Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

The next day, as dawn broke.

"Was it because they were less skilled, or because they were caught off guard?"

In the central command tent south of Wuhu City, Cao Zhen looked at his eldest son who walked in from outside and asked in a deep voice.

Cao Shuang's left hand had been bandaged up using the classic method for treating sword wounds on the battlefield, fixing his entire left arm and shoulder together.

“Caught off guard.” Cao Shuang’s expression was calm as he shook his head slightly. “That Wu general ambushed us from among the soldiers and struck me on the head with a hidden weapon, which is why I suffered a loss. The soldiers on both sides did their best, which is why they didn’t give him a second chance to strike.”

After saying this, Cao Shuang took something out of the pouch at his waist with his right hand and handed it to Cao Zhen: "Father, I cut off this man's ear. When I see him again in the future, I will kill him with my own hands to repay the debt I owe to my left hand."

Cao Zhen remained silent.

Cao Shuang seemed unusually calm, but his emotions as a father were constantly fluctuating. He had considered disciplining his son to make him more cautious in future battles, offering words of comfort, and severely punishing the armored soldiers who had guarded him the previous night. But when the time came, he couldn't utter any of these words.

"Your left hand... it doesn't matter if you lose your left hand. Even if you can't wield a bow or halberd, you can still ride a horse and control the reins. It won't affect your ability to be a general." Cao Zhen sighed, "You want to protect the armored soldiers who were with you last night?"

Cao Shuang nodded decisively: "Father, they are not to blame. It is only because the Wu people are too treacherous that I think we should not blame them."

"Does it still hurt?"

"Fortunately."

“I’ll have Taichu take care of you. You’ve been injured these past few days, so you’ll stay with my central army. I’ll have Bianlan look after your defense zone.”

"Yes."

"Don't write to your mother about this."

"Son, save it."

Cao Zhen opened his mouth, but then didn't know what to say. He walked up to Cao Shuang, examined him for a long time, and then strode out of the military tent. Minister of War Wang Ji also nodded to Cao Shuang and followed Cao Zhen out.

From Wang Ji's perspective, Cao Zhen, after learning of his son's severed hand the previous night, waited until dawn before sending someone to summon Cao Shuang. Upon seeing his son, the father and son were unusually calm.

When did Cao Zhen become so good-natured?
More than ten years ago, when Cao Zhen quelled the Qiang and Hu rebellion in Hexi, he led his army to behead more than 50,000 people, deterring the Hu people of Hexi from causing trouble for ten years. But today, the Wu army has cut off the hand of their most promising eldest son. Is this matter just going to be left like this?
of course not.

Cao Zhen stood outside the tent, hands on his hips, took a deep breath, and then raised his left hand to examine it carefully for a while, as if imagining how much pain Cao Shuang must be in.

Upon hearing the news, Xiahou Xuan rushed over and took the initiative to take care of and accompany his cousin.

After standing for nearly fifteen minutes, Cao Zhen finally turned to look at Wang Ji:
"Bo Yu".

"Your subordinate is here," Wang Ji, standing to the side and behind, replied with a cupped hand.

Cao Zhen said, "Jianye has surrendered, so we must speed up our siege. Send down the order: smash the city this morning, and launch a general offensive this afternoon."

"Furthermore," Cao Zhen said solemnly, "the Wu Kingdom has been divided for decades. Only through bloodshed and warfare can their rebellious intentions be quelled, and only a thunderous strike can the might and virtue of the Great Wei be demonstrated. The evil deeds of Zhu Ran and others in Wuhu City are well-known, and their soldiers have followed suit and rebelled. For the Great Wei, there is no need to save them."

"Order all generals in the army to fight bravely, and leave no prisoners of war in this battle!"

Wang Ji was about to nod in agreement, but after hearing Cao Zhen's words, he paused, looking at Cao Zhen with slight hesitation: "General, you mean...?"

"Slaughter them." Cao Zhen uttered two words calmly: "Since Jianye has surrendered, then Wuhu should shed even more blood. There is no room for sentimentality on the battlefield. The name of the Great Wei is meant to instill fear in treacherous officials. Boyu, go and draft the military order. See me later to use the seal."

Wang Ji's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he nodded emphatically: "Your subordinate obeys!"

……

Jingnan Dongwu.

Jiang Ji, the governor of Yangzhou, is currently the busiest official by the emperor's side.

Jiang Ji was responsible for transferring the grain and military supplies transported from Shouchun across the river, as well as for seizing the catapults and stone projectiles near Ruxu Dock, and also for dismantling the Ruxu Dock city wall.

By the 30th, the demolition of Ruxu Dock was largely completed. The two fortified cities that had stood for twenty years at the confluence of the Ruxu River and the Yangtze River were now just rammed earth mounds in the shape of city walls.

Meanwhile, news of the city's fall, sent from Jianye downstream, arrived in Wuhu last night and was delivered to Jingnan East Fortress this morning. In the central hall of the fortress, Cao Rui raised his hand, shook the document in his hand, and smiled at the officials standing in the hall:

"Today I have two things to say to you all."

Seeing that the emperor was in a good mood, Pei Qian asked with feigned ignorance, "What has made Your Majesty so pleased?"

“You,” Cao Rui said with a smile, pointing at Pei Qian, “the first thing is that General Lu Boyan, who is in charge of the Eastern Expedition, sent this message from the river west of Wankou. He said that most of the navy encountered Sun Quan’s main force on the river. After the standoff, Sun Quan was afraid and did not fight, so he turned west.”

"At the time the letter was sent, Lu Xun was leading his fleet westward in pursuit of the Wu navy, intending to take advantage of the situation to attack Chaisang."

"And the second matter," Cao Rui handed Cao Zhi's letter forward, "all of you should take a look. Gu Yong, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat of Wu, and General Zhuge Ke have surrendered Jianye City. Zhuge Ke is the eldest son of Zhuge Jin and the nephew of Zhuge Liang. He also attached a letter, on behalf of the Great Wei, to persuade his father Zhuge Jin, who is currently guarding Jiangling, to surrender."

"Do you think these two pieces of news are actually good news?"

When Pei Qian rushed to interrupt the emperor, Liu Ye realized that today's events were extraordinary. While Cao Rui was speaking, Liu Ye's mind raced, and as soon as he finished speaking, Liu Ye took a step to the side and immediately knelt down.
"Your Majesty, I congratulate you on this great victory! Now that Lu Boyan is about to attack Chaisang and Jianye has surrendered, all of Wu territory east of Chaisang can be pacified with a single proclamation! The four commanderies of Yuzhang, Danyang, Wu, and Kuaiji from the Han Dynasty will soon return to the territory of the Great Wei, and the counties of Jingzhou can be taken in one fell swoop. Sun Quan's fate is sealed!"

"Your Majesty, we offer our congratulations!" The assembled officials, realizing what was happening, followed Liu Ye and bowed down to offer their congratulations.

Cao Rui waved his hand, his tone softening considerably: "I have told you all long ago that the Mandate of Heaven rests on me and on the Great Wei, not on Wu or Shu. The victory achieved by the more than 200,000 troops against Wu was a natural outcome, something I had foreseen long ago."

"However, although there has been some progress in military affairs, there is still much for the court to do."

"Rise, all of you," Cao Rui said, then pointed at Liu Ye: "Minister Liu, tell me about the military situation in Wuhu last night."

"As you command." Liu Ye bowed and acknowledged, then said loudly, "Last night, the Wu army launched a night attack on Wuhu City from the west, north, and east. The casualties of each unit have not yet been tallied as of the time of this letter, but the Wu army's night attack has been completely contained. The General is expected to launch a general offensive this afternoon..."

Cao Rui nodded: "There's nothing to say about Wuhu. The General has assured me, and I'll just wait for news of the General's victory. The real key place is Jianye."

"Although the King of Yongqiu has pacified the surrendered officials of Wu, he does not yet have the authority to appoint or dismiss them. The problem has returned to the central government. There are many surrendered officials from Wu, including four ministers below the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Gu Yong, as well as generals, governors, the Nine Ministers, and several members of the Wu royal family." Cao Rui looked around and said, "Although a general assignment was made before the expedition, we still need to discuss in detail how to implement it so that Wu can be brought under control as soon as possible."

Pei Qian spoke first: "Your Majesty, I believe we should distinguish between those who advocate surrender and those who follow suit."

"How should we divide it?" Cao Rui raised an eyebrow.

Pei Qian said, "I have just skimmed through General Lou Chuan's documents. They mention that the opening of Jianye City was proposed by Minister Gu Yong of Wu, along with four other ministers: Kan, Xue, Ji, and Qu, as well as Prefect Zhuge Ke of Danyang and Cavalry Commandant Gu Ji."

"In my opinion, apart from these seven people who surrendered to the lord, the rest can be considered as those who surrendered along with him."

"Those who advocate surrender can be temporarily kept in vacant positions to demonstrate the great benevolence of the Great Wei and encourage the counties and prefectures of Wu to surrender as soon as possible. There are many who surrendered in Jianye City, so they should be appointed according to the rank of one level down. The Wu royal family should be kept under unified supervision and distinguished from the other surrenderers."

Cao Rui nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Wang Su also agreed, saying, "I second that. The fact that Wu, a small state inhabiting a separatist territory, has been demoted one rank to serve in the Great Wei is already a testament to the magnanimity of the court."

"When Attendant Pei made his remarks just now, I had already prepared a draft in my mind and tentatively proposed positions for these people."

Cao Rui chuckled lightly: "What position?"

Wang Su bowed and said, “I believe that Gu Yong, who has served as the Chancellor and Minister of the Imperial Secretariat in Wu for many years, should be appointed as the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. Kan Ze, Xue Zong, Ji Liang, and Qu Huang should be appointed as Ministers of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Justice, respectively. Zhuge Ke, because of his father Zhuge Jin, should be promoted to Attendant Gentleman of the Palace and given the title of General. Gu Ji should be appointed as the Prefect of Zhongshan Commandery in Ji Province. There is still a vacancy for the Prefect of Zhongshan Commandery in Ji Province, so this man should be appointed to fill the vacancy.”

"I second that opinion," Pei Qian said, bowing.

"I second that opinion," Xu Shu said.

As the three Grand Secretaries and Ministers of the Imperial Secretariat settled the official positions of the surrendered officials from Jianye, Wu, Huang Quan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and Minister of the Ministry of Works, standing in the hall, became visibly anxious, and Sima Zhi, the Minister of Works, also looked rather displeased.

"What do you all take the Secretariat for?" Huang Quan, disregarding decorum, flicked his sleeves in front of the emperor and retorted, "The number of ministers in the six ministries of the Secretariat is predetermined. If these surrendered people from Wu Kingdom are appointed to high positions, where do we ministers stand? How can the Secretariat become a place to settle down..."

Huang Quan initially wanted to say "release the surrendered people," but then, remembering his own identity, he quickly stopped himself and remained silent. He then bowed deeply to Cao Rui.
"Your Majesty, I believe this is inappropriate, and I humbly request Your Majesty's wise judgment!"

Cao Rui chuckled: "Minister Huang is the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and also the Minister of Personnel. Since you disagree, then you, as the Minister of Personnel, can tell us how the assignments should be made?"

Huang Quan cupped his hands and said, "If we are to offer honorary titles, I believe Gu Yong is suitable to be a Palace Attendant, and the four Ministers of Wu are suitable to be Attendants-in-Ordinary." (End of Chapter)