui and is already dissatisfied with Wu Can. This is an opportunity we can take advantage of! I am willing to lead 5,000 elite soldiers to sneak in and instigate a rebellion!"
"Siege equipment! Ladders, battering rams, and catapults must be built as quickly as possible! The walls of Nanjun are high and thick. Without these hard tools, will we have to sacrifice our lives?"
The conference room suddenly became like a boiling pot, with everyone expressing their opinions and arguing fiercely, but a clear strategic outline was gradually drawn out in the collision.
Gao Yao listened to this lively debate, and his tense nerves relaxed a little. This kind of brainstorming energy was what he needed. He stood up and waved his hand: "Please discuss it, and make sure it is comprehensive. I am a little tired, so I will go to the backyard to rest for a while." A rare gentleness appeared on his face, "Pass the order to hold a banquet at the Prime Minister's Mansion tonight to reward all the meritorious officials! Plenty of wine and meat!"
Hearing this, everyone was even more excited and said in unison: "Thank you, Prime Minister!"
Gao Yao turned around, and surrounded by his personal guards, he left the noisy meeting room, walked through the corridors, and walked to the relatively quiet backyard. The golden light of the setting sun shone through the carved window lattices, casting long shadows on the ground. He rubbed his swollen temples, and the fatigue of his body surged like a tide, but his mind was unusually clear. The desperate cries of the people when Wu Rui massacred the city, Yi Xiaochuan's seemingly cynical but unfathomable face, and the scenes of Liu Bang escaping from the dead ends he carefully arranged again and again... flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
"In troubled times, human life is as cheap as grass..." He muttered to himself, his voice so low that it could not be heard. In the backyard garden, several maids were pruning branches. When they saw him, they knelt down hurriedly, their heads lowered, their bodies trembling slightly, and it was obvious that they were extremely afraid.
Gao Yao paused, looking at their young but frightened faces, the string in his heart called "modern conscience" was gently plucked again, bringing a sharp pain. The tragedy of Hengshan City must not be repeated. This is not only for the so-called "benevolence and righteousness", but also for the foundation of his future! What he needs are living people who can farm, pay taxes, and reproduce, not pieces of scorched earth soaked in blood!
"Get up." He ordered in a slightly hoarse voice, his tone was a little softer than usual, but he did not stop, and went straight to his study. He needed a moment of solitude to sort out his thoughts, digest the argument just now, and make the final decision for the upcoming, decisive battle of the three counties.
Become a king? No, maybe an emperor... This idea is like wildfire, once it is ignited, it can never be extinguished. He pushed open the heavy door of the study, the light inside was slightly dim, and the air was filled with the smell of bamboo slips and ink. Outside the window, on a tall sycamore tree, a few crows returning to their nests made hoarse cries, indicating that this long twilight of troubled times was far from over.
He walked to the desk, but did not sit down. Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back, staring at a more detailed map of the world hanging on the wall. He circled Nanjun, Yingchuan, and Sichuan with cinnabar, making them so red that they seemed to drip blood at any moment.
"Shortest time...lowest cost..." Gao Yao's fingers tapped unconsciously on the cold rosewood tabletop, making a light thumping sound. Zhang Liang's steadiness, Han Xin's radicalism, Xiao He's pragmatism...all kinds of plans collided, merged, and chosen rapidly in his mind.
Han Xin's strategy of "surprise attack on Yingchuan and shocking Nanjun" is indeed very tempting and can create momentum the fastest. But it also has the greatest risk. Once Wu Can's main force in Nanjun reacts quickly and forms a pincer attack with the Yingchuan defenders, or the Sichuan defenders take the opportunity to attack the grain road... Although he can win in the end, Gao wants time, because he cannot be sure whether Xiang Yu and Liu Bang will take advantage of the situation.
Xiao He's worry was very realistic. The army had to wait for food and grass before it could move. The army continued to fight, and the pressure on logistics was close to the limit. If the army had to fight on three fronts, once the logistics line was cut off, the army would collapse without fighting. Although Sichuan was easy to fight, food and grass in Jiujiang and other places were already scarce, and it would take time to gather food and grass support from Nanjun and other places.
After all, the time that Jiujiang and other places were in Gao Yao's hands was limited. It was enough to restore people's livelihood and defend the city, but it was still a bit difficult to support the army to continue fighting.
Zhang Liang's "conquer the heart first, and conquer Nanjun quickly" seems to be the most reliable entry point. Nanjun is the core of Wu Can. If it is captured, the defense system of the three counties will collapse by half. But how easy is it to "conquer quickly"? Wu Can is not a fool, and he must deploy heavy troops. A strong attack will cause great losses, and conquering the heart... takes time.
And time is exactly what Gao Yao lacks the most! Becoming king is already a set strategy, and he needs a hearty victory to lay the foundation for the new dynasty! Delay will lead to changes. Who knows if the lingering mysterious Yi Xiaochuan, or Xiang Yu in the west, will take advantage of the opportunity to sneak in?
"Report!" A hurried voice broke the silence of the study. A dusty scout was brought in by the guards. He knelt on one knee and presented a bamboo tube with feathers in it. "Prime Minister, urgent news from Nanjun!"