Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 211 Does Your Majesty know Yuan Shao?!

Cao Rui did not reveal any information about the Xiangfan campaign to Sima Yi, nor did he send an envoy to inquire about how the southern campaign should be resolved.

However, Sima Yi's letter still arrived in Luoyang after Cao Rui made up his mind.

Grand Tutor Zhong Yao, seated at the upper left of the main hall, received Sima Yi's letter from the emperor's close attendant and began to read it.

"Your subject, Yi, humbly begs for your forgiveness..."

"...I once visited Jiangling twice. Its city walls are connected from north to south, high and its moat deep, just like Xiangyang. It cannot be taken by force."

"We must cut off Wu's reinforcements from the east and west, and besiege the city for over a year before we have any chance of victory."

"If the Grand Marshal were to march south to Jiangling, he would surely be unable to conquer it."

"If Wei cannot conquer it, and Shu seizes the opportunity to act, then the three eastern commanderies may no longer belong to Wei. In this case, Wei and Wu will gain nothing, while Shu will greatly benefit..."

"The three eastern commanderies are Hangu Pass of Wei..."

Ministers such as Chen Qun, Xin Pi, Liu Ye, Jiang Ji, and Gao Tanglong read the letter and were all surprised and amazed, regardless of whether they were on good terms with Sima Yi.

Even Emperor Cao Rui had just received an urgent report from Cao Xiu and Jia Kui, which traveled 800 li, informing him that the alliance between Wu and Shu had broken and that Xicheng might have already fallen.

Meanwhile, Sima Yi, far away in Tongguan, had already advised the emperor, without any definite information, not to covet Jiangling, but to ally with Wu to defeat Shu and protect the vital strategic location of the three commanderies.

"Tongguan is far away, and before the urgent message arrived, the General of the Flying Cavalry had already devised a plan within the tent and made a decision a thousand miles away. He is truly a loyal and capable minister of the Great Wei, and has never failed the late emperor's entrustment of the young emperor."

The elderly and frail Zhong Yao was the first to speak out.

This veteran minister, who once served Emperor Taizu in Chang'an and stabilized Guanzhong, had a lifetime of experience in military strategy and a keen understanding of the times.

Ignoring the emperor's displeasure, he agreed with Sima Yi's plan without hesitation, while also invoking Sima Yi's status as a trusted minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor, enough to make all the officials in the hall think twice.

However, the emperor's expression grew increasingly somber.

Commandant Xin Pi stepped forward and echoed Zhong Yao:

"Your Majesty, the General of the Flying Cavalry's memorial is written entirely truthfully, without a single embellishment."

"It is said that the Grand Marshal will not be able to conquer Jiangling; it will be as if the enemy has been cleaved by a knife and axe, leaving no room for maneuver."

"This is because it is a matter of national importance, and cannot be addressed with roundabout or subtle advice. We have truly shown our hearts and minds and devoted ourselves wholeheartedly to Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, even if you find this memorial unpleasant to hear, you should still remember the loyalty of the General of the Flying Cavalry, who spoke without reservation and without reservation."

"Furthermore, I, your humble servant Pi, believe that the General of the Flying Cavalry's advice is the best policy for the country. I hope Your Majesty will forgive his frankness and adopt his plan."

Cao Rui paused slightly upon hearing this.

If it weren't for the defeat in Guanzhong, Sima Yi could be said to be without blemish, and his talent and virtue would have earned him the reputation of being a virtuous and capable pillar of the Great Wei.

But losing Guanzhong is the original sin.

If it weren't for the repeated defeats in Guanzhong, with the Shu army pushing the front lines to Tongguan and Wuguan, leaving the country with no one to entrust with its affairs, Cao Rui would at least have stripped Sima Yi of his military power and transferred him back to the central government.

Gao Tanglong, who was always upright and outspoken, and unafraid to speak frankly to the emperor, saw that the emperor hesitated, glanced at Zhong Yao and Xin Pi, and finally stepped forward resolutely:
"Your Majesty, I, your subject Long, also believe that the memorial submitted by the General of the Flying Cavalry is a loyal and wise suggestion."

"Several months ago, Your Majesty and your ministers devised a plan to lure Sun Quan into declaring himself king and dominating the country, thereby breaking the alliance between Wu and Shu, and then forming an alliance with Wu to defeat Shu."

"Now that the alliance between Wu and Shu has broken down, we should unite with Wu to attack Shu, lest the tiger hunt the sheep without catching them, and the Shu dogs take advantage of our power to get food."

"Your Majesty should make a decision quickly, for this opportunity must not be missed, for once lost, it cannot be regained."

By this time, no one had yet stood up to oppose Sima Yi's strategy of allying with Wu against Shu, and Cao Rui's expression grew increasingly somber.

Seeing this, Zhong Yao and Hua Xin, these veterans who had served three dynasties and were granted seats by the emperor due to their old age and illness, looked at each other in bewilderment.

Logically speaking, allying with Wu against Shu is a good strategy, and it is also a major policy that the country has already decided on. Why has the emperor changed his mind at this moment?

"Your Majesty, the Grand Marshal and Governor Jia are both in Xiangfan, with enemy forces at their fingertips. Their views and considerations may differ from those of those thousands of miles away."

"May I ask Your Majesty, what are the Grand Marshal and Governor Jia's plans?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Liu Ye, the Grand Master of the Palace.

Liu Ye was known for his courage and wisdom. He repeatedly offered advice to the country, which was always to the point. He was respected by the ministers. In terms of military strategy and situation, there was probably no one in the country who could compare to him.

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui presented the secret memorials of Cao Xiu and Jia Kui to the ministers.

Before the ministers had finished reading, he slowly spoke:

"It is common knowledge that the Grand Marshal and Jia Yuzhou have always been at odds and cannot coexist."

"However, on the matter of attacking Wu, the two were of one mind and shared similar views."

"The reason why the world has long been divided into three parts and unable to be unified is..."

"Since the Battle of Red Cliffs, Wu and Shu have been united in their evil deeds, helping each other from both ends and jointly resisting Wei."

"When Wu and Shu broke their alliance at Yiling, the late emperor often lamented his loss."

"Firstly, he blindly trusted Sun Quan and submitted to him."

"Secondly, they underestimated Liu Bei's ambition, thinking that Liu Bei's ambition was to intimidate rather than destroy Wu."

"Thereupon, he held his troops inactive, which allowed Sun Quan to monopolize the Jiangnan region, a situation that could not be replicated."

"Now that the alliance between the two traitors Wu and Shu has been broken, the peace and harmony have turned into war again, and the situation at Yiling has reappeared."

"How can the Great Wei repeat the mistakes of the past? If we do not seize this opportunity to exterminate the Wu barbarians, sever the alliance between Wu and Shu, and prevent them from renewing their alliance?"

"If Wei takes the opportunity to attack Wu, and Jiangnan is in dire need, then the people of Shu will surely launch an eastern expedition to Yiling, fueled by both new and old grudges."

“Sun Quan is attacked from both sides. If we don’t make a move now, when will we?”
"Grand Marshal Jia Yuzhou proposed a strategy."

"We must seize this opportunity to besiege Jiangling, cut off its throat, and prevent Wu from catching its breath."

"An imperial edict was issued to Hu Lie, the prefect of Jiangxia, to lead his naval forces across the middle of the Yangtze River to cut off the grain transport from Wu."
"Then General Man Boning, the General Who Conquers the East, and General Zang Xuangao, the General Who Guards the East, were dispatched to lead the army from Huainan out of Ruxu, to spread out their two wings and press them down."

The memorial of the General of the Cavalry also said: Cut off Wu's east and west aid. Isn't this in line with the views of the Grand Marshal and Jia Yuzhou?

"The General of Chariots and Cavalry's memorial from afar, and the Grand Marshal and Jia Yuzhou's strategies for the front lines—what should I do? You gentlemen, please decide for me."

Zhong Yao, Xin Pi, Gao Tanglong, and others who had just advised the emperor to ally with Wu to attack Shu all looked at each other, pale with fright, and remained silent, unable to reply.

In the end, the emperor's decisions depend on who he prefers to be close to and who he trusts.

Since Sima Yi's defeat in Guanzhong, the emperor has become suspicious of the western army.

When the Grand Marshal and Jia Yuzhou had previously come to pay homage to the emperor, they calmly offered their advice, pinpointing the problems of the time. The emperor was so impressed by them that he became more trusting and affectionate towards them than before.

Sima Yi, Grand Marshal, and Jia Yuzhou each have their own arguments and justifications.

The emperor naturally preferred to trust Grand Marshal Jia Yuzhou rather than Sima Yi.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!" Yang Ji, the Commander of the Central Army, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward to remonstrate.

"In the past, Emperor Taizu's military prowess was divinely bestowed, and no monarch or general of the past could surpass him."

"All the imperial relatives and generals, as well as Zhang Liao, Xu Huang and others, are capable of defeating ten thousand men."

"However, since the Battle of Red Cliffs, every time they approached the river, they returned empty-handed."

"Who?
"The great river is a natural barrier, and boats are not my forte."

"The people of Wu are skilled in water movement, and they can move up and down as fast as they can fly, making them difficult to control."

"Emperor Taizu has passed away, and the famous generals on the battlefield have also died with him."

“Sun Quan still holds Jiangnan, and his generals such as Lu Xun, Zhu Ran, Zhu Huan, and Pan Zhang are still around.”

"How do Grand Marshal Jia Yuzhou compare to Zhang Liao and Xu Huang?"
"May Your Majesty consider this carefully!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui's face darkened.

Yang Ji presented Emperor Taizu Wu, but in the end only compared Cao Xiu, Jia Kui, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, and others.

In fact, it was a euphemism for asking, "Your Majesty, how do you compare to the founding emperor?"
"The Chinese leader's statement is somewhat biased."

At this moment, Jiang Ji, the commander of the Central Guard, finally stood up to defend the emperor.

He then used the emperor's words to discuss the current situation for Yang Ji, Zhong Yao, and others.

Finally, he added:
"If Emperor Taizu had been alive when Wu and Shu fought the Battle of Yiling, he would have pretended to accept Sun Quan's surrender and granted him the seal of the King of Wu of the Great Wei."

"Then they raised an army and marched south, taking advantage of the irreconcilable conflict between Wu and Shu to capture Hefei and Jiangling."

"At that time, Liu Bei did not invade Wei but launched an eastern expedition, which showed his firm determination to punish Wu. He would not make peace with Wu."

"If this is the case, then Sun Quan will certainly not become too powerful. Taizu (Liu Shan) may be able to take Jiangling and Hefei in one fell swoop, or at the very least, he will be able to cripple Sun Quan and prevent him from becoming too powerful. "Isn't Liu Shan's intention in breaking the alliance with Sun Quan and fighting now the same as Liu Bei's eastern expedition back then?"

"Your Majesty, together with the Grand Marshal and Jia Yuzhou, has decided to attack Wu. Does this not align with the intentions of Emperor Taizu?"

When Cao Rui heard this, he remained expressionless, but his old ministers who knew him well could tell that the emperor was very pleased with Jiang Ji's words.

This emperor was favored by Emperor Taizu from birth, and at a young age, he displayed remarkable talent and maturity. Emperor Taizu was astonished, saying, "My foundation rests on your shoulders for three generations."

After that, whenever there was a court assembly or banquet, the emperor, who was still a child at the time, would sit in the tent with a group of court officials and close ministers to listen to the government. The emperor was precocious and often learned from the words and deeds of the founding emperor. He was most pleased when people said that he resembled the founding emperor.

The reason he has become so quiet and taciturn, and has such an eccentric temperament, is because Consort Zhen was given death by Emperor Wen, and this emperor was neglected by Emperor Wen.

Seeing that the emperor's expression had softened slightly, Jiang Ji looked at Yang Ji, the Commander of the Central Army, and spoke with even more vigor:
"As for what the Commander-in-Chief said, Sun Quan still occupies Jiangnan, and his generals such as Lu Xun, Zhu Ran, and Zhu Huan are still alive."

"Back then, Liu Bei had 100,000 elite troops, including generals such as Zhao Yun, Wu Yi, Feng Xi, Fu Tong, and Zhang Nan... but he was ultimately unable to defeat Wu and was instead defeated by Wu."

"Liu Shan now only has Zhao Yun as his general, and his detachment has no more than 10,000 men, yet he was able to defeat Wu and capture its generals Bu Zhi and Zhuge Jin."

"Does this not demonstrate that Wu's great generals, such as Lu Xun, Zhu Ran, and Bu Zhi, are no longer as capable as they once were?"

However, Jiang Ji's words did not seem to achieve the effect of making everyone despise Sun Wu; on the contrary, they made everyone more wary of Han.

However, the Emperor of Great Wei was clearly not among them, and quickly followed Jiang Ji's lead.

In short, the point is that we cannot regard Shu as a major enemy of Wei just because Shu managed to seize Guanzhong by chance, and act rashly, thus giving up the opportunity to destroy Wu.

Zhong Yao, Xin Pi, Gao Tanglong, Yang Ji, and other veteran ministers who supported Sima Yi did not give up. They clashed with the emperor and Jiang Ji, Liu Ye, Liu Fang, and others.

In the end, Jiang Ji, Liu Fang, and others gradually lost their edge, and even Liu Ye eventually fell silent.

Cao Rui's expression grew increasingly hostile.

After Jiang Ji, Liu Fang, and others had almost run out of things to say, Xin Pi, seemingly oblivious to the emperor's gloomy expression, still dared to remonstrate:

"Your Majesty, even if you have a winning strategy in the temple before sending out your troops, you are still afraid when you are actually facing the battle!"

"Now that the temple's plans are flawed and they want to use them, I truly do not see any benefit in them!"

"As Zhong Lingjun said, Taizu repeatedly raised elite troops, but ultimately returned from the river."

"Now the six armies are no longer as strong as before, and the general is no stronger than Emperor Taizu. Instead, we have lost Guanzhong."

"Your Majesty intends to sweep through Jiangnan with a desperate army, and I am deeply concerned for Your Majesty and for the sake of the nation!"

"Does Your Majesty know Yuan Shao?!"
"Yuan Shao did not heed the sound advice of Tian Feng and Ju Shou, but instead listened to the words of Guo Tu and Shen Pei, hoping to achieve victory in one battle. In the end, he suffered a crushing defeat at Guandu, died, and became a laughingstock to the world. Your Majesty must not fail to consider this!"

As soon as Xin Pi finished speaking, everyone in the hall, including the emperor, changed color.

It had been a long time since such a fierce dispute had occurred in the court of the Great Wei Dynasty.

Zhong Yao, Yang Ji, Xin Pi, and Gao Tanglong are Tian Feng and Ju Shou.

Jiang Ji, Liu Fang, and Liu Ye are Guo Tu and Shen Pei.

The emperor... naturally refers to Yuan Shao.

The power struggle in the imperial court has reached its limit and cannot be escalated any further.

"Stop talking!"

"I have made up my mind!"

"If you don't take what Heaven gives you, you will suffer the consequences!"

"This is why Wu perished and Yue became the hegemon!"

Having said this, Cao Rui angrily turned and left.

Seeing this, Xin Pi still persisted, following Cao Rui behind the screen, and then grabbed Cao Rui's clothes to prevent him from leaving.

Cao Rui was pulled so hard he almost fell over. He turned and glared at Xin Pi, only to see that Xin Pi's face was red and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Your Majesty, back then Liu Bei defied the opinions of the people and insisted on launching an eastern expedition against Sun Quan, which led to the great defeat at Yiling. Your Majesty must not fail to heed this warning!"
"The best course of action today is to follow Fan Li's example of nurturing the people, emulate Guan Zhong's reforms, replenish the nation's granaries, and allow the people to rest!"

"Ten years later, when we are still strong and healthy, with children ready for battle and millions of grain reserves, we can launch a southern expedition and destroy Wu and Shu!"

"Get out!" Cao Rui cursed angrily, then shook his clothes and left without looking back.

Xinpi wanted to pursue them further, but was stopped by Huben.

The man cursed at Hu Ben, but Hu Ben remained unmoved and dragged him behind the screen.

Before long, the emperor's footsteps disappeared.

Only the remaining senior officials looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

...

Huang Yong traveled through the covered walkway to the North Palace.

Through the introduction of the eunuch Bixie, he entered the Zhangde Hall for the first time and met the Great Wei Emperor, who sat with his back to him.

"Borong, have you found Liu Shan's second sister?"

Huang Yong stated frankly:

"Your Majesty, after the death of Marquis Wei (Cao Chun), General Yan (Chunzi), following the instructions of Emperor Taizu, sent Marquis Wei's concubines to remarry."

"The second elder sister of the Shu ruler is also there, and she is currently sweeping and cleaning in the inner palace."

Nowadays, concubines are not considered spouses, but rather the private property of the head of the household. Therefore, they have no obligation to remain chaste and are often sold, given away, or even divided among their descendants after their husbands die.

Xun You and Zhong Yao were close friends. The two visited Zhu Jianping, a skilled physiognomist. Zhu Jianping said, "Although Xun You is young, he will entrust his future affairs to Zhong Yao."

Zhong Yaochu disagreed, and joked with Xun You: What kind of funeral arrangements do you have to make? I'll just help you marry off your beloved concubine, A'wu.

Unexpectedly, Xun You died young, and the joke came true. Zhong Yao then made arrangements for Xun You's funeral and wrote a letter to his friend:
"Why did this child die so young? Has the jest come true? I now wish to marry him to A'wu so that he may be well taken care of."

The story of him marrying off a concubine to a friend became a popular tale at the time.

"Did Liu Shan's second sister and Marquis Wei have any children?" Cao Rui asked.

"Your Majesty, the two elder sisters of the Shu ruler each have a daughter with Marquis Wei. They are both fourteen years old and unmarried. Should we keep the two daughters?"

Cao Rui smiled and shook his head:
"No need. I am the emperor. How could I follow the example of Xiang Yu, who set up the chopping block and cooked the old man, and used the weak to force Liu Shan?"
"Moreover, these two women are Cao's flesh and blood, how can they be used to coerce Shu?"

"Judging by their age, these two girls lost their father while still in swaddling clothes. If we keep them, it would mean that Liu's daughters would also lose their mother. How could I bear to take away their family? Send them back."

Huang Yong nodded and accepted the order.

Cao Rui changed the subject: "General of Chariots and Cavalry, have you been looking worried lately?"

Huang Yong spoke frankly:

"I dare not deceive Your Majesty. Since my father heard that he could return to Shu to care for my grandmother, the worry between his brows has disappeared. He eats extra meals morning and evening, and his food is twice as much as usual. He often smiles when he picks up his chopsticks."

Cao Rui's expression subtly darkened, then he looked sincerely at Huang Yong: "Does Borong have any intention of returning to Shu?"

Huang Yong shook his head: "Your Majesty has bestowed wives and concubines upon me. My family is in Luoyang, and I have no desire for Shu. My mother died early, and after my father returned to Shu, my younger brother Chongxiao also had a matter to attend to. I have no worries."

Cao Rui sighed, chatted with Huang Yong about various things, and finally recounted the disputes that had occurred in the court that day.

"Bo Rong, do you think I should ally with Shu and annex Wu, or ally with Wu and attack Shu?"

After thinking it over and over, Huang Yong said:

"Your Majesty, my father once told me that if Wu and Shu break their alliance and go to war, Sun Quan will take the opportunity to declare himself emperor, and then plan to ally with Wei to attack Shu. When Shu is weak, he will then join forces with Shu to resist Wei."

However, Sun Quan underestimated the ambition of the Shu ruler.

“When I was in Guanzhong, the ruler of Shu once said to me, ‘The Han and the traitors cannot coexist, and the royal cause cannot be achieved by partial peace.’”

“Once Sun Quan declares himself emperor, he will be considered a traitor to Shu.”

"The ruler of Shu will certainly not ally with Wu again; the only option left for the two kingdoms is war."

"I believe that Your Majesty should first feign peace talks with Wu and then attack Shu."

"Your Majesty can choose an opportune moment to act when Sun Quan declares himself emperor and Shu and Wu go to war."

"When the time comes to attack Wu and conquer Shu, it will all depend on Your Majesty's will, not on Wu and Shu."

“Good.” Cao Rui said thoughtfully.

(End of this chapter)