Chen Qun's "One Word, One Question" has come to an end.
Chen Qun agreed to the appointment of his journey to the military command of Jingzhou with simplicity, and also exchanged military opinions with the emperor, achieving a basic consensus between the ruler and the subject.
The fact that Chen Qun was sent to Jingzhou changed the original timeline where Sima Yi led his first army. At that moment, Cao Rui was still quite satisfied.
The command had been issued, and Cao Rui looked at the other ministers: "Is there anything else that needs to be added?"
Cao Rui's question was also to avoid any potential gaps in his first military deployment.
Sima Xiu said, "Your Majesty, in the year 219 of the Jian'an era, when Guan Yu attacked Xuanwu and Chengdu during the reign of Emperor Wu, he sent Zhao Yan to assist Cao Ren. At that time, Zhao Yan's strategies were often successful, and he should be very familiar with the situation in Jingzhou."
"Your Majesty, I suggest sending Zhao Yan to Jingzhou as the military advisor for Chen Qun," referring to Chen Qun, the General of Army and Minister of Justice.
In fact, appointing a subordinate as the military commander is one thing, but inserting our own people is also a necessary choice.
Cao Rui just forgot that point.
Zhao Yan is an interesting person.
Zhao Yan is from Yingchuan. In his early years, he, Xin Pi, Chen Qun, and Du Xi were collectively known as the Four Famous Sages of Yingchuan.
Unlike Chen Qun, who was always a civilian, Zhao Yan had a much more profound understanding of military affairs, making him a seasoned veteran.
Zhao Yan has many personality traits, among which his greatest strength is eloquence and the ability to understand and sympathize with others.
Cao Cao had many proud and ferocious military officers under him, who often did not get along well with each other due to their high ranks and achievements, and they were reluctant to assist each other even when working together. Zhao Yan, however, was often able to effectively coordinate them, thus preventing situations where allies faced difficulties while he remained unmoved.
In 208 AD, during the Battle of Red Cliffs, which was 13 years ago, Zhao Yan served as the military supervisor and coordinated the supervision of seven army corps under the command of Guan Yu, Zhang Liang, Zhang He, Zhu Ling, Ju Ling, Lu Zhao, and Feng Kai.
In 211 AD, after Cao Cao defeated the allied forces led by Ma Chao and Han Su in the Guan-chu region, he appointed Zhao Yan as the supervisor of military affairs, responsible for commanding various warlords in the Guan-chu region.
Zhao Yan, as a seasoned military veteran, has witnessed all sorts of major battles and defeats. With Zhao Yan's assistance, it is certain that he can effectively fill the operational gap in Chen Qun's military experience.
Sima Xiu proposed that Zhao Yan assist Chen Qun, and the greatest advantage is not Zhao Yan's talent.
Although Zhao Yan is known as one of the Four Famous Sages, he comes from a humble background and has never associated with high-born descendants like Chen Qun.
Moreover, Zhao Yan has maintained a good relationship with the Cao family's military commanders. Not to mention that during the reign of Cao Cao, Zhao Yan assisted Cao Ren in defending Xuanwu and Chengdu.
Considering only the period during Cao Pi's reign, Zhao Yan served as Sima Xiu's military strategist multiple times, providing counsel for Sima Xiu's campaigns in the eastern front.
To put Zhao Yan in a nutshell, there are two points: firstly, Zhao Yan has an extremely rich military experience. Secondly, Zhao Yan is on good terms with the Cao family and does not get along well with Chen Qun.
That's enough. Sima Xiu's suggestion not only supplements Chen Qun's military shortcomings but also mixes in sand, making it perfect.
Cao Rui looked at Sima Xiu with a hint of suspicion, feeling that this subtle personnel arrangement was not something a general like Sima Xiu could have come up with.
Sima Xiu smiled and covered the awkwardness, saying, "Your Majesty, Zhao Yan will definitely be able to provide significant assistance in military matters."
Cao Rui looked at Chen Qun again, who bowed and said, "All depends on the emperor's arrangement."
"Then let Zhao Yan go," said Cao Rui. "General, Marshal of the Army, Lord Chen, do you three have anything else to say?"
Cao Zhen nodded, after thinking for a moment, said: "If Lord Chen goes to Xiantan, the army should not go too far away from Xiantan. The Wu people are fond of ambushing, especially in the Wu region."
Cao Zhen's remark was useless nonsense. Perhaps Cao Zhen thought that as the General of the Army, in such a situation, he should not remain silent.
Simya Yi interjected, "Your Majesty, I believe the strategy of having Chen Qun be the main defender is correct, but if it's only about defending, then it may lack flexibility in adapting to changing circumstances."
This is the first time Cao Rui has heard Sima Yi's thoughts on military affairs.
Cao Rui understood that as long as he was still alive, Sima Yi would have no chance to lead the troops himself. Adding to this, Cao Rui was also planning to work on his health vigorously, striving to live at least until the age of 80 and outlast Sima Yi and even his son.
So when Sima Yi raised military strategy-related questions, Cao Rui was actually quite welcoming. If you have a good brain, then using it to contribute is what it's for.
Upon hearing Sima Yi's words, which had a different meaning from Chen Qun's, Cao Rui and the other people present all looked more serious.
Cao Rui asked, "What do you mean, Sima?"
Sima Yi explained, "My meaning is that with the army at hand, whether we defend or attack, we will definitely have to fight. It's just that defense is easier and consumes less resources, while attack is more difficult and consumes more."
Seeing Sima Yi's comments as quite novel, Cao Rui nodded, indicating that he should continue.
Sima Yi said, "Since defense and attack differ only in difficulty and consumption, then the strategy that Lord Chen Qun just mentioned, that he wants to defend the Jingzhou area, should refer to avoiding risks, reducing military expenditure, and minimizing the mobilization of troops."
Upon hearing this, Chen Qun also nodded, "Although the words are different, that is indeed what I mean."
Sima Yi continued, "In my opinion, there is also a strategy that can achieve the same effect as defense: rapid attack."
"When two armies are in battle, if one only thinks about defense, it will limit their thinking and consume opportunities. If opportunities arise, they should take a quick attack when it's time to attack, avoiding deadlock and reducing consumption while increasing victories."
"A rapid attack can sometimes achieve the effect of defense, even better."
The people present were all surprised to hear Sima Yi's words. This theory of defense was still rare in this era.
Upon hearing Sima Yi's words, Cao Rui narrowed his eyes slightly. The slight alertness that he had relaxed because he avoided Sima Yi leading the troops, now returned to his attention.
In fact, in the original history, Sima Yi was not a defender but rather a skilled attacker, especially a master of rapid attack. He was excellent at grasping opportunities.
In the original history, Sima Yi first led troops at the age of 48. Sun Quan took advantage of Cao Pi's death to attack Jingzhou. When Sima Yi arrived in Jingzhou, Sun Quan had already retreated, but Sima Yi still managed to catch up and defeat Zhuge Jing.
Later, when Meng Da rebelled in Shangyong, Sima Yi led the troops without first reporting to the emperor, marching 1,200 miles in eight days and capturing Shangyong on the sixteenth day.
Later, Sima Yi led an army of 40,000 and traveled 4,000 miles to campaign in Liaodong. He reached Liaodong in June and captured the country of Dongyue by August, achieving this degree of annihilation at an unprecedented speed.
Sima Yi's claim of being good at defense is simply a conclusion drawn in the face of a more skilled attacker, Zhuge Liang.
Cao Rui understood Sima Yi's meaning, but Cao Rui also knew that it was unrealistic to expect Chen Qun to grasp Sima Yi's military skills overnight.
Cao Rui addressed Chen Qun and said, "Chen Qun, the suggestion made by Sima Yi, you must take seriously."
Chen Qun understood on the surface, but in reality, he may not have fully grasped it. But Chen Qun still replied, "The words of Sima Yi, I will remember them."
