"no problem,"
"However, Guanzhong still needs to guard against the northern border. The number of troops that can be mobilized to attack with us will probably not exceed 50,000."
Mu Ying shook her head slightly. Even if 50,000 people were drawn, the remaining troops on this side would only be 140,000, which is only the same number as Xia's frontline troops. If Xia's domestic defense and local troops are included, , or even insufficient.
"Twenty thousand Hanzhong garrison troops are enough. If the southern navy had not moved to the north and would become acclimatized, even these 20,000 troops would not be needed."
Xiao Han shook his head gently, confident.
In a war, the number of people has never been the decisive factor in victory or defeat. Otherwise, there would be no need for generals and counselors. The victory or defeat can be determined by simply arranging the formation and counting the number of the other party.
"Eh? You're already a hundred thousand people strong?"
"I only have 90,000 people."
"Bad luck! The difference between the two sides is 10,000 people. This battle cannot be fought. We surrender!"
Summer capital.
"Zhu Yuanzhang, did you finally come back?"
Emperor Mingsheng of Xia Kingdom leaned on the dragon chair a little weakly and sighed.
Ming Yuzhen passed away early when she was only thirty-seven years old. The young Ming Sheng was forced to take over the throne of Xia Kingdom early. Facing the changes in the Central Plains, he had no courage to interfere.
Now, the overall situation in the Central Plains has been decided, and an ultimate boss, Zhu Yuanzhang, is coming to fight him. Mingsheng said he was not panicking, but he didn't believe it.
After all, Ming Sheng was not sure he could defeat any of the princes in the Central Plains, let alone Zhu Yuanzhang who had defeated all the princes.
"Your Majesty, the Ming army is powerful and sweeping across the north and south. Chen Youliang, Zhang Shicheng, and Wang Baobao are all tigers and wolves in the world, but they are no match for their superiors. A battle between me and the proud soldiers of the Ming Dynasty is tantamount to throwing an egg against a stone, and the final general will see it. , had we not surrendered earlier, Zhu Yuanzhang had invited His Majesty to visit Jinling in his early years. He thought that he wanted to turn the war into friendship and peacefully unify the world. Surrendering at this time will not embarrass us. "
Xia Guozhongshu Zuo Prime Minister Dai Shou came out of the crowd to persuade Ming Sheng.
Dai Shou, as a highly trusted general since the Ming Yuzhen era, was naturally not a salesman seeking glory. On the contrary, after Ming Yuzhen left in recent years, without Dai Shou, Ming Sheng might have even been replaced by Shu. The local tyrants killed him.
However, Ming Sheng was not really a wise king, and he was unable to suppress the arrogant and powerful generals within the Xia Kingdom. Dai Shou felt that under such circumstances, he could not wholeheartedly fight the Ming army. If he forced a fight, he would just lose Xia in vain. It’s nothing more than the lives of the country’s officers and civilians.
"What Prime Minister Dai said is wrong. The land of Shu is surrounded by natural dangers. It is also a land of abundance. It has millions of fertile fields and thousands of miles of fertile land! In the past, Liu Bei could divide the land of Shu into three parts of the world and rule the country. Today, I have 200,000 soldiers in Great Xia and many counselors. Like clouds, generals like rain, and your majesty is as holy as the Son of Heaven. With the natural dangers of Shu, are you afraid that Zhu Yuanzhang will not succeed?"
"Besides, according to the news from the front line, the troops leading the army are not Xu Da and Tang He, but just a few young boys. Zhu Yuanzhang is so trustworthy, we can just eat his 100,000 troops."
Pingzhang political minister Wu Youren stood up and objected.
"Your Majesty, I agree with Lord Wu's point of view!"
Zhang Wenbing, a member of the Privy Council, also stood up and expressed his support for Wu Youren.
All their power comes from the Xia Kingdom. If the Xia Kingdom is gone, even if they are not killed by Lao Zhu, they will never have the power they had before.
People feed on wealth, and birds perish for food. Not everyone can give up the power and wealth they have obtained. At this time, they are like gamblers who lose in the field, and they want to get the last chance no matter what.
"Dai Xiang, what do you think?"
Ming Sheng was already moved by what the two said. After all, as an emperor, he would not be able to accept it easily no matter what if he wanted to give up his foundation and become Zhu Yuanzhang's prisoner.
Even if you surrender at this time, there is a high probability that you can save your life, and you may be able to live a rich and prosperous life with Zhu Yuanzhang's charity. How can it be compared to the joy of being an emperor, with rich clothes and fine food, and deciding the life and death of millions with a wave of your hand?
"well!"
"If we, Daxia, are united, I am willing to fight to the death for Your Majesty!"
Dai Shou sighed softly and cupped his hands towards Ming Sheng.
He knew that since Ming Sheng asked him this, he was determined to fight with Ming in order to be able to take advantage of the danger. If he continued to talk, he would be suspected of surrendering to the enemy and buying the country.
If that's the case, then it's better to fight and die for the country. Even if you give up your life, you can still live up to the kindness of Ming Yuzhen.
"good!"
"According to my decree, Dai Shou, Wu Youren, and Zou Xing led 100,000 troops to stop the Ming army."
"Zhang Wenbing led the northern garrison with 50,000 troops to defend the northern border."
Mingsheng waved his hand and said excitedly.
Dai Shou did not agree to fight with the Ming Dynasty, which really made him feel cold. At this time, Dai Shou relented, and Ming Sheng couldn't help but feel happy. The land of Shu was dangerous and rich. If the Qin and Han Dynasties conquered Shu, they could go out to the east and dominate the world. He Ming Sheng Knowing that he did not have the resources of the Qin Emperor and the Han Dynasty, if he did not seek to unify the world, wouldn't it be enough to separate one side from another?
As long as Shuzhong is still in the hands of the Ming family before his death, he will not be considered sorry for his father.
"Your Majesty, although our army in Daxia is strong, Zhu Yuanzhang's army is at its peak, and Xiao Han, the military advisor accompanying the army, is known as the young gentleman of Huaixi. He once defeated Chen Youliang's army while talking and laughing."
"Zhu Wenzheng and Lan Yu fought bloody battles in Hongdu. Although their reputations are not as good as those of Xu Da, Tang He, and Chang Yuchun, they are by no means ordinary people."
"Since we are going to go to war with the Ming Dynasty, I would also like to ask your Majesty to send envoys to Dali and Liang Kingdom. If we can unite the strength of the country, we can ensure the stability of Daxia."
Dai Shou spoke again. He knew very well that even though they looked like they had many people on paper, in a real fight, they were no match for the Ming Dynasty Tiger and Wolf Division.
If there is no foreign aid, then the existence of the Xia Kingdom depends entirely on whether Ming Dynasty is determined to completely destroy the Xia Kingdom.
"Dai Xiang."
"In the past, I, Daxia, had a bloody battle with the Duan family and the King of Liang. We had deep grudges and were mortal enemies. How could they be willing to help us?"
"It's just a waste of Erlang's life!"
The Prime Minister Wan Sheng on the right stood up and spoke. He was the one who fought with the Duan family of Dali and the King of Liang back then, and his direct lineage was also lost. It can be said that he had deep grievances. Naturally, he did not want these two groups to come over. As for whether Xia Guo can fight Crossing the Ming Dynasty, isn't there a group of people like Dai Shou blocking this?
"Wanxiang, this time and that time, we were on good terms with Zhu Yuanzhang in the past, but now they are not coming to attack me, Daxia?"
"Duan Bao and Liang Wang are not stupid people. How can they not know the meaning of lips dying and teeth cold?"
"If I, Daxia, were defeated at the hands of Zhu Yuanzhang, how would Zhu Yuanzhang let them go?"
Dai Shou's eyes widened slightly and he said to Wan Sheng.
Both parties have been ministers of the same palace for many years, and Dai Shou didn't want to make the situation too ugly. If Wan Sheng hadn't been a veteran like him, who had been around since Ming Yuzhen's time, Dai Shou would have started scolding him.
When has it been?
Are you still thinking about those petty grudges? Don’t you know that once Great Xia goes to war with Ming Dynasty, everyone will be a grasshopper in the same boat? How can there be any reason to finish the eggs when the nest is overturned?
"I…"
"In this case, Wei Chen has dealt with Duan Bao and Polo Timur (King of Liang). Since Your Majesty has not arranged for Wei Chen to go on an expedition, I would like to be an envoy and go to Duan and Prince Liang in person to make an agreement with both parties. Make a covenant.”
Wan Sheng's expression froze, his face turned red first, then turned white, and finally he stood up and spoke.
The previous opening was a subconscious act. After hearing what Dai Shou said, Wan Sheng reacted a little slowly and immediately asked Ming Sheng for help.
"good!"
"I am very relieved that Wan Xiang has such a heart. I send an order to Wan Sheng to go to Dali and Liang Kingdom. As long as both sides send troops to help me, Daxia, repel Zhu Yuanzhang, I, Daxia, will help them separate from the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty and establish a country forever. Form allies to fight against Zhu Ming."
Ming Sheng waved his hand and issued an order.
Two days later.
On the Yangtze River, Lan Yu had already led his troops south, and He Wenhui had also headed north to Hanzhong. Among the large flagships, only Mu Ying and Xiao Han were left among the senior military leaders.
"The wind and snow are just as expected."
"Zhu Wenzheng confronted Dai Shou and Wu Youren of the Xia Kingdom at the Qutang Gorge. The enemy troops were surrounded by Yangjiao Mountain in the north and Nancheng Walled City in the south. They built a bridge with iron cables, blocking Zhu Wenzheng's way."
"In addition, the Jin Yiwei who infiltrated the Shu region found out that Wan Sheng, the right prime minister of the Xia Dynasty, has gone to Yunnan."
Mu Ying pointed to the sand table and exclaimed to Xiao Han. The current situation cannot be said to be similar to what Xiao Han said before. It was exactly the same.
"hehe."
"It's just a trapped beast. Even if Ming Yuzhen faced the Ming Dynasty, she could only save her life. A Mingsheng can't even control his own government. Naturally, he will not have the courage to face the Ming Dynasty alone."
Xiao Han smiled and shook his head. Puke Xia's reaction and ending, as well as the changes in the Duan family and Liang Wang in the south, had reached the end of the chessboard in his heart.
Preliminary planning and decisive victory thousands of miles away are just basic skills for the top strategists. A true strategist can live up to his reputation by strategizing, winning decisively thousands of miles away, fighting on multiple fronts, and controlling the overall situation.
The only pity is that the opponent in this battle seems a bit weak. The other camp does not have good enough counselors who can compete with Xiao Han in strategy, which makes this battle not so enjoyable.
Looking around the world, looking for a match but not being able to find one is sometimes a kind of loneliness.
"So, how are we going to break this iron chain across the river?"
"Within today, our Chinese army will also arrive at the front line."
Mu Ying looked at the sand table and frowned. Xiao Han's prediction was completely accurate, but Mu Ying still couldn't figure out how to defeat the Xia army, which had more troops than Ming Dynasty, within fifty days.
Xiao Han is so sad here that Mu Ying is almost bald.
Brother, you are stable, can you tell me? Let me have some confidence in my heart?
Otherwise, I will be fooled throughout the whole process, and I won’t feel at ease.
"Don't be in a hurry, don't be in a hurry, my car will find its way to the mountain, and the boat will be straight when it reaches the pier."
Xiao Han opened a folding fan and shook it gently, feeling confident.
Naturally, he could see Mu Ying's worries, but at this moment...ah, no, this confidentiality work still needs to be done, otherwise how can I pretend...how can I control the rhythm of the war?
Yingtian Mansion, Jinling City.
"Father, Ming Xia's resistance is stronger than we thought, and Ming Sheng actually put on a desperate attitude."
"The Duan family and Prince Liang are also ready to make a move. Feng Xue and the others may not be able to easily destroy Ming Xia. How about we send another hundred thousand elites to the front line just to be on the safe side."
In Kunning Palace, Zhu Biao saluted Zhu Yuanzhang slightly. Xiao Han was as steady as an old dog. Zhu Biao couldn't sleep well as he looked at the frontline news from Jinyi.
If the Ming Xia, Duan clan, and Liang Wang were all added together, they could reach 400,000 troops. However, the Ming Dynasty only had an army of 100,000 troops. It was still a two-front war, and the only one leading the troops was Xiao Han, the military advisor with the highest deployment in Huaixi. How could this not make Zhu Biao feel his scalp numb?
Although Xiao Han is confident, Zhu Biao's mentality is the same as Mu Ying's. Even if he trusts absolutely, he still feels uneasy.
"how?"
"Are you worried about that boy Feng Xue?"
Zhu Yuanzhang was not in a hurry at all and poured tea for himself. He still trusted Xiao Han more than Zhu Biao.
Although Zhu Yuanzhang could not see what Xiao Han wanted to do, since Xiao Han destroyed Chen Youliang's army while talking and laughing, Zhu Yuanzhang had a kind of mysterious confidence in Xiao Han, otherwise he would not have dared to let Xiao Han lead a group of young people General, he went to the Xia Kingdom to fight the war to destroy the country.
"This time, our Ming Dynasty sent troops, which is really too much. I didn't expect that the Duan family and Prince Liang, who have always been submissive and considerate to our Ming Dynasty, actually dared to do something secretly."
"If they really attack us from both sides on the front line, wouldn't our Ming Dynasty's 100,000-strong army be in danger?"
Zhu Biao rubbed his hands slightly, and his heart had already flown to the front line. He didn't think Xiao Han would lose, but he is now the head of the Ming Dynasty. What is the financial situation of the Ming Dynasty now? Zhu Biao is better than anyone else. clear.
It is no exaggeration to say that the entire Ming Dynasty is almost walking a tightrope. If one thing fails, everything will be lost, especially at this juncture when it is preparing to reform the imperial examination.
You know, spring is here, which means it is time to prepare for spring. When the time comes to add "Da Ming Law", "Da Ming Political Outline" and "Da Ming Agricultural Science" to the mix, no one knows what will happen.
If this exceeds the budget and those powerful families start to make trouble and cannot solve the problem in a short time, it will be a joke.
"Ha ha!"
"We feel that there is no need to increase the number of troops. Our Ming Dynasty is recuperating and recovering some of its people's strength. It is not appropriate to use too many troops, especially in the north, where we need to be on guard against remnants."
"Besides, neither Mu Ying nor Feng Xue sent us a letter asking for reinforcements. If that's the case, why should we be anxious?"
"Perhaps, in their military camp, that boy Feng Xue has already begun to make plans to defeat the enemy."
"There are certainly few Ming troops on the front line at this time, but how can such a rabble compare to Chen Youliang?"
"Even Chen Youliang can only be part of that boy's cleverness and meritorious deeds. What more can the Ming family, Duan family, and Liang Wang do?"
"Besides, Duan Shi and Prince Liang may not dare to fully enter the scene and directly confront us."
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes narrowed slightly, and he was full of confidence in Xiao Han. Although his teammates were not Xu Da and Tang He, Zhu Wenzheng, Lan Yu and others were not easy to deal with either. Maybe they still lacked experience in acting alone, but they were enough as generals. .
With young generals with great potential such as Mu Ying, Lan Yu, Zhu Wenzheng, and He Wenhui, and Xiao Han as a big guarantee, Zhu Yuanzhang is a sure bet.
"In this case, everything depends on the father."
"The imperial court still has many memorials to deal with, so I will leave first."
Although Zhu Biao's eyes were still full of worry, he quite agreed with Zhu Yuanzhang's words, so he slowly withdrew.
"Go ahead."
"In the next period of time, I will have to work hard for you. The house in my hometown is almost repaired. Dad and your mother will go back to live for a while, and they will prepare to leave during this time."
"Aren't you going to use Feng Xue's three books to reform the imperial examination recently?"
"Now that you've decided, just stick to it. Dad is still here. If anyone dares to make a splash, Dad will personally stand up for you."
Zhu Yuanzhang patted Zhu Biao on the shoulder, quite satisfied.
Later generations had a very low evaluation of the Eight-part essay of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang developed the Eight-part essay system with good intentions in the first place.
The Ming Dynasty did not share the world with the scholar-bureaucrats, but shared the world with the common people. In the imperial examination, almost all the great Confucian scholars in the world were from the family of scholar-bureaucrats. The great Confucian scholars represented knowledge, but not their moral level.
Although there have been cases in history where students were not given the top prize if they suspected that they were their own students, but more often than not, they tend to give better results to people who come from the same family.
If a student from a poor family or even a commoner writes a shocking article together with the descendants of scholar-bureaucrats, then there is no need to think too much, there is a high probability that the number one scholar comes from a noble family.
Therefore, in the original trajectory, in order to reduce this situation, Zhu Yuanzhang came up with the idea of creating a standard model to allow those great scholars less room to operate in order to maintain the fairness of the imperial examination. Unfortunately, in the end, good intentions ended up doing bad things.
Now, Xiao Han gave a new answer. From Zhu Yuanzhang's perspective, there was no doubt that this method was indeed better than his own.
Since your family is powerful and powerful, let’s open a new track for ordinary people.
What?
You say it's unfair?
What we want is unfairness, that is, a balance between the common people and the scholar-bureaucrats. Do you want to be an agricultural officer? Yes, you, a family of scholar-bureaucrats, should also learn to practice agriculture and study agriculture.
The eighteen provinces of the Han family have been so big since ancient times and have never changed. I feel it is unfair. I look for the reason from myself. Have I ever tried farming? Have you ever had a good understanding of agriculture?
Therefore, with this mentality, Zhu Yuanzhang directly nipped the idea of eight-part essay in the bud. We have already used better methods, so why bother?
"You must work hard, withstand all pressure, and carry out the imperial examination reform."
"Even if the mountains collapse and the earth breaks apart, we must open the dragon gate for the people of the world! We will live up to our Zhu family's promise to share the world with the people of the world!"
Zhu Biao put his fist on his chest, impassioned.
"Hahaha!"
"Okay! Okay!"
"As expected of our Zhu Yuanzhang's son. With you in the Ming Dynasty, even if there is wind and snow, even if my father passes away, he can rest in peace."
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed loudly.
"father!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"We also hope that you, the ancestral dragon of the Ming Dynasty, will live a long life and suppress the national destiny of the Ming Dynasty for another sixty years."
Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said angrily.
(End of chapter)
