Late Han Zhao Tang

"Good news!"

The rain pattered down, and the Privy Councilor hurried along, weaving through corridors and pavilions. Officials along the way cast curious glances at him as he rushed about, or whispered among themselves to their friends, speculating about the progress of the war in the southeast.

"Sima Zhongda!"

A busybody called out the name of the Privy Councilor from behind. Upon hearing the voice, the Privy Councilor turned his head without moving his body, as if a wolf were looking at the person who had just appeared.

"What good news is it?" asked the busybody.

Sima Yi replied, "Report of victory from the southeast: The General Who Conquers the South has inflicted a great defeat on Cao Cao's army at Chaisang, capturing over 20,000 enemy soldiers and beheading Cao Hong and Zhou Yu. Their heads have now been sent to Chang'an."

With that, Sima Yi bowed slightly and, citing military duties, hurried toward the central hall.

Upon learning of the great victory at Chaisang, the sycophants were overjoyed and returned home to share the good news with their colleagues.

"Lord Xun, news of victory from the southeast has arrived."

Xun You looked up at Sima Yi, whose hat was soaked by the rain, and asked, "I wonder whether it was General Wen Yuan who defeated Zhou Yu, or General Gongming who defeated Cao Cao?"

"General Wen Yuan has decisively defeated Cao Cao's army, beheading Generals Zhou Yu and Cao Hong. Their heads have now been sent to Chang'an!" Sima Yi reported in the military report.

Xun You opened the seal and browsed through it. When he saw the contents of the victory report, a smile appeared on his face. He said, "His Majesty has been waiting for this news for a long time. I will report the news to His Majesty immediately!"

As he spoke, Xun You glanced at Sima Yi a few times, pondered for a moment, and said, "Zhongda, come with me to meet His Majesty!"

"As ordered!"

Sima Yi suppressed his joy and said.

As Sima Lang's younger brother, Sima Yi enjoyed far more political resources than others. When Sima Fang turned twenty, he celebrated his birthday. Yang Jun, Zhao Zi, Cui Yan, and other scholars from Henan and Hebei gathered at Sima Lang's residence to congratulate him. At that time, Sima Yi had not yet entered officialdom, but through Sima Lang's introduction, he became acquainted with a high-ranking official of the Tang Dynasty.

In the following years, although Sima Yi did not enter officialdom, his reputation gradually rose due to the support of the Sima clan. For example, Cui Yan admired Sima Yi and gave him a very high evaluation, saying that Sima Yi was decisive, intelligent, and outstanding, far superior to Sima Lang.

When Zhang Yu established Chang'an as his capital, Sima Yi was renowned throughout the region, his talent and strategy considered among the best. It wasn't until Zhuge Liang moved north to Chang'an that he surpassed Sima Yi with his personal literary and military prowess.

Although Sima Yi was renowned and his talents were admired by many officials, his career advancement could not compare to that of the seemingly invincible Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang was favored by the emperor, becoming a Gentleman Attendant in one year, a Palace Attendant in the second, the Commissioner of the Grand Canal in the third, and the Governor of Jingzhou in the fifth.

In contrast, Sima Yi's official career began two years later than Zhuge Liang's, and he entered officialdom through the imperial examination. It took him three years to rise from a minor official to a senior official in the Privy Council, a position Sima Yi greatly envied.

Now that he has the opportunity to meet His Majesty, Sima Yi must seize it. After all, promotions in the central government are too slow; only by achieving merit in the local areas can he have the chance to return to the central government and become the head of various departments.

Sima Yi followed closely behind Xun You. After being informed by a servant, the two were able to meet Zhang Yu.

Now, Zhang Yu is leisurely reclining on a wooden couch, holding a book in his hand and reading it.

"Your Majesty, the news of victory in the southeast has been sent to the Privy Council."

Zhang Yu, unaware of Sima Yi, beckoned Xun You to sit on the couch and said with a smile, "No rush, new tea has just arrived from Shu. Let me taste it first."

"promise!"

The maid poured tea into a teacup and handed it to Xun You to taste.

During the Han Dynasty, tea leaves were typically boiled, but Zhang Yu was not accustomed to drinking them. So he had the palace servants stir-fry the tea leaves before brewing them. As Zhang Yu continued to enjoy this practice, the custom of stir-frying tea gradually became popular among officials and scholars.

"Initially astringent, then sweet, a top-quality tea!" Xun You said, taking a small sip of the tea and savoring its flavor.

"If you like it, that's good!"

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Pack up a bag for Xun Qing, and remember to take it with you later!"

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!"

"I heard that you are studying at the Imperial Academy. I wonder how you are doing lately?" Zhang Yu asked.

Xun You said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My son's studies are sluggish, but he has managed to get into the First Rank at the Imperial Academy."

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "The Imperial Academy gathers the best talents in the world. Your son's achievement in passing the exam shows that he is already quite remarkable. I will continue to learn from you and guide him. Even if he is not as good as you, he will not tarnish the reputation of his father."

“I will properly instruct my son,” Xun You said.

"Hmm!" Ever since the local areas began sending tribute to the palace, Zhang Yu had often rewarded his subordinates with some of the delicious food he had tasted. The amount wasn't large, but it was a way of expressing his closeness. Using small gifts to win over his subordinates and showing concern for their well-being was one of Zhang Yu's methods of gaining their favor.

Because Zhang Yu frequently rewarded his subordinates, the officials would occasionally engage in secret competition. For example, the tributes bestowed by Zhang Yu at gatherings became a source of pride for the officials, a symbol of their high regard for Zhang Yu and the deep relationship between the ruler and his subjects.

Sima Yi stood below, seeing Xun You being treated with great courtesy by Zhang Yu, and felt quite envious, secretly hoping that one day he could become a person like Xun You.

"You may drink it!"

The maidservant, not forgetting Sima Yi, offered him a teacup with Zhang Yu's tacit approval. Sima Yi secretly noted down the conversation between the emperor and his minister, preparing to send his clansmen to Shu to find tea so he could sample it daily, laying a good foundation for a future opportunity to meet the emperor.

Zhang Yu was unaware of Sima Yi's ambition and seized an opportunity to ask, "What is the military situation in the southeast?"

"Your Majesty, General Wen Yuan has beheaded Generals Zhou Yu and Cao Hong, and killed or captured more than 20,000 people. He is currently resting in Pengze due to insufficient supplies, and has also dispatched troops to persuade the three commanderies of Poyang, Yuzhang, and Luling to surrender."

Xun You composed himself and said, "The 30,000 Cao Cao troops in Chaisang have been wiped out. Only Cao Cao's elite troops remain, and they are surrounded from the east and west. Cao Cao is not far from defeat. General Wen Yuan wants to quell the war as soon as possible, so he sent an envoy to persuade Cao Cao to surrender. We do not know the situation yet and need to observe the subsequent military developments."

"Wen Yuan's actions are measured and he is not in a hurry to make achievements, which is commendable!" Zhang Yu commented.

Xun You said, "If Cao Cao surrenders, Jiangdong will be unified; but if Cao Cao does not surrender, he will fight like a cornered beast. We must tell the generals who are on the southern expedition to pay attention."

Zhang Yu nodded, then suddenly asked, "Is there any news from Jiaoling?"

"Not yet!"

Xun You shook his head and said, "Our army has just entered Jingzhou. Jiaoling is geographically isolated and far from Chang'an. If we want to wait for news from Jiaoling, it will probably be half a year later."

"it is good!"

Zhang Yu said, "If Jiangdong falls, Jiaoling must be recovered in one fell swoop. We cannot allow the Shi clan to govern the prefectures and counties autonomously."

"As ordered!"

While the emperor and his ministers were conversing, a eunuch suddenly entered the hall. Seeing the emperor and his ministers talking, he whispered something to Sima Yi and left behind a newly arrived letter.

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi's expression slightly changed. He took a moment to present a memorial, saying, "Your Majesty, the Privy Councilor, a new army has arrived from the southeast, concerning the matter of persuading Cao Cao to surrender."

Zhang Yu glanced at Sima Yi, reached out and opened the memorial. He saw Zhang Liao's angry words in the memorial: Cao Cao was stubborn and unyielding, not only refusing to surrender but also killing the messenger who tried to persuade him to surrender. Now he was retreating to Jinling City, intending to rely on its strategic location to defend against the enemy.

Zhang Yu handed the memorial to Xun You, shook his head and sneered, "Cao Cao is stubbornly resisting. We should kill the messenger first, then retreat to Jinling. If we break through Jinling, we should exterminate Cao Cao's entire clan as a deterrent."

As an emperor who rose to power on horseback, Zhang Yu was not only benevolent but also ruthless. Previously, when the Tang army violated military discipline by looting Huaiyin, Qu Yi submitted a memorial to plead guilty. Zhang Yu not only did not punish him but also ordered a pardon and appeased Qu Yi.

As for why a pardon was granted?

The reasoning is simple: Cheng Yu, that old scoundrel, was inhuman and had inflicted heavy casualties on the Tang army since he began defending the city. It's impossible that the Tang army, after breaching the city, was without temper; now, with the ensuing riots and the looting of Huaiyin, Zhang Yu chose to acquiesce and even issued a special edict granting amnesty to the Tang army for their looting of Huaiyin.

Xun You read through the memorial and pondered deeply before saying, “Your Majesty, in my opinion, the reason why Cao Cao is so stubbornly resisting is nothing more than his desire to use the natural defenses of Jinling’s mountains and rivers, as well as the summer rains and floods, to wear us down. Our army consists mostly of northerners, with a force of over 200,000. Therefore, if we besiege Jinling for a long time, we may encounter difficulties due to the unfamiliar climate and water.”

"What does Gongda mean?" Zhang Yu asked.

Xun You pondered for a moment and said, "Cao Cao is defending Jinling, and he must have stockpiled a lot of grain there. It will not be easy for our army to break through, and it may take several months. An army of 200,000 consumes no less than 400,000 shi of grain per month, and 120 shi for three months. Therefore, in my opinion, since Cao Cao intends to defend Jinling, we should reduce the number of northern troops and leave 100,000 troops to besiege Jinling."

"Ok!"

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Gongda's plan makes sense. If Cao Cao is trapped in Jinling, he has no territory outside the city. If he sends out a large number of troops, the cost of food and supplies will be enormous. Now, by besieging Jinling with 100,000 troops, we can save on food and supplies, making it easier to hold out for a long time. At the same time, we can allow the northern soldiers to return home to avoid the epidemic."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu looked at Zhao Zi and said, "You will draft the edict on my behalf, and after I affix my seal, it will be..."

Zhang Yu's gaze fell on Sima Yi, and he asked, "What is your name?"

"Sima Yi of Hanoi, Sima Zhongda!"

"it is good!"

Zhang Yu paused for a moment, then said simply, "You will take the imperial edict south and convey my will to Generals Zhang, Li, and Xu!"

"I obey!" (End of Chapter)