What else can Cao Xiu do?
Clearly, according to the words of the emperor and Sima Yi, they had already arranged this matter in a few hours on the road.
This is obviously far from what Cao Xiu expects.
For over a month, Cao Xiu has been planning for this battle. According to his own thoughts, taking the Ruyu Pass would not be easy; at most, he intended to besiege it.
If the siege of Ruyu Pass were to happen, at least 30,000 people were needed. Cao Xiu originally thought that Yangzhou could only gather about 80,000 or 90,000 people. If 30,000 people were sent to Ruyu Pass and 50,000 or 60,
East Wu is strong in naval warfare and relatively weak in land battles. With 50,000 or 60,000 infantry and cavalry from Wei, even if they are not one to three, it is at least possible to fight against 80,000 or 90,000 Wu troops.
Cao Xiu thought this way. However, as time went on, the emperor and the court continuously mobilized more troops to Yangzhou from various places, and eventually reached a total of 160,000.
A battle involving 160,000 people is not something that can be considered the same as a battle involving 80,000 people.
The situation has gone beyond Cao Xiu's control, and according to the words of the emperor and Sima Yi, it is clear that they intend to deploy heavy troops at Wujiangkou. They will attack Wuning to the southwest and Ruyu Pass to the northeast.
Is Ruyu Pass so easily conquerable? Emperor Cao Cao made four unsuccessful attempts to cross the Chaohu Lake, and Cao Ren even died shortly after the battle at Ruyu. If Ruyu could be taken so easily, then Cao Cao and Cao Ren would have conquered it long ago!
In the world, it is easier to see others, but harder to see oneself.
Cao Cao and Cao Ren could not capture Ruyu Pass.
Almost the entire military career of Cao Xiu was spent following Cao Cao, such a renowned general, in leading attacks. To the point that Cao Xiu had developed a fixed mindset, believing that if even a capable leader like Cao Cao could not conquer Ruyu Pass, what qualifications or abilities did he, Cao Xiu, possess to take it?
This is a case of one's blindness due to a single leaf, and unable to see the mountain in front of them.
Cao Xiu, somewhat perplexed, said, "Your Majesty, I still believe that it would be better not to attack Ruyu. The fortress of Ruyu was built by the water and is extremely difficult to capture. If heavy troops are sent to Ruyu, I'm afraid it will affect the situation in Wuning."
In fact, Cao Xiu had expressed his opposition very delicately. It is clear that Cao Xiu believes it would be better to only attack Wuning.
Upon hearing Cao Xiu's words, Cao Rui smiled and shook his head.
Cao Rui said, "General Cao, do not misunderstand. Whether to split our forces and how many troops to allocate, I still need to consult with everyone else."
"I have a question for you. If the Wusun army advances with a force of one hundred thousand to Wuning, what would be the chances of our army winning in the direction of Wuning against the Wusun forces?"
Cao Xiu thought for a moment and answered, "In my opinion, the outcome of fighting against the Wusun army does not depend on the number of troops, but rather on how close or far away they are from the river."
Cao Rui glanced at Sima Yi and exchanged a look with him. After looking at Cao Xiu again, he continued. In fact, earlier when Cao Rui discussed the record of Wu troops with Sima Yi and Liu Ye, he discovered a very significant characteristic: the situation of Wu troops in battle was closely related to how close or far away they were from rivers.
The logic is also easy to understand. The Wusun troops are strong in naval warfare. If they fight from the water, their supply lines for food and logistics are sufficient and worry-free. Moreover, if they lose a battle, they can always board the ships! Can the Wei cavalry really ride into the water, after all?
Cao Rui nodded, "If the battle were fought on the banks of the Wu waters, would it be more difficult? Would it not be easier if fighting was further away from the Wu waters?"
Cao Xiu nodded in agreement.
Cao Rui asked, "General Cao, your meaning is clear to me."
"I think that in addition to sending 5,000 troops to the direction of Hefei, all the other troops should first be deployed to Wuqiang Pass."
"With tens of thousands of troops cautiously advancing towards Wuning, the main forces remaining in the rear to build fortifications and wait for an opportunity to reinforce Wuning or deploy towards Ruyu Pass. Although this approach is conservative, it at least ensures that our military and national strength are not wasted."
"What do all of you think?"
Cao Xiu thought for a moment. "As for the art of war, how can one plan everything just by sitting at home? We still need to take our army out, truly getting close to the battlefield, and then we can make the correct arrangements."
Cao Xiu spoke first: "I agree with the Emperor's words."
Cao Zhen also said, "I second that."
The four Imperial officials and the Protector of the Army, Jiang Ji, also nodded in agreement.
Cao Rui slowly stood up, his right hand pressed against the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist. His gaze fell on the assembly: "My decision has been made. The New Year's Day in January will be marked with a celestial sacrifice at Shou Chun, followed by an expedition to the south."
Eight ministers below rose in unison, bowing and offering salutations: "May the emperor's flag be raised victorious, and may the rebellious traitors be exterminated!"
Although everyone expressed their agreement, there are still too many details to be arranged for a battle involving tens of thousands of people. Cao Rui did not want to delay any longer and continued giving instructions.
Cao Rui pressed his hands down: "Everyone, sit down. I have more things to say."
The ministers sat down and looked at the emperor on the stage.
Cao Rui said, "I have also seen the report submitted by Jia Kuai. In his report, he mentioned that Wuqiang Pass is quite hilly and has many waterways, making the construction of campsites slower than expected. Furthermore, there may be Wu troops watching, and he is asking for reinforcements."
"If we calculate the days, Jia Kuai's 6,000 men should have completed the fortifications at Dajiashan in both the north and south by now. The three large campsites for 10,000 men at Wuqiang Pass should also be ready."
"General Cao Xiu, General Cao Zhen, what do you two think? Who should we send to assist Jia Kuai?"
Cao Xiu asked, "Your Majesty, are you only going to help Jia Kuai build the campsites at Wuqiang Pass?"
Cao Rui thought for a moment and said, "We can also repair the roads from Shou Chun to Jiaoshan and Wuqiang Pass at the same time. The distance of 350 li, with a supply camp every 30 li, will be set up to store military supplies and medicine."
"As for Jia Kuai's side, do you think 5,000 men are enough?"
Cao Xiu thought for a moment and said, "Jia Kuai's side already has 6,000 men. With the current progress, sending an additional 5,000 men is sufficient."
"Your Majesty, the General of Aiding State, Liu Ru, is in the area of Minnian. It would be best to let Liu Ru lead his 5,000 troops to assist Jia Kuai. As for the road construction project, it might be more suitable to task the troops of General Wang Chang of Jiuze. Although the troops of Jiuze are not particularly strong at first engagement, they can still be put to good use for this task."
Liu Ru is an old general who has been leading troops since the Jian'an era. He served under Xia Houden in his early years and is currently part of the foreign troops led by Cao Xiu in Yangzhou. Wang Chang, coming from the prestigious Wang family of Taiyuan, was close to the late Emperor Cao Pi. He once served as the Director of Agriculture and Captain General near Luoyang, which makes him a civil official leading troops.
Cao Rui nodded, "Then send Liu Ru and Wang Chang to go. They will set off tomorrow. Before they leave, let them come and see me."
"Ministers, today is the 25th of December. Until the New Year's Day of January, military orders will only be issued from the General Cao Xiu's headquarters. After the celestial sacrifice and military expedition, I and all ministers will follow the army southward, with military orders coming from my headquarters."
"Ministers, do any of you have any objections?"
"The ministers all promptly declared their compliance."
No
Cao Xiu had some ambitions to become the commander-in-chief, but to be honest, as more and more troops gathered in Shou Chun, Cao Xiu's confidence began to wane. Now that he saw the emperor taking charge of the general headquarters, he abandoned his desire to become the commander-in-chief.
After all, both Cao Xiu and Cao Zhen were by the emperor's side. It is unlikely that there would be any major issues.
Cao Zhen, let alone, who followed the emperor to lead the central army southward, already knew that the emperor intended to exert personal effort. He had no other intentions.
As for Sima Yi... Sima Yi had never even thought about the position of commander-in-chief. I have always been a civil official; what does it have to do with me?
Heaven and earth are great, but the emperor is greater.
With the title of the emperor as the biggest one to accompany the army, there is still the emperor to bear the burden when the sky falls. Plus, with the emperor stating his intention to follow the army southward towards Wuqiang Pass, none of them felt it necessary to argue about who should command the army. They were all in agreement without any discussion.
In terms of military campaigns, either you follow General Cao Xiu or General Cao Zhen. With a General Marshal and a Great General, who else can you listen to other than these two?
However, Cao Rui's thoughts were entirely different.
Cao Rui believed that, besides tactics and courage in the heat of battle, which can be influenced by the general, other aspects such as training, weapons, logistics, etc., are arranged according to regulations. As long as the regulations are followed and arranged properly, who does the arrangement fall to is not that important.
As for command, Cao Rui did not expect Cao Xiu or Cao Zhen to take charge. They should be leading troops on the front lines, not sitting together with him in the headquarters.
With Sima Yi by his side, as well as Liu Ye, Xin Bi, Jiang Ji, and Chen Jiao, among others, there should be no strategic loopholes that these people cannot identify together.
At this time, there were 160,000 Wei troops in Yangzhou. Excluding the 10,000 troops already in Hefei, Huainan, and Guangling, and the additional 5,000 reinforcements to be sent to Hefei. Then there are the 5,000 troops in Wuning City.
The remaining troops that could be gathered around Wuqiang Pass totaled an impressive 140,000.
Although Cao Rui dared not say something like "we have the advantage" to demoralize the enemy, he had no shortage of confidence at this time.
Seeing that the emperor had already arranged most of the major affairs, Cao Xiu began to inquire about the emperor's future plans for the next few days. After all, as the emperor had said, all military orders for the next few days would still come from his General Marshal's office.
Cao Rui replied, "What do you think, General Cao, should be done in the next five days?"
Cao Xiu replied, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, it is necessary to determine the order of deployment for each army."
"Other than that, with over 100,000 troops gathered here, it is also necessary to review each army to estimate their combat power. The rest are some trivial coordination of logistics."
Cao Rui nodded, "As General Cao said, let's arrange it accordingly."
"However, the day of the New Year's Day is a day of new year and sacrificial observance. How should it be arranged? Are there any etiquette rules to follow?"
To be honest, the Cao troops have been accustomed to wars for a long time. The act of sacrificing to heaven before an expedition is usually quick and decisive, displaying a solemn and dignified attitude, without being overly concerned with the procedures of etiquette.
Year after year, who has the time to pay attention to all these trivial rituals?
However, according to the emperor's intention, the sacrificial observance for the expedition should be held together with the new year's ceremony. This has become somewhat troublesome.
Cao Xiu and Cao Zhen could only turn to Sima Yi, who was more familiar with Confucianism.
Sima Yi, upon seeing the situation, said, "Regarding the change of era combined with the expedition, I am not aware of any precedent to follow. I humbly suggest that Your Majesty keep it simple."
Cao Rui originally wanted to use the ceremony to get to know the various generals. Since even Sima Yi said so, he decided to keep it simple and go on the campaign.
Cao Rui thought for a moment and said, "General Cao Zhen, why not hold a grand archery ritual the day before the New Year's Day?"
Sima Yi squinted and thought for a moment, then bowed to the emperor: "I understand Your Majesty's intention, and this plan is excellent."
(Chapter Complete)
