He suddenly turned around and took two steps to reach the wall that was tightly covered by a light green velvet curtain. Cheng Dayou opened the curtain with a huff, revealing a huge schematic map of the geographical location centered on Jiujiang. In front of the generals.
"Everyone, take a look, where is Jiujiang's position? There is Huanggang in the west, Jinzhong in the northwest, Zhongzhou, the imperial capital, in the north, Anqing in the south, and Huzhou, the largest granary in Jiangnan County, in the east. Situ Tai's army right now It has controlled the entire Donghai County. Among the three prefectures in the southern part of the East China Sea, Luyang is a support point for Situ Tai to threaten the imperial capital, while Jinling is the focus of Situ Tai's army. Now according to intelligence, the army in Jinling City has reached a legion. I judge Once Situ Tai has integrated the forces in the East China Sea, he will inevitably go south to the south of the Yangtze River; and Situ Biao to our south has not been idle in the past few months. In addition to actively winning over the gentry in the three major grain-producing areas of Anqing, Yueyang and Wenning, he has also The military action is also very big. In addition to the massive expansion of the army, it is also increasing efforts to integrate the navy. The waterways in the Wuhu and Jiangnan areas are crisscrossed. The mobility and concealment of the navy are much stronger than those of the army infantry. I think he also It won’t just stay in the current Sanfu territory, it’s hard to say where his target will be.”
Before Cheng Dayou finished speaking, someone immediately asked: "Sir, do you mean that Situ Biao will attack us?"
Another person immediately denied: "This is impossible. We have surrendered to the empire now. Situ Biao should be standing in the same trench as us. How dare he launch an attack on us? Besides, although our south and north Anqing are both flat, but The strategically important Xunyang Town in between is under our control, and if Situ Biao wants to attack us, he will have to pay a considerable price."
Not to be outdone, the questioner immediately retorted: "That's not necessarily true. Your Excellency once said that we are now based on interests with our surroundings. We have no allies or friends to speak of. Anything can happen. As for Xunyang Important land is just a tactical problem and can be overcome as long as we find a way."
The other person wanted to argue again, but Cheng Dayou waved his hand to stop the dispute between the two, "I'm not sure what Situ Biao's plans are now, but it probably won't be against us. Although there is a possibility that he will attack us. nature, but if you think about it carefully, if he really wants to attack us, not only is it unfair in terms of justice, but our current military strength also needs to be weighed to see if this piece of cake will bite your teeth. The most likely possibility is to attack westward. Machikhans, or—"
Cheng Dayou hesitated for a moment before continuing: "Go east to Jinhua or Huzhou!"
After the room was silent for a while, a general asked stammeringly: "Sir, do you mean that Situ Biao will attack Situ Yuan?! This seems unlikely, right?"
"Nothing is impossible! Situ Biao can't kill the Machihans now. Situ Jun is now crowded with hundreds of thousands of people in Huanggang Mansion. He can only stare at it. We control the strategic location of Xunyangji. He wants to If you go to the north, you will pay a higher price. Huzhou and Jinhua to the east are the largest grain-producing areas in the south of the Yangtze River. From a geological environment point of view, these two prefectures should actually belong to the same large alluvial plain as the five prefectures of Wuhu County. Take a look. The current food price has reached the sky, and the drought is still expanding. If it continues like this, I don’t know where the food price will rise in September. Let’s look at Huzhou and Jinhua to the east. Huzhou has Taihu Lake is moist. Even if the drought is severe, the area around Taihu Lake will still not be greatly affected. Jinhua has the Fuchun River and Qiandao Lake. The situation is similar to Huzhou. When there is a food shortage in the entire Central China, these splendid places will How important is it, do you think Situ Biao will be tempted?" At this point, even Cheng Dayou himself couldn't help but smacked his lips, as if he was tasting the delicious taste of the rich land.
At this time, a group of generals slowly came to their senses and turned their attention to the east. Since Situ Biao dared to take action, why would his own side not dare to take action
"The folk customs in the south of the Yangtze River are weak, and the combat effectiveness of the army has always been low. Even the Seventh Army, which has always been ranked among the original seven legions of the empire, has a combat effectiveness that can hardly match that of some independent divisions in the north and west of the empire, let alone one that has always been ranked among the top seven. Compared with the first and second legions of the Imperial Army, which are at the forefront of combat effectiveness, I judge that once Situ Tai goes south, I am afraid that Situ Yuan’s military strength alone will be difficult to resist, and maybe the Milanese will also intervene. Since even the Milanese can If Situ Biao intervenes, he will definitely have no descendants, so why are we still stuck in Jiujiang?" The greedy light in Cheng Dayou's eyes was fully exposed, "Huzhou has a vast territory, nourished by the water of Taihu Lake, and the lake area has a radius of hundreds of miles. Don’t worry about floods and droughts. Taihu Lake is a natural regulating valve. When floods come, the lake can accommodate excess floods. When droughts come, the water level of the lake exceeds the surrounding canals, and the lake water can feed back to the surrounding areas. This is a wonderful land. Now that we have such a good opportunity, if I don’t take it, wouldn’t I be betraying God’s grace, and I will be punished by God.”
Some sensational words deeply attracted all the generals, including his own financial officer. If Huzhou can really be included in the bag, then Jiujiang will no longer be an isolated island. Huzhou is not only a major grain-producing area, but also has developed industry and commerce within its jurisdiction. Its fiscal and tax revenue far exceeds that of Jiujiang. It is extremely important in both strategic and economic terms. Once By connecting with Jiujiang, one's own strategic situation will be greatly improved, and the expansion space and influence will be greatly extended.
"But sir, have you ever thought about it. If we really go east to Huzhou, although we can use a name to prevent Situ Tai from occupying Huzhou, it will directly conflict with Situ Tai's interests. Situ Tai's military strength cannot be underestimated. , although we are not afraid, we still need to be careful." Another subordinate tactfully raised his concerns.
"If you don't have two or three, you won't dare to go to Liangshan! Situ Tai is indeed a strong man, but are we just cowards? There is no benefit in the world that can be obtained without taking risks. If you want to take Huzhou, you need to pay with your blood. The price. A battle with Situ Tai is inevitable, but I think if we can show our strength in the first battle and let Situ Tai feel our strength, he may consider his main attack direction. In addition, this I estimate that the number of Situ Tai's southward army was between five and seven divisions, and I judged that once he went south and Situ Yuan could not resist it, the Milanese would definitely send troops as soon as possible. At that time, the two powerful When we meet, our pressure will be much less. Of course, this is just my opinion and speculation, but I think this risk is worth taking!"
It has to be said that Cheng Dayou's inference is full of conjectures. Once a war occurs, many things will not be as simple and simple as imagined. But his last sentence is right. Some risks are worth taking. Life is a gamble. , the outcome of winning or losing can often change the lives of many people.
Cheng Dayou's analysis convinced all his subordinates. The image of a long-standing and exhaustive plan has taken root in the minds of his subordinates. The temptation of huge interests also made them feel that this excellent opportunity must not be lost. All the assigned work was carried out in an orderly manner. Two independent divisions were formed in the name of the 5th and 6th Independent Divisions of the Southern Military Region. Cheng Dayou even proposed to the local chamber of commerce that he would take over Jiujiang in the name of defending Jiujiang. For the first time since the loan, the flattered businessmen collected the loan amount of two million gold coins proposed by Cheng Dayou within two days, and the president of the Chamber of Commerce personally delivered it to the city guard.
Just as Cheng Dayou was carefully planning to participate in the upcoming Southeast War, another protagonist who was supposed to be the Southeast War was also busy, but it seemed that this time, he did not want to participate in this battle, which was about the fate of the Tanghe Empire. go into the war.
Some thin middle-aged men carefully read a stack of papers on the desk. The star mark above the paper marked the confidentiality level and urgency of the information. While browsing the information selectively, his brows sometimes knitted together. , sometimes stretched out, and the slightly white temples made the young woman who quietly walked in and presented a bowl of bird's nest a little sad.
"Master, let's have a supper first. This is the golden blood bird's nest specially sent by King Khan at his command. It is very tonic for the body. Let's take a look after eating it."
"Well, I got it, put it down. I'll eat it later." Without raising his head, the middle-aged man still stared at the letter in his hand, "Wen Ning Mansion's military deployment is adjusted frequently, and the military strength is constantly increasing. It has reached three divisions, and there are signs of increasing. What does Situ Biao want to do? Does it mean he still wants to counterattack? "
The middle-aged man muttered to himself in confusion. Situ Biao has been expanding his army to prepare for war during this period, but Baling already has three corps of his own stationed there, and there is also Yaning in charge. Even if he has the upper hand in the navy, But it is impossible to capture Baling City, but it is even more impossible to counterattack the hinterland. Situ Biao has been patient for a long time and cannot clearly see the joints in between. So what is he going to do
With doubts, the middle-aged man then put down this letter, and the next letter was obviously written in the same handwriting: "Situ Biao seems to have peace of mind, and has sent an envoy to Mulberry City. His intention is unknown."
"What does it mean to make peace? Is Situ Biao willing to give up Baling?" The middle-aged man became even more confused and shook his head subconsciously.