Chapter 237 Planning for Yingchuan
“I didn’t know that the general was coming, and the foreign ministers were far away to greet me. I ask the general to forgive me.”
Liu Feng was full of gestures, opened the camp gate, and led The subordinates came out to greet him respectfully.
Even though Cao Cao had something on his mind, he was still so coaxed by Liu Feng's courtesy that he couldn't hold back his words. He got off his horse and stepped forward to help Liu Feng up: "My nephew has now opened a palace and is an important minister of the imperial court. Why are you so self-indulgent? Although Cao has been favored by the emperor and is temporarily in charge of the affairs of the court, he needs talented people like his nephew to provide more good advice and share the worries of the court."
"The general is looking at the court. Bureau, my father and son should be emperors and share their labors with the general."
Liu Feng said politely and introduced Cao Cao into the tent. After sitting down, he served tea.
Cao Cao sat down and politely said to the corporal: "Why are you so alienated from my nephew? Although I am a general, my father and I are still brothers. Moreover, although you and I are uncles and nephews, we are officials in the same dynasty. We support the Han Dynasty together because we are like-minded. My nephew can still call me uncle, but I can't be alienated."
Liu Feng respectfully thanked me and said, "Yes, my nephew appreciates me."
After Liu Feng finished speaking, he lowered his head and sipped the tea.
Cao Cao waited for a while, but saw that Liu Feng was just lowering his head to drink tea. He had no choice but to put down the tea soup, and took the initiative to say: "I heard that the Jia Kui tribe under the command of the wise nephew has already killed the slaves and presented their heads to the emperor. , so fast.”
Liu Feng then raised his head and smiled and replied: "When doing things for the emperor, you should work hard."
Cao Cao then said: "My nephew has this intention, and the emperor must be very happy. I just heard that Qian Nu's tribe There are tens of thousands of people, and I don’t know how my nephew will settle down. If he needs my help, I can just say it.”
Liu Feng blinked, it seems that Cao Cao has finally reacted, it is most likely Xun Yu, Cheng Yu or Xi Zhicai wrote to him to remind him.
But even if you react, what can you do? This is a conspiracy, and it has already been caught in my bowl. You only think of fighting now, and there is no time.
Liu Feng replied: "General, there is no need to worry. Henan is a white land and the fields are in chaos. It is impossible to settle these surrendered women and children. I have arranged ships to send them to Xuzhou for resettlement."
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When Cao Cao heard this, he couldn't sit still. He coughed and said, "Luozhong is sparsely populated. It's time to resettle these refugees in various counties and cities in Luozhong, or to farm on the spot and provide for Luozhong. What's wrong with my nephew?" He just sent them away."
Liu Feng said with an innocent face: "Uncle Shi didn't know something. These women and children surrendered nearly 20,000 soldiers, including 4,000 to 5,000 young men, and even more men. More than half of the time, if we don't send them away early, we in Xuzhou will really be unable to support Luozhong."
The only people Liu Feng reported to were the heads of Chang Nu and nearly 20,000 surrendered people.
Other gold, silver, and more than 40,000 stones of food will naturally not appear in the good news.
The question is, if there was enough food, why didn’t Chang Nu run away?
Aren't you hungry yet?
Afterwards, Liu Feng cried and said: "Uncle Shi, this time King Qin of Guandong, I, Xuzhou, have spent tens of millions of goods and hundreds of thousands of grains so far. What is left is just for the emperor and the court. The central government is very loyal. When our Xuzhou army defeats Yingchuan, we will report to the emperor and request to return to Xuzhou."
Cao Cao looked troubled and felt as if he had eaten a fly.
Only after receiving letters from Xun Yu, Cheng Yu and others did he know how much Yanzhou had suffered.
Yanzhou is located in the hinterland of the Central Plains, with transportation in all directions, bordering the five prefectures of Si, Henan, Xu, Qing, and Hebei. This area was one of the core areas of the agricultural economy in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Although the prefecture was small, most of the city It is a plain with developed water conservancy, abundant agricultural products and a large population.
But now after verification by Xun Yu, Cheng Yu and others, it was found that the original four million people in Henan Province were added to the fact that Cao Cao defeated the Qingzhou Yellow Turbans and captured one million people.
Of the more than five million people, there are now only more than 1.9 million left, a shrinkage of more than 60%. Large areas of land are deserted, cities are dilapidated, and refugees are everywhere and are constantly fleeing and migrating to surrounding states and counties. , especially Xuzhou.
When Cao Cao received this letter, his heart felt cold.
Even if he no longer recognizes the importance of population, he still knows that without population, there will be no soldiers, no food, and no tax revenue.
Cao Cao originally hoped that Liu Feng could hand over the captured soldiers to the court. Twenty thousand people were neither too many nor too few, and the proportion of young and strong among them was not bad.
But Liu Feng actually sent them all to Xuzhou. What worried Cao Cao even more was whether the other party's attitude would be followed in the next raid on Yingchuan.
Cao Cao is now very greedy for the more than 200,000 people in Yingchuan.
But if he was really asked to send troops to clean up, he was a little reluctant.
Sending troops to raid requires food, and appeasing the captives also requires food. Organize the captives into households and distribute grain and rations for farming. The food needed is even more than the sea.
How can Cao Cao have so much food right now.
What he hoped most was that Liu Feng could be considerate of the imperial court. After clearing Yingchuan, it would be best to settle the population where they were and let him take over.
But Liu Feng's current reaction is undoubtedly telling Cao Cao with actions, stop dreaming about peaches.
After Cao Cao pondered for a moment, he said in a consultative tone: "My good nephew has done me a big favor by going south to sweep Yingchuan. In this case, I can't just sit back and watch, and I would like to send Cao Ren to supervise the three thousand forces." I'm going to help my nephew."
Liu Feng blinked and declined politely: "Thank you very much, Uncle Shi, but my nephew thinks it's not necessary. After all, the two armies have never cooperated. This time we raided Yingchuan. Fight with speed and do not allow the opponent to escape. If there is a loophole due to a mistake in coordination, all previous efforts will be wasted."
Cao Cao was worried, and he was not really sending troops to help Liu Feng. To cooperate, he wanted to send troops to occupy the counties and towns in Yingchuan County that still had a population first, so as to preserve the precious population.
But there was no way to explain this clearly, and it really made Cao Cao feel uncomfortable and depressed.
Although Liu Feng respects Cao Cao on the surface and does a good job on the surface, on the inside he is both useful and defensive. He not only puts Cao Cao on the front line against Yuan, but also digs desperately. Cao Cao's foundation allowed him to maintain a strong appearance to maximize Liu Bei's interests.
The next few years will be critical. The smaller the population of Cao Cao, the slower it will be to recover and save.
Liu Feng clearly realized that after losing Yuzhou, although Cao Cao's war potential dropped significantly, after all, he had no way to transfer people from Yuzhou to carry out large-scale farming in Yingchuan.
But at the same time, this also greatly shortened the speed of Cao Cao's recovery, so that Cao Cao did not need to use troops in the direction of Yuzhou and Xuzhou. In this way, he can concentrate his energy on Sili and Jingzhou.
The warriors of Xiliang will probably become Cao Cao's first enemy to attack, and this is also in line with Liu Feng's grand strategy of consolidating the Central Plains first from the south to the north.
Without Yangzhou, Xuzhou would be besieged on all sides, easy to attack and difficult to defend. In the end, it would be difficult to maintain it for a long time. If you defend it for a long time, you will lose.
Without Yuzhou, although Xu Yang can form an independent entity, it is still a separate state. It can protect itself in troubled times, but once the Central Plains is settled, Xu and Yang alone will not be able to compete with Hebei. of. But
Once the three states of Yuzhou, Xu, and Yang are combined, they will be the basis for dominance that is not inferior to the four states of Hebei.
The above are all based on Liu Feng not making large-scale changes.
If Liu Feng could successfully develop black technology, such as gunpowder, three-piece harnesses, large-scale steel-making, explosive steel knives, steel guns, bright light armor, etc., it would naturally greatly reduce the economic pressure.
Cao Cao was a little angry, but he couldn't blame Liu Feng, let alone forcefully send troops.
Because Liu Feng asked for it alone, the emperor and all officials unanimously agreed.
If Cao Cao interferes without a suitable reason, he will not only offend Liu Feng, but also give the emperor and officials a domineering impression.
The most important thing is that even if he paid these prices, Liu Feng could still get him nothing.
Without Liu Feng's nod, could Cao Ren snatch the population from the 30,000 Xuzhou army with just three to five thousand troops?
Cao Cao understood this and wanted to persuade Liu Feng.
But the other party obviously didn't buy it.
Although Cao Cao tried many times afterwards and was even willing to make certain exchanges of interests, unfortunately, the chips he offered were not enough to impress Liu Feng.
Reluctantly, Cao Cao could only leave in disappointment.
After Cao Cao left, Zhuge Jin came to Liu Feng and whispered: "Sir, the general is so willing to compromise. If you refuse with all your strength, will it make him unhappy?"
Liu Feng haha He laughed loudly and said to Zhuge Jin first: "Tzuyu, it is good to be cautious, but caution does not mean cowardice. If we have to do what the general says, then we are loyal to the emperor and the hussar. Or are you loyal to the general?"
Zhuge Jin's expression suddenly changed, and he wanted to explain something, but Liu Feng stopped him.
"Tzuyu doesn't need to explain. Feng knows everything about Ziyu's heart and has no doubts."
Liu Feng stood up directly and glanced at the people in the tent.
Such as Gao Shun and Zhou Tai, as silent as a rock.
For example, Taishi and Zhang Liao were loyal and courageous.
Like Gan Ning and Jia Kui, they are energetic and energetic. Such as Xu Huang and Guan Ping, who work conscientiously.
Like Dong Zhao and Jia Xi, they are leisurely and at ease.
Zhuge Liang stood aside with a slight smile on his face, as gentle as jade, elegant and noble.
Everyone's eyes fell on Liu Feng, making him seem to have some kind of power that could stir up the wind and clouds and win the world.
"My career in Xuzhou does not thrive because of some general. Even if he is dissatisfied, what does it have to do with me?"
Liu Feng shouted loudly: "My career in Xuzhou The cause is that you, the king, hold the jun in your hand, eliminate troubles, and govern the people's places and documents. You are the king who sleeps on the battlefield with blood, repels the enemy, and protects the people. My true foundation in Xuzhou, the general is no more important than you!"
Liu Feng's words affected everyone present.
Many scholars and generals stood up one after another and paid homage to Liu Feng. They all said in unison that they were willing to die for Liu Feng, his son and Xuzhou.
Liu Feng laughed and helped everyone in the tent to stand up and comfort them with words.
That night, Liu Feng rewarded the three armies and held a banquet in honor of the ministers.
Then the army continued to rest and recuperate, transporting supplies. At the same time, it also captured nearly 20,000 prisoners in Gongxian County and transported them southward. The gold, silver, property and food were temporarily retained in Gongxian County for the battle south to Yingchuan.
As time went by, the waterway scouts heading south reported news one after another.
Although the Yingchuan water system does not communicate with the Yellow River and the Yu and Yan water systems, Liu Feng was unable to mobilize naval forces to participate in the Yingchuan battle. However, there is no big problem in raising ships on a small scale in the Yingchuan River System for waterway reconnaissance.
The Zhuge Liang brothers put the compiled information on Liu Feng's desk.
According to the report of the waterway reconnaissance cavalry, there are indeed more than 100,000 remaining Yellow Turban troops in Yingchuan County, roughly divided into four groups.
The largest one has 80,000 people, accounting for almost half of the total number of Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan. The remaining three groups have 40,000, 20,000 and 10,000 people respectively.
The Yellow Turbans with the largest number of people are mainly entrenched in Yingyin City. The Gushui River, one of the five major rivers in Yingchuan County, flows by his city. It is also an extremely important transportation pass in Yingchuan County. It is the intersection connecting east, west, north and south in Sichuan County.
The Yellow Turban thieves are entrenched here and can break out and escape in any direction at any time.
Secondly, the second largest force of 40,000 Yellow Turbans is entrenched in Yangzhai City in the northwest of Yingyin. Although the transportation here is not as developed as Yingyin, it is still convenient. It has always been the county seat of Yingchuan County.
This place is adjacent to the Yingshui River. The terrain is flat and the land is fertile. It is a very favorable place for farming.
If it were not too close to Henan and Yanzhou, it would not be occupied by the second largest Yellow Turban bandit in Yingchuan County.
The remaining two Yellow Turban troops, 10,000 strong, are entrenched in the southwest of Yangzhai and Yingyang to the west of Yingyin, and 20,000 are entrenched in Xu County in the southeast of Yingyin.
In addition to these large ones, there are more than ten thousand small-scale Yellow Turbans, with more than a thousand or thousands of people entrenched in Yingchuan, not enough to become a threat.
The remnants of the Yellow Turban Army are actually very cunning. They are located on the main traffic roads, which makes it easy to move flexibly. At the same time, they live in the middle of Yingchuan. No matter where you attack from, they can run away from the other side. .
But the Yellow Turban Army never dreamed that someone would mobilize tens of thousands of troops to gather them and annihilate them.
The reason why Liu Feng works so hard is to poach Cao Cao. Another reason is that Cao Cao gained extremely richly from this battle in history. Originally, he could not maintain his army with Yanzhou alone. , but after taking over Yingchuan and Liang, not only the food problem of the army was solved, but there was even room for large-scale farming.
It can be seen that these Yellow Turban Army will definitely not be short of food just to store food.
Thinking of Chang Nu's family background again, Liu Feng couldn't help but feel itchy in his heart.
Liu Feng was planning intensively, and Liu Bei, who was in charge of the Liang Kingdom, also received good news one after another.
The first good news was, of course, that King Qin's army in Xuzhou successfully welcomed the emperor in Hedong. In the end, Bai Bojun did not choose to live alone, but gave in and shared the emperor with King Qin's army in Guandong.
Conquering the enemy without fighting is undoubtedly great news.
Although Liu Bei has full confidence in the Xuzhou Army, if he besieges the city in this winter, even if he wins, there will definitely be many casualties.
The Baibo Army's military discipline is poor, but its combat power is not weak.
Although the Kwantung Allied Forces are sure of victory, they also face various problems such as casualties and the emperor's safety.
So, it would be best if we could avoid fighting.
The second good news is that the emperor successfully returned eastward and returned to Luoyang. At the same time, he rewarded the three armies and rewarded meritorious service.
The emperor worshiped Liu Bei as the General of the Hussar (the General of the Hussar was originally the general of the Three Lords, he brought his own house to open the palace, and the ceremony was the same as the Three Lords), and he was the governor of Xu, Yu, and Yangzhou.
This is tantamount to handing over the control of Xu, Yu, and Yang states to Liu Bei in the form of an edict from the emperor.
From the moment Liu Bei took office as General of the Hussars, Yangzhou Shepherd Liu Yao became his subordinate. Even Liu Bei had the right to replace him. He only had to report to the court afterwards.
Liu Bei was immediately overjoyed. He really did not expect that the reward from the emperor and the court would be so heavy.
He had discussed with Liu Feng several times before and felt that it would be a huge victory if the court recognized his control of Xuzhou and strengthened the legal system for some counties in Yuzhou and Yangzhou.
Just like Jian Yong and Liu Yan’s legal principles for Jiujiang County and Lujiang County, although it is useless at the moment, once they really launch troops against Jiujiang and Lujiang County, they will collapse the other side’s camp and win over the other side’s strength. An artifact for my own use.
In fact, Liu Bei has already begun to contact the local nobles and powerful people in Jiujiang and Lujiang.
With this status, isn’t it natural to have a lesbian relationship?
However, after being happy, Liu Bei also felt that there was a shortage of talents.
From the current point of view, Liu Bei's side needs at least three sets of teams, one for the imperial court, and two generals and shogunates, Liu Bei and Liu Feng, also need a set of teams.
I originally thought that Xuzhou was full of talents and talented people.
Now that there are three teams at once, this talent is obviously nervous again.
After discussing with Lu Su and others, Liu Bei decided to take no action for the time being and wait for the return of King Qin's army in Xuzhou.
Liu Feng's letter came with the angel. In addition to caring about the health of Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, it also expressed the joy of their upcoming return.
Unexpectedly, another letter came two days later, asking Liu Bei to send cutting-edge troops to Runan, from south to north, into Yingchuan, and capture Yancheng and Linying.
Especially the latter, Linying, is the top priority. If the troops are insufficient, you can let Yancheng pass without taking it, but you must take Linying.
Linying is only a few dozen miles away from Yingyin, but it blocks the throat of the latter heading south into Runan.
Without breaking Linying, the enemies of Yingyin could only be trapped on the plain between Yingshui and Gishui, helpless and in a dilemma.
After Liu Bei read it, he immediately called Lu Su and Huang to come and discuss it.
After entering the Liang Kingdom, Liu Bei summoned Lu Su to Suiyang for advice.
Fortunately, Pengcheng is not far from Suiyang, and the transportation is very convenient. In addition, there are fewer affairs in winter, and Lu Su has already made arrangements, so he can get out and come to Liu Bei.
As for Huang Jiu, he was a famous scholar in the Liang Kingdom and was appointed as a special official by Guo Gongzheng.
But just one winter day, this man was fascinated by Liu Bei's charm. Although he never betrayed Guo Gong, he was also very close to Liu Bei.
It’s no wonder Huang reacted like this.
Comparing Guo Gonglai to Liu Bei, he is like a jackdaw compared to a luanfeng. Even if he is a courtesy corporal, Guo Gong is not as kind and sincere as Liu Bei.
After all, Guo Gong himself is a famous scholar. He comes from a famous family and has a prominent status. How can he do it well?
(End of this chapter)