The Grandmaster Strategist

On February 13, the East China Sea army plundered the land of Wu and Yue, and all the money and food of the young people returned to Dinghai. Yuyao, Zhenhai, Jiaxing, Haining, and Pinghu were all unlucky. Only Yuhang and Kuaiji were protected by the water camp and were not injured.

——"Zi Zhi Tong Jian Yong Ji IV"

Upstairs in Yanyu, all the heads of the aristocratic families were summoned, as well as several famous people from Jiaxing. They were all forcibly invited by the Yong army. I thought it was the general of the Yong army who had summoned him, but unexpectedly the owner was actually a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy. These family heads all harbored contempt and dissatisfaction in their hearts. Unexpectedly, this young man spoke well and knew the details of everyone in Jiaxing. His words showed admiration. In just a moment, everyone put down their hostility. The young man ordered a banquet and asked everyone about the geography of Jiaxing. Since everyone was under the fence, they dared not answer. Besides, they also had the intention to frustrate the young man's spirit and looked for an opportunity to ask questions. As a result, Yanyu Tower became the center of high-level discussions. Place. Although this young man did not have any insight, he was calm and talkative, and was very good at mobilizing the atmosphere. He actually made everyone in the building happy until sunset, and these famous family heads were still full of ideas. The young man ordered the candlelight to continue the banquet, but everyone did not refuse.

Although Jing Xin was the outstanding young man of the Jiaxing family, he was not qualified to participate in such a conversation. However, the Jing family claimed that the head of the family was ill and would not be able to come, so it was Jing Xun's third uncle Jing Xunqing who came under the order. Qing was originally worried that this would inevitably offend Yong Jun, but seeing Jing Xin here and Huo Cong seeming to think highly of Jing Xin, Jing Xunqing had an idea and falsely conveyed Jing Changqing's order to let Jing Xin attend the banquet on behalf of the family master. Huo Cong was very happy after hearing this, and even asked Jing Xin to sit next to him. When it comes to the status of the Jing family, although it is quite prominent in Jiaxing, there are two families that can be compared with it. It is certainly an honor for Huo Cong to treat Jing Xin like this, but Jing Xin only feels that everyone is looking at him with doubts. , I couldn't sit still in front of everyone, so I was silent during the banquet. But the more he watched, the more frightened he became. Although Huo Cong was modest and gentle, he was vaguely controlling the overall situation. The Jiaxing family had fallen into his trap without even realizing it.

The night was getting darker, and the family heads began to feel a little uneasy. A banquet at this time was too long, but looking towards the main seat, the young man surnamed Huo was still in high spirits and full of interest. These family heads began to worry, and then Thinking about the Yong Army sergeants who were acting as attendants around them, all of them were looking at them with eager eyes, and they couldn't help but feel worried. They also knew that this young man must have something to borrow by calling them here, but no matter what he wanted, they should announce it at this time. Why are you dragging your feet and refusing to leave? As a result, everyone couldn't help but start thinking wildly, but most of these people were cunning and cunning people, so they naturally didn't dare to make the atmosphere awkward. They even tried their best to find some topics to talk about, and they were so sleepy that they didn't dare to show off their yawns. .

It wasn't until the early morning of the next day that Huo Cong stood up and said with a smile: "Wan Sheng had a long night of chatting with all the wise men, and I really benefited a lot. It's a pity that there is no endless banquet in the world, and the long night will eventually come to an end."

The well-known head of the Jun family in the Jiaxing family forced his red eyes open and stood up and said: "We are lucky to have a drink with Counselor Huo. Counselor is a young and outstanding young man. If you have any advice, please feel free to speak up. We will definitely do it." Do your best." But he couldn't help it. Instead of waiting for Yong Jun to turn his back, he might as well take the initiative to ask for the price. In his mind, if he gave gold, silver, money and food, he should be able to avoid the disaster of death. Yong Jun is It is impossible to stay longer in Jiaxing.

Huo Cong had already received his reward, his husband had left Jiaxing, and overnight, Yong Jun had registered all the civilians of the Jiaxing family, just waiting for his order, so he did not pretend to be pretentious, and said solemnly: "Huo Cong served Jinghai The marquis ordered us to take the people of Wu and Yue to fill the Dinghai Sea. You are all Jiaxing sages. Please help us."

As soon as these words came out, everyone was at first at a loss, and then showed horror in their eyes. They looked at Huo Cong with dumbfounded expressions, and they all showed expressions of disbelief. This kind and ordinary young man suddenly turned into a poisonous snake and beast in their eyes. Huo Cong smiled and said: "Everyone from the clansmen has already dressed up and gone on the road. All the carriages, horses and boats in Jiaxing have been requisitioned by our army.

Don't be fooled along the way. "

Jing Xin was silent at first, but when he heard this, he was filled with anger. He stood up and raised his voice and said: "Yong Jun claims to be the king's division. How can he do such an unjust thing and kidnap people into the sea? This is an act of banditry and disturbs the people. Why should we treat the people of the world?"

Huo Cong said calmly: "In the war between the two countries, we will use all possible means. If we slaughter all the people of Wu and Yue, we can achieve the same effect. However, I, the Emperor Yong, are kind-hearted and do not want to harm the people of Li and take the people of Wu and Yue to fill the Dinghai Sea. It's a foregone conclusion. Brother Jing should understand the lesser of the two evils." Although his tone was calm, a cold light flashed in his eyes, which seemed to have murderous intent. Jing Xin hesitated, and Jing Xunqing had already pulled him gently. His sleeves stopped him from continuing to speak, so Jing Xin had to sit down slumped.

This time the Yong Army invaded Wu and Yue, which was unexpected by the Southern Chu government and the public. However, even if Dinghai was captured, the officials of the aristocratic families in Wu and Yue counties did not think that the Yong Army would land and fight. After all, the Yong Army had no foundation in the land of Wu and Yue. If we imitate pirates and go ashore to plunder, it would be unworthy of a great nation. Unexpectedly, the person in charge of the East China Sea Navy had been a pirate, and there was an informal Chujunhou as the mastermind, who actually made the decision to fill up the Dinghai with people from Wu and Yue, as a long-term confrontation with Southern Chu. If another general from Dayong had been in charge of Dinghai, he might have fought in a different way. However, Jiang Haitao was convinced by Jiang Zhe and adhered to the pirate style of government. In addition, after he surrendered to Yong, he was given the title of marquis by Emperor Yong. , but he inherited his father's influence and did not make any military exploits. This is also a special case for Dayong, so he also wants to prove himself with his achievements, so he will spare no effort to adopt this strategy that may be criticized by others.

After a while, there was a noise downstairs in Yanyu. When Jing Xin heard the sound, he ignored the Yong Army sergeant holding a sword at his side. When he got to the window and looked down, he saw Yong Army entering the houses on both sides of the street and killing some young men according to the roster. The men and women were tied up with ropes and rushed out. The old, weak, women and children followed behind and cried, but they were forced back by Yong's army with sharp swords. The city of Jiaxing was in chaos, and Jing Xin felt confused in his heart. At this time, someone called his name loudly. When he turned around, he saw only the dejected heads of the aristocratic families and Yongjun sergeants upstairs. The young man in green, Huo Cong, was nowhere to be seen. The person who called him was a sergeant. , but urged him to get ready and hit the road.

In the twelfth year of Tongtai in the Southern Chu Dynasty and the eighth year of the reign of Emperor Yonglong, it could be said to be a catastrophe for the people of the aristocratic families in the land of Wuyue. Five hundred thousand young men and women were kidnapped from Yuyao, Zhenhai, Jiaxing, Haining, and Pinghu, among which Including aristocratic families from all over the country, celebrities from poor families, and various craftsmen. The Yong army's methods can be said to be very decisive and ruthless. Wufu County has a population of nearly three million, but one-sixth of the population of Wufu County was kidnapped by the Yong army, including nearly 50,000 generations. Family members, celebrities from poor families, hundreds of thousands of craftsmen, and the rest are all young and strong men and women. According to the list, there is not one left in a hundred. When Lu Can led the Jiujiang water camp to Jiaxing via the Jiangnan Canal, less than six hours after Yong's army left, Lu Can sent another general to take over the Yuhang water camp and led his own army to pursue Yong's army. Unfortunately, Yong's army had already planned carefully. , Acting quickly, Lu Can pursued him straight to Yanguan, but he could only watch the Yong army calmly cross the sea. Lu Can was left sighing, and he couldn't help but marvel at the ruthless and clever methods of the person in charge of the Yong army. You must know that the retreat of the Yong army is not easy. Those who left were accompanied by looted money and food as well as people who were intimidated. Lu Can was surprised that Yong's army was able to withdraw into the sea without any delay.

Standing on the shore, looking at the ships of Yong Jun sailing away, Lu Can sighed with regret, but he had no choice but to do anything. At this time, the Yuhang Water Camp, who had received his order, was late. Lu Can knew that the Yuhang Water Camp was coming. Coming from the same line, and being addicted to comfort, they no longer have the courage to go to sea to fight, but they can only lightly blame them. Now that the matter has come to this, the help of these generals is still needed to reorganize the Yuhang water camp. In the days that followed, Lu Can could only reorganize the water camp while reorganizing the coastal strongholds to prevent the Yong army from landing again and taking captives. The land of Wuyue was severely damaged, leaving countless broken doors, the pain of losing loved ones and worries about their loved ones. The people of Wu and Yue, who had been retaliated against, did not support the formation of a rebel army. If Lu Can had not had a great reputation and persuaded the surviving Wu and Yue families to protect themselves, and the martial arts knights had raised their arms and offered full assistance, I am afraid that the formation of a rebel army would have been half the result with half the effort. . Just when Lu Can was working on Wuyue's coastal defense, a piece of news reached his ears, which made him frown deeply. This news was that Jiang Zhe, the Marquis of Dayongchu County, was actually in Dinghai and had gone to Jiaxing to pay homage to his late mother.

One stone stirred up a thousand waves, and the news spread like wildfire, but it only took a few days for it to spread. Jiang Zhe went to Jiaxing to worship the spirits. Although the matter was secretive, it was not a matter of course. People who saw the clues afterwards discovered the matter after looking into the details, not to mention the hidden spies of Nanchu. They even He knew all the whereabouts of Jiang Zhe, but he didn't dare to come forward to stop the assassination. After all, Yong's army was powerful and the guards around Jiang Zhe were very powerful.

Although everyone in Nanchu unanimously criticized and insulted Jiang Zhe, there were actually several different views secretly. Some regarded him as a traitor and traitor without a king or father, while others secretly envied him for his wealth and glory. But in general, not many people know how powerful Jiang Zhe is. Firstly, the upper echelons of Southern Chu deliberately concealed Jiang Zhe's ability. Secondly, although Jiang Zhe held the title of marquis, most people thought it was Emperor Yong who rewarded him for seizing the heir, or that it was Princess Changle. Even if there are wise people, Also because he did not have enough information, he could not correctly evaluate Jiang Zhe's talent. However, the core figures in the military and political affairs of Southern Chu would not look down upon Jiang Zhe. Even Shang Weijun, who insisted on adopting the strategy of fooling the people, would not look down upon him. Now that Jiang Zhe is in Jiaxing, he is obviously advising military aircraft in the Eastern Navy. In this way, the main direction of the Yong Army's attack must be Wu Yue. Otherwise, how could Jiang Zhe be in Dinghai? Even Lu Can would not believe that Jiang Zhe would do it for He went to Dinghai to pay homage to his deceased mother.

Of course, after the news spread, the various military and political forces in Southern Chu were not immediately convinced, and they all tried their best to collect relevant intelligence. Jiang Zhe had a different identity. If he appeared in Dinghai, it would reveal the next strategy of the Yong army. Everyone can think of it. Jiang Zhe's return to the army must be the intention of Emperor Yong. If it were not for the battle of Nanchu, what else could make this Hanyuan hermit, who had a transcendent status in Dayong, come to Jiangnan? Lu Can first asked people to search for clues in Jiaxing, and finally confirmed that Jiang Zhe had indeed appeared in Jiaxing. Not to mention the disappearance of all the Jing clan members in Jiaxing, some villagers once saw some Yong troops in black coming and going, but the clerk and shopkeeper of Yanyu Tower survived, and even told them everything that happened in Yanyu Tower, although I don’t know who the young counselor was. However, just listening to what he did, Lu Can had already vaguely thought of this person's identity. After learning the name of the young counselor Huo Cong through intelligence, Lu Can knew better. Huo Cong was still young, and Dayong was There are a lot of talents. Unless Jiang Zhe comes to Dinghai in person and Huo Cong goes with him, it is possible for this young man to show his talent.

On the other hand, the news that Nan Chu received from inside Dayong also confirmed that Chu County Marquis Jiang Zhe had disappeared for a long time, and the fact that Emperor Yong went to Hanyuan to invite him was even more uproar. It was even confirmed that Jiang Zhe had indeed gone to the East China Sea. After hearing the news, Lu Can finally confirmed that Jiang Zhe had indeed come to Dinghai with the Donghai Navy.

After Shang Weijun received the same information, a secret order was immediately sent, temporarily ordering Ning Haijunshan to accept Lu Can's dispatch, asking Lu Can to use all his strength to wipe out the Yong army occupying Dinghai. Of course, there was another request. Shang Weijun strictly ordered Lu Can to eradicate his henchmen. ——Jiang Zhe. Although Shang Weijun openly and secretly accused Lu Can of having an old relationship with Jiang Zhe, it was just to fight for power. In fact, he did not think so in his heart. The Lu family has assisted the Zhao royal family for several generations and has no intention of betraying the country. possible. Shang Weijun is also well aware of Jiang Zhe's status in Dayong. Although Shang Weijun has selfish motives for fighting for power, he is not completely incompetent after all. He is very clear about Jiang Zhe's power. If not for this, he would not have shown mercy to the Jing family in Jiaxing in the past. If it had not been irreparable now, If there is room for it, he may not necessarily attack the Jing family.

Now that he has determined that Dayong's main attack direction is Wu Yue, he no longer cares about the military power of Ninghai. Although he only allowed Lu Can to mobilize the Ninghai camp instead of handing over all the general power, it has already paid for him. A huge sacrifice. Lu Can could not live up to Shang Weijun's "good intentions", and he also had the same view. Thinking that the Yong army's methods of plundering Wuyue were not like the original recklessness and roughness of the Donghai Navy, but precise and ruthless, Lu Can also It is believed that Jiang Zheding was directing Wu Yue's water battle in Dinghai. In this case, we cannot let Yong's army occupy Dinghai according to the original plan. If we delay it for three years or two, I am afraid that Yong's army has already occupied Wu and Yue counties before our elite soldiers are trained.

Because of Jiang Zhe alone, Hangzhou Bay, which might have been temporarily in a stalemate, set off a raging war. Shang and Lu once again put aside their past grievances and focused on the outside world. Yuhang Shuiying and Ninghai Haiying joined forces to launch a fierce attack on Dinghai.

On the blue sea, a fierce battle that had just ended left countless warship wreckage. Corpses were floating everywhere on the sea. They drifted to the outer sea with the current. The fleets of both the enemy and ours sailed in two directions. Within ten days, The two sides have been engaged in a series of battles, but there is no winner. When it comes to water battles, the only one who can compete with Wu Yue Navy is the Donghai Navy, which is trying to survive in the angry sea.

Standing on the bow of the ship, feeling the cold sea breeze, Huo Cong's green clothes were fluttering and his face was a little pale. The bumpy and fast speed during the battle was a bit unbearable for him. After all, he was not an East China Sea sergeant who had been sailing and fighting at sea all year round. Under the distant sky, seabirds flew over the waves, and the rolling waves covered up the traces of the naval battle just now. Huo Cong was filled with emotions, and thinking of his missing mentor, he was filled with endless worries.

The capture of Wu Yue was originally a very successful feat, but after returning to Dinghai, Huo Cong received a blow in the head and was almost stunned by the bad news. Jiang Zhe, who should have returned long ago, was nowhere to be seen, with only more than a hundred tiger warriors. Wei returned to Dinghai dejectedly. After interrogation by Jiang Haitao and Huo Cong, they found out what happened.

But it turned out that after Jiang Zhe left Jiaxing, he not only had no intention of returning to Dinghai, but also planned to go north from Jiaxing, via the Jiangnan Canal to Zhenze Lake, then via the canal to Jingkou, cross the river and cross Huaidong controlled by Nanchu, and then transfer to Xuzhou to rush to How could the Hu Ben Guards accept this on the Xiangyang battlefield? It was a long way to go, and most of the way there was within Nan Chu's sphere of influence. If Jiang Zhe's identity was discovered by Nan Chu, his life would be at risk. Hu Yanshou came forward to remonstrate, but to no avail. Jiang Zhe made it very clear that if Hu Yanshou wanted to forcefully stop him, he would let Evil Shadow Li Shun take him on the road alone. The argument lasted for a long time, and finally Hu Yanshou knew that he could not stop it, so he had to give in and ask for protection. After pleading for a long time, Jiang Zhe agreed to bring five Huben guards. Hu Yanshou had to choose four guards with high martial arts skills to accompany him, while the others The Huben guards were forced to return to Dinghai to cover Jiang Zhe's whereabouts.

After learning the details, Jiang Haitao and Huo Cong almost fainted, especially Jiang Haitao. When Jiang Zhe wanted to go south with the navy first, Emperor Yong was already quite worried. Before leaving, he wrote to Jiang Haitao asking him to protect Jiang Zhe. Safety, unexpectedly, when he first arrived in Wuyue, he would be tricked by Jiang Zhe. If Jiang Zhe had any shortcomings, how would he explain it to Li Zhi, Li Xian and Princess Changle. Huo Cong also had a severe headache, but after all, he was Jiang Zhe's most proud disciple. He felt that Jiang Zhe was not someone who risked his life lightly, and there must be a reason for such a decision, so he advised Jiang Haitao not to worry.

The Huben guards were ordered to stay with Huo Cong for the time being and brought back Jiang Zhe's letter. Jiang Zhe's letter instructs the two of them to spread the news that he is in Dinghai, so that the Nanchu army will not find out that he is not in Dinghai, and explain that the news has been spread. After that, the Nanchu army will launch a fierce attack on Dinghai, so Jiang Haitao should be careful. The two thought over and over again and had no choice but to comply. In order to create the illusion that Jiang Zhe was still in Dinghai, Huo Cong even dyed his sideburns and appeared on the ship pretending to be Jiang Zhe.

The fierce attack of the Nanchu army also caused them to suffer a lot. Fortunately, the sword became sharper as it was sharpened. In several naval battles, the Nanchu navy did not take advantage of its surroundings. After all, the Nanchu navy mostly fought in inland rivers, and for naval battles, it was still inferior to the East Sea navy. The two sides were in a stalemate like this. Fortunately, Dinghai had established a supply base in Putuo and seized Wu and Yue's money and food. Although Ning Haijun blocked the way back north, he could not gain much advantage. Although Lu Can also intended to take Putuo and recapture the people of Wuyue, firstly, Putuo was difficult to attack, secondly, the East China Sea Navy repeatedly attacked from behind when it attacked, and thirdly, he wanted to capture Putuo, hoping to capture 500,000 Wuyue people. It was impossible for the democratic movement to return to land under the watchful eye of the East China Sea Navy, so in the end Lu Can gave up this approach and could only focus on naval battles. The vast blue sea turned into a battlefield of blood and fire, and the situation in the southeast was all controlled by the East China Sea Navy. After being restrained, although Lu Can was good at fighting, he could not distract from the war in Xiangfan and could only entrust Rong Yuan to take charge of everything.