Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Ultimately, there will always be people like Cao Shuang in the world.

Everyone knew he was the son of General Cao Zhen, and that he was favored by the emperor and was one of the few third-generation imperial relatives to lead troops. Cao Shuang began his military career under everyone's watchful eyes.

Some people have high hopes for Cao Shuang, while others remain indifferent, standing by and waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

Cao Shuang understood this as well. Under his father's arrangement, he joined Tian Yu's army as a soldier, and then rose step by step from soldier, squad leader, centurion, captain to colonel. Although his promotion was much faster than that of ordinary military officers, it was a steady and solid process that could withstand scrutiny. His father, Cao Zhen, often admonished him to prevent him from becoming anxious about his duties by the emperor's side. Therefore, Cao Shuang's respect for his father was mixed with a hint of fear.

Even this time, when the emperor personally appointed Jiang Wei and Cao Shuang to lead the troops, he informed Jiang Wei in advance but not Cao Shuang. Cao Shuang was both surprised and delighted by this.

However, for the generals, Cao Shuang leading 5,000 Liaodong infantry was still within the realm of understanding, but Jiang Wei commanding 15,000 Hu cavalry and infantry from Yingzhou was clearly a bit too much. Everyone thought that Jiang Wei and Cao Shuang were similar in ability and promotion, but they didn't know that in the emperor's heart, there was always a difference in their abilities.

Following Cao Shuang, Cao Zhen appointed Infantry Colonel Bian Lan, Cavalry Colonel Zhen Xiang, and Changshui Colonel Duan Mo to guard the emperor. Bian Lan and Zhen Xiang were both relatives of the emperor whose loyalty outweighed their abilities, making them perfectly suited for the task of guarding the capital. Changshui Colonel Duan Mo, on the other hand, was known for his steady and reliable conduct, and people at the time said he was similar to General Huan Fan, the General Who Guards the North.

Cao Zhen only assigned duties to the main generals. The remaining ordinary generals of two thousand piculs of grain did not need Cao Zhen's personal instruction. Instead, Liu Ye, the deputy privy councilor, reiterated the military law, discipline, and matters related to the military review.

As Liu Ye spoke, Dong Zhao was also observing the expressions of the generals with salaries of two thousand piculs of grain. Standing behind the main generals were the five colonels and the generals of the Imperial Guard and the Right Wing of the Feathered Forest Army.

Dian Man, Li Ji, Zou Gui, Wang Qi, Wang Mi, Wang Shi, Su Shang, Dong Bi, Li Long... Dong Zhao recognized all their faces. He wondered what kind of merit they would make in this attack on Wu.
After the meeting, the generals took their leave and withdrew from the hall in an orderly fashion.

Dong Zhao watched their retreating figures, stroked his beard, and slowly said, "In four days, we will conduct an inspection and then set off to attack Wu. Since we are marching within the country along the Fei River, Chao Lake, and Zhongdu River, it is safe for the various armies to set off in order."

"Zidan." Dong Zhao glanced at Cao Zhen and said, "I just saw your Zhao Bo, and he seemed quite nervous when he was calling up the troops."

"Really? I didn't pay much attention." Cao Zhen chuckled. "A mere five thousand Liaodong infantrymen, plus his one thousand cavalry, make no more than six thousand. What's so special about a man leading six thousand soldiers? Perhaps he lacks inner strength and self-cultivation."

“That’s not how it works,” Dong Zhao said with a smile. “Zhao Bo leads these six thousand troops, which is more than one-tenth of the army under the command of the General.”

Liu Ye agreed, "That's true."

"This time, the imperial court mobilized 250,000 cavalry, infantry, and naval troops, dividing them into six routes to attack Wu. Man Zhengnan, Xiahou Pingnan, and Huan Zhenbei together commanded 105,000 troops, while the combined forces at Yangzhou numbered 145,000. Lu Zhengdong's naval forces were divided among 50,000, and another 5,000 Liaodong soldiers were used to garrison the docks along the coast. That leaves 90,000 troops."

"The 90,000 men were divided into two groups. Guanqiu led 5,000 of his own troops and 10,000 of his elite guards. The 21,000 troops of the four generals Xiahou, Cao, Pu, and Hu from the Yangzhou outer army were also given to him, leaving only 54,000 soldiers."

"Of these 54,000 men, Zhao Bo leads 6,000, which is 91% of the total," Liu Ye said with a smile. "Let's see how Zhao Bo achieves his goal."

"I hope so." Cao Zhen nodded calmly. "I just hope he won't disgrace his family."

“However,” Cao Zhen began to sigh, “it’s the same as leading troops into battle, the same pre-battle review of generals, but today’s review of generals is quite different from the past, though I can’t quite put my finger on it.” After a pause, Cao Zhen chuckled and said, “In the past, it was always in my Grand General’s tent, but this time it’s in the main hall of the Privy Council.”

Dong Zhao said calmly from the side, "The national system is not immutable. Although the general's route only has 54,000 men, the Wuwei, Yulin Right Army, and the Five Colonels are all here. This route is the strongest in terms of combat power, unlike the other routes."

“Nominally, the Grand General is the commander-in-chief, but His Majesty is the true commander-in-chief.” Dong Zhao looked at Cao Zhen: “Grand General, you should not have any other thoughts. This is a national war.”

Cao Zhen refused to back down verbally: "What does Lord Dong take me for? His Majesty's military talent is comparable to that of Emperor Wu. I am just someone who commands troops for His Majesty. I am aware of this."

"That's good." Dong Zhao stroked his beard without saying a word.

Meanwhile, in Hailing City, hundreds of miles away.

General Xiahou Xian, commanding 5,000 cavalry, had been leading his troops to patrol within a few dozen miles of the old city of Guangling for the past few days. As the last batch of Wu troops boarded ships and headed north along the river in the early morning of January 6, Xiahou Xian discovered that there were no more troops in the old city of Guangling. Therefore, he personally led his men to occupy the empty city and sent scouts to report to Hailing, a hundred miles away.

In the evening, Guanqiu Jian received this news in the city.

"Zhong Yu, draft a memorial for me." Guanqiu Jian said unhurriedly, "The bandit leader Sun Quan has already withdrawn all Wu troops from Jiangbei in accordance with the court's plan, and they have all moved upstream. I request Your Majesty and the court to make further plans."

"Your subordinate obeys." Zhong Yu responded, and then skillfully began to write a military report. After Guanqiu Jian verified that it was correct, he affixed his seal and sent it out.

Guanqiu Jian sent a messenger to report to Xiahou Xian, informing him to stay obediently in Guangling City. He said that in about five days, General Pu Zhong and General Cao Zhao, with a combined force of 11,000 men, would arrive near Guangling, at which time Guanqiu Jian would also lead his troops there. On the other hand, he ordered someone to quickly send this letter back to His Majesty in Shouchun.

After seeing the messenger off, Zhong Yu entered the military tent and bowed to Guanqiu Jian, saying, "General, I have a question on my mind, and I hope you can enlighten me."

Guanqiu Jian chuckled: "What is it that you are puzzled by?"

Zhong Yu asked, "I just don't understand. The imperial court set out with troops from Xiangfan on December 10th, but didn't set out from Shouchun until January 10th. A month passed in between, and then the general released Sun Quan in Guangling. Didn't this give Sun Quan the opportunity to lead his army upstream by boat, thus giving him time to relieve the crisis upstream?"

Guanqiu Jian glanced at Zhong Yu and replied calmly, "This is a deliberate arrangement by the court, almost a blatant conspiracy. Whether it's Shiyang and Chaisang, or Wuchang and Jiangling, they are all places that Wu must save."

"The upstream and downstream stretches for over two thousand miles, and every place must be rescued. With the imperial court withdrawing its troops from Guangling, how can Sun Quan gamble that the upstream area won't be in danger? Even if Sun Quan knows it's a trap, he will still muster all his strength to march upstream!"

Zhong Yu listened, seemingly understanding but not quite. (End of Chapter)