Jiuxi

Chapter 277 275 [Disagreement]

In the minds of all Qi people in the world, Heluo is more than just a city.

It was the former capital of Da Qi, and its history lasted for more than 140 years. For such a long time, the world has long recognized that the Qi Dynasty is the common ruler of the world, and the Emperor of the Li family is the destined son of this vast continent.

Perhaps the late Emperor of the Qi Dynasty eighteen years ago thought the same way, so despite the invasion of aliens outside and the admonitions of the officials inside, he finally chose to attack Yang Guangyuan.

At that time, he was not worried about the serious consequences of Yang Guangyuan's death, because in his opinion, Qi was still the most powerful dynasty in the world, and Heluo stood proudly on the earth without any danger.

The final result was a slap in the face to the late Emperor Qi Chao.

After the fall of Heluo City, Qi Ren, who learned the news, had only one thought in his mind, that is, the sky had fallen.

In the next ten years or so, whether it was the frontier generals who supported the Northern Expedition or the Jiangnan aristocratic families who opposed the Northern Expedition, they did not dare to question the words "return to the old capital", at least openly.

It’s just that although the vision is good, it is extremely difficult to realize it.

Lu Chen was not surprised that Xiao Wangzhi could see his thoughts. In fact, when he told the plan yesterday, Su Yunqing should have noticed it.

He walked to the map, looked at Ruyin City, the capital of Dongyang Road marked on it, and then moved his gaze to Heluo in the northwest, and said in deep thought: "Uncle Xiao, I don't think the imperial court will spend money to support the Northern Expedition. This campaign is over. After that, I don’t know when the next time will be.”

This is a very real problem.

In the eyes of the vast number of noble families and poor families on the south bank of the Hengjiang River, the Northern Expedition failed, needless to say, and even if it succeeded, it would hardly bring them enough benefits.

Military merits on the battlefield belong to the officers and soldiers of the frontier army, whether they are promoted to a higher rank or receive silver rewards, this has nothing to do with the dignitaries in the court.

The glory of regaining the homeland naturally belongs to everyone, but the real beneficiary is the emperor Li Duan. If he can really complete the great cause of reclaiming the old mountains and rivers from south to north, he will surely be praised in future history books for turning the tide and supporting the country.

If the aliens of the Jing Dynasty can be completely driven away and the glory of the Qi Dynasty can be restored, maybe Li Duan can be called the emperor of the ages, and at the end he will be the leader of the ZTE.

However, for the Jiangnan clan who contributed money and efforts to the Northern Expedition, they only had a false reputation at best, but not many people were willing to exchange real money and platinum for this collective reputation.

What's more, if the Northern Expedition really succeeds, the political center of Daqi will inevitably move north, and Heluo City will be the real capital. How will Yongjia's status be maintained by then?

The concept of dividing rivers to govern, returning northerners to the north, and southerners to the south is so popular because it involves the entanglement of interests from all sides.

The reason why the trip to the north could go smoothly this time was because the Jiangnan aristocrats lacked a clear understanding of the expense of the Northern Expedition, and due to the suppression of justice, they could not strongly oppose the first Northern Expedition. In addition, Li Duan, Xue Nanting and others Made enough preparations.

However, the first time does not mean that there will be a second time. The key is that after a big war, the pressure on the Qi Dynasty's treasury skyrocketed.

The preparation of grain, grass, ordnance, and armor before the war, as well as the rewards and pensions after the war, each cost a huge amount of money, and this does not include the daily expenses of more than 200,000 frontier troops.

In the final analysis, fighting is a competition of national strength. Whether it is Xiao Wangzhi or Lu Chen, they may be able to win one or two battles with their personal abilities, but if they want to fight for a long time, they cannot do without the support from the rear.

Xiao Wangzhi has long been accustomed to Lu Chen's far-reaching vision of the overall situation, and has never regarded him as a young and immature boy.

It’s just this idea…

He stood next to Lu Chen and looked at the map hanging on the wall, and said slowly: "It is wonderful to complete the victory in one battle, but this is not in line with our army's established strategy."

Lu Chen said calmly: "Uncle Xiao, please give me some advice."

"Your worries are justified. I do not deny that the nobles from the southern aristocratic families will hold back the Northern Expedition, and they will definitely do so. Based on His Majesty's consistent determination in the past ten years, do I think that the imperial court can still provide support in the future? The border army will provide certain support? Although it may not spare no effort like this time, at least it will not change from existence to nothing?"

"Yes, the imperial court will not suddenly go crazy and completely abandon the border troops."

"Then have you ever considered that in the future, more than just Huaizhou will support the border troops?"

Xiao Wangzhi turned to look at Lu Chen and asked calmly.

Lu Chen paused for a moment, and the words "Dongyang Road" naturally appeared in his mind.

"But..." He hesitated before speaking, obviously having deeper considerations.

Xiao Wangzhi's attitude is still gentle, but also very firm: "The Northern Expedition is not just for victory on the battlefield. To regain these territories, we must guard them carefully. In other words, after regaining the entire Dongyang Road, our Huaizhou Army's defense line will If Hui moves north, it is impossible to directly recruit another 100,000 troops to guard Dongyang Road. With the support of the people in Huaizhou and Dongyang Road, the Huaizhou army's dependence on the imperial court will be reduced."

Lu Mo remained silent.

Xiao Wangzhi raised his hand and pressed on the map, continuing north from Dongyang Road, where is the boundary of Baotai Mountain. He said warmly: "Huaizhou, Dongyang Road and Baotai Mountain are connected. Our trade routes with the north are all over the place. The Puppetry There is no way for Yan and Jing Dynasty to ban it. Even if the north and the south are in opposition, people can continue to exchange what they need. In the future, this territory will not become a stagnant water, and wealthy businessmen like you, the Lu family, have a lot to do. "

This involves the category of people's livelihood economy. Although neither Lu Chen nor Xiao Wangzhi are experts in this field, they admit that what the other party said makes sense.

During the period when the war stopped, Huaizhou and Dongyang Road themselves had certain hematopoietic capabilities and would not be completely controlled by the Jiangnan court.

"Uncle Xiao is far-sighted and far-sighted, and I am not as good as him."

Lu Chen knew very well that Xiao Wangzhi's military style was extremely stable. Even though he had followed his advice several times in the past, it did not go beyond the overall strategic framework of the Huaizhou Army. Moreover, Xiao Wangzhi did not invest all his troops and always had reserves. power to prevent the situation from getting worse.

Xiao Wangzhi smiled and said: "I understand what you are thinking. A Dongyang Road cannot completely strengthen the confidence of the south. If our army can regain Heluo, at least the resistance to continuing the Northern Expedition will be greatly reduced, and it can win over the people of the north. If it is used, more and more people will make the choice of Zhai Lin Wang, right?"

Lu Chen had some words in his heart that he couldn't express clearly.

In his previous life, he had browsed through the history of Jiguang Pianyu, and he knew how difficult it was for a Jiangnan regime that was relatively peaceful to make a comeback. There would be countless constraints and hindrances during the Northern Expedition.

With the smooth implementation of the Northern Expedition and the growing strength of the border troops, there will be increasing resistance in the center of the imperial court. By that time, Li Duan may not be able to stick to his original determination.

All in all, people change.

Lu Chen didn't know if there would be such a good opportunity in the future, so he could only treat this as his last chance.

Thinking of this, he said sincerely: "Uncle Xiao, to be honest, I don't trust those people in the south. As you said, after regaining Dongyang Road, we can manage it carefully. The question is who will run it then? Huaizhou cannot directly To incorporate Dongyang Road into the territory, another state must be established here. The new governor, governor, and officials from top to bottom must be directly appointed by the imperial court. Can those people maintain the same position as you? "

Seeing that Xiao Wangzhi was silent, Lu Chen simply made it clear: "Recovering Dongyang Road is a great achievement. Uncle Xiao's reputation will be even higher. Does the Central Committee trust you to continue to lead the army? Will you be transferred back? ?Whether you are appointed as the Deputy Privy Envoy or the General, it will at least keep you away from the Huaizhou Army."

Xiao Wangzhi said slowly: "So you don't want the fire of the Northern Expedition to go out. You have to tie everyone to this chariot and continue moving forward."

At this point in the conversation, the differences between the two have become very obvious.

Xiao Wangzhi's idea is to attack slowly and steadily. On the premise of currently having the advantage, he will first regain the entire Dongyang Road, and then digest the occupied territory and then slowly plan for it.

Lu Chen hoped to make some risky attempts and open up a second battlefield while continuing to attack Ruyin City, aiming directly at Heluo City.

There is no right or wrong in this. Both of them have their own reasons for insisting. It is just a collision between different ways of thinking.

In fact, this was also the first conflict between Lu Chen and Xiao Wangzhi in their relationship after he joined the Huaizhou Army.

Facing the solemn-looking middle-aged man beside him, Lu Chen nodded and said: "Yes, there is no need to elaborate on the many benefits of regaining Heluo. I think Uncle Xiao must be aware of it. The most important thing is that the symbolic significance of this old capital is too great. To the point where we can easily suppress the opposition of those in the south.”

Xiao Wangzhi walked slowly to the seat, picked up the tea cup and drank half a bowl of tea. Then he walked to the sand table in the center of the room and said calmly: "But you need to consider two very practical issues."

"First, the strength of our Huaizhou Army can only maintain the current front line. The imperial court will not send Nanya troops to support at this time - even if His Majesty can make a decision against all opinions, the time will be delayed for a long time. We We can't wait until that time. The Jingzhou Governor's Mansion needs to deal with the pseudo-Yan Moyang Road and Jiangbei Road alone. Governor Li has already sent Feiyu Camp over. He can't drain his family wealth and lead to empty troops."

"Secondly, Heluo is not a small city, let alone a stronghold on the way forward for our army. Do you know how difficult it is to conquer Heluo? Admittedly, you must have considered this issue, and I also believe in your ability in strategic planning. But the primary goal of our army is still to conquer Ruyin and regain the entire Dongyang Road."

"Based on the above two considerations, Lu Chen, I really can't agree with you this time -"

Xiao Wangzhi spoke calmly and sincerely, but before the last few words were spoken, the voice of the marching commander Huang Xianfeng suddenly sounded outside the door.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant Li of Feiyu Camp wants to see you!"

Xiao Wangzhi and Lu Chen looked at each other, then followed their previous words, nodded and said, "Invite her in."

(End of this chapter)