After sending Taishou to Yanmen, Shangdang, and Dingxiang, the political situation in the prefecture was slightly calmer. But Yuan Mai immediately encountered a new problem, that is, the state was surrounded by enemies on three sides, and the defense force was weak.

Before taking over the annexation of the state, Yuan Mai's total army was about 36,000 people, holding the two counties of Hanoi and Binh Duong, with a strong army. However, after taking over the six counties of the merged prefecture, only 15,000 people left by the senior cadres were added, and the total strength was less than 60,000 with the 8,000 local soldiers in each county. When it is distributed to various places, the strength of the army becomes weak.

When Gao Gan defended and annexed the state, the total number of troops was 10,000 fewer than Yuan Mai, but the situation was not so tight. In addition to the need to divide troops to garrison the two counties of Hanoi and Yangping in the annexed states controlled by Yuan Mai, it is also related to the strategy of the two.

The strategy adopted by Gao Gan was "the well water does not interfere with the river water", and secretly maintained a tacit understanding with the Montenegrin army in the east and the Huns in the west, and no one took the initiative to attack anyone, at most it was a small local friction, so it seemed to be at ease in defense.

However, Yuan Mai forcibly claimed Cai Wenji because he shot Yu Fuluo, and formed a mortal enmity with the current Southern Xiongnu Shan Yu Hu Chuquan and Zuoxian Wang Ahegui, and it is impossible to maintain a peaceful situation.

In fact, after learning that the senior cadres were transferred from the state and Yuan Mai took over as the state assassin, the angry Ahe Gui had already entered the western region of Shangdang, as well as Zhongdu and Daling in the south of Taiyuan County, and plundered many times, and the distress documents of the local counties flew to Yuan Mai's table like snowflakes.

In the eastern region, there were repeated conflicts with Zhang Yan, and Gongsun continued to vote under the banner of the Black Mountain Thieves. It is no longer possible to maintain the previous stable situation with the Montenegrin army, and it is also urgent to strengthen the defense in the east.

Not counting the local county soldiers, there are 51,000 troops directly under Yuan Mai. 8,000 people were left for Gao Shun to guard Hanoi, 4,000 people for Xu Sheng to build ships in Mengjin, and 7,000 people for Liyi to guard Pingyang; Hao Zhao and Zhao each led 5,000 people to the north to Yanmen and south to the party; After some dispatch, stationed around Jinyang, there were only 18,000 infantry and 4,500 cavalry that could be mobilized.

After Sima Fu arrived in Dingxiang, he repaired a book and sent it to Jinyang for help. It is said that recently, Montenegrin thieves have frequently descended the mountains to plunder counties. There are only 1,500 county soldiers guarding the county, and they are still too busy to take care of themselves, and they are not able to conquer at all, so they hope to send a force of men and horses to Dingxiang to sit in the town. to deter the thieves of Montenegro. Protect the territory and the people.

Dingxiang County has five county seats. There are more than 110,000 residents, and it is only about 60 miles away from Zhang Yan's base camp, which is the place where the activities of black mountain bandits are most rampant. Considering that Sima Fu didn't know anything about the use of soldiers. Yuan Mai made adjustments again, transferred Sima Fu back to Taiyuan to serve as Bo Cao, appointed Tian Yu as the Taishou of Dingxiang County, and led 3,000 troops to settle in Dingxiang to protect the place.

"Alas...... When I was not an official, I wanted to be an official, but this official became bigger and bigger, and I realized that it was really not easy! ”

In the dead of night, Yuan Mai sat in the Assassin's Mansion and reviewed the recitals from all over the world until late at night, dizzy and dizzy, and deeply realized the difficulties of being an official. I put down the brush in my hand, rubbed my hands to warm up for a while, and involuntarily let out a sigh of emotion.

Only then did he control the land of a state, and cumbersome things came one after another, if he sat in the world in the future, he was afraid that he would often have to review the recitals until late at night!

In the competition for the world, the three most important elements are nothing more than talent, troops, and territory, all of which are indispensable.

The heroes from all walks of life who compete in the world often have a lack of troops, a lack of territory, a lack of talents, or a lack of talents, and then a lack of talents; Shifts back and forth between these three situations often. When there is no shortage of territory, troops, and talents, hegemony can be expected.

When he conquered Dai County from the north of Yecheng last year, Yuan Mai lacked both troops, talents, and territory, and was regarded as a "general with three shortages". After shooting Yuan Xi in Yanmen and snatching control of 20,000 horses, Yuan Mai was considered to have troops, talents, and territory. Later, after seizing Hanoi, Yuan Mai became a land, a soldier and a lack of talents.

Later, through a series of strategies, Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, Xu Sheng, Zhuge Jin and others were recruited, and it became a place where there were talents and troops. And now, after taking over the six counties of Bingzhou, Yuan Mai's situation has changed again, and he has become a land, but he lacks talents and soldiers. The next step must be a change in the focus of recruitment, recruiting talents, recruiting troops, is the top priority.

Only the talents and soldiers under his command can ensure that the territory will not be lost, and then it makes sense to expand outward. Otherwise, just like a bear breaking a stick, one city will be laid down in front of it, and another one will be lost in the back, and it will be meaningless to conquer the city!

"Husband, it's so late, are you still busy?"

I don't know when, Lu Lingqi, who was dressed in plain makeup, came to Yuan Mai's study with a bowl of supper and asked gently.

"Uh...... Is it Concubine Lu? I just took over and merged the state, and I am waiting to be revived, surrounded by enemies on three sides, and I can't do it if I am not busy! It's rare that you want to come and deliver supper to your husband, it's not too early, go to sleep, and when I finish approving the recital, I'll go to sleep immediately! Yuan Mai smiled gratefully, took a few bites of the supper in Lu Lingqi's hand, and told Lu Lingqi to rest.

It has been half a month since I came to Jinyang from Youzhou, and the backyard of the Thorn Mansion has been well organized under the care of Lu Lingqi and Zhao Zhi, and the layout is similar to the "Pingxi General's Mansion" in Hanoi.

"Pinch your fingers, it's been more than forty days since we left Wen County, doesn't your husband want your Ah Ye?" Lu Lingqi did not leave immediately, and stood behind Yuan Mai and asked meaningfully.

was aroused by Lu Lingqi's words of infinite lovesickness, and the fatherly love in Yuan Mai's heart burst out all of a sudden, thinking of the beloved eldest son Yuan Xun, his tiger-headed appearance I don't know what changes have happened now?

"Why, why don't you want to? After all, it is my first son, and it has been more than forty days since he was born, and I have only hugged Ah Ye for less than a stick of incense, I don't know what he has become now? Yuan Mai put down the brush in his hand, closed his eyes and imagined his son's appearance, his face was full of sweetness.

"By the way, why did you suddenly remember this question?"

Yuan Mai opened his eyes and asked in surprise. Before, when she mentioned her son in front of Lu Lingqi, she always looked impatient, and today she took the initiative to ask this question, is the sun coming out of the west?

Listening to her husband's words, Lu Lingqi suddenly lowered her head, with a shy look on her face, gently rubbed her stomach, and said shyly: "Husband, when you went out today, the concubine suddenly vomited, and found a doctor to consult and said...... Say, say that the concubine is also pregnant! ”

"Uh...... It's true? ”

Yuan Mai was overjoyed when he heard this, since the birth of his eldest son Yuan Xun, when he stayed with Lu Lingqi, he no longer took measures and worked hard to sow seeds, and after so long, there was finally a harvest. This means that he will have another heir, which is really a gratifying thing.

"It's true, the doctor has been diagnosed!" Lu Lingqi bit her lip and said with a peach blossom face.

"Good, good...... It's really good, since Madame is pregnant, why don't you hurry up and rest? You must take good care of your body and give me a chubby son! Yuan Mai got up with a smile and helped the pregnant Lu family, ready to send her back to rest.

Lu Lingqi didn't leave: "I came to find my husband, I asked you to name the child, if you don't name the child in my belly, I won't leave!" ”

"Madame, you have just become pregnant, and it is not too late to choose a name when you are about to give birth! Let's go back and rest first, okay? Yuan Mai couldn't think of a name for a while, and there was still a piece to deal with, so he persuaded Lu Lingqi to go back to sleep first.

"Don't go, don't go...... If I don't name my child, I won't sleep! Lu Lingqi became temperamental, and refused to leave anything, "A boy can't pick up words until he is fifteen years old, you have already given Ah Ye a table character fifteen years in advance, so what's wrong with choosing a name for my child ten months in advance?" The husband can't be eccentric, otherwise, the child will feel aggrieved in the mother's belly! ”

Yuan Mai couldn't help it, so he frowned and said, "How to get it?" Boys and girls don't know yet! ”

"Just take one name for each boy and girl, anyway, the concubine is to give birth to several for her husband. Choose a good name first, use the girl's name when you give birth to a girl, and use a boy's name when you give birth to a boy! Lu Lingqi proudly proposed a solution.

A pregnant woman needs to be pampered, so Yuan Mai had to think hard. After thinking for a while, I felt a little thirsty, picked up the water cup from the table and took a sip, the two names popped out of my heart at once, and said with a smile: "Yes, the boy is called Yuan Zhuo, and the girl is called Yuan Ke, what does Mrs. think?" ”

"Yuan Zhuo? Extraordinary! Yuan Ke, Ming Ke Qiangyu, it's not bad! Lu Lingqi was very satisfied with these two names, praised her man a few words, and then walked out of the study with a smile on her face.

After Lu Lingqi left, Yuan Mai continued to deal with government affairs, wrote a letter, spread it to all counties, set a list to recruit troops, and ordered each county to send the recruited recruits to Jinyang to concentrate on training and expand the troops.

Yanmen County is blocked by the Great Wall, and with Hao Zhao's guard, it can be safed for the time being. With 3,000 soldiers stationed in Shangdang, plus 5,000 men and horses under the command of the commander, it should be able to expel the Xiongnu wanderers who entered the country to plunder from the territory. Tian Yu has also rushed to Dingxiang with his troops, and the crisis in the east can be lifted for the time being, at least it will not worsen.

At present, the most serious military disaster is in the south of Taiyuan County, and the counties of Daling, Pingtao, and Zhongdu bordering the West River, and tens of thousands of Huns under the command of King Zuoxian of the Xiongnu are looting on a large scale. He passed down the military order and ordered Zhang Liao to lead 1,500 "tiger cavalry", 1,000 light cavalry, plus 6,000 elite foot soldiers, to the south to defend against the enemy, and set off overnight. (To be continued......)