The meeting in Chongzheng Hall was more like a victory announcement, using the good news to inspire people and unify their thinking. After the discussion was broken up, Liu Chengyou deliberately kept the military and political ministers Li Tao, Guo Rong, Wei Renpu, Fu Yanqing and Murong Yanzhao.
"Everyone, take your seats!" Pointing to the palace chairs set up by the chamberlains, Liu Chengyou made a gesture like a monarch and his ministers were sitting and talking, and then slowly asked: "After the great victory of Liangquan, the enemy army was destroyed and the danger was overcome. What about the upcoming war and Qin Feng?" What do you think of the situation?"
Guo Rong, the privy envoy who had been straightened up, responded directly: "Your Majesty, after this battle, the two prefectures in the southwestern part of Fengzhou are already empty. They can no longer advance against our army. How many obstacles will be caused may be determined by a message. Let's go down easily. As for Qinzhou, they have been trapped in the city of sorrow for a long time and are waiting for death. Now that Fengzhou has fallen, there is no longer any reason for it to last long. In a few days, the good news will reach Tokyo!"
Regarding Guo Rong's views, the civil and military personnel present obviously agreed with him. Wei Renpu nodded and continued: "Qin Feng's situation, as the Prime Minister Guo said, is progressing accordingly, and there is no deviation. It's just that the battle has been going on for a long time, and there have been many battles in a few days. Although the results are good, it is inevitable that the soldiers will We are exhausted, and the consumption of weapons is particularly huge. In my opinion, we should withdraw our troops temporarily, take a short rest, observe the enemy's movements, and then proceed to advance!"
"Prime Minister Wei is too cautious!" After Wei Renpu finished speaking, Guo Rong immediately said: "With this great victory, we should take advantage of the situation, plow the court and sweep the holes, and recapture the four states in one fell swoop. One day's delay is to give the Shu army one day to breathe. If there is a chance, it is inevitable that Tuo will not change. If it is due to food and equipment, a large amount of food and equipment has been seized in Liangquan City, which is enough to support continued operations!"
Guo Rong was still the same, determined to make progress, but Liu Chengyou looked at his father-in-law Fu Yanqing: "What does King Wei think?"
Fu Yanqing was energetic and handsome. He was a little surprised when he was asked. After thinking about it, he responded: "I am far away in Tokyo. The actual situation on the front line is not as good as that of the general in front of the army. Your Majesty has entrusted Xiang Xun with full authority. He will act according to the situation and wait for the opportunity. In my opinion, no matter what, the land of Qinfeng is already in His Majesty's pocket!"
"King Wei said it well!" Liu Chengyou waved his dragon robe and said in a matter-of-fact tone: "The four states of Qin and Feng are already in the bag, and you can grab it!"
His eyelids narrowed slightly, Liu Chengyou's expression turned serious, and he said: "What I am hesitating about now is that the original goal of the Qin and Feng Four Prefectures for this war is about to be achieved. Now that the established goal is about to be achieved, next, whether to send troops south to attack Xingyuan Mansion!"
"Your Majesty, I agree with this proposal!" After saying that, Guo Rong stood up immediately, his eyes became more and more lively, and said: "Since ancient times, the land of Hanzhong has been the gateway of Sichuan and Shu, and Shu's support is enough to deny the north. Today, Meng Shujing Feng The state is defeated and the military situation is severely depressed. This is the opportunity for our army to march straight in. Hanzhong returns to our court, and the army can wait for Shuzhong, but Meng Shu will no longer be able to live in peace in Chengdu!"
Obviously, Guo Rong wanted the southwest army to march forward non-stop and capture all four states. What he really wanted most urgently was in Xingyuan Mansion in Shu and in Hanzhong.
"Prime Minister Guo, this proposal is too far-fetched! It's not worth it! Although Fengzhou is a great victory, but Qinlong has not recovered, how can we expect Shu?" Prime Minister Li Tao stood up and said, then looked at Liu Chengyou: "Your Majesty, I have to say the same old thing, enter Shu. The road is difficult and transportation is inconvenient. Moreover, the battle ahead has been fierce for a long time. The soldiers are exhausted and their husbands miss their families. In addition, the cold winter is approaching, which is not conducive to fighting, let alone the expedition. The domestic Yellow River floods have always been difficult to improve. ..."
"Guo doesn't agree with what Prime Minister Li said. You only see the difficulties, but you don't see the benefits of taking Xingyuan Mansion. This is about destroying Shu and the Han Dynasty's strategy of unifying the world. How can you be afraid of obstacles just because of some difficulties? Not going forward?" Guo Rong immediately retorted and argued with him.
"Prime Minister Guo is young and energetic, eager for quick success!" Li Tao was also polite and offered his hand to Liu Chengyou; "Your Majesty, please consider it carefully and don't try for quick success!"
"Okay!" Seeing that the two were about to quarrel, Liu Chengyou finally stopped him: "The words of the two ministers have their own reasons. However, the most urgent task is to capture Qin Feng as soon as possible. After taking all four states, we can then move forward. !”
Judging from the emperor's attitude, there was no obvious bias. Li Tao relaxed a little and Guo Rong frowned. However, after he had paused for a moment, Liu Chengyou ordered Guo Rong again: "Military Intelligence Department, we should be more active next time and increase our spying on the domestic military situation of Shu, especially the garrison defenses of Xingyuan Mansion and other places!"
"Yes!" Guo Rong responded immediately.
"Every time I make a decision, there are many different opinions and disputes among the ministers, civil and military officials. Sometimes, it really makes me distressed!" After the ministers retreated, Liu Chengyou walked to Qin Feng's map and Talking about the dispute between Li and Guo, I couldn’t help but say.
Zhao Pu sighed and responded calmly: "The ministers have different considerations and different bases, so their opinions are often at odds. Your Majesty is the master of understanding and listens to the opinions of the group. All you need to do is clear your mind and eyes and adopt effective strategies." implement!"
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"I also know these truths, but it's not easy to decide things clearly!" After sighing, Liu Chengyou asked Zhao Pu: "Do you think that after taking Qin Feng, we should stop the troops to rest and consolidate the fruits of victory, or take the opportunity to march southward? , seize the land of Hanzhong?"
"Like the words of Prime Minister Li and Guo, each has its own pros and cons." Zhao Pu said.
"I don't want to hear your impartial and useless words!" Liu Chengyou waved his hand.
Seeing this, Zhao Pu first saluted and then calmly recounted: "Since the founding of the Han Dynasty, Han and Shu have fought against each other. So far, there have been three wars, and the Han has won the final victory in each battle. After the three wars, the Shu Kingdom has lost more than ten troops. Ten thousand, and most of them are capable soldiers from Shu.
It is known that in order to prepare for the Han army, most of Shu's forbidden army was transferred to the north for defense. Even if Meng Shu had a large population and the people were prosperous and the country was wealthy, it would be difficult for them to withstand such a heavy blow.
So far, with the remaining troops in Meng Shu, how can they stop our Han army? As long as His Majesty is determined, it won't be too difficult to capture Xingyuan Mansion. As for Li Xianggong's concern about the difficulty in transporting the baggage, just leave the food to the enemy! "
"It seems that you also agree to continue marching south!" After hearing his comments, Liu Chengyou smiled on his face.
"I thought that the army should be rested after capturing Hanzhong!" Zhao Pu said.
After pondering for a moment, Zhao Pu added: "There is one thing that your Majesty needs to consider in advance!"
"Say!" Liu Chengyou turned around and looked at him.
Zhao Pu: "The four states of Qin and Feng were originally the territories of the Central Plains, and their names are well-founded. The same cannot be said for Hanzhong and Sichuan! The Meng family and their sons have been in Sichuan for nearly thirty years, and Meng Chang has governed Shu for twenty years, making it peaceful until now. , the people's hearts are full of support.
Your Majesty wants to bring peace to Shu, even though it is a great plan for the world, to bring down all the countries and end the troubled times. But the people of Shu will not understand. In their view, the Han Dynasty is an intruder. If the soldiers cross the border, disaster will occur and destroy its peace..."
"Are you warning me to pay attention to the hearts of the people in Shu?" Liu Chengyou asked, then shook his head: "As you said, Meng Chang has been kind to the people of Shu for twenty years, and I hold a sharp sword and use weapons. How can I fight with him?" Winning over public opinion? Public support is certainly valuable, but it will only happen after the destruction of Shu!"
"Your Majesty has extraordinary knowledge!" After boasting, Zhao Pu added: "The peace in Sichuan is peaceful, but the transportation is blocked by the mountains and mountains, which will not disturb the troubled times in the Central Plains. Therefore, Meng Chang can use the sacred land in Sichuan to develop and become rich. As for the Lord of Shu Meng Chang's kindness to the people of Sichuan was nothing more than lenient administration and few expeditions.
However, recent news coming back from Chengdu shows that Meng Chang has shown signs of neglect in his administration, and that the Shu Kingdom has been at peace for many years and has also been plagued by bad governance. Its nobles, officials, and tyrants were extravagant and decadent, occupying land and amassing money, and Meng Chang could not stop it..."
"You said so much, what do you mean?" Liu Chengyou asked Zhao Pu.
"I believe that after the battle between Qin and Feng, the national power of Shu was greatly reduced. In order to defeat our dynasty, Meng Shu would inevitably work hard to strengthen its border defenses. After your majesty takes the land in Hanzhong, if you give it one and a half years, you can recruit troops, collect grain, Opportunity to levy money. Considering the political situation of Meng and Shu, where can money and food for soldiers and horses come from? It’s just ordinary people in Shu. Those nobles, officials, and wealthy businessmen who are sitting on wealth may not have the loyalty to destroy their families and help them. In this way, it won’t take much For a long time, the people in Shu will be in trouble!"
What Zhao Pu looked at was a bit surprising, and Liu Chengyou looked at him differently again. After suddenly thinking about it, he said: "If Guo Rong hears what you said, he will be in a hurry again! This is a chance for Shu to take a breather!"
"Your Majesty, I believe that the elite of the Shu Kingdom has been lost, and the future strategy should not only focus on military warfare. In terms of offensive methods, relying on the powerful Han soldiers to conquer the city, conquer the pass, and attack Chengdu to destroy Shu. It will be even more difficult. The difficult thing is how to win the hearts of the people of Shu. Therefore, I believe that before pacifying Shu, we must first disrupt Shu!"
"Chaos Shu?" After hearing Zhao Pu's words, Liu Chengyou suddenly became interested and looked at him curiously.
