Liu Chan walked into the meeting hall of Da Sima Mansion and found that senior officials from Chengdu were already waiting there.
"Come, sit here, my son." Liu Bei pointed to the seat below him and motioned for Liu Chan to take a seat.
Liu Chan still sat cross-legged, but now no one was holding on to this point anymore.
"If there are important matters to be discussed in the future, you should also attend the meeting."
"Yes." Liu Chan handed over his hand. It seemed that after several events, Lao Liu and the Chengdu officials finally began to value his opinions.
This is natural. Now that he has made great achievements and is stationed in Chengdu with military power, the weight of his words has greatly increased.
"Cao Cao now declares Sun Quan as a hussar general..."
When Lao Liu saw that everyone had arrived, he began to formally discuss the matter. He first told everyone the news that was a few days late, and then asked for advice.
"After this defeat in Jiangdong, there is nothing to worry about. Clouds and floods flooded the seven armies, and Cao Cao also suffered a lot of losses." Old Liu looked high-spirited at this time, as if he was several years younger. "I intend to reunify myself after the spring plowing next year." The army has mobilized for the Northern Expedition. You can feel free to express your opinions."
Liu Chan's heart skipped a beat, Northern Expedition? Personal expedition?
"Well... Your Majesty, I think the Northern Expedition needs to be considered in the long run."
Just when he was about to persuade, Fazheng spoke first.
Lao Liu frowned slightly: "Why is this?"
"General Guan flooded the Seventh Army, which indeed caused Cao Cao a lot of losses, but several states on his eastern front still have plenty of troops." Fazheng twisted his beard and said, "Now the area around Xiangfan in northern Jing is still in his hands, and Zhang He was stationed in Chencang. Just in case I leave Hanzhong.
"If we want to make the Northern Expedition, the three routes of Jingbei, Qishan, and Hanzhong need to mobilize Cao Wei's army through virtual and real changes. However, the Qishan Road is difficult and dangerous, and the supply line is too long and consumes a lot of money, so it is not a good choice.
"Therefore, we still need to conquer Xiangfan first and occupy all the land in northern Jing Dynasty before we can succeed."
At this time, Guan Yu cupped his fists and said, "Brother, I will rush back to Jiangling to prepare for war. There are still more than 20,000 troops in Jingzhou. After the spring plowing next year, I will conquer Xiangfan for my brother!"
"It's impossible." Liu Ba suddenly spoke at this time, "Even if General Guan has troops and horses, where will the food and grass come from?"
"this……"
Although Jingzhou has received grain and grass support from Yizhou and compensation from Sun Quan, this grain will be more than enough to last until next year's harvest. If it wants to support the army for the second northern expedition... that is a bit of a dream.
"If I remember correctly, General Guan's new recruits were only willing to join the army because the prince promised to reduce the taxes for the people of Jingzhou who were harmed? You can't go back on your word."
Seeing Old Liu's eyes turning to his side, Liu Chan immediately looked away and pretended not to notice.
After Liu Ba finished talking about the economic aspects, Fazheng continued: "Although the number of General Qiguan's troops is not too small, there are many surrendered soldiers and new soldiers, and their combat effectiveness is not as good as before."
What they said is indeed correct, but Liu Bei is in a hurry!
Time waits for no one, and he is already old. He dreams of fighting out before the end of his life, like Emperor Gaozu, who conquered Guanzhong and competed in the Central Plains.
But what Gaozu faced at the beginning was his own opponents, the old Qin Jiujiu who was happy to welcome Pei Gong...
However, Liu Bei has to face a unified northern regime. The longer it takes, the more stable Cao Wei's rule will be, and the greater the difficulty will be for him.
"If we don't have enough fighting power, I can bring more soldiers and horses from Langzhong with me!" Zhang Fei couldn't help but say, "The food and grass issue can be solved together."
"How to solve it? Could it be that the three generals also said that after the war, Yizhou still has as much money and food as before?"
…
Then the two sides began to discuss. Although the dispute did not reach the point of urgency, they did not give in an inch.
The generals who commanded the army had experienced successive great victories, and their morale was relatively high. Seeing the setbacks of the Cao and Sun families, they all felt like Lao Liu that hope was around the corner.
As for logistics, that will naturally be handled by rear-line officials, otherwise?
However, the officials at Shangshutai were more concerned with people's livelihood and economic perspectives, and did not support a large-scale military expedition against Wu at this time.
It's hard for a clever woman to make a living without rice. If there's not enough food, they can't make a living, right?
"My son, do you have any opinions on the Northern Expedition?"
Seeing that his son hadn't said a word for a long time, Old Liu simply asked directly.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei also looked at Liu Chan expectantly. They were currently arguing, but if Adou also supported the Northern Expedition next year, their brother would definitely make up his mind.
Liu Chan also knew what they were thinking, but unfortunately, he was going to disappoint them this time.
"My son also feels that it is not appropriate for the Northern Expedition next year." Liu Chan said directly.
In fact, by now, Old Liu knew that he was impatient, and he was even a little relieved to hear Liu Chan's disapproval.
The generals in charge of the army can ask the monarch for war on a whim, but the monarch must consider everything.
[Dharma Perfect Sensitivity +3] (54)
[Liu Ba favorability +3] (68)
[Iraqi favorability +3] (78)
[Qiao Zhou favorability +3] (48)
"Except for the lack of money and food, do you have any other ideas?" Old Liu wanted to hear if Liu Chan had anything to add.
"My son, I have two concerns."
Lao Liu just asked casually, but when he heard it was true, he was stunned: "Oh? What two points?"
Liu Chan said: "One is Nanzhong, and the other is Dongsanjun."
Old Liu waved his hand and said: "I also know that the barbarians in the south do not sincerely surrender, but although they do not listen to education and do not obey control, they will eventually become incompetent. As for the three eastern counties... are they not in my hands at this time?"
"Father, do you know that the land in Nanzhong is very rich?"
"Huh? But in a poor place, the rich can be as rich as they want."
After Lao Liu took control of Xichuan, although he sent officials to Nanzhong, his focus was not there.
They attack Hanzhong first and then support Jingzhou, so they don’t know enough about the specific situation of Nanzhong.
"My subordinates have been to Nanzhong," Liu Chan said. "Nanzhong is rich in gold and silver. The land is so powerful that hundreds of kilograms of gold and silver can be purchased."
Liu Bei's eyes flashed immediately.
"Moreover, the powerful men in Nanzhong have flocks of livestock and war horses. In previous years, what they donated was only a drop in the bucket."
Hearing the large group of livestock and horses, Old Liu became even more uneasy.
Livestock is equal to the productivity of farming, and war horses are important strategic resources.
"A lot of other materials such as elixirs and lacquers have also been accumulated. However, the local powerful people took them all for themselves regardless of the difficult situation." Seeing that Old Liu's interest was aroused, Liu Chan added: "I think that fighting against foreigners It must be settled first.”
After saying this famous saying from Kaishen, Liu Chan himself felt awkward.
This statement itself is just a type of strategy, and it will naturally have different effects depending on the situation. It is just that the bald man used it at the wrong time regardless of national justice.
"In order to fight foreign affairs, we must first make peace at home..." Liu Bei repeated it, and he also felt that it made sense.
Liu Chan continued: "And I only have the land of Jingyi. Once we get into a protracted tug of war with the north, our army will be defeated in the long run. If defeated, the south will take advantage of the situation to raise troops to cause chaos, and the foundation of my father's kingdom will be in danger.
"That's why I believe that if we want to go to the Northern Expedition, we should not start the war lightly. We must win the battle and achieve great things."
Everyone nodded secretly when they heard the words. It was hard to imagine that such mature words came from the mouth of a young man.
[Dharma Perfect Sensitivity +3] (57)
[Liu Ba favorability +3] (71)
[Liu Ba’s favorability is 70, business talent +10×2, coordination talent +10×2]
[Iraqi favorability +3] (81)
[Iraqi’s favorability is 80, Confucian classics talent +10×2, Debating talent +5×2]
[Qiao Zhou favorability +3] (51)
[Qiao Zhou's favorability is 50, Confucian classics talent +10×2]
The generals headed by Guan and Zhang all agreed with what Liu Chan said, and Old Liu gave up his plan to launch the Northern Expedition next year.
But there was one thing he still didn't know: "I have already acquired the three eastern counties. The mountains are high and dangerous, and they are the land of four fortresses. Why worry about it?"
If Cao Cao were to attack Dongsan County by force, it would probably become a graveyard for Cao's army larger than that of Jingxiang. Old Liu would wake up laughing in his dreams.
Liu Chan, who had read the script in advance, knew what kind of people were with his adopted brother...
There was a lively discussion here at Lao Liu, but the waiter who was pouring water for Guan Yu accidentally spilled some water with a shake of his hand.
Naturally, Guan Yu would not embarrass his servants. The others were discussing it enthusiastically, so naturally no one cared about this trivial matter.
It's just that "using time" has been around for a long time. The emphasis on intelligence collection is not exclusive to Liu Chan alone...
Thank you to the boss of "Qing Qiong Ru Xin" for 100 points to invest in Jihan Armed Group. Your points will be used to fund the activities of Red Star Shadow Guards. Thank you for your support~
(End of chapter)
