Chapter 726 Just because we don’t fight doesn’t mean we can’t defend!

Chapter 726 Just because we don’t fight doesn’t mean we can’t defend!

"Oh, what the military advisor means is that the prime minister has other plans, but... this plan is useless. The prime minister did not order us to attack Xianyang. It is a very serious crime to mobilize troops without authorization. I dare not do that!" Although Ying Bu understood Zhang Liang's meaning, he still said with some concern.

After all, in the army, military orders are as firm as a mountain. Without clear instructions from the top, no one dares to mobilize the army easily. Moreover, every battle must be carried out strictly according to the plan. If there is any mistake, the consequences will be disastrous.

In short, Gao Yao would not impose any restrictions on the big aspects. As for the specific combat methods and how to deploy troops, he would completely leave it to the front-line generals to make decisions and command. He would never interfere at will and fully give the front-line generals the power to command independently. However, if someone dared to act beyond this scope, even if it was just a slight crossing of the line, the consequences would be disastrous. The lighter ones might be dismissed and investigated, and the heavier ones might even lose their lives. In this regard, Gao Yao's approach was extremely harsh.

Moreover, just before the war, Gao Yao had already carried out a large-scale reorganization of the army, clearing out many people who were doing nothing and those who entered the army through improper means. After this cleanup, Ying Bu naturally could not touch Gao Yao's bottom line at this time.

"Who says we have to rely on military attack to capture Xianyang?" Zhang Liang suddenly said.

"Ah? No attack?" Ying Bu was stunned when he heard this. He was obviously very surprised by Zhang Liang's words. He stared at Zhang Liang with wide eyes and looked at him puzzledly, as if he had not fully understood the meaning of Zhang Liang's words for a while. He wanted to take Xianyang but did not use the conventional means of attacking. What kind of statement was this?

Seeing Ying Bu's puzzled look, Zhang Liang smiled slightly and thought: Although Ying Bu is brave, he is indeed inferior in strategy. So, he stopped keeping the secret and pointed directly to Hanzhong Yangping Pass on the map.

Yangping Pass is not a simple place. It is the only way for Xianyang to attack Hanzhong. If Yangping Pass is not taken, the entire Hanzhong area will be like a copper wall and iron wall, which is difficult to break through. This is like Wuding Pass, which is a strategic location with dangerous terrain, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it is also located at the throat. Its importance is self-evident.

Zhang Liang looked at Ying Bu and said slowly, "Let's not talk about the others for now, but there is one person who will definitely not be able to hold back."

Ying Bu was moved when he heard this, and asked hurriedly: "Could the person the military advisor is talking about be Wang Li?"

Zhang Liang raised his lips slightly and nodded, seeming to be quite satisfied with Ying Bu's guess. He then explained: "It is Wang Li. According to the intelligence we have investigated before, although Wang Li and Wang Ben are both loyal to the Qin Dynasty, after Fusu's death, Wang Li's loyalty to the Qin Dynasty has been greatly reduced. Moreover, he is not following General Lu, but Wang Ben."

"Moreover, in Xianyang, General Lu was actually quite resourceful. He knew very well that one must first stabilize the country before resisting foreign aggression, so he made great efforts to restore people's livelihood, actively encouraged production, and at the same time arrested those roaming bandits to ensure the safety of people's lives and property. Not only that, he also spared no effort to gather refugees. These measures were undoubtedly very wise and effective."

In Zhang Liang's opinion, Jiang Lu had the courage to go to Nanhai County in person under such a difficult situation. This courage and decisiveness are admirable. After arriving in Nanhai County, he was able to quickly stabilize the situation and firmly advocate a slow development strategy, which was actually very smart. In comparison, although Fusu also had certain talents, in Zhang Liang's eyes, Jiang Lu's performance was obviously better.

Fusu was known for loving his people like his own children, and his reputation was largely inflated by the nobles of the six kingdoms. There was a crucial reason for this, which was that Fusu supported the existence of the feudal system. In other words, if Fusu ascended the throne, it would be possible to restore the situation during the six kingdoms period, which was undoubtedly what the nobles of the six kingdoms expected. Therefore, they would naturally spare no effort to support Fusu, which was not because Fusu was stupid, but because of the environment in which he grew up.

Qin Shihuang had high hopes for Fusu. He not only opened a mansion for him, but also set up a special Juxian Hall, hoping that Fusu could take this opportunity to increase his knowledge and broaden his horizons. In this way, Fusu could get in touch with more people and things, and thus continuously improve his abilities and qualities.

Contrary to expectations, Fusu did not develop as Qin Shihuang expected. On the contrary, he gradually deviated from the right path during his growth, was increasingly influenced by Confucian culture, and even began to have the idea of ​​enfeoffment. This idea ran counter to the centralized thought advocated by Qin Shihuang, and undoubtedly put himself in a disadvantageous position.

If he had not been in this world, Fusu would have been sentenced to death by imperial edict. After all, with Qin Shihuang's character and methods, he would never tolerate Fusu's behavior. Moreover, Fusu had 300,000 extremely powerful northern troops in his hands, which was a force that could not be underestimated. If he wanted, he could lead this army back to Xianyang and fight Qin Shihuang.

Unfortunately, Fusu chose an extreme path - committing suicide. This is undoubtedly a typical example of playing a good hand badly. In this world, although Fusu successfully returned to Xianyang, due to his reputation, the anti-Qin forces in various places did not actually plan to directly revolt.

At this time, if Fusu could handle this matter calmly, implement benevolent policies widely, and gradually weaken these anti-Qin forces, then it would only take ten years at most for him to make the people of the world submit to him wholeheartedly. Even in Gao Yao's initial plan, he had the idea of ​​assisting Fusu.

Plans often fail to keep up with changes. Gao Yao was of low status, and despite his efforts for several years, he never had the chance to meet Fusu. He finally had the chance to meet Hu Hai, but by then Hu Hai had completely fallen. He acted like a gentleman in front of others, but was completely different behind others. Even if he wanted to correct his behavior, it was useless.

Because of this, Gao Yao had to change his original plan and instead recommend Prince Gao to the throne. However, in Zhang Liang's eyes, General Lu did have more advantages than Fusu at the time, but the actual situation was far from that simple.

At this time, the Qin Empire had long lost its former glory and honor. Although the imperial power was still maintained on the surface, in fact, the soldiers below had become resistant to orders and no longer obeyed them as absolutely as in the past.