Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

North of Pengli Lake, at the mouth of the lake on the east bank of Chaisang.

General Lu Xun, General Huan Fan, and more than ten soldiers of the rank of 2,000 shi had been waiting here for nearly half a day. Scouts had already come to Chaisang to report that General Cao Zhen would lead his troops to Hukou at noon on the 19th of February.

Chaisang is nearly fifty li from Hukou. Along the riverbank, more than 20,000 naval troops patrolled back and forth, and the sails of ships came and went, creating a magnificent sight. Lu Xun and Huan Fan showed no impatience and waited patiently. Especially in times of war, it is even more important to respect the authority of the commander-in-chief. It was basic etiquette for General Cao Zhen, who was ordered by the emperor to be the commander-in-chief, to wait at the last dock.

"Your subordinates pay their respects to the Great General!" As Cao Zhen's banner approached, heavily armored knights and their attendants surged forth, and Lu Xun and Huan Fan led their generals in saluting.

"Boyan, Yuanze, generals, please rise." Cao Zhen dismounted, nodded to Lu Xun, and then said, "I came from Wuhu, marching for fifteen days to get here. The troops are exhausted. How is the camp being set up?"

"Reporting to the General, the camp has been fully constructed. It is only twelve li from this dock, so there is no need to worry," Lu Xun replied, bowing.

"Good, good." Cao Zhen laughed heartily a few times, patted Lu Xun on the shoulder, nodded approvingly at Huan Fan, and then said, "Who will arrange the affairs of this ferry crossing?"

General Xiahou Wei, the warship general standing behind Lu Xun, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and replied, "Reporting to the General, this matter will be handled by this humble general."

"Ji Quan?" Cao Zhen chuckled, then replied, "Then I'll leave this matter to you. Boyan, Yuanze, and I will cross first."

"Please rest assured, General," Xiahou Wei replied with a cupped hand.

Lu Xun and Huan Fan flanked Cao Zhen as he boarded the ship. When Cao Zhen arrived, he discovered that Sun Quan's carriage cover, ceremonial guards, and blood-stained imperial robes were all placed in the ship's cabin.

Looking back at Huan Fan, who was smiling, Cao Zhen asked, "These are the items Yuan Ze seized from Sun Quan in Pengze? To be honest, when we first heard Yuan Ze's battle report, the generals and I were quite surprised. Sun Quan had been fighting against Wei for over thirty years, so why was he in such a sorry state, alone on the river?"

Before Huan Fan could explain in detail, Cao Zhen continued, "Later, I thought about this matter in private and discussed it with Xiahou Taichu. Sun Quan's previous solo entry into the river and subsequent escape did not mean that Sun Quan still had the Mandate of Heaven, but rather that the Mandate of Heaven of Wei was clear and would surely capture Sun Quan and execute him in a just manner, and present his head to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to worship Emperor Wu and Emperor Wen. It was simply that Sun Quan would not be allowed to die in such a foolish way."

"What do you say, is it true or not?"

Lu Xun was silent for a few moments: "What the General says is absolutely right. Sun Quan's defeat and death are inevitable. Sooner or later, the General should personally lead the army to capture him."

Huan Fan was more familiar with Cao Zhen and had a better relationship with him. He said jokingly, "It is Heaven's will that the General should achieve merit. I am of shallow virtue and not qualified to do this."

"By the way, General, the Sima who chased Sun Quan and almost captured him was named Li Tong. I wonder if the General still remembers him?"

Cao Zhen laughed and said, "There are twelve commanders of the Left Army of the Imperial Guards, how could I not know them? This man captured Gongsun Yuan five years ago and has now seized Sun Quan's ceremonial robes. The Privy Council has not yet had time to commend him. Now that I have come to Chaisang, I should also boost morale and the army's spirit."

"Summon Li Tong later. I want to see him in person and recommend him to the Privy Council as a Colonel with a salary of two thousand piculs!"

Huan Fan smiled and nodded, bowing slightly: "This subordinate thanks the General on behalf of Li Tong." Cao Zhen smiled.

After landing, the three rode together, and Lu Xun and Huan Fan began to report on the current combat strength and number of personnel of their respective units.

Huan Fan had 25,000 troops when he set out from Wancheng, but they dispersed to Nanchang and Poyang. Now he has 18,000 troops stationed in Chaisang. Lu Xun's troops suffered fewer losses, but they also lost five ships during their voyage. His force numbered 50,000, and he actually had 48,300 troops stationed in Chaisang.

With the addition of Cao Zhen's main force of about 19,000, the military strength in Chaisang now has a quota of 90,000, with an actual number of 85,000, all of whom are under the control of General Cao Zhen.

Of course, Cao Zhen, Lu Xun, Huan Fan and others were unaware that the emperor was coming in person. Cao Rui stayed in Jingnan Dongwu for several days, firstly to handle the various political affairs of the Great Wei that came from Shouchun, and secondly to wait for the Ministry of Personnel and Yangzhou to coordinate the transportation of grain and supplies from various places.

In military campaigns, the most tedious task is undoubtedly logistics.

On the 22nd, Sun Luban and Consort Sun also came from Shouchun to Jingnan Dongwu by imperial decree to pick up their mother and sister to go north.

The mother and daughter shared a deep bond. After nine years of separation, their longing for each other was palpable, and they embraced each other, weeping uncontrollably, upon their first meeting. The sisters, Sun Luban and Sun Luyu, were also naturally moved upon seeing each other, but compared to Xiaohu's mix of longing and anxiety, Dahu was much more composed.

The mother and her two daughters went into the hall to rest. Bu Lianshi walked in front, supported by Xiao Hu and Da Hu on either side. After Sun Luban was seated, Xiao Hu suddenly knelt down in front of his sister:

“I did not intend to compete with my sister for the emperor or covet entry into the harem. Rather, the atmosphere in and around Jianye City and the palace was oppressive and desolate at the time. My mother and I were genuinely worried about encountering an accident and were also extremely concerned about our future. Therefore… therefore, I decided to offer myself up. I hope my sister will not blame me!”

Squad Leader Sun Lu sighed deeply, stood up with a hint of helplessness, helped his younger sister to her feet, and looked at his mother with a meaningful expression: "Mother, is that what you think too?"

"I..." Bu Lianshi really didn't know what to say. Xiao Hu's embrace was also inseparable from her support and encouragement. Today, seeing her eldest daughter who was radiant and full of noble air, she was speechless for a moment.

“Very well.” Sun Luban shook his head: “I know that my mother’s status is the highest in the Wu Palace, and her family is very prestigious and harmonious. Therefore, no one in my father’s palace dares to compete with or rival my mother.”

“But I am different. Do you know that His Majesty has been so restrained and has not taken any new concubines for five years? There are still more than twenty women in the harem. What difference does it make if there is one more or one less woman in the harem? If my sister enters the palace, we sisters will be of one mind and can actually help me secure the emperor’s favor.”

Sun Luban chuckled a few times, helped his younger sister sit down beside him, and then said, "Do you know Consort Mao? She's the one who gave birth to the eldest prince, Cao Qi, and holds the highest rank in the palace, a rank that's unmatched."

“I’ve heard His Majesty mention it.” Sun Luyu nodded, bewildered.

Sun Luban said, "I brought with me a letter from Consort Mao to His Majesty when I came to Ruxu. In the letter, she said that the harem has not taken in any new concubines for many years. It is only natural for the imperial family to have many descendants. She has written to Empress Dowager Guo in Luoyang and asked her to consider taking in more concubines."

"This time, we will recruit ten people." (End of Chapter)