sweeping the world

Chapter 404 Countermeasures
Sure enough, as predicted by many, the clear sky was gradually shrouded by dark clouds, and the wind that originally felt cool became freezing. One day, it started to rain lightly during the day, and then it started to rain late at night. It snowed heavily.

It is not clear to Liu Yan whether Zhao Jun in Shijie prepared warm clothes, but the Han army has begun to hoard a large amount of wool felt and related warm clothes after autumn.

The warm items provided by the Han army are definitely not available to the entire army, but they can meet the needs of the frontline soldiers. Soldiers who are not on the frontline can only stay indoors as much as possible.

Liu Yan is no longer in Gucheng. Under the strong request of Xu Zheng, Yuan Qiao, and other officials including Ji Chang and Sang Yu, he retreated to Fenggao in Taishan County. The reason was that the king should not be in danger. While the location has a natural barrier, it is also the center point of the Yanzhou, Jizhou, and Xuzhou battlefields. There is no time difference in the past information collected by all parties, and the overall situation can be grasped more clearly.

Sometimes an appropriate compromise is necessary, especially for the king. Liu Yan is not a fool. He knows that staying in Gucheng will put too much psychological pressure on Xu Zheng and Yuan Qiao, and the entire Han Kingdom will be terrified. Just go back.

The battle in Puyang County has evolved into a war that will determine the fate of the country. Although there are some accidents, it is reasonable. After all, Dunqiu County is where Shihu used to garrison troops. It is considered a strategically important place, and it is not surprising that a war breaks out, the difference is how big the war will be.

It’s snowing heavily in winter, the tour must be suspended, there is still room for discussion on whether it’s necessary to go to Yuzhou again, and the other important ministers should put down their work for the time being and rush to Fenggao to discuss the country’s affairs with Liu Yan .

"The number of enemy troops around Puyang City is constantly decreasing, which can be interpreted as Shihu doesn't have enough national strength to support consumption." Sang Yu just rushed to Fenggao from Yuzhou, and almost everything that should be there before coming is there.He wore a lot of clothes, even wrapped in a fur cloak, shrinking his body and said: "The reduction in the number makes the enemy army more pure. According to investigations, 18 of the 15 are from the Jie people. The Dragon Guards are also among them."

"Shihu seldom uses Jie people on a large scale to fight, but this time he used so many, it can be seen that he attaches great importance to the battle of Puyang." Ji Chang looked much better, although he was wearing a lot of warm clothes, at least he didn't have a cloak Shrinking his body, he said to Liu Yan very seriously: "Your Majesty, the battle in Puyang City is a battle of national destiny for Shijie."

Xu Zheng personally led the army in Puyang City, with [-] troops stationed in the city and [-] camps outside the city.His marching commander, Shi Yuanqiao, commanded [-] troops to garrison Juancheng, in order to ensure the rear.

The whole country of Han has only about [-] troops, and nearly [-] troops were used in Puyang City alone. For Han, the Battle of Puyang can also be regarded as a battle that will affect the fate of the country.

"In the Liaodong battlefield, Murong Hao personally led [-] Yan troops to garrison, and our defenders there were only [-]." Ji Chang had to mention another point: "Shi Bin in the Jizhou battlefield commanded more than [-] troops. There are [-] Yan troops, and we only have [-] on the Zhangshui line."

Huan Wen said the right words at the right time: "There is also the Yangtze River line. The Jin army has already begun to mobilize supplies, and the navy also shows signs of large-scale assembly."

The Yangtze River in winter will not freeze, and it can maintain unimpeded navigation all year round. It means that if you want to fight a water battle, you don't need to consider the problem of freezing. What you need to pay attention to is the flood season, and there is no big flood in the Yangtze River in winter.

"Three Kingdoms attack our great Han." Ji Chang said what he had wanted to say for a long time: "Your Majesty, we have to recruit troops."

Huan Wen once again made up his mind: "There used to be a population of 600 million in the pre-Qin period, but an army of one million. The population of the Han Dynasty was more than 180 million, including more than 70 suitable soldiers. Even if not all of them were recruited, 35 soldiers would be appropriate. "

"Big Han has practiced among the people all the year round. When a young man enters the army, he is a qualified soldier. Although there is a gap between him and soldiers, there is no gap between him and county soldiers in other countries. Especially big Han has no shortage of weapons." Sang Yu Obviously, it is also an opinion that is eager to increase the number of troops: "Your Majesty, we should really recruit troops on a large scale."

A population of more than 180 million has supported 14 soldiers and nearly [-] second-line troops (such as auxiliary soldiers), which is equivalent to a military-to-civilian ratio of nine to one.If it weren't for the larger number of slaves in Han, domestic production would have been stagnant or even scarce.

The military-to-civilian ratio is already nine to one, how much more will be recruited? 35, or 15?If it is 35, it means that there are a total of 55 troops, that is, one-third of the country has soldiers.One hundred thousand means a total of 35 troops, and the military-to-civilian ratio is five to one.

"30 civilians were recruited, and 30 slaves were recruited according to the standards of the servant army and the attached army." Ji Chang was still quite cautious. He said: "In this way, they are 30 and [-] respectively."

"Yao Yizhong's performance is quite cooperative." Sang Yu said with a smile: "If the king is willing to make some promises, at least the Qiang and Di people among the slaves can use it."

The source of slaves in the Han Dynasty is still relatively simple. The number of prisoners of war was the largest during the campaign, and the number of miscellaneous Hus was actually more. The Qiang people and the Di people captured hundreds of thousands at once in the battle of Luoyin. It will account for about two-fifths.

Prisoners of war are generally awarded to soldiers who have made meritorious service in the war. As a result, most soldiers have at least one slave in their families.Originally, some soldiers regarded their slaves as war slaves, but this was later banned, and slaves later worked specifically on their behalf.

In addition to the slaves rewarded to soldiers, the state holds the largest number of slaves, such as building roads, building bridges, or carrying out other large-scale national projects, and the labor comes from official slaves.

Seriously, what the Han did was almost a replica of the pre-Qin. The difference was that most of the slaves in the pre-Qin were the same Miao descendants from the six countries in Shandong, while the slaves in the Han were overwhelmingly Hu people. .

After Liu Yan captured Yao Yizhong, he didn't treat him harshly, let alone mistreating him.Don't even think about how preferentially he will treat Yao Yizhong, there is no one who serves, and there will be no safety, just take him with you.

There is information that Yao Yizhong's favorite son, Yao Xiang, was also captured by the Han army. That's why he has never been found. I really don't know whether it is because the Han army will not find someone, or whether Yao Xiang hid too well and was not captured. captured.

The Han army began to gradually eliminate the existence of the servant army and the newly attached army two years ago. The servant troops currently retained are only a few from the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese islands. The number of the servant army is only 1. The newly attached army is The army was completely cancelled.This phenomenon occurs because according to the regulations of the twentieth rank, even slaves who have performed meritorious services will be counted. Not only can they become free citizens, but they can even become nobles. They are more likely to be resisted by the army composed of free citizens of the Han Dynasty.

"If slaves have done meritorious service, they will naturally be rewarded according to Han law." Facing the military's question, Ji Chang said bluntly: "To make them fight hard, we need to give them hope. It is unrealistic to recruit soldiers from civilians on a large scale, and we need Isn't increasing the size of the army a way to absorb them?"

The people in charge of all parties have been colliding with each other, each with their own views, but generally speaking, they have the same view on increasing the number of troops.

The three kingdoms are going to join forces to attack Han. It seems that there are at least three battlefields. The increase in the number of troops is a matter of course, but there must be a suitable plan for how to recruit troops.

"Although the big Han has been in a state of war, the hinterland has not been affected by the flames of war." Cai You glanced at Cheng Shuo briefly, then turned to look at Liu Yancai and said, "The treasury has abundant grain reserves, enough to feed an army of 50. Two years. Weapons and armor depend on the situation. Arming [-] at a time can not affect the replenishment of the front lines, but it will be difficult if it exceeds [-]."

Liu Yan waited for the ministers to say what they had to say, and made a decision: "Conscript 20 soldiers, and then select [-] slaves to form a servant army."

In this way, the Han army of non-systematic troops reached 30, and except for 20 soldiers, the rest could only be regarded as auxiliary soldiers.Adding 55 slave soldiers and about 400 Janissaries, the total number is almost [-]. For a country with a population of close to [-] million including slaves, the army really seems slightly larger.

"It won't last for a long time." Seeing Liu Yan frowning, Ji Chang explained, "It will last for a year at most."

Liu Yan frowned not because of anything else, but because the small court of the Eastern Jin Dynasty finally forgot about the hatred of the country and the family and joined forces with Shi Jie and Zhao.However, he doesn't seem to be qualified to blame Xiao~chao~ting, after all, the relationship between Han and Xiao~chao~ting is not very good, and it can even be said that the official exchanges are very bad.

"Your Majesty, don't worry too much along the Yangtze River." Sang Yu said with a smile: "The Yu family has completely declined. It hasn't been long since the transfer of power from the Xiao~chao~ting. They didn't want to change from a defensive posture to an offensive posture so quickly. . Furthermore, there is only one candidate for the head coach of the Northern Expedition of the Xiao Dynasty, and that is Chu Pei, the abbot of the country."

Speaking of this state leader, Chu Pei has always stayed in Runan County and is in charge of the three counties of Ruyin County, Xincai County and Runan County. He looks very stable.

"According to past examples, the preparation for the Northern Expedition of the Xiao Dynasty will take at least one year." Huan Wen was extremely familiar with the Xiao Dynasty in the south and said firmly: "The Chu family and the Xie family came together, but they Together they still can't compare with the power of the Yu clan."

The Northern Expedition of the Eastern Jin Dynasty had always relied on the strength of aristocratic families, so they really couldn't count on the imperial army.

This is not to say that the army of the small imperial court cannot fight. First, various generals have "family-herited" official positions. They spend more time with women than with soldiers. What it would be like for such a person to lead an army. It's easy to imagine; secondly, the real talents are basically from certain powerful families or aristocratic families. For example, the troops used by Yu Liang in the Northern Expedition were more powerful than the military generals of the imperial court. Even Zu Ti, who danced after hearing the chicken, looked like this. ; The third is that the imperial court has fewer resources than the aristocratic families. If the aristocratic families do not contribute, the imperial court will not have enough resources to support the Northern Expedition.

Liu Yan still had some impressions of this patriarch, and vaguely remembered that Chu Po's Northern Expedition was a joke at all, but the country's military affairs were serious, so even if it was just in case, it should be treated with caution.

"The widow means that the servant army is mainly responsible for the southern front." Liu Yan has no hobby of letting the Huren kill his compatriots. He said: "The servant army is only suitable for going south. The western and northern fronts are used by the widow. I don't feel at ease."

"The Hu people in the servant army are not good at fighting in places with too many water nets, but as the king said, we have to be careful that the Hu people will defect before the battle. Even if they defect south, the damage will be suppressed quickly, so they are only suitable for Go south." Ji Changshi first agreed, and then said: "Whether the southern route is Xuzhou or Yuzhou, defense is the main focus for the time being, and defenses can be dismantled to minimize the harm as much as possible."

No one objected to the servant army going south. In addition to the above reasons, the Jin people south of the Yangtze River generally did not take the first step towards the Hu people.

It's funny to say that in the Central Plains, the Han army has been suppressing the Hu people. It means that the Han army is better than the Hu people. But the small court in the south is more afraid of the Hu people than the Han army. The small court is more afraid of the Hu people than the Han army. Both the officials and the people in Ting dared to show their teeth to the Han army, but they softened first when encountering the Hu people.It can only be said that the small imperial court of the Eastern Jin Dynasty was brave in civil war and not afraid of fighting with their own brothers. However, when facing non-comatriots, they were timid before fighting and lacked courage in foreign wars.

"Before the beginning of spring, the things discussed must be settled." After Liu Yan finished his first sentence, several people spoke, and he did not have a chance to speak to others: "Since the battlefield in Puyang County will be a crucial battle, the widow will I will personally supervise the battle."

This was what everyone wanted to stop just now, but Liu Yan had already spoken first.

"There must be a good plan, and there must be a way to deal with things going in a bad direction." Liu Yan would be lying if he said that he had no pressure in his heart. He glanced around and said, "The bottom line of Jizhou's retreat is Pingyuan is on the same line as Leling. To the south..." He paused but laughed, and finally said: "Guozhang, haha."

Everyone strictly responded to the "nuo" to express their understanding, but no one asked Liao Yidong, and they all knew that there should not be lost under any circumstances.

Sang Yu quickly winked at Ji Chang, and even lowered his voice to remind: "Guanzhong."

Ji Chang understood, and immediately said: "Your Majesty, since the battle in Puyang County is very important, and even our troops are insufficient, can you let Ran lead the army to fight?"

Ran's Qin State is gone, and Guanzhong did not stop sending people to Yuzhou until winter, but Ran Min still has an armed force of about [-] people.Although the combat power of the [-] or so people under Ran Min's command varied widely, for Han, it was a battle of national destiny, and how many troops could be added was one of the strengths.

"Guanzhong is now dispensable to the Han Dynasty. As long as the battle of Puyang County is won, Guanzhong will naturally be in the pocket. If Puyang County loses, Guanzhong will have nothing to defend." Sang Yu's will was very firm and he rarely said seriously. Said: "My king also needs to know Ran's mentality."

Liu Yan didn't have any extra words, he just nodded to express his approval.

(End of this chapter)