Cao Rui nodded: "Si Kong is right, let's stall for a while on the Liao Dong side."
Seeing the hesitant expression on Cao Rui's face, Cao Wei wondered and asked, "What else does Zong Gong have to say?"
Cao Rui hesitated for a moment and bowed to answer: "I have something to report to your Majesty. It is indeed about the public affairs in Luoyang, and it is also related to that Gong Jun family."
Cao Rui nodded.
Cao Wei continued: "In Luoyang, I have already submitted a report to the King regarding the inspection of Gong Jun Yuan, his brother's affairs."
"There is a person named Li Xin in Luoyang, whose father was Li Min, the former river controller of Henan Province ..."
As Fan Qiujian continued his statement, a hidden network of relations among the senior officials of the Cao Wei dynasty unfolded before Cao Rui.
Sima Yi, Pi Qian, and Fan Qiujing had also had such a relationship with Li Min previously.
Fu Yanzhao even remarried and married Li Xin's wife, thereby linking another side.
The matter of Li Min and Li Xin is just one aspect, yet it reveals only the tip of the iceberg in the complex web of relationships among the various ministers in the court.
Cao Wei asked: "In this way, it seems that the Gong Jun family has indeed incurred the disdain of Luoyang?"
“Not only disdain,” Fan Qiujian responded, “Li Xin's death has already made him stink.”
"It seems that in the future, there won't be much resistance in the court when we launch an attack on Liao Dong," Cao Wei said calmly, looking at Sima Yi and asking, "Si Kong, did Li Min have a record of accomplishment in governing the region of Henan? If he did, the court should reward Li Xin's son, Li Yin."
Sima Yi's expression remained unchanged: "Your Majesty, in the past, Li Min, the former Lord, during the chaos preserved his family's property and promoted Confucianism, indeed he was a capable minister."
"His son, Li Xin, was also a devoted child, and the court should praise his virtue to exemplify moral rectitude."
Cao Wei nodded: "Very well, I will have Liu Zhongshu issue an edict later to commend him, and allow his young son, Li Yin, to enter the Tai Academy in the future."
Fan Qiujian stood up and bent one knee to bow respectfully to the emperor: "On behalf of Li Yin, I thank your Majesty for your grace! Although Li Yin is young and has lost his father, living under my household and being able to enter the Tai Academy in the future, I believe he can live up to his family's reputation!"
Cao Wei nodded slightly, indifferent.
Li Yin? Just a child. Commending his father and granting him admission to the Tai Academy is merely a trivial matter.
More importantly, Fan Qiujian revealed this relationship with his own mouth, especially in front of Sima Yi.
This information is worth this price.
Since Fan Qiujian has mentioned this person, it is reasonable to give rewards as a favor, riding on the current.
It can be considered a favor on the basis of Fan Qiujian's face.
As the emperor, there are many tasks to be done.
Among the many tasks, bestowing favors is a routine duty for an emperor, and it is quite an important one.
The emperor needs to increasingly gain the loyalty of the people through continuous bestowing of favors, rewards, and praises.
Power is not unidirectional, but bidirectional.
Take Yuan Shao of the late Han dynasty as an example. The Yuan family had three generations of officials serving as grand ministers, and their disciples and former subordinates were everywhere in the empire – wasn't this all achieved through the continuous bestowing of favors?
The emperor is the ultimate endorsement of all supreme powers in the world.
Cao Wei appointed Zhang He as General of Western Expedition, and also promoted Luo Xun, Xiahou Biao, Guo Hua, and others. Isn't this also a form of bestowing favors?
The more you give, the more you receive, and the more support you gain from others – this is an eternal truth in the world.
As Cao Wei and Fan Qiujian were chatting about some recent events in Luoyang, the Regent Shun served as the Minister of the Palace, Wang Chang, carrying a military dispatch, walked over from outside.
After Yangfu and Chenjiao left, Wang Chang, as the Regent Shun, assisted Zhongshu Wang Suyi in managing military affairs and important matters.
"Reporting to Your Majesty," Wang Chang bowed and made a respectful gesture, a faint smile on his face: "General Zhang He has sent an urgent report. The army entered Yangping Pass at dawn on the tenth day. Commandant Zhang Kai of Yangping opened the city gates and surrendered, and County Chief Fu Xin of Juchang also played a role in persuading the enemy to surrender."
Yangping Pass, this is indeed Yangping Pass!
With Yangping Pass in hand, Hanzhong and Shu Zhong would be completely isolated. The land of Hanzhong would no longer belong to Shu.
Sima Yi turned around, bowing and congratulating: "I, Sima Yi, congratulate Your Majesty on regaining Yangping Pass! Under the current situation, Shu has no choice but to be helpless!"
Sima Yi, being the fastest in reaction, was followed by Wang Suyi, Fan Qiujian, and Wang Chang, who also congratulated together.
Cao Wei first laughed a few times, then gradually sterned his face: "I have heard what all of you have said. Gaining Yangping Pass is indeed a cause for joy. However, I do not wish to accept your congratulations now. There is no need to celebrate until we have recovered the entire Hanzhong region."
Cao Wei's thinking was simple.
If there really is a celebration, waiting for the end of the war to celebrate is not too much. How can one open champagne in the middle of the game?
Sima Yi interjected beside him, "Your Majesty is wise. But in my opinion, the recovery of the entire Hanzhong region is just a matter of time."
"With Yangping Pass already gained, the land of Hanzhong is mostly flat and most conducive to mounted troops. Cities like Yan'an and Nanchong have no strong fortifications, and we should attack them all at once."
"Moreover, Juchang and Yangping Pass are already surrendered, is it not better for the Emperor to generously reward these two people, so that cities in Hanzhong may surrender even faster?"
"Si Kong's words are reasonable," Cao Wei said, looking at Wang Chang, "Now I am enlisting County Chief Fu Xin of Juchang and Commandant Zhang Kai of Yangping as Marquis-level Officials, each to be awarded with two hundred rolls of silk. They will be transferred to Luoyang for promotion and given official posts to be determined later."
"Let the Generalissimo take care of the affairs of these two people!" Cao Wei said, his eyes flashing with a sharp light: "The more decisive they are, the higher the price I will offer!"
Wang Chang replied promptly: "I understand, I will go inform the Generalissimo at once."
After Wang Chang left, Cao Wei walked out of the tent with his hands behind his back.
At this moment, the tent where Cao Wei is staying is the one left by Zhuge Liang at Chiting. However, it has been altered somewhat to better conform to the status and requirements of an emperor.
From the tent, Cao Wei looked westward. What he saw was the old road that flowed from the north to the south, known as the story water.
Yangping Pass has now become part of the Great Wei, and the recovery of Hanzhong should no longer be in doubt.
The territory of Shu was already narrow, and now that Hanzhong has been lost, it is a sign of a nation's demise.
Sima Yi, Fan Qiujian, and Wang Suyi followed the emperor out of the tent.
Fan Qiujian asked tentatively, "Your Majesty, now that Hanzhong has been captured, should we take advantage of the victory to pursue and subdue the Shu rebels?"
Cao Wei did not turn his head and still looked at the distant mountains, saying, "Zhong Gong, are you suggesting we should take advantage of this situation to destroy the Shu rebels?"
Fan Qiujian said: "I don't understand the specific details, but it's just my private guess."
"No," Cao Wei said.
"It is not appropriate," Sima Yi added from the side.
Wang Suyi stood in the back with his hands tied, saying nothing at all. Wang Suyi understood that his position as Zhongshu was obtained through Confucian learning, so during the several months he accompanied the army on the campaign, he never uttered a word of military strategy.
Cao Wei understood that with the capture of Hanzhong, there would only be more and more people in both the military and the court with such thoughts.
If Cao Wei had not been in the military campaign but had watched from afar in Luoyang, he might have also had such thoughts.
But Cao Wei was in the military campaign.
Some things must be seen firsthand.
Just talking about military power.
In the battle at Lüe Yin, the 15,000 infantry troops rushed from Chang'an to assist at Lüe Yin, and they were utterly destroyed. With 6,000 soldiers dead and many more injured, these troops would be unlikely to return to the battlefield in the short term.
The remaining thousands of troops in this division can only maintain order in various cities in Tianshui and provide some support during the times when the Qiang people are engaged in farming.
This is not an exaggerated warning but a real situation.
This is not an exaggerated warning but a real situation. And in the battle at Chiting, Zhang He's troops also suffered significant losses. Originally with 30,000 men, they could only take 10,000 infantry southward.
The losses an army suffers in fierce battles need time to be made up, and it takes months or quarters to do so.
Furthermore, the entire army from Luoyang, which has been brought here, is also weary. The five million troops have traveled a long way from Luoyang to aid in Longjiu and are already very tired.
If the campaign were to continue after Hanzhong, how would the losses of the central army be calculated? With the central army depleted, how would the emperor govern the empire?
There are also the states of Yong, SiLi, Yuan, Ji, Bing, and countless numbers of local counties and commoners who are trying to maintain logistics.
All these accounts need to be calculated, and they must be accounted for clearly.
This campaign to capture Hanzhong has already reached the limit of the current strength of the Wei Dynasty.
Cao Wei turned and looked at Fan Qiujian: "Emperor Wu once said 'Humans always want more, once they have obtained Longjiu, they desire Shu as well.' Now I truly understand."
"It's not that we don't want to, it's that we can't!"
Fan Qiujian slightly apologized and bowed his hand: "I apologize for my mistake."
Cao Wei gestured to Sima Yi with a nod of his chin: "Explain this to Zhong Gong!"
Sima Yi said in a calm tone, "Firstly, it is due to food and logistics. Attacking Shu after Hanzhong would leave us weak. Secondly, having been away from Luoyang for too long, the central army should return to the capital to maintain stability over the empire."
Fan Qiujan nodded, looking as if he understood.
Cao Wei asked: "Zhong Gong is thinking of leading troops?"
Fan Qiujian replied with an awkward smile, "I wish to ease Your Majesty's burden."
Cao Wei laughed and said, "At present, each general has his own tasks assigned. If Your Majesty were to order troops from the army of the Generalissimo or the Western Campaign General to be sent to you, the generals might secretly criticize Your Majesty for it."
"But last year, Zhong Gong's victory against the Xianbei uprising in the state of Bing was impressive and caught my eye. After we return to the capital, let Zhong Gong command troops at Zhongli camp!"
Sima Yi, standing beside him, seemed to remember something.
Zhongli camp, isn't that under the charge of Cao Hong? To even think of giving some of it to Fan Qiujan!
Wang Suyi, who had not spoken, finally spoke up: "Yangping Pass has been secured, and the emperor can choose an appropriate day to travel to Hanzhong."
Cao Wei nodded slightly, "I have the same thought!"
......
The distance from Chiting to Lushun at Baishui Pass is over seven hundred li.
Of course, the seven hundred plus li refer to marching within the controlled region of the Great Wei, not specifically along the route from Chiting, Wuxing, to Yang'an Pass.
When Zhuge Liang was defeated and retreated five days later, Cao Wei had already ordered people to send a message to Lu Xun along the route from Dunbin and Wuji Street.
It took more than six days for the letter to travel seven hundred and some li.
On the eleventh night, Lu Xun received the emperor's report on the battle situation at Chiting outside Baishui Pass.
At this moment, Zhuge Liang had just arrived at Baishui Pass.
Lu Xun sat next to Xiahou Xian, and after carefully reading the military report several times, he passed it to Xiahou Xian.
Lu Xun is a talented military strategist. The defeat of the Wei forces at Chiting has effectively marked the bankruptcy of Shu's invasion plan this time.
But it is not known whether Cao Zhen's troops of 30,000 pursued down along the route of Wuxing, Yang'an Pass and southward, or through Wuxing, Juchang, and Yangping Pass into Hanzhong.
For Lu Xun, neither path was bad news. (Chapter ends)
