Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Wang Xiong shook his head calmly: "Minister Wei, even if the population of Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen and Rinan counties is large, it doesn't matter. A large population has nothing to do with a large army, and a large army has nothing to do with a large fighting force."

"When I was the governor of Liangzhou, the Hu people in Hexi rebelled. They had tens of thousands of cavalrymen and posed a threat to the border of the Great Wei. However, after the rebel leader was killed, the remaining troops were unable to resist the mighty Wei forces and scattered like birds and beasts."

Wei Zhen frowned even more deeply: "If the situation in Jiaozhou becomes critical again, who can bear this responsibility?"

Wang Xiong explained, "Four of the seven prefectures have already rebelled. What could be worse? Perhaps it is as Governor Jiang just said. We should trust Jiaozhou and Guanqiu Zhonggong's words."

Wei Zhen gave Wang Xiong a deep look, then bowed to Cao Rui and said, "Please make your decision, Your Majesty."

Wang Xiong also bowed in the same manner: "Please make your decision, Your Majesty."

Sitting in a higher position often allows for a deeper and easier view of things.

The court officials all said that Wei Zhen had the demeanor of a prime minister and was responsible and capable, but this was a polite way of putting it. If we were to rephrase it, it would have a hint of autocracy, as he always sought the emperor's approval.

Cao Rui never corrected Wei Zhen in the slightest. In most cases, Wei Zhen's insistence was correct, and in a few cases, Cao Rui could correct himself. Most of the time, Wei Zhen was simply carrying out Cao Rui's will.

However, in Cao Rui's view, the power of the Right Minister still subtly influenced Wei Zhen's personal attitude.

It's not that Wei Zhen is doing a bad job or has other intentions, but rather that he has taken on more responsibility for matters of state and is working harder than ever to advocate for things he believes are right but which his colleagues doubt or oppose.

Cao Rui smiled and said, "Both of you, sit down first. I do have some thoughts on this."

"Jiaozhou was also in turmoil for a long time at the end of the Han Dynasty, but the turmoil mainly affected the four northern prefectures of Nanhai, Cangwu, Hepu, and Yulin, which saw a decrease in population. In contrast, Jiaozhi Prefecture had a larger population. During the Former and Later Han Dynasties, Jiaozhi Prefecture was the place with the largest population in Jiaozhou."

"But what Wang Shifang just said is absolutely right. Even if Zhonggong has 10,000 men, facing the rebels of Jiaozhou and the remnants of Sun Deng's forces, what fighting power would they have even if they could gather 30,000 or 50,000 soldiers?"

Wei Zhen said more earnestly, "Your Majesty, Jiaozhou is also part of the Great Wei territory. The people's fortunes depend on the court's decisions. I implore Your Majesty to consider the people of Jiaozhou and send troops south to quell the unrest as soon as possible, lest things get complicated."

Cao Rui asked, "Does Master Wei really think that Zhonggong is definitely going to lose?"

Wei Zhen lowered his head slightly, saying nothing more. In those few words, Wei Zhen had already fully understood the emperor's stance.

This is no longer a question of whether Jiaozhou rebelled or not, but a question concerning Guanqiu Jian's future and reputation.

During the Taihe era, Wei Zhen was repeatedly promoted and given important positions, eventually becoming the head of the official staff. This was all because he had taught His Majesty politics in the Prince's residence when the Prince was still a prince, and was repeatedly promoted as "Teacher Wei," without ever encountering any obstacles.

Guanqiu Jian is also one of His Majesty's direct descendants!
To be honest, the court has always had some doubts about Guanqiu Jian's abilities as a commander-in-chief and a regional governor.

During the campaign against Wu, Guanqiu Jian's achievements in Jiangdong were not particularly significant; he gained merit mainly through his campaign against the Shanyue. Wu could easily subdue the Shanyue, let alone the Wei army. Some in the court believed that Guanqiu Jian had been forcibly granted the title of Duke by the Emperor's favoritism. Afterwards, the recapture of the four commanderies of Xiangzhou proceeded smoothly, and Jiaozhou surrendered without resistance.

With four prefectures in Jiaozhou now in rebellion, Guanqiu Jian, as the governor of Jiaozhou, is undeniably responsible, and dismissal from office is to be expected. If Guanqiu Jian insists on waiting for the Jingnan troops to arrive before defeating the rebels, this essentially sets the upper limit for his political career.

Cao Rui certainly couldn't allow this to happen.

On the one hand, it was about trusting Guanqiu Jian; on the other hand, it was about testing Guanqiu Jian's abilities, testing whether he could truly demonstrate outstanding talent and shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the state. Cao Rui said calmly, "I still agree with the views of Attendant-in-Ordinary Wang and Governor Jiang. Sun Deng was ineffective in the situations of Jiangling and Xiling in the past, yet he was able to transform himself and become a separatist force in Jiaozhou?"

"The troops in Jingnan will remain stationary, continuing preparations for next year's campaign against Shu. The matter in Jiaozhou will be resolved by Jiaozhou itself! That's the decision!"

"Your Majesty is wise." Everyone stood up and bowed.

……

After everyone dispersed, those with official duties returned to their respective offices. Cao Zhen had nothing to do, Sima Yi had finished his official business in Luoyang and was now on vacation, and Jiang Ji also had nothing to do. The three of them went together to Cao Zhen's residence in Luoyang for a chat.

Jiang Ji, being a man of good manners, instructed his attendants to retrieve a large package he had brought from his home when he left Luoyang. The package was then taken to Cao Zhen's residence. After the servants received it, Jiang Ji personally opened it in front of Cao Zhen.

"Zitong, what is this?" Cao Zhen walked to the table and looked at it closely.

Sima Yi also walked over with his hands behind his back.

Jiang Ji smiled and said, "Your Highness is unaware of this; this is tea."

"When I came to Luoyang two years ago, I brought many Yangzhou specialties to meet His Majesty. His Majesty asked me about this item and described its shape and production method in detail. Last year, I ordered some to be made, but it was unsuccessful. This year, I tried again and finally made the tea that His Majesty described. I obtained more than two hundred catties. I gave His Majesty one hundred catties of the best, and I brought the rest to Luoyang to distribute to everyone."

"Soak it in boiling water, and drink it after it cools down. It has a unique taste and a sweet aftertaste."

At this point, Jiang Ji turned to Sima Yi and smiled, "Of course, I've also prepared the tea from Zhongda's place."

Sima Yi nodded slightly: "It looks like some kind of leaf? Where did you get it?"

Jiang Ji said, "It was found in Qiantang County of Wu Commandery. I don't know who told His Majesty about this item, but I had people search carefully for a long time before we finally found it."

Sima Yi didn't care: "Perhaps it was said by those Wu officials who surrendered."

Cao Zhen didn't care much: "I'll go back to Hejian and ask Zhuge Ke. He's also a former official of Wu, so he might know about this."

Jiang Ji asked the waiter to brew three cups of tea. The group tasted the tea and continued chatting. Soon they started talking about their descendants.

Cao Zhen put down his tea, stroked his beard, and said, "In the two years since I left Luoyang, I have gained three more grandsons. Zhao Bo had two, and Zhao Shu had one."

"I heard that Zhongda's second son also gave birth to your grandson?"

"Yes." Sima Yi nodded slightly, then sighed, "However, my son Ziyuan only has a daughter. He has been away from Luoyang for many years and has not brought his family to Jiaozhou. So far, he has no son."

Jiang Ji laughed and said, "You don't know yet, do you? I came from Yangzhou. Xiahou Taichu just had a son last month."

"My nephew has an heir? Congratulations!" Cao Zhen exclaimed with a smile. (End of Chapter)