In early September, the soldiers and horses of the Jiangdong Army battalion, which surrounded Xiangyang on three sides, exercised every morning an hour earlier than in the city.
At first, Liu Bei thought that they had gotten up early to prepare for the siege, but the sound of craftsmen in the Jiangdong Army camp rushing to make siege equipment continued, and these sergeants only carried weapons out to train in formation.
"Don't they all need breakfast," Guan Ping said, rubbing his eyes.
"It should be back to the camp after the drill."
Jian Yong stroked his beard with one hand and looked intently at the outside of the city, "My lord, these days, the Jiangdong Army has gathered soldiers from the seven counties of Nanjun, Jiangxia, Zhangling, Lingling, Changsha, Yuzhang, and Lujiang, and has also transferred many veterans from the four counties of Jiangdong. ” Liu Bei squinted his eyes and stared out of the city, without saying a word.
"Uncle Huang, according to what you see, how to resist the enemy army outside the city."
At this time, Liu Cong also put on a gray cloak and climbed to the top of the city, accompanied by Liu Xian, Wang Cang and others.
Liu Bei looked at the outside of the city expressionlessly, "The Jiangdong army is menacing, but the siege of the city has not been attacked for more than ten days, and only ordered the sergeants to practice outside the city with great fanfare, in order to deter the soldiers in our city, and also ordered the craftsmen and people to rush to make siege equipment, Xiangyang City is high and thick, and the Jiangdong army must be rushing to make catapults, bed crossbows and other sharp weapons. ” "Uncle Huang doesn't want to abandon me, Uncle Huang chased and killed Cao Cao, but my father took in Uncle Huang, Uncle Huang remembered his father's kindness and friendship with his roommate, and please rescue his little nephew."
Liu Cong's face was panicked, he had already offended Cao Cao and Liu Qi, and now if Liu Bei didn't help, I am afraid it would be difficult to keep the glory and wealth in this chaos.
Liu Bei sighed faintly, "Virtuous nephew, Wuhou Liu Qi, the picture is not small, but he already has Xuzhou, Jingzhou, Yangzhou, Jiaozhou four states, if it is not for Jiaozhou Shixie is still there, I am afraid that he can raise the power of the three states to go north, when the time comes, more than 100,000 soldiers and horses, our army is afraid that it will be destroyed in an instant." ” "Today's war, our army's grain is enough for a year, thanks to Brother Jingsheng's rule in the past, but the Jiangdong army camp outside the city, the grain and grass transported by the wooden oxen and horses in the past few days are enough for one or two months, Jiangdong Tuntian has been in the field for a long time, I am afraid that Wuhou Liu Qi has been coveting the land of Jingzhou for a long time, and has already prepared half of the grain for the war."
As he spoke, he glanced back at Liu Cong, "The virtuous nephew thinks that if there are a thousand catapults outside this city, our army may hold on for half a load."
Liu Cong's face turned pale, "Jiangdong is so reckless, he Liu Qi is not afraid that the people will be miserable, and the counties of Jiangdong are a little rebellious?"
Liu Bei smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Now in the four counties of Jiangdong, except for the soldiers of Tuntian, there are not too many troops stationed in many counties and counties, and the virtuous nephew can know why Liu Qi dares to be stationed in Moling."
Liu Cong subconsciously shook his head.
"There are three reasons for this."
Liu Cong bowed his hand to Liu Bei, "Please also ask Uncle Huang to show me." ” "First, he Liu Qi has the prestige of his father before Yangzhou assassin Liu Xuan, the second generation of father and son, through the land of Yangzhou, Jiangdong has been under his rule for many years, in the early years Liu Qi swept the counties of Jiangdong with a weak crown, and achieved immediate prestige, the land of Jiangdong, the people who dared to oppose him Liu Qi, including the Shanyue hiding in the deep mountains and old forests, were also moved down the mountain, and now live in various parts of Jiangdong, and have long been fluttering and ignorant of their homeland.
He is a relative of the Han family, and he is also the son of heaven who is the marquis of Wu, and he is the governor of the land of the four states. ” "Second, it is Tuntian, I follow Jiangdong, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Sun Quan also follow suit, but, Cao Cao Tuntian is long, there are gains, not long ago after the defeat of Xiangcheng, it immediately pulled up tens of thousands of troops to the north to attack Sun Quan, I and Sun Quan, to get a territory is still short, most of the soldiers of Tuntian are new, and the Jiangdong Army, is Tuntian for one or two years of old soldiers, and now there are Jiaozhou Manyue for its capture, do the use of building Chi Road, digging canals, reclaiming wasteland, Jiangdong soldiers are very many, you don't see Yuzhang, Wu County, Danyang, Huiji four county defenders are not much, But if those Tuntian soldiers are counted together, I am afraid that there are nearly 100,000 people. ” "But Liu Qi didn't dare to make a desperate bet."
Liu Cong is not really incompetent, and he often reads the classics under the guidance of famous teachers.
"Before the pre-Qin period, the Warring States were chaotic, the war of the great powers, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, the whole country, adult and strong, every household entered the army, fought with the army, and after the war, they were disarmed and returned to the field, and my Han Dynasty was different, four hundred years of the country has been consolidated, the people no longer call themselves a country, the northern and southern princes recruit troops, but also follow the voluntary, unless the soldiers are exhausted, and they are not forced to recruit soldiers.
These 100,000 people are also the adults and strong of the four counties in Jiangdong, if they are lost, there will be no soldiers in Jiangdong for one or two years, and the farming of the four counties will also be damaged. ” "However, at this moment, Wuhou Liu Qi is like Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu after Dong Zhuo's chaos."
Liu Cong was slightly stunned, "What do you mean by Uncle Huang's words?"
"In the past, Yuan Shu sat in Nanyang, Yuan Shao sat in the Bohai Sea, these two people are from the Yuan family in Runan, when the dynasty has a deep foundation, although his uncle Yuan Kui did not, the protégé is old but also all over the world's states and counties, after the two of them raised righteousness, fame all over the world, so countless good generals and ministers rushed to take refuge, if it were not for Cao Mengde, this person suddenly rose up, I am afraid that this Central Plains has long been in the hands of his brothers."
Saying that, Liu Bei glanced at Liu Cong deeply, "Virtuous nephew, the second is the power to hold the army." ” "He has many generals in Jiangdong, all battalions of soldiers and horses, more than 20,000, less than 35,000, the commanders are Liu Qi's confidants, and the officials stationed in various states and counties, among the three taishou, county cheng, and governor, there must be people who are close to him, and no county in Jiangdong can start chaos."
When Liu Cong heard this, his face showed a little thought.
"These are the third" Liu Bei pointed to the outside of the city, "The virtuous nephew can know why the fierce generals and ministers in the Jiangdong army are constantly springing up like mushrooms after a rain."
"Yesikata Shoin" Liu Bei bowed slightly, "Fangshan Academy, open liberal arts and martial arts, spring and big exams, after selecting from the state and county, take the literary examination and martial arts examination, and provide a lot of civil and military talents for Jiangdong, if it were not for Wuhou Liu Qi to master the method of making Chinese paper and rubbing, and gather the world's wise men in the Quartet Recruitment Hall, and take advantage of the situation in the name of the three mountain chiefs of Fangshan Academy, how can it be prosperous today." ” Liu Bei is still envious of Liu Qi in his heart, he has two peerless generals under his command, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and there are also generals such as Chen Zhi and Guan Ping, but the strategists, only Sima Yi is alone, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, but most of the new pawns are not of great use, although Jingzhou is good, it is not owned by him, and he does not have so much time to subdue the scholars of Jingzhou one by one.
In the past, he was defeated in Xuzhou and was easily taken by Lu Bu, and the Chen father and son were also the driving forces.
Liu Bei looked out of the city with a sad face, "I, Liu Xuande, really don't value the scholars":