Chapter 98 Short-sighted
"Our new Shangguan Li Yehou is really not an ordinary playboy. He has been through a lot. I have to admit that Old He is convinced."

In the hold, Captain He Gui was drinking liquor and grimacing at the spiciness of the drink.

Sitting with him were the school lieutenant Chen Zhen, the commander Cao Qianyou, Jiang Can, and Chen Qiong.

Among them, Captain Chen Qiong is Chen Zhen’s cousin, and they are the same age.

He Gui, the school lieutenant, was from Pengcheng. He was promoted to school lieutenant because of his bravery and good fighting skills and his meritorious service in suppressing bandits. Cao Qianyou was from Qiao County and claimed to be a member of the royal family of the Former Wei Dynasty. He was said to be a descendant of Cao Yu, the King of Yan.

Jiang Can, a native of Xia Pi, was famous in the army for his archery skills.

Several people were on a large Wuya warship and lived in the cabins on the second floor. They sailed along the Huai River these days and gathered together to drink when they had nothing to do.

After hearing what He Gui said, Chen Zhen nodded and said, "That day in Langya, I thought General Li was going to give us a warning and maybe just take us out and chop us off. But I didn't expect the general's way of commanding the army was so meticulous, just like Zhuge Liang's style."

Young people from prominent families generally only admire those who have a better background and are more capable than them.

In the past, Chen Zhen was very proud. In the Xuzhou army, he was definitely considered a young talent. He was promoted to captain at the age of 20. He was appreciated by Murong Jian and was wooed by the Chen family, but his own outstanding ability was also another reason.

But compared to Li Yuanhui, who was born in the Longxi Li family, his origin was a little inferior.

The Chen family of Huaipu was a prominent family in Xuzhou and a powerful local family, but they were not as powerful as the Li family of Longxi.

Li Yuanhui's own past achievements are beyond his reach.

At the age of 14, he joined the army and shot and killed the enemy general in the Battle of Mangshan, thus reversing the defeat. In the Battle of Dongduyuan, he captured and killed the brothers Yang Xun, Duke of Chu. At the beginning of the year, he also had the legendary feat of taking Jinyang with a hundred cavalry.

It just so happened that such a teenager not only had courage and bravery, but after taking over the 5,000 Xuzhou troops, he managed all military affairs in an orderly manner and handled things fairly without any faults.

All these factors made Chen Zhen have a very high opinion of Li Yuanhui, even far exceeding what he should have originally thought.

If Li Si knew that someone compared him to the prime minister, he would probably kowtow to them.

Jiang Can, on the other hand, brought up a less cheerful topic, "When we go to Shouchun this time, we brothers should be careful. The Saint may want our Xuzhou army to lead the charge."

He Gui said, "What's wrong with leading the charge? Judging from your actions, if the saint had used his previous temper, all the generals in Xuzhou would have been killed. How many people died when Yang Xun rebelled? All those who had received his rice in the south of Luoyang were killed. Now he lets us make amends for our crimes, which is good. At least he didn't kill us."

Cao Qianyou said, "Captain He is right. King Murong led his army to stay in Langya and intercepted the grain transported to the canal. This time he was only demoted. This is really unlike the saint's usual temperament."

Chen Zhen smiled and said, "The temperament of a saint? Old Cao, do you know the temperament of a saint?"

"I heard all this when I was serving as the king's bodyguard. Although I am fine now, I am afraid that the saint will take revenge on me later."

Cao Qianyou was originally a bodyguard of Murong Jian, Prince of Qiao. He was promoted to the position of commander after he came to Xuzhou. Therefore, among the few people, he was the one who had the deepest connection with Murong Jian.

He Gui said: "Don't worry first. If the saint doesn't move the prince of Qiao, he won't move us. We must make efforts in this battle of Shouchun, strive to gain military merits, and seek wealth. If we see that the situation is not right, we should make preparations early."

Jiang Can asked: "What preparations are you making?"

"What else can it be except preparation for escape? Rebellion will lead to death." He Gui, who was drunk, started to speak without thinking.

However, the current situations of these people are actually similar. They are all military officers promoted by Murong Jian, and they are all on the same boat.

Hearing this, Chen Zhen frowned and said, "Lao He, you've drunk too much, stop talking nonsense."

He Gui smiled when he heard this, but did not argue. Chen Qiong, who had been silent all this time, said, "Brothers, listen to me."

But before Chen Qiong finished speaking, someone outside the cabin door shouted, "Is Captain Chen here?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhen immediately responded, "Here."

"The general invites you."

"Okay, Chen will go up right away."

Chen Zhen stood up, straightened his robe, pushed open the cabin door, and climbed onto the top deck with the soldiers of the Xiaoguo Army who came to deliver the message.

After Chen Zhen left, several people continued to ask Chen Qiong.

"Chen Liulang, you just said half of your words, continue."

Chen Qiong, who was the sixth in line at home, sighed and said, "I wanted to say that we used to rely on Prince Qiao, but now Prince Qiao can't protect himself. Now the governor of Xuzhou is General Duan, and the superior is Marquis Li Ye. If we want to survive, we still have to find a way to get through these two people."

The Wu Ya ship can accommodate 800 soldiers, and the top deck naturally belongs to Li Yuanhui, the superior.

At this time, Li Si was also drinking, but the food he ate was simpler than that of the captains and lieutenants below, just some peanuts and some fruits.

The person drinking with him was Lao Liu, and the two of them were discussing military strategies while pointing at the Jianghuai map hanging nearby.

"If I were Murong Anguo, I would first take Cai, block the Huai River, and fight against the central army. He first occupied Guangling. Could it be that he wanted to cross the Guazhou River and go south to Jiangdong, and use the natural barrier of the Yangtze River to resist the court?"

"There are some problems with his route to Jiangdong. He should first take Lujiang County, pass through Chaohu Lake, go to Ruxukou, and go down the river, or attack Liyang by land."

"Meet the general."

After entering the spacious cabin, Chen Zhen immediately bowed and clasped his fists. He didn't expect that Li Yuanhui and Liu Xuanji were drinking and playing war simulations at the same time.

Li Yuanhui, who was eating a piece of watermelon in his hand, gestured to Chen Zhen, indicating him to sit down.

Then he pointed at the map and said, "Captain Chen, your family has a long history of learning. I wonder what you think of this war?"

After saying that, Liu Xuanji also picked up the wine bowl and took a sip of wine, then looked at Chen Zhen beside him with interest.

Chen Zhen looked at the map and thought for a moment, then said, "If Prince Chen goes south from Guangling, takes Jianye, and controls Jiangdong, then this battle may take longer and last for a long time. If he learns that Shouchun is in danger and returns quickly, then the battle can be won in a month."

Li Yuanhui continued to ask: "Then in your opinion, what choice will Murong Anguo make?"

Chen Zhen said: "Although Murong Anguo is a member of the royal family, he does not have great ambitions. This time he just took advantage of the rebellion in Qi County to fish in troubled waters. He occupied Guangling only because he coveted Guangling's wealth. If he really wanted to rule the world, he should first take Lujiang, and then split his troops into two routes. Take Liyang by land, and the navy will go out of Chaohu Lake and enter the Yangtze River through Ruxukou. Then, along the river, he will unite with Wujun Prefect Murong Guizhen to take all of Jiangdong and divide the river with the court. Shouchun has been his home base for many years. Murong Anguo is greedy for wealth and has no foresight. He will definitely not give up Shouchun. If he returns to rescue, even if Shouchun City has strong walls, it will not be able to withstand the front of the central army."

Liu Xuanji was surprised when he heard this and said, "Captain Chen's words are similar to what Silang sees."

Chen Zhen was stunned when he heard this. He certainly did not hear the previous discussion between Li Yuanhui and Liu Xuanji, but he was surprised that the two had the same opinion. He felt proud of it.

Li Yuanhui laughed when he heard this and said, "This is not surprising. Since ancient times, the North and the South have been confronting each other, and the disputes are nothing more than three places. The west is Bashu and Hanzhong, the middle is Xiangfan and Wancheng, and the east is Jianghuai. Shouchun and Zhongli are the key points of the Jianghuai defense line, and they are also the base that Murong Anguo has been operating for many years. How can he be willing to give it up so easily?"

(End of this chapter)