Luoyang, Beigong.
Cao Rui stood at the side of the study with his hands behind his back, frowning slightly, looking at the map of the Wei Dynasty hanging on the wooden screen.
Since the emperor began to hang maps in his study at the end of the seventh year of Huangchu, the maps have been replaced three times year after year:
In the upper right corner of Liaodong, the four counties that were originally painted in ochre yellow have been marked with red flags symbolizing the Wei Dynasty, and the word "Yingzhou" is annotated in square Han Li characters. The Hanzhong area on the left and the Lujiang County along the Yangtze River on the lower right are also unified with the colors of the northern areas.
On such a large map, only the gray color on the lower left, which symbolizes the Shu Kingdom, and the light blue color on the lower right, which represents the Wu Kingdom, are so eye-catching.
Although it seems from the map that Wu and Shu occupied half of the country, it is still somewhat deceptive.
But people with insight know very well that the seemingly vast territory is mostly undeveloped mountainous areas and wild lands. There are very few places where the people under the rule actually settle down for a long time, compared with Guanzhong, Central Plains, Qingxu, Hebei and other places in the north.
"Xiangyang." Cao Rui said these two words to himself and circled it on the map with a brush dipped in vermilion ink.
Liu Ye, the Right Supervisor of the Privy Council, stood in front of his seat, introducing the military report sent by Fancheng Lieutenant General Lu Shi to the important officials of the Wei Dynasty gathered in the study. When Liu Ye finished speaking, Cao Rui just threw the brush back on the table.
"You all heard what Mr. Liu said just now." Cao Rui turned his head and looked at everyone. "I just returned to Luoyang, and Sun Quan is making me restless for the whole day. Before I came back, I never thought that the first meeting in the study after my return would be to discuss with you how to deal with Sun Quan."
"Before I ask you about military affairs, I would like to ask you another question." Cao Rui chuckled: "You are all wise men. Who can tell me what Sun Quan is thinking? How dare he do that?"
The ministers sitting in the hall either bowed their heads in thought or frowned in confusion, trying to figure out this question. His Majesty's expression and tone just now clearly showed that he was really angry. To be fair, how could he hold back his anger after learning about this right after the battle in Liaodong?
From the perspective of the relationship between the ministers and the emperor, His Majesty has three excellent advantages:
First of all, it is generosity. This is needless to say. Everyone in the study has been promoted by the emperor. Taiwei Dong Zhao and Sikong Sima Yi sat in the front, which was almost a symbol of reward for merit.
The second is to be open and honest. He never framed his ministers, and rarely punished them for personal likes and dislikes or groundless accusations. People like Wang Xiang, who was involved in the Fuhua case and the chaotic group, were obviously not among them.
The most important point is sincerity, a word that is rarely used to describe emperors, but it is not an exaggeration to describe His Majesty today. If I were to put it in one sentence, it would be that his emotions are reflected on his face.
Who wants to spend the whole day with a riddler? The emperor blurts out two words from his mouth whenever he wants, and lets his ministers guess what they are. Those who guess correctly are rewarded, and those who guess incorrectly are dismissed from office. The emperor takes all the blame. Can he govern the country well this way?
As a ruler, when discussing critical political affairs, you should clearly point out what you prefer and express your attitude towards what you dislike. This will save communication costs at the central level to the greatest extent and ensure the efficient operation of the decision-making system.
Liu Ye hadn't sat down yet. He turned around and bowed to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I think Sun Quan's old habits are hard to change. As early as the Jian'an period, when the Wei army was fighting in Hebei and Guanxi, Sun Quan led his army to invade Hefei and other places many times, but was repeatedly defeated by the Wei army. Recently, there has been a lot of rain in the Central Plains. The Yi, Luo, He, and Han rivers have all overflowed. Among them, the Han River has the latest and lasted the longest. Sun Quan must have taken this opportunity to advance to Xiangyang in order to occupy the south of the Han River."
Sima Yi also said, "What the Privy Councilor said is correct. Sun Quan is a habitual attacker. He attacked Zhang Wenyuan in Hefei, Guan Yu in Jiangling, and Da Sima in Wancheng. Your Majesty, there is no need to delve into this."
Cao Rui sighed softly, "I'm not talking about his sneak attack. Wu didn't want to surrender to Wei, and it was hostile to Wei. So we fought. It's a pity that from the first year of Taihe to the fourth year of Taihe, I exchanged letters with him for several years. These things seem a bit redundant, like a joke, without even a sign."
Dong Zhao sat calmly on the chair. After becoming the Grand Commandant, his demeanor and aura changed. Not only did he fill the entire chair, but he also leaned back on it in a relaxed manner. He had already reached the position of the Three Dukes, was old and virtuous, so he didn't need to be so particular.
"Your Majesty," Dong Zhao bowed slightly, "I do have some other ideas."
Cao Rui raised his eyes and looked over: "Speak now!"
"Just now, the Minister of Works and the Privy Council both argued based on Sun Quan's habits, but what about the time?" Dong Zhao said as he stood up. "If the Wu army goes from Wuchang to Xiangyang, and the navy goes upstream, including the counties and prefectures along the way, it will arrive in seven or eight days at the slowest."
"During the flood, Xiangyang and Fancheng will find it difficult to support the counties downstream, so they should prioritize self-preservation."
Before Dong Zhao finished speaking, Cao Rui took the initiative to take over the conversation: "Mr. Dong, you are right! Wu's troops arrived in Xiangfan on the morning of the tenth. So, they had already started the war at least in early September. And according to Lu Shi's military report, based on the number of Wu's warships, there were more than 30,000 or 40,000 of them. It is impossible for Sun Quan to send only the central army near Wuchang. There must be Wu troops in other places."
"That means Sun Quan must have been planning to mobilize troops when the Han River flooded!"
Dong Zhao nodded and said, "Your Majesty is wise. However, now that the Wu army has set out, I think the Western Shu army may also march in the west at the same time. Zhuge Liang has not invaded once this year."
Sima Yi narrowed his eyes and thought for a few moments, then said in a gentle voice, "I second the motion."
"I also second my opinion."
"I second the proposal."
The ministers responded one after another.
Cao Rui looked around at the ministers in the hall and sneered, "So, Wu and Shu are going to attack at the same time? One way to Xiangyang and the other way to Longyou? Sun Quan and Zhuge Liang have really tried their best to fight against me." "What do you think, should I go to Qinzhou or Jingzhou?"
Your Majesty is going to lead the army in person?
Among the ministers, Wei Zhen was the first to frown. He immediately stood up and said, "Your Majesty, please sit in Luozhong and watch the generals in front win. When we attacked Wu before, half of the country's troops went out to fight, and Your Majesty had to come. When we attacked Shu before, the military situation in Guanzhong was urgent and unclear, so it was safer for Your Majesty to stay and watch."
"But now it has been four years since the Taihe era. You, Bing and Yingzhou are both stable and the country has no worries. Why should Your Majesty go there in person? Moreover, if there is a two-front response, Your Majesty should stay in Luozhong to take charge of the overall situation. Whether going to Longyou or Jingzhou, if there is an emergency in the other place, does Your Majesty have to run again in such a hurry as you did from Youzhou back to Luoyang?"
"Your Majesty, you have suffered so much so that you don't have to suffer any more now!"
Cao Rui pursed his lips, and the nice words before him were automatically filtered out of his ears. Only what Wei Zhen said about fighting on two fronts did make some sense.
But before Cao Rui could speak, Liu Ye advised:
"Your Majesty, what Wei Pushe said makes sense. Chen Situ is in Shouchun, Zhao Dujian is in Xiangyang, and Xu Yuanzhi has just gone to Jingzhou. Considering the time, we should be able to catch up. One is Guanxi and the other is Jingzhou. Wouldn't it be better for Your Majesty to stay in Luozhong?"
Cao Rui looked at the reactions of the ministers. Dong Zhao did not respond, but Sima Yi seemed to want to say something.
"What does Sikong have to say?"
Sima Yi cupped his hands and said, "Compared to Jingzhou, Guanxi has the generals, Zhang Zhengxi, Guo Zhengshu, and Lu Huqiang, so it is more secure. I think Jingzhou should be given priority, and Your Majesty may as well go to Xuchang to take charge!"
Xuchang, Luoyang...
Cao Rui vaguely remembered that at the end of last year, he and his ministers had discussed the importance of Xuchang in this study.
Between Wu and Shu, Wu was stronger, had more soldiers and a wider front.
As for which side is more important, Wu or Shu, the conclusion is almost obvious.
Cao Rui put his hands behind his back and looked at everyone calmly: "What Sikong said makes sense. Living in Xuchang, we can control both Jingzhou and Yangzhou at the same time. Xuchang is better."
"I have listened to what you have just said. I will personally move to Xuchang to take charge of the overall situation. Do you have any objections?"
"Your Majesty is wise." Sima Yi stood up and saluted immediately when he saw that his strategy was recognized.
Xuchang is also a proper capital, and it is better than leading the army in person anyway. Wei Zhen, who had just dissuaded the emperor from leading the army in person, also spoke up to agree.
Dong Zhao, Liu Ye, Wang Guan, Pei Qian and others also expressed their agreement.
Cao Rui nodded and said, "Okay, let's follow the arrangement made at the end of last year. The Privy Council and the Secretariat will all follow me to Xuchang."
As soon as he finished speaking, Cao Rui walked a few steps to Dong Zhao and said, "Mr. Dong is older than me, so let him stay in Luoyang this time. He will be in charge of all matters inside and outside the palace of Luoyang, in charge of the nine ministers, and be given the title of Sili Xiaowei, is that okay?"
Not only was Dong Zhao surprised, but the other officials in the study also found it unusual. In the past, this task was always carried out by Wei Zhen. If Dong Zhao was here, what about Wei Zhen?
Dong Zhao himself could not help but say: "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. Although I am old, I can still keep an eye on you in Luoyang. But if I am in Luoyang, where will the Minister of Defense be?"
Cao Rui nodded slightly, then turned to look at Wei Zhen again: "Master Wei, can you go to Guanxi for me? Although the general, Zhang Zhengxi and many other good generals are in the west, I am not too worried about the military, but the logistics of food and grass is a problem. If no important ministers go, I will be worried."
"I'm going to Chencang?" Wei Zhen's eyes widened slightly, and he was surprised. He had been used to being stationed in Luoyang after serving the emperor for many times. He felt a little uncomfortable leaving the town.
Intuitively, Cao Rui thought that someone should go to Guanxi to take charge. This was not to say that Du Xi, Cao Zhen's military advisor, was not good, nor that Deng Ai, the grain supervisor, was incompetent. It was just to add a layer of insurance for the Guanxi matter from a higher level.
This candidate needs to be recognized by Cao Zhen and his ministers, and it is best if he is not too aggressive and avoids arguing with Cao Zhen. After much thought, Wei Zhen is the most suitable.
"Yes, Master Wei, please go to Chencang." Cao Rui nodded with a firm expression and said, "Du Xi is the military advisor of the general in Chencang, so I can't send him. What position will Master Wei need when he goes there?"
Wei Zhen thought for a few moments, then shook his head and said, "I am a minister of state, and I supervise grain and grass with the title of Shangshu You Pushe. Why do I need an additional title?"
Cao Rui was unable to make a decision for a while. Just as Cao Rui was thinking, Dong Zhao reminded him softly: "Why not add the post of Guardian of Guanxi Army? The Guard is not a permanent position. With this military post and official post plus the authority to hold the imperial seal, the governors of various states can be dispatched by him."
Cao Rui's eyes lit up, and he nodded immediately, saying, "Mr. Dong, what you said is very appropriate." (End of this chapter)
