Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 102: The Luo River dries up, and a sage emerges

Luoyang.

Imperial City.

Ganoderma pool.

There has been no rain in Kanto since February.

After April, it becomes extremely hot.

The several streams that flow into the Lingzhi Pond originally had water levels half a person's height, but now the riverbeds are exposed in many places.

The water level dropped a little again today, and the fish were trapped in a newly formed pool of stagnant water.

Not far away, in a dried-up puddle, fish were drying up and flies were flying around, buzzing.

The Lingzhi Pond used to attract pelicans and other waterfowl, but now even ducks can't float. Half of the silt at the bottom of the pond is exposed, and the thicker silt has been cracked by the sun.

This is the scene inside the Luoyang Imperial City.

Outside the imperial city, it was said that the Chan River, Luo River, and Yi River were almost dry, showing signs of drying up.

Now is the critical period for the growth of rice seedlings, but there is a drought. The people in the fields are gloomy and the rice seedlings in the fields are withering and turning yellow.

The waterwheel by the river has long become a decoration.

The noble families and clan leaders outside the city organized the people to fetch water for irrigation day and night using buckets and other containers.

From time to time, clans would fight over water, causing huge chaos.

The Emperor of Wei avoided the palace, wore plain clothes, and skipped one meal to show his mourning and repentance, and to share the suffering with the people.

Of course, the short-sleeved plain dress that the emperor was wearing, which Yang Fu questioned as "how is this in accordance with etiquette?", was exactly the most fashionable style in Luoyang at the time.

The eunuch Bixie came from the emperor's body and reported:
"Your Majesty, the Grand Commandant (Hua Xin), the Guardian (Xin Pi), and the Grand Secretary (Liu Ye) have returned."

A wild duck flew into the Ganoderma lucidum pond. Cao Rui took out his bow and arrow and shot it, but missed.

The wild duck was frightened and flew away with a squawk, leaving behind a small splash of water.

Cao Rui frowned and walked towards Jianshi Hall without saying a word.

The Jianshi Hall was built by Emperor Taizu Cao Cao and is now the place where the Wei Dynasty holds political meetings.

It is said that when the temple was first built, the craftsmen cut down the pear tree in the Zhuolong Temple. Seeing that the roots of the pear tree were bleeding, they reported it to Emperor Wu.

After Emperor Wu went to check, he was worried and disgusted, thinking it was an ominous sign, and then he became seriously ill and died.

After returning to Jianshi Palace, Taiwei Hua Xin, Weiwei Xin Pi, and Taizhong Daifu Liu Ye all came to pay their respects in the palace.

"Your Majesty, the King of Sheqiu has been enthroned." Taiwei Hua Xin was the first to report on his work.

Their mission, of course, was to go to Cao Zhi, the former King of Yongqiu and now the King of Sheqiu, and investigate the people and things around him.

Chen Liushou, Yongqiu Ling, and Jianguo Yazhe, what has Cao Zhi been doing recently, who has he contacted, and with whom has he exchanged letters.

Couldn't find anything out.

It is very likely that Cao Zhi was indeed an innocent victim in the rumor that "the emperor has passed away and the ministers have supported Prince Yongqiu as emperor."

Therefore, the three angels did not read out the imperial edict to escort the traitor Cao Zhi back to Luoyang.

Instead, he issued another decree, changing the title of King Zhi of Yongqiu to Sheqiu, and the title was taken that same day.

In the original historical line, when Cao Pi's mother, Empress Dowager Bian, saw Cao Rui returning victorious, she was both sad and happy, and wanted to expose the first person who spread the rumor to Cao Rui.

Cao Rui acted quite magnanimously, saying, "Everyone in the world says so. What is there to report?"

That was because he had returned victorious and his authority was solid, so he did not need to prove his position through liquidation. That was why he chose to keep quiet and not pursue the originator of the rumor.

It's different now.

Liu Chan won.

He lost.

Public opinion was surging and a storm was brewing, and his authority was severely impacted and challenged.

Imperial family, ministers, noble families, powerful people, countless people were secretly ready to deny his governance, pry open his imperial power, and test his bottom line.

Infantry Captain Bian Lin, Yongshou Guard Commandant Bian Hu, Yongshou Junior Treasurer Mao Zong, Court Justice Cui Yan, Imperial Attendant Ding Lan, Pingchang Gate Guard Wei Fan,
More than one hundred famous scholars and students from Ru, Ying, Wan and Luo who participated in spreading rumors were all exterminated along with their three clans.

Anyone who has recommended the above officials and celebrities will be dismissed from office.

Bian Lin and Bian Hu were relatives of the Empress Dowager. Bian Lin was in charge of a 1,000-man imperial guard, while Bian Hu was in charge of the Empress Dowager's Yongshou Palace. They were also the originators of this rumor.

Thinking that the emperor would surely fail and Luoyang would be left empty, he wanted to instigate Empress Dowager Bian to announce an imperial decree to make their cousin Cao Zhi the emperor.

As a result, even though Cao Rui was defeated, as soon as he returned to Luoyang, Empress Dowager Bian immediately exposed the two of them to Cao Rui.

Empress Dowager Bian came from a family of entertainers. The two people from the same clan did not have much political acumen. They thought that they had military power and authority, and that as long as the empress dowager issued an imperial decree, they could decide the fate of the Wei Dynasty.

Although Cao Rui did not choose to take more drastic measures against Queen Dowager Bian and Sheqiu King Cao Zhi this time, it is not possible to know whether they would "die of grief".

At least, for more than a month, Cao Rui went to the Yongshou Palace of Empress Dowager Bian every day to pay homage to her and pay his respects. He visited her every morning and evening to show his filial piety and even personally served her medicine. The etiquette was more grand than before.

They were very happy and became like grandparents and grandchildren as before.

It took nearly an hour for Grand Commandant Hua Xin, Imperial Guard Xin Pi, and Grand Secretary Liu Ye to tell the emperor what they had seen and heard in Yongqiu, and then present the investigation files.

Cao Rui glanced at it, put the file down, and asked in a deep voice, "I wonder how the drought is in Chenliu? Is it the same as in Luoyang?"

Upon hearing this question, Hua Xin and the other two were all stunned, and their faces suddenly showed sorrow.

Xin Pi took the lead and said:
"Your Majesty, we have passed through Chenggao, Xingyang, Zhongmu, Chenliu, and Yongqiu.

"These are all signs of a severe drought. The crops are withered and lifeless. The water is either one or two feet deep or has completely dried up.

"I have also met people in Hebei and Shandong, and they all say that the drought there is similar. I am worried that the harvest this autumn may be poor."

When Cao Rui heard this, his expression became more complicated.

What Xin Pi said was actually what he had seen in the memorials that were sent to Luoyang from various places.

Throughout Guandong, including Jing, Xu, Yan, Yu, Qing, You, Bing and Ji, there has been no rain since February, and the temperature is getting hotter.

Along the river, many counties were suffering from severe plagues.

It was obviously the legacy of Adou's previous water attack strategy. The corpses in the river were not cleaned up, leading to the plague.

Cao Rui gnashed his teeth at this thought and threw the file to the ground in anger, "Why is it that this year is a severe drought? Why is it that Zhuge Liang and Liu Adou are going to fight this year?"

Now we are facing a triple blow of defeat, drought and plague.

This made Cao Rui exhausted and he could no longer control his emotions.

Hua Xin, Liu Ye and Xin Pi had rarely seen the emperor so angry since he ascended the throne, and they were all shocked for a moment.

However, they soon understood where the emperor's anger came from.

"Have you heard the nursery rhyme since you came back from outside?"

Cao Rui asked as he took the file from the eunuch Bixie and calmed himself down.

The three of them looked at each other, and although the emperor did not explicitly say which nursery rhyme it was, the three of them nodded.

"When the Luo River dries up, a sage emerges." Cao Rui raised the corner of his mouth contemptuously and smiled, "Tell me, who is this sage?"

Who is this saint?

Liu Chan had just won two battles and suffered two defeats, and then there was a severe drought in Guandong and the Luo River stopped flowing.

As long as one has a brain, it is impossible to believe that the "saint" sung in this ballad has any connection with the Wei Dynasty.

If there is any connection, it is that this "sage" defeated the Wei Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, all these children who spread evil words to confuse the people should be arrested to serve as a warning to others. Let's see who dares to cause chaos among the people." The servant Bixie seemed to have no idea what it meant that eunuchs were not allowed to interfere in politics. He made the suggestion in front of Hua Xin, Xin Pi and Liu Ye.

This caused Hua Xin, Xin Pi and Liu Ye to frown.

"Where did this nursery rhyme spread?" Cao Rui seemed not to notice and asked the three people, "Has it spread to Chenliu?"

Xin Pi shook his head and said, "I haven't heard of it in Chenliu, but there are indeed such rumors in Gong County, sixty miles away.

"I have asked the county magistrate to take in the children who spread the rumors."

These days, where isn't there a group of half-dead beggars of all ages who make a living by begging?

People with ulterior motives only need one meal to make these people spread rumors.

The reason why the rumor that "the emperor has died" was able to spread so widely was probably because these people kept singing it in the streets and alleys.

The shorter the rumor, the more relevant it is to the situation, and the catchier it is, the more popular it will be.

Today, these six words "When the Luo River dries up, a sage emerges" are simply the culmination of all that is said.

After listening to it twice, you will be brainwashed and find that it really makes sense.

Why?

The first one, of course, was that the Wei Dynasty suffered a defeat and Liu Chan won a victory over the Wei Dynasty.

The second is that the Luo River is almost drying up, but the water level of the big river north of Beimang Mountain has not dropped significantly!

This is obviously telling everyone that the drought that has affected the entire Guandong region has little impact on Guanzhong, which has already been occupied by Liu Chan!
In fact, in addition to the six-character prophecy "When the Luo River dries up, a sage will emerge",
Hua Xin, Xin Pi and Liu Ye traveled over 400 miles from Chenliu to Luoyang and heard another version of the story.

——Heaven hates Wei De.

But at this juncture, no one dared to speak about it in front of the Emperor of Wei.

After a long silence, Cao Rui sighed helplessly and said:
"There is one more thing. I have blocked the news, and you three probably don't know it yet. Now I need you to help me solve the problem."

The three of them looked stern.

They had only been away from Luoyang for twenty days, and they heard these rumors as soon as they returned. They were already a little worried. Could there be anything more worthy of His Majesty's "worry"?
Cao Rui sighed, "Right General Zhang He has also lost his army and his head."

"What?!" Hua Xin was immediately shocked, and his hair and beard stood on end.

Xin Pi and Liu Ye were all like this.

For a moment, the three mature and steady men, half buried in the ground, looked at each other in disbelief.

Liu Ye's lips trembled as he said in shock, "Zhang He was a good general, the country's support. Now that the Shu invaders have not been pacified, why did he die in defeat?"

Xin Pi, however, noticed something was amiss in the emperor's expression and asked, "Your Majesty, may I ask...how did the Right General die?"

Cao Rui then told them how Zhang He devised a brilliant plan, how he led his troops deep into the enemy's territory alone, and how he suffered a great defeat.

After hearing this, the three of them didn't know what to say for a moment.

The emperor did not make a final judgment on Zhang He, so it was not up to them to decide whether Zhang He was defeated because he fought to the death for the country or because he was stupid and confused.

Liu Ye, who had just said that Zhang He was a good general for the country, now hated himself even more for being so hasty. He had already been defeated and died, so how could he still be called a good general?

But obviously, both Cao Rui and these three important state officials were very hesitant about how to make the final judgment on Zhang He.

Emotionally speaking, the people present, including Cao Rui, were angry about Zhang He's defeat.

Not only did they lose Longyou, but they also lost tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, and they also moved Zhuge Liang's army from Longyou to Guanzhong.

This is simply playing with the fate of the Wei Kingdom.

But he really died for his country, and he was not a relative like Xiahou Yuan. You can call him "General Baidi" to appease the soldiers and tell them that it was not that the Shu bandits were too powerful, but that Xiahou Yuan was too weak.

There is no need to worry that the final verdict on this "white general" will discourage the soldiers.

Because all the Caos and Xiahou knew what was going on, and they were just sacrificing Xiahou Yuan's lifelong reputation in exchange for the overall interests of the country.

But now, Cao Zhen was defeated, and Zhang He was also defeated. The two famous generals of the country were all defeated by the Shu bandits in a short period of time.

How can we appease the hearts of the soldiers?

Blame it on Cao Zhen? Blame it on Zhang He?
Or should we tell the soldiers that they are both useless generals?
What then was the Wei court to do for these two “white generals” who had entrusted such important tasks?
What is the Emperor of Wei?
The discussion failed to produce any conclusion, so Cao Rui could only put the matter aside for the time being and said slowly:

"Three of you, what do you think? Can the General of the Cavalry defeat the Shu invaders? Can Chang'an still be defended? Is it still necessary to defend it?"

It wasn't that Cao Rui lost his fighting spirit after the defeat; he wanted to fight and defend Chang'an.

However, the defeat of Cao Zhen and Zhang He made the situation so difficult to control.

If Sima Yi loses another battle, it will be really hard to predict the sentiment of the people in the world.

Hua Xin, Liu Ye and Xin Pi also fell silent.

After a moment, Liu Ye said:
"Your Majesty, the land of Lianglong is like a piece of chicken ribs to our Great Wei. It is tasteless to eat, but a pity to discard it.

"The same was true of the Han Dynasty. During the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling, many people advised the two emperors to abandon Liang Province.

“Thus, although Longyou was captured by the Shu invaders, it is not a pity, but Chang’an must not be lost under any circumstances!
"If Liu Chan were to capture Chang'an, the same ferocity as when Guan Yu flooded Fancheng and shocked China would reappear!

"If that's the case, what can we do about the people's hearts?!"

Before Liu Chan captured Chang'an, prophecies such as "When the Luo River dries up, a sage will appear" had already appeared near Luoyang, and there were also discussions that "Heaven is disgusted with Wei De".

What would happen if he were to capture Chang'an and return to the old capital, showing the world that Liu Bang had "regained control of the Three Qins"?

Cao Rui narrowed his eyes and shook his head:

"How could I not know what the Grand Master of the Imperial Court said?

"But what if the General of Cavalry loses?
"Wouldn't that mean we'd lose Chang'an and the people's hearts and minds?"

There was something even more worrying for him but he couldn't tell anyone else: What if Sima Yi was also dead?
Then there would be no one in Guanxi who could stop the Shu invaders.

In this case, wouldn't he have to move the capital to Yecheng to avoid Adou's edge?
He avoided Adou's edge?

Liu Ye took a step forward:
"Your Majesty, you should not encourage the Shu invaders!
"If we defend, we may be able to turn the tide.

"If you don't defend it, you will undoubtedly be defeated. This is a matter of public opinion. Your Majesty, please consider this carefully."

Cao Rui paused slightly.

Liu Ye's current persistence seems to be no different from Zhang He's gamble.

If they win, the world will be turned upside down; if they lose... the morale and people's hearts will be damaged even more, and Shu will really be able to compete with Wei.

Although it is not a catastrophic disaster, it is still a serious injury.

Is he willing to just admit defeat, hand over Chang'an to the Shu invaders, and let Sima Yi preserve his strength to defend Tongguan?

Liu Ye continued in a firm voice:

"Your Majesty, the situation between us now is just like the fierce battle between Taizu and Yuan Shao at Guandu.

"The army is small and food is running out, the soldiers are exhausted, the people are worried about defeat, and the rear is unstable.

"Taizu, however, was full of ambition and gambled everything on the world. He personally led the special forces to attack Wuchao, braving the enemy's arrows, and ultimately won a great victory.

"He then took control of Hebei and established his foundation.

"Although the Shu invaders are now at Chang'an, their power will not last long. How about Yuan Shao?

"And the might of our Great Wei is infinitely more powerful than that of Taizu during the fierce battle of Guandu.

"The Mandate of Heaven rests with Wei. Your Majesty should not lose heart. The General of the Cavalry will surely turn defeat into victory!"

Cao Rui paused again.

After a long silence, he looked at Xin Pi and asked, "What do you think, Weiwei?"

(End of this chapter)