Chapter 126 Liao Wolf Sucks Blood, Wu Jiao Falls to Scale 【Part 1】
When Emperor Cao Rui was touring the southern suburbs of Xuchang, supervising the construction of Jingfu Hall and Chengguang Hall, Wang Xiong, the governor of Youzhou, Tian Yu, the governor of Qingzhou, as well as the school officials in Jiangdong and Han Qianwei, the commander of the Wuwei camp, successively reported to Xuchang Three urgent military intelligence reports were sent.
Among the three secret reports sent to the palace in Xuchang, Han Qianwei, who was far away in Jiangdong but was the first to learn the news, was the first to send the news: Sun Quan, the Lord of Wu, had sent envoys to fight dozens of warships and planned to form an alliance with Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong.
Immediately afterwards, there was a secret message from Tian Yu, the governor of Qingzhou: Soochow warships had appeared on the East China Sea.
Finally, there is a secret message from Wang Xiong, the governor of Youzhou: Gongsun Yuan and the Soochow envoy drank and talked happily every day, and the two sides seemed to be colluding!
These three pieces of news made Emperor Cao Rui filled with resentment. After all, for so many years, Gongsun of Liaodong had only received rewards and titles from the Wei Dynasty, but now, Gongsun Yuan is so inconsistent!
Speaking of Liaodong, it was already under the control of the Gongsun family as early as the Jian'an period of the previous dynasty. In the sixth year of Zhongping in the previous dynasty, Dong Zhuo, who controlled the Han Dynasty, appointed Gongsun Du as the prefect of Liaodong. Gongsun Du governed with an iron fist. In Liaodong, the reputation was gradually rising. Goguryeo, Wuhuan, Fuyu, Haoqian and other northern barbarian countries were frightened by the power of the Gongsun family, and all came to pay tribute and submit. At that time, the Central Plains was full of warlords, but there were few wars in Liaodong. As Gongsun Du became increasingly ambitious, he proclaimed himself Marquis of Liaodong and Mu of Pingzhou. From then on, the Gongsun family began to dominate.
Later, after Gongsun Du died, his son Gongsun Kang inherited the hegemony of Liaodong. At that time, Emperor Wu of Wei Dynasty Cao Cao was powerful. After defeating the Yuan family in the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao's sons Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fled to Liaodong, their former allies. However, Due to Cao Cao's power, Gongsun Kang decisively killed the Yuan brothers, expressed his submission to the court under Cao's control, and accepted the title of General of the Left and the Marquis of Xiangping given to him by Cao.
At that time, Sun Quan, who was still a minister of the Han Dynasty, had already sent an envoy to Liaodong, hoping to form an alliance with Liaodong. However, Gongsun Kang rejected Sun Quan's intention to form an alliance and even killed the envoy of Soochow. The two sides had been at odds for many years.
Now, after many years, Sun Quan has proclaimed himself emperor. He wanted to go north to the Central Plains, so he naturally once again had the idea of forming an alliance with Liaodong and attacking the Wei Dynasty. But this time, Gongsun Kang's son, Gongsun Yuan, the governor of Liaodong Province of the Wei Dynasty, Obviously there is also such an intention.
The reason why the Cao family did not completely conquer Liaodong with force over the past many years is because the Gongsun family has been relatively peaceful on the surface for many years. Not only that, at this time, Liaodong has been painstakingly managed by three generations of the Gongsun family, with armored soldiers. There are already hundreds of thousands of them. If we rush to attack, if Wu, Shu, Mobei Xianbei and other forces take the opportunity to invade the border again, the consequences will be disastrous.
But Cao Rui never expected that Emperor Wu and Emperor Wen's years of connivance would not only fail to allow the Gongsun family to stay in peace, but would instead allow Gongsun Yuan to arouse all the ambitions of the world!
The sudden change gave Cao Rui, who had been a little discouraged due to the loss of his beloved son, new motivation. At this moment, he clenched his fists and secretly swore that he would never destroy Liaodong for the rest of his life and that he would not be a human being!
Cao Rui immediately summoned the Zhongshu Ling Sun Zi, Zhongshu Supervisor Liu Fang, Sanqi Changshi Jiang Ji, Cao Zhao, Gao Tanglong, Bian Lan, He Zeng and others to discuss matters at the palace in Xuchang.
When Cao Rui saw everyone arriving, he immediately began to explain the whole story to everyone and asked for countermeasures:
"Dear sirs, today I have received three secret reports from Jiangdong, Qingzhou, and Youzhou. Sun Quan intends to form an alliance with Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong and is waiting for an opportunity to invade the Wei Dynasty! But Gongsun Yuan, the prefect of Liaodong, does not think about the emperor's majestic favor and actually wants to accept it.
Sun Quan's alliance is planned to be good with Wu Tong! I think that since Gongsun Yuan has his own secret intentions and wants to be with Wu Tong and no longer wants to be my minister in the Wei Dynasty, then I don't want to be polite to him anymore. I want to make Runan the governor.
On behalf of Tian Yu, the governor of Qingzhou, he directed the troops of Qingzhou to attack Liaodong from the sea route. Wang Xiong, the governor of Youzhou, marched from the land route and advanced in two directions to annihilate Gongsun Yuan in one fell swoop. What do you think of your wishes?"
Like the emperor, who lost his beloved son Jiang Jun, the regular servant of Sanqi, the Marquis of Guannei, Jiang Ji, thought for a long time and felt that it was not the best time to suddenly conquer Liaodong. He went out to admonish the emperor:
"Your Majesty, I believe that the expedition to Liaodong at this time is too hasty. It is not appropriate to attack lightly any country that does not need to be swallowed up and has not yet invaded and rebelled. If it is attacked suddenly and cannot be controlled, it will be driven into thieves and fish into the abyss.
. I have heard a saying: "Tiger and wolf are in the way, but foxes are not treated." This is exactly the principle of getting rid of big harm first, then small harm will take care of itself. Today, the land outside the sea of Liaodong is for me, the Wei Dynasty, and I have appointed protons for many generations.
They are chosen to be filial and honest at every age, and there is no crime of lack of position or tribute. If they are suddenly attacked, the unknown master will hardly be popular. Moreover, Liaodong is a small country. It will not benefit the country if it has its people, and it will not make it rich if it has its wealth. If it is not as good as your Majesty's
If you don’t intend to do so, you will become enmity with the soldiers and civilians of Liaodong and break your promise. I hope Your Majesty will think twice.”
Cao Rui, who lost his beloved son, was already full of anger. He did not think carefully about this expedition to Liaodong, but he was already determined to conquer Liaodong, so naturally he would not give up. Facing Jiang Ji's advice, Cao Rui did not say anything.
.
Gao Tanglong, a regular servant of Sanqi, also advised Cao Rui not to conquer easily. He believed that Gongsun Yuan was granted the title of Great Duke of Wei and was separated from Dongwu by the sea, so he would not really sacrifice the near and seek the far away to serve as the master of the Wu Kingdom.
After hearing what his teacher Gao Tanglong said, Cao Rui hesitated for a moment, but he was still unwilling to give in. After pondering for a while, he turned his attention to three or four of his cronies, Liu Fang, Sun Zi, Cao Zhao, and He Zeng.
Although Cao Zhao had extraordinary talents, he did not know the details of the matter deeply and had no good ideas at the time, so he chose to remain silent.
Liu Fangxin, the supervisor of the Central Secretary, knew that the emperor wanted him to support his conquest, but he happened to agree deeply with the opinions of Jiang Ji and Gao Tanglong, so he also chose to remain silent.
He Zeng, the Changshi Yangwu Tinghou of Sanqi, had a very good idea of his lord's temperament as early as when he was assisting Cao Rui in the East Palace. He understood that the emperor wanted to fight, but he knew that Sun Zi would not disobey the emperor's will, so
He simply didn't speak, just waiting for Sun Zi to speak.
Zhongshu Ling Sun Zi was always good at figuring out the emperor's thoughts. Although he knew that what Jiang Ji and Gao Tanglong said was reasonable, the emperor clearly wanted to send troops to conquer Liaodong at this moment. If he was repeatedly dissuaded, the emperor, who had been unstable recently, might get angry again.
Not only that, after thinking about it, Sun Zi felt that it was not without benefits to conquer Liaodong at this time. After thinking about it, he said:
"I support your Majesty's decision. I believe that no matter what happens at this time, we should immediately send troops to Liaodong to annihilate the Wu army. Only in this way will Gongsun Yuan be afraid and dare not rebel!"
This was what Cao Rui was waiting for. Seeing that his close advisors were fully supporting him, he suddenly had the courage to defy everyone's opinions. Cao Rui stood up, waved his sleeves and said:
"I have made up my mind. I order Tian Yu, the governor of Runan, to immediately lead the troops of Qingzhou to attack Liaodong from the sea route. Wang Xiong, the governor of Youzhou, will attack from the land route. The two routes will attack Gongsun Yuan together. There must be no mistake."
Seeing that the emperor had made a decision, the ministers no longer objected. Liu Fang and Sun Zi immediately began to draft the emperor's edict.
At this moment, a chamberlain entered the hall and delivered a letter from Chen County, the fiefdom of King Chen Cao Zhi. Cao Rui hurriedly opened the letter. He had always respected and feared this talented uncle. . What I respect is his unparalleled talent and reputation, but what I fear is also his unparalleled talent and reputation.
Over the years, King Chen Cao Zhi has made many requests to go to the border of Wu and Shu to unite the army in battle and serve the country. But how could Cao Rui dare to let this prestigious and amazingly talented uncle take over the military power?
He understood that this memorial letter should be a self-recommendation letter from King Chen. Cao Rui opened the memorial letter, and a line of official script that was domineering and elegant came into view [Note 1: The following is Chen Si Wang Cao Zhi's "Qiu Zi" "Test Form" was originally written in the second year of Taihe. For the needs of the plot, the text was moved to the sixth year of Taihe. The content is so exciting that I cannot bear to omit it. In order to make it easier for readers to understand, the tedious details have been deleted]:
"Chen Zhi said: When I hear about the life of a scholar, I will serve my father when I enter, and I will serve the emperor when I leave. Serving my father is more important than honoring my relatives, and serving my king is more valuable than rejuvenating the country. Therefore, a kind father cannot love a useless son, and a benevolent king cannot bully a useless minister. Those who judge their virtues and confer officials are successful kings; those who judge their abilities and receive titles are ministers who have fulfilled their duties. Therefore, the king does not give in vain, and the ministers do not receive in vain...
This minister has been greatly favored by the country, and he has lived for three generations now. It is the occasion of your Majesty's peace, bathing in the holy lake, and cultivating moral education, which can be said to be a great blessing! And the throne is stolen from the Eastern Fan, and the title is in the upper row. The body is warmed and the mouth is tired. Those who have a hundred tastes, their eyes are extremely gorgeous, and their ears are tired of silk and bamboo, it is also caused by the high rank and generous salary. Reminiscing about the ancient people who received the noble rank and salary, it is different from this...
Today we want to unite all the nine provinces under Yan Ru. In the west, there is still Shu who disobeys orders, and in the east there is Wu who is disobedient. As a result, the border has no tax collectors, and the counselors have no peace of mind. They sincerely want to mix with the inner world and achieve peace.
Therefore, in the beginning and end of the war, Xia's achievements were outstanding, and he succeeded in defeating Shang. On the verge of death, Zhou De wrote. Now your majesty rules the world with the sage, and the generals who want to die in literature and martial arts will continue to succeed. A minister who guards the four borders and serves as a pawn of the country is worthy of his duties. However, if a tall bird is not hung on a light hand and a fish is not hung on a hook and bait, I am afraid that the skill of fishing and shooting may not be exhausted... .
The favored ministers of the husband want to eliminate troubles and bring benefits; when the ministers serve the emperor, they must kill themselves to calm the chaos and repay the master with their merits...
In the past, Wu of the Han Dynasty treated Huo Qubing and said in his words: "The Huns are not destroyed, and I have nothing to do with my family." Gufu was worried about his country and forgot about his family, and sacrificed his life to help those in need. This is the ambition of a loyal minister. Now that I am living outside, it is not unkind, but Those who cannot sleep well and cannot eat without taste should think that they have failed to overcome the two aspects.
He steals without knowing what he is doing, but he is determined to serve his life, and he will do his best to repay the favor he has received. If your majesty is given an edict of immortality, and he can use the awl as a weapon, he will make the general of the Spanish Empire serve as a team; If the East belongs to the Grand Sima, and is responsible for unifying the partial divisions, he will take advantage of dangers, ride the boats, rush forward, and lead the troops with sharp swords. . . .
Although he is in the realm of Shu, his head hangs at the Wu Palace, he is still in his prime. He is like a person with a small talent who has not been tested and has not been known in the world. He only glorifies his body and enriches his body. Life is of no benefit to his work. Death is not detrimental to his status. He is in a high position in vain. The heavy salary makes the birds rest and watch, and finally the head turns white. This is the nourishment of the prison, which is not the ambition of the minister...
In the past, I went from Emperor Xianwu to Chi'an in Antarctica, facing Canghai in the east, looking at Yumen in the west, and out of Xuansai in the north. I saw that the power of marching and using troops was amazing. Therefore, soldiers cannot be predicted, and those who make changes in the face of difficulties are also those who have ambition. I want to be effective in the Ming Dynasty and make meritorious service in the holy world. Every time I read the historical records, I observe the loyal ministers and righteous men in ancient times who sacrificed their lives for the country according to the orders of the dynasty. Although their bodies were slaughtered to pieces, their merits were inscribed on the bells and their names were hung on bamboos and silks. , it’s okay to sigh without clenching your heart.
I heard that the envoys of the Ming Dynasty did not abolish the guilty ones. Therefore, the generals who ran to the north to defeat the defeated army were used by Qin and Lu to achieve their success; I pardoned those who stole horses with Jueying, and Chu and Zhao helped them in trouble. I feel that the late emperor died early and King Wei died, I Who alone can survive for a long time!...
I heard that the Qi Ji roared loudly, and Bo Le showed his ability; the Lu dog wailed, and South Korea knew his talent. This is how to achieve the goal of thousands of miles with the Qi Qi, the road of Chu, to test the cunning and avoidance, to test the effectiveness of fighting and devouring. .I am committed to the small merits of dogs and horses, and I steal them only to save them, but in the end I am not able to do anything like Bole Korea. This is why I steal them and hurt myself.
...In the past, Mao Sui and Zhao's companions were like a metaphor for a fake cone bag, which was used to achieve meritorious service by the enemy. How much more so in the dynasty of the great Wei Dynasty with many scholars, there were no ministers who were generous in death! Those who show off themselves and are matchmakers, The ugly behavior of scholars and women; those who seek progress in their careers are the clear taboos of Taoism. Those who dare to report to your majesty are sincerely aligned with the country and share its sorrows and sorrows. I hope to benefit the mountains and seas with the slightest dust and mist; The last light increases the brightness of the sun and the moon. If you dare to risk your ugliness and offer your loyalty, you will definitely be laughed at by the courtiers. The Holy Master does not treat others as idle words, but your majesty rarely listens to God, so I am lucky."
Cao Rui read his uncle Cao Zhi's eloquent self-examination list in one breath, and he didn't know how he felt. He didn't want to reuse talented people like his uncle, but since his father, Emperor Wen, he had always treated the royal family with close bloodline. He has strict control over his disciples. He has the intention to promote the clan and reform the system, but if this happens suddenly, he may not be able to control the situation.
He had previously changed the enfeoffment and expanded the fiefdoms of the kings in preparation for this matter. This matter was also a secret plan between him and his teacher Gao Tanglong.
After a while, Liu Fang, Sun Zi and others had already drafted the edict, and Cao Rui also came out of his meditation. Seeing that the emperor had an idea, Cao Zhao also had some plans in his mind. He admonished and added:
"Your Majesty, I think that external conquests will frighten Gongsun Yuan, which is natural. However, I feel that it is still necessary to secretly send envoys to explain the interests to Gongsun Yuan!"
When Cao Rui heard this, he was convinced. After pondering for a while, he already had an idea in his mind:
"I have long thought and issued an edict: I ordered Wu General Cao Zuan to be killed, and led dozens of capable school officials to go to Rencheng State to meet with Yulin Supervisor Xiahou Xuan, with Xiahou Xuan as the chief envoy and Cao Zuan as the deputy envoy. Then he ordered the envoy to rush straight to Liaodong to lobby Gongsun Yuan!"
At this time, Cao Rui's eyes inadvertently glanced at the self-examination form written by King Chen Cao Zhi on the case, and he said softly:
"I'm passing through Chen County on this trip. I'll call the envoy and pay a visit to King Chen on the way..."