Chapter 34 The time has come to invite Zhuge Liang!

Liu Wu learned from the system that Sun Shangxiang had entered Nanyang County and received family rewards, and he felt much more relaxed.

really.

Only one day later, Xu Shu, Zhao Yun and Sun Shangxiang entered the city.

However, Liu Wu did not go to see Sun Shangxiang immediately. Instead, something unexpected happened to Xu Shu and Zhao Yun during this trip.

The left general’s residence, the meeting hall.

Liu Wu sat in the main seat, frowning and saying:

“This Sun Quan actually sent Zhou Yu to chase Sun Shangxiang.”

At this time, Liu Wu felt somewhat fortunate that he had made several preparations, otherwise Sun Shangxiang would have been chased back.

It’s not that Liu Wu was coveting Sun Shangxiang’s beauty.

Instead, if Sun Shangxiang married into Wancheng, then Wancheng would be closer to Jiangdong and more distant from Cao Cao.

In addition, when Sun Shangxiang enters Wancheng, she can obtain family guard rewards, which also enhances her strength.

“My lord, I sent spies on my way back and found out that the emperor conferred the title of Marquis of Wu on Sun Quan. Sun Quan has already responded to Wancheng with the title of Marquis of Wu and jointly attacked Cao Cao. He has issued a proclamation to the world. In a few days, Wancheng will receive Sun Quan’s proclamation!” Zhao Yun said to Liu Wu with a bow.

Zhao Yun’s words made Liu Wu, who was sitting on the main seat, and Guan Yu in the hall look at him sideways.

The emperor appointed Sun Quan as the Marquis of Wu, and Sun Quan has actually expressed his intention to join forces with them to attack Cao Cao?

Suddenly, Guan Yu stroked his beautiful beard and said with a sneer:
“Haha, I’m afraid that Sun Quan has seen his sister and can’t get her back. In addition, the iron-cutting weapons we promised have not been delivered yet. Therefore, he was forced to decide to join forces with Wancheng to attack Cao. Sun Quan is a man who is prone to change, so we must be on guard. Cao Cao is also throwing meat buns at dogs this time, and there is no return.”

Guan Yu’s words made Liu Wu and others nod their heads. Liu Wu was indeed more fortunate that he was cautious and took in Sun Shangxiang.

Otherwise, Sun Quan might very likely defect to Cao Cao’s side, and they would lose a reinforcement.

Sitting in the main seat, Liu Wu thought about what Sun Quan had done, and could not help but frown and said:

“Cao Cao suddenly rewarded Sun Quan. I’m afraid he was already preparing for Jiangdong to attack him from behind when he was conquering Wancheng.”

“Now, I am not worried about Sun Quan’s coalition forces, but I am worried about the coalition forces of Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan in the north. I wonder if Cao Cao will take any action against them?”

Liu Wu’s voice resounded, causing Xu Shu, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun and others in the hall to frown and fall silent.

If Cao Cao really thought that they would win over Sun Quan, Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan to cause trouble and take intervention actions.

Then the plan of the four princes to attack Cao might really fail.

Xu Shu took a deep breath and said solemnly:

“I’m afraid Sun Qian is already in Jizhou and Qingzhou. I just hope that Sun Qian can persuade Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan to unite and destroy Cao for the sake of their father’s revenge!”

At this moment, Xu Shu also felt a little ashamed. Although he was known as a wise man, in this case, if Liu Wu had not been cautious, he would have urged to pick up Sun Shangxiang to Wancheng from the very beginning when the snow had not melted, one step ahead of Cao Cao, and also took out two thousand iron-cutting weapons in advance to lure Sun Quan to release her, and also sent Zhao Yun to lead the cavalry to meet her and ensure her safety.

I’m afraid that even the allies along the Jiangdong route might be lost.

Not to mention, if Cao Cao intervened again in the north, the results would be full of uncertainty, and he had not considered these in advance.

There were many loopholes, but Xu Shu also felt that his strategy seemed insufficient.

This made Xu Shu feel ashamed.

Inside the hall, Liu Wu, Guan Yu and Zhao Yun all looked unhappy when they heard Xu Shu say, “I only hope Sun Qian can persuade Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan to unite and destroy Cao for the sake of their father’s revenge!”

Because this is not a certain result.

It’s not what they want.

They want the four families to attack Cao together!
However, the ugly expressions of Liu Wu, Guan Yu and Zhao Yun were not directed at Xu Shu, but at the uncertainty in the north.

“Alas, you still have to focus on becoming stronger. If you are strong, then you don’t need to think so much and rely on others for your life and death.”

Suddenly Liu Wu spoke, attracting everyone’s attention.

Liu Wu continued:

“Recently, Wu has developed a set of armor for cavalry and war horses, made of new iron. Once this set of armor is made, it will be like a tortoise shell on the cavalry. Even if Cao’s army attacks with weapons and crossbows, it will not be able to break it.”

Liu Wu began to prepare for his own Mongolian cavalry plan.

In ancient times, a war did not last short.

It could be as short as half a year or as long as several years.

While he was signing Mongolian Iron Knights, he was also training cavalry.

It is enough to form a powerful cavalry in the battle against Cao’s army.

Of course, during this period, he needed to create equipment suitable for cavalry.

The cavalry equipment he chose was the Jin Dynasty’s Iron Pagoda heavy cavalry armor.

The Iron Pagoda was covered in heavy armor, which was not only thick but also ingeniously designed to resist the enemy’s swords and arrows. At the same time, their horses were also heavily armored, with only four hooves exposed. This equipment gave the Iron Pagoda a very high defense and impact on the battlefield.

According to historical records, the weight of an iron pagoda armor may be between 60 and 70 kilograms, which places extremely high demands on the soldiers’ physical strength and endurance.

Whether it is the soldiers or the horses, only their eyes are exposed.

Although the requirements are demanding, the combat effectiveness of this heavy cavalry is undoubtedly unparalleled.

On the battlefield, the Iron Pagoda can break through the enemy’s defense line with dense formations and powerful impact, bringing great psychological pressure and shocking effects to the enemy. It can often be used in conjunction with light cavalry to form a tactical advantage of front and back attack.

The Iron Pagoda can also be equipped with horse blinders to prevent arrows from shooting, which further enhances their defensive capabilities. In the confrontation with other cavalry, they are almost invincible.

In the war between the Jin Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty, the Iron Pagoda played an important role. For example, in 1140, the -man army led by Jin Wushu included cavalry and Iron Pagodas, which attacked the vicinity of Lin’an in the Southern Song Dynasty. Although they eventually suffered heavy losses due to the tenacious resistance of Yue’s army, the strong combat effectiveness of the Iron Pagodas was evident.

Liu Wu also did some research on how to make this set of armor. Even dozens of cavalrymen could become the enemy’s nightmare on the battlefield.

If there were hundreds of cavalry, they would be human tanks of hundreds of cavalry in ancient times, able to blow away everything. During the Han Dynasty, there was no such thing as heavy weapons, only light cavalry, and even light cavalry without the three treasures of horses.

However, Liu Wu can not only forge the three treasures of horses, he can also forge heavy armor.

Even if ordinary soldiers could not support heavy cavalry armor, the Mongolian Iron Cavalry soldiers, Iron Eagle Warriors soldiers, or Beiwei Army soldiers he signed up were all the best soldiers.

Inside the hall, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun and Xu Shu listened to Liu Wu saying that he had made a set of armor for cavalry and war horses. Once this set of armor was made, it would be like a turtle shell on the cavalry. Even if Cao’s army attacked with weapons and crossbows, it would not be able to break it. They all looked at Liu Wu in surprise.

Obviously, they were shocked by what Liu Wu said. They had no concept of heavy cavalry, and even without the blessing of the three treasures of horses, scouts might be thrown off their horses. They really couldn’t imagine what kind of cavalry Liu Wu was talking about.

“Zihao, can you really create such sharp cavalry?” Guan Yu stroked his beautiful beard and looked at Liu Wu with his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed. He did not say that Liu Wu was fooling around and talking nonsense, but Guan Yu thought of Liu Wu’s ability to train the Loyal and Brave Guards, and his deeds of transforming steel to create sharp weapons, and asked in surprise.

“Of course. But before that, we need to select the strongest soldiers in the entire army, whose physique is no worse than that of the soldiers of the Loyal and Brave Guards. In addition, we need to try our best to contact senior officials in Bingzhou and purchase excellent war horses.” Liu Wu said confidently.

Listening to Liu Wu’s words, Guan Yu pulled his beautiful beard so hard that it hurt.

Purchasing excellent war horses was not a big deal, as Gao Gan was Yuan Shao’s nephew. After they captured Nanyang, they contacted Gao Gan and purchased horses intermittently.

However, the entire army selects the strongest soldiers, whose physique is no worse than that of the soldiers of the Loyal and Brave Guards?
How many of these can there be?
You know, those Zhongyong Guards with strong physiques are not human beings.

Guan Yu wanted to see what kind of cavalry Liu Wu could create, so he cupped his hands and said:
“Since you have given the order, I will give the order.”

Inside the hall, Xu Shu felt even more ashamed that Liu Wu placed his hopes on building a cavalry so powerful that he could not even imagine.

If he could really get Sun Quan, Yuan Shang, and Yuan Tan to join forces with them to attack Cao and combine the strength of the four families, why would Liu Wu need to be so delusional to create such an impossible cavalry?

Xu Shu gritted his teeth slightly, feeling that he had initially been a knight-errant and a hero, but later felt that he could not save the world on his own. He then studied mathematics in Jingzhou for several years and then changed his major to literature, but in the end he still had little knowledge and insufficient ability.

“My Lord, I am ashamed that I failed to unite Sun Quan, Yuan Shang, and Yuan Tan to attack Cao. I am deeply ashamed that I failed you and asked you to find someone else to deal with our great enemy Cao Cao!”

Suddenly, Xu Shu bowed deeply to Liu Wu who was sitting in the main seat and said ashamedly.

“This…Mr. Yuanzhi, what are you doing!?”

In the hall, Liu Wu, Zhao Yun, and Guan Yu were all shocked when they heard Xu Shu’s words.
Liu Wu took even more steps and helped Xu Shu up.

“We have all seen Mr. Yuanzhi’s strategy. There is no need to belittle yourself.” Liu Wu hurriedly said to comfort Xu Shu.

He had to appease him, because Xu Shu was the only top strategist under his command.

Guan Yu and Zhao Yun were also busy trying to comfort Xu Shu.

Since the capture of Wancheng, Xu Shu has been fighting in the south and the north, forming alliances. They have all seen his ability, and he is indeed a rare wise man in the world.

In the hall, Xu Shu shook his head and said:

“Cao Cao has many counselors under his command, including Xun You, Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Guo Jia, and Jia Xu. Their intelligence is a hundred times greater than mine. If I were to provide advice to the young master next, I’m afraid I would be destroying Wancheng’s foundation. I still have some self-awareness.”

Xu Shu’s words made Liu Wu, Guan Yu and Zhao Yun all silent.

Indeed, they had a lot of dealings with Cao Cao at this time. Xun You, Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Guo Jia, and Jia Xu were all top-notch talents in the world, but they all served under Cao Cao.

Xu Shu’s strategy was also first-rate in the world, but after all, he was only one man, while the other side had five.

In comparison, there is indeed a huge gap between the two sides!
“However, although my talent and intelligence are not as good as Guo Jia, Xun Yu and others, I know one person whose talent and intelligence are ten or a hundred times better than Guo Jia and Xun Yu!” Without waiting for Liu Wu, Guan Yu and Zhao Yun to say anything to comfort him, Xu Shu suddenly said something that shocked the three of them.

Xu Shu knows someone whose intelligence is ten or a hundred times greater than that of Guo Jia and Xun Yu?
Guan Yu and Zhao Yun looked at each other, and could see the surprise in each other’s eyes.

However, Liu Wu narrowed his eyes and looked at Xu Shu, and his heart suddenly became excited.

As soon as Xu Shu opened his mouth, he already knew who Xu Shu was talking about!

“Yuanzhi, you said that there are people who are ten or a hundred times more intelligent than Guo Jia and Xun Yu? Is this true? Are there really such intelligent people in the world?”

Liu Wu quickly spoke up and cooperated, and asked Xu Shu excitedly.

Xu Shu heard this and smiled. He bowed to Liu Wu and said:
“Sir, yes, there is indeed such a talented person in the world. His name is Zhuge Liang, also known as Kongming. He lives in seclusion in Wolong Hill where he works as a farmer. I hope we can be good friends and help you invite Kongming out of seclusion!”

Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Kongming?

Guan Yu and Zhao Yun looked at each other.

Liu Wu was quite excited, Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang, whose courtesy name was Kongming and nickname was Wulong, was the prime minister of Shu Han during the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. He was also an outstanding politician, military strategist, inventor, writer and calligrapher.

Historically, when Liu Bei was attached to Liu Biao of Jingzhou, he visited Zhuge Liang three times to ask him to come out of retirement. Zhuge Liang proposed the famous “Longzhong Plan” to Liu Bei, and began to plan a strategic blueprint for Liu Bei to occupy Jingzhou and Yizhou and unite with Sun Quan to fight against Cao Cao.

With the assistance of Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei successfully occupied Jingzhou and Yizhou, forming a three-way confrontation with Sun Quan and Cao Cao.

After Liu Bei became emperor, he appointed Zhuge Liang as prime minister, responsible for the internal affairs, foreign affairs and military strategy of Shu Han.

Northern Expedition to Central Plains: In order to restore the Han Dynasty, Zhuge Liang launched five northern expeditions to Central Plains. Although he failed, his expeditions demonstrated his outstanding military talent and firm will.

Died of illness at Wuzhangyuan: Due to illness due to overwork, Zhuge Liang died of illness at Wuzhangyuan (now in Qishan, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province) in the 234th year of Jianxing ( AD) at the age of .

The later emperor Liu Chan posthumously named him Marquis of Zhongwu, and later generations often used the honorific title “Marquis of Wu”.

It can be said that Zhuge Liang was diligent and cautious in the internal affairs of Shu Han. He handled all political affairs, big or small, personally and was strict in rewards and punishments.

Form an alliance with Eastern Wu to improve relations with the southwestern ethnic groups; implement a military farming policy to strengthen war preparedness.

Military achievements:
In terms of military affairs, Zhuge Liang proposed the strategic idea of ​​uniting Wu to resist Cao, and successfully implemented several northern expeditions. His inventions of wooden oxen and flowing horses, Zhuge crossbows and other military equipment also demonstrated his talent in military inventions.

Cultural achievements: Zhuge Liang’s representative prose works include “The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital” and “The Testament to My Son”.

He devoted his whole life to the cause until his death, and became a representative figure of “loyal minister” and “wise man” in traditional Chinese culture.

When Liu Wu took over the civil and military forces in Xinye, he thought of Zhuge Liang. However, Liu Wu was afraid that Zhuge Liang had not yet completed his studies. In addition, he had been busy conquering Nanyang, handling Nanyang’s government affairs, and building a strong army. The mountains were blocked by heavy snow, so he did not look for Zhuge Liang.

Today, Cao Cao attacks with an epic and luxurious camp. Xu Shu wants to recommend Zhuge Liang to help as a good friend.

Undoubtedly, the time has come to invite Zhuge Liang!
(End of this chapter)