Wei Ni

The Wei State's plan to attack Gongsun of Liaodong did not cause any waves in the government of Shu State.

After Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Shu, died at Wuzhangyuan, Shu also sent Ma Dai, who had obeyed Yang Yi's order to kill Wei Yan, as the chief general to lead the troops through Baoxia Valley. However, Sima Yi, the governor of Yongliang of Wei, did not show up, and only sent his general Niu Jin to fight, and defeated Ma Dai.

This result was very surprising to the Shu Kingdom.

You know, when the Shu Xiang and Wei Yan were still around, they beat the arrogant and brave generals of Wei State and made them "fear Shu like a tiger"! Now, the Shu soldiers who are best at mountain warfare were defeated by the Wei army in the Qinling Valley. The psychological gap is huge.

We must also learn from our mistakes, temporarily switch to strategic defense, and take time to adjust our troops and tactics.

Therefore, when the Shu Kingdom's rulers, ministers, and soldiers heard about Wei's attack on Gongsun of Liaodong, no one thought of suggesting taking advantage of this opportunity to send troops to Yongliang.

The situation in Wu was roughly the same.

Last time, Jiangdong and Shu Kingdom joined forces to launch a massive northern expedition with three armies. They used a strategy of deceiving the world and placed their main forces on the battlefield in Xuzhou, but the result was still unsuccessful.

Especially since they sent out troops later than Shu and withdrew earlier but returned empty-handed, this made Sun Quan somewhat depressed.

He is not young anymore.

As Shu's Northern Expedition was ineffective, he felt that he could not carry on alone, so he did not intend to take this opportunity to do anything against Wei.

After all, he naturally did not believe the Wei Kingdom's edict claiming to have an army of "80,000" to attack Liaodong.

The rulers and ministers of Jiangdong were very familiar with this practice of falsely claiming military strength.

It is believed that Wei State only needs 40,000 at most. Based on the number of Wei State's Youzhou border troops, it can be concluded that the Luoyang Central Army that participated in the expedition may have only 10,000 troops. Let us ask, if the main force of Wei State's Luoyang Central Army is still not moving, what advantage can Jiangdong gain by sending troops to invade Wei State?

But this news still slightly changed Sun Quan's mind.

This was the treatment of the first wave of envoys from Liaodong.

Originally, when the first wave of envoys from Liaodong arrived in Jiangdong, Sun Quan was not even interested in meeting them. He directly called on the head of his personal guards, Gu Li, to kill them all.

To relieve the hatred in his heart and avenge the envoy who had died tragically in Liaodong.

After learning that the Liaodong envoys also brought 200 war horses, he changed his mind slightly. He detained them first and asked the officials to question them, and then executed them after the matter was settled.

Considering the hard work they put in to bring the war horses from afar, just leave their bodies intact and don't have to hang their heads on the city gate.

Because the envoys from Goguryeo had arrived long before the envoys from Liaodong.

Not only did they bring the news of the truce with Gongsun Yuan in Liaodong, they also made a well-reasoned analysis that a war between Liaodong and Wei was about to break out. They also requested Jiangdong to join forces with them in order to attack Liaodong after the war between Wei and Gongsun Yuan ended, arguing that they would become vassals of Wu and pay tribute to Wu with war horses.

If Gongsun Yuan won by chance, it would be like beating a drowning dog and killing him while he is weak.

And if Wei occupied Liaodong, it would be like the mantis stalking the cicada while the oriole was waiting behind, taking advantage of the fact that the Wei army was not yet firmly established.

Even the plan for distributing post-war benefits had been thought out in advance.

Goguryeo occupied the land, while Jiangdong, which was unable to occupy it, obtained people, wealth and supplies - as long as Jiangdong could take them away, even if the population, war horses and baggage of the four counties of Liaodong were all emptied, Goguryeo would not say a word and even let its own soldiers help Jiangdong load the ships!

This proposal made Sun Quan quite excited.

Not only did he think it was feasible, but also he wanted to make up for all his previous failed navigation decisions at once from the four counties of Liaodong.

King~
It is important to prove that you are right and maintain your prestige.

But unexpectedly, Goguryeo's proposal was unanimously refuted by Jiangdong officials.

The reason is that Goguryeo cannot be trusted.

Moreover, when the ministers were opposing, they mentioned very vaguely that Gongsun Yuan had used the same excuse when he had sent people to pledge allegiance and agreed to join the North and South in fighting against the State of Wei. But when it came to turning against the Wei State, there was no hesitation at all.

If Goguryeo, thousands of miles away, followed the same path as Gongsun Yuan, what could Wu do to them? As the saying goes, "Every failure makes you wiser." Wu couldn't afford to fall twice in the same place.
Faced with the rebuttal that facts speak louder than words, Sun Quan didn't get angry at all.

But when the Wei Kingdom's edict to attack Liaodong was announced to the world, Sun Quan found a reason - the main general in the attack on Liaodong was Xiahou Hui, the enemy he swore to heaven in front of Sun Shao's tomb that he would kill him as soon as possible!

Moreover, at this time, Gongsun Yuan’s second wave of envoys had just arrived.

The arrival of 300 high-quality war horses from Liaodong made all the generals and officers in Jiangdong smile with joy; and the news from the envoy that Gongsun Yuan had proclaimed himself king and changed the reign title to Shao Han further proved that the Gongsun family of Liaodong would no longer be tolerated by the Wei State.

As for Gongsun Yuan's claim in the letter to the country that the two evil villains Lun Zhi and Jia Fan, who had previously persuaded him to kill the envoys of Wu State, had already been executed in the market, Sun Quan simply skipped over it.

Sun Quan is not a three-year-old child.

How could Lun Zhi and Jia Fan be the culprits behind Gongsun Yuan's past reversals?

But this is not important.

The important thing is that Gongsun Yuan's sincerity this time was sufficient to make the Jiangdong officials feel that they could discuss it carefully.

Not to think about how to rescue Gongsun Yuan.

Instead, they worked together to figure out how Jiangdong could benefit from this war.

Goguryeo and Gongsun Yuan are equally untrustworthy, but Jiangdong can choose not to conspire with them and seek its own interests!
Therefore, the first wave of Liaodong envoys, who were originally intended to be sacrificed, were released from prison and allowed to enjoy the same treatment as the second wave of envoys.

A minister of the Wu State also offered a strategy.

He was the Prince's Secretary Yang Xun (a native of Nanyang, not the father of Prince Taiyang Hu).

First of all, Yang Xin believed that killing the envoy could certainly vent his anger, but it was not what a king should do, so he asked Sun Quan to release the envoy to demonstrate the tolerance of the State of Wu.

Secondly, he suggested that Sun Quan should agree to Gongsun Yuan's request.

Accepting Gongsun Yuan as a minister again and claiming that they would send troops to rescue him would boost his power and make the Liaodong soldiers and commoners fight against Wei more desperately. The more difficult and time-consuming it would be for Wei to attack Liaodong, the more it would be, which would be a welcome thing for the hostile Wu.

Finally, this military expedition will benefit the State of Wu no matter what.

Because Wei knew that Jiangdong and Gongsun Yuan had fallen out long ago, they certainly did not expect that Wu would send troops to rescue them regardless of past grudges. From a tactical point of view, it was a surprise attack.

Moreover, this time they went there under the pretext of rescue, but in reality they were taking advantage of the situation to rob.

If we send troops to Liaodong, we can first investigate the terrain and geography along the coast, and then decide how to use the troops after seeing the war situation between Liaodong and Wei.

If the war was at a stalemate or Wei was losing, then the fleet would be sent to the mouth of the Liao River to attack Wei's food supply and force Wei to withdraw its troops. In this way, even if Wu did not fire a single arrow, Gongsun Yuan would be grateful to Jiangdong and would not hesitate to plunder the local area and give a large gift to repay the rescue.

After all, Gongsun Yuan also knew that after the war with the State of Wei, the only State of Wu in the world could help him.

Moreover, in order to ensure that Jiangdong would come to Wei's rescue in the future, he would not be stingy with war horses and money at this time.
Then there is nothing to say.

They took advantage of the situation to attack the coastal counties and towns of Liaodong, plundering people and property to avenge their grievances and make up for the losses incurred in previous voyages.

Even if time and conditions permit, they could even make an appointment with Goguryeo to plunder Lelang and Daifang County and return with a full load.

Both Sun Quan and other ministers applauded Yang Xun's strategy.

Because he was well aware of the biggest concern of the rulers and ministers of Jiangdong: Wu did not need to personally join the battle this time, nor would it fight to the death with the Wei troops.

To put it bluntly, no matter how the war develops, it will not harm the foundation of the Wu State.

So the matter came to a conclusion.

Sun Quan hosted a banquet for the Liaodong envoys and told them clearly that Jiangdong would certainly send troops to help. To increase credibility, he also revealed the Battle of Guangling that had previously led to Jiangdong's defeat, and repeated the oath he made in front of Sun Shao's tomb that he would grind Xiahou Hui, the main general of Wei's expedition against Liaodong, to dust.

Then, he asked the Liaodong envoy to return as soon as possible on the grounds that the military situation was urgent.

He also wrote a letter personally and gave it to Gongsun Yuan.

In the letter, he addressed Gongsun Yuan as "brother" and warned Xiahou Hui that although he was young, he was actually a treacherous person, known for his boldness and ability to use surprises in his military operations. He told Gongsun Yuan to be careful in dealing with him and not to take it lightly because he thought Xiahou Hui had gained his position by status.

Show full willingness to let bygones be bygones and to make peace with each other.

But just ten days after the Liaodong envoy left with profuse thanks, Sun Quan sent another envoy to Goguryeo.

It also claims that it is very interested in the proposal of the opposite house and will send troops there, but how to implement the strategy specifically will depend on the situation, on the grounds of being cautious in military affairs and being able to adapt to circumstances.

He is an expert at playing both sides and engaging in intrigue and deception.

Because no one knew that in his heart he hoped that Gongsun Yuan could resist the invasion of Wei.

There is no other reason.

He was a monarch who always put the interests of the State of Wu first.

Although he wanted to kill Gongsun Yuan as soon as possible due to his anger at being betrayed, his reason told him that the best outcome for the Wu State was that Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong was not destroyed.

Firstly, as long as Gongsun Yuan, who openly proclaimed himself king, was still alive, no matter whether the Wei Kingdom failed once or twice, in order to prove that it was destiny for the Wei Dynasty to replace the Han Dynasty, the Wei Emperor Cao Rui would fight to the death in Liaodong no matter how much national strength he lost.

Another reason was that Goguryeo had no chance of occupying Liaodong and replacing Gongsun Yuan.

Even if Gongsun Yuan was destroyed, the soldiers and common people of Liaodong would rather be prisoners of Wei than be guests of Goguryeo!
This is the pride that has been formed since the Qin and Han Dynasties.

As Han people, how can we submit to foreigners?

Therefore, if Gongsun Yuan had not been destroyed, he would have done his best to submit to the State of Wu, which meant that the State of Wu would be able to continue to trade war horses from Liaodong and form cavalry to enhance its national strength.

Considering the pros and cons, it is not surprising that Sun Quan had this idea.

As it turned out, his idea was not wrong at all.

Emperor Cao Rui of Wei, who was far away in the Xuchang Palace, was determined to conquer Liaodong. After ordering the Zhenhu Department in Yecheng, Jizhou, to march north to Liaoxi County, he also specially sought out General Jiang Ji for private advice.

He asked Jiang Ji to accompany him on his eastern tour because the war against Liaodong was about to begin and he wanted to ask for advice at any time.

What Cao Rui asked was whether Jiangdong would really send troops to rescue Liaodong.

After Sun Quan sent the Liaodong envoy back, he ordered the navy to be ready and announced with great fanfare that he would rush to Liaodong to provide assistance.

Jiang Ji, who was well aware of the characters of the rulers and ministers of Jiangdong, bluntly stated that the Wu army would definitely not get involved in the war between Wei and Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong.

There are three reasons.

First, the army moves for the purpose of advantage.

If Sun Quan was really willing to sacrifice the lives of the Jiangdong soldiers, why would he go all the way to Liaodong to fight with the Wei Kingdom?
Wouldn't it be better to attack Huainan or Jingxiang directly? If they win in these two places, they can occupy the land. If they win in Liaodong, they can also protect Gongsun Yuan's foundation. What if Gongsun Yuan betrays again?
Secondly, the officials of Jiangdong will never forget Gongsun Yuan’s fickleness and the humiliation he brought to Jiangdong.

Even though Sun Quan knew that it would be more beneficial to the State of Wu if Gongsun Yuan was not destroyed, he could not possibly risk the wrath of his subjects and send his soldiers to rescue him at all costs!

Thirdly, it is common sense that military strategies should be kept secret.

If Jiangdong really wanted to rescue Liaodong with all its heart, Sun Quan would not have announced the matter to the outside world and alerted Wei.

However, after Jiang Ji made his solemn assertion and explained his reasons, he proposed another possibility: given the profit-seeking and opportunistic nature of the Jiangdong monarchs and ministers, they might launch a surprise attack with light troops and take advantage of the battle between Wei and Liaodong to fish in troubled waters and reap benefits.

Emperor Cao Rui didn't know whether to agree with this.

He nodded and smiled to show that he understood, and then let the matter go.

This also made Jiang Ji somewhat puzzled and hesitant.

I am puzzled because I am not sure whether Emperor Cao Rui just smiled and said that he didn't care or he had expected it.

The reason why he hesitated was that he wanted to advise Cao Rui to send more troops to Xiahou Hui and Guanqiu Jian. Even if he did not send more troops, he would still write a letter to remind them, in case Jiangdong really took action as he expected and succeeded.

But recently, Cao Rui also asked the governors of the three major war zones, Sima Yi, Man Chong and Xiahou Ru, to write a report to analyze the pros and cons of the war against Liaodong in order to fill in the gaps.

However, Sima Yi and others all submitted their memorials, but Cao Rui only glanced at them and then left.

He didn't even call together the important officials to discuss the matter.

So, after hesitating for a moment, Jiang Ji finally decided that it was better to have less trouble than more, and gave up the idea of ​​continuing to give advice.

So, when he said goodbye and left, Cao Rui's look on his back was full of melancholy.

Because in fact Cao Rui was waiting and expecting him to continue giving advice.

But what I got was silence is golden.

He had never doubted Jiang Ji's loyalty, but now he felt that Jiang Ji, who had dared to speak out against the late Emperor Cao Pi, was finally "old".

He is the kind of "old" person who has been immersed in worldly affairs and official career for a long time.

At least, in the things he was going to reform, Jiang Ji was too old to be able to do the job. (End of this chapter)