Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Clearly, Guo Huai understood his position. His talent and experience were insufficient for the emperor to appoint him as commander of a large army, and if he were to remain with the main force, he would have to tackle those tough passes.

The Micang Road was undoubtedly the best option for his solo advance. More than twenty years ago, Zhang He led 10,000 men through the Micang Road to Dangqu. Although he was defeated by Zhang Fei, the Great Wei was about to launch a multi-pronged attack on Shu. Where could Shu possibly hold 20,000 troops in Brazil to fight the enemy?

Moreover, Zhang Fei is no longer here, and Liu Bei's former valiant soldiers are all a thing of the past.

Cao Rui did not agree immediately, but asked instead, "Twenty thousand troops is no small matter. I believe in General Guo's abilities, but there is one thing I need to make clear to you."

"Please give your instructions, Your Majesty." Guo Huai bowed respectfully in the hall.
Cao Rui said, "This route is a surprise attack. You will select 10,000 soldiers from your own troops, and I will give the remaining 10,000 to General Bei's troops to command. If you go south, your merit will not lie in how many enemies you kill, how many you annihilate, or how many cities you capture, but in how you contain the Shu army to the greatest extent possible."

"Since we are dealing with this, the supply of provisions and logistics is of paramount importance. You should be careful."

Guo Huai cupped his hands and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Cao Rui nodded slightly, and then calmly said, "Since we have come to the topic of military affairs, and all the generals are gathered here today, I will explain the military aspects of this military campaign to you."

"The northern army can be divided into three routes. The left route will be led by General Guo Huai, who will command 20,000 troops, to march south through the Micang Road and attack Baxi. The central route will be led by myself. The right route will attack Yinping County. Who is willing to lead the army for me?"

Wang Chang then stood up from his seat and proudly replied, "Your Majesty, your subject Wang Chang is willing to attack Yinping on Your Majesty's behalf!"

Of the 60,000 troops in Guanzhong, 50,000 can be mobilized this time, and the remaining 10,000 are 5,000 cavalrymen guarding Liangzhou and 5,000 county soldiers stationed in various strategic locations.

Of these 50,000 troops, General Guo Huai, who was in charge of conquering Shu, had 20,000 infantrymen in Hanzhong; Fei Yao led 8,000 men to defend the area around Wuxing Pass and Xiabian; Deng Ai's main force of 5,000 men was stationed in the area around Hechi and Sanguan; Wang Chang, Chen Ping, and Cao Ping led 11,000 men to guard the area around Wudu and Wujie; and Zhou Duo led 6,000 Qiang cavalrymen to garrison in Tazhong.

Cao Rui nodded and said, "As General Who Guards the West, Wang Qing should lead one route. However, the force in Yinping should not be too heavy, otherwise the logistics will be difficult to support. I hereby order you to command your 1,000 troops in Qishan, 3,000 troops under Cao Ping in Wujie, and 6,000 troops under Zhou Duo in Tazhong. I will also transfer Deng Ai's troops to you. Together, we will have 15,000 troops, which will be the right route."

Wang Chang had been away from Luoyang for many years, spending most of his time on the frontier. His face and eyes were much more resolute than they had been years before: "Your Majesty, I obey your decree! Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will lead the troops to conquer Yinping!"

"Very well." Cao Rui nodded: "The remaining armies will all be under my personal command. Minister Wang will return tomorrow and personally lead the armies to Wujie. General Guo will also move his troops to Nanzheng to prepare for the expedition. After the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven on July 1st, the three armies will set off on the same day!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Everyone stood up and responded in unison.

Cao Rui departed from Luoyang in late April. Hanzhong was far away, while Jiangling was closer. Huang Quan, the Left Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was appointed to supervise the 10,000 cavalry under General Jiang Wei and the 10,000 infantry under General Xiahou Xian. They departed from Luoyang in early May and marched for 40 days, arriving at Zhijiang on June 10.

Over the course of several years, Jingnan became the region with the largest military force of the Great Wei, with a total of 90,000 troops, nominally under the command of Man Chong, the Governor of Jingnan and General Who Conquers the South.

Although Cao Rui trusted Man Chong, the state had its own system, and it was against the rules to put all 90,000 troops under the complete control of one person.

The 90,000 troops were actually divided into three locations. Zhijiang, Yidao, and Jiangling formed a triangle that supported and restrained each other.

General Man Chong, who was in charge of the Southern Expedition, led 30,000 infantrymen in Zhijiang as the front line of land defense against Xiling. His troops were divided among General Xiahou Ru, General Zhang Hu, and General Cao Zhao.

Lu Xun held no military rank, but with the authority of a general, he commanded 30,000 naval troops under the command of General Yue Lin, General Xiahou Wei, and Lieutenant General Gong Zun at Yidao.

Jiangling, the most important place in Jingnan, was commanded by General Huan Fan with 30,000 troops, of which 10,000 naval troops were commanded by Prince Cao Biao of Baima.

The basic structure was one where capable ministers commanded troops, while meritorious generals and members of the imperial family were in actual command of the army.

When Huang Quan led 20,000 troops to Zhijiang, Lu Xun and Yue Lin from Yidao, Huan Fan from Jiangling, and Sima Yi, the Minister of the Jiangnan Regional Secretariat from Wuhan, also arrived in Zhijiang.

Before the Eastern Route Army set out, it was natural for them to sit down together, reach a consensus, and then send out troops.

Man Chong was always serious in the army, so he did not hold any banquet. Instead, he had dinner with the generals in the evening and then immediately held a military meeting.

Huang Quan publicly read aloud the imperial edict appointing Man Chong (Man Boning), holding the titles of Acting General of the Imperial Guard, Governor of Jingnan, and General Who Conquers the South, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Route Army. After everyone kowtowed before the edict, Man Chong sat at the head of the hall and slowly addressed the solemn-faced generals and officials:
"Gentlemen, His Majesty has appointed me as the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Route Army. The responsibility is heavier than a mountain, and I dare not slacken in the slightest. Having been stationed in Jingnan for more than three years, I will fight to the death to repay His Majesty's grace on this expedition."

"The world is at peace, except for Shu, which remains unsettled. I will personally petition for your merits and rewards. I hope you will all lead your troops to fight hard. In this final battle, our Eastern Route Army will live up to His Majesty's expectations and enter Shu to defeat the enemy!"

"Minister Sikong." Man Chong looked at Sima Yi, who was standing to the side, and said, "I would be grateful if you could take good care of all the logistical arrangements along the river in Wuhan."

Sima Yi nodded: "Please rest assured, Lord Man. With me in Wuhan, the logistics and supplies for the Eastern Route Army will certainly not be lost."

Man Chong nodded slightly, then looked at Huang Quan to his right: "Minister Huang has come by imperial decree. All matters of logistics in the army will be handled by Minister Huang. The war in Shu is no ordinary one. If anyone in the state or the army does not obey Minister Huang's orders, Minister Huang can come to me at any time to rectify the situation and ensure that no matter is overlooked."

Huang Quan clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Rest assured, Lord Man." Sima Yi and Huang Quan, like Man Chong, were both dukes. The reason they addressed him as Lord Man was partly out of respect for Man Chong's authority as commander-in-chief, and partly out of respect for Man Chong.

Man Chong's seniority should be ranked first in the current Wei Dynasty. In the third year of Chuping, Man Chong was recruited by Emperor Wu Cao Cao as an aide. He has served the Cao family for forty-eight years and is already seventy-six years old. He can be regarded as a person of high moral standing in the court.

Man Chong, at such an advanced age, served as a commander-in-chief, and his resilience and perseverance were evident to all. Since the campaign against Wu, Man Chong's health had gradually declined. Cao Rui had expressed concern about Man Chong's health, but when Man Chong returned to Luoyang last year, he explicitly guaranteed in front of the cabinet ministers that he could shoulder the heavy responsibility of leading troops and would not fail.

Since Man Chong had given such a guarantee, Cao Rui respected the choice of this meritorious veteran. Man Chong held the title of Acting General of the Imperial Guard, meaning that if anything were to happen to him, Lu Xun, the Prince of Chencang in the Eastern Route Army, could cover for him. In addition to Lu Xun, Cao Rui also sent Huang Quan, the Left Minister of Works, to the army with the title of Acting General of the Imperial Guard, thus providing double insurance.

After speaking to Sima Yi and Huang Quan, Man Chong looked around and then at Lu Xun:
"To conquer Xiling, the navy should be of paramount importance. The eastern route army should be led by Lu Wang's navy, and we hope that Lu Wang will defeat the enemy."

Lu Xun cupped his hands and said, "Of course, I will follow your instructions."

Man Chong then looked around and calmly said, "As per His Majesty's instructions, I will divide the Eastern Route Army into three phases for this battle."

"In the first phase, the infantry and cavalry forces gathered in the Xiaoting and Xiling area. The army led by the Prince of Lu and the navy took the lead in occupying the advantage in the river, and then the main force pressed forward to recapture Xiling."

"In the second phase, most of the navy will remain in Xiling, while 10,000 naval troops will accompany the main army up the Yangtze River to capture Zigui, Wuxian, Baidi, Yong'an and other places."

"In the third phase, most of the Eastern Route Army advanced to Jiangzhou and cooperated with the Northern Route Army to conquer various parts of Sichuan."

"The imperial court has issued a clear order that our Eastern Route Army shall go into battle after offering sacrifices to Heaven in Zhijiang on July 1st. After you all return tomorrow, General Huan will transfer the General of the Warships to Yidao and place it under the command of Prince Lu. General Huan himself will lead the infantry to Zhijiang."

“Prince Lu,” Man Chong looked at Lu Xun, his expression becoming even more solemn. His gray hair and bright eyes made him appear even more majestic: “Your unit will be the vanguard, and you will be in charge of the naval battle along the river. I have a half-month deadline. Your unit must clear the enemy forces on the river and open up the route from Yidao to Zigui before July 16th. Do not fail!”

"I will do my best!" Lu Xun replied.

"Don't exert yourself, you must attack with all your might and defeat the enemy on time!" Man Chong's words showed no mercy: "This is a military order. From Zhijiang to Chengdu, it's thousands of miles. Xiling is just the first enemy force. How can 40,000 naval troops not even be able to take Xiling?"

"Yes." Under the gaze of everyone, Lu Xun could not openly express his opposition to his commander, so he could only bow in agreement.

The next day, Sima Yi, Huan Fan, Lu Xun and others set off back to their respective posts to prepare for the military mobilization.

Zhijiang is only eighty li away from Yidao City as the crow flies, and Lu Xun and Le Chen arrived at the Yidao garrison that very night.

Although Yue Lin had been Lu Xun's subordinate for many years, he was a man of few words, and Lu Xun did not communicate with him much; most of their interactions were official business. Among the Yidao army, Lu Xun's closest confidant was Wang Jun.

In the ninth year of the Taihe era, Wang Jun was recommended by Lu Xun and served as a Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate for nearly a year by Cao Rui's side. In the winter of the tenth year of the Taihe era, he returned to Yidao and served as a Military Advisor.

Although he was appointed as a military advisor, if Lu Xun still held the title of General Who Conquers the East, Wang Jun should have served as his military advisor. His appointment was merely a convenient temporary measure for assigning duties, and Wang Jun remained responsible for commanding Lu Xun's flagship and overseeing Lu Xun's garrison duties.

Lu Xun showed no unusual behavior during his journey to Zhijiang and on the return trip. However, once he returned to his residence in Yidao City, a clear look of anger appeared on Lu Xun's face.

It was no easy feat to endure it all day.

Seeing Lu Xun's expression, Wang Jun quickly stepped forward and asked, "Why is Your Highness so displeased? Did something go wrong in Zhijiang?"

Lu Xun snorted coldly, and as he walked inside, he tossed his riding whip to Wang Jun, saying with a hint of anger:

"A mistake? Man Boning wants me to march from Yidao to Zigui within fifteen days!"

"This!" Wang Jun was taken aback and asked repeatedly, "Your Highness, is Lord Man joking? Lord Man is aware of the actions of the Shu army in recent years. Wei Yan has completely blocked the entrance to Xiling Gorge, erected iron pillars in the river, almost dividing the river in two with stone, and crossed the river with iron chains. The two banks are lined with multi-story buildings, how can it be passed? Not to mention that Jingmen and Huya Mountain are both fortified and garrisoned. How could they be taken in half a month?"

"Of course he knew!" Lu Xun took off his outer robe and threw it on the table, looking at Wang Jun: "The defenses were too tight, and the wind direction was wrong in June and July, making it difficult for the navy to attack. Man Boning knew all these things, but he still let me take it in half a month."

"This is nothing more than me paying with human lives!"

Wang Jun then realized why Lu Xun was displeased: "Your Highness, the pacification of Shu was inevitable, sooner or later. Your Highness has already lost your military post. If the navy suffers too many losses, even if you achieve merit now, in the future when there is no trouble in the court, excessive casualties may be detrimental to Your Highness in court. However, we have no choice but to obey the orders of the Duke..."

Lu Xun slowly sat down and calmly said, "He has his ideas, and I have mine. I'll just wait and see what the wind direction is on the river. If the wind isn't in my favor, I won't launch a major attack. He can take Xiling City himself first! I can say the same thing to His Majesty!" (End of Chapter)