Chapter 584 Wu Rui’s calculations, Gao Yao’s purpose?

Chapter 584 Wu Rui’s calculations, Gao Yao’s purpose?

As Zhou Ke analyzed in detail, Wu Rui, who was sitting on the throne, frowned more and more. Wu Rui was known for his wisdom and strategy, so he could quickly understand the deep meaning of what Zhou Ke said.

Zhou Ke's analysis made Wu Rui realize that this situation was very likely to happen. After all, the alliance of princes was originally a loose sand, and each had its own agenda. If they really signed the so-called non-aggression pact with Gao Yao, the subsequent development would probably be as Zhou Ke had speculated, which was unimaginable.

Wu Rui thought to himself that Gao Yao's move might not be as simple as it seemed. He might have done it on purpose, and his real purpose was actually Hanzhong. In this way, Gao Yao could both paralyze them and stir up conflicts among the princes, making them suspicious of each other and fighting. In this way, Gao Yao would have an opportunity to seize Hanzhong with all his strength.

Once Hanzhong fell into Gao Yao's hands, Wu Rui knew that with his current strength, it would be absolutely difficult to compete with him. Thinking of this, Wu Rui frowned even more tightly, and the worry in his heart became heavier.

"Now our army and Wang Ben's army are mutually supportive. If our army attacks Hanzhong, we can cut off the retreat of the southern border army; and if the enemy attacks our army, Wang Ben in Hanzhong can directly lead his troops into Shu and attack Huanglong. In this way, Gao Yao will definitely have some concerns. After all, once Hanzhong falls into Gao Yao's hands, our Nanjun will be surrounded on three sides by Gao Yao. By then, even with the help of the King of Chu and the King of Wei, I am afraid that our army will not be able to hold on until the reinforcements arrive!"

Zhou Ke did not stop his analysis, but continued to explain the interests involved.

He knew very well that once Hanzhong was lost, our army would be attacked from both sides and fall into an extremely passive situation. By then, even if the Chu and Wei armies wanted to help, it would be difficult to take care of both due to the long battle line and dispersed forces, which would eventually lead to losing the big picture.

"Your Majesty, I have a different opinion on this matter."

At this moment, another person suddenly stood up. This person was the court judge under Wu Rui, named Zheng Lu. You know, although the princes today are called kings, in fact, the positions under their command are still inclined to the official system of the Qin Dynasty. Due to limited space, it is naturally impossible to set up too many official positions.

Zheng Lu, who stood up to speak at this moment, was in charge of all legal affairs under Wu Rui as the Minister of Justice. Not only that, he was also responsible for military discipline. From this point, we can see how much Wu Rui trusted Zheng Lu.

Of course, during this period, the power of the court judge usually did not extend to the military. However, due to the different specific situations of each prince, on the one hand, they were not real kings, and on the other hand, they were all striving for development, so the official positions were often supported by core members holding multiple positions. Not to mention these princes, even Gao Yao's subordinates were in the same situation.

"But it doesn't matter!"

Wu Rui did not interrupt Zheng Lu's speech, but smiled and generously allowed him to continue to express his views. What Zhou Ke said did make sense, but the problem was that he only pointed out the problem but did not propose a specific solution. This situation is hated by superiors, whether in ancient times or modern times.

After all, when faced with a problem, people who only identify the problem but cannot provide effective solutions often find it difficult to truly solve practical difficulties.

Wu Rui knew that Zhou Ke was right, but he also knew that Zhou Ke did not provide a feasible solution. He could not just keep delaying like this, could he? In the end, he still needed a practical solution. So, Wu Rui looked at Zheng Lu and gave him permission to continue speaking.

Zheng Lu, who was allowed to do so, was not polite. He directly threw the key question to Zhou Ke: "Your Majesty, although Doctor Zhou pointed out the problem, he did not mention how to solve it. If we do not sign an alliance with Gao Yao, we will inevitably face Gao Yao's attack. Doctor Zhou, do you have any good solution to this problem?"

"Absolutely impossible!" Zhou Ke said firmly, "Gao Yao will never act this way! A strong attack means that we will have to forcibly defeat our 100,000-man army, as well as Wang Ben in Hanzhong, and the Chu and Wei armies that are attacking from a roundabout way. Once the war starts, Gao Yao may be directly caught in the huge risk of fighting on four fronts at the same time! Moreover, the situation in the counties that Gao Yao has just captured is not stable yet, and the foundation is not yet solid."

Zhou Ke continued to analyze, "I have studied Gao Yao's rise from obscurity to the present. Every time he conquered a new territory, he would definitely choose to spend a lot of time to carefully manage and maintain it. He took steady steps and slowly nibbled away at it, never seeking quick success or rushing into anything. This step-by-step strategy is the key to Gao Yao's current strength. Therefore, taking risks like this that would result in the loss of troops and generals would definitely not be Gao Yao's first choice!"

Zhou Ke's judgment was very clear. He firmly believed that Gao Yao was an extremely cautious and strategic person. He would never make such a low-level mistake due to momentary greed, and it was even more impossible for him to act recklessly when he knew that several parties had joined forces.

"Haha, this is just a guess. What if what Wu She said is true?"

Zheng Lu's words were blunt and directly pointed out the key point of the problem. Don't be afraid of ten thousand, just be prepared for the worst. If you lose now, what you lose is Wu Rui's entire foundation!

Zheng Lu's words were like a sharp sword, piercing Zhou Ke's vital points. Zhou Ke was stunned. He realized that the stakes were too high. If he failed, the consequences would be disastrous. Faced with such a huge risk, he really didn't dare to draw conclusions easily.

Sure enough, as soon as Zheng Lu said this, Zhou Ke was speechless, and for a moment he couldn't say anything affirmative. After all, this is a game, full of uncertainty, and no one can guarantee that Gao Yao will not insist on his own way. Zhou Ke was also unsure, and it was really difficult for him to make a firm statement about this kind of thing.

Just when Zhou Ke was hesitating, Wu Rui finally couldn't suppress his inner anxiety and said directly to Zheng Lu: "Zheng Lu, what on earth do you have in mind? Just tell me!" There was obvious impatience in his voice, and he was obviously tired of this endless argument.

"The alliance still needs to be established, but the King of Wei, the King of Chu and Wang Ben must all know about it."

"Huh? What does this mean?"

Listening to Zheng Lu's words, Wu Rui also frowned and couldn't understand. Zheng Lu's move was indeed hard to understand. On the one hand, he concluded an alliance, and on the other hand, he had to inform the King of Chu, the King of Wei, and Wang Ben. Wasn't this just waiting to anger the three families and make himself the target of public criticism?