stubborn thief

Chapter 668 Geographical Advantage

Liu Chengzong also felt that it was a good opportunity for Gao Yingxiang to enter Sichuan at this time.

Hou Liangzhu, the general of Sichuan, was trapped in Hanzhong with 20,000 troops, to the north were the Eight Camps of Chuang Wang and to the south were the Thirteen Families of Yao Huang.

After defeating Hou Liangzhu and luckily avoiding Qin Liangyu, Gao Yingxiang could march straight south to Sichuan.

No surprises.

It was just that the incident of Henan General Zhang Yichuan's failure in the battle had just happened in the Marshal's Mansion.

In addition, Sichuan is a land of abundance and a sacred place, so Liu Chengzong had to be extremely cautious in his decisions.

Therefore, he did not immediately agree to Gao Yingen's request, but only asked about the situation in Hanbei. Then he asked King Han from the Li Ya to come and take Gao Yingen to settle down in Xi'an City, giving him some time to discuss and then give a reply.

As soon as Gao Yingen left, Zhang Xianzhong stood up reluctantly.

He clasped his fists and said, "General, the King of Rebellion is not sincere in his surrender. It is better to use courtesy first and then use force."

Liu Shizi wondered, "First courtesy, then force?"

"Correct."

Zhang Xianzhong clasped his fists and said: "Send my 20,000 soldiers south to Sichuan to take care of the Sichuan General Army Headquarters of Eight Battalions and Thirteen Families!"

What bullshit is this guy talking about.

  First courtesy, then force, does it mean that the Minister of Rites rides in front and 20,000 soldiers follow behind?

It really seemed as if Liu Chengzong had already ascended the throne and become the emperor.

Liu Shizi looked at Zhang Xianzhong and was happy. He waved his hand and said, "I think Gao Chuangwang is very sincere."

"Back then, you, my brother, had the audacity to occupy my Zhuanglang River Valley with two battalions and announced a three-year tax exemption."

"I'll give you eight battalions. Don't even think about sending yourself to Hanzhong to ask for an official position. I'm afraid you'll be eager to fight me in Xiegu."

Zhang Xianzhong was stunned at first, then he laughed out loud: "That was because I was blind and didn't recognize the real dragon. Besides, if you really give me eight battalions, it would be as easy for you to deal with me as it is to deal with a chicken. I dare not give up my life in vain."

After that, he changed the subject and said, "But Gao Yingxiang is different. The troops have been separated for several years. If we let him go to Sichuan, there will be trouble, Marshal!"

There will definitely be consequences?

To be honest, Liu Shizi doesn't think so.

Gao Yingxiang is a superstitious person.

Among all the military leaders, he might be the one who could intimidate Gao Yingxiang the most from a superstitious perspective.

Of course, this was not the main factor affecting Liu Chengzong's decision, but mainly the judgment of the situation.

First of all, Gao Yingxiang is very frank.

Send Zhongdouxing to talk to him and make concessions.

Zhongdouxing came to convey King Chuang's intention and asked for an official position in Sichuan. In name, they were one family, which was a face-giving; he asked the Marshal's Office to send officials to Hanzhong to conquer Hanzhong and send it over, which was a inside show.

Since Gao Yingxiang gave both face and substance, he naturally wanted to be able to advance and retreat freely.

This tells him very clearly.

If everything goes well, he will break into Wangbaying and enter Sichuan under the banner of the Marshal's Office, and his intention will definitely be to establish his own regime.

What if things don’t go well? The situation will change and the high-ranking officials will become passive.

Ultimately it all depends on your ability.

If they can enter Sichuan by their own ability, they are nominally a family, but in reality they are allies and have their own independent regime in Sichuan.

If he doesn't have the ability to enter Sichuan, he will just have to accept his fate when the time comes.

Liu Chengzong didn't think this was a bad thing.

To put it bluntly, the current situation is the same as when Baiyan Taiji entered Tibet.

Liu Chengzong was too big, and if Gao Yingxiang didn't want to lose his independent status, he had to stay away from him.

Gao Yingxiang didn't even dare to stay in Hanzhong.

As for what Zhang Xianzhong said, that he would send his 20,000 soldiers to eliminate Gao Yingxiang, Yao Tiandong and Hou Liangzhu - that's complete nonsense.

It’s not that he doubted Zhang Xianzhong’s ability.

If he were given enough manpower and the original team from the West Camp was given to him, and two more battalions of good players were transferred in, Liu Shizi estimated that Zhang Xianzhong would probably be able to complete the task.

The question is whether Gao Yingxiang's entry into Sichuan would cause trouble, and Liu Chengzong is skeptical.

Now that the strengthened version of Zhang Xianzhong, who had been following him for such a long time, has entered Sichuan, that would be a real threat to him.

If a fight with Gao Yingxiang really came about, only Liu Chengzong could lead three brigades to fight.

Isn't this insane? The conflict has not escalated to this extent.

Zhang Xianzhong’s suggestion was nothing, he just wanted Liu Chengzong to let him go out and play.

The only one who can really give some advice on this matter is the old father.

Not long after, the old man from the Li Yamen, Cheng Yun from the Hu Yamen, and Shi Cheng from the Gong Yamen all came to the front hall Yamen.

Liu Chengzong told Gao Yingxiang about this and said, "I think this is a good thing, but it's a pity that the only land left for Master Gao is Sichuan."

"If he was in Huguang, even if he asked me to grant him the title of the so-called prosperous Jiangnan, I would have given him the title without blinking an eye, but Sichuan is different."

When old man Liu Xiangyu heard what he said, he held his beard and couldn't help laughing.

The old man thought that his son was setting a trap for Zhang Xianzhong, the Minister of Rites: If I can't control you in the future, I will send you to Jiangnan.

But in fact, Liu Xiangyu knew very well that no matter who it was, if they ran to the south of the Yangtze River and wanted to establish their own regime, they would be doomed to death.

Anyone who knows a little about astronomy and geography will know that Jiangnan is not a place where one can establish a separatist regime. All attempts to divide the river and govern separately will end in failure.

It’s not that Jiangnan is bad, nor that the Jiangnan military is weak, but the geographical environment determines that the Jiangnan regime is very easy to collapse.

The area around Suzhou, Songjiang and Changshu along Lake Tai is indeed the richest in the world; Zhejiang and Fujian also have the benefits of maritime trade and commerce, so it seems perfect.

The problem is that this is a geographical advantage that only exists when the enemy comes from the sea.

When the enemy comes from the north, the geographical advantage is reversed.

As the saying goes, to guard the Yangtze River one must also guard the Huai River. Given the terrain in the south, the Yangtze River is a natural barrier that is as good as non-existent and it is impossible to defend.

The Huaihe Plain itself was basically undefensible, and the northern troops could easily push the front line across the Huaihe River and reach the north of the Yangtze River.

The Northern Army only needs to deploy a large army in the north of the Yangtze River and use the Huai River basin to feed its troops. It also has the North China Plain and the Central Plains to provide food and wages. It has enough stamina to sustain the tug of war.

Jiangnan is different.

The advantage of Jiangnan is the richness of the Taihu Plain, but the biggest disadvantage of its land is also that its richness lies in the Taihu Plain.

Because on the surface it is a geographical advantage for the south of the Yangtze River, but in reality it often becomes a geographical advantage for the northern regime in war.

Zhejiang, with seven mountains, two rivers and one part of farmland, and Fujian, with eight mountains, one river and one part of farmland, are two good places with mountains and rivers. If they could support the locals, there wouldn't be so many people going out to sea to make a living.

It is obviously wishful thinking to expect food and grass to be supplied from the rear.

Even though the rich Taihu Plain could harvest eight crops a year, it could not withstand the impact of war on farming as it became the front line of the battlefield. If three crops of grain could not be harvested, there would be loopholes in the defense line. If there were loopholes and it could not be defended once, it would be easy for the northern troops to break in, and it would be difficult to drive them out once they broke in.

If they cannot be driven out, the remnants of the southern regime that have retreated to Zhejiang and Fujian will inevitably have to fight against the northern army that controls the Suzhou, Songjiang, Changzhou and Taihu Plain.

It is too easy for Jiangbei to take advantage of this wealth.

If Jiangnan wants to take advantage of the richness of the Taihu Plain, it must at least ensure that the Yellow River defense line is in the hands of the South.

But then again, the Yellow River is in our hands, so eating five more steamed buns and three less bowls of rice won’t be a big problem.

Sichuan is different.

The reason why it is convenient to establish a separatist regime there is that the geographical advantages of Jiangnan are reversed.

The prosperous Chengdu Plain is wrapped in it and is well protected, while outside is a mountainous area similar to the terrain of Zhejiang and Fujian, with ample buffer zones.

He can't get out once he gets in, and it's even harder for you to get in. The key is that it's hard to gain a foothold even if you get in, because the marginal prefectures either can't provide a large amount of military supplies, or even if they do, the transportation capacity can't keep up.

In addition, the mountains isolated other areas, which added terrible command costs to the troops attacking Sichuan. There seemed to be no other choice except for the commander-in-chief to lead the army in person.

If the separatist forces in Sichuan are managed a little bit and do not encounter bad luck such as a coup, the attacking coach will have to prepare to spend half his life in Sichuan.

The more time it takes to waste half of one's life, the less willing they are to touch it. The more unwilling they are to touch it, the more time the separatist forces in Sichuan will have to operate.

This established Sichuan's position as a top geographical location in the world.

The six heads of the six yamen had different opinions on the discussion in the Marshal's Office regarding Gao Yingxiang's request for an official position.

Zhang Xianzhong looked like a loyal minister who would be recorded in history books, saying that letting Gao Yingxiang enter Sichuan would definitely cause trouble.

Liu Chengzong felt a sense of déjà vu after watching it.

If I fall into this trap in the future and fight with Gao Yingxiang who occupies Sichuan, and I fail to win, Zhang Xianzhong will be a great strategist for all ages, and his wisdom can be raised by ten points in the game.

As for Shi Cheng from Gong Ya, he didn't say much. He only said two sentences: "If the Marshal starts the war now, it will take another six months for each brigade to get its troops ready."

The second sentence is: "The war horses of the three brigades in Guanzhong are not all gathered, and they are all released in Pingliang and Gongchang. The transfer of horses may be known to Gao Yingxiang, making it difficult to launch a surprise attack."

I am not Zhang Xianzhong. Zhang Xianzhong and Gao Yingxiang have no feelings for each other.

Shi Cheng and I are acquaintances of Gao Yingxiang. We cast cannons together in Shanxi. Although we haven't seen each other for several years, he knows that Gao Yingxiang has a good relationship with Liu Chengzong.

The conflict between the Marshal's Office and the rebel camp had never escalated to the point where a war was necessary.

Cheng Yun knew Liu Shizi best, so he just stood aside and watched with his hands in his pockets, squinting at Zhang Xianzhong, then raising his eyebrows at Shi Chengwo.

He thought to himself: My brother asked everyone to come together to discuss the matter, clearly wanting people to come up with a way to resolve the embarrassment.

If he really wanted to fight, did my brother need to ask anyone else?

He directly gave the order to lead the troops into battle, and everyone had no choice but to cooperate.

The soldiers are not well-equipped, have insufficient food and war horses, so we just have to take what we have. The rest of them will fight shirtless and with swords in hand. We must rush to the designated position as quickly as possible to defeat the odds with numbers and win the battle first.

Cheng Yun said: "We are discussing how to avoid war. If there are troubles, we don't necessarily have to go to war."

"Zhongdouxing is in the city, how can we still talk? Let's not talk about whether we can enter Sichuan or not. We haven't even taken Hanzhong yet. If we fight over uneven distribution of spoils, wouldn't it be a joke?"

Liu Chengzong, who seemed to be asleep, suddenly came to life and clapped his hands, saying, "Chengyun is right. If there are future troubles, we should try to avoid them."

When Zhang Xianzhong saw this, his dream of going out for fun was shattered, so he started to think about Liu Shizi and came up with a serious idea.

He said, "General, since we don't want to fight, it's better to divide them in my humble opinion."

"Although Gao Yingxiang has a large number of troops and followers, they have not fought any tough battles with the imperial court. He cannot maintain his position as the leader, so he has to rely on the Marshal's Office to give him an official position and suppress the generals before entering Sichuan."

"General, why don't you ask General Zhongdouxing to report the names of the eight battalion commanders and the elite generals under the battalions, and give them all the titles of lieutenant general and prefect, stationing them in different places. Give Gao Yingxiang the highest title, and you can rest assured."

He laughed halfway through saying this.

Not to mention Liu Chengzong and Liu Chengyun.

Isn’t this the method Liu Shizi used to deal with the officers of the West Camp?

Zhang Butang is very good at applying what he has learned.

The suffering that Old Zhang has endured is also something that Old Gao can’t escape.

"This time, that time."

Liu Chengzong shook his head and said, "I appointed officers to the Western Camp because I know they are all capable. No matter who is appointed as a general, they are all heroes who have followed their brother to fight for thousands of miles."

"Master Gao has a lot of people on his side, and many of them may not be able to defend a single place. We can't hinder them before they even enter Sichuan."

Liu Chengzong understood Zhang Xianzhong better and made up his mind to turn back and march eastward, allowing Zhang Xianzhong to go out to fight.

As long as he's watching from behind, that's fine.

Zhang Xianzhong was a brave and courageous man, very cunning, had a strong learning ability, and was full of energy.

But there is a huge lack of overall perspective.

His shortcomings are determined by his mental state.

Zhang Xianzhong had very obvious characteristics of a desperado. He was reckless and irresponsible, and instinctively refused to consider issues from a holistic perspective.

For example, now he heard Liu Shizi say that the Marshal's Office would be a hindrance if Gao Yingxiang failed to enter Sichuan, and he disagreed.

As soon as Liu Chengzong saw his expression, he knew what this guy was thinking.

"Gao Yingxiang can't get into Sichuan because he's incompetent. If we don't hinder him, it won't be good for us if he gets in."

But for Liu Chengzong, Hanzhong is a benefit, and a huge benefit.

After all, even if Gao Yingxiang offered Sichuan as a tribute, he would not be able to collect taxes in Sichuan. He could only station troops in Sichuan and recruit soldiers from Sichuan.

But to be honest, those are just small benefits. The biggest benefit is that he can mobilize the Shaanxi area to the maximum extent.

Liu Xiangyu said: "There is no need to hinder us. We can just avoid Chengdu Prefecture and send him south. What's wrong with making him the general commander of Chongqing, Zunyi, Xuyong and Mahu Prefectures?"

"At the same time, send a message to Feng Shuangli in Kangning, telling him to wait until Yingxiang defeats Hou Liangzhu, then go down the mountain to attack Chengdu Prefecture, take Chengdu first and station there, then send a strong general to follow Gao's troops into Sichuan."

As he spoke, Master Liu saw Liu Chengzong shaking his head slightly and asked, "Why, do you think it's inappropriate?"

"Father, this is inappropriate. The hostility towards Chengdu is too great. Even if we give in temporarily, there will be a war later."

"I don't mind a fight if necessary, but there's no point in getting hostile too soon."

Liu Chengzong shook his head slightly, looked at the map and thought for a moment, then said, "My idea is to give Chengdu and most of Sichuan to Master Gao, and let him rule there. If he has the ability, he can take Guizhou and Yunnan."

"The only thing is that you cannot be my enemy. And the right to appoint officials and garrisons in the three prefectures of Baoning, Long'an, and Kuizhou in northern Sichuan belongs to me."

This is the main road from Shaanxi to Sichuan and from Sichuan to Huguang, and it is also Liu Chengzong's bottom line.

As long as these three prefectures are controlled, it would be like hanging a knife over Sichuan's head.

"As long as these three prefectures and Hanzhong are returned to me, all the prefectures in Chengdu can be returned to the Eight Battalions of the Chuang Army."

good afternoon!