Five Dynasties River Mountains Fengyue

In the afternoon, after the official gave food, they returned to the harem, and when it was time to go straight, Prime Minister Wei Renpu and Wang Pu announced the adjournment of the meeting, and everyone went home. Come on, just walk out while talking.

Shi Congyun and Wang Pu talked while walking through the vermilion lacquer corridor, "I think the magistrate Wang is right, the defeat of Shu is the first priority, but I have fought so many wars with Shu, and I have some opinions.

The Shu Kingdom is indeed rich and prosperous. If you win the Shu Kingdom, you will gain a lot and get a lot of supplements. But to be on the safe side, I think we should first find a way to win Jingnan and Wuping (Hunan, Hubei), and then from Guanzhong, Jingzhou Send troops on the road. "

Hearing what he said, Wang Pu immediately asked, "Why do you say that?"

Wang Pu's proposition was to attack the south, and the next focus was on the Shu Kingdom, because the Zhou Kingdom was related to the land in China, which could directly lead to the Shu Kingdom, and the Southern Tang had a dangerous river, so it was very dangerous to enter the country.

The Yangtze River is not a joke, and because the Southern Tang Dynasty is located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the river is very wide, at least more than ten miles wide from north to south. Even if the Zhou army had many boats, it would be very difficult to cross a [-] army. The risks are also great.

Moreover, it is not enough for people to pass by, and the follow-up amount of grass and luggage is also very problematic. If the army crosses the river and cannot attack Jinling for a long time, the follow-up supply of grain roads will be under great pressure. More than 10 people will have to transport logistics supplies across the Yangtze River. , It is entirely possible to drag down the logistics system of this era.

This is also an important reason why Shi Congyun did not dare to cross the Yangtze River at the beginning. Wars do not just need to be crossed by people, and there is a huge logistics system behind it.

Just like in the Battle of Huainan, the total manpower invested by the State of Zhou was about 40, but the main force was only about 30 forbidden soldiers, and the remaining [-] were civilian husbands and township soldiers recruited by the government from Huaibei, all of which were Li Gu. dispatch command.

They brought their own food and clothes, and were responsible for transporting food and grass, repairing roads, building siege equipment, repairing armor, etc. for the Zhou army's frontline army.

This is also an important reason why war can bring down a country. So many civilians cannot farm and fight with the army. If the country is not big enough, it will not collapse.

And if the army crosses the Yangtze River, the supply line is stretched, and there is no bridge on the river, so it can only rely on the inefficient and time-consuming transportation method of boats to and fro, what about the logistics system maintained by these tens of thousands of people?How to extend to the south bank of the Yangtze River?

The army can't guarantee sufficient supplies at all, but in case of some weather conditions, the violent waves on the Yangtze River will be fatal.

In the Southern Tang Dynasty, if Jinling and the surrounding cities were smart enough to hold on to the city, they would be blown apart, and eventually they would perish. Therefore, Shi Congyun was powerless and did not dare to cross the river. He frightened Han Xizai and others, and they estimated that they had [-] yuan. The army, in fact, only has [-] combat troops.

Why do more than 700 ships, most of which are large ships, only carry 2 people? It stands to reason that there are many Qiyun warships that can carry 500 people. what.

The reason is very simple. The boats behind are all carrying food and grass supplies. Otherwise, if he rushes to the door of others in such a way, what will more than 2 people eat?You can't all fish in the river.

The Shu Kingdom is much better. The Shu Kingdom travels from the Guanzhong to the south. Although the Qinling Road is difficult, the victory lies in the stability. Focus on the Kingdom of Shu.

Shi Congyun and Wang Pu agree on this point, but there are still differences in subtleties, "Someone is fighting a war, so naturally he thinks about problems from the perspective of fighting.

The most ideal state of war is to put the enemy in a two-sided attack.

One, it can distract their attention, make it difficult for the enemy to take care of both sides, and sell more flaws.

Second, in fact, every war is a bet, and no one can say that they are completely sure. The more bets, the greater the odds of winning.There are two ways to advance, even if one way is frustrated and blocked, there is another way to rely on. "

"Well, the more you gamble, the better your chances of winning." It was a voice from behind, and the two turned their heads. It turned out that Wei Renpu had caught up, and the two quickly clasped their hands together.

Wei Renpu also stood side by side with them and joined their discussion, allowing Shi Congyun to continue.

"When I attacked Tushan, it was easy to fight because they were encircled on three sides. So in military terms, I am very much looking forward to forming a two-sided attack situation." Shi Congyun said as he walked.

"Besides, Nanping and Jingnan are not big opponents, and we don't need to go to great lengths to deal with them, but the Shu Kingdom is different. Meng Chang of the Shu Kingdom is not good at fighting, but he is capable of governing the country.

Wealthy people from the Shu Kingdom have seen it in Fengzhou. Their officers' belts can be inlaid with gold and jade. They hoarded food and grass in a Wuwei city that our army could not finish from the beginning to the end, and they had to distribute it to the local people.

Meng Chang and most of his civil and military men are from Hedong. They ran from the west of Taihang Mountain to Shu to occupy the magpie's nest and rule as king, but they did not receive much resistance from the local area, which shows that he has some skills in governing the country and the people. , there are also some people's hearts there. "

Shi Congyun and the two walked away while talking, and they had already left the palace gate unknowingly, but they didn't want to separate after hearing what he said, so they simply stood and talked under the tree next to the city gate.

"I estimate that there are at least 15 troops in the whole of Shu, regardless of whether they can fight or not, they must be dealt with carefully and not be careless.

If we pin all our hopes on the mountains between Guanzhong and Hanzhong, if we get blocked, it will be a trivial matter to waste all our efforts. The key is that the waste is huge, time-consuming and labor-intensive, and make the people miserable.

Once the army of 20 is dispatched, not to mention the consumption of military food and grass, at least [-] civilians along the route will be recruited to support the logistics. Every time, the people will be exhausted. Without recuperation, the country will soon complain and lose popular support, and it will become more and more difficult to send troops in the future. "

Wang Pu and Wei Renpu were so engrossed in listening that they forgot to speak for a while, and just looked at him, meaning to let him continue.

"That's why I think that military victory is only one of the goals when we want to fight Shu, and we must strive to win the first battle and win the battle quickly, while trying to save expenses and consumption, and try not to disturb the lives of the people along the way.

The land of China has been falling apart since the end of the Tang Dynasty. The separatist regimes have been attacking and fighting each other for decades. The people of several generations have withered and are already poor and weak. Once the Khitan from the north goes south, how can we resist?

Therefore, in a certain view, it is imperative to conquer Shu, just as Wang Zhifu said, but conquering Shu is just a starting point. Our court must have a long-term consideration for the future, so that we can win the world in the future, and we cannot follow the previous places. The way to separate the vassals and towns is to fight.

If you think about it this way, you need to go to Hunan and Hubei first if you want to attack Shu. "

Chapter 178, Army Expansion

Shi Congyun and the two talked more and more speculatively, seeing the sun setting, they couldn't bear to part.

If you want to talk about bragging, Shi Congyun, who has been a librarian and read many messy books, has touched the professional field. He can brag for three days and three nights without repeating the same thing, from astronomy and geography to national strategy. He has a little understanding of the formation of troops, the people's livelihood and even the secret techniques in the house.

In the end, seeing that the two were not satisfied, Shi Congyun simply invited the two to his home to continue the conversation, and both Wang Pu and Wei Renpu agreed.

Wei Renpu's mansion is on the East Street opposite Daxiangguo Temple, very close to Shi Congyun's mansion.

Wang Pu lives in the official residence, and the Kaifeng government office is just opposite the West Street of Shi Congyun's residence, and it is also very close.

Although Wang Pu has an overall view, is very talented, and is a confidant of officials, but he has a bad personality, which is a bit similar to Dong Zunhui's traits.

As long as you are arguing with others, you must forcefully win the other party and make the other party submit. It is precisely this kind of character that gives way to Wang Pu's friends who have high authority.

However, unlike Dong Zunhui, Wang Pu is headstrong, but most of his views are extremely far-sighted.

Anyway, just because he is headstrong, has few friends, and few confidantes, with Shi Congyun who has the same views and ideas, he is immediately regarded as a confidant.

But Wei Renpu is different. Wei Renpu has a very generous personality and gets along well with many people. Except for those old-fashioned scholars in the court, everyone has a good relationship with him.

Shi Congyun also had his own understanding of Fan Zhi's displeasure with him. On the surface, it was because Wei Renpu was not born in the imperial examination, but was appointed prime minister by the government. The civil officials said a lot of truth, which sounded very reasonable. People who can't think independently, or who have little experience, are persuaded.

Shi Congyun had his own opinion. In fact, it was a matter of profit and loss in the final analysis, because Wei Renpu's appointment as prime minister meant that scholars lost another aspect, so they were of course anxious.

He has read a lot of history, read a lot of books, and seen a lot of things. In fact, Shi Congyun has formed his own wisdom system long ago, and he can see the root of things keenly.

China takes Confucianism as an example, and Confucianism advocates governing the country by virtue, so it is a moral country, so that many events in history will be covered with a moral cloak, and what is said is benevolence, righteousness and morality, but he can see the essence through these superficial, Most of the time, the essence is still a calculation of interests.

Like Cao Cao, the scholars of the Jin Dynasty began to scold him after the fall of Wei. The scolding of Cao Cao was not the beginning of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and they have been scolding for a long time.

But Cao Cao's achievements in history have many achievements like his, much better than him, and much worse than him, so it is not outstanding.It was his son Cao Pi who claimed the title of emperor. He did not claim the title of emperor until his death. Sun Quan and Liu Bei did. Why did the scholars stare at him and scold him after the Jin Dynasty?

To put it bluntly, Cao Cao is a meritocracy, and Cao Pi is a nine-rank Zhongzheng system.Only Cao Cao ruled out the way for noble families to monopolize official careers. Cao Pi’s nine-rank Zhongzheng system ensures that noble families monopolize officialdom from generation to generation. Then of course those noble families who dominate the officialdom will of course stare at Cao Cao and let go of the reputation. Emperor Cao Pi.

In the end, it is still a calculation of interests. Cao Cao's meritocracy has harmed the fundamental interests of the gentry, but when he scolds, he still has to start from moral character and criticize under the cloak of benevolence and morality.

So of course Shi Congyun would not believe the nonsense of the scholar, on the contrary, he saw it more thoroughly. As a privy envoy, Wei Renpu had always been his boss, and he saw this person's ability in his eyes.

Wei Renpu did not come from a regular imperial examination, but his ability is definitely among the top people in the dynasty. It is very beneficial to have a good relationship with him.

After returning to the mansion, it was time for dinner. Shi Congyun had someone prepare mutton and fine wine, and he chatted with the two while grilling the meat while drinking.

As he talked, he talked about the current situation, the past, and the future, talking about the world, the past and the present.

In the end, when they answered Yanyun Sixteen States, both of them had the desire to take back Yanyun Sixteen States, but they were far less urgent than later, because the stories of Han and Tang came first, and no one felt that much.

"Ten years earlier, decades longer, the land of the sixteen prefectures will belong to the Central Plains again." Wei Renpu arrived while drinking.

Wang Pu also nodded in agreement, "Taking the sixteen prefectures as the northern barrier is inevitable, but there is no rush right now, and the south should be the most important thing."

"If the Liao Kingdom is unprepared, it may be possible. The old man heard that the current ruler of the Liao Kingdom is a foolish lord. It's a good time..." Wei Renpu said while eating mutton skewers.

Wang Pu was about to refute immediately, but Shi Congyun was afraid that they would quarrel, so he quickly interjected, "Miss Wei, a certain number of states and counties in the south of Youzhou can be taken, but Youzhou is not yet ready.

Let's make a hypothesis, if after the expansion of our country's military, 20 forbidden troops from all over the country will go northward and capture Youzhou.

What about the future?Once you capture Youzhou, you will definitely start a full-scale war with the Liao Kingdom. It is impossible for us to go north from Youzhou to seize their grassland land, and the Liao soldiers must go south.

How many soldiers and horses does the Liao Kingdom currently have?At least more than 20 people.How many soldiers and horses did the Northern Han have?At least more than eighty thousand.

At that time, there will be the Northern Han Dynasty in the west and the Liao Kingdom in the north, and we will be in full-scale war with the Liao Kingdom. We must always be on guard against the Liao Kingdom and the Northern Han Dynasty, just like the Jin Dynasty (Later Jin Dynasty), or even worse, most of our 20 troops must be deployed to From Youzhou to the vast area in the middle of Daliang.

If you can't spare any more, go to recover the lands of Tang, Wuping, Jingnan, Southern Han, and Western Shu.

This must also be based on the fact that we can resist the Liao army's southward retaliation.

And it won’t work in the long run. We only have Qidi, Hebei, Henan, Guanzhong, and Huainan, and we support 20 troops all the year round. Even if there is no war, the country will be dragged down for a long time, just like the Jin Dynasty more than ten years ago.

The demise of the Jin Dynasty was due to the rebellion of the general Du Chongwei, but it was difficult to support the country. They did not have a long-term vision and used half of the country to resist the Liao Kingdom. Although they could resist the Liao Kingdom, the Liao Kingdom went and came again. However, the state of Jin has to use a small amount of land to forcibly support this huge army that can compete with the Liao state. It will definitely be dragged down after a long time, and our dynasty cannot repeat the same mistakes. "

Wang Pu said comfortingly: "Deputy Marshal Shi is really a confidant of this old man, what I said has reached my heart, how could I not know that the land of sixteen prefectures must be taken back.

But the reason why the policy of first going south and then going north was proposed to the officials is because wars can only be sustained if they are profitable.

Attack the south first, easy to fight is only one of them, the most important thing is to get a lot of money, food and people, so that our country of Zhou can grow stronger.If we are in a hurry to fight Youzhou and start a war with the Liao Kingdom early, we must go all out to fight the Liao Kingdom.

Unlike the battle of the Liao Kingdom and the South, the war with the Liao Kingdom is not profitable, it can only be a protracted war of attrition, what happens after we take Youzhou?The Northern Expedition to the Grasslands and Deserts Failed?That will only waste money and money, but manpower and material resources will get nothing. "

"But the sixteen prefectures are good for defending against the north..." Wei Renpu said.

Wang Pu was so anxious that he wanted to speak again, Shi Congyun rushed to speak, for fear that the two of them would quarrel, and he knew that Wei Renpu didn't quite understand Wang Pu's meaning, so he said metaphorically:

"Miss Wei, let's use an analogy, I, Da Zhou, am now a family who can only eat half full, living in a thatched hut without enough to eat.

For this family, the south is a large amount of rice, noodles, money and food, and the sixteen states in the north are a big house that shelters us from wind and rain.

We can only eat enough to make the whole family strong enough to have the strength to build a shelter from the wind and rain. If we do this the other way around and the whole family is still hungry, we should think about going to the house first. Build a big house, but the house is not built yet, and half of the work will starve to death.

Both the south and the north are important, but they must be prioritized, and the priorities must be understood. Food must be eaten bite by bite, and roads must be taken step by step. "

"What a wonderful speech!" Wang Pu raised his glass to him happily, Shi Congyun quickly picked up the glass and drank with Wang Pu.

"That's what this old man means. We must take it step by step and prioritize. The sixteen states are going to take back, but it is by no means the moment. The time has not come. If you are eager for quick success, it is very likely that more than ten years of work will be destroyed in one go."

Wei Renpu also understood what Wang Pu meant, so he raised his glass and said, "Prefect Wang is really far-sighted."

It seems that Wei Renpu also agrees with Wang Pu's consideration.

That night, the three of them talked until very late, so they couldn't go back. Both Wei Renpu and Wang Pu stayed in his residence.

Wang Pu even regarded Shi Congyun, a young junior who was like-minded and at the same level as him, as a year-end friend.

Wang Pu also told

........

In fact, everyone knows that doing things should be down-to-earth and step-by-step.

Perhaps there are very few people who can do it in history, and it is difficult for ordinary people to lose weight. What's more, this kind of family-country strategy has been persistent for more than ten years and decades.

Those who can persevere are heroes, such as Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Taizong of Tang, etc. They are all very determined and persistent people, and the country has benefited a lot from their persistence.

Guo Rong is far behind. Although he compares himself to Li Shimin, if you look closely at his actions, starting from the Battle of Gaoping, the gap is relatively large in general.

Shi Congyun feels that the current emperor is characterized by bravery and decisiveness, but lacks strategic vision.

There are great talents, but lack of generality.

The next day, Shi Congyun sent Wei Renpu and Wang Pu away.

Shi Congyun prepared presents under Zhao Shijian's reminder, and together with Guo Tingwei, visited Liu Renshan who was living in the capital.

Liu Renshan was worshiped as an official inspector and Taiwei, but he had no actual position. He was only given a salary, arranged a mansion, and let him live in the capital.

And Zhu Yuan and others who surrendered with him were arranged to serve as regimental envoys and governors in the states of Huainan.

Although Liu Renshan gave him treatment and did not let him become an official, he might not be at ease with him, after all, Liu Renshan was too capable.

Moreover, his subordinate Guo Tingwei's original identity is not simple. Zhao Shijian told him quietly that Guo Tingwei should be a descendant of Guo Ziyi, the official of the Tang Dynasty and the king of Fenyang.

So he asked Guo Tingwei in private, but he didn't expect it to be...

In the middle of November, Shi Congyun heard the news from Si Chao that the three envoys, Zuo Pushe, Shizhong, Pingzhangshi, and Xingshouzhoufu Li Gu were coming back, because their navy was ordered to send ships to Wokou picked up Li Gu and his entourage, so he would only say a word when he came.

When Shi Congyun got the news, he told Si Chao that the navy ship was coming to Daliang to tell him.

On the day the boat arrived, he took Zhao Shijian to meet him at the ferry in person.

Li Gu can be regarded as his great benefactor. In Zhengyang, it was Li Gu who rejected Li Chongjin and let him play forward.

In the later battle of Huainan, he commanded an army of 35 to fight, and Li Gu dispatched [-] civilian husbands and township soldiers to protect the logistics of the army for him. There was no problem at all, and the battle in Huainan was so easy to fight.

He is both a benefactor and an old colleague.

But what he didn't expect was that there were a lot of people coming, and there were people standing everywhere around the Bianhe River, all of them came to welcome Li Gu, and there were many people from both civil and military sides.

........

On November [-], someone from the palace came to the official office in front of the palace and asked him to meet the official family.

Zhang Yongde and Zhao Kuangyin also went with them, as well as Wei Renpu, the privy envoy of the palace, and Li Gu, the third envoy.

The officials asked them to discuss the matter of officials accusing the Crane Army of expanding its two wings, which is a big deal.

According to the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, each chamber has 5000 people. That is to say, the expansion of the two chambers means the expansion of [-] forbidden troops. This is a big event.

The imperial army of the Great Zhou Dynasty is currently only 18 to [-], and the expansion of the army by [-] will increase the size of the imperial army to about [-], and the increase of [-] is also a large number.

The Crane Control Army is the main force under the Dianqian Division, so they summoned three senior officials of the Dianqian Division to discuss.

Because of the success of Yu Langzhi's formation, Shi Congyun became the official's first choice for the matter of military expansion and training. Both Zhang Yongde and Zhao Kuangyin agreed with this, and Wei Renpu and Li Gu did not object.

The wave-riding army he formed was only formed, and it immediately exploded with strong combat effectiveness on the Huainan battlefield, which was impressive.