Zhuge Liang was in a dilemma for a while, because Zhang Xi proposed a path that he really had not imagined.
What if Cao Cao is really so lucky and goes south to catch up with Liu Biao's death and all the Jingzhou families advocate surrender... What should he do? !
Zhuge Liang's first thought was to seize some strategic locations while Cao Cao's foothold in Jingzhou was not yet stable.
For example, Nanjun.
But when I think about it, it doesn’t seem very safe.
If Cao Cao really led his army south and captured Xiangyang without any blood, even if Liu Bei really captured Nanjun, he might not be able to do it better than Cao Cao.
After all, the military strength gap between the two sides is too big, and Cao Cao also has the support of the Jingzhou family, and even if Liu Bei gets to Nanjun, he may not be able to get the support of the Nanjun family... Well, it's too difficult.
But if he doesn't do this, he may have to run away alone, and after finding a place to stabilize, he can turn to Jiangdong for help.
But if this happens, then the route I planned for Liu Bei may not be realized from the beginning.
Zhuge Liang was not a stingy person. After thinking of these possibilities, he thanked Zhang Xi on the spot and shared the consequences of his thoughts with Zhang Xi and Xu Shu.
Xu Shu gasped when he heard this.
The feeling of saying some things from Zhuge Liang's mouth is completely different from the feeling of saying it from Zhang Xi's mouth.
Zhang Xi was also quite surprised - Zhuge Liang's analysis was exactly the same as the future development.
Xu Shu became anxious, and then began to desperately think of a solution... Finally, he found that he really had a solution that was not a solution.
"Seize Jiangxia!" Xu Shu suddenly raised his head, looked at Zhang Xi, and said what he had discussed with Zhang Xi before, "If things come to this, we can only seize Jiangxia first. Jiangxia has Jiangdong at its back, which is enough to make Cao Cao throw a rat weapon, and it can also force him to Only if Jiangdong forms an alliance with us and combines the strength of both sides to win decisively with the navy, can we have a chance of survival."
"Seize Jiangxia?!" Zhuge Liang hesitated slightly, thought for a while, and said, "I'm afraid this is not feasible now."
At this time, both Liu Biao and Huang Zu were still alive and well. One of them wanted to take back Jiangxia directly, and the other wanted to make Jiangxia his own territory and become the local emperor. It was impossible for Liu Bei, a guest army, to occupy Jiangxia. .
Didn't you see that this spring, when Zhang Liao occupied the counties in the northern part of Jiangxia and Huang Zu made such a big mistake, Liu Biao still had no intention of punishing Huang Zu.
This shows that Liu Biao is waiting. He wants to let Huang Zu continue to be arrogant, and then Liu Biao will add sand to it. After Huang Zu's control over Jiangxia drops to a certain level, he will take control of Jiangxia completely.
And Huang Zu also knew that Liu Biao had nothing to do with him now, so he didn't worry about losing the city or land. He still controlled one-third of an acre of Jiangxia and continued to be a local emperor behind closed doors.
Xu Shu also knew that it was unrealistic to seize Jiang Xia at this time, but he still pulled Zhang Xi and the two of them explained their plans for Jiang Xia together.
After Zhuge Liang heard this, he thought for a moment, drew on the map for a long time, and then nodded and said, "Although there is a certain truth, Young Master Liu Qi is a coward, but it is convenient... Well, it should have been done earlier." Preparation, success or failure all depend on destiny.”
Zhuge Liang was not sure about this matter, but he still recognized the need for Xu Shu and Zhang Xi to plan in advance.
But Xu Shu said, "The key to this matter lies with the young master Liu Qi and Kong Ming... Without Kong Ming's help, Jiangxia may not be able to win it."
Xu Shu's meaning is very simple. Without Zhuge Liang as the intermediary, the Huang family in Jingzhou would not have been able to give up control of Jiangxia so easily, nor would it have been possible for Liu Biao to safely hand over Jiangxia to Liu Qi for guarding.
After all, Liu Biao, the father, knows best who Liu Qi is.
But this put Zhuge Liang in trouble again.
It's not that Zhuge Liang doesn't want to come out... Originally he wanted to wait, but after hearing Zhang Xi's hypothesis, he really couldn't sit still.
But he, Zhuge Liang, couldn't just come out like this. There would be no face at all for coming out like this... Guan Zhong Leyi was not treated like this.
So, Zhuge Liang didn't speak, he just shook his fan.
Xu Shu thought for a moment, and finally understood the idea of this arrogant person, and smiled.
Anyway, there is no rush now. Cao Cao is still struggling in the north and will not go south in the short term. In this case, let this damn arrogant continue to pretend. It is just to trouble the lord to come a few more times.
As for the strategy, there is no need to worry about this. At the worst, Xu Shu can take Zhang Xi and make more trips to Wollongong.
After thinking about this, Xu Shu and Zhang Xi took Zhuge Liang, and the three of them continued to discuss the strategy.
At this time, Zhuge Liang no longer pretended, but took the initiative to discuss with the two of them.
Xu Shu and Zhang Xi will provide Zhuge Liang with more accurate information about Cao Cao's movements in the north. Zhang Xi, in particular, took the risk to provide Zhuge Liang with the harvest of Cao Cao's farming system.
The history books clearly record that Cao Cao ordered Zao Zhi and Ren Jun to farm in Xuchang. It is said that they harvested one million dendrobium of millet that year.
But this matter is a military secret in this era. If you have not been on Cao Cao's side and have personal contact with farming affairs, you will not know these exact figures.
This news also surprised Zhuge Liang, and he even asked Zhang Xi if the source of the information was reliable...Zhang Xi could not tell the source of the information, so he could only blush and pat his chest to ensure that this matter Absolutely reliable.
Fortunately, Zhuge Liang had no intention of pursuing the matter and allowed Zhang Xi to escape.
Regarding Cao Cao's farming, Zhuge Liang actually made an estimate. He felt that after years of war, the land in the north was seriously idle, but the strength of the northern aristocratic families was more complicated. Even if Cao Cao farmed, he might not gain much.
Zhuge Liang estimated that Cao Cao's Xudu farm could harvest about 700,000 to 800,000 hu of dendrobium every year. This was because Xudu was Cao Cao's hometown. Cao Cao was farming under his nose, and the family did not dare to do too much. But when you get to the local area, it is the world of the aristocratic family. Therefore, local farming is estimated to be only four to five million dendrobium per year at most.
But now Zhang Xi told Zhuge Liang that Xu Du's farmland produced one million dendrobium in the first year, which caused Zhuge Liang to misjudge Cao Cao's army ration quantity.
Zhuge Liang originally estimated that with the current sphere of influence controlled by Cao Cao and the reserves of grain and grass, it would take at least one to two years for Cao Cao to repair his troops after conquering the north before moving south.
But if Cao Cao's farming really brought him the output Zhang Xi said, then Cao Cao really had the capital to move south immediately after conquering the north.
You must know that Cao Cao's first farming was in the first year of Jian'an, and it has been eleven years now.
Although Cao Cao has been fighting in the north and south in the past eleven years, the hinterland of the Central Plains and Hebei are so big that Cao Cao also set up a field station every time he conquered a place. After accumulating in this way, God knows how much food and grass Cao Cao's army can use. .
If this is the case, Cao Cao will have greater initiative.
As for the subsequent discussions between Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang on strategies to deal with Jiangdong, Zhuge Liang didn't pay much attention.
On the one hand, Zhuge Liang certainly has his own strategy for dealing with Jiang Dong, and he also knows Jiang Dong's desire for Jingzhou. He has already known these things.
You can't give Jingzhou to Jiangdong just because Jiangdong wants Jingzhou... Then what kind of strategic planning is there? Wouldn't it be better to just surrender to Cao Cao?
Jingzhou definitely couldn't give it, and Jiangdong definitely wanted to make good friends. Zhuge Liang felt that he should be able to grasp this measure.
But for Cao Cao in the north... Zhuge Liang felt really pressured.
The strength of Cao Cao is not that he has many soldiers and generals, but that he occupies the hinterland of the Central Plains. If he unifies the north again... China's traditional economic zones and planting areas will be in Cao Cao's hands.
At that time, Cao Cao really wanted money and food.
In current terms, Cao Cao's comprehensive national power is too strong, so strong that it can crush any family of Sun and Liu.
Cao Cao can fail, and it doesn't matter how many times he fails, but neither the Sun nor Liu family can accept failure. One failure makes them more vulnerable.
This was based on Zhuge Liang's judgment that Liu Bei could take all Jingzhou.
Zhuge Liang felt the pressure, and he felt the pressure from Liu Bei's standpoint.
Not to mention Zhang Xi and Xu Shu, they are now Liu Bei's advisers. If Liu Bei is unlucky, their lives will not be easy, and their lives may even be threatened.
Therefore, the three people chatted more enthusiastically.
The main reason is that one person feels that this kind of pressure is a bit unbearable. It is better for three people to discuss it together and see if there is a good way.
As the saying goes, there are three stooges, but Zhuge Liang is the best.
What's more, this time Zhuge Liang himself is among the three cobblers, plus Xu Shu... Although Zhang Xi is just a make-up, these two people can always come up with a suitable way.
Zhang Xi thought so, but Xu Shu and Zhuge Liang couldn't think so.
After all, he is not the omniscient Zhuge Liang in the novel. The three people discussed it for a long time, but in the end they could not find a way to break the situation.
"The general situation is like this, it's useless to think about it!" Zhuge Liang frowned and said to Xu Shu, "After Yuan Zhi returns, he still has to persuade Duke Xuande to make more friends with the Jingxiang family's wealthy family, and he should also have more contacts with Liu Qi... It's best if nothing happens. Once things change, we have to make plans for Jiangxia as soon as possible."
Xu Shu nodded and agreed.
It seems that we can only take it one step at a time, and do everything we can to let fate dictate.
Then Zhuge Liang turned to Zhang Xi and said, "I heard that Yuan Chang is good at training soldiers. I have a volume of "Six Tao" in my hand, and I want to lend it to Yuan Chang. I hope Yuan Chang can train soldiers well for future use."
After saying that, Zhuge Liang looked at Xu Shu's envious eyes and went to the study to take out a volume of "Six Tao" and handed it to Zhang Xi.
"You need to study it carefully, and you also need to cherish it, remember." Zhuge Liang finally warned him quite uneasily.
Zhang Xi took the bamboo scroll and paid homage.
There is nothing disrespectful or shameful about this grand ceremony. Zhuge Liang lent Zhang Xi an important military book such as "Six Tao", which was considered a favor to Zhang Xi, and he was worthy of Zhang Xi's worship.
After that...the three of them said goodbye, Zhang Xi and Xu Shu returned to Xinye, and Zhuge Liang closed the door and continued to think.
Think about what to do next.
