Plan to cut off the nine states

Cao Shenxi's words seemed to make sense, but also seemed like useless nonsense. Xu Chu smiled and persuaded him to drink. He didn't ask any questions for the rest of the time and concentrated on drinking.

Cao Shenxi had finished drinking, and stretched out his hand to cover the wine glass, "Let Dongdu go, the food stored in the people's homes is somewhat uneven. In just a few days, many people can no longer hold on and rely on the thin porridge from the temple." To survive, there will be people starving to death in the city within ten days at most.”

"If the food is uneven, let's make it even."

Cao Shenxi smiled bitterly and shook his head, "If things were so simple... King Wu never asked me how to deal with Jizhou's sudden cavalry."

Xu Chu smiled and said, "General Cao is willing to give me advice?"

"Oh, just a thought, I am no longer human inside and out. I will help you to save the Eastern Capital, and my reputation will be ruined from now on. I started as a loyal minister and ended as a traitor. If I don't help you, Yecheng soldiers have been surrounding you for a long time, and you will definitely massacre the city. In the end, I will My reputation is ruined. Alas, my words are not helpful to you, they are just commonplace."

"Want to hear the details."

"The sudden cavalry took advantage of the flat ground. I have never ascended the city. If nothing unexpected happens, the Jizhou soldiers will definitely camp facing the flat ground."

"Well, they demolished almost all the houses outside the city and used them to build siege equipment. From what General Cao said, they actually left flat land for themselves."

"The sudden cavalry on the plains is invincible. I heard that King Ning led his troops out to challenge the North City today and returned with a great victory. But I don't believe it. If King Ning won a great victory, he would not have to return to the city and should take advantage of the victory to break the camp. I secretly speculated that Jizhou must be Our troops are scattered and we underestimate the enemy, so we rush out of the camp to fight with King Ning with fewer enemies, right?"

Xu Chu smiled and nodded, admiring in his heart that Cao Shenxi was indeed a veteran. Sitting in the palace, separated by several thick walls, he could clearly guess the war happening outside the city, as if he had witnessed it with his own eyes.

"The commander-in-chief of Jizhou is General Wang Tiemei, right?"

"Well, he's the governor now."

"Hey, being promoted before the war is not a good sign for a general. Well... Wang Tiemei is not very good at adapting to changes, but he listens to his staff very well. After this setback, he will inevitably change his style of play."

"How to change it?"

"Gather the cavalry together and wait for the rebels to come out of the city to challenge."

"How can we defend the camp if the cavalry is concentrated?"

"Leave the infantry behind and hold on. The rebels' strategy is nothing more than to attack from all sides. If they encounter infantry, they will return in vain at most. If they encounter cavalry, they will suffer a disastrous defeat."

"Which side will the cavalry concentrate on? Beicheng?"

"It's hard to tell. Wang Tiemei is so angry that he will definitely hide the movement of troop deployment so that the city cannot see it."

"Jizhou's concentrated assault cavalry is indeed a formidable enemy. How does General Cao think we should deal with it?"

"I have already said that the cavalry can conquer the ground, and the way to deal with it is to lead the cavalry into dangerous areas, avoid its strengths, and attack its weaknesses. That's all. If the rebels rely solely on bravery, they will win a small victory, but they will eventually be defeated."

"The rebels are surrounded in the city and have nowhere to move. Where is the dangerous place to draw the cavalry?"

"The city is a dangerous place."

Xu Chu was stunned for a moment, then immediately smiled and said: "General Cao is saying to open the city gate to welcome the Jizhou cavalry?"

"Um."

"Haha, General Cao is joking. As soon as the city gate is opened, the morale of the army is lost. How can we face the enemy?"

"It's your business how to unite the troops. I'm only talking about how to deal with the cavalry."

"Okay, if I can keep the troops' morale intact, if I can set up an ambush in the city to make it difficult for the horses to move - Wang Tiemei has more than just cavalry at his disposal. If he sends infantry into the city, the rebels will still have no advantage."

"No." Cao Shenxi said with absolute certainty.

"Can't do anything?"

"Wang Tiemei will not send infantry into the city."

"Why?"

"Wang Tiemei is good at using cavalry and trusts the cavalry. Those people are all his old subordinates. The infantry must have been temporarily recruited from various places in Yecheng. Although they are under Wang Tiemei's command, there are always some barriers. Wang Tiemei is a person who is divided between inside and outside. Ji Qing treats his own people as his nephews and outsiders as his servants. It is a great achievement for the first group to enter the city when the gate of Dongdu is opened, so he will definitely be reluctant to give up the infantry. "

"He still has a staff."

"Everyone is the same. They only want to listen to advice when they are at a loss. When victory is imminent, who can still listen to unfavorable advice?"

Xu Chu laughed, "Yes, everyone is the same. But..."

Someone outside the house said: "In power, Xicheng has faith."

"Come in."

Lei Dajun entered the room, glanced at Cao Shenxi quickly, cupped his hands to the King of Wu and said, "There is a man from the west city."

"General Lei, it doesn't matter if you say it."

Lei Dajun then said: "A messenger came from outside the city and has been delivered here. He calls himself Fei."

"Invite him in."

"Yes." Lei Dajun went out to call someone.

Cao Shenxi stood up and said, "I have to say goodbye."

"General Cao has an old relationship with Master Fei. He once hid him in a wall. Why don't we talk about it together?"

"That's why I'm ashamed to see him."

Cao Shenxi left in a hurry. He was a surrendered general who was helping the rebels manage Dongdu. Fei Zan resisted until the last moment and still went to Yecheng after the city was broken. Comparing the two, Cao Shenxi felt deeply ashamed.

Fei Zhen entered the room with a cold air. After receiving the signal from King Wu, Lei Dajun exited with the guards.

"Master Fei is here just in time, let's have a drink together." Xu Chu said with a smile.

Fei Zhen glanced at the table and shook his head, "I'm sorry for interrupting King Wu's banquet. I'm not here to drink. I just want to ask King Wu what you mean?"

"Um?"

"The King of Wu said that he wanted to surrender, but at the same time he sent troops to sneak attack the officers and soldiers. What does this mean?"

"Oh, this matter. It is King Ning who leads the troops out of the city, I have no control over it."

"The King of Wu can't control it, so why should he promise Lou Xiaoqi three days? Why not just open the west gate, welcome the officers and soldiers, and surrender sincerely."

"Tomorrow is the deadline. I can still capture the armies of kings."

Fei Zhen took two steps forward and looked directly at Xu Chu, "I can roughly guess the intention of the King of Wu. The King of Wu had already guessed that Yecheng would send troops to besiege the Eastern Capital. He knew it but did not say anything. He just wanted to take the opportunity to seize the rebel military power."

"Nothing can be hidden from Mr. Fei."

"You don't want to surrender. You have never thought that once you completely capture the entire rebel army, you will have to fight with the officers and soldiers. Am I right?"

"Yes, but..."

"Hey, I want to be a traitor at a young age."

"It has nothing to do with age."

Fei Zhen stepped forward, picked up half a glass of wine, and drank it in one gulp regardless of whose it belonged to, "So King Wu doesn't really want to protect the people of Dongdu?"

Xu Chu was silent for a while and replied truthfully: "I don't know."

"you do not know?"

"I care about the people of Dongdu and want to protect them, but honestly speaking, this idea is not strong. If I have to choose between the rebels and the people, I think I will choose the former."

Fei Zhen also fell silent. Xu Chu filled the cup with wine, but he didn't drink it. "Where are the people?"

"Hide in your own home, everywhere."

Fei Zhen shook his head, "'Common people' is only in our mouths. How long has it been since King Wu came into contact with ordinary people?"

"It's been a long time, and I didn't have much contact with them." Since Xu Chu entered the city, he had only seen the people from a distance and never had real contact with them.

"Actually, I don't have much contact with them. It's interesting. The farther away people are from the people, the more they feel they have the responsibility to protect the people."

"Well, so officials call themselves the parents of the people, and the emperor is the 'parent' of the people in the world."

"I'm afraid what we want is not parents' meticulous care of their children, but parents' power of life and death over their children."

"Master Fei is making things worse and worse for us people."

"It's not that difficult to admit the truth. It's only these 'unbearable' people who are willing to stand up and do something. The people... the people are all hiding. No one is willing to show their face until the disaster comes to their own door. Alas."

"Thanks to this, the 'unbearable' people have the opportunity to do whatever they want, so should we be grateful, or should we be angry?"

Fei Zhen was angry, he was always angry, hating that iron could not become steel, hating that he was not sincere enough and often unable to do anything.

"Farewell." Fei Zhen turned and left.

Xu Chu hurriedly stood up and stopped him, "Why did Mr. Fei leave before we even said a few words?"

"I have nothing to say. The more I talk, the more nonsense I feel. I already understand King Wu's thoughts, and that's enough."

"I don't think Mr. Fei understands."

Fei Zhen laughed and said, "Is King Wu afraid that I will talk nonsense after I leave the city and ruin your plan of taking advantage of both sides? Then you can rest assured, because Yecheng has never believed you at all. After Lou Xiaoqi came, he said that you would rebel. , with no intention of surrender.”

Xu Chu was a little surprised. When they met the day before yesterday, Lou Ji acted completely convinced by him, but he didn't expect that he was pretending.

"Did Lou Xiaoqi really say that?"

"King Wu made a big mistake. You quelled the riots in the city in front of Lou Xiaoqi and gained military morale by pretending to be a ghost. The better you do, the more bad things Lou Xiaoqi will say about you."

"Does he... hate me?"

"I don't know what's going on between you brothers, but he really doesn't like you. He came to the city to see you just under orders, to prove that you are rebellious. The so-called surrender is just a temporary measure."

"By whose order?"

"King of Eastern Hunan."

"King Xiangdong doesn't believe me?"

"She is the daughter of King Xiangdong. Princess Huanyan said you must use tricks, so King Xiangdong doesn't believe you, but King Jibei still cares about you as his son-in-law. Louji is the future son-in-law of King Xiangdong. Of course, he must prove that King Xiangdong is talented. That's right."

"Princess Huanyan is here too?"

"No, she is still in Yecheng, but she has a great influence on the King of Xiangdong, and letters are exchanged every day. It seems that Princess Huanyan knows the King of Wu very well. I just met the Yecheng army and said that you let me out , King Xiangdong was not surprised at all. He said, 'What his daughter said is indeed true. Xu Chu really took advantage of the chaos and wanted to become the leader of the rebels.'"

Xu Chu stayed for a while. He guessed other people's thoughts and movements every day. Unexpectedly, he was also guessed, and his guess was accurate.

"Since Princess Huanyan has guessed all this, what is her idea?" Xu Chu asked.

"Same as you. King Wu pretended to submit, Yecheng pretended to accept submission, you secretly seized power, and King Xiangdong also became more powerful day by day - Hey, in the past, everyone said that King Xiangdong was indifferent to the world, but in fact it was just that the time had not come yet. ——You want to wait until you have mastered all the rebels, then fight a decisive battle with the officers and soldiers, and rely on this battle to win the world. The same is true for the King of Eastern Hunan. He defeated the rebels, captured the eastern capital, and convinced the soldiers of Jizhou. Who else is there in Yecheng? Will you oppose him becoming emperor?"

The more Fei Zhen talked, the more annoyed he became, "Tiancheng died due to intrigues. The small court in Yecheng and the King of Wu are still playing this trick. Alas, it is said that there are many heroes, but there is no real hero among them? A hundred years of troubled times It has only been over twenty years, and another hundred years of troubled times are coming? Fei was born in troubled times, and will also die in troubled times. It is a pity that he once encountered the rule of times, but failed to retain it!"

Fei Zhen didn't know what he was thinking. He was so angry that he actually took out a dagger from his arms and stared angrily, "There are only one less person like you, so let's just die together!"