Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

It was already rare for a commander-in-chief to have a private meeting in front of the battle, but it was even more shocking that the commander-in-chief of the Han army, relying on his strength, kidnapped the commander-in-chief of the Wu army in public and took him back to his camp.

Despite his constant cursing, Bu Zhi could not escape his fate of being kept under guard in the Han army camp. With their commander gone, the Wu army naturally fell into chaos. Wei Yan immediately sent men to take Bu Zhi's life as leverage and enter Xiling City. He politely took over the defense of only half of the city before finally returning Bu Zhi to his post.

The situation in Jingzhou became even more uncertain due to the entry of the Shu army. Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, Cao Rui crossed the river by boat to Hengjiang Ferry on the same day and arrived at Jingnan Dongwu on the fifteenth.

"Your Majesty, is this Jingnan Fortress?"

Upon arriving in Jiangbei, Cao Rui returned to his imperial carriage. As they approached the city gate, Sun Luyu curiously lifted the curtain and looked out.

“Indeed, this is Jingnan East Dock, and across the Ruxu River is Jingnan West Dock.” Cao Rui said slowly, “Five li south of here is the old site of Ruxu Dock.”

Do you know Ruxuwu?

Sun Luyu chuckled lightly: "Ruxu Dock is so famous, how could I not know it? Does Your Majesty perhaps mistake me for a child?"

"You?" Cao Rui looked Sun Luyu up and down and replied with a smile, "You are no child, I know that."

The Cao family, spanning three generations, consistently showed a deep understanding and tolerance towards widows. They believed in the saying, "Better to be a dog in times of peace than a wanderer in times of chaos." These women had already endured hardship; they deserved as much care as possible.

Sun Luyu sensed the teasing in Cao Rui's words, and with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance, she gently patted Cao Rui's arm, then leaned into Cao Rui's arms like a newlywed bride.

Cao Rui did not refuse, letting Sun Luyu find a comfortable seat to lean against, and then listened to Sun Luyu softly sing a Yuefu poem in Wu dialect.

"A lone bamboo grows slowly, its roots firmly planted on the slopes of Mount Tai."

"We are newlyweds, like dodder clinging to a maidenhair vine."

"Just as dodder grows in its time, so too will couples find their harmony."

"We got married a thousand miles apart, separated by mountains and hills..."

The Wu dialect differs slightly from the Central Plains dialect, and Xiao Hu's melodious and delicate voice adds a touch of melancholy to this folk song.

"Missing home?" Cao Rui asked.

"I have no home in Jiangdong." Xiao Hu was even more straightforward than Da Hu. Holding Cao Rui's arm, she whispered, "Wherever Your Majesty is, that is my home."

"Hmm." Cao Rui nodded: "Empress Wenzhao has a nephew named Zhen Xiang, who is my cousin in terms of seniority. He is currently serving as the Yueqi Colonel by my side. I have already given him an order that after arriving at Jingnanwu, he should lead his troops to send all the members of the Sun clan who are accompanying him to Shouchun for imprisonment."

"You and your mother arrived here without even a few attendants. Your sister has lived in Shouchun for several years. I will have Zhen Xiang bring your sister to Jingnanwu so that she can welcome you and your mother back to Shouchun. Since I am not in Shouchun, you two can stay in your sister's palace."

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for my sister?" Sun Luyu pursed her lips and thought for a few moments, then looked at Cao Rui with a hint of worry in her eyes.

Cao Rui's harem of over twenty women had certainly seen this kind of expression before.

Jealousy is in a woman's nature, and it's even more pronounced in the imperial harem. Previously, in Chang Le Palace in Jiangning, when Xiao Hu first received favor, Cao Rui mentioned Sun Luban's name, but Xiao Hu silenced him twice.

It's hard to know what she was thinking at that moment. Was she feeling guilty for stealing her sister's husband, or was she afraid of the life she was about to experience in the harem?

Cao Rui didn't want to delve into Xiao Hu's thoughts; knowing or not knowing was meaningless. The only thing Cao Rui was certain of was that Xiao Hu had absolutely no affection for the Sun clan.

The emotional ties she shared with her own surname, "Sun," had long been severed by the sword that Sun Quan personally struck at her ex-husband, Zhu Ju, in Wuxi that day.

That means the division is now completely clear.

Cao Rui gently patted Xiao Hu's shoulder and comforted him, "My harem is different from others, you don't need to worry so much."

Sun Luyu nodded slightly.

Compared to when he departed from Jingnan Dongwu to Jiangning, nearly half of the officials accompanying him were gone, with almost all the officials from Yangzhou remaining in Jiangning with Jiang Ji. Of course, a considerable number of officials from the Ministry of Personnel and the Privy Council remained in Jingnan Dongwu, which was one of the reasons why Cao Rui decided to leave Jiangning and return.

Another reason is that Jiangning is somewhat downstream, making communication with Shouchun to the north and the imperial army to the west not very convenient.

Military matters are now the priority.

After Cao Rui entered the city, Sun Luyu was naturally forgotten, and the first thing to deal with was military affairs.

"Your Majesty, this is a private letter from Lu Zhengdong." Yin Fan, who was handling confidential matters beside Cao Rui, handed over a letter and gently placed it on Cao Rui's desk.

"Very well, I'll take a look." Cao Rui opened the letter and read it carefully. After reading it twice, he couldn't help but shake his head. Seeing that Yin Fan was closest to him, he casually asked, "Shuping, what do you think Lu Boyan's state of mind is right now?"

Yin Fan bowed slightly, his expression cautious: "As a minister serving in the Secretariat, Your Majesty has already issued a clear decree, so I dare not speak presumptuously about political affairs."

“This is not your reckless talk,” Cao Rui said calmly. “This is discussing a subject, not a matter of politics. Shuping, please speak.”

Yin Fan paused for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "I believe that Lu Zhengdong may feel apprehensive."

"How do you know?" Cao Rui asked with a smile.

Yin Fan replied softly, “When Sun Quan sent an envoy to Lu Zhengdong, Lu Zhengdong first sent a letter, then the envoy’s head, and then a self-defense letter and a report on military affairs. Four ships were dispatched in total. This shows that he was cautious to the point of being apprehensive. The situation there has not changed much, so Lu Zhengdong’s mentality should not have changed in essence.”

"Judging by the time, General Lou Chuan should have already arrived in Chaisang, while the Grand General should arrive in a few more days. I believe that Lu Zhengdong's letter at this time is not necessarily about military matters, but rather Lu Zhengdong expressing his loyalty to Your Majesty and his willingness to work closely with the Grand General."

Cao Rui put down the letter and handed it to Yin Fan quite naturally. The duty of the Secretariat was to handle confidential matters; all documents and archives had to pass through the Secretariat. If there were any issues, Cao Rui would also consult them for information and confirmation. There were no secrets between the Secretariat and the officials regarding state affairs, which was also why Cao Rui strictly forbade the Secretariat from participating in politics.

"Shuping was right after all." Cao Rui sighed softly: "Lu Xun also told me that Sun Quan once again sent someone to see him, but he sent ships to shoot arrows at the Wu ships to drive them away, preventing the Wu envoys from making their way."

"Lu Xun also said that Chaisang has the largest navy, and he is willing to entrust the command of all 50,000 naval troops to the Grand General, and obey the Grand General's orders. He also said that Chaisang's army is strong and powerful, and will surely be able to easily defeat Sun Quan. Why don't you ask me to go there and see for myself..." (End of this chapter)