Chapter 192 Cao Cao goes to Jingzhou?
"In front of us there were Jiao Jiao and Zhu Fu, and in the back there are Wang Lang and Sheng Xian!"

Jin Mao sighed and said, "Could they do better than me?"

"Are they all good officials who serve the people?"

Jin Mao shook his head: "No!"

"They are just a bunch of parasites sucking blood from the people!"

Yu Fan wanted to refute.

Jin Mao got to the heart of the matter: "I know you've been very close to Gong Jin recently, but don't let it affect you."

"He is him, and you are you!"

"Don't impose his consciousness on yourself."

This time, Yu Fan became even more anxious: "My Lord! I am not affected at all!"

"This is all from my heart!"

Yu Fan began to talk worriedly about the methods Jinmao had taken against the gentry over the years.

It would be fine if the world wasn't in complete chaos, but everyone was still a little cautious, fearing that they would arouse the displeasure of Emperor Ling of Han.

That would definitely not be a good thing for the family.

Even though Emperor Ling of Han was very good at selling official positions and titles, no family could afford to be given special attention, not even the Yuan family was an exception.

It's different now.

Dong Zhuo deposed and enthroned emperors, and loyal officials of the Han Dynasty disappeared in large numbers and at a rapid pace.

Instead, a large number of ambitious people emerged, many of whom were once loyal subjects.

For example, Cao Cao.

When escaping from Luoyang, Cao Cao was wanted by Dong Zhuo. He fled all the way and finally hid in the house of his good friend Lü Bushe. However, he mistakenly thought that Lü Bushe wanted to kill him, so Cao Cao killed all eight members of his family.

And he uttered the famous words: "I would rather let the world let me down than let the world let me down!"

If it weren't for the help of the gentry, Cao Cao would probably have died in a prison cell in some unknown county government office.

This action was completely contrary to Cao Cao's original action of raising the five-colored sticks in Luoyang to redress the grievances of the people.

It is also completely inconsistent with Cao Cao's original intention during his tenure as Prime Minister of Jinan, which was to eliminate corrupt officials and restore peace and prosperity to the people.

At that time, Cao Cao could be regarded as a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty.

Now, the treacherous hero Cao Cao in troubled times is officially online!

Even Cao Cao changed so quickly, let alone other princes.

In the whole world, perhaps Jin Mao is the only prince who can still maintain his original intention.

"My lord," Yu Fan said earnestly, "A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind."

"You are the only hope for the people in these troubled times. Just like the lotus in the mud, they will not allow someone like you to exist in this world!"

Yu Fan bowed and said, "I am not asking you to stop your behavior. I only ask you to not become the target of public criticism if you are not strong enough!"

Yu Fan's words were like enlightenment to Jin Mao, and he finally woke up.

He walked down the steps, stepped forward to help Yu Fan up, and said with emotion: "The only person in the world who can warn me is Yu Fan, Yu Zhongxiang!"

"I hope you can continue to remind me in the days ahead, just like you are doing now."

Yu Fan assured: "Don't worry, my lord. I will do this even if you don't tell me."

Jin Mao readily accepted the advice and said that he would not take any action unless the Huaipu Chen family was dealt with. He then turned around and started talking about the matter of marching into Jingzhou.

Yu Fan tried to stop him again, saying, "My Lord, the power of the Jingxiang nobles is even greater, so we should not provoke them."

This time Jinmao refused to listen to anything.

"Zhongxiang, I will definitely take Jingzhou!"

"You don't need to persuade me anymore. This is a strategic intention and cannot be changed."

Just as Yu Fan was about to speak again, Jin Mao called Zhou Yu by name, "Gong Jin, explain to him."

Zhou Yu was still angry about Jin Mao's suspicion of him, and seemed unaware of the order.

"Gong Jin?"

Facing Jin Mao's doubts, Zhou Yu stepped out and bowed, saying, "My lord, don't you suspect that I am colluding with other county nobles? Why do you want me to help?"

Jin Mao always thinks one thing and does another. He didn't take it seriously at first, but this time when he heard Zhou Yu's words, he remembered that it was indeed the case.

How long has it been since I sincerely apologized to someone?

Jin Mao stood up awkwardly and bowed to Zhou Yu to apologize: "No one is perfect."

"Gongjin, please forgive me this time."

Zhou Yu raised his chin proudly and bowed in return, as if accepting the apology.

"My Lord, please allow me to help the governor of Yu."

Polite Zhou Yu is quite polite.

"Yangzhou is located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Huai River. It is a strategic lowland. If Jingzhou and Yizhou in the middle and upper reaches want to attack us, they only need to sail downstream and attack any place on both sides of the river in ten days."

"By then, even if our army has 200,000 troops, how can we resist the invading enemy?"

Zhou Yu said passionately: "Yu County Magistrate also said that the world is in chaos, so how can we ensure that the nobles of Jingxiang will not invade Yangzhou?"

Yu Fan really wanted to say that anyone with a bit of brains would not provoke Jin Mao. Jin Mao has such a strong desire for revenge that only a fool would take action when he is not sure.

This is even more unacceptable, because it would be giving advice to the enemy.

So Yu Fan remained silent. He dared to guarantee that among these stupid nobles, there would always be some "outstanding" fools.

It’s just like the story of Yangzhou. Even when Jinmao was killing like crazy, there were still some short-sighted gentry who jumped out to seek abuse.

Zhou Yu continued to talk, saying that he had contributed a lot to this strategy, as it was he who had proposed the hypothesis of ruling the area south of the Yangtze River.

"There are several advantages to occupying Jingzhou."

Zhou Yu said: "First, the four counties in southern Jing have weak foundations of the aristocracy, but a large population."

"Guiyang County has 100,000 households, Lingling County has 200,000 households, Changsha County has 80,000 households, and with Wuling County, the population exceeds 400,000 households."

"Now, Yangzhou, Guangling County and the influx of people have just exceeded 800,000 households. The four sparsely populated counties in Jingzhou can increase their population by half."

"The population of Nanyang County and Nan County together exceeds 600,000 households. If we can occupy it, the power under the lord's command will exceed more than half!"

Jin Mao immediately waved his hand and said, "Gong Jin, let's not talk about this for now. Let me explain other things first."

There is no point in talking about things that haven't happened yet.

Besides, Nanyang County and Nan County were places where aristocrats gathered. Jin Mao was busy avoiding them, so how could he possibly get involved with them?

The common people are so lovely. They don’t have as many tricks and troubles as the nobles.

Zhou Yu bowed to Jin Mao and continued to explain: "The second biggest advantage is that Jingzhou is rich in products. It has many minerals that Yangzhou lacks, such as coal, iron ore, copper, etc."

"There are also many artisans, doctors and other craftsmen in Jingzhou, which are lacking in Yangzhou."

"Even famous scholars who can teach and educate people, and those who can govern the poor in the local area, such talents are also very impressive."

"Even if the rich and powerful are at odds with the Lord, is it the same for the poor and the poor?"

"I do not think so."

Jin Mao was very satisfied: "Gong Jin is right, continue."

Zhou Yu bowed and said, "The third benefit is also the most important. With Jingzhou in our hands, whether we go north to defend the king, expand westward, or protect ourselves, the initiative is in your hands."

This was the grand strategy that Zhou Yu had come up with for Jin Mao on the way here. Jin Mao also thought it was very feasible, but he didn't know that this was the initial strategy that Zhou Yu had proposed for Sun Quan in the original history.

However, Sun Quan relied on the power of the gentry. Without their help, Sun Quan could not move forward. In addition, Sun Shiwan was known as a rat of Jiangdong.

Of course, in this life, Jinmao would definitely not be called like this.

People would just call him the Jiangdong Evil Tiger, then the Jiangdong Jackal, then the Jiangdong Evil Dog.

It will never be your turn to be called a rat.

Jinmao was indeed notorious, and none of his opponents were spared. The lighter ones were imprisoned to death, and the heavier ones were exterminated along with their entire clan.

After listening to Zhou Yu's explanation, Yu Fan didn't know how to refute it and was still very worried.

Finally, Jin Mao couldn't help but said, "Zhong Xiang, now that you are the governor of a county, you should think about how to manage the county."

"Don't argue too much about a position you are not good at. It will only drain my patience with you."

Yu Fan was startled, he was caught again.

The scholars could not help but feel envious, as Jin Mao did not have such great patience towards others, and even if it was Zhou Yu, he would not be polite at all if he was suspected.

This is enough to show how important Yu Fan is in Jinmao's heart, and everyone knows it.

Fortunately, Yu Fan was not a very talented person, and one county was enough to consume all his energy, otherwise, the others would have no way to survive.

Especially the newly joined Zhou Yu, he has placed all the future of the Zhou family on Jinmao. If he cannot demonstrate his own value in time.

Then the Zhou family will have no future.

Therefore, Zhou Yu paid great attention to everything, and when Jin Mao was dispatching a large army, he was also learning very seriously.

Zhou Yu's target was a state. Not to mention governing Yangzhou, Jingzhou and Xuzhou were also good options. As long as it wasn't Jiaozhou, he would be willing to accept any of them.

After dealing with Yu Fan, Jin Mao set off for Jingzhou.

He could go upstream along the Huai River, pass through the territory of Yuzhou and reach Nanyang County.

If you go upstream along the Yangtze River, you have to pass through Jiangxia County.

Since Huang Wan left Yuzhou, bandits have been rampant again, and are even more severe than before. If one takes the Huai River, one must keep the waterway open at all times.

In addition, since 5,000 naval forces had to be left to garrison Huaiyin County and powerful generals such as Guan Yu had to be dispatched, it was very difficult to ensure the smooth flow of traffic in the Huaihe River basin.

Jinmao has no choice but to go along the Yangtze River.

This also has another advantage. Lujiang County is backed by the Dabie Mountains and has abundant trees. There is a shipyard near the Yangtze River with complete technology that can build all kinds of ships, including tower ships.

If Jinmao engages in a protracted war with the Jingzhou navy, Lujiang County, as a technical support, will be able to provide good compensation for ship losses.

In this way, Jin Mao was barely on par with the Jingzhou navy in terms of logistics. If the frontal battlefield was unfavorable, Jin Mao would be ready to attack from both sides with Sun Jian and defeat the Jiangxia County defenders.

With these two approaches working together, it seems that there shouldn't be any powerful people in Jingzhou who can stop the fierce attack of Jin Mao and Sun Jian.

The ninth day of December.

Jin Mao led 40,000 regular troops, 8,000 nurse troops, and 50,000 civilian laborers up the Yangtze River.

Among them, 40,000 civilians were boatmen, and the remaining 10,000 were young and strong men responsible for transporting military equipment.

The generals included Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Gai, Dong Xi, Ling Cao, and more than 80 other officers of various ranks.

There are also 800 royal guards who can serve as officers and replenish the losses on the front line at any time.

The two counties of Zhi and Qichun under Jiangxia Commandery surrendered upon seeing the enemy's attack.

Jin Mao did not treat the surrendered soldiers well, but instead sent them to the three counties of Lujiang, Jiujiang and Guangling in accordance with the new system to farm and do labor reform.

If they don't want to go, just let them out of the city and leave them to fend for themselves.

As a result, the common people and the powerful immediately separated, and after learning about the situation, 99% of the people were willing to go to the military settlements and create a future for themselves through their own efforts.

The remaining 1% of the people were all idlers. Jin Mao expelled them all and issued an order that anyone who dared to enter the city again would be killed.

It’s different for the powerful. They are 100% willing to fend for themselves, and Jinmao didn’t try to keep them.

But Jin Mao had no idea of ​​the great reputational damage he would suffer after the local tyrants from the two counties escaped. Not only were all the nobles in Jingzhou in danger, but even the common people were afraid of him like a tiger.

Of course, these are things to follow.

Jinmao is also building Xiazhi and Qichun into outposts, with a camp built on land and water. Military control is being implemented in the county, and everyone from top to bottom is following military orders.

Anyway, there are no civilians in the county in the strict sense, so even if some so-called "civilians" appear, they can be killed without mercy.

...

The Wancheng Provincial Governorate of Nanyang County, Jingzhou.

When Wang Rui, the governor of Jingzhou, learned that Jin Mao had invaded Jiangxia County, he was as anxious as an ant on hot pan and had no time to think about dealing with Cao Yin.

In the past two days, he has sent out invitations widely, hoping that the gentry of Nanyang County and Nan County can stand up and assume corresponding responsibilities.

But there are no responders.

Just when Wang Rui was in despair, Cai Mao, the commander of the Jingzhou navy, came to pay him a visit.

The savior is here!

Wang Rui swept the bed to welcome him.

Unexpectedly, Cai Mao invited a short-bearded general who was only seven feet tall to sit at the head.

Wang Rui looked carefully and saw that it was Cao Cao, Cao Mengde. Why did he come to Jingzhou?

With doubts in mind, Wang Rui greeted the two men and then was eager to know the reason.

Cao Cao smiled and looked at Cai Mao without saying a word.

The latter said, "Reporting to Governor Wang, when the thief Jin Mao invaded Guangling County in Xuzhou a few days ago, I predicted that he would not give up and would definitely invade Jingzhou."

Cai Mao sighed and said, "As a scholar, I have just become a naval lieutenant. I don't have the confidence to deal with this guy's aggression."

Wang Rui really wanted to say, you don’t have to be so humble. Who in Nanyang County dares not to give you, Cai Mao, some respect?

As long as Jin Mao dared to take action against Cai Mao, Wang Rui believed that the gentry of Nanyang County and Nan County would strongly support Cai Mao and form a powerful force.

However, no one said these words. If Wang Rui said them, it would be a slap in the face, so he just waited for what happened next.

Cai Mao continued, "So, I asked the Cavalry Captain Cao Mengde to come to Jingzhou to help."

"Don't worry, Governor Wang. Captain Cao is much stronger and wiser than me, and he has brought 5,000 elite soldiers with him. He will definitely be able to repel the Jinmao villains!"

Wang Rui pondered for a while before asking, "May I ask Captain Cao, are you good at naval warfare?"

Cao Cao calmly shook his head and said, "No."

Suddenly, Wang Rui felt that he was being fooled by Cai Mao.

It was obvious that Jinmao was going to take the water route and split Jingzhou into two against the Yangtze River, but Cai Mao even invited a landlubber to help. This was nonsense.

As if seeing Wang Rui's doubts, Cai Mao bowed to Wang Rui and said, "Captain Cao believes that the water route is just Jin Mao's strategy of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west. His ultimate move must be to take the land route!"

Cai Mao analyzed: "This time, Jin Mao raised an army of 50,000, claiming to have 100,000 troops, but in fact, there are only 5,000 naval forces, and the remaining 40,000 are all infantry."

"If Jinmao abandons his strengths and pursues his weaknesses, then it will be the time for our Jingzhou navy to become famous throughout the world."

"But Jin Mao is not a stupid person. He has many counselors and generals under his command. He will not commit any major military taboos!"

　I'm sorry, I apologize sincerely, I broke the promise again.

　　I need to renovate the house, so I can’t guarantee full time to update it in the next week, so I can only make up for it at the end of the month.

　　Thank you!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)