Chapter 542 The situation is clear: the dispute between the North and the South!

Chapter 542 The situation is clear: the dispute between the North and the South!

With such a reputation, Wei Bao undoubtedly attracted many rebels to join him. In just two short years, the number of his troops expanded rapidly like a snowball, directly expanding to as many as 150,000 people!

More importantly, the territories occupied by Wei Bao were all richly populated, and all of them had been places of contention for military strategists since ancient times. You know, in this chaotic world, the size of the population often symbolizes the strength and foundation. Since leaving Xianyang, Wei Bao led his growing army and conquered seven counties, including Hedong, Hanoi, Shangdang, Henan, Yingchuan, Dongjun and Handan.

Although these counties may not be considered vast and boundless in terms of geographical area, in ancient times, the core factor in judging the size of a county was not simply the land area, but the population size was the real decisive factor.

This means that the area under Wei Bao's control has a huge population base, which can naturally provide a steady supply of troops, thus laying an indestructible foundation for him to further expand his sphere of influence. At this moment, he has assembled a full 150,000 elite troops, whose strength is too strong to be underestimated. He has become a highly regarded tyrant among the various princes, and has unknowingly successfully seized the key strategic areas of Henan and Hebei.

This undoubtedly makes him one of the strongest and most powerful princes! Not to mention the forces of Wu Rui, Wei Bao, Xiang Yu, and Wang Ben and his son, the most eye-catching one in the current situation is Liu Bang. Of course, in fact, this Liu Bang was carefully shaped by the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan. Back then, he resolutely abandoned Sishui County and led his army directly to the north.

According to the latest intelligence obtained by Gao Yao, Liu Bang has completely controlled the five important counties of Jibei, Julu, Hengshan, Shanggu and Daijun. Not only that, his spearhead is aimed directly at Yuyang, Liaodong and Liaoxi, and he has made full preparations for a full-scale attack.

In just over two years, the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan had no soldiers at all. But because he had made advance arrangements, he decisively returned to Sishui County and actively recruited soldiers in the name of Liu Bang, recruiting talents, and finally successfully gathered a team of up to 30,000 people.

Later, with his outstanding leadership and strategic vision, the army continued to grow and develop, and today, it has a full 100,000 strong army. Even if there is a factor of acting in the name of Liu Bang, it can never conceal the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan's own strength.

However, due to the long distance, it actually took quite a long time to get the relevant information from Gao Yao. Not only that, but Gao Yao himself needed to consider and weigh many events, so when he got the news, it was at least three months later than the actual situation.

During this long period of time, according to Gao Yao's estimation of the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan, the Yuyang area must have been taken by him long ago. As for the remaining Liaodong and Liaoxi areas, it is difficult to say where they belong.

If Gao Yao were to make the decision, he would definitely not choose a strategy of forceful attack. After all, Liaodong and Liaoxi at this time had certain special characteristics. The resources and population of these two places were not rich and abundant during this period.

What's more difficult is that many foreign tribes from the grasslands often appear here. Although it is not completely impossible to occupy and control them, it is actually a time-consuming and laborious attack. Even if you succeed in taking them, if there is no effective means to check and balance these grassland tribes in the future, then such an action is actually not worth the loss.

If Gao Yao were to face such a situation personally, he would certainly not launch an offensive rashly. Therefore, according to Gao Yao's inference, the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan would most likely choose a ruling method that seemed gentle but actually contained a mystery.

Relying on powerful military force to create a deterrent effect, but not directly carrying out military occupation, through pressure, forcing the other side to nominally submit to it and regularly offer a certain amount of food and grass for military needs.

Compared to completely controlling Liaodong and Liaoxi in one fell swoop, the benefits that can be obtained in this way are undoubtedly much less. However, judging from the current situation, the probability of the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan making such a move is very high. After all, the cost of taking over Liaodong and Liaoxi, as well as the cost of defending Liaodong and Liaoxi after taking over, is far more than this kind of effort.

Of course, if there is any situation that can prompt the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan to make up his mind to seize Liaodong and Liaoxi with all his strength, it would be to cooperate with the Huns.

However, at this stage, Gao Yao does not think that the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan will take this path. This is not because Gao Yao firmly believes that Yi Xiaochuan has good intentions or noble morals. On the contrary, judging from his previous actions, the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan is not so conscientious, or he cares about the civilians and soldiers.

The real reason why Gao Yao made such a judgment was that the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan had many soldiers who originally belonged to the Northern Army. These people formed an elite army among the elite, and were the most powerful and reliable force in the hands of the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan.

These Northern Army soldiers are all experienced warriors! They have been fighting against the fierce and brutal Huns for many years, and have been on the verge of life and death countless times. Many soldiers' brothers, close comrades, and even their beloved family members have died tragically under the iron hoofs of the Huns. The bloody hatred for the Huns has long been deeply engraved in the hearts of every Northern Army soldier.

If the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan dared to openly cooperate with the Xiongnu without any scruples, it would undoubtedly be a stab in the hearts of many soldiers of the Northern Border Army. Such behavior would surely shake the morale of the Northern Border Army. Who knows, one day, a large-scale rebellion would break out in the army.

As an elite division of the Qin Empire, the Northern Army was famous. But with the fall of the Qin Empire, the army gradually declined and eventually became a mere formality. Most of the soldiers had no choice but to scatter.

After all, fighting a war requires not only courage and faith, but also money and supplies. If even the basic salary cannot be paid, it would be fine, but for the sake of the illusory so-called honor, everyone might be able to grit their teeth and persevere.