Chapter 148: Expanding West and South

When everything was finally prepared, and the grand army had been trained for a full year, news of the decisive Battle of Guandu in the north finally arrived.

"Your Majesty, word has just come from Guandu. The battle between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao has concluded."

"Yuan Shao was defeated, and Cao Cao secured a bitter victory. Both sides suffered heavy casualties."

"As of now, Cao Cao is gradually annexing the northern territories."

"The majority of Yuan Shao's remaining forces are now in the hands of his three sons, who are still holding out stubbornly."

Zhang Xiu reported the situation regarding the northern Battle of Guandu in detail.

Indeed, just as Liu Xie had anticipated, this outcome came as no surprise. Although Cao Cao had won, it was a hard-fought and costly triumph.

"I am aware. Rest assured, Yuan Shao cannot hold out much longer."

"None of his three sons possess any real talent. If I am not mistaken..."

"Even at this late hour, they are still infighting over power."

"Heh, within a year, Cao Cao will completely pacify the north."

Yuan Shao's failure was entirely within Liu Xie's expectations, and the same applied to his three sons. None of them amounted to anything. All of this aligned perfectly with historical records.

"By the way, how is Jiangdong of late?" Liu Xie asked.

Indeed, with Yuan Shao now defeated, apart from Cao Cao, there were only two figures who truly concerned Liu Xie.

One was Sun Quan of Jiangdong, and the other was Ma Teng of Xiliang.

As for Ma Teng in Xiliang, his territory was far away, posing no immediate cause for concern. Cao Cao, on the other hand, had not yet fully concluded his conflict with Yuan Shao.

Jiangdong, however, was a different story; Jiangdong was right on their doorstep.

In particular, Sun Quan had always cast covetous eyes upon their territory of Jingzhou. After all, Jingzhou was a city coveted by everyone. The frequent frictions instigated by Jiangdong previously made this abundantly clear.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Jiangdong has remained very quiet."

"Moreover, Your Majesty, shouldn't we dispatch our troops for some action?"

It was Zhuge Liang who spoke.

Hearing these words, Liu Xie nodded gently. He fully understood what Zhuge Liang meant.

Come to think of it, ever since capturing Yizhou and proclaiming himself emperor, the only major military campaign Liu Xie had waged was the clash with Cao Cao in Xuchang.

Ever since then, the soldiers had remained in a state of rest and recuperation. Up to the present day, they had not mobilized for nearly three to four years. Aside from routine drills, true combat had been exceedingly rare.

Liu Xie also worried that if this continued indefinitely, the soldiers might lose their passion for battle. Viewed in this light, some actual warfare was still very necessary for them.

"However, Your Majesty, if we are to launch a campaign, whom shall we attack?"

Chen Gong stepped forward and asked.

Indeed, under the current circumstances, attacking anyone presented certain difficulties.

As for Jiangdong, although its territory was not vast, it relied on the natural defense of the Great River, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. As for Cao Cao and Ma Teng, needless to say, they were simply too far away.

Hearing the officials' discussion, Liu Xie smiled faintly.

"Good. It seems the soldiers are truly eager to stretch their muscles."

"That being the case, we shall dispatch troops and go to war."

"As for whom to strike, it is quite simple. Since we cannot expand to the north or the east..."

"Then we shall expand to the south and to the west."

As someone hailing from the twenty-first century, Liu Xie was well aware of what lay to the south and west of his domains. In the twenty-first century, those regions encompassed various foreign lands and nations, and the potential for future expansion there was immense.

"To the south, or to the west?" Zhuge Liang and the others looked puzzled.

Liu Xie nodded gently. "Indeed. Do you truly believe that the Han Dynasty is the entire world?"

"Once you continue marching westward and southward, you will come to understand."

"In truth, this world is vast indeed."

"Very well, since everyone wishes to stretch their muscles..."

"Order the troops of Yizhou to march forth from Yizhou and strike westward."

"Then, let the troops of Jingzhou strike southward. Within half a year, advance as far as you possibly can."

"I grant you the utmost authority. Go forth and act with unbridled resolve."

Liu Xie had no intention of personally meddling in this campaign. Instead, he vested supreme authority in the commanding generals and strategists like Chen Gong. This time, everything would be handled by their own hands, and Liu Xie would not interfere excessively.

First of all, according to historical accounts, the foreign powers surrounding their borders were not particularly formidable. An army of their scale was entirely capable of sweeping through them. Therefore, Liu Xie harbored not a shred of anxiety regarding this campaign.

After Lü Bu and the others led the grand army away, Liu Xie turned his attention to the naval forces. Their land forces were already sufficiently powerful, boasting numerous great generals and vast legions.

However, the navy remained their primary weakness.

On this day, Liu Xie went to inspect the naval forces and saw tens of thousands of sailors undergoing rigorous training.

Seeing Liu Xie arrive, the naval commander-in-chief, Huang Zu, hurried forward to greet him.

"Your Majesty, the naval troops are currently in training. Please give your instructions!"

Huang Zu knelt respectfully, though Liu Xie could readily perceive that he looked deeply exhausted.

"General Huang, leading a naval force of three hundred thousand men entirely on your own—how does it feel?" Liu Xie asked.

Hearing this, Huang Zu shook his head with a trace of bitterness.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, there are simply too many naval soldiers; this subordinate finds it overwhelming to manage them all alone."

Indeed, Liu Xie had already observed this. Currently, the total naval force numbered over three hundred thousand, yet the sole commander holding the reins was Huang Zu alone. Tasking a single man with commanding such a massive navy was truly a formidable burden.

A faint smile touched Liu Xie's lips. In truth, he had anticipated this situation long ago. Furthermore, reforming the navy was bound to be an arduous task.

Although Liu Xie currently commanded many capable generals, upon closer reflection, virtually all of them specialized in cavalry or infantry. When it came to naval warfare, there were truly very few who excelled.

The only exceptions were the native generals of Jingzhou from days past. They had lived by the water all their lives, and Jingzhou's military strength had always been centered around its navy. However, due to various reasons, many of those local Jingzhou officers did not get along well with one another, and their relationships were strained.

This presented a considerable headache for Liu Xie.

"I understand. Huang Zu, in the future, look to promote capable individuals from within to remain in the navy."

"Furthermore, remember what I have stated before: serving under my command makes no distinction of origin."

"I care not what your past affiliations were; now that you serve under me..."

"You must conduct yourselves according to my principles. Do you understand my meaning?"

Liu Xie's words reduced Huang Zu to silence. He was no fool and could readily discern the underlying meaning of the Emperor's remarks.

Everyone knew that the former local generals of Jingzhou harbored mutual resentments, with some refusing to submit to others. Moreover, he suspected that the previous transfers of Gan Ning and Wen Peng away from the navy were also connected to these internal frictions.

Therefore, as an astute man, he understood all too well the immense effort and profound consideration Liu Xie had poured into resolving these matters.