Chapter 9 The fifteenth festival of the Central Plains is on April, Jinyang. At the beginning of April, the Son of Heaven spread the word to the world, crusading against rebellion and stabilizing the society.

The imperial court then turned into a state of war. Hundreds of ministers and officials worked day and night, and everything was based on the Central Plains War.

In April, the eldest princess convened a meeting of the ministers at the Phoenix Terrace. Tai Lieutenant Xu Rong took the lead in the latest battle situation on each battlefield.

The right general, Zhang Yan, is now presiding over the Handan expedition and commanding the five battlefields of the Central Plains, Henan, Hanoi, Jibei, and Xuzhou.

The three-way army in the Central Plains battlefield advanced smoothly. The army on the left, under the personal command of the general, had entered the territory of Dongping Kingdom and surrounded the county of Yewuyan in Dongping Kingdom.

The army on the right, under the command of General Qu Yi, was attacking Fan Cheng. On the battlefield of Jibei, Wu Xiong and Wu Dun have already rendezvous, and they are currently besieging Zhilu City, Jibei County.

On the battlefield of Xuzhou, the armies of Gao Shun and Zang Ba had advanced to Jucheng and engaged the Xuzhou rebels. On the battlefield of Henan, General Yan Liang commanded the army, relying on the tall and strong cities of Aocang, Chenggao, and Xingyang to form a cone-shaped defensive formation, and dragged Yuan Shao's three-way rescue army on the front line of Xingyang.

On the battlefield of Hanoi, the armies of Wen Chou and Zhang Liao were engaged with Zhu Ling's rebels, and for several days, the rebels could not advance further.

Lord Zhang Yan said that the current situation in Hanoi is very dangerous, and he asked the imperial court to immediately increase the troops in the Guanxi battlefield to contain the troops in the direction of Luoyang, help Wen Chou and Zhang Liao hold Pingao, and ensure that Yan Liang can hold out for a longer time on the Henan battlefield.

"On the battlefield of Kansai, General Yang Feng commanded the army to attack Shaancheng continuously." Xu Rong stood in front of the map and pointed to the city of Shaanxi on the south bank of the Yellow River.

"This is the point of the attack of the Great Army. According to General Yang Feng's report, after the capture of Maojindu, Sun Qin and Liang Baiwu commanded the army to enter the northern gate of Shaanxi City three times, but they were soon killed by the rebellious Chun Yuqiong and Wang Xiu. The battle was fierce. ”

"The offensive in Kansai must be sharp, and the threat to Luoyang must be maintained continuously, and the size of this threat will directly affect the conduct of the Central Plains War." Xu Rong said,

"There are about 10,000 rebels in Luoyang, and if these 10,000 rebels support the Hanoi battlefield, the situation of Wen Chou and Zhang Liao will be very difficult. Once Pinggao City was lost, the army on the battlefield in Henan was surrounded. So ......" Xu Rong's big finger pointed to Dingtao and Changyi on the map,

"In the case that the main army did not take Dingtao and Changyi, and could not ensure the foothold of the army in the Central Plains, the fighting on the Kansai battlefield was even more fierce. It is necessary to find a way to conquer Shaanxi, to make Luoyang feel a huge threat, to force Yuan Shao to be unable to reinforce the Hanoi battlefield, so as to let Yan Liang's army hold out in Henan for a longer time on the premise of ensuring the safety of Pinggao City. As long as we keep Yuan Shao's main army firmly in the Henan battlefield and make it impossible for him to reinforce the Central Plains battlefield, we will have more time and opportunity to capture Dingtao and Changyi. ”

"For this reason, the minister decided to increase the number of troops to attack Kansai head-on." Xu Rong said,

"At present, there are only 30,000 troops attacking Kansai head-on. The 20,000-strong army of Sun Qin and Liang Baiwu was attacking Shaancheng, and the 10,000-strong army of Lord Huaxiong was pinning down the rebels in the direction of Taolin Fortress and Hongnong City respectively. The minister planned to urgently requisition Zhang Baicai's 10,000-strong army from the direction of Pubanjin to Shaancheng to participate in the attack on Shaancheng, and urgently relevled He Feng's 10,000-strong army stationed in Linfen to Pubanjin to contain the rebel forces in the direction of Guanzhong. Xu Rong bowed and said: "The minister believes that in order to prevent the Luoyang rebels from supporting the Hanoi battlefield, the army must conquer Shaanxi City in the near future, and the advance will be directed at Mianchi and threaten Hangu Pass. The eldest princess frowned slightly, and her eyes swept over the faces of Prime Minister Cai Yong, Imperial Historian Liu He, Shangshu Ling Li Wei, and Zhongshu Supervisor Ling Xun You one by one.

The four of them bowed slightly, expressing their support for Xu Rong's recital.

"Let the middle scribe immediately follow the instructions of Lord Taiwei." The eldest princess looked at Xun Yu and said in a coquettish voice. In the hall of the Phoenix Terrace, five huge silk maps are hung, depicting the topography of the Central Plains, Sili, Youzhou, Western Xinjiang and the desert.

After Xu Rong finished talking about the battle situation in the Central Plains and Hedong, he walked to the map of Youzhou and the desert.

"At the end of March, at the beginning of this month, in accordance with the will of the imperial court, the general of the left guard, Xian Yufu, commanded the Fourth Route Army to advance to the north of Dayan Mountain."

"General Xian Yuyin set out from Lu Longsai, crossed the Dayan Mountain, went north along the Weishui River, went straight to Huoyunyuan, and threatened Xianbei in the middle of the country from the front."

"Gongsun Xu led the army from the west of Liao to the north along the Xuanshui River, went straight to Wuhou Qinshui, and outflanked Xianbei in the east from the right road."

"King Nanxian Bei shot Moci, Fu Luo Han of Danhan Mountain, and Baishan Karasuma Dadan Yu Loulu led the army from Baishan, went straight to the Lightning River, and outflanked Kirby Bear from the left road."

"Liaodong Karasuma Dadan Yu Badan led the army north along the Liaodong Great Liaoshui, went straight to the Great Xianbei Mountain, and detoured back to the rear of the central and eastern Xianbei to outflank." Xu Rong raised his hands and put them on the map and made a circular gesture,

"Obviously, this is a big battle with a huge disparity in strength, and Kirby Xiong is powerless to fight, so he can only escape from the encirclement before we can close the siege and take refuge in Daxianbei Mountain. In this way, our purpose has been achieved. ”

"After Kirby Bear fled to Daxianbei Mountain, more than a thousand miles away, he will definitely not dare to return to Huoyunyuan this year, and we have enough time to help Fu Luohan and Tatun occupy the large grasslands of Xianbei in the central and eastern regions, so as to establish a buffer barrier between Kirby Bear and Youzhou Biansai. With this barrier in place, we will be able to temporarily eliminate the scourge of war in the border areas in the coming years as long as we give sufficient support to Furohan and Tatun. After the worries of the northern Xinjiang are temporarily eliminated, we can immediately concentrate all our forces and quickly sweep the world. ”

"Since the general patrolled the desert last year, this big war has been brewing and planning. After the Liaodong rebellion was put down, and the general forced Kirby Xiong to hand over 3,000 Xianbei households, Xian Yufu, the general of the Left Guard, immediately began to prepare. Xu Rong's expression gradually became solemn, and the smile on his face gradually faded,

"The main purpose of this great war is to stabilize the northern frontier, to deceive and paralyze the enemy in order to cover up our true intention to attack the Central Plains. This great war is not a killing, but only a kind of coercion. We don't have the strength to fight on two fronts at the same time, but ......" Xu Rong paused, looked at the ministers, and said solemnly: "So far, we are not sure that this big battle will not turn into a bloody killing. ”

"This attack on Kirby Bears is mainly the Xianbei and Karasuma people, and our Iron Horsemen are quite limited in number and cannot control the overall situation. In addition, the food and forage of the attacking armies were provided by themselves, and the long-distance expedition caused great losses to the armies of all routes. According to the habits of the Hu people, this loss must of course be made up by burning, killing, and plundering, so it is difficult to say whether Kirby Bear can successfully escape from the encirclement. Xu Rong paused for another moment, took two steps back and forth in front of the map, and said slowly: "At present, Kirby Bear can't die. ”

"Since the Great War of Sunset Plain, the tribes of the Hu tribe in the desert have been recuperating for ten years. Although four years ago, there was a rebellion of evil and rebellion, and last year there was the disaster of Kirby Bear, but it is not difficult for us to see that there are too many ambitious people in the Hu tribes. The evil is dead and a Kirby bear comes out. Kirby Bear is dead, who will be next? ”

"Today, our strategy of stabilizing the desert must be revised, otherwise, disasters like the Liaodong rebellion will become more and more intense, and there will be no day of peace in northern Xinjiang."

"Why didn't the general go thousands of miles to recall the steps? Why did the general support Fu Luohan? Why didn't the general kill Badun? Xu Rong shook his head and said helplessly,

"Because we must now restrain and weaken the tribes that are already so powerful that they threaten the security of the northern frontier. For example, the Xiongnu Shan Yuting, such as the southern Xianbei King Shooting Moci, such as the White Mountain Karasuma Da Shan Yu Loulu, and of course, the Kirby Bear who is already impatient. ”

"If you want to restrain and weaken the strength of the Hu tribes, you can't support one by one. If we kill Kirby Bear now, it will only make the strength of Ink Ci and Fu Luohan swell again, leaving an even greater disaster. Therefore, we must take every opportunity to weaken and attack the powerful tribes at the same time, support more small tribes, and keep dividing and dispersing the power of the Hu people, and we must not let the evil return to the rebellion, and the tribe and tribal leaders with strong strength like Kirby Bear will reappear on the desert. ”

"But the reason why Kirby Bear can't die now is not only to guard against the strength of Ink Ci and Fu Luohan, but also to keep the Hu tribes antagonistic and hateful, so that they can reduce the chances of forming alliances as much as possible. For example, last year's Liaodong rebellion was caused by Kirby Xiong's use of his strength to form an alliance with the Buyeo people and the Goguryi people, while we quelled the Liaodong rebellion by taking advantage of the antagonism and hatred between the Xianbei people and the Karasuma people. ”

"If the Hu tribes do not have an enemy, unite and form an alliance, they will immediately turn around and deal with their common enemy, that is, the Great Han. The hatred of the Hu tribes and the Han for hundreds of generations, and the inexhaustible wealth of the Han are the excuses for their betrayal and the reason for their attacks. Xu Rong faced the map, and pointed his big finger at Huoyunyuan,

"If Kirby the Bear doesn't die, he and his tribe will be constantly attacking the Inks, Rohans, and Stepons who have occupied their pastures. This kind of conquest between the Hu people's chiefs, under our skillful control, can constantly be transformed in a direction that is conducive to our stability in the northern frontier. In this way, Ink Shot, Fu Luo Han and Tatun have become the barriers of our northern frontier. When the northern Xinjiang is stabilized, we will have enough time and energy to quell the rebellion, stabilize the society in the shortest possible time, and prosper the Han dynasty. ”

"In the future, the Han Dynasty will prosper, and the Hu tribes on the desert will be exhausted and vulnerable because of the annual expeditions, and they will gradually stabilize under the deterrence of the Han Iron Cavalry. At this point, we can be regarded as truly controlling the desert, and only then can we truly incorporate the desert into the territory of our Han Dynasty. "There was a lot of silence in the hall, and the ministers were listening in silence.

"Our adjustment of the strategy of the Hu tribes in the desert, the purpose of our purpose in launching this war, the leaders of the Hu tribes are very clear in their hearts, what do they think?"

"Quite simply, maximize power and wealth."

"People like Tanshi Huai can only produce one in the desert for hundreds of years. is as strong as Murong Feng, but after the death of Tanshi Huai, he barely supported it for several years. After so many years of ups and downs, except for ambitious people like Evil Rebellion and Kirby Bear, who don't know the height of the sky, no one dares to dare to fight for the desert with the powerful Han with their own strength and an iron horse. ”

But if they don't have the ambition to dominate the desert and have self-knowledge, it doesn't mean that they are not greedy, and they don't have the right to think about it. Therefore, power and wealth have become the objects of competition among the leaders of these Hu tribes. The corners of Xu Rong's mouth lifted a hint of mockery, and said lightly: "The general has long thought that if all our main forces are thrown into the Central Plains, Fu Luo Han and Bao Dun will inevitably take advantage of the lack of strength of Kirby Bear to join forces to attack Kirby Bear." If this opportunity is missed, it may be themselves who will suffer in the future. To tell the truth, since the general forced Kirby Bear to hand over 3,000 households, Kirby Bear's threat to the northern frontier is gone. The reason why we keep saying that Kirby Bear is a threat to Northern Xinjiang is actually that people with ulterior motives such as Fu Luohan and Bunton want to fight Kirby Bear and provoke war in Northern Xinjiang. ”

"In order to attack the Central Plains, and in order to implement the adjustment of the imperial court's strategy to the Hu tribes in the desert, we deliberately launched this great war. But it is difficult for us to control this big battle, and once Kirby Bear's retreat is slow, or the Hu tribes participating in the war disobey orders without authorization, it may cause a bloody and fierce battle. ”

"The consequences of the bloody pitch were severe. If Kirby Bear dies, our strategic adjustment of the Hu tribes in the desert will also fail. At the same time, the Hu iron cavalry we prepared for the decisive battle in the Central Plains will also be unable to go south because of this big battle. We are caught in the dilemma of fighting on two fronts, and the decisive battle in the Central Plains may be lost because of this. ”

"What is the countermeasure of Lord Tai Wei?" The eldest princess asked worriedly,

"What did the general say before leaving? What does General Xian Yu of the Left Guard think about this? ”

The general is very confident in Kirby Xiong's adaptability, and he believes that Kirby Xiong and Micah will definitely be able to successfully evacuate with the two Xianbei troops in the middle and east. However, in his two recent letters, the general of the Left Guard, Xian Yu, expressed great concern about this matter, and he believed that Kirby Xiong would not only not evacuate, but might also take advantage of the contradictions between the Hu tribes and the lack of contact and support between the four attacking armies to break through and crush our siege. ”

"Lord Taiwei agrees with General Xianyu?" Xu Rong nodded,

"The general's mind is all on the battlefield of the Central Plains, and he may have been negligent in this matter. Chen thinks that Lord Xianyu's opinion is completely correct, and Kirby Bear does have a chance to defeat us. The atmosphere in the lobby suddenly became tense.

"What is the countermeasure of Lord Tai Wei?" The eldest princess asked again.

"The minister plans to recruit the Fengyun Iron Cavalry of the Great Desert in advance, the Wula Iron Cavalry of Wuyuan, and the Xianbei Xiaowang Arc Ding, Qi Shen, Mu Tao, Mu Li and other Hu Iron Cavalry." Xu Rong finger map,

"Order them to rush to Danhan Mountain by the end of this month."

"At this time, whether it is Mo Ci, Fu Luohan, Lou Lu, or Kirby Bear, or Micah, they can all feel the threat of the Great Han Iron Cavalry. For Ink Shot, Fu Luohan, and Lou Lu, taking the risk of attacking may be retaliated against by the Great Han Iron Cavalry, because we only need to force Kirby Bear away. For Kirby Bear and Micah, there are more and more iron cavalry attacking them, and the best way for them to survive is to flee to Daxianbei Mountain before the rainy season comes. In this way, we will be able to use the force in our hands and control the development of this great war very well. The eldest princess hesitated.

Among the six battalions of iron cavalry guarding outside the fortress, Yang Ming of the Duliao battalion, Jiang Wu and Wei Jun of the Yunzhong battalion have already led the army south to the Central Plains.

Gongsun Xu of the Macheng Battalion, Xian Yuyin and Ying Qin of the Yuyang Battalion have already led the army over Dayan Mountain and are attacking Kirby Bear.

Now only Yan Wuxing and Tie Yue of the Golden Snow Yuan Battalion and Lei Zi of the Wuyuan Battalion are still guarding the north and south of Yin Mountain.

This is the reason why the general had to recruit the Fengyun Iron Cavalry and the Ula Iron Cavalry to the south at the moment before the decisive battle in the Central Plains.

The desert cannot be without the Han Iron Cavalry, and the safety of northern Xinjiang is of paramount importance.

"Lord Taiwei, I can't agree, this matter is very important......" The eldest princess thought for a long time and shook her head to veto.

"Your Highness......" Xu Rong bowed and played,

"Although the Wind Cloud Iron Rider and the Ula Iron Rider have left their respective camps, they are still in the desert, and they still maintain a strong deterrent to the Hu tribes in the desert. The minister begged His Highness to make a temporary change, so as not to fall short in the Central Plains War. Xu Rong's words were serious, the eldest princess hesitated again and again, carefully weighed the pros and cons, and waved her hand decisively,

"Order, requisition." Xu Rong stood in front of the map of Western Xinjiang. Han Sui, the general of Zhenxi, wrote that the situation in Western Xinjiang this year has become very complicated and difficult because of Ma Chao's rise in Longxi, and he hopes to get our help.

After the end of the Central Plains War, our next target was Guanzhong, so the stability of Western Xinjiang was very important to us.

Judging from the current situation in western Xinjiang, the key points are two points: one is to quell Ma Chao's rebellion, and the other is to block the Xianbei people in the area of Hexi from burning Dangqiang and Youge in the west of Wuwei County, so as to prevent them from taking the opportunity to cross the Yellow River south and attack the hinterland of western Xinjiang.

"For this reason, the minister plans to let Pang De and Dongqiang's Storm Sha, Nie Xiao, and Xixianbei Wang Budu join forces to send troops to cross the river from the north of Anding County into Wuwei County, to help Mr. Wenyue repel the invasion of the Hu people and ensure the safety of the hinterland of Western Xinjiang." Xu Rong frowned, and his eyes fell on Longxi County on the map,

"The difficult thing is, how to solve Ma Chao's matter? Do you want Mr. Wenyo to fight him again? ”

"Ma Chao's enemy is Yuan Shao, it is Cao Cao, and he and Han Sui have no deep hatred." The eldest princess thought for a moment and said,

"Why can't you send someone to appease you? If he wants to take revenge, the imperial court can let him go to the battlefield in the Central Plains, and he can let him command a battalion of iron cavalry, isn't this condition generous enough? Xu Rong smiled slightly,

"The minister believes that General Pang De is the most suitable person to go to Longxi to appease."

"Give an order, let General Pang immediately lead the army to Wuwei, and then go to Longxi to appease Ma Chao." In April, Jingzhou, Xiangyang.

Jingzhou civil and military officials gathered together. Liu Biao looked at the letter on the desk and sighed gloomily,

"I have decided, I will lead the army north to the Central Plains tomorrow."

"Don't ......," Cai Mao blurted out. Jump to