Only five days after Sima Yi's report was submitted to Luoyang, Cao Rui's reply arrived in Chencang.
And not in the form of an edict, but by ordering Wei Wu's adopted son Qin Lang to come in person - the real reason why Cao Rui insisted on fighting could not be conveyed in a recorded edict.
When Qin Lang saw him, he did not show any politeness and just whispered: "The general may not know that as soon as the Luoyang army returned, the thief Wu who had already stopped attacked Jiangxia again. Although it was only three or four thousand soldiers. The horse invaders only captured more than 200 common people who were repairing the fortifications outside the city and returned. However, all the princes in the court agreed that Wan Luo must not lose anything, and unanimously declared that it was necessary to increase the number of troops in Jingxiang!"
Sima Yi was immediately speechless.
He has been in high and low officialdom for many years, and as resourceful as he is, you can roughly understand it as soon as you hear it.
With the reason that it concerns Wanluo's safety, the Guandong aristocratic family can once again promote their previous remarks of "abandoning Liangzhou and using Guanzhong as a barrier to Luoyang".
In other words, Cao Rui was worried that if he could not send troops this year and lose the foundation of the war against Shu, he might not have a chance in the future.
The thief Sun Quan is currently stationed in Wuchang, and even uses troops in winter. It can be almost certain that he will come again when the rains are abundant next summer! At that time, the Wei State will increase its troops in Jingxiang and frequently fight against the thief Wu. Not to mention the opposition of the powerful families in Guandong, even some The important ministers who originally supported the conquest of Shu would refute the theory of a two-front war!
Alas, time is not with me.
However, if there is no cavalry to contain the forces west of the Shu River, how can this plan be accomplished?
After hearing this, Sima Yi sighed quietly in his heart.
After Qin Lang was ushered into the general's office and seated, Fang said softly, "I know the meaning of the general's words and your Majesty's concerns. However, I feel uneasy. In war, we should consider defeat first and then victory. Now we have already sent troops. If we fail, if we act hastily, we fear that our previous strategic intentions will not be fully realized. What's more, it will be counterproductive, and we will waste countless military strength and food in vain without accomplishing anything, so that we will be unable to repeat the rebellion against Shu in the future."
Qin Lang, who had just spread his legs sideways and supported his body with his elbows on the desk, squeezed out a smile when he heard this.
Now it is very close to the time when the river in the Fortress of Manyin freezes. The emperor Cao Rui is in a hurry. He does not dare to waste time on the road, so he gallops thousands of miles without changing horses and people day and night. Now it is The pain in both legs is unbearable.
"Is the general worried that there is not enough cavalry to contain the troops west of the Shu River? The emperor sent me to Guanzhong this time to let me temporarily obey the general's orders. At most three days later, three thousand tiger and leopard cavalry will arrive. .”
Um?
Sima Yi was surprised again.
The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry have now become the Imperial Guards of the Wei State. Non-sons of the royal family or the descendants of Qiao Pei can not serve as governors, and they rarely leave the Emperor's presence. Now Cao Rui has actually sent all the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry here, which shows Luoyang's opposition. How fierce the sound of the war in Hexi is!
When Qin Lang saw that Sima Yi was surprised and silent, he thought he was worried that after the tiger and leopard cavalry were transferred here, Wu would invade the border and the Luoyang army would not be able to rescue him in time, so he continued to explain.
"Before I came, His Majesty also said that the area from Jiangxia County to Wu Jiangling City (Yunmengze) was overflowing with water and densely covered with soil leakage and mud pits, which was not conducive to the movement of cavalry. The tiger and leopard cavalry were temporarily used in the Hexi war. It does not matter that he came to rescue the bandit Wu. Moreover, the general had previously guarded the two states of Henan and Jing. He should have known that many of the farmlands in Xuchang had been abandoned. When the important officials of the imperial court were planning a strategy to fend off the bandit Wu, the emperor used the memorial of Man Boning, the general who conquered the east. According to the plan, the farmland in Xuchang and Runan will be restored to prepare for the needs of the soldiers stationed in Huaiyou and Jingxiang. In this way, the army does not need to transfer food and crops to control. Even if the bandit Wu invades, the Luoyang Chinese army can rush to help in time. .”
I see!
If we are really setting up camp to prepare for military affairs, we won't have to worry about the invading bandits from Wu.
"This is a great kindness!"
Sima Yi, who has always held the idea of "the soldiers are self-sufficient", immediately raised his hands and praised, "Man Boning is an important minister in the three dynasties, and he is indeed the most important weapon of our Wei State in guarding the thief Wu!"
However, after Qin Lang heard this, his expression became strange.
This also made Sima Yi curious, so he asked, "Looking at your color, it seems that what I said was inappropriate?"
"Heh~~~"
Qin Lang chuckled softly, took a sip of the warm wine, and said with a smile, "The general may not know, but Man Boning said in the above table, when answering your majesty's question, he also claimed that the current plan will never attack Shu.
!”
Uh~~
Sima Yi responded silently.
Because he knew that although Man Chong was also a scholar from Guandong, there was no so-called "abandonment of Liangzhou". Moreover, Man Chong had an outstanding strategy, so since he was not optimistic about the war against Shu, he had some basis for it.
Maybe there are some omissions in the strategy I planned?
Or does Man Boning think that the current Guanzhong army is no longer the enemy of Shu?
Uncontrollably, Sima Yi had some doubts in his heart.
Since he became the governor of Yongliang, he has been under tremendous pressure.
Not only was the Han army occupying Longyou and Hexi, and had the advantage of a physical victory, which made it difficult for him to have a military strategy to implement; but also because the emperor Cao Rui was worried about the loss of territory and the arrogant generals under his command were unconvinced.
Dissatisfied.
Therefore, he has been walking on thin ice and suffering.
After lying dormant for nearly two years, he finally established his own reputation with great difficulty. However, when he used troops against Shu, the commander who was far away on the battlefield in Huaiyou was not optimistic about it. How could he not doubt himself?
After thinking about it, Sima Yi went through his plans one by one and found no omissions. After all, he couldn't help himself and asked his doubts, "I wonder why Man Boning is so assertive?
Please elaborate."
"Man Boning asserts that our country has never been without war, and its national strength has been greatly depleted."
Qin Lang replied softly, "This is why your Majesty ordered me to come. Your Majesty said to the general, 'Although the thief Wu is more powerful than Shu, the troubles against Shu are worse than those of Wu. Now the general is planning for the country.
, even if all the Dukes of Gongun think it is impossible, I will still give my full support, but I hope that the general will be successful in the future!'"
At this point, Qin Lang paused briefly, looked at Sima Yi's eyes and said slowly.
"Your Majesty has planned something for the general. He not only ordered the princes of the imperial court to discuss again Man Boning's theory of abandoning Shiyang City in Jiangxia, using Anlu County and the three passes of Yiyang as barriers to force the bandit Wu to come ashore to fight."
Xia Houxian was also awarded the title of Beizhonglang General, so the Yanmen prefect Qian Zhao's son was appointed Li Feng Xiaowei, and they went to Youzhou to form the Wuhuan Tuqi again."
"When General Du Zixu, the military advisor, was sent to fight against Jiangxia, Your Majesty had a discussion with him. I was honored to be present at the meeting. Du Zixu said that the traitor Wu is a clown and the rebel Shu is a life-and-death enemy. The same cannot be said. Your Majesty deeply agrees, and
He sighed and said, 'I would rather abandon Jiangxia County in Jingzhou and rebel against Wu than rebel against Shu and occupy half an inch of territory in the west of Hexi!'"
"I will paraphrase what your Majesty said. But I hope that the general will not have to worry about anything else, work hard, and defeat Shu in one battle, avenging the previous humiliation of Wei!"