Shou Chun.

Beiyuan Military Aircraft Department.

Lu Bu, Chen Gong, Zhang Liang, and Xu Shu are discussing the matter of snatching Jingzhou. Because not long ago, after receiving news from the shadows, Liu Bei counterattacked Xiangyang in the name of Liu Qi and fought with Cai Mao.

On the occasion of the civil strife in Jingzhou, it is a good time to fall into the well and seize Jingzhou.

"My lord, Nie Zheng asks to see you." Zhang Feng said.

"Let him in."

"No."

Nie Zheng walked into the hall and saluted Lu Bu: "My lord." ”

"What?"

"Cai Mao's army has been defeated, and Liu Bei has captured Xiangyang City."

"What?!"

Everyone was shocked.

Lu Budao: "With only 20,000 soldiers and horses in Liu Bei's country, and there is no food and grass, it is incredible that he captured Xiangyang in three months, right?" What about Cai Mao? What about Cai Mao's 60,000 water army? ”

Nie Zhengdao: "Cai Mao was beheaded, and the 60,000 sailors of Dongting Lake also surrendered to Liu Bei. ”

Hiss!

Everyone gasped.

Zhang Liang said: "Zhuge Liang really has the unpredictable ability of ghosts and gods!" ”

"If this person is not removed, it will be a great trouble for my henchmen." Chen Gongdao.

"Zhuge Liang is unparalleled in resourcefulness, like Cai Mao and others, he must not be an opponent. But I didn't expect that Cai Mao would lose so badly and so quickly. We only received the news of Liu Bei's troops on the front foot, and he took control of Jingzhou on the back foot. ”

Xu Shu knows Zhuge Liang the most, and he can't help but admire it at this time.

Lu Bu sat down and said, "It's me who underestimated the enemy." If he sends troops to Xiangyang the day after receiving the news, he may still have a chance of winning. Now all the counties in Jingxiang have fallen into the hands of Liu Bei, and Zhuge Liang has made plans to conquer it again. ”

Chen Gong sighed: "Yes, this Cai Mao is too incompetent. ”

Lu Bu also thought that with Cai Mao's hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses, and inexhaustible grain and grass, he should not be defeated. Even if we lose, it will be next year. Who would have thought that Liu Bei's 20,000 soldiers and horses would win in three months.

"Nie Zheng, didn't you say that you want to assassinate Zhuge Liang? The result? Lu Bu suddenly remembered and asked.

Nie Zheng knelt down and pleaded guilty: "The minister is incompetent." It didn't work out. ”

"You go down first, if there is any news, I will report it later." Lu Bu waved his hand.

"No."

Nie Zheng exited the hall.

"Liu Bei was before, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun were brave and unscrupulous, and it was difficult to achieve great things. Now there is one more Zhuge Liang, just like a dragon with wings, shouldn't it soar into the sky? We've got to find a way to pull him back. ”

Lu Bu looked at everyone and asked, "Do you have any good suggestions?" ”

"The minister thinks that Cao Cao will not sit idly by and will definitely attack Jingzhou." Zhang Liangdao.

The ovary is reasonable, but you can't pin all your hopes on Cao Cao. We should do something about it, too. Lu Bu said, walking to the sand table in front of him.

(Note: The Han Dynasty already had a sand table, and it began to be widely used after the establishment of the Military Aircraft Department.) ）

Xu Shu said: "The lord wants to disturb Jingzhou, but he is unwilling to invest a large number of troops, so he can only start a local war. It can order Ganning, the governor of the Jiangxia naval army, to wait for the opportunity to capture Changsha, Lingling, and the Jianghuai region, so as to consolidate the strength of our naval army. ”

Lu Bu nodded.

Zhang Liang said: "The minister has a plan, he can fight!" ”

"What's the plan?"

Zhang Liang said: "After Cao Cao won the land of Guanxi, his strength rose sharply, and he was about to enter Jingzhou. Liu Bei's seizure of power this time gave him a good opportunity. If the lord marches south, Cao Cao will have no worries, and he will inevitably go all out to advance Jingzhou. At that time, the lord sent an elite army to smash the city of Xuchang, but he was surprised and took Cao Cao's lair. ”

After Zhang Liang finished speaking, Xu Shu waved his hand again and again, and said, "No, no... The strategy of the ovary is too risky and will disrupt the situation of the war. It is necessary to know that behind us, there is also Yuan Shao, a fierce tiger, if the army crosses the Yellow River and approaches Xuzhou, our army will be attacked on three sides, and the situation will be dangerous. Besides, Cao Cao is deceitful and suspicious, if he wants to capture Jingzhou, how can he be defenseless? ”

Chen Gong looked at the sand table and did not express his opinion.

Lu Bu pondered for a while and said, "With the current strength of our army, whether it is fighting against Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Yuan Shao, I am not afraid. But our chariots and horses have just been distributed, and the broken barracks have just been formed, so it's better to wait a little longer. The most important thing is that many of our policies, such as the implementation of paper money, the opening of banks and shops, need to be carried out in a period of stability, and once the war starts, the people will be suspicious, afraid that if we are defeated, paper money will become waste paper, which will affect the economy of various places. Therefore, on the cusp of this storm, it is only suitable for small fights, not big fights. ”

"The Lord is wise. Let's sit back and see what happens. Chen Gong said.

"It's not okay to sit back and see what happens. I can't watch Liu Bei grow stronger, I have to make some trouble for him. Lu Bu looked at Xu Shu and said, "Yuan Zhi's suggestion is more pertinent, transfer the Jiangxia naval army, and wait for the opportunity to capture Changsha, Lingling, and the areas along the river, so as to consolidate the strength of our naval army." ”

"Thank you, Lord Gong, adoption." Xu Shu responded.

"Quickly in the name of the Military Aircraft Department, give an order to Gan Ning and let him capture Changsha and Lingling. Oh yes, tell him again, Huang Zhong, the lieutenant of Changsha County, is a rare talent, let him be captured alive! ”

"No."

Chen Gong sent someone to pass the order.

As Zhang Liang had predicted, Liu Bei's capture of Jingzhou gave Cao Cao a reason to send troops.

In mid-May, Xiahoudun, the governor of Yuzhou, and Jia Xu, the military advisor, raised 30,000 troops to attack Nanyang, the gateway to Jingzhou. Cao Cao appointed Cao Ren as the main general, Xun You as the military advisor, raised 40,000 troops, sent troops from Yanzhou, and rushed to Jingzhou.

Xiangyang.

Assassin's House.

Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Jian Yong, Mi Lan, Mi Fang... and a group of newly descended generals, which are being discussed.

Liu Bei was adrift for half his life, and it was not until this time that he could be regarded as having territory, civil servants and military generals.

"As soon as we conquered Jingzhou, we recruited Cao Cao's 70,000 troops... Who wants to lead the army to defeat the enemy? Liu Beiju sat on the top and asked.

"Guan Yu is willing to go!"

"Zhang Fei is willing to go!"

"The last general wishes...!" A large number of generals rushed to stand up.

Zhuge Liang looked around and said, "The minister thinks that it is not difficult to block Cao Cao's army of 70,000. The difficult thing is to capture Cao Jun alive. ”

All the generals were puzzled, why did they capture Cao Jun alive?

"What do you mean, sir?" Liu Bei asked.

Zhuge Liang said: "The lord recovering Jingzhou in the name of Liu Qi's son gave Cao Cao the opportunity to send troops, and at the same time made Sun Ce and Lu Bu red-eyed, and they all wanted to rush up and bite hard." And we have just won Jingzhou, our foothold is not stable, the soldiers and horses are tired, and it is not suitable for war. Chen means... The lord urgently needs a war of princes, survives in the cracks, trains soldiers and horses, and waits for the opportunity. ”

Zhuge Liang's words are difficult to understand.

Liu Bei thought for a moment and said, "What does Mr. mean is to provoke a war between the princes so that they have no time to take care of Jingzhou?" ”

"Exactly!" Zhuge Liang said: "To do this, we must capture Cao Ren, Xun You, and the 40,000 soldiers and horses under his command alive, and use this as a bargaining chip to unite with Cao Cao and attack Lu Bu." Then persuade Sun Ce to do his best to enter the Neijiang River. As long as we join forces, Lu Bu will be tired of coping, and Xuzhou will inevitably be empty. At that time, even if we don't send people to Hebei, Yuan Shao will send troops to help. The lord only needs to send General Zilong, lead 20,000 troops and horses, and feint to attack Huainan. Sit back and watch the success or failure of the princes. In this way, the lord can win two years to subdue the counties of Jingxiang and increase his strength. ”

(End of chapter)