Hyper-Dimensional Player

Chapter 819 - 74: Annihilating Later Shu, Campaign Against Southern Tang (Part 1)

Prince's Residence.

When Duncan returned to the imperial city, he immediately sealed the Imperial Jade Seal, as it held great importance for him.

An imperial seal alone cannot change much; it was the unification of Huaxia by the First Emperor of Qin and the continuation by Han Gaozu Emperor with the Heshibi that gave the Imperial Jade Seal its symbol of royal authority, making it the first national treasure beneath the Nine Ding. Without those, it would have been just a priceless artifact.

"Your Majesty."

Lu Qiongxi hurriedly arrived, his expression exhilarated as he said, "Li Fengji led three thousand men in a surprise attack on Gulou and has already settled Jiaozhi."

Jiaozhi had been in rebellion a few years ago, with Yang Sange seizing power, only to be retaken by this Wu Changwen, a minor power that was not difficult to conquer. The previous Southern Han was too weak, resulting in Liu Yan losing a son during the conquest of Jiaozhi.

In the year 954, Wu Changwen sent envoys to the Southern Han and was appointed as the Jinghai Military Governor and protector.

In this era of Jiaozhou, even the warlords had to seek titles from the Central Plains.

Upon hearing this, Duncan revealed a hint of joy, took the battle report, glanced at it, and nodded, "This Li Fengji is indeed a talented person."

The granary at the rear is secured.

Jiaozhi may not have much else, but its grain output is quite high.

Li Fengji integrated Zhou Tai from Taojiang County, who was discontent with Wu Wenchang and leaned towards the orthodox Huaxia, refusing to acknowledge Wu Dynasty's fragmented regime. After Zhou Tai's surrender, Li Fengji adopted a strategy of division, incorporating the rebel forces of Taiping Tang Ruan villages and utilizing local forces to quickly pacify Jiaozhi.

Historically, Wu Changwen led an army against Taiping Tang Ruan villages, watching the battle from a ship, where he was killed by an ambush of crossbows and swords.

Subsequently, twelve lords rose to power, each governing their own provinces, leading to the fall of Wu Dynasty.

For such a small place, they ended up with twelve lords; Duncan could crush them all with a single slap.

"Bring the map."

Duncan put down the battle report and directly entered the main hall, calling for Xu Hao and others to discuss matters. Li Fengji intended to commend Zhou Tai as a local hero loyal to the Central Plains dynasty, and Duncan quite liked this name; if Zhou Tai was indeed competent, he could be appointed as the Protector of Annam.

Soon, over a dozen individuals hurriedly entered the imperial city. Xu Hao and others were scholars who had been castrated, while the others were newly appointed talents this year.

"Your Majesty."

"With Jiaozhi pacified, we can now plan to march northward."

Xu Hao's expression was thrilled, his face flushed with excitement. Duncan employed talented individuals regardless of whether they were eunuchs or ordinary people, providing opportunities to showcase their abilities.

Of course, failing to perform would incur a heavy price.

Duncan sat on the Dragon Wings, gesturing towards Lu Qiongxi beside him, who quickly ordered the completed map to be brought.

He said nothing, signaling Xu Hao and the others to come before the map, inviting them to first express their opinions.

Duncan had already devised his plans, and at the moment, he was merely assessing their military knowledge.

He couldn't allow scholars who knew nothing about military matters to lead the army, but during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, giving free rein to the military also wouldn't do, as their bottom line was no bottom line.

"Your Majesty."

"After pacifying Jiaozhi, the next move should be to take Hunan."

Clearly, Xu Hao had prepared beforehand. Li Fengji's achievements in pacifying Jiaozhi could potentially lead to a position as the chief minister in the future, and Xu Hao was unwilling to fall behind, eager to make his mark. Sometimes, talents from a single county could suffice to stabilize the realm, not to mention Duncan's pool of talent from the entire Guangdong and Guangxi region.

His voice was slightly shrill as he pointed at the map, saying, "Hunan is currently held by the Wuping Army, with Zhou Xingfeng as the current Military Governor."

"This individual has considerable ability, and if persuaded, could be of great use in the future."

"If our forces control the Xiangjiang River basin, it could serve as a springboard for advancing north to the Central Plains."

Weakening the weak before the strong.

Xu Hao's strategic proposal was moderate. The Wuping Army was already a fragmented force and a relatively easy local military to assimilate. Duncan had pre-arranged matters with Zhou Xingfeng, aligning with Xu Hao's suggestions.

Next, he pointed to the positions of the Southern Tang and Later Shu, saying gravely, "Our army must first stabilize Jingnan and Hunan, then advance east along the Yangtze River to suppress the Southern Tang."

"The Southern Tang is economically affluent and militarily strong, requiring division and disintegration."

"Afterwards, proceed west from Hunan, enter Shu through the Three Gorges."

"However, the paths in Shu are treacherous, making it unsuitable for large troop movements. Precise elite forces should be used instead."

Duncan's gaze showed approval as he assessed the individual, nodding inwardly. Indeed, conquering Shu wasn't suited to large-army maneuvers; logistics alone would be overwhelming.

Wu and Yue need not concern us; they are inclined towards surrender. Once the Central Plains' decisive battle concludes, Wu and Yue will surrender themselves.

"First vanquish the Southern Tang, then seize Ba and Shu."

"Finally, it will be a showdown with the Northern Song."

The Northern Song's initial strategy was to conquer the south before the north, starting with the easy targets before the difficult ones. After Zhao Kuangyin ascended the throne, he initially planned to attack the Northern Han but faced opposition from several significant ministers, thus missing the opportunity to strategize the north.

Wuping was a key node. The Northern Song's original historical plan was to first capture Wuping, then take Jingnan, followed by conquering Later Shu, defeating Meng Chang, then subjugating the Northern Han, and finally conquering the Southern Tang's Li Yu. This was the strategic direction of the Song Dynasty.

However, after Zhao Kuangyin adorned himself with the yellow robe in the Chenqiao Rebellion, he was still in the process of consolidating power and quelling rebellions. The current time disparity was advantageous for Duncan.

Night fell.