Unparalleled Concubine

   Chapter 498 The road that cannot be turned back

As Zhao Jia said, in this war between the southwest and the imperial court, the Pingnan Army must win in the first collision, and if it wins a big victory, if the first battle is lost, it will be the southwest of the southwest, and people's hearts will be scattered in an instant. Lose.

  As soon as people's hearts are scattered, Southern Border, which was originally the disadvantaged side, almost lost any possibility of winning.

So this time, the No. 1 and No. 2 figures of the Pingnan Army appeared in Hanzhong Mansion at the same time. At this time, the attitude of the two of them was very clear, that is, no matter what, the first battle in Hanzhong was going to be fought. pretty.

   Even if Hanzhong is finally lost and the Pingnan Army retreats to the Jiange, it must give the court a head-on attack.

  The Great General Zhuguo dragged Meng Qi to the main hall of the Hanzhong General's Mansion, and the three sat down one after another.

Li Shen sat on the main seat and said calmly: "Ye Ming should have more than 100,000 people. If they want to enter Shu, the first thing is to win Hanzhong. There are 20,000 people in Hanzhong. Can you keep 50,000 people here for you?"

  Meng Qi immediately stood up and clasped his fists in a deep voice: "General, the last commander will definitely defend Hanzhong!"

Li Shen waved his hand and motioned him to sit down, and then he continued: "Ye Ming is famous for leading his troops with laws, and the Zhenbei Army has not made a single miss for more than ten years in his hands. If he wants to fight Hanzhong, most likely he will Step by step, it is very difficult to completely defend Hanzhong, this general means that Hanzhong can be lost, but it must be defended until the end of the year."

Having said this, Li Shen paused and continued: "In addition, when we meet Ye Ming for the first time, we must win, then I will let Li Yan lead the troops, General Meng, you help Li Yan beside him. help him."

  Meng Qi immediately lowered his head and said, "The last will know."

To be honest, it is very taboo to change generals like this, especially someone like Meng Qi who has been a general in Hanzhong for many years. He knows nothing about Hanzhong, but Li Yan is very prestige in the southwest. In battle, Meng Qi did not dare to have any opinion.

  Li Shen sat firmly in the main seat, lowered his eyebrows and said, "This time, I will be here in person, and I will meet the eldest son of the Ye family for a while."

Although he and Ye Ming are somewhat different in age, they are considered to be of the same generation. The husband Ye Sheng and his father Li Zhijie were always compared by the people of the Great Jin Dynasty. Now the eldest son of the two finally has the opportunity for the first time. Hands down.

   After they said a few more words, Meng Qi got up and stepped back, Li Shen sat on the main seat and didn't move, and Li Yan went to see off the Hanzhong general instead of his brother.

   After a while, Li Yan returned to Li Shen's side.

General   Zhu Guo sat in the main seat and was silent for a long time. Finally, he looked up at his righteous brother and asked, "What do you think our chances are this time?"

  Li Yan lowered his hand and said, "Brother, are you asking about the Hanzhong battle, or about the overall situation?"

   "Tell me all about it."

Li Yan nodded and said, "Ye Ming probably didn't know that we came to Hanzhong this time, and the reinforcements we deployed were also divided into parts and sent to Hanzhong bit by bit. It will be a bit of a loss.”

   "But it's just a loss?"

Li Yan continued: "This man Ye Ming, my brother has read some of his military newspapers in the north, this man is the most cautious in leading troops, there is almost no flaws to catch, we can hurt his skin and flesh by surprise, but it hurts him. Without his bones, as long as he reacts, we won't be able to take too much advantage."

Ye Ming's temperament is very different from his father Ye Sheng. Ye Sheng led the army back then, and the most memorable thing is the word "reckless". into the grave.

However, Ye Shaobao's style is much more stable, and it is precisely because of this calm temperament that Jimenguan has been solid for so many years. Can Zhou in the north may harass the border towns near Jimenguan, but he has never dared to Hit Jimenguan on the front.

   "It's enough to make him shed a layer of skin."

   Li Shen first frowned, then said, "Ye Ming has suffered a loss here, so he will be more cautious. After the first battle, let Meng Qi guard here, and you go to Jiange to prepare for defense."

"As long as Hanzhong can hold Ye Ming for half a year, the Jiange side can hold him back for a year or two. At that time, the forbidden army that Ye Ming brings will be trapped in the southwest. After two or three years, even if the Jiange is broken, we will can also be successful.”

   The so-called success does not mean that the southwest will suddenly become stronger, but if the southwest can survive the imperial court for three years, there will be people in the world who will fall to the side of the abolished prince, and then the southwest will be even more unbreakable.

   Even so, there is still a long way to go before Southwest wants to fight against the imperial court. According to Li Shen’s own calculations, it will take at least ten years for the southern border to accumulate enough strength to counterattack the imperial court.

   It's been a long road.

   This road Li Shen was originally unwilling to take, but the current situation forced him to this road step by step.

   There is only one way to go in the Pingnan Marquis Mansion today. If this way fails, Li Zhijie’s lineage will all be wiped out.

   So no matter what, he can bite the bullet and go on, because he will die as soon as he turns around.

  Li Shen closed his eyes, recalled in his mind what happened in the past few years in detail, and finally let out a slow breath.

   He thought of the young man who was still a little immature when he first met him and gnashed his teeth in front of him.

  If it weren't for him, although I don't know what the Pingnanhou Mansion would be like today, it definitely wouldn't be like this.

  Thinking of this, Li Shen looked back at his righteous brother and said something silently in his heart.

  If the emperor of Chengde was still alive, he would not have reached this point anyway.

   The emperor of Chengde is still alive, no matter what, Li Shen will have a chance to "surrender". If he surrenders the military power in the southern border, the emperor will give him a way to live, but today's emperor...

   already had a revenge with Nanjiang for killing his father.

   The former Marquis of Pingnan in the Great Jin court snorted and put these complicated thoughts behind him.

   "No matter what, this battle in Hanzhong must be won. If we lose to Ye Ming in Hanzhong for the first time, then we don't need to protect His Royal Highness, we will wipe our necks with a knife, and we will die a little easier."

   Li Yan stood behind Li Shen and bowed his head respectfully.

   "The last general, obey!"

   "This battle is invincible, and I will see you at the end."

  Li Shen did not speak, and walked away with his hands behind his back.

   In his heart, he was somewhat resentful towards his adopted brother.

Li Yan also knew that his eldest brother was very dissatisfied with his killing the emperor of Chengde, but the matter had come to this point, and the emperor of Chengde had no way to come back to life. The bravest general in the Pingnan Army shook his head and turned back to his own. room.

  …

   On the third day that Li Shen arrived at Hanzhong City, a letter was delivered to the Hanzhong General's Mansion.

   This letter was not addressed to General Meng Qi of Hanzhong, but to Li Shen.

  General Zhuguo received this letter, and his expression changed before he opened it.

   Because this letter was sent by Ye Ming.

   Li Shen took a deep breath and turned to look at Li Yan and Meng Qi.

   "How did he know I was in Hanzhong?"

   Both shook their heads.

   Li Shen frowned, barely suppressing the doubts in his heart, and opened the letter.

  The content of the letter is very simple.

   "Brother I haven't seen you for more than ten years, I hope for a while."

   (end of this chapter)