Jiankang, Tai Chi Hall.
The new emperor Chen Xu sat on the throne. Two months ago, the emperor Chen Qian died. Chen Xu officially took the throne and changed his reign name to Taijian.
During these two months, Chen Xu was busy with tedious rituals and comfort work.
Chen Xu is not a mediocre person. To be valued by Chen Qian, he obviously has some talent.
After he took office, he rewarded many former veterans and promoted many talented young people, and then used these young people to divide the power in the hands of the veterans. Many important ministers who originally followed Chen Qian now have full It would be good for everyone if the reward returned to his hometown.
After gradually gaining some power in the government, Chen Xu hurriedly summoned his favorite generals.
He was about to embark on the Northern Expedition.
Xu Du, Wu Mingche, Huang Fasu, Pei Ji and other generals sat around him, their faces solemn.
Chen Xu looked at these people and said slowly: "Before his death, the late emperor told me that the reason why I was allowed to inherit the great cause was because the thieves were so powerful that they could not be contained."
"He told me to make an expedition to the north as soon as possible to strengthen the country's strength and compete with the two thieves."
"At present, there is great chaos in Beihu. The emperor is trapped in Jinyang, south of the river. He is doing his own business and no longer obeys the edicts of the temple."
"The officials under the Hu people are cruel, vicious, greedy, corrupt from top to bottom, and have no fighting spirit. It is the time when I am making achievements in the Northern Expedition."
"I previously summoned the important ministers of the country to discuss this matter with them. Most of them opposed it and believed that the army should not be launched rashly. There were very few supporters. What is the public opinion?"
"I hope Your Majesty will not listen to the slanders of these bastards!"
The old general Xu Du spoke. Xu Du was very senior. When Chen Baxian was the Sima of Jiaozhou, he served under Chen Baxian. It can be said that he participated in all the wars of the Chen Dynasty from the opening to the establishment to the stabilization. , not one was left behind.
When Chen Qian met him, she would stand up first and salute.
Qualifications and merit have reached this point.
The old general had a hot temper and piercing eyes. He looked at Chen Xu and said unceremoniously: "Most of the important ministers summoned by your Majesty have secrets that are hard to tell!"
"They violated the temple's laws many times and arbitrarily communicated and traded with the barbarians in the north!"
"Purchase war horses privately, and then keep them in captivity at home as a tool to show off to others!"
"They also organized merchant ships to sell large amounts of food!"
"Now is the best time for the Northern Expedition!"
"In the many Qi territories south of the river, there are not many governors who can fight. Moreover, they have no commander and work on their own. Lou Rui can lead an army to fight, but he cannot command several large armies to fight!"
"The only thing I'm afraid of is Liu Taozi from Hebei. But we suddenly sent out troops. Even if Liu Taozi wants to contain us, he won't be able to come in a short time. Besides, the governors from various places may not be willing to let him come to support us."
"Such a good opportunity almost allows us to win several states in vain. If we still dare not take action, how is that different from being a coward?"
"The ministers discouraged them because they were afraid of delaying their business!!"
"Your Majesty, you can't ignore it!"
Xu Du's voice was loud and clear, and his tone did not take the veterans in the temple seriously at all.
The other generals also nodded after listening to Xu Du's words, and they all thought it made sense.
It really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The country is in civil strife, the temples have lost their control, and everywhere is in chaos. And these so-called governor generals are stupider than the last, and there are only a few who can fight.
Listening to Xu Du's words, Chen Xu suddenly felt a little shaken in his heart.
His original idea was to let Wu Mingche lead 30,000 troops and try to capture several major cities on the other side as a bridgehead for future attacks.
But after hearing what Xu Du said, Chen Xu suddenly felt that he was still a little conservative.
He couldn't help but ask: "How many troops do the old general think should be sent to the Northern Expedition?"
"Two hundred thousand."
Xu Du said calmly: "An army of 200,000 soldiers was divided into three groups to attack the coastal states. We attacked steadily, killed the chief culprits, and pacified the others."
"The Northern Expedition always failed in the past. This is because in the past, we always wanted to take back all the territory at once. Even if we gained an advantage in the early stage, we were worried that we would lose our footing and be defeated by the enemy, so we kept advancing, which eventually led to defeat.
The gains gained in the early stage are all gone.”
"But it's different now."
"Beihu basically has no ability to fight back."
"Except for the Jinyang soldiers and the border soldiers, the rest of the Hu army has little fighting capacity."
"With an army of 200,000, we advance step by step, set detailed goals, and take over the entire Central Plains with a five-year or even ten-year plan."
Xu Du analyzed it and found that although Xu Du had an impatient personality, he was very steady in fighting, and the strategy he gave was relatively conservative. He attacked one city, conquered another, and then attacked another city.
All the generals agreed with Xu Du's previous proposal, but everyone had different views on this point.
Huang Fazhu retorted: "Old General, the purpose of our attack on the North is to enhance national strength. If we go to war as you said, it will be a long-term battle. The army has always been on the front line, and it may last as long as
How much will this cost in a few years? This is not improving national power, it is weakening it."
"Instead of doing this, it is better to concentrate on conquering the big state first, then set up a base to stabilize the rule, and then use this place as the core to conquer small groups in the surrounding areas."
"The army of 200,000 is really too much. If we don't have the idea of ​​taking over the entire Central Plains, we can't send out 200,000 troops. Otherwise, we won't be able to make ends meet. I think we can send out 100,000 troops. With Qin, Guang, He, and Co.
, Jiang and Wuzhou are the must-take territories, capture these five states, and then set up defenses."
Wu Mingche also has a different view.
Everyone talks about it individually.
Chen Xu was very happy. He was not afraid that everyone would talk, but that everyone would not speak.
The generals went to Tai Chi Hall for four days in a row, discussing the Northern Expedition every day.
But on the fifth day, a piece of news disrupted their discussions.
A spy came and brought the latest news from the north.
Liu Taozi, the general of the Hu people, led his troops south and was attacking Qingzhou.
The generals will no longer argue.
They believed that this was a sign that Liu Taozi was preparing to take over the southern part of Qi State. Whoever came to take the pigs and dogs in the southern part of Qi State would take them. The competition at this time was speed, and Liu Taozi must not be allowed to take the lead.
Everyone quickly reached a consensus.
Chen Xu made Wu Mingche the commander-in-chief and led 60,000 troops to attack Qin County. With Huang Fasu as the commander-in-chief, he led 40,000 troops to attack Liyang. Xu Du was the governor-general and led 40,000 troops to attack Songyang.
Faced with the emperor's decision to rush to the Northern Expedition, the ministers in the country expressed their opposition.
However, Chen Xu had the support of the generals, so he ignored these people. He immediately began mobilization and used all national power to carry out this first Northern Expedition.
More than 100,000 troops gathered in Jiankang in a steady stream, and the southern country was gearing up to start the mighty Northern Expedition.
Qi, Guangzhou.
Gwangju is green everywhere, even on both sides of the official road, there are tall green trees. From time to time, you can see various animals on both sides of the official road.
Liu Taozi led the Mandrill Battalion in the direction of the Guangzhou Administrative Office.
After Wang Lin took over the government, the so-called Qingguang Front collapsed immediately. Generals and civil servants at all levels gave up resistance and chose to run away.
Liu Taozi easily passed through the defense line and continued to rush to the prison.
Along the way, the most common thing I saw was the dead.
The deceased were hiding on the side of the road, or in the mountains and forests in the distance, and some were still trying to continue southward. Fleeing people could be seen everywhere throughout the state.
Yan Heijing was wearing a mask and could not see his face under the mask. He said unhappily: "It's still the same."
"This was the case in Hebei at the beginning. People in many places except Dingzhou fled."
"It's still like this. It's clear that the Lord never massacres the city and goes around to appease the people. But these people just run, keep running, insisting on dying themselves."
"When we arrived in Cheongju, they went to Gwangju to die. When we came to Gwangju, they were ready to go south to die."
Liu Taozi turned her head slightly and heard the anger in Yan Heijin's words. Although he didn't express it clearly, his meaning was that he regarded these dead people as fools.
Liu Taozi looked at the mountains and forests in the distance, "There are many people hidden in that mountain."
"They have been hiding for decades, and the governments of these states have sent soldiers to attack them every year."
"For decades, no matter how much the government pardons or rewards them, they are still unwilling to come down. Do you know why?"
"I don't know."
"Because the government used this method to deceive them and kill them in the first place."
Liu Taozi said softly: "In these years, the government has always kept its word and launched troops to loot after wars. These have become bad habits. Who can not be afraid of them?"
"Not to mention how much these people know, even if they hear that I won't massacre the city, I'm afraid they won't believe it."
"If one day, the people in that mountain forest put down their bows and arrows and went down the mountain to start farming, it would mean that the world has been governed."
Yan Heitao was thoughtful.
After Liu Taozi passed through the defense line, he was not in a hurry to garrison the other cities. Zu Jue at the rear would handle these matters.
The chief culprit in the prison has not yet been punished.
He led his troops this time with the intention of seizing half of Qingzhou and the entire Guangzhou from Qi State.
Gwangju will become the largest naval base under his command in the future, and will serve as the core of his future march south.
Now that the war has progressed to this point, it is basically over.
After dealing with these people in Guangzhou and appointing officials, Liu Taozi had to go back.
At present, the enemies most frequently at war with the Taozi regime are the Turks in the north, and Liu Taozi cannot live without Liu Taozi there.
Liu Taozi marched very quickly, and the people he met along the way fled and fled screaming. It only took three days for Liu Taozi to lead his troops to Ye County.
Wang Lin had already led the prisoners out to greet them.
Wang Lin was neatly dressed, and the soldiers behind her held their flags high.
On the right side of the road, kneeling were many tied people, hundreds in number.
The leader was Li Zuxun, the governor of Guangzhou.
Even his wife Cui was also tied up and kneeling beside his beloved.
They have lost their former luster, their hair is disheveled, and their bodies exude a foul odor.
"Meet my lord!!"
Wang Lin walked up quickly and paid homage to Liu Taozi. Liu Taozi patted the impatient Hei Feng on his crotch.
The green lion had fought too many battles and was covered with bruises. Besides, he was also very old. Liu Taozi didn't want to see it die on the battlefield, so he changed his mount. Originally, he wanted to use White Fang's offspring, but several of White Fang's offspring couldn't bear it.
Liu Taozi wearing heavy armor.
Finally, Zu Jue presented Liu Taozi with a war horse. Zu Jue did not say where he got it from, but it was the black wind that Liu Taozi now has on his lap.
Black Wind is not as tall as the Blue Lion, but it is strong, and the muscle lines all over its body are particularly distinct and clearly visible. It is strong and thick, and its temper is much more violent than the Blue Lion. Once someone comes close to it, it can't help but get angry.
Liu Taozi got off the horse and helped Wang Lin up.
Wang Lin captured the city extremely fast this time, without even many casualties, which proved her ability.
Liu Taozi said softly: "The prince is really good at fighting."
Wang Lin blushed a little, and he quickly shook his head, "My lord, you are overly praised. In fact, there is no intention to fight here."
It's hard for Wang Lin to explain clearly.
The main reason is that the enemies are too inexperienced.
In the entire Qi State, the only armies that can fight are Jinyang soldiers, Heluo soldiers, Baibao, and some frontier soldiers at the frontier fortress.
The rest are really just for filling up the numbers, especially the local army, which is terrible to watch.
Whether it's the commander at the top or the executors in the middle, they are all useless idiots.
Wang Lin felt that she couldn't prove herself by beating these people. Even if she won, she would feel embarrassed, but she would start a fight with such people.
Liu Taozi probably understood what he meant, so he didn't say any more. He looked at the prisoners in the distance.
Wang Lin signaled to the soldiers under her command, and someone immediately pushed one of them out and asked him to kneel in front of Liu Taozi.
Li Zuxun trembled and raised his head, looking at the exceptionally tall figure in front of him.
He didn't even react now. He didn't know how he lost to the other party.
He raised his head and showed an extremely flattering smile.
"Great General, Your Majesty, my brother Li Zuqin is under your command. He is in Xingtai. Do you still remember?"
Liu Taozi just looked at him, "You come from a rich family and live a wealthy life, how could you be so greedy? The taxes and taxes you pay here are countless times higher than those collected by the temple. Such a wealthy place has been tortured by you.
There are corpses everywhere. You even charge taxes for spring planting? What do you think?"
Li Zuxun looked around in fear, but couldn't find anyone who could answer his question.
He could only lower his head and said seriously:
"I know I was wrong!!"
Wang Lin on the side added: "This Li Zuxun has no talent and is weak. He is a big state, but his wife is in charge of it. Seriously."
Liu Taozi then looked at the only woman among the prisoners.
The sergeant brought her over.
"Please, Your Majesty, have mercy on me! Please, Your Majesty, have mercy on me!"
She just begged for mercy and kowtowed repeatedly, and her whole body was turned into a sieve with fear.
Liu Taozi shook her head and signaled to the soldiers beside her.
"Behead him in public tomorrow."
"only!!"
I heard Ms. Cui let out a scream, then fainted, and Li Zuxun collapsed and cried.
Liu Taozi paid no attention to them and followed Wang Lin into the city.
The city is dilapidated and the roads are in disrepair.
The group of them arrived at the government office. The courtyard was filled with various treasures, all of which were harvested by Wang Lin and dedicated to Liu Taozi.
After sitting down in the lobby, Wang Lin just talked about the harvest.
"This group of people is not good at anything else. They are really good at amassing money. I have used nearly a hundred people to count the food, money and other materials found in the government office, and I still haven't been able to finish it."
"They have six warehouses inside and outside the city, where they store their own money, grain and other items."
"They have a large house in the west of the city. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary house, but inside it has been greatly modified and filled with food, like a small mountain."
Wang Lin asked someone to take out the account books and report them to Liu Taozi one by one.
Ever since Wang Lin lost to Chen Baxian, her status has always been very special no matter where she stays. After all, he has been a prince, and no one dares to trust him too much. After taking the city this time, what he took is really
There were too many, and Wang Lin didn't want Liu Taozi to misunderstand her.
With the wealth accumulated by these two people, they can really do great things here.
Wang Lin didn't know how they accumulated it. It seemed that all the money in Guangzhou appeared in their house.
Liu Taozi then sent people to take over grain, grass and other items, and rewarded the meritorious soldiers.
Wang Lin doesn't need to say much here, but under Liu Taozi, the one who had more beheaded was Shi Wansui. Liu Taozi promoted this boy to another rank and continued to serve as an officer in the Mandrill Camp.
Subsequent armies arrived one after another, and Liu Taozi sent his knights to join forces with the subsequent armies to attack the remaining cities of Guangzhou without sending any orders.
The only ones who were willing to surrender to Liu Taozi were the officers in the county army, and the rest of the officials and wealthy families were not willing to surrender. However, the combat effectiveness of their troops was too far behind that of Liu Taozi.
Nothing can stop the opportunity.
Just when Liu Taozi was taking full control of Guangzhou, Zu Jue hurried to Ye County.
He came in a hurry and ran over without even finishing things in Qingzhou.
He brought some bad news.
"My Lord, the Southern Kingdom sent troops to attack the various states. A total of more than 100,000 troops were sent. It seems that they want to take over the Huaihe River and other places in one fell swoop!"
Zu Jue sat next to Liu Taozi, holding an urgent report in his hand, and hurriedly told about Chen Guo's dispatch of troops.
Wang Lin sat opposite him, frowning more and more as she listened to his words.
Zu Jue said: "King Lou has already led his troops. However, the number of troops under King Lou's command is less than 10,000. If the soldiers from various counties and counties are added up, they can barely reach 100,000. However, these soldiers from counties and counties have no fighting power.
, but the southerners are all elites, King Lou is afraid that it will be difficult to stop them, and all the states and counties in the south will fall into the hands of the southerners!"
"Your Majesty should gather the army as soon as possible to garrison Guangzhou. I think they will not stop here and may continue the Northern Expedition. Henan, Yanqing and Xu Guangdu will be their target!!"
“We really can’t compete at the moment!”
Chapter completed!