The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 654 Next Target

The next day, Cao Mao opened his eyes and still felt a slight headache.

Over the years, Cao Mao had never really gotten drunk. Whenever he felt a little tipsy, he would pretend to be drunk and leave as soon as possible.

As a king, he must always remain calm and sober.

In the past, he was worried that he would be exposed when drunk and give his enemies an advantage. Later, he was worried that he would issue rash decrees when drunk and cause trouble.

But yesterday, he was really drunk.

I drank until I was dizzy and didn't know anything.

This is really the first time.

This was considered an act of insolence. Since Cao Wen was born, Cao Mao's character had changed greatly. Although he still had high demands and high standards for himself, he also learned to be insolent occasionally.

When he woke up, Cheng Ji was already waiting outside the door, pacing back and forth. Upon learning that the emperor had woken up, he hurried in to pay his respects.

"Your Majesty, you are finally awake. The ministers waiting to see you are almost lined up all the way to Chang'an."

Cao Mao ate his meal calmly. "Let them come in one by one. Oh, if you see Zhong Hui, be careful not to let him bump into anyone."

Cheng Ji said yes, then said shyly: "By the way, Your Majesty, I haven't thanked you for the reward for my brother. In fact, you really don't have to reward my brother for my sake. I really feel guilty."

Cao Mao was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

"Go and call the person over to me!"

Cheng Ji then hurried away.

Today, the first person to visit Cao Mao was General Hu Zun.

General Hu Zun looked shiny and rosy today, like a god. He walked into the hall and bowed to Cao Mao.

"The general is here, please sit down!"

Hearing this from the general, Hu Zun couldn't help laughing, and he hurriedly sat down next to Cao Mao.

"Your Majesty, I have come here specially to thank you!"

Hu Zun's expression also became solemn. He said sincerely, "When Your Majesty was in danger, I did not step forward and even became an accomplice. Your Majesty has pardoned my past crimes and allowed me to continue my military service. I am extremely grateful."

"Now that Your Majesty has appointed me as a general, I really don't know how to repay Your Majesty's kindness."

"Your Majesty, if I cannot repay your kindness in this lifetime, I will return it with a ring and a grass knot!"

Hu Zun stood up and bowed deeply to Cao Mao again.

Cao Mao shook his head. "General, why are you so? I have always been clear about rewards and punishments. If I want to reward people, I must first consider their achievements. You were promoted to General because you suppressed the Qingxu rebellion, brought order to the area, and led the troops to pacify Wu. Your contributions are outstanding."

"General, there's no need to worry so much."

Hu Zun was moved when he heard this.

"How fortunate the Great Wei is, and how fortunate I am, to have such a Holy King!"

Hu Zun had come here before, firstly to thank Cao Mao in person, and secondly to find out what he would do in the future.

The current military system of the Wei State, especially at the highest level, is somewhat too fragmented. In the past, the general would naturally command the entire national army, but the Wei State today has a Taiwei, a general, a Ministry of War, and, yes, a Grand Marshal.

So what exactly is this great general going to do?

Cao Mao took Hu Zun's hand and said seriously: "Now that the world is at peace and there is no war, the general can observe the situation outside the Great Wall, monitor the armies in various places, and promote talented generals."

Cao Mao used the same words to the Grand Marshal and the General.

Because in Cao Mao's conception, all official titles other than the Secretariat could be understood as honorary officials, and the same was true for the general.

As the highest-ranking commander in the country, you can just rest assured and enjoy your retirement in Luoyang.

From now on, Cao Mao might have to split up the official positions, otherwise the position of general would be too scary. Every time a general emerged, it would cause chaos in the world.

Hu Zun probably understood.

It sounds like you have a lot of power, but in reality you have no power at all.

But Hu Zun didn't care about this. At his age, it didn't matter whether he had real power or not. He had already fulfilled his ambitions, and that was enough.

Cao Mao sent Hu Zun away and thought that the second person would be Guanqiu Jian, but unexpectedly, the second person to arrive was Chen Tai.

As the new governor of Wu, Chen Tai also had many things he wanted to discuss with Cao Mao.

Chen Tai has never been a person who likes to talk too much. He came here just to ask one thing.

Should we be firm or gentle?

Chen Tai's question was quite direct, without any unnecessary nonsense. He asked, "Your Majesty, Wu is now pacified, but I have learned from the three generals that many problems still exist."

"Farmland is unevenly distributed, and the people are mostly tenants of powerful families. There are no public fields, so private armies are a threat. Moreover, the people of Wu have been separated for a long time, and disunity is inevitable." "While I am traveling to Wu, will I use harsh punishments to suppress them, or will I adopt gentle policies to appease them?"

Cao Mao shook his head. "Since I've sent you to Wu, there's no reason for me to tell you what to do. If you think heavy-handed tactics are necessary, then use them. If you think soft tactics are appropriate, then use them. I don't care what methods you use. I only want you to win back the people of Wu as soon as possible and resolve the many problems there. Whether they're dealing with barbarians or powerful clans, I'll only give you three years."

"Three years before Ganlu, if you fail to resolve the problem there, I will hold you accountable. If you succeed, then you will be in charge of the Secretariat."

"What do you think, Mr. Chen?"

Chen Tai nodded solemnly, "I will get up and go there right away."

Cao Mao then ordered, "Don't be afraid of causing unrest in the area. Just do as you wish. I only want one result."

On this day, Cao Mao met with many ministers in the court. All of them came for matters concerning Wu. He was so busy that he did not finish meeting with all of them until the evening.

Well, Cheng Ji didn’t exaggerate. There were indeed quite a few people coming to pay their respects.

After meeting so many ministers, Cao Mao did not rush to go anywhere else. He continued to wait. After a long time, someone finally arrived.

The last minister to arrive was naturally Guanqiu Jian.

When Cao Mao saw Guanqiu Jian, he stood up with a smile and walked quickly to his side. Guanqiu Jian had just saluted when Cao Mao helped him up.

"No need to be so polite, Grand Marshal."

Guanqiu Jian chuckled and said, "Your Majesty, why don't you just call me General Guanqiu as usual?"

"Well, General Guanqiu, I am truly blessed by our ancestors to have a general like you as my assistant."

"The general has made an indelible contribution to the unification of the world."

In front of Guanqiu Jian, Cao Mao was probably the most comfortable and relaxed.

Guanqiu Jian was not too restrained in front of Cao Mao, and the two were like a pair of close friends.

Although there is a big age gap between them, it does not hinder the friendship between the two.

"Your Majesty, I have captured Lu Kang. He is now in Luoyang. You'd better take this opportunity to meet him."

Guanqiu Jian said, "But this man is too stubborn. I don't think Your Majesty will be able to persuade him. I have to be careful all the way to avoid him having suicidal thoughts."

"General, you are so thoughtful. Lu Kang has finally fallen into my hands. General, this man is a great talent. If he can be used by me."

Looking at Cao Mao who suddenly became excited in front of him, Guanqiu Jian also smiled bitterly. His own emperor had a serious habit of liking talented people. Of course, this was understandable, as it was inherited from his great-grandfather.

When you see a talent, you want to use it for your own benefit.

This was the case when I first met Jiang Wei, and it was also the case when I faced Lu Kang.

Guanqiu Jian warned: "If Your Majesty wants to subdue this person, you must adopt the methods of famous scholars."

"I think this man is actually the same type as Zhong Hui. Your Majesty knows how to impress such a person."

Cao Mao sighed deeply. "When I captured Jiang Wei, I failed to recapture him. This is still a regret for me. Jiang Wei was determined to die, and even after surrendering, he still wanted to do things secretly. He would not give up until his death. I had no way to subdue him. But this Lu Kang, I think, is a little different."

"Lu Kang is still young, not as desperate as Jiang Wei to seek death. Moreover, he comes from a prominent family and has ties to his family."

Guanqiu Jian listened to Cao Mao's words very seriously. Guanqiu Jian always took Cao Mao's words seriously.

Whatever Cao Mao liked, Guanqiu Jian would get it for him.

Whatever Cao Mao didn't like, Guanqiu Jian would help him get rid of it.

He now talked about the issue of the big families in Wu.

"While discussing the affairs of Wu with the general and others, I recalled that Your Majesty had previously stated that the local clans were a threat, and therefore ordered them to disband their private armies. Sure enough, some took advantage of the situation to plot a rebellion, so I led the army to quell them and, under the guise of collusion, attacked the remaining clans. However, the largest ones quickly surrendered, making it difficult for me to act openly."

"If Your Majesty feels they are still a problem, and my rear troops have not yet completely withdrawn, you can arrange for a bandit attack."

Cao Mao decisively rejected him, "How can I let my Grand Marshal do such a thing? Leave the affairs of Wu to those three people. You don't have to interfere. You are my Grand Marshal now, so you should focus on more important things."

Cao Mao paused and said, "Now that Wu has been pacified, my only concern now is the Xianbei. I want to hand it over to you to defeat them and pacify the area beyond the Great Wall."

Of course, Cao Mao did not ask Guanqiu Jian to lead the army to fight the Xianbei people right away. He just handed over a major strategic concept in the future to Guanqiu Jian.

This war may start in one year, three years, or even five years, but Guanqiu Jian will be responsible for everything involved. War is not as simple as sending troops, and there are many things to consider.

Obviously, Cao Mao did not want Guanqiu Jian's position as Grand Marshal to become an honorary official position.

But it is understandable. After all, Guanqiu Jian is not that old in comparison and is still in his prime. If he is left in Luoyang to retire now, it would be a waste of his talent.

"I accept my order!!"

Guanqiu Jian stood up and answered.

ps: I would like to dedicate a new book written by a friend, "My Father Liu Xuande". Brothers can go and take a look. I heard that this guy is going to update 10,000 words to welcome all the wise men.

(End of this chapter)