In the general's residence of Yangpingguan Fortress, everyone was silent for a long time, only the crackling of the burning wood in the furnace and the sparks of red heat.
Ha Zhao smiled mockingly and said, "This matter can be taken care of by Xin Gong and Guo Jia Generals, I shouldn't waste my time thinking about it here."
"If Zhuge Liang attacks, then I will defend the city. I was able to hold up against him in Gaiguan and there is no way that he will be able to take Yangpingguan."
Xin Bi gently nodded his head, without commenting on Hao Zhao's words, but instead looked at Guo Hui: "Bo Ji said the right thing just now."
"Now, the Western Wei are only defending the western border and restoring national strength. Either Zhuge Liang moves westward or eastward, he has already taken the initiative."
"If we are to keep Zhuge Liang from finding anything out..."
Xin Pi and Guo Hui looked at each other, then said in unison, "Yang'an Pass!"
Xin Pi combed his beard and said, "Since Zhuge Liang has attacked Yangpingguan, if we confront him at Yangpingguan, that would be inferior tactics."
"He can attack, I can attack as well."
Guo Hui smiled and said, "If the commander's orders are firm, it is indeed a wise move to stop at Chiting and hold back."
"With us here at Yangpingguan, there is nothing to worry about." Guo Hui looked at Xin Bi: "When will Xin Gong return to the north and come face to face with the General to present this strategy, in order to put pressure on Zhuge Liang's back?"
Hao Zhao interjected, "General, Xin Gong, is this not a tactic of Zhuge Liang's to entice us into an open battle and win the war?"
Guo Hui shook his head, "Whether it is or not, since Zhuge Liang has come, we must go out to meet him. We cannot just keep defending the strong fortress and act like a tiger afraid of the enemy."
"If the Western Wei only dare to defend and not to fight, Zhuge Liang might one day be able to move our troops from east to west and then send a heavy force to attack one of the locations."
"We cannot leave Zhuge Liang any opportunities!"
Hao Zhao bowed his hands: "My subordinate understands."
…
Before the great army advanced from the morning of the 21st, Cao Rui led a group of officials to the banks of Qun Dang Channel in the east of Junyi County.
The water of Qun Dang Channel flows gently from northwest to southeast, and the boats on the channel are connected by their sails and all sail northward.
Cao Rui began to speak, "This is the convenience of marching within our territory. Not only is the transportation of grain and supplies convenient, but armor and military equipment can also be transported by boat instead of by land."
"Which official agency is responsible for the canal in Junyi?"
Stepping forward from the group of secretaries standing behind him, Fu Xun reported, "It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Works to oversee all river matters throughout the empire."
"Secretary Fu?" Cao Rui turned to look at Fu Xun, "I have a question for you."
Fu Xun bowed deeply and said, "What is it that Your Majesty wants me to report?"
Cao Rui said, "How is the river system in various regions managed by the court? It can't be that it's all directly managed by the capital's Secretariat."
Fu Xun bowed and said, "Your Majesty, each section of the canal in various regions is supervised by a Duan Shui Douwei (Supervisor of Waterways) who holds a post worth a thousand stones."
"For example, the Qun Dang Channel here." Fu Xun pointed to the river in the distance, "The Qun Dang Channel was originally called the Hong Gou, and it was a crucial waterway connecting the Yellow River with the Huai River."
"All matters related to the dredging and navigation of the Qun Dang Channel are managed by the Supervisor of Waterways of the Qun Dang Channel."
Cao Rui stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the river, nodding thoughtfully as if deep in contemplation.
Fu Xun continued, "The Western Wei have always placed great importance on water conservancy. Wang Xian set out from Xuanchang, and there were two canals with Duan Shui Douwei supervisors located near Xuanchang."
"One is Jia Hou Channel, which was constructed during the term of the former Prefect of Yuzhou, Jia Liangdao, and extends over two hundred miles to connect the Wei and Ying rivers, serving both water transport and irrigation."
"The other is the Tao Lu Channel, which was built during the reign of the previous emperor when he traveled to Zhou Ling in Year 6 of Huang Chao, and also extends over two hundred miles to connect the Wei and Ru rivers."
Cao Rui asked, "I am aware of both the Jia Hou and Tao Lu channels. Who was it that built the Tao Lu Channel in Year 6 of Huang Chao?"
Fu Xun raised his head and looked around to the left and right, as if hesitating slightly before saying, "Your Majesty, the Tao Lu Channel was constructed under the supervision of the former Minister of Waterworks, Zhuge Gongxiu, during his term of office."
Zhuge Gongxiu?
This is Zhuge Dian!
Cao Rui sighed slightly.
Three years ago, Zhuge Dian was already killed by the court for his involvement in the Floating Clouds Case. At that time, if someone had been able to explain this to himself and plead for him slightly, perhaps they could have saved his life and instead sent him to exile.
Unfortunately, no one spoke to him about it.
Exercising leniency outside the law is an act of grace, while executing according to the law is a matter of principle.
When Cao Cao executed Ma Jie, there were still Huan Jie who campaigned for him. But when it came to Zhuge Dian's execution, no one came to his defense.
It can be said that it is the time and fate.
The faces of the officials following behind showed little emotion. The Floating Clouds Case, with only one Zhuge Dian being executed, was indeed plain and uneventful to these ministers who had experienced the change of dynasties from Han to Wei.
Cao Rui followed the sight of a boat nearby, which was constantly sailing northward, and opened his mouth to say, "The transportation of grain and supplies to the Central Army this time will also depend on the communication of canals in Hebei. What is the current situation with Hebei's canals?" Fu Xun could perhaps also briefly mention it to the officials.
Fu Xun slowly walked up, turned around his back to the Qun Dang Channel, and faced the crowd, opening his mouth to say:
"Everyone, the waterway transportation in Hebei is centered around Ye City."
"Ye City has a plain of thousands of acres and four waterways. In the spring of AD 208, during the reign of Emperor Xu, he opened the Xuanwu Pool in Ye City to train his navy, and at that time, his navy could directly sail from Hebei to the south of Yangtze River."
"In 204 AD, during the campaign against Ye City, Emperor Xu from Henan sent men to dig the Bai Gou Canal to open up the waterway for transporting grain and supplies, so that the grain from Henan could be directly transported to Ye City."
"In 207 AD, during the campaign against the Wuhuan, the court began to dig the Pinglu Canal from the Huo River into the Feishui River, and then from the mouth of the Zong River, they dug the Qinzhou Canal into the Lü River to reach the sea. Furthermore, they also opened a new river from Qinzhou Canal to connect with the Ru River."
"In AD 213, during the reign of Emperor Xu, he established the Liang Cao Channel to direct the Zhang River into Qing and Huán rivers."
After speaking, Fu Xun bowed to the emperor: "Your Majesty, during the period when the armies were stationed in Ye, the troops could take advantage of these channels and ride boats southwards through Bai Gou River into the Yellow River, then through Yingyang and Qun Dang Channel to the Huai River."
"To the north, the Pinglu, Qinzhou, and Xin Rivers can be utilized to reach Liaoxi Commandery."
"Your Majesty, if the Central Army is to campaign in Liaodong, it is necessary to utilize the combined efforts of Bai Gou, Liang Cao, Pinglu, Qinzhou, and Xin Rivers."
Cao Rui nodded, "Can the five canals be kept clear?"
Fu Xun solemnly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the five canals in Hebei and the three canals in Henan are all under the supervision of Duan Shui Douweis who monitor the transport of grain. I can guarantee that they are all kept open!"
Cao Rui smiled and looked at Sima Yi, "Logistics is the fundamental part of military operations. The Secretariat has done a good job here, congratulations!"
Sima Yi bowed and said, "These are all our responsibilities. How can we dare to claim the merits?"
"Civil and military affairs are of great importance and should not be neglected. I suggest that the Minister of Works, Fu Xun, go north first to inspect the river transportation and road repairs along the way, in order to ensure that the army can march without hindrance."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "The journey to Liaodong is very far, with a distance of four thousand miles from Luoyang. I have never traveled so far with the Central Army before, and the logistics of providing for the army would certainly be more difficult."
"The words of the Grand Master are reasonable. It is indeed necessary to prepare in advance to prevent unforeseen events."
Having said that, Cao Rui looked at Fu Xun, "Secretary Fu, you should go ahead and inspect Hebei first!"
"I will lead the army along Bai Gou River to the north, and leave the four canals of Liang Cao, Pinglu, Qinzhou, and Xin to be inspected by Secretary Fu first."
"Can you withstand the journey?"
Although Fu Xun is over sixty years old, he is tall and muscular with a strong appearance, looking still robust on the surface.
Fu Xun without hesitation bowed and said, "As an official of the government, I am not afraid of aging. Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will definitely take care of the transportation for the army's journey!"
Cao Rui nodded with satisfaction.
...
The army left Qunyi on the 21st day and arrived at Liyang County on the 26th day, crossing the Yellow River at Baima ferry and entering the territory of Liyang County.
Baima is still in Henan Province, while Liyang is a real Hebei territory.
Li Yang is located in the southernmost part of Wei Commandery, which was once the fief granted to Emperor Cao Cao, the founder of the state, when he established himself as a Marquis.
After the Wei Dynasty was upgraded to the Wei Dynasty, Wei Commandery was also divided by Emperor Cao Pei into three counties: Wei Commandery, Yangping Commandery, and Geping Commandery.
At this moment, in the clinic of Guan Tao County in Yangping Commandery, a Zhang named practitioner sitting at the table watched the situation with difficulty. The thirty-year-old county officer before him was in great pain.
As the Zhang practitioner furrowed his brow and straightened his beard, he remained silent. The officials behind the county clerk began to roll up their sleeves, with one of them pointing to the practitioner's nose with his finger.
"Can you really treat the disease, doctor? If not, you'd better go home early. We will break down your clinic immediately!"
The Zhang practitioner sighed softly, ignoring the officials' shouting, and looked straight at the county clerk across the room: "Hu Jun, please forgive me for being unable to treat your illness. Hu Jun, your legs have been painful and difficult to bear for several days, with no other symptoms. My knowledge is limited."
Having said that, the Zhang practitioner stood up and bowed to the county clerk Hu Di, saying, "Please forgive me."
The officials behind were about to swear, but Hu Di turned and scolded them, "You must not be impolite! Don't you worry about getting sick one day and having no face to see the doctor then?"
After speaking, Hu Di leaned on the mat and tried to rise, but found it difficult to stand up. The officials quickly reached out to support him.
At this moment, a laugh was heard outside the door, "Your leg condition is not something that a doctor can cure. Let me take a look instead."
Hu Di's composure, which he had tried to maintain, now scattered away completely. He cursed, "Who is trying to make fun of me? Come out!"
A young scholar with a rough appearance, wearing simple cotton robes and having just reached adulthood, stepped in with his hands bound. "Hu Jun, don't you recognize me?"
Hu Di hurriedly swallowed some saliva and, not caring about his unsteady stance, bowed with his hands. His face was filled with shock as he said, "I have met the Manager, how is it that you are here?"
Guan Lu smiled and said, "I just arrived in Guan Tao today from Pinglu Canal. My father is currently touring the Pinglu Canal, so he was strolling through the market when he saw this place was lively. He entered and stood outside to listen for a while. Unexpectedly, he heard that it was Hu Jun."
Guan Lu's father, Guan Cheng, is the Officer Commanding the Liang Cao Canal, a position with an official rank of 1,000 stones. When Guan Lu visited the Liang Cao Canal last year, he had met this county clerk named Hu Di.
Hu Di looked around a few times before biting his teeth and bowing deeply, saying, "Although you are young, your talent in divination and fortune-telling is well-known. Please, may I seek your guidance on how to cure this illness?"
Guan Lu looked at Hu Di carefully and smiled lightly, "Shall we start right now?"
Hu Di nodded. "Now, please. The pain is unbearable."
Guan Lu shook his shoulders and raised his hands, which were tied together, to show his hands. His fingers were slender and he was quickly sorting out long strands of I-Ching grass.
In a few breaths, Guan Lu re-clothed the I-Ching grass, which he had just sorted out, back into his sleeves.
Guan Lu smiled and asked, "Hu Jun, do you have three brothers, and are all of them experiencing leg pain?"
Hu Di widened his eyes in disbelief and looked at Guan Lu, "How did you know? Did you really predict it through divination?"
In Guan Tao County, no one was unaware of his father Guan Cheng. Therefore, Guan Lu did not hesitate to speak openly in front of this small county official: "Just now, I cast a divination and the result shows that there is a wronged person in Hu Jun's family. It's not his mother-in-law but his sister-in-law."
"Somebody wanted the dowry of his sister-in-law and pushed her into a well, and then someone else pushed a large stone down to crush her to death. This might be a retribution for leg ailments."
Guan Lu sighed softly, raised his chin, and combed through his temple hair.
The crowd around them were all shocked and looked at Hu Di with questioning eyes.
Hu Di had three brothers, and they all had a stepmother in the family. It matched perfectly, without any discrepancy!
Hu Di's heart was filled with fear, and he could no longer bear it. He knelt down and cried, bowing three times: "Manager Guan, I made a mistake. I did such a wrong thing. I can take the blame and die by myself. Could this disaster not affect our descendants?"
When Hu Di admitted to killing, the officials who were previously surrounding him, instantly surrounded and controlled him. It was acceptable to be impolite at normal times, but when dealing with murder, these people still knew right from wrong.
Guan Lu sighed, "The heavens have the principle of cherishing life. Although you killed someone, the disaster will stop with you and not extend to your descendants."
Hu Di was weeping and sobbing, kneeling down and bowing his head repeatedly, but he did not know whom to seek forgiveness. (The chapter ends here.)
