stonecrandall Chapter 778: Meeting and preparing to take over Nanjun!
Chapter 778: Meeting and preparing to take over Nanjun!
"The first thing we have done today is to finalize all matters related to the ceremony of becoming king, as well as all arrangements before and after the ceremony! Just as Mr. Li Si has planned, once we officially open our government and announce our becoming king and establishing a system, it will inevitably put a huge amount of political and military pressure on Wu Can, who is entrenched in Nanjun and has a thorn in his side! 'How can I allow others to sleep beside my bed'? Simply applying pressure is not enough!"
His finger suddenly swiped northward across Hengshan County and other places on the map, with a sharp determination: "While claiming the throne, our army must completely recapture the three counties occupied by the former subordinates of King Hengshan with a thunderous force! This is a foundational battle that cannot be lost! In addition to the First Corps continuing to garrison Dongjiao County and coordinate the overall situation, the Second, Third, and Fourth Corps will all be deployed in this battle! We must strive to wipe out the enemy with a swift force and in one fell swoop! There is only one goal -"
Gao Yao's finger finally landed firmly on the winding Yellow River on the map. "In the shortest possible time, completely incorporate these three counties into our southern territory, forming a stable confrontation situation with the Yellow River as the boundary! To become king, lay a solid foundation!"
Gao Yao's fingers slid across the rough military map, from the winding curve of the Yangtze River, suddenly advancing northward, pressing heavily on the thick line representing the Yellow River, and finally stopping at the blank area representing the vast land outside the Great Wall. Under his fingertips were three highlighted areas: Chen County, Sishui County, and Dang County, like three hot potatoes, but exuding an alluring aroma.
"We originally planned to use the Yangtze River as the boundary and gradually advance southward," Gao Yao's voice rang out in the conference room, his calm voice carrying a hint of imperceptible fatigue, "but the situation is changing so fast that it's hard to breathe. In this case, we might as well make a concerted effort to capture the three counties on the south bank of the Yellow River! Using this as a springboard, we can then advance to the interior of the country! Only in this way can we firmly grasp the advantage and remain invincible."
He paused, and glanced at the important civil and military officials gathered in the hall - Zhang Liang, Han Xin, Xiao He, Cao Shen, Ying Bu... and many people like Wu She who had not yet arrived. Unconsciously, Gao Yao could be said to be full of talents.
"This strategy is not without its drawbacks." Gao Yao's voice deepened. "The soldiers have been fighting for more than half a year. They are exhausted. The wounds under their armor have not yet healed, and the horses' horseshoes have been worn thin. I have also thought about giving up here, relying on the natural defenses, recuperating, giving the soldiers a break, and giving the people under my rule a break."
The bloody "lesson" of Hengshan King Wu Rui flashed through his mind not long ago - a city that could have been taken over peacefully was slaughtered for victory because Wu Rui suddenly changed the battle plan! The black smoke rising into the sky and the disgusting bloody smell in the wind did not come from the dead soldiers, but from the unarmed civilians! Gao Yao can still remember the tragedy in the city today.
It's not that Gao Yao is so compassionate that he thinks the lives of ordinary people are more precious than those of soldiers. On the contrary, in this chaotic world, a well-trained and battle-hardened veteran is far more valuable than ten or a hundred ordinary farmers.
Wars usually do not aim to kill civilians. No matter who sits on the throne, the population, taxes, soldiers, labor... these "productive forces" that form the foundation of the empire are inseparable from the silent people. Gao Yao is not so noble and cannot say the beautiful words "fighting for the people of the world", but he knows better than anyone: if the skin is gone, where will the hair be attached? If there is no one living for thousands of miles under his rule and the fertile land is all barren, what can he use to fight for hegemony? Rely on the system to create food, fodder and armor? The system is not omnipotent!
What made it even harder for him to accept was that Wu Rui, an opponent who was far inferior to him in terms of military strength, territory, and talent, was able to play a beautiful trick of diversion under his close surveillance, directly hitting his weak spot and creating this tragic tragedy. This was not only a loss of strength, but also a ruthless mockery of his control.
His thoughts could not help but drift further. When he traveled here, facing the turbulent and chaotic world at the end of the Qin Dynasty, all he wanted was to avoid the tragic fate of having no descendants and live a stable life. Even though he was equipped with the system, he never had the extravagant hope of getting involved in the world at the beginning. The starting point for changing his fate was just to return to Pei County and get rid of that "rogue" Liu Bang once and for all.
But the appearance of Yi Xiaochuan was like a bucket of cold water that woke him up. That fateful encounter, Liu Bang's repeated escapes from certain death situations as if assisted by God... All this made him understand: there is a destiny in the dark, and he cannot escape it!
If he wanted to survive and control his own destiny, he had to become strong enough, strong enough to crush the so-called "wheel of history"! So, he put aside his insignificant modern compassion and began to use the system to accumulate power, recruit talents, and conquer cities by any means necessary, step by step to the position of prime minister with great power today.
He is still Gao Yao, the mercenary, vengeful, eager little chef in his bones. But after recognizing the mysterious existence of Yi Xiaochuan, or the "corrective force" behind him, Gao Yao's heart is left with cold determination: only one of him and the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan can survive! If he doesn't die, the other must die! He, Gao Yao, has never been a saint or a gentleman. Now that he has been pushed to this position, whether he is king or hegemony, it is just half-hearted, and it is the ultimate fight that must be carried out for survival!
"Here!"
As Gao Yao issued his decisive strategic goal, everyone in the hall responded in unison, shaking the roof tiles. Everyone's eyes were burning with blazing flames - the merit of expanding territory, the reward of being a marquis and a general, were right in front of them! Especially the general, he stared at the location of the three counties on the map, his eyes as sharp as a hawk, as if he had deduced the attack route countless times in his mind.
"Well," Gao Yao nodded slightly, taking in everyone's excitement, "Time waits for no one. The coronation ceremony is imminent, and these three counties are the best gift! Otherwise..." His eyes suddenly turned cold, "If Wu Can, who is still struggling, follows his father's example and burns everything down, massacring the city to vent his anger, the consequences will be disastrous! The previous lesson is enough!"
He changed the subject and threw out the difficult question: "Therefore, the most urgent task is to discuss how to take over these three counties in the shortest time and at the lowest cost. You are all my trusted and trusted ministers. If you have any good ideas, please feel free to speak up!"
Gao Yao is well aware of his shortcomings. Apart from the extraordinary military power granted by the system and the ability to lead a commander honed in the brutal war, he is far inferior to Zhang Liang and Xiao He in terms of strategic planning, logistics dispatch, and civil administration; he is not as good as Han Xin in terms of battlefield maneuvers and ingenious strategies. Professional matters should be left to professionals. Gao Yao wants results, not the empty reputation of doing everything by himself and being stubborn.