Hsu Fengnian shook his head and said, "Very difficult."
Bai Yu quickly understood what he meant. The chances of Beiliang winning were too small. Regardless of whether Bai Yu wanted to stay in Beiliang or not, he had no choice. Perhaps when the time came, he would have to flee to the Central Plains with many scholars. Behind him was the bleak battlefield of Beiliang, where blood flowed for thousands of miles. Furthermore, he, Bai Yu, wanted to have a place in the imperial court where the civil officials stood, and not the military side. His words just now were just a spur of the moment. So he grunted, "That's true."
Approaching the cottage, Bai Yu asked, "Is there a geographical map of Beiliang in the cottage? There were a few in the residence of the Taoist master, but they were all too old and crude. Liuzhou was not among them. "
Hsu Fengnian brought Mister White Lotus, who seemed to have mysteriously become Beiliang's advisor, in with him. He took out a map and spread it out on the table. It was already dusk. Hsu Fengnian had specially lit an oil lamp. Bai Yu held the copper lamp and leaned over the table, beginning to ask Hsu Fengnian in detail about the Beiliang border and the distribution of troops within it. He even asked for pen and ink, asking one question and answering the other. A scholar knows the world without leaving the house. This sentence was both correct and incorrect. It was possible to give pointers on the big picture, but it was not enough to support a specific strategy for the time being. This was especially true in Beiliang, where crouching tigers and hidden dragons were hidden. If Bai Yu wanted to have some achievements in military affairs at the border, he had to have a plan in mind. Otherwise, if he blindly showed off in front of Song Dongming, the talented Prime Minister, or Li Gongde, the old fox of officialdom, he would only be asking for humiliation.
Hsu Fengnian leaned across the table and said softly, "After Great Ancestor Gu entered Beiliang, my master Li Yishan had a good talk with him. The two of them finally decided to divide Beiliang into fourteen important areas of defense. For example, the Horned Eagle Captain Luo Hongcai is in charge of the troops stationed in one of the fourteen areas, so he is also one of the captains in the area. His rank is one level higher than Huang Xiaokuai and the others in Lingzhou. Now, other than the general of a province like Huangfu Jin, after the last round of replacements by Chen Xiliang, this new group of captains who hold real power are mostly in their prime. There are even a few who are not even 30 years old. They have been loyal to Beiliang since their fathers' generation and have great enthusiasm for the border. They cherish the country their fathers have built. Therefore, there are some discussions in the various academies. For example, on the surface, I rely heavily on scholars who go to Liangzhou and give them all the seats in the prefectures and county level offices. But in reality, there are still some prejudices, favoring favoritism, and paying attention to the bloodline of the generals. I accept these kinds of questions. After all, there is nothing I can do. Beimang is at my doorstep. I can only, only dare to promote these people. "
After Bai Yu put down his brush, he narrowed his eyes and stared at the map. His finger that was slightly stained with ink slowly brushed across the map. He asked casually, "The provisions of the newly built Liuzhou are all under the responsibility of the provincial governor of Lingzhou, Xu Beizhi?"
Hsu Fengnian quickly thought about the hidden meaning behind this question, but he could not figure it out. He nodded and said, "Sir, you must have heard of Xu Beizhi's nickname. Moreover, Beiliang has long begun to buy provisions from the neighboring provinces. To tell you the truth, many of the large families who fled Beiliang out of fear on the surface have the hidden identity of spies from the Fu Shui Chamber. In the matter of purchasing provisions, they have contributed greatly. Liang and You provinces are self-sufficient, so the matter of Liuzhou's provisions is far from an urgent matter. "
Hsu Fengnian smiled. "I've thought about it. If the Liyang imperial court really refuses to let go of the provisions, Beiliang will openly snatch the provisions. Yes, it should be borrowed. Not to mention the Huainan Circuit where Cai Nan's 100,000 troops are stationed, even if it's Chen Zhibao's Xishu Circuit, I would dare to snatch it!"
With Yin Changgeng acting as the middleman, Han Lin, who had formed a tacit understanding with Beiliang, was appointed as the Huainan Circuit Administrator. This was a piece of good news. With Beiliang playing the role of the good cop, Han Lin wanted to have a clean reputation. He wanted to establish a mighty and loyal image in the imperial court. Beiliang could just give him as much as he wanted! As for the curses from the court, would Hsu Fengnian care? As for Chen Zhibao, didn't you want to go to the Central Plains to pull chestnuts out of the fire? Didn't Xie Guanying like to play tricks? Xu Yanbing was currently at the southern border of Lingzhou with his junior apprentice-brother Han Laoshan, who was appointed as the general of Lingzhou. Without Chen Zhibao personally overseeing the situation, it would be difficult for the Xishu Circuit's northern gate to stop Beiliang from borrowing provisions. As for the timing, Hsu Fengnian trusted Han Laoshan.
Bai Yu stared at the vast Liuzhou territory and asked, "Yang Yuanzan is in charge of attacking Beiliang's Calabash Gate, which is a natural stronghold. At the very least, he managed to take down Huogong and Luanhe Cities.
In the eyes of the Beimang Empress, Liu Gui is more worthy of being entrusted with an important task. However, while he is attacking Liuzhou on the western front, his main army has not moved. He is so idle that Beimang has to invite Tuoba Bodhisattva to enter Liuzhou. Now, Dong Zhuo has no choice but to send his private army to Liuzhou to break the stalemate. This Liu Gui, who is known as half of Beimang's Xu Xiao, is so weak? "
Hsu Fengnian slowly explained, "Liuzhou has no danger to rely on. If we want to fight, we can only fight fair and square. This is the case for both sides. In terms of military strength, Liu Gui's army definitely has the absolute advantage. Not to mention his 30,000 private army, the four military towns in the Tiled Gentleman's Pavilion in the south of Gusai Prefecture have all mobilized their forces. The few old Long Guan nobles of the Southern Dynasties have also taken out 30,000 infantrymen. Gusai Prefecture has a good relationship with Liu Gui and has also taken out 8,000 Qiang Tribe light cavalry, a total of 100,000 soldiers. However, the Qiang Tribe cavalry has been defeated by the Long Xiang Army. As a result, Liu Gui's army, whose combat strength is already inferior to ours, is in a difficult position. On the ground of Liuzhou, whether or not we can defend Qingcang City is not important. The victory or defeat of the main cavalry force is the key to determining the final outcome. With 40,000 cavalry from various powers, against the 30,000 Long Xiang Army that can abandon Qingcang City, it is not that our Beiliang is conceited, but indeed, Liu Gui does not dare to make any rash moves. "
Bai Yu's gaze slowly moved across the map of Liuzhou. "Not daring to make any rash moves is the right thing to do. If he does not move, he will be able to deal a fatal blow."
Hsu Fengnian frowned and said, "There have been many discussions within the Huaiyang Pass about how Liu Gui will win by surprise."
In order to see the map clearly, the oil lamp in Bai Yu's hand had unknowingly moved too close. His right cheek was burning hot. Without any change in expression, he moved away slightly and nodded. "Of course. The 8,000 cavalry of the Chu Protectorate General have completed their objective, and Kou Jianghuai has entered Liuzhou as a general. The Long Xiang Army already has powerful generals like Prince's younger brother and Li Mofan, Wang Lingbao. In addition, the provincial governor of Liuzhou, Yang Guangdou, and his advisor, Chen Xiliang, are all top-notch talents. There is no need to worry about provisions at the rear. No matter how you look at it, the situation is much better than Liangzhou's Hutou City and Youzhou's Hulukou. However, I feel that the more this is the case, the more Liu Gui will make a move. Perhaps the reason why Liu Gui, who has the least number of troops on the three fronts of Beimang's southern expedition, can be so patient because he is waiting for Dong Zhuo's central front and Yang Yuanzan's eastern front to fall into a disadvantageous situation... "
Bai Yu shook his head and said to himself, "No, it's not 'perhaps', it's definitely!"
Hsu Fengnian was silent.
Bai Yu raised his head, his eyes shining. He asked in a deep voice, "If Liu Gui can use the deaths of 60,000 infantry as bait and attack Qingcang City at all costs, deliberately putting his back to the river and even abandoning the disorderly cavalry, only using the Liu cavalry and the elites brought by Tuoba Bodhisattva as the true main force, will the 30,000 Long Xiang Army not take the bait? Even if the Long Xiang Army is willing to take the bait, will Kou Jianghuai, who just entered Liuzhou, be able to take it? Once one side enters the battle and falls into the trap, will the other side be able to see the big picture and not help? "
Bai Yu looked at Hsu Fengnian and finally asked, "I want to know if Beimang has received any spy reports similar to the Beimang Empress's anger towards Liu Gui on the western front? Is there any news similar to how the important officials of the Southern Dynasty were extremely dissatisfied with the retreat of the western front and attacked Liu Gui in the imperial court? "
Hsu Fengnian's heart trembled.
Bai Yu put down the oil lamp and said calmly, "Then the prince can do all he can to help Liuzhou."
Bai Yu did not speak, and Hsu Fengnian also did not speak.
The room was silent, apart from the occasional sound of the wick bursting.
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
