Wang Shouzhong's concerns were also the concerns of the civil officials and military generals of the Pinglu Army. In their opinion, if you want to maintain your own safety, you can only strengthen the foundation. The first thing to strengthen the foundation is to expand the army, and expand the army requires money and food.

Where does money and food come from?

The land of Pinglu Prefectures is not fertile. Qingzhou is also different from the main transportation routes such as Xuzhou and Yangzhou, and there is nothing worth mentioning in terms of land rent or commercial tax. If you want to achieve immediate results, you can only take over Haizhou.

What is the foundation of Huaibei’s wealth? The benefits of salt and iron.

Salt is the salt-making industry in Haizhou; iron is the iron smelting industry in Xuzhou.

Other grains such as Yingbo and Bo and Xuzhou and Sizhou are ranked behind, and the first is Haizhou salt manufacturing industry. The salt farm along the coast of Haizhou is the source of wealth in Huaibei, even surpassing Xuzhou's most prosperous and developed iron smelting industry. The benefits of boiling the sea are extremely comparable.

Even with the rise of salt industries in Chuzhou and Yangzhou, it had a huge impact on Haizhou salt farm, Haizhou salt industry can still steadily overcome the benefits of Xuzhou's iron smelting industry and occupy the first source of Huaibei's financial resources.

This is also the reason why Pinglu has been obsessed with seizing Haizhou. In their opinion, as long as it can capture Haizhou, Pinglu's fatal defect in financial shortage can be compensated. In terms of grain, although the states of Diqi, Ziqing, Denglaimi cannot compare with Huainan and Central Plains, they can still produce enough grain. Of course, it depends on whether God is good.

In the eyes of the Pinglu generals, now is the best time for the Pinglu army to move south. Although the current situation in Pinglu is also very difficult, and the huge consumption of sending troops may cause great trouble to the Pinglu army, it is still worth it.

Huaibei is falling rapidly, while another neighbor, Taining Army, who may be somewhat threatening to the Pinglu Army, is collapsing at an incredible speed.

The collapse of the Taining Army was more bizarre than imagined, but it was reasonable. There were only three states, but a stable political governance structure system was never established. It almost relied on military control to seize and maintain the survival of the army. It was unreasonable for such a regime not to collapse.

In the eyes of many people, it is a miracle that the Taining Army can last for so many years.

The three consecutive years of flood and drought disasters eventually destroyed the survival foundation of Yan, Yun and Yi. Even the basic lives of middle-aged scholars who lived without any fear of peace were difficult to maintain, when the class of young gentry could only sell their children to the top, the rule of this region naturally collapsed. No matter how powerful the army or how brave the commander was, the deadlock could not be solved.

The collapse of the Taining Army caused the Pinglu Army to lose this enemy that had always threatened the west side of the Pinglu Army. As long as the Pinglu Army was willing, it could easily capture Yizhou and even Yanzhou.

Among the three prefectures of Yan, Yun and Yi, except for Yunzhou that needed to consider the attitude of Daliang because it was close to Daliang's hinterland and did not include it in the sight of the Pinglu Army, Yanzhou and Yizhou were included in the Pinglu Army's attack plan.

However, Yizhou is mountainous and has little value to take over. Instead, it may carry a huge burden and be firmly opposed by civil officials within the Pinglu Army.

Yanzhou is currently the important place that Zhu Mao is defending. Of course, it is OK to take Yanzhou, but it will cost a considerable price. After all, the trapped beasts are still fighting. Although Zhu Mao is exhausted now, he will fight for his life if he really wants him.

The warmest voice within the Pinglu Army, especially the civil officials, was to take down Haizhou, and even used the words "If God does not win, he will suffer the consequences; if the time fails, he will suffer the disaster."

"I am in a position of seven provinces in Lu, with 80,000 armor. Even if Yuan or Jiang Feng can win Xuzhou by chance, would they dare to set up a border provocation and become enemies with us?!" Wang Shouzhong took a deep breath and said with a sigh: "I don't believe it! I admit that Yuan Huaihe and his descendants are a hero of the generation at that time, Jiang Feng is also a hero, but Huaibei is now a land of unparalleled land. They can obtain it by means of their own. Why can't I win Haizhou?!"

It should be said that this reason is correct. Caizhou has already seized the two prefectures of Yingbo in Huaibei, and Huaiyou also seized food from the tiger's mouth, which is not considered the two prefectures of Luhao that Huaiyou has annexed.

There are only three states left in these five states in Xuzhou. Pinglu is not a weak person, so why can’t he get Haizhou?

There is no reason in the world!

The problem is that this is an unreasonable world.

Li Bing forced Yang Pu to abdicate. This powerful minister adopted son of the Yang Xingmi era took over the Wu territory that Yang Xingmi had captured for his descendants in one fell swoop. Is this in line with the truth of friendship? The Guanzhong court suddenly came to an imperial decree to recognize it?!

Caizhou directly seized the Yingbo and Bo provinces without saying anything. Is this reasonable? The Guanzhong court was still in Yingbo and had not settled down yet, so he granted the Yingbo delegation position to Yuan Huaiqing?

Turn your hands into clouds and rain, fight against the enemy, and fight against the weak, and the strong are the only law to survive in this world. Whether you admit it or not to abide by it, that's the case, and do not rely on your will.

Pinglu can seize Haizhou, but if you take over the Yuan family or Jiang Feng of Xuzhou, will they sit back and see if you are the most beautiful piece you are swallowed up by Pinglu?

If Pinglu has the strength to defend his gains, there is no need to say anything, the winner is the king.

But what if not? Then you have to think about it.

Liu Yansi did not think that the Pinglu army now had the strength to be involved in this war.

The Pinglu Army and other prefectures have also encountered droughts in the past two years, which has also made the situation in these prefectures not good. Although it has not yet reached the bad situation of the three towns of Heshuo and Taining Army, it is not optimistic.

As Wang Shouzhong said, 80,000 troops were in control, but these 80,000 troops also brought huge financial pressure to the Pinglu army, so that in the past two years, in addition to the Pinglu army's own army, the newly established Henghai Army had to cut several armies, and its combat effectiveness was not comparable to that of the Pinglu army.

Once a war begins, it means that the entire Pinglu army is mobilized. With the current food, supplies and money preparations of the Pinglu army, Liu Yansi feels that it may be okay to fight two small wars. If the battle is large, or if it lasts longer, it may be a problem for the Pinglu army.

It is an iron rule to not fight unprepared battles, but Liu Yansi felt that the lord and other ministers seemed to have chosen to ignore that the Pinglu army did not have the ability to fight a big battle.

Of course, Liu Yansi also admitted that if he could really take over Haizhou, it would indeed greatly increase the confidence of Pinglu Army. The benefits of boiling sea were enough to transform a vassal state. The reason why Huaibei fell to this point was entirely because Shi Feng's own control over Haizhou was too weak.

The question is, do you dare to suppress this treasure?

Is it worth a push?

Seeing Wang Shouzhong's attitude was inspiring, Liu Yansi sighed in his heart.

I am afraid that I can't stop this matter anymore. There are too many interests involved here. I believe that someone in Haizhou has already had affair with me. With such a huge profit, I am afraid that few people can resist it.

"Your Majesty, if we really want to send troops to Haizhou, then I think that the army will be divided into two groups, occupying Haizhou and Yizhou!" Liu Yansi no longer thought about it. Since it would be useless to fight again, it would be better to settle for the second best.

"Yizhou?" Wang Shouzhong hesitated for a moment, "I am afraid that Yizhou is poor and has many chaotic people. It is useless to occupy it. It is better to watch coldly than to spend food and fodder,..."

Liu Yansi was anxious: "Your Majesty, I know it doesn't seem to be very meaningful to take down Yizhou, but if Yizhou falls into the hands of others and we send troops to occupy Haizhou, Yizhou will be like a sharp knife under our belly, making us face threats at any time, which is extremely unfavorable."

"But now Yizhou is in chaos and bandits are rampant. Since we want to send troops to Haizhou, we must send heavy troops to control it, and there are not many troops to solve Yizhou. Besides, although Zhu Mao is poor, he has to be careful of his backlash. I think it is better not to provoke him." Wang Shouzhong said hesitantly.

Liu Yansi was so angry that he almost vomited blood. The Yizhou was in chaos and just took it down. Could it be that the Pinglu army was even afraid of the bandits?

As for Zhu Mao, does Ping Lu Jun still need to consider Zhu Mao’s attitude now? Does he still have the strength to manage Yizhou?

Almost gritted his teeth, Liu Yansi suppressed the anger in his heart and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, although Yizhou is poor, it is also a state. The current situation is difficult and it is the time to start. Looking to the west, Daliang and Heshuo are unlikely to pose much threat to us. It is useless to station 80,000 troops in Qiqing. It is better to train troops in Yizhou..."

"It will cost a lot of money to send troops to Yizhou, and the LRC and the others will have to argue for another half a day." At this time, Wang Shouzhong was the real Wang Shouzhong. The lord who had been excited and fierce before disappeared, "Well, after this matter has come, I will talk to the LRC and the others."

Seeing that his number one heavy general's face turned blue and was about to break out, Wang Shouzhong quickly changed the topic: "I'm glossy, I'm glossy, let's take a long-term plan, and let's take a long-term plan, uh, look at this giant cypress, it is said to be planted by the First Emperor,..."

Liu Yansi stared at his lord, and his words had already flowed to his mouth, but he finally suppressed it.

Many people within the Pinglu Army were already very jealous of their deep trust in the Lord, and all kinds of rumors were growing. If they wanted to force their words, they might not have a good result, but instead they would have side effects. Thinking of this, hesitated for a while, and finally endured it.

But what should I do about this battle?

Confused inside, Liu Yansi subconsciously looked at the south.
Chapter completed!