Cao Zhen laughed several times after hearing this: "Zi Xu, didn't you ask me before why I wanted to recruit Shi Zai?"
"With such a great talent, how can I let him go back to Qian Zhao's hands?"
Great talent?
Du Xi muttered to himself. He was already over thirty years old, but he knew the principles of things but not the human feelings. How could he be of much use in the officialdom? He had just seen it with his own eyes!
However, Du Xi still did not refute Cao Zhen's face: "The general has a keen eye for talent, and Guanxi is in great need of talent right now. With Shi Zai's help, I'm sure everything in the palace will be handled more properly."
Cao Zhen nodded: "It is almost noon now. Report the strategy to me before noon tomorrow and I will present it to His Majesty!"
Du Xi bowed in response.
Cao Zhen stood up from the table, twisted his neck, stretched his muscles, and walked in front of Du Xi.
Du Xi was about to stand up, but Cao Zhen held Du Xi's shoulders and said, "Don't stand up. Zixu has taken care of this matter. I'm going to the camp outside the city, you guys go ahead."
"General, take care." Du Xi sat at the table with a somewhat helpless look as Cao Zhen said goodbye. Fei Yao, Yang Dan and Deng Ai stood up and saluted.
Du Xi was more than ten years older than Cao Zhen.
But since the Huangchu period, when Cao Zhen held higher and higher official positions, he began to address ordinary officials by their courtesy names, even those who were old.
After all, the general holds a high position of power, and no one really takes the slight changes in his title to heart, except for occasional complaints behind his back.
Du Xi asked Fei, Yang and Deng to work together, and by the time of Si time on the next morning, a complete strategy had been completed.
It was copied word by word on bamboo slips using Han Li script by Yang Dan, a Zhonglang official who had the most neat calligraphy.
An average of 20 characters can be written on each bamboo slip, and a roll of bamboo slips may have a hundred of them, which means a roll of bamboo slips can hold 2,000 characters.
The strategy of ten thousand words was written on five volumes of bamboo slips.
Cao Zhen and his officials had already discussed the outline of the plan.
After the five volumes were completed, Cao Zhen was too lazy to read them carefully again. He simply called Yang Dan and Deng Ai to follow him and carry them to meet the emperor in the military camp outside the city.
Du Xi also followed along, being responsible for acting as Cao Zhen's substitute and explaining things to the emperor and ministers.
There is no place for Fei Yao.
This matter was of great importance, so Cao Rui summoned all the important officials who were in the army.
In the big tent, in addition to Sima Yi, Xin Pi, Qian Zhao, and Zhu Gai, there was also Yang Fu, the governor of Yongzhou, who had heard of the emperor's return a few days ago and hurried from Chang'an to Chencang.
The war that lasted for half a year from the end of November last year to May of this year came to an end, and new arrangements have been made regarding the three states of Yong, Liang, Qin and Hanzhong.
Du Xi is indeed an old minister who has served in Guanxi for a long time.
All the old ministers who have survived from the time of Cao Cao, although they may have different backgrounds and not all of them are gentlemen, are basically extremely shrewd in government affairs.
Du Xi first talked about the three items of military force deployment, troop replenishment, and emergency plans, and then explained them one by one in detail.
Cao Rui didn't pay attention to the details either.
As an emperor, he would be exhausted if he read everything. While Du Xi was standing in the hall, explaining each point without a manuscript, Cao Rui had already read the summary several times.
Cao Rui coughed lightly and interrupted Du Xi: "The deployment of troops is generally correct, but the specific allocation is a little off."
Cao Zhen cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, please give me your instructions."
Cao Rui said: "After the Qiang soldiers at Guo Huai's place are fully replenished, the remaining foreign troops will come to Chencang. We can also take some troops from Zhang He and send them to Chencang as well."
"When we were in Qishan City, we increased the number of troops in Qinzhou to deal with Hanzhong. Now that Hanzhong belongs to Wei, we can use fewer troops in Qinzhou."
Of course Cao Zhen would not refuse such a thing, and even felt that the emperor was quite considerate.
"I understand. I will go back and make adjustments and then present it to you."
Cao Rui nodded slightly towards Du Xi, indicating that he should continue.
There was no major problem with replenishing the troops, and the other ministers in the hall had no objections.
But when it came to building cities, storing grain, repairing military roads and building fixed barracks, Yang Fu was the first to express his opposition.
"What Du Changshi said is absurd." Yang Fu stood up from the table and bowed to Du Xi.
"May I ask Governor Yang, what's wrong with this?" Du Xi asked in return.
Cao Rui and all the ministers in the hall looked at Yang Fu at the same time.
Yang Fu was a person who was not included in the plan, and his questions were also unplanned.
Except for Yang Fu, Sima Yi, Xin Pi and others had all been to Hanzhong, and their views on the war and the Kingdom of Shu were basically the same.
Prepare for a rainy day! No matter how hard the situation is, the military should not suffer.
Only Yang Fu is a variable.
Yang Fu said calmly: "Du Changshi wants to repair Wuxing Pass and Wujie City. Wuxing Pass should be built like Yangping Pass, and Wujie City should be built like Qishan City."
"I have no objection to these two points. Building a city on the front line is a serious military matter. We can just station troops there and use the army to build it."
"But military roads and fixed barracks, aren't these two also urgently needed right now? The frontline has been fighting for half a year, Yongzhou and Qinzhou have spent so much manpower and financial resources, can't we slow down a bit?"
Cao Rui remained silent, ready to see how Cao Zhen and Du Xi would debate with Yang Fu.
These important officials of the Wei Dynasty have always been harmonious in handling affairs. Whether it is Cao Zhen, Sima Yi, or Chen Qun, they are all Cao Pi's former direct subordinates and are all "the party of the previous emperor."
However, Yang Fu was not favored by the previous emperor, and his status even declined. He was promoted from acting governor of Yizhou during Cao Cao's conquest of Hanzhong to a lieutenant at the city gate.
Yang Fu was truly an important official during the Taihe period.
Du Xi was helpless. After taking a look at Yang Fu, he looked at Cao Zhen from the side for a moment and said, "Governor Yang, how can you say that I want to repair the pass and the city? It's the Great Wei who wants to repair it!"
"The Shu bandits are just to the south, and the geography and military situation are like this. How can we just ignore them?"
There is a hidden meaning in these words.
When Du Xi talked about repairing the pass and the city, he meant to let Yongzhou take charge of Wuxing Pass and Qinzhou take charge of Wujie City. Wouldn't it be wonderful if one state was responsible for one place?
But when it came to Yang Fu, they used the garrison troops to repair it! Is this the same thing?
Yang Fu responded: "The city needs to be repaired, the pass needs to be repaired, these two are urgent matters. But can the repair of the military road and barracks be postponed for a year?"
"The Shu army has just been defeated, how can they attack again so soon?"
"I hope that Mr. Du will show some sympathy for the people!"
Du Xi's beard was so angry that it almost stood out. Why did Yang Fu's words and actions make it seem as if he was the one who wanted to carry out all these construction projects?
not to mention……
General, please say something!
What are you doing standing there? Why don't you fight for it?
Du Xi said: "Of all the things in the world, military affairs are the most important! It's just two cities and a few military camps. If we can fix them before the end of the year, won't everything be fine next year?"
Yang Fu retorted: "Yongzhou is exhausted and cannot serve you well! Not to mention the hardship of transporting people along Longshan Road and Chencang Road, the 100,000 Qiang people and 70,000 Hanzhong people who have just been sent to Yongzhou all need to be fed and clothed by the state!"
"It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I can't!"
Du Xi sneered: "If the Shu thieves invade again, and we delay military operations as Governor Yang said, who can take the responsibility?"
Yang Fu refused to give in: "What does it have to do with the Shu thieves? What we are talking about now is the strength of the people in Yongzhou!"
Du Xi then asked, "Does the state no longer want to take care of it?"
Yang Fu said: "Can't we wait until next year for such conscription? Now is not a critical time for war! Can we make the people suffer a little more?"
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Seeing the two of them arguing with each other and their expressions becoming increasingly angry, Cao Rui quickly stopped them.
The logic behind this matter is simple.
The military work Du Xi mentioned was necessary. The city should be repaired and the pass should be built, and Yang Fu did not deny this.
The real dilemma is who will pay and do the work.
According to Du Xi, the people of Yongzhou and Qinzhou were to be mobilized to complete the construction before the end of the year. However, as the head of Yongzhou, Yang Fu was in financial difficulties.
Moreover, the General's Mansion had just arrived at Chencang, so how could the first strategy be suppressed by the Yongzhou Prefecture? This was the reason why Du Xi insisted.
Yang Fu insisted, and the same logic applies. If he accepted it right away, would the state contribute money and effort, and would he still be controlled by the General's Mansion?
It would be better for Yang Fu, the governor of Yongzhou, to be the chief secretary of the general!
Cao Rui saw through the disagreement between the two at a glance, and also knew the reason why Cao Zhen was reluctant to get involved.
Cao Rui looked around and said softly, "Mr. Du has his own reasons, and Mr. Yang has his own difficulties."
"Sikong, start with you and express your opinions one by one!"
Cao Rui raised his finger and pointed at Sima Yi: "Should the city and pass be repaired by the garrison or the state? Should the military road camps be repaired this year or next year? These are the two questions!"
Sima Yi reluctantly bowed and accepted it.
Previously, when he was in Luoyang, whenever there were disputes among ministers, the emperor would always use this method of having everyone express their opinions and passing the test.
Leave no room for those who sit on the fence.
Sima Yi thought for a few moments, then cupped his hands and said, "After the war, the people's strength needs to be restored urgently. I think we can take it slowly, first repair Wuxing Pass and Wujie City, and then repair the other two."
Cao Rui asked: "Who does Sikong agree with?"
Sima Yi said: "Although military affairs and people's livelihood are two different things, they actually complement each other..."
Cao Rui interrupted Sima Yi's repetitive speech and asked: "Du or Yang?"
"Yang!" Sima Yi said helplessly.
Sima Yi was the Sikong and the recorder of the Shangshu in the court, and was in charge of the government affairs of the country in the Dongge, so naturally he considered the affairs of the state.
If all the states in the world follow suit, then it will not be the army stationed in each state, but the states will obey the stationed troops!
As Cao Rui expected, Sima Yi and Xin Pi both agreed with Yang Fu, while Qian Zhao and Zhu Gai both agreed with Du Xi.
You should think about whatever area you sit on.
Cao Rui was still a little disappointed, and sighed, "I understand what you mean."
"Then, Du Qing, go back and give us a detailed list of the money, materials, manpower and time needed to build the city, the pass and the military road."
After that, Cao Rui looked at Yang Fu and said, "How much financial resources are needed in the state and how much can be squeezed out, Yang Qing, go back and sort it out and write it down clearly."
"Tomorrow morning, both of you will come before me again. I will look at the rough figures and then make the adjustments for you."
"What do you think?" (End of this chapter)
