Han officials

Chapter 321 Southern Expedition
Later generations often used the phrase "when the cannons roar, gold flows like water" to describe war.

In fact, regardless of the dynasty, war is an extremely expensive affair.

For example, even though Wei Zhe's target in this battle is Yuan Shu, he still treats it with great care.

A lion must fight a rabbit with all his strength.

Once the war begins, no one can predict what will happen next.

Therefore, for this battle, Wei Zhe specially conscripted 10,000 soldiers from Youzhou Prefecture, 10,000 soldiers from Jizhou Prefecture, left Bingzhou and Liaodong untouched, and also conscripted 10,000 soldiers from Qingzhou Prefecture, 10,000 soldiers from Yanzhou Prefecture, 10,000 soldiers from Xuzhou Prefecture, and 10,000 garrison troops from southern Henan.

With 20,000 troops from Youji Prefecture as the central army, they marched south to directly attack Runan Commandery.

With 20,000 troops from Qingxu Prefecture as the eastern route army, they marched south from Guangling County in Xuzhou to attack Danyang County.

With 20,000 troops from Yan and Yu provinces as the western army, they launched a flanking attack on Nanyang County.

In total, Wei Zhe mobilized approximately 60,000 troops for this battle, while publicly claiming an army of 100,000.

Of course, the Wei army was no match for the scale of the Sui and Tang dynasty's imperial guards.

It should be noted that during the Zhenguan era, the Tang Dynasty had more than 650,000 soldiers, of which 220,000 were from the Sixteen Guards of the Southern Army and the Six Armies of the Northern Army.

During the Tianbao era, the Tang Dynasty's military force reached its peak, numbering as many as 800,000.

Furthermore, compared to the Zhenguan era, the proportion of cavalry in the Tang army significantly increased during the Tianbao era. With 120,000 elite cavalry at its core and 680,000 local militia as its henchmen, the Tang army was arguably the most terrifying fighting force on Earth in the 7th century AD!

It is clear that the Wei army still has a long way to go to reach this level.

Even so, the amount of grain and supplies that the Wei army would need to use in this battle was still astronomical.

……

The autumn harvest was already complete around Yecheng in early September.

Thanks to well-developed water conservancy and convenient transportation, Jizhou has had another bumper harvest this year.

Especially after the land survey was basically completed throughout the entire territory of Wei, the enthusiasm of the people was fully unleashed.

To put it bluntly, the grain output of Jizhou alone this year is enough to supply the army for its southern expedition.

But that's not how you calculate it. You should know that "when transporting grain over a thousand miles, eight or nine out of ten times it is lost."

Putting aside other things, the 100,000-strong army consumes nearly 200,000 bushels of grain and 250,000 shi of straw every month.

These grains required several times the number of laborers to transport them, making the consumption even greater.

If grain and fodder are requisitioned locally because of the bumper harvest in Jizhou this year, the losses during grain transportation will be enormous.

Therefore, the allocation of provisions is a complex subject that requires a high level of mathematical ability.

In the vast state of Wei, there might be people whose mathematical skills were better than Guo Yuan's, but their experience was definitely not as rich as his.

Even with ample experience, no one might understand the state of Wei better than him.

For example, this time, after fully considering the transportation conditions, grain harvest, accumulated surplus over the years, road distances, and distribution of granaries in various parts of Wei, Guo Yuan formulated a large and detailed overall plan.

Simply put, Guoyuan divided the more than 1,000-mile-long transport line into segments, each segment complementing the others.

For example, if Ji Province had a bumper harvest this year, then 300,000 shi of grain would be allocated and sent with the central army from the Yellow River into the Honggou Canal, heading south all the way to Runan Commandery. Yu Province and Yan Province along the Honggou Canal would gather grain locally and send it south with the main army to reduce losses.

As for the Eastern Route Army, the Sishui River was the main route for transporting grain, while the Western Route Army used the Yingshui River as its main route.

Of course, even under these circumstances, a large number of laborers and supply wagons would still be needed for transportation.

However, compared to the original method, the loss of supplies on the way has been minimized by Guo Yuan.

In this way, the front lines will not suffer from famine due to the supply of military rations, and resources in the rear will be used to their fullest potential.

However, on the other hand, Guo Yuan was able to accomplish such a feat thanks to King Hui of Wei.

After all, if he hadn't painstakingly excavated the Honggou Canal, connecting the Yellow River with the Ji River, Si River, Ying River, and Huai River, thus linking the Yellow and Huai River systems into a massive Yellow and Huai River waterway network, the Wei army's grain transport would have suffered even greater losses out of thin air.

As ship after ship of summer and autumn grains continued to sail to their designated locations under Guo Yuan's macro-control, Wei armies also began to set off in order according to military orders.

The first to set off were the soldiers from Youzhou Prefecture. With almost one soldier riding two horses, the Youzhou Prefecture soldiers were arguably the strongest in the Wei army. In particular, the Xuanjia Cavalry, which had expanded to three thousand men, became the Wei army's trump card.

When the Wei army mobilized and marched south in a large force, Huainan, Yangzhou and other places were already in an uproar.

……

Lujiang Prefecture, Prefectural Governor's Office.

There, one could see Xiang Zhonghua, a renowned scholar from Chenjun, chatting and laughing happily with Lu Kang, the prefect of Lujiang.

After Wei Zhe captured Xuzhou, Xiang Zhonghua naturally joined Wei Zhe's forces and became a literary official in Xuzhou. Although the armies of Wei and Yuan had not yet formally clashed, their struggle had already begun.

Xiang Zhonghua was sent by Yecheng to first carry out the diplomatic mission.

"Yuan Shu is a beast."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Xiang Zhonghua finally got to the point.

But then he angrily criticized:
"His family has repeatedly received imperial favors, even reaching the level of four generations of high-ranking officials, but this man not only did not think of repaying them, but also harbored a heart of venom. He dared to covet the imperial regalia, privately forged imperial seals and tallies, and even tried to shake a tree like an ant, completely ignorant of propriety, righteousness and shame."

"Our lord is acting on behalf of Heaven to punish this tyrant. Why don't you join me in this righteous cause and eliminate this traitor?"

Lu Kang heard this but said nothing; his aged face showed no emotion whatsoever.

However, after glancing at the "Record of Knowledge and Action" on the table, the sprightly old man couldn't help but sigh inwardly, and finally slowly unfolded Cai Yong's "Proclamation to Pacify the Bandits":
-
The traitor Yuan Shu seized Huainan, pretending to be a monkey in a crown, and falsely claimed the title of emperor.

The jackals and owls are of a wicked nature, their tyranny spreading throughout the provinces and counties. This is not merely a cause for the common people to weep blood; it is an act that even gods and demons cannot tolerate!
Although he ruled over a fertile land, he governed with the cruelty of a tyrant. He levied exorbitant taxes, exploited the people to the bone, and treated them like dirt. The once prosperous land of Huainan became a prison of starving corpses!

The government granaries were overflowing with grain, enough to satisfy even the wolves' bellies; the people's granaries were empty, and only cries of famine could be heard.

As a result, the fields were covered with bones, and there was no smoke for a thousand miles; the old and weak filled the ravines, and the living ate each other!
They split bones to cook food, exchanged children to boil them alive—such cruelty and malice would make even the most wicked rulers like Jie and Zhou turn their backs on them!
This scoundrel has sucked the lifeblood of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, leaving only the mournful cries of hell! His evil is so rampant that even the collapse of the four seas could not wash it away!
His falsehoods have been exposed; divine retribution is imminent!
Our lord, Duke Wei, upholds righteousness and commands a mighty army. He bears the heavy responsibility entrusted to him by the state and follows the will of the people. Now he leads 100,000 elite troops, spreading a net of heavenly justice; he commands a loyal and righteous army, striking with thunderous force across Huainan!
Wherever their banners point, they will crush the withered and the rotten; wherever the royal army arrives, it will surely save the people from fire and water!
Gentlemen of Huainan, you can clearly distinguish between loyalty and rebellion. If you can turn against your allies and welcome the royal army, or bind the rebels and surrender them at the gate, not only will your past transgressions be forgiven, but you will also receive the honor of being rewarded by the court!

If they remain obstinate and willingly serve as lackeys of a false emperor, when the city falls, they will all be arrested, publicly executed, and their heads displayed in the streets as a warning to all who disobey!

Alas! The mighty army is at its peak, and victory is imminent! All loyal and righteous people should join together to fight with our remaining strength, sweep away the evil forces, and restore our bright and clear world!
A proclamation is issued to all prefectures and counties, so that they may all be informed!
It must be said that Cai Yong's writing skills truly remained strong even in his old age.

Even though Lu Kang still harbored resentment over Wei Zhe's act of taking the title of Duke of Wei, he had to admit at this moment that Wei Zhe was indeed upholding justice and eliminating evil.

It should be noted that Lujiang County is right under Yuan's nose. Lu Kang knows better than any other force the current plight of the people of Huainan. They are truly suffering!
If the great famine in Guanzhong this year was a natural disaster, then the famine in Huainan today is purely a man-made disaster.

If Yuan Shu hadn't levied exorbitant taxes after occupying the area, and hadn't disregarded the people's livelihood after declaring himself emperor, launching a massive attack on Lujiang County, agriculture in Huainan wouldn't have been disrupted.

What angered Lu Kang the most was that Yuan Shu, this scoundrel, not only did not provide disaster relief, but he even tried to steal the last bit of food from the disaster victims. When a county magistrate defied his orders and distributed the granaries that were originally intended for military rations to the disaster victims, he actually ordered his arrest and beheading as a warning to the public.

Because of his various perverse actions, the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Yuzhou, which had almost disappeared, rose again.

The Yellow Turbans in Runan, in particular, amassed tens of thousands of followers in just a few months.

He Yi, Liu Pi, Huang Shao, He Man and other bandits each gathered tens of thousands of followers, called themselves leaders, and stirred up trouble.

This shows that Yuan Shu was truly inhuman!

With this thought in mind, Lu Kang finally sighed softly:
"Lujiang is weak and can only attack Hefei. As for how many troops it can tie down, that is beyond my control!"

However, as soon as he said this, Xiang Zhonghua immediately showed a happy expression.

"That will suffice. Lord Lu is truly virtuous. I will certainly inform Lord Wei!"

After all, the strength of the Lujiang army had already been proven in the great battle at the beginning of the year, especially the Chaohu navy, which almost overwhelmed Yuan Shu's navy. Otherwise, the Chaohu Lake wouldn't be filled with Lujiang navy ships right now.

With Lu Kang holding him back, Yuan Shu was no longer facing a three-pronged attack, but rather a four-sided encirclement.

However, after Xiang Zhonghua took his leave, Lu Kang's son, Lu Jun, couldn't help but ask in confusion:
"Why did Father get involved in the Yuan-Wei conflict? Didn't you say that Wei Gongwei and Yuan Gonglu were birds of a feather?"

In fact, Lu Kang originally had a very good impression of Wei Zhe, and he even had a considerable connection with Wei Jun.

Gongsun Zhao's older sister, Gongsun Yu, married Lu Kang's second son.

At the beginning of the year, when Yuan Shu personally led an expedition, Lujiang County was in imminent danger. Therefore, Lu Jun suggested that his father seek help from the Wei army in Xuzhou, but Lu Kang resolutely refused.

Because Wei Zhe first proclaimed himself Duke of Wei, before Yuan Shu declared himself emperor and Liu Zhang declared himself king.

At that time, Lu Kang felt that Wei Zhe and Yuan Shu were both ambitious traitors and there was no difference between them. If he asked Wei Zhe for help, it would be no different from surrendering to Yuan Shu.

As a result, Lu Kang didn't say a word and survived the disaster on his own in Lujiang County.

Lu Jun couldn't understand why they hadn't asked for help during the most difficult times, but were now cooperating with the Wei army.
Lu Kang didn't know how to answer this question either.

After a moment of silence, he said with a conflicted and wistful look in his eyes:
"Wei Gongwei may have been morally flawed, but he made great contributions to the people of the world."

"What does my personal sense of justice matter when it comes to the common good of the world?"

At this point, Lu Kang couldn't help but pick up the "Zhi Xing Lu" (Record of Knowledge and Action) beside him and gently stroke it.

For a pure Confucian like him, the power of thought is actually more offensive than weapons.

In fact, it wasn't just him; the entire Yangzhou region was unsettled by this book, "The Record of Knowledge and Action." Those in higher positions were more aware of what this book represented.

Even if they were reluctant to admit it, deep down they knew that this might truly be the best way to govern the world...

(End of this chapter)