Last year, when Sima Zhi was sent as an ambassador to Wu Kingdom and brought the news that Sun Lubaan was captured by Cao Wei and had been adopted as a consort by Emperor Cao Rui, the officials and courtiers of Eastern Wu were quite perplexed.
At present, Sun Lubaan is pregnant, which has added further uncertainty to the unpredictable situation.
What should we do?
What else can we do! It's impossible to make Sun Quan disown his own daughter, after all!
Seeing that both Guan Rong and Zhang Zhao had remained silent, Sun Quan sighed and said, "The marital ties between our Sun family and the Cao family are becoming increasingly complicated."
Guan and Zhang remained silent.
Such sensitive and complicated matters, coupled with the quarrel between the kings of Wu and Wei, would naturally be avoided by officials. How could they possibly dare to interfere?
Sun Quan hinted twice, but the two heavyweights sitting beside him remained silent, making Sun Quan feel embarrassed for a moment. He could only cough lightly and say, "Yuan Tan! How should I reply to Cao Rui on this matter?"
"Your Majesty, please wait a moment, let me ponder this for a moment," Gu Yong replied with a gesture of respect, and then he lowered his head to ponder the matter to himself.
Sun Quan didn't hurry, and Zhang Zhao was even more considerate. The three of them sat in silence without uttering a word in the hall.
When it comes to the marital alliance between the Cao family and the Sun family, after all, it was initiated by Cao Cao.
During the time when Sun Ce was still alive, there were two alliances between the Cao and Sun families.
Cao Yan, the son of Cao Cao, married the daughter of Sun Chen, the brother of Sun Quan's father. According to this, Cao Cao and Sun Quan are of the same generation.
Sun Quan's younger brother Sun Kuan married Cao Cao's niece. In this way, Sun Quan is of the same generation as Cao Pi.
Although these two marital alliances date back to over twenty years ago, they can still be cited as a piece of evidence.
Now...
Gu Yong coughed lightly: "Your Majesty, I think it's best to follow last year's practice and send some gifts to Luoyang again."
"Since we are unable to launch a northern campaign at present, it would be best to take our time and plan carefully."
While Gu Yong was speaking, Sun Quan was also observing the facial expressions of his prime minister.
While it is a matter of state, it is essentially a private matter for Sun Quan himself.
In the days leading up to the Battle of Red Cliffs, when Lu Su persuaded Sun Quan to fight against Cao Cao, he used the example that he could surrender while Sun Quan could not.
Rather than twenty years later, when Sun Quan himself became a virtual husband of the Wei kingdom, rumors began to swirl that he was under suspicion. Despite his efforts to dispel these rumors, he found it difficult to shake off the guilt.
Gu Yong's words satisfied Sun Quan, as the situation remained within his control.
Sun Quan nodded, "Since we have to send gifts to Wei, we might as well go all out. Issue my decree to have Lu Ziheng, the Governor of Yangzhou, send a gift to Cao Huo in Shouchun as well."
"I remember that Cao Huo's birthday is approaching. This is an opportunity for Lu Ziheng to establish more personal ties with him."
Sun Quan looked at Gu Yong and said, "Yuan Tan, please draft a reply to Cao Rui for Your Majesty. Also, inquire about the cessation of trade between Wei and Wu for so long, can both sides remove the border restrictions and re-establish the trade route that was severed seven years ago?"
"Your Majesty is most enlightened," Gu Yong said with a look of surprise: "If Wei will agree, it would be best if we could buy some horses through the trade route."
Zhang Zhao coughed lightly: "This matter might be difficult, but we can use the pretext of presenting gifts to ask Wei to send some horses to the great Wu."
Sun Quan's heart stirred.
The pretext of tribute? The last time Sun Quan used the pretext of tribute to obtain horses from Wei was when he received Cao Pi's official appointment as the King of Wu. Now, bringing up this old trick again, does Zhang Zhao mean to suggest that Wu should recognize itself as a vassal state under Wei?
Sun Quan did not guess wrong, Zhang Zhao was indeed testing Sun Quan's thoughts and feelings.
It is to be lamented that Zhang Zhao, as a minister for several decades, can only rely on such maneuvers to gauge the emperor's intentions now.
But the ice is three feet thick, and it is not formed in a day.
If it weren't for Sun Quan's previous actions that had deeply hurt Zhang Zhao, Zhang Zhao wouldn't be able to gauge Sun Quan's thoughts and feelings in such a way today.
Sun Quan's expression turned cold: "Don't mention this again. Yuan Tan, wasn't there a messenger from Liaodong send a ship to Jianye recently? Send someone with the messenger to Liaodong. They should negotiate with Gong Sun Yan for the purchase of horses!"
"Send a letter to Liu Chan in Chengdu in my name and ask him about the front-line situation. Also, inquire why although Cao Rui has sent war reports to Wu Kingdom, I haven't received any news from Zhuge Liang!"
After saying this, Sun Quan waved his sleeves and left.
Zhang Zhao, who is now in his old age, naturally would not show any unusual expression on his face.
Only his inner disappointment in Sun Quan deepened.
If one insists on face, why send gifts to Wei? If one doesn't care about face, why can't talk about the old matter of buying horses?
…
Three days later, Shangguan, in the afternoon.
"This is how I have arranged the personnel matters in the provinces of Yong, Qin, and Liang. What do you think, General and Minister of Works?"
After Cao Rui spoke, he looked at Cao Zhen and Sima Yi.
"Your Majesty, there is something that I do not understand. I would appreciate it if you could enlighten me." Cao Zhen bowed and said.
"No worries, General, you may ask directly." Cao Rui replied.
Cao Zhen hesitated for a moment before asking, "Your Majesty, I am truly puzzled as to why you place such great importance on the Da Zhong region?"
"Throughout history, military commanders have never stationed troops in such remote and mountainous regions. Moreover, it is not a major transportation route."
"After much thought, I still have not been able to comprehend it."
Cao Rui looked at Cao Zhen for a moment, unsure if he was genuinely confused or just pretending to be.
Cao Rui then turned to look at Sima Yi: "Minister of Works, what do you think of Da Zhong?"
Sima Yi glanced at Cao Zhen, then raised his eyes to the emperor. He opened his mouth, but for a moment, no words came out.
For over a year and a half since serving the current emperor, Sima Yi has also had many times when he couldn't understand the emperor's decisions. However, looking back, he usually found that the emperor's thoughts were correct.
Now this Da Zhong...
If Your Majesty values Da Zhong so much, could it be that he intends to use this place to launch a campaign against Shu?
Sima Yi opened his mouth and said, "Da Zhong can lead to Yinping, which can be used as a path to attack Shu."
Cao Rui smiled and nodded: "This is roughly the case, but my specific intentions are more complex than that."
"Minister of Works, do you know why Zhuge Liang is attacking Longyou to the north?"
Sima Yi replied quickly: "This is to take advantage of the fact that the reinforcements of the Great Wei are far away in Luoyang, and to capture Longyou first before advancing to attack the capital, the Zhongdu!"
Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi with a hint of admiration: "Half of what you said is correct, Minister of Works."
"What does General Cao Zhen say?"
From a military perspective, Sima Yi's words were entirely correct.
Cao Zhen also mimicked Sima Yi, from another perspective, "Perhaps it is difficult to attack the capital and the road is blocked, so it chooses Longyou as a strategic goal?"
"Not at all, not at all."
Cao Rui got up and walked to the map, pointing to the direction of Han Middle and said:
"General Cao Zhen and Minister of Works, look at the map. During the Jian'an period, Emperor Wu attacked Hanzhong twice, either from Guanzhong or through the Chencang Road. But regardless of which road is taken, the strategic destination is always Hanzhong."
"Hanzhong is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and there are many passes. Zhuge Liang is not like Zhang Lu, who is an idiot. As far as defense is concerned, if I were to go to Hanzhong now, I would not have as many chances of winning."
Cao Zhen and Sima Yi also came to the map.
Cao Rui continued, "According to the Great Wei's previous arrangements in Longyou and Guanzhong, no matter how the battle is fought, Zhuge Liang can defend two places with only one Hanzhong. The Great Wei has to divide its troops, but Zhuge Liang does not have to."
After saying this, Cao Rui pointed to the south of Longxi County and then to Da Zhong on the south side of Lin TAO.
"I want to open another front to the west, with a strategic standoff place for more places with Shu's troops."
"Thereafter, the Great Wei will change from facing Hanzhong with both Longyou and Guanzhong, to facing Hanzhong and Zitong with Yinping and Wudu in Qinzhou."
"But how can Qinzhou survive with such poverty, and how can it support so many troops?" Cao Zhen asked with some confusion.
"This is what I will say next," Cao Rui said: "If Qinzhou is to be properly defended against Yizhou, it is necessary to quickly complete the pacification of the Qiang people."
"After Zhuge Liang's withdrawal from Longyou, the Qiang and Di peoples in places like Wudu, Yinping, Nanan, and Tiandu have developed resentment towards Shu."
"This matter was mentioned to me by Lu Xun a few days ago."
Cao Zhen nodded and said, "By using titles and positions to lure the chieftains of the Qiang people, and by holding the Qiang people's livelihood through settlement farming. If one million Qiang people can be put to use by the Great Wei, relying on Qinzhou and Mencang states, there is no need for this time for the central troops to come to assist."
"That is precisely what I mean," Cao Rui said with a smile, "Therefore, I have promoted Lu Xun and assigned him specifically to lead the Qiang troops. I intend to let him subdue Da Zhong, and then establish agricultural colonies for the Qiang people in Da Zhong, using this as a threat against Yinping and Zitong."
Cao Zhen originally wanted to ask the emperor why he knew that Da Zhong could be used for cultivation, but after thinking about it, he didn't ask, feeling that he, as the General Commanding the Army, should know about such matters.
However, Cao Zhen was unaware that Cao Rui himself did not have a deep understanding of the topography of Da Zhong. The reason he knew that Da Zhong could be used for cultivation was due to the scatter riding general of the chamber, Jiang Wei.
After hearing the emperor's words, Cao Zhen nodded thoughtfully and sighed, "Your Majesty, this arrangement for Qinzhou is excellent!"
"After Emperor Wu withdrew from Hanzhong, the Great Wei was completely at a loss as to how to attack the Shu territory, and had to wait for Zhuge Liang's army to come attack."
"First, set up Qinzhou to face off with Hanzhong. Then attack Da Zhong and Yinping to tie down the Shu troops."
"Then the situation of attack and defense will be easily transformed!"
"Cao Rui smiled and said, 'Is there anything else you two want to ask the emperor?'"
Sima Yi hesitated for a moment before asking, "Your Majesty, may I ask if you have considered my younger brother Sima Shu's position once again?"
Cao Rui shook his head: "If there is merit, there is reward; if there is fault, there is punishment. I am not one to be stingy with official positions or seals. This matter is settled as it is."
Sima Yi bowed his hands and said, "On behalf of my younger brother, I thank the emperor for His benevolence."
Cao Rui, however, did not seem to care and simply waved his hand, saying: "Bring all the ministers in!"
"Just now, I shared my innermost thoughts with you two. It should be like that with them as well!" (The chapter ends)
