Chapter 533: Advice
What does the word "barbarian" mean?
Of course it’s just a gimmick to whet people’s appetite!
Sun Shaozong was said to be a new official who had made many great achievements, and based on his official rank, he could barely be sent to govern a region.
But he was in his early twenties after all, and inevitably gave people the impression of being 'a talkative but incompetent man'. If he didn't say something shocking, how could he have the chance to take on the task of suppressing the rebellion?
However, since it is used as a gimmick, the word "barbarian" is still somewhat related to his policy of suppressing the rebellion.
But Sun Shaozong bowed and said, "This word can be interpreted as 'the courage of an ordinary man', or 'using barbarians to control barbarians'."
It would have been fine if he had been deliberately mysterious at the beginning, but he did not dare to test Emperor Guangde's patience. He started with the word "barbarian" and then continued to talk: "I have heard that the Wuxi barbarians have lived in the mountains and forests for a long time, often associating with beasts. Most of their people fear power but not virtue."
"Now the Wuxi barbarians have suddenly started a rebellion, and have taken over the prefectures and counties in one fell swoop. They are arrogant and will inevitably underestimate the power of the imperial court. If we try to be lenient at this time, I am afraid that the barbarians will make excessive demands, and there is a risk that they will surrender and then rebel again."
"If we send a large army to suppress the rebellion, the rebels will know that they cannot resist and will definitely flee into the mountains to hide. At that time, the imperial army will be caught in a dilemma, not only wasting the national treasury, but also being taken advantage of by foreign invaders. "
"For now, if we can send a talented person who is familiar with the bandits to divide and conquer the Wuxi barbarians, that would be the best option."
"But I don't know the enemy's situation and geography, and I don't have the wisdom to maneuver. After thinking about it, I think only my courage can be of use."
"I have heard that the Wuxi barbarians live scattered throughout the mountains, and the roads are difficult to travel. If we send a large army into the mountains to sweep them, we will inevitably be hindered everywhere. But because of this, if I lead a small number of elite troops to launch a surprise attack, I am afraid that the bandits will find it difficult to rescue each other."
In fact, the idea of sending a small group of elite troops into the mountains to launch a surprise attack has been proposed by some people.
However, according to intelligence, the Wuxi barbarians are extremely fierce and skilled in mountain fighting. In addition, they have strongholds to rely on, so a surprise attack by a small group of elite troops is likely to end up losing more than they gain.
Even if you can catch the thief off guard at the beginning, it will be difficult to succeed once the news spreads.
Therefore, this proposal was rejected by the cabinet before it was presented to Emperor Guangde.
but……
Looking at Sun Shaozong's sturdy body and thinking about his several heroic battles against a large force with a small one, Emperor Guangde felt that this method might really work if he personally led a group of elite soldiers.
Even though a rare and powerful general like Sun Shaozong may not necessarily determine the outcome of a battle involving tens of thousands of troops, he can be regarded as a powerful weapon when dealing with small tribes of hundreds of people.
Nothing else to say.
Just to say that his brute force was almost comparable to that of a catapult, the gate of a mere barbarian stronghold would be as good as paper, right?
Sun Shaozong continued, "If the surprise attack is feasible, those small tribes with weak strength will be in danger. In order to protect themselves, they will either be forced to serve the government or abandon their homes and careers to rely on powerful tribes."
"By then, I will try to win over some barbarian spies, and then choose a large tribe that is convenient for me to attack. I will use the barbarians who have surrendered to me as my henchmen defeat a few of them with the help of both inside and outside forces."
"There is no need to actually capture the barbarian tribes. We can just rush in and burn, kill and plunder. The barbarians will inevitably become suspicious of each other. Those small tribes will have nowhere to rely on, so they can only choose to serve the imperial court and become the vanguard of the king."
"At that time, the trend of 'using barbarians to control barbarians' will naturally emerge."
"When the Wuxi barbarians have almost finished killing each other, the imperial court can take the opportunity to gather the remaining old, weak, women and children, and either have them submit to the imperial court as civilians or be enslaved in the army, thus completely eradicating the scourge."
When Emperor Guangde heard this, a hint of joy appeared on his face.
It is not necessarily clear how ingenious this plan is, but the good thing is that the core of the entire plan relies solely on Sun Shaozong's bravery and strength, and does not require any financial or military support from the court.
In particular, Sun Shaozong was not only a brave man, but his talents were also recognized in the court. Therefore, the risk of the entire plan was invisibly reduced a lot.
Moreover, even if the action failed, it would not be a big loss for the court - although Sun Shaozong was talented, he was still far from being a senior official in the court.
In short, this can be said to be the most economical and affordable option for the Zhou Dynasty court, which is caught in external and internal troubles!
If the prince heard this, he would probably make the decision immediately.
Emperor Guangde, however, said nothing. He pondered silently for a long while before pointing out two doubts: "This strategy is indeed feasible, but if you just conquer a few small tribes, the Wuxi barbarians will rise up for revenge. How will you resist? And when you use the barbarians to control the barbarians, how can you ensure that you will not be attacked by the thieves?"
"His Majesty."
Sun Shaozong answered without hesitation: "If the bandits are angry and besiege the prefectures and counties, the local officials will lead the people to resist. I only need to do the trick of besieging Wei to save Zhao and force the bandits to return to save themselves."
After a pause, he continued, "The Wuxi barbarians come from the mountains and forests, and I have never heard that they have any siege equipment. The last time they were attacked, it could be said that it was a sudden incident, but now they are prepared. If any prefecture or county can still be taken down by the bandits in one fell swoop, it must be due to the local officials' dereliction of duty!"
These ugly words must be said in advance, otherwise, if you work hard to attack the thieves' lair, but come back to be framed for failing to provide rescue, resulting in the fall of the country, wouldn't that be an unjust death?
After waiting for a while, seeing that Emperor Guangde did not refute this statement, Sun Shaozong answered the second question: "As for the retaliation of the bandits - I have often heard that the barbarians value warriors the most and are most afraid of ghosts and gods. I will rely on my bravery and make up some stories about gods and ghosts, which I think will be enough to intimidate these barbarians."
"Besides, wars have always been dangerous. Has there ever been a foolproof plan? For the sake of the country and the people, what is the point of taking some risks for me?!"
As he said this, Sun Shaozong knelt down, looking as if he was ready to fight to the death.
"good!"
Seeing this, Emperor Guangde could not help but stand up from the Arhat bed and praised loudly: "The Sun family is indeed full of loyal and brave people. It is worth it that I personally cleared your father's grievances!"
In fact, according to Sun Shaozong, if a father had unjustly killed someone, even if the son restored justice, it would not be considered a great grace.
But if I don't pretend to be grateful in front of the emperor, wouldn't that be courting death?
Besides, he had never even met the so-called cheap father, so he had no feelings for him at all.
Therefore, Sun Shaozong prostrated himself without any psychological pressure, and choked up and said, "If my father is still alive in heaven, and hears what Your Majesty said today, he will surely smile in his grave!"
This performance obviously satisfied Emperor Guangde, who even stepped forward to help Sun Shaozong up, patted him on the shoulder and said, "I know your intentions, but this matter is of great importance and cannot be decided overnight. You should go back and wait for a few days for the court's decision."
