Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Chapter 78 Military Plan
While the emperor was talking to Cao Zhen, Guanqiu Jian had already walked over with Zhang He. Zhang He slowly walked up the steps and looked around when he entered the hall. He saw that everyone present had already had three rounds of wine and they were all from the Cao and Xiahou families. Then he walked to a place not far from the emperor's desk and knelt down to pay his respects.

"I, Zhang He, pay my respects to Your Majesty. I hurried here after settling military affairs in Mei County. I am late for some reason. Please punish me, Your Majesty."

Zhang He rode back to Luoyang on a dusty horse. How could Cao Rui blame Zhang He? It was just that the minister was terrified when he first met the emperor and said a few polite words.

Seeing Zhang He kneeling and bowing with a serious face, everyone stopped talking and looked in the direction of the emperor and Zhang He.

The eunuch in charge of the musicians and dancers also looked over, as if to see if the emperor had any intention of stopping the dance.

Cao Rui stood up from behind the desk, walked down the steps slowly, came to Zhang He, and patted Zhang He on the shoulder: "Are you Zhang Junyi? Hurry up and stand up."

Zhang He thanked him and stood up. This was Zhang He's first time back in Luoyang since Cao Rui ascended the throne, and naturally it was also Zhang He's first time to see the emperor in person.

Zhang He is also considered a veteran. He was born in Hejian County, Jizhou, and was a typical Yanzhao generous man. As early as when the Yellow Turban Rebellion just broke out, Zhang He volunteered to join the army to fight against the Yellow Turbans. He appeared at the same time as Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Jian. Now Zhang He is already in his sixties.

Zhang He first served as a military commander under Han Fu, the governor of Jizhou. After he defected to Yuan Shao, he became a lieutenant with a salary of two thousand stones. After Yuan Shao defeated Gongsun Zan and occupied the entire Hebei area, he rewarded Zhang He with a miscellaneous title of General of the Central Army. It was not until the Battle of Wuchao, when Zhang He defected to Cao's camp at night, that he was given the title of Lieutenant General and was considered a famous general.

Cao Rui stood opposite Zhang He, looking at his angular face. Years of leading troops in battles outside the town had made Zhang He's face quite vicissitudes. Seeing the emperor staring at him, Zhang He was not afraid and also looked at the emperor's face.

"I was reading the classics, and now I remembered a sentence." Cao Rui laughed and said, "Zi Xu did not sleep early, which put his life in danger. How could he be like Wei Zi who left Yin and Han Xin who returned to Han?"

"General Zhang, do you remember this sentence?"

Zhang He showed a look of surprise, his lips slightly parted, his eyes slightly reddened, and he seemed to want to say something, but he didn't say it.

These were the words Cao Cao said to Zhang He in person when he saw him after returning to the camp in the early morning on the day of the Battle of Wuchao.

After a while, Zhang He let out a long breath, took a half step back and bowed deeply to the emperor: "I have served Cao for twenty-six years. It is rare that Your Majesty still remembers this sentence. I...I have lost my composure."

Cao Rui supported Zhang He's arm with his hand, helped him up, and said to him with a smile: "I remember all the merits of General Zhang. Come to the table quickly, I have prepared a seat for you."

Zhang He looked in the direction of the emperor's finger, and found that it was on the stage, and behind the emperor to the right. Cao Zhen and Cao Hong were still sitting in the audience, so how could Zhang He dare to sit on the stage?

Zhang He said quickly, "Your Majesty is entertaining relatives. It is a great honor for me, a lay official, to attend. How dare I sit beside Your Majesty? I only ask for a last seat."

Cao Hong was obviously enjoying the drink. Seeing Zhang He refused for a long time, he sat down at the table and said loudly: "Junyi, His Majesty has given you a seat, why are you still shy? Hurry up and take your seat and drink!"

Cao Zhen also smiled and said, "We are all in Luoyang, and you are the only one who has come from afar. Please take your seat quickly."

Zhang He bowed and returned to his seat.

Zhang He had entered Cao's camp as early as Guandu, and he knew all the generals from the Cao and Xiahou families in the palace. As soon as Zhang He sat down and raised his head, he saw General Cao Zhen looking at him, and nodded with a smile. This gave Zhang He a reassurance.

When a minister is summoned back to the capital by the emperor, he is most afraid of some matters in the court that he is not aware of but involves him. As an external general, Zhang He naturally has the same concerns. Cao Zhen has worked with Zhang He for a long time, and the look Cao Zhen gave just now clearly told Zhang He that there was nothing to worry about.

The two have had a tacit understanding for many years.

As early as the second year of Huangchu, when Cao Zhen led his generals to quell the Qiang rebellion in Liangzhou, Zhang He fought under Cao Zhen's command. In the third year of Huangchu, when attacking Wu, Cao Zhen led his generals in the west to besiege the generals, and Zhang He was still under Cao Zhen's command. Cao Zhen and Zhang He had been very familiar with each other for a long time.

Zhang He was different from other generals. He led an army all year round. As early as the 19th year of Jian'an, when Xiahou Yuan pacified Ma Chao, he ordered Zhang He to lead an army to the west as a vanguard. He defeated Fu Han, pacified Song Jian, entered Huangzhong, attacked the Di people, and attacked Badong and Baxi. Zhang He led a separate army and could be regarded as the second best general in Yongliang after Xiahou Yuan.

When Xiahou Yuan died at Dingjun Mountain, both Sima Guo Huai and the military governor Du Xi recommended Zhang He as the temporary governor, which shows that Zhang He was a famous general.

But in Cao Wei, even if you have fought for decades and become a famous general, what is the use? At the age of 60, you still have to lead the army to the front line. The ceiling is there, you can see it but never touch it. Don’t you see that Cao Zhen was less than 40 years old, and he could supervise Xu Huang to attack Yangping Pass.

For a foreign general whose surname is not Cao or Xiahou, it is very remarkable for him to be as capable as Zhang He.

After drinking a few cups of warm wine and eating a few bites of roasted mutton, Zhang He's body warmed up.

Cao Rui asked: "Everyone, I want to use my troops in the southeast, but I have something to ask about the military affairs of Yongliang."

Everyone was silent, and all looked at the emperor sitting at the top.

Cao Rui asked: "If at this moment, a military report suddenly came from Longyou, saying that Zhuge Liang of Shu Han had arrived at Qishan Fort, how should we respond?"

There was a moment of silence in the audience, and it was Cao Zhen, the highest-ranking general, who broke the silence and responded to the emperor who was accustomed to making assumptions and thinking out of his own ideas.

Cao Zhen said: "How can Zhuge Liang reach Qishan? The Shu Road is difficult. He needs to transfer troops from Chengdu to Hanzhong before he can take the Qishan Road. It is impossible to conceal the transfer of tens of thousands of people from Shu Han to Hanzhong and the logistics of food and grass. Our spies in Hanzhong will definitely find out."

Cao Rui added: "What if the spies fail to find out? Can we know in advance that Zhuge Liang has arrived in Qishan?"

Cao Zhen began to look embarrassed. Zhang He's voice came from behind, and began to help Cao Zhen: "Your Majesty, since the 24th year of Jian'an, after Emperor Wu retreated from Hanzhong, he also moved the people of Wudu south of Qishan to Hanyang."

After Zhang He finished talking about the old things during Cao Cao's time, he was silent for a moment and continued, "Qinling and Longnan are now deserted. If it is true as Your Majesty said, Zhuge Liang set out from Hanzhong, passed Wudu and went to Qishan, our Great Wei would have no way of discovering him."

Everyone present was silent. Cao Rui pointed to the eunuch in charge of the dance and music, and the eunuch stopped the dance and music.

The atmosphere in the hall became increasingly solemn.

(End of this chapter)