My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 383 Take the initiative
Heba Yun spoke eloquently and passionately, and his analysis was well-reasoned and supported by evidence.

Those who came to discuss the matter nodded subconsciously after hearing his explanation.

Heba Yun is right.

Hou Yuan's forces included both infantry and cavalry, but cavalry was the primary force.

When Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu, entered Hebei alone, he was able to rapidly expand his power. In addition to his superb political skills and charismatic personality, the fact that Geng Yan, one of the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai, led the Youzhou cavalry to join him was also a very important reason.

As the governor of Youzhou, Liu Lingzhu brought a large number of Youzhou cavalry south with him.

When elite cavalry face a displaced army and poorly trained infantry, it's a one-sided massacre.

When Erzhu Rong agreed to send Gao Yu to Shandong, it meant that Gao Yu should be kept away from horse-breeding areas and places where high-quality cavalry could be obtained.

Elite infantry is difficult to train, and elite cavalry is also difficult to train.

Mounted archery requires years of experience, but it's not difficult to build a cavalry force in a place like the frontier with excellent manpower. After all, people in the frontier have been practicing mounted archery since they were old enough to understand things. The reason why Erzhu Rong insisted on trapping the surrendered people of the Six Garrisons in Bingzhou and Sizhou was because this group of people were a very high-quality source of manpower.

If given to Gao Yu, as long as he has sufficient weapons and warhorses, he can easily raise an elite cavalry force of 20,000 to 30,000 men.

How terrifying is that?
They were infantrymen, though.

Having excellent recruits is not enough; they also need to accumulate experience in actual combat to become elite soldiers.

What moved everyone the most was the phrase, "This is a great achievement!"
The people from Ying, You, and Yan prefectures, who were unable to stay by Erzhu Rong's side and were far from the center of power, naturally could only sit at the children's table when it came to dividing the spoils.

If we can defeat Gao Yu, then we can assist Erzhu Rong in capturing Gao Huan.

Such a great achievement is enough to warrant them receiving substantial rewards and promotions.

Hou Yuan looked at the crowd, their eyes burning with fighting spirit, and felt somewhat troubled.

He actually wanted to be more composed and maintain a stalemate with Gao Yu, since this was a significant achievement.

As the commander-in-chief of the allied forces of the three states, he had subordinates who all wanted to fight, but he forcibly suppressed them to act like cowards, which could easily damage his own prestige.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, he had no choice but to unleash his ultimate weapon.

“Ajuni’s words make sense, however… this matter is of great importance. We should report to the Prime Minister first and make a decision after receiving his letter.”

The group, who had been full of fighting spirit, fell silent upon hearing this.

Who could not see what Hou Yuan was thinking?

Yingzhou and Dingzhou were separated by Jizhou, Dingzhou, and Yinzhou. Although correspondence was not interrupted, the efficiency was drastically different from usual. By the time Erzhu Rong replied, it was too late.

Heba Yun was at a loss for words.

"General, this is not a proper statement!"

A voice suddenly rang out, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound. It turned out that Liu Taozhi, who was following behind Heba Yun, had spoken.

"This is?"

"This is my personal guard, Dugu Agu."

It wasn't that Heba Yun reacted quickly, but rather that Liu Taozhi had been posing as such for some time now. He frowned and rebuked her, "Insolence! None of the generals have spoken, so who gave you the right to speak? Step back!"

Hou Yuan looked at Liu Taozhi carefully, then waved his hand magnanimously, "Since this is a discussion, everyone can express their opinions. Feel free to share your thoughts."

Liu Taozhi bowed slightly and immediately began to speak eloquently.

"General, your plan to keep the Shandong troops tied up in Yingzhou to buy time for the Prime Minister is correct and very clever!"

Having spent most of her time traveling for business and interacting with people, Liu Taozhi naturally knew how to say pleasant things that made people feel comfortable.

He did not deny Hou Yuan's merits; on the contrary, he praised him highly.

"However! The general has overlooked two points."

Hou Yuan's expression softened, and his tone became much gentler as he asked, "Oh? What do you mean?"

"What if Moheduo leaves only a small force here to hold us off, and personally leads the main army to Yinzhou and Dingzhou to join forces with He Liuhun to attack the Prime Minister's army from both sides? What if the Prime Minister suffers a major defeat in Xiangzhou because of the sudden appearance of the Shandong troops? How will the Prime Minister blame us afterward?"

Hou Yuan's personal guards immediately retorted.

“We can also send troops there.”

Liu Taozhi scoffed, "Dingzhou, Yinzhou, and Jizhou are all in the hands of the Gao brothers. How can our army go there?" Hou Yuan's guards were immediately speechless.

Gao Yu's army could advance swiftly through these three states to reach the front lines in Xiangzhou, but they couldn't do so so easily.

Hou Yuan's expression gradually became serious.

Liu Taozhi went further, saying, "General, the Prime Minister's current situation is not optimistic. The Prime Minister must achieve a great victory and a swift victory in order to stabilize the hearts of the people. If the war goes against us, things may change!"

Hou Yuan suddenly looked up and stared straight at Liu Taozhi.

Although she spoke subtly, Liu Taozhi was actually calculating a 'political cost' for him!
Erzhu Rong was burdened with the stigma of 'regicide' and, as the nominally more powerful party, faced the Gao brothers.

Especially when facing Gao Huan, he had to finish the battle quickly.

Too many people chose to wait and see; he couldn't afford to remain in a stalemate with Gao Huan in Hebei.

Once we make a move, it must be a thunderous attack to crush Gao Huan!
Show off your strength to intimidate those who are watching, and also to intimidate your subordinates.

Erzhu Rong's foundation was deeper and his strength was greater, making it the most suitable and correct strategy for him to build a strong fortified camp and fight protracted battles.

However, war is a continuation of politics.

Often, we cannot simply consider the outcome of a battle; we must also take into account its political implications.

For Erzhu Rong.

The most correct decision at the military level is not necessarily suitable for the situation he is currently facing.

There are countless similar examples throughout history.

In this situation.

Erzhu Rong simply cannot afford to fail. Once he is defeated, the situation will unfold like a domino effect, triggering a series of chain reactions.

Hou Yuan carefully pondered Liu Taozhi's words.

She squinted and gave him a deep look.

"Ajuni, your personal guard's speech, demeanor, and vision are truly extraordinary."

"General, you flatter me. I am merely someone who is confused by the situation but clear-headed by the viewpoint."

Liu Taozhi changed the subject and looked at Liu Lingzhu, who had not spoken until now.

"I have heard that in the past, the governor of Youzhou had offered sacrifices to Heaven on behalf of the prime minister on several occasions. If the general still has concerns, then why not see what Heaven thinks?"

It is true that Hou Yuan was the commander-in-chief of the three-state allied forces.

However, if Heba Yun and Liu Lingzhu both advocate war, Hou Yuan cannot act unilaterally, as he does not have such high prestige.

He was Erzhu Rong's confidant, but wasn't Liu Lingzhu also one?

Liu Taozhi had already heard some rumors through passing merchants. Before Liu Lingzhu led his troops south to Yingzhou, he had performed a sacrifice in advance and finally concluded that the fate of this battle was in the hands of the Erzhu clan!

That means Liu Lingzhu also has the idea of ​​taking the initiative.

Gao Yu had also warned him that people like Erzhu Rong and Hou Yuan, whose ancestors were from nomadic tribes on the grasslands, all believed in the Eternal Heaven, and none of them did not.

When in doubt, just cast a bronze statue!

As for the risks faced by the goldsmith, they are entirely in his own hands!

Heba Yun quickly stood up and said, "Guards! Order the craftsmen to cast the molds. Also, please ask the Governor of Youzhou to make some preparations, pray to Heaven, and beg the Eternal Heaven to issue a decree!"

Liu Lingzhu then stood up and said.

"This is a good idea. Let the Eternal Heaven issue a decree."

Liu Taozhi had the craftsmen make preparations well in advance.

The goldsmith cannot fail.

They watched as the casting of the golden statue was successfully completed.

Hou Yuan's attitude completely softened, and he immediately made the decision, "Then let's follow the orders of the Eternal Heaven and take the initiative to attack! Let's meet Mo Heduo head-on!"

(End of this chapter)