Chapter 87: Yumei dies here, who will live alone【2】
The southwest frontier of Wei State, Xincheng County.
The feudal officials who guarded the southwest border for the Wei Dynasty, General Jianwu, Governor of Xincheng, and Marquis of Pingyang Pavilion Mengda and Mengzidu woke up from the nightmare again.
He dreamed that all the pillars of his bed were broken, and then he fell into an abyss!
This nightmare has been something he has often dreamed about since the death of Xia Houshang, his close friend who he made after rebelling against the Han and surrendering to the Wei Dynasty.
Meng Da took the cotton towel handed by his wife and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Thinking back to a few years ago, after he surrendered to the Wei Dynasty, he not only gained the appreciation of the emperor, but also made friends with important ministers such as Xiahou Shang and Huan Jie, and became close friends of the emperor. All these factors made him fearful of leaving the country.
be covered up.
But Huan Jie and Huan Boxu had died of illness in the third year of Huang Chu's reign, and his close friend Xia Houshang passed away before him. How could this teach him not to be worried?
What's even more frightening is that my only supporter, today, has to fight in person despite being sick. If His Majesty does something bad, I'm afraid there will be no one to protect me!
Thinking of this, Meng Da let out a long sigh again. At this moment, in his mind, only Xia Houshang's hearty laughter and resolute eyes comforted him. Perhaps only when he recalled these things, he would feel a little peace of mind.
As early as March, the emperor proposed his own plan to build the Qilu Canal and use the navy to conquer Soochow.
In recent days, due to the death of his beloved general and close friend Xia Houshang, Cao Pi became confused, his temperament became more and more uncertain, and he became irritable and restless.
The headaches he originally suffered from due to the death of his beloved son Cao Jian, King of Dongwuyang, were getting worse at this time.
To the surprise of many people, at this time, the emperor did not take good care of his health, but decided to go on a personal expedition to conquer Wu again!
In the Jianshi Hall and above the imperial court, thousands of horses were silent at this moment.
Some ministers are really worried about the emperor's dragon body. After all, to this day, the emperor has not officially appointed a crown prince. However, the emperor's character was originally suspicious and jealous, and coupled with the major events that have happened one after another in recent days, the emperor's mood has been greatly affected.
It was even brighter and darker, so they would never dare to say anything that would anger Long Xin.
As for the important ministers and ministers in the court, such as Chen Qun, Liu Ye, Liu Fang, Sun Zi, etc., they also knew in their hearts that the attack on Wu would definitely not be successful at this time, and it would only be a waste of money and resources. However, they would never do it.
At this time, it is against His Majesty's will.
Because they understood that Cao Pi's health had been deteriorating over the years, especially in recent days, and His Majesty the Emperor himself was certainly very aware of his condition, which was why he was so eager to attack Wu.
To put it bluntly, in fact, the emperor just wanted to try again before he fell, whether he could dominate the world in one fell swoop.
Over the years, riding in the south of the Yangtze River and drinking in the Yangtze River has almost become an obsession of Cao Pi.
Even those with a discerning eye know that this may be the last time His Majesty will conquer Wu. At this time, His Majesty's backbone must not be touched, otherwise there will be no good results.
But at this moment, when everyone was speechless, above the Jianshi Hall that should have been silent, a loud and powerful voice, neither humble nor arrogant, broke the deathly silence like a thunder in the dark night.
.
"Your Majesty, I believe that the attack on Wu is absolutely impossible at this time!"
This is none other than Bao Xun, the censor Zhongcheng.
In fact, it was just a guess. The important ministers also knew that it must be him, because except for him, no one among the ministers who were wise enough to protect themselves at this moment dared to criticize the emperor's rebellion.
Sure enough, some attentive ministers had noticed that the mountains in the twelve chapters on the emperor's body were faintly trembling, and the dragon pattern seemed to be emitting a low roar. The patterned ax on the hem of the emperor's royal uniform also seemed to be full of murderous intent in an instant.
When the emperor is angry, he bleeds and drifts!
However, Bao Xun didn't know it was because of hindsight, but he was really not afraid of death. His eyes were still looking at the angry face of the king. His voice was still so neither humble nor overbearing, without even a trace of hesitation.
Cao Rui, King of Pingyuan in the shift, couldn't help but secretly praise in his heart at this moment: Bao Xun and Uncle Bao Ye are really loyal ministers!
Bao Xun's memorial was like striking gold and jade, emitting a clear and clear sound above the temple:
"Your Majesty, our army has conquered Wu and Yue many times before, but still failed to conquer a single city or territory. This is because Wu and Shu are closely related to each other and are separated by dangerous mountains and rivers. It is also because the two countries still have land. It is discussed that Zhuge Kongming and other capable ministers and generals. Therefore, it is difficult to attack Wu at this time.
Not only that, a few years ago, His Majesty labored soldiers and rode dragon boats across rivers and lakes, spending thousands of gold every day. The country has wasted tens of millions of financial resources in vain.
There is an ancient saying: A soldier is a murderous weapon, and should be used as a last resort. Besides, His Majesty has been in poor health recently, so I thought that at this time..."
At this moment, Cao Pi could no longer stand Bao Xun's "nonsense".
"enough!"
The emperor roared, and the hearts of all the princes and ministers in the court were immediately shaken.
Bao Xun stopped talking.
At this moment, Cao Pi's already gray beard was trembling slightly, and his body, which was sitting next to the dragon table, was also trembling with rage.
"Bao Xun! I know my body myself. There is no need for you to curse me in the court!"
When Bao Xun heard this, no matter how courageous he was, he could no longer bear it. After all, even if he had ten lives, he could not bear the crime of "cursing the emperor". He immediately knelt on the ground and apologized to the emperor:
"Your Majesty, please calm down. If a minor minister offends Your Majesty, he deserves death..."
When Cao Pi saw that Bao Xun, who had always liked to be a sharp-tongued man, relented, he didn't have enough reasons to do anything to him at the moment, so he suppressed his anger.
Shangshu Ling Chen Qun was originally afraid that the emperor would be so angry that he would faint and execute Bao Xun. Seeing that the emperor was so angry that he immediately found a way out for Bao Xun and the emperor:
"Your Majesty, Bao Shuye has repeatedly angered Tianyan. I believe that he is no longer suitable for the position of censor Zhongcheng. I request that he be moved to the left to be a bookkeeper and law enforcer."
Chen Qun's move was actually extremely clever. Bao Xun was appointed as Yushi Zhongcheng, which was jointly recommended by him and Sima Yi three years ago. Previously, it was because they valued Bao Xun's loyalty and uprightness that he was appointed as Fengxian Chief. , but because of Bao Xun's old grudge with His Majesty, and Bao Xun's outspoken advice in recent years, he has repeatedly angered Tianyan, so the best result at this time is to let him no longer serve as the censor Zhongcheng. That's it. Taking the opportunity to eliminate the emperor's anger can also prevent Bao Xun from having more conflicts with the emperor in the future. It can be said to kill two birds with one stone.
When Cao Pi saw that Bao Xun no longer hindered him from attacking Wu, his anger was mostly gone, so he said in a low voice, "Quickly play," and the matter passed like this.
In May, Cao Pi's dragon boat arrived at Qiaojun again.
The emperor looked at the river and mountains in front of him and couldn't help but be filled with emotion.
A year ago, when he came here on a dragon boat, he was full of ambitions. But today, when he returned to his old place, he only felt desolate and sad.
As a close friend, Xia Houshang was originally the leader and assistant in his heart, but he suddenly withered away. He didn't even give him a serious marquis!
[Note 1: Xiahou Shangjue, Changling Township Marquis, Xianghou, Tinghou, and County Marquis are all lords. Under the Duke, Bozi, and other barons, there are only food towns but no fiefdoms. 】
Thinking of this, Cao Pi felt a twinge of pain in his heart.
All the youthful emotions, pleasures, grudges and hatreds of his youth emerged one by one at this moment.
At this moment, he not only missed Xia Houshang extremely, but also missed his friends Cao Zhen, Cao Xiu, Sima Yi, Chen Qun, Wu Zhi, Zhu Shuo and other friends.
In addition, there is a deep fear in his heart, that is, his own life.
I still remember that when I was the crown prince of Wei in the East Palace, I once held a banquet for guests and asked the divine minister Zhu Jianping to come to see him. Zhu Jianping said that his life was very noble and his life span was expected to be eighty, but there would be some misfortune at forty.
Nowadays, I happen to be old enough not to be confused, but my current mentality, how can I still look like a person who has a life expectancy of eighty?
In August, the dragon boat entered the Huaisi River and began to head south toward the Yangtze River.
However, the Zhenglu Canal that he dug was not completed.
At this time, Jiang Ji, the minister in charge of supervising the construction of the water channel, came to the table and said that the water channel was difficult to pass and the troops should be dismissed.
But Cao Pi naturally would not listen.
A stubborn person, no matter whether the decision he makes is right or wrong, he will never stop as long as he has decided and started. Even if there may be a wall in front of him, he must hit it first.
What's more, it's too early to say whether it will be the southern wall or not.
In this way, the dragon boat sailed eastward into the sea and continued southward. It was not until two months later in October that Cao Pi's dragon boat sailed to the ancient city of Guangling.
This place is only across the river from Sun Quan's Stone City.
In ancient times, Jinling was said to have a royal aura, so after the First Emperor unified the six kingdoms, he personally went to suppress it and destroyed the passes and abandoned the passes to cut off its aura. However, hundreds of years later, some people still claimed kingship and hegemony here.
Are there some things that not even the emperor can do?
For a moment, Cao Pi suddenly felt a sense of panic in his heart. Even if he really unified the world, would he still be like the Qiang Qin under the First Emperor, and still become a mirror flower and a moon in the water?
He couldn't think of an answer or an ending. So he simply stopped thinking.
The overwhelming army of Cao Wei Wu was like an iron wall at the moment, stationed in the north of the river. The emperor and his thousands of troops were watching the troops on the river, looking at the thousands of Wu troops on the other side of the river.
I saw the Wu army on the other side of the river, dressed in green robes and armor, their armor shining in the sun, their swords and spears shining brightly, they were very majestic and orderly.
Cao Pi not only raised his eyes to look at the sky above his head, but also thought, if there really is a God in Heaven, what would the one hundred thousand troops, dragon boats and warships he led be in the eyes of God?
Is it an ant or a chess piece?
The emperor once again felt powerless. It seemed that for the first time he foresaw his own failure before the war even started.
He suddenly felt a little regretful. Why did he have to come here to defeat Wu this time?
Although the emperor was only in his forties, he could clearly feel that he was getting old.
It took him more than half a year from spring to winter to carry out the grand expedition in person.
Arriving to the north of the Yangtze River, it was already the middle of winter. The hundreds of thousands of Wei troops were like a huge dark cloud, shrouding the north bank of the Yangtze River. Hundreds of miles of flags were flying in the wind, so that the birds were frightened and did not dare to fly over.
It was cold and the water in the north of the river was covered with a thick layer of ice, so ships were not allowed to enter the river.
Cao Pi looked at the distant south bank of the Yangtze River, where the Wu people were fortifying their troops.
When Cao Pi saw the turbulent waves of the river, he was suddenly filled with emotion. The south and north of the Yangtze River were like two completely different worlds. Even though he was an emperor, he still could not reach that world...
Standing on his horse, Cao Pi felt for the first time the insignificance of human beings. Whether it was emperors, generals, ministers, or ordinary people, there was a big difference between the vast world...
"Looking at the troops approaching the river, the water is flowing like water.
Guns and spears form mountains and forests; black armor shines in the sun.
A fierce general is furious and courageous.
Who knows, the river is vast, and a reed can sail.
If you surrender to the enemy without fighting, you will be called a virtuous person if you fight with soldiers.
The ancient residence was in Qiyi. It was the beginning of the Yin Shang Dynasty.
Meng Xian camped in Hulao. Zheng people were afraid of Jiqing.
They serve as state affairs and cultivate crops. They will be destroyed by themselves first.
Xingnong Huaisijian. Built the capital of Xu Fang.
The right amount and the right strategy. The Sixth Army Xian Yuekang.
How is it like Dongshan's poems, which are so sad and long-lasting.
[Note 1: Emperor Wen Cao Pi’s poem "Guang Ling Composing a Poem on a Horse". 】
Alas, Gu Tian is limited to the north and the south!"
Cao Pi immediately composed a poem, Linjiang sighed, and unexpectedly burst into tears.
