Tiger Guards

Chapter 375 Restoring Land and Equalizing Distribution
Taiyuan, Jinyang.

Jia Xu reviewed the routine military dispatches sent by Zhao Ji from the front lines, pondering Zhao Ji's war plans.

Zhao Ji was already considered very fierce by others, but in Jia Xu's eyes, Zhao Ji always played very conservatively.

For example, after annihilating Gao Gan, Qian Zhao, and Yuan Xi last year, Zhao Ji should have taken advantage of the situation to advance and fight Yuan Shao to the death; however, Zhao Ji had a tacit understanding with Yuan Shao to cease hostilities.

From the Battle of Chenliu in the Central Plains to the division of spoils in Yingchuan, Zhao Ji remained very restrained.

Jia Xu also felt that the current war plan in Luozhong was too conservative.

After much deliberation, Jia Xu decided to take action himself.

So he went straight to find Zhao Yan. Given Jia Xu's status, he didn't need to announce his arrival or wait for an appointment.

Zhao Yan put aside other matters and met with Jia Xu in the small courtyard.

After Zhao Yan sat down, Jia Xu said, "Lord Yuanming, the Grand Marshal is now overly concerned about Lü Bu's army in Nanyang."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan turned to his personal guard, Zhao Yun, and said, "Zilong, go and fetch the map."

"Here."

Zhao Yun turned and walked out of the courtyard gate, instructing his guards to fetch the map.

Jia Xu further stated, "Liu Biao is cunning but indecisive, and Lü Bu has lost his edge since seeking refuge in Nanyang. Liu Zhang of Yizhou is already unstable, and even if the troops from Yizhou arrive in Nanyang, they cannot possibly be 8,000 elite soldiers."

Zhao Yan raised his hand to stroke his beard and slowly nodded; he too looked down on Liu Biao.

As for Lü Bu losing his previous edge, there is a reason for it: Lü Bu did not actively try to regain control of the two commanderies of Ru and Ying.

After the assassination of the King of Chen, he watched as Yuan Shu devoured the military and civilian supplies of the State of Chen.

Throughout the entire process, Lü Bu did not make any effective military intervention.

This shows that Lü Bu did not want to leave Nanyang, otherwise how could Yuan Shu have been so bold as to divide his troops into three routes to attack Xuzhou?

In terms of allies and regional relations, Xuzhou was closer to the Zhao family, and Liu Bei was also closer to Zhao Ji.

Therefore, Yuan Shu's three-pronged attack on Xuzhou indirectly weakened the overall influence of Zhao Ji and the Zhao family.

But this is by no means the fundamental reason why Lü Bu sat idly by. After all, if he sent troops, with his fighting strength, he could also compete for the inheritance of the King of Chen.

How could Yizhou possibly actually mobilize 8,000 elite troops?
Certainly, Liu Zhang could use the pretext of the imperial court to send some disobedient people and troops out of Yizhou.

Eight thousand elite troops could travel by boat down the Yangtze River and then along the Han River to Nanyang... How much money and grain would that cost?
If you need three thousand men, plus some money and provisions, Liu Zhang can still provide them.

To say that Liu Zhang commanded 8,000 elite troops in one fell swoop is an overestimation of his abilities.

Therefore, it is unlikely that Lü Bu's plan to form a coalition of forces from Jing and Yi provinces to oppose Yuan Shikai would succeed.

The Jing-Yi coalition is unlikely to take shape, and even if it does, it will be a disorganized rabble. Similarly, the Jingzhou navy's plan to sail down the river to cut off Jiangdong and escort Liu Ai, the governor of Yangzhou, to his new post will certainly be flawed.

Given what Lü Bu did in Nanyang, weren't Liu Biao and the powerful families of Jingzhou afraid that Lü Bu would suddenly come and seize Jingzhou after their armies went out?
We must prepare for the worst. The worst-case scenario is not that Lü Bu will not send troops, but that Lü Bu's side will become the enemy.

If Lü Bu were to die suddenly, and the army in Nanyang were to be taken over by the emperor and his ministers, then it would be unclear whether to attack Zhao Ji or Yuan Shu.

Although Yuan Shu openly rebelled, if the officials who seized power had been able to distinguish right from wrong and act according to principles, things wouldn't have come to this.

Chang'an and Luodu were both under Zhao Ji's control, as were the Empress, the two imperial concubines, and the eldest prince.

For the emperor and his ministers, the campaign against Zhao Ji seemed to be more urgent.

As Zhao Yan pondered, he saw Zhao Yun take the map from the panting guard, bring it back to the pavilion, take it out of the sealed lacquer bucket, and spread it out on the table.

Jia Xu also stood up, rolled up his right sleeve with his left hand to reveal his arm, and pointed at Ru Ying with his right arm in a sword-finger gesture: "The Grand Marshal has already found out that the summer grain stored in Xutian is no less than one million shi. If we wait for Lü Bu to send troops, the grain here may be transported to Chen State and Huainan. If the transportation is not timely, given Yuan Shu's nature, he will definitely set fire to it."

Currently, around Luodu, Zhao Ji has 8,000 Protectorate Army soldiers, 7,000 Chariot Cavalry and Tiger Infantry, 3,000 Xiongnu Volunteer Army soldiers, 10,000 soldiers from five battalions, and 28,000 field troops.

Although Zhao Ji did not reveal the battle plan to the rear, Jia Xu, based on his understanding of Zhao Ji, analyzed it as follows: "The Grand Marshal is always cautious in his military operations. He will definitely leave 10,000 troops to guard Luodu and manage agricultural affairs. The troops he leads on the expedition will be no more than 18,000. After a fierce battle, he will rotate the five battalions with the Tiger Step Army."

Zhao Yan nodded slowly: "That's my deduction too. Wenhe is saying that Lü Bu will stand aside and watch this battle?"

"Given such concerns, even though we have stripped the ministers of their power to discuss and govern, it is still difficult to silence their dissent."

Jia Xu picked up his wine cup and placed it on Nanyang, jokingly saying, "Lü Bu is skilled in military affairs, but he dares not severely punish those who are like him. Since the unrest in Xuchang led to our relocation to Nanyang, seven months have passed. Lü Bu has not punished a single person, which shows that he respects those who are like him."

Lu Bu was extremely confident in battle, almost to the point of arrogance.

However, Lü Bu seemed to have a deep-seated inferiority complex towards the nobles and officials.

No matter how well someone tries to conceal it, their behavior will reveal the truth.

Jia Xu didn't believe that these officials would stay obediently in Nanyang; they must have done something underhanded, but Lü Bu pretended not to see it.

In this respect, ten Lü Bus are not as good as one Zhao Ji.

In Zhao Ji's eyes, these former nobles were like the pigs, dogs, chickens, ducks, geese, and donkeys he kept at home. Although he wanted to eat them all, he would slaughter them regularly in a planned manner in order to ensure a continuous supply of guests and resolve conflicts. In particular, Zhao Ji's "Memorial Against the Great Traitor of Han" pointed at the nobles and cursed them to their noses, which was more hateful than digging up their ancestral graves.

To put it bluntly, even if Yuan Shu succeeds in his rebellion, the officials will still be officials in the new dynasty, and their descendants will still have the hope of becoming officials based on seniority.

Allowing the Zhao family to grow stronger would only squeeze out and disintegrate the noble families.

Who are the mortal enemies of the former nobles? Don't these nobles feel it?

I can definitely sense it, but I just don't like to show it.

After listening to Jia Xu's analysis of Lü Bu, Zhao Yan felt something was amiss and asked, "Didn't the past incident with Prince Zishi teach him a lesson?"

"Lord Yuanming, the military power in Nanyang is now entirely in Lü Bu's hands. In his self-satisfaction, why would he care about such things?"

Jia Xu pointed to Xudu and said, "Now is not only a matter of life and death for Yuan Shu, but also for our army. I earnestly request that you, Lord Yuanming, dispatch more than 10,000 reinforcements to Luodu to assist in the battle."

Currently, in addition to the prefectural and county troops, the Hedong and Taiyuan areas still have 10,000 Tiger Infantry and 5,000 Battalion Battalions in other field forces.

It wouldn't be difficult to mobilize another 10,000 cavalry from the various Xiongnu tribes.

In fact, more knights could be mobilized, but mobilizing too many would be detrimental to suppression and control.

The June assembly of the various Xiongnu tribes is about to be held, and the knights participating in the assembly can be mobilized to fight almost immediately.

Zhao Yan looked down at the map, raised his hand and pointed to the State of Chen. All these disasters were caused by the assassination of the King of Chen.

In terms of military strategy and the ability to sense danger, Zhao Yan admitted that he was inferior to Jia Xu.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "From Wenhe's perspective, how many troops would be best to mobilize?"

"First, we will send three thousand Xiongnu volunteers and five thousand elite infantry south. Once they reach Luodu, the Grand Marshal can then deploy a full force of twenty-eight thousand men, which Yuan Shu cannot withstand. In August, we will send another five thousand volunteers to join the five marshals stationed in the five battalions, and borrow another three thousand men from Zhang Yan, bringing the total force to thirteen thousand. We will then pass through Zhiguan Pass and head to Henan to reinforce Luodu."

As Jia Xu spoke, he pointed in the direction of Ye City: "When the war breaks out in the Central Plains, Yuan Shao will inevitably covet Hanoi and try to launch a pincer attack on Luodu to force the Grand Marshal to divide his forces. If our reinforcements go to Hanoi, we can dash Yuan Shao's hopes."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yan stood up, paced back and forth, and said, "Who will be the general? If Yuan Shao attacks from Shangdang, how should we defend against him?"

Without hesitation, Jia Xu said, "The first batch of reinforcements can be led by Ximen Yuanjie, and the second batch by Zhao Zilong. As for the defense of Taiyuan, I will be stationed in Yuci, and Xu Gongming will be on the move, which will ensure its safety."

Ximen Jian's qualifications are more than enough to ensure the smooth arrival of the first wave of 8,000 reinforcements in Luodu. The second wave can be handed over to Zhao Yun for command, and there will be no problems.

After August, a large number of militia were freed from the autumn harvest.

Organizing them for an expedition was too far-fetched, but if they were simply armed to defend Taiyuan, Jia Xu was confident he could fight Yuan Shao.

Given the abundant harvests in Taiyuan and Hedong this year, every official tenant should work hard for their livelihood, just like Zhao Ji, to ensure their own comfort.

The locust plagues that occur every year were almost completely suppressed by Zhao Ji this year.

Even many slaves actively participated in the resistance, perhaps seeing it as an opportunity for them to earn merit and escape slavery.

Under the system established by Zhao Ji, which of the officials, tenants, and slaves didn't want to become soldiers?
As for the nobles and officials of Nanyang, Jia Xu never gave them a second glance.

He had initially held these people in some respect, but after the eastward relocation, Jia Xu stopped associating with them.

A little hardship is nothing, but if his life is in danger, Jia Xu will seize the opportunity to escape immediately.

Zhao Yan thought for a moment. He trusted Jia Xu's crisis prediction. If Lü Bu died suddenly, everything would be over.

Zhao Ji is very likely to be attacked from both sides in the Central Plains.

With the main force at the front suffering heavy losses, no party would give the Zhao family a chance to recuperate!
Zhao Ji was implementing the policy of restoring land and distributing it equally. The army supported Zhao Ji, as did the government tenants. However, the scholars whose land had been taken from them regarded Zhao Ji as their mortal enemy.

In the eyes of these people, Zhao Ji's image had long surpassed that of Dong Zhuo and Wang Mang.

Having made his judgment, Zhao Yan said, "Everything is in accordance with Mr. Wenhe's opinion. The situation is dire; we can only hold Jinyang and hold out against the Yuan family!"

Jia Xu breathed a sigh of relief and bowed deeply to Zhao Yan, saying, "I urge Lord Yuanming to urge the Grand Marshal to send troops to Yique Pass as soon as possible to seize the grain of Ruying. Before the decisive battle, you can also gather the able-bodied men and train an auxiliary army."

If Zhao Ji doesn't forcibly conscript these able-bodied men, Yuan Shu and Lü Bu will, and whoever captures them first will have them.

"good!"

Zhao Yan agreed and went to see Zhao Yun: "Summon Xu Gongming, Ximen Jian, Xiangli Bao, Wang Qi and others to see me."

"Here."

Zhao Yun, who had been listening for a long time, immediately agreed and went to find the guards to relay the order.

Zhao Yan then looked at the transplanted apricot tree in the courtyard, where red and yellow apricots dotted the branches.

As long as Zhao Ji's sense of danger is aroused, what does it matter if Lü Bu dies suddenly?
Even though Lü Bu is dead, his old subordinates will not all be dead.

With the example of the Chang'an coup in mind, how could Zhang Liao, Wei Yue, Gao Shun, and others dare to trust high-ranking officials?
Didn't you see how Li Su, Xu Rong, and others died?

(End of this chapter)