My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 517 Want to be like Xu Ziyuan?
Both sides probed each other on the front lines.

Erzhu Rong in Luoyang also received the battle report from the front immediately.

It only takes two days to travel from Shangdang to Luoyang, and even less than a day for Yewang to reach Luoyang. Erzhu Rong was also an extremely skilled military strategist, so he naturally understood the importance of intelligence.

His absence from the front lines does not mean he does not value intelligence from the front.

"The army of Mohedu is advancing so slowly..."

Erzhu Rong put down the official document in his hand, his expression somewhat solemn.

The slow marching speed is only a superficial aspect; its underlying meaning is no less significant than when two armies are facing off, and the enemy suddenly pulls out a formidable elite cavalry force of several thousand men, clad in gleaming, polished armor.

How much does it cost to polish a bright, shiny suit of armor?
How wealthy must a company be to be able to field such an elite cavalry force?

The same is true now.

Gao Yu personally led an army of tens of thousands. The man and horse were fed and grazed, and it was winter, so the consumption was far greater than in other seasons.

The fact that the marching speed remained unhurried only indicated that Gao Yu had ample supplies, so he wasn't in a hurry at all.

If supplies are insufficient, even if an army is launched to attack, the goal will be a swift victory. How could they possibly dawdle on the march?
"Damn it, where did he get so much grain? Hebei and Henan have suffered greatly from war, and large areas of fertile land have been abandoned..."

Can food supplies really be conjured up?

Su Chuo reminded them, "We withdrew our troops from Hebei and Henan too hastily before. Although the fields were abandoned, Hebei and Henan are still the core area of ​​the Central Plains. We did not destroy their water conservancy facilities."

The abandonment of land is not terrible; what is truly terrible is that the surrounding water conservancy facilities are also destroyed.

Erzhu Rong's expression froze.

He had previously considered Hebei and Henan as his own, so why would he go to such lengths to cause trouble in those two places?
Henan and Hebei, as the most fertile areas in the Central Plains, have well-developed water conservancy facilities, which is the most important factor.

and……

At the time, Erzhu Rong was in a very favorable situation and was almost about to crush Gao Huan, but he was suddenly defeated by Gao Yu's troops.

He didn't even have time to gather his defeated troops before fleeing in panic to Bingzhou with his personal guards.

How much better off can the others be?
Gao Yu recovered Henan and Hebei almost instantly, leaving Erzhu Rong with no chance to cause any trouble.

"Moreover... I have also heard that after the late Emperor Xiao... was granted the title of Grand Chancellor of Shandong Circuit, as soon as he arrived in Shandong, he recruited many craftsmen and ordered them to improve iron farm tools. He also sent people to study agricultural techniques."

Su Chuo originally wanted to say Emperor Xiaozhuang, which was the posthumous title that Yuan Gong had given to Yuan Ziyou after he ascended the throne.

But then he remembered how Yuan Ziyou died, and hurriedly changed his words.

Erzhu Rong's expression was somewhat unnatural.

When the topic came up suddenly, the image of the 'Wind Goddess Xiu Hui' immediately came to mind—the man who defended the dignity of the Great Wei royal family and upheld the integrity of the emperor.

Especially before his death, he grabbed his own arm and uttered the most venomous words, "Today I will let the world know that you are nothing but a regicide and usurper!"

obviously.

Yuan Ziyou truly accomplished this through his own death.

Even if Erzhu Rong publicly announced to the world that he had shifted all the blame to Xi Yi, Zhu Rui, and others who had betrayed him, no one would believe him.

Shaking his head, Erzhu Rong sorted out his thoughts.

"Surely they can't conjure up this much food?"

Su Chuo shook his head and continued, "Prime Minister, promoting iron farm tools and more advanced farming techniques, coupled with the well-developed water conservancy in Hebei and Henan, will make it easy to restore production."

"Furthermore... I have also heard that the bandits reward those who cultivate the land well, even if they are soldiers of the local garrison. As a result, people in Hebei, Shandong, Henan and other places are all diligent in farming."

Erzhu Rong remained silent upon hearing this.

He did copy homework in Guanzhong, but he didn't copy it verbatim.

Many things cannot be copied just because you want to.

Where can he find so many skilled craftsmen?

Where can he find another Jia Sixie?

Ultimately, it comes down to poor interpersonal relationships. He actively sought to befriend various heroes when he was in Luoyang, but what results did he ultimately achieve?
No one wanted to serve under him.

On the contrary, it was Gao Yu.

Even if they disliked the fact that Erzhu's ancestors were Jie people, how much better could the Gao brothers be?

He could also identify as a Han Chinese like the Gao brothers, but why do these Han Chinese families refuse to accept him?
The reason.

Erzhu Rong actually knew it in his heart.

When he ordered his army to raise their swords against the court officials and ministers on the banks of the Yellow River, this was the inevitable outcome.

Gao Yu had tried to persuade him, but Erzhu Rong had no other choice under those circumstances.

Seeing that Erzhu Rong was somewhat heavy-hearted, Su Chuo quickly spoke up again, "Prime Minister, there is no need to be too anxious. Such skills can be mastered by simply capturing some people, and we can promote them in Guanzhong in the future."

"Black Otter is organizing laborers in Guanzhong to build water conservancy projects and restore farmland. Guanzhong will surely have a bumper harvest next year."

"I hope so."

Whether or not there will be a good harvest depends on whether the weather is kind to us.

If a severe drought were to occur, which in turn would trigger a locust plague, that would be a living hell.

"Since Mo Heduo isn't in a hurry, then we don't need to be either. We can afford to wait it out. He also has large armies in Bingzhou and Hedong, and his logistics are under immense pressure. We can afford to wait and see!"

"The Prime Minister is absolutely right!"

After saying that, Erzhu Rong looked to the east again, "I hope that the Prime Minister can succeed... so that Moheduo will become suspicious, and also relieve the pressure on Yewang."

The two armies are facing off on the front lines.

But the real outcome may not necessarily be decided by the jungler.

It's not like both sides are fighting in the jungle, so all their attention is focused on the jungler and everything else is like time has stopped.

Erzhu Rong set his sights on one person.

Hou Jing was granted the title of General Who Conquers the West and was assigned to oversee Henan in place of Gao Yu!

………………

Northeast of Xingyang City.

When Gao Yu led his troops out of Ye City, he simultaneously sent messages to Gao Ang and others who were besieging Shangdang, as well as Hou Jing who was stationed in Daliang City, asking them to cooperate with him.

Hou Jing immediately led his troops, totaling more than 30,000 infantry and cavalry, out of Daliang City and advanced all the way to Biankou.

Biankou is located northeast of Xingyang, at the confluence of several rivers into the Yellow River. It occupies this strategic position.

It could deter the garrison in Xingyang City, and at the same time, it could also restrain the garrison in Huai County and Pinggao on the other side of the Yellow River.

After all, there is a ferry crossing here. If the garrison of Huai County and Pinggao goes north to aid Yewang, Hou Jing can order his army to cross the Yellow River to attack the city.

The campsite was not far from the Yellow River, but the flow of the Yellow River decreased sharply in winter, and the current was slow in this section. In summer, one would certainly hear the rushing sound of the Yellow River.

"General."

One man rushed into the tent. Hou Jing slowed his movements slightly, but still used the horn-tipped knife to cut off a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. He chewed it slowly, and the delicious meat combined with the spices made him savor the taste.

He slowly raised his glass and drank the precious wine in one gulp.

Only then did he look up at the person who had come.

This man was named Hou Zijian, and he was a relative of Hou Jing.

"What's the matter."

Hou Zijian looked around, then leaned close to him and whispered something in his ear.

Hou Jing's expression changed slightly. His eyes darted around a few times before he smiled again and waved his hand, "I am also a person who cherishes old friendships. How can I not see an old friend who has come?"

“Bring him here.”

Hou Zijian hesitated for a moment, then reminded him, "Given the current situation, if the general were to see him, it would reach the Prime Minister's ears."

Hou Jing, however, did not take it to heart. "It's alright. It doesn't matter if Murong Shaozong finds out. Just bring him in openly."

"Here!"

Not a moment.

Hou Zijian brought in a middle-aged scholar dressed in a Confucian robe.

This man was none other than Wang Xiang, Erzhu Rong's most trusted confidant.

"Haha, it's been a long time! Wan Jing is still as charming as ever."

The Prime Minister laughed heartily and offered his compliments.

Hou Jing laughed along, but he didn't say anything or even get up.

Wang Xiang was not embarrassed at all. Instead, he took the initiative to continue, "The Prime Minister said in his early years that Wan Jing was a man who knew military affairs. Now that I have entered your camp, I can see that it is indeed true."

Hou Jing toyed with his wine cup, a playful smile on his face. "What a coincidence, the Prime Minister did indeed praise me once, but I wonder which Prime Minister you're referring to?"

With a solemn expression, Wang Xiang replied, "Naturally, it is the prime minister appointed by the late emperor and His Majesty the present!"

"Oh? What a coincidence! My prime minister was also appointed by the late emperor and the current emperor."

Wang Xiang was taken aback.

When Yuan Ziyou was in power, Erzhu Rong was the prime minister. As the emperor personally supported by Erzhu Rong, Yuan Gong naturally would not strip him of his position as prime minister, nor did he have the ability to do so.

Yuan Xiu appointed Gao Yu as prime minister, but after Gao Yu was deposed, he naturally became the late emperor.

That's quite a coincidence.

"Why is Wan Jing playing tricks on me? Luoyang is the capital! It is only legitimate for the emperor to reside in the capital!"

"Do you have the Imperial Seal of the State?"

Wang Xiang snorted coldly, "The Imperial Seal of the State is in the hands of the island barbarians of the Southern Dynasty."

Hou Jing laughed upon hearing this. He looked at Wang Xiang and said, "If you have come here to have a verbal battle with me, please leave. If you have other important matters to discuss, please speak quickly."

"Or are you trying to emulate Xu Ziyuan? We're currently facing off against each other, have you come to deliver crucial military intelligence to me?"

After bowing slightly, Wang Xiang said solemnly, "Since we are old friends, I will naturally bring you immense wealth and honor! It is not that I wish to emulate Xu Ziyuan, but I have come here to persuade Wan Jing to follow Xu Ziyuan's example and lend my Prime Minister a helping hand."

"When the time comes to achieve your goal, the Prime Minister will certainly not let you down."

Where does wealth and honor lie?

Wang Xiang clapped his hands, and his entourage immediately carried in several boxes from outside the tent. He smiled and opened the boxes.

It was filled with all kinds of gold and silver jewelry.

"This humble gift was specially sent by the Prime Minister on my orders."

Hou Jingqi stepped forward to take a look, and indeed they were all extremely precious jewels. However, he pretended to be ignorant and said, "These jewels are indeed valuable, but they are far from being considered extremely valuable."

"This is just a small gift."

Wang Xiang waved his hand, "As for someone as knowledgeable and skilled in military affairs as Wan Jing, the Prime Minister is well aware of your talent. To call you merely the General Who Conquers the West is a waste of your abilities, like a pearl covered in dust!"

"Oh?"

“My prime minister said that if Wan Jing serves him, he will be promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry.”

Seeing that Hou Jing remained unmoved, Wang Xiang pressed on, "Furthermore... he should be made a king! The King of Henan!"

"To be granted the title of king?"

Hou Jing looked him over with interest. "You think so highly of me?"

"Of course! In the Prime Minister's eyes, Wan Jing is a contemporary talent who is no less outstanding than the Gao brothers!"

“You and I are old friends. You should know that I have known He Liuhun and Mo Heduo since we were humble beginnings, and we are like brothers. How could I easily betray them?”

Wang Xiang immediately retorted, "It's not betrayal. I also know that your relationship with the Gao brothers is extraordinary."

"Today, I will stand in your position, Wan Jing, and analyze this for you."

"You treat Moheduo and Heliuhun as brothers, how have they treated you?"

“Moheduo relies on the Han Chinese families under his command. The Han Chinese have always looked down on us and ostracized us at every turn. Moreover, your ancestors were Jie people, and my Prime Minister’s clan was also Jie people. We are of the same lineage!”

"Right now, Mo He is very powerful, and your help to him would be like adding flowers to brocade. My Prime Minister is in decline, and your help to him would be like sending charcoal in snowy weather! You also know the Prime Minister's character. If you help him in his time of need, the Prime Minister will certainly never let you down!"

Hou Jing smiled and said, "General of Chariots and Cavalry, and even a king. The Prime Minister thinks highly of me."

"Of course! My Prime Minister doesn't care about background, he only looks at ability and talent. Back then, Mo Heduo was of lowly status, but the Prime Minister still appreciated his bravery and entrusted him with important responsibilities."

Wang Xiang earnestly advised, "Wan Jing has also read history books over the years, and you must know that everyone initially favored Yuan Shao, who came from a family of four generations of high-ranking officials and dominated Hebei, Yan, and Youzhou. However, the ultimate victor was Wei Wu, who was not favored by anyone."

"In those days, everyone feared the bravery of Xiang Yu, the King of Western Chu, but in the end, the one who won the world was Emperor Gaozu of Han, who had been lying low in Guanzhong."

“My Prime Minister has ambitions to conquer the world. Why doesn’t Wan Jing seek a better way out for himself?”

(End of this chapter)