Han officials

Chapter 225 A Mischievous Scheme [4K]

Because of Tatun, Wei Zhe's annual leave was ruined.

To be precise, the entire first month of the lunar calendar was not well spent.

After the New Year's court ceremony ended, Wei Zhe summoned his confidants and discussed matters all night.

In the end, both Xi Zhicai and Tian Feng believed that this time the threat from the barbarians would be far greater than in the past.

Whether it's Liaodong or the Youzhou border west of Liaoze, it's unlikely they will escape unscathed.

It is highly likely that even the counties of Bingzhou are within the range of the Hu people's attacks.

Although it is uncertain what kind of agreement the Xianbei people had with Yuan Shao, no one dared to be complacent about it.

……

Inside the study, Guo Yuan sighed, "Fortunately, last year, Your Excellency relocated 150,000 refugees to the four prefectures of Yunzhong for farming; otherwise, the border prefectures of Bingzhou would certainly not have been able to survive this time!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe couldn't help but sigh softly.

Indeed, if the northern border of Youzhou were to be invaded by the Hu people, Wei Zhe would be powerless to protect Bingzhou, even if he wanted to. Even if he were to survive this calamity and eventually reclaim the lost territory, the Han people of Bingzhou would likely be plundered.

With this incursion and withdrawal, the border regions of You and Bing will undoubtedly suffer immense losses.

Thinking of this, Wei Zhe looked at the jagged battle lines on the map and said with a gloomy face: "Send an order to Xu Rong: the battle in Taiyuan is temporarily suspended. Everything should be focused on the northern frontier. No matter what the cost, you must defend the four counties of Yunzhong for me!"

Upon hearing this, Tian Chou drafted the edict in a short time and then immediately issued it.

Tian Feng and the others didn't say anything about this, after all, Xu Rong's situation wasn't the most difficult one.

It should be noted that the shogunate had already bought him time to prepare for war, so that Xu Rong, Zhang Liao and others would not have their bases raided by the Xianbei people just as they were attacking Taiyuan County.

In comparison, the northern border of Youzhou faces the greatest pressure.

From Dai County in the west to Liaodong County in the north, this border stretching for over a thousand miles was vulnerable to attacks by the nomadic tribes.

The most urgent task at hand is to find a solution to this problem.

The most critical issue is that Yuan Shao will certainly not remain inactive.

The current battleground between Yuan Jun and Wei Jun is entirely within the area encompassing Zhongshan State, Zhuojun, Hejian State, and Gaoyang County.

It is easy to imagine the immense pressure these four prefectures would face should the Hu people launch a large-scale southward invasion.

At that time, Yuan Shao would probably attack the Wei army on the southern border at all costs, hoping to penetrate into the heart of Youzhou.

A pincer attack from the north and south—this was the deadly move Yuan Shao had prepared, risking the century-old reputation of the Yuan family of Runan.

However, Xi Zhicai and Tian Feng disagreed on this issue.

With the enemy attacking from both the north and south, the Wei army naturally had to prioritize certain tasks and could not treat all cases the same.

……

Looking at the battle lines on the map, Tian Feng frowned and said:

"With the Great Wall as a barrier and troops stationed in the northern prefectures, they should not be defeated in a short time."

"However, once Yuan Shao mobilizes all the troops of Ji Province, General Taishi's current forces will inevitably be stretched thin. The four southern commanderies cannot be defended without a large army—My lord, reinforcements must be sent to the south."

Tian Feng explained, "As long as we can defeat Yuan Shao's army, the southward-bound barbarian army will retreat without a fight! Therefore, what appears to be a two-pronged attack is actually just one enemy force."

Clearly, Tian Feng believed that attacking from the south and defending from the north was the wisest course of action.

In his view, no matter how powerful the southward migration of the Hu people was, the real deadly threat still came from Ji Province.

Whether it was the Xianbei army or the Wuhuan of the three commanderies, they were all instigated by Yuan Shao.

If Yuan Jun himself is defeated, given the nature of the Hu people, they will certainly not keep any promises.

From this perspective, Tian Feng's analysis is indeed quite reasonable.

Upon hearing this, Xi Zhicai immediately shook his head and said:

"The best strategy is to go north first and then south."

"Jixian is only three hundred li from the nearest point beyond the Great Wall, which the barbarian cavalry can reach in a day. Have you considered the people of Youzhou north of the Great Wall in your plan?"

Although Xi Zhicai was born in the Central Plains, he had been fighting alongside Wei Zhe in Liaodong all these years.

Therefore, compared to Tian Feng, who was born in the heart of Ji Province, Xi Zhicai was more aware of how devastating the northern barbarian invasions were.

Xi Zhicai pointed to the Great Wall line north of Youzhou, looking at Tian Feng with a serious expression, and said:
"The Great Wall is indeed a barrier for the north, but it also has weak points in its defense. Moreover, the nomadic cavalry are swift and elusive. During the reign of the late emperor, the Xianbei would raid the area every autumn when the harvest was ready, causing the people of Youzhou and the border regions to suffer greatly."

"Furthermore, if our army is unable to repel Yuan's army for a long time, or if the two armies are locked in a stalemate, what will become of Youzhou?"

"Since Yuan Hao knows that Yuan's army is stronger than the barbarians, isn't his desire for a quick victory just wishful thinking?"

"We must know that prolonged defense will inevitably lead to defeat. If any part of this thousand-mile-long defensive line is breached, or if there is an inside collaborator working with the Xianbei and Wuhuan, then the barbarian army could reach the walls of Jixian in no time. What will Yuan Hao do then?"

"Should we summon the army that marched south to reinforce Ji County, or allow the barbarians to burn, kill, and plunder in Youzhou?"

Upon hearing this, Tian Feng immediately frowned.

However, even though he acknowledged that Xi Zhicai's words made sense, he still believed that the danger in the south was greater.

Tian Feng didn't argue with Xi Zhicai, but instead bowed deeply to Wei Zhe, who was seated on the couch above, and solemnly said:
"My lord, when faced with two evils, choose the lesser one."

"Risks are inevitable now, and we must make choices!"

Wei Zhe, who had been watching from the sidelines, was immediately struck by a headache.

He felt that Tian Feng's words made sense, but he also felt that Xi Zhicai's concerns were not without merit.

At this moment, Wei Zhe finally understood the pain Yuan Shao had once suffered.

It turns out that having too many strategists can sometimes leave a lord with no options.

However, Wei Zhe was different from Yuan Shao; he remained calm, especially in critical situations.

This is the mental fortitude honed through countless life-and-death experiences on the battlefield.

However, after pacing back and forth several times, Wei Zhe suddenly turned to look at Guo Yuan:

"Zini, what do you think of Yuanhao and Zhicai's plan?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Yuan hesitated, because he didn't know what to choose either.

In other words, both Xi Zhicai and Tian Feng convinced him.

After a moment of silence, Guo Yuan said calmly:

"I am too dull to distinguish the merits of the two strategies, but I do have a humble opinion."

Guo Yuan walked to the map and pointed to the land of Liaodong, saying:
"Leaving aside the area west of Liaoze for the time being, in my humble opinion, the counties of Liaodong should be fine this time."

"Now that the Huimo and the Three Hans have been destroyed, Liaodong is safe from the rear."

"Goguryeo, which used to frequently invade Liaodong, is now divided into fourteen kingdoms in Andong. These kingdoms only managed to hold their positions as rulers because of your power, so they are not to be feared."

"As for the Buyeo Kingdom, although it still exists, Lord Lu had already secretly taken action when he was in charge of the Andong Protectorate. Now, the internal divisions within Buyeo are becoming increasingly severe, and it is already too busy to take care of itself, let alone have the courage to invade Liaodong."

After listing all the potential enemies in Liaodong, Guoyuan concluded:
"Therefore, among the prefectures in Liaodong, only Xuantu Prefecture has a border of several hundred miles with the Liaodong Xianbei. The other prefectures are protected by the natural barrier of Liaoze, making them as stable as Mount Tai. Moreover, with the strength of the troops stationed in Liaodong, it would be difficult for Xuantu Prefecture to be defeated."

"The only concern is the four counties of Liaodong, west of Liaoze, but... forgive my boldness, but this area is sparsely populated and impoverished. Even if the barbarians plunder it, the damage will not be significant." After all, even in Liaoxi Commandery, most of the cities are within the protection zone of the Lulong Pass Great Wall.

The section of the Great Wall at Lulong Pass even extends all the way to the Bohai Sea, with its easternmost point being Jieshi, which later became Shanhaiguan.

In Guo Yuan's view, this loss was entirely acceptable.

So even though Guoyuan didn't know what to choose, he did his best to make the situation clearer.

Indeed, that was the case, and Wei Zhe couldn't help but breathe a slight sigh of relief after hearing Guo Yuan's words.

But just in case, he still said, "Issue an order to all prefectures in Liaodong to strictly guard against the invasion of the Hu people, and not to be negligent."

After saying that, he walked around the map several times.

A moment later, his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

Wei Zhe suddenly realized that Xi Zhicai, Guo Yuan, and Tian Feng all had limitations in their perspectives.

However, if we put these one-sided views together, the whole situation becomes clear.

For example, at this moment, the originally very complicated offensive gradually became clear in Wei Zhe's eyes.

Liaodong can be ignored, and Bingzhou can hold out for a while, so the focus should be on Youzhou!

With this in mind, Wei Zhe finally made a decision.

"Pass on my military order:"

"Ten thousand troops from Zhuojun were transferred to Zhongshan State."

"Transfer 20,000 troops from Bohai and Zhangwu to guard the Hejian and Gaoyang areas."

Even though the garrison's combat strength was slightly inferior, such a large force would keep Yuan's army busy even if they attacked one fortress after another.

Moreover, given Taishi Ci's style, he would never just stand there and take the beating without fighting back.

Moreover, the 50,000 troops stationed along the southern border are just an appetizer.

As long as Taishi Ci doesn't suffer a crushing defeat like Sun Quan, allowing Yuan Shao to advance unimpeded, the government can still mobilize hundreds of thousands more troops at any time.

This is actually why Cao Cao was able to lead a million-strong army to attack Shu and destroy Wu so often.

Even after deducting the vast majority of civilian laborers, Cao Cao's army would still number no less than 300,000.

Such a huge number is probably more than the entire army during the most prosperous period of this dynasty.

The reason why Cao Wei was able to support such a large army was, frankly speaking, entirely due to the land reclamation system.

However, just when Tian Feng thought Wei Zhe had adopted his plan, Wei Zhe suddenly changed his tone and gave another order:
"Send the order to assemble the troops."

"Three days from now, I will inspect the various military camps outside Ji County."

After saying this, Wei Zhe looked at Guo Yuan and said, "Zini, prepare provisions for 10,000 cavalry for ten days. The mules and horses will set off with the army in three days."

Hearing this, the group immediately understood what Wei Zhe was up to.

Clearly, he heeded Tian Feng's advice, and thus deployed heavy troops to guard the southern prefectures.

However, he listened to Xi Zhicai's opinion and decided to attack the Hu people first.

Neither Xi Zhicai nor Tian Feng expected Wei Zhe to make such a good use of his strengths and compensate for his weaknesses.

Even Xi Zhicai couldn't help but worry after hearing this, saying, "My lord... isn't this too risky?"

Because neither the Xianbei nor the Wuhuan were easy to deal with, it was a bit presumptuous to send only 10,000 soldiers.

Tian Feng shared this view and immediately advised, "My lord, you should bring more troops."

At present, there are still plenty of troops stationed in Youzhou. Putting aside everything else, it is not a problem to raise another army of 50,000 men.

Unexpectedly, Wei Zhe smiled nonchalantly upon hearing this.

"Gentlemen, there's no need for further words!"

"In terms of brilliant strategies and ingenious plans, I am no match for you all; but when it comes to leading troops into battle, none of you are as good as me!"

"Furthermore, speed is of the essence in war. Too many troops would be disadvantageous. Ten thousand cavalry would be enough."

After saying this, Wei Zhe explained the plan to send troops.

His tactics were actually quite simple: to launch a long-range raid while the Wuhuan people were gathering for their winter camp.

With Tadun, the traitor, leading the way, Wei Zhe had actually avoided the biggest risk for the Han army when leaving the border—getting lost!
To be honest, the Han army did have the courage and determination to go beyond the Great Wall, but sometimes they simply couldn't find the enemy.

As a result, the army's expeditions beyond the Great Wall often came to naught, and over time, the nine border prefectures gradually shifted to a defensive posture.

After explaining his thoughts, Wei Zhe slapped his palm onto the Xianbei royal court at Tanhan Mountain, located on the north side of the map.

"This invasion was orchestrated by Yuan Shao. There is no connection between the Xianbei and Wuhuan people, and they even have a hidden hostility towards each other. Therefore, my expedition against the Wuhuan people is not actually very risky. Even if it fails, I can retreat back to Youzhou."

Wei Zhe was actually planning to exploit a time gap in the conflict between the Xianbei and Wuhuan.

If the Wuhuan people are dealt with first, the risk of this Hu trouble can be reduced in advance, and Wei Zhe will not be caught off guard when dealing with the southward Xianbei army.

Seeing Wei Zhe's insistence, Tian Feng and the others had no choice but to obey.

However, once the war begins, both the northern and southern enemies will inevitably become aware of it, and Yuan Shao might launch an attack ahead of schedule.

After some discussion, the group then made various contingency plans.

Xi Zhicai looked at the southern part of Ji Province on the map with bright eyes and said:

"Order the navy to send a batch of horses to Xuzhou port and deliver them to Yuan Gonglu and Tao Gongzu."

"If Yuan Gonglu attacks Chenliu and Tao Gongzu attacks Taishan, then Yanzhou will surely be in danger."

"Once Chenliu County falls, Yuan Gonglu's troops can directly reach Jizhou."

Xi Zhicai's words were not just his own opinion, but rather a consideration from the perspectives of both Yuan and Xu.

It should be noted that Chenliu Commandery is located deep within Yuzhou, partially surrounded by Yingchuan Commandery, Chen State, and Liang State. Given Yuan Shu's temperament, he had long coveted this piece of meat that was within his grasp.

As for Taishan County, it has always been Xuzhou's target. After all, Tao Qian himself was from Taishan, and he had recruited Taishan generals such as Zang Ba, Sun Guan, Wu Dun, and Yin Li. His intentions are self-evident.

Therefore, if Xi Zhicai's plan is followed, both sides will most likely not refuse to send troops.

At the same time, Tian Feng also suggested upon hearing this:
"If Yuzhou and Xuzhou make a move, we can also order General Zhong to lead troops to launch a fierce attack on Zhou Ang, the governor of Qingzhou, to contain him."

"In this way, Ye City will not dare to leave the area south of Ji Province unattended and will definitely send troops to garrison it, which will relieve some of the pressure on our southern front."

Upon hearing their words, Guoyuan immediately smiled and said:

"In that case, why don't you also appoint Ju Yi as the governor of Ji Province, to give Yuan Shao some good luck?"

If it weren't for the fact that Hanoi Commandery was so far from the Wei army and they didn't even share a border, Guo Yuan would have even suggested that Wei Zhe provide Ju Yi with some troops and equipment.

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhe couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"With your help, I am certain that this battle will be won!"

Upon hearing this, Guo Yuan and the others stroked their beards and laughed, and in an instant, the room was filled with an atmosphere of harmonious and joyful camaraderie between the ruler and his ministers...

(End of this chapter)