Chaos of the Three Kingdoms Summons

Chapter 2683 Attacking the South and Conquering Zhu? The Crown Prince's Choice

"During this period, all matters of national importance have been entrusted to your hands!"

"Have you received news of the situation from the Kushan Empire?"

After discussing the canal, Li Xiang then spoke to the Crown Prince. As he spoke, he gestured to the head eunuch beside him, ordering them to bring over a huge map.

As is well known, the Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty was an emperor who rode on horseback. No matter where he went, he would always carry a map with him, a habit he had maintained for many years.

A huge map was laid out, symbolizing the vast area of ​​the Western Regions, which had been painted with glaring vermilion and marked with the ferocious symbol of "Yuan Mongol".

This area, in particular, was once part of the territory of the Great Jin Dynasty, but now it is marked with the words "Yuan Meng," which is so glaring to Li Xiang.

Speaking of which, Genghis Khan really lives a long life. He's already over sixty, and in a few years he'll be almost seventy. There have been several reports that he was on his deathbed, but he's still alive and kicking.

Of the three families on the grasslands, he outlasted Nurhaci first, and then Tuoba Tao.

Whether it was the death of Nurhaci or the death of Tuoba Tao, the Yuan Mongols seized the opportunity.

Sometimes, being able to survive is a huge advantage.

Emperor Li Xiang slammed his fingers heavily on the "Kushan" plaque, his eyes icy. This treacherous neighbor, which had once taken advantage of the Great Jin Dynasty's three-year-old epidemic to raise prices and kick them while they were down, was now also mired in trouble.

Bodhi grew old, like many emperors, and was no longer as wise and powerful as he had been in his youth. Instead, he became incredibly muddleheaded, facing fierce attacks from the northern steppe tribes and the gradual encroachment of the Second Persian Empire to the west.

Although these countries have been fighting each other for years, it has mostly been minor skirmishes, with the only serious conflicts occurring twice, once with the Second Persian Empire.

But this time it's different. The Kushan Empire has been at war for years, at its worst even fighting on three fronts. There has long been discontent and resentment within the country. Now, with the old emperor making a series of blunders, things are quite unstable within the country.

Therefore, both the Yuan Dynasty and the Second Persian Empire had begun to take real action.

Together, these two forces mobilized over 800,000 troops to invade the Kushan Empire from the north and west.

Crown Prince Li Hao stood solemnly to one side, his gaze sweeping over the Western Regions passage blocked by the Yuan and Mongol grasslands, his brows furrowed. But when his gaze moved down to the azure sea area clearly marked as "the fiefdom of the princes of Jiaozhou and Qiongzhou of the Great Jin Dynasty," a sharp light suddenly shone in his eyes.

Regarding the matter concerning the three great empires, the Crown Prince had only just received the report, but he believed that his father had received the news much earlier than he had.

Although the government affairs are currently in his hands for the time being, his father is still the head of the Floating Water Office. All intelligence from various places will only be handed over to him after his father has reviewed it and given his approval.

"Your Highness, the road to the Western Regions is blocked. The wolves of the grasslands have sealed off our gateway to the west and south." Li Xiang's voice was low, filled with resentment, but even more so with scrutiny. "The Kushan Empire, this sick tiger, is being torn apart by the wolves of the north and the leopards of the west. Heaven has given me a golden opportunity for revenge! But how do I throw this punch?"

Crown Prince Li Hao took a deep breath, and without the slightest hesitation, his finger jabbed sharply at the vast blue area at the bottom of the map, marked with the name of Qiongzhou of the Great Jin Dynasty:
"Father! Although the road to the Western Regions is blocked, our Great Jin holds the key to the South Sea! This is the will of Heaven, ordering me to find another way and strike directly at the undefended southern lands of the Kushan Empire!"

"Our Great Jin can send troops from the South Seas. The Great Jin navy's treasure ships are sturdy and can carry troops and provisions! Set sail from Jiaozhou and Nanzhou, fully loaded with elite infantry, powerful bows and crossbows, and siege weapons! Cross the sea and march straight to the important coastal towns and rich river estuaries of the Kushan Empire!"

"This route has two advantages: First, it catches them off guard! The Kushans are fully engaged in dealing with the northern steppes and western Persia, so their southern coastal defenses must be weak! We should avoid their strength and strike their weakness! The south is their granary and source of wealth; if we attack it, they will have to defend it!" "Furthermore, our expeditionary force has convenient supplies! Relying on our stable base in the South Seas, our maritime supply lines are much more controllable than the long land transport routes!"

"Secondly, we will advance by both land and sea, with a central attack! The Crown Prince's finger will pierce from the vast sea into the heart of the Kushan Empire. Once our elite navy successfully lands and seizes coastal strongholds, we will immediately split into two groups."

"Hold fast to the coast and establish a solid beachhead and logistics base!"

"Another elite force will travel upstream along the great river, or seek a wide land route, advancing by both land and water, and head straight for the core area of ​​the Kushan Empire!"

"Furthermore, we can spread rumors along the way, proclaiming that our heavenly army descended from the sea to join forces with Persia and the steppe to attack the Kushans! This will exacerbate their internal panic and hasten their collapse!"

The Crown Prince's eyes shone brightly, brimming with strategic confidence: "Father! This is a strategy to avoid their land attacks, leverage our sea routes, and strike at their weak point!"

"The main force of the Kushan Empire is tied down on the northwest front by the steppes and Persia, leaving its south vulnerable. This is the time for me to draw my sword across the sea!"

"Once our army stirs up a monstrous wave in their heartland, the morale of their northwestern front will surely collapse! The Persians and the steppe tribes will seize the opportunity to launch a fierce attack! The Kushans will be attacked from three sides and unable to defend themselves at all ends. How can they not perish?"

Although the Jin Dynasty fought a battle with the Kushan Empire when it went to Southeast Asia, it was just a minor skirmish, and Bai Qi only used 3 troops.

What are these troops to two imperial powers?
The Kushan Empire's defensive focus was never on the southern front, but on the western front; the Second Persian Empire was their greatest enemy all along.

Even the Yuan and Mongol dynasties, although there were many conflicts, the scale of the troops dispatched by both sides was not large, each time only tens of thousands.

In particular, with the Second Persian Empire and the Yuan Dynasty simultaneously pressing their armies on the border, most of the Guiba Empire's forces must have already been transferred to the western and northern fronts.

Moreover, the Kushan Empire's naval development was indeed relatively poor!
After all, their enemies were to the west and north. What powerful enemies were there to their south? Without this need, their navy could not possibly have developed to any significant extent.

Otherwise, Yu Ji wouldn't have been able to carry out raids with the help of pirates back then.

"Land and sea attack!"

"That's definitely a good idea!"

"However, you should know that the original plan was clearly to eliminate the remnants of Zhu Wu's faction in the east!"

"Xu Cheng and Han Shizhong are tied up in the Northeast, and Qi Jiguang is also unable to spare the time. If we launch a simultaneous land and sea expedition against the Kushan Empire!"

"Will the remnants of Zhu and Wu still be able to launch normal attacks next year?" Li Xiang continued to probe.

He had actually already discussed these issues with several cabinet ministers a couple of days ago.

However, he still wanted to hear what the Crown Prince was really thinking.

After all, the direction of the empire's helm will one day be handed over to him.