Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 710 Prepare to take action
After inheriting his father and brother's foundation, Sun Quan continued to expand his power in the south. On the one hand, he actively recruited talents. Zhou Yu recommended Lu Su to him. Lu Su proposed the "Couch Strategy" and formulated a strategic plan for Sun Quan to establish a foothold in Jiangdong and stand on the same level with Jiangdong to watch the world's provocations. On the other hand, Sun Quan continued to conquer the surrounding Shanyue and other ethnic minorities to stabilize the rear. At the same time, Sun Quan also sent troops to attack Huang Zu of Jiangxia many times, and finally killed Huang Zu, further consolidating his rule in the south and occupying large tracts of land in Jiangdong and the south.

After losing Xuzhou, Liu Bei defected to Yuan Shao. But Liu Bei knew that Yuan Shao could not accomplish anything, so he left Yuan Shao and went to Jingzhou on the pretext of joining forces with Liu Biao to fight Cao Cao. Liu Biao treated Liu Bei very courteously and stationed him in Xinye. During his stay in Jingzhou, Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times and invited him to come out. Zhuge Liang formulated the "Longzhong Plan" for Liu Bei, planning a strategic blueprint to first take Jingzhou as home, then take Yizhou to form a tripartite situation, and then take the Central Plains. Later, Cao Cao went south to Jingzhou, Liu Biao died of illness, and his son Liu Cong surrendered without a fight. Liu Bei was defeated by Cao Cao at Changbanpo in Dangyang, and later joined forces with Sun Quan to defeat Cao Cao in the Battle of Chibi, taking the opportunity to occupy part of Jingzhou.

After Liu Biao passed away, Liu Zhang of Yizhou was weak and had many internal conflicts. Liu Zhang heard that Cao Cao was going to attack Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, and fearing that he would be in trouble, he followed Zhang Song's advice and invited Liu Bei to Sichuan to help resist Zhang Lu. After Liu Bei arrived in Sichuan, he initially cooperated with Liu Zhang, but later the conflict between the two sides intensified, and Liu Bei led his troops to attack Liu Zhang. After three years of hard fighting, Liu Bei defeated Liu Zhang and occupied Yizhou, achieving the first strategic goal of "Longzhong Strategy".

Dong Zhuo was still cruel and ruthless in Chang'an, which caused dissatisfaction among the ministers in the court. Wang Yun joined forces with Lu Bu to plot to kill Dong Zhuo. However, Dong Zhuo's generals Li Jue, Guo Si and others counterattacked Chang'an under the advice of Jia Xu. Wang Yun was killed and Lu Bu fled. Li Jue and Guo Si took control of Chang'an and the surrounding areas and continued to cause chaos in Guanzhong. Later, Cao Cao welcomed Emperor Xian of Han to move the capital to Xuchang, and used the emperor to command the princes, gradually becoming a powerful force that could compete with Yuan Shao. Li Jue and Guo Si gradually declined in their mutual struggles, and Chang'an and other places also fell into chaos.

In this way, after years of chaos and power struggles, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Sun Quan, Liu Bei, Liu Biao and other princes gained a firm foothold in their respective territories, forming a relatively stable but undercurrent situation. This was only a stage in the troubled times, and various forces were still constantly planning and fighting for the dream of unifying the world.

As the Sui Dynasty, Bingzhou and the grasslands prospered under Jia Changsheng's governance, his eyes had already gone beyond the prosperity in front of him and firmly locked on the territory of the entire Han Empire. This war-torn land was devastated by the disputes of various princes, but it also contained endless opportunities and possibilities. Jia Changsheng knew that in order to realize his ambition to occupy the entire Han Empire, he needed to make careful arrangements in politics, military, economy, diplomacy and other aspects, and move step by step.

Jia Changsheng first focused his political strategy on dividing the various princes. He sent a group of shrewd and eloquent counselors to penetrate into the various spheres of influence of the Han Empire. These counselors disguised themselves as businessmen, scholars, and travelers, and shuttled between the territories of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Sun Quan, Liu Bei, Liu Biao and other princes, taking advantage of the intricate contradictions and conflicts of interest among the princes to provoke their suspicion and fighting.

Between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, Jia Changsheng's advisers deliberately spread rumors that Cao Cao was secretly colluding with Sun Quan, intending to reap the benefits of the fight between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. At the same time, they revealed to Cao Cao that Yuan Shao was gathering a large army to attack Cao Cao's rear. This made the already tense relationship between Yuan and Cao even more tense. Both sides continued to strengthen their vigilance and frequently mobilized their troops, consuming a lot of manpower, material resources and financial resources.

As for Sun Quan and Liu Bei, the advisers seized on the sensitive issue of Jingzhou's ownership and made a big fuss about it. They told Sun Quan that Liu Bei had no intention of returning Jingzhou and was secretly expanding his power to attack Jiangdong. They also told Liu Bei that Sun Quan was eyeing Jingzhou and was planning to seize it in conjunction with other princes. This caused a rift in the Sun-Liu alliance, and the two sides faced off on the border of Jingzhou, with their relationship in jeopardy.

While dividing the princes, Jia Changsheng also actively sought cooperation with some forces in order to achieve the goal of forming alliances. He took a fancy to Liu Biao's Yizhou, which was rich but lacked sufficient defense capabilities due to Liu Biao's weakness. Jia Changsheng sent an envoy to Yizhou with generous gifts and sincere cooperation intentions. The envoy explained to Liu Biao the many benefits of cooperation, such as jointly resisting powerful enemies such as Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, sharing military technology and resources, and promised to respect Yizhou's autonomy in the cooperation. After weighing the pros and cons, Liu Biao, although he had doubts, finally reached a preliminary cooperation agreement with Jia Changsheng, which laid the groundwork for Jia Changsheng's future march into Yizhou.
In terms of military affairs, Jia Changsheng reorganized and trained the million-strong army. He divided the army into five major corps according to different arms and combat missions. The first corps was the cavalry corps, led by a general who was good at riding and shooting, equipped with fine horses selected from the grassland and advanced cavalry equipment, responsible for long-distance raids, harassing the enemy's rear and cutting off the enemy's supply lines; the second corps was the heavy infantry corps, equipped with heavy armor and long spears and huge shields, mainly responsible for frontal assaults and defense tasks; the third corps was the crossbow corps, with long-range, powerful crossbows and accurate archers, providing powerful long-range firepower support in battle; the fourth corps was the naval corps, specializing in water combat, and the warships were improved and equipped with catapults, crossbows and other weapons to deal with the powerful navy of Sun Quan in Jiangdong; the fifth corps was the mobile corps, composed of elite light infantry and a small number of cavalry, with the ability to respond quickly and fight flexibly, and could support other corps at any time according to the battlefield situation.

Jia Changsheng formulated a strategic plan for gradual advancement. In the first step, he set his sights on Cao Cao's territory bordering Bingzhou. Cao Cao occupied Yanzhou, Yangzhou, Xuzhou and other places, and his power was strong, but there were also many hidden dangers within. Jia Changsheng ordered the cavalry corps to frequently harass Cao Cao's border areas, robbed food and grass, destroyed farmland, and attacked small strongholds, forcing Cao Cao to disperse his forces for defense. At the same time, he secretly supported the opposition forces within Cao Cao to create chaos and weaken the foundation of Cao Cao's rule.

After the border harassment achieved certain results, Jia Changsheng launched a large-scale offensive. The heavy infantry corps led the way, and the crossbow corps provided firepower cover in the back, launching a strong attack on Cao Cao's Yanzhou defense line. The cavalry corps bypassed Cao Cao's rear and attacked his grain and fodder bases and transportation routes. Although Cao Cao fought hard, under Jia Changsheng's carefully planned attack, his defense line gradually collapsed, and part of Yanzhou was occupied by Jia Changsheng.

In order to support the massive military operations and achieve the goal of occupying the Han Empire, Jia Changsheng adopted the strategy of "fighting to support the war" and strengthening economic exchanges. Every time he conquered a piece of land, he quickly took over the local economic resources, took over important industries such as official fields, mines, and salt fields, and reorganized production and operations. He sent experienced officials to manage these industries, improve production efficiency, and increase fiscal revenue.

Jia Changsheng also vigorously promoted economic exchanges between the occupied areas and the Sui Dynasty, Bingzhou, and the grasslands. He opened up many trade routes and organized caravans to transport supplies. Horses and furs from the grasslands, ironware and grain from Bingzhou, silk and porcelain from the Sui Dynasty, and other specialties were circulated to various places through trade, which not only enriched the lives of the people, but also brought Jia Changsheng huge commercial profits. These profits were used to purchase military equipment, recruit soldiers, build fortifications, etc., further strengthening his strength.

Jia Changsheng was well aware of the power of public opinion. In order to justify his military actions and win the hearts of the people, he skillfully used public opinion. He ordered people to compile a large amount of propaganda materials to expose the atrocities and corruption of various princes, such as Yuan Shao's extortion, Cao Cao's use of the emperor to control the princes, and Sun Quan's local separatism. At the same time, he publicized his "righteous actions", claiming that he was fighting to end the chaos, save the people, and restore peace and prosperity to the Han Dynasty.

Jia Changsheng also spread his ideas and policies among the people by spreading nursery rhymes and posting notices. He promised to reduce taxes, restore production, and protect people's livelihood, giving the people hope for life. In the captured areas, he actively promoted good governance, opened warehouses to release grain, provided relief to disaster victims, and punished corrupt officials, winning the support of the people.

With Jia Changsheng's careful planning and active actions, his power continued to expand within the Han Empire. Although the road ahead is still full of challenges, and Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Sun Quan and other princes will not give up easily, Jia Changsheng is moving step by step towards the goal of occupying the entire Han Empire with his excellent strategy, powerful military force and firm determination.

In the spacious and majestic tent of Bingzhou, the flickering candlelight cast a shadow on the tent wall. He stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes sweeping over the loyal civil and military officials who had followed him for many years, his mind full of plans for future hegemony. Today, he called everyone together to discuss how to put his grand plan of occupying the entire Han Empire into practice.

"Everyone, now that our foundation in the Sui Dynasty, Bingzhou and the grasslands is stable, it is time to turn our attention to the entire Han Empire. But this matter is of great importance, and we need the wisdom of everyone to ensure that it will not go wrong." Jia Changsheng's voice was low and powerful, echoing in the tent.

After he finished speaking, Zhang Liao stood up first, clasped his fists and said, "My lord, in my opinion, Yuan Shao now occupies the three northern states, has a large number of soldiers and generals, and is the most powerful. He should be our first target. As long as we defeat Yuan Shao, most of the north can be secured." Jia Changsheng nodded slightly, motioning Zhang Liao to continue. Zhang Liao continued, "Although Yuan Shao is strong, he is stubborn and self-righteous, does not listen to good advice, and has many internal contradictions. We can first send a small force to harass his border continuously, consume his troops and food, and then find his flaws and attack in one fell swoop."

At this time, counselor Guo Jia stroked his beard and smiled: "Wenyuan's words make sense, but Yuan Shao has a deep foundation and it is difficult to shake him for the time being. Cao Cao occupies the three states of Yan, Yang, and Xu, and he uses the emperor to control the princes. He is also a big threat to us. Moreover, Cao Cao has many counselors and generals under his command, so we must be on guard. In my opinion, we can show weakness to Cao Cao first to paralyze him, but secretly speed up preparations, and when the time is right, we will give him a fatal blow."

Jia Changsheng pondered for a moment and asked, "Fengxiao, when do you think the time is right?"

Guo Jia's eyes flashed with wisdom, and he said, "The conflict between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao has been going on for a long time, and there will be a war. We can sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. When they are both defeated, it will be the best time for us to send troops. At that time, we will march eastward, first take Cao Cao, and then Yuan Shao, which will achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Li Dian stood up and added: "My Lord, before military action, we need to strengthen intelligence gathering. Now all the princes are secretly on guard, we must understand their troop deployment, food reserves and internal movements, so that we can formulate a more accurate strategy."

Jia Changsheng nodded and said, "Mancheng is right. Intelligence is the eyes and ears of war, and we must pay attention to it. Pass the order down to strengthen the operation of the intelligence agencies and make sure that every move of the various princes is under our control."

At this time, Man Chong, who was in charge of logistics, stood up and said, "My lord, military operations cannot be separated from the support of food and supplies. Although we have developed the economy in various places and stored a lot of supplies, we still need to further expand our reserves to support such a large-scale war. At the same time, we must ensure the smooth flow of transportation routes to avoid the situation of insufficient food and supplies."

Jia Changsheng looked at Man Chong with trust in his eyes: "Bo Ning, the food and supplies are now in your hands. Make sure there is enough food and the transportation is correct."

After Man Chong received the order, Xu Huang stood up and said, "My lord, although our army now has a million people, we still need to further improve our combat effectiveness in order to fight in all directions. We can select the elite soldiers in the army and form a special force to carry out special tasks such as surprise attacks and raids, and play the role of surprise troops on the battlefield."

After hearing this, Jia Changsheng's eyes lit up: "Gong Ming, this is a brilliant plan. You will be responsible for selecting soldiers and forming a special forces unit. Make sure to build it into an invincible elite force."

Everyone was talking at once, and the discussion was in full swing. At this time, Xun Yu, who had been silent all along, slowly spoke up: "My Lord, in my opinion, in addition to military and logistics, we also need to pay attention to the will of the people. Nowadays, the people have suffered from war and are eager for peace. During the war, we must strictly enforce military discipline and not harm anyone. At the same time, we must actively restore local production and provide relief to the people. Only in this way can we win the hearts of the people and consolidate our rule."

Jia Changsheng agreed: "What Wen Ruo said is exactly what I want. He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world. Our goal is to end the chaos and let the people live a peaceful life. Pass the order down, all soldiers must abide by military discipline. If anyone violates it, they will be severely punished."

Then, Cheng Yu proposed diplomatic suggestions: "My lord, we can send envoys to the forces with which we have a good relationship, such as Liu Biao, to strengthen cooperation. At the same time, we can divide the alliances among other princes, so that they will be suspicious of each other and unable to take care of themselves."

Jia Changsheng nodded in agreement: "Zhongde is right. You will be responsible for arranging this matter. Select the right envoy and make sure to achieve our diplomatic goals."

After a heated discussion, everyone gradually reached a consensus. Jia Changsheng looked at the civil officials and military officers in the tent, and his heart was full of confidence: "Everyone, we are here to discuss today to start the great cause of unifying the world. As long as we work together, we will surely achieve hegemony."

Everyone shouted in unison: "We are willing to serve our lord and achieve hegemony!" The sound made the general's tent buzz, as if foreshadowing that the journey they were about to embark on would be full of hardships but would surely be glorious. In this chaotic world, Jia Changsheng and his men were about to follow the countermeasures discussed today and take firm steps to compete for the world.

(End of this chapter)