Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 269: Like Zhuge Wuhou resurrected!
Changan.

On top of the tall city walls, soldiers patrolled back and forth.

From time to time, evil birds hovered in the air, gazing at the cold fortress below.

The eight official roads outside the city gate are now completely blocked.

Carriages and pack horses piled up into a heap, with no end in sight. The shouting of the drivers, the wailing of the laborers, and the scolding of the warriors all intertwined together, making the area around Chang'an even more noisy.

The carriage was piled high with food and supplies.

Officials at the city gate were running around, some checking the checkpoints, and some recording money and grain.

In the distant parade ground, bursts of shouting and killing broke out again.

The dark clouds in the sky are low and heavy.

The roads in the city were completely blocked, even scouts could hardly pass through, and the doors of every household were closed. Only civilians, officials, and knights were left in the city.

Inside the Duke of Jin’s Mansion.

Yuwen Hu sat solemnly on the upper seat with a stern face, and his many confidants stood on both sides of him.

There were scholars holding documents, describing the gathering of the army.

"There are 46,000 soldiers in the capital, all of them are fully armed, and Duke Wei Chi Jiong of Shu is training and selecting the generals."

"The armies of Qin, Long, Ba, Shu and other vassal states are all on the way, with an estimated strength of 158,000."

"Need food and supplies"

Yuwen Hu listened to the scholar's words, his hands clenched into fists, clenching and unclenching them. His heart was not as calm as his face showed.

The entire state machinery of the Great Zhou began to operate frantically. With a total army of more than 200,000 people, plus reinforcements from the Turks, the total force of the various parties involved in the campaign against the Pseudo-Qi could reach more than 300,000.

It would be a lie to say I'm not excited.

But Yuwen Hu was indeed a little hesitant at this moment.

He went on this expedition not because he wanted to fight, but because there were too many factors that forced him to fight.

Firstly, he needed military merits to be able to suppress so many powerful generals in the country. Others only thought that he had a lot of talented people under his command, a group of fierce and vigorous generals, but no one knew how much it would cost to subdue such a group of fierce and vigorous generals.

Secondly, there is the factor of the Turks outside the Great Wall. The previous few times we cooperated with the Turks to attack the Qi Dynasty, it cannot be said that there were no results, but it can only be said that it was a miserable defeat.

However, the Zhou people managed to get back a lot of things, but the Turks suffered heavy casualties.

This made Ashina Yandu extremely dissatisfied. He believed that the Zhou people were not qualified allies because they did not contribute.

Yuwen Hu had to hold on to this ally, even though the Great Zhou was currently catching up with the Great Qi in terms of national strength, without the Turks it was hard to say who would win or lose.

The main reason is that there are too many capable fighters in the Pseudo-Qi, not just Duan Shao, Hu, Lu Guang and Liu Taozi. Even if you pick any nobleman at random, it's hard to say what his character is like, but it's certain that he can fight and dares to charge.

Even if the Turks don't contribute, they can at least play a role in distraction.
Thirdly, the pressure from Liu Taozi was too great. When Yongfeng fell, Yuwen Hu looked indifferent, but only his wife knew what he was feeling.

I tossed and turned at night, unable to fall asleep. After the fall of Yongfeng, the original northern front of the Great Zhou collapsed directly. The north of Guizhen completely lost its organization, a large number of garrisons were unusable, and the important trade route to the Turks was also blocked, requiring a detour.

Whenever Yuwen Hu thought of it, he gnashed his teeth in hatred.

The scholar spoke very seriously. When he finished speaking, he slowly looked at Yuwen Hu, only to find that Yuwen Hu was still the same as before, with a stern face, not saying a word, and his mind wandering somewhere else.

Cui You cleared his throat, "Duke?"

Yuwen Hu was awakened at this point. He looked at everyone around him and suddenly let out a long sigh.

"The people of Qi are fierce and ruthless. Do you think it is ok to send troops to Qi to gather all the troops?"

Everyone was immediately shocked and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Cui You frowned and said unhappily: "Duke! The army has already begun to mobilize, food and grass have been stored, and the generals are ready to attack, so of course we can send troops!"

If Yuwen Hu had asked this question before giving the order, everyone would have analyzed the situation for him.

But now these 200,000 troops are ready, do you ask whether we should send them out? ?

What? You still want to dismiss them?
Why not gather the army and food to play?

Do I have the financial resources to play with you?

Yuwen Hu realized that he had said something wrong and quickly corrected himself: "What I meant is, when should we send troops to attack?"

Cui You said seriously: "The Duke can ask the generals in the country about this matter."

"Duke Sui has just returned to Chang'an. You can ask him about sending troops."

Yuwen Hu snorted and did not give a clear answer.

They discussed again the many matters concerning reclamation this year. Soon, the discussion ended and everyone left. Yuwen Hu called his son, General Yuwen Hui.

Yuwen Hu stared at the people leaving in the distance and whispered, "Next time when we discuss important matters, don't let Cui You in again."

Yuwen Hui hurriedly said, "Father, we are able to hold power because of Lord Cui's great contribution! Moreover, his little girl is now your daughter. How can we ignore such a wise and important minister?"

"Oh, I treat him so well, but he always speaks for those people. I won't let him wake up. I'm afraid he can't see the situation clearly!"

"Why, you want to disobey?"

Yuwen would lower his head and say, "Yes."

"Emperor, what's the situation here?"

"Anyone else coming to see me?"

"After Duke Sui came back, he went to pay a visit to the emperor, but the emperor did not show up. He just asked his attendants to pass on his instructions and praised him a few times."

When Yuwen Hu heard this, he immediately burst into laughter.

"Your Majesty is still very loyal to me. In this case, then we should withdraw some of our forces and stop watching him all the time, lest he cause any more displeasure."

"only."

"Father, there is one more thing"

"what's up?"

"The person sent by Wei Xiaokuan has not left yet and is still in Chang'an"

Yuwen Hu immediately frowned and looked at him unhappily, "You met him?"

"I met with you and asked you about the situation. Father, we can't always avoid you."

Yuwen Hu stared at his son and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Forget it, he’s his biological son.

"What did you say?"

"Just as father expected, Wei Xiaokuan wants to come to Chang'an to discuss the important matter of sending troops."

There was no fluctuation in Yuwen Hu's eyes.

"He always takes himself too seriously."

"It's as if nothing in the world can succeed without him."

"Tell him to go back and tell Wei Xiaokuan to continue to defend Yubi City and not let any Qi people in."

Yu Wenhui was about to say something else when a servant hurried in, "Duke Sui wants to see you!"

Yuwen Hui had no choice but to bow and say goodbye. He walked out of the inner room and just as he arrived at the front yard, he met Suiguogong Yang Zhong who was walking in.

"Duke!"

Yuwen Hui hurriedly bowed to meet him.

Yang Zhong responded gently, without saying anything, and walked past him.

Yuwen Hui walked out of the door and looked around. After a moment, several people came running up to him. The soldiers behind them immediately protected Yuwen Hui. Yuwen Hui waved his hand and told them not to worry.

These people were sent by Wei Xiaokuan.

They had been in Chang'an for some time, but even meeting Yuwen Hu had become a luxury, let alone persuading him.

"General, how is it?"

Several people stood in front of Yu Wenhui, with their heads down, looking tired, but their eyes were full of anticipation.

Even if they got in touch with Yuwen Hui, it would almost cost them half their lives.

Yu Wenhui looked at these bright eyes and was silent for a moment.

He didn't know how to say it. Sometimes, Yuwen Hui couldn't understand his father's behavior.

But he had no choice.

Father and son, ruler and subject.

Yuwen Hui pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "The Duke is discussing important matters right now, so why don't you go back first? After a while, I will persuade the Duke to send someone to contact General Wei directly."

After hearing Yu Wenhui's words, the bright eyes of these people gradually dimmed.

In the inner room, Yuwen Hu held Yang Zhong's hand with a smile on his face and asked about his well-being.

"Duke Sui has done a great deed this time, and almost captured the bandit chieftain alive. This really inspired the whole world!"

"I have long wanted to come to your house to celebrate your success, but now is not a good time to hold a banquet. I am sure you have heard that Duke Liang died of illness in the mansion. When I heard the news, my heart ached like a knife!"

Yuwen Hu's face was filled with grief. "Duke Liang was always brave and not inferior to you. He was one of the two pillars of the country. It is a pity that he died of illness in the palace."

Yang Zhong's grim expression immediately relaxed a lot.

He slowly lowered his head, "The Duke is right."

"How is Jian doing lately? I met him a few times when he came to see Your Majesty, but I haven't seen him since. He hasn't written to me either. Has he been very busy lately?"

"The Duke is busy with important matters, and the boy was afraid of disturbing him and delaying important matters, so he did not write a letter."

"Haha, no problem, I still like him very much."

The two of them exchanged pleasantries casually. Yuwen Hu did not ask the other party's purpose, but brought up family matters and kept asking for criticism.

Yang Zhong was the first to lose his temper, "Duke, what do you think about sending troops this time?"

"Yan Yu, what do you think?"

Yuwen Hu did not answer, but asked in return.

Yang Zhong said seriously: "Duke, I think the timing of sending troops must be advanced."

"Oh?"

"Many people said that we should wait until autumn when food is plentiful, send troops in October, and end the war before spring."

“But I personally think it’s inappropriate.”

"The Duke may not know that this year, there is no snow disaster on the border. The weather in the border areas has started to warm up. Even Yinshan Mountain has grown green grass. There are streams running from the mountain to the foot of the mountain. Liu Taozi started to cultivate the land in the first year of Qianming. With such auspicious snow this year, the autumn harvest will definitely be good!"

"In the past, Liu Taozi could only defend and counterattack because he had limited food and grass. He did not dare to call up a large army and could only attack with a small group of cavalry."

"There's no telling how much food he'll be able to replenish during this autumn harvest."

"The others are the Han soldiers under his command, or the new recruits."

Yuwen Hu showed an interested look, "Go on."

Yang Zhong said seriously, "Originally, Liu Taozi's troops were all frontier soldiers. They were scattered all over the place and had to be stationed. They could defend but not attack. He trained new soldiers for his own use, and they were called Hengshuo soldiers. Most of those Hengshuo soldiers imitated us and were selected from the strongest civilians. There are nearly 20,000 of them. They have been trained for a long time and have accumulated experience. They have excellent armor and weapons! This time, they also got a large number of war horses from the Turks."

"These people do not need to participate in garrisoning. They are field troops that can go out to fight."

"I heard that Liu Taozi has now set up military headquarters in Yanyou and other places, calling them Youyan soldiers, and is training again."

"I'm afraid the number of people will not be less than last time. There are more people there."

"The thief general Bao Xian may not be famous, but he has fought hundreds of battles and has more combat experience than Duan Shao!"

"He will definitely be in charge of the training of the new recruits."

"Duke, if we wait until October, these so-called Youyan soldiers will probably have been properly trained and have the strength to fight."

"By that time, the number of troops under Liu Taozi who are not stationed and can be deployed for battle will reach 40,000!"

"Besides, they have sufficient food and grass, and their troops are strong. If we attack them now, I think even if we can win, it will cost us a huge price!"

Yang Zhong spoke quickly. He introduced the other party's situation in detail, and then said: "Therefore, I ask the Duke not to wait until the autumn harvest. The food we have stored before is enough for us to send troops in advance. Even if it slightly affects this year's autumn harvest, the overall benefits outweigh the disadvantages."

"Gather troops in May and send them out in June. While Liu Taozi does not have enough food and the Youyan troops have not yet been fully trained, we should recapture Yongfeng as soon as possible, seize Huaishuo and Wuchuan, and push them into Jinyang."

Yuwen Hu was a little surprised, "I have never heard of the idea of ​​launching a large army in summer."

"Duke, things are not always the same. There are gains and losses in everything. If the gains outweigh the losses, then what is there to hesitate about?"

Yuwen Hu frowned and said seriously: "I know that An was defeated by Liu Taozi twice, and I hate him very much in my heart."

"Indeed, I was very angry when I let this little bastard take Yongfeng away. I wish I could eat his flesh and drink his blood!!"

"But, as a commander-in-chief and a general, how can you rush to send troops just because of your own anger?"

Yang Zhong was stunned.

Yuwen Hu continued, "An Yu, you have lost your mind because of anger."

"This pseudo-Qi kingdom is not just about Hengshuo."

"Liu Taozi is not the only general of the Pseudo-Qi Dynasty."

"What is Liu Taozi? What Hengshuo soldiers, what Youyan soldiers? Even if I train them, there are only 40,000 of them. I point my whip in the direction of Yinshan, and there are more than 200,000 soldiers who raise their weapons and charge for me!"

"Can a mere 40,000 people change the world's situation?"

"We have been fighting with the Qi people for a long time at the border. Who has gained the upper hand? It is just a loss of soldiers and generals. It has no benefit to the big things."

"Don't limit your vision to the frontier, to the little Liu Taozi, but pay attention to the general situation of the world. Otherwise, how can you be considered a famous general in the world?"

This time, Yang Zhong really didn't know how to refute the other party.

He wanted to scold her directly, but he couldn't bear the consequences.

How can 40,000 people change the world situation? Give me 40,000 people now and see if you can change the world situation.

Yang Zhong took a deep breath and lowered his head. "What the Duke said is very right. However, although the government of Qi is in chaos, there are Gao Rui and Gao Yu in the court, as well as many powerful local generals. It may not be easy to decide the outcome in one battle."

"However, the Pseudo-Qi is in a critical condition. Even Gao Rui, Gao Xun, Duan Shao, Hu Luguang and others cannot cure it."

"It's just that Liu Taozi is not an ordinary general, nor is he an ordinary minister."

"He established a new system at the frontier, ordering Wei Shou, Zu Ting, Yuan Xiu Bo, Tang Yong and others to reform the disciplines, add officials, emphasize the laws, and ensure people's livelihood."

Yuwen Hu waved his hand and said unhappily: "I have also heard about the border affairs."

"I heard that he used cruel laws to deal with the people. The punishments were harsh and severe, and the people were terrified. A large number of people fled to the Zhou territory. This is Shang Yang's Qin law, a means of self-destruction. What kind of ability is this?"

Yang Zhong shook his head. "Those who escaped are either bandits or tyrants."

"I personally think that this is definitely not the harsh law of Shang Yang. Strict science and education, rewards and punishments must be credible, no crime goes unpunished, no good goes unrewarded, officials do not tolerate corruption, people are self-disciplined, no one picks up lost items on the road, and the strong do not invade the weak. This is the style of Zhuge Wuhou when he ruled Shu in ancient times! ”

Yuwen Hu couldn't hold it in any longer, and his face became particularly gloomy. "What is General Yang talking about?"

Yang Zhong said again: "Duke, I am not flattering the enemy, but Liu Taozi is not an ordinary general. Many of the policies he implemented on the border are imitating the strengths of various families. They must not be underestimated!"

"Unfortunately, the Qi court is in chaos, the two kings are competing for merit, and the foreign relatives are becoming more powerful. These people have no intention of dealing with Liu Taozi."

"If we leave it alone, Liu Taozi's power will grow stronger and stronger. Now only the six border states are civilized, and the soldiers of Hengshuo, Youyan are strong."

"In a few years, the land of Hebei will be theirs, with 100,000 elite soldiers, heading straight for Yubi!"

Yuwen Hu narrowed his eyes, "Sending troops in advance can solve such a disaster?"

"Not only that, we also need to divide our forces."

"Although the Qi army is fierce, its numbers are small."

The Northern Zhou Dynasty completed its military reform early. There were many Han people in the army. Although the population was not large, the number of troops was large. The military leaders of the Northern Qi Dynasty were too powerful and opposed all military reforms, which led to their not having an advantage in the number of troops. However, in terms of quality, it was hard to say. Anyway, the Northern Zhou Dynasty suffered losses many times due to its large military force.

Yang Zhong said: "If 200,000 people march together, it will be difficult to break through the enemy. But if we divide them into five armies, led by generals, and attack from different directions, the enemy's forces will be forced to disperse. Most of their generals are not harmonious with each other. As long as they fight separately, it will be difficult to get a unified command. That is the best time for us to divide and defeat them. Most of their local officials are cowardly and incompetent. As long as our army arrives, many people will surrender."

"Duke, look!"

Yang Zhong took out a letter about the expedition from his sleeve and handed it to Yuwen Hu.

When leaving here, Yang Zhong still had a little bit of luck in his heart.

What if he listened?
After walking out of the mansion, Yang Zhong saw bloodstains all over the road.

Some servants in the Duke's Mansion complained as they buried their heads in cleaning.

When Yang Zhong asked, the servant just told him:
There were a few crazy people from Yu Bi who committed suicide here.

(End of this chapter)