The Grandmaster Strategist

In the 11th year of Tongtai, during the Jiashen period, Yong's army invaded the territory. General Lu was the governor of military affairs in the south of the Yangtze River. Yong's army was defeated and returned.

Emperor Yong personally paid a visit to Hanyuan to inquire about the strategy. He felt the Emperor's sincerity and offered Chu's strategy. The emperor and his ministers sat down to talk and stayed up all night. Later generations will say that the fall of Southern Chu began here. When it comes to Yong's philosophy, his achievements are unparalleled, but when it comes to Chu, his crimes are extremely great.

——"The Biography of Jiang Suiyun, the History of Chu in the Southern Dynasties"

After seeing off Xiahou Yuanfeng, I sat in the pavilion and continued to enjoy the snow. Since I had been persuaded by him and decided to offer advice to the emperor, I should also think about how to express my thoughts. I had many thoughts these days, but I just held back. I just kept silent, but for some reason, when I thought about it, I felt upset. Although I had already made plans in my mind, these plans were just words on paper. When I thought about the bloodshed and war that would result if they were actually put into practice, I felt unbearable sadness in my heart.

When I think about it more carefully, I find that I am still nostalgic for my motherland, as the rumors say. Li Zhi did not wrong me that day. If I had not still cherished my motherland, I should have argued with the emperor and explained the unfavorable situation in Dayong, and proposed A solution strategy instead of saying out of thin air that Dayong will be defeated. After Dayong was defeated, I refused to reconcile with Li Zhi and offer him advice because he had doubted me. It was not because of my usual stubbornness, but because I did not want my advice to destroy my motherland.

Who am I? I have both ends of the rat's tail. I have left my country long ago. Why should I pretend to be nostalgic for my homeland now? Dayong treated me with utmost kindness, but I wanted to watch Dayong's soldiers lose their lives and honor in Nanchu. The more I thought about it, the sadder I became, and I couldn't help but drink a few drinks.

Although the "Ningchun" wine is fragrant, it has full stamina. I have drunk more than a dozen glasses, and I can't help but feel drunk. I feel a little dizzy. The emotions I had deliberately ignored came to my heart. I feel more and more painful in my heart. I can't help but walk away. Outside the threshold, snowflakes hit my face and spread into my light fur and brocade clothes. The cold air hit me. I have always been afraid of the cold, but I stood in the snow in a daze. I thought that after being away from Nanchu for many years, I finally had the opportunity to return to my homeland, but it was to be with me. As an enemy, I couldn't help but shed tears, and the cold wind immediately turned into thin ice and stuck to my cheeks, but I didn't feel the cold at all.

Xiao Shunzi was watching Jiang Zhe drinking from the side, but now he saw something was wrong. He quickly stepped forward, half-supported, half-hugged, and carried Jiang Zhe back to Linbo Pavilion. He wrapped him in a big cloak, but he saw that Jiang Zhe was unconscious. Faint, he could not help but sigh in a low voice: "Master, why are you doing this? If you decide to offer advice to Pingchu, you must make up your mind and no longer be attached to your homeland. If you decide not to offer advice anymore, why bother for those ruthless and unjust people? Take a lot of thought!”

I had fallen into a drunken haze, leaning on the comfortable lounge chair in the pavilion. I turned a deaf ear to Xiao Shunzi's words, but I couldn't help but shed tears. Once faced with some things, I can't be as stone-hearted after all, even though I have already decided I no longer miss my homeland, but at this time, I still can't control myself. Let's just indulge again tonight. Tomorrow, I will use all my strength to deal with Nanchu. I don’t know if I would have been better off today if I had not taken refuge with King Yong.

Xiao Shunzi was a little panicked. In all these years, he had never seen Jiang Zhe lose his composure. He didn't understand what else was worth remembering about Nan Chu. Wasn't the young master worried that Dayong was better than Nan Chu these days? Why did he agree? After offering advice to Pingchu, he was so sad.

When Xiao Shunzi was at a loss, footsteps suddenly came from the distance. Xiao Shunzi was startled. He was very familiar with the footsteps of the person coming. He looked up and saw that it was indeed Li Zhi and his guards who were walking towards this side. Young Master. He looked so that no one could see him. Xiao Shunzi was about to help Jiang Zhe to avoid him for a while, but when he looked away, he saw that Leng Chuan and Duan Lingxiao were following Li Zhi. It was nothing more than others. He took Jiang Zhe with him, so he definitely wanted to hide it. But these two people have eyes and ears. After a moment's hesitation, Li Zhi walked into Linbo Pavilion with a smile and said, "Is Suiyun here? I can't wait any longer?" When he said this, his voice stopped because he saw Jiang Zhe seemed to be drunk while lying on the recliner, and was muttering in his mouth, lowering his voice involuntarily.

Xiao Shunzi suppressed the worries in his heart and said: "Young master drank a few more drinks and is already drunk.

I didn't know that His Majesty was here in person, so I apologize. "

Li Zhi smiled and said, "I'm too impatient. It's none of Suiyun's business. That's all. I'll stay overnight in Hanyuan tonight." After that, he sat next to Jiang Zhe and was about to take a look at Jiang Zhe's drunken state. , but with a flash of his eyes, he saw tears in the corners of Jiang Zhe's eyes, and then heard Jiang Zhe's drunken words in his ears. He only heard a few words, and his expression changed slightly. Shocked in his heart, he accidentally looked up at Xiao Shunzi and found that Xiao Shunzi clenched his fists and his eyes flashed with nervousness. His thoughts were turning over and over again, but he smiled slightly and said: "Xiao Shunzi, I want to sleep with Suiyun tonight, please make arrangements."

Xiao Shunzi suddenly raised his head, showing a surprised look.

In Hanyuan, the security was tight tonight. Looking at the dim lights in the dormitory, Xiao Shunzi couldn't help pacing back and forth in the room. If Li Zhi hadn't been very determined, Jiang Zhe couldn't afford to be intoxicated. No matter what the price, He also wanted to avoid this situation from happening. He was worried that Jiang Zhe would say something he shouldn't have said and anger Li Zhi. At this time, someone knocked on the door outside. Xiao Shunzi did not open the door, but said coldly: "Master Duan, please come in."

The door opened, and it was Duan Lingxiao who walked in. He smiled and said, "It's rare to see Evil Shadow Li Shun being so uncool."

Xiao Shunzi said coldly: "Just as I didn't expect Mr. Duan to come with him."

Duan Lingxiao did not think it was disobedient and said: "Duan stayed in Yongdu as a hostage. This is a fact. Duan does not need to hide it. However, Duan came here today just to see how the Marquis of Chu can offer advice to pacify Chu and destroy his homeland. Unexpectedly But when I saw him drowning his sorrows with wine, I felt that the trip was worthwhile. I just wonder how Your Majesty will deal with it. I guess this is why you are so uneasy, right?"

Xiao Shunzi said coldly: "It's none of your business."

Duan Lingxiao smiled and said: "Of course it's none of my business, but my fourth brother wrote to inquire. I just wanted to check it out for him."

A troubled look flashed in Xiao Shunzi's eyes, and he looked at the dim lights in his bedroom, thinking about how to deal with the storm that might come.

In the bedroom, I groaned. Although "Ningchun" won't give people a headache after a hangover, I still felt a little uncomfortable. I really drank too much, so I couldn't help shouting: "Xiao Shunzi, pour it for me." A cup of tea." I heard the sound of someone moving around in my ears, and then someone brought a teacup over. I closed my eyes and took a sip. I felt much better, and turned over to prepare to go back to sleep. But in the hazy state, I suddenly felt something strange. The man who brought the tea was unfamiliar in his movements, and his footsteps were strong and forceful. This was clearly not Xiao Shunzi. I broke out in a cold sweat, stood up and said, "Who is there?" In the dim light, there was only one person. I saw a man standing with his hands behind his hands. As soon as I saw the man's face, I was so frightened that I immediately lost all my alcohol. I got up, regardless of the fact that I was only wearing a middle coat. I got out of bed and prostrated myself and said, "I, Jiang Zhe, come to your Majesty, please forgive me for being rude." sin."

Li Zhi stepped forward, helped me up, and sighed: "I was wrong. If you don't want to participate in the Southern Expedition, I won't make things difficult for you."

I was startled. When I looked up, I found that there was no anger on Li Zhi's face. Moreover, he was wearing a bright yellow jacket and seemed to be very casual. I didn't know what to say for a moment, but Li Zhi had already pulled me to sit on the soft couch, sat opposite me, and said with emotion: "I remember that I brought you back to Yongdu by force, and it was in this house that I worked so hard. I want to take you for my own use, and remember the past as if it happened yesterday.”

By this time, I had calmed down. Li Zhi must have seen my gaffe. No matter what happened next, I was already prepared, so I just said lightly: "I also remember that I watched the snow in Linbo Pavilion and composed poems." The incident is still fresh in my memory. In Prince Yong’s Mansion, I failed your Highness’s love many times, forcing His Highness to be in a dilemma.”

Li Zhi sighed and said: "Not only am I in a dilemma, I have murderous intentions and am preparing to kill you when you say goodbye."

My body was shaken. Although we, the emperor and the minister, knew this matter well, no one had pierced the lantern paper. I didn't expect that Li Zhi would say it today. I felt a little cold wind behind my head. Could it be that Li Zhi was planning to settle with me? General ledger, thinking about how many of the things I have done over the years can be regarded as crimes of deceiving the emperor, I can't help but feel ashamed when I count them.

As if sensing my uneasiness, Li Zhi said with a smile: "But finally I pulled back from the brink and did not make a big mistake. I left you as a national scholar. Over the years, without your advice and suggestions, I would not be where I am today. In fact, I also want to I can't make things difficult for you because of Pingchu, but in the end I still made things difficult for you. Suiyun, if you really feel reluctant, I promise to let you go back to the mountain from now on. If you don't want to stay in Yongdu, I won't stop you. Return to the East China Sea."

I was shocked when I heard that. I thought of the past meetings between monarchs and ministers, and the affairs of dragons and tigers. I couldn't help but feel excited. Looking at Li Zhi's tired and sincere face, I finally bowed my head and said, "Why did your Majesty say this? Your Majesty will wait for you." The kindness of my ministers has never been seen in ancient times. Now that the Great Yongnan Campaign has been blocked, Your Majesty is troubled and uneasy. How can I go back to the days of wandering clouds and wild cranes? Your Majesty, I already have a plan to pacify Chu in my heart. It only takes three or five years to rule the world. "

Li Zhi was overjoyed when he heard this and said: "Sui Yun really has a good plan, please tell me quickly." He picked me up again.

The monarch and his ministers looked at each other and smiled, feeling that the grudges they had in the past few days had disappeared.

I sorted out my thoughts and said: "Our army's defeat this time was actually due to underestimating the enemy. If we had sent a general to attack Huaixi at that time, we might not have suffered a disastrous defeat. However, the situation is different now. All the military power in Southern Chu is in the hands of Lu Can. From then on, It is extremely impossible to invade the Jianghuai defense line.

Dayong and Nanchu are facing each other from north to south. The Yangtze River is a natural line of defense. It leads to Bashu in the upper part, Jingxiang in the middle, and Wuyue in the east. The upper and lower reaches echo each other. If the Yangtze River is lost, the fall of Nanchu will only happen overnight. However, now the Yangtze River defense line All are under the control of Nan Chu. Southern Chu uses Huainan as a shield for the Yangtze River, while our army controls the important town in the north of Huaihe. The dangers of the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers are shared by both sides. With Lu Can's ability, he will inevitably deploy heavy troops in Huainan to keep an eye on Huaibei. Your Majesty needs to defend with heavy troops. In Huaibei, as a result, the two sides formed a confrontation in Jianghuai.

The predecessors once said, "If you want to consolidate the southeast, you must fight for Jianghan; if you want to see the Central Plains, you must win Huaisi." If there is Jianghan without Huaisi, the country will be weak; if there is Huaisi without the upper reaches of Jianghan, the country will be in danger. ’ According to the power of the world, Jingxiang and Qingzhou are the two wings of the Yangtze River and Huaihe River. Jingxiang and Qingzhou are enough to protect the upper reaches of the Jianghan and Han Dynasties, and Qingzhou is enough to protect the upper reaches of the Huaisi. Now that Southern Chu has Jingxiang, it can defend Jianghuai, but Qingzhou is in my hands, and Southern Chu can't even think about going north to seize the Central Plains. Although our army cannot win, it can guarantee its invincibility.

It can be seen from this that if Dayong wants to conquer the south, Jingxiang is the key. Jingxiang is not lost. Even if our army gets Huainan, it is not safe. However, Jingxiang is an important town. Nanchu has been operating for many years. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Moreover, there is Jiangling , Jiangxia as the foundation, it is as difficult as climbing to the sky to capture Jingxiang. This is also the reason why many Yongnan expeditions often bypassed Jingxiang and attacked from Jianghuai. However, in this way, even if they win for a while, they will not last long. Moreover, if Jing Xiang is in the hands of Nan Chu, once Da Yong is exhausted, Nan Chu can order a large general to go out of Xiangyang and capture Nan Yang. Once Nan Yang falls into the hands of Nan Chu, Huaibei will be in danger. Therefore, if you want to conquer Chu, Xiangyang is a must. "

At this point, Li Zhi nodded repeatedly, but then frowned and said: "What Sui Yun said suddenly made me feel relieved. It's just that the danger of Jingxiang is rare in the world. Dayong attacked Xiangyang several times, but all returned without success. Rong Yuan, who is currently guarding Xiangyang, is an old member of Prince De's army and is familiar with military geography. With him in his presence, Xiangyang cannot be taken lightly."

I laughed and said: "Jianghuai and Jingxiang are not advisable, so why not find another way? In the past, His Majesty and Prince De jointly attacked Shu. Isn't it because the old Shu occupied Hanzhong in the north and Sanba in the east. The north could threaten the important land of Guanlong and the east could follow the river. Go straight down to Jiangling and take the southeast. Now that I, Dayong, hold Hanzhong, and Yangping Pass is also in my hands, why not capture Jiameng Pass and go out from the east of Bashu, then the Jianghuai defense line will no longer be useful. Now, your Majesty always pretends to attack Bashu, which is really a waste. Got a great fighter plane.”

Li Zhi frowned and said: "I also know the importance of Bashu. I just want to enter Shu from Hanzhong and take Jingxiang in a roundabout way. Jiameng Pass, Fucheng, Chengdu, Bajun, Wanzhou and Kuizhou are all dangerous. The road is not easy either.”

I said calmly: "Although Bashu is full of dangers, it is not very difficult if we go from west to east. Moreover, we can also contain the main enemy force in the southeast and leave Bashu empty. Your Majesty, why not send the Donghai Navy southward to Dinghai at the mouth of the Yangtze River? Water camps were set up in places such as , Daishan, and Putuo to keep an eye on Hangzhou Bay. If they were a little slack, they would invade the inland along the Yangtze River. In order to ensure the safety of the southeastern prefectures and counties, Nan Chu would inevitably place heavy water camps in the land of Wuyue. In this way, Come, all the troops of Southern Chu are concentrated in Wuyue and Jianghuai, and Bashu is naturally empty to the west, and our army can take advantage of it and enter."

When Li Zhi heard this, he stood up unconsciously, walked around the room with his hands behind his hands a few times, and said excitedly: "Okay, what a good plan, why did I never expect to use the navy like this? I originally planned to occupy Jingxiang, After the Huainan land, I mobilized all Dayong's navy to cross the river to fight, but I never thought that I could mobilize the East China Sea navy to contain the Nanchu forces. In this way, I will separate the enemy, regardless of whether Nanchu is in Shuzhong, Jingxiang, Wherever Huainan and Wuyue reveal any flaws, our troops can take advantage of them and sneak in."

I also stood up and said: "Even so, the Jiangnan defense line is stable after all. If Lu Can chooses a few key places to defend, our army will be in a hurry and difficult to attack, so we still need to use tactics. No matter how strong the defense line is, if the defenders have flaws, , is an opportunity that can be taken advantage of. Bashu has more than enough to defend, but not enough to make progress. It only inherits the remaining power of the Lu family, and there is nothing to be afraid of. Once there is a change in the Southern Chu Dynasty, there will definitely be a gap in Bashu. I can take advantage of it. Xiangfan Rongyuan, Although he is talented and knowledgeable, it is a pity that he is narrow-minded. This time Lu Can achieved extraordinary achievements, but he insisted on guarding Xiangfan, and he must be dissatisfied in his heart. If someone takes the opportunity to make him resentful and strive for merit, then Xiangfan can By taking advantage of this, even if Xiangfan cannot be captured in one fell swoop, the main force of Xiangfan can still be destroyed, leaving Rongyuan no longer able to support Jianghuai. Huaixi Shiguan, who has made great achievements this time, will definitely be regarded as a party of the Lu family. If the Lu family is defeated , this person must be implicated. Although Lu Can now controls the military, the government is still in the hands of Shang Weijun, and the leader of the Southern Chu Kingdom is about to take charge. It is known that Zhao Long is mediocre, and will definitely be used by the Shang family to deal with Lu Can, and Although Lu Can is a loyal person, he is not pedantic. In order to preserve the fighting power of Nan Chu, he will inevitably do something that will dissatisfy Zhao Long and Shang. The civil and military conflicts are not in harmony, and the emperor and his ministers are jealous of each other. The overthrow of Nan Chu is just a matter of Gu. , it’s just that it’s unpredictable and needs to be managed carefully.”

Li Zhi nodded repeatedly and said: "Sui Yun always makes a decision before taking action. There is no need to elaborate on the details. I am determined to prepare for the establishment of a military base in the south of the Yangtze River. I will make the King of Qi the commander-in-chief and supervise the army's southern expedition. Sui Yun will be the counselor of the army. I don't know what your wishes are. ?”

I said calmly: "If you dare to disobey your orders, Your Majesty, why don't you make His Royal Highness the deputy commander-in-chief and the governor-general to take care of all matters such as transportation, food, payment, etc., firstly, to share the worries of the King of Qi, and secondly, to train the prince."

Li Zhi's eyes flashed, and the worries in his heart were relieved by Jiang Zhe. He couldn't help but smile and said: "It's okay, my sixth brother and I were young enough to join the army. Jun'er is now sixteen years old, so it's time for him to gain some experience. Even Lin'er , you might as well go out with the army. In a few years, there will be another general in the court. I heard that Lu Yun and Shi Yujin of Southern Chu were both thirteen or fourteen years old, but they were able to kill my fierce generals. They were indeed young heroes. , I think Jun'er and Lin'er will not be inferior to them."

My expression changed slightly, and I bowed my head and said, "It is a capital crime for me to indulge Lu Yun. Please punish me by Your Majesty."

Li Zhi shook his head and said: "This is not a big deal. I heard Jun'er say that I, the great Yong, will be as fierce as the clouds. How can I still be afraid of a child? Even if we pacify Nanchu in the future, if you want to protect anyone, just be gentle with him." I said so."

I said sadly: "Your Majesty has great friendship, and I understand it from my heart. It's just the Lu family's loyalty that I already know very well, so I might not be able to protect it."

Li Zhi also sighed deeply. It was still dark outside the window. Li Zhi and I discussed Pingchu's various strategies in detail under the light, unaware of the passage of time. The flying snow outside the window fell silently to the earth, and there was a chill in the world. Qi.

I don’t know when, Li Zhi and I were still chatting, and the east was already white outside the window. Song Wan came in and urged Li Zhi to return to the palace. Li Zhi smiled and said while getting dressed: "Sui Yun, I remember the days when I enjoyed the snow and wrote poems. Sui Yun was so surprised. Four, there is snow falling outside the window now, why don't you write a poem to express your feelings."

My mood suddenly became brighter at this moment, and I felt that the weaving snow was full of spring. I couldn't help but feel so happy. I opened the window and looked at the garden full of snow, and I chanted loudly: "The snow is flying in the sky brightly. Washing, I suddenly remembered seeing sand in the clear river. I heard it sparse and dense again at night, and saw it slanting again at dawn. The wind whirled and danced together, and the sky was so clever that flowers could bloom in an instant. Even if it is cold to the bone, I might as well spend my years with peaches and plums. "(Note 1)

Li Zhi held up his palm and said: "It's so good to listen to the sparse and dense at night, and see the whole slanting at dawn. I also have a poem praising the snow." After saying that, he opened the door, walked to the garden, and chanted loudly: "Wuding I fought against the clouds with my sword and took the emperor's territory under the Tianhe River. After defeating three million jade dragons, their scales and broken armor flew all over the sky." (Note 2)

After listening to it, I couldn't help but said loudly: "Your Majesty's poem is so heroic and heroic, a hundred times better than that of your ministers."

Li Zhi laughed loudly and walked away in the snow. The guards and servants who were already waiting outside hurried after him. Only Duan Lingxiao was still standing in front of the window, looking at Li Zhi's back and said: "If it weren't for such a talented person, how could he control a genius like Jiang Suiyun? Only today did Duan know that our defeat was natural." Behind him, Xiao Shunzi Weiwei snorted coldly, turned around and left the room, going to serve Jiang Zhe.

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Note 1: Huang Tingjian's "Poetry on Snow"

Note 2: Zhang Yuan’s “Snow”