My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 368 A Perfect Answer

In the past, if it were...

Husi Chun, a shrewd person, would have already spoken up for Erzhu Rong.

But precisely because Husichun was too shrewd, too good at reading people, and too clear about the situation, he knew very well that Erzhu Rong needed to rely on the people of the Wuchuan faction.

Who doesn't know that the Wuchuan faction under Erzhu Rong is famous for its bravery?

Huai Shuo only produced Gao Yu. If we remove Gao Yu as an exception, Huai Shuo is no match for Wu Chuan.

He wisely chose to remain a nobody.

Erzhu Rong sighed inwardly. The situation had indeed changed; none of them were easy to deal with.

At this moment, I miss the 'little angel' Erzhu Zhao. Although Erzhu Zhao's straightforward personality often makes me grit my teeth in anger, Erzhu Zhao will always speak up for me.

After a moment of silence, Erzhu Rong slowly spoke, "I do have some thoughts in my mind, but they are just my personal opinions."

Hu Sichun quickly chimed in, "The Prime Minister is wise and resourceful, and his plans to quell Ge Rong and Xiao Baoyin were all devised by the Prime Minister. Since it was the Prime Minister's idea, it must be without error!"

Flattering your boss is never wrong.

Heba Yue quickly cupped his hands and said, "We are foolish and hope that the Prime Minister can give us some guidance."

Erzhu Rong stopped dawdling and led everyone to the map. He pointed in the direction of Sizhou and said, "News has come from Bingzhou that there seems to be a large army gathering in Sizhou. It seems that He Liuhun thinks I will send troops out of Bingzhou to take back Sizhou. But... am I such a fool?"

The terrain of Shanxi, with its mountains and rivers, was simply unsuitable for Erzhu Rong's cavalry to fight.

"But what if... He Liuhun leads his army south and invades Bingzhou?"

Erzhu Shilong tried to remind him, but found that everyone was looking at him like he was an idiot.

Sizhou goes directly south?

The first place we had to conquer was Jinyang.

Although the Erzhu clan's main base was in Xiurongchuan, Erzhu Rong's actual main base, which he had been building up over the years, was in Jinyang, where his hegemony was located, making it as impregnable as a rock!
Such an impregnable city is virtually impossible to conquer by brute force; no amount of lives could possibly be enough.

The best approach is to hold out and cut off supplies.

Erzhu Shilong belatedly realized what was happening and felt slightly embarrassed, so he simply stopped talking. At this time, saying more would only lead to more mistakes, and remaining silent was the best choice.

“I have already ordered Yanbo to go to Bingzhou to guard the city.”

Erzhu Rong said.

Reclaiming Sizhou would only salvage a hollow sense of face, and reclaim the so-called "birthplace" of the Erzhu clan.

The costs incurred are not proportional to the actual benefits that can be obtained.

Xiurongchuan had already been burned, killed, and looted by Gao Huan's unbridled army, civilians, and grassland soldiers. The accumulated wealth had long been transferred. What use was it to take back only a ruin?

Moreover.

Even if we conquer Sizhou, what difference will it make?
Gao Huan didn't need to confront him head-on. He could simply withdraw his troops and concentrate them in Mayi and Jingxing to completely block the passes leading north and east from Sizhou.

Heba Yue and the others exchanged glances, their eyes filled with approval.

Erzhu Rong was not blinded by rage because the ancestral land of the Erzhu clan had been plundered.

Then, Erzhu Rong pointed south.

That is, Yuzhou!
"Xuzhou has fallen completely. Moheduo may send troops to attack Yuzhou. Yuzhou is a bait I set up. I have ordered Chilie Yanqing to stockpile weapons and provisions in Xingyang. When Moheduo launches an attack, he can put up a little resistance and then lead his troops westward to defend Xingyang."

Xingyang and Hulao Pass.

As long as these two places are not lost, it will be almost impossible to break into Luoyang from Henan.

In Henan, Erzhu Rong chose a strategic retreat.

finally!
Erzhu Rongcai pointed his finger in the direction he truly wanted to attack, intending to concentrate all his forces in that direction.

"Hebei!"

"I have sent people to Yanzhou, Youzhou, and Yingzhou to contact Liu Lingzhu, Hou Yuan, and Heba Yun... to order them to assemble a large army. When my army marches east into Hebei, they will also send troops at the same time to attack from both sides and seize He Liuhun with lightning speed, overthrowing the false emperor that He Liuhun has installed!"

The biggest beneficiaries are those who attack Hebei.

Firstly, everyone knows that Hebei's terrain is flat and easy to traverse, making it extremely suitable for cavalry operations.

Secondly, Gao Huan's influence in Hebei was still weak, making him an easy target in Erzhu Rong's eyes.

Thirdly, as long as Hebei is captured, Jingxing can be recaptured. Once Jingxing is taken back, Erzhu Rong can launch an attack from the east and south at the same time, and Sizhou can be easily recaptured.

"But what if Moheduo, who is far away in Shandong, sends troops to come to our aid?"

Hebasheng countered with a question.

Erzhu Rong smiled and shook his head, "Right now, Moheduo and Heliuhun have developed a rift. The two are having a very unpleasant argument over supporting the false emperor. Even if Moheduo intends to send troops to Hebei, can he persuade his subordinates?"

"but……"

Yu Jin cautioned, "After all, they are brothers, and the people of Shandong may not be willing to submit to the Prime Minister, who is the most powerful figure on the surface."

The current situation can be viewed as a three-way battle.

The second and third sons are natural political allies, because the weaker of the two will naturally unite against the strongest. In addition, the second and third sons are brothers, so even if they have disagreements, they will temporarily put aside their prejudices when a great enemy is at hand.

Not to mention.

Neither Gao Huan nor Gao Yu are the type to act impulsively; someone will definitely be the first to back down.

"So we need to be quick!"

"While Moheduo and He Liuhun have not yet resolved their differences and reached an agreement, we must launch a swift and decisive attack on Hebei, launching a pincer movement from the north and south to completely sever the connection between the two brothers. Then, we should concentrate our superior forces to annihilate He Liuhun first!"

Everyone then realized what was happening.

Erzhu Rong planned to wage war in winter.

Normally.

There will be no military action in winter.

In extremely cold conditions, bows and crossbows cannot be used properly, and more warm clothing needs to be provided to the soldiers.

The colder it is, the more energy is consumed to maintain body temperature, and the more energy needs to be taken in, whether for humans or warhorses.

The pressure on logistics is immense!

Moreover, if the rivers freeze over and grain cannot be transported by water, then the losses along the way will be even greater.

Not to mention that the war will not end anytime soon, which will affect the planting in the spring of the following year, and thus affect the entire year's grain harvest.

It's a Pyrrhic victory, where you kill a thousand enemies but lose eight hundred of your own.

"A few deaths of commoners are nothing compared to the fact that we can take Hebei. It's all worth it!"

"I have already issued military orders, ordering all soldiers to assemble in Jianzhou, and then immediately dispatch troops to Xiangzhou!"

Erzhu Rong immediately made the decision!
Heba Yue quickly said, "The Prime Minister is indeed wise and powerful!"

Everyone else joined in the praise.

Judging from the reaction of the Wuchuan faction, Erzhu Rong knew very well that his answer had satisfied them quite a bit.

on the way back.

The group then rushed to Heba Yue's residence to discuss the matter further.

"Sending troops to attack Hebei is indeed the best option, but... it's snowing heavily right now. Isn't it a bit too hasty for the Prime Minister to force a military campaign?"

The starvation of a few grain transporters is not a big deal.

But the soldiers also had complaints. Who would want to put on their armor and go into battle to fight in freezing weather?
The slightest misstep could result in the loss of both public and military morale, a risk that is far greater than the average person's.

Heba Yue shook his head and said, "The Prime Minister has no other choice. The current situation forces him to act so urgently."

Back then, Erzhu Rong clearly held a huge advantage, but he still chose to remain in Shanxi for three months, allowing Ge Rong to become arrogant.

No one would think that Erzhu Rong was ignorant of military affairs.

But why would someone so cautious suddenly become so radical?

How could Erzhu Rong not see so many problems?

Forced into it.

No matter how hard he tries to clear his name, he can never erase the accusation of regicide.

Even if Erzhu Rong supported a new emperor, and even if he were to "be selfless" by excluding his own grandson from the list of candidates for the new emperor, it would only be a way to deceive the common people.

The Erzhu clan suffered heavy casualties, and Erzhu Rong's rule was not 'solid'. Although he was still the leader in everyone's eyes, his prestige was far less than before.

What is needed is to consolidate one's leading position, rebuild one's prestige, and appease the hearts of one's subordinates through a series of great victories on the battlefield.

Moreover, it is indeed a rare opportunity.

There has been no open alliance between Gao Yu and Gao Huan yet, so Erzhu Rong must seize this opportunity to concentrate his forces and defeat one of them.

"Adou...then, in your opinion, what should we do?"

Hebasheng pressed for an answer.

Li Hu, Yu Jin, and the others all looked up at Heba Yue.

With Heba Yue as their core leader, this is the time for that core leader to step forward and make the final decision.

Heba Yue's eyes sharpened. "The Prime Minister's many plans are excellent. We should follow his military orders and fight bravely. Moreover, it seems that the Prime Minister has a great chance of winning. We should first serve the Prime Minister wholeheartedly and not let down the Prime Minister's kindness in promoting us."

The situation is still too obscure and unclear.

When they band together, they become a force that no one can underestimate.

There's no need to rush into a full-on bet.

Let's wait and see, and make a decision when the overall situation becomes clearer.

(End of this chapter)