Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 331 The Delicate Relationship Between Imperial Power and Ministerial Power
Inside the Yuntai Pavilion, the bronze crane incense burner emitted wisps of blue smoke, carrying a faint sandalwood fragrance, yet it could not mask the somber atmosphere permeating the pavilion.

"Yuzhou comprises six commanderies and kingdoms." Lu Zhi stood facing east, before the huge map that was hanging there. Holding a wooden spear, he drew a circle around Yuzhou and pointed to each commandery and kingdom in turn, saying, "Except for Chen, there are Yingchuan Commandery, Runan Commandery, Liang Kingdom, Pei Kingdom, and Lu Kingdom. Each of these five kingdoms has 3000 soldiers. Pei Kingdom, Yingchuan Commandery, and Runan Commandery, which are adjacent to Chen Kingdom, each lead 1,000 soldiers to accompany the army. The remaining Liang Kingdom and Lu Kingdom each lead 2000 soldiers to accompany the army, making a total of 5000 soldiers."

After speaking, Lu Zhi paused for a moment, then Mu Shu turned towards Yanzhou, flicked his sleeves, and pointed to the various commanderies and kingdoms of Yanzhou, saying, "Yanzhou has eight commanderies and kingdoms. Chenliu Commandery and Jiyin Commandery, which are adjacent to Chen State, will each lead 1000 men to accompany the army. Dong Commandery, Dongping Kingdom, Rencheng Kingdom, Taishan Commandery, Jibei Kingdom, and Shanyang Commandery will each lead 2000 men to accompany the army. Yanzhou can then send 14000 troops."

As the Imperial Tutor, he naturally consulted with Lu Zhi in advance about the military campaign. He had already discussed and deliberated on many details with the ministers of the Grand Tutor's office in private. His words naturally revealed his authority over the overall situation, subtly guiding the direction of this military meeting.

"The Ministry of Agriculture first transported vegetables, meat and other non-staple foods to Weishi City, where transshipment was convenient. The Yellow Gate Attendant Feng Yuantu (Feng Ji) was in charge of documents, and the Yellow Gate Attendant Zhu Junli (Zhu Zhi) was in charge of scheduling."

Feng Ji and Zhu Zhi looked at the emperor on the throne. Seeing the emperor nod slightly, they rose from their seats and replied, "Yes!"

Lu Zhi didn't mind Feng Ji and Zhu Zhi's little tricks; on the contrary, he was quite satisfied with their attitude. Only those who were absolutely loyal to the emperor could be called cabinet ministers.

Then Lu Zhi looked at Zheng Xuan and said, "Kang Cheng, list all the heinous crimes of the traitor Liu Chong in the Great Han Gazette, and invite famous scholars from all over the country to write proclamations to condemn him!"

In a feudal era, the war of public opinion was always a silent battle that preceded warfare, and it was extremely important for the morale of both sides.

Zheng Xuan looked at his friend, who exuded confidence and the air of a leader among officials, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. Then, with a solemn expression, he cupped his hands and said in a firm voice, "I will obey the Grand Tutor's orders!"

He had never seen Lu Zhi like this before, calmly directing his ministers, allocating troops, and arranging plans. For the first time, his words revealed the majesty and demeanor unique to the head of all officials.

As Liu Yan sat on his seat, he glanced at Lu Zhi out of the corner of his eye, then quietly moved his gaze to the emperor who was sitting on the throne reviewing the first batch of memorials. He was suddenly startled.

Having been embroiled in a power struggle with Liu Tao for a long time, he suddenly realized that with the emperor's tacit approval, Lu Zhi had somehow managed to seize control of the court.
In the past, the Grand Tutor was respected as an official with a salary of 10,000 shi (a unit of grain measurement) on par with the Three Dukes, so Lu Zhi never showed any intention of seizing power.

Lu Zhi consulted with the prefects and governors on most political matters, never revealing his intentions. He often mediated between the prefects and governors, and because of this, his opinion often became the decisive vote.

Habits are formed gradually and subtly.

He unwittingly became the arbiter of the final outcome, and his prestige grew day by day.

Whether it was the Ministry of Personnel, the Nine Ministers' Office, or the Three Departments, they gradually became accustomed to adopting or even following Lu Zhi's decisions.

As Liu Yan recalled this moment, a cold sweat broke out on his back.

In Lu Zhi's eyes, his struggle with Liu Tao was probably nothing more than child's play.

Lu Zhi himself had already secretly seized power.

No wonder he showed absolutely no interest in the position of commander-in-chief of the army!

Liu Yan even suspected that the emperor's insistence on personally leading the expedition was also because he intended for Lu Zhi to take charge of the government while he was away from the capital, so that the title of "head of all officials" would be fully realized.

Liu Yan's gaze fell once more on the young emperor behind the imperial desk. At this moment, Liu Bian was holding a vermilion brush, sketching something on a memorial with a focused expression, seemingly completely trusting the imperial tutor's plans.

A sense of indescribable sorrow and confusion welled up in his heart.

He simply couldn't understand why imperial power and the power of the prime minister had always been in a state of ebb and flow.

But why would a highly centralized and powerful emperor tolerate or even condone a prime minister expanding his power?
Is it simply because Lu Zhi was once the Crown Prince's tutor and the emperor's advisor?

Regardless of how many emperors Lu Zhi actually taught, in the nearly four hundred years since the Han Dynasty, how many tutors have died at the hands of emperors?

Emperor Xiaojing and Chao Cuo, Emperor Xiaowu and Dou Ying... how many others were once tutors to the crown prince or lecturers to the emperor, but were ultimately slaughtered or exiled?

Liu Yan was filled with regret and resentment. His fingertips clenched tightly inside his sleeve until they turned white, but he was helpless.

The Grand Tutor was the head of all officials. In the current situation, what else could he do but accept it reluctantly?
Liu Yan sighed almost inaudibly, but finally couldn't help but try to find a flaw to slightly dampen Lu Zhi's momentum. He cleared his throat and said, "Liu Jiao, the governor of Yanzhou, is good at civil administration, but he has no talent for commanding troops. We should choose another good general to lead the troops of Yanzhou."

As the Minister of Works, he was responsible for participating in the year-end assessment. It was somewhat difficult for him to keep in mind the merits and demerits of the prefects and chancellors of each prefecture, but he was quite clear about the talents and shortcomings of the governors of various regions.

Wang Yun, the governor of Yuzhou, had also made military achievements during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Although he relied heavily on Lü Bu's bravery, he had at least experienced battles and understood the basic methods of military administration, which was enough to control the troops of various commanderies and kingdoms.

Liu Jiao, the governor of Yanzhou, was skilled in governing the land and its people. He succeeded Yuan Pang as governor of Yanzhou because the war had ended and a capable minister was needed to restore the livelihood of the people in Yanzhou.

As for leading troops, that is not his forte.

On the throne, Liu Bian paused slightly in his writing, but he did not look up, as if he were just saying casually, "Jia Wenhe can hold the imperial insignia and lead the troops."

In an instant, everyone in the hall turned their gaze to Jia Xu, who was standing to the side.

Jia Xu, who was suddenly called out, remained calm and showed no intention of refusing. He simply stepped forward, bowed, and replied, "Fourteen thousand men. With orders obeyed, there will be no problem."

On the other side, Huangfu Song and Jia Xu exchanged a glance and nodded, saying, "That's enough. My family's Right Sima Jia Xin from the General of the Rear's Office can lend Wenhe a hand." (Note 1)

During the numerous military strategic discussions at the end of the Guanghe era, Jia Xu made many suggestions and plans, and Huangfu Song had his own assessment of his vision and strategy. He didn't need Jia Xu, Wang Yun, and others to be truly capable generals; as long as military orders were clear and soldiers obeyed, they were sufficient to be of great use.

Moreover, Jia Xu was also from Liangzhou.

Before long, several scribes had compiled and copied the strategy that had just been agreed upon, and presented several copies to the emperor and his ministers for review.

A complete strategy for military operations was thus formulated.

First, there's the issue of troop strength.

The 10,000-strong Left Guard Battalion accompanying the emperor should not be moved lightly, meaning they should not be considered as usable troops.

The central army actually had 34000 combat-ready soldiers. They also recruited 47000 good men from the Sanhe region, plus 19000 soldiers from the prefectures of Yan and Yu, bringing the total to 100,000!

In Han warfare, it was common practice for 3 to 5 civilian laborers to provide logistical support for each soldier. However, this campaign was being waged in the Central Plains of Yuzhou, which was adjacent to the capital region.

Even by land, it would take no more than a month to transport supplies from Luoyang to Chenxian. With the addition of canals and waterways, the supplies could be delivered to the front lines in about twenty days by both land and water.

Moreover, provisions and supplies can be replenished locally, and the granaries of Yan and Yu provinces can be replenished from the capital region afterwards.

Therefore, it was finally agreed that 200,000 laborers would be conscripted.

As for the army's marching route, the troops from the two prefectures of Yan and Yu first gathered in the west and south of the neighboring state of Chen, and held their positions and awaited orders.

The central army and the Liangjiazi of Sanhe assembled in Luoyang, using the easily accessible city of Weishi as their logistical hub. The army marched 40 li per day, aiming to reach the territory of Chen on the 22nd!

On the first day, the army left Luoyang and traveled 40 li southeast along the official road, camping overnight on the plains west of Yanshi.

On the second day, they traveled 35 li to Yanshi, then passed through Gongxian and Chenggao, before turning southeast and arriving directly at Guancheng, a transportation hub in Henan.

At this point, the army split into two routes, one to the north and one to the west.

The main force, consisting of the Left Guard Battalion, Right Guard Battalion, Guerrilla Battalion, and Central Guard Battalion, totaled 32000 men, along with 27000 men from the Sanhe region, for a total of 59000 men. They marched along the official road to Kaifeng and then entered Chenliu County.

The emperor and General Dian Wei of the Left Guard led 10,000 men of the Left Guard to temporarily reside in Chenliu to inspect the local area.

Huangfu Song, on the other hand, commanded the Right Guard Battalion, under the command of General Sun Jian, General Huang Zhong, and the remaining 49000 men, and marched south through Chenliu County, heading straight for the northern cities of Fule and Yangxia of the Chen Kingdom!
Gao Shun was temporarily appointed as the main general of the western route, commanding 6000 men of the Central Army, and under the command of General Lü Bu and his 6000 elite cavalrymen, as well as 20000 good men from the Sanhe region, totaling 32000 men.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian couldn't help but smile slightly.

This is one of his quirky tastes.

Previously, Lu Zhi had intended for Gao Shun and Sun Jian to be on the same side, but Liu Bian deliberately arranged for Lü Bu to be on the same side as Gao Shun and placed him under Gao Shun's control.

Lu Bu's elite cavalry were shock cavalry, while Sun Jian's guerrilla cavalry were raiding light cavalry. There was no real difference between them; the former was for breaking through enemy lines while the latter was for harassment.

The fact that Gao Shun had become Lü Bu's direct superior, even if only temporarily, still amused Liu Bian.

As for whether Gao Shun can keep Lü Bu in check?

Regardless of the fact that Lü Bu in this life has seen all the heroes of the world and is no longer so arrogant, Gao Shun, who has fully demonstrated his military talent, has already defeated Lü Bu in battle after battle.

The western army's marching route was from Guancheng south to Xinzheng, then along the official road into Yingchuan County, reaching Yingyin, and then through Xu County into the State of Chen, where they attacked Zheqiu City, a major western town of Chen!

Besides the convenience of logistical support, the greatest advantage of waging war in the heart of the Central Plains is the flat and open terrain and the well-connected official roads.

If the weather cooperates, the entire northern route is about 600 li (approximately 300 kilometers). At a rate of 40 li (approximately 20 kilometers) per day, with a rest day every six days, it will take about 17 days.

The western route is a bit longer, about 680 li in total. It is also calculated at 40 li per day, with one rest day every six days, and takes a total of 19 days.

However, the guerrilla battalion on the northern route and the elite cavalry battalion on the western route would both advance ahead, like a sharp blade drawn silently, quietly wedging itself into the territory of the Chen Kingdom before the main army arrived.

Of course, no one expected the cavalry to attack cities and capture strongholds, but on this vast Huanghuai Plain, the iron cavalry could gallop almost unimpeded. Even just raising dust and showing off under the walls of various cities was enough to make the defending soldiers tremble with fear and shake their morale.

If you're lucky enough, you might run into a few fearless idiots who dare to go out of the city for a battle...

Then consider it an appetizer before the main course!
(3208 words)
Note 1: Jia Xin was a general under Cao Cao, and was often entrusted with the responsibilities of strategic defense and suppressing rebellions.

From *Records of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 1, Book of Wei, Annals of Emperor Wu*: In the third month of spring in the eighth year, he attacked the city walls, then went out to fight, defeated them decisively, and Tan and Shang fled in the night. In the fourth month of summer, he advanced his army to Ye. In the fifth month, he returned to Xu, leaving Jia Xin to garrison Liyang.

Pei Songzhi's commentary on the "Records of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 14, Book of Wei, Chapter 14: Biographies of Cheng, Guo, Dong, Liu, Jiang, and Liu" quotes the "Book of Wei": When Emperor Taizu (Cao Cao) campaigned against Ma Chao, Emperor Wen (Cao Cao) left him to guard the city and appointed Yu (Liu Yu) as his military advisor. When Tian Yin, Su Bo, and others rebelled in Hejian, General Jia Xin was dispatched to suppress them.

(End of this chapter)