The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 479: The Story of Zhao Kuo

"I was already here at Wangwu Mountain before I joined the army. Now that I'm in the army, I have to go to Wangwu Mountain. Isn't my service as a general in vain?"

Several new soldiers looked at Wangwu Mountain in the distance and couldn't help complaining in their hearts.

Luo Xian looked at the generals in front of him seriously.

"You are all capable generals summoned from various camps, and these soldiers are also elite soldiers with excellent physical strength."

"Next, I will lead you up the mountain. If even one person falls behind, the entire army will be punished together!!"

"We must reach the top of the mountain and set up camp before dark!!"

Luo Xian said loudly.

He is now helping to train the mountain camp of the central army. This mountain camp is where the original central camp should be set up. Cao Mao did not add a camp, but chose to change it instead. The main reason is that Cao Mao did not want to increase the number of the central army.

During the reign of Sima Shi, in order to deal with possible local rebellions and also because of distrust of foreign generals, he had no choice but to recruit on a large scale and frantically increase the number of central troops. During the reign of Sima Zhao, the number of central troops once reached 200,000.

Cao Mao felt that sending 200,000 elite soldiers to protect Luoyang was a bit too extravagant!

The amount of food consumed is also huge.

Sometimes, more troops is not always better.

Moreover, the Wei army also has a lot of local troops. The Wei army is really too many! !

However, there are still Shu and Wu, so he can only continue to maintain such military strength. After destroying these two guys, Cao Mao will keep the most elite ones and withdraw the rest of the soldiers.

This military competition is like a marathon, a blood-thirsty marathon, and no one dares to stop.

Shu maintained an army of nearly 100,000, but its treasury was always empty. Wu maintained an army of 150,000, but its life was not much better. Wei was the most ferocious, with a total of more than 500,000 troops, including the central army, foreign troops from various places, and border garrisons.
You know, an army of this size would be really scary in the Later Han Dynasty.

You have to know that the military strength of the Later Han Dynasty was only about 300,000, and it was still a unified dynasty.

This also brings considerable financial pressure.

The commander of this new mountain battalion is Hu Fen.

Son of General Hu Zun.

Although this man came from a high family, he followed Sima Yi to fight as a soldier when he was young. He was also a ruthless person. In history, he pacified Liu Meng and participated in the destruction of Wu, and had great military achievements.

What’s interesting is that this brave general fought for many years. When he was old, he became interested in reading like Du Yu, and began to study and write articles. He actually wrote quite well. When he was in office, he was also good to the people, and therefore won their support.

At this moment, he was assigned as a captain.

To outsiders, his rank was demoted, but Hu Fen himself did not think so. The captain of the central army was different from the captain of an external general. He led a battalion independently, and a battalion of the central army often had a size of nearly 20,000 people.

The central army had nearly 200,000 troops, with a total of ten battalions.

Oh, by the way, there are also Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, eleven of them.

Moreover, it is a mountain camp. Anyone with a discerning eye can see why this camp was established.

The achievement of destroying a country is what almost all generals pursue.

Hu Fen, wearing heavy armor, stood aside, looking at the elite army in front of him, and then looked at Luo Xian beside him, without any displeasure in his heart.

Hu Fen was not good at mountain warfare, and Luo Xian came from the place that was best at mountain warfare. Having this person come to help him train and teach him the experience of mountain warfare, Hu Fen was so happy that he didn't have time to be angry.

He humbly asked Luo Xian for advice, and during these days, he also learned a lot of things that were necessary to know about mountain warfare.

Hu Fen whispered, "General Luo, is this how we're going to train next? Will it damage their bodies?"

Luo Xian said seriously, "Shu will recruit those people who live in the mountains to serve in the army. They can march through the mountains as if they were walking on flat ground. This is because they have lived in such an environment since childhood. The warriors we recruit now are mostly from the mountains. If we want them to form a stronger team, we must let them train and live in the mountains."

"And we can't just stick to one type of terrain. There are many different mountainous areas, and the differences are huge. So, in the coming days, we'll have to take them to various locations."

“But, this is a logistical matter.”

Luo Xian looked at Hu Fen, who patted his chest and said, "You don't have to worry about this. His Majesty said that the logistical support is absolutely in place. Just as you said, we can let them eat more meat to increase their physical strength."

After hearing these words, Luo Xian felt even more complicated.

He was happy because he could provide more meat, which gave him more confidence in training an elite mountain battalion. However, it was also a bit sad that the Shu Kingdom could not do the same, and the army's combat effectiveness had been declining over the years.
Luo Xian then followed Hu Fen and led the mountain camp into the mountains.

In the carriage in the distance, Xiahou Xian and Ma Long were looking at this place.

Xiahou Xian asked, "Will Luo Xian resort to any more tricks?"

Ma Long shook his head. "I've carefully read the method he wrote down earlier. It's not just random talk. He should practice it well."

"Then can he be reused?"

"You can reuse him, but you still have to be on guard. Unless Shu is destroyed, you can't be completely defenseless against him."

"it is good."

Xiahou Xian nodded, then sighed.

"I am already very old. I wonder if I can live to see the day when Shu is destroyed."

Ma Long stood beside him and said seriously, "With Chen Qi's death, there is no hope for Shu. It just depends on how long they can hold on."

"Your Majesty is a very cautious person. Otherwise, even if we send troops now, we can still forcibly destroy Shu. The gap in national strength between Shu and Wei is already huge. This is no longer something that can be stopped by relying on the checkpoints."

"The Wei Dynasty can surround them and attack them for a whole year, but can they hold out against us for a year with a large army?" Xiahou Xian laughed when he heard Ma Long's question.

"What you said makes sense."

"If we were to send an army to destroy Shu, who do you think would be the commander?"

Ma Long fell silent and did not answer the question. Xiahou Xian smiled and asked, "Just be frank. At my age, I no longer want to lead troops into battle."

Ma Long then replied, "Your Majesty will probably go to Chang'an in person, with the Grand Marshal as the commander-in-chief and staying by his side. General Deng, General Yang, and the governors of several northwestern states will form the main force and storm Hanzhong."

"As for the south, we should let the General of Chariots and Cavalry lead the charge, and let General Wang, General Wen, and even the provincial governors serve as the main force to storm Yong'an."

"The General of the Cavalry should be on guard against any rescue efforts from Wu."

Ma Long expressed his guess.

"What about the central army?"

"They should go to these two places separately and fight together. They shouldn't appoint separate generals."

"Otherwise, there will be too many generals, which will be difficult to command."

Xiahou Xian nodded, agreeing deeply.

He couldn't help but sigh, "How long will Your Majesty wait?"

"Your Majesty, the official work has been basically completed."

Zhong Hui was sitting in the Taiji Hall at this moment, giving a serious report.

After several years of cleaning and appointment, local officials and temple officials were basically formed and the replacement was completed.

Zhong Hui's mission was accomplished.

Cao Mao could not help but say: "Shi Ji has made such a great contribution, I really don't know how to reward him!"

Zhong Hui raised his head and said, "I am wholeheartedly assisting the Holy King, not for any reward."

This is what Zhong Hui said, but if you really believe this, then you are not a sage king.

Cao Mao waved his hand and promoted Zhong Hui's title. Zhong Hui himself did not have the title of marquis. Zhong Yao's title was given to Zhong Yu. Zhong Hui was granted the title of Guannei Hou on the day Cao Mao ascended the throne, which was a title in name only.

At this moment, Cao Mao directly asked Zhong Hui to take another step forward and appointed him as Marquis of Dongwu Ting.

Zhong Hui's contribution is real. After all, from the reorganization of officials to the final appointment, even the assessment, and the appointment of students after the assessment, all were handled by Zhong Hui himself.

Zhong Hui made great contributions to Cao Mao's ability to complete the major reshuffle of the court and local officials.

When Zhong Hui learned of the reward, he was also shocked and hurriedly stood up to express his gratitude.

"I have no military merit, how dare I be granted a title of nobility?!"

"Hahaha, back in the Former Han Dynasty, Gongsun Hong was granted a title of nobility for his good governance. Your achievements today are no less than those of the generals who expanded the territory. Without your governance, how could they have achieved such great achievements? You deserve to be granted a title of nobility!"

After hearing Cao Mao's words, Zhong Hui thanked him and accepted the order.

Cao Mao smiled and shook his hand. "Shi Ji, the current official affairs have been settled, and the local governance has begun. In your opinion, what should be done next?"

Zhong Hui quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I may no longer be in charge of the administration of officials, but I cannot neglect it. I must continue to carry it out."

"Next, we can start to destroy the Shu Kingdom."

Zhong Hui said seriously, "Chen Qi of Shu is dead. Jiang Wei will certainly send more troops. This is our good opportunity. Once Shu is stuck in the war and unable to withdraw,

Cao Mao pondered for a moment, "What about Wu?"

"After what happened with Sun Chen, Wu's defense is still okay. If they want to send troops, it will be too difficult for them. If Shi Ji dares to send troops from Lexiang, then our army in Huainan will dare to cross the river and attack their Jianye."

"Jianye now doesn't even have any famous players stationed there to defend it, making it vulnerable."

Cao Mao laughed. "Shi Ji, then I will also leave the preparations for dealing with Shu to you."

Zhong Hui was overjoyed and hurriedly stood up to pay his respects again.

"I will definitely live up to your majesty's high expectations!"

Zhong Hui had imagined this day long ago, when he would assist the sage king, uphold justice for the world, and establish a unified and prosperous era. Oh yes, a peaceful era!
In Zhong Hui's eyes, the current Shu Kingdom was in ruins, and he had ten ways to cause greater unrest.

War is the last resort, and disrupting their internal affairs is the best preparation.

"How does Shi Ji plan to deal with Shu?"

"Your Majesty, do you know about the Battle of Changping?"

"Oh? Of course I know. Is Shiji preparing?"

"The people of Wei are not afraid of Jiang Wei. Jiang Wei has lost more than he has won against Wei. The only thing Wei fears is Zhuge Zhan, the son of Prime Minister Zhuge."

"If the King of Shu appoints him to replace Jiang Wei, then Wei will never dare to invade Hanzhong again."

Zhong Hui talked to himself and then burst into laughter.

P.S. Lao Lang wishes all brothers a happy new year, family reunion and good health!!

(End of this chapter)