The Grandmaster Strategist

In the first month of Yiyou in the eighth year of the Longsheng period, Emperor Yong secretly ordered Jinghaihou Jiang to lead the East China Sea Navy southward. On the eighth day of February, the East China Sea Army defeated Ding Haijun Mountain. On the same day, Nanyang Battalion Commander Sun Ji was trapped in Xiangyang.

——"Zi Zhi Tong Jian Yong Ji IV"

Shang Weijun put down the case file in his hand with satisfaction. This is a document from Jiaxing Prefecture. The Ministry of Punishment has approved the decision and the reply is on the way. It will only take a few days for the document to arrive in Jiaxing. This was originally a very minor case. It was just an official who abandoned his post and ran away and was sentenced to beheading. Originally, it did not require the attention of the dignified prime minister, but Shang Weijun believed that Lu Can would definitely obstruct it or come to intercede. He was debating whether to refuse Lu Can's plea and kill Jing Changqing, or to give Lu Can a favor and make him make more concessions, but no matter what, he had the upper hand. As expected, Chengye's child is getting better and better. He can think of such methods, but I don't know if it is Song Yu's credit.

While he was deep in thought, Ning Qian hurriedly walked in and reported: "Prime Minister, General Lu Can is outside asking for an audience."

Shang Weijun perked up and said, "Mr. Ning, how does Lu Can look?"

Ning Qian said worriedly: "His face is cold and solemn. Although there is no change in his mood, he is obviously very angry and dissatisfied. Prime Minister must be careful."

Shang Weijun waved his hand and said: "It doesn't matter, this time the truth prevailed. He was the one who beheaded Hu Cheng who abandoned his post and fled in front of the army. I just wanted to kill Jing Changqing, and I investigated it carefully. This man said It's not certain how he escaped. It's not impossible to convict him of collaborating with the enemy. I'm already very tolerant of not killing the Jing family. Well, you can follow me and welcome the general." Shang Weijun stood up and said to the general. As he walked out, he was polite and considerate this time and would never give Lu Can an excuse to use the topic to his advantage.

At the foot of the study room, Lu Can stood with his hands behind his back, his expression as cold as ice that had not melted for thousands of years. Shang Weijun felt proud in his heart, and the momentum suppressed by this junior a few days ago returned to him. He stepped down to greet him with a half-smile, and said: "I don't know what the great general is here for, but There is any discrepancy in military pay. If so, officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Household Affairs will be ordered to do their best."

A cold light flashed in Lu Can's eyes. He naturally knew what Shang Weijun was thinking, but it was a pity that he didn't have time to get involved with Shang Weijun for one person. He said coldly: "Does Shang know that Yong Jun has entered the country now? ?”

Shang Weijun was shaken and blurted out: "How is it possible? Yong's army just returned from a major defeat, why did it come back so quickly?"

Lu Can's eyes flashed with sarcasm, and he said: "A moment ago, Lu received a spy report that Yong's army from Nanyang Camp had once again approached Xiangyang. This time it was fierce and not like a feint attack. That's all. General Xiangyang Yourong There is no problem in guarding, but another military report said that the Yong navy has captured Dinghai, and the Yuhang water camp is insufficient in strength, so it can only guard the Qiantang waterway to prevent the Yong army from going deep into the interior. If the Yong navy controls Hangzhou Bay , then Wu County and Yue County will not be protected sooner or later, and the Prime Minister will understand what the consequences will be."

Although Shang Weijun was not well versed in military matters, he also knew that the Wuyue counties on the southeast coast were important areas for money and food in Southern Chu. If they were invaded and plundered by the Yongshui army, the foundation of Southern Chu would be unstable. Even if there were dangers in the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers, they would be controlled by the enemy. Thinking of this, his face turned pale, and he asked with difficulty: "Why didn't Yong's army attack Ninghai, but took Dinghai?"

Lu Can said calmly: "Ning Haijun Mountain is the choke point where the Yangtze River enters the sea. If there is any damage here, Taizhou and Yangzhou will be in danger. If Yong's army goes upstream, Jianye will be destroyed. But for this reason, The naval forces at Ninghaijunshan did not dare to slack off, and they had the favorable location and people, so Yong's army did not take Ninghai. Although Dinghaijunshan sheltered Hangzhou Bay, there had been no fighting for a long time and the armaments were exhausted. It is no wonder that Yong's army was exhausted. It’s easy to give up the hard stuff.”

Although Lu Can's tone was calm, Shang Weijun still heard the coldness in his words. The two military mountains of Ninghai and Dinghai were established by Emperor Wu of Southern Chu. They were originally important military towns to defend against pirates. They have always been directly under the jurisdiction of Jianye. In recent years, There was no war between Wu and Yue. Shang Weijun felt that the two military units were too expensive and cut military expenditures several times. Although Lu Can had repeatedly warned him,

He remained unmoved. It's just that the two military mountains are not treated equally. Zhao Qun, the commander of Ning Haijun Mountain, is from the royal family, so Shang Weijun just ignores it. The food and salary received from Haijun Mountain is almost enough for food and clothing, and even the repair of ships is not enough. Unable to proceed. Unexpectedly, Yong's army actually broke through Dinghaishan Mountain. Wouldn't it make Shang Weijun look disgraceful? If he hadn't been in charge now, such guilt would have caused him to abandon his official position. He hesitated for a moment and said: "The Yong army attacked Dinghai. This was unexpected. The general is here. He must have some advice. How should we deal with the enemy?"

Lu Can said coldly: "Dinghai has been lost, and Hangzhou Bay has become an undefended place. At this moment, we need to strictly guard Yuhang to prevent the Yong navy from entering Qiantang, otherwise Wu and Yue will definitely not be safe. Secondly, Kuaiji, Yuyao, Zhenhai, and Jiaxing , Haining, and Pinghu all need to be defended separately. The Yong army that invades this time must be the Donghai Navy. They are originally pirates and are unbeatable in naval battles. Our army can only defend the coast and prevent the Yong army from invading. The odds of winning are just this. The two counties of Wu and Yue will consume countless amounts of food, pay and troops. Please ask the prime minister to order a reduction of taxes in the two places and order each county to organize rebels to defend the land and resist the enemy. Only in this way can the pressure on our army in Wu and Yue counties be reduced. "

Shang Weijun felt heartbroken when he heard it. The land of Wuyue was rich and prosperous. Even if the tax revenue was reduced by one percent, it would be a heartbreaking loss. But now that it is so critical, it can only be like this. If we don't form a rebel army and rely on the weak and incompetent defenders, Wu County and Yue County will definitely be in danger. If we refuse to lower taxes, how can those people have the energy to organize an army and use military force? After thinking about it, most of the officials in Wuyue were descendants of aristocratic families, and very few were capable. They still needed to be transferred back. If they lost their cities and territory, or died in the war, they would be in trouble again and again. Thinking of this, he could only say: "Everything is decided by the general. The truth is that the military power of Yuhang Shuiying and Dinghaijun Mountain will be handed over to the general." Despite the situation, Shang Weijun deliberately left Ning Haijun behind. Now that Ning Haijun is safe and sound, he naturally does not want to hand over such a navy to Lu Can. Lu Can understood what he meant and just smiled coldly before saying goodbye and leaving, leaving Shang Weijun lingering uneasily with guilt and regret.

Where the Hangzhou Bay of Yue County enters the sea, there are Daishan, Dinghai, and Putuo Islands. Emperor Wu Zhao She established a county in Dinghai and established Junshan, which had overall jurisdiction over Daishan and Putuo Water Camps. When Dingjunshan was the most powerful, Pinghu, Haining, and Yuyao , Zhenhai were once under his jurisdiction. It was not until Shang Weijun came to power that due to the lack of peace in the sea, Dinghaijunshan repeatedly cut back on food and salary, causing the water camp to rot and the soldiers to become exhausted. Only then was Daishan captured by the Donghai Navy. , Dinghai, and Putuo are still in the hands of the Nanchu navy, but they are already in danger.

I stood on a high cliff and looked at the sky. Crossing the blue sea in front of me was Yuejun Zhenhai. From here, crossing the sea to the northwest was Pinghu in Wujun. To the west of Pinghu was Haining. Landing from Haining, I had to hurry up and don’t need to In one day, we can reach Jiaxing, which was the place where I was born and where my mother's bones are buried. Remembering that when my father died of illness in Jiangxia, I almost sold myself to bury him, but I couldn't afford to send my father's coffin to Jiaxing to be buried with my mother. Later, I won the first prize, but I did not reconcile with the Jing family, so I did not move my spirit. After all, my mother’s graveyard was also owned by the Jing family, and my father would not want to leave it to anyone else. Thinking of the desolation of my mother's lonely grave, I couldn't help feeling sad and sighing softly.

Xiao Shunzi stepped forward and said, "Sir, it's windy at high places, so we'd better go back."

I said calmly: "Is Cong'er still competent at following Haitao?"

Seeing this, Xiao Shunzi could only sigh: "Although Dinghaijun Mountain has been abandoned for many years, all the documents and pictures are still there, but they have been buried deep in the dust. Master Cong has been with you for many years and is very effective in organizing these documents. Jiang Hou has many Rely on.”

At this time, a green figure came up, and Xiao Shunzi didn't need to look back, he smiled and said: "Master Cong is here, I guess the paperwork has been sorted out."

Before I could answer, Huo Cong had already arrived in a hurry, bowed deeply and said, "Sir, my disciple has sorted out all the documents, including a precise nautical chart of Hangzhou Bay. Jiang Hou invites you to discuss the next step of the war. "

I glanced at the blue sea again, but it was a pity that the clouds and mountains blocked my way back, and I couldn't see my hometown. I sighed softly, turned around and walked down. Except for a few of the Huben guards at the foot of the mountain, they were all new faces. Over the years, most of the Huben guards who followed me in Pinghan have been promoted, but these new guards are only stronger in force. The sword formation I taught back then has been improved by the Huben guards, and now they are Xiao Shunzi. You can't even take advantage of them. But this time Hu Yanshou is still the commander of my personal guards. It must be the arrangement of the emperor, which is enough to aggrieve him, the commander-in-chief.

Huo Cong followed me and said excitedly: "My disciples are convinced by your master's plan. Historically, when the North and the South fought for the world, they always fought for victory in the Jianghuai River. I didn't expect that your master would find a way to capture Wu and Yue from the sea. Even if he cannot destroy the country, he can definitely shake it." The foundation of Nanchu.”

I said calmly: "This strategy was not the first thing I thought of. This strategy was originally planned by Emperor Wu of Southern Chu, but I took advantage of it."

Huo Cong was shocked and showed a puzzled expression. Even Xiao Shunzi also showed an interested and curious look. I saw this and smiled and said: "In the past, I was ordered to sort out the imperial letters, and among them was the imperial letter of Emperor Wu. Emperor Wu was very diligent. He was very rich in imperial approval and involved many major military and political affairs. For example, he was very concerned about the two military mountains in Dinghai and Ninghai. He personally planned the water camps and fortresses, increased food and wages many times, and even had people carefully draw sea maps of various places. , I saw that he was domineering in every line of his words, and he was by no means a peaceful person, so I carefully read his handwritten letters over the years, and finally deduced that he had the intention to build the two military mountains into offensive and defensive weapons. On weekdays, he can prevent sea pirates and the Yong navy, but at critical moments, They can go north along the coast and erode the coasts of Qingzhou and Youji. Since ancient times, the battle between the north and the south has always been decided in the Jianghuai River. However, Emperor Wu believed that the southerners were weak and not as brave as the northerners. Instead of fighting bloody battles on land, it was better to invade from the coast and seize the sea territory. , and then invade inland through the river, and the long and short attack of the enemy is worse than the expedition by land. Such a strategy has never been seen before, and I was very emotional after seeing it. It was only under the influence of Emperor Wu that I proposed a strategy to attack Dingding. Haijun Mountain invaded Wu and Yue. It was a pity that Emperor Wu left so early that no one could inherit the great cause. Later generations only knew that the two Junjun Mountains protected the sea and could not be touched lightly, but they did not know the original purpose of its establishment. Even Dinghaijun Mountain was The Imperial Court of Southern Chu cut back on military expenditures, leaving us so exhausted that we were given an advantage."

As soon as I finished speaking, we had already descended the cliff. With a gesture from Hu Yanshou, the three of us were already protected by the Tiger Guards. The sea was leveled. It was inevitable that there would be some remnants or spies from the Nan Chu Army on the island, so for my safety , Hu Yanshou did not dare to relax for a moment. We walked along the grassy road towards the Dinghai Governor's Mansion. Dinghai Camp has no money to repair it over the years. Even the roads on the island are covered by weeds. The water camp is in dilapidated condition. The only thing that can be seen is the Dinghai Governor's Mansion. , it is still richly decorated and magnificent. Seeing the luxurious mansion in the desolation, Xiao Shunzi couldn't help but smile and said: "The general here is so confused, no wonder the Dinghai army was defeated in one attack and has no fighting power." I also felt sad and nodded repeatedly. , even if you deliberately embezzle some military pay, you don't have to spend it on the mansion. Isn't this deliberately arousing the hatred of the soldiers? It really makes me wonder if the general in Dinghai is a spy of Dayong.

Before he could reach the gate of the mansion, Jiang Haitao and his generals had already hurriedly greeted him. He was now in his thirties. Since Donghai surrendered to Dayong seven years ago, Donghai Hou Jiang Yong gave up his high-ranking official Houlu and went to the sea. , the East China Sea Navy was commanded by Jiang Haitao. Although he was a bit outspoken and not very familiar with official affairs, he had a wise assistant who was good at assisting him, coupled with his outstanding ability in commanding the navy, and the care of Yong Emperor Li Zhi and Qi King Li Xian, there was no trouble or hindrance. This time Emperor Yong ordered him to go south to attack Wuyue. This was no problem for him. The only thing that gave him a headache was that Jiang Zhe actually went with the ship. It's not that he doesn't want Jiang Zhe to point fingers around him, but he's just worried that if something goes wrong with Jiang Zhe, he won't be able to bear it.

When he got close, Jiang Haitao was about to bow down and salute. Although he and I have the status of master and apprentice, he is still above me in terms of title. If he worshiped me as master and apprentice, wouldn't it be embarrassing for his generals, so I quickly He stopped him and said, "If you want to do this great ceremony, please do it in private. Do you still want all the generals under your command to do this great ceremony with you?"

Jiang Haitao turned around and looked at the generals behind him. He couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He stepped forward and bowed and said: "Sir, the situation in Dinghai has been decided now. I would like to hear your opinion on how we should attack Wuyue."

I followed Jiang Haitao to the festival hall in the mansion and said as I walked: "You must have already made a plan. I wonder what you want to do?"

Jiang Haitao said: "If we can break through the Yuhang water camp, Hangzhou Bay will be invincible. However, Yuhang has always attached great importance to the water camp, so I'm afraid we won't be able to succeed. I intend to take the coastal state capital first."

I said: "Jianye will take measures in the near future. Shang Weijun has always been the best at taking credit for his mistakes. This time Dinghai was captured by our army, he will definitely hand over Dinghaihaishan to Lu Can, but he does not have the military power of Ninghaihaishan." We will let it go, so we don’t have to worry about Ninghai Haiying Camp going south to attack Dinghai. Instead, we should beware of Lu Can’s counterattack. Since Yuhang Water Camp is not easy to capture, our army does not need to rush to attack Yuhang, Kuaiji, Yuyao, Zhenhai, Jiaxing, Haining, Pinghu was an important town in Wu and Yue, but it lacked armaments. Our army took advantage of Lu Can's arrival at Yue County and looted all the food treasury in these important towns. Because the food was lost to the enemy, even though Yue County was recaptured by Lu Can, Our army also has the capital to gain a foothold. Moreover, you can also plunder the young people along the coast and place them on an isolated island, forcing them to farm on the island to make up for the shortfall in money and food for our army. In this way, even if Ninghai camp is It is useless to prevent our army from receiving supplies from Qingzhou. As long as the foothold is stable, Wu Yue will fall into the hands of our army sooner or later."

Jiang Haitao laughed when he heard this and said: "This is what we often did when we were pirates. We robbed people of money, food and people, harming the enemy and benefiting ourselves. I didn't expect that we would do this today. The land of Putuo is the most suitable for detaining prisoners. Originally, I had prepared some There will be more days to capture, but now it seems that we should start quickly. Please rest assured, sir, within ten days, the young people along the coast of Yue County will fall into my hands. When Lu Can comes to Yue County, he can only sigh sadly. Sit back and watch the land of Wuyue being looted by me."

I shook my head and said: "That's not necessarily the case. It will most likely still be a stalemate. He doesn't have enough troops to drive you out of Dinghai, and you don't have enough troops to occupy Wu Yue. But don't worry, Lu Can can't stay in Yue County for long. If we wait, Changsun Ji will be ordered to attack Xiangyang, and we will surely gain something this time. By then, Lu Can will naturally no longer be able to stay in Yue County to fight against you."

Jiang Haitao said thoughtfully: "Sir, don't worry, I will definitely keep Lu Can in Yue County these days so that he can respond to the war in Xiangyang."

I smiled slightly. This boy was very clever when it came to marching operations. If I revealed my words a little bit, he knew that the main target this time was Xiangyang. Thinking about my insistence on going south with the navy this time, the excuse was that I wanted to see a naval battle, but in fact I wanted to take the opportunity to go back to Jiaxing to solve the Jing family's problem and pay homage to my mother. I wonder if he has the courage to let me go? Thinking of this, I smiled strangely, and Jiang Haitao, who was walking next to me, shuddered and looked away, feeling an ominous premonition in his heart.

At this time, Lu Can was heading straight to Yuhang by boat. This time he brought 10,000 soldiers from the Jiujiang Water Camp and decided to recruit them to the Yuhang Water Camp. Without an army with sufficient combat power, it would be difficult to form an insurrectionary army. There is no place to use them, and only by forcing the Yong army back first can it be possible to form a rebel army. He didn't want to see the scenery on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Lu Can thought to himself, just give me three years, and I can train an elite army in the land of Wuyue, retake Dinghai, and drive away Yong's army. But a ray of worry arose in his heart. Is the Yong army trapped in Xiangyang really just a feint attack this time? This time the East China Sea army invaded Wu Yue, it has exceeded his expectations. If anything changes in Xiangyang this time, the situation may be dangerous. With a sigh, Lu Can knew that he had no choice. In the land of Wu and Yue, Shang Weijun had always not allowed him to intervene. If it hadn't been for the Yong army to invade Wu and Yue this time, Shang Weijun would not have allowed him to take over the military and political power of Wu and Yue. But this time If I don't go to Wuyue in person, I'm afraid that it will become a place for enemies. As for Xiangyang, after all, Rong Yuan is still there, so it should be able to support it. After comforting himself for a moment, Lu Can finally focused all his attention on how to improve the defense line of Yuejun and prevent Yong's army from invading the interior.