Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Chapter 101 Entering the City
Cao Zhen also smiled and said on the other side: "It has been a long time since I last saw Your Majesty, and I miss you so much. Your Majesty marched quickly this time, and it took only 15 days to get from Luoyang to Shouchun. The journey was really tiring."

Cao Rui said: "I have not traveled far. I only rode a horse all the way, not a carriage."

"If I say that it is easier for me to ride a horse than a carriage, will the general believe me?"

"Hahaha." Cao Zhen laughed. "That's what I think. When I was conquering the Qiang and Hu tribes, I once marched 260 miles in one day and one night. I was so sleepy that I almost fell asleep on my horse. But horses are smart, and I felt comfortable sitting on their backs."

Cao Rui nodded: "Sway naturally with the ups and downs of the horse, so that neither the man nor the horse will feel too tired. This may be the perfect coordination."

As they chatted, they could see the Huai River without realizing it. The Huai River was bustling with ships sailing east and west, and there were camps everywhere.

Cao Xiu bowed on his horse and asked, "Your Majesty is proficient in archery, horse riding and shooting. I know this. I am just worried that camping and marching in the wild may hurt Your Majesty's health."

Cao Rui replied: "I was born in Yecheng and grew up in Luoyang. This is the first time I have marched such a long distance. From Luoyang, I went to Chenliu, and then went south from Chenliu. Qiao County and Shouchun are both very different from Luoyang in terms of scenery."

Cao Xiu nodded: "Of course, compared with Luoyang, Shouchun is still a little humid even in winter and is not very suitable for living. But why don't you rest in Qiao County for a few days?"

Cao Rui smiled and said, "Of course I can rest for two days, and it's okay to let the Grand Marshal wait for two days. But do I have to let the more than 100,000 people who have gathered here wait for me as well?"

"The food and rations of the people and horses are depleting the national strength of Wei every day. I should hurry to Shouchun."

"Your Majesty is benevolent." Cao Xiu and Cao Zhen both said.

Cao Rui asked: "Grand Marshal, how is the gathering of food and grass here going?"

Cao Xiu said without hesitation: "Your Majesty, I have not only requisitioned grain and grass from Yanzhou, Qingzhou, Xuzhou, and Yuzhou, but also some from Jizhou. They should still be on the way."

"If we calculate based on 150,000 people, it can last at least three months."

Cao Rui frowned slightly when he heard this: "What if it exceeds three months?"

Cao Xiu explained, "Sizhou and Jizhou are the places with the most food and grass. The amount collected this time is not much. If there is still a shortage of food, we can collect food from Sizhou and Jizhou in advance. All parts of the Central Plains have had abundant harvests for three consecutive years, so there is no need to worry too much about food and grass."

"Where are the vehicles for transporting grain?" Cao Rui asked again.

Cao Xiu continued to answer: "There are more than 20,000 ox carts, horse carts, mule and donkey carts, so it won't be a problem to transport them."

Cao Rui took a deep breath and said, "What I have been most concerned about along the way is the logistics of food and grass. If the logistics of food and grass are not a problem, I will not worry either."

Cao Xiu smiled and said, "Your Majesty is fighting on behalf of Heaven, so there is nothing to worry about."

"Your Majesty, at the beginning of November, I thought that it would be enough to gather tens of thousands of troops. But at the end of last month, I received news that troops from several states were coming to Shouchun, and I couldn't help but have some concerns."

"There are already 150,000 troops here. Your Majesty, why don't you tell me where you want to fight this time?"

Cao Rui was silent for a moment and then said, "This matter is not something I can decide on my own. Shouchun has assembled 150,000 troops, plus the Xiangyang and Jiangxia areas in Jingzhou, there are already 200,000 troops in total."

"One is to take advantage of Zhou Qiang's false surrender and try to see if we can push the enemy from Wancheng to Wankou at most."

"The second is to use the area near Wancheng to attract troops and then attack Ruxu."

Cao Zhen interrupted and asked, "Your Majesty, do you want both, or just one?"

Cao Rui thought for a moment and replied, "Of course I want to have both, so that I can control the entire north of the Yangtze River. But it still depends on the situation. If I can occupy either Wankou or Ruxukou, my trip will not be in vain."

As they chatted, they walked to the floating bridge.

Cao Xiu led the way: "I ordered people to build floating bridges on both sides of the Huai River. If a boat passes by, the middle part will be disconnected and then closed after the boat passes. This way, it can be used for both land and water."

Cao Rui nodded and drove his horse onto the Huai River Floating Bridge. Shouchun City is right beside the Huai River. The wide Huai River, as one side of the moat, adds a sense of magnificence to Shouchun City.

Just as he was about to get off the bridge, Cao Rui seemed to have thought of something, and asked the two important officials of the Cao family beside him with a smile: "If I remember correctly, Yuan Shu and Yuan Gonglu once proclaimed themselves emperors here, right?"

Cao Xiu smiled and said, "Yuan Shu is arrogant and self-righteous, without any moral integrity. It is bad luck for Shouchun that he proclaimed himself emperor here."

Cao Rui nodded and said, "I remember someone said something about Yuan Shu, 'a dead body in a grave'. Who said that?"

Cao Xiu and Cao Zhen looked at each other and shook their heads to indicate that they didn't know.

Sima Yi's slow voice came from behind: "'Dry bones in the tomb' was said by Kong Rong and Kong Wenju."

Cao Rui, Cao Xiu and Cao Zhen in front turned around when they heard this.

Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi and said, "Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu and the Yuan family all relied on this title of "Three Dukes for Four Generations". General, Grand Sima, Sima Gong behind you is now also a Three Duke, why don't you congratulate him?" Cao Xiu also looked Sima Yi up and down, then bowed and said, "I am Cao Wenlie, congratulating Sima Gong for becoming a Three Duke in One Generation."

Sima Yi was almost rolling his eyes as he sat on his horse, and he quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Grand Sima, please don't make fun of me."

Cao Rui, who had not laughed at first, suddenly laughed out loud: "How could I be mocking? I am on this southern tour to borrow Sima Gong's wisdom."

Sima Yi coughed lightly, cupped his hands, and said nothing.

Cao Rui asked: "How did Yuan Shu die?"

Cao Xiu thought for a moment and said, "I remember that Emperor Wu sent Liu Bei and Zhu Ling to attack. After Yuan Shu died, his son and daughter ended up in exile in Jiangdong."

Cao Rui interrupted Cao Xiu when he heard this: "Does Yuan Shu have any descendants? Are these two still in Jiangdong now?"

Cao Xiu replied, "These two should still be in Jiangdong. I heard from the surrendered people of Wu that Yuan Shu's daughter was hired as Sun Quan's wife, and Yuan Shu's son Yuan Yao became a doctor of Wu."

Upon hearing this, Cao Rui sneered and said, "Sun Quan kept the daughter of a man like Yuan Shu in his harem? The title of "four generations of three officials" is really useful. The daughter of the Yuan family is really precious."

Cao Xiu also smiled and replied: "The rats of Dongwu can only be in league with Yuan Shu. In the past, Sun Ce broke away from Yuan Shu and became his enemy, so the two were already enemies. Sun Quan also married Yuan Shu's daughter, and I really don't know what to say."

Several people rode into the city gate. Shouchun City was much larger than Qiao County. Cao Xiu said, "I have converted the governor's residence into a temporary palace for Your Majesty. Please live in the temporary palace."

Cao Rui said: "I am not staying in Shouchun all the time, so isn't this a waste of the Grand Marshal's action?"

Cao Xiu said sternly, "I have not expanded it much. Moreover, Your Majesty is the emperor and has great wealth. How can a small palace be worth mentioning?"

Cao Rui shook his head slightly: "I won't say anything this time, and it won't happen again."

Cao Xiu smiled and nodded: "Your Majesty, would you like to go to the palace and rest for a while?"

Cao Rui thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let the officials who went to welcome us return to their camps. Tomorrow morning I will hold a court meeting with officials above the rank of 2,000 stone in Shouchun City."

Cao Xiu nodded in agreement. Just as he was about to turn his horse around to make arrangements, Cao Rui stopped him again and said, "Grand Marshal, please come to the palace. I have something to say to you."

Cao Xiu bowed on his horse and then rode away.

Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi again and said, "The Minister of Works, the Minister of the Court, and the Central Guards should also come with me."

Sima Yi also bowed in response, turned around and saw the four attendants behind him, but Sima Yi did not see the figure of the Central Guard General Jiang Ji, and there was no messenger with him. The four attendants were all eunuchs, so Sima Yi had to ride on horseback and follow Cao Xiu to find Jiang Ji in person.

At this time, Cao Zhen led the emperor forward.

Cao Rui arrived at the entrance of the palace, looked around, and couldn't help but take a deep breath. Cao Xiu was right. This palace really hadn't been expanded much. It was clearly just a different look for the original governor's mansion. The walls and lintels were higher, and looking through the open door, there was no luxurious decoration to be seen.

The Grand Marshal is indeed a simple person, Cao Rui sighed in his heart.

Cao Zhen dismounted at the gate of the palace, and immediately raised his hand to lead the emperor's horse and walk inside. Cao Zhen was a general, so he asked the general to lead the horse? Even if Cao Zhen himself didn't care, if this got out, others would only say that he was a mean emperor.

Cao Rui also dismounted, shook Cao Zhen's hand and said, "General, please come in with me."

Cao Zhen responded: "I should clear the way for Your Majesty."

……

As soon as Cao Rui sat down to rest in the hall, Cao Zhen handed him two documents: "Your Majesty, please take a look. These are two memorials from Jia Kui, the governor of Yuzhou."

Jia Kui? Wasn't he sent by Cao Xiu to build fortifications? Why did he submit the memorial?
Cao Rui opened the two documents. After reading them carefully twice, Cao Rui did not say anything, but gently placed the documents on the corner of the table.

Cao Zhen saw that the emperor looked unhappy, so he asked, "Your Majesty, what happened to Jia Kui?"

Cao Rui said: "It's not a big situation, but Jia Kui found traces of Wu soldiers near Wuqiangkou, about a hundred of them."

Cao Zhen's expression also became serious: "Are the Wu soldiers coming from the south or the east?"

Cao Rui responded: "According to what Jia Kui said, the Wu soldiers came from the east, and I guess they came from the direction of Ruxuwu."

Cao Zhen had been in the army for a long time, and judging the situation based on the information from the scouts had almost become an instinct: "Ruxuwu? If so, Zhou Cang must have pretended to surrender. The garrison of Ruxu has probably already begun to deploy, but it is not clear whether it will go from east to west to Wuqiangkou, or via the river to Wankou."

Cao Rui looked at Cao Zhen and said, "I have already said that Zhou Cang was pretending to surrender. Now it seems that Sun Quan has already begun to mobilize his troops. When everyone comes together, we can discuss the matter together."

(End of this chapter)