Upper, middle and lower three strategies.

This is the strategic policy that Shen Chen has been thinking about since last year and this year.

Liu Bei has been wandering around all these years, like a rootless Ping, just because there are no strategists around him to help him give advice, and now that he knows that Shen Chen has a strategy, he hurriedly asked, "What is the best strategy?" ”

"The best strategy is naturally that Yuan Cao loses both!"

Shen Chen said: "The so-called "snipe and clam fight, fisherman profits", two tigers fight, must not let one die and one injury, injured tigers can still eat people, not to mention healthy tigers? Therefore, it is necessary to strike at a critical moment to make it lose both. ”

"Lose-lose?"

Liu Bei narrowed his eyes slightly and began to think about it.

Shen Chen nodded and said: "Yes, as long as we can do it, Cao Cao will not be able to go north at that time, Yuan Shao will not be able to go south, the two sides will be deadlocked with the big river, and no one can swallow each other, take advantage of this opportunity, we can use Nanyang as a basis to plot a great cause!" ”

Liu Bei hurriedly asked, "So how can you do this?" ”

Shen Chen said: "Only Cao Cao can defeat Yuan Shao, we are in Nanyang, Nanyang is a stone's throw away from Yingchuan, when Cao Cao defeats Yuan Shao, he will attack Xudu, he will definitely return to help, dare not pursue the north, then we will withdraw to the land of Nanyang, so as to defend it, and then try to plan it." ”

Liu Bei was surprised: "If you want Cao Cao to defeat Yuan Gong, I'm afraid it's not easy, Yuan Shao IV and the Third Duke, the tiger is in Hebei, and there are more than 200,000 soldiers and horses under his command, with Cao Cao's current strength, how can he match it?" ”

Shen Chen said: "If Cao Cao is defeated by Yuan Shao, this best policy will naturally be invalidated, and then you can only choose the middle strategy and the next policy." ”

The method of losing both sides is the strategy that Shen Chen has considered for several years on how to maximize the benefits of the battle of Guandu.

The result of the battle of Guandu is naturally known to everyone, Xu You became a second and fifth boy, and reported the news of Wuchao to Cao Cao, so Cao Cao attacked Wuchao overnight, burned Yuan Shao's grain and grass, and made Yuan's army defeated, and then 80,000 elites were all killed, resulting in Yuan Shao's vitality was greatly injured, and finally died of grief.

As soon as Yuan Shao died, there was another problem of seizing the heir within the Yuan family, and Cao Cao continued to divide and pull together, and broke them one by one, which completely pacified the north.

So how can you maximize the benefits?

Of course, he can find a way to preserve Yuan Shao's strength, even if he can't let Yuan Shao live for two more years, as long as the 80,000 elites return to Hebei alive, it will be difficult for Cao Cao to subdue Jizhou.

You must know that even after the Battle of Guandu in history, Cao Cao spent five years in order to pacify the north.

Yuan Shao's more than 100,000 main forces were all wiped out in Yanjin, Baima, and Guandu, and 80,000 people died directly in Guandu, and Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang also attacked each other, but in the case of such a big loss and internal discord, Cao Cao was still very difficult to get Hebei, and you can know how strong the forces left by Yuan Shao were.

So to a certain extent, if Yuan Shao can reduce his losses and be undefeated so badly, even if he only lives for one more year, Yuan Shao solves the problem of establishing an heir, or allows the 80,000 elites to be preserved, and Cao Cao recovers the north, and the time will be greatly increased.

At that time, Shen Chen and Liu Bei will be in the south, whether they are plotting against Jingzhou, Yizhou or Jiangdong, they will have time and space to operate, and even the Battle of Chibi will not be able to fight, and as soon as Liu Biao dies, Jingzhou will be at his fingertips.

But of course, Liu Bei couldn't think that far, just frowned and said: "Nanyang is the land of Liu Jingsheng, and with Nanyang as the foundation, I'm afraid it will be taboo by Liu Biao." ”

Shen Chen said with a smile: "Liu Biao is afraid of the north going south, and has never dared to send heavy troops to garrison Nanyang, only daring to rely on the danger of the great river to consolidate the two counties of Nanjun and Jiangxia, and even Jingnan He has insufficient control, there is rarely Zhang Xian's rebellion, if someone in the north helps him guard the gate, I am afraid that he will not be able to ask for it, how can the public not hear about Zhang Xiu?" ”

"Hmm."

Liu Bei nodded, and said worriedly: "What will happen to that embroidery?" ”

Shen Chen said: "This person has a blood feud with Cao Cao and Liu Biao, Cao Cao he didn't dare to vote, and Liu Biao had to do it as a last resort, and Liu Biao didn't dare to believe him, so he only dared to defend the land west of Nanyang, and the public could take the north of Wancheng, I was in Xinye, pretending to be Liu Biao's precursor, and when the time came, he might take Jingzhou as the foundation first." ”

Pretending to be Liu Biao's precursor and helping himself take Jingzhou as his foundation?

Liu Bei's eyes widened, and he said with an incredulous expression: "Isn't Mr. Xiao under Liu Jingzhou's account?" Could it be?"

"Not bad."

Shen Chen got up and bent down to him and said: "I have never taken refuge in Liu Biao, this time I went north to attack Cao Cao, this Zhonglang general was given by him later, I have always thought in my heart that the Xuande Duke is the master!" ”

"Little Mister"

Liu Bei was in disbelief at first, then his face showed ecstasy, and he stepped forward to hold Shen Chen's hand, so happy that tears were about to flow.

Only Shen Chen was in a complicated mood.

This can be regarded as finally making it clear to Liu Bei where he is going to stay.

In fact, Liu Biao was kind to Shen Chen.

Although Liu Bei also saved his life and that of his clan, Liu Biao also took care of his clan.

Huangmenting Deng Shen Er was able to move to Nanyang, and now he can live and work in peace and contentment, and it is also because of Liu Biao's help that he is today.

If you help Liu Bei take Jingzhou, it seems that he is suspected of ingratitude.

But Shen Chen couldn't help it.

Who let Liu Biao not live for a few years?

Liu Cong was a capitulationist, bound to the interests of the capitulationist family in Jingzhou.

Liu Qi's words are not bad, but he also died early.

So Shen Chen could only choose Liu Bei.

More importantly, Liu Bei's ideology is very close to him, and he is people-oriented and attaches importance to the people at the bottom.

A great man once said that history belongs to the people.

Shen Chen is also a person who firmly wants to build a country without hunger, war, and poverty for the people.

If he can't overthrow the feudal system, then he can only settle for the next best thing, and he can't lose himself for power, but at least cooperate with a benevolent monarch to build an ideal country.

And not as a courtier, but as a collaborator!

Yes.

Shen Chen never felt that he was taking refuge in Liu Bei, but worked with Liu Bei to first build a brand-new Han and then start his own reforms.

It's the same relationship as Cao Cao and Xun Yu.

When he has enough say in the future, Shen Chen also hopes to sign an alliance with Liu Bei.

In the future, Liu Bei will resolutely reject his words, and in the future, a decision-making level will be formed, and some major decisions will be made in the situation of democratic voting.

In this way, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, and Xu Shu can increase their right to speak. Second, it is also to prevent things like Liu Bei from listening to dissuasion later, which eventually led to the Battle of Yiling.

And these are Shen Chen's wishes from the beginning.

As for who the emperor was, he didn't care, because as a person who firmly stood on the side of the common people, Shen Chen preferred that there would be no emperor to oppress and exploit them.

But in the current situation, it is impossible to overthrow the feudal system.

It is impossible for him to cooperate with Cao Cao who slaughtered the city, so it is the best choice to cooperate with Liu Bei, who was born at the bottom and is closest to the people.

As for Liu Biao, who is kind to him, there is no way, his life span is so long, and he will die of illness in a few years, so he can only treat Liu Cong and Liu Qi's heirs well in the future and repay his kindness.

Hearing Shen Chen's words, Liu Bei was overjoyed, wiped his tears, excitedly stepped forward to help him up and said, "I can get Mr. Xiao, really. It's like a fish in water. ”

"I was born at the bottom, and I know that all the leaders in the world are suffering, and the princes of all parties only know how to fight for power and profit, and never think of benefiting the people and saving thousands of people."

Shen Chen said: "Only Xuande Gong cares about the people of Li, and there is the image of the Ming Lord, and I also yearn for it, and I am willing to be a dearest and a pioneer for the public!" ”

"I'm just a stupid person, I just want to serve Your Majesty, how can I be considered a master?"

Liu Bei waved his hand and said: "I only wish, I only hope that the people of the Han Dynasty can live and work in peace and contentment, have clothes to wear, have food to eat, the Son of Heaven sits high in the temple, and can clear the world, and it is enough that there is no such treacherous and reckless behavior as Zhang Rang Zhao Zhong." ”

Shen Chen said with a smile: "Because of this, it is necessary for the public to come forward, support the universe, and set the tide." ”

"I already know what Mr. Xiao means."

Liu Bei sighed and said, "However, Liu Jingzhou and I are both members of the Han clan, how can we take the business of the same sect?" ”

Shen Chen said: "That's why I let Gongxian take Nanyang as the foundation and slow down the north. It is also to see the changes in the future and act on the opportunity. Yuan Shaoqiang did not move, Cao Cao attacked the rear, if he could find an opportunity to capture Yuzhou, it would be the best. ”

Nanyang is the land of Liu Xiu's Longxing, which connects the north and the south, and covers an area of 36,000 square kilometers, which is only 3,000 square kilometers smaller than the Guanzhong Basin.

The Qin Dynasty started with 39,000 square kilometers of the Guanzhong Basin to seize the world, and Liu Bei could not use Nanyang as the foundation, invade Cao Cao in the north, seize Yuzhou, or go south until Liu Biao's death, and then seize Jingzhou.

And the reason why there is such a strategic plan is mainly due to the current population of Nanyang.

According to historical records, the area of Guanzhong and Nanyang is about the same, but because Guanzhong was the capital of the Qin Dynasty and the Western Han Dynasty, the population was prosperous at that time, and all industries were prosperous, and it was slightly richer than Nanyang, with a population of hundreds of thousands.

But at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the warlords of Liangzhou invaded the land of Sanfu many times, Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an, various wars and plagues, and the impact of natural disasters, the population of Guanzhong did not survive, and it was already withered and dilapidated to the extreme, and Dingkou dropped from 2.4 million to less than 340,000.

On the other hand, Jingzhou, especially Nanyang, has seen a surge in population. Due to the war in the north, a large number of people migrated to the south, Yangzhou increased from 3.2 million to 4.33 million, and Jingzhou increased from 3.59 million to 6.2 million.

Among them, Nanyang has become the main area of population migration due to the large area of cultivated land, and over the years, the population of Henan, Guanzhong and Sili has moved here, and the population has already exceeded one million.

Therefore, compared with Guanzhong, which is dilapidated and has no rooster crow for thousands of miles, the current Nanyang is the best choice in terms of military resources, grain and grass and mineral resources.

So Shen Chen's best strategy was very simple.

It was to take advantage of the period after Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were in the battle of Guandu and the burning of the black nest, and immediately attacked Xu Du for the third time and forced Cao Cao to return to the defense in person.

According to the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Cao burned Wuchao in October of the fifth year of Jian'an, while Yuan Shao was defeated in November, which means that even after the grain and grass of Wuchao were burned, Yuan Shao still had less than a month's worth of grain in Guandu's camp.

In this month, Yuan Shao tried to forcibly defeat Cao Cao, and then forced Zhang He Gaolan to storm the camp, and in the end the two of them were really unable to break through, and the grain and grass were not enough, Yuan Shao urged them tightly in the back, forcing them to surrender in a hurry.

So as long as there is enough noise in this month, Cao Cao can't bear it, and he must come back to defend Xu Du, and there is no way to kill the 80,000 soldiers, then things will take a big turn.

Even if less than half of the Yuan army fled back to the north, as long as the elite of the Yuan army was not wiped out, Yuan Shao breathed a sigh of relief, and lived for an extra year and a half, which was enough for Cao Cao to drink a pot.

At that time, Shen Chen will be able to take Nanyang as the foundation, either go north to Cao Cao and cooperate with Yuan Shao to seize Yuzhou, or wait for Liu Biao to die and seize Jingzhou, and then make a move against Jiangdong or Yizhou, as long as Cao Cao and Yuan Shao have not lost their victory, then they will always benefit.

"I see."

Liu Bei pondered: "But I have questions, why don't we take advantage of the battle between Yuan and Cao, take Xudu, and welcome the Son of Heaven to Jingzhou?" ”

"The Son of Heaven is like a treasure, in whose hands it is, it will inevitably be attacked by the whole world."

Shen Chen smiled bitterly and said: "Cao Yuan Zhengxiong, whoever wins, will attack Nanyang with his life." If you don't have the strength, you can't have it. Therefore, only as a last resort can the Son of Heaven be welcomed to Nanyang, such as the middle policy I want to say. ”

"Middle?"

Liu Bei listened to Shen Chen's words, nodded slightly, and said: "The best policy is that Cao Cao and Yuan Shao are both defeated, we take Nanyang as the foundation, and the northern expedition to Cao Cao, so what is the middle policy." ”

Shen Chen said: "The middle strategy is that Cao Cao is defeated, we will attack Xu Du, welcome the Son of Heaven back to Nanyang, and unite with Liu Cousin Sun Quan to resist Yuan Shao." ”

Yuan Shao's power was very large, and according to historical records, his total strength at that time was already more than 200,000, close to 300,000.

80,000 people died in the battle of Guandu, but before that, there were also the Battle of White Horse and the Battle of Yanjin, Yan Liang brought 30,000 or 40,000 in the Battle of White Horse, Wenchou brought 5,000 or 6,000 in the Battle of Yanjin, and tens of thousands of Yuan troops were defeated by Cao Cao when the Wuchao was burned.

It can be seen that just by fighting this battle, Yuan Shao led more than 100,000 troops. Then Qingzhou, Youzhou, and Bingzhou all needed men and horses to defend, so Yuan Shao's strength was almost more than double that of Cao Cao.

Shen Chen also knew that he was harassing Cao Cao from time to time in the rear, causing Cao Cao's positive pressure to be very high. In case he can't bear the pressure and doesn't wait for Xu You, he will collapse first, and then he will have to face Yuan Shao, who owns the entire Henan and Hebei, and the pressure will be very great.

Therefore, he can only snatch Liu Xie in his hands first, and after having the name of righteousness, he can unite with Liu Cousin, Sun Ce, Liu Zhang and others to fight Yuan Shao. This is actually a good strategy, after all, if Yuan Shao wins the battle of Guandu, his inflated strength is too terrifying, and even if several parties join forces, they may not be able to beat him.

"What's the next step?"

Liu Bei stroked his beard and groaned, the middle strategy is so terrible, and the next strategy is still available?

Shen Chen said: "The next strategy is not to attack Xudu, wait and see what happens, if Yuan Cao divides the victory and defeat, he will inevitably attack Liu Biao in the south, and the public can rely on Liu Biao, first map Jingnan, and then seize Yizhou as the foundation, and divide the world into three parts." But if there is a change in the world, then two ways to advance, from Yizhou and Jingzhou to the Central Plains, then the hegemony can be achieved, and the Han family can be prosperous. ”

This is the Longzhong pair.

Why is Longzhong the next policy?

Because the times are different.

When Zhuge Liang was doing Longzhong, the north had been decided, and Cao Cao's general trend had been achieved.

So he can only pave the way for Liu Bei to seize Yizhou and divide the world.

And now that Cao Cao and Yuan Shao have not yet decided the winner, they have an opportunity to take advantage of it, and the operation space is also larger.

For example, the best strategy is to make Yuan Shao and Cao Cao inseparable, Liu Bei can develop calmly in Nanyang, Yuzhou in the north, Jingzhou in the south, and prevent Sun Quan from making trouble, and there will be no disputes over Jingzhou.

The middle strategy is much worse, because the premise of the middle strategy is that Yuan Shao wins, Cao Cao loses, and Yuan Shao's strength is too strong, so they can only take Liu Xie to Nanyang.

Although it still looks very weak, with Liu Xie's righteous name in his hand, he can order Liu Biao to unite with Sun Quan, and even influence the north, let Yuan Shao's backyard catch fire, and wait until Liu Biao dies, and then let Liu Xie order Liu Bei to be the pastor of Jingzhou, which is a lot more logical.

The most important thing is that Shen Chen doesn't care who the emperor is, what he needs is a group of like-minded companions who care about the people as much as him, even if he welcomes the Son of Heaven and Liu Bei becomes a powerful minister, at least he is much stronger than Cao Cao, the person who slaughtered the city.

So both the upper and middle strategies are good.

In contrast, the next strategy is naturally a helpless choice.

As for the other options.

For example, from Wuguan in Nanyang to Guanzhong to develop, or along the Han River to the north to take Hanzhong, and then seize Yizhou, I did have this idea before.

But after the end of the Han Dynasty, I found that this idea was still too ideal and naïve.

First of all, Guanzhong, with a population of less than one, and faced with the attack of Han Sui, Ma Teng and even Cao Cao, with a population of less than three or four hundred thousand to do the foundation, a dead end.

This is followed by Hanzhong.

If you attack from Guanzhong, it will be even more difficult, and even Cao Cao's more than 100,000 horses and horses will get lost at night and take Hanzhong by mistake.

Heading north from the Han River, Cao Zhen and Sima Yi had this idea, but as a result, a flash flood broke out and almost all the troops were wiped out.

It is mainly the Wudu earthquake in the Western Han Dynasty, which led to the diversion of the Han River, and the land route in the lower reaches of Hanzhong is not passable at all, so you can only take the waterway, and the waterway is turbulent, and the second is rainy, which is prone to flash floods, and the slightest carelessness is the fate of Sima Yi and Cao Zhen.

Therefore, the best choice is to occupy the Nanyang Basin, which has a very large population and cultivated area, and use it as a foundation, depending on the current situation, and choose to go south or north.

"Hmm."

After listening to Shen Chen's words, Liu Bei shook his head and said, "I can't make a decision, the Son of Heaven is still waiting for me to rescue him, how can I abandon the Son of Heaven?" When the situation changes, let's take the middle two strategies. ”

"Okay."

Shen Chen arched his hand and said: "I also think the same way, but please also know that no matter whether it is the best strategy or the middle policy, we all need to go to Nanyang to attach to Liu Biao, and after Nanyang, I will draw a clear line with the public, pretend not to be familiar, and when the time comes, the public must not talk to me in front of Liu Biao." ”

"Why is that?"

Liu Bei was surprised.

Shen Chen explained: "Liu Biao looks generous, but in fact, he has a narrow heart and cannot tolerate others. If the public goes to Nanyang, there are many heroes to attach, and he will be suspicious, so after the public goes to Nanyang, he must act modestly and not too publicly. ”

"Is that so?"

Liu Bei nodded slowly and said in a deep voice: "I know, thank you Mr. Xiao." ”

I didn't expect Liu Biao to be such a person, I only heard that he was a dignified and instrumental person, but now it seems that it is true as Cao Cao said, Liu Biao is in name only, and he is not a big hero.

(End of chapter)