At the beginning, I gave up my military power with a cup of wine, and I ascended the throne

Chapter 222: Asking for a high price, paying it back

"If Chen Qingzhao wants to leave, he has to ask me first if I agree."

outside the temple.

Zhuge Shou, Qin Yuanba, and several generals smelled the aroma of wine as soon as they walked into the yard.

"Old Lu, Lord, you didn't wait for us."

Zhuge Shou rushed into the main hall in two steps at a time. He had followed Xiao Han for more than ten years and was one of his most trusted confidants, so he was not so restrained.

Qin Yuanba and other generals did not dare to be so presumptuous, but after Xiao Han smiled and waved, they sat down calmly.

"Go get two more jars of wine."

He said to Lu Ju, "Don't drink too much, two bowls each."

"Thank you, Lord Marquis."

Qin Yuanba and his companions were all ready to go.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, the atmosphere gradually became lively. Xiao Han put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth: "Keep your spirits up these days. If anyone loses the big picture because of the small, don't blame me for being ruthless when the military law is imposed."

All the generals in the hall know each other well. If they fail to do their job well, there is no way they will not be promoted.

But Xiao Han's rule was to give stern warnings before every battle to prevent these brave generals from becoming proud and careless.

"I woke up."

All the generals spoke at once.

They are all martial arts masters with strong physiques and abundant internal energy. They can stay sober even after drinking a hundred or eighty bowls of liquor, let alone two bowls of wine.

By the time all the generals had dispersed, it was late at night and the rain outside was getting heavier. The night was dark and misty.

The candlelight in the hall flickered, emitting a faint light. Qingyao took off his armor and sword, closed the door, and the mandarin ducks played in the water. The night was long and they had no desire to sleep.

"woooooo"

"woooooo"

At noon, Xiao Han was practicing sword skills in the courtyard when suddenly a loud horn sounded, followed by the ground shaking.

Tens of thousands of cavalrymen left Tianxian Pass and headed towards the Jizhou camp. Chen Qingzhao originally wanted to withdraw his troops, but before they even left the camp, they were alarmed by the roar of the Xiliang cavalrymen charging.

This went on for several days, leaving the 200,000 cavalry unable to advance or retreat.

Now it is no longer a question of whether to withdraw or not. If Chen Qingzhao is determined to withdraw, leaving behind tens of thousands of cavalry to fight to the death can completely buy himself some time.

But what happened next?
Do you still want the entire Youzhou?
These 200,000 cavalrymen and the 100,000 cavalrymen from Shuoyin dared to move northward to block the Northern Wei army. The more than 100,000 Xiliang cavalrymen inside Tianxian Pass dared to march into Youzhou.

Not to mention that Xiao Han was personally stationed at Tianxian Pass. If he had led the troops, the entire Youzhou would have fallen into the hands of the Western Liang cavalry before the war between Jizhou and Northern Wei was over.

If Chen Qingzhao does not retreat, he cannot stop the Northern Wei. If Chen Qingzhao retreats, he cannot stop the Western Liang.

pick one of two.

There is only one person in the entire Jizhou who can make this choice, and he must make it.

Jizhou City.

Zhenbeihou Mansion.

Xie Xuanli hadn't slept for three days and three nights. His eyes were red and his face was gloomy. He walked back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back, feeling anxious.

Every half an hour, a fast horse would enter the mansion to deliver information.

"My Lord, the Northern Wei has 200,000 cavalrymen, with three routes: one heading towards Shuoyin, one heading towards Jubei City, and one heading towards Yuyang."

"Among them, Jubei City is the most dangerous, with a total of 100,000 troops."

"My Lord, the Northern Wei army is attacking Jubei City fiercely."

"My Lord, the Northern Army is accelerating rapidly, and we are requesting that you send us soldiers, horses, and grain to help us."

Battle reports were sent to Jizhou City one after another.

"Send troops, send troops." "I don't have any more people under my command."

Xie Xuanli cursed loudly, and then called the guards, "Send another 20,000 people to help resist the North City."

"Wait a minute, my Lord."

Yuan Hong walked in, waved his hand, and the guards around him retreated.

"The Northern Wei still has 150,000 troops on Orange Island, waiting covetously. They can send more troops at any time."

"Jubei City has become an isolated city. Sending another 20,000 people, even 40,000 or 80,000 people will be useless."

Yuan Hong's face was solemn. "Instead of sending more troops to defend the North City, it is better to send these 20,000 to Yuyang. There are only 20,000 defenders there, which cannot stop the 50,000-strong Northern Wei army. If Yuyang falls into the hands of the Northern Wei, their army can march straight in and go around into the heart of Jizhou."

"You want to use Jubei City and Beifu Iron Cavalry as bait?"

Xie Xuanli was so smart that he understood what he meant almost instantly.

"Indecisiveness leads to disaster."

Yuan Hong nodded: "Although the Northern Iron Cavalry is elite, Jizhou does not lack these 30,000 people. What's more, the soldiers in the Northern Iron Cavalry still support Xiliang Hou in their hearts."

If the Marquis of Xiliang entered Jizhou and raised his arms and called out, these 30,000 Northern Army cavalry would surely rise up and join his army.

Rather than leaving it to Xiliang Hou, it is better to let them defend the North City and delay the main force of the Northern Wei. When Chen Qingzhao withdrew from Tianxian Pass with 200,000 troops, they would go out from the west and eat up the 200,000 troops of the Northern Wei in one go.

If all goes well, within ten years, the Northern Wei will be unable to move south and invade Jizhou, and the Marquis will have a chance to catch his breath.

"Otherwise, after this battle, Jizhou will never recover."

"How can 30,000 people stop the Northern Wei army of 100,000?"

Xie Xuanli was a little worried and reluctant at the same time.

The Northern Iron Cavalry is the face of the Jizhou Army and the elite among the elite under her command. They have fought in battles in the south and the north for more than ten years and have made great military achievements.

"With the strength of the Northern Palace Iron Cavalry, even if the Northern Wei Dynasty sends more troops, they can at least hold out for half a month."

Yuan Hong said: "In war, there will always be casualties. When these 30,000 Northern Army cavalry are killed or wounded, the Northern Wei army will also pay a heavy price."

By then, the Marquis can rebuild a Northern Palace Iron Cavalry that is truly loyal to the Marquis."

He clasped his fists and said, "Please give the order, my Lord, to order Xu Gang to lead the Northern Palace Iron Cavalry to defend the Northern City to the death."

Xie Xuanli pondered for a moment, wrote a secret letter, stamped it with the seal of the Marquis of Zhenbei, and sent someone to deliver it to Jubei City at an express speed of 800 miles.

"It may not be easy for 200,000 cavalry to withdraw from Tianxian Pass."

The Zhenbei Marquis slumped in his chair, "That kid will definitely ask for a lot of money."

"What Xiliang Hou wants is nothing more than a few counties in Youzhou."

Yuan Hong: "Give it to him. From what I know about Xiliang Hou, he is greedy and cunning. Now that the Northern Wei army is stationed in Jizhou, he will not miss this opportunity and will probably send troops to the north to attack the Northern Wei."

"These several counties in Youzhou are not given away for free. He must send troops."

"How many counties?"

Xie Xuanli snorted coldly: "You are looking down on Xiliang Hou too much. Believe it or not, he wants the whole Youzhou as soon as he opens his mouth."

"Ask for high prices, pay back when you get there."

Yuan Hong shook his head: "Even if we want to give it, the court will not allow it, and the Marquis of Qingzhou will not allow it either."

"That emperor wanted to maintain the balance between Jizhou and Xiliang, so that the two tigers could fight and the fisherman could gain the advantage."

"The emperor and the court will not let anyone fall."

"Send someone."

Xie Xuanli waved his hands, feeling extremely exhausted, "I'm too tired."

"I really want to sleep like this and never wake up!"

(End of this chapter)