My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 510 You have a good plan, I have a wall ladder

Looking at Yuan Shanjian, whose eyes were red and whose emotions were sincere, she saw him.

For a moment, Gao Yu was in a daze. If he really lived his whole life as a minister of Wei, could he also become a legend like Liu Shan and the prime minister in the post-Three Kingdoms era?
However, this thought was fleeting.

What a joke.

Once someone reaches a position of power like Gao Yu, they can only move forward, take a step back, or stand still and stagnate. The ultimate result is always the same: falling into an abyss.

The people behind him will keep pushing him forward.

Zhuge Liang is remembered in history because he is almost the only one in history to have such a close relationship with Emperor Zhaolie of Han, and the two never failed each other.

Even figures like Huo Guang are rare.

More often, it was Wang Mang who directly usurped the throne.

If Huo Guang hadn't gone further, the Han Dynasty would have nurtured scholars for a century, and the sanctity of the Liu family emperors would still have been very high at the time. He could have replaced the emperor with someone else from the Liu family without anyone objecting, but if he dared to usurp the throne himself, he would have been attacked by the masses immediately.

It is common knowledge that the fate of the Great Wei Dynasty has run its course.

Whether it was Gao Yu or Erzhu Rong who ultimately defeated their opponent, unified the northern border, and made unparalleled contributions, they would immediately "resign three times and decline three times" and change dynasties.

"Your Majesty, I swear I will not return to the capital until I have defeated the enemy! I hope Your Majesty will take good care of yourself. Please consult the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, the Minister of Personnel, and the Minister of Revenue on matters of state..."

"Prime Minister!!"

"Your Majesty, please take care!"

After saying this, Gao Yu turned and left, then mounted his horse again.

Just then, a howling north wind blew by, causing Gao Yu's red cloak to flutter in the wind. Beside him, the soldiers, their faces grim, marched forward in neat rows.

The long queue stretched as far as the eye could see, like a winding dragon.

Yuan Shanjian did not return to the city immediately, but stayed in the same place for a long time with his civil and military officials.

The large army marching alongside still stretched as far as the eye could see, but the local soldiers were no longer present; instead, there were wagons loaded with armor, arrows, and other military equipment.

"Your Majesty, it's windy, don't catch a cold. Let's go back to the palace first."

Gao Huan stepped forward to persuade him.

Yuan Shan then withdrew his gaze and turned back to the city.

Only then did the civil and military officials gradually enter the city.

Gao Huan stayed until the very end. Looking back, he could no longer see that conspicuous 'red' and couldn't help but sigh.

He knew very well that if he wanted to gain the world, he would inevitably have to suffer the consequences.

Just like when he almost lost his life at the hands of Hebasheng.

There has been a legend since ancient times that carp can transform into dragons by leaping over the Dragon Gate, but... how many people have actually transformed into dragons?

Countless carp have perished at the hurdle of leaping over the Dragon Gate.

No one can help you overcome this hurdle; you have to grit your teeth and face it head-on.

After crossing it.

Then it will transform into a dragon and roam freely between heaven and earth.

"Erlang, I hope you will return victorious."

........................

Luoyang.

The Tianzhu General's Mansion was also the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Currently, the two sides are also in a standoff between the Eastern and Western Wei, and the situations on both sides are roughly the same.

Yuan Shanjian, whom Gao Yu supported, was a puppet, and Yuan Gong, whom Erzhu Rong supported, was also a puppet. Real matters of the court were never discussed in court assemblies.

All of this took place within the Prime Minister's residence. After Erzhu Rong and his inner circle of people had discussed it, they would then go through the formalities at the court assembly.

Today, Erzhu Rong has summoned everyone here.

"News has come from Ye City that Mo Heduo has conscripted more than 30,000 soldiers from various places, and with the auxiliary troops, the total force is 100,000. The entire army has set off for Jianzhou. It seems that his target is Hanoi County. He wants to take Hanoi County and then control the north bank of the Yellow River."

Erzhu Rong's expression was solemn.

The others were also shocked upon hearing this!

One hundred thousand doesn't sound like much.

Back then, Ge Rong roamed the Hebei region with an army of 200,000, while the Southern Liang-Northern Expeditionary Force numbered a staggering 300,000. These numbers sound even more impressive.

However, Erzhu Rong and his men, who had fought against Gao Yu for many years, were well aware of this.

The number of soldiers under Gao Yu's command cannot be generalized from the normal situation.

The soldiers under Gao Yu's command, especially the elite soldiers from Shandong, were all capable of taking on ten men each. Years of training had honed their killing skills to perfection.

Even the auxiliary soldiers are formidable fighters.

Such a large-scale undertaking?

Wang Xiang couldn't help but smile wryly, "In such a cold winter, they've mobilized such a large force. It seems that Moheduo is determined to take Hanoi County this time."

Everyone present was knowledgeable about military affairs and was well aware of how costly it was to wage war in winter.

This reveals just how solid Gao Yu's foundation is. If he hadn't made ample preparations, how could he have dared to launch an attack in winter?

"It's not just these 100,000 people."

Su Chuo sighed, "There are still three armies in Hedong, Shangdang County in Bingzhou, and outside Xingyang City, serving as a diversionary force."

Erzhu Rong initially did not expect Gao Yu to make such a large-scale move, and was quite optimistic about defending Hanoi County.

To the east of Luoyang, with Xingyang and Chenggao (Hulao Pass) in hand, only a small number of troops are needed to hold the line. If Hanoi County cannot hold out, troops can be transferred from here to cross the Yellow River northward to support Hanoi County.

Bingzhou Shangdang County could also dispatch elite troops south through the Taihang Pass and garrison in Gaodu, ready to follow the Dan River southward to relieve the siege of Henan County.

But Gao Yu blocked all those paths for him.

At present, Shangdang County is at risk of being besieged. If troops are transferred south from Jinyang, Gao Yu will definitely send troops from Sizhou to besiege Jinyang.

Regardless of whether they can encircle the city or not, it is clear that Erzhu Rong dares not open this gap and allow Gao Yu's army to advance unimpeded into Bingzhou.

He currently only has the Taiyuan Basin as a stable grain supply base, and Bingzhou is also his base camp that he has carefully built up over the years. How could he possibly allow Gao Yu's army to wreak havoc in there?
Only Xingyang and Chenggao could spare some soldiers, but the number was very limited and a drop in the ocean.

"The best course of action now."

Husichun offered a suggestion, "Perhaps the only solution is to continue conscripting soldiers from Guanzhong."

Everyone fell silent.

Don't be fooled by the fact that there are existing systems to copy, but... where is Erzhu Rong going to find so many officials who can implement policies?
Gao Yu initially promoted the Fubing system in Shandong, but the progress was very slow. He first promoted it in Qingzhou and then gradually expanded it. In the process, a large number of people were trained, and the military academy and school were also continuously cultivating talents.

It's the same as copying homework.

The reason why the basic framework of Hebei could be built up within a year, and even the army could be mass-produced, is because Gao Yu conscripted a large number of grassroots officials from Shandong to assist him.

Erzhu Rong did indeed have capable men like Yuwen Tai and Su Chuo under his command.

But no matter how capable they are, their energy is limited and they can't do everything perfectly. Many things have to be done by their subordinates. The difficulty lies in where to find so many people.

The result of forced conscription is uneven quality.

Everyone seemed a bit down.

Erzhu Rong knew very well that as the backbone and the ruler, everyone else could have low morale, but he alone could not!
He stood up and said, "Why do you all look so worried?"

"All I see is Moheduo's willful pursuit of a quick victory and his reckless militarism! To wage war in the dead of winter, and on multiple fronts at that, how long can such a gamble last? The people under his rule will surely suffer greatly and be filled with resentment!"

"If we can weather this storm together and withstand Moheduo's offensive, his rule will surely crumble without a fight!"

Su Chuo quickly echoed, "What the Prime Minister said is absolutely right. The daily expenses for such a large army are astronomical. In the end, the only place that Gao bandits have is Shandong. Hebei and other places cannot provide so much food and supplies. Even if Shandong can supply food and supplies, how much will be wasted along the way when transporting food and supplies from Shandong to the Jianzhou front?"

"I share the same view as the Prime Minister. The bandit Gao will certainly not be able to sustain the army for long. We just need to grit our teeth and get through this difficult time together. When his logistics can't keep up, the army will naturally collapse without a fight!"

Husichun stared at Su Chuo with wide eyes.

He was only saying what he wanted to say!

He quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! The Prime Minister and the Chief Secretary are right. Mo Heduo has gone mad and wants a quick victory. Heaven will destroy him, and will surely drive him mad!"

Erzhu Rong then said, "I went to inspect Yewang earlier. The city has sufficient supplies and is well prepared. We are confident that we can hold it!"

"Once Mohedu's army is exhausted, I will personally lead my elite troops northward to capture Mohedu alive!"

"it is good!"

Everyone cheered loudly.

This is Erzhu Rong's beautiful vision.

However, he was also very clear about what he really needed to do.

"It's still about supplies! If heavy snow falls and the Yellow River freezes, Moheduo will be unable to use the Yellow River for transport. At that time, his supplies will have to be transported by land, which will result in greater losses along the way. This is also the key to our army's turn of defeat into victory!"

The army besieging Yewang will not easily withdraw.

If troops cannot be drawn from other places, the best solution is to force Gao Yu to retreat on his own due to insufficient supplies.

Just like how Zhuge Liang was forced to return after each of his Northern Expeditions due to insufficient supplies.

"Pass on my order: divide the elite cavalry into multiple units of three hundred men each, and send them out as far as possible, deep behind enemy lines..."

Erzhurong made a series of targeted deployments.

Su Chuo then reminded him, "Prime Minister, the commander-in-chief of Yewang City should be someone with prestige who can command respect... General Wei Xiaokuan is neither prestigious nor experienced enough to command respect."

After a moment's thought, Erzhu Rong said, "Let Chilie Yanqing Beishangyewang serve as the commander-in-chief of the city defense. After he leaves, Adou Ni will take over his position."

Before anyone could remind him, Erzhu Rong looked at Erzhu Zhongyuan beside him and said, "Zhongyuan, tomorrow you will take your personal guards to Xingyang to meet up with Adou Ni. You will be his deputy."

There is the example of Hebayun before us.

Erzhu Rong still dared not trust Heba Yue and Heba Sheng too much, but the two brothers were indeed too outstanding, so he could only use them in this way, giving them important positions but also keeping them at a distance.

Erzhu Zhongyuan was called a deputy general, but in reality, he was there to supervise the army and help Erzhu Rong monitor Heba Yue's every move.

After everything was agreed upon.

Everyone left one after another.

Erzhu Rong stepped outside and felt the chill brought by the howling north wind.

The weather was not cooperating.

The sky above Luoyang was overcast, as if a heavy snowfall could begin at any moment.

He looked toward the northeast.

If calculated in days...

Gao Yu should be on his way to Shanyang City right now.

“Mo Heduo…”

Erzhu Rong murmured softly, his gaze no longer lost, but rather very firm!

"You caught me off guard last time, but this time I'm well-prepared, and I won't lose to you so easily!"

"Let's settle this between us!"

(End of this chapter)