Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 258: Which Heaven do you serve? What destiny do you inherit?

Luoyang.

Cao Rui sat upright on his throne, while civil and military officials stood solemnly on the steps.

Not long after, Zhao Zi, the Grand Master of the Palace and envoy of the Wu Kingdom, entered the palace in formal attire, carrying his imperial credentials.

"This humble subject, by order of the Emperor of Great Wu, pays special respects to His Majesty of Great Wei." The man's voice was clear and his expression calm.

Cao Rui snorted coldly, his expression disdainful.

Wu's envoy, Zhao Zi, remained neither humble nor arrogant, neither fearful nor angry, and continued to speak loudly:

"I have heard that the way of Heaven is not constant, but only virtue is its guide."

"During the two Han dynasties, which lasted for twenty-four generations and four hundred and thirty-four years, the virtue of fire declined, and Mars guarded the heart of the sky."

“Looking up at the celestial phenomena again, I saw that the aura of the king was divided into three parts.”

"One is in the Pleiades and the other in the constellation Bi, corresponding to the Wei in the north."

"The two are located in the division of the Wing and Chariot, indicating the southeastern Wu region."

"If the three are in the realm of Jinggui, then it is the Shu region in the west."

"The aura of royalty hangs high, the three kingdoms stand in a tripartite balance, each fulfilling its destiny, which is truly the will of Heaven."

"Our sovereign, the Emperor of Wu, was born in the southeast. He was appointed by Heaven and entrusted with military command. He aspires to bring peace to the world, and he carries out his duties to punish wrongdoing, serving the people with all his might..."

Before Zhao Zi could continue, Cao Rui, as if he had heard the funniest joke, interrupted him with a sneer:
Sun Quan?
"proclaim oneself emperor?"

"What gives him the right?"
"By the mandate of Heaven?"
"Which Heaven do you serve?"

"What destiny did you inherit?"

Below the steps, Zhong Yao frowned slightly.

Chen Qun remained expressionless, while Liu Ye's eyes held a mocking glint.

Xinpi and Gaotanglong looked at each other, both showing disdain.

Zhao Zi remained unmoved, showing neither fear nor anger, and continued speaking to himself:

“The young Emperor of Wu succeeded to the throne during a time of crisis, which shows his wisdom;
"To elevate Lu Su from the wilderness and Lü Meng from the ranks of soldiers demonstrates his wisdom."
“To capture someone from a forbidden place and not harm them is an act of benevolence.”

"Taking Jingzhou without shedding blood is a testament to their wisdom."

"By commanding the three rivers and looking down upon the world, it is indeed a powerful force."
"Yiling is subdued by Wei to the north and resisted by Shu to the west; this is its strategy."
"Such a wise, benevolent, and ambitious ruler, obeys the Yellow Heaven and inherits the imperial destiny!"
"Thus, the Yellow Dragon appeared in Pengze, and the Phoenix perched in Cangwu!"

"The Vermilion Bird builds its nest in Wuchang, and auspicious grains grow in the fields!"
"Is this not a clear sign of destiny?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui gave a half-smile: "Has Sun Quan ever been to school?"

Zhao Zi ignored Cao Rui's question and answered to himself:
"The Emperor of Great Wu sailed ten thousand ships on the river, with a million armored soldiers. He appointed virtuous and capable officials and was determined to make strategic plans. Although he had some leisure time, he read extensively about books and history, and did not imitate the students who merely searched for chapters and verses."

Cao Rui chuckled inwardly:

"With a talent like you, sir, how many men does Sun Quan have under his command?"

Zhao Zi answered frankly:

“There are eighty or ninety intelligent and gifted people.”

“People like me are so numerous that they cannot be counted.”

Cao Rui suddenly looked up and laughed loudly, the laughter echoing in the hall for a long time before finally subsiding.

Finally, he stood up and flicked his sleeves:
"Further words are useless. Take the gifts from Sun Quan and go back. I will spare your life."

Zhao Zi, however, did not retreat but advanced:

"I have come here to tell you something else."

Cao Rui impatiently flung his sleeve:

"What a coincidence, I also have something else to tell you!"
“Go back and tell Sun Quan that there cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two kings on the land. I will soon lead an army south to make him wash his neck clean and offer it to be executed.”

After speaking, Cao Rui signaled to the palace guards to see the guest out.

Several fully armed Tiger Warriors stepped forward, swords in hand.

However, before the guards could carry him out of the hall, the Wu envoy Zhao Zi spoke up loudly:

"His Majesty!
"Last winter month, when Wei and Wu had ceased hostilities, Liu Shan, the ruler of Shu, returned west from Baidi to Chengdu to preside over the change of the reign title and celebrate the recovery of Guanzhong and the return to the old capital."

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui frowned slightly.

Tiger Warriors seemed to have received some kind of signal, and they all stopped moving.

Seeing this, Zhao Zi slowly resumed his speech, his pace returning to a steady rhythm:
"When the Emperor of Wu learned that the ruler of Shu had returned to the west and that Baidi was vulnerable, he led an army of 100,000 to march west and attack Shu, determined to bring the royal aura of Chengdu into the hands of Wu."

"I have specially dispatched this foreign minister to inquire of Your Majesty: Do you still remember the death of Cao Zhen, the murder of Zhang He, the defeat of Sima Yi, and the loss of Guanzhong? If you wish to take revenge, this is a golden opportunity."

Cao Rui's eyes narrowed, and he sat up slightly.

The officials below also suppressed their disdain and exchanged glances.

However, just when Wu's envoy Zhao Zi thought that the Cao Wei ruler and his ministers were wavering, Cao Rui suddenly gave an order, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Send the guest out!"

Zhao Zi frowned slightly, but before the tiger guards could step forward to help him, he bowed and calmly withdrew from the main hall.

After the Wu envoy left, Cao Rui composed himself.

He surveyed the assembled officials below and slowly spoke:
"What do you all think is the purpose of Sun Quan's visit?"

His voice was cold and clear, and it echoed throughout the hall.

The courtiers fell silent for a moment.

Yang Ji, the leader of the Chinese team, was the first to step forward:
"Your Majesty, Sun Quan has usurped the title of emperor; he is nothing but a clown!"
"If their claim of attacking Shu is true, it is indeed a golden opportunity for our Great Wei!"

Xinpi pondered for a moment and said:

"Your Majesty, Sun Quan is cunning and his words cannot be trusted at all. This time, he has sent an envoy to lure us into attacking Shu so that he can reap the benefits!"

Cao Rui nodded slightly.

The ministers all agreed.

At this very moment, Grand Tutor Zhong Yao, the eldest in both age and official rank, stepped forward:

"Your Majesty, the Yangtze River is a natural barrier, not only to the north and south, but also to the west and east."

"Baidi City has been under construction since Liu Yan's time, and with the Kuimen Gorge as its barrier, it can be described as impregnable. Sun Quan has just usurped the title of emperor, and this old minister does not believe that he would rashly raise troops to advance westward at this time."

"In this battle, it was most likely a sudden attack by the pseudo-Han. Sun Quan sent envoys at this time, pretending to ally with Wei to attack Shu, but actually seeking help from Wei."

Cao Rui was taken aback upon hearing this.

He did indeed overlook that possibility.

Yang Ji, the leader of the team, and Chen Qun, who was standing next to him, exchanged a surprised look.

Suddenly, Cao Rui's brows furrowed even more: "Why didn't Liu Shan make a move last autumn and winter? Why did he wait until our Great Wei and Sun Wu had ceased hostilities and Sun Quan was free to deal with the situation before taking action?"

“This is a surprise attack, striking where the enemy is unprepared,” Zhong Yao said, stroking his beard.

At that time, Lu Xun first confronted the Grand Marshal at Xiangfan, and then fought at Qingni and Canglang. The main force of the Wu army seemed to be on the northern front, but the western front was also heavily guarded. The Wu people were all ready to fight at any moment, waiting for Shu to come from the east.

"If the Shu people had advanced eastward at that time, Sun Quan would have abandoned the north to defend the west."

"Now that Lu Xun has returned with his troops, Sun Quan has declared himself emperor, and Liu Shan has returned west, the people of Wu all believe that there is no worry on the western front. As a result, they have become complacent in their defenses, which has given the people of Shu an opportunity to take advantage of them."

Cao Rui gazed at the darkening sky outside the window, and after a long while, he said:

"If it really was a surprise attack by the Shu army on Wu."

"Gentlemen, what do you think Liu Shan's chances of winning are?"

“Difficult,” Zhong Yao shook his head.

"The Wu general on the western front was Pan Jun from Jingzhou."

"This man betrayed Shu and joined Wu, causing Jingzhou to fall into Sun Quan's hands in a short time. The people of Shu have always hated him for this."

"They have no way out and will surely fight to the death for Sun Quan. Moreover, the Wu army is holding the strategic position of the river. Even if Liu Shan launches a surprise attack, it will not be easy to break through in a day or two."

Seeing that the emperor was interested, Liu Ye, the advisor to the Prince of Jiangnan, also stepped forward to add to the list:
"What the Grand Tutor said is absolutely right. Moreover... Lu Xun's great victory over Liu Bei was only a few years ago. Wu's naval forces are still strong. The people of Shu not only lack generals who are skilled in naval warfare, but also lack ships and sailors."

Cao Wei had countless spies in Eastern Wu. Although Sun Quan's internal affairs were not completely infiltrated, Cao Wei was able to learn about even the most trivial information immediately.

"If the Shu army had no chance of winning, why would Sun Quan send an envoy to ally with Wei to attack Shu?" Cao Rui suddenly sneered.

Sun Quan's dispatch of an envoy gave him a premonition that was neither good nor bad. This premonition was naturally: would Sun Quan also succumb to the pressure from Liu Shan?

As for good or bad.

Sun Quan's defeat was naturally good news.

But if Liu Shan were to defeat Sun Quan again, that would be no good news.

Because Cao Xiu and Jia Kui had just fought a close battle with Sun Quan not long ago, and both sides suffered considerable losses.

If Liu Shan were to reap the benefits at this point, it would truly be...

Upon realizing this, Cao Rui subconsciously clenched his teeth, and anger gradually rose within him.

Zhong Yao spoke again:
This precisely illustrates the critical situation of Eastern Wu.

“Sun Quan has not been in power for long, and the hearts of the army and the people are not yet with him. He is most afraid of being defeated and killed at this time.”

"What will Sun Quan do if our Great Wei and the pseudo-Han attack from both sides?"

"This dispatch of envoys is less a strategy to form an alliance to attack Shu and more a delaying tactic."

Cao Rui slowly nodded and asked, "If that's the case, what do you all think our Great Wei should do? Do you have any good strategies or brilliant plans?"

"It would be better to wait and see," Zhong Yao replied.

Cao Rui looked around.

"I agree with the Grand Tutor's opinion," Xin Pi replied.

The ministers all agreed with Zhong Yao's opinion and had no other words to say.

Liu Ye was about to agree, but after observing for a moment, he stopped himself.

The flames jumped.

Cao Rui's expression was dark and inscrutable.

"So you all think that Great Wei should wait and see?" Cao Rui's voice suddenly rose.

Liu Ye hurriedly bowed:

"Your Majesty is wise. What we mean by 'observing the situation calmly' is not about sitting idly by."

"We should send out spies to thoroughly investigate the military situation."

"If the Shu army does indeed advance eastward, the Grand Marshal can be ordered to prepare the army for battle!"
"When both Wu and Shu are exhausted..."

"And then repeat the mistakes of Canglang?!" Cao Rui slammed his fist on the table.

Last year, Cao Xiu and Lu Xun were locked in a stalemate for a hundred days. All the civil and military officials in the court said that they should wait until Liu Shan launched an attack on Wu before making their move!

"And then what?"

"However, Qingni won once and Canglang lost once, and in the end, they both withdrew from the war. Now, what divine opportunity are we waiting for, to just wait and see what happens?!"

He suddenly stood up:
"Even Liu Shan knew to feign a westward retreat while actually advancing eastward. Does our Great Wei intend to sit idly in Luoyang, waiting for others to decide the victor?!"

All the ministers bowed their heads.

Zhong Yao's mottled beard trembled slightly, but he ultimately said nothing more.

"Dismiss the court!" Cao Rui turned away, flicking his sleeves.

The ministers silently withdrew.

...

apse.

Cao Rui suddenly swept the memorials on the table to the ground.

"Let's wait and see... let's wait and see again!"

He paced restlessly inside the hall.

In the end, military affairs still depend on generals!
Although Cao Xiu, Jia Kui, and Sima Yi did not have any brilliant military achievements, they were at least generals who dared to fight, unlike these ministers who only knew how to shout "wait and see"!

Just as he was filled with resentment and was about to issue an edict to immediately order Cao Xiu and Jia Kui to return to Luoyang.

A eunuch's cautious voice rang out outside the palace gate.

"Your Majesty... Sima Fu, the Commandant of the Capital Region, and Sima Zhao, the second son of the General of Chariots and Cavalry, are requesting an audience outside the palace gates!"

Cao Rui suddenly stopped and turned around abruptly:

"Who? Sima Zhao?"

"Shouldn't he be with his father's army at Tongguan? When did he return to Luoyang?"

A hint of doubt crossed my mind.

It was immediately replaced by a strange sense of anticipation.

Sima Yi's son suddenly appeared at this moment...

"Summon them! Summon them in immediately!"

A moment later, hurried footsteps approached.

Sima Fu and Sima Zhao hurried into the inner palace, rushed to the emperor's presence, and bowed respectfully.

"Your subject Sima Fu/Your subject Sima Zhao pay homage to Your Majesty!"

"No need for formalities!" Cao Rui waved his hand, his gaze fixed intently on Sima Zhao. "Sir, does the General of Chariots and Cavalry have urgent military intelligence?"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Sima Zhao replied immediately.

"I have come here day and night on my father's orders!"

"Your father asserts that the Shu ruler Liu Shan's grand return to Chengdu last winter, claiming to preside over the establishment of a new era and a grand celebration of his return to the capital, was actually a ruse! His army has probably already left Baidi and is now fiercely attacking the gateway to Wu County!"

"What?" Cao Rui's pupils contracted sharply, and his body instinctively leaned forward. "How did the General of Chariots and Cavalry find out? Do you have any concrete evidence?"

Sima Zhao immediately took out a military report sealed with sealing wax from his bosom and raised it high above his head with both hands:
"This is an urgent memorial written by my father, which contains a detailed judgment!"
"My father learned from my uncle ten days ago that Liu Shan had returned to Shu. Combined with the sporadic movements reported from Guanzhong and Nanyang recently, he concluded that the pseudo-Han regime must be planning an eastward advance!"
"Your father further stated that this is a golden opportunity bestowed upon our Great Wei, a once-in-a-millennium chance. He urged Your Majesty not to hesitate and sit idly by!"

The eunuch quickly took it and presented it to Cao Rui.

Cao Rui practically snatched the silk scroll, quickly tore it open, and scanned the densely packed characters on it with lightning speed.

Sima Yi's handwriting remained as steady and composed as ever.

The analysis unfolds layer by layer, from Liu Shan's personality, the old grudges between Shu and Wu, the overall situation of the world, to the various clues about troop movements, ultimately leading to the conclusion:
The main force of the Shu army must have already marched east!
The great war between Wu and Shu has broken out!

As Cao Rui watched, he trembled with fear, and finally looked up sharply: "General of Chariots and Cavalry, what do you think I should do?"

At this moment, Sima Fu stepped forward, bowed, and spoke:

"His Majesty!
“My elder brother spoke to me repeatedly.”

"In the Guanzhong region, Zhuge Liang's defenses are complete, with deep trenches and high walls. If our Great Wei were to launch a western expedition at this time, it would be a protracted and difficult campaign, making little progress and only wasting the nation's strength!"

"Between Wu and Shu, Western Shu is more powerful!"

"Furthermore, Sun Quan broke the alliance and attacked and seized Jingzhou, killed Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, and overthrew Liu Bei at Yiling. Liu Shan hated him with a vengeance and vowed to march eastward with great vigor and determination to take revenge!"
"This is truly a golden opportunity bestowed upon the Great Wei by Heaven!"

"Our Great Wei can combine the strength of the Shu people and first crush Jiangdong!"

He paused briefly, then emphasized his words:
"Your Majesty, my brother has said that we must never again harbor the idea of ​​allying with Wu to subdue Shu!"

“Sun Quan is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, utterly devoid of integrity!”

"Even if we temporarily join forces to attack Shu, once our Great Wei clashes with the main force of the Shu bandits, they will surely be watching from the sidelines, waiting for an opportunity to retaliate and reap the benefits!"

"The lessons of the past are still vivid in our minds!"
"Only by seizing this opportunity to severely damage or even dismantle Eastern Wu, thus eliminating this fickle and treacherous threat, can our Great Wei focus all its efforts on the west and fight a decisive battle against the pseudo-Han of Western Shu!"
"Otherwise, if Sun Quan is left by our side, our Great Wei will never have a peaceful day. In every life-or-death situation, we will be hampered and restrained by him!"

Sima Zhao then added:

"Your Majesty, my father also predicted that if Liu Shan really launches a large-scale eastern expedition, then in the southern part of Jingzhou, especially in Wuling, Lingling and other places in southern Jingzhou, which were closely associated with the pseudo-Han in the past, some people will surely have ulterior motives and rise up in response to the pseudo-Han!"
“Jingzhou is not a monolithic entity for Sun Quan; internal strife is bound to ensue!”

Cao Rui stood still, without further hesitation.

"Opportunity knocks but once!"

"Issue my decree immediately!"
"An imperial edict was issued to Grand Marshal Cao Xiu and Governor of Yuzhou Jia Kui!"
"The entire army is in preparation, supplies are being collected, weapons are being repaired, and ships and vehicles are being assembled, ready to be deployed at any time!"
"I don't want to wait and see! I want to see rivers of blood flowing down the Yangtze and Huai Rivers!"

Cao Rui's order was quickly recorded and copied into an imperial edict by the Grand Secretary who was standing by his side. After being stamped with the seal of the Emperor of Wei, it was sent to all directions.

(End of this chapter)