The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 431: Can’t Miss
Luoyang.

"Hahaha, the Wu Kingdom has finally started fighting!"

Zhong Hui threw his head back and laughed.

He looks very happy.

Everything in Cao Wei was getting better and getting back on track, but the two countries in the distance were still heading towards a direction that would only get worse.

The Shu Kingdom had just come up with a theory of hatred against the country when civil war broke out in the Wu Kingdom.

Zhong Hui seemed to be able to see that the era of great unification was beckoning towards him.

Cao Mao's feelings were extremely complicated at this moment.

He had originally placed high hopes on Sun Chen and wanted to use him to get rid of Ding Feng. However, who knew that Sun Chen, who was in power, would let Ding Feng escape.

He did not remember any civil war in Wu during this period. Sun Jun was subdued by capturing one person, and there was no fighting at all.

History is gradually deviating and becoming increasingly different from what Cao Mao remembers.

But this is not a bad thing. Although he failed to kill Ding Feng, Sun Chen's subsequent actions were still very sharp. At least he killed Zhu Yi and caused many generals to defect.

Sun Chen really worked very hard to reduce the number of his generals.

Now it has even triggered a civil war, the battle between Jingzhou and Yangzhou. It’s exciting to think about it.

Zhong Hui couldn't wait to say: "Your Majesty, perhaps we have a chance to take Xiling, Jiangling and other places."

Now Xiangyang is in the hands of Cao Wei, while the southern part of Jingzhou is in the hands of Sun Wu.

Zhong Hui's strategy of destroying Shu first was to capture Xiling first and pry open the gate of Jingzhou, so that Cao Wei's navy could take advantage of the situation and capture Jiangdong in one fell swoop.

Today, General Wang Ji, the Zhennan General, is stationed in Xiangyang. If the Wu army in Jingzhou clashes with the local army, Cao Wei may really take the opportunity to completely seize Jingzhou. After all, Wang Ji is a talented general, and the generals around him can also go to the rescue in time.

Cao Mao did not hesitate any longer at this moment.

The general situation in the world has already undergone earth-shaking changes. It is hard to say whether Zhong Hui and Deng Ai will destroy the Kingdom of Shu, or Du Yu will destroy the Kingdom of Wu in the future.

We cannot stand still despite the changes in history. If there is a chance to achieve victory faster, we should not hesitate.

The two men talked for a while, and Zhong Hui left in high spirits.

Cao Mao was standing in front of the map at this moment.

A huge map was hung in the west hall of Cao Mao. This map was presented to Cao Mao by Pei Xiu himself.

Pei Xiu's map clearly marks the current situation of the Three Kingdoms, including cities, states, and even terrain, all at a glance.

Cao Mao frowned and looked at the map quietly.

Is this disaster that has lasted for nearly a hundred years finally coming to an end?

Soon, Cao Mao also left Xitang. He changed into ordinary clothes, got on a carriage, and then left the palace under the protection of soldiers.

He was heading for the central army.

During this year, the Central Army was probably the place where Cao Mao went the most times and most frequently.

He got to know more and more people in the central army.

The Central Army almost became Cao Mao's army. Cao Mao often participated in the military competitions of the Central Army and rewarded those soldiers with outstanding performance.

The morale of the central army was getting higher and higher, and the generals were clamoring to defeat Shu and Wu for the emperor.

According to Xiahou Xian's idea, two battalions of the central army have now gone to Yongzhou to cooperate with the local war zone and be responsible for pacifying the Qiang and Hu people inside and outside Yongliang.

Wu and Shu could not even gather enough food to send troops, but Wei could train its army in this way, which was too luxurious for the other two countries.

Cao Mao participated in this competition, and the winner once again received rewards from the emperor.

After the competition was over, Cao Mao summoned several generals from the central army and asked them about the affairs of the Wu State.

Inside the tent, Xiahou Xian, Ma Long, Wen Yang, Cheng Chen, Sima Jun and others sat on both sides, looking at the emperor sitting on the throne attentively.

"Shi Ji of Wu is fighting against Sun Chen. Shi Ji's army was small to begin with, and now he's fighting Sun Chen. Some people think this is a good opportunity for us to completely take over Jingzhou."

"What do you think?"

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid it won't be easy."

Xiahou Xian spoke first.

As a veteran, he inevitably had some conservative ideas that were common among veteran generals, and he would think about the most unfavorable outcome before going into battle.

He said, "Jiangling and other places have been fortified countless times by the Wu Kingdom over the years. It's not something that a small army can take. Furthermore, this place is located between Wu and Shu. If we attack here, we will easily be attacked by both sides."

"In addition, Wang Ji from Jingzhou is still young and his talents are not obvious. I am afraid he is no match for Shi Ji. Unless we let General Guanqiu, General Hu, or General Wang come, there will not be much results." Xiahou Xian was worried about many things, and he did not trust Wang Ji.

After all, Wang Ji was famous for his governance. He achieved excellent results in local governance, and his government was stable and the people were harmonious. Among the local officials in the Wei and Jin dynasties, he was simply a breath of fresh air.

His military achievement was that he defeated the State of Wu together with Wang Chang, but Wang Chang was the main general, so he was not taken seriously.

The two battles in Huainan that really made him famous were both ruined by Cao Mao. It is no wonder that others looked down on him.

In addition, what Xiahou Xian was worried about was the number of troops.

The army in Jingzhou was not large, with only more than 50,000 soldiers.

The Wu army stationed in Jingzhou was of about the same size. Cao's army did not have an advantage in numbers and was the attacking party, so the consumption would be greater. The danger was that if they were defeated and lost Jingxiang, it would be a big deal. The enemy could force Cao Wei's throat at any time.

I would rather not win than make mistakes.

Cao Mao listened to Xiahou Xian's words without supporting or opposing them, and then looked at the other generals.

Ma Long's idea is completely different from Xiahou Xian's.

He said, "Your Majesty, you can have the central army slow down and head for Jingzhou. Then have General Wen send three captains to accompany the central army and obey General Wang's orders."

"Although General Wang doesn't have many military achievements, even the Grand Tutor has praised his ability to command troops, believing him to be a general as talented as himself."

"If Shu Kingdom sends troops to Jingzhou, we will have General Deng send troops from Yongliang to attack Hanzhong!"

"If Wu wants to seize the opportunity to attack, we will have General Guanqiu and General Hu prepare to cross the river!"

"The current situation is that we are strong and they are weak, so they are the ones who should be afraid."

If Xiahou Xian represents the older generation of generals who still have deep fears towards these two countries, then Ma Long represents the new generation of generals who are somewhat contemptuous of both Shu and Wu and are extremely confident in themselves.

Ma Long said, "Your Majesty, we have a good harvest this year and have plenty of grain. Our granaries are piled high. We are mobilizing troops from both places and heading slowly towards Jingzhou to keep an eye on the situation in Wu."

"If both sides stop fighting, or the war progresses quickly, we can turn back halfway, and it won't cause too much harm to us."

"If they start a fierce battle, leaving the city empty and causing unrest everywhere, then we can speed up. The army of Jingzhou, the central army, and General Wen's army will number nearly 150,000."

"Our army's morale is extremely high and their supplies are abundant. However, Wu is in civil strife, many generals have died, Sun Liang has been deposed, morale is low, and the country is in turmoil. How difficult can it be for us to take Jingzhou?"

"Wu is currently in turmoil, and Shu is not doing well either."

"Even if they want to send troops, they may not be able to gather food in a short time. If they can gather it, it's not a bad thing. We can change our strategy and attack their Hanzhong."

Ma Long talked freely.

Cao Mao still did not agree or disagree, he looked at the next person again.

Wen Yang saw the emperor's look and immediately stood up. "Your Majesty, I am willing to chop off the heads of Sun Chen and Shi Ji for you!"

Seeing these generals eager to try, Cao Mao asked a few other people. Almost all the young generals agreed to send troops, and they all believed that there would be no losses.

Cao Mao left only after he knew what the soldiers in the central army were thinking.

Cao Mao himself did not have much understanding of war. He had never fought in a battle and had no experience in leading troops. He would not think that his ability in warfare had surpassed those battle-hardened generals.

Every war must be carefully considered, even if there is a huge advantage. The Battle of Red Cliffs is the best lesson.

Cao Mao then summoned veteran generals including Wang Chang, Chen Tai, Guanqiu Jian, Zhuge Dan, and Sima Zhao to discuss the matter.

This also shows how rich the current Wei Dynasty is.

When everyone gathered in the East Hall, the scene suddenly became lively.

Chen Tai said, "Your Majesty, many of the generals in the central army have never been to Jingzhou and are unfamiliar with the local conditions. Fighting in different places requires different strategies and tactics. If you want to understand this, you can only seek advice from the princes."

The other generals also nodded in agreement.

They are much more mature than Ma Long and others. Without having been there, they will not easily express their opinions on the situation there.

Wang Chang had been in Jingzhou for many years and had fought many battles with Shi Ji.

He stroked his beard, shook his head, and said, "Duke Xiahou thinks things are too complicated, while Lord Ma thinks things are too simple."

"Wu has been operating in Jingzhou, fortifying the city and establishing checkpoints and fortresses in various locations. It won't be easy to capture it from Xiangyang."

"It's impossible to kill everyone as Ma Long said. If that were the case, it wouldn't have taken until now to complete."

"But Wu definitely doesn't have the strength to counterattack and capture Jingxiang. Shi Ji is good at defending, but lacks courage. This time, he must have raised an army because of others' instigation. He will definitely not attack first, but will wait for Sun Chen and others to attack."

"I think the Wu Kingdom might be trying to get Sun Chen to leave Jiangdong, or reduce the number of troops around him, before taking action against him. It's not really about starting a civil war."

(End of this chapter)