"Another 5,000 muskets? Mr. Wang, I don't think you must have relayed my words to my father-in-law, right? Otherwise, father-in-law, how could he make such a difficult request? Tao Ying asked with a wry smile, "I told you, of course I told you, and the king told me again and again, did the villain dare to convey it truthfully to the lord?" Wang Kai smiled all over his face, nodded and said: "My lord Lu Wenhou also knows that this request is a bit difficult, but my lord said again, as long as you can reinforce another 5,000 flying muskets, then our lord will be absolutely sure to drive the Cao thieves out of Yanzhou, and even annihilate the Cao thieves army, so as to avenge the hundreds of thousands of Xuzhou soldiers and civilians who died in the Cao thieves that year, so that the northern border of the monarch can also be more stable as Mount Tai." ”

"I'm afraid it's even more dangerous, right?" Tao Ying muttered in his heart, and then said to Wang Kai with a straight face: "Mr. Wang, do you know how much a flying musket costs?" Three thousand six hundred dollars! That's enough money for a family to live for a year! This money is still a trivial matter, the key is that the source of gunpowder for the flying musket is very unstable, just like feather arrows, everyone knows that using carved feathers to make tail feathers to make arrows shoot the most accurately, but everyone can't find so many carved feathers to make arrows! Xuzhou did its best to build 3,000 last year, and 1,000 of them have been dedicated to my father-in-law. ”

"Is it so expensive?" Wang Kai was a little surprised by Tao Ying's fooling.

"If it weren't so expensive, I would have used it a lot on the battlefield." Tao Ying said casually, and said: "Mr. Wang, you must have heard it with your own ears and seen it with your own eyes, Yuan Shupifu has personally led 130,000 troops to the north in order to avenge Huaiyin, and the soldiers are divided into two ways to attack Xuzhou, all the way to Xiangxian and Xiaopei, all the way to Xuzhou, I am already gathering troops to prepare for the battle, so I don't dare to dedicate any of the remaining 2,000 flying muskets to my father-in-law." But Mr. Wang can rest assured, please return to my father-in-law and say that there will definitely be flying muskets, but not now, I must wait until I defeat Yuan Shu and free up my strength to reinforce my father-in-law. ”

To put it mildly, Tao Ying finally sent Wang Kai away, until Wang Kai walked away from the lobby of the Assassin's Mansion, Tao Ying said with a wry smile to Lu Su and Chen Deng, who accompanied him to meet him: "It seems that I still underestimate my father-in-law, not only is his face not only generally thick, but his head is not only generally simple, how can I give him a large amount of such a thing?" also tried his best to help him destroy Cao Ying, and after destroying Cao Ying, who is his next target? ”

"Chen Gongtai didn't object to Lu Wenhou's stupidity, it seems that he also wants to test the bottom line of your support for Lu Wenhou." Chen Deng smiled and said: "But it doesn't matter, Cao Ying's vitality is still there, and the lord deliberately exposed part of his hidden strength to let Lu Wenhou know that as long as Chen Gong is not stupid, he will never persuade Lu Wenhou and Yuan Shu to join forces again." ”

"It's hard to say." Tao Ying shook his head, sighed helplessly and said: "If the battle between our army and Yuan Shujun goes well, then Chen Gong will definitely pull my future father-in-law to the death, if the war of our army is unfavorable, or if the war is prolonged, then no one can say." ”

Chen Deng smiled bitterly, and there was no way to take Lu Wenhou's two hundred and five style, and then Chen Deng asked curiously: "Lord, in fact, when the news of Lu Wenhou's Dingtao victory was transmitted back to Xuzhou, Deng already wanted to ask a question, since our army's flying muskets are so sharp, why is the lord still unwilling to build and equip a large number of them, and only make a few spare?" ”

"How effective can fireworks that can only breathe fire for less than half a cup of tea?" Tao Ying replied casually: "My father-in-law can use a flying musket to break Cao Jun, but he is just a surprise to kill Cao Jun, Cao Jun has suffered a loss, and next time he will be prepared, and the effect will not be so ideal." We're the same, the first time we use it, we will definitely be able to kill the enemy by surprise, but if we use it more, the enemy will have countless ways to crack it, so it's just a waste to build more. ”

Deputy Director Tao is sensible, the so-called flying musket is actually similar to modern hand-held fireworks, the direct lethality to the human body is actually very small, suddenly used or used to set fire is a good effect, but if it is used too much, the enemy has a defense, and the power is naturally greatly reduced, and at the same time, in the late Han Dynasty, where productivity and scientific and technological power are extremely low, the cost of the flying musket is indeed extraordinarily high, and it is a waste of money and food to make too much, and it is meaningless - of course, The cost of the flying musket is definitely not as exaggerated as Tao Ying's flickering, the key is that the saltpeter of this era is too rare, and it is not easy to produce it in large quantities.

Regarding the various issues of the flying musket, Tao Ying didn't tell Wang Kai the truth, but when Yuan Shu personally led the 130,000 army to the north, Tao Ying didn't say a word of lie. After receiving the news of the Huaiyin fiasco, the little Yuan Sangong who had no one in his eyes was annoyed and ashamed, regardless of the fact that the Huainan people's and financial resources had been overdrawn a lot, and also regardless of the opposition of countless civil and military officials, he quickly gathered more than 130,000 troops and claimed to be 200,000, and personally led the attack on Xuzhou, and listened to the advice of Yang Hong, the horse Jing, and the soldiers were divided into two roads, all the way 30,000 people were led by Chen Ji to attack Peiguo County Zhixin and Xiaopei, and dispersed the strength of the Xuzhou army, and the remaining 100,000 people were personally led by Xiao Yuan Sangong, planning to take the main road of Zhuyi and Zhuangqiu to attack Pengcheng. When Tao Ying heard the news, he also quickly gathered troops in the area of Pengcheng, preparing to meet the 130,000 rabble of Xiao Yuan Sangong, so it was reasonable to refuse Lü Wenhou's greedy request, leaving Lü Bujun's envoy Wang Kai speechless.

In terms of how to meet the tactical choice of Xiao Yuan Sangong, there were two different voices in the internal army of Xuzhou, which had been relatively harmonious since Tao Ying Jiye, one faction led by Chen Deng, Cao Bao and Zang Ba, advocating to gather more than 30,000 main forces in Xuzhou, and fight a decisive battle with the main force personally led by Xiao Yuan Sangong near Zhuyi, and arrange about 5,000 partial divisions in Xiangxian to defend the city, as long as the main force of Xiao Yuan Sangong was defeated, the enemy's partial division would not be worried.

The other faction, led by Lu Su, together with some civilian officials, advocated sending an army of about 15,000 to 20,000 to fight a decisive battle with the main force of Xiao Yuan Sangong in the Zhuyi area, and the freed up troops were used to guard Xiangxian, Xiapi, Pengcheng, Xiaopei, Xiaoguan and other places to ensure the safety of these vital cities and passes. What is quite funny is that Chen Deng's father, Chen Qi, stood on the opposite side of his son this time, leading Xu Fang and other local scholars to support Lu Su's suggestion - but they didn't think that Lu Su's suggestion was correct, it was just for the sake of their family's interests, as long as they held these important city passes, their interests would not be harmed.

Fortunately, the voices of these two factions have a very important thing in common, that is, they both advocate a decisive battle with Xiao Yuan Sangong near Zhuyi, relying on the small river Suishui as a natural danger, and confronting Xiao Yuan Sangong's superior forces. At the same time, the positions of the two factions are also for the sake of Xuzhou's interests, and the Chen Deng faction advocated dispatching nearly half of the Xuzhou army to fight a decisive battle with Xiao Yuan Sangong, hoping for a quick victory and not being dragged into a war of attrition by Xiao Yuan Sangong, who likes to be ruthless. Lu Su considered it from a strategic level, and felt that once a large number of troops were drawn from various key positions, not only would Deputy Director Tao's enemies have the idea of taking advantage of the fire to rob, but also Deputy Director Tao's old man who was anxious for justice, righteousness, and benevolence would also have greed.

During the debate, Chen Deng questioned Lu Su and said: "Military advisor, your worries about the surrounding princes taking advantage of the fire to loot are certainly beneficial, but have you considered it, our army is not strong enough, it is difficult to fight quickly, once Yuan Shu is dragged into a war of attrition, it doesn't matter if Yuan Shu loots the people excessively, but can our lord do this?" Moreover, once the war between our army and Yuan Shu is delayed for a long time, I am afraid that our good neighbors in Xuzhou will have the idea of taking advantage of the fire to rob. ”

"Yuan Long's words are reasonable, but Yuan Long missed Yuan Shu's reaction." Lu Su retorted without humility or arrogance: "When Su was in Jiujiang, he had already seen through Yuan Shu's character, Yuan Shu was a man who loved vanity, was decisive and unscrupulous, and was fierce and timid, if the lord led nearly half of Xuzhou's troops to meet the battle, Yuan Shu would inevitably meet the battle cautiously and act carefully, and our army might fall into attrition instead." But if the lord only led less than 20,000 troops to the south to face the battle, Yuan Shu would inevitably feel that he had a chance of winning, and gave up his stability to seek a quick battle, and once he lost a little, Yuan Shu was desperate for revenge, so he would pursue a quick battle, which would be more conducive to a quick battle for our army. ”

"The old man agrees with the words of the military advisor." Chen Jue voted a vote of support for his son's enemies, and echoed: "The old man once traveled the world with Yuan Shu when he was young, and he knew that his description of being a man and a military advisor was the same, he loved vanity and deceived the good and feared evil, if the lord did not command many troops, Yuan Shu would be arrogant and rash, and if the lord had many soldiers, Yuan Shu would be timid to stop, but he would drag our army back, so the old man agreed with the discussion of the military advisor." ”

Dad was so opposed, Chen Deng didn't have much to say, so he could only turn his gaze to Tao Ying and wait for Tao Ying's decision. And Tao Ying is also very clear about the small abacus of Chen Qi and Xu Fang and others, but Tao Ying has just inherited Xuzhou and is in urgent need of the support of these scholars, and must consider their interests, at the same time, Tao Ying also feels that Lu Su's words are very reasonable, with the virtue of Xiao Yuan Sangong's bullying and fear of hard, seeing that he does not command many troops, it is very likely to choose the most suitable for Xuzhou's strategic interests to fight quickly, so Tao Ying after thinking twice, gritted his teeth and said: "The discussion between Han Yu Gong and Zi Jing is exactly what I want, so it was decided, I only led 15,000 troops to Zhuyi to meet the battle, and the rest of the troops were used to defend the important city pass of Xuzhou! ”

"The lord is wise." Xu Fang and other local scholars all laughed, not drawing too many troops from the local area, not only could ensure the safety of their property, but also save a lot of money and food transportation expenses, and they had no choice but not to laugh.

"The lord has decided, Deng has no objection, but please be careful." Chen Deng arched his hand and said: "Although Yuan Shu's team is mostly a rabble, there are too many of them, and I ask the lord to act cautiously and not to take risks." ”

"Thank you Yuanlong, I will." Tao Ying nodded, and was also very grateful to Chen Deng for sacrificing his family's interests for the benefit of Xuzhou, and then Tao Ying turned to Chen Qi and said: "Han Yugong, you and Yuan Shu are old friends, and you are familiar with his temper and surname. ”

"The lord is sending, and the old man dares to disobey his orders." Chen Jue agreed, and then took the initiative to say: "The old man's second son, Chen Ying, once went south to Huainan for the old man many times to exchange letters with Yuan Shu, and he is also quite familiar with Yuan Shu. Tao Ying was overjoyed, of course, he agreed.

After finalizing the tactical plan, Tao Ying immediately began to transfer troops and adjust the defense with the assistance of Lu Su and Chen Deng, and the Zhuyi side had already gone to 3,000 auxiliaries first, and built a certain amount of strong fortifications, so Tao Ying decided to lead only 12,000 troops from Pengcheng to the south - of course, the most elite main force, the Junzi Army, the Fengyu Army and Zang Ba's Langya Army were among them, and Lu Su, Chen Qi, Xu Chu, Zang Ba, Xu Sheng and Chen Zhi and other powerful civil and military forces all went with the army.

In terms of defense, Tao Shang, Chen Deng and Cao Bao joined forces to defend Pengcheng, the governor of all roads of grain and grass, Qin Yi led an army of 5,000 from Xiaopei to the south of Xiang County, and met Xue Zhi there More than 2,000 township soldiers joined forces to defend Xiang County, Xiao Pass was guarded by Xu Ding, the brother of Xu Chu with a loyalty of one hundred, and the strength was 2,000 regular troops in Xuzhou, and the defense of other city passes was not adjusted, and the status quo was maintained - it could not be adjusted if you wanted to, and Xuzhou, whose vitality was far from returning to its peak state, was just such an army.

After making these arrangements, news soon came from the south that Xiao Yuan Sangong had led an army of 130,000 to cross the Huai River, traveled fifty miles, and plundered all the way north. Tao Ying did not hesitate any longer, and immediately said goodbye to his brother Tao Shang, father-in-law Cao Bao and his second wife Cao Ling, who was already pregnant, and others, and led the army south in the starry night and rushed to Zhuyi to engage in the battle. At the same time, Tao Ying had to secretly order Cao Hong, the head of the secret service, to let him closely monitor the movements in Xuzhou City, and agreed to report the situation in the city every day to prevent any accidents.

……………… Okay, let's take a look at the situation of Xiao Yuan Sangong, who is much expected by friends - in the midst of flowers and applause, all friends said in unison, "Little Yuan Sangong, come on, kill the hypocrite of Deputy Director Tao!" Among them, the shouts of Boss Cao, Uncle Liu Huang and Lu Wenhou were the most cordial and enthusiastic.

Unlike Tao Ying, who decided on strategy and tactics only after taking public opinion, the Northern Expedition of Xiao Yuan Sangong, who was born in the family of the Third Duke of the Fourth Dynasty, can definitely be regarded as a dictatorship and force to override public opinion, including Yuan Sangong's younger brother Yuan Yin and henchmen Zhang Xun and Qiao Rui are resolutely opposed to this Northern Expedition, and they all feel that the battle of Huaiyin has hurt the vitality of Yuan Shujun, the morale of the army is depressed, and the morale of the army is shaken. But Xiao Yuan Sangong couldn't listen to anything, and regardless of the fatigue of the Huainan people, he resolutely finalized the Northern Expedition plan, swore to avenge the blood feud of Huaiyin, and went along with the repeated and unrighteous Lu Wenhou to settle accounts.

In addition, fortunately, Xiao Yuan Sangong is still a bit of a brain, knowing that if he sends troops to Guangling, his rival Liu Miao will definitely join forces with Tao Ying to attack him, and he also knows that Tao Ying's northern front has many enemies, and it is easy to find helpers, so Xiao Yuan Sangong finally made a correct route choice, and decided to send troops by land to attack Pengcheng, thinking that as long as the war goes well, the princes in the north of Xuzhou will definitely take advantage of the fire to rob and share the pressure for themselves - this is exactly the case.

It was also at this time that Xiao Yuan Sangong ushered in another good news, that is, Xiao Yuan Sangong's son-in-law Zhou Yu and Ai Ji Ling escaped back from Xuzhou, and thought that Ji Ling and Zhou Yu were dead Xiao Yuan Sangong was first overjoyed, and then he was furious, and wanted to behead Ji Ling, who had lost his teacher and humiliated the country, and asked for the guilt, fortunately, everyone pleaded again and again, in fact, Xiao Yuan Sangong, who was not very willing to clean up Ji Ling, also got off the donkey, spared Ji Ling's capital crime, and brought Ji Ling to the army to make meritorious contributions.

As for Zhou Yu, because Ji Ling, who was rectum, had taken the initiative to bear all the sins of the defeat of the Huaiyin army in order to repay Zhou Yu's life-saving grace, so Xiao Yuan Sangong also did not clean up his beloved son-in-law Zhou Yu, and also brought Zhou Yu to the army to accompany him on the expedition.

A few days later, the 130,000 troops of Xiao Yuan Sangong camped in Daze Township for the night, and news also came from the front, saying that Tao Ying had personally led 12,000 troops south, together with the 3,000 auxiliaries stationed in Zhuyi before, a total of 15,000 troops were stationed in Zhuyi, relying on Suishui fortification, blocking the way of Yuan Shu's army. Hearing this news, of course, our little Yuan Sangong laughed, and said arrogantly: "Tao Ying Xiao'er dared to resist the lonely 130,000 army with a mere 15,000 troops, it is really beyond his own strength. ”

"What the lord says is true, and it is true." Yang Hong, the sycophant, has long been accustomed to the chaotic self-proclaimed title of Xiao Yuan Sangong, and he couldn't wait to flatter: "According to Weichen's opinion, the lord should advance quickly, go to Zhuyi to break the enemy in a battle, and step Tao Ying'er into powder, and within a few days, the lord will be able to come to the city of Xuzhou and open the coffin of Tao Qian, who is disobedient to the lord, and kill the corpse." ”

Xiao Yuan Sangong nodded and laughed again, he liked Yang Hongyi more and more, and many of the civil and military generals of the Yuan Shu Army next to him also echoed and laughed, but there were also a few civil and military officials who frowned, for example, the general Qiao Rui came out of the column and said: "Lord, according to the opinion of the last general, our army must not rush to fight quickly, Tao Ying Xiaoer is known for his extermination, and relies on Suishui to camp and fortify, it is bound to be strong, if the lord enters a rapid battle, he will be defeated." ”

Xiao Yuan Sangong stretched his little face, but there were still a few people in the Yuan Shujun team who dared to speak, and the Yanzhou assassin Shi Jinshang, who was driven out of Yanzhou by Cao Boss and forced to take refuge in Xiao Yuan Sangong, also came out of the ranks, saluted to Xiao Yuan Sangong and said: "Lord, General Qiao Rui is reasonable, although our army is numerous, but the courage is not as good as the enemy, although the enemy army is fine, but there are many strong enemies in the rear, the situation is not as stable as our army, our army has sufficient food and grass, the rear is stable, and the advantage is to slow down. If our army advances quickly and fights quickly, it will fall into the arms of the enemy, and I hope the lord will think twice. ”

"Shut up!" Xiao Yuan Sangong was furious and scolded: "Tao Ying's children have 15,000 people blocking the way, so they have to stick to it slowly and wait for the time?" Spread out, where is the lonely face? The herald said that the march was sixty miles in the morning, and before the fall, it was necessary to arrive at the battlefield of Zhuyi! Then give Chen Ji an order, so that he must arrive in Xiangxian County within three days, and must conquer Xiangxian County within ten days, if there is a delay, military law will be engaged! ”

"The Lord ——!" Qiao Rui and Jin Shang screamed at the same time.

"Shut up, your will has been decided, and you have to say it again!" Xiao Yuan Sangong roared and said: "If you dare to confuse my army's heart again, you will be killed!" ”

Qiao Rui, Jin Shang and the others had no choice but to retreat honestly, and Ji Ling, who was standing at the bottom, gently touched Zhou Yu next to him with his elbow, and said in a low voice: "Gong Jin, what do you think of Qiao Rui and Jin Shang's words?" I think it makes sense, although we have a lot of troops now, there are only 10,000 people who can fight tough battles, and we can't take risks casually. If you and I agree, why don't you persuade the lord? You are the son-in-law of the lord, and you are deeply loved by the lord, and if you open your mouth to persuade him, the lord should accept it. ”

Zhou Yu glanced at Ji Ling, didn't speak, and after thinking for a while, Zhou Yu came out and said: "What my father-in-law said is extremely true, Tao Yingxiao'er arrived at his father-in-law's 200,000 army with more than 10,000 soldiers and horses, and it is indeed a mantis arm as a car, and he can't do it - but according to the son-in-law's opinion, it is best for the father-in-law to send General Qiao Rui to lead an army to camp on the south bank of Suishui, and the father-in-law will lead the army to make a small entrenchment here, and then it is not too late to march north. ”

"Why?" Yuan Shu asked in surprise.

"Father-in-law and noble people have forgotten a lot, they must have forgotten, where is this place?" Zhou Yu asked with a smile.

"This is Daze Township?" Xiao Yuan Sangong was a little confused.

"Exactly, this is Daze Township." Zhou Yu replied with a smile: "Four hundred years ago, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were the first to advocate the banner of righteousness to overthrow the tyrannical Qin here. Now the two Han Dynasty have gone through 400 years, the number of gas has been exhausted, the sea is boiling, the father-in-law is the fourth and the third duke, the people are returned, the people are looked upon, and there is a saying: those who represent the Han Dynasty should be Tu Gao. The father-in-law's noble word highway is in response to his prophecy, and there is a jade seal in ...... hand. ”

Speaking of this, Mei Zhoulang deliberately paused, and Xiao Yuan Sangong nodded again and again, urging: "The virtuous son-in-law is reasonable, go on." ”

"No." Mei Zhoulang smiled and agreed, and said: "That is the case, the left and right Tao Ying Xiao'er will be wiped out with a snap of his fingers, why don't the father-in-law temporarily postpone it for a few days in this Daze Township, sacrifice Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, and then posthumously award them the official title of Juelu, in order to show their anti-Qin merits, but also show the father-in-law's generosity, so that everyone knows that the father-in-law must be rewarded for his merits, and if he has a fault, he will be punished, and the rewards and punishments are clear, far more than Gaozu." ”

"What the virtuous son-in-law said is very true." Xiao Yuan Sangong was overjoyed, and said: "Tao Ying is not a child, Lone is not in a hurry to go north, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang are the first to advocate the banner of righteousness to resist Qin, and Han Gaozu sits back and enjoys its benefits but has no merit rewarded, and is a big disappointment. It's so decided, Qiao Rui, you first lead 20,000 troops to the north, set up a large camp on the south bank of Suishui, and confront Tao Ying Xiaoer across the river, wait for the lonely army to go north, and then break Tao Ying Xiao'er! ”

"No!" Qiao Rui happily agreed, and said that as long as the lord didn't rush north, I arrived at the south bank of Suishui, at least I could seize the time to repair some antlers to resist horses, dig a few trenches and build a few fences, in order to do a long-term plan.

"My father-in-law's chances of winning are admirable." Zhou Yu smiled on his face, flattered in his mouth, but said viciously in his heart: "Tao Ying Xiao'er, wait, if you want to lure Yuan Shu's old puppet to fight quickly, you are dreaming!" ”

(To be continued)