Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

On the tenth day of the first month of the ninth year of the Taihe era, it was auspicious for killing and warfare.

Fifty-four thousand troops simultaneously marched south. Cao Rui's imperial carriage was positioned at the northernmost point, and this route, led by General Cao Zhen, stretched for nearly twenty miles from north to south, with troops facing each other from front to back.

This is the army that Cao Rui can see with his own eyes today.

Beyond Cao Rui's sight, in Jiangling and Wuchang, thousands of miles away, as well as in Haixi at the mouth of the Huai River and Dantu at the mouth of the Zhongdu River, and in Huan Fan's troops whose exact location to the south was unknown, the generals and soldiers of all armies were preparing for war.

An army of 250,000...

The campaign against Wu was not just a matter for Cao Rui alone, but a matter for the entire world. In recent years, Cao Rui had become increasingly aware that as an emperor, he was not a god, nor could his words be law. Instead, he spent most of his time seeking common ground for the entire world and guiding it with a strategic vision.

Create trends, guide trends, and utilize trends.

Dong Zhao's theory is indeed correct. As an emperor, the most important thing is to win as many times as possible, whether it is a big victory or a small victory. Only by winning continuously can one accumulate more and more power, control the army, manipulate the political situation, and realize the monarch's ambitions or expectations.

This cannot be simply described by the two words 'Winning Studies'.

During the Huangchu era, Cao Pi launched three campaigns against Wu, but achieved little of noteworthy success, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that his efforts were in vain.

Since Cao Rui ascended the throne, wars were frequent during the Taihe era.

By attacking Wancheng to secure Huainan, the area from Shouchun to Lu'an, Hefei, and Shucheng became a safe haven. Wancheng, with its advantageous terrain, greatly reduced the military pressure on Huainan.

He attacked the Shu Kingdom to take Hanzhong, conquered Qishan and established Qinzhou, thus ending the turmoil and unrest in Longyou and Guanzhong since the reign of Emperor Ling of Han.

He destroyed Gongsun to secure Liaodong, and toured You and Bing provinces to win over the Wuhuan, Xianbei, and Xiongnu, greatly reducing the military pressure and border defense costs in the three provinces of You, Bing, and Ji.

The economic and population gains from the aforementioned battles are self-evident. From the perspective of the common people, the gradual reduction of military pressure in the north and the southward shift of the western and southern borders slowed down the offensive trends and intensity of the Wu and Shu states. This also helped the Great Wei further reduce its tax revenue, from nearly 50% to 35%.

Moreover, the court and its officials maintained a consistently optimistic attitude towards tax reduction. Following this trend, reducing it to 30% or even 25% later would not be a problem. For the emperor and local officials alike, this would be a significant achievement.

Not to mention that once the war against Wu began, various counties requisitioned and transported supplies, the army trained hard, and high-ranking officials worked day and night, all eagerly anticipating victory in the war against Wu and the upcoming reward ceremony. Regardless of merit or hard work, there would be a share of the credit.

High-ranking officials and common people alike could all benefit from the successful conquest of Wu. This was the immense momentum that Cao Rui had been building for the Great Wei and the world since the first year of the Taihe era.

It is by no means a task that can be accomplished overnight.

When the troops were about to set out, Cao Zhen invited Cao Rui to travel south by dragon boat, citing the availability of waterways. Cao Rui explicitly refused. Cao Rui's reasoning to Cao Zhen was simple: if it was a military expedition, there had to be a reason for it.

I am not incapable of riding a horse, so why should I seek comfort by boat?
Cao Rui was positioned at the very end of the army.

The 1,000 cavalry under the command of Changshui Colonel Duan Mo brought up the rear, while the infantry under the command of Colonel Bian Lan led the way. Cao Rui himself rode in the army under the command of Yueqi Colonel Zhen Xiang. Liu Ye, the Deputy Chief of the Privy Council, Huang Quan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, as well as cabinet ministers, ministers, privy councilors, and other officials followed behind Cao Rui.

King Chu loved slender waists, and many in his harem starved to death. Emperor Taihe favored a martial spirit, so his ministers were required to project an image of fearless heroism.

However, when Cao Rui calmly observed these officials, he discovered a problem that had been overlooked for a long time.

That is the problem of the aging of the court officials.

Liu Ye was already fifty-five years old. Since taking office as the Deputy Privy Councilor, his health had been poor. From Cao Rui's perspective, this was also related to the extremely heavy military affairs handled by the Privy Council, which could be attributed to overwork.

But these are the kinds of things you can't advise against.

Cao Rui, concerned about Liu Ye's health, spoke with him privately, asking if he wanted to ease up his responsibilities and have others assist him in handling military affairs. Fortunately, it was a private discussion, but it still greatly alarmed Liu Ye, who thought he had somehow displeased the emperor and might be replaced. Cao Rui repeatedly explained, which calmed him down somewhat. Liu Ye replied that he could handle double the intensity of the military duties, let alone this level.

Liu Ye's personality made it impossible for him to relinquish power. With the campaign against Wu imminent, he would be willing to die in office, let alone the fact that he believed he was far from being able to do so.

Huang Quan was in good health, but he was already over sixty. Pei Qian and Xu Shu were both over sixty, while Lu Yu, who was just over fifty, and Wang Su, who was just over forty, were in their prime.

People at the time all agreed that Lu and Wang would surely be chosen as ministers of the Imperial Secretariat in the future.

Xin Pi is almost seventy years old. In a private letter to Cao Rui, he said that after this battle, he would ask to retire and return to his hometown. Man Chong is about the same age.

Not to mention that General Cao Zhen was never truly healthy after recovering from his illness, and Dong Zhao was quite old... On the other hand, Sima Yi, who was almost the same age as Liu Ye, around fifty-five years old, was still able to draw a strong bow. Issues like age and physical condition vary from person to person and are almost unsolvable problems, which are difficult for outsiders to interfere with or influence.

As time flows on, the elites of the late Han Dynasty, who lived through the chaos of the late Han Dynasty, will eventually grow old. It's not that they were generally more intelligent or capable than people in their thirties and forties today, but rather that the years of war and complex circumstances at that time provided many with the stage and ability to control the situation and act independently, allowing their outstanding qualities to be displayed to the fullest extent.

Of course, the problem Cao Rui faces is relatively good, as talented individuals continue to emerge from the 'younger generation' of officials.

Lu Yu, Wang Su, Wang Chang, Wang Guan, Wang Ji... the list goes on and on. In comparison, the kingdoms of Wu and Shu seemed much more cramped.

That said, as night fell and the armies set up camp, Liu Ye, the Deputy Chief of the Privy Council, assumed the role of chief of staff to Cao Rui. As was customary, he came to the military tent to summarize the day's news for Cao Rui.

"According to the deployment of Cao Zhao and Pu Zhong's troops a few days ago, these two troops, totaling 11,000 infantrymen, should have arrived in Guangling by today. Apart from Hu Zhi's 5,000 men, Guanqiu Jian's remaining 31,000 men should have all gathered in the old city of Guangling by now, ready to cross the river to the south after Lu Xun's fleet arrives."

"According to a military report issued by General Man's troops from Jiangling on January 1st, Fei Yao's troops have bypassed Jiangling from the west and launched a strong attack to occupy Lexiang, south of the Yangtze River. They left 3,000 soldiers to guard the area and established an initial advantage on the west, north, and southwest sides of Jiangling. They are also preparing to launch an offensive against the southwestern island of Jiangling City."

Cao Rui paused for a few moments before interrupting Liu Ye: "If my memory serves me correctly, this Central Continent is indeed Hundred Mile Continent, isn't it?"

Liu Ye nodded: "Your Majesty is wise."

"Based on the terrain around Jiangling, Jiangling City is divided into two cities, old and new, which are combined into one. The northern city is the old city, which was fortified many times during Liu Biao's time. The southern city is the new city, which was built by Guan Yu in the past. The moat of Jiangling City extends southeastward, reaching the Hanjin Ferry in about twenty li."

"And on the great river southwest of Jiangling City, there are three sandbars standing in the river from west to east, namely Meihui Island, Jingli Island and Yanwei Island."

“Meihuizhou has the largest area, covering more than a hundred li, hence it is also known as Bailizhou or Zhongzhou. In the third year of Huangchu, when the Grand General led his army to attack Jiangling, Sun Quan sent his clansman Sun Sheng with 10,000 troops to garrison Zhongzhou and build a fortified village on Zhongzhou for defense. Zhang He led his army to cross the Yangtze River and conquer Zhongzhou, hence the name ‘Qiaobian’ (meaning ‘ingenious change’).

Cao Rui clicked his tongue: "Minister Liu, I always thought Zhang He's reputation for skillful maneuvering came from his varied tactics, but I never expected it to be from here?"

Liu Ye was also slightly taken aback. The Emperor's question brought back a familiar feeling, as if he had returned to his days as a court attendant. He quickly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Zhang He is called 'Skillful and Adaptable' because he can lead both infantry and cavalry in battle, and he can also cross the Yangtze River to launch a strong attack on sandbars. He can adapt his tactics to all terrains, hence the name 'Skillful and Adaptable'."

"Alright, I understand." Cao Rui nodded thoughtfully: "Meihui Continent, Jingli Continent, and Yanwei Continent, right?"

"Yes." Liu Ye continued to report: "Zhongzhou is the largest, Jinglizhou is the second largest, and Yanweizhou is the smallest and can be ignored. Your Majesty, speaking of Jinglizhou, there is an old story about it."

"Oh?" Cao Rui couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. "So many stories about Jiangling? It seems I'll have to personally inspect this place and take a look at the sandbars here someday."

Liu Ye slowly said, "It was during that attack on Jiangling. At that time, the Yangtze River was shallow, and Xiahou Shang led his army to garrison in Jingli Island, intending to build a pontoon bridge to connect the north and south. He thought he had a good plan and reported this to the late emperor, who was stationed in Wancheng to coordinate the various armies. At that time, Dong Gong was by the late emperor's side and advised him that although Jingli Island was important, the water would rise at any time in the spring, and the Wu army's navy would have the advantage. If the Wu army destroyed the pontoon bridge, Xiahou Shang's troops might be in danger of being completely wiped out."

"The late emperor agreed with Dong Gong's theory and issued an urgent edict from Wancheng to the Jiangling army, ordering Xiahou Shang to lead the army back north. Xiahou Shang followed the order and ten days later, the river rose sharply, and Dong Gong's words came true. At that time, the late emperor compared Dong Gong's talent to that of Zhang Liang and Chen Ping."

Cao Rui smiled and pointed at Liu Ye: "Liu Qing, look, this is the advantage of the Great Wei's rich military experience. After fighting for so many years, even though Wu has occupied all parts of Jiangling, the Great Wei still knows where the terrain is most important, where to attack, and when to attack."

"How does General Man plan to attack Central Continent?"

Liu Ye had memorized Man Chong's military report in its entirety. Without much thought, Liu Ye replied, "General Man plans to use cavalry as a deterrent and infantry as the main force to launch feigned attacks on the north and east sides of Hanjindu, drawing Wu's troops to the Hanjindu area for defense. This will allow General Fei Yao to seize the opportunity to launch a simultaneous attack with his ships and capture Zhongzhou."

Cao Rui raised his hand to interrupt Liu Ye, commenting, "This is a feint. That's how military strategy works—a mix of deception and real attacks. Ultimately, victory comes from superior numbers, especially since the imperial forces outnumber the Wu army in Jiangling. I suspect General Man must have said something about Zhuge Jin's poor fighting ability, and that if the attack goes smoothly, they'll switch from a feint to a real attack?"

"Your Majesty is wise." Liu Ye took a breath and cupped his hands, saying, "General Man did indeed say that. He himself commanded from the east, General Fei attacked from the west, and General Wen's cavalry were stationed on the north, east, and west sides of Jiangling City, ready to provide support at any time."

"Hmm, just as expected." Cao Rui said, "General Man is still as prudent as ever. Prudence is good, but he wasn't going to take any risks on his way to Jiangling."

Cao Rui looked at Liu Ye: "But Liu Qing, you should also send him a private letter for me, telling him to be cautious when necessary, and not to be overly cautious if an opportunity arises. Tell him that Wu's current Grand General Zhuge Jin is far inferior to Lu Xun, Zhu Ran, and Quan Cong in military strategy, and to let him act with peace of mind."

"Zhuge Jin is not as strong as he worried."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have noted it down." Liu Ye nodded in agreement, and then said, "Along the Jiangxia route, Xiahou Ru's troops are still confronting the Wu army north of Xiakou, vying for dominance over all the land north of Xiakou. The battle is getting more and more stagnant, and the two sides have almost reached a stalemate of building fortifications. There's nothing more to say."

"As for the route to Wancheng, there has been no news from Huan Fan's tribe since they crossed the river. If everything is correct, Huan Fan's tribe should have at least reached Chaisang by now."

Cao Rui sighed softly: "Among these six armies, the three armies in Yangzhou are the most well-stocked, whether it is the navy, infantry, or cavalry. Most of the country's grain and military supplies are stockpiled and consumed here. General Man can be cautious, and Xiahou Ru can stand his ground, but it is Huan Fan who has had a hard time advancing all the way."

Liu Ye comforted him, saying, "Your Majesty need not worry. There are 20,000 infantrymen and 5,000 elite cavalrymen in the central army. Moreover, Sun Li, who commands the cavalry, is a prudent and reliable commander. With Huan and Sun working together, there will be no trouble."

"I hope so," Cao Rui said calmly. "He has had the hardest journey, and he has gone deep into enemy territory. After the campaign against Wu is successful, I will definitely reward Huan Fan more generously."

“That’s exactly right,” Liu Ye said, echoing Cao Rui’s words.

Cao Rui suddenly looked at Liu Ye: "How has Liu Qing's health been lately?"

Liu Ye instinctively replied, "I am perfectly healthy and have fully recovered. Your Majesty need not worry."

"That's good." Cao Rui nodded, not wanting to delve any further into the matter with Liu Ye. (End of Chapter)