The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 213 Troubled Times
This autumn of the fourth year of the Huangchu era.

For the officials and nobles of Luoyang, this was a turbulent time.

First came a series of heavy rains at the end of summer, which caused the Yi and Luo rivers to overflow, damaging houses and killing many people.

Before they could catch their breath, the situation in Nanyang suddenly took a sharp turn for the worse.

Wancheng was under siege multiple times, and rumors of Xiahou Shang and Xu Huang's defeat and surrender were rampant.

This period also included the deaths of two important figures: Cao Zhang, the Prince of Rencheng, and Jia Xu, the Grand Commandant.

After much difficulty, Luoyang Palace finally made up its mind to send its elite central army, which was guarding the capital, south to provide relief.

As a result, the Fangcheng passage between Wan and Luo was occupied by an enemy general named Mi Wei.

Bad news kept coming.

It's overwhelming.

So much so that the deaths of Wen Ping, the Prefect of Jiangxia, and Xu Miao, the Resignation of the Director of Agriculture, seemed somewhat insignificant.

However, one problem after another arose.

At the grand court assembly on the first day of July, Xin Pi, the Chamberlain who was leading military affairs at the front, suddenly sent a memorial from afar.

The request is that we should not wait for the army to be fully assembled, but instead send troops to seize Kunyang and Yexian as soon as possible in order to open the Fangcheng Pass.

Unsurprisingly, this matter quickly sparked a new round of heated discussions between the government and the public.

First of all, from a military perspective, speed is definitely a valid point.

This also aligns with the military style consistently employed by the generals of the Cao Wei dynasty.

Not to mention that Xin Pi's proposal was seconded by Cao Hong, a general of the imperial clan and the highest-ranking general after Cao Ren's death.

The fact that this matter has sparked such widespread discussion is partly due to Cao Hong's influence.

However, there are still people who dare to openly oppose Cao Hong.

This is because although this elite central army set out under the pretext of rescuing Nanyang, it could not possibly be rescuing for the sake of rescue alone.

The Central Army was named so because it bore the responsibility of protecting Luoyang and safeguarding the emperor within the palace walls.

Bearing the heaviest responsibility in the world.

In fact, the reason why Cao Hong was chosen as the main general for this expedition was...

Aside from the fact that there were no other generals in Luoyang at the moment who were capable of suppressing the various officers and generals of the central army.

Furthermore, this person was actually surnamed Cao, and was a veteran general who had followed Cao Cao in raising an army to fight against Dong Zhuo.

Only by entrusting him with this heavy responsibility can the emperor and his officials feel at ease.

Cao Pi himself preferred younger members of the imperial clan, such as Cao Zhen, Cao Xiu, and Xiahou Shang.

But it wasn't Cao Xiu who was captured; it was Xiahou Shang who was trapped in Nanyang.

But is it possible that Guanzhong cannot do without Cao Zhen?
Cao Hong's appointment as general inherently placed a dual responsibility on this force.

As is well known
If you seek stability, you can't be fast.

The pursuit of speed inevitably involves taking risks and gambling on luck.

Unfortunately, Luoyang and the emperor are the places in the whole world where you can't gamble with luck.

Therefore, this discussion quickly spread from the halls of power to the common people, forming various views that were either radical or conservative, but inevitably filled with personal opinions.

This undercurrent, both overt and covert, eventually flowed back into the imperial court on the first day of the seventh lunar month, sparking even wider discussion.

As a result, the morning assembly process was once difficult to maintain normally.

Finally, Cao Pi got so tired of watching that he simply ended the court session early.

Then he kept several important high-ranking officials, officials of the rank of two thousand piculs, and key ministers behind for a private meeting.

Xu Shu, the Imperial Censor, was prominently listed as one of the "Three Solitary Figures".

However, considering his sensitive position, he remained silent and sat alone, showing no intention of speaking out.

At this point, Situ Huaxin, as the head of all officials, was the first to express his opinion:
"Xin Zuo is righteous and insightful in military strategy, while Cao Zilian is brave and skilled in warfare. I do not believe myself to be more knowledgeable in military affairs than these two, and I dare not speak presumptuously."

Cao Pi nodded and then looked at Sikong Wang Lang.

The latter immediately replied:

"I second the proposal!"

Cao Pi chuckled lightly, showing no disappointment.

He quickly turned to the other officials below Wan Shi and said:

"Regardless of rank or seniority, all of you may speak your mind."

Liu Ye, the Chamberlain, had already prepared his plan and was the first to step forward:
"In general, when a general receives orders from his sovereign, he must assemble his army and gather his troops. He should be well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of various changes, and then, based on the actual situation, seek the best and avoid the worst."

"If an order is not in accordance with the actual situation, even if it is the emperor's order, it may not be obeyed." "Since the court has appointed General of the Cavalry as general and Xin Zuozhi as military advisor, it has recognized the bravery, strategy and wisdom of these two men."

"Now that the army is on a long expedition, it is not a wise choice to interfere with the judgment of the generals at the front."

"Your Majesty, please trust those you employ!"

Liu Ye spoke eloquently, his views as sharp and straightforward as ever.

Xu Shu nodded to himself upon hearing this.

But my gaze fell upon the head of the table.

I don’t know if it’s an illusion.

I always felt that Cao Pi's expression seemed somewhat troubled beneath that towering, majestic crown.

Before he could think further, the next person spoke.

Chen Qun had just been promoted to Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and also held the position of Attendant-in-Ordinary.

Chen Qun stepped forward, holding the jade tablet, and proclaimed in a loud voice:

"I dare not speak presumptuously about military matters."

"However, Xin Zuozhi mentioned in his report that there were quite a few people in Kunyang who defected to the enemy."

"Xu Jingshan, the Agricultural Commissioner of Yingchuan, resigned due to this incident."

"In the past few years, I have heard that Guan Yu has gained many followers in Jingzhou, and I have been worried about this. Today I realize that I was not just worrying unnecessarily."

Upon hearing this, Cao Pi was finally moved:

"Are you implying that a swift battle is not only to save Nanyang, but also to prevent Liu Bei and Guan Yu from obtaining the man?"

Chen Qun said:
"I believe this is something we must consider."

"To be honest, Your Majesty, in the spring, I learned of the passing of Young Master Liu and sent guests to Shu to offer condolences."

"During this time, my guests learned that the official selection system in Shu was largely modeled after Luoyang. Although this was a case of blindly imitating others, which is laughable, it demonstrates Liu Bei's determination to seek out talented people from all over the world."

After speaking, Chen Qun bowed and withdrew, saying no more.

Cao Pi subconsciously looked down at Chen Qun, at Sima Yi, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat who also held the position of Attendant-in-Ordinary.

Compared to the first two who spoke eloquently, Sima Yi's answer was very straightforward:
"I believe that the safety of the Emperor should not be taken lightly. Luoyang is the heart of the Central Plains. If it is lost, the whole country will be in danger."

Cao Pi chuckled again:

"Your loyalty is commendable, but loyalty alone is not enough!"

Sima Yi immediately said:

"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead troops to quell the rebels, even if it means going through fire and water."

"What I am worried about now is that someone might accuse Your Majesty of nepotism."

Cao Pi burst into laughter.

Seeing this, some of the officials who were still observing suddenly became eager to try.

Another attendant, Dong Zhao, spoke up:
"I believe that Xin Zuozhi spoke from the bottom of his heart. But I fear that Cao Biaoji is too eager for merit."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Shu clearly saw Cao Pi's expression change.

But before Cao Pi could express his opinion, Liu Ye immediately refuted him:

"Gongren is mistaken!"

"Cao Cao's appendix contains a clear military strategy, which is to send his deputy Xiahou Zhongquan south from Guangcheng Pass to attack Fangcheng first."

"If this plan succeeds, the greatest credit will naturally go to Xiahou Zhongquan. How can Cao Cao be considered to be greedy for credit?"

Dong Zhao responded with a cold laugh:

"As is well known, Guangcheng Pass is one of the eight passes of Luoyang, guarding the vital road between Wan and Luo, and is the southernmost gateway to Luoyang."

"Xiahou Zhongquan guarded this pass before sending out his troops precisely to prevent the enemy from taking advantage of the situation. How could he easily mobilize them?"

"Could this be Cao Cao's strategy of feigning retreat to advance?"

Liu Ye was displeased: "Gongren is judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person!"

Dong Zhao remained unperturbed, his cold smile unchanged.

"It is common knowledge throughout the land that Cao Zilian is greedy for money and lustful. It is true that you say he has the courage and strategy to be a general."

"But aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the world for admiring him as a virtuous man?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ye's face immediately turned red.

(End of this chapter)