It was because of Cao Pi's appreciation that Guo Huai was selected to work in the Prime Minister's Office. After following the army to conquer Hanzhong, he stayed in Xiahou Yuan's army as Sima.
After Xiahou Yuan was killed by Huang Zhong at Dingjun Mountain, it was Guo Huai who took the lead and, together with the commander-in-chief Du Xi, recommended Zhang He as the acting commander-in-chief. Guo Huai also took the opportunity to become Zhang He's Sima.
It can be said that there was a very deep historical friendship between Guo Huai and Zhang He.
"Mr. Zhang, I haven't seen you for a long time." Guo Huai walked into the Left General's Mansion and said with a hearty smile. Compared to a provincial governor, Guo Huai looked more like a general.
Guo Huai, who was over 40 years old, had a sturdy build and a loud voice. His style was different from that of other provincial governors such as Wang Chang and Wang Ling.
I don’t know if it’s because of the climate and soil in Guanxi, or if Guo Huai was originally a general.
"Bo Ji is here? Please take a seat." Zhang He stood up to greet him with a smile.
There is an unspoken rule between people. The more familiar you are with someone, the more different you address them.
Although Zhang He served as a general for many years, he liked to socialize with Confucian scholars in private. He was very good at singing poems, pitching pots, and playing chess, which were popular cultural activities among scholars.
Guo Huai called Zhang He "Mr. Zhang" instead of "General Zuo", which was actually more to Zhang He's liking.
The two men exchanged a few brief pleasantries, and then Zhang He told Guo Huai all the information he had learned at Sanguan a few days ago.
Guo Huai also frowned after hearing this: "Since the 24th year of Jian'an, Hanzhong has always been guarded by Wei Yan. Now Zhuge Liang is leading his army to Hanzhong, he must have some intention."
"When Mr. Zhang came back from Luoyang at the end of last year and passed through Chang'an, I remember that Mr. Zhang said that Your Majesty believed that Zhuge Liang would go north to Yongliang."
"It seems that Your Majesty has hit the nail on the head?"
Zhang He nodded and said, "Your Majesty is very wise and decisive, just like Emperor Wu."
"Hanzhong is a land surrounded by mountains and rivers. To the north is Yongliang, to the west is Diqiang, and to the east is Shangyong. If Zhuge Liang comes in person, he will definitely not just attack Diqiang or Shangyong."
"For these two places, sending Wei Yan or Wu Yi will be enough. Besides, where are the civilians in Wudu? They have all been relocated long ago!"
Guo Huai nodded: "In this case, Mr. Zhang still needs to make a decision on how to deal with it."
Zhang He said, "I invited Bo Ji to Mei County for this very reason."
Guo Huai was able to become the governor of Yongzhou at the age of 40. Being Cao Pi's confidant was important, but his outstanding talents were also obvious to all. The arrangements made by the late Emperor Cao Pi in Guanxi, except for Xiahou Mao who was a mediocre person, were really impeccable.
Guo Huai thought for a moment and then said, "Mr. Zhang, is it impossible to send more troops?"
Zhang He nodded: "The Central Army only returned to Luoyang in March, and only had two months to rest. I'm afraid the vacancies have not been filled yet. How can we send more troops to Yongliang?"
"Besides, I have already made a promise to Your Majesty. If I ask for help before Zhuge Liang arrives, wouldn't that make the world laugh at me?"
All we can say is that Zhang He and Guo Huai were indeed good friends, but this kind of true feeling cannot be told to everyone.
Guo Huai analyzed the situation in an orderly manner: "Mr. Zhang, in fact, Yongzhou and Liangzhou were originally one. The problem now is that Liangzhou has shrunk, while Yongzhou has become too big."
"Except Guanzhong, Nan'an, Tianshui, Longyou, and Guangwei in Longyou all belong to Yongzhou. Separated by the Longshan Mountain, it is extremely inconvenient to travel between the east and the west."
"Although the army is stationed in Chencang, which is very close to Longyou, there is still not enough time if something happens."
Zhang He asked, "Does Boji have any strategy to deal with this?"
Guo Huai smiled and said, "It seems that Mr. Zhang is testing me!"
"Since we can't fill the gap with soldiers, and we can't transfer the soldiers from Chencang to Longyou, then if the Shu army attacks, the only feasible thing is to quickly use the soldiers from the counties in Longyou."
"If I, the governor of Yongzhou, don't go to Longyou, how can this be accomplished?"
"Hahahaha." Zhang He laughed and said, "Bo Ji is really a quick-witted man!"
"To be honest with you, Boji, after much thought, I think the only option is to let Boji, who knows military affairs well, go to Longyou to take charge."
"If Boji were in Longyou, I would have nothing to worry about!"
Guo Huai interrupted and said, "Mr. Zhang, it's no problem for me to go to Longyou. But if I stay in Longyou, it would be unreasonable for me not to inspect the counties in Guanzhong."
Zhang He said: "What does a few political affairs have to do with it? Could Guanzhong rebel?"
Guo Huai replied: "Mr. Zhang is right, but how should we explain this to His Majesty and the court?"
Zhang He said with a smile: "Bo Ji, you don't need to worry about this matter. Your Majesty is wise and brave. You will definitely agree to the military deployment. Just put your mind at ease."
Guo Huai interrupted, "Mr. Zhang, that's not what I meant."
"Is it possible to change the station of the Yongzhou governor from Chang'an to Longyou? After all, Yongzhou is too big!"
Zhang He thought for a moment and said, "Let's not talk about this matter anymore."
"According to your majesty's idea, it will only take ten years to destroy Wu and Shu. There is no need to adjust the station of the governor. Just make do with it for now."
"Liangzhou didn't even have a governor a few years ago, but it still happened, didn't it?"
Guo Huai replied, "That's right. Since the military situation is urgent, I will not return to Chang'an. I will leave Mei County tomorrow and head to Longyou."
If this happened in Jingzhou or Yangzhou, the governors would probably have to delay for a few days before leaving. But in Yongliang, acting quickly has become a habit from top to bottom, and leaving as soon as you say you want is the norm. Zhang He nodded and said, "Where is Bo Ji going? Nan'an County or Tianshui County?"
Guo Huai thought for a moment and said, "Let's go to Tianshui County! After all, Lu Pan's 3,000 troops are stationed in Tianshui, so it will be more convenient if something happens."
"Very good!" Zhang He said, "Then I will write a letter to Lu Pan and ask him to listen to your instructions in case of emergency!"
"Although I can't give you the military token, Lu Pan has always been a sensible person, so there's no need to worry."
Guo Huai said with a smile: "It's all up to Mr. Zhang!"
……
Five days later, in the afternoon, south of Luoyang City.
As the capital of Wei, Luoyang has always had many hunting grounds in its suburbs.
When the previous emperor Cao Pi was alive, he often went out hunting with his close ministers, and was once criticized by Bao Xun.
The reason why there are so many hunting grounds outside Luoyang is that there are few people and the fields are barren. After decades of war and plague, the population still needs to recover.
Cao Rui was in a rare mood and wanted to go out of Luoyang for hunting. Since he was leaving Luoyang, he naturally took Cao Zhen and Sima Yi with him, leaving Wei Zhen behind in Luoyang.
Since Xiahou Ru went to Xiangyang to replace Xu Huang, Xiahou Xian took over the core camp, while Qin Lang was in charge of the palace guards.
This hunting trip was also escorted by Xiahou Xian, who led two thousand cavalrymen.
We set out from the south gate of Luoyang in the morning, crossed the Luo River and the Yi River, and arrived at Dashishan, 50 miles southeast of Luoyang City, in the afternoon.
Cao Rui, who was riding on his horse, turned around and asked with a smile: "General, where should we set up camp today?"
Cao Zhen rode forward and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I sent people to survey the terrain three days ago and set up the camp. We will move in directly later."
Cao Rui smiled and said, "The general is really considerate."
Cao Zhen replied: "Your Majesty rarely comes out to hunt, so I can still take care of some small matters."
"Only two thousand cavalrymen." Cao Rui looked at Cao Zhen: "If it is an army of 100,000, the general will be able to deploy them freely."
Cao Zhen cupped his hands and said, "These are just my duties."
Sima Yi stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, if we count the time, Sima Zhi, who is on a mission to Wuchang, will soon be returning."
"Yes, he has been on the road for more than a month." Cao Rui said slowly, "I just don't know what Sun Quan's reply will be."
"Why don't the general and the minister guess together?"
The emperor was in high spirits, so Cao Zhen and Sima Yi naturally did not want to spoil his fun.
Cao Zhen was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, I think Sun Quan is naturally unwilling to fight again. But with the river between us, he may not be willing to submit again. How can we mend our relationship after it has been torn apart once?"
Sima Yi nodded: "I think the same as the general. If you say one more word, I'm afraid Sun Quan will have to accept Concubine Sun's marriage."
“Hahaha.” Cao Rui laughed and said, “If we try to deal with Sun Quan again next time, crossing the river from Wankou or Ruxu will probably not give us a high chance of winning. It seems safer to attack Jiangling from Xiangyang by land.”
Jiangling? Cao Zhen was the commander of the Western Army when the three armies attacked Wu. It was not so easy to attack from Xiangyang to Jiangling.
Cao Zhen was about to speak out to persuade him, but then he remembered that Huainan seemed difficult to conquer before His Majesty personally led the army, so he swallowed the words that were about to come out.
Sima Yi interrupted, "When does your majesty want to fight?"
Cao Rui said in a natural tone: "At least we can't fight this year. In November and December last year, and January and February this year, a huge amount of civilian manpower was mobilized. We need to wait at least a year before we can consider it again."
"Xiangfan already has a small population. If the cost of transporting grain from Hebei and Henan is too high, I'm afraid it will be unaffordable for the time being."
The emperor's thoughts were clear, and Sima Yi had nothing to say to persuade him.
But at this moment, Cao Rui took the initiative to ask.
"General, Sikong, I have thought of something."
Cao Rui said with a smile: "What do you think, if someone occupied Luoyang City at this time, how would the three of us deal with it?"
Cao Zhen was shocked when he heard this. He bowed his hands and asked solemnly, "Why do you say that, Your Majesty? Is there any unusual movement in Luoyang City?"
Cao Rui waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, General. I was just making an analogy and it suddenly occurred to me. With Xu Chu and Wei Zhen in Luoyang, what do I have to worry about?"
"It's just a deduction!"
Sima Yi smiled and continued, "Have your Majesty and I all been stranded outside? I wonder how the bandits in Luoyang City took over the city?"
Cao Rui said calmly, "If we send troops into the palace first, get the imperial edict from Empress Dowager Bian or Empress Dowager Guo, and then occupy the Luoyang armory, we can send people to tell the Wuwei Camp, Zhongjian Camp, and Zhonglei Camp to stay put."
"After occupying Luoyang City, we will defend the Luoshui Floating Bridge."
"If so, what should we do?" (End of this chapter)
