I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 373 Liu Bei and Kongming

[The Prince of Yan of the Great Han Dynasty]...

The increasingly frequent trade between Qingzhou and Liaodong led to a gradual increase in the number of ships operating in the East China Sea. Several large ports were also built, maintaining exchanges between the two adjacent regions, which had vastly different resources. This provided convenience and necessities for the growing number of people engaged in trade.

Zhuge Liang, with a feather fan and a silk turban, stood at the bow of the boat, traveling from Buqi County in Langya Commandery, carrying the golden seal and jade book conferred by Liu Miao upon Liu Bei as the King of Yan of the Han Dynasty, and was preparing to go to Liaodong.

"Kongming will not be returning for the time being."

"Ok?"

"Xuande and his generals are certainly good at fighting. But in other aspects, they are not worth mentioning and need someone to help him devise strategies."

Zhuge Liang recalled the scene when Liu Miao asked him to stay in Liaodong.

"Could it be that Kongming is a little afraid of northerners because of what happened with Gongsun Zan?"

"I would not have such thoughts."

"Then let's go to Liaodong and take a good look."

Liu Miao said to Zhuge Liang, "Anyway, it's a good thing to get some training!"

"Otherwise, if I let Kongming slowly accumulate seniority in the central government, it would be a waste of talent!"

Since Liu Miao had said so, how could Zhuge Liang refuse?

Moreover, Zhuge Liang's impression of Liu Bei was not bad, at least much better than that of Gongsun Zan, so he agreed to the matter.

The sea breeze blows.

Zhuge Liang's robes were rolled up, like waves, layer upon layer.

Modern pointed-bottom seagoing vessels have been upgraded, no longer relying on a single sail system, but evolving into three-sail vessels. Some larger cargo ships even have four or five sails.

These technological improvements were not initiated by the government, but simply because merchants wanted to increase ship speeds to gain more profits, and thus improved the technique.

The journey from Qingzhou to Liaodong used to take half a month or even longer, but thanks to technological upgrades, the journey has been shortened to ten days.

As the ship sailed into Liaokou, Zhuge Liang finally set foot on the land of Liaodong and met Liu Bei and others there.

Zhuge Liang was also slightly distracted when he saw Liu Bei.

A strange sense of familiarity welled up from the bottom of his heart, and when he looked at Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun and others behind him, Zhuge Liang was even more excited.

"Zhuge Kongming greets His Highness the Prince of Yan!"

------

Yecheng.

Yuan Shao was already struggling with whether or not he should launch a campaign against Liaodong.

Liu Miao's sudden appointment of Liu Bei as the King of Yan was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire!

Liu Miao has already extended his reach to Yuan Shao's doorstep! If Yuan Shao doesn't react, what will the people of the world think?
"Liu Miao! Truly treacherous and cunning!"

Yuan Shao once again summoned his civil and military officials to the Taichu Hall in Ye City to discuss countermeasures.

Sending troops is absolutely necessary!

If Liu Bei were allowed to peacefully remain the "King of Yan of the Great Han," then his former subordinates under Gongsun Zan, as well as the Wuhuan and Xianbei in the north, might all harbor their own ulterior motives! In that case, the northern border would likely never see peace again!
But Yuan and Zhao's ministers could also see it.

Liaodong is a place that is easy to defend and difficult to attack!

The complexity, distance, and arduousness of the road made the ministers quite resistant to conquering Liaodong at this time!

"Is it possible to launch an attack on Liaodong from the sea?"

This was a plan proposed by one of them.

The consumption of resources by land routes is truly terrifying!
If we were to launch a land attack on Liaodong, then most of Hebei would have to be mobilized to continuously transport food and supplies to the front lines.

If it weren't for Liu Miao in the south, Hebei would naturally have been able to withstand these losses.

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs"!
Once Yuan Shao and Zhao Yun are bogged down in the Liaodong battlefield, Liu Miao's attack will be a foregone conclusion!

Therefore, some officials suggested abandoning the land route and launching an attack by sea!

"No."

Ju Shou spoke up to stop him.

As the military supervisor, Ju Shou was acutely aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the various military forces at present.

"The Southern Han regime originated in Jiangdong and possessed a powerful navy."

"Since Liu Ye, a strategist under Liu Miao, invented the pointed-bottom seagoing vessel, his ships have been able to roam freely on the sea for several years now. Their experience and skills are far beyond what Great Zhao can catch up with at present."

Despite Liu Miao's seemingly miserable defeat on land due to a lack of warhorses, he possesses an overwhelming advantage over Yuan's army on the water and at sea!

Trying to compete with Liu Miao at sea would be tantamount to suicide!
Moreover, Ju Shou knew the horrors of naval warfare.

In land warfare, if you lose, you can escape. In naval warfare, if you lose, you lose everything!
If they really attacked Liaodong from the sea, it wouldn't just be bleeding them dry, it would be cutting off their flesh!
Ju Shou thought that no one could refute his words.

However, Ju Shou clearly underestimated these scholars who were used to reciting classics and texts in their own estates and fortified villages.

"That's a misconception!"

"Liu Miao has many ships! Do you think we have fewer ships?"

Why boost others' morale while diminishing your own?

"..."

Ju Shou was exhausted and had no mood to explain to them how different the shipbuilding techniques of Yuan Zhao and Liu Han were!

He could only firmly advise Yuan Shao: "You must not engage Liu Miao in battle at sea!"

"..."

Clearly, Yuan Shao, who also did not want to get bogged down in a bitter battle, did not heed these words.

"I remember there are still warships in the north, over twenty zhang long! Can't we conquer Liaodong?"

Ju Shou wanted to persuade him again, but he felt someone lightly step on his foot and then fell silent.

After the court meeting decided on the plan to attack Liaodong by sea, Ju Shoucai angrily pulled Tian Feng, who had just secretly stopped him, aside: "Yuan Hao! Why are you stopping me today? With your wisdom, can't you see that attacking Liaodong by sea is a dead end?"

Since being imprisoned by Yuan Shao, Tian Feng's temperament seemed to have changed drastically, and he no longer argued with Yuan Shao about anything.

Ju Shou looked anxiously at his friend Yuan Hao: "In the history of warfare, there is only the principle of using one's strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses, not the principle of using one's weaknesses to attack the enemy's strengths! You must come with me to see His Majesty again and explain this matter! We cannot let His Majesty take any risks!"

But Tian Feng simply grabbed Ju Shou's sleeve to prevent him from leaving.

"Yuan Hao!"

"Don't go. Can't you see what His Majesty is thinking?"

Tian Feng's eyes had become somewhat cloudy at some point.

"His Majesty is now clearly making decisions unilaterally. With your uprightness, have you considered how you should conduct yourself in the future?"

“If His Majesty listens to you, he will attack Liaodong by land from Youzhou. If the war goes poorly, His Majesty and his officials will surely resent you, thinking that you have put them in this predicament.”

"If His Majesty does not listen to you and insists on attacking Liaodong by sea, there are only two possible outcomes."

"Firstly, if we win this battle, you, Ju Shou, will be branded as 'cowardly and timid' and 'lacking in wisdom,' and will be completely alienated by His Majesty."

"Secondly, if we lose this battle, the people and officials may praise your wisdom and loyalty, but His Majesty will feel that he has lost face and will hold a grudge against you from now on."

"So tell me, why exactly do you offer this advice?"

After hearing this, Ju Shou remained silent for a long time.

"But we can't just stand by and watch our monarch make a mistake, nor can we just stand by and watch the soldiers of our Great Zhao go to their deaths!"

Ju Shou looked unwilling, and at the same time, a little angry.

"Yuan Hao! You weren't like this before!"

Tian Feng chuckled lightly but did not respond.

"Yuan Hao, I still want to try it one more time!"

Ju Shou should still strive!

But this effort was destined to be futile.

Because Liaodong is a trap! A huge trap!
That place was a place where Yuan Shao was constantly being bled dry!
Now that a shortcut has appeared before them, who would bother to go to that frigid northern land and fight Liu Bei to the death?
From Yuan Shao to the common people, no one wanted to listen to Ju Shou talk about the differences between ships and the differences in naval warfare.

A swift and decisive victory is what everyone strives for!
Yuan Shao appointed Gao Fan as the Prefect of Pingyuan and General of the Warships, ordering him to transfer all the northern warships to Pingyuan Commandery and hand them over to Gao Fan to cross the sea and launch a distant expedition to Liaodong.

Such a large fleet gathering naturally attracted the attention of the Qingzhou scouts.

When Zhuge Liang, who was in Liaodong, heard that Yuan Shao actually intended to attack Liaodong from the sea, he was momentarily stunned.

It was only for a moment.

Zhuge Liang then lightly waved his feather fan, a smile playing on his lips, as if he could already foresee the outcome of the battle.

Liu Bei and his men were initially somewhat alarmed by Yuan Shao's attack.

But upon seeing the composed Zhuge Liang, the panic vanished without a trace.

Don't know why.

Liu Bei felt that ever since Zhuge Liang came to Liaodong, he and his forces seemed to have suddenly become complete.

This sense of security was like a fish in water. It even stirred up malicious thoughts in someone like Liu Bei—"If only Kongming could stay by my side forever and never go back?"
"Does Kongming already have a plan to repel the enemy?"

"Of course!"

(End of this chapter)