Pengcheng, the palace of the king of Chu.

Liu Bi, the king of Wu, looked at the map hanging on the wall of the main hall and fell into deep thought.

His generals were all standing behind him, waiting for Liu Bi's decision.

Now, Liu Bi is facing exactly the same situation as when the British and Bugh rebelled.

Now, although 50 years have passed, Liu Bi still faces three choices.

The first way is to march eastward, capture the vast Qilu region, and pass on Yan Zhao.

The second road is to go up along the Yangtze River, along the Yangtze River, attack the hometown of Han Wei, according to the Su of Aocang, stuffed into the mouth of Gao, and the decisive battle in Luoyang.

The third way is to start from the Chu State, cross the Yangtze River, attack the Liang State, as long as the Liang State can be captured, there is no danger before Chang'an, and the army can be under the Hangu Pass, undoubtedly, to that point, the entire Guanzhong will go down without a fight, and some are willing to 'set things right' nobles.

In that year, Yingbu took his own force and crossed the Huai River into Pei County, but was blocked by Emperor Taizu Gao Liu Bang in the city of Qixi.

Liu Bi personally experienced that war, and the various scenes at that time, when I think about it now, seem to be in front of me.

With the courage of Yingbu, the elite of the hundred battles under his command was still defeated again and again on this road, and finally the whole army that was beaten collapsed.

Therefore, Liu Bi is unwilling to cross the Huai River!

God knows what awaits you on the other side of the river?

What if you just crossed the river with your front foot, and your back foot was cut off from the Changsha army that came out of Changsha?

Liu Bi didn't dare to take this risk!

As for the princes of Changsha......

Liu Wei never dared to count on these gentlemen!

back then. Yingbu was sold by the king of Changsha!

Therefore, in reality, Liu Wei will only have to choose between going east and going north.

Eastward. It is necessary to cross the Yangtze River.

On the other side of the Yangtze River, the Han family was in the Qilu area, and seven or eight vassal states were dependent on each other, and when it was not certain that the princes of the Qi king's line would definitely respond, Liu Wei did not dare to attack lightly.

Since ancient times, there has been a big risk in crossing the river!

On the other hand, there is only one obstacle to the northward march - Liang State!

And. For Liu Bi, there is another reason for choosing to go north - Liu Wu, the king of Liang, is the emperor's younger brother.

Attack the Liang State. It is to attack it and save it, forcing the main force of Chang'an to come to the Liang State for a decisive battle.

Doing so, for Liu Bi, the benefits are. In between hastiness. The Son of Heaven of Chang'an definitely did not have time to gather the border troops from the Great Wall and the army of King Qin from all over the country, so he could only rely on the northern and southern armies of Chang'an and a few troops stationed in Guanzhong.

And if you go east to Qilu......

Chang'an gained time.

As a monarch who had been planning a rebellion for so many years, Liu Bi naturally knew how great Chang'an's war potential was.

Once Chang'an mobilizes the manpower of the basic areas near the Great Wall and Guanzhong and Hedong, an army of one million may be exaggerated, but 500,000 are fully armed. A trained army can still be put together!

And his entire Wu country, even if he scrapes the ground. I can't get together so many troops.

Moreover, the march to Qilu would not only give Chang'an time to mobilize and assemble a huge army, but also had a problem - the longer the battle line dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for the attacking side.

Liu Bi is naturally very aware of this.

His basic plate is only the land of the three counties of Wu State.

Combined, it is only a hundred cities and a population of three million, which will definitely not be able to compete with Chang'an, which has two-thirds of the world.

Even if he did end up having Qilu, so what?

Since ancient times, have there been examples of the Southern Army defeating the Northern Army?

China's real elite and population gathering place is always in the Central Plains, in the north!

Therefore, in Liu Bi's view, marching eastward is just a matter of survival.

Once Chang'an reacts and gathers an army, then with those battle-hardened and well-trained troops in the north, all the battles will be changed at that time!

Yes, Liu Bi knew very well that his only choice was to go north, take advantage of Chang'an's lack of reaction at all, storm Liang State, and force Chang'an to fight with him in a decisive battle under the condition of insufficient preparation, so that the outcome would not be known.

Otherwise, when Chang'an is mobilized, it will really be a rest!

Liu Bi knows very well how terrifying Guanzhong will be once mobilized.

Back then, at the end of Qin, with the absurdity and sluggishness of the Qin court, Zhang Han was able to organize an army of hundreds of thousands of prisoners, but it was not for the fact that he met Xiang Yu in the battle of Julu, I am afraid that the uprising in the world will be suppressed.

And now......

Liu Bi thought about it, but he still had to admit that the emperor child in Chang'an, at least, was still qualified!

Although Liu Bi figured out the next march route, he still made a show and asked the ministers and generals.

So, he bowed his head slightly and asked, "Everyone, please speak freely, I will wait for the next step, where to go?" ”

After Liu Bi finished speaking, he looked at a young general standing on his right, who was Hengba, whom he admired and valued.

Hengba saw King Wu looking at him, thought about it, and then bowed and said: "The king, the last general thinks like this, our army is mostly infantry, and the court is mostly chariots, infantry is good at traveling lightly, over mountains and mountains, chariots and horses are conducive to field warfare, with my short, the enemy's long, this is not taken by soldiers since ancient times, therefore, the last general will build yì, our army is lightly armed, quickly capture Luoyang, as long as you can capture Luoyang, the princes of the world will inevitably respond to the king, in that case, no need to fight, we will win this war, and if our army can not quickly capture Luoyang, Blocking the connection between Chang'an and Kwantung, once the Han army, especially the cavalry of the Han army, arrives between Liang and Chu, no matter what, we will lose! ”

"Therefore, the last general implores the king to attack the west and take Luoyang as the first priority!"

Hengba's remarks have also been told to Liu Bi in the past.

At this moment, after listening to it again, Liu Bi felt that there seemed to be some truth.

So, he turned his attention to the other generals.

Under normal circumstances. If the subordinates think it's good, they will basically follow.

However, at this time. The internal situation in the camp of Wu Wang Liu Bi is quite delicate.

Like any force, Liu Bi is inevitably divided into factions.

However, Hengba and most of the generals present are not from the same faction.

Even if it is a person of the same faction, seeing that Hengba has been so trusted by Liu Bi at this moment, it is inevitable that there is some envy, jealousy and hatred in his heart.

So, under such a situation.

Someone said: "It's a good thing that the young man has sharpness, but." It is too risky to attack Luoyang in the west, but Luoyang is a strong city in the world. There are countless arsenals and weapons, and besides, as long as our army sets off, Chang'an will not know even if it starts. But after two or three days. I must know the intentions of our army! Chang'an Tianzi is not stupid, he will be stupid and defenseless, and once Chang'an is prepared, the surprise attack will turn into a strong attack, dare to ask General Heng, our army is advancing lightly, and it may take Luoyang in a short time? If Luoyang can't take it, the army of the King of Qin on all sides will arrive. Our army is about to be surrounded under the city of Luoyang, the general also said. Our army is not conducive to flat ground battles, but the surroundings of Luoyang are extremely open, and the Chang'an cavalry can come overnight......"

This man is quite polite.

Unceremoniously said directly: "This is the young man's plan, and he is worried?" "A cold and noble appearance, a look that looks down on Hengba at all.

There was even more cynicism: "Ah, the king, General Heng is going to follow the story of the horse service!" ”

Ma Fujun Zhao Kuo talked about the army on paper and buried the story of Zhao Guo's national fortunes, but it is familiar!

Hengba opened his mouth, wanting to argue.

However, where are these people willing to give Hengba a chance to argue?

A veteran with very old qualifications directly blocked what Hengba wanted to say. The old general said directly: "Yingbu also wanted to attack Luoyang back then, but was blocked by Emperor Gao in Qixi, does the general think that he is more brave than Yingbu?" The land of Huaixi, with a dense water network, is the territory that Chang'an has been operating for decades, once our army steps in, how easy is it to get out? Besides, if our army can't settle the battle in one battle, it will definitely be besieged by the Jianghuai counties, and at that time, it will be impossible to return to Wu! ”

Hengba was stunned and wanted to refute.

But Liu Bi waved his hand and said: "The opinions of the generals are unknown to everyone, so it was decided, the army will march north with all its might, attack the Liang State, and fight a decisive battle in Suiyang!" ”

"Success or failure, in one move!"

Hengba stared blankly at this qiē.

He didn't understand, why didn't even the king give him a chance to speak and explain?

Why doesn't anyone understand him?

Going west to Luoyang is certainly risky.

But how can you not take risks in war?

What's more, in today's situation, only by winning in danger can there be a way to survive.

Stupidly going to face the Liang State, which has been run by the imperial court for decades, Hengba doesn't even have to think about it to know what will happen.

The Han dynasty was arranged in the Liang Kingdom for nearly twenty years.

Hengba had visited Thorn Wall and Suiyang many times, and it could be said that these two fortresses could almost be impossible to capture.

The soldiers stationed there are also veterans who have been trained for a long time, calm and powerful.

In a hurry, it is basically impossible to break through the Liang State and realize the strategic concept of a decisive battle in Suiyang!

On the contrary, the Huai River area, these decades of peace, the local is extremely lax, Hengba once personally followed the river from the Huai River, all the way through the counties, vassal states, avoided all the sentry posts, directly to the city of Luoyang.

This means that as long as there is a partial division, lurking in it first, and then pressing the border with a large army, it will be able to capture the entire Jianghuai without worrying about going to Yingbu again.

Hengba couldn't figure it out, why, there were so many veterans present, and the king was also a veteran commander who had been in battle for a long time, why didn't he understand the truth that time has changed?

Why don't they know that the Jianghuai that blocked Yingbu back then, at this time, is already rotten from the inside out!

"I can only pray that the defense of the Liang Kingdom is not as strong as imagined......" Hengba sighed, his mood also became depressed, and he felt extremely pessimistic about the future.

With such a mood, after the meeting ended, Hengba walked alone in the corridor of the palace, sighing.

As he walked, Hengba shook his head, and when he was cold, he bumped into someone.

"Huh!" Hengba looked up and couldn't help but be surprised, he knew the person he bumped into.

It is one of the diners raised by the king, and the people of Xiapi Zhouqiu.

Zhou Qiu is a person. Hengba still understands something, and he is extremely loyal to King Wu.

Therefore. Hengba bowed slightly and said, "Mr. Zhou, where are you going?" ”

Zhou Qiu replied: "I'm about to meet the king!" ”

Hengba sighed and nodded.

Now, at this point in time, as King Wu raised troops to raise the banner of the Qing monarch, basically, King Wu's past diners and staff have all made an official, or a Sima or a general. Even if it's not good, you can mix it up as a school captain.

As far as Hengba knows. is unique to Zhou Qiu, and has not mixed up an official title so far.

Yes, Hengba thinks. Zhou Qiu went to run for office.

So I didn't pay much attention to it.

But I heard Zhou Qiu say: "I have received the favor of the king, but because of my incompetence, I can't repay one or two, so I will go to meet the king." I am begging the king to grant me the title of an envoy. I want to use this to set Pi and Peijun for the king! ”

Zhou Qiu said confidently: "If you can, I will set Pi and Pei to march eastward to capture Chengyang and go to this great trouble for the king, in order to repay the king's favor!" ”

If it was something else, Hengba might just laugh.

Dare to say that you can take two counties single-handedly, and you want to destroy Chengyang?

No matter how you look at it, it looks like a YY novel.

It's just that Hengba is interested. He had been to Xiapi and Peijun and personally inspected them. Therefore, Hengba is very, what has become of the local security and order in these two places.

It is no exaggeration to say that Xiapi and Pei County, especially Pei County, have relied on their advantages as a place of Longxing, and in the past 20 years or so, the local heroes have become stronger and stronger, and the grassroots bureaucracy has become rotten.

In short, as long as you can persuade or coerce the powerful in these places, then these two counties can be taken almost bloodlessly!

And precisely, Hengba knew that Zhou Qiu's family was one of the powerful families in Xiapi.

So, Hengba asked seriously: "If Mr. goes on this trip, will he be safe?" ”

Zhou Qiu didn't hide it, and laughed: "Don't dare to hide it from the general, I and the Yang family are enemies, this person forced me to die, but fortunately the king took me in!" But this person is just a mediocre person, I can use a plan to trap him, and then, and then gather the county's heroes and officials, to slaughter the city and threaten to force him to obey, this generation is a cowardly and cowardly person, will follow, so, Xiapi falls into my hands, you can get tens of thousands of Pi elite soldiers, and then drive the Pi soldiers to attack Pei County, attack the entire Jianghuai, if the big thing can be done, you can get 100,000 soldiers! ”

Zhou Qiu smiled: "At that time, with these 100,000 soldiers, I can drive the troops west into Luoyang, retreat to defend Jianghuai, and use Jianghuai to block the soldiers of Xingyang for the king!" ”

After listening to Hengba, he already knew that Zhou Qiu had already made up his mind this time.

So, he said: "Sir is faithful, and the last general will admire, so that Sir will first report to the king and ask for the grant of a scepter, and after obtaining the name of the scepter, I will allocate three hundred elite soldiers to Sir, all of whom are my cronies who have been trained for many years, and can help Mr. ”

As for whether Zhou Qiu's request would be rejected, Hengba felt that it would definitely not.

Because all the king of Wu has to pay is a worthless name and a piece of paper, even if he fails, there will be no loss, and if he succeeds......

Zhou Qiu said happily: "Thank you, General!" ”

So, Zhou Qiu happily went in to ask for a meeting, and after a short time, he held the scepter of Liu Bi, the king of Wu, and proved it with documents.

Hengba waited until Zhou Qiu came out, and directly stuffed a talisman into his hand, and said, "Please sir!" ”

"It's a pity that the king doesn't listen to my opinion......" Looking at Zhou Qiu in the distance, Hengba shook his head.

Even a diner has the confidence and courage to single-handedly dare to say that he can take down Pi or even the entire Jianghuai.

Why, the dignified King Wu, did not dare to go to Jianghuai, but had to crash into the iron wall of Liang State?

Hengba couldn't figure it out.

Hengba sighed and was about to go home, when suddenly he saw a panicked messenger, who hurriedly ran over in a hurry.

Hengba stopped him and asked, "What are you panicking about?" What's going on? ”

The envoy glanced at Heng Ba and showed a smile that was more ugly than crying: "General Heng, something is wrong, Liu Wu, the king of Chu, appeared in Beique of Chang'an two days ago, and announced to the envoys of the princes and the kings of the vassal kingdoms and the subjects of Chang'an who were under Beique at that time......"

The messenger wept and said, "It is said that the king sent someone to assassinate him......

"Ah......" Hengba was dumbfounded. He had no idea what it was all about.

Didn't the king say that the Son of Heaven of Chang'an murdered the King of Chu, so he raised an army to seek justice?

Now what's going on?

Is Liu Wu, the king of Chu, still alive?

Wouldn't the king's nickname become a laughing stock?

If this is true.

That......

Hengba didn't dare to think about what was going to happen next.

If Liu Wu is alive, then. This time the army became King Wu's own one-man show.

What's even more terrifying is that in this play. Wu Wang plays a harlequin.

Hengba knew very well how much this matter would hit the entire Wu Chu camp.

Not to mention, those Chu soldiers are probably going to have some other thoughts-although they already have all kinds of small ninety-nine ......

What's worse is that even Wu Jun may have a big drop in morale.

From an upright teacher of justice to a malicious one. A rebel army plotting rebellion and subverting the world.

The difference in morale between the two is very large!

Hengba didn't dare to think about what would happen next.

Fear......

The king will be in a fit of rage. Losing his mind, without being prepared, he crossed the river to attack the Liang State.

And this ......

"It's going to happen!" Hengba said in his heart.

For the future, for the future.

Hengba only felt at the moment. The future is dark.

"Perhaps...... From the beginning. It's doomed......" Hengba shook his head.

Looking back now, from the beginning of the army, there were all kinds of weirdness.

For example, whether Liu Wu, the king of Chu, died or not, there was no news from Chang'an, but the king insisted that Liu Wu was murdered by the emperor of Chang'an.

Hengba is not stupid.

At this moment, his heart is as bright as a mirror.

I'm afraid, the king of Chu in Chang'an did not lie. It was the king who instructed people to assassinate the king of Chu.

But here comes the problem again.

Since the king dared to raise troops, he must have known. The fact that the king of Chu is dead.

What about that Chu king in Chang'an?

Hengba only felt that his whole brain was extremely messy.

He couldn't figure it out anymore.

…………………………………………

Go back to two days ago.

On this day, the sun was shining and the autumn wind was blowing.

The north of Chang'an is as prosperous and lively as ever.

What's more, because of the recent weird martial law in Weiyang Palace, all kinds of rumors in Chang'an have come out.

There is even a legend that the Son of Heaven was assassinated in Weiyang Palace.

At this time, suddenly, the chimes on the palace wall rang nine times in a row.

This is a sign of the appearance of the Son of Heaven.

As a result, the officials and people near Beique walked out of their homes after hearing the bell and gathered on the street below Beique City.

Tens of thousands of people gathered together, which made the guards on duty nearby suddenly nervous, but fortunately, they had been ordered before, so they were also prepared, and thousands of guards built a human wall near Beique to maintain order.

In the anticipation of countless people.

The emperor of the Han family appeared on the palace wall.

As a result, the people, officials, and envoys of the vassal states knelt down and kowtowed: "The grass people (ministers) meet Your Majesty!" ”

It's really that when the son is in Chang'an today, there are almost few people who don't know each other!

Back then, when the Son of Heaven had not yet ascended the throne, he often walked around the streets and alleys of Chang'an, and even many people watched the Son of Heaven come step by step.

Liu Qi, the Son of Heaven, waved his hand slightly and said, "All subjects, let's get even!" ”

Then, more than a dozen eunuchs shouted in unison, chanting a promise: "Your Majesty has a life: all subjects are exempt from courtesy!" ”

Therefore, everyone dared to get up.

I only heard the Son of Heaven on the tower of the city say: "Today, I have come to Beique, and there is a big event to announce to the subjects of the world!" ”

"The day before yesterday, I heard that Liu Wei, the king of Wu, under the pretext of the imperial court to murder Liu Wu, the king of Chu, actually rebelled, raised the banner of the so-called Qing monarch's side, and rebelled, this fang is extremely vicious, I heard the news, and I was quite shocked, I thought that it was 'not thin', and the first emperor even allowed it to mint coins and boil the sea, and had the benefits of the world's oil and salt coinage, I thought that this fang should be stopped, but I didn't mean it, the sub-line of the mountain wolf!"

Liu Qi, the Son of Heaven, said slowly, and every time he said a word, the eunuchs and soldiers on the city tower repeated it loudly.

When I read the last sentence of 'the wolf in the sublineage', it was even more sonic and recalled.

Liu Qi, the Son of Heaven, continued: "Back then, when my emperor's father was there, he had been with me, at the beginning, when Emperor Taizu Gao was there, he worshiped Liu Bi as the king of Wu, and he had been worshiped and sealed. It's time to regret it! However, it has been sealed, and it is a last resort. It was attached to his back and said: In the fifty years after the Han Dynasty, there were people in turmoil in the southeast. How evil is it? However, the world has the same surname as a family, and there is no rebellion! Liu Bi said at the time: Don't dare! Unexpectedly, this fang is really born against the bones! ”

This huge gossip was thrown out.

Whether it's true or not, it's not credible.

Since it was said by the emperor, it is naturally truer than real gold!

It is even more unlikely that a fool will come out and question it.

Moreover, in the hearts of most people, the Son of Heaven said. It must be true, not to mention that it is still the first emperor known as a saint, Emperor Taizong Xiaowen once told the Son of Heaven.

Most importantly. In the hearts of most people, it is natural to believe that the Son of Heaven has the power of heaven, has divine power, and can see thousands of miles. There are all sorts of abilities.

Such as. Back then, Empress Lu only looked at the direction of the clouds and found Emperor Gao.

Emperor Gao beheaded the White Snake and rebelled, and sealed the five emperors of the Wei River.

These things are already familiar stories among the people.

At this moment, it seems that there is nothing wrong with adding one that can discern evil spirits!

Not to mention this time, it is the later twentieth century, when the Taizu of the Celestial Dynasty died, all kinds of folk rumors. It doesn't look like the world of science at all, even in the 21st century. The people of the Celestial Empire, especially the drivers, regarded Taizu's statue as a talisman and a thing to ward off evil spirits......

In this era, this kind of thinking and deep-rooted superstitions are undoubtedly strengthened a hundredfold or even a thousandfold!

In particular, there are a lot of smart people in the crowd.

These 'smart people' whispered: "Emperor Gao's first year to the present, fifty has been three years...... Ah, Emperor Gao is really like a god, he has long expected that King Wu will rebel, the court must have arrangements, this time, King Wu will definitely die! ”

It's just that this person's voice is small, but it is just enough to be heard carefully by the people around him......

What's even more strange is that there are quite a few such smart people, and there are at least a few hundred people mixed in the crowd.

Several envoys and secret agents of King Wu saw this situation, and they still didn't understand that these people were from the imperial court.

Suddenly, they didn't dare to move.

On the tower of the city, the words of the Son of Heaven continued: "Liu Bi's traitor slandered me and murdered the king of Chu, but I want to sue the world that it is not me who intends to murder the king of Chu, but the traitor Liu Bi!" ”

This is not surprising, and most people would expect it.

But then, the words of the Son of Heaven pierced the sky: "Wu thought that by sending dead soldiers and assassinating the king of Chu, he could blame me?" Fortunately, the sky has eyes, and the king of Chu has the blessing of his ancestors and escaped a catastrophe. ”

Behind the Son of Heaven, a man with a pale face who was slightly curled up, wearing a nine hats, stepped out, and said with an official with a Pengcheng accent: "The widow Liu Wu can testify that it was Wu Wei who bought the widow's guards and wanted to murder the widow with a poisonous needle, but fortunately, the widow's life is big, and the divine doctor is pure and the medical skills are magical, therefore, after picking up this life, Wu Cheng plotted to kill the widow, and actually framed the Majesty Xià and framed the Son of Heaven, it is simply an unforgivable crime, minister, Liu Wu, respectfully ask Your Majesty Xià, immediately send troops to uphold justice for the widow!" ”

As he spoke, Liu Wu slowly knelt down.

With him kneeling, the whole situation was completely different.

This kneeling can be said to have completely reversed the situation in the whole world.

Previously, King Wu raised the banner of Qingjun's side and seeking justice for the King of Chu, not to mention whether others believe it or not, at least, this is also a memorial arch!

But now, this archway has been smashed to pieces, and the King of Chu, who was originally whitewashed and dressed up by Liu Biao as being murdered by the imperial court, jumped out to testify against King Wu.

It doesn't matter if anyone else believes it or not.

At least, the name of righteousness returned to Chang'an.

And those who know the inside story and know that the real Chu King Liu Wu is dead, but their hearts are different.

Especially Liu Bi's people.

Of course they know that the King of True Chu is dead, there is no doubt about it!

But who believes when you say it? Who will prove it?

"This Li Dai Tao's plan is so vicious!" Someone hiding in the shadows whispered.

But what can he do?

He knew very well that this matter could no longer be falsified.

Because, if you want to fight this lawsuit with the court about the truth or falsehood of the King of Chu. Not to mention whether the court will agree or not, just one thing, King Wu is already bound to lose.

The question is - how did King Wu know about the death of the King of Chu without any news from the imperial court?

To prove this, King Wu must first admit that he sent someone to kill the King of Chu.

Otherwise, the current King of Chu is 'real'. (To be continued......)

PS: 7000 first, and the remaining 3000 will be made up tomorrow~