Shu Chen

Chapter 230
Early winter October.

Xuzhou, Huaiyin County.

Surrounded by tiger and leopard riders and tiger guards, the frame of Wei Tianzi Cao Rui slowly moved along the Huai River.

The still green and charming scenery on both sides of the strait could not let go of his frowning eyebrows.

Sun Quan, who was informed of the news, withdrew his army before he arrived in Huainan.

However, it left him with a gloomy look.

Liaodong garrison sent people to report, claiming that Wu Quancong broke through the Liaosui Fortress and attacked Xiangping, and plundered countless people and property; Lu'an County, the prefecture of Lujiang County in Wei Dynasty, was attacked by the thief Zhu Huan; Shao and Zhang Cheng joined forces and swept across the Huai River Basin, attacking various ferry crossings to show off their military power and abduct people and loot property.

It also caused countless Li Shu in Xuzhou to be displaced, and they had no food for the winter. It was the autumn harvest when they marched.

What cannot be harvested is also set on fire.

These losses, even if Man Chong defeated Sun Quan once in Hefei Xincheng, it cannot be made up.

It's not that Man Chong is unfavorable in fighting Yangzhou Governor Wang Ling.

But after the Battle of Shiting, Wei's eastern front suffered from insufficient troops, resulting in many loopholes in the line of defense.

Who would have expected that Sun Quan would no longer be limited to the strategically important city of Hefei in Huainan, nor would he be limited to conquering the city, but would instead rely on the elite navy to move around and plunder people and supplies?

Moreover, Cao Rui was also worried that after Sun Wu made a profit this time, he feared that the tactics of sending troops in the future would be like this.

For example, Cheng Xi, the governor of Qingzhou, has a written statement, claiming that after the thief Quan Cong returned from plundering Liaodong, he actually led the fleet to cruise along the coast of Donglai, Qingzhou again, intending to land.Later, because the guarded soldiers found his whereabouts, Fang Yangfan left.

It's not that Wei Guo couldn't resist.

But Yang, Xu, Qing and even Jizhou and Youzhou all have inlets suitable for landing.

If all the states and counties are guarded by troops, the daily wear and tear will be a large expenditure.

However, if no changes are made, the main focus will still be on defending the city. With Jiangdong's naval forces moving across the sea and their whereabouts are uncertain, the defenders in the states and counties will be exhausted again.

After all, although marching by sea is a bit dangerous, it is much more convenient than marching by land.

What's more, once Sun Wu's Fuhai attack becomes the norm, Xuzhou, where the water system is criss-crossed, will fall into turmoil.Those Li Shu and powerful households could not bear the disturbance, and they might lose their respect for the Wei State.

It is believed that the State of Wei cannot protect them, which will induce rebellion or defection to the enemy.

In particular, Emperor Wu slaughtered Xuzhou too many times in the past.

Moreover, it is not too long before Emperor Wen eliminates Zang Ba and others to cede land and raise troops.

If the hearts of the people are not attached, it is difficult to attach.

Compared with the war on the eastern front that ended in ambush, Cao Rui was slightly relieved by the results of the battle on the southern Jingzhou front.

Jiangdong Lu Xun and Zhuge Jin's troops entered Xiangyang's partial division, and with Sun Quan's retreat, they also retreated.

Among them, there are quite twists and turns.

After Lu Xun led the army to the outside of Xiangyang, he sent his confidant Han Bian to the Hefei front to report to Sun Quan the situation on the southern battlefield and the battle plan.

It just so happened that Lu Shi, the prefect of Jiangxia, was very responsible.

Although he had few soldiers and could not prevent Jiangdong from entering Jingbei from Dajiang, he ordered his soldiers to guard the Xiakou area strictly, and harassed Jiangxia, which belonged to Wu, on a small scale.

Therefore, Han Bian (known as "Chaoluo Debian" in history) who returned from Hefei was unexpectedly captured.

It is also true that through severe torture, Lu Xun obtained the overall plan of Lu Xun's northern attack on Xiangyang.

Lu Shi didn't dare to neglect, so he quickly reported to Sima Yi who had returned to Jingzhou to supervise the battle.

Sima Yi was overjoyed when he learned that, so he sent a letter to Lu Shi, telling him to prepare his troops to attack Lu Xun's troops who had already landed.

However, Zhuge Jin's troops, who led the water army to respond on the river, also learned the news of Han Bian's capture, so they informed Lu Xun, who was on the front line in Xiangyang, to discuss retreating.

Anyway, Sun Quan in Hefei has retired.

The dry season is about to enter again, and the two of them should also withdraw as support.

In order not to be outflanked by the cavalry dispatched by Wei Guo from Huainan, cutting off the retreat.

However, after Lu Xun received the letter, he neither replied nor withdrew his troops. Instead, he took his generals to plant beans, play chess and shoot for fun.

Zhuge Jin thought that Lu Xun was resourceful and must have plans, so he came here as the leader.

Therefore, Lu Xun was able to conspire.

It was the two men who joined forces and marched towards Xiangyang City, making a strong attack posture of not retreating but advancing.

All the soldiers and horses in Xiangyang City of Wei State had already left the city and stationed in the field, ready to take Lu Xun back to the army to hide and kill.

Seeing Lu Xun and Zhuge Jin attacking side by side, they were all shocked and retreated back to the city in a hurry.

But he didn't want to, Wu Jun was bluffing.

When the Wei army entered the city to guard, Lu Xun led the army calmly boarded Zhuge Jin's supporting navy, and sailed back down the river.

At that time, Sima Yi had just reported the news that Lu Xun was going north
Although he was angry with the former governor's arrogance, he lost the opportunity to pursue and had no choice but to withdraw his troops.

However, Lu Xun did not stop there.

Nai led the army to cross the road to Baiwei (Tang Baihe Estuary), where Xu Huang once guarded, and made a big effort to cut off the connection between Xiangyang City and Sima Yi's headquarters.

This time it is not to deceive Wei Jun in Xiangyang City.

Instead, Wei Jun in Jiangxia County felt that Wu Jun would not go south in a short time.

The ruse worked again.

When Lu Xun rushed to confront Sima Yi, he secretly divided his troops and went back, attacking Nanxin City, Anlu and Shicheng in Jiangxia County successively.

Jiang Xia's defenders were caught off guard.

It was just that when the Wei army in Shiyang retreated into the city, in order to close the city gate, they had to swing their knives and kill the common people of Li who were congesting the city gate.

But it was inevitable that he was beheaded by the Wu army and captured thousands of soldiers.

Naturally, this is not because Lu Xun is reckless, but because Lu Xun does not follow the rules.

Originally, when Wu Jun went back, he could enter Dajiang directly along the Han River, and there was no need to attack Jiangxia.
In fact, Lu Xun did have other plans.

Wenpin, the former prefect of Jiangxia, has worked in the county for more than [-] years, and he has made great achievements.

His adopted son, Wenxiu, also worked in Jiangxia, and had made great contributions to the country for many years.

However, after Wenpin passed away, perhaps because Luoyang Temple feared that Jiangxia County would become a breeding ground for the Wen family's ambitions, Wenxiu was not able to inherit the post of Wenpin.

Instead, he was transferred to Lu Shi from another place.

Therefore, the defenders of Jiangxia County were divided into two forces, Lu Shi and Wenxiu.

As far as Wu Guo is concerned, it is more hoped that Wei Guoruo will serve as the prefect with Wenxiu.

Because Wenxiu's strategy is the same as Wenpin's, there is little thought of sending troops to plunder Jiangxia, Wu's family - Wenpin is from Nanyang, Jingzhou, and will not let the villagers frequently recruit soldiers for their own military exploits.

Lu style is different.

After he came to take office, he often sent troops to harass the border in order to consolidate his power, and now he has captured the messenger Han Bian.

This made Lu Xun want to get rid of him quickly.

Therefore, after plotting to attack Jiangxia County, a letter was "missed" out of thin air in Jiangxia County under the Wei Dynasty.

Letters are a way of alienation.

It was based on the premise that Lu Shi was defeated and surrendered in fear of crime, claiming that Wu Guo was willing to accept Lu Shi's request to surrender.

Let's analyze it in a Lu style. Wei Guo Luoyang decided to seize the post of Jiangxia prefect. It takes a long time for the messenger to go back and forth, so there is no need to worry too much.Claiming that he has already reported to Sun Quan, he will lead the army to escort him into Wu Yunyun before the messenger from Luoyang comes to Jiang Zhixia.

This letter was picked up by the soldiers of the confidant Lu Shi.

It also made Lu Shi's hair stand on end.

As a general guarding the border, he is the easiest to receive suspicion.

Not to mention, Wen Xiu, who is very popular in the county, is at odds with him.

Therefore, he sent the letter and his wife to Luoyang to show his loyalty.

But this move made his soldiers who had supported him feel that he was cowardly, not a person who could entrust his life, so he turned to serve Wenxiu.

His heart is lost, and his end is doomed.

Luoyang Gongqing all thought that he could no longer defend against the enemy, and held him accountable for the defeat, so he was dismissed from the post of prefect and transferred back to the court.

Among them, there is another episode.

After Lu Xun learned of the decision made by the Wei State Temple, he greeted those Li and Shu who had been captured back, and after comforting them, they released them all back.

In order to attack the heart.

After those Li Shu returned to Jiangxia County, they all preached Wu's kindness.

And those local powerful families and civil servants who supported the Lu style, compared with the Wei army slaughtering the people and closing the city gates, and fearing that Wenxiu would pursue their previous confrontation after he became the prefect, they fled to Wu State one after another.

In other words, the intensified power struggle in Wei State gave Lu Xun an opportunity to take advantage of it.

These news spread to the ears of Emperor Wei Cao Rui one after another, making him sitting in the car suddenly feel that the early winter by the Huai River is especially bleak.

Even if the low hills and the riverside where the eyes linger, they are all green and beautiful.

It also couldn't relieve his worries.

Perhaps, there are some things that should not be compromised in the first place.

Or use people without suspicion like Emperor Wu.

With a conclusion in his mind, he also issued several decisions when he continued to patrol along the Huai River to inspect Yi'an army officer Li Shuxin.

Man Chong, who was often criticized by Wang Ling, was relocated to General Zhengdong, and under the holiday, he supervised the military affairs of Yang, Qing, and Xu states.

Zang Ai, the son of the late Zang Ba, was transferred to be the governor of Qingzhou, and Tian Yu, the prefect of Runan, was transferred to be the governor of Xuzhou.

Cheng Xizheng, the former governor of Qingzhou, was transferred back to the court.

It can be regarded as overturning the old account.

Cao Rui, who has been smart since he was a child, has always vaguely guessed in his heart why Tian Yu was repeatedly slandered by his colleagues.

Whether it is Zhang Xiong, governor of Youzhou, or Cheng Xi, governor of Qingzhou, they all come from a wealthy family in the Central Plains, and they always have a heart of contempt for people on the frontier.

Will also be jealous of the achievements of others.

However, Cao Rui did not delve into it because he relied on the aristocratic family to appease the local people, and it was as they wished.

If Zhang Xiong ordered those close to him to criticize him, he would transfer Tian Yu to Runan.

Cheng Xi complained on the table, so he did not issue an edict to reward Tian Yu for attacking the Wu fleet.

But now the dispute between Lu Shi and Wenxiu has become an opportunity for Wei Guo to lose and Wu Guo to gain, which makes him vigilant.

Since these people from a wealthy family like to fight for power and profit, and self-interest is more important than the country, then he should grant power to those from a poor family.

But in any case, it is a good thing that the war between the eastern and southern fronts has disappeared.

Cao Rui spent half a month inspecting the counties and counties of Xuzhou and Yangzhou with the prestige of the emperor to appease the hearts of the people. After letting Ni Wu have an opportunity to take advantage of, he returned to Luoyang as his teacher.

He also turned his attention to the war on the Western Front.

Since the great Sima Cao Zhen sent out his troops, he came to Luoyang every ten days to report the progress of the war.

This made Luoyang's public officials often hold their own opinions and argue endlessly.

There are roughly two viewpoints.

One is that I feel that winter has already entered, and with the climate in the northwest, Nishu, who is on the defensive, will usher in more innate conveniences.

Such as pouring water into ice, strengthening the walls or camps.

If the wind and snow made it difficult to transport grain and fodder, Li Shu, who was in corvée service in Guanzhong Sanfu, might be unbearable and gather crowds to make trouble.

Therefore, their advice was that Cao Zhen should gather all his troops to attack Zhuge Liang, the prime minister against Shu, who was defending according to the favorable terrain of the river valley.As long as the main force of Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Shu, is destroyed, the building will collapse against Shu, and there will be no more danger.

On the other hand, the proposal was completely rejected.

Judging from the cautious character of Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of Shu, since he dared to go out of the city and rely on the river valley to defend, it is natural that there is a perfect plan.

It is by no means that it can be defeated by the superiority of troops.

Just like the Battle of Hanzhong in the past.

Wei Wu led a large army into Hanzhong to compete with Liu Bei of Shu, but Liu Bei fell to the camp on the mountain, waiting for work at leisure and not fighting with him.

In the end, Wei Wu was limited by transporting food for thousands of miles, and the morale of the soldiers was broken after a long period of ineffectiveness, so he had to retreat and return.

Therefore, they suggested that Cao Zhen continue to stick to the current dispatch.

With the superiority of troops, they attacked Nishu's must-defend places respectively, forcing them to disperse their troops, and then ushered in the great victory of "destroying one place and sweeping thousands of miles".

No matter how bad it is, as long as the later general Fei Yao and Wei Ping's troops break through the camp guarded by the rebellious Zheng Pu and the traitor Jiang Wei, they will also take back Xiaoguan, allowing Wei to attack Longyou endlessly.

These two differences have their own strengths.

The first is to focus on the real situation, taking into account the factors of the region and Li Shu.

The other is to focus on strategy and avoid the extravagant hope of "one battle will determine the world".

No one can convince the other.

Arguing every day made Cao Rui extremely irritable.

In his heart, he was naturally inclined to the second inference, allowing Cao Zhen to use it without hindrance.

But he couldn't say it.

Even in the private letter sent by Cao Zhen earlier, he specifically stated that after the war started, he was asked not to express his opinion.

Because there is no absolute conclusion about the outcome of the military struggle.

Once he returns in vain, or even in defeat, as long as Cao Rui does not express his opinion, Cao Zhen can at least bear all the blame alone.

He is old and sick, and his days are numbered.

So he can bear all the accusations after the defeat.

Such as great joy, no plot to harm the country, etc.

But Cao Rui, as the emperor, can never bear it.

He has not been on the throne for many years, and all his heirs have died, so he cannot withstand another blow from his prestige.

That would shake the foundation of Cao Wei.

As a clan member, Cao Zhen would rather bear the accusations of thousands of people than let this happen.

Moreover, in Cao Zhen's latest statement, there are also faint words of great success.

The camp guarded by Zheng Pu and Jiang Wei in Nishu has already been attacked by Fei Yao and Wei Ping.The cavalry of Liu Bao, the wise left king of the Xiongnu, also completely cut off the aid of the Wu squad in Ayang City, and Xiao Guandao is about to take it back!
What is even more gratifying is Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of Nishu.

After the other camp was attacked for more than a month, he seemed to have the intention of giving up the ground and going out of the valley to lead the army to rescue Xiaoguan Road.

(End of this chapter)