Cao Rui laughed and said, "Haven't you heard that those who planted trees will enjoy the shade?"
"Liaodong is 4,000 miles away from Luoyang. What does Wei want to do with Liaodong? Wouldn't it be better to send 10,000 people to guard Liaoxi County and let Gongsun Yuan in Liaodong fend for himself? Wouldn't it be better to let Buyeo, Baekje, Goguryeo, and the Three Han states maintain their status quo?"
"Of course it's not good."
As he spoke, Cao Rui sighed softly: "The whole world belongs to the king. This is not an empty statement."
"Since the chaotic times at the end of the Han Dynasty, the Central Plains has been at war for decades. Although the people have suffered and the country has been exhausted, the war has lasted for decades, and hasn't it also been decades of training? Now the soldiers of Wei, Shu, and Wu are all strong and powerful."
"Whether it was against the Xiongnu, Xianbei or Wuhuan, the Wei Dynasty rarely suffered defeat. With less than 20,000 soldiers, it was able to suppress You and Bing."
"For Sun Quan, conquering the Shanyue to increase military strength and driving their people out of the mountains to farm has been his national policy for decades."
"Zhuge Liang of Shu conquered Nanzhong with only 20,000 soldiers and returned in one year. It was not difficult."
Cao Rui looked at everyone and said, "If we can defeat Gongsun Yuan, it won't take much time to conquer Goguryeo, Baekje, and the Three Han. It will be easy to select a general to attack them. Gongsun Du alone can intimidate the distant barbarians, let alone the elite cavalry of the Wei army."
"Believe it or not, right now is the time when the difference between the Central Plains military power and the surrounding foreign military power is the greatest in hundreds of years? Fight more while the fighting is easy!"
The emperor's words caused the five people in the study to fall silent.
What Man Chong was calculating in his mind was whether the logistics could support such a war for the Wei Dynasty.
But what Sima Yi was thinking was the emperor's thoughts.
Your Majesty's thoughts and ideas are becoming increasingly difficult to fathom.
Aren't we going to attack Gongsun Yuan? Why do we have to attack Buyeo, Baekje, Goguryeo, and the Three Han at the same time?
Isn't this just being too ambitious?
Sima Yi frowned, constantly weighing the pros and cons in his mind. After a while, he was surprised to find that what the emperor said was absolutely right!
Today, the military strength of the Wei Dynasty is extremely powerful.
Regardless of war experience or morale, there was already a generation gap in terms of weapons and equipment alone.
The Xianbei people, who were the most powerful military force on the grassland, were only equipped with leather armor and ring-handled swords, and iron armor was not even widely available.
Even if Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong had slightly better weapons, how much resistance could he put up in a field battle against the Wei heavy cavalry equipped with double stirrups, horseshoes, and full body armor, as well as the armored cavalry armed to the teeth?
Not to mention poorer places like Buyeo and Baekje.
As Sima Yi thought about it, his thoughts began to wander.
With the experience of planning for millions of Qiang people in Yongzhou and Qinzhou, it should be much easier to govern the people of Buyeo, Goguryeo, Baekje, and the Three Han.
After the combined efforts of granting surnames, cultivating land, and educating the people, what barbarians would not want to become Han Chinese? None.
After a moment, Sima Yi cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty's great talent and strategy make me admire you deeply. If Your Majesty leads the army in person, I will follow you and offer you advice."
Pei Qian opened his eyes wide and looked at Sima Yi's figure in surprise.
We are all subjects, why do you say that?
After Sima Yi, Pei Qian was the second to express his opinion.
Then Man Chong, Xu Shu and Lu Yu also gave similar opinions.
Cao Rui waved his hands and said, "The battle has not yet begun. You gentlemen should stop praising me so much. If we win, it will not be too late to celebrate for me."
"Let me discuss the details with you gentlemen."
"I think the deployment you just mentioned is very good. How do we select the 20,000 cavalry and how do we send the 30,000 infantry and cavalry?"
Man Chong folded his hands and said, "Your Majesty, we are only making suggestions. The specific selection of generals should be decided by Your Majesty."
Sima Yi also said: "Your Majesty, please appoint an official to guard the city."
Cao Rui thought for a few moments and said, "Since you are going to take 20,000 cavalry, I will take the 20,000 cavalry from the Yulin Left Army, the Central Commander Camp, and the Five Colonel Camps."
"Cheng Xi's Yulin Right Army of 10,000 cavalrymen was stationed in Luoyang and was under the command of Wei Zhen, the Minister of the Left."
"General Qian Zhao, the General of Zhenxi, led the Wuwei Army to station in Xuchang, and General Wang Ling, the General of Xiaowei, led the Xiaowei Army to station in Yecheng."
"Liaodong is a bitterly cold place, and must be attacked in summer or autumn. There is no time to lose, and in three days, all troops must march according to orders, without any mistakes!"
The five of them stood up and saluted: "We will obey your majesty's order!"
Cao Rui nodded: "The five of you will join us in the expedition!"
……
The 50,000 central troops had originally marched from Luoyang, and it would be a piece of cake for them to resume their marching status now.
The distance between Luoyang and Xuchang was only 300 li, and it would not cost much material, so it was just a drill. But in the eyes of Huang Quan, the governor of Yuzhou, the matter was a little strange.
Your Majesty said last year that he would come to Luoyang. The palace in Xuchang has been renovated and he brought five concubines with him. Why are you suddenly going to send troops to Hebei?
With such questions in mind, Huang Quan went to the Xuchang Palace to ask for an audience.
After Huang Quan suggested that the emperor stay, Cao Rui smiled and said, "Huang Qing is right. The emperor should stay in Luoyang and choose an important official to lead the army."
"But Huang Qing, do you know what are the benefits of me leading the troops in person?"
Huang Quan hesitated for a moment, knowing the truth in his heart but unwilling to give evidence.
Cao Rui smiled and said, "I am over 20 years old, and my body is in good condition to serve in the army."
"With me in the army, the generals are more eager to win and want to win titles and rewards in front of me; the soldiers know that their merits will not be tarnished, and their morale is better when they win in battle; it is also common for the enemy army to lose morale when they hear that the emperor is coming in person."
"With so many benefits, how can I give up Huang Qing?"
Huang Quan sighed and said, "Your Majesty, you must have a perfect plan in mind when you say this. I am just thinking about the incident at Chencang in the second year of Taihe, and I am worried about your safety."
Cao Rui smiled and said, "I am the Son of Heaven, there should be no taboos."
"However, Mr. Huang, when the former Grand Marshal was in charge of Yangzhou, all the troops in the prefectures and counties were directly under the command of the Grand Marshal. But now Chen Huqi does not have such direct authority."
"Before I go north, I will give you the right to dispatch the soldiers from all the counties in Yuzhou. If there is an emergency in the southeast, just help Chen Qun to defend it. I don't ask for merit, but I just want to avoid mistakes. Chen Qun and I have the same opinion!"
Huang Quan bowed deeply and said: "I will not fail your majesty's important mission!"
……
The Emperor of Wei arrived in Xuchang on the 13th day of the first lunar month and was about to set out north on the 16th, so all preparations were carried out in full swing.
Cao Rui also had to spend three nights carefully comforting the five concubines who had accompanied him to Xuchang, so that they could stay in the city temporarily and wait for his return from the expedition.
Five people were pacified in three consecutive days.
On the night before heading north, that is, the night of the 15th, Cao Rui stayed at Concubine Guo's place after nightfall. When he was tired after comforting her, the eunuch Bi Jin called him softly outside the palace again.
"How dare you disturb my peace!" Cao Rui complained softly, pulled up the quilt to cover Guo Yao's fair figure, put on his outer robe and sat up, and replied loudly: "Why are you calling me?"
Bi Jin's voice was sharp and urgent: "Your Majesty, General Chen Cang has an urgent report that Zhuge Liang of Shu is knocking on Yangping Pass!"
Cao Rui was speechless for a while. Before he could respond, Guo Yao sat up calmly and leaned softly on Cao Rui's shoulder: "If I remember correctly, at the end of the first year of Taihe, Your Majesty learned about the warning from the west while sitting on my bed."
"Come, change my clothes." Cao Rui greeted softly, and then said jokingly: "Yao'er is from Liangzhou, and may be familiar with the things in the west. If I don't want to have any trouble in the west, I should come to you less often."
Guo Yaojiao said with a smile: "How can the bandits' invasion have anything to do with me? Your Majesty has many people at Sun Zhaoyi's place, aren't you afraid that Sun Quan will attack us as well?"
Cao Rui laughed and said, "Am I afraid he will come? I'm afraid he won't come!"
Only after putting on his outer robe did Cao Rui open the door and take Cao Zhen's military intelligence report from the nervous Bi Jin.
After reading it carefully twice, Cao Rui stuffed the document into Bi Jin's hand again and asked, "Was this military intelligence sent by the Privy Council?"
Bi Jin shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, this military intelligence was sent directly to the Secretariat by the General. I heard from the people in the Secretariat that the messenger also sent a copy to the Privy Council."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "Okay, send someone to tell Wang Chang and Wang Guan not to make any noise tonight and to sleep as usual. We will dispatch the troops tomorrow morning as usual, without any delay."
"As ordered, I will take my leave."
After Bi Jin left, Cao Rui closed the door and returned to his room.
According to the old Han Dynasty rules, the palace did not mind having eunuchs serving on their side. But Cao Rui never allowed any eunuchs to enter his room after he went to bed at night. Even if he had something to report like today, he would personally go down to his room and open the door to ask.
Of course, situations like today are not common.
Cao Rui had just closed the door and had not yet walked to the couch when Guo Yao's soft and warm body slipped into Cao Rui's outer robe.
"I see that Your Majesty has returned to sleep again. Is there nothing to worry about?"
Cao Rui smiled and walked inside with Guo Yao in his arms: "Why are there so many things to worry about?"
"In the second and third years of Taihe, the city defense and garrison in Guanxi were completely rectified."
"We have no shortage of soldiers and good generals. If we calculate the time, my Minister Xin is probably in Hanzhong now."
"What else do I have to worry about? How many more soldiers can Zhuge Liang send out?"
Guo Yao whispered, "How dare he invade the border? Where does he get the courage?"
Cao Rui laughed and said, "Yao'er doesn't understand. In Shu, if they don't fight outside, I'm afraid they will fall apart inside..." (End of this chapter)
