Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 578 Emperor Yang cracks his whip

June, Luoyang.

In the palace platform, Cao Pi and Cao Wei Shangqing sat and discussed, discussing the route of sending troops and the troops and horses.

"The water thieves were deceived by our army and wanted to divide the north and the south. Now I want to take advantage of their unpreparedness, raise troops from Luoyang, lead the three armies to cross the Huaihe River, and take Hefei directly?"

Cao Pi pointed at the map of Jianghuai and said with a smile: "The thieves are good at water but not good at riding. If you surround Hefei to lure the thieves to rescue, and then use heavy cavalry to trap them, you may gain something. If Hefei falls, there will be no barrier in Huaixi, and we will join forces to sweep Huaidong County." County, Jianghuai can be restored."

Liu Ye hesitated a little, then raised his hands and said: "Your Majesty, although the city of Hefei is small, it is close to the river and is an important town for the Huaixi thieves. Our army is marching south to Hefei, and the thieves will station their troops in Chaohu Lake for foreign aid. With reinforcements from outside, Hefei will Staying for a long time will be detrimental to our army."

"Now our army is going to the west of Huaihe, and the east of Huaibei is where the thieves are stationed to store troops and food. We are afraid that the enemy bandits will take the opportunity to go up the Huaihe River and intercept our army's food. At that time, the thieves reinforced their troops and stationed in Chaohu Lake, and sent another navy from Han If the ditch enters the Huaihe River, our army will be in danger of being attacked from the north and south. "

"I sent Xiahou Shang to send out Qingxu's troops to capture Pi and Donghai. Can't we stop the Huaidong bandits from going up the Huaihe River?" Cao Pi asked, frowning.

"Your Majesty, the thieves are good at boating. They do not use Xiapi and Donghai as their base, but use Yuzhou as their city. I heard that the people of the Eastern Sea went ashore to farm in their spare time, and returned to the island by boat in time of war. I ordered General Xiahou to march south to the two counties, fearing that they would meet They blocked the Huaibei River, and the thieves used boats and boats to cut off the Huaihe River and harass the Huaihe River's water and food routes," Liu Ye said.

Jianghuai was divided into Huaixi and Huaidong. Cao Pi tried to use his army to directly attack Hefei, and then ordered Xiahou Shang to contain the troops in Huaidong. After he defeated Hefei, he then joined forces with Xiahou Shang to sweep through the counties in Huaidong.

But it's a pity that Cao Pi's ideas are beautiful, but the reality is very skinny. Once he gathers his main force to cross the Huaihe River and attack Hefei, the Southern navy may move up the Huaihe River, cut off his military supplies, and destroy his food routes.

Cao Pi glanced at Liu Ye, slightly dissatisfied, and asked, "Zi Yang is an eminent scholar in the Jianghuai River, but he doesn't know if he can teach me anything?"

Liu Ye lowered his head, pointed to the map with his finger, and said: "Your Majesty, Ye thinks it is better to gather a large number of troops to march eastward along the Huaihe River, conquer the three cities of Zhongli, Xutai, and Huaiyin, and seize Sikou. Then he will ride south to Hefei on foot, and the boats will follow. Hangou entered the river, causing the enemy to retreat to the south of the Yangtze River."

"The three cities of Zhongli, Xutai and Huaiyin?"

Cao Pi stared at the little-known cities on the map and asked: "Who guards the three cities? How many soldiers and horses are there in the cities? How is it compared with Hefei?"

"Your Majesty, Zhongli City is guarded by the bandit general Xu Sheng, and there are three thousand soldiers and horses in the city. Xu Sheng is a brave general under Huo Jun's tent, and is known to be courageous. Huaiyin and Xutai are guarded by Quan Cong and Gao Chen, and the two cities join forces. Four to five thousand people. Quan Cong will serve as the general under Huo Jun. He can maintain his authority and win the army's morale. Gao Chen will be under his supervision."

Quan Cong served Sun Quan with his father Quan Rou in his early years. After the second Liu Dynasty destroyed the Sun family, Quan Cong surrendered with his father. After Quanrou died of illness, Quan Cong resumed his duties and was transferred to work under Huo Jun.

Following Huo Jun, he went through more than 20 battles, big and small, and Quan Cong gradually grew into a general because of his calm temperament, thoughtfulness, never leaving his armor, and being a lover of money.

Although Zhongli City contains water, it is not as heavy as Huaiyin City. Because Xu Sheng failed to guard Sikou before, Huo Jun asked Quan Cong to guard Zhongli instead, and used Xu Sheng to guard Zhongli.

Based on the intelligence from Huaisi, Sun Zi said: "Compared with Hefei, the three cities are not as powerful as Hefei's soldiers. Zhongli controls the water, and Zhongli controls the Si River. Hefei is defended by Pang Tong, and there are seven or eight thousand soldiers and horses. I'm afraid It’s hard to rush.”

"Your Majesty!"

Liu Ye cupped his hands and said: "If your Majesty can capture the three cities and Huaiyin, you can control the Surabaya River at the top and Hangou at the bottom, cutting off Huaibei. The thieves can conquer Xiapi and Donghai counties without fighting. There is no danger to defend Huaidong. Your Majesty Then you can lead your troops to Sheyang, and then march to the Yangtze River."

"good!"

Cao Pi thought for a moment and said with a smile: "Zi Yangguo is a talented person. Zhongli and Huaiyin cannot be defeated. The enemy is in danger of moving up the river. Now we are sending troops down to Huaidong. If we can break the outer city, we will be able to sweep across the Yangtze River and Huaihe River." The troops reached the Yangtze River."

After saying that, Cao Pi ordered his surroundings and said: "Instruct Xiahou Shang to supervise the troops and horses of Qingxu and Qingzhou to come down from Si River, capture Pi, and then take the East China Sea. I will lead the army down the Huaihe River, first capture Zhongli, and then conquer Huaiyin. , join forces with Xia Houshang in Huaiyin, and then go to the north of the Yangtze River to see if we can find an opportunity to cross the river! "

"promise!"

Liu Fang wrote and wrote, polishing Cao Pi's military orders and recording them on the silk.

Cao Pi became much more relaxed after finding out about the route of sending troops, and said: "Xiangfan is an important town for bandits. I am afraid that Zhongda alone is not enough to take Xiangfan, so I want to order Zidan to lead his troops south, and the two armies will join forces to take Xiangfan together. I don't know what you think. ?”

During this southern expedition, Cao Pi had great ambitions. He not only wanted to recover the Jianghuai River, but also wanted to take the opportunity to recover Xiangfan and completely restore the territory that Cao Cao had during his heyday.

"Your Majesty, the troops and horses of the general of the superior army are to defend Hanzhong and the enemy in Longyou. Now they are moving troops and horses in Guanzhong. If the bandits take the opportunity to use troops, I am afraid that there will be losses in Guanzhong." Wei Zhen said worriedly.

Cao Pi paced and thought, and said: "The old Gege Liu Bei passed away, and Lu Xun returned to Wuhan. It will be difficult for Bashu to send troops in a short time, and the only choice now is to worry about Ma Chao from Longyou!"

After thinking for a while, Cao Pi said: "Let Qianzhao lead the border troops and horses, recruit the Xianbei Hu cavalry, and combine them into one army. Let them go to Nanyang and obey Zhongda's orders!"

"Your Majesty, Kebi Neng can be both obedient and rebellious, and cannot be used for a long time. Tian Yu said last month that Kebi Neng secretly linked to the Xianbei magnates and banned the sale of military horses to me. Then Suli was good at selling more than a thousand horses to me, then He is threatened by Ke Bi Neng. If the soldiers of Bingzhou are reduced, Ke Bi Neng may not be able to contain him. "Liu Fang reported.

Cao Pi's face was slightly gloomy, and he said: "Kebineng is not as good as Wuhuan. Now we are protecting and attacking each other with Suli. Wouldn't it benefit our country? The most important thing now is to put the affairs of the south first, and then bring peace to everything in the south. It’s okay to restrain Ke and compare your abilities!”

Ke Bi could be both obedient and rebellious, how could he, Cao Pi, not know about it? But you know, but compared to the developing Kebineng, the water thief who has become a formidable enemy is more important.

"promise!"

While the monarch and his ministers were discussing the use of troops, the attendants walked in from outside the palace and reported: "Your Majesty, General Huya, Xian Yu, and his assistant Yu Jin are outside the palace, waiting for your Majesty's summons."

"The ban?"

Compared to Xian Yufu on the return trip, Cao Pi was more interested in banning. And this interest is not joy, but more of disgust. As a general, Yu Jin actually surrendered to the bandits and was even awarded an official position. It was disgusting.

Looking at Sun Quan, Cao Pi asked: "When Yu Wenze returns to his country, how do you think Zhongmou should treat him?"

Sun Quan hesitated for a moment and said: "Your Majesty, in the old conflict between Jin and Chu, Xun Lin's father was defeated by Bi, and he asked for punishment after the war. Duke Jing knew the reason for Xun Lin's defeat, but refused to pursue it; Qin and Jin fought for hegemony, and Meng Ming was punished by Duke Mu. He ordered his troops to march eastward to Yaoshan, but was defeated and captured. Duke Mu thought it was his fault and ordered him to return to his throne.

"There are two things that happened before, and your Majesty will not blame you. The defeat of Fancheng and the sudden flood were not crimes of war, but the fault of God. Therefore, in view of power, your Majesty should reinstate the official ban and use words to appease him."

After hearing Sun Quan's words, Cao Pi's face remained as usual, but he felt a little dissatisfied. The defeat of Yu Jin's army is a small matter, but the loss of integrity is a big deal. After surrendering to the Han Dynasty, he also accepted an official position in the Southern Han Dynasty.

In order to maintain his demeanor, Cao Pi said with a smile: "What Zhongmou said is absolutely true!"

"promise!"

After a while, Xian Yufu and Yu Jinzhi entered the palace.

When he saw Cao Pi, Yu Jin was so ashamed that he cried and paused, saying, "It is Yu Jin's crime that he was defeated and captured. It is a disgrace to the country and he deserves death."

Since he learned that he was going to be sent back to China by the Southern Han Dynasty, Yu Jin was worried. Although he was ridiculed by others in the Southern Han Dynasty, at least most people gave him face. Now that he is back home, Yu Jin doesn't know how to meet Cao Wei's old friends, let alone how to face Cao Pi.

On the way back home, Yu Jin was under too much psychological pressure. All his black and white beard and hair turned white in a few days, and he became depressed and haggard.

The monarchs and ministers in the palace were filled with sighs when they saw the appearance of General Jin.

Cao Pi endured his dissatisfaction, forced a smile, and said, "You have been wronged in the south. I am so happy to be able to return home now!"

Yu Jin knelt down and cried, and said: "I lost my army and lost the army, which led to the loss of Xiangfan City and ruined the state affairs. I hope your Majesty will punish you!"

Cao Pi went down the steps to help Yu Jin and said: "In the past, Xun Lin and Meng Ming lost their troops and were defeated, so they were not punished. How can I rule the world and be inferior to a small country? The loss of Fancheng was all due to the eruption of mountains and rivers. How can I blame you? ?”

As he spoke, Cao Pi seemed to pity Yu Jin very much and said: "In the past, our great ancestor took off his clothes and taught Han Xin, and our ancestors took off their ribbons and married Li Zhong. These were all done by the Lord and his love for you. You have made great contributions to our Cao family, and you followed the late emperor to conquer the south and the north. In battle, I can conquer everything. I remember your past achievements, so I give you my old clothes as a favor."

Seeing how kind Cao Pi was, Yu Jin burst into tears and thanked him repeatedly.

Cao Pi sneered a little in his heart and said: "I have been working hard for you, so I will go home and rest for the time being. Then I can go to the late emperor's mausoleum to pay my respects. I will miss you a lot when the late emperor passed away!"

"promise!"

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!"

Yu Jin wiped away his tears and kowtowed before going out.

Seeing the harmony between the emperor and his ministers, Sun Quan couldn't help but frown. He has known Cao Pi for a long time and is well aware of Cao Pi's character of clear love and hate. The act of serving the Southern Han Dynasty after the ban was surrendered must have angered Cao Pi. Now that Cao Pi is so kind and comforting, I'm afraid there's something fishy about it!

"cough~"

Before Sun Quan could think too much, Cao Pi looked at Xian Yufu and asked, "Will you gain anything from going south to send an envoy to the water thieves?"

Xian Yufu bowed his hand to Cao Pi and said: "Your Majesty, in the Water Thief Kingdom, because the king is young, Huo Jun mostly takes the lead, and Zhuge Liang assists him. Huo Jun may have some intention to divide the north and the south, so he sent him to Jingui. country and want to negotiate with our country.”

"As for the cession of Xiapi and Donghai, Huo Jun refused verbally and ordered our country to cede Shouchun and Yiyang, and divide the Huaihe River to rule."

"Ha ha!"

Cao Pi raised his head and smiled, and said to his left and right: "Although Huo Junzong has a plan that is unrivaled in the world, he has fallen into my trap now."

Sun Quan was suspicious and asked: "What's going on in the Water Thief Kingdom? How could Huo Jun agree to share the affairs of the world? And he also sent Yu Jun back to the north in advance?"

"Your Majesty, return to Mr. Sun!"

Xian Yufu answered truthfully: "When I arrived in Wuhan, Huo Jun was in power for the first time. I heard that the Western Territory was in chaos, Huang Yuan, the prefect of Hanjia, was planning a rebellion, and the powerful people in the three counties of South and Central rebelled, and there were riots in Yizhou. When I left Wuhan and returned to the north, Zhuge Liang With the order of the Three Prefectures Xingtai Shangshu, he was ordered to march westward and conquer the three prefectures in the west. "

"Therefore, I believe that due to the chaos in the three states of the Western Territory, Huo Jun was afraid that our army would march southward and risk being defeated and losing its territory, so he made an appointment with our country to divide the north and the south. He might want to implement a slow-down strategy, or he might want to stop the war and stop the war."

"Ha ha!"

Cao Pi's laughter became louder and louder, and he said: "The water thieves are causing chaos in the country, and Huo Jun fell into the trap. It is really a gift from God!"

As he spoke, Cao Pi suppressed his smile and said happily: "Send troops in July and suddenly attack Zhongli and Huaiyin. If the thieves are less prepared, they may be able to attack in one go."

If the domestic situation in the Southern Han Dynasty is really as Xian Yufu said, it will undoubtedly be a rare opportunity for Cao Pi. The Han army wanted to negotiate peace. If Huo Jun's army could quickly clear out Zhongli, Huaiyin and other cities along the Huai City before Huo Jun's army arrived, the battle would be mostly won.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

The flattering ministers immediately began to praise Cao Pi's virtues.

"Haha~"

Cao Pi pressed his hands down, signaling everyone not to be too anxious, and asked: "I am sending out troops to fight in person this time. Will Huo Jun meet the troops and fight in person?"

"inevitable!"

Wei Zhen replied without thinking: "Your Majesty personally marches, the western territories are turbulent, and the water thieves are terrifying. Huo Jun will mobilize the whole country to respond. He does not dare to use the masses to fight with his generals. He will only order his troops to come in person to fight with Your Majesty on the Huaihe River."

Liu Ye pondered for a while and said: "Your Majesty, the current situation in the country is unfair due to the water thieves. Huo Jun will not dare to leave the center when he hears that all the troops are marching to Jianghuai and Xiangfan. As Ye expected, those who come to Huaihe first to fight with Your Majesty will definitely He will lead the army."

Cao Pi stroked his beard and said with a smile: "The water thieves will be most frightened by Huo Jun. Now Huo Jun will not go to Jianghuai first, but will send his generals to fight. Most of the cities on Huaihe will be captured by our army, which is a great joy."

With that said, Cao Pi ordered: "Order the Grand Sima (Cao Ren) and the Hsing Cavalry General (Cao Hong) to order all the troops and horses, and I will gather the generals to march south to the Yangtze River and Huaihe River."

"promise!"

(End of this chapter)