My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 426 Jingbei Military Council
Han Song, Song Zhong, Deng Yi, Liu He, Wen Pin, Huang Zhong and others were all from Nanyang. The Nanyang clique was quite powerful under Liu Biao, and several of the chief ministers came from the Nanyang clique, which shows how powerful it was.

However, the Nanyang Gang was relatively fragmented, consisting of multiple families, and could not be as closely united as the four major families of Kuai, Cai, Huang, and Pang, thus placing it below them.

As the Prefectural Governor, Han Song was naturally one of the leaders of the Nanyang Gang at this time, and his opinions represented the attitude of the entire Nanyang Gang to a certain extent.

"Otherworld, what do you think?"

Liu Biao did not reply to Han Song directly, but instead inquired about Kuai Yue.

Most of the people on the field were puzzled and did not understand why Liu Biao was doing this.

A few intelligent people, however, realized what was happening and their faces darkened.

Currently, among the Jingzhou army, only Kuai Yue possesses the talent to lead a general. If Liu Biao is unable to personally lead the campaign, then the position of commander-in-chief will most likely be handed over to Kuai Yue.

Liu's current pressure on Kuai Yue to make a statement clearly shows that he still hasn't given up on the idea of ​​personally leading the expedition. For these few intelligent people, this is undoubtedly a worrying sign.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Kuai Yue slowly rose, bowed to Liu Biao, and then said, "Reporting to Your Excellency, I am thinking of someone."

Liu Biao frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure in his expression, but he still asked in a gentle tone, "Whom is Yidu thinking of? Is this person's matter more urgent than the current one?"

"Indeed."

Kuai Yue replied solemnly, "Just as you said, this matter must not be taken lightly."

Liu's expression changed. He had known Kuai Yue for many years and knew that the other was resourceful and intelligent. For him to take this matter so seriously, it must be something important.

Liu Biao's expression changed, and he asked in a friendly voice, "Who is the person Yidu is referring to?"

"Liu Zisheng of Yangzhou!"

Kuai Yue uttered five words, his voice resounding throughout the hall.

Most of the crowd then realized the threat posed by Liu Feng of Yangzhou.

If Liu Feng only controlled one province, that would be fine, but Liu Feng also had Liu Bei, who controlled Yu Province and Xu Province, behind him.

The atmosphere on the field suddenly plummeted, and Liu Biao's expression changed once again, turning as black as the bottom of a pot.

After a moment, Liu Biao tried to calm himself down and asked, "Have there been any reports from Yangzhou recently?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, there is currently no major movement in Yangzhou. Its newly expanded army has been deployed in Yuzhang and Huinan. There are no signs of any troop movements at the moment."

The person who spoke was Liu He, who was in charge of foreign intelligence and espionage.

He had previously sent military intelligence about Yangzhou to Liu Biao. Liu Feng had dispersed his troops, clearly indicating that his target was still the Baiyue people within the territory.

Even if we start mobilizing now, it will be impossible for most of the troops to be assembled in less than a month or two. Moreover, the two places are very close to each other and connected by the Yangtze River, making it extremely difficult to launch a surprise attack. Otherwise, Lü Meng and Lu Xun would not have been able to cross the river in disguise.

Upon hearing Liu He's report, Liu Biao's expression improved slightly.

Zhang Xian was never in Liu Biao's eyes. For Liu Biao, Zhang Xian's rebellion at this moment was more of a humiliation than a threat.

At this time, Liu Biao did not believe that Zhang Xian could withstand the thunderous attack from Northern Jingzhou, after all, the difference in strength between the two sides was indeed too great.

However, if Liu Feng of Yangzhou intervenes, the situation could be reversed. Therefore, for Liu Biao, no news from Yangzhou is the best news.

Liu Biao glanced at Kuai Yue again, feeling a little uneasy.

Yangzhou is indeed quiet now, but if the southward campaign to quell the rebellion turns into a protracted war, it's hard to say whether Yangzhou will continue to stand by and watch.

Liu Biao himself knew that in terms of the ability to command large armies, he was no match for Kuai Yue, let alone Cai Mao.

At the same time, whether or not Liu Biao was stationed in the rear was also a crucial matter.

If he could remain in Xiangyang, even if Yangzhou really made a move, he could immediately support Jiangxia and ensure the safety of the southward-bound army.

But if he goes south, who will be in charge of Xiangyang?

Liu Qi?

Although he was older, he had a very poor relationship with the local gentry in Jingzhou, especially the Cai family, with whom he was at odds.

Moreover, even if Liu Biao ignored this point and let Liu Qi take charge, he would still be completely unable to control the situation, and power would still fall into the hands of the Kuai and Cai families.

Liu Cong?

That's even more impossible. He's not even an adult yet, and he's completely a puppet of the Cai and Kuai families.

After thinking these questions through, Liu Biao's idea of ​​personally leading the expedition completely lost its appeal.

"Kaiyang".

Liu Biao snapped out of his reverie and asked Liu He, "What is the current distribution of troops in Yangzhou?"

After a moment's thought, Liu He immediately replied, "There is an army of over 30,000 men in the south of Kuaiji, an army of 10,000 men in the middle of Kuaiji, and an army of 6,000 men in the north of Kuaiji. There are at least 50,000 troops in Kuaiji. There is also an army of 30,000 men in the two counties north of the Yangtze River, plus another 20,000 naval troops. In total, there are 100,000 troops in these two places. There is also an army of 20,000 men in Yuzhang, and the remaining 10,000 men are stationed in Wu County and Danyang County."

It is actually very difficult to hide a large-scale troop deployment for a long time, especially one of more than 10,000.

Experienced spies can calculate the number of soldiers in a camp simply by observing the firewood, rice, flour, vegetables, and fruits delivered to the camp daily.

Therefore, Liu He's description of the Yangzhou military strength is generally reliable.

After listening, Liu Biao's heart stirred slightly, and he wholeheartedly agreed with Liu He's previous analysis. That is, Liu Feng had focused his military efforts on suppressing the Baiyue and quelling internal rebellions.

Liu Biao then turned his attention to Cai Mao: "De Gui, I intend to appoint you as commander-in-chief. We will launch an attack next spring to quell the rebellion in the south. How many troops do you think we will need to achieve victory in one campaign?"

Upon hearing this, Cai Mao's spirits lifted immediately, but then his gaze secretly swept over Kuai Yue, and only after finding that the latter did not react did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

"Rest assured, my lord, with only 50,000 men by land, sea, and cavalry, I will surely report victory within the year!"

Cai Mao's words were quite sound. Fifty thousand men represented two-fifths of the entire Jingzhou army, and the timeframe was extended to a year.

However, Liu Biao was very dissatisfied. He felt that 50,000 troops were acceptable, but the time frame of a year was quite dangerous.

A moment later, Liu Biao turned his gaze to Kuai Yue and asked, "Yi Du, if you were to be the commander, how many troops and how much time would it take?" Upon hearing this, Cai Mao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He felt no jealousy towards Kuai Yue, after all, he knew how big the gap was between him and Kuai Yue.

Kuai Yue then seemed to come to his senses and slowly replied, "Your Excellency, in my opinion, De Gui's words are still too arrogant."

Liu Biao's heart sank: "What does Yidu mean by this?"

Cai Mao couldn't help but look at Kuai Yue, wondering where he had gotten his pride.

Kuai Yue bowed slightly to Liu Biao to show his respect and replied, "In my opinion, it would take at least 70,000 troops and a year to complete the task. Zhang Shihong has been in Jingnan for a long time, serving as the prefect of three different prefectures. In each place he went, he gained the support of the local gentry and powerful families, and won the hearts of the people of Jingnan. Moreover, he has the assistance of talented people such as Huan Boxu, Liu Shilong, and Pan Chengming. Changsha is a large city, and it is located in a strategic position, nestled against the mountains and by the water, with high walls and deep moats."

At this point, Kuai Yue glanced at Cai Mao: "If De Gui thinks that 30 to 50,000 men can easily take Changsha, I'm afraid you will not only fail to achieve your goal, but may even suffer a minor setback."

Liu Biao, Cai Mao, and everyone else in the hall were all taken aback, not expecting Kuai Yue to think so highly of Changsha. If it were anyone else, they would have been skeptical, but with Kuai Yue speaking like this, even those who didn't believe him dared not refute him.

Liu Biao fell silent, then slowly walked back to his desk and sat down.

At present, Jingzhou has 140,000 troops, of which 30,000 are in Jiangxia County and Zhangling County, 70,000 are in Xiangyang, 20,000 are in Nan County, and the remaining 20,000 are in Nanyang County.

During this southward campaign to attack Changsha, the situation of Liu Feng in Yangzhou is unclear, therefore the troops in Jiangxia can only increase, not decrease.

Nanyang can draw 10,000 troops, although only 10,000 remain to be stationed there, which is quite tight. However, the people's hearts are with Liu Biao, and if necessary, the troops of the local gentry and powerful families can be mobilized to hold the line for a while.

The 20,000 troops in Nan Commandery were mainly there to guard against threats from the direction of Yi Province. Fortunately, Liu Zhang was an honest man with little ambition, and in the past two years, his attention had been almost entirely focused on Hanzhong.

Furthermore, by simply stationing two or three thousand elite troops along the Zigui-Yiling line, the eastern gateway to Yizhou can be blocked.

Therefore, it shouldn't be too much of a problem to transfer 16,000 to 17,000 people from Nanjun.

Xiangyang has 70,000 troops, and it shouldn't be a problem to transfer more than 40,000 of them.

In this way, the total military strength could reach nearly 70,000, which was exactly the minimum number required by Kuai Yue.

Liu Biao couldn't help but suspect that Kuai Yue had already planned this all along. With Kuai Yue's abilities and position, it would have been easy for him. And Kuai Yue's abilities were indeed trustworthy, which made Liu Biao very uneasy.

At the same time, Liu Biao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Kuai Yue's demands were even more numerous than Cai Mao's, which clearly did not indicate a power struggle. In this sense, Kuai Yue's words were more likely a genuine assessment than an attempt to win the command of the army.

Having considered this, Liu Biao made his final decision: "My mind is made up. I will appoint Kuai Yue as Grand Commander, leading an army of 70,000 men by land and sea to quell the rebellion in the south. I will also send 30,000 laborers to accompany the army and transport supplies. To the outside world, the army will be known as 300,000 men. We will set out next spring. I will also appoint Cai Mao as Naval Commander, to command the navy, and Liu Pan as Land Commander, to command the land forces. I will also summon generals such as Huang Zhong, Liu Hu, Zhang Yun, Wen Pin, and Han Xi to join the southern expedition."

After saying this, Liu Biao paused for a moment and then added, "Send an order to Huang Zu to be on high alert. If any Yangzhou warships sail upstream, they must not be allowed to cross the Jiangling line."

With an army of 70,000 men by land and water, it was impossible for them to be without civilian laborers. Even if the route was full of major rivers and can be used by water to ensure logistics, at least 10,000 civilian laborers would still need to be mobilized. Otherwise, the auxiliary soldiers in the army would have to bear more of the burden.

Jingzhou is not short of people nowadays; the inability of northern refugees to escape has led to a surge in Jingzhou's population.

Therefore, Liu Biao generously allocated a quota of 30,000 laborers.

Kuai Yue himself was somewhat surprised, as he actually did not want to get involved in the southward campaign against Hunan.

The Kuai family has now reached its peak in Jingzhou. Unless he rebels against Liu Biao and goes it alone, if he goes south and makes great contributions to suppressing the rebellion, it will be too great for him and will not benefit Kuai Yue himself.

We can't exactly ask Liu Biao to abdicate and give way to a more worthy successor, can we?

If they lose, it will likely be a major defeat, which would damage the reputation, prestige, and strength of the Kuai family.

But Liu Biao had made his decision in front of everyone, and refusing now would surely incur his wrath. Kuai Yue could only sigh inwardly, then stepped forward and, together with Cai Mao and Liu Pan, thanked Liu Biao for the important task.

"Please sit comfortably in Xiangyang, my lord. I will surely pacify southern Hunan for you and capture Zhang Xian to present to you."

"Otherworld".

Upon hearing this, Liu Biao personally descended the steps to Kuai Yue, took his hand, and said emotionally, "In that case, I entrust all matters in Jingnan to you."

Kuai Yue could only cup his hands in response, "Yes!"

********
Time flies, and another two months have passed.

During this period, there were no major events in Yangzhou, where Liu Feng was located. Due to the freezing weather, the army even reduced its drills to avoid frostbite and other similar incidents.

As Liu Feng had predicted, Liu Biao was not in a hurry to send troops, and the two sides in Jingzhou were still exchanging insults.

Large-scale wars don't break out so quickly. Not to mention how inconvenient it is to go to war in winter, the drying up of rivers alone is a major problem.

Although the rivers from Xiangyang to Changsha are major waterways, making this a relatively minor issue, it's not entirely nonexistent.

In addition, armies are also divided into strategic levels. Taking Liu Feng's Yangzhou army as an example, the Cuifeng Army is the highest configuration, and the requirement for them is to complete combat preparations within a week and then be deployed to the battlefield.

Aside from his personal guards of a thousand, only Liu Feng's Vanguard Army has this configuration. Even the secondary army led by Zhao Yun currently only has a month of combat readiness training.
As for Zhou Yu, Jia Kui, and Gao Shun, the requirements were even lower. Being able to regroup the troops within a month and put them into battle within a month and a half to two months would already be considered excellent.

Liu Feng and others estimated that the civil war in Jingzhou would not start until after spring at the earliest. If the mobilization in Jingbei was a little slower, it would likely be delayed until early summer.

At that time, Liu Feng will send out most of his troops to wipe out the Yue tribes, and then quietly wait for the right moment to make his move.

After making thorough preparations, Sun Zaizai disguised himself as a merchant ship, sailed upstream to Dongting Lake, then turned into the Xiang River, which would allow him to reach Changsha City directly.

The entire journey takes about half a month, which is more convenient than going to Xiangyang.

After arriving in Changsha, Sun Ce did not immediately seek out Huan Jie, but instead settled down in the city.

At this time, the atmosphere in Changsha was slightly tense, but because Jingbei still had not sent troops, many people still held onto hope.

Sun Ce stood in the room, gazing at the location of the Changsha Prefecture government office, lost in thought.

Many people had doubts and were worried about Sun Ce's initiative in volunteering for the mission.

But Sun Ce himself knew that he had never thought of fleeing. His self-recommendation was for the purpose of establishing merit.

In the six months since the surrender, Sun Ce and his family have felt Liu Feng's strategic vision, and the Sun family's status in this world is much lower than in the original timeline.

In the original timeline, he was already the ruler of Yangzhou, but in this timeline, he was merely a general under Yuan Shu, who had acquired most of Wu Commandery and the northern part of Kuaiji as subordinates.

(End of this chapter)