Chapter 286 Yizhou is in hand, the idea of ​​governing the Qiang

"Lord!"

A large group of people prostrated themselves at the gate.

"No need to be polite, no need to be polite."

The smile on Jin Mao's face never stopped. Liu Bei's recognition of his master was secondary. The most important thing was that Guan Yu also followed him. This made a difference.

Now that the situation is clear, Liu Yan is nothing more than a pile of dry bones in a tomb, the difference between dying early or late.

The main problem is still the issue of the three state defenders.

As we all know, there are always the fewest handsome people.

Although Zhou Yu was young, he was not immature at all. He performed very well in the battle of Yizhou.

Jin Mao intends to train Zhou Yu. In the next battle, he will bring Zhou Yu with him. Fighting with a large army is different from attacking all the way.

But except Zhou Yu, everyone else seemed a little bit lacking.

Wen Pin and Xu Huang are not bad and have potential, but they need a long time to train.

Therefore, Guan Yu was like timely rain. Although he had neglected training during this period, he had great potential and had experience in leading troops. He was more suitable than Wen Pin and Xu Huang.

At that time, Guan Yu, Wen Pin and Xu Huang will guard one state, Zhou Yu and a few powerful generals will guard one state, plus Jin Mao himself.

The Yangtze River area will be impregnable.

After just a dozen years of hard work, there will be only one voice left in this world.

Of course, maybe it won’t take that long.

But that’s the strategy, the rest is execution.

"Why don't you fight?"

Jin Mao looked at Zhang Fei and Gan Ning who were sweating profusely. In this cold winter, everyone was dressed warmly, except for these two who were wearing thin clothes and were still steaming.

Zhang Fei laughed and said, "I dare not embarrass myself in front of my lord."

Jin Mao smiled and said, "I am happy today."

"Well, I'll add some spice to it."

Jin Mao pointed at Gan Ning and said, "Xingba has always wanted to be the captain of the main battalion. If you defeat Zhang Fei today, the captain of the fourth battalion will be yours!"

"Really?" Gan Ning's eyes lit up, fearing that Jin Mao would go back on his word, he said, "My Lord, you said it, and it's a done deal!"

Jin Mao replied, "It's hard to catch up with him!"

This time, all the generals were no longer calm.

Wen Pin was the first to jump out and said, "My Lord, I want one too!"

Liu Bei was very excited, but he knew he was no match for Zhang Fei, so he suggested, "Since you want to select the captain of the main battalion, why don't you select the captains of the first, third, and fourth battalions at the same time?"

"It's not a big deal that the main battalion captain position has been vacant for a long time."

"I heard that strength is respected in the military, why not hold a competition and let the most capable win!"

This statement was unanimously recognized by everyone present.

Jin Mao seemed to be thinking about something, not the feasibility of this plan, but how to use Liu Bei.

We have to admit that Liu Bei can be a leader and naturally lead troops to fight. Isn't he a real talented general?

Even if his military strategy is not as good as Guan Yu's, his overall strength is strong. Otherwise, how could he compete with Cao Cao in the original history?
When talking about Liu Bei, we have to mention another person.

Sun Ce!

At this time, Jin Mao realized that it was not that he had few talented people under him, but that he had automatically blocked some great talents.

By this glance, it seems that he now has four handsome men under his command!
As for Liu Bei, Jin Mao really had no confidence in making good use of him, especially when he was sent to a remote place. He only dared to place him in a remote place like Jiaozhou.

If it was any of Jingzhou, Yangzhou or Yizhou, Jin Mao would not dare to let Liu Bei lead the army alone.

"Have it!"

Since we don't dare let Liu Bei guard the army alone, why not just keep him by your side?

It's impossible that Liu Bei's skill in poaching people is so superb that he can even poach people around him, right?
If that were the case, wouldn't the group of people under Cao Cao's command in the original history have been poached by Liu Bei?
Liu Bei was frightened by Jin Mao's gaze and asked carefully, "What do you think, my lord?"

"Ah, that's a good idea," Jin Mao said, "but now that we are close to war, let's forget it."

Liu Bei felt sad, feeling that his opportunity to get closest to the center of power had slipped away.

Unexpectedly, Jinmao's next sentence took a sudden turn.

"However, it is time to select the lieutenant of the main battalion. It is not a good idea to keep the position vacant all the time."

Liu Bei was just about to ask what the rules were when he heard Jin Mao shout, "Gan Xingba! If you defeat Zhang Fei, I will promote you to the rank of captain of the third battalion."

"If you can't win, just be a deputy commander in the third battalion."

Immediately, Gan Ning stared at Zhang Fei like a bull.

"My Lord! This is not fair!" Zhang Fei shouted, "What about me? I get nothing at all!"

Jin Mao said coldly: "You still want benefits?"

"It's only been a few days, and look how much trouble you've caused."

Zhang Fei argued: "I have made so many contributions!"

"Merits are merits, faults are faults!" Jin Mao snorted angrily, "Besides, you've caused more trouble than you've done merits. If I hadn't protected you, you would have been fired long ago!"

Zhang Fei still refused to accept the defeat and said, "If I win, my lord, please reward me with a good meal!"

"Row!"

Zhang Fei then started to wrestle with Gan Ning, but it was obvious that Gan Ning was inferior to Zhang Fei in strength, while in terms of skills, the two were evenly matched.

Jin Mao was thinking about his own things while watching the two people fighting.

The main battalion captain is a small matter.

From now on, military numbering will be a big deal.

Jingzhou recruits 50,000 soldiers, and excluding security personnel, the entire army will have about 100,000 to 150,000 standing troops.

The Imperial Guards and the main battalion cannot be expanded forever, and must be subdivided and reorganized.

Jin Mao has an idea. If the five main camps are split up and turned into five military regions...

hiss!
Thinking too far ahead.

Liu Bei couldn't help but ask, "My lord, are there any candidates for the captains of the first and fourth battalions?"

Jin Mao said calmly: "Zhou Gongjin is currently the captain of the third battalion. He will definitely be promoted to the captain of the first battalion in the future. Of the two captains left, Gan Ning will definitely take one."

"Gan Ning contributed the most to the battle of Yizhou this time."

"There's only one captain left. Let's give it to the greatest hero of this war."

Jin Mao did not say anything final, nor did he reveal even a hint of what he was thinking. It was still too early to deal with the five major military regions, but the other branches of the military could be further subdivided.

Since we have navy, catapult battalion, and crossbow battalion, how can we not have engineering battalion, cavalry battalion, baggage battalion, and so on?

However, this major project should be left to wise counselors, and Jinmao should just focus on its current tasks.

On the field, the final result was that Gan Ning won!

It’s not that Gan Ning is really stronger than Zhang Fei, but how can a meal of wine compare to the position of a captain?
If Gan Ning dared to risk his life, why should Zhang Fei risk his life too?

Zhang Fei had already been a captain, and was in the second battalion, and was always at the forefront of the main battalion!
"After this battle, as long as Gan Xingba is still alive, he will not be short of arms or legs." Jin Mao assured: "You are the captain of the third battalion!"

"Now, do your job well."

Gan Ning wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and shouted happily, "Yes!"

"Zhongye (Wenpin's courtesy name)!"

"To!"

Jin Mao pointed at Guan Yu and said, "Take Yunchang to the Fourth Battalion to familiarize yourself with the situation. He will be the commander in chief and you will be the deputy commander."

"Since it is said that the position of the fourth battalion lieutenant will be reserved for those who have made contributions, then we cannot just look at the number of meritorious deeds, but also how well you do your job."

Jin Mao said seriously: "This is the worst job, no matter how great the merit is, it's useless!"

Zhang Fei was laughing foolishly at the side and was directly called out.

"Zhang Yide! If you dare to cause trouble again, I will dismiss you!" Zhang Fei muttered, "Can't I just smile?"

"The same goes for everyone else!" Jin Mao warned, "We must take Yizhou. If anyone holds us back, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Everyone's expressions became serious, knowing that Jin Mao was not joking, and they all kept it in mind.

At this time, Liu Bei, who had not made any arrangements, whispered, "My lord, where should I go?"

"Oh." Jin Mao just remembered and said, "The first battalion has been reorganized, and everything is not as good as before. Since Xuande has experience in managing five battalions, he can temporarily lead the first battalion."

"After this battle, return it to Gongjin."

Liu Bei was overjoyed and assured: "Don't worry, my lord! I will definitely live up to your trust!"

No matter how bad a battalion is, it is still a battalion. They are all elite soldiers carefully selected from various units. The only difference is the degree of coordination.

What Liu Bei lacks the least is organizational ability, and he is confident that he can lead the team well.

...

Mianzhu County.

After Liu Yan came to Yizhou, he moved the provincial capital here and it has remained unchanged since then.

Even though the situation was critical, Liu Yan still did not move to Chengdu.

I heard that Jin Mao was leading an army of 100,000, claiming that an army of 300,000 was coming to attack.

All the civil and military officials under Liu Yan's command had run away, leaving only a few cats and dogs. The only military general with a reputation was Captain Sun Zhao, and the only civil official was Fan Min.

Sun Zhao was not as good as Jia Long, and the number of troops he led was much smaller than that of Jia Long.

Fan Min was not a counselor at all, but a scholar who specialized in studying classics.

Liu Yan still has one last trump card in his hand, Zhang Lu of Hanzhong and his subordinate Zhang Xiu.

It is called a trump card, but it is just a drop in the bucket.

What's the use of two or three thousand troops, who are not elite?

As Jinmao won more and more battles, everyone in the world knew that Yangzhou's elite troops were invincible.

It was only a matter of time before the entire Yizhou changed hands.

Last year, Liu Yan still had high hopes and thought that Jinmao was being held back.

I only found out this year that they went to farm out of compassion for the people.

Now it is just after the Spring Festival, which is the season for using troops.

There is nothing more to say, Liu Yan prepares to run away.

The Chang'an court was his final resting place. Not only were his four sons there, but it was also a place where he could show off to Jin Mao.

"I lost on the battlefield."

Outside the city of Mianzhu, Liu Yan stopped to take a last look at the city he had built.

"But I haven't completely lost yet!"

Since there is no way to hide from disaster, then face the suffering head-on and see who disgusts whom!
this time.

Jin Mao's 100,000-strong army was divided into five routes, heading north along the three waterways of Lushui, Minshui and Hanshui, determined to capture Shu County, Guanghan County and Wudu County.

Hanzhong County cannot be reached directly by water, and one has to pass through Jianmen Pass to get there.

The twentieth day of the first lunar month.

Zhou Yu led Zhang Fei and other generals and successfully captured the entire Shu County.

The twenty-third day of the first lunar month.

Jin Mao led Liu Bei and other generals to capture the entire Guanghan County.

On the 29th day of the first lunar month, after a long journey of more than half a month, Guan Yu finally took over the entire Wudu County.

Jianmenguan.

Liu Yan passed through Hanzhong County and warned Zhang Lu to guard Jianmen Pass, then returned to the court in Chang'an without looking back.

Zhang Lu was completely unprepared and was caught off guard by Liu Yan, who had sneaked back and taken away his old subordinate Zhang Xiu and nearly half a million men.

The morale of the army was completely broken, and Zhang Lu had no choice but to abandon Hanzhong County and follow Liu Yan with his subordinates to flee to Chang'an.

The fifth day of February.

The entire Hanzhong County came under Jinmao's control.

At this point, the four northern counties of Yizhou were completely reformed.

As for the three southern counties, they were conquered by issuing an edict.

Yizhou was very much like a smaller version of the Central Plains. The six northern counties were mostly occupied by the gentry and powerful, while the three southern counties were mainly inhabited by barbarians and Shanyue people.

The northernmost Wudu County borders Xiliang and has been in constant friction with the Qiang Hu and Di clan for many years. There is a small fight every three years and a big war every five years. How similar is it to Youzhou, Liangbingzhou?

February 28th.

Chengdu County, Shu Prefecture, will become the new capital of Yizhou.

Chengdu County had no strategic locations to defend, so the focus of Yizhou's defense was on the periphery, including Hanzhong County, Wudu County, and the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River in Ba County.

However, there was a huge controversy in the army over whether or not to garrison in Wudu County.

The main reason is the terrain of Wudu County. The rugged areas are all high mountains, and the flat areas are all hills. Only the areas near the rivers are slightly flat.

This leads to very serious supply problems.

If 10,000 troops were to be stationed there, the annual expenditure would have to be transferred from the nearby Hanzhong County and Guanghan County.

However, it is not very convenient to travel to Wudu County, whether by water or by land. To support these 10,000 people may be more difficult than to support 100,000 people in a place with convenient transportation.

Moreover, next to Wudu County are Tianshui County and Jincheng County, which are the bases of General Han Sui, the General of Zhenxi.

In other words, he wanted to fight against Han Sui.

In order to gain a piece of enclave, not only was countless food and supplies needed, but one also had to fight a powerful warlord.

Not worth the candle.

But Jin Mao, who insisted on guarding Wudu County, did not think so: "I can make decisions for the mountain people and barbarians, so why can't I make decisions for the Di people, Qiang people, Xiongnu and Xianbei?"

The Di people are a minority ethnic group distributed in the plateaus and mountainous areas west and north of Yizhou. They are no different from the Han people and have a high degree of sinicization. Most of the people in Wudu County are Di people.

The Qiang people were a nomadic people similar to the Xiongnu and Xianbei, but they had no sense of alliance and could not produce a strong leader. They were commonly known as a mob of loose sand.

But it was this group of motley crowd that formed the armies of Han Sui and Ma Teng.

Needless to say, the Xiongnu and Xianbei were nomadic peoples in the north.

All the generals knew Jinmao's lofty ambitions, however, it was too early now.

However, no matter how Zhou Yu and others advised him, Jin Mao insisted on his own ideas.

"If we can't even subdue these people, how can we conquer the world!?"

Jin Mao emphasized: "I am not asking them to speak elegant language and wear Chinese clothes right now, but Wudu County must be defended!"

What else can everyone say? You are the boss and you have the final say.

However, Jin Mao was not unreasonable. Seeing that no one dared to object, he said, "I have a way to defend Wudu County without spending a single soldier."

"It can even recapture Liang and Bing!"

Jin Mao became excited and said, "I plan to use barbarians to defeat barbarians!"

Zhou Yu suddenly got inspired and stood up and said, "Just like a god believes in religion!"

The existence of Shen Xinjiao was no big secret in the Yangzhou army, and there were quite a few believers, even some generals were loyal believers.

It’s just that the smarter people are, the more skeptical they will be.

Jin Mao didn't expect Zhou Yu to come up with such an interesting suggestion, even he himself didn't expect it.

"That's right!"

“It’s God’s faith!”

Jin Mao shamelessly took Zhou Yu's suggestion as his own: "I really like Gongjin's words, those who obey will prosper, and those who disobey will perish!"

(End of this chapter)