Chapter 1075: Gu Bo Is the Most Important
Although the Western Wei army was coming fiercely and the war situation was urgent, those who really knew the secrets, such as the Gao Yan brothers, knew in their hearts that the biggest crisis and variable in the country was not external, but internal, in the emperor's physical condition.
The emperor had been drinking and moody for years, and his mental and physical conditions were really worrying. If the previous worry was just speculation, then the emperor suddenly convulsed in public during the East Pavilion meeting, which made this speculation have some realistic echoes.
Gao Yan and Gao Zhan each learned some information through their own means. Although this information could not clearly explain the emperor's physical condition, the meaning revealed was also very pessimistic.
It was precisely because of this that the two people's words and deeds were slightly beyond the norm. For example, without asking the emperor for permission, they sent soldiers to monitor a group of Han ministers, and even undermined the power of Yang Yin and others.
In this personnel change, Gao Yan is the real leader, and Gao Zhan also plays a role in fueling the situation.
Perhaps intentionally or unintentionally, Gao Yan is trying to take advantage of this war to gain more power and influence on the current situation and personnel. Gao Zhan is also unwilling to leave the center and go to the front line at this time. Before, they had their own thoughts and could not communicate. Now under Gao Yan's pressure, Gao Zhan finally couldn't help but point this out, so the two brothers immediately reached a new tacit understanding and consensus.
However, who should be sent to take over from Duan Shao also made the two feel embarrassed. Before, because of the fear that the Wei army would attack Jinyang, most of the experienced generals in the country went to Jinyang with the emperor. Now there is a great lack of military talents in Yedu who can take on this responsibility.
When the latest intelligence came from Fukou again, the two of them no longer had to worry. The enemy's front line had actually advanced a big step to the east. Yining and Jianzhou were attacked by the enemy one after another. Duan Shao no longer had to leave the large group and rush to the front line. At the same time, he was in a dilemma and didn't know which side to support.
Even Duan Shao was at a loss because of the enemy's advance. The brothers Gao Yan and Gao Zhan in Yedu didn't know how to deal with the current crisis. They could only wait for the latest instructions from Jinyang.
But for the two brothers, the crisis was not only the sudden downturn in the war situation, but also the punishment from the emperor.
Gao Yan agreed to Hulugu's request to sneak attack behind the enemy because of his private meeting with Hulugu. But looking at the current situation, Hulugu obviously failed, and indirectly caused the loss of Jianzhou.
As for Gao Zhan, he refused to go to Shangdang to replace Duan Shao in command of the army because of many excuses. As a result, Duan Shao failed to lead elite troops to reinforce various places in time, giving the enemy an opportunity to attack. He was guilty of missing the opportunity.
So after learning about the further changes in the war, Gao Zhan was not worried about the development of the war, but his own safety. He hurried to find Gao Yan and said in panic: "The Qiang bandits are so fierce and their attack is so swift, which is really unexpected. If the Supreme is angry, he will ask why those in Yedu missed the opportunity to fight. Brother, how should we deal with it?"
Gao Yan's face was also very ugly at this time. He just sighed repeatedly and said: "Huolü Mingyue is a famous general, but he risked his life but failed. Now the enemy army is advancing, it's too late to regret! Seeing that the enemy troops abandoned the north and chased the east , it seems that he is targeting Ye City. In this critical period, we should fight the bandits together. The Supreme will not rush to punish the past and destroy the people in Ye..."
"Who can predict the Supreme's actions? We still have to do something to be safe!" Gao Zhan said in a deep voice again. Even if their brother Gao Yang was exempted from punishment for the sake of the overall situation, the one who would be exempted would only be Gao Yan, the main person in charge of the capital, and he would not be irreplaceable. In addition, the brotherly relationship between Gao Yang and him was quite weak, which made him even more worried.
After a brief pause, Gao Zhan spoke again: "The enemy is now surging, and it may be difficult to quickly repel the enemy. But if we can consolidate the current situation and stop rushing to counterattack, it may not be a bad thing for my brothers! The enemy is bullying the country, and the Supreme must stay in Jinyang and have no time to return to Ye City. The personnel in Ye must always be controlled and maintained by the closest relatives, and cannot be easily entrusted to the ministers..." Gao Yan frowned when he heard this, and before Gao Zhan finished speaking, he said in a deep voice: "How can you ignore the danger of the country for your own safety!" "Then what plan can brother have to save the current disadvantage?" Gao Zhan couldn't help but refute Gao Yan's meaningless words when he heard Gao Yan's meaningless words. When he saw Gao Yan's expression turned ugly, he , he bowed again and said: "I'm sorry, brother, I was anxious and said something wrong. But this time the Qiang bandits are coming fiercely, it is indeed hard to guard against and extremely difficult to deal with. It is very rare to be able to stabilize the current situation and not let it get worse. As for recovering all the lost land, it is just a delusion at the moment.
Things will be smoothed over if we take it slow. As long as our division is no longer in a hurry to fight the enemy, many seemingly urgent things will no longer be urgent and can be arranged calmly. The bandits are now advancing to Qinshui, but with the Pingyuan King's division stationed in Shangdang, Ye can be undisturbed by the enemy. In Heyang, if Hulu Mingyue dies on the expedition, another confidant will be selected to guard it. If he fails and returns to the town, he will be afraid of being punished and will have to rely on you. As for Jinyang, since the Supreme is in charge, there is no need for my brothers to plan for it."
After hearing this, Gao Yan didn't say anything, but he was already thinking about the possibility of building a new line of defense based on the current situation.
If Gao Zhan's previous remarks were merely a brief discussion based on the current situation, then the following is the real essence: "In previous years, the army was scattered in Hebei, Jinyang and other borders, and it was convenient to go to various places to eat as the garrisons were stationed. But now we are forced by powerful enemies and have to deploy heavy troops on the borders, so the supply of money and food is crucial!
Where the capital is located is where the world's financial and material resources are gathered. If Yedu is well-fed, all borders will have enough food, and if Yedu is short of supplies, all armies will starve! The safety of the country does not lie in the sword and the grain. If you can grasp this, your situation will be as stable as a rock. If you want to gather grain, Jizhou is the most important. I am willing to go to Jizhou to help you!"
Before, Gao Zhan was reluctant to go to Shangdang to lead the army. First, he did not want to leave the center and miss the opportunity to strengthen his position and influence. Second, it was too dangerous to lead the army on the border at this time. He might be defeated and captured by the enemy army. How could it be compared to staying in the rear for stability.
But now the situation has changed again. The enemy's further closure has made the situation more critical. If Duan Shao in Shangdang cannot stabilize, Ye City will be greatly shaken. And their second brother is not sure what to do under this stimulation. In this case, avoiding the center and going to Jizhou, a big town in Hebei, to serve as a governor can not only stay away from danger, but also consolidate and strengthen their own power.
After all, if the two sides of the war turn into a long-term confrontation, so many troops will be concentrated to wait for the enemy, and the consumption of food and grass will be the top priority. Jizhou is located in the rear area and is the center of Hebei's money, grain and manpower. If Gao Zhan can go there, he will naturally gain a pivotal position and influence.
After listening to Gao Zhan's words, Gao Yan frowned and pondered. Although it is a bit unreasonable to accept the reality that their Northern Qi strategy has failed from a moral point of view, from his own situation, the state Gao Zhan said is indeed more beneficial to him.
If it were not for this situation, he would have found it difficult to control the power of Yedu. Now, taking advantage of the war between the two countries to control the supply of money and food, thereby further influencing the military, will undoubtedly further strengthen his voice. Even if the enemy army does not retreat, Emperor Gao Yang in Jinyang will only be a garrison general at the moment, and it will be difficult for him to exert control over the overall situation.
"The important town of Jizhou cannot be decided by me alone, and this matter still needs to be discussed."
After thinking about it, Gao Yan did not directly answer Gao Zhan's request. After dealing with it, he returned home in the evening and summoned Wang Xi and other subordinates who were still recovering from injuries to talk about the topic discussed with Gao Zhan today.
After listening to the speech, Wang Xi said in deep thought: "Prince Changguang is indeed perceptive and capable in the current situation, and his words are not without compromise. If the enemy is not wrong, things will probably develop in this way. It is indeed the best choice for the prince to serve in Yedu, but it is still debatable whether the prince Changguang should serve in Jizhou."
"That is exactly what I have in mind. Although Ah Jiu is smart, he may not be able to handle it calmly if he is suddenly given a big state. Moreover, there are many frivolous people around him who like to play and have fun, and have no talent for governing the country. If they are sent to the state, I am afraid that they will ruin the state affairs, which is not good. But for the moment, I don't know who to recommend to go there, who can be recognized by the masses and echo me."
Gao Yang seems to be crazy and stupid in recent years, but in fact he has not completely indulged and lost control of his brothers. Even though Gao Yan has taken control of the power of Yedu through the war, when he wants to extend his hand to the local states and counties, he still faces a dilemma of lack of people to use.
"The Minister of State, Gao Dezheng, is an old man of the old government and a revolutionary hero. Now he is deeply trusted by the emperor, but he is quite suppressed by Yang Xianggong. In this time of crisis, we should choose this virtuous man and recommend him to his hometown. Dezheng can not only honor his hometown, but also serve the country with loyalty. It can be said to be perfect. If the king can do this, Dezheng will be grateful!"
After thinking about it, Wang Xi proposed a candidate to Gao Yan.
He also came from a famous family and was very familiar with the personnel disputes in Ye. Yang Yan was a smart and capable person, but he was not good at uniting the masses, so that the prime minister team that the emperor relied on also had many personnel conflicts. This is certainly what the emperor needs, which can prevent a minister from monopolizing the government for a long time, but at some critical moments, it is inevitable that it will be used by those with ulterior motives to create rifts.
What Gao Yan needs now is not to launch a coup or seize power directly, but to actively expand his influence and control to wait for the right time. Under such a demand, cautiously trying to dig into the emperor's corner is also an operation that meets his needs.