Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Over the course of several years, Yidao City, where 30,000 naval troops were stationed, became a top priority for the Great Wei's military campaigns.

Constrained by the court's austerity measures, the navy's size remained at 40,000 personnel, the same as it had a few years earlier. However, under the training of generals like Lu Xun, its elite status far surpassed that of the navy during the campaign against Wu in the ninth year of the Taihe era.

From a purely military perspective, a campaign against Shu wouldn't require 40,000 naval troops, a point Lu Xun had also raised in a memorial. However, Cao Rui still believed that placing the navy under Lu Xun's command for training would be more conducive to building up combat effectiveness.

Lu Xun did not participate in the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven held in Zhijiang City on July 1st. Instead, he led 20,000 naval troops as the vanguard northward along the river at the agreed time.

Besides the Bow and Arrow Division, which served as the main force, the troops under General Yue Lin of the Warships continued to serve as the vanguard. The troops of the newly appointed Warship General Cao Biao, the Prince of Baima, stationed in Jiangling, were also transferred to Yidao, where they temporarily remained as the rear wing together with the troops of General Xiahou Wei of the Fighting Ships.

Twenty thousand naval troops stretched for miles on the river, with more than a hundred ships, moving forward slowly like a city wall.

Forty li from there, one arrives at Xiaoting; sixty li later, one arrives at the two mountains facing each other across the river, Huya and Jingmen.

The navy's momentum was so great that the high fortified position on the riverbank of Tiger Tooth Mountain immediately noticed it and lit a signal fire to report to Wei Yan in Xiling City further north.

“These Wei traitors have finally come. The Prime Minister’s prediction was indeed correct.” Wei Yan stood on the city wall of Xiling City, looking at the beacon fires that were continuously transmitted from several miles away. He gritted his teeth and said, “Pass on my order. Use the beacon fires to transmit military orders. Have all two thousand garrison troops in the Tiger Fang and Jingmen Mountains retreat. Leave behind your baggage and armor and let the soldiers return with only their weapons.”

Zhao Xi, the General Who Conquers the East under Wei Yan, looked worried and frowned as he asked Wei Yan from his side, "General, Tiger Tooth and Jingmen Mountains and the surrounding fortified villages are the result of your years of hard work. How can you abandon them so easily? Why not wait a little longer and wait for the Wei army to advance, so that it can at least slow them down a bit?"

"What are you still hindering?" Wei Yan's expression grew even more serious as he coldly said, "If the Wei army were equal in strength to ours, or even twice as many, I would not abandon these fortified villages. But our army only has 20,000 men. His Majesty and the Prime Minister judge that the Wei army has come with the full force of the empire. Leaving them in these places would only deplete our forces!"

"Forget Tiger Tooth Mountain and Xiaoting, I can abandon Xiling City at any time!"

Zhao Xi sighed, "I understand these principles, but when the time comes, I have no choice. The Wei army is indeed heavily armed, and we can only defend our positions based on the terrain. Fortunately, the route from Xiling to Baidi City is full of dangerous places. If we can hold these three places well, we can resist 100,000 enemy troops."

Lu Xun's army marched steadily. Even though his navy had an overwhelming advantage, he only marched eighty li that day. In the evening, he anchored his ships at the riverbank and, in accordance with the naval tactics he had personally developed, sent out sentries and patrol boats upstream, downstream, and on the opposite bank to ensure that nothing went wrong.

That night, on the main ship, Lu Xun stood alone on the top deck, gazing at the dark river.

A steady footstep sounded behind him. Without turning around, Lu Xun knew that the person was Sima Wangjun, and only he could come without permission.

Wang Jun handed over a brocade robe: "Your Highness, the river wind is quite strong tonight, so you may catch a chill."

Lu Xun didn't turn his head or make a sound. Wang Jun, who knew Lu Xun's temperament well, helped him drape the brocade robe over his shoulders from behind. Only then did Lu Xun reach out and tighten it.

Wang Jun casually started a conversation: "General, are you thinking about tomorrow's military strategy?"

Lu Xun said, "No, I already have the strategy for Xiling in mind, so why would I need to think about it? I'm just thinking about what will happen after we defeat Shu. When that time comes, I won't have any official position anyway, so I'll just return to my fiefdom of Chencang to write books and become a county king."

“In March, I received a letter from Chancellor Zhuge Xu from Chencang. He said that the palace in Chencang had been built for me in Yongzhou, and His Majesty had also bestowed money, silk, and servants upon me, and ordered the princess to move from Luoyang to Chencang to live… After so many years as a general, it seems that the time for peace has finally come.”

Wang Jun pursed his lips, and after considering it several times, he couldn't help but persuade him: "Your Highness is in the prime of life and is trusted by His Majesty. How could you have the idea of ​​retiring?"

Lu Xun sighed deeply: "I am a general, never a civil official. His Majesty made it clear years ago that appointing me to command troops after being enfeoffed as a king was a temporary measure. How could I not understand this? Besides, do you really know what a peaceful world looks like?"

"I..." Wang Jun didn't know what to say for a moment.

Lu Xun said, "I was born during the reign of Emperor Ling, and you were born during the reign of Emperor Xian. We are twenty years apart, but neither of us was born in a peaceful era. Moreover, even if the world is at peace, the dangers in the court are more terrifying than war."

Wang Jun said, "I know all this, but His Majesty is wise and mighty. How can he allow the court to be stirred up with the same strife that occurred during the Later Han Dynasty? During the Later Han Dynasty, the relatives of the empress, eunuchs, and scholars fought each other constantly. The Great Wei has never had such a thing!"

Lu Xun chuckled a few times: "His Majesty's wisdom and martial prowess are a fact, but you must know that the current stability in the court is a compromise made by His Majesty in order to pacify the world. Once stability is achieved, it will be these ministers who need to be disciplined."

"I am no longer in my prime, while Your Majesty is not yet forty; this is the true prime of life. Shizhi, you students who graduated from the Imperial Academy will be the ones Your Majesty will truly rely on in the future..."

"I won't say any more." Lu Xun took a deep breath, took off his brocade robe and handed it to Wang Jun. As he descended the wooden ladder, he said slowly, "Go back to sleep. There is still battle to fight tomorrow."

Now Wang Jun was left staring blankly at the river. The next day, Lu Xun led his army to continue their advance and arrived at the shore of Gucheng Island before noon, only to find that the city walls, which should have been guarded, were completely deserted, like an empty city.

"Go, send someone to investigate." Lu Xun frowned and said repeatedly, "There might be something strange about the Shu soldiers!"

"Yes," Wang Jun replied, bowing, and sent someone to check.

Lu Xun watched from the ship as a warship approached Gucheng Island. He then disembarked and went ashore, entering the city walls without any hindrance. He then stood on the city wall and waved his flag towards the fleet in the river, indicating that there was no one in the city.

At this moment, Yue Lin also sent his trusted men over to ask whether they should disembark and attack. Lu Xun only ordered Yue Lin's troops to wait in place, and then continued to look towards the shore.

Wang Jun couldn't help but feel anxious: "Your Highness, there are no garrison troops left on Gucheng Island. Why don't you order your men to land and take the city? Perhaps Xiling City on the shore is also empty, and the Shu soldiers must have fled!"

Lu Xun remained calm and unhurried: "The Shu troops must have discovered our arrival and then withdrew to defend the gorge. Our army is large and they simply do not want to fight on flat ground."

"Pass on my order to inform the commander of the military situation here. Also, call back the people on the warship that landed earlier and forbid them from landing again."

Wang Jun asked in surprise, "This place is all empty, why don't you occupy it?"

Lu Xun glanced at Wang Jun and said, "Now that the Shu troops have retreated, this place is the heart of Wei territory. What use are one or two cities here?"

Wang Jun said, "This is a merit that was presented to us on the spot!"

"Am I lacking in merit?" Lu Xun said, "The assignments have already been made. Man Zhengnan will be in charge of the land affairs, and I will only be responsible for the naval battles on the river. Let Man Zhengnan bring his men to take it. Shizhi, you are different from others. After the war is over, I will recommend you to His Majesty to join the navy as a rank of 2,000 shi."

Since Lu Xun had said so, Wang Jun could only nod in agreement and then went to continue organizing military affairs.

The ship had already noticed a troop of cavalry stationed on the riverbank about two or three miles away, gazing in the direction of the fleet. Neither Yue Chen nor Lu Xun ordered them to be driven away. These were cavalry; if the navy hadn't landed and stationed themselves, they would have returned after leaving.

Wei Yan, the General Who Conquers the East of Shu Han, was among this cavalry scout.

Wei Yan ordered a troop withdrawal yesterday after seeing the beacon fires. He had already been gradually moving military supplies and provisions to the rear, so the action was extremely swift after he gave the order yesterday.

The rapid advance of the naval fleet was expected, but this pause did indeed puzzle Wei Yan.

Although Wei Yan had been a general for many years and was puzzled, he still maintained a confident demeanor. He told his subordinates that the Wei army was waiting in comfort, and after observing the situation for a while, he rode back with his men to the main camp behind the Xiling Gorge.

With 20,000 troops, they completely held all the key locations on the north side of the gorge, setting up camp along the mountains to block the land route and constructing numerous fortified walls to connect them. To the south, however, were towering mountain walls, preventing the main army from occupying those areas and eliminating any concerns about the presence of Wei troops.

Lu Xun had already discovered that Wei Yan's defenses at the gorge entrance were formidable, but that was a month ago. In the past month, the defenses at the Xiling Gorge entrance had been upgraded to an even higher level.

The river, more than two hundred paces wide, had been completely blocked off: a low stone hill had been artificially created in the center of the river, thus dividing the waterway in two. Several large ships were anchored in the river with heavy anchors, each with an arrow tower. The ships were connected by pontoon bridges and iron chains, and wooden stakes were placed in the river between the pontoon bridges and iron chains to prevent Wei ships from coming upstream.

This was the most effective defensive measure the Shu Han court could devise on the river.

As expected, Lu Xun waited on the river for another day, until July 3rd when Man Chong's vanguard finally arrived outside Xiling City.

This is the 3,000-strong central army cavalry personally led by General Jiang Wei of the Left Valiant Guard.

Xiling City was deserted. Everything that couldn't be taken away had been destroyed. The city's granaries and houses were all empty, showing signs of a hasty evacuation. To the west of Xiling City, outside Gucheng Island, the Great Wei navy was stationed, but the fortifications on Gucheng Island were deserted.

Jiang Wei dared not delay. After leaving a thousand cavalrymen to occupy the two cities, he ordered scouts to inform Man Chong's troops in the rear. Then he led his army to the river, wanting to personally find Lu Xun and ask him for clarification.

After Wang Jun reported this matter to Lu Xun, Lu Xun simply smiled and said, "Tell Jiang Boyue that I will not see him. These two cities are the result of our joint efforts!" (End of Chapter)