The revival of the Han Dynasty must start with Dong Zhuo

As for the candidates to go to Jingzhou, Liu Xie finally chose Zhuge Liang and Lu Xun.

"Guan Yu has always been arrogant. If the military strength of Jingzhou suddenly increases, he might act on his own and attack Jiangdong, so we need to be on guard."

"Wen Pin is now surrounded in E County. Although Wen Pin's ability to defend the city will not cause any major incidents in the short term, Kong Ming still needs to be careful of the people in Jingzhou who are unsettled and should focus on appeasing them."

After receiving the imperial edict and remembering the emperor's instructions, Zhuge Liang temporarily put aside the question of "why the pomelo falls downwards" and put state affairs first.

The light cavalry arrived in Xiangyang. After understanding the situation on the front line, Zhuge Liang and Lu Xun turned and headed for Jiangling first.

It was just as the emperor expected.

After Guan Yu was besieged for several days, the troops from Yong'an in Yizhou also arrived in Jingzhou from upstream.

The person leading the troops was Huang Quan.

Huang Quan was overjoyed when he heard that Zhuge Liang was coming: "I can actually see Marquis Wuxiang again in Jingzhou?"

The Annan Protectorate opened up by Zhuge Liang in the south turned the already prosperous Shu area into one of the richest regions in the world overnight.

Moreover, Zhuge Liang also recommended a large number of Yizhou officials to serve in the newly established Ningzhou, which was equivalent to doubling the number of staff in Yizhou for no reason. How could one not be grateful?

Huang Quan has now been promoted to the position of prefect of Ba County. His next step is likely to be to enter the central government and serve as a minister in a certain department.

Once you reach that position, you will be infinitely close to the center of power of the Han Dynasty.

Therefore, Huang Quan, like most people in Yizhou, was full of gratitude to Zhuge Liang, who single-handedly turned Shu into a true land of abundance.

"You don't have to do this, Gong Heng."

Zhuge Liang asked about the current situation of the Annan Protectorate, and Huang Quan also bowed and said, "Wang Ping and Zhang Ren have managed the Annan Protectorate in an orderly manner. The Shan and Pyu countries have also cooperated well and continuously reclaimed land, so that the Annan Protectorate now has 30,000 households."

"In addition to Kongming City, two more cities were built along the middle and upper reaches of the Dulong River, called Wuxiang City and Zhuge City, which completely protected the inland waterway."

"There are some tribes across the sea. Now and then, some people act as pirates and rob cargo ships... It seems that the Kushans are behind it, but I haven't verified it yet, so I dare not say anything."

Didn’t you already say...

Zhuge Liang was a little embarrassed when he heard that the two cities built along the Dulong River were named after his surname and title.

But when he heard about Kushan, Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan -

"The Kushans have been a bit too lawless lately."

"In the Western Regions, it accepted the royal family of Dayuan without consulting the Han Dynasty."

"Now, they are turning into pirates and plundering merchant ships in the Annan Protectorate..."

Zhuge Liang has decided to report to the court and request the emperor to issue an edict to punish the other party.

If the other party admits his mistake obediently, it's fine. But if he doesn't admit his mistake...

"military adviser!"

Just as Zhuge Liang was thinking about Kushan affairs, a surprised voice interrupted his thoughts.

Guan Ping!

The name that was handed over was still the one that Zhuge Liang used when he served under Liu Bei in Jingzhou.

Guan Yu was right in front of Guan Ping. Hearing this, he said with some displeasure, "You called him military advisor too? You called him Minister Zhuge!"

"Ha ha ha ha."

Zhuge Liang was also particularly happy to see Guan Yu and Guan Ping.

He stopped Guan Yu from scolding Guan Ping: "Calling Liang military advisor actually sounds quite cordial."

"Besides, didn't Liang come here this time to serve as Yun Chang's military advisor?"

In just a few words, the gap caused by time and official position disappeared instantly.

Kou Feng was also nervous to meet Zhuge Liang, the legendary figure of Jingzhou.

"I have heard of the noble name of this righteous man!"

Zhuge Liang observed Kou Feng for a while and made his evaluation:

"Strong and hard to resist!"

However, when I think about the fact that this is a time of great strife, and the emperor is trying every means to spread the territory of the Han Empire in all directions and to expand the living space of the Han people, it is not a bad thing to have some tough and difficult to control people.

After all, the emperor dared to employ someone like Cao Cao, let alone Kou Feng?

Zhuge Liang helped Kou Feng up, spoke kindly to him, and praised him again.

Kou Feng's face turned red, obviously he thought he had made the right bet in Changsha!

Not only did he meet Guan Yu, the great pillar of the Han Dynasty, but he also became sworn brothers with Guan Yu's son Guan Ping. Now he has met the legendary Zhuge Liang...

If I hadn't cowered in Changsha, how could I have stood here and been treated with courtesy by these big guys?
After Zhuge Liang calmed everyone down, he began to ask about military affairs.

Guan Yu originally had two thousand soldiers and horses, plus the three thousand soldiers and horses brought by Kou Feng, a total of five thousand.

Huang Quan brought 5,000 soldiers from Yong'an, and these 5,000 soldiers were all naval forces, equipped with enough warships.

These days, they have been continuously gathering soldiers and horses that escaped from Xiling City, and have gathered a total of three to four thousand people.

In other words, the number of Jiangling's troops has exceeded that of Xu Sheng!

"It's time to launch a counterattack!"

After enduring for so many days, Guan Yu could no longer bear Xu Sheng's display of power outside Jiangling City every other day. Now that the troops were fully integrated, Guan Yu had long wanted to send troops to fight Xu Sheng head-on!

"Yun Chang (General Guan) can't do this!"

Zhuge Liang and Lu Xun both spoke out to dissuade him.

At the same time, Zhuge Liang was also glad that the emperor's prediction was correct. Once Guan Yu had soldiers in his hands, he would really dare to engage in a head-on battle with the Wu army!

If it was not Zhuge Liang who came, but Lu Xun who lacked experience and prestige, he might have been taken away by Guan Yu.

"Boyan, tell me why you can't just confront Xu Sheng head-on."

Lu Xun bowed to Guan Yu respectfully.

Then Lu Xun said: "Victory is more important than duration!"

"Now that the Jiangdong troops have traveled thousands of miles across the border and penetrated deep into the heart of Jingzhou, their supplies and baggage must have been greatly damaged."

"This is the enemy's weakness, but it is our advantage."

"If we fight Xu Sheng head-on, Xu Sheng will most likely lead his troops back to E County and join forces with Zhu Ran and Pan Zhang to defend it."

"In this way, the distance to Jiangdong will become closer, and these Jiangdong troops will be able to hold out longer, which is obviously disadvantageous for us to drive out the Wu army."

"Although our army is stronger than Xu Sheng in Jiangling, when we reach E County, General Wen Pin's soldiers are still trapped in E County. So if we regard E County as a battlefield, our army's number is actually lower than that of Jiangdong's soldiers."

“Therefore, let Xu Sheng camp on the south bank of Jiangling. Although it looks a bit annoying, it can actually delay the supply of Wu Jun and weaken the strength of Wu Jun in Wu County.”

"Therefore, instead of expelling Xu Sheng, we must let him stay in the Public Security Bureau!"

Before Guan Yu made any move, Guan Ping said in dissatisfaction: "Little military advisor, are we going to do nothing now?"

"of course not!"

When Lu Xun heard Guan Ping's address to him, he thought of his early experiences in Guan Yu's army and couldn't help feeling nostalgic.

"If the enemy is visible and I am invisible, then I am focused and the enemy is divided; if I focus on one, the enemy is divided into ten, so ten will attack one. Then I am many and the enemy is few!"

"If I show the enemy a false image and I don't reveal my true intention, then I can concentrate my forces while the enemy will inevitably disperse them. I concentrate my forces in one place, while the enemy disperses them in ten places. This will form a local situation of ten attacking one. In this way, I have more forces and the enemy has fewer forces!"

Lu Xun said: "Now the military strength of the imperial court and Jiangdong in Jingzhou is actually not much different, but the gap in national strength between the two sides is too big, so I said before that Xu Sheng should stay in Gong'an to continuously deplete Jiangdong's food and grass supplies. This is one reason!"

"In addition, we need to find Jiangdong's weak point, and then attack with all our strength to gain enough advantage on the local battlefield! This way, we can first cut off one of his fingers, and then make him lose everything!"

Everyone present was well-versed in military books and quickly understood what Lu Xun meant.

"Then according to Boyan, where is Jiangdong's weakness now?"

Kou Feng was eager to show off, and also said: "Now that Xu Sheng is in the public security force, isn't that Jiangdong's weak spot?"

"of course not."

Lu Xun did not think that Xu Sheng was the weak point of Jiangdong.

Even based on Xu Sheng's performance in this battle, he might not be the strongest point in Jiangdong.

"The weakest point of Jiangdong right now is not Xu Sheng in Gong'an, nor Pan Zhang in Xiakou, but Xiling, which was just captured by Jiangdong!"

Xiling!

Except for Zhuge Liang, everyone else looked confused.

However, Guan Yu was the first to react, followed by Huang Quan.

"Yes!"

Huang Quan slapped his thigh——

"How could I forget Xiling!"

Because the walls of Xiling City were high and thick, no one had ever thought of retaking Xiling with such a small number of troops from Jiangling.

But they forgot that the city wall of Xiling was blown up by Jiangdong using gunpowder!
Since it was blown up, it would be impossible for Wu Jun to completely repair the city wall of Xiling in such a short time!
In addition, most of Jiangdong’s troops are now in E County to besiege Wen Pin, and the remaining troops followed Xu Sheng here to attack Jiangling. There will definitely not be too many reinforcements left in Xiling!

"That's right! Xiling, which Jiangdong just captured, is their weakest point now!"

In the past, if Xiling was lost, it would be really lost.

But now that the other party has used gunpowder to blow up the city wall, Xiling at this moment is a place where anyone can go, and I can go too!

Without the protection of the city walls and with few defenders, how could Xiling stop Guan Yu's attack!
And once we retake Xiling...

"It's hard to say about Zhu Ran's soldiers in the east of E County."

"But Pan Zhang in Xiakou and Xu Sheng in Gong'an are completely trapped west of E County and cannot return to Jiangdong!"

The offensive and defensive momentum is different!

According to Lu Xun's strategy, the relationship between the hunter and the prey, the besieger and the besieged, was reversed in an instant!

"Bo Yan is truly a genius!"

Guan Ping immediately asked: "Father, please allow me to lead the troops to attack Xiling!"

"Do not."

Guan Yu stood up and looked towards the east: "I will go and recapture Xiling myself!" (End of this chapter)