"Xiong Sheng is king?"

At the end of the summer and June of the eleventh year of Zhao Hou Wuxian (478 BC), in the Weiyang Palace of Yecheng, after receiving a secret report from the black clothes, Zhao Wuxian, who was discussing the summer harvest with his ministers, laughed and said to everyone:

"Xiong Sheng really couldn't help it, but in the eyes of the widow, his behavior is just a monkey!"

The monkey pretended to be an adult, washed his hair, then put on a hat, and stole a high position, doing things one by one, but without changing his animal nature, it was even more ridiculous and false. The metaphor of pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info Zhao Hou is just right, and Zigong and others in the palace can't help laughing.

In fact, Zhao Wuxian has been well aware of what happened in the south, because after more than ten years of development, Zhao's pigeon system has been relatively perfect, Xu, Cai, Guangling and other borders have a pigeon site, whenever there is a police at the border, or Chu State changes, the pigeon can arrive in Yecheng at one stop, and the information will be transmitted to Zhao Wuxian's hands at the first time.

This secret weapon, the cultivation of carrier pigeons was handed over to the chief of the government and others, as for the pigeon posts all over the Zhao country, Zhao Wuxian was handed over to the spy organization "Black Yi" led by the red eyebrows to manage, if the Yulin guard is the sword held by Zhao Wuxian in his hand, then the black clothes are the dagger he hides in his sleeve.

In the past ten years, under the instruction of Zhao Wuxian, the black-clothed people have spread all over the counties and counties, compiled an invisible intelligence network, and even black-clothed people have infiltrated other countries, become other people's staff generals, and act as spies for Zhao State, so the news from various countries has come very quickly......

This kind of strategy was appreciated by Sun Tzu, who once made a big comment, saying that in every great war of annexation, raising 100,000 troops, and conquest for thousands of miles, the consumption of the people and the expenditure of the state would cost thousands of gold every day, and the front and rear would be in turmoil, and the soldiers would be running around on the road tiredly, and there would be hundreds of thousands of families who could not engage in normal production. Holding on like this for several years is to win the victory.

Therefore, intelligence is particularly important, what is the situation within the enemy country, who do they send to command, and what is the route and formation of the enemy army? If you know yourself and know that your opponent will win all battles, if you want to understand the enemy's situation in advance, you must use the ......

Chu did not have such a strict household registration system as Zhao State, and it had long been infiltrated into a sieve by Zhao's spies. In order to buy people's hearts, they hired scholars, and this is especially true for Huainan, which does not refuse foreign tourists. As early as when Bai Gong entered Yingying to preside over the law change, as the white doves flew into Yecheng, every move of all parties in the Chu State was under Zhao Wuxian's nose.

After distributing the information of the past few months to the ministers in the palace, Zhao Wuxian suddenly asked: "Tell me, why can Zhao's change be successful, and why can't Chu's change be successful?" ”

……

The ministers in the palace should be headed by Zhang Mengtan, but he did not answer immediately, but asked Deng Xi, the secretary of Dali Temple, who is very familiar with the law, to say first.

But after the last time he took the blame for Zhao Hou, for the moody and unpredictable Zhao Hou, Deng Xi didn't dare to say anything, and after thinking about it, he said carefully: "Bai Gong is not the commander of Chu State, and the law cannot be changed to the end." The king said that only by changing the law can it be implemented. ”

"Dali's words make sense."

Zhao Wuxian nodded, in the Chinese dynasties, whether or not the reform can be implemented, the attitude of the supreme ruler with real power is very important, if they are not determined and lack courage, it is useless for the people below to be active. Although Bai Gong is brave and sharp, he also has the determination to change the law, but he is not even Ling Yin, once the change is frustrated, he wants to persevere, but Ling Yin of the Chu State does not dare to take risks, and the ending of this change is doomed......

But this alone was not enough, Zhao Wuxian looked at Zhang Mengtan and wanted to hear his opinion.

Zhang Mengtan, who attaches more importance to personnel, said lightly: "Bai Gong's change is too urgent, and the attack is too wide, so that the nobles of Chu State have attacked him. ”

"Xiangbang's words are very true."

Zhao Wuxian admitted that Bai Gongsheng was indeed a person with a unique vision, and he saw that the shortcomings of the Chu State were that "the ministers are too heavy, and the county officials are too public, if so, they will force the lord and abuse the people." This poor country is also the way of weak soldiers. So he moved all the reform measures of the Zhao State to the Chu State. Of course, what is this for the nonsense of the Chu State, Zhao Wuxian doesn't believe it, Bai Gongsheng has been a courtier in the Zhao State for nearly ten years, what kind of person is he Zhao Hou is not clear?

Mean, violent, and less kind, Xiong Sheng's background determines his character, this is a white-eyed wolf who can't be fed, Zhao Wuxian can't be sure that he can handle him to meet his ambitions, so he is cautious and let him go back to Chu to turn over the river and the sea.

Because he stayed in Zhao and witnessed the strength of Zhao, Xiong Sheng thought that there was only a dead end if he did not reform, as a person who was eager for quick success and quick profit, as a traitor who was breathless under the pressure of Zhao, he wanted to sweep away all the old aristocratic forces of Chu at once, so that Chu quickly became strong, and at the same time cultivated his own power and exercised power.

However, compared with the Central Plains, the aristocratic power of the Chu State is incomparably strong, and the intricate patriarchal relations and interpersonal relationships have made the princes and county princes deeply rooted, and it is not easy to touch them and sweep away their power. If Zhao Wuxian is allowed to do it, he must grasp the priorities and divide the aristocracy.

However, Xiong Sheng's measures were hastily followed, which undoubtedly cut off the livelihood of others and was hated by the county officials. In addition, his attack was too wide and his work was too simple and rude, which quickly intensified the contradictions, so that the entire nobles of Chu State hugged together and desperately opposed him.

"I think there's one more point." In the end, the newly appointed Taifu Ling Zigong spoke, and he thought about the problem, mostly from the perspective of the economic base.

"There are many people who oppose Xiong Sheng, but in the final analysis, his foundation is too thin. On the other hand, the first monarchs Zhao Jinghou and Zhao Wuhou had already implemented a 240-step square mu in the Zhao clan, and also cast the punishment bell and promulgated the legal code, which had the basis for change. When it came to the king, it took 20 years, from a township to a yi, from a yi to a small state, and then from a small state to a large clan, and then swept Jin and Lu. The change has also changed from a small change in the etiquette of abolishing the funeral to establishing the "Zhao Law" as the national law, so that all strata of the Zhao State follow the rules...... The monarch has a strong foundation, and its momentum has been achieved, even if the three Huans of the Lu State, the secretaries of the Jin State, and even the Qi Qin group attack it, they are not afraid! ”

"Zigong said it well!"

Zhao Wuxian bowed his head: "Lao Tzu once said that the wood of the hug was born at the end of the millennium; The nine-story platform starts from the soil; Great oaks from little acorns grow.. It's not like the young students in the school palace are enthusiastic, going to the street to talk about it, and shouting a few slogans......"

In the past twenty years, Zhao Wuxian has taken advantage of the constant wars of extermination and annexation to smash all the jars and jars that hinder his progress. A class of scholars who had sprouted in the late Spring and Autumn Period was fostered by seedlings, and Zhao Wuxian attacked the patriarchal family, supported the small peasant economy, and supported the homesteaders of families of five to eight to become the main body of the state. These people have become a solid class for the maintenance of change.

However, the state of Chu, where Xiong Sheng is located, lacks these foundations, and only a group of ambitious outsiders forcibly change the law, and the changes are also concentrated in political personnel, and the people do not have immediate benefits, so they will naturally not support it. It's like a person who is missing a leg and can't go far. Moreover, Zhao Wuxian's sword was to slash at enemies outside his family and abroad, while Bai Gong's sword had to be slashed at his relatives and elders......

Zhao Wuxian knew all of the above, but he wouldn't tell Xiong Sheng, but instead used that invisible hand to fuel the flames and make things develop in the direction he wanted......

Xiong Sheng ignored the national conditions of Chu and forcibly promoted the change of the law, which caused his relatives to turn against him, and the county public was indignant, which caused a shock, and the nobles of Chu unanimously asked him to step down, and Bai Gong was angry and angry, so he launched a rebellion. After breaking the Yingdu, Chu Zizhang had fled north, so Xiong Sheng usurped the throne again. ”

"As for Chu Zizhang, according to reliable sources, he has fled northward and escaped into Yancheng through Lanyi, which is the capital of Chu State, with a high city and deep pools, and thousands of guards. Although Xiong Sheng has already waved his army to attack Lanyi, but for the city, he can only look at the city and sigh, after besieging for a period of fruitless, he has turned to continue to attack the counties of Jianghan, and his Huainan nest is still constantly recruiting people to reinforce the west. ”

At the same time, Chu Zizhang also asked Wan and Ye in the north for help, and Ye Gongzi Gao must have already fought hard and was ready to gallop south...... The current situation of Chu State is similar to the time when King Zhou Ping and King Zhou stood side by side, but in fact it was a contest between Ye Gong and Bai Gong. ”

Zhao Wuxian asked Zhang Mengtan again: "Xiangbang thinks that between the two, who can win?" ”

"The minister thinks that the victory or defeat should be between seven and three."

"Oh, who's seven and who's three?"

"Ye Gong is seven, the odds are big, Bai Gong is three, the odds are small."

Zhao Wuxian asked: "Xiong Sheng Huainan soldiers trained with the Zhao State system, known as Chu Wushu, and experienced many times in the battle of Wu State, he should have a greater chance of victory on the battlefield, why is Xiangbang not optimistic about him?" ”

"Bai Gong slaughtered the nobles, and he may not be able to win the hearts of the people of Chu, if he captures Chu Zi and orders the Chu State, there is still a chance, but now he is brazenly claiming the king, and his ambition is obvious, in the end, this is just a mutiny surrounded by Huainan rebels. Even if it can be rampant in Jianghan for a while, as long as the county princes from all over the Chu State react and besiege together, Xiong Sheng's troops are insufficient, and he is surrounded by enemies on all sides, relying only on one Yingdu and Huainan thousands of miles away, I am afraid that he will immediately be at a disadvantage. ”

"What's more, Ye Gong Shen Zhuliang's troops are not bad, plus Ye Di Zhengming and people, and they are attacking downstream, I am afraid that they will not fall behind. In addition, he has the banner of quelling the rebellion for Chu Zi, and the county princes of Chu have the same hatred for the enemy, even if the battlefield is unfavorable for a while, he can be defeated again and again. But Bai Gong only needs one defeat before his power collapses. And don't forget, don't forget, behind Bai Gong, there is Yue Guo, Yue and Bai Gong's territory is intertwined, plus Chu Zizhang is Gou Jian's grandson, which side Gou Jian is on, it is self-evident, two sides of the attack, Bai Gong may not be able to last this year. ”

"Xiangbang's analysis is exquisite." Zhao Wuxian was stunned and fell into thought.

In the past half a year, Zhao Wuxian has tried his best to bully the enemy, and has acted in a big drama that can almost be fake. On the grounds of crusading against Chen Heng Korea, he went on an expedition to Jieshi, held Yan Hou hostage, garrisoned Yan Realm, and subdued this country of a thousand times that was like a thorn in the back for Zhao State. At the same time, Sanqi was also ruined by shipbuilding, even if they had different thoughts, they had no power to create a rebellion against Zhao State.

And some small rebellions that occurred in Zhending County, Jibei, Jinan, and Lu were quickly quelled by the county soldiers who had been prepared for a long time, and the military and political economy of Zhao State had never been so concentrated. And because of the blockage of information and the strategic deception of Zhao State, the princes in the south probably thought that Zhao Wuxian was still attacking Liaoxi and Liaodong, preparing to attack Chen Heng Korea.

At this time, it is completely feasible to start a southward offensive.

But which side to attack first, whether it was Ye Gong or Bai Gong, Zhao Wuxian still had to be considered.

As Ye Gong will go south, Ye, Luyang, and East and West outside Fangcheng will definitely be empty. Similarly, with Bai Gong at war with the nobles of the Chu State in Jianghan, Huainan was also empty, and had to deal with the attack of the Yue State. Therefore, no matter which side the Zhao State fights, as long as 100,000 troops are dispatched, it will be a situation that can be eaten in one bite, but it is still a little insufficient to start a war at the same time, or even destroy the Chu State in one fell swoop. After all, Zhao Wuxian had just finished fighting Donghu last year, and the northern counties had a large loss of money and grain.

So after thinking about it, Zhao Wuxian still decided not to rush.

"Let the country complete the summer harvest first, and when it comes to July, first send troops from the Zhou room, and within a month, annex Zheng Guo, as the base of the army, and after the autumn harvest, it is not too late to go south to Tuchu!"

He looked at the map of the Chu State in the south, which had been split into two pieces, and said with a smile: "Let Ye Bai and the two tigers, without external interference, consume themselves first!" The more fiercely they fight and the longer they split, the more beneficial it will be to the great cause of the unification of the Zhao State! ”

PS: The second chapter is in the evening