Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors

Liang Army returned triumphantly and presented their victory at the Temple.

In this battle, the main credit naturally went to Prince Qi. Emperor Gaozu of Liang, who never skimped on rewards for his own son, directly promoted this fifteen-year-old youth to Minister of Shandong Path, Left Marquis, and Great General.

In history, all these titles were awarded to Lord Qin, but Lord Qin indeed had merely been a bystander in this battle. Hence, during the reward distribution process, his titles were only incrementally increased, unlike the soaring elevation of Prince Qi.

However, Lord Qin harbored no complaints; instead, he felt it was reasonable.

Because in his view, the capabilities Prince Qi exhibited in winning this battle had already surpassed his own.

If it were him fighting Xue Ju, he would inevitably wage a fierce offensive only after more than two months of scorched earth tactics. Yet Prince Qi remarkably managed to accurately predict the date of Xue Ju's sudden illness and death, resolving the battle in just over a month.

Having fought such a miraculous battle, it made sense that Prince Qi held a higher position.

However, Emperor Gaozu found himself troubled by the specific distribution of military forces.

According to the original historical development, after the battle of Qianshui, virtually all forces had been under Lord Qin's control.

Whether it was fighting Liu Wuzhou, Wang Shichong, or Dou Jiande, it was primarily the whole nation's army led by Lord Qin alone.

After all, Lord Qin's military achievements indicated that only by having him in command could every critical national battle be ensured victorious.

But the situation was different this time.

The battle at Qianshui was the first national battle after the establishment of the Liang Dynasty. Although Lord Qin had earned multiple military credits, it was precisely in this crucial battle that Prince Qi stood out and claimed full credit.

If all the troops continued to be handed over to Lord Qin, it would certainly be unfair to Prince Qi;

But it would also be inappropriate to completely deny Lord Qin because of this one battle and transfer all troops to Prince Qi.

After struggling with this dilemma, it was Li Hongyun, playing the role of Prince Qi, who actively proposed a solution.

Divide the forces!

Since both sons were so formidable, let them each fight their own battles.

Li Hongyun voluntarily suggested that he take several thousand troops and some generals to defend Jinyang, guarding against Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang from the north, while Lord Qin would lead another division of troops to try and challenge Wang Shichong, who occupied Luoyang.

This proposal was certainly quite cunning.

Because from what happened later, it was clear that fighting against Wang Shichong was tougher.

In real history, Lord Qin had first eliminated Liu Wuzhou, his forces had expanded, and he had won over fierce generals like Yuchi Jingde, before he marched against Wang Shichong.

Even so, that campaign was fraught with danger and extremely arduous.

Although fighting Liu Wuzhou was also challenging, it was partly because Jinyang had been lost at that time, giving Liu Wuzhou a foothold, and continuous reinforcements were sent in waves, which made the situation very difficult for Lord Qin at that time.

Now letting Li Hongyun fight Wang Shichong was purely a giveaway.

But if he fought Liu Wuzhou, as long as he prepared in advance, held onto Jinyang, and successfully integrated the advantageous forces of Liang Army, it was still very hopeful.

And there was one more crucial point — this battle could gain a limited SSR gatekeeper from the Xuanwu Gate Incident: Yuchi Jingde!

Yuchi Jingde's role in the Xuanwu Gate Incident was undeniable, and if Li Hongyun could strike at Liu Wuzhou first, he might be able to recruit Yuchi Jingde.

When the time came for the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Hongyun would have an extra strong card in his hand, while Lord Qin would have one less.

This would be a significant advantage, back and forth!

No one objected to this suggestion.

For Lord Qin, although he could also see that Wang Shichong was a tougher nut to crack, firstly, Lord Qin's character was not to be subdued by anyone, and he had no fear of difficulties; secondly, at that time, Liu Wuzhou had not yet actively invaded Jinyang.

In other words, Prince Qi's voluntary request to defend Jinyang and stabilize the rear was likely seen by everyone as potentially uneventful.

What if Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang didn't come to attack Jinyang?

Even if Prince Qi proactively attacked, fighting Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang on their home turf wasn't necessarily easier than facing Wang Shichong.

After all, at that time, Liu Wuzhou had the backing of the Turkic people, having been titled "Khan of Dingyang."

Thus, Prince Qi and Lord Qin, one heading north and the other east, each expanded Liang Dynasty in different directions.

...

Returning to Jinyang, Li Hongyun felt a surge of emotions.

I, Prince Qi, am back!

So far, Jinyang could be said to be the most familiar place for Li Hongyun in this challenge.

The first time he played Prince Qi, it was here that he defended the strong city, repelled Liu Wuzhou's attack, and successfully held out until Lord Qin's arrival.

But this time, he could no longer rely on Lord Qin.

Because to win in the upcoming Xuanwu Gate Incident, he had to ensure that he personally fought every tough battle to establish enough authority and assemble a sufficiently strong team.

Defeating Liu Wuzhou with his own strength was going to be challenging.

Because the war at this point could no longer be conducted according to the script.

In the script, Prince Qi lost Jinyang, leading to the entire River East falling into enemy hands, and Lord Qin had to contend with Song Jingang at Bai Bi, adopting scorched earth tactics and enduring a three-month standoff, only chasing after the victory when Song Jingang's troops fled from hunger.

But at this moment, Li Hongyun could hardly first withdraw his troops to Bai Bi before starting the fight.