"It's hard to say. After Liu Bei's defeat, the Shu bandits almost destroyed themselves without fighting. Even the rebellion in Nanyi took two years to put down. Now it's only been two years since Nanzhong was pacified. If the Shu bandits want to use weapons again, I'm afraid It’s not easy either.”
Sun Zi thought about it for a while and then said with some caution.
A large-scale deployment of troops before the enemy's movements are unknown will only waste the country's strength. Especially when the new emperor has just ascended the throne, it is easy to cause people's hearts to wander, so you have to be careful about such things.
"What if Zhuge Liang has some plot in Guanzhong?"
Cao Rui asked worriedly.
"According to the news from Xizuo, Zhuge Liang leads no more than 20,000 traitors, and including the original number of traitors in Hanzhong, the number is only 50,000 or 60,000. If he has a plot against Guanzhong, he will remove the traitors who want to stay in Hanzhong. At most, we can lead 30,000 troops out of Hanzhong."
Sun Zi explained, "What can 30,000 thieves do? I feel that Zhuge Liang may not have the courage to attack."
Cao Rui nodded and thought for a moment, "You mean, he is patrolling the border?"
"It's possible. After Liu Bei's defeat at Yiling, the people of Shu were in a state of confusion, but now they have finally settled down. I heard that the Yi market in Hanzhong is now prosperous, so it is possible that Zhuge Liang came to Hanzhong to inspect."
"Yi Shi?"
When Cao Rui heard this, he immediately remembered the tea soup that Yu gave him just now.
"Yes, Yi Shi." Sun Zi sighed, "Shu bandits have occupied the fertile land in central Sichuan, especially the Shu brocade, which is unparalleled in exquisiteness. The homes of the rich in the Central Plains are all proud of the Shu brocade."
"Seeing this situation, the late emperor wrote the "Book of Discussing Shu Brocades with His Officials", denouncing Shu Brocades as an inferior thing, hoping to curb this trend, but it was in vain. The aristocratic family and Wu and Shu secretly changed the market, and repeatedly failed to stop it. .”
After hearing this, Cao Rui felt really aggrieved.
When he first ascended the throne, Sun Quan invaded first, and then Gao Ai, a mountain man, gathered thousands of people to cause trouble in You and Ji states. In the first month of this year, there was another rebellion by a wealthy family in Liangzhou.
It doesn't matter if outsiders cause trouble for him, even the aristocratic family won't let him worry.
Now when he heard that Zhuge Liang was patrolling the border in Hanzhong, he thought, wasn't this just a demonstration for him?
At that moment, he couldn't bear it anymore, and asked through gritted teeth, "Even if he is patrolling the border, he is still offending our great Wei Dynasty. Sun Zhongshu Ling, do you think that if we order an army to attack Hanzhong, will it be successful?"
Sun Zi was shocked when he heard this and quickly tried to dissuade him, "Your Majesty, no!"
Cao Rui was very upset and asked, "Why?"
"Your Majesty, when Emperor Wu conquered Hanzhong and conquered Zhanglu, he not only stopped at Yangping Pass for nearly two months, but also suffered heavy casualties. Emperor Wu had no choice but to retreat and rest."
"When Hanzhong saw Emperor Wu withdrawing his troops, he lost his guard. In addition, thousands of elk broke out at night and dispersed the formation of Zhang Lu's brother Zhang Wei. Emperor Wu took advantage of the situation and marched forward, forcing Zhang Lu to surrender. This battle is really about danger first and relief later."
"Emperor Hou Wu went to rescue Xiahou Yuan's army and said several times that the land in Hanzhong is actually a heavenly prison, and that a sloping valley is actually a stone cave ear five hundred miles away. This statement has already shown the deep danger of Hanzhong."
"Emperor Wu is a man who is good at using troops, but he is still so afraid of the land of Hanzhong. The army retreated from Hanzhong without blaming the officers and soldiers for their crimes. He sincerely knew that the crime was not there, but was in the deep danger of Hanzhong."
"If Your Majesty wants to send troops to challenge Liang, I plan to defeat them without having 150,000 to 60,000 elite soldiers, and their servants, food, grass, weapons, etc. will be innumerable. Qie Liang only needs to rely on dangers to resist the heavenly soldiers, and the army will be small." If I'm not careful, I'm afraid the old story of Emperor Wu will happen again."
"At that time, the world is in turmoil and the effort is huge. If anything is lost, Dongwu will be moved. This is what your majesty should think about deeply. If you don't order the generals to take advantage of the key dangers, the power will be enough to scare the strong invaders, calm the battlefield, and the soldiers. When the tiger sleeps, nothing happens to the people."
"In the past few years, China has become increasingly prosperous, and the two captives of Wu and Shu will surely surrender. At that time, they will sweep the world with a thunderous force. There is no way that the two captives will decide whether to fight or not."
After hearing these sincere words, Cao Rui calmed down and felt helpless.
After thinking for a while, he asked again, "According to Zhongshu Ling, since Emperor Wu regards Hanzhong as a heavenly prison, then if Zhuge Liang wants to leave Hanzhong, is it like walking into a stone cave?"
"Exactly. What the Shu invaders rely on is only the dangerous strategic point in Hanzhong. If he abandons this dangerous strategic point and dares to send troops out of Hanzhong, he will be seeking death."
Sun Zi said with certainty.
"Since he can't leave Hanzhong easily, then I'm relieved."
Cao Rui breathed a sigh of relief, "According to what Zhongshu Ling said, China only needs to recuperate and recuperate, and those two barbarians will be destroyed sooner or later. It's just that you just said you ordered the generals to take advantage of the key points, so where is that?" Dangerous?"
"Your Majesty, if we want to block Hanzhong, the best thing is to guard the Hanzhong roads. But there are four roads from Hanzhong to Guanzhong. If we guard them one by one, it will be too much of a waste of troops."
"Instead of stationing troops in Chang'an, each army should only leave a few troops to serve as sentinels. As soon as there are police, troops can be dispatched from Chang'an. The Wei cavalry is the best in the world, and the land in Guanzhong is mostly flat, which is suitable for horses. Army charge.”
Sun Zi suggested.
"It is indeed a good idea. General Anxi (Xiahou Mao) is in charge of Guanzhong, and Chang'an already has troops stationed. Since Zhuge Liang has led 20,000 troops to Hanzhong, we should also send 20,000 infantry and cavalry to Chang'an."
Cao Rui thought that Sima Yi would soon station troops in Wancheng and supervise the military in Jingzhou and Yuzhou. Not only could he defend Luoyang, but he could also respond to Chang'an. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. The late emperor said that Sima Yi had a great plan, and it was true.
With him guarding Wancheng, there is no need to worry too much.
In the early spring of the fifth year of Jianxing, an ancestral hall was built at the main intersection into Nanxiang, named Zhongyi Temple.
The people worshiping inside are none other than the two protagonists in "Unparalleled Loyalty and Righteousness", Guan Laojunhou and Zhang Laojunhou.
I heard that the ancestral hall was built by Youxiaer himself. I don’t know who had the connection. Not only was the area huge, but he also had the connections to hire a civil engineering team to help.
A high platform was built, steps were built, and there were tall pillars on both sides of the gate, which were painted.
Looking from a distance, just because of the grandeur, someone who didn't know it would have thought it belonged to a wealthy family.
After entering the gate, there is a large open space inside, which is almost suitable for horse racing. After passing through the vestibule, you can officially enter the ancestral hall.
At the top of the ancestral hall, one on the left and one on the right, stood two people.
One person narrowed his eyes, holding the Qinglong Yanyue Sword in one hand, and stroking the long beard on his chest with the other.
One person's eyes widened with anger, holding a snake spear in both hands, as if he wanted to kill him.
There is an empty space between the two of them, but there is no standing statue, only two swords standing crosswise.
Since the completion of the Zhongyi Temple, all the knights who come to Nanxiang have gathered here to worship, and their words have always been about loyalty.
Those who are like-minded will kneel down in front of the two old monarchs on the spot and become brothers, hoping that it will be as good as the sworn relationship with the Taoyuan Three.
Not only the knights and knights came over, but also the business travelers who passed by came to pay homage, praying for safety and profit.
Some people even come here to hire rangers. It seems that having this reputation of loyalty can make people feel more at ease.
