My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 634 Countermeasures
"Lord."

Xu You was in a hurry, and after entering the Jizhou prefecture, he was quickly received by Yuan Shao.

Upon meeting, Xu You presented the military intelligence he had on hand.

Yuan Shao didn't say much. He took the book and began to read it. As he read, his brows furrowed: "The troops in Yanzhou haven't been moved, but the troops in Henan have been transferred to Guanzhong?"

"Exactly."

Xu You nodded heavily. Yuan Shao liked to divide power, and having a powerful minister like Ju Shou under his command was already a headache enough; naturally, he didn't want to cultivate any more powerful ministers. Therefore, different forces were involved in various aspects of his administration. For example, intelligence was handled by Xu You, Guo Tu, and Ju Shou, each with their own checks and balances.

Xu You was in charge of the Central Plains, Guo Tu was in charge of the Qing-Xu region, and Ju Shou was in charge of the Hebei region.

Xu You had already informed Yuan Shao of Cao Cao's previous deployment, but at the time, he couldn't figure out what Cao Cao was planning. Moreover, Cao Cao had mostly mobilized miscellaneous vassal troops, so Yuan Shao did not act rashly.

After all, for Yuan Shao and Cao Cao now, small-scale skirmishes are utterly meaningless.

Yuan Shao then asked, "What's the situation in Hanzhong?"

Xu You shook his head: "It's difficult. Guanzhong is in ruins. The few caravans that exist all have powerful backers. Although we have partners in Henan, we can't continue south after reaching Baima Pass. We can only go through Mianyang to Nanzheng, and then we have to turn back."

Yuan Shao had many strategists around him, and although there were deficiencies in the intelligence, everyone agreed that Cao Cao's large-scale military campaign was likely aimed at taking Hanzhong and continuing to contend for Shu.

Speculation is speculation, but we still need concrete evidence to prove it. However, now that the world is in chaos, the number of caravans in various places has decreased significantly, while their size has increased many times over, all backed by the top aristocratic families and powerful clans among the various forces.

For example, in Hebei, merchant caravans backed by powerful families like the Yuan, Shen, and Zhen families accounted for 70% of foreign trade, while the remaining 30% was shared by a dozen or so other families. These families were all close confidants of Yuan Shao; otherwise, they wouldn't have even had a chance to participate.

The same was true on Cao Cao's side, where caravans supported by the Cao, Xun, and Xiahou families accounted for the majority of trade. As for the Liu family, it was even more extreme; their caravans practically monopolized all of the foreign trade.

You can form a caravan even without an admission ticket, but how far your caravan can go is another matter.

These caravans ostensibly operate as trading entities, buying and selling goods, but behind the scenes, it's understandable that each caravan would carry out espionage work. However, the increasingly stringent trade environment and the numerous road blockades have made the work of the intelligence system increasingly difficult.

For example, this time, Xu You's spies infiltrated a caravan in Henan through the Henan gentry and headed to Hanzhong. However, once they arrived in Hanzhong, they were unable to continue south and were unable to bribe the powerful figures in Hanzhong in a short period of time, so they were unable to gather intelligence on Shu.

Seeing Yuan Shao's displeasure, Xu You quickly added, "However, judging from the strength of Cao Cao's troops, the opponent should be Liu Jiyu of Yizhou. Otherwise, Nanyang, Yingchuan, and Yanzhou would not be so peaceful."

Yuan Shao nodded slowly, as he had considered the same point. However, he still asked, "Then why has Mengde mobilized the troops stationed in Hanoi again? These are his elite troops, with formidable fighting strength. Mengde's decision to place them in Henan clearly indicates his intention to provide reinforcements to all sides. What important event has occurred in Shu that has forced him to take such action?"

Xu You was also quite puzzled by this, and could only guess: "My lord, Mengde's actions are for one of two reasons."

Yuan Shao looked up at Xu You: "What brilliant ideas do you have, Ziyuan?"

Xu You replied, "It's either a great victory or a great defeat. If it's a great victory, Mengde will naturally want to swallow up the eleven counties and kingdoms of Yizhou, so he will increase his troops and try to finish the job as soon as possible. Otherwise, if he suffers a great defeat and Shu is in dire need, Mengde will have to send his elite troops to the rescue."

Yuan Shao nodded in agreement, as he shared the same assessment. However, he still had a question: "Ziyuan, do you think Liu Zisheng might enter Shu?"

Upon hearing this, Xu You immediately shook his head: "That's impossible."

Yuan Shao pressed further, asking, "Why?"

Xu You analyzed earnestly: "My lord, Yizhou is a land of plenty. Qin conquered the six states by acquiring Ba and Shu, and Han unified the world by controlling the two Sichuan regions. This is common knowledge. But why were only Qin and Han able to obtain it? The reason is simply the advantage of location. Both Qin and Han were able to enter Shu only after they had Hanzhong. Although Liu Zisheng has already established his power, he is located downstream of the Yangtze River. Even if his navy is large, how can he attack upstream?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao was greatly impressed and wholeheartedly agreed.

After all, before Huan Wen, the control of Bashu was almost entirely derived from Hanzhong. Whether it was Qin Shi Huang or Emperor Gaozu of Han, Bashu was only controlled by Hanzhong.

At its peak, the State of Chu was the first to declare itself a kingdom, commanding a million armored soldiers and controlling a vast territory spanning thousands of miles. The entire Jianghan Plain was part of Chu's lands, but it never truly controlled Bashu.

Even a powerful state like Chu couldn't do it, let alone other periods.

Only during the Eastern Han Dynasty, when the campaign against Gongsun Shu was launched, was a multi-pronged attack, advancing by both land and sea. Cen Peng and Wu Han both performed exceptionally well, breaching the Three Gorges and capturing Jiangzhou, but this was a campaign against the entire country against a single province, and was not enough to overturn Xu You's opinion.

Finally, Xu You added, "Moreover, if Liu Zisheng really did venture into Shu, how would Mengde dare to mobilize troops like this?"

Yuan Shao laughed heartily, expressing his complete agreement.

If Cao Cao and Liu Bei were vying for control of Yi Province, why would the border along the thousands of miles of Yan Province, Yu Province, and Nanyang be so peaceful?

There wasn't even any friction between the two sides. Cao Cao even dared to mobilize a large number of troops. Wasn't that a huge disregard for Liu Feng?
In fact, this miraculous scene was caused by multiple reasons, and Cao Cao was by no means as unprepared as Yuan Shao thought.

Firstly, the alliance between Cao Cao and Liu Bei had been long-standing, especially along the military demarcation line, where mutual trust was deep and the border forces remained small. Rashly increasing troops would inevitably cause turmoil and damage mutual trust, which would be a loss for the weaker Cao family.

Therefore, Cao Cao's response was to abandon the periphery and protect the core at all costs.

The logic is quite simple: if Liu turns against us, we wouldn't be able to defend the outer perimeter anyway. Instead, we can concentrate our forces in the core area, effectively preserving our strength and greatly increasing the probability of holding the core. If Liu doesn't turn against us, we can defend the outer perimeter without needing reinforcements, making it a win-win situation.

In addition to these two benefits, there was an additional benefit: it maintained the illusion of harmony between Cao Cao and Liu Bei in order to deter Yuan Shao from making any rash moves.

Meanwhile, although Cao Cao and Liu Bei had broken off relations in Shu and repeatedly reinforced their troops, it was common for the two sides to vie for third-party territories. If both sides tacitly agreed to keep the fighting within third-party territory, the alliance might not necessarily be broken. This was the current expectation of Cao Cao, including himself. If Liu Feng were willing to release Cao Ang in exchange for Yi Province, Cao Cao would be overjoyed.

After listening to Xu You's analysis, Yuan Shao gave up the idea of ​​launching a military campaign. After all, the plan to recuperate and rebuild was nearing its end, and hastily raising troops without a clear objective would only disrupt his own plans, which was not advisable.

However, Yuan Shao still instructed Xu You at the end, "You must send more spies to the south. Don't be stingy with money. As long as you can obtain useful intelligence, you will be well reimbursed. Report to me." Upon hearing that he could be reimbursed in excess, Xu You's eyes lit up immediately, and he agreed repeatedly.

Yuan Shao and Xu You had been friends for decades, so Yuan Shao naturally understood his old friend's thoughts. However, Xu You had always been like this; although greedy for money, he was capable, so Yuan Shao didn't hold it against him.

**
Three days after sending the letter and the order, Lu Xun suddenly requested an audience.

Liu Feng naturally couldn't refuse to see him, so he immediately invited him into his study.

After you sit down, tea is served.

Liu Feng took the initiative to ask, "Boyan, has something come of your business?"

Lu Xun immediately said, "I have come up with a plan, but I don't know if it is appropriate."

Liu Feng laughed loudly, "Boyan, please speak freely. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one. You and I can discuss it ourselves."

With Liu Feng's statement, Lu Xun naturally had no more worries and immediately spoke his mind.

"Does my lord think that the army in Guangdu is too large now?"

Liu Feng looked surprised. After thinking about it carefully, he gradually realized what was going on and tentatively asked, "Boyan, do you mean... a plan to reduce the number of soldiers and increase the number of cooking fires?"

"Exactly!"

Seeing that Liu Feng had guessed his thoughts, Lu Xun immediately perked up and said eloquently, "My lord, Cao Ang's plan is not insurmountable. We cannot reduce the number of people in Chengdu, but we can certainly reduce the number of our troops. Now Cao's army is terrified and dares not seek to fight us in the open field. On the contrary, the troops on the eastern front are particularly insufficient."

Liu Feng pondered for a moment, then asked carefully, "According to your strategy, how should the troops be deployed?"

Lu Xun had already anticipated this and immediately replied, "In my opinion, the main force of the left wing of the Guangdu army should be replenished to two thousand men in each main force. The remaining troops can be moved east to reinforce the Jiameng and Tianxiong line to block Cao's reinforcements. In addition, two or three more main force battalions should be dispatched to Luocheng. Luocheng still has more than 100,000 shi of grain and a considerable amount of military equipment and armor, enough for 15,000 soldiers for half a year."

"The remaining troops will continue to hold Guangdu and wait for the enemy to retreat before taking over Chengdu."

Lu Xun glanced at Liu Feng's expression and continued, "Even if Cao Cao's army discovers the flaw, we can abandon Guangdu and retreat to Wuyang. With the fortification of Wuyang, a force of over ten thousand men is sufficient to defend against fifty thousand of Cao Cao's troops."

Liu Feng understood Lu Xun's suggestion and was overjoyed. Lu Xun's plan to reduce troops and increase cooking fires was indeed very suitable for the current situation.

Lu Xun's deployment not only greatly increased the strength of the troops blocking reinforcements on the eastern front, but also freed up the rations for tens of thousands of people.

With the naval forces of Gan Ning and Huang Gai, plus over ten thousand soldiers under Zhao Wei and the Cong army, and several battalions reinforcing Luocheng, Guangdu could reduce the rations of 30,000 able-bodied men. Moreover, Chengdu would then be filled with the elderly, women, and children; one soldier's ration could be divided into several portions of gruel to sustain them, enough to feed three to five women, children, and the elderly.

This plan seems somewhat risky, as it would greatly weaken the Left Army's strength in Guangdu.

However, as long as their actions are discreet, the allied forces that are transporting supplies will not be able to see through the Left Guard Army's true strength. And once they capture Chengdu, the Left Guard Army of more than 10,000 men will be enough to defend Chengdu and can also coordinate with Luoyang.

Even if the allied forces do discover the weakness, the Left Army can retreat to Wuyang to protect itself and avoid a major defeat.

"feasible!"

After a moment's deliberation, Liu Feng made his decision.

Today, the city of Guangdu still has troops led by Gan Ning, Huang Gai, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Wen Pin, Ling Tong, Zhang Nan, Feng Xi, Lü Dai, Fu Tong, Xi Zhen, and Liu Feng's personal guard.

Fucheng had three armies led by Lü Meng, Quan Cong, and Sun Ce, totaling nine thousand men.

After careful consideration, Liu Feng decided to add three more troops to the Fucheng forces, namely Ling Tong, Wen Pin, and Fu Tong, bringing their total strength to 15,000.

However, this part of the troops will not be in a hurry to arrive. They will proceed to Luocheng after entering Chengdu. This way, it will not affect food consumption, while strengthening Guangdu's responsiveness. After all, Guangdu is the main battlefield, and Luocheng is still only a secondary battlefield at this time.

In this way, Guangdu still had 3,000 of Liu Feng's personal troops, and the troops of Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Zhang Nan, Feng Xi, Lü Dai, and Xi Zhen, totaling 15,000 men. Adding a 6,000-strong naval brigade and 6,000 men from Ling Tong's three divisions, they could still maintain a fighting force of nearly 30,000.

In addition, there are two thousand men from the Xizhen branch in Wuyang City and two thousand men from the Cuanyang branch in Bodao, who can also move forward to reinforce at any time, ensuring that the Guangdu front remains intact.

The old troops of Zhao Wei who were to be transferred eastward were all elites, carefully selected to replenish the losses of the Left Army and to add soldiers to other units.

After removing those who had been added to the Left Guard Army's elite battalions, there were still five or six thousand of them left, who were organized into separate units and assigned to various battalions. It would be quite easy to transfer them out, and with the addition of nearly four thousand Cong soldiers, the total number was close to ten thousand.

Liu Feng planned to transfer either Gan Ning's or Huang Gai's troops to escort the original Zhao Wei soldiers and Cong soldiers to the eastern front to reinforce the Jiameng battlefield.

After these people are transferred to Jiameng Pass on the eastern front, they will greatly enhance the blocking force on the eastern front. Moreover, Jiameng Pass and Tianxiong Pass are both strategic passes that are easy to defend and difficult to attack. Although Zhao Wei's troops are slightly weaker, they are still capable of carrying out defensive operations relying on strong fortresses.

At the same time, it will also reduce consumption in the Chengdu direction.

Although there are only a little over 10,000 soldiers here, their rations are enough to feed more than 20,000 civilians, and even, if necessary, to stabilize 30,000 to 40,000 people in a short period of time.

After all, soldiers need more than two shi (a unit of dry measure) of food per month, and meat should be provided as much as possible during wartime. For civilians, one shi per person is enough to fill their stomachs, and if they don't work, half a shi is enough to keep them alive.

If the timing of entering the city is well-managed and public opinion is guided in a positive direction, then the people of Chengdu will direct their resentment towards Liu Zhang and Cao Ang, rather than Liu Feng.

(End of this chapter)