Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Chapter 652: Taking over as a substitute
Cao Rui's tour lasted nearly two months, from the beginning of March to today, the first day of May.

Logically speaking, when the emperor was not in Shouchun Palace, the ministers should feel more at ease. But on the contrary, there were a lot of worrying state affairs that made people feel uneasy.

On the official road outside the south gate of Shouchun, ministers lined up on both sides, waiting for the emperor to return.

The cabinet ministers and Chen Qun were at the front of the line. After they saluted and exchanged a few words, Cao Rui waved to a person standing behind Chen Qun.

Cao Zhen, Dong Zhao, Sima Yi, Chen Jiao, and Chen Qun were all surprised. They looked in the direction the emperor was waving and saw Jiang Ji about to step forward.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you." Jiang Ji bowed.

Cao Rui stood in front of everyone with his hands behind his back, looked directly at Jiang Ji and said with a smile: "Mr. Jiang, did you bring the things I asked you to prepare?"

"I have it with me." Jiang Ji replied, then took out a thin booklet from his sleeve, took two steps forward, bent down and handed it to the emperor with both hands.

Sima Yi glanced at Jiang Ji's movements and forced a smile: "I guess this is the plan for the formation of the navy that Zi Tong wants to present to Your Majesty?"

"Yes, Sikong is right." Jiang Ji said seriously, "It is indeed a strategy for the navy. I have been busy with this booklet for more than a month, and finally there are some results."

Cao Zhen also interrupted and said, "I have heard about this in Shouchun. After Le Chen was appointed as the general of the fleet, there were only two generals of miscellaneous titles in the navy. With a quota of 50,000 people, there are still too few generals to lead the troops."

"Yes, I will return to the palace later to discuss this." Cao Rui nodded slightly: "Let's go, all of you follow me back to the palace. Jiang Qing will come directly to my study later, I want to talk to you."

"I obey your order." Jiang Ji bowed again.

After saying that, Cao Rui flipped through a few more pages of the booklet given by Jiang Ji, then held it in his hand, mounted his horse, and ordered the people who had come to welcome him to return to the city.

The cabinet ministers and Chen Qun rode side by side in the back. Sima Yi talked in a low voice with Chen Jiao, and occasionally glanced at the emperor's horse in front of him.

Of course he knew that Jiang Ji had been ordered to come up with a naval strategy. When Jiang Ji was still with the emperor in Dongxing, he had already sent someone to report back, and Sima Yi knew about it at the first time.

But why is he so favored by His Majesty?

The horse under his crotch took small steps forward, shaking back and forth, and Sima Yi actually felt a little dazed. Previously, he thought that Chen Jiao and Jiang Ji, one in Qinzhou and the other in Yangzhou, could help him, but he did not expect that the world had changed, and these two people were catching up and seemed to be able to compete with him!

Isn't this asking for trouble? You're creating trouble for yourself!
As they thought about this, they entered the city and then the Shouchun Palace. As soon as they arrived outside the study, they dismounted and Dong Zhao bowed to the emperor and asked:

"Your Majesty, during your tour, there are still some political and military matters that you cannot decide. Why don't we go in and report to them?"

Cao Rui shook his head and said, "Mr. Dong and the ministers, please go back to the cabinet. I will talk to Mr. Jiang first, and I will call you over when I have time."

Dong Zhao was also a little surprised and could only nod his head in agreement. Everyone watched Jiang Ji follow the emperor into the room. Jiang Ji could only turn sideways and clasp his fists to everyone with a slightly apologetic look on his face.

In the study, Cao Rui leaned on the recliner, took out the book he had been holding in his hand, and read it carefully again. Then he looked up at Jiang Ji who was standing in the middle of the study:
"I really didn't expect this. I only asked you to prepare the strategy for the 50,000 naval forces, but you prepared the strategy for the entire 250,000 troops used to attack Wu! Now that you have done your best, Jiang Qing, how do you think I should reward you?"

Jiang Ji stood with his hands behind his back, bowing slightly: "I am only following your orders and fulfilling my duties."

Cao Rui nodded: "If everyone can fulfill their duties, the world will be perfect. Loyal people can fight for it. This is the original words in Zuo Zhuan. The simpler the truth, the more important it is."

"I have read everything you wrote in this booklet. The naval strategy is very detailed. It even lists the surplus wood used in ships and the number of corvée labor levied by each county on a monthly basis. The progress of the military supervision is also very detailed, which is quite good. You also wrote a framework for the logistics deployment of the remaining 200,000 troops. You can give it to the Secretariat and the Privy Council for use."

"However, I do want to ask you something." Cao Rui put down the book in his hand and looked at Jiang Ji: "Since I am in Shouchun, the Secretariat and the Privy Council are also in Shouchun, and the military supply dispatch must be done by the Secretariat. I am not worried about the battle, and I have a rough candidate in mind for the generals in various places. But when it comes to logistics dispatch, I just came back from Wancheng, and Huan Fan promised me that the military food in Wancheng can be self-sufficient by farming. The logistics of Yangzhou is also deployed by the central government, so the logistics of Jingzhou is the most important. Crossing the river and attacking the city are different from the previous repeated defenses of Jingzhou. They are more complicated and difficult."

"Your Majesty, do you mean that Jingzhou needs someone to take charge of logistics?" Jiang Ji asked.

Cao Rui nodded: "Not only do we need it, but we also need a capable person to lead it. If we attack Wu, it will be a major event that will involve the entire Wei nation. If the logistics are not well managed, we will eventually suffer on the battlefield."

Jiang Ji thought about it, and then said according to his guess: "Your Majesty, I think we should invite someone who is in charge of the Shangshutai to sit in Jingzhou."

Cao Rui was silent for a moment, then changed the subject and continued, "I have asked about the navy commanders before, and the ministers all gave different answers. Since Mr. Jiang has written this strategy letter, do you have any idea about the candidate?"

Jiang Ji said confidently: "According to the current situation, it is appropriate to use General Lu Boyan, the Western Guard General."

Cao Rui stared at Jiang Ji for a few more moments and said, "Okay, I understand. Jiang Qing, please go back."

"I obey your command." After bowing, Jiang Ji took small steps back and left the small courtyard where the study was located under the guidance of Zhuge Xu, the Minister of the Imperial Guard.

Jiang Ji left quickly. It was almost evening. Dong Zhao stood under the eaves outside the cabinet's duty room, looking up at the sky with his hands behind his back. After seeing Jiang Ji leave from afar, the attendant Pei Qian led Lu Ya, who had come here from the State of Wu some time ago, into the study from the porch.

Dong Zhao stroked his beard and thought for a moment, then turned around and walked back into the house, saying softly, "It's almost time to get off duty, so don't wait to be summoned today, just go home later."

Sima Yi raised his head and looked towards the door, and asked, "Why? Could it be that Jiang Zitong hasn't left yet?"

"He's gone. I saw it with my own eyes just now." Dong Zhao chuckled. "Jiang Zitong is gone, and the young man from the Wujun Lu family was taken in by Minister Pei. Your Majesty always asks about everything in detail when he summons me. If it takes at least half an hour, it may not be over." Sima Yi, Chen Jiao and others looked at each other.

In the study room on the other side, Lu Ya walked slowly into the room under the guidance of Pei Qian.

"I am Lu Ya, your humble servant, paying my respects to Your Majesty." Lu Ya followed Pei Qian carefully and bowed deeply.

"A member of the Lu family? Then you are related to me. Please stand up." Cao Rui stretched out his hand and gestured: "Mr. Pei, show General Lu Meng a seat."

Lu Ya was so terrified that she couldn't stop bowing.

Having been in Wei for some time, Lu Ya knew what the emperor meant by "related". His uncle Lu Boyan was the brother-in-law of the emperor of Wei, and he was also his father's generation. Not to mention, the emperor actually remembered his courtesy name! Of course, Lu Ya had told others about it, but he never thought that the emperor would remember it!

"I am humbled and grateful for the honor of sitting down, Your Majesty!" Lu Ya kowtowed to the ground several times.

"Get up. His Majesty has ordered you to stand up. Don't let His Majesty repeat it a second time." Pei Qian lowered his voice and instructed beside Lu Ya.

After hearing this, Lu Ya stood up.

Cao Rui looked at Lu Ya for a moment, but did not ask directly. Instead, he looked at Pei Qian and said with a smile: "Mr. Pei, there are so many young heroes in this world! When Yin Fan went to Wu in the fourth year of Taihe, he was the same age as this person, both were 20 years old, but they were able to go to other countries and do things different from other scholars of the same age."

Pei Qian smiled and cupped his hands: "I want to congratulate Your Majesty for finding such a person! When I was 20 years old, I was still living in Jingzhou as a refugee, and I had no chance to do these things."

“Hahaha.” Cao Rui laughed twice: “That’s right, it’s fate and timing.”

Lu Ya was so nervous that sweat broke out on her forehead. She waited for a long time before the emperor asked her first question.

"Lu Ya," Cao Rui looked at this person, "I already know everything you said before. You are 20 years old, and you found the pirates from Wujun, and came here from the sea. It is not easy. You should also understand what you should understand."

"I just want to ask you one thing." Cao Rui's eyes fell on Lu Ya, which made Lu Ya extremely nervous.

Upon hearing this, Lu Ya immediately stood up and saluted: "I hope Your Majesty will give me instructions. I will answer truthfully!"

"I have asked this question to Lu Boyan before, and I want to ask you today as well." Cao Rui said slowly, "The Jiangdong nobles have only been under the control of the Sun family for thirty years, and there is still a blood feud between you Lu family and the Sun family. Have you ever thought about what your status would be in the Great Wei after the Great Wei destroyed Sun Quan? Are you really going to go down the same path with the Sun family until the end?"

Lu Ya did not dare to be negligent, and immediately knelt on the ground, bowed his head and said loudly: "Your Majesty asked me, I dare not lie, I will tell you the truth. The destiny of the Wei Dynasty is clear, and the unification of the four seas is a foregone conclusion. If your Majesty's army cannot cross the river, the Jiangdong nobles will not be able to help the Wei Dynasty."

"I hope Your Majesty will understand!" Lu Ya immediately kowtowed.

Pei Qian stood aside and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, I can roughly guess what he means."

"Pei Qing, please speak." Cao Rui nodded slightly.

Pei Qian said: "The nobles are like this. I have seen too many of them during the Jian'an period. The nobles in Jiangdong are not much different from those in Jingzhou, Hebei, and Henan. If the royal army is delayed in arriving, they can endure under Sun Ni's rule. If the royal army crosses the river and is at the gates of the city, they can also do something."

"The nobles are not only students and former officials, but also all kinds of relatives from the same clan, hometown and in-laws, and they are intertwined." Pei Qian laughed: "Take Sun Quan's central army for example, there are many Jiangdong nobles in it. County officials, local grain officials, tax officials, and military commanders, how can they escape the relationship with Jiangdong nobles? But before the situation becomes clear, they are more submissive than anyone else."

Cao Rui also agreed with a little emotion, "Pei Qing has explained human nature thoroughly. Isn't this how things are in the world? The scholars of Jiangdong do not care about the destiny of the Wei Dynasty, nor do they care about the martial arts of the Wei Dynasty, and they don't care about legal principles. As long as the Wei Dynasty crosses the river, it will be easy to abandon the old master and welcome the new master."

"Lu Ya." Cao Rui shifted his gaze to Lu Ya again.

"I'm here." Lu Ya responded.

Cao Rui said, "I agree with what the general said to you before. Since you have come back from afar, I will grant you the title of Guannei Hou. If you can persuade the East Sea pirates to surrender to Wei, I will also have the title of Tinghou waiting for you."

"Are you willing?"

Lu Ya was also smart and changed her words very quickly, saying, "Your Majesty, I am willing to persuade the pirates to surrender!"

"But if we want to persuade them..." Lu Ya paused for a moment, raised her head slightly and looked at Cao Rui's desk in front of her: "I wonder what conditions I can offer these people?"

Cao Rui said calmly: "One general of miscellaneous rank and three lieutenants, pardon the sins of their ancestors, and grant them 50 mu of land near Shouchun."

"How is it?" Cao Rui glanced at Lu Ya and said, "My price is so high, can you do this deal for me?"

Lu Ya bowed deeply and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured! Those pirates are the remnants of the late Han Dynasty. All they can rely on is the foolish words of Huang Tian and others. They claim to be pirates, but they definitely want to return to the land. If they have the opportunity to be human beings, why would they become thieves?"

"If I fail to do this, I will be beheaded!"

(End of this chapter)