The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 316 Cao Wei's Massive Military Expansion and a Desperate Struggle with Qi

Summer of the fourteenth year of Jian'an, Ye City.

Li Yi stood on the high platform, with the banner bearing the character "Qi" fluttering behind him.

Below the stage, a dense forest of armored soldiers stood in formation, their iron armor gleaming in the sunlight, their swords and halberds gleaming coldly.

"Pass on the order—"

Li Yi's voice boomed, "Mobilize the troops in all prefectures immediately."

Li Yi had already transformed Hebei's transportation and economic systems into a war machine.

Once the decision was made, the entire Hebei war machine was put into full operation.

Hejian sent 20,000 troops, Anping sent 10,000 troops, Zhangwu sent 10,000 troops, Bohai sent 10,000 troops, and Weijun sent 10,000 troops.

The total combat force is approximately 60,000 men.

Within Youzhou, 100,000 laborers pushed grain carts, winding their way like a dragon.

The cattle and horses neighed, the wheels rolled, and dust flew everywhere.

Although the Youyan region did not directly participate in the war, it mobilized a large number of mules, horses, and laborers.

This is especially true for the laborers, because the system in border areas is relatively backward.

The slave trade was so frequent that it saved the government the trouble of conscripting laborers.

Most of them were purchased directly from slave owners through loans.

"Faster! Faster!"

The grain inspector urged sternly, "The soldiers at the front are waiting for their meals!"

"We must not delay!"

Along the way, in the villages, the elderly, women, and children stood by the roadside, silently offering dry food and water.

An elderly woman with white hair tremblingly held out a bag of millet and stuffed it into the grain transport team:

Although I am powerless to kill the enemy, I am willing to do my part…

This old woman is just the tip of the iceberg regarding the current state of affairs in Hebei.

Li Yi has always attached great importance to the cohesion of the people of Hebei.

As everyone knows, the proposal to carry out economic reforms in the north has led to a boom in Hebei's economy.

A large amount of wealth flowed into the north.

Li Yi did not keep these riches for himself or fill his own pockets.

Instead, they proactively shared it with the people, ensuring that everyone in Hebei could have money.

Li Yi's most frequently uttered phrase was:

“There are many wealthy counties in the world, such as the counties in Hebei, Xiapi in Xuzhou, Shouchun in Huainan, Xiangyang in Jingzhou, Yingchuan in Yuzhou, and Chengdu in Yizhou.”

"But without exception, in these wealthy counties, the people work hard, but this wealth will never belong to them."

“I distribute wealth to the people because I firmly believe that the feeling of ‘having’ is of paramount importance.”

"Only when the people possess it will they strive to defend their country."

"Otherwise, they will eventually realize that what they are defending is nothing more than the property of landlords and powerful families."

It was precisely Li Yi's governing philosophy that strengthened the national cohesion of the people of Hebei.

Upon hearing the official document issued by the government, many people spontaneously donated money and grain to contribute to the country.

Many young men, though unwilling to join the army, still actively responded to the nation's call-up for civilian labor.

In order to reward the people for their enthusiasm for the war, Li Yi made a special move and announced a wage increase for the laborers.

The wages for laborers varied from region to region.

According to the official regulations of Hebei, a laborer who transports one shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain and travels one hundred li (a unit of distance) is paid sixty qian (a unit of currency).

Li Yi then announced that the wage would be increased to eighty coins, which is a one-third increase.

To use an imperfect analogy, it's like this: you used to earn nine yuan for delivering one food order.

Li Yi, on the other hand, directly raised the price to twelve yuan.

Hebei is a vast province, so mobilization began early on.

At the same time, Jingzhou, Huainan and other regions also began a general mobilization after receiving the order.

Although the mobilization takes a long time, this does not prevent the top government officials from compiling specific data in advance and reporting it.

According to official statistics, the Qi state mobilized approximately 230,000 regular soldiers this time.

Two hundred thousand auxiliary soldiers, seventeen thousand civilian laborers, a total of six hundred thousand troops!
They claimed to have six million people.

So many troops were mobilized, all for the purpose of securing the Central Plains in one battle.

Such a large-scale mobilization movement undoubtedly alarmed the State of Wei.

Spies had already reported Qi's strategic plans to Yingchuan.

Xiahou Dun, then serving as General Who Conquers the East of Cao Wei, urgently convened a military meeting.

Yingchuan was originally the richest prefecture under Cao Wei, but because Cao Wei lost Hebei, it was attacked from three sides by Qi.

Cao Cao decisively ordered, "Demolish!"

Everything of value in Yingchuan was dismantled, packed up, and sent to Guanzhong, and then transported to Western Shu.

If something can't be dismantled, it's better to burn it directly than to leave it for the Qi people.

As for a group of core members in Yingchuan, they have already moved their entire families there.

Families such as the Xun, Zhong, Han, and Du moved away one after another.

This also reflects one of Cao Cao's important principles in relocation.

That is to prioritize the protection of the interests of landlords and powerful families.

When war broke out, they were the first to seek refuge.

This was unavoidable, as the core interests of the Cao Wei group were already tied to these powerful families.

They are inherently interdependent.

At the same time, powerful and wealthy families themselves possess enormous wealth and a large number of servants.

This was extremely important to Cao Cao.

As for ordinary farmers who have no land and no wealth, they should just stay in their homeland.

After all, launching a war requires a large number of soldiers and food supplies.

In the Xu County government office, Xiahou Dun sat in the main seat, followed by General Cao Ren, who was in charge of the southern campaign.

The two were considered the top two military commanders from the imperial clan.

Xiahou Dun was undoubtedly the foremost member of the imperial clan.

Cao Cao's decision to leave these two men in the Central Plains demonstrates that he still held a glimmer of hope for the war effort.

It is not to say that when the Qi army attacked, the Wei people actually fled in panic and handed over the Henan territory.

We should still give it our all; what if the situation turns around?
"According to intelligence reports, the Qi people have mobilized 600,000 troops, attempting to annihilate our Central Plains in one battle."

"Lord Wei has entrusted me with an important task. I have not heard any of you gentlemen have any opinions on this matter?"

Xiahou Dun looked grave and asked for everyone's opinion.

As the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Front, he felt immense pressure at this moment.

Captain Lü Jian said angrily:
"there is always a solution to a problem!"

"The Qi army came with overwhelming force, and our army had nowhere to retreat."

"The only option now is to fight to the death!"

However, Lü Jian's impassioned speech did not resonate with the generals.

Because everyone had served in the military for many years, they were very clear about what kind of enemy they were facing.

Cao Ren maintained the composure of a seasoned general, calmly analyzing the situation:
"At present, Runan can mobilize about 20,000 troops, and Yan and Yu can also mobilize 20,000 troops."

"Forty thousand regular soldiers are probably not enough."

"I intend to have Duke Wei recruit another 20,000 regular soldiers from the Guanzhong region."

According to Cao Ren's plan, the Qi army's regular soldiers numbered between 100,000 and 200,000.

They absolutely cannot fall behind in this number, otherwise they will really be out of the game.

"Even if we conscript soldiers from Guanzhong, we can only field 60,000 regular soldiers. How can 60,000 possibly defeat 600,000?"

"The registrar, Jiang Ji, said with a pessimistic expression."

Of course, Jiang Ji forgot to include auxiliary soldiers and laborers here; he was simply frightened by the number of 600,000 troops that Qi was about to mobilize.

"I have a plan that might be useful."

A voice came from the crowd, and everyone looked to see that it was Zhao Yan, the Commander-in-Chief.

Zhao Yan was also a renowned scholar from Yingchuan, and came from a prominent family.

They were also among the few who did not leave Yingchuan for Guanzhong, because Cao Cao had to leave a group of people behind to assist Xiahou Dun in battle.

This is a rather dangerous job.

After all, once war breaks out, swords and spears have no eyes; you can't just walk away whenever you want.

"What brilliant plan does Governor Zhao have? Tell me quickly!" Xiahou Dun asked hurriedly.

Zhao Yan then ordered someone to bring out a stack of books and maps.

It was spread out on the table for everyone to see.

The record originally described the population and grain reserves of the Yan and Yu regions.

And, when converted into military terms, the specific duration for which it can actually sustain operations.

The above records are all clearly and in detail.

Everyone's eyes quickly swept over the area, and they all understood Zhao Yan's meaning—to mass produce troops!
The only way forward is to build up an army so that we have a chance to fight the Qi people.

This is a matter of disregarding costs and consequences.

Even if you win, it may be difficult to turn the victory into a triumph, because you have to guard against the consequences of a mutiny.

If we lose, then the entire Henan region could be lost in one battle.

After all, this method of "mass troop deployment" is very unpopular and offends the grassroots people.

At that time, there is a real possibility that we will "welcome the king's army".

However, this risky military operation actually received the support of a number of high-ranking officials in Cao Wei.

Everyone felt that there was no better way than mass-producing troops.

But this was, after all, a risky military decision, and Xiahou Dun had to report the plan to Cao Cao.

He then wrote a memorial advising against the military action and sent it to Chengdu.

The book states briefly:

"Dun and the others bow deeply and pay their respects to Duke Wei:"

"We gathered the generals on the eastern front and worked day and night to devise a strategy to defeat Qi."

"However, the matter is very serious, and I dare not make a decision on my own."

"Now the State of Qi has mobilized 600,000 troops, divided into five routes to invade, making a formidable force."

"Even if all the soldiers from Sichuan and Guanzhong are mobilized, our army will only number two hundred thousand."

"If we do not take extraordinary measures, we may not be able to withstand their attack."

"Therefore, we have devised a strategy to order each prefecture to conscript 3 out of 5 able-bodied men, forcibly recruiting able-bodied soldiers."

"Use all the money and silk in the treasury to buy horses from the barbarians and recruit soldiers who are willing to die for their country."

"Three years' worth of taxes will be collected in advance to replenish the army's supplies."

"However, this policy also has hidden dangers. Forced taxation can easily lead to popular uprisings, as the example of Hanzhong serves as a reminder."

“When food supplies run out, war may break out, as evidenced by the old story of Guandu.”

"Even if we win, it will be difficult to clean up the mess afterward, and we may end up like Xiang Yu at Julu."

"This is a matter of life and death; if we proceed with this strategy..."

"If we win, our vital energy will be severely depleted, and it will be difficult to recover in ten years."

"If we lose, Henan will be lost and the nation will be in grave danger."

"We are of limited wisdom and earnestly request Your Majesty's wise decision."

"My hand trembled as I wrote this, and ink stains covered the silk. I humbly request your kind consideration."

"In the fifth month of the fourteenth year of Jian'an, General Xiahou Dun, who was in charge of the Eastern Expedition, bowed his head."

……

Upon receiving Xiahou Dun's letter, Cao Cao immediately replied with a handwritten edict:

"Your suggestion is excellent; it should be implemented immediately!"

"The Qi barbarians have invaded with 600,000 troops. If we do not take extraordinary measures, how can we stop their advance?"

“Even if we lose the strength of the people, it is still better than raising a bandit.”

"If we are defeated, we can abandon Henan and defend Guanzhong and Xichuan instead, which is not a dead end."

"Even if we are defeated, we should burn the granaries, destroy the city walls, and relocate the people, so that there will be no rooster crowing for a thousand miles in Henan!"

"Even if the people of Qi obtain it, it will only be empty land, which will surely become a bloodbath, draining their national strength!"

"At this critical juncture of our great cause, why should we hesitate to spare the common people? Act swiftly and without hesitation!"

"Written by Wei Gongcao".

……

It must be said that Cao Cao was quite ruthless.

Strategically speaking, Cao Cao's judgment this time was very much in line with his own interests.

In Cao Cao's view, this strategy of rapidly expanding the army was effective.

If we win, that would be best.

Even if it harms the people and the economy, it's still better than strengthening the Qi state, our rival.

If we lose, then all we'll lose is Henan.

We still have Guanzhong and Xichuan; we are not without a way out.

Moreover, even if we lose, we'll still turn Henan into a mess.

They planted a blood-draining trough in the State of Qi to weaken their strength.

Xiahou Dun received Cao Cao's handwritten edict, and at the end, he saw that Cao Cao had added the following sentence in his reply—

"Then the tomb raiders will open all the Han tombs, and the tomb raiders will search and plunder the ancestral temples."

"Gold and jade are used to supply the army, bronze and iron are used to cast arrowheads, and silk and silk are used to reward the soldiers who die for their cause."

"Wherever the Qi army is about to arrive—"

"Dig three feet into the ground, leaving not a single tile behind!"

Tomb raiding was a traditional skill of the Cao Wei dynasty.

As early as the beginning of Cao Cao's rise to power, he pioneered the "tomb raiding office" in his army.

The most famous example is Cao Cao's excavation of the tomb of King Xiao of Liang, which made Cao Cao a fortune.

But in fact, as early as when Cao Cao attacked Xuzhou, he dug up people's graves along the way.

This resulted in the remains of ancestors being scattered on the roads, incurring the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people.

However, these actions did indeed bring Cao Cao's army a huge amount of wealth.

Now that Cao Cao was worried that he might not be able to keep the Henan region anyway, he ordered Xiahou Dun to reorganize the positions of "General of the Tomb Raiders" and "Captain of the Tomb Raiders".

What are the metrics?

As Cao Cao said, "Wherever the Qi army is about to arrive, dig three feet into the ground and leave not a single tile behind!"

That's right, Cao Cao's idea was to dig up everything that could be dug up, leaving nothing for the Qi people.

Upon seeing the four characters "not a single tile left," Xiahou Dun immediately began to carry out the order.

He led his Tiger and Leopard Cavalry relatives and relatives to urge the generals to speed up the pace of the operation.

Their mobilization efforts, limited to the Henan region, were theoretically more efficient than those of the Qi state.

Therefore, even though they are a latecomer, they should be able to catch up with the mobilization speed of the State of Qi.

At the gates of Puyang, people of all ages, from the elderly to the children, were driven to the square.

The county official held the register and called out the names, his voice as sharp as tearing silk.
"Three out of every five able-bodied men will be conscripted! Even the disabled households will contribute two able-bodied men

An old farmer, Zhao Wu, knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.
"General, two of my three sons have already died in battle..."

"My only remaining child is farming; I beg the general for mercy."

Before he could finish speaking, the warlord's whip lashed down, tearing the skin and flesh from his back.

When his youngest son, Zhao Aman, was chained away, the old farmer crashed into a conscription post and died, his blood splattering on the Wei-character military flag.

In the villages of Runan, Cao's soldiers searched every household.

Even old women were not spared and were taken to the army. The reason given was that they could still help prepare the morning meal.

While Wei was conscripting soldiers and levying corvée labor on a large scale, another department was also keeping up with its own pace.

Yanzhou, and its various prefectures.

As night deepened, torches flickered like will-o'-the-wisps across the wilderness.

"Dig! Dig deeper!"

The tomb raider shouted sternly, and his shovel slammed into the rammed earth.

Dozens of Cao's soldiers were sweating profusely as their pickaxes struck the blue bricks with dull thuds.

This is the Mausoleum of King Xiaqiu of the Han Dynasty, the final resting place of the Han imperial family.

"boom--"

The tomb door was finally smashed open, and a cold, putrid stench rushed out.

A group of soldiers carrying torches stepped in, and in the firelight, the gold-embroidered jade burial suit gleamed faintly inside the coffin.

"Pull them all out!"

The tomb raider gave the order with a sinister grin.

The soldiers swarmed forward, tore the jade burial suit apart, and pried open the coffin.

The remains of the Han king were carelessly discarded, and the gold artifacts, jade discs, and bronze tripods buried with him were roughly stuffed into sacks.

A lowly soldier secretly hid a jade pendant, but the general who uncovered the tombs cut off his wrist with a single stroke.

"Those who hoard it shall die!"

Blood splattered on the tomb walls, mixed with millennia of dust.

……

Chenliu, an unnamed, desolate tomb.

"General, these are civilian graves, there's nothing of value here..."

An old soldier whispered words of advice.

"Dig!" Cao Chun, one of the commanders of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, interrupted coldly. "The Duke of Wei has ordered that not a single tile be left!"

The shovel shoveled away the yellow earth, revealing a decaying, thin coffin.

Inside the coffin was the skeleton of a child, with only a copper coin hanging around his neck—his only toy in life.

"unlucky!"

Cao Jun's captain kicked the skull, shattering it, but still managed to pick up the copper coin.

In the sweltering heat of July, a severe locust plague broke out in Henan.

A swarm of insects, darkening the sky, swept over the new grave.

The surviving children lay on the grave mound, chewing on grass roots, and asked:
"...Mother, why are the generals even robbing the dead for money?"

In the wilderness, both new and old graves were dug up, and white bones were exposed to the moonlight.

Some refugees passing by saw the phosphorescent lights flickering, like the weeping blood of wronged souls.

A mournful song drifted on the wind—

The Wei sword is drawn, the soldier cries; five men are drawn from three dead houses.

The old man struck a pillar, his blood still wet; the new bride cuts mourning clothes at his grave.

The golden shovel dug up the Han dynasty tombs, and the jade caskets were melted down to make horseshoe nails.

Sages and worthies wrote bamboo slips as cooking smoke rose, while starving corpses lay scattered in the riverbank.

The Bian River weeps, carrying corpses as it flows; the general in his tent remains drunk.

If you ask about the rise and fall of dynasties next year, just watch as locusts gnaw at the banners.

……

Xuzhou, Xia Pi.

Liu Bei, who was in Xiapi, also learned of the news that Cao Wei had begun a nationwide mobilization.

Looking at the report sent back by his spies, he couldn't help but curse:

"How could Cao Cao act like this! I swear to kill him."

At this moment, Liu Bei wished he could march on Cao Wei right now.

After all, what Cao Wei is doing now is digging a pit for him.

Even after Liu Bei annexed all of Henan, what he received was a devastated and broken land.

Cao Cao's move was ruthless, absolutely ruthless.

It was so ruthless that Liu Bei hated it to the core.

Grand Tutor Lu Su stepped forward to remonstrate, saying:

"Your Majesty, mobilization is underway throughout the country."

"Your Majesty must restrain your anger and not rashly use troops at this moment."

"We can only mobilize troops after all the troops, provisions, and weapons in each state have been prepared."

"What the Grand Tutor says is very true."

Liu Bei nodded, indicating his agreement with Lu Su's advice.

Lu Su, holding his official tablet, continued:

"Based on current estimates, it is expected to reach its peak by the end of the year."

"Six hundred thousand troops can be deployed to the front lines."

"it is good!"

Liu Bei slammed his hand on the table excitedly and said loudly:
"The traitor Cao thought that by forcibly conscripting soldiers, he could hold Henan."

"However, this time, I intend to take Guanzhong as well!"

According to Cao Cao's strategic plan, he believed that even if Henan was lost, he could still retreat to Guanzhong and Xichuan.

But Liu Bei had been recuperating and preparing for so long; what he wanted was not just the land of Henan.

He intends to recover the Guanzhong region as well.

Otherwise, what is the point of such a large-scale mobilization?

This is not only a strategic consideration, but also an extremely important political consideration.

That is, as Liu Bei's prestige and popularity grew day by day.

For Liu Bei, strategic considerations placed greater emphasis on politics.

For example, Zhuge Liang strongly urged Liu Bei to seize Western Sichuan, but Liu Bei refused.

Because Liu Bei wanted Guanzhong, and to take Guanzhong, he had to take Henan and unify the Central Plains.

After being ravaged by Dong Zhuo and the chaos caused by Li Guo, Guanzhong should have been devastated.

Even after Cao Cao's restoration, it never regained its former glory and could never compare to Xichuan.

But Liu Bei still needed this place.

Because he had to take Chang'an and Luoyang.

These were the capitals of the Western Han and Eastern Han dynasties, respectively.

Zhuge Liang's "Memorial on the Expedition" mentions "restoring the Han Dynasty and returning to the old capital".

This was actually a very important political slogan, and it was the foundation of the Shu Han state.

The same applies to Liu Bei today. For a long time, the political slogan of the State of Qi has been "to restore the Han Dynasty".

Therefore, the former capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang held extremely high political significance.

This is the fundamental reason why Liu Bei refused to seize Xichuan.

Once Liu Bei has annexed the Central Plains and recovered Chang'an and Luoyang, his reputation will inevitably rise to an unprecedented height.

By that time...

Even without Liu Bei saying anything, his ministers knew what to do.

"I have heard that Hebei can mobilize 60,000 regular soldiers and more than 200,000 auxiliary soldiers and militia. I wonder if this is true?"

The ministers replied in unison, "Yes."

Liu Bei couldn't help but sigh:
"Hebei had previously experienced war, but people's livelihoods were quickly restored."

"The amount of money, taxes, silk, and grain handed over each year ranked first in the country."

"This is all thanks to Prime Minister Li."

The ministers originally thought that Liu Bei was just making a casual remark, a routine praise of Li Yi.

Unexpectedly, Liu Bei then proceeded to persuade him:

“I once visited the counties of Hebei. Although I saw their prosperity at that time, they were not far superior to Xuzhou.”

"I never imagined that it would develop to this extent in just two years."

At this point, Liu Bei couldn't help but stand up and pace back and forth with his hands behind his back.

"In my opinion, with Prime Minister Li here, there is no need to worry about Hebei."

"I intend to make an inspection tour of the counties in Jingzhou."

For a long time, Liu Bei was committed to maintaining the balance of power between the North and the South.

Although the Hebei faction had been suppressed by Liu Bei, the rapid economic development of Hebei still surprised Liu Bei.

Because of its rapid development, Liu Bei even worried that he would have to move the capital to Hebei to strengthen his control over it.

So after much deliberation, Liu Bei decided to make a trip to inspect the counties of Jingzhou.

Jingzhou's development potential is no less than that of Hebei, and Liu Bei also plans to conduct an on-site inspection in order to maintain the balance of power between the north and the south.

It was also a chance to inspect the southern front.

Since it wasn't the first time, the ministers were quite familiar with the process.

Ministers such as Lu Su and Zhang Fei were still appointed to oversee the state.

Liu Bei led a force of over a thousand men straight to Jiangling.

At this time, Zhuge Liang, who was busy mobilizing the military preparations of Jingzhou, heard that Liu Bei was coming to greet him and personally led his troops to welcome him.

Thirty li outside Jiangling City
Zhuge Liang and all the civil and military officials of Jingzhou were waiting respectfully.

Just then, the king arrived, and Zhuge Liang stepped forward and bowed deeply:

"Your subject Liang respectfully welcomes Your Majesty."

Liu Bei personally helped him up:

"Kongming, you've worked hard!"

Seeing that the handle of his feather fan had been worn smooth, he sighed, "Jingzhou is in dire need of reconstruction, and yet the ribs of your fan have been worn through."

After speaking, he handed a newly made feather fan to Zhuge Liang.

"This was made by my own hand to express my feelings."

Zhuge Liang took the feather fan and said solemnly:

"Your Majesty bears heavy responsibilities, but you have lofty ambitions and prioritize the affairs of the state."

"This feather fan should not have been made for amusement."

This……

Ha ha.

Liu Bei smiled awkwardly; he had always treated Li Yi this way.

Whether it was weaving straw sandals or making a bearskin coat, Li Yi accepted them all with pleasure.

He was somewhat unaccustomed to the fact that Zhuge Liang was advising him instead.

Seeing this, Jian Yong quickly stepped in to defuse the situation:

"Master Kongming, this was made overnight because His Majesty felt that you were working hard in Jingzhou."

"National affairs were not neglected during this period."

Zhuge Liang also realized he had spoken out of turn and quickly apologized, saying:
"Your Majesty, I misspoke."

"It's okay, it's okay."

Liu Bei waved his hand and laughed, "Only a ruler who heeds advice can improve himself daily."

"A ruler who heeds advice can make a nation strong."

Upon hearing this, all the ministers laughed.

Afterwards, Zhuge Liang took Liu Bei on a tour of Jingzhou.

Upon reaching the post station, Liu Bei suddenly pointed to the fields:
How is the rice crop here compared to last year?

Kongming replied, "By diverting the Han River to irrigate a thousand hectares of farmland, we can increase the yield by 30% this year."

Liu Bei nodded and then pointed to the merchant ships on the river.

"Can war preparations hinder commerce and prevent merchants from profiting?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang smiled and took out a silk scroll, showing it to Liu Bei.

"Your Majesty, please look."

"Liang has ordered the merchant ships of Jingzhou to be converted into warships, which can carry fresh fish in the morning and arrows in the evening."

"Business and military affairs can be handled simultaneously."

"Um……"

Liu Bei nodded in satisfaction.

Using merchant ships for both military and civilian purposes can greatly improve transportation efficiency.

But this task sounds easy, but it is difficult to do and requires a great deal of coordination ability from the person in charge.

Zhuge Liang handled the matter in an orderly manner, which greatly pleased Liu Bei.

After a day of sightseeing, Liu Bei had a general understanding of the people's sentiments in Jingzhou.

Back at the government office, after hosting a banquet for the officials, Liu Bei inquired about Zhuge Liang's specific strategic plans.

Zhuge Liang then explained his battle plan to Liu Bei in a lengthy and detailed manner:

"The 50,000 elite troops of Jingzhou can march out of Nanyang, take Yingchuan directly, and cut off the heart of Cao Cao's forces."

"The army from Xuzhou will pass through Yuzhou and meet with the Jing army at the city of Xuxian."

As for the northern route of Yanzhou—

Zhuge Liang's eyes narrowed, and he pointed his fan northward, his voice as sharp as metal.

"Li Xiang's mighty army in Hebei is more than capable of handling this!"

"Liang predicts that within a year at most, the Central Plains, including Guanzhong, can be unified."

Liu Bei remained silent for a long time, then suddenly spoke:
"It seems that Kongming has forgotten something important."

Zhuge Liang's lips curled up slightly, understanding what Liu Bei wanted to say.

He even guessed another purpose of Liu Bei's visit to Jingzhou.

"Your Majesty is referring to Eastern Wu, isn't he?"

Zhuge Liang stood up, took out a stack of bamboo slips, and handed them to Liu Bei.

The above records all the secret letters exchanged between Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu, the commander of Eastern Wu.

Many of these were friendly terms that Zhou Yu strongly encouraged for cooperation between the two sides.

Furthermore, the borders between Eastern Wu and both Jingzhou and Huainan were very stable, with no signs of war brewing.

After reading the letter, Liu Bei frowned and asked:

"Could this be a feint by the Wu people?"

"By exchanging letters, I have gradually developed a sense of humility and camaraderie."

"While our army is engaged in battle with Cao Wei, they will profit from the situation."

Zhuge Liang stroked his beard and said:
"Since Zhou Yu returned to Jiangdong, he has taken control of all military power in Wu."

“I know this man well, based on Liang’s understanding of Zhou Gongjin.”

"They must genuinely want to cooperate with the State of Qi and have no intention of fighting."

He paused slightly, then added:

"Even if it's a trap, Liang has set up a defensive line on the eastern front."

"The Wu people cannot break through in a short time, and the Jingzhou troops are definitely able to hold the line."

"As for the Huainan region, with Chen Yuanlong blocking the Yangtze River, Sun Quan could not cross Hefei no matter how hard he tried."

With this guarantee, Liang was certain that the Wu people were genuinely cooperating and that even if war broke out, they would not be able to break through our defense line.

……

(End of this chapter)