The Three Kingdoms Voyage

Chapter 257 Pirate Empire Prepares for War
Sun Shao walked into the lively front hall with his hands behind his back, and everyone who was excited by the victory of Jin'ou Island quickly stood up and saluted, and congratulated Sun Shao with one tongue.Sun Shao frowned: "Why are you so happy?"

"Brother, General Zuo wiped out [-] Funan sailors, and the Funan people have no sailors." Sun Luban, who was jumping happily in the crowd, thought that Sun Shao didn't know the news, and reminded cheerfully.

"Just for this?" Sun Shao still looked dead, as if this was not a big victory at all, but just a small conflict.Before Sun Luban understood, he continued to remind: "That's the Eight Thousand Navy."

"I see." Sun Shao patted Sun Luban's head: "Girl, is the Eight Thousand Funan Marines worthy of being so happy?"

"Huh?" Sun Luban blinked, very puzzled.That's not enough to be happy about, so what's worth being happy about?

"Defeating the Funan Navy and dominating the rising seas is only the first step in the Long March." Sun Shao waved his hand, motioning everyone to sit down, and then said: "Our goal is the entire Funan, the fertile rice fields in Funan. After defeating the Funan Navy, at most We can only control the South China Sea and those islands in the sea, and control trade, but can this help us take down Funan?"

Everyone was silent.They all came to their senses, yes, defeating the Funan navy does not mean taking down Funan, Funan still has an army of nearly [-], and with the current strength of Yue, it is almost impossible to capture Funan matter.Sun Shao's ten-thousand-mile expedition has just completed the first step.

The Long March they understood did not mean the same thing as what Sun Shao said, but at this moment they coincided exactly.

"You guys have this spirit, why don't you think about how to deal with those infantry in Funan, especially those elephant soldiers." Sun Shao pinched his brows, his expression a little depressed: "Three hundred elephants, my God! , this can’t be done just by digging a hole.”

Everyone couldn't help laughing, and Sun Shao was thinking about digging holes for others every day.

"Zhong Rong, you should go to Rinan to see how they are preparing. The navy in Funan has been eaten by us. Fan Man can only get revenge through land battles. If this army of tens of thousands comes Sun Shao said with a smile: "Ask them if they need help. If so, you have to negotiate the price in advance. Don't call from Fan Man at that time. Our conditions here are not enough. Didn't agree."

Shi Bao nodded with a smile. There is no navy in Funan, and the country of Yue is safe. If Fan Man wants to take revenge, the only way is to fight on land.Although it is possible for Fan Man to attack Linyi, the Yue State has a navy, and they can come and go freely. At worst, they throw Linyi away and run away.But Ri Nan couldn't run away, Sun Deng was much more nervous in the face of the vengeful Fan Man.

If you don't negotiate the price at this time, when will you negotiate the price?Shi Bao excitedly took the mission to Nichinan.

When Sun Deng heard the news, he was stunned, his hands shook, and the hot tea in the teacup splashed all over his crotch, which made him grin.

"The whole army of the Funan navy was wiped out?" Sun Deng pushed away the maid who came over to wipe him water, and shook his trousers, asking without caring about his image, "When did it happen?"

Compared with Sun Deng's gaffe, Shi Bao was very calm.He took a sip of tea lightly and glanced at Sun Deng: "Five days ago."

Sun Deng said "oh", he couldn't believe it, but it was normal after thinking about it.Although he doesn't know much about naval battles, he can also tell from the passing merchant ships that the shipbuilding skills of the big man are not comparable to those of those small countries.Although Funan is a big country, it is still too far away to compete with the giants. Sun Shao started out as a navy, and this time he brought out nearly [-] sailors. It is not too big to wipe out the Funan navy. Difficulty, if you want to say it is difficult, is how to lure the Funan navy out, and such a method is simply easy for Sun Shao.

After the initial shock, his first thought was that if Fan Man wanted to take revenge, Ri Nan would be under a lot of pressure.Thinking of the Funan army coming in fury, Sun Deng felt his scalp go numb.But after all, he has experienced a lot of things, he has read a lot of Confucian books, and he has cultivated his character to some extent, so he will not mess up his position.He glanced at Zhuge Ke and Xie Jing next to him, picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea slowly, taking the opportunity to calm down his flustered mood.

Xie Jing laughed, but it was a forced smile.He has been by Sun Deng's side for a long time, and he can roughly figure out Sun Deng's mood at this time. However, he doesn't have much solution to the situation in front of him. It didn't work, but it made Shi Bao laugh secretly.Seeing Zhuge Ke, he said calmly: "So, the feud between King Yue and King Funan has become serious. Although King Funan has no navy, he is helpless, King Yue, but what about Linyi?"

Shi Bao turned his head and looked at Zhuge Ke, whose face was as heavy as water, feeling a little curious.He is Sun Shao's confidant, and he knows that although Sun Shao seems to trouble Zhuge Ke everywhere, he actually values ​​Zhuge Ke very much, but he has always been a little confused. Now seeing that Zhuge Ke is not moved, he is worried about Sun Shao When he got up, he admired Zhuge Ke's sobriety.

"If the King of Funan comes to attack, there are deep mountains and dense forests around Linyi, and it is not easy for elephant soldiers to walk. It is a good place for ambushes. Compared with the Changshan Mountain to the west of Rinan, it is much more beneficial." Shi Bao came prepared. Of course, he would not be intimidated by Zhuge Ke's few words. He picked up the teacup, took two sips of tea steadily, and then continued: "Fan Man has been fighting for many years, he will not fail to see this."

"Then... if Rinan falls again, is His Royal Highness the King of Yue planning to retreat from the sea, or stay in Linyi?" Zhuge Ke asked with a half-smile.Sun Deng breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that.Zhuge Ke reminded well that Sun Shao could not just sit back and watch Rinan fall. If Rinan was lost, Sun Shao's Linyi would become a turtle in the urn. To withstand the three-sided siege of Funan, the only way left was to retreat from the sea.Sun Shao spent so much thought and did not hesitate to cheat, let Wu Jun attract Fan Zhan's attention, successfully attacked Linyi, and heard that Sun Shao had placed many old and weak pirates in Linyi, how could he Give up Lin Yi at this time?
Shi Bao tilted his mouth, and said disapprovingly: "It's just a Linyi, if you lose it, you can lose it. This time we defeated the Funan Navy, and the land we got was only ten Linyi. Besides, Fan Man will be in Linyi , but what can I do? Is he the opponent of my Yue State navy?"

"Would His Royal Highness, King Yue, who has been victorious in all battles, retreat in such a useless manner?" Zhuge Ke was unmoved, and sneered: "That disappoints us too much."

Shi Bao shook his head again and again: "Otherwise, the temporary retreat is for further advancement. Brother Yuan Xun knows the art of war well, so should he still be entangled in temporary gains and losses?"

Zhuge Ke was speechless, the rulers and ministers of the Yue Kingdom had exactly the same ability to play rogues, when they should brag, they bragged to death, and when they just pretended to be cowardly, they could pretend to be grandsons without changing their faces.Although he also wanted to play tricks, he couldn't ignore Sun Deng's face, so he had no choice but to turn his eyes to Sun Deng.

Sun Deng smiled wryly to himself. He didn't have the courage of Zhuge Ke. Facing the predicament in front of him, he didn't dare to make Sun Shao anxious. Otherwise, if Rinan fell again, his life would be difficult. After making meritorious service, Nichinan was lost after changing hands. If he is not a waste, who is a waste?Sun Shao is different from him. A Lin Yi is lost as soon as he is lost. Even if someone looks down on him, no one dares to make irresponsible remarks in person. With Sun Shao's thick skin, he doesn't care what others say.

"Then Zhong Rong came here to remind us kindly, or to talk about cooperation?" Sun Deng stopped circling around and asked straight to the point.

Shi Bao took it away when he was ready, coughed lightly, and his expression became serious, he said solemnly: "Prince, Wuyue is originally a family, this time my king and the prince came to Rinan together, originally to recover Rinan Seek justice from Funan. Now that Nichinan has taken it back, our justice is about to be recovered. If the King of Funan has the general knowledge, this matter can be resolved satisfactorily. However, we have to guard against these barbarians jumping over the wall in a hurry. Unwilling to calm things down, in line with the principle of being prepared, there is always no harm in being prepared."

Sun Deng nodded, although he felt that Shi Bao was a little unreasonable, but since Sun Shao offered to fight the enemy side by side, it was always good for him, so don't be too careful about those unclear reasons.

"From the point of view of Funan, it doesn't make much difference whether they want to attack Linyi or Rinan. If they want to attack Linyi, they must first capture Rinan and cut off our army's retreat. Attacking Rinan will inevitably involve Lin Yi. Of course, Fan Man has been operating in Funan for so many years. He is not a simple-minded reckless man. The other side fights, divide and attack." Shi Bao smiled contemptuously: "My king is wise, and the crown prince is also a sensible person, no matter how blood relatives are, they will not be deceived by his little tricks, so There is no doubt that it is true that Wu and Yue fight against the enemy side by side, so there is no need to waste any more words. I came here to discuss related cooperation matters with the prince under the orders of the king."

Sun Deng breathed a sigh of relief, and was a little annoyed at Shi Bao and Sun Shao. Since they wanted to cooperate, why did they say it so scary.

"Does my elder brother have any plans?" Sun Deng changed to a more intimate name.

Shi Bao said solemnly: "Of course, my king has three strategies, the prince and the princes, please choose."

Sun Deng also became serious, moved forward unconsciously, and stretched out his hand to signal Shi Bao to speak quickly.Shi Bao cleared his throat and said in a loud voice: "The best strategy is that Wu's army is guarding Changshan and confronting the Funan army. Our navy patrols the Funan Bay and forces Fan Man to divide his troops into two groups. We are tired of coping. Within two years, Funan will be exhausted. By then Wuyue The army advances by land and water, and drives straight in, and can completely pacify Funan."

Before Shi Bao finished speaking, Sun Deng and the others frowned, and just as Xie Jing was about to speak, Zhuge Ke preemptively said, "What about Zhongce?"

Xie Jing was a little strange, Shi Bao's so-called best strategy was clearly malicious, he said nicely, what kind of division of troops, made Funan tired of coping, but Funan no longer had a navy, they were safe at sea, and Wu Guo But to really face Funan's attack, whether he can support it for two years is still a problem. Maybe Funan is not finished yet, but Nichinan is finished first.What kind of bullshit is this?Xie Jing wanted to sarcasm, but Zhuge Ke didn't comment, and let Shi Bao say the right strategy, which inevitably made Xie Jing a little short of breath.

"The middle policy, the two sides mobilize troops and fight decisively in Changshan." Shi Bao glanced at Sun Deng and others, and raised his mouth: "If the crown prince chooses this policy, then we have to discuss the matter of defense cooperation. Come to Changshan, or part of it? How should the two parties cooperate? Should each be in charge of a section, or should they work together, regardless of each other? How to coordinate the supply of food and grass, all these must be discussed, so as not to cause disagreements and miss major events at that time .”

Sun Deng thought about it, and felt that this plan was more feasible, but it involved a lot of problems. After all, if more than 2 Vietnamese troops entered Nichinan, it would not be a simple matter.Sun Shao's methods are always emerging one after another, and he still doesn't understand why Fan Zhan stayed in the city well, why he ran away suddenly, and in such a haste.He also asked the captives, and he only said that a group of people of unknown origin hunted and killed many soldiers who went out around Fan Zhan's barracks, which caused turmoil in the army. As for where these people came from, the captives thought they were from the state of Wu. But Sun Deng knew that those soldiers who were not from the Wu state must have been written by Sun Shao, but how these people failed to return, Sun Deng has never figured it out.

A [-]-strong army entered Nichinan, regardless of the food and grass, what if it is easy to ask God and send God away?Sun Deng had to prepare for the worst in advance.

"What's the next move?" Zhuge Ke asked again without waiting for Sun Deng to figure it out.

"The bottom line is very simple, that is, each defends his own, each fights his own." Shi Bao spread his hands, "If you lose, you withdraw from Rinan, if we lose, then we withdraw from Linyi, each according to destiny. "

Sun Deng shook his head again and again, and vetoed this bad strategy in one gulp: "It's not advisable. Wouldn't it make people laugh if you did this, and it's in Fan Man's arms."

"The prince is wise, and my Highness also thinks this strategy is not advisable." Shi Bao flattered at the right time.

Sun Deng smiled, is this still a compliment? Everyone knows that this strategy is not advisable.

"Shi Jun, can we discuss it and get back to you?" Zhuge Ke smiled politely, took a sip of tea from the teacup in his hand, and said casually.Shi Bao smiled slightly: "Naturally. I will take my leave first and wait for the good news from the prince at the posthouse."

Although Sun Deng was a little confused, he didn't say much, and asked Xie Jing to send Shi Bao out. He and Zhuge Ke stayed in the room, frowning and thinking for a while, and then asked softly: "Yuan Xun, what are you doing?" Which do you think works?"

Zhuge Ke smiled complacently: "It is said that there are three strategies, but in fact there is only one strategy, that is, the middle strategy is feasible. The prince is wise, and he must have already reached a conclusion. I don't want to be arrogant, and I dare to present my opinion for the prince's reference."

The corner of Sun Deng's mouth twitched inadvertently. After Zhuge Ke won the battle, he showed some arrogance unknowingly. For Sun Deng, who has a soft personality, this made him a little uncomfortable, but Sun Deng is a tolerant person , and has always claimed to be a corporal of courtesy and virtuousness, and he has this kind of heart. Although he is a little displeased with Zhuge Ke, he can still treat him calmly.

"Let's talk about the best strategy first. There is a huge gap between our two forces. As long as Fan Man leaves 2 to [-] people to defend the city, the rear will be as stable as a mountain. To protect Rinan, we can only fight with all our strength. Yue Guokong has the name of holding back, but it is true to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight. Regardless of whether we can defeat Fan Man in the end, our Wu Kingdom will definitely suffer heavy losses, and may even lose Rinan."

Sun Deng rubbed his hands slowly and nodded frequently, he thought so too.

"Let's talk about the worst strategy." Zhuge Ke paused, shook his head, and showed a perceptive smile on his face: "The king of Yue can give up Linyi, but we can't give up Rinan. Moreover, once we withdraw from Rinan, if the king of Yue has the means of ghosts and ghosts , take Rinan again, this Rinan...but it is not under the jurisdiction of my country of Wu. The king is Yangzhou Mu, and Jiaozhou is only managed by the king because of the fact. Once we lose Rinan, how can we know that the King of Yue will not use it as a reason? An excuse to ask the emperor to take charge of Jiaozhou?"

Sun Deng's crooked eyebrows trembled, and he held his breath. He only thought about Nichinan, and he didn't think about the whole Jiaozhou at all.However, if the State of Wu loses Rinan twice in more than a year, the possibility of Sun Shao taking advantage of the opportunity to ask for Jiaozhou is not small.Of course, if you want it, you may not be able to get it, but in that case, he will definitely make an incompetent comment.

Thinking of this, Sun Deng was startled, and when he looked at Zhuge Ke again, he was a little more grateful.

"Only the middle strategy is feasible." Zhuge Ke felt Sun Deng's psychology, and he continued calmly: "Wu and Yue joined forces to fight Funan in the Changshan area. Fan Man came from afar. How can it be compared to Funan? I made a rough estimate, my Wuyue army of 10 is enough to hold off 1 troops in Funan, and we are defending nearby, so it is much more convenient to deal with elephant soldiers." He hesitated for a moment, and a little He said embarrassingly: "The armaments of the Yue State are very sharp, and their soldiers are more refined than ours. Even if they only send out 2 people, they will probably be more powerful than our 1 people. If the two sides cooperate nearby, they will be defeated." Seeing the reality of our army, it is inevitable that there will be accidents. Therefore, I suggest that if we cooperate, our army needs to increase our troops, at least... an increase of [-] to [-] people."

Sun Deng suddenly raised his head and looked at Zhuge Ke, thinking for a moment: "Yuan Xun, do you want to recruit troops from Hepu and Cangwu counties?"

Zhuge Ke nodded: "It's imperative, if not, I'm afraid that the wolf will be rejected before and the tiger will be greeted later."

"I want to discuss it with Lu Dinggong." Sun Deng hesitated for a while, then shook his head worriedly: "I have already conscripted twice, and I will be recruited for the third time. I am afraid..."

"Prince, if this battle is won, not only can Nichinan be protected, but Funan can also be obtained." Zhuge Ke emphasized his tone: "Prince, do you know how big Funan is?"

Sun Deng shook his head blankly, he didn't know anything about Funan, who knew how big it was?

"It's bigger than Yangzhou and Jiaozhou, and even...it's not much less than the sum of the two." Zhuge Ke couldn't restrain the excitement in his heart: "Prince, if you can share Funan equally with King Yue, even if it is only one-third The place is also a great achievement. If there is no less, we can add two more Nichinans."

"Is it that big?" Sun Deng was very skeptical of Zhuge Ke's statement.Zhuge Ke smiled mysteriously: "Prince, there is no mistake in this matter. I took a look at the map of Funan on His Highness King Yue's Yingyang. Although it was just a glance, I can assure you that Funan is by no means a small country. Prince, The King of Yue never liked farming, so why did he go out of his way to deal with Fan Man this time? He also sent Liu Xi to Funan to spread the word that Funan people are originally from China, what is his intention? Isn't that very clear?"

"Is that so?" Sun Deng gasped, and he couldn't help but feel his blood boil.

……

Sun Shao met the embarrassed Fan Jinsheng.Fan Jinsheng was only shot by an arrow in the thigh, and during the time he was escorted to Linyi, the injury was almost healed.The level of medical craftsmen in Yue State opened his eyes.Funan is still a witch-doctor, or more of a witch-doctor.They often use spices instead of herbs to treat diseases. They have always believed that spices have a magical power to drive away evil diseases.Even in daily affairs, they also believe in the power of witches. If the people of Funan may have violated the law and are not sure, they usually use the method of asking the crocodile god to judge, that is, throwing the suspected guilty person to the crocodile. In the pool, if he was bitten to death, he deserved to die. If he climbed up alive, no matter how serious the suspicion was, he would be acquitted.

When Fan Jinsheng saw that the doctors from the Yue Kingdom did not chant spells or dance to pray to the gods before healed his wounds, he doubted whether they were really treating him. However, his wounds healed up quickly, so he let go. Heart.

Along the way, he ate well, drank well, and had a good rest. Apart from being haggard due to the high mental pressure, Fan Jinsheng seemed to be in good condition overall.When standing in front of Sun Shao, he braced himself even more, standing in front of Sun Shao with his head held high, but he refused to kneel down.

Sun Shao admired him a little, but admiration was nothing but admiration. This majesty still needs to be killed. With a glance in his eyes, Tu Hu walked up to Fan Jinsheng's back, and pressed his two palm-like hands on Fan Jinsheng's shoulders. Fan Jinsheng immediately Feeling like a mountain was pressing down, he gritted his teeth and supported for a while, but in the end he couldn't resist, his legs softened, and he knelt down in front of Sun Shao with a plop.This hit was so hard that both knees hurt.Fan Jinsheng gritted his teeth and let the sweat drip, but he didn't say a word.

"You are the Crown Prince of Funan?" Sun Shao asked lightly.Qin Sai who was standing beside him immediately translated his words.Fan Jinsheng gritted his teeth and sneered, "Do you want to use my life to blackmail my father? Don't even think about it! I'm not the prince, but I have a brother who is more favored by my father."

Although it was to make Sun Shao give up, Fan Jinsheng still paused subconsciously when he said this sentence, and Sun Shao, who had been staring at him, realized it sensitively. When Qin Sai translated Fan Jinsheng's words back, he understood in a trance I can't help sighing secretly, I love children, it seems to be the same in ancient and modern China and abroad.It seems that Fan Jinsheng is also a poor boy. He worked very hard, but he couldn't please Lao Tzu.

"Then you are not worth much?" Sun Shao was a little disappointed, turned his head to Sun Song and said, "Tell Fan Xun, let him tell Fan Man to redeem him with money. Sigh, this kid is probably not worth much, Zi Qiao, how many elephants do you think he is worth?"

Sun Song thought about it seriously: "At most, there are three or five heads."

"I think Xuan, maybe it's worth only one head. I guess, maybe some people hope that he will never go back."

As Sun Shao said, he winked at Qin Sai.Qin Sai understood and immediately translated their words to Fan Jinsheng.Fan Jinsheng knew that they were teasing him, but his face flushed with anger, and he roared: "My majestic Prince Funan, is he only worth one elephant? I have ten elephant soldiers under my command."

"So many?" Sun Shao was surprised, and waved his hand: "Then it will take ten heads."

(End of this chapter)