Even though Cao Rui indeed intended to approach Qiaoshan and Lucheng, Yang Fu's enthusiasm was so unexpected that he was somewhat surprised.
Yang Qing is right, that's also what I thought," said Cao Rui with a light cough. "As for how to make the final decision, it has to be seen and decided by me in person."
"Tomorrow, the entire army will set off for Shuangjiazhuang, and I will celebrate the New Year with all the officials in Shuangjiazhuang city!"
"According to the emperor's command." Xiao Siming, Yang Fu, Chen Jiao, and others bowed together.
The next day, January 29th, at dawn, Cao Rui led the remaining cavalry southward in person. Qian Zhao led the remaining infantry and surrendered troops from behind.
As the emperor himself moved ever southward, 'good news' kept coming in.
Among the military reports that surprised and amazed Cao Rui the most were the actions of Lu Xun and Xia Hu Badong on the western front.
"Xiao Siming." Cao Rui rode his horse southward, waving to summon Siming over.
"What commands does Your Majesty have?" Sima Yi asked with a bow.
Cao Rui lightly inhaled and said, "Xiao Siming, take a look at this military report. Lu Xun has promised to give the territories of Wu Dong and Yin Ping counties in return for agreeing to mobilize three thousand Qiang cavalry from the Western Regions. Furthermore, he has driven away a thousand men from Tang Da's army outside of Xiang Wu City."
Sima Yi took the military report handed over by the emperor, and his brow furrowed as he read it.
After carefully reading it twice over, Sima Yi looked up at the emperor. Their eyes met in mid-air, each carrying an unspoken meaning.
It wasn't that Lu Xun did anything wrong, but rather that he did everything so perfectly, almost alarming!
Since Lingxi prefecture was surrounded and Nan'an prefecture was occupied by Shu troops, neither Cao Rui nor Zhang Ji had received any news from Liangshan.
Regarding the situation in Liangzhou, there was a basic consensus among the emperor and the senior officials about sending additional reinforcements to Lingxi prefecture.
According to the situation in Liangzhou, it seems that the reinforcements should be mainly composed of Hao Zhao's 2,000 outer army and Xia Hu's county troops from Liangzhou, with Lu Xun's Qiang mercenaries as secondary forces.
Who could have anticipated that Lu Xun would become the protagonist?
Even the emperor himself, who had been in continuous communication with Lu Xun and discussed many arrangements regarding the Qiang people, didn't expect Lu Xun to gather so many Qiang warriors!
The two exchanged a gaze in silence for a few moments before Sima Yi broke the silence.
"Your Majesty, as the official protector of the Qiang people, it is Lu Xun's duty to recruit Qiang warriors for combat and defense. Although Wei never mobilized such a large number of Qiang warriors, Lu Xun has not overstepped his authority in reality."
"Rescuing Xiangwu from the west and forcing the Shu troops out of Nan'an County are all due to this man's efforts. Moreover, he was personally appointed by Your Majesty. With great achievements and no faults, we should not punish Lu Xun."
Cao Rui was taken aback for a moment, shook his head with a wry smile, and said, "Xiao Siming, do you think I would be jealous of capable people? Lu Xun did such great things in the west, and I would reward him even more if I could. How could I possibly suspect him?"
Sima Yi also looked surprised: "It seems that the depth of Your Majesty's thinking surpasses mine. I am not sure what Your Majesty intends."
"I was thinking about the many conditions that Lu Xun has offered to the Qiang people," said Cao Rui with a soft sigh. "Selecting officials from among the Qiang, recruiting them as vassals, and treating them equally with the common people of Wei — these are all proper actions."
"But I was thinking about the fact that Lu Xun has promised to cede Wu Dong and Yin Ping counties to the Qiang people."
Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi and said, "Lu Xun's intentions are indeed good, he has stimulated the Qiang's desire to fight without casually handing over the lands of Longyue. However, with the battle at Lueyang where Zhuge Liang retreated on his own accord, I'm actually a bit unsure about how to recover Wu Dong and Yin Ping counties."
Following behind the emperor, Sima Yi rode beside him and they chatted while riding. However, at this point, they fell into a moment of silence.
Cao Rui and Sima Yi were both deep in thought.
The wind blew through the trees on both sides of the road, providing a background for the noise of the army marching.
The sapphire sky was dotted with a few rolls of clouds, and the distant layered mountains, with their numerous ridges, made even the vast army of tens of thousands seem small.
"I have some different opinions," said Sima Yi.
Sima Yi licked his lips and tentatively said, "Your Majesty, can we look at this matter from a different perspective? Instead of focusing on Lu Xun's promises, let's consider the large number of Qiang warriors who have volunteered from Liangzhou."
Cao Rui nodded lightly, "Xiao Siming is known for his quick wit. Please speak your mind."
Sima Yi continued, "Before Lu Xun, Wei officials in the two provinces of Yong and Liang did not often recruit Qiang warriors for combat. However, before Huang Chu, such things were common."
"Kingdom, Bi Zhang, Han Su, and Ma Chao and so on?" Cao Rui countered.
"Yes, that's right, those people," Sima Yi said. "Although these people are seen as rebellious bandits now, they were able to easily gather the Qiang people repeatedly. It must be because there was something profitable for the Qiang in doing so."
"But so far, the rebellion in Liangzhou, led by people like Han Su and Ma Chao, has only promised things like positions and wealth. Over the past ten to twenty years, have they really all wanted to move to Wu Dong and Yin Ping?"
Cao Rui responded, "Lu Xun is luring the Qiang people, and the Qiang people are also testing the Wei."
"That's exactly what I mean." Sima Yi replied. "Wei was just established seven years ago, but the new dynasty has a completely different atmosphere compared to the Han Dynasty. These Qiang and Hu people are also uncertain about the nature of Wei."
"Thankfully, Lu Xun has been winning and also encountered the withdrawal of the Shu army. Otherwise, if there had been a tough battle, it's not certain whether these Qiang warriors would have fought for Wei."
Cao Rui coldly laughed, "So these Qiang people are trying to see if I am generous!"
Sima Yi responded, "It should be like this."
"Then I shall show them great generosity once," Cao Rui laughed. "Let these people, who are not even worthy of being called country bumpkins, see the authority and credibility of the imperial court!"
"What is Your Majesty doing?" Sima Yi was puzzled.
Cao Rui glanced at Sima Yi and said, "You'll understand when we arrive in Shuangjiazhuang. I will give these Qiang people an explanation on my own!"
Sima Yi could only agree, watching as the emperor galloped ahead to the front of the formation, leaving him to slowly progress with the rest of the army.
"The current emperor and the late emperor are indeed very different in temperament."
The late emperor had an extraordinary temperament. Not only did he listen to the opinions of his ministers beside him, but he also often acted according to the suggestions of his officials, truly exemplifying the ability to follow good advice as easily as flowing water.
However, the current emperor, who has been on the throne for less than a year and a half, has already led two campaigns to Huaiyang and Longyou, both of which seem to be victories.
With the military victories, the emperor's power has been further consolidated.
With the military victories, the power of the emperor has further consolidated. General Cao Zhen has virtually no say in major military strategies and has become more like a commander-in-chief leading troops out on behalf of the emperor.
And as the Inspector-General, he and other officials like Dong Zhao, Wei Zhen, and Xin Pi have become almost like military strategists and advisors to the emperor.
Only if the emperor has undecided matters will he select the best advice from his ministers and execute it.
If the emperor is resolute in his decision, his mind will not be swayed in the slightest by the opinions of his ministers.
In the past one and a half years, almost every major decision made by the emperor has been proven to be correct! When Emperor Wu was crowned as King of Wei, he did not have such centralized power and enlightenment.
Sima Yi could only mutter to himself in his heart, lacking the courage to voice any criticism. After pondering, he could only sigh deeply.
Let's wait until we reach Shuangjiazhuang and see how the emperor plans to keep his promise to the Qiang people and fulfill it.
……
On the evening of the thirtieth, Emperor Cao Rui and his 4,000 cavalry arrived in Shuangjiazhuang. Qian Zhao led his infantry behind, with another day's journey ahead.
In any case, they managed to arrive just in time for the last two days of the year, allowing them to spend the New Year's Eve in Shuangjiazhuang.
In addition to General Cao Zhen, Guo Huan, Lu Pan, Hu Zun, and others all went out five li to greet the emperor, bringing him into the city.
After praising Guo Huan and others for their dedication in holding the fort, the imperial carriage entered the county magistrate's office, where a banquet had been set up.
"General Cao Zhen, you have made it so that the emperor has no choice but to celebrate your achievements!" Emperor Cao Rui smiled and looked at Cao Zhen.
Guo Huan and the others following behind immediately changed their expressions upon hearing the emperor's words. They thought that the emperor had displeasure with the war and had arranged a banquet to welcome his arrival.
Guo Huan was seeing the emperor for the first time, but Cao Zhen had already become familiar with the emperor in Luoyang and knew that the current emperor was not constrained by small matters and liked to make jokes.
Cao Zhen, by his side, also responded with a smile, "With the grace of the emperor, we have recovered all four counties in the western border, except for Xifeng and Qiyanshan. The soldiers are eagerly waiting for their rewards and it is their good fortune to be able to drink with Your Majesty together."
"Hahaha!" Emperor Cao Rui laughed. "General Cao Zhen speaks well! The battle was fought well, and the emperor has always been generous with rewards. To have a banquet with the deserving today, it must be a good story to tell."
The county magistrate's office in Shuangjiazhuang was not large, but it was sufficient to accommodate a banquet for more than ten people. The seat at the head of the table, where the emperor sat, was naturally spacious, but the tables inside were tightly packed into two rows.
Emperor Cao Rui's eyes turned and he found Lu Xun among the crowd behind him.
"Lu Yuan, come here to the emperor!" Emperor Cao Rui smiled and waved, "The emperor saw you when he was outside the city. Why do you always hide at the back? Is it because you don't want to see the emperor?"
Lu Xun smiled awkwardly, bowing respectfully and said, "To see the emperor's face is a great honor for me. But since I have not led the troops in battle and am naturally inferior to the other generals, I had to hide at the back."
"How can you always be so cautious?" Emperor Cao Rui chuckled, "Everything you have done is known to me, and in my eyes, it is just as glorious as any achievements in battle!"
"Lu Yuan, since this is your first banquet with the emperor, do not be too constrained." Emperor Cao Rui instructed and then turned to Cao Zhen. "Since General Cao has already arranged the seating, let's start the banquet!"
Cao Zhen nodded in agreement and then instructed the various officers and ministers following him to take their seats.
"If in other dynasties, after a battle that lost ten thousand soldiers and most of the lost territory was recovered, it would be rare for anyone to want to hold a banquet. However, today is different."
But in this era, wars were frequent. Especially for the generals of Wei, there was hardly any year without conflict.
Year after year of warfare has turned even the gentlest of hearts into something as tough as tempered steel.
The army suffered heavy casualties, and it is time to be sorrowful when it is necessary. But after the sorrow, the celebration of victory should be even more enthusiastic.
This sense of open-mindedness due to the times has been passed down from Cao Cao, Cao Pi, generals, and ministers throughout the era of Han-Wei transition.
Drinking wine while singing, how long is life?
Like dew in the morning, the days are hard to come by.
The short song written by Cao Cao in the past was spontaneously composed during a banquet after the war.
This can be considered an alternative backdrop of the era. (Chapter ends)
