Chapter 12 Banner is not volume 15

Xun You and Cui Yan bid farewell to the Son of Heaven and prepared to return to Chang'an, and before leaving, they once again lobbied the Son of Heaven. This time, the Son of Heaven's attitude changed, and he carefully asked some questions about the new bureaucracy and centralization, and became interested in the new bureaucracy, but the Son of Heaven expressed his concerns about Jinyang very clearly and tactfully in his words.

Liu Fang, Sun Zi, Jiang Ji and others explained the reasons why some ministers of Xingtai opposed the revision of the official system in front of the Son of Heaven, and emphasized Jinyang's support for Li Wei. In addition, because the attack on Nanyang was very hasty, and all preparations were seriously lagging behind, Xingtai urgently needed the full support of Prime Minister Li Wei and various counties and counties, so it was very inappropriate to revise the official system and weaken Li Wei's power at this moment.

"The Son of Heaven is pro-government, Jinyang needs to delegate power, the Son of Heaven needs to be powerful, and the victory of the Nanyang War is needed, and whether these two key issues can be successfully resolved is inseparable from the support of the Prime Minister." Jiang Ji said solemnly, "Two lords, Your Majesty's situation is far more difficult than yours, so under the current circumstances, it is impossible for Your Majesty to agree to your invitation. ”

"If you want Jinyang to relinquish power, Your Majesty must first establish authority on the battlefield of Nanyang, which is a prerequisite for Your Majesty to regain power." Cui Yan thought about it for a moment, then bowed down and asked, "So...... If Your Majesty captures Nanyang, is he willing to return to Chang'an immediately? Are you willing to change the bureaucracy? ”

Jiang Ji didn't dare to answer this question casually, he turned his head to look at Xiao Tianzi.

Xiao Tianzi scratched his head, the expression on his face looked very hesitant, and his two eyes were dripping and rolling.

"Aiqing, when do you think I will be able to capture Nanyang?" Xiao Tianzi was stared at by several pairs of eyes, panicked, and in a hurry, he asked Cui Yan rhetorically. Cui Yan was stunned for a moment, and his eyes turned to Xun You. Fighting a war not only depends on force, but also the situation, money and food are all factors that determine victory or defeat, how dare he casually speculate about the victory or defeat of the Nanyang battlefield, it is a crime to deceive the king if he is wrong. He threw the problem to Xun You. Xun You frowned and pondered for a long time, and said slowly: "If everything goes well, before and after spring ploughing, that is, around April next year, Your Majesty will be able to capture Nanyang." ”

Xiao Tianzi smiled happily, "Hehe...... That's coming, it's coming. Aiqing, after I defeat Nanyang, I will fight Xiangyang immediately, when do you think I will be able to conquer Xiangyang? ”

Xun You gave Xiao Tianzi a bitter face. "Your Majesty, after Nanyang was conquered, the situation in the world immediately changed, whether the army would attack Xiangyang immediately, it was necessary to judge the situation and carefully weigh the pros and cons before deciding. In Chen's view, after His Majesty conquered Xiangyang, the first priority was not to take advantage of the victory to defeat the rebellion, but to return to Chang'an as soon as possible to stabilize the situation. ”

"Oh......" Xiao Tianzi said slowly with a look of disappointment on his face, "I know. ”

Xun You immediately asked: "So, after the end of the Nanyang War, Your Majesty decided to return to Chang'an?" ”

Xiao Tianzi nodded. Xun You and Cui Yan looked at each other and smiled, this trip to the platform finally achieved its goal. As long as Xiao Tianzi intends to revise the official system and take charge of the government, Li Wei and his new policy will be at the end of the road.

Nanyang is located between Guanzhong, Hanzhong, Central Plains and Jingxiang, the terrain is dangerous, with Wancheng as the center, to the west can go back along the Han River into the Hanzhong area, to the northwest can attack Guanzhong through Wuguan, along the Han River to the south through Xiangyang can attack the hinterland of Jingzhou and Bashu, to the east can directly kill the vast Central Plains. Nanyang is like a revolving door, which can be entered and exited on all sides, and can be attacked vertically and horizontally on all sides, and has been a battleground for soldiers since ancient times.

On December 18, Xiao Tianzi led 10,000 iron cavalry to the front of the battlefield and stationed in the sunset.

Accompanied by Yushi, Jia Xu, Zhong Xuan, Wang Dang and other generals, Xiao Tianzi inspected all parts of the army. When the soldiers of the Han army saw the Son of Heaven coming to the front line, their morale was greatly boosted, and the cheers one after another shook the winter sky.

At dusk, Xiao Tianzi and the generals rushed up a high slope with horses.

In the distance, Wancheng was isolated by the Shushui River, and it looked desolate and bleak in the howling cold wind. Outside the city, the tents of the Han army are lined up, the flags are fluttering, stretching for several miles, and it is magnificent.

Jia Xu stationed at Ma Li's side of the Son of Heaven and introduced him to the layout of the battlefield and the deployment of the army.

"When will the city be attacked?" Xiao Tianzi waved his horsewhip and was in high spirits.

Jia Xu shook his head, twisted his beard and smiled, "I'll talk about it in the spring." ”

"What?" Xiao Tianzi's eyes widened in disbelief, "Next spring?" How long to wait? ”

"We have a lot of difficulties." Jade rode his horse to his side, pointed to the battlefield and said, "Nanyang was defeated in September, and we fought Nanyang again in November, only more than two months in between, it was very hasty, and the preparations in all aspects were insufficient. ”

"At least half of the army on the battlefield in Nanyang is tired now. His Majesty's army came from Youzhou to the south, and the troops of Wu Xiong and Peng Lie of Jizhou also rushed to the battlefield thousands of miles away, and General Yu Poison's army was temporarily transferred from the battlefield in Longnan. Half of the army cannot exert its strongest combat effectiveness, and this battle certainly cannot be fought. ”

"In addition, there is a serious shortage of food, grass, ordnance and civilians in the army, which is a big problem. Yang Feng and Yuan Yao fought on the battlefield in Nanyang for more than five months, and the consumption was extremely high. After the defeat in September, their grain and baggage were captured by the rebels, and many of them were taken prisoner. Therefore, when His Majesty decided to fight Nanyang again, the imperial court was simply unable to raise the grain and grass required by the 160,000-strong army in a short period of time. At that time, it was the autumn harvest, and it was extremely difficult for the people to recruit people, so they had to wait until the autumn harvest was over. ”

"After the autumn harvest is over, the problem of the people can be solved, but the problem of food shortage will not be solved for a while. It takes time for grain to be stored and transported, and the Chinese New Year is about to come again, and the requisition of the people will definitely be reduced and slowed down. As a result, the shortage of food and grass for the army will not be alleviated until at least around February. ”

Jade sighed and continued, "The most scarce thing right now is winter clothing. The severe cold has arrived, and the soldiers have no cotton clothes, so they can only roast the fire to keep warm. If it snows, the situation will get worse and worse. The minister has urgently told Chang'an and Xingtai several times, asking them to find a way to solve the matter, but at present, it seems that they are powerless. ”

Xiao Tianzi was silent, and his interest was lost.

"The minister has fought for many years, but this time the battle against Nanyang is the most hasty battle, and we have almost no preparation." Jia Xu said calmly, "After Your Majesty decided to fight Nanyang, the armies from all walks of life flew south, and when they arrived at the battlefield, the attack speed was very fast, and it was winter at this time, so it was normal for this situation to occur." However, haste also has the advantage of haste, and the current favorable situation on the battlefield is precisely due to the speed with which we are moving, and if it were not for the rebels being taken by surprise, would we have been able to complete the deployment of the attack in such a short time? ”

Jade Shi frowned, worried, "Xiangyang will fight back soon, and the rebels in Wancheng are waiting for work, and they are full of victory in September, and their morale is high. The key to whether we can maintain this favorable situation in this winter depends on whether Chang'an and Xingtai can deliver grain, grass, and ordnance to the battlefield in a timely manner. ”

"Actually, this difficulty is not unsolvable." Jia Xu smiled indifferently.

Xiao Tianzi and Jade looked at Jia Xu in unison. "Aiqing has a way?" Xiao Tianzi asked in surprise.

"There is one way, I'm afraid that Your Majesty will not agree."

"Tell me what to do." Xiao Tianzi urged repeatedly.

"Assault Dock Fort."

Xiao Tianzi and Jade looked at each other and didn't speak for a long time.

Wubao is also called Wubi, first appeared in the border counties of the northwest and two Xinjiang, is the border people to defend against the invasion of the Hu people and build the blockhouse, can generally accommodate hundreds of people to thousands of people, and then gradually by the Guanzhong, the Central Plains Gaomen clan applied to the residential buildings, and the surrounding fields and mountains constitute a manor, become the clan, the doorman, the tribe, the field servant, the slave and the maid of the residence. The appearance of the dock fort is quite similar to a castle, surrounded by deep ditches and high walls, the internal houses are adjacent, and the four corners and the center are built with another tower and high-rise buildings, and the large-scale dock fort generally has a strong defensive function.

During Wang Mang's new dynasty, the red eyebrows and green forests swarmed, and the world was in turmoil, and this kind of dock fort building gradually rose because it played a great role in protecting the clan and property. After the revival of Guangwu, the Gaomen clan and the local big businessmen and wealthy people were keen to build dock forts. When the Yellow Turbans ruled the world, the Dock Fort, which had weak defensive capabilities but sufficient wealth, became the object of bloodbath, which made the Dock Lords and Suzerains everywhere strengthen the Dock Fort at any cost, recruit their troops, and improve their strength to fight against disasters, so that the construction scale and defense ability of the Dock Fort were greatly improved. The strength of the dock masters and sect masters has increased, and their status in the state and county and the court has also changed, and their fate has gradually changed drastically.

Nanyang is the foundation of Guangwu Zhongxing, and most of the famous ministers of Zhongxing come from Nanyang, so the Gaomen clan here is relatively concentrated, and there are relatively many dock fort buildings. When the Yellow Turban Incident occurred, Nanyang suffered from war, and Nanyang declined. When Dong Zhuo was in trouble, this was Yuan Shu's territory again, the people were exploited, and Nanyang was even more withered. With Yuan Shao's entry into Luoyang, Jingxiang stabilized, Nanyang gradually recovered, and the construction of Wubao also reached a **.

At this time, the scale of the dock fort was already very large, and the dock fort of some wealthy people could even be compared with a small city, and could generally accommodate hundreds or even thousands of households. There are also many private soldiers of the dock master, some of whom have even reached thousands, and their strength is quite amazing. Of course, a dock fort of the size of Dong Zhuoyiwu is still very rare.

"According to the minister's observation, the number of dock forts in Nanyang is considerable, and there are forty or fifty large and small. If we destroy them all, not only can we get food and clothing, but we can also get a lot of money, and even the troops can be replenished by a certain amount. Jia Xu approached Xiao Tianzi, and his voice lowered slightly, "The last time Yang Feng failed fiasco, it had nothing to do with those Wubao Yang Feng Yin violations, ventilating and reporting information, and chasing and intercepting them. ”

Xiao Tianzi leaned his head close to Jia Xu, and also lowered his voice and said: "Aiqing, we attacked the dock fort, burned, killed and looted, what should we do with those old and weak women and children in the dock fort?" ”

"Your Majesty, you are called a woman's kindness. The world is unstable every day, these people are uneasy every day, and in the end they still can't escape death, this reason is too simple. Jia Xu Zhengse said, "Your Majesty is responsible for saving the people in the world, which of the two is more important, do you need to say?" ”

Xiao Tianzi was at a loss, and grabbed his head again and again.

"Your Majesty, we destroyed the dock fort, not only to rob the grain, but more importantly, to kill those arrogant and domineering gate lords." Jia Xu's voice lowered, "Wubao represents the strength of the gate valve tycoon, and when the gate valve tycoon has strength, he will find a way to compete with the court for population, annex land, and plunder wealth, and he will work against the court." Why is there endless fighting in the court today, and why are the prime ministers and the rich men fighting to the death? The reason is very clear, that is, because a series of systems such as the Xintian system and the new tax system implemented by the imperial court harmed the interests of the wealthy men and lords, and the new policy did not allow the existence of Wubao at all. ”

"When the eldest princess implemented the new policy in Hebei, there were very few contradictions in the court, which was mainly due to the fact that the annual war in Hebei completely destroyed the dock fort in Hebei, and many wealthy people in Hebei died and fled. After the imperial court recovered Guanzhong and the Central Plains, the implementation of the new policy immediately encountered difficulties. Although there were frequent wars in Guanzhong and the Central Plains, and Wubao was also hit hard, there were few survivors, but the wealthy men who survived were very powerful and strong. After the death of Cai Yong, Zhang Miao, Kong Rong and other ministers, the Central Plains gate valve tycoons lost their support and were immediately trampled under the feet of the imperial court, but the Guanluo gate valve tycoons took the opportunity to get together with the Yuzhou gate valve tycoons, which became the biggest hidden danger of Zhongxing's great cause. ”

"Yuzhou has always been the foundation of Yuan Shao, there are many dock forts, especially the Qingzhou Yellow Turban Army was defeated, Liu Pi and others led the remnants into Yuzhou, more and more dock fort buildings. After we recovered Yuzhou, we did not deal with the dock fort in Yuzhou for various reasons, and as a result, the implementation and implementation of the new policy in Yuzhou encountered great resistance. At the same time, the power struggle in the court became more and more intense. The strength of the wealthy men in the Yingru area is too strong, and the situation in Chang'an has fallen into turmoil. The fiasco of Nanyang in September was, in the final analysis, a life-and-death game between the northern Xinjiang forces headed by Prime Minister Li Wei and the Guanluo and Yingru forces led by Taifu Yang Biao. ”

"This kind of game is too damaging to the community, and its consequences will lead to the collapse of the society, so if Your Majesty wants to revitalize the society, it is far from enough to rely on the military exploits of pacifying the world, and it is necessary to use extraordinary means to completely destroy the dock fort and destroy the threat to the survival of the community."

Xiao Tianzi looked around nervously, for fear that others would hear it.

"Your Majesty, the ministers have all arranged it, as long as you give an order, Wang Heizi and Yan Hutou will do it immediately." A hint of murder flashed in Jia Xu's eyes, "We didn't handle the matter of Yuzhou well, and as a result, the imperial court is very passive now, but this time, we must handle it well, and we can't leave hidden dangers for the imperial court anymore." ”

"But......" said Xiao Tianzi with great embarrassment, "if we kill too many people and are cruel and tyrannical, we will be in even greater trouble in the future." ”

"Just this once." Jia Xu sneered, "If your heart is not ruthless, your hands are not spicy, Your Majesty cannot intimidate the court, and you cannot coerce rebellion outside, how can you dominate the world in the future?" ”

Xiao Tianzi pondered for a long time, and said helplessly: "The dock fort can be destroyed, the grain and money can be plundered, the gate valve can be killed, but the old and young women and children cannot be killed, and the ordinary people cannot be killed." ”

"If you don't kill them, you won't kill them, drive them all to Xiangyang, and let Liu Biao have a headache." Jia Xu said with a smile, "If you can make Liu Biao angry to death, Xiangyang will have it at your fingertips." "Jump to