Chapter 621: This is a plan to play the game of "Draw the River and Rule the World" with m
"Compared with Wei Bao, Liu Bang is undoubtedly more powerful, and Fan Zeng is well aware of this. Therefore, there is no possibility of joining forces with Liu Bang to fight against Wei Bao, because doing so would be tantamount to cultivating a more powerful enemy, which is obviously not in Fan Zeng's interest. Not only Fan Zeng understands this truth, but Liu Bang must also be well aware of it."
"So, in order to prepare for a rainy day, Liu Bang would never choose to get involved in this battle. He hoped that Xiang Yu and Wei Bao would lose more troops in the fight between them, so that he would have more room for maneuver. For Liu Bang, this is undoubtedly a good thing. How could he dig his own grave?"
Xiao He directly pointed out another problem, which is another key reason why Liu Bang would not send troops. In war, it is essentially a game of various interests. Everyone will inevitably choose the way that best suits their own interests. It is a basic principle to take one step and look three steps ahead. And this is exactly the basis for Xiao He to make such a judgment.
After hearing these words, Gao Yao nodded in agreement. He had to admit that Xiao He's analysis was correct. Gao Yao focused too much on the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan himself and ignored the strategic significance of the entire battlefield. This also led to Gao Yao ignoring many other issues.
"Third, Liu Bang is very likely to use our power to create favorable opportunities and bargaining chips for himself. His real purpose is probably not limited to the coastal counties, but is more far-reaching. In fact, his real intention is probably to invade Xiang Yu and Wei Bao's large tracts of territory."
"According to the intelligence we have so far, Liu Bang is recruiting cavalry on a large scale, and the total number has exceeded 80,000. This situation shows that Liu Bang's ambition is likely to lie in this. He has obviously given up the strategy of city defense and is accumulating a large-scale cavalry advantage in advance, attempting to seize the dominant position in future battles with our army through field battles."
"The northern region is flat and vast, very suitable for large-scale cavalry to launch mobile attacks. However, this is precisely the weak point of the Southern Border Army. In comparison, the number of our cavalry is only more than 50,000 at most. Even considering possible future captures and losses, this number will not change much in the short term."
"If the Prime Minister's plan succeeds, the situation will indeed improve if we occupy Longxi. After all, the Longxi area has a dangerous terrain, is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and is rich in resources. It is a very important strategic location for us. However, it will take some time to purchase war horses by doing business with foreign races. During this period of time, it will still be difficult for us to gain a real advantage in cavalry." Xiao He analyzed in detail.
Gao Yao nodded thoughtfully after listening to Xiao He's words. He began to realize that there might be a deeper purpose behind this mysterious Yi Xiaochuan. According to Xiao He's analysis, Yi Xiaochuan's real intention was probably to directly occupy the line from Yuyang to Jiuyuan and completely annex this area. In this way, he could not only control important transportation routes, but also establish close ties with the Xiongnu.
"Moreover, judging from Liu Bang's previous actions, he is very likely to cooperate secretly with the Huns to deal with us together. With the current strength of the Huns, they can at least gather an army of 150,000. This is undoubtedly a huge threat to us." Xiao He continued, his tone becoming more and more solemn.
Gao Yao frowned, knowing how powerful the Xiongnu were. If Yi Xiaochuan really colluded with the Xiongnu, the situation they faced would become extremely severe. What was even more worrying was that Yi Xiaochuan seemed to not care about the lives of the people at all. Even if the Xiongnu attacked in a big way, burning, killing and looting, he didn't care.
There is no way. The mysterious Yi Xiaochuan is now in a state of self-esteem. He regards the whole world as a game, and he himself is the maker of the rules. He doesn't care about people's life or death at all.
The combined forces of the two sides were at least close to 250,000, and these troops were mainly composed of cavalry. What was even more worrying was that if the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan really agreed to let him command this huge army, it would be a big trouble.
"I guess the biggest possibility is that the other party wants to rule across the river."
Xiao He no longer beat around the bush and directly pointed out the enemy's ultimate goal. The "river" mentioned here naturally refers to the Yellow River. Once the Yellow River is crossed, the advantage of the cavalry will be greatly weakened, and Gao Yao will have the upper hand. Xiao He speculated that the Yellow River was the enemy's real goal. They intended to use the Yellow River as a dividing line to completely occupy the area north of the Yellow River, thereby seeking a long-term strategy of confrontation with Gao Yao.
To achieve this goal, the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan would naturally ignore the situation of Wu Rui, Wang Ben and others fighting against Gao Yao. Because doing so would not only consume Gao Yao's strength, but also consume the strength of several other princes. In this way, Liu Bang could take the opportunity to gradually erode the territories of other families.
"What's the solution?" Gao Yao asked anxiously, as if he was looking forward to Xiao He's answer. However, Xiao He just shook his head slightly, looking a little helpless.
"Prime Minister, there is no particularly good solution at the moment." Xiao He said slowly, "In fact, even if we can guess Liu Bang's thoughts, it will not make much difference to our army. We still need to act according to the original strategic plan."
He paused, then explained, "There is no essential conflict between Liu Bang and our army, so we just need to wait and see. Excessive preparation may put us in a passive position. Moreover, if we really send another army to attack Liu Bang now, it will be extremely disadvantageous for our army."
Xiao He's tone was very firm, and he had obviously thought about this issue carefully. He knew that Gao Yao attached great importance to Liu Bang and did not want to see him grow stronger. But he also understood that it was not a wise move to attack Liu Bang forcefully, as doing so would not only disperse our army's strength, but could also lead to other problems.
This approach was inappropriate from all angles. Therefore, Xiao He advised Gao to remain calm, not be swayed by emotions, focus on the overall situation, and continue to implement the original strategic plan.
"Well, write a letter to Zhang Liang and tell him to get ready. Once Wang Ben's army starts to mobilize, he should prepare to attack and take Hanzhong in one fell swoop!"
"Here!"