Sometimes, Zhuge Liang really doesn't know how Zhang Xi's brain grows.

Zhang Xi often makes some ridiculous moves, such as the last time Yongzhou land exchange and distribution, Zhang Xi seemed to be very ignorant of the economy, and he was anxious enough to choke Liu Ba, who was still alive at the time.

But sometimes, some of the suggestions put forward by Zhang Xi can find the weak points very accurately, and the angle of entry can be said to be wonderful.

For example, this arrangement for Jingnan.

In this arrangement, Zhang Xi not only took into account the present, grasped the psychology of the family's loyalty to interests, and drew a big pie for the Pan family, but also considered how to balance the growth of the Pan family in the future. The most important thing is that in the middle, except for Zhuge Liang to write a seemingly inconsequential letter, the court does not need to pay any price at all.

At least in Zhuge Liang's opinion, this method is much more effective than asking Ma Liang to reason with Pan Jun.

In terms of details, after the two continued to discuss and improve it, Zhuge Liang chose to adopt Zhang Xi's suggestion, personally wrote a letter to Pan Jun, and at the same time borrowed someone from Zhang Xi and asked him to send this letter to him.

This person is none other than Jiang Wan.

There's no way, Jiang Wan and Pan Jun are cousins, and they are barely a family, Jiang Wan goes, how much can he increase the possibility of convincing Pan.

Moreover, this kind of thing, if you don't send a person who can speak well, you really can't make a smart person of Pan Jun's level make a gambling judgment.

Therefore, it can only be Jiang Wan who goes.

But the question is, as soon as Jiang Wan leaves like this, what can Yongzhou government affairs do? !

Zhang Xi is counting on this Jiang Wan and Chen Yi to help him deal with those trivial and complicated government affairs, if Jiang Wan leaves, Chen Yi will not be able to finish these things.

And in this regard, Zhuge Liang also had the heart to persuade Zhang Xi.

Although let's say it, the most important thing for the superior is to know and use people. But Zhang Xi's dignified Yongzhou assassin history can't always rely on his subordinates to govern the place.

You can't do it, but you can't do it!

Therefore, Zhuge Liang also took advantage of this to persuade Zhang Xi to take over part of Yongzhou's affairs.

Especially in the next period of time, Yongzhou affairs will slowly shift from dealing with internal affairs to preparing for the Northern Expedition, there are many things in it that need to be kept secret, Zhang Xi directly takes over, and let his subordinates handle it on his behalf, the effect is completely different.

Administrative efficiency alone is not a level.

Besides. Isn't Zhuge Liang already in Chang'an, with Zhuge Liang's character, he won't leave everything to Zhang Xi alone.

Therefore, although Jiang Wan temporarily left Chang'an with a task, for Chang'an's government affairs, there is no sluggish operation.

After all, this is Zhuge Liang!!

It's just that Zhang Xi is a little uncomfortable.

Not only do you have to take over a lot of official business, but you also have to do things under Zhuge Liang's nose. Hehe, whoever does it knows.

Zhuge Liang is a perfectionist, he can do everything very carefully, and he is very demanding, so he is not Zhang Xi's character who can almost do it.

In the past, Zhang Xi was the biggest official in Yongzhou, and he wanted to fool the past, Jiang Wan and Chen Yi didn't have any good ways, but now it's different. Although Zhuge Liang can't show his face, in the Thorn Shi Mansion, except for the backyard house, Zhuge Liang can suppress Zhang Xi in any other affairs.

Zhang Xi called a depressed one.

But fortunately, this kind of thing didn't last long, maybe about two months.

In June of the fifth year of Jianxing, Deng Zhi secretly visited Soochow and reached a private agreement with Soochow.

In mid-June, Zhou Yu suddenly led his troops out of Chaisang, marched all the way down the river, and "conquered" Jingling County, the county governor of Jiangxia County, in one fell swoop.

In the battle of Lukou, he was defeated by the Jiangdong Fleet commanded by Zhou Yu, and led his troops to retreat north, completely withdrew from Jiangxia County, and retreated to Xiangyang.

And this news reached Chang'an, probably in early July.

At this time, Jiang Wan, who went to Lingling County to persuade Pan Jun, also returned to Chang'an and brought Pan Jun's answer.

"The minister is a Hanchen, and he should go to the soup to do his best."

This is the scene of the words, everyone understands, the real meaning is that Pan Jun decided to obey the arrangement of the imperial court and gamble big.

If you lose, it's a big deal to go back to Xiangyang and start over.

If you win, the rise of the Pan clan is just around the corner.

After getting Pan Jun, Zhuge Liang immediately had no worries, and immediately sent an order to Xu Shu in Jingzhou, asking him to order the soldiers of the two counties of Jingnan to retreat north, under the banner of preventing Eastern Wu from attacking Jiangling, and gather troops to prevent Jiangdong from backstabbing.

At the same time, he began to step up preparations for the Northern Expedition, contacted Wu Yi of Qinzhou to lead the Northern Army into Yongzhou, and at the same time made all departments in Jingzhou prepare for the northward attack.

But. In mid-July, Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi, who were sitting in Chang'an, received a report from the left Feng Yi Taishou Hu Zun and the right Fufeng Taishou Liu Yin at the same time.

There was only one thing in the newspaper - Cao Wei suddenly went out of the customs and invaded the customs.

This time, it was not a small fight of more than 1,000 people.

In terms of Wuguan, Guo Huai led more than 20,000 troops out of Wuguan Road, and is now attacking the fortress group at Wuguan Pass.

In Tongguan, Cao Zhen personally led an army of 50,000 and went straight to Zuo Fengyi County to govern Gaoling.

The four major defense areas demarcated by Zhang Xi were fully attacked, and the enemy's numerical advantage was extremely great, and now Wei Yan was a little unsure whether to lure the enemy deep according to the original plan, or block the attack layer by layer, so as to give Chang'an time to respond to the defensive war.

For this reason, Wei Yan ordered all theaters to strengthen their vigilance and personally go to the front line to lead the battle, and on the other hand, asked Zhang Xi to quickly gather troops and prepare for dispatching troops.

The sudden counterattack of Cao's army, with a total strength of more than 70,000 troops, really surprised Zhang Xijie.

But fortunately, this assault does not need Zhang Xi to face alone. Zhuge Liang is here.

"What does Cao Jun want to do?!" Zhang Xi humbly asked Zhuge Liang for advice.

Zhuge Liang, on the other hand, was silent, looking at the map of Guanzhong, thinking hard about countermeasures.

To tell the truth, Zhuge Liang doesn't know what Cao Jun is going to do this time? !

Recovering Chang'an?!

It's not possible!

Not to mention that there are more than 50,000 county soldiers in Guanzhong to block it, in less than 20 days, 30,000 elite northern troops of the Han Dynasty will go south from Qinzhou and arrive in Chang'an.

Why did Cao Wei choose to suddenly send troops at this time?!

Although Zhuge Liang didn't know the real reason, Zhuge Liang knew that Cao Wei's sudden dispatch of troops this time had effectively disrupted his original strategic deployment of the Northern Expedition.

According to Zhuge Liang's estimate, in about two months, he can make all the preparations for the Northern Expedition, and then contact the Jingzhou Army in Xiangyang to go north together and attack the Central Plains.

But now, whether Jingzhou has encountered the same attack, Zhuge Liang does not know for the time being, Yongzhou is already in a state of war.

"No matter what. Be the first to respond! Zhuge Liang sighed and said to Zhang Xi.

But this is basically a nonsense. Everyone is calling, and they must be the first to fight.

What Zhang Xi wanted to ask was not this, but what kind of strategy to use to deal with Cao Wei's attack this time.

Today's Yongzhou, in fact, has two sets of coping strategies.

One set is to follow the response strategy discussed by Zhang Xi and Zhuge Liang at the earliest, when the enemy army is attacking on a large scale, abandon the deployment of the front-end buffer zone and lure the enemy deep.

The 10,000 soldiers were reduced to zero, and the rear of the Wei army was detoured to destroy the Wei army's grain route and cut off the Wei army's retreat, while the remaining soldiers were defending Zuo Feng Yi, waiting for the opportunity to attack before and after.

It's a strategy to defend and counterattack.

Another set of operational ideas is the Northern Expedition strategy formulated by Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi.

Launched a frontal attack from Zuo Feng Yi to attract as many Cao Wei troops as possible to gather in the direction of Tongguan, and create conditions for the Jingzhou army in the direction of Wancheng to attack by surprise.

This is the strategy of replacing defense with offense.

Zhang Xi meant to ask Zhuge Liang whether to fight the Yongzhou defensive battle according to the original plan, or to simply carry out the Northern Expedition directly.

In this regard, Zhuge Liang was also a little undecided.

According to the original plan to fight the defensive battle of Yongzhou, although it is safer, the plan of the Northern Expedition will be completely disrupted, and I don't know whether Cao Wei's attack is a sneak attack in the short term, or whether he is ready for a fierce battle.

If it's a short-term sneak attack, it's okay, it's a big deal to prepare for a few more months, and wait until next year's spring before carrying out the Northern Expedition. But if it is a long-term fierce battle, the war is still burning in Yongzhou, and this Northern Expedition, I really don't know how long it will be delayed.

But if he simply started the Northern Expedition, Zhuge Liang felt that the preparation was insufficient.

Let's not say that the grain and grass in Hanzhong and Shu have not all been transported to Guanzhong, but it will take at least ten days for the northern army to go south.

Once the Northern Expedition is launched now in accordance with the plan, so that Cao Wei is aware of it, the hidden and sudden advantages of the Northern Expedition will be completely gone.

For this reason, Zhuge Liang had to think carefully, if he could, Zhuge Liang really hoped that Pang Tong and Fa Zheng were in Chang'an at this time, so that the wisdom of Zhuge Liang, Zhang Xi, Pang Tong, and Fa Zheng would definitely be able to come up with the best answer.

It's a pity that Pang Tong is still preparing the last batch of grain and grass materials in Chengdu, although Fazheng has gone north, but now he has not yet arrived in Hanzhong, and the water is far away from the fire.

Therefore, Zhuge Liang could only discuss with Zhang Xi and the two of them to decide whether this battle of Yongzhou was a defensive battle or an outpost battle of the Northern Expedition.

And Zhang Xi's opinion is to carry out the outpost battle of the Northern Expedition.

(End of chapter)