I will be the master of Xuande

Chapter 687 Battle of Liangzhou

The letter Liu Jian sent to Liangzhou soon fell into the hands of the rebels.

Except for Ma Teng and Han Sui, the two largest rebel leaders in Liangzhou, the other rebel leaders began to feel uneasy.

Liu Jian, what does this mean?

This was a clear message to everyone that he was about to use troops against Liangzhou. He allowed these small groups of rebels to see their position clearly. Should they submit to the imperial court or continue to fight against the imperial court? It is not too late to surrender during this period.

The content of this letter was nothing extraordinary, it was just an ordinary letter to persuade people to surrender, but it frightened those who received the letter to persuade them to surrender, because they understood that Liu Jian had sent them a letter to persuade them to surrender. Letter, that means that they are about to face the court's stormy army again.

They hurriedly reported the matter to Ma Teng and Han Sui.

Ma Teng and Han Sui did not dare to neglect, and immediately summoned all the rebel leaders in Liangzhou who had relations with them to Nan'an to discuss with them how to respond this time.

Everyone respected Ma Teng and Han Sui, and when they passed by, they also brought Liu Jian's letter persuading them to surrender.

Compared to Ma Teng, Han Sui had been joining the rebels for a longer time and had been forming a local armed force for a longer time. His force was relatively the most powerful.

After reading the letters given to him by these people one by one, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

"It has only been more than a year since Dong Zhuo retreated from Xiliang. The court has changed its prime minister just a few days ago. It is clear that he will use troops against our Liangzhou again."

Ma Teng said on the side: "People in the imperial court regard us Xiliang heroes as tigers and wolves. In their view, we occupy Liangzhou and pose a great threat to the capital of Chang'an. If we do not wipe out them, they will not stop." of."

Han Sui let out a long sigh and said, "Liu Jian gave so many surrender letters to our men, but he didn't give them to you and me. What does he mean?"

Ma Teng said helplessly: "You and I are too powerful, especially Wen Yue, who joined the rebel army too early and posed a huge threat to the court. How could the court easily surrender to me?"

"Liu Jian wants to cut off your and my wings before using his troops, and then defeat us in one fell swoop."

Han Sui rubbed his forehead in distress and said: "This matter is indeed not easy to handle. When Dong Zhuo entered Liangzhou to fight with us, although he did not achieve full success, it was also because he suddenly fell ill, and the rear There was trouble, so the fight did not continue. The two sides continued to fight, but what will be the result? It's uncertain. "

Ma Teng said: "No matter what, Liu Jian is definitely right to send troops to Liangzhou. As the saying goes, if soldiers come to block it, if water comes, the soil will cover it. We have made an appointment. We must make preparations in advance."

Han Sui nodded and said: "Okay, in that case, from now on, let our troops, as well as the leaders of the rebel armies, stop plundering easily near Guanzhong. We will try our best to wander the troops to the west of Liangzhou." , settled near the Qiang tribe in Liangzhou, our strategic depth is large enough, even if the imperial army comes to Liangzhou, there will be nothing we can do."

Ma Teng said: "Yes, our biggest advantage in Liangzhou is its deep and vast territory. If we can't defeat it, we will retreat to the west. The imperial army is not like us. Their every move involves countless money and food."

"The supplies in Liangzhou are simply not enough to sustain them until they can annihilate us."

"So we don't need to worry too much, but we can't easily send troops to Guanzhong now. If we are wiped out by the Guanzhong army, it will damage our strength."

Han Sui nodded solemnly.

He looked at the rebel leaders of the Liang Army sitting nearby and said, "You all heard what Shoucheng said."

Cheng Yin, Yang Qiu, Li Kan and other more than ten Liangzhou rebel leaders raised their hands and said: "I have heard clearly. During this period, we will prepare our troops, arrange them tightly, and let the three armies begin to move westward. Always be on guard against the imperial court using troops against us."

Seeing that these people took the initiative to express their opinions, Han Sui breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, don't act rashly. This way, I will feel relieved. As long as we stick to Liangzhou, no matter how powerful Liu Jian is, I can't wait."

……

The unusual movements of the Liangzhou rebels soon spread back to Chang'an.

Liu Jian was very happy after learning that Han Sui and Ma Teng were shrinking their main force to the west.

"Ma Teng and Han Sui contracted their troops to the west, which shows that they have adopted a defensive posture. They are afraid that I will send my troops to the west, so that Guanzhong will not be attacked."

"Guanzhong will not be disturbed, and places such as Zhongyuan, Sizhou and Sanhe can develop with peace of mind. This is exactly what I want."

Jia Xu stood beside Liu Jian: "Prime Minister, this method is indeed wonderful. There is only one drawback."

The fact that Jia Xu can usually say this means that there is indeed something that Liu Jian missed in this matter.

Liu Jian attached great importance to Jia Xu's words, and he immediately asked: "Where is the omission in what Wen He said?"

Jia Xu said: "The Prime Minister wrote a letter to the leaders of the rebel generals in Liangzhou, asking them to surrender. This move will make the Xiliang rebel generals unclear about the Prime Minister's true intentions, so the land in Guanzhong will not be invaded by the Liangzhou army. But has the Prime Minister ever thought that all the rebels in Liangzhou would flee to the west and defend themselves, relying on the strategic depth of Liangzhou to resist the Prime Minister?"

"The Prime Minister prepared the defense in Guanzhong, but it also made the Liangzhou rebels prepare to resist the Prime Minister prematurely. The Prime Minister's expedition against the Liangzhou bandits next year will inevitably encounter sufficient resistance from the Liangzhou rebels, or, The Prime Minister’s army can’t find the rebels at all.”

Liu Jian nodded and said, "What Wen He said is very true, please continue."

Jia Xu said: "Prime Minister, I am from Liangzhou and know Liangzhou best. The area of ​​Liangzhou is really vast. The area of ​​Liangzhou can even be compared with the three states of the Central Plains. And to the north of Liangzhou is Mobei, to the west are the countries of the Western Regions, the population is small, Qiang people are everywhere, and the level of development is also very low!"

"Such a place is not conducive to the army marching westward and staying for a long time. It must be defeated quickly. If it cannot be defeated quickly, it will be tantamount to falling into a quagmire. At that time, it will be a drag on the imperial court and the annual wear and tear of the imperial court. The amount of money and food is hard to estimate!”

"The kings of the Han Dynasty have invested immeasurable amounts of money in Liangzhou every year. The war in Liangzhou can almost drag down a country. Prime Minister, you must treat Liangzhou with caution."

Jia Xu's words can be described as mature and prudent, which was deeply praised by Liu Jian.

He stood up slowly and said to Jia Xu: "Wen He, what you said is true, but don't worry, I have already prepared a complete set of strategies on how to pacify Liangzhou, so you don't have to worry."

"I will not continue to try the methods that the ancient sages have tried. Liangzhou is also a very special existence among the many borders of the Han Dynasty. This place is completely different from Youzhou and Bingzhou."

"For Liangzhou, it is basically impossible to get rid of it once and for all. After all, the previous emperors have tried many times. They were eager for quick success, bloody suppression, and rebelled again and again. There is no need to do this kind of thing again."

"So, according to my opinion, if you want to completely pacify Liangzhou and make the people of Liangzhou feel a sense of belonging to the Han Dynasty, you must meet several conditions. Otherwise, just fighting blindly will be of no use."

Jia Xu asked: "I wonder what means the Prime Minister wants to use to deal with Liangzhou?"

"This... I'll talk about it later, because there are some details that I haven't thought through yet."

Seeing that Liu Jian didn't want to talk any more, Jia Xu was very sensible and didn't ask any more questions.

…    In November of the first year of Jian'an, the autumn harvest in Guanzhong has been completed, and the pacification and construction work in Yanzhou and Sili has been basically determined. The entire Han Dynasty has gone through ups and downs this year, and now it has finally begun to get back on track.

The first year Liu Jian entered the court was in a state of accumulation, and he was only going to have a blowout next year.

Although winter has entered, the work on the Shangshutai and the Prime Minister's Office is proceeding in an orderly manner. In order to be able to completely integrate Guanzhong, Sizhou, and the Central Plains with Hebei and Xuzhou in the second year of Jian'an, In line with the local government, Liu Jian promoted a large number of young talents through the imperial examination and allowed them to enter national universities for further studies, and then appointed them, preparing to roll their arms and work hard in the coming year.

And just when the entire court believed that Liu Jian's main goal next year was to continue to develop the national strength of the Central Plains and Guanzhong regions, Liu Jian secretly found Zhang Fei and Lu Bu in front of him.

"How have you been training the soldiers and horses in the various camps over the past period of time?"

Zhang Fei cupped his hands and said: "The soldiers and horses of each battalion will intensify their drills every day and become proficient in various tactics, especially the cavalry battle formations and crossbow battle formations. The general will urge each battalion to drill the most diligently. After all, Liangzhou is flat." There is a lot of land, and both the Qiang people and the rebels are good at horse fighting, so naturally we cannot relax."

After hearing this, Liu Jian nodded with satisfaction and said, "That's very good. Now that the New Year is approaching, I order you two to do one thing."

Zhang Fei cupped his hands and broke: "Please give me your orders, Prime Minister!"

"The two of you, plus Zhang He, Dong Huang, and Zhang Ji, each lead 5,000 troops and go to Liangzhou!"

Zhang Fei and Lu Bu were shocked when they heard this.

It seemed that Liu Jian was planning to send troops to Liangzhou.

Just why is it earlier than originally planned?

Lu Bu cupped his hands and said, "Prime Minister, didn't you say that we would only prepare to use troops against Liangzhou in the coming year?"

Liu Jian said: "I did say that, but have you also prepared according to the method of using troops in the coming year?"

Lu Bu said: "Exactly!"

Liu Jian said with satisfaction: "So, the reply from the Liangzhou rebel spies to Ma Teng, Han Sui and others is that we are probably preparing to attack Liangzhou next year. If I act a few months in advance, they will not do anything. aware!"

Zhang Fei and Lu Bu were suddenly stunned when they heard this, and at the same time they felt deep admiration for Liu Jian.

Zhang Fei thought about it for a while and said: "The Prime Minister asked us to divide our troops into five groups to enter Liangzhou. We don't have many people in each group. I guess it's not to fight the rebels head-on, right?"

Liu Jian smiled and said: "Of course not!"

"There are so many rebels, and Liangzhou is so deep and wide, how can it be possible to decide the outcome overnight? I'm letting you go this time, but the key is to find a place to stay in Liangzhou first. .”

"May I ask, Prime Minister, where should I settle down?"

"Hanyang County!"

Liu Jian's words did not surprise Zhang Fei and Lu Bu. Among the counties in Liangzhou, the one closest to Guanzhong is Hanyang County, which is also the gateway to Liangzhou. Stationing troops and horses there is consistent with the situation. The method of military strategy.

"Don't be in a hurry on your way to Hanyang County. You should stop more when passing through the dozen or so new supply points we have established along the way to see if these new supply points can be used. Is it efficient or not? Is there anything that needs improvement?”

Zhang Fei and Lu Bu hurriedly raised their hands and said yes.

"If you feel that there is anything inappropriate along the way, or that there are any supply points that are redundant, even if you want to send someone to report back, I will make arrangements as quickly as possible in the rear!"

"Here!"

At this time, I heard Lu Bu say: "Prime Minister, I feel that sending troops to station in Hanyang County this time may not be the best strategy."

Liu Jian looked at him: "Why?"

Lu Bu said: "At the beginning, Bu, Taifu Dong and others went out with more than 100,000 troops to camp in Ji County of Hanyang County. However, for a whole year, the three armies were unable to advance. Of course, this was also because Taifu Dong was ill at the time. The officers and soldiers of the three armies were not in harmony with each other, but in terms of geographical location, Hanyang County was located among the three counties of Anding, Jincheng, and Longxi. The rebels had been lingering in Liangzhou for many years and had power in all counties. They emptied the local Civilians, we have not found supplies, and at the same time the rebels are wandering in the three counties, containing us from all directions, making us enemies on all sides, this kind of strategy is very passive!"

After listening to Lu Bu's words, Liu Jian said: "For Fengxian to say these words, it shows that you are very serious about the conquest of Liangzhou. This is good!"

"However, I am not asking you to station in Hanyang County this time because I am anxious to pingliangzhou. I just want you to occupy a foothold in Liangzhou first and then wait for my next order."

"In addition, after you occupy Hanyang County, Ma Teng and Han Sui will definitely send troops to attack you one after another. I have no other requirements for you, but I ask that you win the first few battles for me and improve morale. I'll bring it up. In addition, you should not interfere with local people's livelihood affairs for the time being. I will make arrangements for specific arrangements for local people's livelihood affairs in the future. In particular, you must be cautious when dealing with the Qiang people. Don't be prone to shouting, beating, killing, etc. as before. Destroyed, do you know?"

Lu Bu and Zhang Fei saw Liu Jian demanding that they win the battle, so they said: "Prime Minister, don't worry, we will definitely live up to your expectations. This time we go to Liangzhou, we will fight a good first battle."

"As for the local people's livelihood and how to rectify the Qiang people, we will not easily interfere. As long as the Qiang people do not take the initiative to provoke and attack us, we will never provoke them easily. Please rest assured, Prime Minister."

Later, Liu Jian told Zhang Fei: "Yide, this time you have been appointed as the guardian of the expedition against Liangzhou. You will be solely responsible for the frontline troops. Don't let me down."

Zhang Fei's face straightened and he said: "Brother, don't worry, I will treat you with caution and live up to your trust."

Seeing Zhang Fei and Liu Jian treat each other as brothers, Lu Bu showed a bit of envy on his face.

Alas, I think back then he and Dong Zhuo were treated like father and son. I was so close to the leader at that time.

Looking at it now, I feel really down and out.

No more kissing the boss.

……

Afterwards, five men, Zhang Fei, Lu Bu, Zhang He, Dong Huang, and Zhang Ji, each led a troop and began to march toward Liangzhou. Along the way, they carefully inspected the more than a dozen grain collection points and found some If there were any inappropriate areas, he would put forward rectification suggestions and send them to Chang'an in time, asking Liu Jian to make an overall plan.

Ma Teng and Han Sui learned that Liu Jian's troops were finally heading towards Liangzhou. The two of them immediately continued to urge the rebels to shrink to the west, and decided to teach them a lesson after Liu Jian's army arrived.

At this time, Ma Chao, the eldest son of Ma Tengjun, has become a young general who is the most brave among the three armies. Carrying his father's expectations, he is preparing to march first to attack the imperial army, giving the opponent a disincentive and letting the imperial army know about their Liangzhou Rebel Army. sharp.

In the previous battle, Ma Chao had faced Lu Bu, and now he has grown again.

Ma Chao was very happy when he heard that Zhang Fei, who was as famous as Lu Bu or even more famous than Lu Bu, had come.

As the saying goes, a newborn calf is not afraid of tigers. Ma Chao really wanted to see what the powerful generals of the Hebei Army were capable of.

(End of this chapter)