Chapter 844: Gongsun Zan Holds a Grudge

Another autumn has arrived, and Liaodong is once again enjoying a year of bountiful harvest.

The Little Ice Age is certainly having an impact, but it is still in its early, budding stage. The Northeast remains largely undeveloped, and the soil is incredibly fertile, leading to four years of great harvests. Even if there are impacts later on that cause a reduction in crop yields, Liaodong can still be self-sufficient. There is land at the foot of the mountains, beasts within the mountains, fish in the rivers, horses, cattle, and sheep on the grasslands, and chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs raised at home. With mutual coordination and support in the general direction, life is still quite comfortable.

After the military and civilians of Liaodong worked together to complete the autumn harvest, Grand General Wang began to mobilize his troops, pointing his sword toward the Central Plains.

The Yingwu Guard, originally stationed at Pingguo, moved to Fangxian to guard the hinterland of Liaodong and protect places like Tuhe and Changli. The Xingwu Guard moved north to Changchun to suppress Goguryeo and Buyeo. The Xiongwu Guard was stationed at Qingping (Keshiketeng Banner in Chifeng), and the Zhenwu Guard was stationed on the grasslands.

As for the Xuanwu Guard, which had long since moved south to Linyu, it was commanded by Huang Zhong, based on the principle of proximity, making it convenient for the old fellow to return and see his son.

The Weiwu Guard, originally stationed at Changchun and commanded by Zhou Cang, passed through Qingping, entered the grasslands, and launched a surprise attack of nine hundred *li* to take Guangning (Zhangjiakou). The Guangwu Guard, originally stationed at Fuxin, also entered the grasslands under the command of Taishi Ci. They first joined Zhou Cang to secure Guangning, and then the two forces continued to combine their strength to occupy Juyong.

Without a doubt, Juyong is a good place; otherwise, it would not have been possible to build the Great Wall here. To the north is a dead valley, while to the south, it is as flat as a plain. However, although there is a Great Wall now, it is far from as magnificent as it was in the Ming Dynasty. To put it simply, there is defense, but not much. To the north are the dependent Xianbei, and to the south is Han territory. Now, Liu Yu governs Youzhou, and the old fellow has a relatively harmonious relationship with the Xianbei.

Therefore, this important pass of Juyong only has some ordinary, necessary garrisons and not many people. Moreover, as early as three months ago, when Wang Yan sent the Xuanwu Guard south to Linyu, it had already made Liu Yu nervous. He directly mobilized an army of twenty thousand to stand in front of the Xuanwu Guard, so at this moment, Liu Yu's gaze has no time to pay attention to the rear. Even if he did notice, he would not have the spare capacity to assemble troops in the short term.

Even these twenty thousand troops included a portion from Gongsun. Although Gongsun Zan is nominally Liu Yu's subordinate, Gongsun Zan is now the Marquis of Ji and has been appointed General of Martial Might; the troops of Youzhou are actually controlled by Gongsun Zan. Liu Yu governs loosely, widely soothing refugees, and wanted to reduce the military force, which was opposed by Gongsun Zan. The two began to be at odds from then on.

Now, joining forces to send troops to block the Xuanwu Guard is because they all know that Grand General Wang's troops are strong and his horses are sturdy, and his wolfish ambitions are great. Moreover, Gongsun Zan still remembers the humiliation under the walls of Lingzhi City back then; he will certainly not let Wang Yan have an easy time.

With a competitor like this, General Wang can say with certainty that he is finished...

As for the Xianbei troops north of Juyong, they had all been handled by Liao Hua, and their troop strength was severely lacking. Even if they reorganized their combat formations, their combat power would not be strong, and there was basically no resistance.

And even if they encountered stubborn resistance at Juyong and were unable to capture it in the short term, Wang Yan had alternative moves. That is, ignoring Youzhou, he could directly divide his troops to raid Pingcheng (Datong). In this way, he could plot to take Bingzhou, or he could take a detour through the Hebei region, strike through Youzhou from the rear, and form a pincer movement from the east and west with the Xuanwu Guard.

His current troop mobilization is to plot for the two provinces of You and Bing, not for current occupation. Otherwise, he wouldn't even need to use his brain. How Huang Taiji broke into the capital region and besieged the capital during the Ming Dynasty—he could just copy that route and use it. Although there have been some geological changes over the past thousand years, it would generally be no problem. In this way, he could take Youzhou in one battle.

However, although Liaodong has had four years of great harvests, it is still not enough to support the development of the entire Youzhou region. Therefore, the current deployment lies in containing the throat, driving a nail in hard, and grasping the initiative in the war. By controlling such a key location, slowly gathering the people, and organizing production, Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan will collapse without being attacked, and Youzhou will be easily taken.

There is no need for any profound military strategy; relying on a strong foundation to slowly push across, the planning and strategizing all lie in the people's livelihood...

As for his large-scale troop mobilization leaving the interior empty, and Liu Yu taking the opportunity to send troops to cross the mountains and detour through the Liaoxi Corridor, or to reach Liucheng to directly take the Tuhe hinterland—this possibility exists, but the probability is not very high. This is because Liu Yu does not have that kind of decisiveness, and Gongsun Zan does not dare to move troops rashly.

For one thing, they are not that familiar with the troop deployment within Liaodong. Although there are merchant caravans coming and going, they will reveal some news, but merchant caravans cannot just walk anywhere; they have fixed locations and routes. If they cross the border without a reason, they are directly detained for forced labor. For another, the struggle in Luoyang is intense now, and all parties are in a wait-and-see state. Gongsun Zan is indeed capable of fighting, but he is also a man of great ambition. Wang Yan's previous performance was fierce, so he certainly would not dare to act rashly.

The most critical point is that even if Wang Yan misjudged and they sent troops over the mountains to attack, Grand General Wang is not a dead man; he is guarding his home. Moreover, he is not without troops in his hands. If needed, Tuhe could organize five thousand troops in an instant. In a few more days, he could pull out twenty or thirty thousand, so he has no fear...

The large armies of Zhou Cang and Taishi Ci combined into one. Without the assistance of militia, they were all carrying their own weapons and dry rations, marching rapidly. The large army stretched for ten *li*, striding forward quickly. The scouts in front explored thirty *li* ahead, and anyone they saw who wanted to report the news was killed. Liao Hua led six thousand of the Brave Cavalry Battalion, moving south simultaneously. The cavalry has strong mobility, and their mission is to advance with the Grand General and try their best to control the news.

Although Luoyang is a mess at this time and no one has the leisure to pay attention to the Liaodong rebels, their goal is to control Guangning and Juyong with the smallest cost and the fastest speed. By strangling the key location of Juyong, they can pinch the throat of Youzhou, and by using Guangning, they can open up this supply line that stretches over a thousand *li* from the grasslands to Liaodong, echoing with the troops stationed on the grasslands. At the same time, they retain the opportunity to attack Bingzhou, deterring Bingzhou without being isolated deep in enemy territory and cutting off supplies.

This is Grand General Wang's strategic instruction for development on the eastern and western fronts.

The grasslands are desolate and uninhabited, but after walking for a few *li*, one can always see Xianbei herdsmen doing winter storage work on the grasslands. Seeing the military formation that stretched out in a line and kicked up dust, they were not panicked. Even the children of the grasslands would ride their own horses, approach the army, and struggle to blurt out a few words, wanting to know where the large army was going.

They all recognized the flags of Liaodong, and even their relatives had once died at the hands of Liaodong soldiers, but they felt no sorrow, because now they had also become a part of those protected by that flag.

They could herd horses and sheep within the designated range, and of these sheep, only one in ten belonged to the Grand General, while the rest were their own property. Compared to their previous situation where they herded ten and eight belonged to the Chanyu, this was truly much better. They only needed to listen to the orders of the Han officials from the trading office stationed in the center of their pavilion.

No one beat or scolded them, no one snatched their cattle and sheep, and they were even issued weapons to let them protect their own property. So what reason did they have to fear the Liaodong army...

Marching rapidly like this, half a month later, the two guards of troops and the Brave Cavalry Battalion finally combined into one. Ignoring the panic of the Han people, Xianbei people, and Xiongnu people along the way, they didn't even take an extra look at them and headed straight for Guangning to kill.

Liao Hua originally wanted to lead people to kill directly into the city, but when they arrived, the city gates were already tightly closed, which must have been because they had detected the news in advance. So he led people on fast horses to leap over Guangning, blocked the road leading to Juyong, and sent out small teams to kill scouts, trying their best to control the news so it wouldn't spread, so as not to make Juyong harder to capture.

Therefore, when Zhou Cang and Taishi Ci led the troops to the foot of the city, the gates of Guangning City were already tightly closed, and there were clusters of shadows on the city towers, waiting in full battle array.

"Fortunately, we sent scouts ahead to disguise themselves as merchant caravans to enter the city; otherwise, the casualties from attacking the city would have been high." Zhou Cang rode on his warhorse, looking at the defensive guards on the city wall with a smile.

"The Grand General has long since said that attacking a city is a lower strategy. Our army is precious and cannot die in vain for one city." Beside him, Taishi Ci also smiled, drew his bow and nocked an arrow, took a rough aim, and shot it out. The arrow left the string, slanted up into the sky, and drew an arc, but it didn't achieve much.

He shook his head with regret, having heard that the Grand General was invincible with a three-stone bow at the distance of an arrow's flight. Today, he was also at the distance of an arrow's flight, but he was far inferior to the Grand General.

"Brother Zhou, the Grand General has said that Guangning must be taken, and Juyong should be taken if possible. The defending troops in Guangning City are no more than two thousand, and there are scouts responding from within, so it must be easily taken. Troops value speed; I fear Juyong will increase its troops, so I should go quickly to attack it."

"Take care, Brother Ziyi." Zhou Cang cupped his hands.

Taishi Ci returned the salute and immediately led the army to bypass the city. Guangning is still over two hundred *li* away from Juyong. As long as the speed is fast, the general trend is in our hands. Therefore, Taishi Ci led the troops on a forced march, covering one hundred and fifty *li* in one day.

For the Liaodong soldiers who had been well-fed and well-nourished for five years and were well-trained, this distance could not be called easy, but there would absolutely be no situation where people would get lost, and they could still guarantee some combat power.

After resting for one night and arriving the next day, they marched sixty *li* without any time to rest. Taishi Ci charged in front and attacked under the cover of night. The several hundred soldiers guarding the pass were wiped out in a single encounter. More than a hundred died, and the rest were all wounded soldiers. The Guangwu Guard commanded by Taishi Ci had zero casualties, with only a few having scraped their skin from running too fast during the march. This is the value of speed in war.

The Juyong defenders received the news and even sent people to report to Liu Yu, thinking that Guangning would have to be fought for at least ten days or half a month. After all, siege warfare is not easy to fight. They never expected that in two days and two hundred *li*, Taishi Ci would kill his way over directly. They hadn't even prepared yet.

Having captured the Juyong pass and strangled the throat of Youzhou, Taishi Ci led three thousand troops to guard the pass and divided three thousand troops from the Army Sima to conquer the area from Juyong to Guangning.

This is a mature model. The large army opens up, asks who is the biggest landlord in the countryside, and how their reputation is in ordinary times. If it's good, confiscate most of the land; if it's bad, confiscate all the land, and the whole family is sent to forced labor. There are also wandering knights in the countryside, all of whom are caught, and then they ask the people what their reputation is like. If it's good, beat them and let them go; if it's bad, send them to forced labor. Then organize the measurement of land, declare policies, appoint civil officials, and distribute land to the people.

Basically, every family is allocated a lot of land, all distributed according to the saturated labor of a family of six. Of course, at this time, many families have not yet divided their households, so incidentally, the civil officials also have to preside over their household division work. Those who are not filial are punished on the spot.

With such large-scale land distribution, there are certainly people who have no land. But it doesn't matter; they are all relocated, allocated to other places, and so on, until the end. Those who still have no land are sent to the grasslands, allocated a large piece of grassland, and issued some sheep and horses. Those who are unwilling are sent thousands of *li* away to settle in Liaodong.

Zhou Cang on that side also took similar actions after taking Guangping. He kept three thousand troops to guard the city and let the Army Sima start cleaning up from within the city, all the way to the north, killing his way back along the path where he had previously committed no crimes.

Of course, they did not forget to send communication soldiers back to Liaodong via the grasslands to tell the Grand General this news, and to mobilize civil officials and materials to support the army's consumption, as well as to prepare for construction in the coming spring.

The grasslands back to Liaodong are over a thousand *li*, but from Juyong Pass to Ji County, the seat of Youzhou where Liu Yu and others are located, it is less than one hundred and fifty *li*. It is also only over five hundred *li* away from the place where Gongsun Zan leads troops to confront Huang Zhong...

"What? The thief Wang's troops captured Juyong?" Gongsun Zan stared, looking at the trembling messenger in front of him.

"Yes, General. The thief Wang mobilized over twenty thousand troops, first besieged Guangning, then marched two hundred *li* in two days, and launched a night attack on Juyong. At that time, the Juyong defenders only had five hundred and were unprepared. This is the situation reported by the few soldiers who fled back. The situation in Guangning is unknown, but Guangning only had two thousand defenders, and the Liaodong army is fierce. Guangning certainly cannot hold out for long; it has likely already been captured."

Looking at Gongsun Zan's murderous gaze, the messenger still said all the information.

Glancing at Liu Bei, who was sitting in the lower seat, Gongsun Zan asked: "How does the Youzhou Governor Liu plan?"

"Mobilize twenty thousand troops to occupy it, and order someone to entrust the General, saying that Wang of Liaodong treats the people very generously, so he certainly cannot commit the act of disturbing the people. The General can just confront him here and must not move troops rashly, lightly starting a war, harming the people and harming oneself. It is truly not the way."

Gongsun Zan looked down on Liu Yu, and even more looked down on Liu Yu's subordinates. He believed that they were all people who bragged and had no use. However, the decision to mobilize twenty thousand troops to confront him was correct, and it was something that had to be done. After all, once there was no obstruction, the thief Wang's army would drive straight in, and Youzhou would be in danger.

As for not lightly starting a war, he really wanted to knock open Liu Yu's head to see what kind of stuff was growing inside. Although the thief Wang usurped his position, was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Liao, the Grand General of Heavenly Martial Might, and appointed as the Administrator of Liaodong, the details were known to everyone. The rebellious bones of the thief Wang were already sticking out of his forehead. With such a big rebel moving south to plot for the country, as a member of the Han imperial clan, Liu Yu could actually say such things?

He waved his hand like driving away flies, watched the messenger flee, turned his head to look at Liu Bei, and said: "Xuande, why didn't I hear your words before? Did you know that the thief Wang wanted to take Juyong?"

"Brother, I truly did not know." Liu Bei cupped his hands.

He led Guan and Zhang south, originally intending to rush to Luoyang, but he just happened to encounter Gongsun Zan mobilizing troops to confront Huang Zhong, and he advised him to stay in Liaodong for a few days, saying it wouldn't be too late to go when the situation in Luoyang became clear. Liu Bei found it hard to decline, and he also truly wanted to see what the situation in Luoyang was like, and whether it was really as Grand General Wang had said before.

Now he had already received the news that He Jin was dead, Dong Zhuo had welcomed the Emperor into the capital and held the great power of the court...

He continued to explain: "I have already told you before, Brother. In mid-May, I received the letter of the late Emperor's passing. At that time, Wang Yan mobilized Huang Zhong to lead the Xuanwu Guard into Linyu, and also said that his subsequent mobilization would be after the autumn harvest. I waited for Yunchang and Yide to return from the grasslands, and it was already mid-June. After resting for two days, I set off south. Until today, it has been three and a half months. How could I know..."

"Xuande, do not think too much." Gongsun Zan laughed loudly, easing the awkwardness. "It is not that I suspect Xuande of being a spy. It is just that the thief Wang capturing Juyong was beyond my expectations. The overall situation is in the hands of the thief, not me. Xuande, do you know how many troops are in Tuhe?"

"Previously there were twenty thousand troops. Now the troops have been mobilized, and I also do not know what the troop strength is now."

"You once said that the thief Wang's army has seven guards and one battalion, over sixty thousand people. One guard in the valley between Liaodong and the grasslands, one guard on the grasslands to prevent the changes of the Xianbei barbarians, one guard in the north to resist Buyeo and Goguryeo, one guard in Tuhe, one guard in Linyu. Just now the messenger said the thief Wang mobilized over twenty thousand troops, took Guangning, and captured Juyong. Since this is the case, I estimate that Tuhe only has one guard of seven thousand troops."

Gongsun Zan muttered while thinking, suddenly raised his head to look at Liu Bei, "I estimate that his rear defense must be empty. If I lead an army of twenty thousand to cross the mountains and go straight into the hinterland, I will surely slaughter the thief Wang, peel his skin and stuff it with straw. Xuande, do you think my plan is feasible?"

"No."

Liu Bei shook his head without hesitation. He knew Grand General Wang's situation very well, and before leaving, he had asked if he could reveal the truth about Liaodong, because he knew that others would ask about the situation in Liaodong when they knew he had a Liaodong resume. At that time, Grand General Wang laughed and said, "I will say it clearly to the world, what can anyone do to me?" It was quite arrogant, but Liu Bei truly believed it; no one knew Grand General Wang's terror better than him.

He said: "He wants to send troops out to sea to investigate what is on the east of the sea, and to investigate whether the sky is round and the earth is square. Therefore, he supervised the construction of sea ships and trained the navy. It has been four years now, and there is a navy of five thousand stationed in Tuhe. I have also told you, Brother, that he promotes militia under his rule. Families have armor and weapons, farming during busy times and training in military formations during slack times. Compared with the seven guards, it is just that they have not experienced war, but their fierceness is not a bit inferior.

Once you lead the army to attack, you will be detected fifty *li* away. By the time you reach Tuhe, there will be over ten thousand troops waiting for you. Moreover, you should know, Brother, that Wang Yan is an invincible fierce general. If you lead an army of twenty thousand, you might be defeated in one battle. In the past, when Wang Yan first arrived in Liaodong, he used one guard of troops to twice defeat the Wuhuan army of tens of thousands. The Gongsun of Liaodong, Qiliju, Wuyan, and Su Puyan all died without a place to be buried. You should be cautious, Brother."

Just a moment ago, he wanted to peel Wang Yan's skin and stuff it with straw to return the humiliation of the past, but he was struck back by the current number one "Wang-fan."

Gongsun Zan felt a bit uncomfortable, frowned and said: "Could it be that we can only sit and wait for death? Watch the thief Wang nibble away at Youzhou?"

Liu Bei replied with a bitter smile, acknowledging Gongsun Zan's words.

Of course, he had thought about this problem more than once. There is only one way to crush Wang Yan, and that is to use the strength of the whole world, a million-strong army to crusade from multiple routes, and they must cooperate sincerely and not hold each other back. Otherwise, relying on the strength of one province to destroy Wang Yan is almost impossible.

Because Grand General Wang now has a deep foundation. If he cannot be destroyed at once, and a war of annihilation turns into a protracted war, then Wang Yan will be given a chance to breathe. Based on his understanding of Wang Yan and Liaodong, as long as he gets a chance to breathe, it basically means he has already won.

Unless Wang Yan dies or becomes stupid, because the military and political affairs of Liaodong are all tied to Wang Yan alone. If he dies, Liaodong will collapse on its own. But this possibility is almost non-existent. After all, Wang Yan himself is a peerless martial general and a divine physician. If he died, Wang Yan wouldn't even be dead.

Many times, Liu Bei doesn't think about this problem because it is too desperate.

But on the other hand, Wang Yan has clearly said that to slowly plot for the world, it will take twenty or thirty years of work. It is precisely these twenty or thirty years that gave him a certain amount of courage, thinking of going south to establish a foundation. The time is too long, and there are many changes. He, Liu Xuande, may not have no opportunity.

Therefore, he also comforted his good senior brother who was a bit discouraged: "Brother, do not worry. Liaodong has a million military and civilians. Although there have been four years of great harvests, the expenditure is huge. Wang Yan treats the people very generously. I once asked when he would take the whole world, and he said it would take twenty or thirty years, because he is unwilling to treat the people under his original rule unfairly, and he compensates the newly attached people too much.

Now Huang Zhong leading the army south to Linyu and stopping is precisely because of this. I estimate that there will be no war in the Juyong area either. It needs long-term management, and only when there is spare strength will he mobilize troops to expand. You may not be unable to win, Brother."

"Xuande, what if I surrender to the thief Wang?"

"You will surely die, Brother."

"What if I don't surrender?"

"Youzhou will eventually be nibbled away by him. You must know, Brother, that one becomes two, two becomes four, four becomes eight, and it will eventually be endless. His foundation will become deeper and deeper. If you have no other plans, Brother, the possibility of you winning is not great, and at that time, you will surely die."

"Surrender is death, not surrendering is also death. What is the difference?"

"The former, you will not suffer torture, Brother; the latter, you will seek death but not be able to." Liu Bei said very bluntly.

"Why is that?"

"Since you already know, why ask again?"

Liu Bei smiled bitterly, "Wang Yan is for the ten thousand people, and you also come from a powerful clan, Brother, and have done many things to abuse the people. Moreover, the army under your command is also arrogant and bullies the people, robbing the people of their wealth and violating the people's women. These are all things that Wang Yan must kill. I was in Liaodong for a year, and two people were peeled and stuffed with straw, and their families were all sent to forced labor. Now the whole family is dead, and even young children did not survive. There were five others whose whole families were sent to forced labor, and they will also find it hard to survive this winter. All seven were officials who, because of greed and corruption, harmed the people and deliberately misinterpreted the decrees of the General's Mansion."

"With such strict laws and harsh punishments, officials must have many complaints, and it will be difficult for it to last long." Gongsun Zan said very firmly.

Liu Bei shook his head and did not strike his good senior brother again.

Grand General Wang is actually very tolerant toward officials, giving them high courtesy, and officials live much better than the common people. However, greed is insatiable, and those Grand General Wang dealt with were all seeking their own deaths. Besides, when Wang Yan led so many people north back then, he didn't have a single official working for him, and didn't he still achieve today's foundation? Now he is also opening schools to cultivate young children on a large scale, so there will be no shortage of officials in the future.

Seeing Liu Bei's appearance, Gongsun Zan just took it as him sighing at Wang Yan's ruthless methods, and asked: "Xuande, do you assert that the thief Wang's troops will stop here and not mobilize troops again?"

"Troops have no constant situation, water has no constant shape. How dare I assert? However, based on my understanding, there will certainly be no worries this winter, and I don't know what will happen next spring. Moreover, there is a change in Luoyang. He Jin is dead, the Ten Eunuchs are destroyed, Dong Zhuo holds power and wants to carry out the matter of deposition. Before I went south, Wang Yan asserted that Dong Zhuo would surely be arrogant and rampant, the ministers would not be at peace in body and mind, and they would surely rise up to attack. His words about He Jin, the Ten Eunuchs, and Dong Zhuo holding power have all been fulfilled. I think the matter of rising up to attack Dong Zhuo is also a foregone conclusion. There will surely be a great change within half a year, and there may be an opportunity then."

Gongsun Zan nodded happily: "Xuande has always had foresight. Let us wait here for the change in Luoyang."

He said he would surrender to the thief Wang, but he was just saying it. He could not possibly surrender. Liu Bei blew the thief Wang up to the sky, but Gongsun Zan certainly didn't believe it entirely. He admitted that the thief Wang's troops were strong and his horses were sturdy. He knew clearly about the movements on the grasslands, and he also knew about the two previous defeats of the Wuhuan. However, he looked down on the barbarians and did not believe that being able to fight the barbarians meant he was powerful. He also had the White Horse Followers, and he wasn't proud either...

Not moving troops now is not because he is afraid of the thief Wang, but just because there is a change in Luoyang, so there will be a change in the world. He naturally wants to retain his military strength to wait for the change in the situation. The reason why he led the army here this time is to swallow Liu Yu's other part of the troops and fully control the current twenty thousand plus troops.

If it weren't for this, he would have started a war with Huang Zhong long ago.

What if Huang Zhong can single-handedly fight Guan Yu and Zhang Fei? What if Wang Yan can single-handedly beat Liu, Guan, and Zhang? What is the use of the courage of a single man? With his large army in hand, could he still be afraid of the thief Wang?

Liu Bei didn't know what Gongsun Zan was thinking, but he could probably understand that Gongsun Zan didn't take Wang Yan very seriously. He understood this kind of thing very well. People outside know the news about Wang Yan by relying on merchant caravans. What can merchant caravans know? Although they gave Wang Yan precious horses and wives, and even Wang Yan's foundation today has the reason for their vigorous transportation and assistance.

But they really didn't look up to Wang Yan. This kind of pride that has lasted for thousands of years cannot be changed.

What can wake them up and make them recognize reality? Perhaps only Grand General Wang's butcher knife... ===== CHAPTER 845 =====