Chapter 773 Defeat Shu
In May of the eighth year of Jianxing, the Empress Dowager Bian of Cao Wei died, and she was given the posthumous title of Empress Wu Xuan Bian.
The coffin stopped in the palace, Cao Rui was crying, accompanied by officials and officials, all wearing white single clothes and no white hats.
Cao Rui was extremely sad and could not handle political affairs for ten consecutive days. His ministers persuaded Cao Rui to put the world first.
Cao Rui reluctantly accepted his sorrow and went to court again.
Empress Wuxuan gave birth to Emperor Wen Cao Pi, King Cao Zhang of Rencheng Wei, King Cao Zhi of Dong'a, and King Cao Xiong of Xiaohuai.
His face does not change when he is angry, he does not lose his temper when he is happy, he is frugal by nature, he is not showy, he has no writing or embroidery, and all his utensils are black.
Not only did he win the respect of Emperor Wu Cao Cao, but he also set an example and created a simple and frugal style in Cao Wei's harem. He also often suppressed the influence of his relatives, had maternal etiquette and virtues, and was respected by all officials.
Now that he has died, the whole country of Wei is crying bitterly.
In July, Gaoling (Cao Cao's tomb) was opened in Xiandao, and he was buried with Emperor Wu. The funeral ceremonies of Changle Taipu, Shaofu, and Dachang were held.
The city of Luoyang is plain white.
Just when the eyes of the world fell on the funeral of Empress Dowager Bian, in the east hall of Taiji Hall, Cao Rui, who was supposed to attend the funeral in person, was sitting on the throne wearing white clothes.
Those sitting next to him are all important ministers of Cao Wei and the emperor's close ministers, such as Sikong Chenqun, Taiwei Hua Xin, Zhongshu Ling Sun Zi, Zhongshu Ling Liu Fang, Shizhong Liu Ye, Zhongjun leader Yang Ji, etc.
What is placed on Cao Rui's desk is a memorial sent by Cao Zhen who was guarding Guanzhong.
It mentioned:
The Shu people took advantage of Wei's unpreparedness and attacked Longyou, cutting off Liangzhou and peeking into Guanzhong.
Now I heard that the Shu people are approaching Liangzhou, and Liangzhou is in danger.
If Liangzhou is lost, the Shu people can invade Guanzhong with all their strength. If Guanzhong is disturbed, the Central Plains will be uneasy.
It is necessary to take advantage of Liangzhou's heart to Wei, to send troops from Guanzhong, or from the oblique road, or enter Longyou west to re -pass Liangzhou.
I have been planning for a long time, and the officers and men in Guanzhong are united, and all the generals are advancing together, and they can defeat it greatly.
Cao Rui had several copies of this memorial passed to the people below for viewing, and asked: "Do you think the general's method is acceptable?"
Chen Qun frowned after reading Cao Zhen's memorial.
Empress Wuxuan is now preparing to be buried. It’s okay for the emperor not to go according to etiquette.
After all, it makes sense that the two captives of Shu and Wu are watching, and state affairs come first.
It's just that Cao Zhen, as a member of the royal family, actually wanted to encourage the emperor to engage in war during the national mourning period, which was not the way for a minister.
More importantly, the emperor not only did not feel anything was wrong, but instead summoned his ministers to discuss the matter, and his intention was self-evident.
He turned his head slightly and saw that many people were looking at him with worried eyes.
Chen Qun knew what he meant, and as an auxiliary minister, he naturally had to be the first to stand up: "Your Majesty, the conquest of Shu is a matter of great importance, so we must not be careless."
"In the past, when Emperor Taizu wanted to attack Zhang Lu, he harvested more beans and wheat in advance to increase the army's food supply. However, before Zhang Lu attacked, the grain and grass were exhausted. Now Guanzhong is desolate, and there is no way to get food from the land."
“If grain is transported from Guandong, the loss will be too great, and the sloping valley is dangerous, making it difficult to advance or retreat. The Shu people are familiar with the terrain and will definitely select elite troops to attack the grain road.”
"In this case, the only way to do this is to leave more troops to guard important places. This will also cost more troops, so we must carefully consider this."
Cao Rui nodded, "What Sikong said is true. But Sikong doesn't know something. In the past two years, grain and grass have been transported from Guandong to Guanzhong day and night, which has already been enough to supply the army in Guanzhong."
“Therefore, the matter of grain and grass is not something to worry about. As for the danger of the inclined valley, it is not even a problem. The general also said that from Guanzhong to Hanzhong, one must only go through the inclined valley.”
"Especially Ziwu Valley, you can go directly from Chang'an to Hanzhong. Even if you can't go to Ziwu Valley, you can still walk back to the middle road, take Longyou and then go down to Hanzhong."
Chen Qun was good at governing the world and was not very familiar with military matters.
He has only heard about the dangers of the Shu Road, but he has only heard of the name of the Xiegu Ziwu Valley, but has not seen its details.
Now that Cao Rui said this, although I feel wrong, I don't know where to start.
In addition, the turmoil of the flashy case has just subsided. As the only auxiliary minister in Luoyang, his identity is indeed a bit sensitive and it is difficult to say too much.
But after Chen Qun started, people naturally followed to give advice.
Taiwei Hua Xin also stood up: "Your Majesty is so holy and virtuous. In the prosperous age of Kangxi, I would like to pay attention to governance first, and conquest as a later matter."
“But if China is to be free from hunger and cold, and the people are not disloyal, then the two thieves can wait and be eliminated.”
Cao Rui didn't know how many times he heard such big and empty words.
He opened his mouth and said: "The thieves rely on the mountains and rivers, and they are still unable to bring peace when Emperor Wu and Emperor Wen are there. How dare I say that they will be destroyed?"
“It’s just that the two captives were fierce and stubborn, and the generals in the army thought that they would be unable to defeat them unless they attacked with troops, so they used troops to detect their provocation.”
“If the time has not come yet, I have learned from the past and can learn from King Wu of Zhou in attacking Zhou, join forces and make an alliance in Tianjin and return to the army, respecting and not forgetting the warning.”
Hua Xin sighed in his heart when he heard that the emperor had moved out even King Wu of Zhou Dynasty. He knew that the emperor was determined.
Seeing that both Sikong and Taiwei were unable to persuade the emperor, one man couldn't stand it anymore and stood up and said loudly:
“Your Majesty, it is absolutely impossible to attack Shu at this time!”
Cao Rui took a closer look and saw that it was Yang Ji, the leader of the army.
Although Yang Ji was a close minister of the emperor, he was the most determined to not attack Shu.
This is not the first time that he has opposed the cutting of Shu in public.
Cao Rui scolded: "You are just a scholar, how can you know about military matters?"
Yang Ji thanked him and said, "I came from the late Confucian period. I have received great favor from your majesty. I was selected from among the best of the ministers and placed on top of the six armies. I have a small heart and dare not keep silent."
"Lu Xun of Wu State was only a scholar, but he was able to defeat Liu Bei in Yiling. How can your Majesty say that a scholar is not enough to do military affairs?"
Cao Rui said angrily: "Can you compare yourself to Lu Xun?"
Yang Ji says goodbye:
"I am stupid and dare to ask your majesty. The people of Shu and Wu have openly formed an alliance. If the Wei Dynasty attacks Shu, the people of Wu will follow suit. If the events of the second year of Taihe are repeated, the Wei people will be in danger! Your majesty must not be careless."
When Cao Rui heard this, his face suddenly became extremely ugly.
The two major defeats in the second year of Taihe were the shame of his life. At this time, when Yang Ji mentioned it in public, he felt very angry.
"In the second year of Taihe, the Shu people took advantage of the Wei Dynasty's unpreparedness and attacked Longyou. The Wu people were shameless and ignored their faith, and lured them to surrender. It was only then that Da Sima was deceived."
“Now it is the Wei Dynasty that takes the initiative to attack the Shu people. Plus I have already made preparations in Soochow, so the Wu people will not have another chance!”
Cao Rui thought of his arrangements in Soochow, and felt even more confident.
Yang Ji naturally understood what the emperor meant by the arrangement.
Because it was he who personally led Yinfan to see Cao Rui.
Thinking that His Majesty's plan at that time was actually prepared for today, Yang Ji understood even more clearly that His Majesty had already intended to attack Shu.
The memorial written by the general just gave His Majesty an excuse.
It’s just that Yang Ji wanted to understand, but he still didn’t back down and still insisted on his opinion:
“Since your majesty feels that the sincerity of the minister’s words is not good enough, but the minister Liu Ye, the former emperor’s adviser, often said that Shu cannot be conquered, your majesty must listen.”
"You are talking nonsense!" Cao Rui said angrily, "The servant told me that Shu can be conquered! Do you want to deceive the king?"
Everyone’s eyes turned to Liu Ye, who was sitting there and had not spoken.
Liu Ye sat quietly with his eyes lowered and said nothing, as if he had not heard the argument between Cao Rui and Yang Ji.
Cao Rui was impatient and shouted: "Liu Shizhong, I'm asking you something, why don't you answer it?"
When Liu Ye heard Cao Rui calling him, he quickly left his seat, stood up and came out, saluted Cao Rui, and then stood with his hands in awe.
Everyone thought he was going to express his opinion, but after waiting for a long time, Liu Ye still stood there without saying a word.
Cao Rui frowned and was about to urge him again when he suddenly remembered that since he came to the throne, Liu Ye seemed to rarely express his opinions in the court.
He was thoughtful, so he put aside the court discussion for the time being.
Then he asked someone to leave Liu Ye alone.
"The Duke often discussed with me the conquest of Shu. Why didn't he speak up in front of all the ministers just now?"
Cao Rui met Liu Ye alone in private, with a look of dissatisfaction on his face.
Just now all the ministers were opposed to the conquest of Shu. I thought that Liu Ye, who usually supported the conquest of Shu, would support himself despite all the opinions. Unexpectedly, he did not say a word.
Unexpectedly, Liu Ye at this time was completely different from the taciturn person in Chaochang.
His face was serious and his eyes were bright. He looked directly at Cao Rui and reprimanded him righteously:
"Conquering a country is a big plan. When I heard about the big plan, I was frightened. First I felt your majesty's kindness in my heart, and then I was afraid that I would be lax in my words."
“I am even afraid that I will reveal something about the minister and your majesty’s big plans while talking in my sleep. If you do this, it will be a crime of leaking secrets.”
"My soldiers are using deceitful tactics. The army has not yet been sent out, so it is not tiring to keep secret. Now your Majesty is openly discussing this matter. I am afraid that the enemy country has heard about it."
"Zhuge Liang is an outstanding person. When he learns about this, he will definitely know that your majesty intends to attack Shu. By then the people of Shu will be prepared, and I am afraid that what your majesty plans will cause many twists and turns."
Cao Rui was shocked when he heard these words and quickly stood up to thank him.
Then he asked: "All the important ministers in the court are opposed to the conquest of Shu. Can you give me some advice?"
Liu Ye accepted Cao Rui's gift, sat on his seat, and smiled calmly:
"How can the princes in the court know about the military affairs on the border while they are sitting in the temple? When the military is in progress, your majesty does not listen to the generals guarding the border, but instead asks the people in the court. How is it different from asking for fish by relying on trees?"
When Cao Rui heard this, he suddenly woke up, like a light suddenly appearing in darkness, and he suddenly realized:
“I was almost mistaken by the scholar in the court!”
In my heart, I have a close respect for Liu Ye.
He just thought about it for a moment and then said hesitantly: "All the important officials in the court are opposed to this matter. If I insist on asking the general to send troops, won't I be called a loner?"
Liu Ye said again: "Everyone who is a master must be in charge of the affairs alone, otherwise he will be easily deceived by his ministers."
“As for those who are ministers, they should not be monopolistic, otherwise they will easily become arrogant and deceive the emperor. This is why the emperor and his ministers are different.”
Cao Rui couldn't help but applaud: "This is a great thing to say!"
"The master should be in charge of the affairs alone, I understand his meaning!" Cao Rui sighed and said deeply, "It's just that this minister has exclusive power. Fortunately, I have never seen it."
Hearing this, Liu Ye seemed to be smiling but not smiling, and he did not answer the question.
Cao Rui was moved when he saw Liu Ye's expression, and asked tentatively: "Is it possible that there is no explanation for this?"
I could only hear Liu Ye saying slowly: "The minister has the power, and your Majesty may not have encountered it. It's just that your Majesty is generous and will not pursue it."
“Oh? What do you mean by this?”
“I once heard that Your Majesty went to the Shangshu Gate to prepare documents for a case, but was stopped by Chen Jiao, the minister’s order, and was not allowed to enter. He said that writing documents was the duty of the minister.”
“In the end, he threatened to remove himself from office and force His Majesty to return to the palace? Isn’t this considered authoritarian?”
Cao Rui's face changed when he heard Liu Ye mention this matter, and he said forcefully: "Chen Shangshu Ling is right, he is a direct minister..."
He heard what Chen Jiao said that day and apologized to Chen Jiao in shame. At this time, he naturally wanted to defend what he had said before.
"In the past, Gao Tingwei (Gao Rou) refused to obey Emperor Wen's edict. Compared with Chen Shangshu Ling, was he considered a direct minister? However, His Majesty went to listen to Chong and watch the trial many times. Did Gao Tingwei ever persuade His Majesty?"
The so-called Gao Rou did not listen to Emperor Wen's edict refers to the fact that Cao Pi had an old grudge against Bao Xun, the chief censor, and wanted to kill him for a minor mistake.
Unexpectedly, Gao Rou, who was serving as Tingwei at the time, resolutely refused to comply and must be dealt with according to the law.
Cao Pi had to find an excuse to temporarily transfer him, and then let others carry out the edict.
After killing Bao Xun, Gao Rou was transferred back to Dali Temple.
"Therefore, in my opinion, what Gao Tingwei did is what makes him a true loyal minister."
“As for Chen Jiao, it was just an act of invitation and an act of exercising exclusive power.”
Cao Rui was silent when he heard Liu Ye's words.
The two talked for a long time, and then Cao Rui released Liu Ye from the palace.
Unexpectedly, when Liu Ye was sent out of the palace, he met Yang Ji, the leader of the army.
“Zi Yang, I’ve been waiting here for a long time!”
It turned out that Yang Ji had been waiting outside the palace.
Yang Ji saluted Liu Ye, with an anxious look on his face, "Your Majesty has long had the intention of conquering Shu, and today I have heard from the general."
“I saw the look of excitement on Your Majesty’s face, and I was afraid that I had already agreed with the general’s advice.”
“Zi Yang is highly valued by your majesty, and he often tells me that Shu cannot be conquered. Just now in the palace, did I persuade your majesty..."
Before Yang Ji finished speaking, Liu Ye's expression changed drastically.
“Please be careful what you say first!”
Yang Ji was scolded by Liu Ye, and then he realized what he was doing. He looked around and apologized to Liu Ye quickly: "Zi Yang, I was really too impatient. I didn't mean it."
Liu Ye sighed and said in a low voice: "Please come back to my house with me first."
"well!"
Yang Ji responded repeatedly.
The two left in the same carriage.
Back at home, Liu Ye and Yang Ji entered the study. Before Yang Ji could speak, he spoke first:
“Do you want to know about fishing first?”
Yang Ji didn’t know what he meant.
Liu Ye explained: "If a fisherman catches a big fish, he will follow it. Only when it can be controlled can he pull the line up, and there is nothing wrong with it."
"The power of my lady master cannot be compared to that of a big fish. Therefore, if you don't care about your appearance and give direct advice, it will only backfire."
"Today, Sikong is in the court hall. Although the Taiwei persuaded him, he did not argue with His Majesty. Only Xiuxian has repeatedly given advice, and His Majesty has been dissatisfied for a long time."
“He is a sincere and straightforward minister, but his plans are not good enough, so he must think carefully.”
Yang Ji heard Liu Ye's words and remembered that what he said today was indeed a bit extreme, and His Majesty's face was indeed as Zi Yang said, a little unsightly.
My heart was suddenly startled, and I quickly thanked him: "It turns out that Ziyang doesn't want to speak in front of everyone. The reason is this. It's because I don't think well."
Yang Ji respected Liu Ye even more when he thought that Liu Ye not only had the talent to help the world, but was also far superior to him in the way of being a minister.
(End of this chapter)