Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Chapter 823 Political Turmoil
Cao Rui coughed lightly, looked around, and then looked at everyone.

"Just now I spoke with you all about the matter of rewards and honors, only to gain your trust and not disappoint you. However, since you and I are stationed here and the war is not over, the remaining rewards and honors will be discussed after the war is over. According to the information provided by Man Zhengnan, there are still 100,000 troops from Wu and Shu gathered in Jiangling, and the commanders should be Zhuge Jin and Zhuge Liang."

"How do we pacify Jiangling and completely pacify the former territories of Wu?" Cao Rui said in a deep voice, "Killing Sun Quan would only complete half the task; the other half remains to be completed."

As soon as Cao Rui finished speaking, General Cao Zhen cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

“Tell me about it.” Cao Rui nodded.

Cao Zhen's face was full of confidence as he spoke eloquently: "Your Majesty, since the troops were dispatched in January, Ruxu, Wuhu, Jiangning, Dantu, Wujun, and Wuhan have all been conquered by the Great Wei, with little resistance along the way."

"The chief culprit behind Wu's rebellion is Sun Quan himself. For over thirty years, all the generals, officials, and people have looked to Sun Quan for hope. Now that Sun Quan has been beheaded by the Great Wei, the remaining Wu territory will surely surrender at the mere sight of him and will have no will to fight!"

"I believe that the army should temporarily rest and reorganize in Wuhan, and at the same time, the troops from Yangzhou should be transferred to Jingzhou. There are nearly 100,000 troops here, and nearly 60,000 troops under Man's southern expedition. If more troops from Yangzhou are transferred, the number of troops here can reach 200,000. The mere Jiangling can be taken in no time!"

"Can it be broken in no time?" Cao Rui repeated these words softly, his tone seemingly carrying a hint of doubt.

“That’s exactly right!” Cao Zhen nodded emphatically.

Cao Rui did not respond immediately, but pursed his lips and then fell silent.

Cao Zhen was taken aback by the emperor's sudden silence. He wanted to speak up and continue to persuade him, but when he glanced around and saw that his colleagues were all silent, he was startled and held back his words.

Upon seeing this scene, Lu Xun sighed inwardly.

The sayings "after the worst comes the best" and "when things reach their extreme, they begin to rise again" all refer to the same thing. The development of events is not static; it is influenced by both internal and external factors. Once a peak is reached, the trend often changes. In reality, this manifests as a rapid shift in the political climate.

Previously, when Lu Xun captured Chaisang, he had a long talk with General Huan Fan, the General Who Guards the North. The key point in Lu Xun's conversation with Huan Fan was that the Wei court would be extremely dangerous after the conquest of Wu.

Even though the emperor himself repeatedly encouraged Lu Xun, Lu Xun remained excessively cautious, not revealing the slightest oversight. Even though the naval battle yesterday was so brilliant, Lu Xun still gave half the credit for capturing Sun Quan to the central army and the left wing of the Imperial Guard.

The emperor's unusual silence had immediately put Lu Xun on alert. His Majesty had once told his ministers that war was an extension of politics, a means to achieve political goals. Now, from a political perspective, what problem did His Majesty need to solve?
With the annihilation of the Wu Kingdom a foregone conclusion, external political problems have been alleviated, but internal political problems are about to emerge!

If we continue to consider things from an external perspective... Wu had just lost an emperor; wasn't there a political crisis that needed to erupt? Was the alliance between Wu and Shu truly so strong that it had to be maintained even after Sun Quan's death?
From an internal perspective, with the war having progressed to this point, the alliance between Wu and Shu could not last. With most of the land under Wei's control, how could the power of Wu and Shu endure?

To address the most basic question, which general should be credited for the victory in the conquest of Jiangling?

Clearly, Lu Xun had grasped the essential issue that the emperor was concerned about at that moment. Since it could be called an issue, it required repeated consideration and research, and Lu Xun could not figure it out in a short time.

But this was before His Majesty the Emperor of Wei. The court was never short of astute individuals: Pei Qian, Wang Su, Huang Quan, Liu Ye… weren't they all masters of politics and the ability to read people's hearts? The emperor gave a barely perceptible signal, and all of them simultaneously caught it and began to ponder it. In contrast, the generals present—Cao Zhen, Cao Zhi, Cao Tai, Cheng Xi, and others—were momentarily bewildered. Huan Fan seemed to sense something amiss, his eyes darting around nervously; he was, after all, somewhat inferior to Pei, Wang, Huang, Liu, and Lu…

At this moment, everyone fell silent, as if gathering their strength and waiting for someone to take the lead and speak first.

Liu Ye, the Deputy Privy Councilor, was usually quick to speak, but in this situation, he felt a rare sense of fear and was still hesitant about whether he should be the first to speak...

Clearly, directly confronting the 100,000-strong allied army of Wu and Shu is not the best option. Keeping them in Jiangling for a while, even if it's not six months, even three months would be better. The internal strife that arises will definitely disrupt this already unbalanced alliance.

Moreover, Cao Zhen, as the nominal commander-in-chief here, has already achieved the greatest merit. If, as Cao Zhen claims, he gathered 200,000 troops to attack Jiangling, let alone whether the logistics were sufficient or whether the attack could be successful, should Cao Zhen be awarded all the credit for destroying Wu?

Is Your Majesty willing to see the power of imperial clan generals reach this level? Shouldn't other generals be selected to achieve merit?
Liu Ye was conflicted, as was Pei Qian, who was equally proactive.

In Pei Qian's view, Cao Zhen's enfeoffment as a king was a foregone conclusion, and the key to conquering Wu lay in the navy. As the commander-in-chief of the navy, a native of Wu, and the emperor's brother-in-law, Lu Xun seemed destined to receive a kingship as well. As for Man Chong, he had not yet made any progress. Although luck played a part, his retreat to Dangyang was a fact. The third kingship would likely fall to Grand Commandant and Privy Councilor Dong Zhao.

Under these circumstances, Cao Zhen would inevitably be relegated to a lowly position after the war, granted a princely title, and if he were to lead troops again, it would truly be a disgrace to future generations. Given His Majesty's character, he should personally lead the army and allow the middle-aged and young generals to gain experience during the campaign against Jiangling!
The silence continues.

Cao Zhen didn't understand. Lu Xun lowered his head and pretended to be dead. Pei Qian and Liu Ye were both conflicted and remained silent. Wang Su concluded that such matters had nothing to do with him and that his future lay in the next twenty years. It was Huang Quan, who had surrendered to Shu in the past, who spoke first.

"Your Majesty, I also have something to report."

Cao Rui nodded and stared intently at Huang Quan: "Oh? It's Huang Qing who has something to say? If Lord Dong were here, he might have spoken first. Huang Qing is just like Lord Dong today."

Upon hearing this, Pei Qian and Liu Ye felt as if their faces were burning with shame.

The meaning behind the emperor's words is already quite clear.

In matters including military power, the imperial clan, personnel appointments, and the cabinet, Dong Zhao was always the most fearless and outspoken. While this statement compares Huang Quan to Dong Zhao, isn't it also an implication that the other lacks a sense of responsibility?
"Although I am not as capable as Lord Dong, I still have some humble words to offer regarding matters of state." Huang Quan cupped his hands and said in a calm tone, "We launched our campaign at the beginning of the year, and now it is March. The two important prefectures of Yangzhou and Jiangzhou, newly established by the court, have been completely recovered. Only Echeng, the mountainous areas of Yangzhou where the Yue people rebelled, and some remote counties remain unresolved."

"After this battle, the overall situation is settled. The defeat of Wu is inevitable, and the fate of Shu is only a matter of time. The armies are exhausted after three months of fighting. I believe that the court should station heavy troops in Wuhan, Xiangyang and other places to block the remaining Wu forces from the east and north."

"At the same time, the court should repair its internal affairs and quell the remaining Wu troops and the rebellion of the Yue tribes in Jiangzhou and Yangzhou. The Wu and Shu kingdoms have their own disagreements, and a rift is bound to develop over time. If we wait three months or half a year, and wait until the Wu and Shu kingdoms are fighting in Jiangling, then the Great Wei can send troops to Jiangling. Perhaps this will be much more effective! It will only take a few months, and there will be no loss for Your Majesty or the Great Wei!"

"What are you saying, Minister Huang?" Cao Zhen was taken aback and turned to Huang Quan with a frown: "Our army has won one victory after another. Now the people of Wu must be demoralized. We can take Jiangling in one fell swoop. Why do we have to wait any longer? Wouldn't it be better if we could annihilate the forces of Wu and Shu at the same time? Is it because we don't have enough soldiers, or not enough food and ships?"

"I believe we should proceed with caution." Huang Quan bowed slightly, but his words remained perfectly clear. He turned and bowed to Cao Rui, saying, "Your Majesty, I have finished speaking."

(End of this chapter)