Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Chapter 67: A Thousand Gold Horse Bones (Seeking Follow-up Reading)

In the Zhonglei camp, Emperor Cao Rui and General Cao Hong had a very pleasant conversation.

The two talked about the Battle of Guandu to the siege of Yecheng, from the campaign against Dong Zhuo in Xingyang to the campaign against Lu Bu, and from welcoming Emperor Xianfeng to the march south to Chibi.

As Cao Cao's younger brother, Cao Hong has seen and experienced many things, and can be regarded as a witness to the entire process of Cao's rise to power. Cao Hong is generous and good at talking, and chatting about old things with Cao Hong is indeed a good experience.

After Cao Rui was about to leave Zhonglei Camp, Cao Hong even invited the emperor to his home for a banquet, but Cao Rui refused on the grounds that he was busy and said that he would choose a day to invite Cao Hong to a banquet in the palace.

Cao Hong gladly accepted it.

Among the clan generals of the same generation as Cao Cao, Cao Chun, the commander of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, died the first. Xiahou Yuan died in battle at Dingjun Mountain, Xiahou Dun had already died of illness, and Cao Ren died after the defeat at Ruxu.

Cao Hong is the oldest and most experienced general among the Cao Wei clan leaders.

At the beginning of this year, before the late Emperor Cao Pi passed away, Cao Pi wanted to execute Cao Hong on the grounds that his retainers had committed illegal acts. Although Empress Dowager Bian saved him and returned Cao Hong's property, Cao Hong's official position and title were stripped.

Many members of the royal family were quite resentful that an old minister who had been recruited to help Cao Cao when he started his army was treated like this.

The royal family is a major issue that every dynasty cannot avoid.

During the Han Dynasty, power under the emperor was divided into three parts: relatives of the emperor, eunuchs, and scholars.

When eunuchs become powerful, relatives of the emperor and scholars can unite. When scholars become powerful, relatives of the emperor and eunuchs can also fight together.

In Cao Wei, because the founding emperor Cao Pi issued special imperial edicts to restrict relatives by marriage and eunuchs, relatives by marriage and eunuchs were deprived of their power from the root.

Cao Pi even abolished the eunuchs' official positions, and replaced the Huangmen, who were eunuchs serving by the emperor's side, with Sanqi, who were served by noble relatives and their children.

Two of the three legs of relatives by marriage, eunuchs and scholars were cut off, leaving only one scholar, who was in opposition to the military nobles represented by the Xiahou Cao.

That is, the opposition between the Qiaopei military people and the Ruying family.

According to common sense, the Cao family, whose foundation was founded by military power, should have ruled the country based on the military men of Qiaopei. But who was it that Cao Cao indulged his two sons, Cao Pi and Cao Zhi, in their fight for the throne in his later years?

During the competition for the throne, Cao Pi's supporters, whether Chen Qun, Zhong Yao or Sima Yi, were all representatives of the scholar group. The scholar group advocated the patriarchal system, which was naturally more beneficial to Cao Pi.

The brothers Ding Yi and Ding Yi around Cao Zhi were all from Qiao County, so Cao Pi had a grudge against people from Qiao and Pei. When Cao Cao was on an expedition to Hanzhong, the leader of the "rebellion" that Cao Pi suppressed in Yecheng was Wei Feng from Pei!

It can almost be said that Cao Pi's attitude towards the royal family and the military men of Qiaopei was much better than Cao Cao's. The royal family generals were gradually dying out, and Cao Pi did not give the military generals of other surnames like Zhang He real power.

In Cao Rui's view, this was gradually digging out the "reality" of the Cao family and digging out the roots of Cao's rule.

Cao Rui came to Zhonglei Camp to meet Cao Hong in person this time in order to use Cao Hong as the "horse bone" to buy horse bones for a huge sum of money, sending a signal that he wanted to make use of members of the royal family.

Luoyang is the heart of the empire. As the emperor, every move of Cao Rui would be scrutinized by people. I believe that relatives like Xiahou Cao must be able to feel some of Cao Rui's goodwill.

At the same time, Wu State, Wuchang.

Zhuge Jin walked into the hall from outside, smiling as he walked, and said to Wu Wang Sun Quan: "Your Majesty, Zhou Cang just sent a message that Cao Xiu has accepted Zhou Cang's request and has begun planning to send troops south."

Sun Quan laughed loudly: "Cao Xiu lacks strategy and wisdom. He was really fooled by Bo Yan's plan."

Sun Quan looked at Lu Xun and said, "Boyan, I want to thank you for your plan. You pretended to surrender in Poyang and lured Cao Xiu to the south from Wancheng. If this is successful, I will celebrate your success in public!" Lu Xun still had a calm expression. He sat at the table and slowly bowed to Sun Quan and said, "Your Majesty, Cao Xiu agreed to this matter, which only means that my plan is halfway done."

Sun Quan asked, "What about the other half? Did Boyan say how to win?"

Lu Xun nodded, "That's right. Zhou Cang said in his letter of false surrender that he wanted Cao Xiu to lead 10,000 people from Wancheng to the south of the river. But when and how to fight this battle depends on how many troops Cao Xiu brings."

Sun Quan also frowned slightly, thinking about Zhuge Jin and waved his hand: "Bring Zhou Cang's documents here, I will read it myself."

Zhuge Jin did not dare to delay, nor did he bother to look at it again to confirm it. He picked it up with both hands and handed it to Sun Quan.

Sun Quan frowned as he looked at Zhou Cang's document and the handwritten letter from Feng Ping, the Grand Marshal and Chief Clerk of Cao Xiu.

Sun Quan asked, "What is the resume of Feng Ping, Cao Xiu's chief secretary? This is the first time I have heard of this man's name."

Zhuge Jin interrupted and said, "Last year when Cao Pi invaded the border, the people who surrendered in the north mentioned this Feng Ping, saying that Feng Ping had been in office in Hebei for a long time, but the rest of the story is unclear."

Sun Quan nodded and continued to look at the two documents. At this time, Lu Xun suddenly said, "I have heard that Cao Pi has always placed his relatives and friends in the army, and Cao Pi has been in Yecheng for a long time. I guess Feng Ping should have a close relationship with Cao Pi."

"That's right." Sun Quan looked at the letter carefully. "Feng Ping's letter said that Cao Xiu will personally lead tens of thousands of people to the south."

"Bo Yan, what do you think of this 'tens of thousands of people'?"

Lu Xun asked: "Twenty thousand or thirty thousand can be called tens of thousands, and seventy thousand or eighty thousand can also be called tens of thousands. I would like to ask, does Your Majesty want Cao Xiu to have more soldiers, or fewer?"

Sun Quan looked at Lu Xun and asked, "Does Boyan want Zhou Cang to communicate with Cao Xiu again and let Cao Xiu send troops as appropriate?"

Lu Xun nodded: "That's exactly what I meant."

"Since Cao Xiu was persuaded by Zhou Cang, if the Wei soldiers crossed the river from Wancheng to the south, their purpose was naturally to cross the river."

"How can the Wei soldiers cross the river without boats? Naturally, they rely on the boats provided by Zhou Cang on the south bank of the river. Naturally, Zhou Cang also provides logistics and food."

"Then the king can give orders to Zhou Cang, and have him report the status of the ships and food to Cao Xiu. When Cao Xiu learns of the status of the ships and food, he will surely mobilize more troops."

Sun Quan nodded and said, "That's true. Boyan, you just asked me if I hope Cao Xiu has more or fewer troops this time."

"I will give you an answer right now. I intend to deploy 100,000 troops near Wancheng. No matter if Cao Xiu brings 10,000, 30,000 or 50,000 troops, I can still achieve a great victory!"

"What do you think, Bo Yan?"

After hearing what Sun Quan said, Lu Xun was silent for a moment and then slowly said, "Your Majesty, a hundred thousand troops may be too much of a waste. It would be better to send a smaller number of about fifty thousand troops, relying on the Yangtze River and Wankou, which should be enough to deal with Cao Xiu."

"I think the rest of the troops need to defend the various places along the river to prevent the Wei army's generals in Jingzhou and Jiangxia from invading from the south."

After hearing Lu Xun's words, Sun Quan remained calm, but he was quite unhappy in his heart. This was the norm in the Eastern Wu. Everyone fought bravely when defending, but they were conservative when attacking.

This has always been a concern for Sun Quan.

(End of this chapter)