"This is Zhou Tuo's first meeting with the emperor."
It was only a year ago that Zhou Tuo, a minor military advisor under General Zhu Gai, had the opportunity to directly address the emperor during his brief tenure.
The winds of fate always blow people to places they couldn't have imagined.
Although Zhou Tuo was a bit nervous, he still conducted himself with composure and presented a concise summary of many events since Lu Xun set out from Lu Men to this day.
"So it appears that Lu Xun set out from Lu Men on the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month and led Qiang cavalry, marching 80 li each day, reaching Lin Tiao on the second day of the second lunar month?" Cao Rui turned to look at Cao Zhen: "How could they march so quickly?"
Cao Zhen organized his words: "Your Majesty, I have led campaigns against the Qiang people in Yong and Liang provinces multiple times and am quite familiar with their customs."
"If the army is well-organized, the Qiang light cavalry, relying on their horses' speed, can come and go like the wind. In the past, when Guo Huai led the campaign against Liangzhou, there was a time when the Qiang people escaped nearly 180 li in one day and night."
Cao Rui smiled: "That's even faster than the main army."
Cao Zhen nodded: "If the Qiang people were like a pack of snakes without a leader, gathering together blindly like loose sand, advancing 20 or 30 li was possible."
Cao Rui sighed, "The difference between Han people and the Qiang people is not about individual differences, but about whether they can advance and retreat with moderation and whether they can be organized properly."
"Why did it take them 15 days to capture Yang Nianzhui after reaching Lintao on the second day and setting out from Dangchang on the fifth day?"
Zhou Tuo bowed and replied: "Your Majesty, when General Lu arrived at Dangchang for the first time, Yang Nianzhui was unprepared there. In haste, he was surrounded by General Lu's troops."
"General Lu encircled him for five days before successfully persuading Yang Nianzhui to surrender. However, after feigning surrender, he took advantage of the opportunity to gather his forces from surrounding areas and intended to launch a surprise attack on us when our troops were unprepared."
"Only after being captured again by General Lu and selecting Yang Chao, the brother of Yang Nianzhui, to lead his troops in Datangchan did the minister send Yang Nianzhui to Your Majesty's residence."
Cao Rui humphed lightly: "A traitor who returns to rebel should be executed as a warning. However, I have heard that Lu Xun selected the younger brother of Yang Nianzhui? It seems that the Yang family has considerable influence among the Baimadu."
Zhou Tuo bowed: "Their tribe only has about 20,000 people, the land is barren, and the people are not yet enlightened. The Yang family has governed their tribe for generations. General Lu chose Yang Chao because these two men are not on good terms on the surface."
"A few of the Di people. They are not as honest as the Qiang." Cao Rui looked at Cao Zhen: "General Cao, go see this Yang Nianzhui. Whether he lives or dies does not concern me. You decide."
Cao Zhen bowed: "I understand. I will have someone relocate him to the soft imprisonment in Shangguan shortly and see if he can be of any use later."
"Alright." Cao Rui nodded, then turned to Zhou Tuo: "When did Lu Xun set out for Datongzhong? How did he speak with you?"
Zhou Tuo answered: "Your Majesty." Zhou Tuo said: "General Lu should already be in Datongzhong at this time. General Lu told the minister earlier that he would let Yang Chao drive 5,000 Baimadu as the advance party to attack Datongzhong."
Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi, who replied, "If we go by what the historian Zhou has said, if Lu Xun has already reached Datongzhong, he should have been able to control the Qiang tribe of Dangxun there by now."
"It seems that attacking the Qiang by the Qiang soldiers is easier."
"After Datongzhong... Wu Jie?" Cao Rui first looked at Sima Yi, then at Cao Zhen.
"Exactly, it's Wu Jie!" Cao Zhen answered: "From Datongzhong, along the Qiang River downstream to the southeast, you can reach Wu Jie!"
"Wu Jie is an important passage. From Wudu and Xiannedian, two cities to the southwest, there are also roads that can lead to Wu Jie."
Sima Yi interjected and replied, "Once Wu Jie is under control, any further military operations to the south would be against Yinpingshan County."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "Beyond Yinpingshan, it would be the Baihui and Jianke passes in the White River region of Zhaotong County in the Yiling Commandery!"
They exchanged glances for a moment and all burst out laughing.
After laughing, Cao Rui paused for a moment before saying, "I hadn't thought that Lu Xun's advance from Lintao to Datongzhong would be so swift. Could it be that he has a natural talent for leading Qiang soldiers?"
"Probably not the Qiang army that is strong, but rather that the Qiang and Di tribes in both Dangchang and Datongzhong are too weak." Sima Yi said: "In the past, when Zhuge Liang invited these two tribes to join the battle, each tribe only sent out 5,000 soldiers."
"The Qiang people in Dangchang, led by Yang Nianzhui, and the population under their rule number no more than 20,000. How strong could the Qiang people in Datongzhong be?"
Cao Rui sighed, "The worst thing in any matter is comparison. But tell me, when do you think Zhuge Liang will receive news of Datongzhong?"
Sima Yi stood up, bowed, and said: "We can roughly guess that Lu Xun has just arrived in Datongzhong, but Zhuge Liang definitely does not know this at the moment!"
"If Lu Xun continues his advance from Datongzhong and attacks Wu Jie, the distance will be almost the same as that from Xiannedian to Wu Jie."
"That is to say," Cao Rui stared at Sima Yi and said, "If I were to rush to Xiannedian now and send cavalry to advance towards Wu Jie, could we meet Lu Xun there in Wu Jie?"
"This news, Your Majesty, I feel like it's hard to believe."
Sima Yi exchanged glances with the emperor for a few moments, and immediately nodded and answered, "It can be done! The emperor should dispatch a capable general, leading cavalry to Wu Jie to join General Lu Xun in defeating Yinpingshan and Baihui passes!"
"What is your opinion, General Cao?" Cao Rui turned to look at Cao Zhen again.
"Your Majesty, I think there are no major flaws!" Cao Zhen's gaze became more determined: "Yinpingshan is not a heavily fortified area for the Wu army at present, and there must be little defense in that area."
"If they gain the upper hand there, Zhuge Liang will surely lead his troops to aid, in case the Wei army occupies Baihui and Jianke passes, blocking the route back to Chendu for the Shu troops!"
Cao Rui stood up and walked out of the tent, hands behind his back, staring off into the distant mountains and plains, taking deep breaths.
Let Lu Xun attack Datongzhong is just a piece of idle chess after collecting the Qiang army.
Cao Rui's original intention was only to take Yinpingshan County and threaten the Shu state. He never expected the advance to be so smooth and there might be a possibility that it would force Zhuge Liang to return to defend Zhaotong, Baihui Pass, and other areas.
If this were to happen, what would become of Hanzhong?
At the end of the day, it's because of the information gap.
In the original history, Zhuge Liang repeatedly invaded the western regions, aiming to control the entire area and plan for entering the region of Guanzhong.
But after Jiang Wan and Fei Yi took office, when Jiang Wei came to power, the population and economy in the Western Regions had gradually recovered, and there was no longer a possibility of being conquered as there was under Zhuge Liang.
In the original history, Jiang Wei could only look further west and more remote regions, aiming to control the Western Regions first, then encircle and gradually conquer the area of Longyou.
Only now, Diedao, Tiaoxi, Yinpingshan, and other remote areas, have officially stepped onto the stage of Chinese military history.
"Your Majesty, what are you pondering? Perhaps I can ease your worries," said Cao Zhen and Sima Yi as they came out together. It was Sima Yi who first noticed the emperor's unease and directly asked.
"Your Majesty, I have a question," Cao Rui said directly. "If we truly capture Wu Jie and Yinpingshan, and can advance to Baihui Pass, how should we attack?"
Sima Yi heard the emperor's words and fell into deep thought for a moment.
On the contrary, Cao Zhen was more open and directly laughed, "Why are Your Majesty and Lord Sima worrying now?"
"If we really capture Yinpingshan and Baihui Pass, it should be the Shu rebels who worry about how to resist the great Wei army. We just need to wait and see!"
"Or we could advance with double troops to face the Shu army, or threaten the Shu army to retreat from Hanzhong after we exert pressure. In my opinion, both outcomes are good."
"It's just that I overthought it," Cao Rui shook his head, then asked, "Who should be sent to Wudu? How many troops are appropriate?"
Cao Zhen said, "I think it's better to send 10,000 horsemen. With the terrain in Wu and Xiannedian being narrow, distributing 10,000 horsemen is sufficient. There will still be over 10,000 troops left for battle."
"I think it would be better to let Xiahou Xian, under the command of Fei Yao and Cheng Xi, go there. The success or failure of a sideline army does not affect the overall situation, so it can be handed over to Xiahou Xian."
"All right, let Xiahou Xian go then," Cao Rui nodded and said, "The central army will set out immediately tomorrow and advance towards Xiannedian!"
"……"
The next morning, Zhou Tuo set out southwards with Xiahou Xian, preparing to pass through Wudu and then proceed southwest to attack Wu Jie, intending to meet General Lu Xun in Wu Jie.
Meanwhile, when Cao Rui had just arrived in Wudu, he received a letter from Sun Quan sent by an envoy from the Qishan direction behind him.
Cao Rui summoned Sima Yi, Yang Fu, and Chen Jiao to his side and asked directly, "When I heard that Empress Xuanjie was pregnant, Sun Quan again showed goodwill to me and sent many gifts to Luoyang."
"He also requested that I open up the trade routes and allow trade between the north and south."
Sima Yi replied, "Since Sun Quan is able to send a reply to Your Majesty now, and last year when Wu and Shu were again allies, he must have also received information from Liu Chan and Zhuge Liang."
"And the trade routes..." Sima Yi smiled and said, "I apologize, but I am sure Sun Quan is thinking of buying horses from the Wei. Otherwise, the other products from Jingzhou and Yangtze River Delta are not lacking."
Cao Rui did not reply, placing the document on the desk: "Sun Quan wants to buy horses from the Wei. What can I buy from Sun Quan?"
"Elephant tusks, pearls, and tortoiseshells?" Cao Rui sniffed and laughed, "Sun Quan does not have anything that Your Majesty needs."
"Yes."
The straightforward word directly stated by Chen Jiao drew the attention of the other three people present.
But at this moment, Chen Jiao still spoke calmly, "The Great Wei needs the ships of the Eastern Wu."
"Ha ha ha," Sima Yi laughed: "Ji Bi, don't jokingly say that. How could Sun Quan sell ships to the Wei?"
Just as he had laughed a few times, Sima Yi stopped laughing on his own, his expression turning serious as he looked at the emperor and bowed, saying, "Chen Ji Bi is right!"
Cao Rui also understood the connection: "Horses are to the Great Wei what ships are to Sun Quan."
"If I sell a warhorse to Sun Quan, it would be considered giving aid to the enemy! But Sun Quan knows that I cannot sell horses to him, yet he still seeks it."
"Has Sun Quan's mind gone mad? I thought it was unlikely."
"That can only mean one thing," Cao Rui said slowly, "buying horses is secondary; what's truly urgent is his desire to make peace with me. If he really wants to buy, exchanging horses for ships is not out of the question."
Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi and the other three people: "I am now curious about the current urgency within Eastern Wu."
"The emperor is saying that Eastern Wu has internal troubles?" Yang Fu asked.
"Perhaps it's internal troubles, or perhaps he's trying to confuse me. Either way, it's not important. What matters is that Sun Quan, knowing that the Great Wei has won a battle, still has no intention of helping Shu."
"Wu-Shu alliance." Cao Rui laughed and said, "Their relationship is as solid as gold." (This chapter ends)
