Shu Han Confucian General of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 289 Final Preparations
Years of wars and chaos have caused the common people to suffer greatly.This year, God finally opened his eyes.The grain harvests in Jingzhou, Yizhou, Yangzhou, and Yuzhou were bumper, and the people of the big man were able to breathe a little bit.

Hebei is no exception. After the rare bumper harvest, Cao Cao was overjoyed and started a new round of hoarding grain and grass and an arms race.And Sima Yi, who occupies the fertile Guanzhong, is also ready to collect food and grass to start fighting.All three parties are hoarding heavy troops on the border, ready to go to war.But this battle, in the end, could not be fought.

There is no other reason. In the previous year's battle, both Cao and Liu suffered heavy losses. The short year really made them a little bit powerless.At this time, recuperation is the most sensible choice.Since last year, Liu Bei has recruited 200 new recruits in each of the three states of Jingyang and Xu.Yangzhou, which has the smallest population among the three states, has nearly 200 million people, which is really easy.After Cao Cao lost more than [-] million people in Guanzhong, his household registration was already worse than that of Liu Bei. Therefore, while recruiting recruits, he also used Qianshao to recruit some small nomadic tribes outside the Great Wall to enroll in the military to reduce the burden on the states. pressure.And now that Liu Bei didn't take the initiative to attack, Cao Cao was a little relieved.

But it is also rest and recuperation, the difference is still very obvious.From the current point of view, the population ratio of Cao, Liu, Sima and Yi is about 3:4:1. Liu Bei, who occupies the entire Central Plains and the south, basically occupies the most fertile land of the Han Dynasty.And as far as the climate is concerned, rice and wheat are planted in rotation in the south. For the same acre of land, the annual output in the south is obviously much higher than that in the north.

Although Hebei is also known as a fertile land, Hebei, which can only grow one crop of wheat every year, is not as good as the South, which can grow a few crops of wheat every year.After the grain harvest came up, Cao Cao and Xun You calculated, but the final result almost didn't make them lose their confidence to continue fighting.

The combined grain output of Jizhou, Youzhou, and Liaodong last year was barely equal to that of Jingzhou under Liu Bei.This can only explain one thing: Cao Cao was completely defeated when he struggled with logistics.This result also forced Cao Cao to do everything possible to plunder food.

So in September, Cao Cao sent Xiahou Dun again to send troops to Goguryeo, Fuyu and Karasuma.In the previous battle, Sanhan was already seriously injured, but Goguryeo and Fuyu had not completely surrendered, and Karasuma had been dishonest all these years, so it was time to beat him up.This time Xiahou Dun sent troops again, which lasted three months, and finally defeated the 18 allied forces of the three countries with a mixed force of 2 Qingzhou soldiers and tiger and leopard cavalry at the foot of Changbai Mountain.Xiahoudun, who was unwilling to accept it, left more than [-] Karasuma elite soldiers captured by Zhenbei Zhonglang to incorporate Qianshao into the army, but he himself led a lone army to go deep, completely captured the capital of Goguryeo, and took most of the people's population away. To the hinterland of Youzhou.Continue to rely on this method of supporting war with war to increase chips for Cao Cao's future decisive battles.

"Now there are [-] elite Hu cavalry soldiers led by Shao. If there is a decisive battle with Liu Da'er, these [-] elite cavalry will be enough to turn the big-eared thief back and forth!" After Cao Cao saw the battle report sent by Xiahou Dun , is also smiling.Before Liu Bei re-opened the channel with Xiliang, he could not form a cavalry force that could compete with Cao Cao only by relying on horses produced in the Central Plains.

Naturally, Cao Cao didn't know that after the Wenshan mountain road was opened, Ma Chao had sent people to send [-] Xiliang horses to Xichuan and then to the Central Plains.In addition to the previous Fengyun Cavalry and Baima Yicong, Liu Bei now has an astonishing [-] cavalry.Although the number is slightly worse than Cao Cao's, once Liu Bei occupies the Guanzhong area and Ma Chao's Xiliang iron cavalry intervenes, the advantages of the two sides in cavalry will be reversed immediately.

As for food and grass, Liu Bei asked Zhuge Liang to calculate the military rations harvested this year, and the result was very exciting.If Xichuan's men and horses are not counted now, then the grain and grass are enough to support Liu Bei's northern expedition with 60 troops for a full eight months.Such a result almost made Liu Bei think that Zhuge Liang was fooling him.After being convinced of the news, Liu Bei's confidence also skyrocketed.If it hadn't been for Guan Yu's repeated emphasis on the immature training of recruits, I'm afraid he would have sent his troops northward this year.

In the first battle, Liu Bei mobilized an army of 30 if Xichuan was counted. In the end, he successfully captured Guanlong and the Central Plains and won a complete victory; in the second battle, the Liu Bei Group invested more than 40 troops. , but in the end it was almost a big loss and a special loss.Before the second battle, Cao and Liu were almost equal in strength. Now that Cao Cao lost Guanzhong, Liu Bei only lost Hanzhong.But Liu Bei also knew that Cao Cao was definitely not someone who could be taken lightly.

Zhao Feng who was in Xichuan didn't know all of this.Now, he is inspecting and accepting a batch of newly built warships in front of the Fushui Pass.Beside him are Huang Quan, Zhang Ren and Fazheng.

"General, I, Xichuan, have never practiced sailors. Now the general builds this large ship, why?" Huang Quan was almost dizzy when he looked at the several-storey high ship.Just now Zhao Feng asked him to go up with him, but he didn't dare.

"Hehe, Gongheng, you don't know. To deal with Sima Yi this time, I let the lord pay for me. This kind of five-story ship was the magic weapon of the Jiangdong Navy in the past. One ship is enough. Carrying 3000 people!" Zhao Feng laughed.

"3000 people!" Hearing this, not only Zhao Feng, but even Zhang Ren exclaimed. What is the concept of 3000 people?That means that as long as there are a few such large ships, an army of tens of thousands of people can be mobilized.But Zhao Feng continued: "Now that Hanzhong is lost, it is really difficult for us to seize Hanzhong. That's why I hope to rely on this kind of big ship, and when the two armies confront each other, I can lead the army down the river until Yidu , and then moved the army northward from Zigui, and captured Hanzhong through the three eastern counties. Although there will be some detours in this way, it can avoid the natural danger of Yangping Pass, isn't it wonderful?"

"So that's the case, no wonder the general wants to mobilize the army and horses in Yidu County!" Zhang Ren suddenly realized when he heard the words, Huang Quan also nodded and said: "It's a bit difficult to go straight from Xichuan to Hanzhong. If you go to Dongsan County, It can avoid the natural danger of Yangping Pass." However, they didn't expect that this was just the first step of Zhao Feng's plan, and the real ultimate move was yet to come.Of course, Zhao Feng didn't tell the truth now.So far, only Fazheng knows all about his plans.For the rest of the people, Zhao Feng was going to wait until the fight started.

The large ship in front of Zhao Feng was built by the shipbuilders of Gu Yong's Gu family.Zhao Feng remembered that in history Dong Xi, the great general of the Eastern Wu, fell into the water and drowned because the boat was overturned by the wind and waves during the battle at Dongting Lake.In view of this, Zhao Feng has always been reluctant to see this kind of large ship.When I conquered Jiangdong, all the buildings and ships of the Jiangdong Navy stopped at Poyang Lake.As a result, after he settled Poyang City by himself, the building and ship became decorations.

But since defecting to Liu Bei, Gu Yong solemnly introduced his large ship to Liu Bei.Although the anti-wind and wave performance is relatively poor, it is a big ship that can carry thousands of people after all. This kind of transportation volume also makes Liu Bei quite excited.Later, after referring to several new types of boats designed by Zhao Feng, Gu Yong also improved the big boat by replacing the original oars with impellers, which saved one of the five-story boats and lowered the center of gravity.At the same time, the firmness of the hull is strengthened structurally, which makes this kind of large ship able to withstand the wind and waves of the Yangtze River.Of course, it is impossible to go to sea at this stage.

"The general's meaning is to pretend to march into Hanzhong with great fanfare, and then use this kind of large ship to go down the river to Yidu County, and then march to Hanzhong from the East Three Counties." After thinking about it, Huang Quan also understood a little bit.Zhao Feng nodded, but still said cautiously: "Wait until the spring of next year, and make an appointment with Ma Mengqi to send troops together, and then act."

"That's right, if General Ma can march into Longxi and threaten Guanzhong, Sima Yi can at least contain tens of thousands of horses. In addition to the garrisons in various places in Guanzhong, as well as the defenders in Tongguan, Wudu, and Yinping, Sima Yi can only be deployed in Hanzhong at best. Tens of thousands of defenders. In this way, we will be more confident when we march from the three eastern counties!" Fazheng said seriously.Knowing the whole plan of the matter clearly, but still pretending to be suddenly enlightened, and even fooling Huang Quan and Zhang Ren, Fazheng's evil taste is enough.

"It's also fortunate that Zhang Shusi guarded the West City, otherwise, all this would be empty talk!" Zhang Ren suddenly sighed.Zhang Ren has always been right about things and not people. Although he has never met Zhang Xiu, he still admires his behavior.After Xia Houyuan marched into Hanzhong that day, he led his own army to pursue Lu Xun, and at the same time sent Du Xi to attack Xicheng, but was repelled by Zhang Xiu.Of course, this is also thanks to the fact that Ma Di, the former prefect of Xicheng, had expanded and strengthened the city of Xicheng when he was in office.Both Xincheng and Shangyong are located in the deep mountains to the east of Xicheng, and Du Xi didn't even capture Xicheng, let alone these two places.

"That's right, uncle and heir have contributed a lot to this!" Zhao Feng nodded and said, if it weren't for the Dongsan County still in Zhang Xiu's hands, at least half of Zhao Feng's plan would have died. There are two possible implementations.But when dealing with a treacherous person like Sima Yi, every time you lose a layer of deceit, he may see it through.Even with this triple deception, Zhao Feng didn't expect Sima Yi to be unstoppable, he just tried his best to buy himself time before he completely saw through all his plans.

Time passed day by day, and the year 212 AD was spent in a relatively peaceful atmosphere.Except for some small-scale wars, most areas are very peaceful.In the spring of 213 A.D., Ma Chao, governor of Liangzhou, dispatched Biejia Jushou of Liangzhou to take the Wenshan Road, and arrived in Chengdu after more than half a month, discussing with Zhao Feng the appropriateness of marching into the army.At the same time, Liu Bei who was in Xuchang also received a letter from Zhao Feng, the letter only had six words:

Unsuccessful, they become benevolent.

(End of this chapter)