In the study of Jinxiang Palace, Zuo You knelt on the ground and held up a roll of things with both hands. The eunuch Wang Zhong, who was on duty, walked up to him and took it away carefully, and placed it on the table in front of Guo Shao.

"Shaoqing Zuoqing got up." Guo Shao glanced at him, stretched out his hand and gradually expanded the picture on the table.

A pair of drawings with evenly symmetrical and fine lines gradually appeared in front of me. Guo Shao's eyes lit up and saw a circle with "Youzhou" written next to it. When the picture was completely unfolded, the title "Youyun Sixteen Prefectures" was written from right to left above, and there was also the name of the person who drew the picture on the right, Wang Pu, Zuo You, and Zan Jurun.

There is even a scale marker on the lower right. Because Guo Shao paints pictures like this, the people around him learned to make maps like this according to the emperor's habits.

This picture is better than Guo Shao himself. Civil servants are better at checking terrain records and painting skills than Guo Shao. Guo Shao almost forgot about Zuo You for a moment, and carefully admired every line on the drawing. His rough fingers with short nail trimming touched the road on the drawing, and his eyes became extra focused.

The Sixteen Prefectures of Youzhou, this place name that has been lost for decades, has been around in history. Guo Shao seemed to see the expansion of his territory from the picture. An inexplicable ambition in his heart was ignited by this delicate thing.

It is not only a piece of land, but also the prestige of a generation of emperors, but also the cornerstone of the national defense line.

Guo Shao raised his head and asked, "Why do you offer pictures?"

Zuo You said cautiously: "Your Majesty may be able to use it, I will share your worries."

Guo Shao pondered for a moment, glanced over the name on the right side of the picture, and turned to Wang Zhong and said, "Send someone to pass the imperial edict, summon Wang Pu... and Wei Renpu and Zan Jurun to meet."

Wang Zhong bowed and said, "I will do it immediately."

Zuo You bowed and waited outside first.

While waiting, Guo Shao walked in front of the window for a while, sat on a chair and looked through the files placed on it. Some records of various aspects of the Liao Kingdom... The Emperor of Liao Kingdom was Yelu Jing. Guo Shao didn't know this person very well. Yelu Jing lived in Shangjing thousands of miles away, and was originally a very distant person. According to the things collected by the Privy Council, Yelu Jing's reputation was not very good, he was cruel, drunk, and snoring. The current internal turmoil in the Liao Kingdom is not good, and there are also reasons for the "crazy monarch" to be in power.

However, Guo Shao did not look at Yelu Jing's reputation, he only looked at what this person did and the past events of the Liao Kingdom. Guo Shao felt that the responsibility for the current situation of the Liao Kingdom was not the ruler of the Liao Kingdom, but was indeed caused by the former hatred and old grudges.

If Yelu Jing can establish great achievements and prestige, his situation will not be unchanged.

Guo Shao felt that his situation was somewhat similar to this enemy... No matter how Guo Shao and his supporters excused themselves, they changed the essence of usurping the country. They either forced themselves to prevent or re-establish their status with great power, otherwise his power would not be so stable.

Only now did he realize that the emperors were not so at ease. Even if they kept promoting the power of the king, loyalty, filial piety, and inferiority, they were always afraid of being pulled from the throne!

If you are anxious to prevent internal checks and balances of military generals, it is inevitable that the force will be weakened. At this time, the country's gates are open, and from Hebei to the Central Plains is flat and threatened for a long time, the emperor will not be too down-to-earth. How can you not be responsible for the world when you sit in this position?

Guo Shao looked at the scene outside the window for a long time, with flat brick floors and magnificent buildings, very solemn.

At this time, Wang Pu and others were taken into the study. They were already working in the imperial city. The four of them bowed and worshiped each other. Guo Shao came to his senses and asked them to get up. He was given a seat on the screen and left.

Guo Shao asked straight to the point: "You all think that with the current strength of the Great Zhou Dynasty, can you have a chance of winning against the Liao Kingdom?"

He did not say that he would capture the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, because that land was equally important to the Liao Kingdom; once the attack on Youzhou was equivalent to a full-scale war with the Liao Kingdom, it was basically a consensus among the officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Several people looked at Wang Pu, and Wang Pu said seriously: "It is really hard to say whether he can defeat the main force of the Liao army..."

Guo Shao said: "What the king envoy said is not appropriate to start a war?"

Because in a war with little chance of winning, the best choice is not to fight; if there is a choice, this is the principle of using troops in ancient and modern times, and war is originally intended to achieve a certain goal.

However, Wang Pu said: "The intention of the court is to recover the sixteen states of Youyun, rather than to distinguish them from the Liao army. The old minister once repeatedly inferred that as long as he could quickly capture Youzhou City, he would have a great chance of winning."

Wei Renpu said, "I have discussed the strategy with the king's envoy. There is a strategy that can be feasible: first move into Youzhou quickly; if you can capture the city as soon as the Liao army reinforcements arrive, the Zhou army will have a large number of elite infantry relying on Youzhou City, and then you can fight to the decisive battle. It is difficult for the Liao army to defeat the main force of the Great Zhou in front, let alone take back Youzhou City. As long as this situation is achieved, the Great Zhou will have a way to occupy the land of Youzhou. The key is whether you are sure to capture Youzhou City."

Wei Renpu pondered: "Youzhou is a powerful city. It has been easy to defend and difficult to attack since ancient times. But Your Majesty can take Jinyang in half a month..."

Zan Jurun looked respectful: "Your Majesty led his army to attack in every possible way, and he was defeated. The Great Zhou army was well-equipped and armored, but now it is not the same as before. The Liao cavalry over the Central Plains for many years, so it is time for our country to compete with them!"

"You guys all think that the time for the Northern Expedition has come?" Guo Shao asked cautiously.

Wang Pu said: "A surprise attack on Youzhou is a trick. The old minister agreed to try this strategy, as the deputy envoy of Wei said, because His Majesty captured Xiongcheng many times... If the old minister considers this major, after the war with the Liao Kingdom, he will fight for national strength. The Great Zhou can have a strong national strength and population, and consume it with the Liao Kingdom. To go to war with the Great Power, of course, both sides will suffer."

He bowed and said, "Your Majesty asked about the time, but I thought it had come, but it had not come."

Guo Shao looked at Wang Pu quietly and asked casually: "How do you say this?"

Wang Pu said: "At this time, the Great Zhou annexed the countries, and the national strength increased greatly, and there was almost no worries in the rear; and the Liao Dynasty's government was still dark and civil strife, which was a favorable opportunity for the Great Zhou to start a war.

I also said that the time has not come, because I am worried about falling into the variables after the war. As I considered, the battle with the Liao Kingdom may be a long-term war of attrition. At this time, the Great Zhou Dynasty was slightly settled. Once there is no progress and the national strength is consumed, the situation may not be good... However, if it is really possible to fight quickly and decide quickly."

Guo Shao said: "Now the Great Zhou Dynasty is an offensive. We will fight as long as we want, and stop as long as we want. If the Liao army dared to attack, the late emperor would withdraw his troops from the Northern Expedition and then be in turmoil in the court, and the Liao army would have a better chance at that time."
Chapter completed!