Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 320 The Army Heads Towards Xiakou
Starting in April, locusts swarmed across the Kanto region.

Hebei is slightly better, while Henan is much worse.

In early May, when the locust plague first began, there were only specks of yellow clouds moving rustling from the fields and paths. By mid-May, it had become a major problem, and the locust swarms were so numerous that the phrase "blinding out the sun" was far from sufficient to describe their impact.

The sky was no longer azure, but covered by a layer of constantly rolling and surging yellowish-brown. Even at midday, the sunlight was filtered and dim, making it impossible to distinguish whether it was midday or dusk.

Whenever locusts land, they instantly cover the fields, houses, and roads like a thick blanket.

Sow a single grain of millet in spring, reap ten thousand grains in autumn. May is the crucial time for millet seedlings to fill out, but the green stalks and leaves are quickly devoured, leaving only bare, pitted stalks. One swarm of locusts flies away, and another swarm flies in, and soon even the bare stalks fall down.

Not only crops, but also any green leaves, weeds, and roots became their prey.

Last year's severe drought led to a complete crop failure, and every household's meager food reserves were nearly depleted. This year, they were hoping to plant in the spring and harvest in the autumn to at least survive the famine, but then they were hit by this devastating locust plague.

Yingchuan County has abundant water resources and crisscrossing ditches, so it should be better for people to live there. However, the fields are full of starving people who are emaciated and struggling to survive among fish and turtles.

Men jumped into the river to catch the increasingly scarce fish and shrimp, while the elderly, women, and children carried tattered baskets to search the muddy riverbank for anything that could fill their stomachs: snails, water plants, fish, shrimp, and even locusts.

The refugees fled from Yingchuan southeastward, along the Ru River, Ying River, and Sui River, spreading to the vicinity of the Huai River, and the officials dared not stop them.

Strangely enough, the swarms of locusts seemed unable to fly across the wide Huai River. They would often fall into the water halfway across and become food for fish and shrimp. As a result, the area south of the Huai River was fortunate enough to avoid a large-scale locust plague.

This led to even greater chaos.

More than 100,000 starving people who fled from the Central Plains clashed with the local people of the Huai River region, who were still barely able to survive, over a meager amount of food.

Some starving people, their eyes bloodshot with hunger, pounced on the still-growing seedlings in the fields along the Huai River like hungry wolves, stuffing them into their mouths, roots and all.

How could the local villagers allow their hope for survival to be taken away by a group of starving refugees? So hoes, sickles, sticks, and harpoons all became weapons.

For a time, along the banks of the Huai River, the sounds of fighting, crying, and cursing were incessant. The corpses of the common people floated down the Huai River and reached the residence of Jia Kui, the governor of Yuzhou, who was stationed at Hefei.

This governor of Cao Wei, known for his fortitude, strictness, and care for the people's strength, immediately traveled lightly and personally to the place where the conflict was most intense, and offered words of advice.

They said something like, "You came from the north to survive, and they are guarding the land to survive." Finally, they allowed the people who fled famine from the south to fish and gather in designated areas along the Huai River. They could also enter the mountains and forests to hunt wild animals, but they were subject to the government's restrictions and were not allowed to loot or destroy people's fields and houses.

Jia Kui was a first-class governor of Cao Wei. He was well-liked and highly respected in Yuzhou. When the people saw him intervene, he dealt with matters relatively fairly, using both kindness and severity, and the unrest gradually subsided.

Although the starving people were still struggling, they were not going to starve to death immediately. The local people, seeing that order had been restored and that the government had promised relief later, reluctantly accepted the reality.

On the other side, in Nanyang, where Cao Rui was located, the drought last year was not as severe as in the Central Plains, and the locust plague this year was also better. However, for Cao Rui, who had never experienced a locust plague, it was still shocking and reminded him of the great plague of Jian'an.

So he, along with Liu Fang, the Grand Secretary, Bixie, Dong Zhao, the Commandant of the Guards, Jiang Ji, the Commandant of the Central Army, Xin Pi, the Minister of Works, and others, traveled north from Xiangyang to Wan to inspect the locust situation in Nanyang and to appease the people of Nanyang.

Wancheng, as the prefectural capital, was in a slightly better situation.

Cao Rui ordered the granaries to be opened and grain distributed to relieve the disaster victims.

The disaster victims prostrated themselves on the ground, praising His Majesty's benevolence, which gave Cao Rui a sense of satisfaction.

However, these few thousand bushels of grain were nothing more than a drop in the ocean compared to the famine in Nanyang. They could only barely maintain order around Wancheng for a few days and could not cure the root cause of the problem.

That's not Cao Rui's fault.

With the locust plague already raging, what fundamental solution could there possibly be? We can only try to save as many lives as possible, and live one day at a time.

Porridge was distributed for three days.

Cao Rui's carriage returned south.

The scenery along the way was even more desolate than when he arrived.

Two days ago, there were still some signs of human habitation, but the further south you go, the more severe the locust plague becomes.

There was no green grass in the fields, no intact trees on the hills; even the bark of the trees had been stripped and eaten clean by the starving people.

Passing through a neatly arranged village, the doors and windows were wide open, and there was not a sound. As the carriage drove along the dirt road in the village, the wheels ran over scattered bones. The accompanying Tiger Warrior got out of the carriage to check, but they were not animal bones.

The eunuch Bixie carefully pulled down the curtain of the emperor's carriage, shutting out the tragic scene outside.

After traveling south for another day, the situation finally improved slightly, and at least they saw living people. As usual, Cao Rui got out of his carriage to inspect the disaster situation.

There were porridge stalls along the road, but they had long since run out of rice to cook. Occasionally, one could see the mansions of wealthy families that had been looted. When they came to a dilapidated ruin, they saw seven or eight women, children, and the elderly gathered around an earthenware pot. Cao Rui went over to take a look and wondered what was being cooked in the pot. Hu Ben grabbed him and asked him what it was, and he learned that the pot was filled with leather that had been found somewhere.

"How can leather be eaten?" Cao Rui was greatly puzzled, so he ordered someone to give him some rice.

As dusk approached, an indescribable stench of raw meat mingled with the aroma of cooked meat on the wind. Cao Rui ordered the carriage to stop and, following the scent, saw a corner of the village where some raggedly dressed people were gathered, with a simple meat stall in the center.

At first, he thought it was a livestock trade, but upon closer inspection, he felt a chill run down his spine. What was hanging on the stall were not pigs, dogs, cattle, or sheep at all!

The emperor of the Great Wei felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his stomach churned. Although he knew that the history of famine and cannibalism was well-documented, witnessing this meat stall with his own eyes was a shock that words could not describe.

He forced himself to call upon the Tiger Guards with indifference:
"Drive all of these away, burn and bury all of this flesh, and forbid the people from ever again committing such beastly acts!"

The accompanying elite guards, fierce as wolves and tigers, dispersed the crowd, plunging the market into chaos. Cries and shouts mingled together. Once the situation calmed down, the carriage headed south. The newly appointed Commandant of the Guards, Dong Zhaocai, slowly walked to the side of the carriage and whispered:
"Your Majesty is benevolent."

"However, I have witnessed more than one or two such evil deeds in my life."

"Your Majesty can stop them where you can see them, but you can't stop them where you can't see them. If you disperse them today, they will move to more secluded places tomorrow, and if they don't eat... they will starve to death."

"Whenever there is a severe drought or locust plague, there will inevitably be the tragedy of starving people resorting to cannibalism. This is the cycle of nature, a natural order that cannot be stopped by human power."

"In the past, when Emperor Wu fought a fierce battle with Lü Bu in Yanzhou, there was a great famine and the army was short of food. Cheng Gong also suffered... As a result, he lost his reputation and did not reach the rank of Duke."

"However, in extraordinary times, extraordinary things must be done. Although this may go against human ethics, it is a last resort."

"...Continue south." Cao Rui finally managed to squeeze out a sentence after a long silence.

The vehicle started moving again.

Another day, we arrived at a village called Xinxiang, south of Xinye. It was almost dusk, and perhaps because the area was close to the Yu River and had sufficient moisture, the fields still retained a lot of greenery.

After traveling a short distance, they came across people lighting bonfires in the fields and using dense nets to catch locusts.

Upon seeing this, Cao Rui suddenly recalled what he had seen and heard here in March. So he got out of his carriage and, with the help of a group of fierce guards, went to the campfire.

After walking for a while, he actually saw the old man who had explained "digging for locusts" and "catching locusts" to him in this place.

The old man squatted on the edge of the field, by the firelight, gnawing on a dark, mushy pancake that looked like it was made of locusts mixed with wild vegetables. His face showed no sign of contentment, but at least he didn't look as desperate as the starving people he had encountered at the market.

Following the emperor's gaze, Dong Zhao sighed and said, "Locusts are slightly poisonous; two or three out of ten who eat them will die. The starving people are ignorant and will eat anything they can find, so there is nothing we can do."

The old man had clearly heard Dong Zhao's words. He looked around, but obviously did not remember the several distinguished people he had met once before.

"My esteemed guests may not know this, but while flying locusts may be poisonous, the young locusts that have just hatched from the ground and have not yet grown wings are not poisonous!"
"This is an experience passed down from our ancestors! In April, our whole village caught locust larvae for a month, boiled them all, and dried them in the sun. When famine strikes, we take them out to eat, mix them with some wild vegetables and tree bark, and they'll keep us from starving!"

Most of the people by the roadside, including Cao Rui, looked doubtful, either thinking it was nonsense or the fallacy of starving people who would eat anything. No one else spoke up.

The emperor's carriage slowly headed south, leaving behind this land that still held a sliver of life.

It was three days later when they arrived in Xiangyang again.

The court officials gathered in one hall.

Cao Rui immediately ordered that he set an example by reducing his meals to a single meat dish and a single vegetable dish, accompanied by minced meat, which would constitute a meal.

The accompanying high-ranking officials, including Xin Pi, the Minister of Works; Jiang Ji, the Commandant of the Central Army; Dong Zhao, the Commandant of the Guards; Liu Ye, the Grand Master of the Palace; Cao Zuan, the Attendant Gentleman of the Palace; Pei Qian, the Governor of Jingzhou; Cao Shuang, the General of the Martial Guard; and Liu Fang, the Chancellor, were also served mostly soup and vegetables, without any oil or grease. After the meal...

The emperor and his ministers held a meeting in a side hall.

Dong Zhao broke the silence first, analyzing the current situation:
"Your Majesty, this year there has been a great locust plague, making it difficult to harvest crops. The country is facing food shortages everywhere, and the armies in Huainan and Xiangfan are spending tens of thousands of taels of gold every day, making the transportation of supplies extremely difficult."

"However, in my opinion, the pseudo-Han state of Western Shu is barren and sparsely populated. Even if it gains control of Guanzhong and Longyou, it will be a burden that cannot produce grain and will require blood transfusions. Its situation is probably even more dire than that of our Great Wei."

"Although their army has been fighting for years and is still sharp, it is actually at the end of its strength and can only fight quickly."

"On the other hand, Eastern Wu, which occupies the land of fish and rice in Jing and Yang, has not had any major wars in recent years, so its grain reserves must be abundant."

"Therefore, whether it is the pseudo-Han or our great Wei, if they want to destroy Sun Wu, they should fight quickly and not protractedly."

Although Liu Ye had resigned from his post as Grand Commandant, he participated in the discussion as Grand Master of the Palace, and at this moment he nodded in agreement:
“What Commandant Dong said is very true.”

"However, judging from the recent movements of the Shu people, although they have captured Zhongzhou in Jiangling and are besieging the city, it is common knowledge that Jiangling is a strong city."

"Furthermore, there is Lu Xun, who is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and is deeply loved by the people. He is in charge of the region."

"In addition, Zhu Ran commands a navy of 20,000 to 30,000 men, stationed at Youjiangkou, forming a pincer movement with Jiangling."

"If the Shu people attack Jiangling, Zhu Ran's navy will sail upstream and harass their rear, so the Shu people will not be able to attack the city with all their might."

"Their total strength is no more than 30,000, and their naval forces are obviously at a disadvantage. On this section of the Yangtze River, they are no match for the Wu navy."

“In the past, three famous generals, Zhang He, Cao Zhen, and Xiahou Shang, led 100,000 elite troops to besiege Jiangling for half a year, but they still returned empty-handed. Now, the Shu people have 30,000 exhausted troops. What can they possibly do?”
"I believe that it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven for the people of Shu to conquer Jiangling."

Upon hearing this, most of the ministers nodded in agreement.

The strategic importance of Jiangling and Lu Xun's abilities meant that it was not something that the Shu people, with only 30,000 to 40,000 troops, could easily conquer.

Jiang Ji, the commander of the Central Guard, replied:

"Your Majesty, whether the Shu people can capture Jiangling is secondary."

"The key is that they have firmly tied down the main force of the Wu army for our Great Wei."

"Our army's immediate priority is to launch a swift attack on Xiakou. Once Xiakou is captured and the Lushan (a dangerous mountain on the south bank of Xiakou that protects Xiakou) is seized, our forces can then advance directly towards Wuchang!"

"At that time, Jiangling will be isolated and cut off from the Three Wu regions, making the downfall of Sun Wu inevitable. Whether to march south to take Jiangling or advance east to threaten Wuchang, the choice is entirely in my hands!"

Dong Zhao shook his head, pouring cold water on Jiang Ji's hopes:
The importance of Xiakou is well known.

"However, how easy is it to capture Xiakou? Once our Great Wei army arrives at Xiakou, the Wu navy from Wuchang and Chibi can arrive in an instant."

"If the Shu people sit on the mountain and watch the tiger, and cannot restrain Zhu Ran at Jiangling, then the 20,000 to 30,000 naval forces at Youjiangkou can reach Xiakou in no more than three days."

"At that time, our Great Wei will likely face a combined attack from multiple sides by the Wu navy of 40,000 to 50,000 men."

"Therefore, whether or not we can capture Xiakou depends entirely on our Great Wei and on the people of Shu! If the people of Shu can hold Lu Xun and Zhu Ran firmly in Jiangling, then our Great Wei will have a great chance in Xiakou."

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui let out a cold snort:
"Judging from the Commandant of the Guards' words, does he mean that our Great Wei should condescend to send envoys to secretly communicate with those pseudo-Han Shu barbarians and arrange a joint attack?"

Dong Zhao's expression remained unchanged as he calmly stated:

"Your Majesty, both the Great Wei and the Western Shu are now targeting the Eastern Wu, and their interests are temporarily aligned."

“Sending envoys to establish communication, even if it is just a pretense, is not something that cannot be avoided.”

"If we can get the Shu people to launch a full-scale attack on Jiangling and contain Zhu Ran's navy, it will be of great benefit to our conquest of Xiakou."

"If our Great Wei launches a strong attack on Xiakou, it will also cut off Wu's reinforcements from Wuchang. It will be entirely beneficial and without any harm. Why wouldn't the people of Shu do it?"

Cao Rui paused for a moment.

He understands this principle.

However, he was truly unwilling to condescend to communicate with Shu.

Sikong Xinpi shook his head in opposition:

"Your Majesty, I disagree."

“Even if we send envoys to persuade them, are the people of Shu foolish? How could they be willing to be the vanguard of our Great Wei and do the thing of the snipe and the clam fighting while the fisherman benefits?”
"Judging from this, Shu ruler Liu Shan and generals Zhao Yun and Chen Dao are probably waiting for our Great Wei to launch a strong attack on Xiakou, forcing the Wu people to divide their forces, so that they can take the opportunity to launch a fierce attack on Jiangling. Why would they cooperate with us?"

Dong Zhaodao:
Whether to cooperate or not, we'll give it a try.

"Send a lowly envoy with a letter; success is welcome, but failure will not be a loss."

"This concerns the long-term interests of the nation; why get bogged down in such trivial details?"

The debate in the hall resumed, with each side sticking to their own version of events, and ultimately no conclusion could be reached.

Cao Rui was in a state of agitation and waved his hand to dismiss the assembled officials.

After everyone had left, Cao Rui sat alone in the hall, deep in thought, when the eunuch Bixie suddenly rushed in with a secret letter, whispering:
"Your Majesty, a secret message from Wuchang!"

Cao Rui's spirits lifted, and he took the secret letter sealed with special sealing wax and quickly opened it.

His gaze swept over the contents of the letter, and he was first taken aback, then his pupils contracted sharply, and even his breathing became rapid.

The letter was concise and to the point:

"Jiang Mi, the governor of Jingnan, was originally in charge of Wuling, but was instead in Baqiu. His being summoned back to Wuchang in a prison cart is no ordinary matter."

Upon closer investigation, the reason was discovered: over 100,000 jin of grain transported from Jingnan to Jiangling had been looted and burned by the Shu army near Dongting Lake, completely destroying the river.

"More than 100,000...all submerged in the great river..." Cao Rui muttered to himself, then suddenly stood up, took two quick steps in the hall, and shouted at Bixie:
"Immediately summon all my ministers to return to see me!"

A moment later, the high-ranking officials who had just left returned, their faces filled with doubt. Cao Rui said nothing more, simply throwing the secret letter onto the table and saying in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, please take a look!"

Liu Fang, the Grand Secretary, was the first to pick it up and quickly read it. His face was instantly filled with astonishment. Dong Zhao took it and also gasped.

A moment later, Jiang Ji, Liu Ye, Xin Pi and others gathered around. When they saw the contents of the letter, they all changed color, and a chorus of exclamations arose in the hall.

“Baqiu is more than 200 li from the heart of Wuling… How dare the people of Shu, the people of Shu, send their troops more than 200 li deep into the heart of Wu to rob grain?!” Jiang Ji asked in disbelief.

Grand Master of the Palace Liu Ye clapped his hands suddenly, his face beaming with joy, and exclaimed loudly:
"Your Majesty! This is truly a cause for great joy! This is a golden opportunity!"

"With the Shu people seizing this batch of grain, Jiangling's grain reserves will surely be stretched thin!"
"More importantly, with Jiang Mi captured, Jingnan will be without a ruler, and Sun Quan will inevitably have to urgently transfer Lü Dai, the governor of Jiaozhou who was originally stationed in Jingnan, to Wuling to quell the rebellion!"
"In order to secure the military supplies in Jiangling, Sun Quan will inevitably order them to forcibly requisition grain and fodder from Jingnan again! Jingnan is already unstable, and with this repeated pressure, chaos is bound to ensue!"

"The Shu people are so cunning and bold in their military tactics, how could they let such a good opportunity slip by?!"
"Their next step will undoubtedly be to stir up trouble in Jingnan. If Jingnan is unstable, then Jiaozhou will be unstable. If Jingnan and Jiaozhou are unstable, how can the Wu people protect themselves from both sides?!"

The Grand Master of the Palace became increasingly agitated as he spoke, and immediately rose from his seat to bow deeply to the Emperor:
"Your Majesty! Immediately order the Grand Marshal to prepare carriages, ships, and troops, and make full preparations. Once there is a change in Jingnan and Lü Dai is tied down, the Shu people will surely attack Jiangling, and Zhu Ran's navy will be hampered by the Shu people! Then the time will come for our Great Wei to achieve great merit and destroy Wu!"

What did Xiakou mean to the Great Wei?
The assembled emperor and his ministers knew all too well.

Xiakou was actually the lifeline of Eastern Wu. It was only 500 li away from Hefei and was the gateway to Jingzhou, the key to Eastern Wu's establishment of the country!

Once they captured Xiakou, Eastern Wu completely opened its arms to Wei.

If the Xiakou navy and the Hefei infantry and naval forces were to join forces, how would the Wu people possibly withstand them?! It could be said that the destruction of Sun Quan was only a matter of time!
(End of this chapter)