Martial Arts: I am in the Ming Cult and I am building a dynasty

The area of ​​Sichuan and Shu is now a hot potato.

The Blood Demon of Youquan, the Red Corpse God, the Blood Demon Yang Guang, the people from the Immortal Gate, etc. are all messing around in Sichuan. It can be said that it is a place of complete chaos.

In a short period of time, it is impossible to sort it out forcefully and we can only maintain the status quo.

Otherwise, if too much blood is shed in Sichuan and Shu, and the Youquan Blood Demon is released, it would be a huge trouble.

Fang Xuanling heard Yang Zhao's words, but he also stood up and spread out a very similar map, saying: "Your Highness, everyone, the situation in Guanlong is critical now."

"In the northwest, there are the Western Regions and Western Turks who are harassing us. In the southwest, the Qin is ready to make a move. In the north and northeast, the Bingzhou Li clan has heavily blocked our territory. There is also the Yellow River, which is a natural barrier and is extremely difficult to cross. Sichuan and Shu in the south can certainly provide some support for us, but they cannot bring about major governance."

"Therefore, if we want to unify the world and rebuild the Sui Dynasty, we can only choose the areas in the direction of Luoyang in the east and Jingxiang in the southeast."

Being in Guanzhong has its pros and cons.

On the positive side, it can ensure that they will not be defeated, but if they want to go east to fight, it will be extremely difficult.

Once the development direction is completely locked, it will become a dead end.

"To the east of Luoyang, we need to face Hongnong and the major families in the Central Plains. There is also Wang Shichong and the Great Ming Sect, which is also an extremely fierce obstacle. Even if we take Luoyang, we will still face attacks from all directions."

"The southeastern Jingxiang area, where Xiao Xin ruled, is a good choice, but Xiao Xin himself is on good terms with Guanzhong and even sent his only daughter, Xiao Yuexian, to Chang'an. If we attack him, even if we have the right to do so under the pretext of the Sui Dynasty, it will hardly be a righteous cause, and will be resisted by the Jiangnan families..."

Chapter 695 Du Ruhui's Advice, Xie Xuan's Past

Fang Xuanling was a top civil official from Guanzhong who was brought back by chance when Yang Zhao was in Luoyang. He had amazing strategies and with just a few words, he completely changed the situation in the Guanlong court.

Northeast towards Bingzhou, east towards Luoyang, and southeast towards Jingxiang.

Strictly speaking, these three directions are all Yang Zhao's enemies, some strong and some weak.

If the Bingzhou Li clan could be defeated, then the imperial court under Yang Zhao would be in a dominant position, controlling the northwest of the Sui Dynasty and the granary of Sichuan and Shu. It would be able to take advantage of the natural barrier and look down on others. It only needs to wait for the right opportunity to strike across the Central Plains and sweep across northern Hebei.

Once it becomes powerful, it will occupy 70% to 80% of the world.

However, the Bingzhou Li Clan was also one of the most powerful vassal forces in the entire Sui Dynasty. Especially after the three Li clans united, no one knew how deep the water was in this faction.

If we get stuck in a stalemate with the Li family and fall into a tug-of-war, both sides might suffer losses and become an enemy of others.

For the Guanlong court, this was the worst option, so it was directly ruled out by Fang Xuanling.

Then the remaining ones are Wang Shichong in Luoyang in the east and Xiao Xin in Jingxiang in the southeast.

"Your Highness, I suggest that we go out from Tongguan and directly attack Luoyang. Moreover, this battle must be fought quickly."

Fang Xuanling's words had just fallen.

Du Ruhui quickly took up the conversation and recommended it with all his strength, almost in a very affirmative tone.

Hearing Du Ruhui's words, quite a few people present were surprised.

Because from the overall situation, Xiao Xin in the southeast seems to be a better choice.

Yang Zhao is the only legitimate ruler of the Sui Dynasty today, and his origins are completely justified.

Although from a moral point of view, Xiao Xin's kindness and cooperation were somewhat unfair, but compared with the whole world, that little bit of morality was nothing.

In addition, Xiao Xin's power was relatively weak among the top princes in the world.

In order to dominate the world, big fish eat small fish and grow rapidly, forming a snowball effect.

Therefore, Du Ruhui's suggestion was incomprehensible to many people.

But right now.

Xie Xuan also stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, I also agree with Prime Minister Du's words."

If it was just Du Ruhui, we could still say that the other party might have made a wrong judgment, but there was also Xie Xuan who made the same suggestion, which meant that there might be a real problem in the southeast direction of Xiao Xin.

Yang Zhao couldn't think of anything for a moment, so he waved his hands and said, "Mr. Du, Mr. Xie, please tell me in detail."

Du Ruhui and Xie Xuan looked at each other, and Xie Xuan smiled humbly.

Du Ruhui also smiled back and said, "Your Highness, we Guanzhong soldiers are all from the north. We are good at cavalry warfare, land warfare, siege warfare, and defense, but we are not good at boat and water warfare."

"The land of Jingxiang is densely covered with water networks and many rivers. If we rush in before we have a suitable navy, we may be at a disadvantage. If it takes too long, by the time the Li family, Wang Shichong and others react, we will never be able to leave the east again."

"What's more, although Yang Guang is gone, the people of the Sui Dynasty have not lost their hearts, especially in the eastern capital Luoyang, where many subjects are still loyal to us."

"Finally, in the Eastern Capital Luoyang, there are still two families, Wang Shichong and Yuwen Clan, coexisting. There is no room for two tigers in one mountain, let alone two ambitious people."

"Your Highness once saved Yuwen Sheng's life in Sichuan and Shu. You pardoned his family and gave them gold and silver to win them over. Even if it doesn't work, Wang Shichong, who is cunning and suspicious, will definitely do something dirty with the Yuwen clan. This is the best time for us to take over Dongdu."

"Otherwise, once Wang Shichong and the Yuwen clan decide the winner, the Central Plains families will also make a bet, and it will be a hundred times more difficult to capture Luoyang again."

I have to say that Du Ruhui's considerations are quite mature.

Yang Zhao's heart also moved slightly, and then he looked in the direction of Xie Xuan.

Xie Xuan smiled elegantly and said, "Your Highness, Prime Minister Du has already considered everything very carefully. However, I have lived in Jiangnan for a long time and have also traveled in Jingxiang. I have some extra understanding of the Xiao family."

"Although Xiao Xian is weak, the Xiao clan is not without its members. The former Southern Liang Emperor Xiao Yan was also a great man, and among his descendants there is a lineage of extremely powerful people, including the Five Great Supervisors and the Four Sword Immortals left by the former Emperor Wu of Liang, all of whom are top masters."

"In addition, Emperor Wu of Liang also left behind many sacred artifacts to protect the country, and he had a close relationship with Buddhism. Even the great monk Daoxin had a close relationship with the Xiao family."

Duang!

At this moment, Xie Xuan's rather elegant voice sounded like a huge bell, echoing in the minds of everyone in the hall.

Many people present thought they already knew a lot about the Sui Dynasty.

But when troubled times came, everyone realized that they were still too superficial.

Not only did the Li family manage to unite the three Lis into one, but even a small character like Wang Shichong, who was usually ignored, had the support of the Ming Zunjiao.

But more or less, these are traceable and well known.

However, the sudden emergence of such powerful strength of the Xiao clan was really scary.

You must know that since the collapse of the Southern Liang regime, the Xiao family has been ruled by Xiao Xin for two or three hundred years.

But now, the war is about to start, and you say that Xiao Xin's lineage is a cover?

It’s insidious. So damn insidious.

No one dared to imagine that if the Guanlong army rushed into Jingxiang without any preparation, they would be defeated miserably on the spot if they were not good at naval battles and were unfamiliar with the area. They would be attacked by the powerful trump card suddenly used by the Xiao clan.

There is no doubt that the Xiao clan is also a tough nut to crack like the Li clan.

Yang Zhao was also stunned for a moment, and asked, "Are you serious, Mr. Xie?"

Xie Xuan's face remained elegant, but his tone was full of emotion. He said, "More than a hundred years ago, I once thought of coming out of seclusion to assist Emperor Wen. I also thought about taking Jingxiang and Jiangnan, and I was ready to join the effort, but I failed miserably!"

Who is Xie Xuan? He is the master of the Jiushao Dingyin Sword and a great hero who stirred up the world hundreds of years ago.

One hundred and several decades ago.

Even though Xie Xuan had not yet reached the ninth level of martial saint cultivation, he was definitely not too bad. The battle to take Jingxiang could only be described as a "miserable defeat".

From this, it can be seen that the Xiao family's underlying strength has obviously become quite powerful.

Yang Zhao was a little distracted, and asked, "Could you please explain in detail, Mr. Xie?"

Xie Xuan smiled bitterly and said, "Your Highness, it's not that I don't want to elaborate, but I was defeated so badly that year that I didn't even see the real master. When I entered Jingxiang, there was a great power that fell from the void and hit me severely."

Chapter 696: Xiao Clan's Background, Luoyang Strategy

Xie Xuan was a perfectionist. Although he appeared to be amiable, elegant and non-competitive, he was actually a man with a naturally proud character and a reserved mind.

Such a person was seriously injured by a single blow without even seeing the real boss.

It is conceivable how strong the Xiao family's foundation is.

At the same time, these hidden information about the Xiao family also stunned everyone in Wenhua Hall.

Even Yang Zhao didn't know what to say for a moment.

It seemed that the atmosphere was a bit dull.

Xie Daoyun suddenly said, "Your Highness, don't worry too much. The Xiao family has a lot of hidden strength, but most of them are already old and have run out of lifespan, so it's hard for anyone to take action."

Yang Zhao was stunned for a moment, and said, "Sister Yun also knows the secret of the Xiao family?"

Xie Daoyun smiled softly and said, "More than a hundred years ago, the Xiao clan had already attacked my younger brother. As his elder sister, how could I stand by and watch? I fought with a top-level warrior from the Xiao clan for several days, and he died of his lifespan."

“Although the most powerful human in the Xiao clan died, they were protected by powerful Buddhists. I did not go deep into the Xiao clan, and the matter was left unresolved.”

Hearing Xie Daoyuan's words, Xie Xuan's old face also blushed.

But soon, Xie Xuan recovered and was rescued by his own sister, so it was not shameful.

After a pause, Xie Xuan adjusted his mindset and said, "I'd like to let Your Highness know that hundreds of years ago, Emperor Wu of the Southern Liang Dynasty, Xiao Yan, became an extremely devout Buddhist in his later years for unknown reasons. He repeatedly abandoned government affairs and became a monk to practice Buddhism. He held four great Buddhist ceremonies and built more than 500 Buddhist temples. Even the Southern Liang court at the time spent more than 100 million yuan to redeem Emperor Wu of Liang from the temples. He was even once called the Bodhisattva Emperor."

As Xie Xuan revealed many secrets, everyone's jaws almost dropped.

Emperor Wu of Liang believed in Buddhism, and many noble families in the Sui Dynasty actually knew about it.

However, no one knows the details of how deeply Emperor Wu of Liang believed in Buddhism.

Especially in the last years of Emperor Wu of Liang, the Hou Jing Rebellion broke out. During that chaos, it seemed as if an invisible hand wiped out all rumors that were unfavorable to Buddhism.

There were millions of monks and nuns, and the ransom money amounted to hundreds of millions. Emperor Wu of Liang even issued a decree that all people in the country had to eat vegetarian food.

Listening to Xie Xuan's words, everyone felt as if they were listening to a mysterious storyteller.

The Buddha’s shadow is heavy.

Although Emperor Wu of Liang has passed away, he treated Buddhism so well that it would be a great surprise if the descendants of the Xiao family did not have some Buddhist influence.

For hundreds of years, the Xiao clan was ruled by Xiao Xin, who had no real background to show.

However, the aristocratic families in the Central Plains, Jiangnan, Lingnan, etc., seemed to have never seen the fertile land of Jingxiang. It is hard to say whether Buddhism is manipulating them behind the scenes.

The little sheep turns into a tiger.

The attack on the Xiao clan suddenly became a dead end.

No, it is not necessarily a dead end, but in this situation, it is better to attack the Li clan than the Xiao clan.

After a pause, Yang Zhao said, "Well, since there are powerful enemies blocking the way in the southeast Jingxiang direction, we should follow the advice of Du Qing and Xie Qing and go east through Tongguan and directly attack Luoyang."

"What advice do you have for me on this battle?"

In the struggle for supremacy in the world, if you do not advance, you will retreat.

You must fight, even if it is difficult, you must not stop.

Hearing Yang Zhao's words.

Yang Xuangan immediately jumped out and said, "Your Highness, I am willing to lead the Thunder Army to attack Luoyang directly. I have a lot of experience in fighting Luoyang."

Hearing Yang Xuangan's words, Yang Su's face darkened, and the others also showed subtle smiles.

Yang Xuangan still doesn't know that if Yang Zhao had not proclaimed himself king and established a government, and offered sacrifices to heaven and earth, which caused strange phenomena and surprised Yang Guangdong's army and the aristocratic families, Yang Xuangan might not have returned from the siege of Luoyang.

Seeing that Yang Xuangan was actively asking for battle, Yang Zhao did not want to dampen his morale, so he said, "I know how brave you are, so I will allow you to serve as the vanguard, and you can withdraw."

Yang Xuangan's bravery is worthy of recognition. Just with his inherited Purple Thunder Magic, as long as he develops, he will be a true military immortal. Not a martial saint, but a land immortal who can form ancient battle formations.

Such a powerful general and such a large army can be said to be unparalleled in breaking through the enemy's formation and have extremely strong explosive power.

As Du Ruhui said, if victory is achieved by speed, it would be quite appropriate to have Yang Xuangan lead the army as the vanguard.

Seeing that Yang Xuangan's request for battle was successful.

In an instant, a large number of generals including Li Jing, Yue Fei, Liu Laozhi, Chen Zhibao, etc. also began to volunteer to fight.

Military generals are so reckless.

Yang Zhao was feeling a bit annoyed. He hadn't even made a decision yet, so what was the point of asking for a fight?

Seeing the scene getting lively, Yang Zhao became annoyed.

"Your Highness, before you appoint a general, please make a decision first. Don't let the generals compete for merit and miss the big picture."

In terms of ability, Changsun Wuji may be inferior to many people in the court, but in terms of observing people's words and expressions and resolving situations, Changsun Wuji is definitely first-class.

As for the vicious looks from many generals, Changsun Wuji didn't care.

I, Zhangsun Wuji, your highness’s elder brother-in-law.

Seeing Changsun Wuji speak, Yang Zhao also laughed and said, "Wuji is right. I wonder who among you has a strategy for this battle in Luoyang?"

Going east through Tongguan and attacking Luoyang is not something that can be done casually.