Chapter 638 Dilemma
"Prime Minister, I would like to set up a new battalion in the army, called the engineering battalion, and combine the trebuchet battalion and the engineering team together. Is this okay?"
Feng Yong asked very carefully.
"Huh?" Zhuge Liang was a little surprised when he heard this. "I thought you were talking about how to defeat Xiangwu, but I didn't expect it was for this?"
“The destruction of Xiangwu City is a foregone conclusion, what is there to say?”
Feng Yongyong said nonchalantly.
If Zhuge Liang hadn't wanted to keep Hao Zhao's Liangzhou Jingqi, the city would have been destroyed long ago.
According to Wen Shi, the top engineer of the trebuchet camp, how could this small Xiangwu city survive as long as it was hit by a counterweighted trebuchet for several days?
The key is to see how many Liangzhou cavalry can be annihilated.
"You are confident." Zhuge Liang did not deny Feng Yong's statement, "Tell me your plan. Why do you want to set up a new battalion?"
"Do you still need to ask? Prime Minister, it's not like you haven't seen over the past few days that the role of the riprap truck camp and the engineering team is huge. Especially the contribution made by the riprap truck camp, how can Not too young, right?"
"It's just that these two battalions can only be regarded as temporary ad hoc camps in the army now, and they are not considered a formal battalion in the army at all. Most of the people among them are not members of the army. If something happens to Longyou, it stands to reason that they should be returned to the army. Countryside."
"This catapult is a powerful weapon in the army, and it should be kept secret. If we really want them to return home, I am afraid that the secret will be leaked."
Speaking of this, Feng Yong glanced at Zhuge Liang.
As expected, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty swept over his eyes, faintly sharp, "Return to their hometowns? Who said I want them to return to their hometowns?"
"Prime Minister, even if they are not allowed to return home, if they are not given an identity and they have made merit in the military, then the distribution of this credit will not be justified. As time goes by, even if they don't say it, they will feel it in their hearts. Once the ideas and people’s hearts are dispersed, it will be difficult to lead the team.”
Even with a name like the Trebuchet Battalion that sounds closely related to the military, the lead engineer in the camp is Wen Shi and has no official position in the military—he is an engineer in the engineering team and is considered a civilian.
Furthermore, once the Longyou War broke out, the Nanxiang system, no, it should be called the Xinghanhui system now, was bound to face the reality of how to integrate into the mainstream Han society.
The battles at Longguan and Jieting were both fought with troops from the Xinghanhui system as the main force, and their combat power was astonishing when they first entered the battlefield.
There are also the outstanding performances of organizations such as the rock dump truck camp, engineering camp, Dongfeng Express, and even a unique medical system.
The various organizations with the Xinghanhui system as the core have shown enough energy that the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty can no longer allow this system to wander outside of control.
Feng Yong is sure of this - if it were him, he would try his best to bring the system within a controllable range.
Give it a certain status, let it integrate into the mainstream of the Han Dynasty, and make full use of its capabilities. This is the best way.
Feng Yong has no way to stop this trend.
Because the ultimate goal of everyone’s efforts in this system is to improve their status.
Many of the powerful children who call him brother are the second sons of their families, and some are even concubines. Why do they call themselves brother? Isn’t it just to find a way out in the future?
Even if he is a legitimate son who joins the Xinghan Society, it is to further his family's progress.
So Feng Yong knew that if he wanted to stop this trend, except for Guan Ji and Amei, plus a fourth mother, there would be no one to support him.
Even if he is the eldest brother, if they are pushed too hard, they might overturn his position.
What’s more, Feng Yong didn’t want to stop this trend.
Because only by integrating into the mainstream of the Han Dynasty can this system develop better and have a broader world.
The process of the new group's struggle for rights may be suppressed by some people, but Feng never cares about this.
After all, the future is bright, but the road is tortuous!
What Feng Yong is concerned about is that if the Xinghanhui system can be integrated into the Han Dynasty and accepted by mainstream society, then the new production relations hidden under the new system will be much less likely to die midway.
Disguise yourself as one of your own and sneak into the village. Don’t let anyone shoot you.
When this new type of production relations gradually grows to the point where it can compete with the production relations represented by the aristocratic family, that is Feng Yong’s real purpose.
Of course, if it can be so big that it can destroy the foundation of a family, it will be a great victory.
What Feng Yong has to do during this period is to try his best to make the system run in the direction he wants without overturning.
For example, on the basis of establishing the two base areas of Nanxiang and Yuexun, we can open up a new promotion channel in the army: establish an engineering battalion based on the Xinghanhui system, and formally incorporate it into the Han army. Under preparation.
The Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty naturally did not know the sinister intentions of a certain country bumpkin. In his opinion, Feng Yong was probably seeking benefits for the people under his command.
At the same time, he still felt a little unwilling in his heart: This guy is really stingy, and he is not willing to give up the rock dump truck camp and the engineering team even if he lives or dead!
Robbery is not impossible, but it will chill people's hearts.
Coupled with this kid's big heart...he is basically a donkey, who eats soft things but not hard things.
The Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty made a "tsk" sound, feeling that it was meaningless.
“Engineering camp?”
“Yes, engineering battalion.”
The engineering soldiers of later generations are technical arms. These people I have on hand are not considered to be technicians, right?
"That's alright." Zhuge Liang nodded, "Then let's call it the engineering battalion. You are the only one who has this engineering battalion in the army now, but it is too few. You can think of a way later to set up an additional battalion as soon as possible and assign it to Chinese Army.”
Feng Yong rolled his eyes and agreed, "Okay! But setting up this engineering camp is not easy. It needs to be planned carefully and let me think about it carefully first."
Zhuge Liang naturally knew that it was not easy.
I heard that there are standards for how to make this riprap truck, and even the size is stipulated.
How to make the stones thrown more accurately, there is also a trick.
Experienced soldiers may be able to do this, but how many people have experience with this new type of trebuchet?
Not to mention that the foreman of this engineering team is actually good at arithmetic.
Even how to construct and how to manage is very particular in the engineering team. Compared with the government organization of civilian workers, they are much smarter - these days, there is no other place except Nanxiang for those who are good at calculation.
This cannot be learned by others even if they want to.
So the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty could only say: "The faster, the better!"
"clear."
Five years ago, he could only cautiously test the sensitive point of the right to education, and held the Nanxiang School, which he claimed to be an education for the heads of Guizhou and Hu Yi.
Until a year ago, the Xinghan Hui finally opened a second school in Yuexun. Although the purpose was not pure, it was finally the first step.
Once the Longyou War is over, the Han Dynasty will definitely undergo some big changes, so he must make arrangements for the direction of the Xinghanhui system before attacking Xiangwu.
With the support of the Prime Minister of Han Dynasty, who am I afraid of?
A few days later, Zhuge Liang's central army moved to the northwest of Xiangwu City.
This abnormal behavior attracted the attention of Hao Zhao and You Chu.
“Could this Shu captive want to cross the river?”
You Chu looked at the Han army on the other side of the Wei River, feeling a little uneasy and said something.
On the other hand, Hao Zhao saw the commotion of the Han army. He frowned at first, then relaxed, laughed, and said nonchalantly, "If he dares to cross the river, then it is just what I want!"
When You Chu saw Hao Zhao like this, he felt even more uneasy. He heard him shout loudly, "General Hao, this..."
Before the words could be spoken, Gongsun Zheng, who was standing next to You Chu, was shocked. He winked and kicked him fiercely, completely silencing You Chu's words.
"What? Governor You has something to say?"
Hao Zhaomu looked over with contempt.
You Chu gritted his teeth and said, "This Shu prisoner's behavior is abnormal. I think it's better for the general to be more careful."
“No matter how abnormal he is, is it possible that he can cross the Wei River overnight?”
Hao Zhao was actually a little unclear about the Han army's actions, but he didn't want to give You Chu a good look. "Even if they can cross the Wei River and reach the city, it will be a good time for them to see the means of defending the city."
You Chu ate a nail, his face turned dark and he stopped talking.
Everyone watched at the top of the city for a long time, only to see that the Shu army seemed to be just planning to camp there, without making any preparations to cross the river. They immediately ordered the people below to pay attention at all times, and then everyone went down to the top of the city.
Back in the city, Gongsun Zheng persuaded You Chudao, "Zhong Yun is really too impulsive today."
You Chu's face was full of anxiety and a little angry, "What I said to the Shu captives at the top of the city that we would surrender in a month was just an act to paralyze the Shu captives due to the situation. At the same time, It is also to appease the people in the city.”
“It’s because of this that Hao Zhao now suspects that I have the ambition to go to Shu, alas!” At the end of the sentence, You Chu let out a long sigh, “At this time in the past, it was the time of summer planting, and there was a lot of rain.”
"But this year, it has not rained in Longxi for almost two months. If it continues like this, the Wei River will stop flowing sooner or later. By then, we will be unable to take advantage of the danger, and we will have to be trapped in the isolated city."
Speaking of this, the worry on You Chu's face became more and more serious, "Bo Yan, I noticed that the Shu captives were moving strangely today, and I was afraid that they had discovered this, so I came here early and prepared to cross the river at any time."
Gongsun Zheng was also helpless, "Zhong Yun can't win Hao Zhao's trust now. If you go to tell him now that Xiangwu is difficult to defend, I'm afraid it will make him even more suspicious that you want to surrender."
"Besides, the Weishui River has not bottomed out yet, and it is still enough to hold on. Zhong Yun had better be patient for a while, and wait until the opportunity comes. It will not be too late to talk to him about this."
Although You Chu was unwilling to give in, he could only say in the end, "That's fine, I'll just wait a little longer."
While You Chu was discussing with Gongsun Zheng, on the other side of the city, Hao Zhao also said to the Jincheng prefect who came with him, "In Xiangwu City, the officials are not trustworthy. When the Shu captives first arrived, the city officials were frightened. , many people want to surrender the city."
"You Chu first promised the people in the city that if the Shu captives attacked the city urgently and the city could not be defended, he would be willing to sacrifice his heads to protect the people. Then he told the Shu captives at the top of the city to surrender in a month, and then he reluctantly It calmed down the people in the city."
"Now it seems that the Shu captives are determined to besiege the city. If they are besieged for a month, I am afraid that the city sergeants will be uneasy, so I need to pay more attention."
“General Hao thinks Xiangwu City cannot be defended? Why not evacuate early?”
"You also saw it a few days ago. The Shu captives were unable to attack the city. There were only 50,000 people. How difficult is it to capture this city? If they could kill 10,000 or 20,000 people by defending the city, the Shu captives would be seriously injured. .”
"The more energy the Shu captives can use up, the more confident they will be in defending Liangzhou. Even if Xiangwu cannot be defended in the end, the Shu captives will not be able to catch up with us. What are we afraid of?"
Hao Zhao told his plan and asked the prefect of Jincheng to personally guard the west gate in case of any danger.
Although the move of the Han army to the northwest of Xiangwu attracted the attention of You Chu and Hao Zhao, and even You Chu thought he had guessed Zhuge Liang's subsequent actions, he did not expect that the situation would suddenly deteriorate overnight.
Before the sun rose the next day, the cooks of the Wei army who were stationed on the south side of the Wei River took advantage of the morning light and walked down the river bank to prepare to fetch water from the river.
Unexpectedly, when they arrived at the place where they used to fetch water, they suddenly found that the Wei River had stopped flowing.
Only a few small puddles were left, and there were "pop" sounds from time to time in the mud, and fish were tumbling about, seemingly making their final struggle.
The cook stared blankly at everything in front of him and rubbed his eyes in disbelief: Where is the water? The water that was so heavy yesterday disappeared overnight? Is this a ghost this morning?
“The flow has stopped? How could the Wei River suddenly stop flowing?”
After hearing the news, Hao Zhao did not hesitate at all and took his people directly to the edge of the Wei River. As expected, there was only mud left in the Wei River.
You Chu came one step earlier than Hao Zhao. He walked to Hao Zhao with a solemn expression, "General Hao, these Shu captives must have cut off the water upstream, so the Wei River stopped flowing overnight."
How could Hao Zhao not think of this? He even thought of more. His face was extremely ugly, "No wonder the Shu captives vigorously drove away the rangers a few days ago. It turned out to be to cover their actions of blocking the flow of water."
Hao Zhao, who was deceived, suddenly became angry. He looked at the Han army on the opposite side and sneered, "Even if the Wei River is cut off, can they come over?"
The Wei River valley here is wide and deep. Even if there is no water, it will take a lot of effort for the Han army to come over.
Thinking of this, Hao Zhao mobilized his soldiers to guard the south bank. As soon as the Shu captives made a move, he would fire thousands of arrows.
Just after waiting for a day, there was no movement from the Shu army on the opposite side. Instead, they set up arrow towers on the shore, as if to guard the northwest side.
This abnormal behavior made everyone in Xiangwu City even more confused: Wasn't the Shu captives cutting off the water just to reach the city?
According to common sense, this temporary water blockage will only last for a day or two at most. If they don't hurry up and come over, what are they waiting for?
Just when everyone in Xiangwu was in shock, news came from the sentinel detectives in the west. At a flat place thirty miles away from Xiangwu, a large number of Han troops were gathering on the other side of the river. They seemed to be preparing to cross the river while the Wei River was drying up.
Hao Zhao did not dare to neglect, and quickly sent the Jincheng prefect with 5,000 men and bald Xianbei's elite cavalry to stop them.
When he thought about it, if he kept guard for at most one day, or even half a day, the Wei River would be filled with water again, and because of the water blockage, if the Shu captives dared not return to the north in time, they would either be washed away by the water, or they would be lost forever. Stay on the South Shore.
He thought very well, but on the third day, he came to the edge of the Wei River early, and saw that the soil inside had turned pale, cracked into huge turtle shells, and seemed to have opened countless Small ditch.
Seeing all this, Hao Zhao lost all luck and his face finally turned pale: How did the Shu captives do it?
At this time, Xiangwu was faced with a dilemma. If he went to support the Jincheng prefect in front, the Shu captives who surrounded the city on three sides would definitely take the opportunity to attack.
If they do not provide support, the Jincheng prefect may not be able to stop the Shu captives - the elite Shu captives led by Zhuge Liang are in front. The weird formation of the Han army caused even Hao Zhao himself to suffer a lot.
Should he retreat directly to Liangzhou before the Shu captives were encircled, or should he recall all his troops to defend Xiangwu?
Hao Zhao was in trouble.
(End of this chapter)