Chapter 743: Outside, inside, deploying troops!

Chapter 743: Outside, inside, deploying troops!

The islands here are simply a treasure trove of resources! The storage of various fish, shellfish, shrimps, crabs and other seafood is extremely amazing, as if it is inexhaustible. In addition, there are a variety of fruits on the island, which are not only delicious, but also rich in fructose, which is a great choice for replenishing body energy.

More importantly, many fruits can be eaten for a longer period of time after being properly dried, which is undoubtedly a huge advantage for marching and fighting. Soldiers can carry these fruits with them to quickly replenish sugar and restore physical strength in a short period of time.

Moreover, this is not only beneficial to individuals, but also can greatly stimulate domestic demand and promote commercial circulation. When the number of ports increases, the transportation of materials between different places becomes more convenient. The ports in Nanhai County, the ports in the south, and the ports in Kuaiji, together with the ports successfully established in Dongjiao County, are interconnected to form a huge commercial network.

Through the various inland rivers, goods can be transported to various places continuously. This mode of transportation was one of the most efficient in ancient times. It not only reduces transportation costs, but also increases the circulation speed of goods, making commercial activities more prosperous.

This is why in the later period of history, people always say that Jiangnan is the granary of the world and the key reason for the good economic development of Jiangnan. As long as there is no war and the efficiency of transportation can be ensured, the development of Jiangnan is destined to be good. Of course, relatively speaking, the combat capability of Jiangnan is definitely backward, which is beyond doubt. However, the natural limitations of war do not mean that economic development will also be subject to the same limitations, and sometimes it may even be the opposite.

There is another important reason why Gao Yao has always attached great importance to the seizure of the southern region. That is, after the city is laid out, the many islands in the southern region can become an excellent place for training troops at any time. Secondly, Gao Yao can also take this opportunity to use this place as a hub for mobilizing troops and directly invade the territory of ancient Asan. At present, the area where the three brothers are located is in a state of melee, but their combat effectiveness should not be underestimated. In short, the three brothers are very brave and dare to fight. In comparison, the pretentious soldiers of the Peacock Kingdom seem a little inferior.

Of course, strength is the most critical factor, there is no doubt about that. Moreover, the border guards arranged by Gao Yao have clashed with those people many times. He knows these people's personalities very well. Unless they are completely defeated, they will never learn their lesson. Gao Yao may have some experience with the Chinese people, or he can still maintain some patience, but he will not have so many good thoughts for these foreigners. Methods such as slowly persuading them are a pure waste of time in Gao Yao's view.

In this regard, Gao Yao actually admired Genghis Khan's approach. Genghis Khan's strategy was simple and direct, which was to destroy the other country directly, leaving only women and children. Children had to follow their own people to learn, accept their own culture and education, while women could stay and live. The purpose of doing so was to minimize threats and ensure their own dominance. This was a truly necessary measure.

Gao Yao actually had many considerations for deploying Erniu's Fourth Army in the interior of the Peacock Kingdom. First, as a huge country, the Peacock Kingdom had many noble forces within it. Although these nobles were obedient to the Peacock King on the surface, they actually had ulterior motives and could rebel at a critical moment. Deploying Erniu's Fourth Army in the interior could effectively deter these nobles and prevent them from acting rashly.

Secondly, Gao Yao has always been wary of the country of Asan. Asan has always been restless and often creates small-scale frictions and conflicts in border areas. Although these conflicts have not yet escalated into large-scale wars, Gao Yao is well aware of Asan's ambitions, and they are likely to suddenly attack at some point. Therefore, deploying Erniu's Fourth Army in the interior can not only prevent the nobles of the Peacock Kingdom from rebelling, but also form a certain containment on Asan to prevent them from taking the opportunity to make any small moves.

However, the current situation facing Gao Yao does not allow him to easily launch an attack on Asan. His main focus now is on dealing with other threats, such as the armies of Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng, as well as the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan. Yi Xiaochuan is a very shrewd person, and it is difficult to say whether he has learned about Gao Yao's situation. If Gao Yao rashly launches an attack on Asan at this time, he may fall into the dilemma of fighting on multiple fronts, which is very disadvantageous for him.

In addition, Cao Shen's army was able to be transferred because Gao Yao had basically cleared the hidden dangers there. For those soldiers who obeyed his management, Gao Yao took them under his command; for those who did not obey his management, Gao Yao mercilessly killed them on the spot. In this way, Cao Shen's army could be safely transferred to perform other tasks.

However, Erniu's Fourth Army must not be easily transferred. Because the position of this army is very critical, it not only has to guard against the rebellion of the nobles of the Peacock Kingdom, but also has to deal with possible provocations from Ah San. If this army is transferred, the inner line of the Peacock Kingdom will be empty, which will undoubtedly bring huge risks to Gao Yao. Therefore, no matter what, Erniu's Fourth Army must stick to its original position and cannot waver in the slightest.

Otherwise, Gao Yao would not be able to determine whether the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan would secretly contact both parties and attack him at the same time. Therefore, what Gao Yao needed at this time was to maintain peace rather than launch a large-scale attack.

On the other side of the battlefield, Han Xin's situation also changed. When Kuai Tong successfully delivered the letter to Wei Bao, the next thing became relatively simple.

Wei Bao responded quickly. He sent an envoy to bring Han Xin a large amount of wine and explained the situation in detail. Since the letter of credence had not yet been formally signed, Wei Bao could not allow Han Xin's large army to enter Dongjiao County for the time being. However, in order to show a certain courtesy, Wei Bao allowed Han Xin to send one or two hundred people into Dongjiao County to lobby various counties to surrender voluntarily.

Han Xin naturally understood the interests involved. Although he was eager to gain more military merits, he was also unwilling to bear the losses brought about by a life-and-death battle with the Wei army. After all, the First Army he led was his heart and soul and the force he cherished most.