The carriage of Emperor Wei Cao Rui, surrounded by tiger and leopard riders and tiger guards, slowly walked along the Huaihe River.
The green banks on both sides were still so beautiful that he couldn't relax his frowning eyebrows.
He personally led the expedition, but before he reached Huainan, Sun Quan, who heard the news, withdrew his troops.
However, it left him with a lot of confusion.
The garrison in Liaodong sent people to report, claiming that they were rebelling against Wu Quanzong and broke through Liao Sui Fortress to attack Xiangping and robbed countless people and property. Liu'an County, the county of Wei's Lujiang County, was captured by the thief Zhu Huan. Shao and Zhang Cheng joined forces and swept across the Huaihe River Basin, attacking various ferries to display their power and capture people and property.
It also caused countless people in Xuzhou to be displaced and without food for the winter. It was the autumn harvest when they sent troops, and the traitors against Wu dared not leave the city because of the defenders, so they plundered the food crops on both sides of the bank.
Those that could not be harvested were set on fire and burned.
These losses could not be made up for even if Man Chong defeated Sun Quan once in Hefei New City.
It's not that Man Chong was at a disadvantage in the battle with Wang Ling, the governor of Yangzhou.
After the Battle of Shiting, Wei's eastern front suffered from insufficient troops, resulting in many loopholes in the defense line.
Who would have expected that Sun Quan was no longer limited to Hefei City, a strategic location in Huainan, nor was he limited to conquering cities and territories, but instead relied on the elites of the navy to move around and plunder people and supplies?
Moreover, Cao Rui was also worried that after Sun Wu was successful this time, his tactics for sending troops in the future would be the same.
For example, Cheng Xi, the governor of Qingzhou, has a written record claiming that after the bandit Quan Cong returned from plundering Liaodong, he once again led a fleet to cruise along the coast of Donglai, Qingzhou, with the intention of landing. Later, because the soldiers who were on alert discovered his whereabouts, Fang Yangfan Leave.
It’s not that Wei State couldn’t resist.
Instead, Yang, Xu, Qing, and even Jizhou and Youzhou all have estuaries suitable for landing.
If all the states and counties guard the country with troops, the daily losses alone will be a huge expense.
However, if no changes are made, the main focus will still be on defending the city. With the navy in the east of the Yangtze River moving across the sea with uncertain whereabouts, the defenders in various states and counties will be exhausted again.
After all, although marching on the sea is a bit more dangerous, it is much more convenient than marching on land.
Furthermore, once Sun Wu's Fuhai attacks become a regular occurrence, Xuzhou, which is surrounded by rivers, will fall into turmoil. Those common people and powerful people may lose their respect for Wei if they cannot bear the disturbance.
They believed that the Wei State could not protect them, which would lead to rebellion or surrender to the enemy.
In particular, Emperor Wu slaughtered Xuzhou too many times in the past.
Moreover, it was not a long time before Emperor Wen eliminated the ceded territories and troops raised by Zang Ba and others.
If the people's hearts are not attached to it, it will be difficult to adhere to it.
Compared with the war on the eastern front that ended with hidden dangers, the results of the battle on the southern front in Jingzhou made Cao Rui slightly relieved.
Lu Xun and Zhuge Jin from the east of the Yangtze River entered Xiangyang's partial division, but they also retreated as Sun Quan retreated.
Among them, there are quite a few twists and turns.
After Lu Xun led the army outside Xiangyang City, he also sent his confidant Han Bian to the front line of Hefei to report to Sun Quan on the situation on the southern front battlefield and the battle plan.
It 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 strictly guard the Xiakou area and harass Wu's Jiangxia with small-scale elite troops.
Therefore, Han Bian (known as "Chao Luo De Bian" in history) who returned from Hefei was unexpectedly captured.
It was also through severe torture that Lu Xun's overall plan for attacking Xiangyang in the north was obtained.
Lu Shi did not dare to neglect, so he ordered his troops to report quickly to Sima Yi, who had returned to Jingzhou to supervise the battle.
Sima Yi was overjoyed to learn that, so he sent a message to Lu Shi, asking him to prepare his troops and prepare to attack Lu Xun's troops who had already landed.
However, Zhuge Jin, who was leading the navy to support the troops on the river, also learned of the news that Han Bian had been captured, and informed Lu Xun who was on the front line in Xiangyang to discuss withdrawing the troops.
Anyway, Sun Quan from Hefei has withdrawn.
The dry season is about to begin again, and the two of them who are providing support should also withdraw.
To avoid being outflanked by the cavalry dispatched by the Wei State from Huainan, the retreat would be cut off.
However, after Lu Xun received the letter, he did not reply or withdraw his troops. Instead, he took his time and led his generals to plant beans, play chess and shoot for fun.
Zhuge Jin thought that Lu Xun was resourceful and had a plan, so he led the army.
Therefore, Lu Xun was able to let Lu Xun completely plan.
The two of them joined forces and marched towards Xiangyang City, making a strong attack posture of not retreating but advancing.
The soldiers and horses of the Xiangyang City of Wei State had already left the city and were stationed in the wild, preparing to take Lu Xun back to the army to cover up the attack.
Seeing that Lu Xun and Zhuge Jin were attacking by land and water, they were all frightened and hurriedly retreated back to the city.
But he didn't expect that Wu Jun was bluffing.
When the Wei army entered the city and defended it, Lu Xun led the army calmly aboard 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 heading north.
Although he was angered by the former governor's arrogant opinions, he lost the opportunity to pursue and had no choice but to withdraw his troops.
However, Lu Xun did not give up there.
He led the army to Baiwei (Tangbai River Estuary) where Xu Huang had guarded in the past, and made a big show of force, intending to cut off the connection between Xiangyang City and Sima Yi's headquarters.
This time is not to deceive the Wei army in Xiangyang City.
But it made Wei Jun in Jiangxia County feel that Wu Jun would not go south in a short time.
This strategy succeeded again.
When Lu Xun rushed to confront Sima Yi, he secretly divided his troops and went back to the south, attacking Nanxin City, Anlu and Shicheng in Jiangxia County one after another.
The Jiangxia defenders were caught off guard.
When the Wei army in Shiyang retreated into the city, in order to close the city gate, they had to kill the Li common people who blocked the city gate with their swords.
But it was inevitable that he was killed by the Wu army and captured thousands of soldiers.
Of course, this is not because Lu Xun was unruly, but because Lu Xun did not follow the rules.
Originally, when the Wu army returned, they could enter the river directly along the Han River, and there was no need to attack Jiangxia.
In fact, Lu Xun did have other intentions.
Wenpin, the former prefect of Jiangxia, had been in the county for more than 20 years and was regarded as a man of great merit through hard work.
His adopted son Wenxiu also served in Jiangxia. He served in the country's military for many years and made great contributions.
However, after Wenpin died, Wenxiu was not able to inherit Wenpin's position, perhaps because Luoyang Temple was worried that Jiangxia County would become a breeding ground for Wen's family ambitions.
Instead, Lu Shi was transferred from another place to take up the post.
Therefore, the defenders of Jiangxia County were divided into two forces: Lushi and Wenxiu.
As for the state of Wu, it is more hoped that the state of Wei will use Wenxiu as the prefect.
Because Wenxiu's strategy was the same as Wenpin's, he rarely thought of sending troops to plunder Wu's Jiangxia - Wenpin was from Nanyang, Jingzhou, and would not let people from his hometown frequently recruit soldiers for the sake of his own military exploits.
Lu type is different.
After he came to take office, in order to consolidate his power and often send troops to harass the border, he even 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 written out of thin air and "missed" in Jiangxia County under the Wei Dynasty.
Letters are a means of alienation.
It was based on the premise that Lu Shi was defeated and surrendered in fear of crime, and claimed that the state of Wu was willing to accept Lu Shi's surrender.
According to Lu's analysis, Wei State's Luoyang decided to seize his position as governor of Jiangxia. It would take a long time for the messenger to come and go, so there was no need to worry too much. He claimed that he had already reported it to Sun Quan and would definitely arrive in Jiangxia before the messenger from Luoyang came.
Before Xia, he led the army to recruit him into Wu Yunyun.
This letter was picked up by a soldier who was close to Lu Shi.
It also made Lu Shi's hair stand on end.
As a border guard general, he is most susceptible to suspicion.
Not to mention, Wenxiu, a popular figure in the county, was at odds with him.
Therefore, he sent the letters and his wife to Luoyang to show his loyalty.
However, this move made the soldiers who originally supported him feel that he was cowardly and not someone who could be entrusted with their lives, so they transferred their service and retired.
With all his heart lost, his fate is doomed.
The officials of Luoyang thought that he could no longer defend the enemy and held him responsible for the defeat. They dismissed him from the post of governor and sent him back to the court.
Among them, there is also a small episode.
After Lu Xun learned about Wei Guo's temple decision, he greeted the captive Li Shu and asked them about their welfare. After comforting them, he released them all back.
To attack the heart.
After those Li Shu returned to Jiangxia County, they spread the word about Wu's kindness.
Those local powerful families and civil servants who supported the Lu style, compared with the Wei army's massacre of the people and closing the city gates, and fearing that Wenxiu would pursue their previous confrontation after becoming the prefect, fled to the state of Wu one after another.
This is equivalent to the intensifying internal power struggle in Wei State, which gave Lu Xun an opportunity to take advantage of.
These news gradually reached the ears of Wei Emperor Cao Rui, who suddenly felt that the early winter by the Huai River was particularly desolate while sitting in the car.
Even if your eyes linger on the low hills and riversides, everything you see is green.
Nor could it soothe the worries in his heart.
Perhaps, there are some things that should not be compromised in the first place.
Or like Emperor Wu, who employs people without suspicion.
With a conclusion in his mind, he also issued several decisions while continuing to patrol along the Huai River to reassure the military officials and common people.
Man Chong, who was often criticized by Wang Ling, was promoted to the general of Zhengdong. During the holidays, he was in charge of the military affairs of Yang, Qing and Xu states.
He transferred Zang Ai, the son of the late Zang Ba, to be the governor of Qingzhou, and appointed Tian Yu, the prefect of Runan, as the governor of Xuzhou, to defend Qingxu and Xuzhou from being attacked by Wu.
Cheng Xi, the former governor of Qingzhou, was transferred back to the court to serve.
It's like settling an old score.
Cao Rui, who has been smart since childhood, has always vaguely guessed the reason why Tian Yu was repeatedly slandered by his colleagues.
Zhang Xiong, the governor of Youzhou, and Cheng Xi, the governor of Qingzhou, both came from wealthy families in the Central Plains, and they always despised people from the frontier.
They will also be jealous of the achievements of those around them.
However, Cao Rui's intention of relying on aristocratic families to appease the local people was not investigated deeply, and it was just as they wished.
If Zhang Xiong instructs people close to him to come forward and criticize him, he will transfer Tian Yu to Runan.
Cheng Xi expressed his criticism, so he did not issue an edict to commend Tian Yu for his attack on Wu's fleet.
But now the dispute between Lu Shi and Wen Xiu has become an opportunity for Wei to lose and Wu to gain, making him wary.
Since these people from wealthy families like to compete for power and gain, and their personal interests are more important than the country, then he should grant power to those who come from poor families.
But in any case, it is a good thing that the war on the Eastern Front and the Southern Front has been eliminated.
Cao Rui spent half a month touring the counties and counties in Xuzhou and Yangzhou to pacify the people with the power of the emperor. Along the way, he issued orders to open warehouses to provide relief to the Li people who needed food for the winter due to the war;
After giving Ni Wu another opportunity, he returned to Luoyang.
He also turned his attention to the war on the Western Front.
Ever since Grand Sima Cao Zhen sent out troops, a delegation would come to Luoyang every ten days to report on the progress of the war.
This made the officials in Luoyang often argue endlessly with their own opinions.
Viewpoints are roughly divided into two types.
First, 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 watering into ice, strengthening city walls or camps.
If wind and snow make it more difficult to transport grain and fodder, Li Shu, the three assistants in Guanzhong, who are serving as corvees, may not be able to bear the hardship and gather together to cause trouble.
Therefore, their advice was that Cao Zhen should gather all his troops to attack the army of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang of Ni Shu who was defending the valley. As long as the main force of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang of Shu was destroyed, the building of Ni Shu would collapse and there would be no more trouble.
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The other party completely rejected this suggestion.
Judging from the cautious character of Shu Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, since he dared to leave the city and rely on the river valley to defend, he naturally had a foolproof plan.
It is definitely not possible to defeat them with superior force.
Just like the Battle of Hanzhong in the past.
Wei Wu led his army into Hanzhong to compete with Shu Liu Bei, but Liu Bei settled in the mountains and waited for work without fighting.
In the end, Wei Wu was forced to retreat due to the constraints of transporting grain thousands of miles and the failure of his soldiers to achieve success for a long time.
Therefore, they suggested that Cao Zhen continue to adhere to the current schedule.
With the advantage of military strength, they attacked Ni Shu's must-defend positions separately, forcing it to disperse its forces, and then ushered in a great victory of "defeating one place and sweeping thousands of miles".
No matter what happens, as long as the rear general Fei Yao and Wei Ping's troops break through the other camp guarded by the rebel general Zheng Pu and the rebel general Jiang Wei, Xiao Pass will be recaptured, allowing Wei to attack Longyou endlessly.
These two differences each have their own merits.
The first is to focus on the actual situation, taking into account the factors of the region and the common people.
The other is to focus on strategy and not have the extravagant hope of "one battle to determine the outcome."
No one can convince the other.
Arguing every day made Cao Rui extremely irritable.
In his mind, he naturally preferred the second inference, allowing Cao Zhen to use it without any constraints.
But he couldn't express it verbally.
Even in the private message sent by Cao Zhen earlier, he specifically stated that he was asked not to express his position after the war started.
Because there is no absolute conclusion about the victory or defeat of the military struggle.
Once he returns without success, or even returns defeated, as long as Cao Rui does not express his position, Cao Zhen can at least bear all the blame alone.
He is old and ill, and his days are numbered.
So he can bear all the blame after the defeat.
Such as being happy with great achievements and not planning to cause harm to the country, etc.
But as the emperor, Cao Rui could never bear it.
Not many years after he took the throne, and with all his heirs having died in infancy, he could not withstand another blow to his prestige.
That would shake the foundation of Cao Wei.
As a clan member, Cao Zhen would rather bear the blame than let this happen.
Moreover, in Cao Zhen's latest report, there are also hints of great success.
The other camp guarded by Zheng Pu and Jiang Wei in Ni Shu was already in danger of being attacked by Fei Yao and Wei Ping. The cavalry of the Xiongnu Zuoxian King Liu Bao also completely cut off the reinforcements from the Wu Ban tribe in Ayang City, and Xiao Guandao was about to recapture it.
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What is even more gratifying is that Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of Shu, is in charge.
After the other camp was attacked for more than a month, he seemed to have the intention to abandon the favorable location and leave the valley, leading the army to rush to rescue Xiaoguandao.
