Since Shu Han advanced to conquer the eastern borderlands in late November, the Western Wei almost mobilized all their forces from the eastern borderlands to Luoyang.
Even on the first day of the Chinese New Year, Xu Chu and Cao Hong led the remaining 20,000 infantry and cavalry to continue their advance towards the eastern borderlands.
War can wait for them, but the New Year's sacrifice to the heavens is something that cannot be delayed for a moment.
In the year 1028 of the Tahe era, the first rays of sunlight appeared in the morning. At noon, about 200,000 troops were arrayed in an open field to the south of Shouguang City, on the south bank of Wei River.
The emperor and a group of ministers, as well as a substantial number of officials from the eastern borderlands, jointly completed the rituals of sacrificing to heaven and reviewing troops.
After the sacrificial ceremony to heaven was concluded, at the temporary imperial assembly held in the city, Sima Yi, as the highest-ranking official in the court at this moment in the eastern borderlands, apart from General Cao Zhen, publicly announced two royal edicts: the establishment of Qinzhou and the impending absorption of Qiang people into the state.
Although the emperor was not present in the court, with Sima Yi as the acting Secretary of the Ministry of Education, there was no violation of the court etiquette.
After the imperial assembly, after the ministers paid their respects, they dispersed, but Sima Yi stopped one of them.
Sima Yi looked at Guo Hui and said softly, "Governor Guo, please wait a moment. I have something to discuss with you."
Guo Hui turned his head and looked curiously at Sima Yi. The officials and generals on the side dared not inquire, maintaining their pace and walking out, leaving only Guo Hui, Sima Yi, and Yang Fu in the hall.
"Not knowing what affairs the Marquis is to entrust to his subordinate?" Guo Hui bowed modestly with a gesture of respect.
Sima Yi looked at Guo Hui with a neutral expression and said, "Of course, it is something from the court. Let's go to the side hall to discuss it. The Imperial Minister Yang will also be present."
Yang Fu nodded to Guo Hui, who hastily bowed back.
Sima Yi walked in front, with Yang Fu and Guo Hui following behind to the side hall. During their walk, none of them spoke, and the scene was momentarily filled with silence.
Guo Hui was the governor of Yong Province, but Sima Yi, as the acting Secretary of the Ministry of Education and the head of the officials in the Western Wei, was the top ranking official among all scholars. Therefore, regardless of which aspect it was considered, Guo Hui had to look up at Sima Yi at this moment.
"Bo Ji," after the three took their seats, Sima Yi's face showed a little improvement: "This time, I called you here on behalf of the emperor and the court to ask you about the affairs of Yong Province and Qinzhou."
"Today, with the Imperial Minister Yang beside us listening, everything we say will be recorded. Speak your mind as you wish."
Guo Hui stood up and bowed his hands: "Understood, please allow me to answer."
Yang Fu nodded lightly without giving an opinion. He kept his eyes on his nose and nose on his heart, sitting alone at the table, and his eyes almost closed. For Yang Fu, it was not a problem. He had come to listen, and he only needed to bring an ear.
Sima Yi nodded and said, "Firstly, the previous administrative divisions of the provinces have been changed. Governors are now solely responsible for civil affairs and not military matters. The Yong and Liang provinces have been delayed due to border affairs."
"Bo Ji, do you want to command troops, or do you want to be a governor?"
Two in one?
Guo Hui's brows furrowed. Although Sima Yi asked so casually, for Guo Hui, such a simple choice might lead to drastically different life paths over the next few decades.
Although his ancestors were all civil officials, the current situation is a time of martial prowess! Moreover, the emperor himself is a capable leader on horseback, so being a governor would not be as glorious as being a general to honor the family line.
Almost only used three breaths, Guo Hui returned the gesture with a determined expression: "Revered Master Sima, I am willing to serve as a general and lead the army of the Western Wei to conquer and punish those who dare to rebel! I hope Master Sima will convey my sincerity to His Majesty."
Sima Yi raised his eyes to glance at Guo Hui for a moment, his expression showing a hint of satisfaction as he nodded: "Bo Ji's willingness to be a general is something I think is excellent as well."
"Since you are willing to be a general, do you want to serve in Yong Province or Qinzhou?" Sima Yi asked. "In Qinzhou, you can only lead troops in battle like any other general. But in Yong Province, you can unite the troops of the entire province."
Guo Hui pursed his lips slightly, while his mind quickly analyzed Sima Yi's previous words.
Leading troops in battle in Qinzhou is like that of an ordinary general. There must be a military leader above that!
Not the Left General Zhang He, could there be anyone else?
Guo Hui bowed and replied, "A general should prioritize the emperor's command. Where His Majesty and the court assign me to serve, I will go there to fulfill my duty!"
Sima Yi's eyes began to show a look of surprise, even a hint of appreciation: "The third question is, how should we recapture the Qishan and Xian County areas at present?"
Guo Hui did not answer the question as quickly as the first two, taking half a bamboo incense burner to think about it.
With twenty years of cultivating his inner strength in the court, Sima Yi was not at all in a hurry at this moment, calmly waiting for Guo Hui's answer.
Even Yang Fu was even more outrageous. His eyes were fully closed, almost as if he was about to fall asleep.
But as Guo Hui spoke, Sima Yi and Yang Fu immediately turned their gazes towards him.
"Revered Marquis, in my opinion, subduing the enemy without fighting is the best strategy! Zhuge Liang has led his troops far from home and cannot sustain this for long. Moreover, the difficult roads of Shu and the arduous transportation of grain are not easy."
Guo Hui's expression was calm as he replied, "Whether it be Qishan, Xian County, or even the further south along the Wudu and Yinping regions, these are all rugged terrain."
"Mutual resistance is easy, while attacking is very difficult!"
Sima Yi's mouth curved slightly, and he looked at Guo Hui and asked, "Are you saying that the Western Wei should confront the Shu army and then wait for them to retreat?"
Guo Hui explained, "I am not just suggesting a stalemate, but we should also use military pressure to force Zhuge Liang to attack on his own."
"Ultimately, if a stalemate continues for a long time, the one who will hold out first is definitely Zhuge Liang, not the Western Wei!"
Sima Yi laughed: "How to hold a stalemate? Send a large army to confront Zhuge Liang face-to-face and guard against him? Don't you worry about the emperor urging us?"
Guo Hui shook his head and explained, "The counties in Wudu are vast, and the Western Wei have the support of the Qiang and Hu people. It can be carried out in multiple directions!"
"Qishan, Yangxi, and other areas can all be used for stalemate. In addition, we can dispatch a detachment to the south through Taizhong to capture Yinping! If the enemy can attack us, then we can also attack them!"
Sima Yi had initially thought of Guo Hui's thoughts as excessive, but upon hearing Guo Hui's strategy of multiple prongs of attack, it sent a jolt through Sima Yi's mind.
Sima Yi stood up from his seat and walked back to the hall, calling the two of them along the way before following them into the hall.
Exactly for the map.
Sima Yi frowned as he looked at the map of the eastern borderlands and Yizhou, which was clearly depicted thanks to Zhang Yi's contribution. The road between Taizhong and Yinping was also shown in detail.
"Brother Yang Fu." Sima Yi turned to look at Yang Fu and asked, "Have you ever been to Taizhong?"
Yang Fu also said with a serious expression, "I am from the eastern borderlands, how can I have visited the entire region? Taizhong is such a remote place, probably only the Qiang people live there!"
"Is it feasible?" Sima Yi asked again.
"What is not feasible? From a military strategy point of view, I am not sure if it is feasible!" Yang Fu answered seriously: "Military operations are not a child's play. How can we start a war just based on a map?"
Sima Yi pondered for a few moments, gritted his teeth and asked, "Let's try it, right? We need to gather the Qiang people in Qinzhou and dispatch some troops there. Even if it fails, bringing the Qiang people back to the garrison would be a good idea!"
Yang Fu replied noncommittally, "I apologize, but I cannot agree to accompany the Marquis in making such a risky proposal!"
Compared to Yang Fu, Sima Yi has a deeper understanding of the emperor.
The current emperor has a steady military style that is not typical of young people. He either relies on overwhelming numbers for victory or emphasizes logistics over military strategy.
However, for something that is certain not to result in a loss, Sima Yi believed that the emperor would still be willing to give it a try!
Sima Yi didn't pay attention to Yang Fu and directly addressed Guo Hui: "Go ahead, brother Guo, I will report your words to the emperor and reassure you."
After Guo Hui took his leave, Sima Yi said goodbye to Yang Fu and went to see the emperor alone, repeating all the suggestions made by Guo Hui.
It was obvious that Cao Rui was quite surprised upon hearing Sima Yi's words.
Although Cao Rui was not well-versed in many specific historical details, he would certainly have heard of the story of Deng Ai's surprise attack on Shu territory through Yinping. This kind of story could not have been unknown to him.
Caoyang had only felt excited for a moment before he cooled down. The rapid swing in his emotions, even with no significant changes in facial expression, was quite apparent.
Cao Rui said indifferently, "It can be tried by sending troops to Taizhong, but I think we should not send soldiers from the Western Wei."
"Send the Qiang people's troops instead."
Sima Yi was puzzled: "How can Qiang and Hu troops engage in serious combat?"
Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi and said, "I didn't say that the Qiang soldiers were to attack cities and forts. It's always okay to let them explore the way for us!"
"There is another thing," Cao Rui smiled and said, "If the Qiang soldiers are sent to relocate those who refuse to submit to the Western Wei, it will not soil the hands of our Western Wei."
Sima Yi was stunned for a moment, and then he bowed and said, "The emperor's strategy exceeds my own!"
Cao Rui snorted: "What strategy? I merely don't want to send Western Wei troops there."
"Let's wait until tomorrow when the Qiang and Hu leaders from Luomen come to Shanguang. We'll discuss it then!"
Sima Yi bowed and left.
Just then, Sima Yi said, "Brother Guo Hui's military strategy seems to be feasible from the map. After conquering Yinping through Tazhong and then moving south, wouldn't it be the Zizhong County of Yizhou?"
This way, we can compel the Shu troops to retreat, right?
It sounds easy to say, but it's as difficult as putting an elephant in a refrigerator. The key is not the idea itself, but whether this idea can be successfully implemented!
Cao Rui understood that the root reason why Sima Yi was interested in such strange strategies and tactics was because of Sima Yi's adventurous character.
But Sima Yi was willing to take risks, while Cao Rui was not willing to take risks at all. How can we be afraid of Zhuge Liang when our troops are fierce, and our generals are excellent? We can confront him with a legitimate army!
Engaging in tactics and dividing troops is likely to collapse one's own forces, especially when the opponent is Zhuge Liang.
As for Guo Hui's several speeches, they can already be considered comprehensive strategies. However, Guo Hui, who is outstanding in the overall picture, should allow himself to gain more practical experience under Zhang He's command at this time.
After all, Guo Hui's official career since he took office has followed the private route of Cao Pi. The post of a prefectural administrator, which involves pastoral duties, is hardly a position where one can gain much experience in commanding troops. He has not officially served under any distinguished generals in the central or outer military.
For Cao Rui now, there is still time to train Guo Hui. Let him stay in Qinzhou and serve as a general under Zhang He's command! (Chapter ends)
