Chapter 747 Two-faced
People are greedy.
Especially those like Sun Quan who took advantage because they had both sides.
It doesn’t occupy anything.
Anyway, you won’t die if you take possession of it.
What if the other party doesn’t care about you?
dont you agree?
Only this time, Chen Zhen severely criticized Soochow's proposal to cede Youzhou, one of the three states in Hebei:
"Liangzhou, Bingzhou, and Youzhou are all bitter and cold places where the people are suffering and the Han Dynasty belongs to them."
"East of Hangu Pass, south of the river, the land east of Guandong, and the heart of the Central Plains, are the most fertile places in the world. Now they are all assigned to Wu. Isn't that enough?"
“The Lord Wu’s move is nothing more than trying to steal people’s pottery while holding gold in their hands. It is not a sincere pledge of alliance!”
After what Chen Zhen said, even someone like Sun Quan felt a little hot on his face.
It’s just that the Wu State is famous for its boats and can easily contact Liaodong. Naturally, Sun Quan cannot give up Youzhou easily.
"The purpose of the two countries' alliance was to destroy Cao Wei. Now that Cao Wei has not been destroyed, they are fighting for the prefectures and states that they have not yet captured. Does the Han envoy think this is also the way to swear an alliance?"
Prime Minister Gu Yong understood Sun Quan's intention and asked.
Chen Zhen shook his head and said, "The Han Dynasty has vowed to destroy Cao Cao's thieves, so I am determined to fight. If we don't agree at this time, the Han army will go east and the Wu army will go north."
“When the two countries met in the Central Plains and a dispute broke out, what should we do? Since the world is equally divided, it should be fair and just, and we should not use unreasonable remarks to prevaricate.”
He looked at Sun Quan with meaning and said, "In the past, Han and Wu teamed up to defeat Cao Cao in Chibi. Does your Majesty still remember it?"
Not to mention Sun Quan, even Lu Xun, who was sitting next to him, had his eyelids twitching.
Because of the Jingzhou incident, he was still one of the masterminds.
Normally, it is fine for Wu State to brag internally, but bragging in front of Shu State is not only risky, but also requires a face as thick as a city wall.
After all, the matter of betrayal of alliance is really a sensitive topic nowadays.
Sun Quan was very unhappy after hearing Chen Zhen’s words:
So after all is said and done, you Han people just don’t believe us, right?
Since the words had come to this point, Lu Xun had no choice but to say, "The oath of alliance does require sincerity."
"Next to Youzhou is Liaodong. Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong has always had contacts with our country of Wu."
“If we can get help from Liaodong Gongsun Yuan, wouldn’t it be much easier for our country of Wu to take Youzhou than it is for the country of Han?”
Chen Zhen frowned slightly when he heard this. He really didn't know the news.
"Chen Weiwei also said just now that the Han Dynasty has vowed to destroy Wei, so don't we, the Wu Kingdom, have the intention to seek thief? Therefore, we, the Wu Kingdom, can seize this Youzhou."
Chen Zhen knew that Lu Xun would not lie to him, but he was unwilling to let go easily: "But if this is the case, I, a big man, will lose a state in vain, which is inconsistent with both emotion and reason."
Sun Quan, who was sitting on the throne, finally spoke: "Then how about exchanging Yanzhou for Youzhou?"
"Chen Weiwei, please take a look," Sun Quan pointed to the map of the thirteen states in the world, "Although Yanzhou is south of the river, it is close to Jizhou and the connection is quite convenient."
"Moreover, the central plains of Guandong are rich, and Yanzhou is much better than the bitter and cold places like Youzhou. By exchanging it, Han not only did not lose, but actually took advantage."
Anyway, Yanzhou is located in the center of Wei State's hinterland, separated from Wu State by Xuzhou and Yuzhou. If you really want to take it, it will be too difficult.
Unlike Youzhou, if it had the support of Gongsun Yuan, Wu could reach there directly by sea.
How could Chen Zhen not know what Sun Quan was thinking, but for the Han Dynasty, Youzhou and Yanzhou were equally far away.
One is in the north of Jizhou and the other is in the south of Jizhou.
In the future, if the Han Dynasty can really attack Jizhou, it doesn't matter which one they take.
So he agreed after a little thought.
The news that Han and Wu set up high altars, publicly swore an alliance, and vigorously dealt with Cao Wei spread to the north, making Cao Rui, who had barely stabilized the domestic situation, very angry.
But this is not the worst news.
After all, Shu and Wu have already joined forces.
What made him feel even worse was that he heard news from Hanzhong and Longyou that the Shu people had sent troops to Liangzhou a few months ago.
Some people say that Liangzhou had to surrender under the attack of the Shu army due to insufficient military strength.
Some people say that it was Liangzhou officials who took the initiative to lead the Shu army into Liangzhou.
Some people even say that it was the Qiang and Hu rebellion in Liangzhou that gave the Shu people a chance...
There is all kinds of news, and there are different opinions.
It's just that news from Liangzhou and Guanzhong is cut off. Official news from the government between the two places has to go through the desert north of Anding, which can only be exchanged every few months.
Most of them used the caravans between Longyou and Guanzhong to gather information.
The Shu brocade produced in Shu is a rare and luxurious color in the Central Plains.
Even Cao Rui himself liked it very much.
Wool materials are even more necessary for the army in winter.
So although the two sides are at war with each other, the caravan exchanges are becoming more frequent.
Of course, in these caravans, there is indispensable work from both sides.
No matter which caravan the news comes from, no matter what the content is, there is one thing in common, that is, the Shu people are marching into Liangzhou, and the situation in Liangzhou is very unfavorable.
Sun Quan proclaimed himself emperor and swore an alliance with the Shu people. Liangzhou was most likely lost. Although he had been mentally prepared for it, Cao Rui was still upset.
Only in his third year after he ascended the throne, he transferred the three auxiliary ministers with real power out of Luoyang, leaving only one Chen Qun who did not hold military power.
This will quickly reduce the influence of the auxiliary ministers on the DPRK and China, so that they can monopolize power.
This kind of method can be regarded as a person who is well versed in checks and balances and understands the emperor's mind.
If the incident between Shu and Wu had not happened, what Cao Rui planned to do next was to learn from Emperor Wu, go beyond the nine-level Zhongzheng system, and issue an order seeking talents to weaken the family's control over the court.
It’s just that God does not fulfill people’s wishes.
Last year's two major defeats in the west and south forced him to continue to compromise with the family in order to secure the stability of Cao Wei's regime.
This year has just been stable, and he has not had time to breathe, and the bad news came from the connection. He was so angry that he smashed several tea cups in Xitang.
The expensive wool carpet on the floor was soaked by tea splashes and looked a little dirty.
So Cao Rui began to summon important officials in the court to discuss matters.
"The Wei Dynasty is the righteousness of the world; the Shu captives steal the western frontier; the Wu bandits are the barbarians across the Yangtze River. I am the emperor and live in the world, but I am constantly being bullied by the rats."
“I think about the time when Emperor Wu raised weak troops and brought peace to the world, Emperor Wen repeatedly suppressed the river, and Sun Quan bowed his head. If I don’t behead the rats of Shu and Wu, how can I have the dignity to go to the ancestral temple to offer sacrifices?”
Cao Rui was still angry and said to the ministers below.
The first person to stand up and oppose was Tingwei Gaorou.
“The two captives are cunning and have the hidden intention of peeking into the Central Plains. They plan to start a war and are unwilling to restrain their hands. They use remote areas to expand their troops and expand their weapons, making the people miserable.”
"The Wei Dynasty is located in the Central Plains. It is suitable to raise livestock, repair and manage the soldiers, and treat them with ease. Your Majesty is in charge of the state affairs. Instead of rushing to use force, it is better to stop building palaces and live with the people."
“Just wait for the two captives to change, and then attack them with elite troops, and you will get twice the result with half the effort.”
After Cao Pi usurped the Han Dynasty and proclaimed himself emperor, he built a lot of construction projects in Luoyang. He changed the two palaces that had existed side by side since the Han Dynasty and formed a palace layout with Taiji Hall as the center.
Simply because of the short time and the ongoing war, the palace was never completed.
So the construction of the royal ancestral temple began.
At the same time, I want to take this opportunity to expand the Taiji Palace to a few more palaces.
This is what Gao Rou said.
Cao Rui was already angry. When he heard that Gao Rou not only did not support him, he also advised him to stop recruiting civilians.
He immediately said sternly: "The affairs of the ancestral temple and the important affairs of the country, Gao Tingwei, you have passed!"
Gao Rou refused to budge: "Your Majesty, I am talking about the construction of the palace."
Cao Rui could no longer hold back his anger and rushed to his forehead:
“In the past, when Emperor Wen was conquering Wu, the Empress Dowager was guarding the palace in the rear. When it rained heavily, the palace was flooded.”
“The Queen Mother, with her noble body and the hearts of the people, has no choice but to stay in the water.”
"Nowadays, there are many leaks in the palace. If the previous incident happens again, does Gao Tingwei want the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager to settle in the water again?"
“Do you want to trap me in a place of unfilial piety and be abandoned by the world?”
Gao Rou quickly fell to the ground and said, "I don't dare."
“Don’t you dare to retreat?”
Cao Rui scolded.
The leader of the army, Yang Ji, stood up, stood up and bowed: "Your Majesty, the two kingdoms of Shu and Wu have just pledged their alliance, and it is a time when their morale is sharp. I think it is better for your Majesty to be patient for a while and wait for the opportunity."
“Furthermore, Wu has dangerous rivers, and Shu has mountain passes. If your Majesty raises his troops to the south, then Shu will come from the west; if your majesty raises his troops to the west, then Wu will come from the south.”
"No matter which side attacks first, once the war breaks out, it cannot be stopped suddenly. It will only give the other side an opportunity to take advantage of it."
The central leader leads the imperial army. He has a high and powerful position and can only be appointed by the royal confidants.
As a general, Yang Ji is different from Gao Rou in terms of military say.
Cao Rui also had to pay attention to his words.
“Moreover, the Luoyang Forbidden Army suffered many battle losses in the battle of Longyou last year, and they have not yet recovered their strength.”
“The guards who guard the army are the elite of the country and the foundation of protecting the country. If the damage is too great, how can we frighten the generals in charge of the army in all directions?”
Cao Rui was speechless.
"The Lord cannot be angry and raise an army, nor can he be angry and lead to war. Now Your Majesty is angry, his mind is blocked by anger, and he talks lightly about war, which is not what the Lord is doing."
Yang Ji argued hard and did not give Cao Rui any face.
Cao Rui became more and more angry: "Since the soldiers are armed and strong, they are responsible for destroying the stubborn invaders. How can they stop fighting out of fear of injury?"
Yang Ji asked again: "The two countries of Shu and Wu may be separated by dangerous mountains or separated by water. I wonder which country your Majesty wants to conquer first?"
Cao Rui replied:
"The state of Wu was blocked by a large river. First Emperor Wu withdrew his troops from Chibi, and then Emperor Wen tried to attack several times but was unable to cross the river."
“What Wu relies on is the advantage of boats. It can fight on water but cannot fight on land. Therefore, it has more than enough to defend but not enough to advance.”
“But the Kingdom of Shu is different. Zhuge Pifu is vicious and takes advantage of the Wei Kingdom’s unpreparedness to seize Longyou, cut off Liangzhou, and peek into Guanzhong. This must be guarded against.”
“In addition, our great Wei cavalry is the best in the world, and it is our advantage to fight Shu on land, so we attack Shu first.”
Yang Ji retorted loudly:
“Emperor Wu started his campaign against Zhang Lu, bringing a hundred thousand troops to the campaign in person to give instructions and strategies. He even harvested wheat and beans from the people as military food.”
"Zhang Wei (Zhang Lu's younger brother) was just a mediocre man, leading the army to guard the dangerous pass. Although Emperor Wu had elite soldiers and tiger generals, his army was unable to do anything."
"After fighting for three days, I wanted to withdraw my troops and return them. I looked at Zhang Lu's army and sighed, saying: "I have been in the army for thirty years, but how can I hold it for one day?"
“Fortunately, Tianzuo defeated the Wei Dynasty, and Zhang Lu’s defense collapsed on its own, so it was settled. At the same time, during the Battle of Hanzhong, Emperor Wu organized his army for half a year, and after entering Hanzhong for only two months, he led the army and retreated.”
“After this battle, Emperor Wu once said that Hanzhong is really a prison, which shows how difficult it is to enter Shu. I wonder how your majesty compares to Emperor Wu. Do you dare to talk about attacking Shu?”
Cao Rui argued: "If Emperor Wu can't do it, how can I say that he can? But the soldiers asked for a battle, thinking that if they don't march to take it, the two captives will not be able to destroy themselves."
"Therefore, I want to let the soldiers try it out to see the thieves' flaws. If it doesn't work and the time has not come yet, isn't it okay to imitate King Wu of Zhou to join forces in Jin and then return?"
…
In this discussion, most of the ministers advised Cao Rui to put the people's livelihood first and not to use swords lightly.
Although Cao Rui knew that what the ministers said was quite reasonable, as a monarch, he already felt a sense of urgency.
Last year's two major defeats, coupled with the death of Grand Sima Cao Xiu, forced him to compromise with the family in order to stabilize the domestic situation.
If this continues, the imperial power of the Cao family will only be further threatened by the family, which is something he does not want to see.
So in order to establish authority and at the same time reduce Longyou's pressure on Guanzhong, he had to fight another battle, and it had to be a victory.
Cao Rui noticed that Liu Ye was the only one among the ministers who did not stand up and speak.
With all the important ministers objecting, Cao Rui had to temporarily cancel the meeting.
After all the ministers had retreated, Cao Rui summoned Liu Ye to the study.
"As discussed just now, everyone in our audience disagrees with the attack on Shu, except Duke Liu who didn't say a word. I wonder if we can know what Duke Liu is thinking?"
Cao Rui asked.
Liu Ye looked around.
Cao Rui retreated with all his strength.
Liu Ye then said: "I think it can be cut down."
When Cao Rui heard this, he was overjoyed: "All the ministers in the court are scholars, how can they know about military affairs? Only Mr. Liu has the courage and wisdom, and his words are tangible, which is very consistent with my wishes. Please try your words."
Liu Ye said: "The Jincheng Tangchi in Guanzhong is a fertile land in Shu. Qin unified the six countries because of it; the emperor of the Han Dynasty took advantage of it and the Han Dynasty lived on it for more than 400 years."
"Now the Shu captives have all the Shu territory, and they have stolen Longyou to get a glimpse of the pass. How can we guard the pass without Longyou? If there is a loss in the pass, the Shu people will become powerful!"
"Therefore, Longyou must be taken, and Shu must be conquered."
Cao Rui nodded repeatedly: "This is a great thing to say!"
Cao Rui stayed with Liu Ye for a long talk before releasing him from the palace.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Liu Ye returned to his house, the concierge reported: "The Chinese leader is here to visit."
Yang Ji valued Liu Ye very much and had a good personal relationship with him. He often came to Liu Ye's house.
Seeing Liu Ye finally come back from the palace, he asked, "Zi Yang really made it easy for me to wait."
Liu Ye put a smile on his face and said affectionately: "Excuse me for waiting for so long. It's my fault."
Yang Ji had some anxiety on his face: "In today's court meeting, everyone advised your Majesty not to attack Shu easily, but Zi Yang remained silent."
“I came here this time just to ask Ziyang what he thinks: Do you agree with the defeat of Shu, or do you disagree?”
Liu Ye said seriously: "Today at the court meeting, all the ministers said that Shu cannot be attacked. How could I not know the harm of attacking Shu?"
"Especially Xiuxian, it is right to use Emperor Wu's words to persuade His Majesty. Therefore, Shu must never be conquered!"
Yang Ji breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Liu Ye with a smile:
“After the court meeting, His Majesty left Zi Yang alone, which shows how much His Majesty values Zi Yang.”
“I think the person who can persuade His Majesty to give up his intention to use swords is none other than Ziyang.”
“Since Ziyang said it cannot be cut, he must have persuaded Your Majesty?”
Liu Ye nodded: "That's natural."
(End of this chapter)