Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Chapter 51: The Strategy of Feigning Surrender (Seeking Follow-up Reading)

metaphysics?

Cao Rui was stunned for a moment when he heard this word, but then he realized that this thing is the metaphysics of the Wei and Jin Dynasties! It seems to have been born in this period of time.

Xiahou Xuan, He Yan, Ruan Ji, the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, famous scholars of the Wei and Jin Dynasties... some concepts that have been buried in my mind for a long time now pop up all at once.

Xun Can came to Luoyang, and He Yan, Xiahou Xuan and others began to invite Xun Can to talk about metaphysics at the Imperial College. This seemed to be a major event in the history of thought. But Cao Rui did not want to interfere too much at this time. After all, metaphysics is spiritual and the world is material.

It will take some time for these theories to influence politics.

Cao Rui said casually: "Sun Zhongshu, please make arrangements. Let He Yan and Xiahou Xuan enter the palace in a few days. I will ask them about this metaphysics."

After Sun Zi agreed, he began to report the last matter.

"Your Majesty." Sun Zi looked up at Cao Rui's expression and said, "Yongqiu Prince Cao Zhi seems to be quite active recently. He often discusses current affairs with guests while drinking in his palace, and even said that he wants to submit a memorial to Your Majesty."

Cao Zhi was actually suppressed by Cao Pi throughout the Huangchu period. In other words, Cao Pi's close relatives, that is, those who could be crowned as kings, were always treated with caution and vigilance by Cao Pi.

In the second year of Huangchu, Cao Zhi was granted the title of Marquis of Anxiang, with a fief of 800 households. In July of the same year, he was granted the title of Marquis of Juancheng. In the third year of Huangchu, Cao Zhi was promoted to King of Juancheng. In the fourth year of Huangchu, Cao Zhi was granted the title of King of Yongqiu.

According to the system of Han and Wei, the princes could not leave their fiefdoms at will. Cao Pi arbitrarily changed Cao Zhi's fiefdom, which was actually forcing his brother, who had the same father and mother, to move again and again.

After Cao Rui heard Sun Zi's report about Cao Zhi, he felt troubled. Cao Zhi was very talented in literature. Later generations once said: "There is only one stone of talent in the world, but Zijian has eight buckets."

But Cao Zhi's talent was only literary, not the talent to manage the country and save the people. But Cao Zhi was just like those frivolous people, thinking that it was a waste of talent if the court did not use him. This was ridiculous.

Moreover, Cao Zhi himself wrote in the last few lines of his "Elegy for Emperor Wen" in memory of Cao Pi: "I am alone and depressed, with no one to turn to, looking back at the scenery and feeling pity for my appearance."

The previous emperor has passed away, why are you feeling sad here? Aren't you just feeling frustrated and unappreciated?

Cao Rui was not a fool. Using this elder who had once competed with Cao Pi for the throne would be a landmine for himself, regardless of whether he had any talent or how much talent he had.

Cao Rui shook his head slightly: "Since Prince Yongqiu wants to submit a petition, and the regent has reported it truthfully, then let's wait for him to submit his petition. He is the elder, and I can't shut him up."

How to treat Cao Zhi is actually a serious issue for the royal family. Fortunately, Cao Rui still has a lot of time.

Speaking of the royal family, Cao Rui had restored Cao Hong's treatment some time ago, and appointed Cao Hong as General of the Guard, Marquis of Lecheng, and with a fief of 1,000 households.

He was considered to be another senior general from the Cao clan, following Cao Xiu's Grand Marshal and Cao Zhen's General.

In fact, Cao Hong was not a great talent, but he was close to Cao Cao and had a long history of service. During the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao personally attacked Wuchao, and it was Cao Hong who was responsible for guarding Cao Cao's camp.

In the 22nd year of Jian'an, Cao Hong led his army to resist the invading Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, and Wu Lan in Wudu. Cao Cao said to Cao Xiu, who was Cao Hong's military officer at the time: "Although you are called a military officer, you are actually the commander-in-chief of this army."

Cao Xiu was Cao Hong's nephew, so the appointment of Cao Hong as commander-in-chief in name but Cao Xiu as commander-in-chief in reality allowed Cao Hong to save face. However, when his son Cao Pi came to power, he was no longer so affectionate to Cao Hong.

Cao Rui looked at Sun Zi and asked, "Where is Cao Hong now?" Sun Zi folded his hands and replied, "Cao Hong has arrived in Yecheng now. According to your majesty's arrangement, Cao Hong is here to select soldiers from various prefectures and counties in Hebei and the border troops to fill the vacancies in the central army."

Cao Rui nodded. For a member of the royal family like Cao Hong who had rich experience but little ability, it was a reasonable assignment to select soldiers for the central army, which was an important but not difficult task.

This brings us to the current central military structure of the Wei State.

The Central Army, also known as the Imperial Guard, was an elite force directly under the central government of the State of Wei, with a strength of 50,000 men.

Among them, the Wuwei Camp had 25,000 people, the Zhongjian Camp had 8,000 people, the Zhonglei Camp had 7,000 people, the Wuxiaowei Camp had 4,000 people, the Zhonglingjun had 3,000 people, and the Dajiangjun had 3,000 people.

In the wars of Wei, the Central Army often fought all over the battlefield. During the reign of Cao Pi alone, from suppressing the rebellion of the Hu people in Liangzhou to the three expeditions to the Eastern Wu, the Central Army participated in the main attack direction every time.

Cao Wei's central army was indeed trustworthy, but the side effect of frequent deployments was that the army suffered excessive losses and was short of nearly 30% of its personnel.

Hebei, where Cao Hong was heading, was the only area with less pressure among the four strategic directions of Cao Wei: southeast, northwest, northeast and southwest.

At this time, Tian Yu, Qian Zhao, Liang Xi and others were guarding the northern border in Hebei, and Gongsun Gong in Liaodong had always been submissive. The overall military pressure was not severe, and there was naturally enough capacity to select some soldiers from the border troops and state troops and assign them to the central army.

After all, the treatment of the central army is indeed much higher. It is better to stay in Luoyang as the emperor's personal soldiers than to defend against the Xianbei in the north.

At the same time, Wu State, Poyang County.

In the lobby of the Poyang Prefecture's Mansion, Zhou Cang, the then Poyang Prefecture's Prefecture Governor, and Hu Zong, the then Jiefan Supervisor, had just received an imperial edict from the King of Wu, Sun Quan, sent from Wuchang.

Sun Quan made it very clear that the rebel Peng Qi in Poyang had contacted Wei's Grand Marshal Cao Xiu and was preparing to lure Cao Xiu across the river into Poyang.

Sun Quan, the King of Wu, and Lu Xun, the governor of Jingzhou, who were in Wuchang, thought this was an opportunity to lure the enemy deeper into their territory, so they ordered Zhou Cang to find some more rebel leaders who were suitable for pretending to surrender to Cao Wei.

The order was very simple, but Zhou Qiang and Hu Zong, who were living in Poyang City at the time, were in trouble.

Sun Quan’s orders simply don’t work!
The reason is very simple. Peng Qi is the leader of the Shanyue people in Poyang County, and Peng Qi's followers have reached a scale of tens of thousands!

In other words, within the scope of Poyang County, there are either people from the Wu State living in the county town and its surrounding areas, or the Shanyue people led by Peng Qi who are rebelling in the mountains and lakes. There are no other forces.

Zhou Cang, who was thin and had a sad face, sat in the hall. Zhou Cang, who was born in a prominent family in Wu County, was nearly 40 years old and had been in Poyang for two years. He had made little progress in the task of exterminating Peng Qi's group of Shanyue people, and at this time, King Sun Quan of Wu sent him a new task.

Zhou Cang really didn't know what to do, so he had to ask Hu Zong for help: "Brother Wei Ze, how should I do this? You are familiar with the King of Wu, please teach me."

Hu Zong stroked his beard, looking a little embarrassed: "The King of Wu does not know the details of Peng Qi, the rebel in Poyang County. I guess the King of Wu just wants to find someone in Poyang who is worthy of Cao Xiu's attention to pretend to surrender, so as to lure Cao's troops south."

"As for who it is, it doesn't matter much. Didn't the King of Wu explain it?"

When Zhou Qian heard this, his eyes narrowed slightly.

(End of this chapter)