Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

It wasn't until midnight that the three of them finished discussing all the matters one by one.

“Then it is settled.” Sun Quan said, “The Grand General will lead 38,000 troops, the Right General will assist the Crown Prince in leading 20,000 troops, and the court will send 10,000 troops from Jianye to Shiyang, increasing the troop strength there to 15,000.”

"Wei Ze, go and draft an edict for me."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Hu Zong slowly withdrew.

With the war approaching and Sun Quan in poor health, Hu Zong was extremely nervous.

The Emperor of Wu and his three attendants spent the last day of the old year in such a state of urgency, anxiety, and worry, and then welcomed the new year.

The year was the ninth year of the Taihe era of the Wei dynasty, the fifth year of the Huanglong era of the Wu dynasty, and the thirteenth year of the Jianxing era of the Han dynasty.

In stark contrast to Sun Quan, Cao Rui was all smiles in Shouchun Palace, celebrating the New Year with his concubines and descendants.

Of the twenty-six concubines in the imperial harem, six were located here.

The first five women to accompany Cao Rui were Guo Yao, Sun Luban, Feng Yuan, Yang Huiyu, and Wen Fang. Mao Yan arrived later, making a total of six concubines. Human energy is finite, and Cao Rui focused primarily on the outer court and military affairs, frequently traveling from Shouchun on imperial tours. Having six concubines here was sufficient for Cao Rui.

There were also three children in the palace.

The oldest was Prince Cao Qi of Ye, who had come here with his mother, Consort Mao, so there's no need to elaborate. In September, Sun Luban gave birth to a daughter, named Cao Fu. In November, Mao Yan gave birth to a son, named Cao Kai.

Now, Cao Rui has a total of eight children.

In chronological order, Consort Mao gave birth to Prince Ye, Cao Qi; Consort Sun gave birth to Prince Changle, Cao Yan; Consort Su gave birth to Prince Shouzhang, Cao Shou; and Consort Jia gave birth to Prince Boping, Cao He. Consort Mao also gave birth to Princess Cao Wei, and Consort Chen gave birth to Princess Cao Qian.

Of the eight, Mao Yan alone had two sons and a daughter, while Sun Luban had one son and one daughter.

The favor these two enjoyed in the imperial harem is evident.

After Cao Rui held a celebratory banquet in the palace, he still appointed Guo Yao to serve him.

Guo Yao has been childless for many years, while Mao Yan and Sun Luban seem to be much more successful in this regard. Previously, Mao and Sun would sometimes be slightly jealous, but in the past two years, their attitudes have become much more peaceful.

In the palace, a mother's status ultimately depended on her sons. Having given birth to two sons, especially the exceptionally intelligent eldest son Cao Qi, Consort Mao's position gradually became secure. Furthermore, Mao Yan gave birth to another son, and Sun Luban gave birth to another daughter. As the only Noble Consort in the harem, the two women's relationship grew increasingly close, almost like that of sisters.

Tonight, Cao Rui celebrated the New Year with his concubines and children. Guo Yao had no children, so after returning to her bedchamber, Cao Rui could only offer her words of comfort to ease her worries.

The following morning, in the study of Shouchun Palace.

"We will offer sacrifices to Heaven on the tenth of January, and then send out troops," Cao Rui said calmly, looking around.

The study was now filled with officials. Those of high rank had chairs with backs and cushions to sit on. Those of lower rank could only take stools behind the senior officials. And those of even lower rank had to stand against the wall at the very back.

The two-thousand-stone lieutenant general and the prefect were only of the lowest rank in the study today. However, no one complained at all; they were all intently watching the emperor's direction and listening attentively.

There were fourteen people with backrests: General Cao Zhen, Minister of Works Chen Qun, Minister of Agriculture Sima Yi, Minister of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Huang Quan, Privy Councilor Dong Zhao and Deputy Privy Councilor Liu Ye, four cabinet ministers including Pei, Xu, Wang and Lu, Imperial Censor Chen Jiao, Governor of Yangzhou Jiang Ji, General Who Conquers the East Lu Xun, and General of the Warships Cao Zhi.

Even the ministers of the Ministry of Personnel, the privy councilors of the Privy Council, and the Right Feathered Forest General Cheng Xi, the General Who Guards the East Cao Tai, and the General Who Upholds Righteousness Bei Yan of the Central Army could still manage to get a seat.

As for Jiang Wei, Bian Lan, Zhen Xiang, Duan Mo, and Cao Shuang of the Five Colonels, as well as the two key officials in Yangzhou, General Cao Zhao who pacifies the east, and several related ministers, they all stood at the back listening to the sound.

Cao Rui took a deep breath and smiled: "After two years of preparation, the time to send out troops is approaching. I don't know if you are nervous, but I am slightly nervous, though not to the point of anxiety."

Everyone laughed.

Cao Rui chuckled a few times: "Today is the New Year's Day. I summoned you here today to celebrate the first day of the first month of the ninth year of Taihe with you. The Imperial Household Department has already prepared the rewards. You will each receive one when you leave the palace later. The rewards will vary depending on your position, but in any case, each of you will receive a box."

"Secondly," Cao Rui nodded, "everyone is here today. After today, you will all be preparing for the expedition from your respective camps. I will also explain the main military aspects of this expedition to you in detail. Everyone must understand the overall strategy so that we can consider the big picture and avoid making strategic mistakes. The reason I chose to hold this meeting in my study, rather than in the court, is to be closer to you. There is no barrier to communication between the ruler and his subjects. Today, anyone can raise their opinions at any time."

"According to the unified allocation by the imperial court and the Privy Council, Man Chong of Xiangyang, Xiahou Ru of Jiangxia, and Huan Fan of Wancheng, these three men, led a total of 105,000 troops and set out on their respective missions after the middle of last month."

"The Great Wei has 250,000 troops going into battle this time, and nearly 150,000 in Yangzhou. The troops are also divided into different groups."

“Lu Xun.” Cao Rui pointed.

"Your subject is here." Lu Xun responded with a cupped hand, his eyes resolute.

Cao Rui said, "According to the original schedule, your unit will assemble all the ships and depart from Chaohu on January 3rd, and must arrive at Haixi before January 10th. After a final rest, you will sail south into the sea and arrive at Hailing before January 20th to prepare for battle."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Lu Xun said, "The 50,000 naval troops are all ready. The supplies and provisions along the Huai River, along the coast, and at Hailing have been confirmed repeatedly and are sufficient to support the naval operations."

Cao Rui looked around at everyone: "It is said that the central army is the most precious in the Wei army, but in recent years, all kinds of resources have been poured into the navy to build ships, train soldiers and prepare military supplies."

“You all recognize Lu Boyan’s face.” Cao Rui’s lips curled into a smile: “When you cross the river in the future, you will all have to take his boat, and so will I.”

Cao Zhen quipped from the side, "Compared to us, General Lu has it much easier. Once you reach Hailing, Wu County is just south of it. He should remember the way home."

Lu Xun pursed his lips and nodded in acknowledgment.

Cao Rui added, "In addition to the 50,000 naval troops, Guanqiu Jian currently has 25,000 soldiers. Furthermore, we will reinforce him with 5,000 soldiers from Cao Zhao in Hefei and 6,000 soldiers from Pu Zhong in Dongxing, bringing Guanqiu Jian's forces to 36,000."

“Apart from the army led by General Guanqiu Jian, the rest of the troops are under the command of the Grand General.” Cao Rui looked at Cao Zhen and pointed: “Does the Grand General have anything to say?”

"Your subject has!" Cao Zhen's face was solemn as he rose and walked to the emperor's side, looking at the crowd. (End of Chapter)