Outside Chengdu, looking at Liu Bei who was gradually moving away, Zhuge Liang reluctantly withdrew his gaze until his figure completely disappeared from his sight.
After Liu Bei and his thousands of troops disappeared into the horizon, Zhuge Liang turned around and looked at the hundreds of Chengdu courtiers behind him.
He said loudly: "Now that the king has mobilized a large army to defend the country, Yizhou is empty of troops."
"When the troops are empty, it is inevitable that there will be trouble."
"Liang has the important responsibility of keeping the king here, and I hope that all the ministers can work with Liang to guard Yizhou for the king."
"Waiting for the day when the king will triumph."
After Zhuge Liang finished speaking, the hundreds of Chengdu officials present bowed to Zhuge Liang and shouted in unison: "Wei."
Among the more than a hundred Chengdu courtiers present, most of them were local gentry in Yizhou due to the advantages of local territory.
Although under the previous promulgation of the "Shu Ke", the interests of most of the wealthy Yizhou families present were greatly damaged, making them quite resentful.
However, they glanced at Zhuge Liang, who stood as tall as a pine and cypress in front of them, and some of their thoughts were temporarily put aside.
Everyone knows that Hanzhong's battle method is the best, and his words "It can be attacked" on Dingjun Mountain caused Cao Cao to suffer great harm.
But at that time, Zhuge Liang would not have been strategizing in Chengdu, pacifying people's hearts, suppressing unruly ministers, and continuously delivering troops, food and grass to the Hanzhong front line.
Liu Bei and Fazheng in Hanzhong could not wait for the opportunity to say "it can be attacked".
Zhuge Liang was able to stabilize Yizhou's rear area for Liu Bei with one person's strength, but it was not all due to his Yuan Ting Yue Zhi's virtues.
The dragon is lying in Shu, don't move rashly.
After saying these words, Zhuge Liang ordered the hundreds of Yizhou ministers present to return to the city for business first so as not to delay political affairs.
Under Zhuge Liang's order, the hundreds of Yizhou ministers in the field left one after another soon after.
Outside Chengdu, only Zhuge Liang and one other person were left at this time.
The person accompanying Zhuge Liang was named Ma Su, also known as Youchang.
Ma Su, a native of Yicheng, Xiangyang, is the younger brother of Ma Liang, a servant who is highly regarded by Liu Bei today.
He initially followed Liu Bei into Shu as a Jingzhou official. After Liu Bei pacified Yizhou, he was made the county magistrate of Chengdu.
Ma Su was extremely talented and liked to discuss military strategies. Because of this, Zhuge Liang looked at him with special eyes in the past. Every time he met with him, he would talk about it from day to night.
After Ma Su saw that all the ministers had left, he bowed to Zhuge Liang and said, "In your opinion, the general, will your Majesty return victorious from his expedition to Jingzhou this time?"
What Ma Di asked was exactly the question in the minds of every courtier in Yizhou today.
As time goes by, more and more news has spread to Chengdu.
The recent military information received in Chengdu is that Cao Cao personally led an army of 100,000 troops to suppress Xiangyang, and Lu Meng also led an army of 100,000 troops to surround Gong'an.
It was after receiving this news that Liu Bei became more and more anxious. Before Zhuge Liang could fully mobilize the soldiers and horses in Shu, he planned to go to war in advance.
After this military news spread in the city of Chengdu, facing the crisis situation of the two major princes of the world joining forces and gathering an army of 200,000 to surround Jingzhou, people in Chengdu were panicked for a moment.
Many people were frightened by the military power of Cao Cao and Sun Quan, and believed that Liu Bei was not very sure of victory when he led his army to Jingzhou for rescue.
If Liu Bei hadn't smashed the jade jade to prove his ambition, those famous people in Yizhou might have jumped out and begged Liu Bei to give up Jingzhou.
Nowadays, not only the ministers who are from Yizhou have doubts in their hearts, but also many people in the Jingzhou faction who Liu Bei relies on as his arm have doubts about this point.
For example, Ma Su today.
But compared to the Yizhou scholars, it is impossible for the Jingzhou scholars to advise Liu Bei to abandon Jingzhou.
They just expressed concerns about Jingzhou's future.
Facing Ma Su's inquiry, Zhuge Liang's graceful face showed no worry at all.
He's facing the horse
Su said, "In Chengdu today, only I and Xiaozhi can persuade the Lord to stop the Eastern Expedition.
But the Eastern Expedition is inevitable. Whether it is to save the former general or for the great cause of the Lord, Jingzhou must not be lost. "
"What everyone is worried about is that the enemy's army is strong and our army is outnumbered."
"However, when it comes to war, there is no constant momentum, and success or failure cannot be determined solely by the number of troops."
"Although Cao Cao's army is powerful, he does not have a navy army among his troops.
As long as the former general ordered his navy to block the Han River and cut off the waterway, making it impossible for Cao Wei's cavalry to cross the Han River, Xiangyang and Jiangling would be safe for the time being. "
"As for the police."
Zhuge Liang's tone paused.
At this time, he recalled the voice of a person reciting "Shu Ke" in his mind, and Zhuge Liang also showed a little nostalgia in his eyes.
Although Mi Yang and him did not have formal master and disciple names like Fazheng.
But when it came to teaching Mi Yang, what he taught was no less than the Fa Zheng.
It's just that he usually teaches more about Mi Yang's political strategy.
Fazheng misses Mi Yang, so why doesn't he?
"The strong city of Public Security was built under my personal supervision."
"Zicheng already has a reputation as a good planner in Jingzhou. In the past, he also acted in many subtle ways. He is stationed at the police station, so he will have no worries in a short period of time."
"The king is bringing an army of 30,000 to Jingzhou this time. Although the force is small, if planned properly, he will be able to retreat the two enemies and protect Jingzhou."
Seeing that Zhuge Liang was so convinced, Ma Di couldn't help but ask, "According to the general's opinion, after the king leads his army into Jing, should he assist the former general, or should he go to relieve the public security siege first?"
"Or should we divide our troops into two and rescue each other?"
Zhuge Liang did not answer Ma Su's question. He just replied, "Now that Xiaozhi is accompanying the king on the eastern expedition, with Xiaozhi being there, the king should not have to worry about defeat, and you can rest assured."
After Zhuge Liang finished speaking, he looked at Ma Di and saw that the worry on his face had faded a lot.
The reason why Zhuge Liang explained so much to Ma Su was that he valued Ma Su and wanted to train Ma Su to become a talent.
Also because since Ma Liang joined the army in the Eastern Expedition, Ma Di is now a representative figure among the Jingzhou scholars in Yizhou.
Jingzhou is in danger, and the people in Yizhou are most worried about these scholars who are native to Jingzhou.
Therefore, Zhuge Liang deliberately informed Ma Di of his views. After Ma Di disseminated his remarks in the future, the hearts of the scholars in Jingzhou and Yizhou would naturally gradually settle down.
As for what he said, he didn't say it specifically to appease people, it was what he really thought in his heart.
Zhuge Liang looked at the sun in the sky. He stretched out his slender fingers and pointed at the rising sun.
Then he clasped his fingers in a circle and captured the sun, which was emitting warm sunlight, in his palms.
Today's Liu Bei is no longer the same person who was trapped in Xinye.
With his careful planning for more than ten years, Liu Bei's power is now as vibrant as the rising sun in the sky.
Liu Bei's strength is no longer what it used to be, and he has countless elite soldiers and generals under his command.
By this time, as long as Jingzhou was not lost, reviving the Han Dynasty was no longer a dream.
And his desire to bring all the people of the world under his royal rule and let them live and work in peace and contentment is no longer a dream.
The future is promising.
...
Although Liu Bei is now the King of Hanzhong and his status is extremely noble, he has been fighting endlessly throughout his life. Today, he still chooses to go on a horseback expedition instead of riding around in a king's chariot like Cao Cao.
When Liu Bei was weak and stationed troops in new areas, he once lamented to Liu Biao:
I never leave the saddle, and all the flesh on my thighs disappears. Now I no longer ride, my butt is full of flesh. If the sun and the moon are running fast, old age is coming, but if the achievements are not completed, it is sad.
It is precisely because of that tragic past that Liu Bei, who has always been high-spirited and never discouraged, cherishes the time when he can fight in person even more when the dragon enters the sea.
Unless he dies, he will not let his flesh resurrect again.
day.
But although Liu Bei went out on horseback, Fazheng was ill, so Liu Bei gave his king's chariot to Fazheng to rest.
Moreover, Liu Bei was afraid that Fa Zheng would be hard, so he specifically ordered his king to slow down and not to bump into Fa Zheng.
With the slow-moving Wang Jia present, the march of the entire army was slowed down a lot.
Therefore, after driving for a certain distance, Fazheng immediately clapped his hands and stopped Wang Jia.
As the king's chariot stopped, Liu Bei, who was marching, thought something had gone wrong with Fazheng. He quickly rode his horse to his king's chariot and inquired about the king's chariot's Fa Zhengdao, "Is filial piety and uprightness all right?"
Seeing this scene, it seemed as if Fazheng, who was sitting in the king's chariot, was the king of Hanzhong.
But this scene made all the soldiers and officials present feel strange.
Liu Bei's favor towards Fa Zheng was more excessive than this.
Fazheng, whose face was getting paler, opened the Wangjia's small window and said to Liu Bei, "The king came in and said something. I have something to say to the king."
Seeing Fazheng's unhappy expression, Liu Bei quickly dismounted his horse and entered the king's carriage.
After entering the king's carriage, Liu Bei felt something cold inside the carriage, and immediately scolded the waiter in the carriage, saying,
"How can the stove be lit? The minister is sick, how can he catch the cold?"
Faced with Liu Bei's rebuke, the waiter quickly kowtowed and admitted his mistake.
Liu Bei's meticulous care for Fazheng made Fazheng feel warm in his heart.
But then Fazheng spread out a map in front of Liu Bei. He bowed to Liu Bei and said, "Your Majesty, our army's marching speed is too slow."
"Thirty thousand troops have gathered in the belly of the fish and are waiting for the king to arrive at Yangbian and lead them out to the battle."
"According to the current marching speed of our army, it would take half a month at the fastest to travel from Chengdu to the belly of the fish.
Soldiers are valuable and quick, and the military situation in Jingzhou is urgent, so there is no room for delay. "
How could the veteran Liu Bei not know what Fazheng said?
It's just that Fazheng dragged his sick body and traveled with the army. The road in the middle of Shu was rugged. In order to take care of Fazheng's body, the marching speed must not be too fast.
Fazheng also knew that Liu Bei was worried about his health, but he went with the army to help Liu Bei, not to be a burden to Liu Bei.
In the spacious king's carriage, Fazheng pointed to the map he unfolded and said to Liu Bei, "Your Majesty, please take a look."
The direction Fazheng was pointing to was Yidu County.
Seeing Fazheng pointing his finger at Yidu County, Liu Bei's expression suddenly became serious.
Fazheng cheered up and said, "Yidu County governs the three counties of Xiling, Yidao and Fenshan. The area is small, but these three counties are all important military areas."
"The terrain is determined by the help of soldiers. Predicting the enemy's victory and calculating dangers near and far are the way of a general.
He who knows this and uses war will win; he who does not know this and uses war will lose. "
"Yidu County borders Nan County to the east and Yubelly to the west. It is the only way for the king to lead his army out of Sichuan and into Jing."
“The mountains in the county are towering and the terrain is steep.
There is a pavilion in Yidao County in the county. The terrain here is dangerous, surrounded by mountains and rivers.
If this place is captured by the enemy, they only need to send a small number of soldiers and horses to cut off the water along the mountain to prevent tens of thousands of our troops from entering Jingzhou. "
"If our army wants to enter Jing by then, we must accumulate a large army at Xiaoting and join forces to defeat the enemy."
"However, it is winter, the weather is dry, and there are many mountains and forests in Yidu County. Under a joint team, the enemy can attack with fire, so this is a taboo for military strategists."
"Moreover, this is the heart of Yidu County. If this place is lost, Yidu County will be lost."
"At first, the king ordered Mengda to go north to capture the Shangyong counties in Fangling, but now the troops in Yidu County are empty.
All the soldiers and horses in Jingzhou blocked Cao Wei's army in the north, and were besieged by Jiangdong's army in the south, unable to move. "
"If there is a decisive person in the enemy army who leads a surprise force across the river to attack Yidu County, and Fan You, the prefect of Yidu, is not prepared, Yidu will be in danger."
"If Yidu is lost, our army in Shu will be unable to advance or retreat. Not only will Jingzhou be in great danger by then, even the tens of thousands of troops led by the king will be in danger.
There is a risk of capsizing. "
"So, as a plan for your safety, Your Majesty, you should rush to Yubelly County immediately, and then order your generals to rush to Yidu County at night under the stars.
He was ordered to lead troops to garrison key points and guard the east gate for the king. "
"And as long as everything is right, even if the former general is defeated, he can lead his troops back step by step and return to Sichuan."
"Yidu County is indeed a battleground for military strategists. Your Majesty, you must take precautions early."
Although Fazheng was ill, when he talked about the war, the pale color on Fazheng's face was instantly replaced by a flushed color.
As his fingers kept moving on the map, he had already planned Liu Bei's future marching strategy.
This is Fazheng's home court, and in his home court, he has incomparable confidence.
But after explaining his strategy, Fazheng started to cough again because he was wasting too much energy.
Although Fazheng's cough was not severe, every cough he made was like a heavy hammer hitting Liu Bei's heart.
Liu Bei was about to express his concern for Fa Zheng, but Fa Zheng waved his hand and said, "Your Majesty, Zheng is sick and weak, so you can move forward slowly."
"It's just that the king is responsible for the great cause of the Han Dynasty. Jingzhou is in danger now, and Yidu is in danger. I hope that the king will come quickly."
After hearing Fazheng's advice, although Liu Bei was worried about Fazheng's condition, he was the master and had more important things to do.
Therefore, he spoke uprightly to the Fa, "Filial piety means taking good care of one's body."
"Among all the ministers, Xiaozhi and Kongming are the least. I want to entrust the funeral affairs to you two. I hope Xiaozhi will not let me suffer the pain of heartbreak."
Regarding Liu Bei's trust, Fa Zheng smiled dullly.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty."
After getting Fazheng's promise, Liu Bei left the king's carriage, and then he left a thousand personal troops to guard Fazheng and marched towards the fish belly.
He himself led the rest of his troops and the ministers and galloped towards the belly of the fish.
After Liu Bei left, Fazheng began to cough violently in Wangjia because he no longer suppressed his illness.
Fazheng took out a piece of cloth and covered it at the corner of his mouth, and then he felt the smell of blood in his nose.
But he just put the bloody cloth into his arms silently.
Thinking that spring is coming, Fazheng's eyes flashed with wisdom.
Fazheng looked north: Since you want to fight again, I will give you another ride.
Then Fazheng took out a pen and paper and started writing in the car.
What he is writing is all his opinions and experiences on military strategies in his life, as well as the eighteen strange strategies he devised in his life.
He had to finish writing before meeting Mi Yang.
In fact, Fazheng didn't say a word to Liu Bei just now.
Don't worry, Your Majesty. If you are no longer here one day, I will cultivate a second version of myself for Your Majesty before you die.
