weaving

Chapter 1214 You want me to capture Xiangyang?

Everyone was busy all day, starting from three o'clock in the morning and starting to chase the fleeing government troops from Shuipo Ji. It was not until dark at 10:00 p.m. today that they returned to the camp one after another. However, generals such as Li Yan, Hao Yaoqi, and Tong Shoushan have not returned yet.

Therefore, since the basic policy for the next step has been determined, there is no need to rush for other things. After all, the spoils and prisoners captured in Shuipo Ji still need to be digested. So the officers and generals were arranged to go back and rest for the time being, and the military affairs will be discussed in detail after dawn tomorrow.

When the meeting was over, Li Yan, who had just returned, also came to Yuewang Temple...

He led his old subordinates from eastern Henan to pursue Ding Qirui and Yang Dezheng southward. Although he failed to capture them alive or behead them before the battle, it took a lot of time to accommodate the surrendered prisoners and collect various abandoned military supplies along the way, so he returned to the garrison near Zhuxian Town.

He was in a particularly good mood on the way back. He had new ideas in his mind about what to do in the future. He was anxious to meet King Chuang, so after returning to the camp, he ate something casually and rode his horse into Zhuxian Town and headed straight for Yuewang Temple.

Song Xiance saw Li Yan rushing in at the door. There was surprise on his face, but more of happiness. He was surprised because he didn't know why Li Yan was in such a hurry, but he was happy because Li Yan had made another contribution in chasing Ding Qirui and earned face for the officials of Henan Province during the attack on the camp.

After Li Yan dismounted, he bowed to him and then took Li Yan's hand and asked, "Lin Quan, the Grand Marshal has already told all the camps that when you return, you should rest quickly and not rush to see him. Why are you rushing here in such a hurry?"

Li Yan shook Song Xiance's hand and said excitedly, "Xiance, do you think that defeating the hundreds of thousands of government troops at Shuipo will end the battle?"

Song Xian said doubtfully: "Lin Quan, what do you mean...?"

"I've been thinking about this all the way back, and now I have some ideas that have come to fruition. I'm eager to report them to the Grand Marshal."

Song Xiance vaguely guessed what he was thinking, but he said to him, "The Grand Marshal has been commanding the army and running around on the battlefield for days, and he is very tired. I just advised him to go back to the old camp to rest. Brother Lin Quan, do you have any urgent suggestions?"

Li Yan did not respond, but instead glanced around...

Song Xiance understood immediately. He took Li Yan to his residence and talked quietly for a while. Li Yan told him his thoughts truthfully. Before leaving, Song Xiance said to Li Yan: "When you make this suggestion in front of the Grand Marshal, I will speak up and persuade him to adopt it."

Li Yan clasped his fists and said, "This is a God-given opportunity that will be gone in a flash. The Grand Marshal is extremely wise. As long as the military advisor speaks with me, I think there will be hope that my proposal will be adopted."

Afterwards, Song Xiance escorted Li Yan out to mount his horse, bowed and said goodbye, and watched him whip the horse and leave Zhuxian Town and go straight to his residence.

…………

After Li Zicheng returned to his own tent in the old camp, he slept until four o'clock in the morning before waking up.

In fact, it's not that he wasn't tired, but he had defeated most of the government troops in Shuipo Ji. Now Kaifeng City was in sight, and a great country was in sight. King Chuang's heart was surging with excitement.

He washed his face with clean water first, then called Li Shuangxi and asked, "Has anyone come to visit me while I was sleeping?"

Li Shuangxi replied, "The military advisor came and said that Master Li had something important to report to my father."

"Oh...what's the matter that brings you to see me so late at night?" "Shuangxi, I don't know."

"Okay... go check on the military advisor first to see if he's awake. If he is, ask him to come over for a talk."

After a while, Song Xiance and Li Yan came to the bedroom of the King of Chuang together. After they bowed and sat down, Song Xiance spoke first: "Lin Quan has an important suggestion. Because he came back late and didn't see the Grand Marshal, he told me first. I think this plan seems feasible, so please consider it for your decision."

When Chuang Wang heard this, he became interested. He smiled and asked Li Yan, "What's the brilliant idea? Tell me quickly!"

Li Yan bowed slightly before speaking very respectfully, "Three or four days ago, the Grand Marshal had already determined that Zuo Liangyu would flee to Xiangyang. He was indeed a master at predicting the enemy's fate."

Li Yan had been in the Chuang camp for a long time and seemed to have become more talkative. He was no longer as straightforward as before, but first praised the King of Chuang, and then slowly introduced the main topic: "The Grand Marshal believes that Zuo Liangyu will never flee to southern Henan with Ding Qirui and others. First, he does not want to be dragged down by Ding Qirui, and second, he does not want to be confined to the Xinyang area, after all, that is not an important place.

But Xiangyang is different. It is the throat of the north and the south, and is adjacent to the Yangtze and Han Rivers. It has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. Occupying Xiangyang, one can use this place to fight for the Central Plains, and also guard the imperial mausoleum and protect Wuchang.

The Grand Marshal also said that if Zuo Liangyu could hold on to Xiangyang, he could connect with De'an in the east and Jingzhou in the south, thus forming a three-pronged force. Not only would it prevent our army from advancing southward, but also, at a time when the world was in turmoil and the Ming Dynasty was crumbling, he could occupy the upper reaches, establish his own regime, and follow in the footsteps of the Tang Dynasty's vassal states.

The Grand Marshal is wise and insightful, and he really saw through Zuo Liangyu's heart, which is why we have a great victory here at Shuipoji today!"

Li Yan's words made the King very happy, but he still said modestly: "I am just like the common saying, 'A fool may make many mistakes, but he will make one wise decision.'"

Then, he couldn't help laughing again, and continued: "Although Zuo Liangyu was defeated by us, he is no ordinary man. In terms of the situation, a hundred Xinyangs are not as good as one Xiangyang. Xiangyang is a very important place in military terms!"

Song Xiance also took the opportunity to speak up and said, "The Grand Marshal is right. Xiangyang is an extremely important place. That's why Liu Biao, as the governor of Jingzhou, did not stay in Jingzhou but in Xiangyang to compete with the Central Plains. At the end of Jian'an, Guan Gong occupied Xiangyang and attacked Fancheng, "terrifying China", so much so that Cao Cao planned to move the capital from Xuchang to Ye to avoid his edge.

Furthermore, at the beginning of the Western Jin Dynasty, Yang Ku and Du Yu successively managed Xiangyang and made it the foundation for the demise of Eastern Wu; and in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, although it was based in the southeast, it still stationed heavy troops in Jingxiang in order to wait for an opportunity to launch a northern expedition to the Central Plains; Yu Liang and Yu Yi both attached great importance to the management of Xiangyang, and although they did not succeed, they laid the foundation for Huan Wen's northern expedition.

In the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty, Li Gang was determined to recover the Central Plains. He urged Song Gaozong to visit Xiangyang. Yue Fei's northern expedition to the Central Plains also started from Xiangyang. When they fought against the Southern Song Dynasty in Mongolia, their focus was also on fighting for the ownership of Xiangyang.

Just now the Grand Marshal also said that a hundred Xinyangs are not as good as one Xiangyang, which is absolutely true! "

Li Zicheng nodded continuously as he listened to him. He deeply admired Song Xiance's erudition and knowledge, especially his mastery of the ancients' military strategies.

However, King Chuang looked at Li Yan standing aside and asked him, "Lin Quan, are you suggesting that I send troops to occupy Xiangyang?"

Li Yan saw that his thoughts were revealed in this sentence, and he quickly said, "Yes, that's right. Yan, I came to see the Grand Marshal for this matter, and the opportunity cannot be missed!"