In Tongguan in July, it has not rained for several days, but the sun is not poisonous, which makes people feel that it is extremely hot. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info However, this sultry heat could not stop the high-spirited Wu Sangui from convening military parades of large and small official schools.

With the sound of war drums, a group of elite soldiers of the Wu army gathered into a team under the guidance of the military flag, and then passed through Tongguan in an orderly manner. There were cavalry in front and foot soldiers in the back, and they drove towards the Central Plains.

In order to show his majesty in front of a group of descended officials, Wu Sangui deliberately transferred his subordinates to show their military posture in the Guan Ning Army, which had followed him for nearly 20 years. The military appearance is indeed mighty, the formation is neat, the forest is orderly, and there is a killing atmosphere from top to bottom.

Many officials in the city were shocked by Wu Junjun's appearance, and the timid people didn't even dare to take a closer look, only to feel that Wu Sangui's soldiers and horses were inevitably too strong, that is, Li Guoying had never responded, but he was afraid that it would be a matter of time before Tongguan was lost.

Li Guoying's expression was very complicated, when he looked at these Ming troops who were Qing soldiers not long ago, and even his own generals among them, he only felt that the way of the world was changing too fast.

Wu Sangui did not break his promise, and sure enough, in the name of Yongli, Li Guoying was appointed as the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu. In terms of status alone, Li Guoying is no different from before, but it is difficult for him to adapt to his new identity today, and there is always an indescribable loneliness on his face.

Wu Sangui and the generals were laughing and talking, and suddenly turned their heads and asked Li Guoying: "What does Guoying think about this king?" ”

"The prince's department is a strong army in the world."

Li Guoying said this in his mouth, but he was very bitter in his heart. Strategist Hu Yuxuan smiled and said, "Does the Governor think that such a strong army can take the Central Plains?" Can Beijing be restored? Can it be full of tartars? ”

"Yes!"

Li Guoying did not disobey his will, the Wu army was strong, the Qing court was weak, with the loss of Tongguan, the Wu army entered the Central Plains, and the battle situation was already decided. As long as Wu Sangui does not make fatal mistakes, even if there are a few small setbacks, he will still seize Beijing in the end, because the Qing court is too weak now, and a defeat can lead to the destruction of the whole situation, but Wu Sangui is strong and strong, and he does not suffer a small defeat at all. This situation is just like Li Zicheng back then, the Qing Dynasty has little room for maneuver, and what awaits it is doomed to destruction.

Although Li Guoying's answer was only one word, it made Wu Sangui laugh heartily, and his heart was extremely comfortable. Li Guoying thought about it for a moment, and finally let go of the entanglement in his heart, and said to Wu Sangui: "Lord Wang, the lower officials think that the top priority at the moment is to run Henan and serve as a place for the prince to stand. ”

"Oh? Running in Henan? ”

Wu Sangui was a little surprised, and he didn't know why Li Guoying persuaded him to run Henan. Hu Yuxuan, Fang Xianting and others also looked at Li Guoying curiously, because in their opinion, the army drove north to force Beijing, and it was the best policy to solve the Qing court in one fell swoop, and it was the best policy to run Henan.

Li Guoying saw that everyone was looking at him, so he said: "As the old saying goes, those who win the Central Plains win the world!" The Central Plains is in hand, and the prince's army can be attacked and defended. In the current situation, the Qing Dynasty was indeed like a building that was about to collapse, and it was powerless. However, the matter of war is ever-changing, and it is impossible not to think about unexpected changes and be invincible. In the art of war, it is said that those who are good at fighting in the past are invincible first, and then they are invincible to the enemy; You can't win against yourself, but you can win against the enemy. Therefore, Guoying thought that going north was the prince's first priority, but the prince had to run Henan. ”

Since Li Guoying's surrender, it was the first time that he had spoken about the battle situation in front of Wu Sangui, and what he said was what he thought was the next step in advance, so he couldn't help but be puzzled, but he was happy in his heart. Li Guoying's ability to take the initiative to offer advice shows that he has completely returned to his heart. This person is really a talent.

"Guoying, let's talk about it in detail to this king." Wu Sangui put away his smile and looked at Li Guoying intently.

Hu Yuxuan said: "Running the Central Plains as a foothold, I have discussed it with Brother Fang before, but I feel that it is not feasible. Because Henan is not like Shaanxi, most of them are plains, there is no danger to defend, and they are attacked on all sides. In the past, it was said that it was the 'land of four wars', so this place in Henan was conducive to warfare and not conducive to fortification. If you want to operate, it is bound to be very difficult, it is better to drive north for a long time and destroy the Qing court in a war. ”

Fang Xianting nodded on the side, now the army is like an arrow, once Kaifeng is taken, the best choice is to immediately cross the Yellow River to the north and go north, instead of running Henan, which will not only give the Qing court a chance to breathe, but also make the army lose its sharpness. The operation is solid, but the difficulty is that the burden is very large, and the harvest is not as big as the acquisition of the northland. However, Fang Xianting knew that Li Guoying would not be untargeted, so he wanted to hear his opinion, after all, Li Guoying was the governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi in the Qing court, and he had more knowledge than him and Hu Yuxuan.

Li Guoying said slowly: "Henan was known as the land of the four wars in ancient times, and in terms of geographical situation, it is not as dangerous as Shaanxi. But the country does not take the risk of mountain streams. Since ancient times, the time is not as good as the location, and the location is not as good as the people. Therefore, it is said that those who have attained the Tao have much help, and those who have lost the Tao have little help. The widow is helpless, and the relatives rebel against him; If you help more, the world will follow it. With the obedience of the world, the rebellion of relatives is attacked, so if the gentleman does not fight, the war will be won. Wu Qi commented on the situation of mountains and rivers to Wei Wenhou, and repeatedly said that 'there is no danger in Germany', which is really a famous saying for the ages. Today, the prince's army is advancing eastward, the Qing court is exhausted, and the Manchurian and Mongolian soldiers and horses are weak.

"The Art of War" cloud: "The one who comes first and wins the people of the world is the Yadi." The land that Sun Tzu spoke of is a land of vast people and accessible in all directions. Henan is Qudi for the whole country, so it has been fought for by soldiers since ancient times. Now in terms of the whole province of Henan, the eastern part of Henan is not very broken, the population is large, the land is fertile, and it is suitable for agriculture. As long as Bude is benevolent, the people support it, the soldiers are strong and the food is sufficient, and the enemy is controlled everywhere, he is not afraid that Henan is the 'land of four wars'. It is precisely because Henan is in the heart of the country, extending in all directions, controlling the north and south, so based on Henan, the death of the Qing Dynasty can be controlled. In addition, Henan is convenient for transfer, and other provinces are beyond reach. The founding of the Northern Song Dynasty, flattening the heroes, unifying Jiangnan, Chu, Shu, and as far as Lingbiao, is not based on Henan? Geography is dead, ancient and modern; Personnel are alive and sometimes different. Offensive and defensive victories and defeats are important in personnel. ”

After saying so much in one go, Li Guoying was also a little dry, the weather was hot, and his forehead was full of sweat, so he took out a white handkerchief and wiped it. Because he only twisted his braids a few days ago, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu in the Ming Dynasty was still bald.

Everyone only thought that Li Guoying had finished saying his opinion, but after seeing him wipe his sweat, he said again: "The most important thing is that operating Henan can prevent praying mantis from catching cicadas, and the yellow finch is behind." ”

"The praying mantis catches the cicada, and the yellow finch is behind?"

Wu Sangui and Fang Xianting were both stunned: who is the praying mantis and who is the yellow finch?