Qin Official

In the first month of Mengchun (January), the 33rd year of the First Emperor of Qin, Li You, the governor of Sanchuan County, was approaching his seventieth birthday, so he was asked by the emperor to return to Xianyang for ten days. But he had just returned to the capital from Luoyang in a hurry. Before he could exchange a few words with his father, brothers and sisters, he was summoned to the palace by the emperor.

Although Li You married the eldest daughter of Qin Shihuang and was considered a relative of the emperor, he did not dare to regard the emperor as his "wife". He was strict in etiquette and was far away from her.

Today, Qin Shihuang summoned him alone, and an unsealed memorial was delivered to Li You by the visitor.

"Let's see."

Since the emperor asked him to read it, he had no choice but to read it. After Li You opened it, he saw that it started with "I will pay you my respects again..."

This name was so familiar that Li You raised his head and smiled: "Your Majesty, this is..."

"This is Jiaodong Shou's suggestion for the Southern Expedition. What do you think?"

There was no emotion or anger in Qin Shihuang's voice, so Li You could only read the memorial in a cursory manner.

Obviously, this was Heifu's reply when the emperor ordered his ministers to discuss the "Southern Expedition to Baiyue". Speaking of which, Li You also received the emperor's inquiry and wrote a memorial to Xianyang, which was even better than Heifu's. Earlier.

After all, he once defeated Hubei, captured Changsha and Cangwu, and served as the governor of Changsha for several years. He even quelled the Yue rebellion in Dongting County next door. He was as familiar with the south as Heifu.

Li You undoubtedly has some say in this matter.

His father Li Si had given him hints that the emperor's attitude was clear, and it was certainly impossible for Li You to object to this matter. In the end, all the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, except for Prince Fusu who held different opinions and believed that the southern expedition should not be carried out, all believed that Baiyue could be conquered and that the conqueror would definitely win!

Heifu, Li You's former subordinate, has now climbed higher and faster than him, and is more trusted by the emperor than his son-in-law. Li You really wants to know how he will reply.

"If I speak out against it, I'm afraid I will offend His Majesty..."

Based on Li You's understanding of Hei Fu, this slippery guy with deep officialdom would definitely not be so stupid.

Sure enough, at the beginning of this memorial, Heifu expressed his opinion.

"The government of the Three Dynasties did not extend beyond Kyushu, but His Majesty's foresight was not limited to Kyushu. He defeated the Xiongnu and built the Great Wall in the north. He also drove away the Yuezhi and built the Yumen in the west. Now he wants to conquer Baiyue and expand the southern frontier. It is vast and rich in products. In time, we can add a state to Qin, which is an unprecedented achievement!"

"As the proverb goes, the ancestors planted trees, and the descendants can enjoy the shade. Planting mulberry trees and paulownia trees will bring endless descendants. Therefore, I believe that the southern expedition is actually a success today and will benefit future generations!"

After just reading this paragraph, Li You was already scolding him in his heart. This guy is still so good at talking. Even his father and son can't match his ability to flatter him. No wonder he has been promoted repeatedly and is only one step away from becoming a marquis.

In short, Heifu praised Qin Shihuang's strategy of conquering Baiyue in the south to the sky. However, unlike ordinary ministers, the turning point came after a big boast.

"However, if we want to attack Baiyue, our army has three disadvantages..."

One is the weather. The land of Baiyue is hot and humid. People in the Central Plains cannot resist the high temperature in summer. There are many poisons such as smog, water poison, snakes and insects. The sun is exposed to the sun and the night is dew, and diseases are often prevalent.

The second is the geographical advantage. The border between Yue and the Central Plains is restricted by high mountains. It is inaccessible and has no roads. There are very few plains and wilderness in the interior. There are many rivers, mountains and forests, and trails are intermittent. It is very difficult for the army to move. If you rush deep into the territory without knowing the dangers of the terrain, the consequences will be disastrous. .

The third is harmony. Unlike the annihilation of the six kingdoms, the Yue people and the Qin people cannot understand each other. The Qin army is completely fighting in a foreign country. Logistics is very important. If 200,000 troops are sent, 300,000 must be transported for them. Moreover, the Yue people had almost no city walls and lived in valleys and bamboo forests. They were familiar with water warfare and used to using boats, so it was very easy for them to gather and disperse. Therefore, the method of warfare has changed from siege of cities and towns to protracted mountain and forest encirclement and suppression. This is something that the Qin army, who is accustomed to battles, is not good at.

"The Art of War says that if the weather, the right location, and the harmony of the people are not met, there will be disaster even if you win."

In short, Heifu’s opinion is that attacking Baiyue is a good idea. It’s not that it can’t be fought, it’s just that it’s not easy to fight...

If this is the only way to stop it, then there is still another way to dissuade him. How could Qin Shihuang not see it?

But at the end, Heifu also attached his ideas for solving these "three disadvantages".

First of all, this southern expedition will take several years to prepare and solve the problems of "the right time, the right place and the right people" one by one.

There is no good solution due to weather conditions, except to use soldiers from the south who are familiar with water and accustomed to the heat. Since it cannot be changed, we can only avoid the hot summer and use troops in the same season as in the north. We must not send troops in spring, summer and autumn, because that is the "rainy season" in the south, and the rainforest will turn into a green cemetery. It is best to march in winter, which is the "dry season" in the Baiyue area.

In terms of location, a lot of effort must be spent.

Heifu suggested that an official and business group controlled by the imperial court should be established immediately, which could be called "Southern Trading Company" or "Baiyue Trading Company" to uniformly manage the merchants engaged in Qinyue trade, and let them follow the example of Wu Shiyan and Chen Ping who went to the Xiongnu to spy on the enemy. Using his identity as a businessman as a cover, he went south to Wuling to explore transportation and geography. Merchants often brought silks, sweets, and fine goods from the Central Plains to bribe the chiefs and chiefs. Within a year or two, they could know the true and false status of Baiyue.

While understanding the enemy's situation, the transportation in Yuzhang and Changsha needs to be improved. Heifu suggested that the Chi Road from Nanjun to Nanchang be extended to Limensai. At the same time, in Cangwu County, Changsha, we are trying to see if we can dig a canal so that we can ensure logistics.

Two years have passed since the favorable location was secured. In terms of human relations, on the one hand, the soldiers going south should be trained quickly to get used to fighting in the mountains and forests. On the other hand, caravans must also be used to drive a wedge between the Baiyue tribes and not unite them...

"I heard that Jiaodong Lieutenant Ren Hao said that although Dong'ou and Minyue were both descendants of Goujian, their ancestors had enmity and had been attacking for generations. Dong'ou was weak and Minyue was strong, and was often bullied. Your Majesty can send envoys to appease Dong'ou. Enter the court and serve as a minister, and take charge of the prefectures and counties."

After the roads and canals were completed and the land army was stationed in Changsha and Yuzhang, Kuaiji dispatched a boat division, with Dongou as a support, to go to Fujian and Yue first. Then open up the sea transportation from Kuaiji to South Vietnam. In this way, after the land division captures South Vietnam, even if it is a long-term garrison, it can still provide food and clothing through the sea route, and will not become a lonely army...

A whole set of ideas and clear thinking, thanks to Xiao Tao reporting everything he saw and heard in Limensai to Heifu one by one.

Moreover, Heifu guessed Qin Shihuang's thoughts and knew that given the emperor's impatience, it would be impossible to wait too long, so he set the time for the use of troops as "two to four years."

It took two years to improve transportation, collect intelligence, and capture Dongou, three years to seize Minyue and Nanyue, and four years to conquer Xiou and Luoyue, realizing Qin Shihuang's dream of "extending all the northern territories from the south to the north".

This is a more realistic plan, and it is probably the limit that Qin Shihuang can tolerate?

After reading it, Li You closed the memorial and felt very complicated.

He once led his army across the river to Changsha and captured the last territory of the Chu people.

He served as the county guard in Changsha County for five full years, and visited the Cangwu area adjacent to Xiou many times!

But when Qin Shihuang asked Li You what he thought of the Southern Expedition, apart from approving it with both hands, Li You's suggestions were not as detailed and solid as Heifu's.

Li You could see clearly that Heifu explained the strategy in such detail, and his intention was self-evident.

In any major conquest, there must be a general. Although Heifu did not recommend himself even a word in the memorial, he could only share the emperor's worries and provide advice and suggestions.

But in fact, the whole article is a brilliant self-recommendation!

After all, Heifu couldn't let go of Yuzhang's old troops in the south. Since he knew that Qin Shihuang was becoming more and more arrogant and it was difficult to change his decisions, he had no choice but to find a way to take over the job himself...

At least, if he is a general, fewer people will die, he can preserve his old troops, and he can even turn bad things into good things.

Brilliant, so brilliant!

He was so clever that Li You, a not-so-narrow-minded person, felt jealous and fearful...

"Li You, what do you think of Heifu's plan?"

Qin Shihuang's voice sounded again, pulling Li You out of his thoughts.

He immediately bowed and said:

"I think... County Sheriff Wei's policy is really a mature one! I have never doubted his talent!"

Yes, after all, Li You is Heifu's "Bo Le". It's true that Heifu is capable, but if it weren't for his preference and trust and his many promotions, Heifu, who was born in Guizhou, wouldn't be where he is today, right?

This is the embarrassing part. Many years ago, Hei Fu was just a pawn under Li You. But now, Li You, who is in his forties, is just a great man, and Hei Fu, who is thirty, has become a concubine!

Not only in terms of title, fame, and achievements, Li You was nothing compared to him. Last year in Linzi, Heifu had dared to argue with his father, Li Si, in court!

The relationship between the two parties was completely broken at that moment!

The relationship between the initiator and the initiator is the relationship between the benefactor and the beneficiary, second only to the monarch and his ministers.

In Li You's view, Heifu undoubtedly betrayed their father and son. He had long forgotten how he came to the court, but now, together with Ye Teng, he has become the political enemy of the Li family!

Either because of his jealousy over the potential of the old feudal lord, or his concern over the expansion of the power of Ye Teng and Hei Fu Weng's son-in-law, Li You would never sit back and let Hei Fu succeed easily.

After first praising Hei Fu and expressing his admiration and appreciation for Hei Fu, Li You paid his respects again:

"But I think that although Hei Fu's idea is good, it is still too timid and takes too long!"