mtl008 Chapter 622 Why do you still hold grudges?
Chapter 622 Why do you still hold grudges?
"Without the support and trust of the people, where would you get that almost endless army?"
Han Xin indeed possessed a magical power; no matter where he went, he could easily raise a large army.
While his personal abilities certainly played a part, it was even more due to Liu Bang's reputation as the King of Han for benevolence and righteousness!
If it weren't for the people's trust, why would so many people be willing to join the army and follow Han Xin?
In the original history, Han Xin never rebelled until his death. Besides his lack of skill in planning rebellion, there was another concern he had.
He himself couldn't be sure which side his army was truly loyal to!
Faced with Xiao He's probing questions, Han Xin looked away with a hint of embarrassment.
"I was just offering a suggestion; the real decision should be made by His Majesty. What's the point of you questioning me like this?"
"Is there any other way, or rather, can you procure enough provisions for me to raise an army of a million?"
"If that's the case, I'm fairly confident I can annihilate the Manchus in one fell swoop, but do you think you can do it?"
OK?
That's a load of rubbish!
What was the biggest problem at the end of the Ming Dynasty?
Short of money?
No, the gentry have countless amounts of money. If they were determined to rob them, they could steal a lot in a short time.
Ultimately, the most important reason is food!
The people were short of food, and the imperial court had no food.
There wasn't enough food to feed such a large population.
The common people are already struggling to survive, so where are they supposed to find food and supplies?
The gentry may have money and a considerable amount of surplus grain, but to expect them to support a million-strong army is pure fantasy.
"Your Majesty, you must not allow Han Xin to act recklessly!"
Left with no other choice, Xiao He had to turn his attention to Liu Bang.
"Is there no other way?"
Liu Bang looked at Han Xin helplessly.
Using millions of ordinary people as bait and putting them in danger is certainly not something he wants to see.
"Yes, we can also incorporate the Manchus into the Han people, and make them obediently cultivate the land and abide by the laws of our Han Dynasty."
"But Your Majesty, you should know how long it will take and how much effort it will require to do this."
Han Xin shrugged.
Are there any other solutions?
Of course there are.
But as a general, he naturally only considered the simplest means: to eliminate them all at once.
If Liu Bang were to choose the latter, he would be happy to see it.
No matter what methods are used, war is inevitable.
"Then let's choose the latter."
"This may be the final challenge. If we're going to do it, we should do it beautifully and perfectly."
"Incidentally, this will also give me some experience, since I will still have to face the Xiongnu after I return."
After a brief moment of thought, Liu Bang made his choice.
If it were a real-life burly man, he would decisively choose the former.
Sacrificing a small number of people can save dozens or even hundreds of times more people in the future, and can also eradicate this disease.
Because in reality, he wasn't given the chance to try and make mistakes.
If this choice is made and it is later discovered that the people outside the Great Wall are beyond redemption, the outcome will only be worse.
But in what might be his final challenge, he wanted to try the latter.
"Since Your Majesty says so, I will naturally obey. However, this matter can be put aside for now. The most urgent task at hand is how to enter the pass."
“Wu Sangui may have had contact with the Manchus long ago. If Nurhaci had detained the pass, he might have opened the gate and released people, but if we have detained the pass, he might not have done so.”
"Compared to the Manchus, he was probably even more wary of the Han people."
Han Xin did not offer any further futile attempts to persuade Liu Bang of his decision.
Having gone through so much, he has learned that he only needs to do his job well.
"Just a little reminder, don't even think about letting this brute force the city. Not only will you lose troops and generals if you fail, but you'll also alert the enemy."
"Don't underestimate these things. The Ming army's weapons are far superior to ours. If we force our way through, the result will only be a dismal end."
As he spoke, he pointed to the cannons behind him.
The more you study this thing, the more astonished you become.
He even felt that if this kind of thing continued to develop in the future, the number of troops would probably become less important on the battlefield.
There are already some clues now.
Upon hearing this, Liu Bang remained silent and simply looked at Xiang Yu.
Although he was also knowledgeable about military strategy, he was too lazy to think about it since there were people around to ask him questions.
"See what I do?"
"The immortals didn't provide any large siege equipment. If you expect my Jiangdong soldiers to forcibly attack the city with their bare hands..."
All I can say is, give it a try, but I can't guarantee we'll succeed.
After that previous battle, he had gained some understanding of the weapons available today.
The Qing dynasty only used muskets; they didn't even have time to use their powerful cannons, yet they still caused dozens of casualties.
If you really want him to forcefully close the gate, he still has the guts.
But as for whether we can win it, I can't guarantee it.
"..."
Liu Bang understood his temperament; if Xiang Yu had been 60-70% certain, he would never have said such a thing.
Even he said he couldn't guarantee success, so there's practically no chance of even a ten or twenty percent chance.
"What can you do?"
Helpless, he could only turn his gaze to Han Xin.
"Simple, first infiltrate the interior, recruit soldiers, and coordinate an attack from within and without."
"Anyway, there are the Shun army, the Ming army, and various unknown rebel armies inside the pass. A few big men won't attract much attention."
"With Li Zicheng blocking our way, the imperial court can't possibly spare the time to deal with us. At the same time, before destroying the Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng won't turn his attention to other rebel armies."
"Although this dynastic conflict is coming to an end, there are still opportunities to fish in troubled waters."
"But it has to be quick!"
At least before Li Zicheng destroys the Ming Dynasty, they must be able to gain momentum.
Otherwise, if they had driven away and blocked the Manchus this time, they would have ended up giving Li Zicheng a dowry!
"Well……"
Liu Bang nodded, then looked him up and down suspiciously.
"You won't do what you used to do, after you've amassed an army, and then ask your father for a fake King of Qi, will you?"
"Although I wouldn't mind if you were given a real title in this challenge, I really hate the feeling of being threatened, do you understand?"
Han Xin: “…”
Why do you hold grudges?
"Of course not. I only need to be the Marquis of Huaiyin, and that is enough for me. I can see clearly the current state of affairs in the world."
"The practice of granting land and enfeoffing kings should have been eliminated long ago when the Zhou emperor was merely a figurehead."
At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, he did indeed still harbor some illusions.
But after watching so many reviews, if he still doesn't have a sense of self-awareness, then he wouldn't be Han Xin.
"Then go ahead. I'll give you as many men as you need."
Upon hearing this, Han Xin pointed.
"I only want him."