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Chapter 971: Chapter 403 The Strategy to Destroy Wei_3 Chapter 971: Chapter 403 The Strategy to Destroy Wei_3 If the opponent agrees, then they must follow the demands and each dispatch one million troops together with Great Chu, actively pushing into Yong West and the grasslands to sweep those migrating Barbarians.

Thus, their nation’s one million elite soldiers would be transferred away.

And for Great Chu, we could feign a grand display of strength in the northwest, with merely two hundred thousand troops from Hanzhong Prefecture, supported by eight hundred thousand civilian workers enlisted as a Detached Army, bluffing as we go.

Within Xiangyang Prefecture, secretly assemble one million elite troops, and once Wei Country’s main force crosses the border, cross the river and head north immediately to swiftly capture their Nanyang and Henan prefectures.

At the same time, the Detached Army from Hanzhong could turn back and directly attack the Wei territories within Guannei and Shuofang prefectures, to contain the half a million troops the Wei have there for defense.

With this Detached Army there, we could at least hold the Wei soldiers for more than half a year.

By then, with an Eastern front of one million troops and more than twenty Inborn Grandmasters, attacking Wei’s Eastern line of defense with fifty thousand soldiers and seven or eight Inborns, wouldn’t it be as easy as reaching out to grab something?

As long as we can take down the two prefectures of Nanyang and Henan, even if Wei has a million soldiers left in Guannei and Shuofang, they would be but dry bones in a grave, nothing to fear anymore.”

After years of migration, Wei’s population of forty million, over thirty million are concentrated in the Henan and Nanyang prefectures.

The remaining in the western regions of Guannei and Shuofang only amount to a meager four or five million.

Therefore, as long as Chu State can take down the Henan and Nanyang prefectures, they would have control over Wei’s most strategic and core territories.

Their million-strong army in the Western front would also face the dilemma of supply lines being cut and their families being controlled.

At that time, if the Wei soldiers do not wish to starve to death or involve their families, surrender would be their only option besides having no other way out.

Losing these troops and their core territory, even if Wei could still endure within the prefectures of Shuofang and Guannei, they would be nothing more than a minor court.

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With those remaining four or five million people, what storm could they possibly stir up?

In the end, they would either be destroyed by the ceaseless eastward migration of the Barbarians, or surrender to Chu State, with no other path available.

Zhou Qing, as the Grand General, was of course well aware of Wei’s current situation.

After hearing Lu Yuan’s plan, he joyfully said, “If we proceed with this strategy, the Military Expedition can indeed bring down Wei.”

Chu State’s Military Expedition is not just comprised of twenty-three Inborns and one million two hundred thousand troops.

Following each Military Expedition, there are more than two million armed civilian workers assisting with transporting grain.

When necessary, these armed civilian workers can also join the battle.

So a single Military Expedition could mobilize more than three million troops and workers.

Carefully organize and rigorously train them, and they’re already equivalent to the entire military force of a dominant nation.

Now, combined with Lu Yuan’s tactic of luring the tiger away from the mountain and attacking the east while making noise in the west, the probability of annihilating Wei has risen to over seventy percent.

With such odds, it’s worth taking a shot.

However, although the plan seems feasible, there remains one issue that needs to be urgently addressed—whether it’s eradicating Liang or Wei.

“Your Majesty, annihilating Wei or Liang would not be difficult for Great Chu if planned well.

But this operation involves up to eighteen million people, and the entire nation is being mobilized; it’s unlikely that such a move could be concealed.”

Zhou Qing voiced his concern: “Both Wei and Liang border Great Chu and have always been on guard against us.

They have placed who knows how many spies and informants across Jiangnan.

If Great Chu mobilizes troops, I’m afraid we cannot keep it hidden from them.

If they are prepared, it would not be so easy to deceive Wei and Liang into falling for our trap.”

Chu State’s standing army is currently only three million strong.

To expand to the planned five million for the Northern Expedition, another two million people must be recruited into the army over this next half a year.

“Just this one measure alone will inevitably cause a stir.”

“Following that, conscripting tens of millions of civilian workers will create an even greater commotion that could reach the heavens.”

“The two countries to the north, Wei and Liang, would have to be blind not to notice the unusual activities in Chu State.”

“Thus, Lu Yuan’s strategy of luring the tiger out of the mountains and feinting to the east but striking to the west is sound, but it is all for naught if Wei Country is not deceived.”

Lu Yuan smiled upon hearing this, “That is easily managed.

Presently, Southsea is repeatedly in turmoil, and with natural disasters like volcanoes constantly pressing in, they already pose a threat to the southern border of Great Chu.

I can have the Cabinet issue an imperial decree to announce the relocation of citizens from the southern territory of Great Chu, as well as from those vassal states, to move north and settle anew in the northern lands of Great Chu.

With so many millions of people migrating, such a massive project will make the conscription of some soldiers and the movement of various supplies within Great Chu seem inconspicuous.”

Zhou Qing expressed his concerns, “Although directly relocating the citizens of the southern territory can conceal the movements of our great army, it will undoubtedly affect the local production of Great Chu.

Immigration requires the expenditure of grain, and so does mounting an expedition, and even though the granaries in various places are full, they cannot withstand such a drain.

If we really proceed with this, the grain reserves of Chu State, tasked with supporting both immigration and warfare, I fear it won’t last two years.

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Moreover, as for those vassal states in Lingnan and the Southwest, I suspect their lords will hardly be willing to relocate their citizens.”

“We won’t need two years.”

Lu Yuan said lightly, “To annihilate Liang and Wei, we won’t need two years.

This time I’m mobilizing eighteen million people, along with one hundred and fifteen Inborn Grandmasters, to sweep through the lands north of the river.

It will be like the autumn wind sweeping away the fallen leaves, and to destroy these two countries, a year’s time is sufficient.

And relocating the citizens now is not a useless effort either.

They won’t be relocated to places like Xiangyang, Dongting, or Yuzhang, but to the land north of the river.

The south is already unstable, not only are sea raiders arriving, but within twenty or thirty years, volcanic disasters may follow suit.

Taking this opportunity when the land has few people, to move the citizens ahead of time to the territories we will conquer in Central State, is also a beneficial act.

As for those vassal states, if they do not wish to be annexed, they can stay put and join the migrating sea raiders and Yi People.

However, if they think of moving to Central State when the volcanic disasters come one day, I may not agree then.

You may convey my intentions to those feudal lords.

How they choose, I believe they will make the correct decision.”

When Lu Yuan first decided to create fiefdoms, it was simply because he did not want to expend too many of Great Chu’s resources on the Southwest and Lingnan so that we could fully commit to moving northward.

This was merely a temporary compromise.

Those feudal lords should be well aware of this, and should have long predicted the possibility of Chu downsizing their fiefdoms one day.

After all, once the volcanic disasters strike, they too cannot protect their own lands.

Whether they surrender their lands then or not makes little difference.

Now, under the Emperor’s demand, choosing to offer up their citizens to align internally could provide them with a dignified option.

Otherwise, even if Lu Yuan does not punish them, they would still be unable to protect their fiefs from the incessant waves of migrating Barbarians without the backing of Chu State.

Moreover, they would have cut off their own retreat, ending up with nothing.

Having this leverage is precisely why Lu Yuan is not worried that these feudal lords will not fall in line.”