Chapter 380: Western Liang Observes the Changes

He paused and summarized: "Overall, Wei Xi Yuan's actions this time are of a considerable scale and are definitely not just bluffing. However, whether his true intention is to feign an attack in the east while striking in the west, or to strike directly at one side, still needs to be judged."

"Just looking at the scale of his mobilization and the level of secrecy, it seems like a full-force strike, striving to be fatal. Judging from his public opinion guidance and the northward movement of some troops... the possibility of attacking Beijiang seems greater."

"Attack Beijiang?"

A military general widened his eyes, "Is that dog Emperor crazy? Our Western Liang army is right outside his Tongguan; he doesn't concentrate his strength to guard the pass, or bite us to death, but runs off to attack Beijiang? Isn't that exposing his back completely to us?"

Murong Ke pondered: "Perhaps, it is precisely because he knows Tongguan is hard to defend and there is no chance of winning in a head-on clash with our Western Liang, that he wants to take a desperate gamble and attack the relatively 'weak' or more 'hated' Beijiang?"

"If he can luckily inflict heavy damage on Beijiang, he might be able to restore some morale, or even... divert the disaster to the north, letting our Western Liang and Beijiang fight each other first?"

"This is the crazy gamble of a desperate person, regardless of the consequences, but precisely because of this, we need to be even more vigilant."

Si Wushuang's voice sounded, attracting everyone's attention, "Wei Xi Yuan is a trapped beast, and his behavior is hard to infer by common sense. Attacking Beijiang seems illogical, but in his state of mind, he might think that attacking Jiang Jinshi, the national traitor who dug up his foundation, is more satisfying than attacking us, the external threat, and can strike a greater blow to the future."

"And he might be holding onto a one-in-a-million hope; if he can stir up chaos in Beijiang, it might create an opportunity for our Western Liang, or even... expect our Western Liang to take the opportunity to destroy Beijiang, so that even if he dies, it can be considered indirectly preserving the Wei family's empire from falling into the hands of an outsider rebel."

Hearing this, Wei Wenlie was thoughtful; if that were really the case, then his nephew had some backbone!

Si Wushuang walked to the hanging map and pointed his finger at the area between Chang'an and Beijiang: "The key now is to judge his main attack direction and true troop deployment."

"If his main force really moves north on a large scale, taking Hedong or the waterway to raid Shuoning, for our Western Liang, it is actually a good thing in the short term. The pressure on Tongguan will be greatly reduced, and we can take the opportunity to consolidate our defensive lines, or even..."

He looked at Wei Wenlie, but didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was obvious!

Western Liang could even take the opportunity to take the empty Tongguan, and even Chang'an!

A flash of light appeared in Wei Wenlie's eyes, clearly having thought of this point too.

But he didn't express his stance immediately, instead looking at Si Wushuang: "Wushuang, what do you think are the chances of Wei Xi Yuan attacking Beijiang?"

"Not even half a percent."

Si Wushuang answered without hesitation, "Jiang Jinshi of Beijiang is no mediocre talent; his military discipline is strict, his defensive lines are stable, and he has old generals like Yang Jieye who are familiar with the court's military affairs sitting in command. Wei Xi Yuan's Imperial Guards have long been out of practice, grain is insufficient, and morale is in panic; laboring the troops to attack from afar is nothing but the end of a strong crossbow."

"Even with the advantage of a surprise attack, it is difficult to shake the foundation of Beijiang. The final result will be nothing more than crashing and bleeding, accelerating his own destruction."

"Then how will Jiang Jinshi respond?" Wei Wenlie asked again.

"Jiang Jinshi must have already made preparations. He has many capable people under his command; how could he sit and watch the movements in Chang'an? He will definitely be ready in full battle array."

"The best case is that Wei Xi Yuan and Beijiang fight until both are injured, at least significantly consuming Beijiang's strength."

"The worst case is that Wei Xi Yuan collapses at the first touch, Beijiang wins a great victory at a relatively small cost, and may even take the opportunity to reorganize some of the routed troops, extending their influence into Guanzhong." Si Wushuang analyzed.

Cui Yan took over the conversation: "Your Highness, no matter what the situation is, it is not entirely a bad thing for our Western Liang. If both are injured, our army can sit back and reap the benefits!"

"If Beijiang wins easily, their troops will inevitably be damaged, and they will need time to digest the fruits of victory, so our army can also take the opportunity to consolidate the newly acquired territory and accumulate strength. The current priority is to clarify our army's response strategy."

The impatient general couldn't wait: "Then what are we waiting for? Since that Emperor might go to fight Beijiang, taking advantage of the fact that Tongguan is empty now, we should just assemble a large army, take Tongguan in one fell swoop, and enter Chang'an! Destroy that dog Emperor, and won't this Guanzhong be ours?"

Murong Ke shook his head: "Don't be impatient! It is true that Wei Xi Yuan is at the end of his rope, but this final counterattack may not necessarily leave no strength to guard against our Western Liang."

"Whether Tongguan is really empty, and exactly how many troops were taken away, is still unknown."

"And Chang'an city has high walls and deep moats; if the 170,000 Imperial Guards leave a portion to defend to the death, a strong attack will also result in heavy casualties. More importantly..."

He looked at Wei Wenlie and Si Wushuang: "If our army launches a large-scale attack on Guanzhong at this moment, no matter whether Wei Xi Yuan is attacking or defending, he will immediately turn his spearhead toward us, or let Jiang Jinshi of Beijiang breathe a sigh of relief, and it might even prompt him to temporarily join forces with the remnants of the Imperial Court to fight our army. This is not the best strategy."

"General Murong's words are reasonable." Si Wushuang nodded in appreciation, "Our army should observe the changes and control movement with stillness."

"Then... we do nothing?"

Si Wushuang shook his head: "Not so! There are three urgent matters."

Everyone pricked up their ears to listen, not daring to speak more.

"First, in the direction of Guanzhong, send more elite spies; we must find out Wei Xi Yuan's true main force movements, troop numbers, and march routes. At the same time, contact the local powerful clans and scholar-gentry in Guanzhong who have not yet completely leaned toward any side, promise them benefits, and explain the pros and cons; if Wei Xi Yuan is defeated or Chang'an is empty, they can be our inside agents."

"Second, the garrisons in Luoyang, Nanyang, and other places should raise their alert to prevent Wei Xi Yuan from using the strategy of feigning an attack in the east while striking in the west, or Beijiang moving south after repelling Wei Xi Yuan. But there is no need for excessive mobilization; maintain the rest of our main force and accumulate grain."

"Third, in the public opinion of Jiangnan and the Central Plains, we can continue to promote that 'the Western Liang King's army aims to pacify the world and save the people from fire and water,' express 'regret' for Wei Xi Yuan's crazy actions, and express sympathy for Beijiang suffering unprovoked attacks, occupying the moral high ground. At the same time, secretly increase 'trade' control over grain, salt, and iron in Guanzhong and Hedong, further tightening the lifeline of Chang'an."

Such an arrangement not only guarded against Wei Xi Yuan's sneak attacks and counterattacks but also planned for the subsequent capture of the capital, fully fulfilling the surface benevolence and righteousness, while secretly strangling Da Qian's lifeline.

Wei Wenlie listened to the analysis of his civil and military officials, and after a long while, slowly said: "Follow Wushuang's strategy! Mr. Cui, put more effort into the spies and inside agents in Guanzhong."

"Your Highness is wise!" Everyone responded in unison.

Wei Wenlie stood up, "Wei Xi Yuan is a grasshopper after autumn; he won't be able to jump for many more days. Jiang Jinshi is the real heart-and-belly scourge; let them fight first, the fiercer the better."

"Our army only needs to rest and build up strength, polish our knives and guns, and wait for the right moment... whether it is taking the opportunity to take Guanzhong, or launching a northern expedition when Beijiang is exhausted, the initiative is in this King's hands! This world ultimately belongs to the strong! Everyone go and prepare!"

"Yes!" Everyone accepted the order and retreated! ===== CHAPTER 381 =====