The army went out to war.
Xiang Chong, Fan Li and the civil and military officials of Chu State went out sixty miles from Pengcheng to see off the army.
When the team drove away, Fan Li noticed that the civil and military officials had serious expressions on their faces, as if they were attending a funeral.
Fan Li knew that people in the world should not be underestimated.
The officials of Dachu were not fools. They could all see that the combat effectiveness of this so-called army was extremely poor and it was almost impossible to win this war.
Only Xiang Chong rubbed his hands excitedly, looking like he had a chance to win.
"Laughing?"
"Why don't you laugh?"
Xiang Chong saw everyone's serious expressions and couldn't help but ask doubtfully.
The ministers of Da Chu look at me and I look at you, but no one can laugh.
Fan Li said calmly: "Your Majesty, I feel a little sick and will go home to rest first."
After saying that, without waiting for Xiang Chong's consent, he turned around and boarded his carriage.
gone.
Seeing Fan Li walking away, Xiang Chong was stunned for a while, then suddenly realized.
Fan Li was scared away by me! ?
"My dear friends, I am hosting a banquet in the palace today to wish the army a triumphant return!"
"No one in the civil or military circles of the dynasty is allowed to ask for leave, except Duke Jin."
"I can understand his mood, hehehe, I can understand."
Back at Fan Mansion, Fan Li looked really ugly.
There is no other reason.
The real war will probably take place after Miaoyin’s defeat.
Time was running out, so he found Fan Zhengming and Fan Chun and asked them to prepare for the war immediately.
"All 200,000 garrison troops have entered wartime status."
"Fan's Trading Company has suspended its normal business and is fully deploying military supplies, all of which will be transported to the headquarters of Fan's Trading Company in Pengcheng."
Fan Li took out a pen and paper and quickly wrote down a list of supplies.
The Fan brothers looked around and found that the list contained a wide variety of items, including special elixirs for treating wounds during wartime, city defense equipment, formation materials, etc.
Fan Chun couldn't help but frown and asked: "Second brother, what do you mean? The army has just set out to conquer Xiongzhou, why do you seem to be preparing for the defense of Pengcheng?"
"This battle must be lost." Fan Li replied while writing furiously: "I suddenly remembered that the Ming Dynasty and the Chu Dynasty were defeated one after another. How would Shi Jingtang and Li Yu react?"
Fan Chun blurted out: "The two emperors of the Celestial Dynasty must feel that the human dynasty is nothing more than this and is not their opponent at all."
Fan Zhengming also asked: "Will they take the initiative to launch a war to destroy Ming and Chu?"
"good!"
Fan Li nodded.
"So, the two celestial dynasties may have to switch from defense to offense, and after the Chu army is defeated, we can only passively defend."
The Fan brothers suddenly realized.
Fan Zhengming took the list handed over by Fan Li and glanced at it quickly.
"I'll do it immediately!"
"We can collect as many supplies as we can, even if we fill the entire Pengcheng!"
Fan Chun asked doubtfully: "Second brother, even if we have to fight a defensive war, why don't we push the defense line to the border of Xiongzhou, but defend in Pengcheng? After all, this is the capital of the Chu Kingdom. Once the capital is breached, Chu will be the same as Chu." To destroy the country."
"it is necessary."
Fan Li picked up the tea cup and took a sip.
"For many years, the Sanskrit Pure Land has been very prestigious. After the founding of the Daci Dynasty, it attracted countless women to defect to it. The people of Chu are unstable because of Xiang Chong's ambiguity with the Daci Dynasty."
"If this goes as I expected and the Later Jin Dynasty sends troops to destroy Chu, I will temporarily delegate power and Xiang Chong will still use his fists."
"If he has the ability to defeat Shi Jingtang, I will abandon my official position and delegate power."
"If he can't do it, I will preside over the defense of Pengcheng."
"It's just that at that time, the army, people, and ministers of Chu must be completely obedient to me!"
Fan Li finished speaking decisively, his eyes had never been so determined.
Fan Chun said in confusion: "Second brother, if you want to seize the country of Chu, you don't have to go to such trouble, right?"
"Ah?"
"I have no interest in the great Chu Kingdom. Being a powerful minister is enough."
"It's just that from now on, I want the subjects of Chu to remember it firmly."
"A country guarded by me, Fan Li, is a stable country!"
"The Emperor of Chu that I believe is the legitimate Emperor of Chu."
"No matter how high or low her cultivation level is, how old or young she is, whether she is a boy or a girl."
…
…………
The battle report came very quickly.
As Fan Li expected, Holy Master Miaoyin was defeated.
When the 180,000 troops arrived in Xiongzhou, Holy Master Miaoyin immediately played a song "The Dance of the Demons".
The army is full of fighting spirit!
Holy Lord Miaoyin commanded the army to attack the city, and the soldiers who were supposed to flee were actually divided into two groups.
A group of combat troops really began to attack the city frantically.
Another group of logistics troops gradually withdrew from the Xiongzhou battlefield as originally planned.
Holy Master Miaoyin is indeed not a qualified commander.
She was only concentrating on admiring the army's attack on the city, and did not even notice that the supply troops at the rear quietly withdrew.
But the defeat of the war was only truly established after the late Jin emperor Shi Jingtang came on the scene.
Shi Jingtang of the later Jin Dynasty actually practiced the art of mechanism.
One after another, huge machine beasts jumped out of the city and charged towards the Chu army attacking the city.
According to the intelligence description, the machine beast is six to seven feet tall, nearly ten feet long, and looks like an ox and an elephant.
The number is tens of thousands!
Those fighting troops made up of local ruffians and powerful bullies were immediately overwhelmed.
Those who were lucky enough to survive quickly woke up from the overwhelming sounds of "The Dance of the Demon".
They began to flee one after another, and the battle to recapture Xiongzhou failed.
Emperor Xiang Chong of Chu was shocked when he heard the news!
He summoned Fan Li to the court for discussion, but Fan Li complained of illness.
Xiang Chong had no choice but to convene hundreds of officials to discuss countermeasures. Unfortunately, 180,000 troops had just been mobilized from various places, and it was no longer possible to mobilize troops from local areas.
Under the premise that Fan Li refused to use the garrison, Xiang Chong found that he was too clever to make a meal without rice.
The only good news.
Shi Jingtang's army of machine beasts pursued the defeated soldiers and stopped only at the border of Xiongzhou without leaving the country to pursue them.
But despite this, the battle report came that the 180,000-strong army had been completely lost. The Holy Lord Miaoyin had no soldiers to use and had returned to the Daci Dynasty on his own.
"Destroyed in one battle?"
"How can a useless army collapse in one battle?"
"Are the soldiers and horses from various states and counties in our great Chu state so unbearable?"
In the court, Xiang Chong's face turned pale.
Of the 180,000-strong army, it is said that only 30,000 to 40,000 people died on the battlefield.
All the remaining more than 100,000 people became deserters and dispersed to flee to various states and counties in Dachu.
"When we gather together we are like a ball of mud, when scattered we become a sky full of stars?"
"What use do I need these wastes for?"
"Send an order to all states to arrest deserters. Once caught, there is no need to ask for an order. They will be beheaded on the spot as a warning to others!"
But the news coming back from various states and counties in Dachu once again made Xiang Chong despair.
deserter?
Not a single one was caught.
On the contrary, the prisons in various states and counties, which were empty and idle not long ago, are suddenly filled with many criminals.
Therefore, except for a fool like Xiang Chong, almost all officials in the capital knew what was going on.
"Start your Majesty!"
"The Duke of Jin is still busy with state affairs even though he is ill. He has submitted a memorial to ask for your majesty's permission to implement it."
Xiang Chong became interested as soon as he heard it.
Although Fan Li's memorial was just a formality for him.
But if there is any way to defeat the enemy, Xiang Chong will also be grateful to Fan Li!
"The Duke of Jin petitioned us to immigrate."
"In order to protect the people from the flames of war, the Duke of Jin asked the people of the prefectures and counties close to Xiongzhou to temporarily migrate to other places."
"Fan's Trading Company will ensure the smooth completion of the resettlement and subsequent resettlement work. Governments from all regions only need to cooperate and assist as much as possible."
Xiang Chong was confused.
He opened Fan Li's memorial and read it, and found that several familiar place names were very close to Pengcheng.
"its not right!"
No matter how stupid Xiang Chong is, his IQ is still above the line when his own safety is involved.
He read Fan Li's memorial carefully and found that if the people in several states and counties that needed to be immigrated were really moved away, there would be an unobstructed straight channel between Xiongzhou and Pengcheng! ?
Theoretically, except for a long distance between the capital of Dachu and Xiongzhou, there is not a single soldier standing in the way?
"Wait a moment!"
Xiang Chong was shocked.
"If we immigrate according to Duke Jin's arrangement, when Shi Jingtang sends troops to attack, will my Pengcheng have to face the enemy directly?"
No one answered.
Silence is acquiescence.
Da Chu officials did not understand Fan Li's thoughts, but they also admitted that without immigration and the weak combat power of the local army, those states and counties would surely be destroyed in the war.
Kyoto Pengcheng will still have to face strong enemies sooner or later.
"Your Majesty, this is what Duke Jin wants. Please don't hesitate any longer." A minister advised.
"Fart! Fart, fart, fart!" Xiang Chong shouted, even with a hint of crying. "My people don't know how to protect me? Do I, as the emperor of Chu, want to die for these small people?"
When these words came out of Xiang Chong's mouth, he didn't think anything of it, but the civil and military officials all blushed when they heard it.
How shameless an emperor is to say such a thing outright?
Where's the backbone?
Are you considered a bloodline of Overlord Xiang Yu?
If you are timid before fighting, how can you show the slightest trace of the Overlord of Western Chu?
"No no no!"
"it does not matter!"
"Didn't Shi Jingtang's machine beast not leave Xiongzhou?"
"He wants Xiongzhou, can I just give it to him?"
"From now on, the two families live in peace. I recognize him, establish diplomatic relations with him, and exchange envoys with him."
"right!"
"Just do it this way, His Majesty Shi Jingtang and I can..."
Fan Li claimed to be ill, and Miaoyin was defeated.
When it came time for Xiang Chong to take charge of the overall situation, he was so panicked that he even thought of giving up Xiongzhou and ceding territory to seek peace.
He was talking nonsense and did not care about the disappointed and angry expressions of the civil and military officials in the court.
Sudden!
There were two vibrations in the sky, which turned out to be the sound transmission technique of a master in the Mahayana realm.
"I am the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yu, and I will launch a war of annihilation against the Ming Kingdom from now on. All the subjects of the Ming Kingdom who surrender to the Tang Dynasty will be forgiven by me. If you continue to persist in your obsession, when I destroy the Ming Kingdom, you will rot with the rotten wood!"
"I am Shi Jingtang, the emperor of the Jin Dynasty, and I will launch a war of annihilation against the Chu Kingdom today. All the subjects of the Chu Kingdom have surrendered to the Jin Dynasty, and I will let go of the past. If I continue to persist in my obsession, when I destroy the Chu Kingdom, I will not leave any eggs in the nest!"
The emperor's message echoed in the world for a long time.
Xiang Chong was stunned, his whole body trembling like chaff.
After a long time, he asked in a crying voice: "Dear ladies? What should I do... what should I do?"
"His Majesty."
The minister who had just sent a message for Fan Li came out of the court again.
"If the Duke of Jin has something to say, let me tell it to Your Majesty."
"Speak! Speak quickly!" Xiang Chong stood up and urged.
"The Duke of Jin asks Your Majesty to keep in mind the duties of the Emperor."
Seeing Xiang Chong's confused look, the minister sighed and slowly said five words.
"The emperor guards the gates of the country."
