Chapter 482: Strategy to Pacify Qi

Yuwen Yong's posture didn't look like he was asking casually... Chen Yan scrutinized Yuwen Yong's demeanor and, after careful consideration, replied: "I have some immature... preliminary plans in my heart!"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Yong's eyes lit up suddenly. He patted the desk and laughed: "Then it is a perfect opportunity today for us, ruler and subject, to discuss it!"

Before his voice had faded, he shouted loudly toward the outside of the pavilion: "Someone come!"

"Here." An inner court attendant responded and entered, bowing his head, not daring to let out a breath.

"Go and bring the map hanging on my wall!" Yuwen Yong's tone was hurried, his eyes flashing with the light of strategic planning.

"As you command!" The attendant bowed, received the order, turned, and left quickly.

Before long, two attendants arrived together, holding a huge silk map.

The map scroll was heavy, and beads of sweat had already seeped from their temples.

They carefully spread the map out on the desk. The territorial outlines of Zhou, Qi, and Liang were clearly visible; mountains, rivers, passes, and major towns were all marked with cinnabar, the ink looking as if it were new.

Yuwen Yong raised his hand to signal the attendants to withdraw. His fingertips had already landed on the Qi State territory on the map, and he looked at Chen Yan with burning eyes: "Minister Chen, come look!"

Yuwen Yong must have studied this quite a bit... Chen Yan leaned over to stare at the map, his fingertips first brushing lightly over the cinnabar marks repeatedly noted on the map, making a judgment in his heart.

His gaze lingered for a moment between the northern grasslands and the Liang territory, then he raised his hand and placed it steadily on the north of the map, his tone steady and certain: "I believe that to conquer Qi, we must first ally with Liang and secure the northern border!"

His fingertips traced across the Mobei grasslands, his tone carrying a touch of disdain: "The grassland people only care about immediate benefits; bribing them with gold, silver, and grain will suffice!"

Having said this, his fingertips turned south, landing on the Jianghuai area, his expression growing a bit more solemn: "Liang is more troublesome; we must conclude a treaty, perhaps even promising them the Jianghuai land..."

"Minister Chen's words are very true!"

Yuwen Yong's gaze was locked tightly on the map, following the flow of Chen Yan's fingertips. His eyebrows gradually relaxed, he nodded slowly, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes, agreeing: "Only without constraints can we focus on dealing with Qi!"

He raised his hand and patted the edge of the map heavily, the force making the silk paper tremble slightly: "So they don't cause trouble and ruin our great undertaking..."

Chen Yan's gaze darkened, his tone suddenly shifting, his voice low like thunder: "And if we attack Qi, I believe we should implement eight words!"

Yuwen Yong's pupils constricted, his leaning body moving closer, his tone carrying an eager inquiry: "Which eight words?"

Chen Yan's fingertips paused heavily on Luoyang City on the map, his gaze like a torch, saying word by word: "Point directly at Luoyang, divide the troops to contain!"

"Oh?" Yuwen Yong's eyes suddenly lit up with ecstasy. He stood up, patting the desk, his voice even adding a touch of joy: "I wish to hear the details!"

Clearly, Chen Yan's eight-character policy coincided with his own assumptions...

Chen Yan's fingertips were like swords, landing heavily on Bronze Tube at the western end of the map, his force vigorous: "Your Majesty, the main force should emerge from Bronze Tube, advance majestically eastward along the south bank of the Yellow River, and press directly to the foot of Luoyang City!"

His fingertips swept eastward along the Yellow River, splashing up fine silk paper wrinkles: "Send another naval force to enter the Yellow River from the Wei River and sail downstream—it can both supply grain for the land army and contain the Qi troops along the river, making them unable to attend to both ends!"

Before his voice had faded, his fingertips split to both sides, precisely pointing at two places on the map: "Select two brave generals, each leading an army to conquer Liyang and Chenru respectively!"

"Liyang is a major water transport hub for Northern Qi; taking it can cut off their grain. Chenru's terrain is flat; it can contain their southern forces, making them unable to reinforce Luoyang!"

Finally, his fingertips moved north, landing on the Taihang Mountains and the Heyang Ferry, his tone suddenly growing solemn: "The most important thing is to select two generals good at defense to rush and seize the Taihang Road and Heyang Road!"

"These two roads are the only way for Northern Qi reinforcements to advance westward; hold these places!"

Yuwen Yong listened with incomparable excitement, his chest heaving violently. He patted the desk suddenly, the silk map trembling along with it, and praised loudly: "Excellent! Truly excellent!"

Immediately, he looked at Chen Yan with burning eyes, full of expectation, and asked: "And then?"

Chen Yan's fingertips tapped rapidly on the map, his tone growing more resonant, every word carrying the momentum of breaking formations and capturing cities: "As the various armies arrive at their target areas one after another, one general will immediately lead the troops eastward to capture the eastern and western cities of Wuji and Luokou, burning all the floating bridges on the Yellow River!"

He swept his fingertips across the Yellow River ferry, his force suddenly increasing: "This will completely cut off the water connection between Northern Qi's Henan and Hebei, isolating them north and south, making it impossible to share grain and reinforcements!"

Immediately, his fingertips moved south, sweeping across the Chenzhou and Ruzhou areas: "Another general will take advantage of the situation to move south, capturing the cities of Chenzhou and Ruzhou one after another, pinning the Qi southern forces north of Jianghuai, making them unable to divide their attention, and making it absolutely impossible to reinforce Luoyang from the west!"

Finally, he pointed north toward the Taihang Mountains and the Heyang Ancient Road, his gaze as deep as a cold pool: "Send another general to hold all major transportation routes, set up many ambushes, and clear the countryside, making the reinforcements from Northern Qi's Jinyang and Yecheng fall into a dilemma, unable to quickly reinforce Luoyang!"

The Duke of Wei uses troops cautiously and thinks comprehensively; he is truly a talent of a great general! No wonder he has never been defeated... Yuwen Yong listened to this deployment and couldn't help but nod, praising inwardly. He raised his hand and replied: "Hmm! Minister Chen, continue!"

At that moment, Yuwen Yong confirmed one thing:

This young man, hailed as a military immortal, winning a hundred battles out of a hundred was no accident...

Chen Yan's fingertips landed on the land of Heyin, his tone sharp as a knife: "The main army does not need to rush to attack Luoyang City; first, concentrate the troops to fiercely attack the great city of Heyin!"

"This city is the outer barrier of Luoyang, controlling the Yellow River ferry and grain routes. Taking Heyin is equivalent to strangling Luoyang's throat!" He ground his fingertips forcefully into the silk paper, his eyes flashing with sharpness. "After capturing Heyin, the army will immediately advance westward to surround Jinyong City—"

"This city is the key to Luoyang's palace city. Its defenses are solid but it is isolated and without reinforcements. We should attack in rotations day and night, applying pressure with siege ladders and battering rams without rest, not giving the defenders a moment to catch their breath!"

Before his voice faded, he poked fiercely at the location of Jinyong City, his voice suddenly rising: "Once Jinyong City is broken, Luoyang's city defenses will be like a dragon with a broken spine, falling from both inside and out, with military morale collapsing! At that time, Luoyang City will be within reach!"

While passionately offering his strategy, Chen Yan had already quietly dug a big pit...

The strategy to pacify Qi he offered was exactly the strategy of that Emperor Wu of Zhou in history during his first campaign to conquer Qi!

It seemed perfect, but it was very difficult to succeed...

Chen Yan remembered Duan Shao, who came to reinforce from Jinyang. When he marched through the Taihang Road, although he was contained by Houmo Chenrui, he still broke through part of the defense line and approached Luoyang.

And Jinyong City was also not captured for a long time, almost causing the Zhou army to fall into a situation of being attacked from both front and back...

Not to mention that the Yuwen clan had some kind of "heavenly curse" in that place!

The three generations of Northern Zhou (Heita, Hu, Yong) had never broken through the defense line of the three cities of Heyin before successfully destroying Qi.

Yuwen Yong listened, feeling completely comfortable, a full chest of soaring ambition surging. He slapped the desk with one palm, making the cups and saucers ring slightly, and laughed loudly: "Good, very good!"

Immediately, he pressed both hands on Chen Yan's shoulders, his gaze as hot as fire, his tone resonant and powerful, carrying incomparable expectation: "If one day I personally lead a campaign against Qi, I will surely make Minister Chen the vanguard!"

Seeing this, Chen Yan stated resonantly: "I will surely serve as a dog or horse!"

His tone suddenly shifted, growing a bit heavier, carrying a touch of cautious earnestness: "But Your Majesty, please allow me to speak—although Gao Qi is currently fighting internally, it still occupies the fertile land of Guandong, with developed agriculture and full treasuries. Its national strength is still strong; it is not the time to use troops..."

Yuwen Yong nodded slowly, his fingertips rubbing the edge of the desk, his tone slow but certain: "I know what I am doing!"

He stood up straight, his robes fluttering slightly in the wind, his expression suddenly turning solemn and grave, saying word by word: "The top priority for Great Zhou now is not to seek quick success, but to rectify internal politics, purify the source of troops, encourage agriculture, and accumulate grain..."

Having said this, his gaze crossed the vermilion railings of the pavilion, looking toward the lush trees deep in the forbidden garden. His eyes gradually drifted away, as if penetrating the layers of branches and leaves, landing on the incense-filled Buddhist temple in the suburbs of the city.

The previous ambition and expectation in his eyes quietly faded, replaced by a trace of imperceptible ruthlessness...

In the heart of this young emperor, there was already an excellent source of military strength!

Upon hearing this, Chen Yan immediately stood up and cupped his hands, his waist bent very low, his voice full of heartfelt admiration: "Your Majesty is wise!"

He praised loudly, but his gaze, through his bowing posture, quietly shifted, crossing the Yellow River basin on the map and landing on the Bashu area in the southwest corner of the map.

His fingertips curled subconsciously, and a complex light flashed in his pupils.

He didn't know if it was because of his arrival, the butterfly flapping its wings, causing some kind of change...

That Hou-Chen Rebellion that should have appeared long ago had not happened yet. After the death of the High King, the Little High King successfully took over and succeeded to the throne.

And the Great General of the Universe had not directly rebelled, still monopolizing the land of Henan, fighting openly and secretly with the Qi Emperor...

The setting sun slanted westward, golden brilliance spilling over the palace walls, stretching Chen Yan's shadow long.

The attendant who sent him to the palace gate stood bowing, his voice as respectful as before: "Duke, walk slowly!"

Chen Yan raised his hand and waved: "You don't need to send me off, go back quickly!"

"Yes, this servant takes his leave!" The attendant bowed deeply and left quickly.

Chen Yan's fingertips reached deep into his sleeve, precisely pinching the medicinal pill that should have been swallowed.

The cool touch carried a trace of imperceptible delicacy, rubbing repeatedly in his palm.

In the twilight, his footsteps paused slightly, and he looked back at the towering palace walls. The last golden brilliance of the setting sun outlined the silhouette of the flying eaves.

He pondered inwardly, his fingertips unconsciously increasing their force: "This Yuwen Yong, in order to win me over, really spares no expense."

From Yuwen Yong's perspective, this was a miraculous medicine, and being willing to use it on him, Chen Yan, was "sparing no expense"...

Moreover, the goodwill released was also perfectly measured, without a single flaw.

He is a formidable fellow!

Chen Yan's fingertips tightened suddenly, gripping the pill even tighter. The cool touch instantly pulled back his drifting thoughts, his gaze darkened, and he had already made a decision in his heart: "This kind of thing must be reported to Grand Chancellor Father immediately!"

Chen Yan knew very well the importance of diligent reporting and reporting every detail...

Have you not seen the story of Chen Xi?

He must not let a rift grow between him and his good father!

In the twilight, the two figures standing outside the palace gate moved immediately.

Zhu Yi and Hongye hurried up and asked: "Young Master, you have finally come out of the palace..."

"It's getting late, are we going straight back to the mansion?"

"No!" Chen Yan shook his head, his gaze firm, blurting out, "Go to the Jin Prince Mansion first!" ===== CHAPTER 483 =====