Cao Rui snorted coldly: "Tian Yu, Qian Zhao and others have been in Youping for a long time, yet they still cannot eradicate the problem of the Xianbei."
"The Great Wei has been established for ten years, and the border troubles of Wu and Shu have somewhat subsided. Of course, I must take time to govern the north."
"General Man," Cao Rui looked at Man Cong, "I have heard that the states of Bian and Ji are separated by Taihang Mountain, which is grand and rugged, and there are 'Eight Xing' that can traverse freely."
"From Yecheng to Yanmen, which route should I take?"
As a high-ranking official in the Western Hall, Man Cong was very knowledgeable about mountains and rivers and roads. He answered, "Your Majesty, there are two routes that can be used to travel from Yecheng to Yanmen."
"The first is Fu Kou Xing."
"This route goes west from Yecheng, passes through She County and Lu County to Huiguan, and then heads north to Taiyuan."
"The second is Jing Xing."
"This route goes north from Yecheng, passes Guangping, Ju Lü, Zhao to Changshan Prefecture, then west to Jing Xing, and then west through Yushu to Taiyuan."
Man Cong bowed and said, "However, I still must inform Your Majesty that although Fu Kou Xing is the closest to Yecheng, the road north from Huiguan to Taiyuan is perilous, and it is not as easy to travel as the route through Jing Xing."
"I suggest first heading north and then taking the route through Jing Xing."
Cao Rui thought for a moment and said, "I vaguely remember that during the early Han Dynasty, Han Xin defeated Zhao by taking the route through Jing Xing."
Man Cong nodded, "Indeed, it was the route through Jing Xing. In the past, when the imperial court pacified the north of the river, they also marched through Jing Xing."
"I roughly calculated that it is a distance of 1,400 miles from Yecheng to Yanmen for the imperial cavalry. With daily marches of 50 miles, it will take nearly thirty days."
Cao Rui said, "Then let's take the route through Jing Xing. Inform the central military forces to prepare, and we will depart north in two days."
"I have already made an agreement with Pei Qian, that we will both arrive in Dai Prefecture on the twenty-second day of the third month. Calculating the time, I believe it will be sufficient."
Man Cong bowed and answered, "I understand, I will arrange it accordingly."
……
On the early morning of the seventeenth day of the second month, the 20,000 central cavalry units set off for the north.
Mao Cheng, the acting general, led the advance guard of three thousand horsemen from the Left Wing Army of Yunling. Together with four thousand cavalry from Qiongqiu Jian, the Imperial Guard, they served as the personal escort for the emperor's main army.
The remaining 13,000 cavalry followed behind the troops of Mao Cheng and Qiongqiu Jian. This included 2,000 armored cavalry each for Wen Qin and Qiongqiu Jian.
The armored cavalry is effective in battle, but during the march, their combat power is the lowest.
The reason is simple. Each armored cavalryman is equipped with two horses and three soldiers.
The cavalry has one horse, the auxiliary one horse, and the armor one horse. If a sudden attack is encountered during battle, it is difficult to prepare quickly, so they are not around the emperor for protection but instead move with the main cavalry force.
On the twenty-fourth day of the second month, as the great army had just arrived at Bo Ren in Zhao Prefecture, several messengers on horseback came chasing from the south.
Upon seeing that it was a military report, the messenger was guided to the presence of the Imperial Secretariat's Right Supervisor Wang Chang and Wang Wen Shu. When Wang Chang saw the messenger, he could roughly hear the military situation, and he quickly delivered the report to the emperor in front of him.
The Tiger Guard reported that Wang Chang sought an audience, and Cao Rui rode his horse, smiling at the two on either side of him, Sima Yi and Man Cong. "Wang Wen Shu wants to present the military situation to me. Can you two guess what it is about?"
Sima Yi's body slightly fluctuated with the movement of the horse, his eyes turned a few circles, and then he bowed and reported, "It must not be a trivial matter; otherwise, Wang Wen Shu would not be so urgent."
As for guessing such things, Sima Yi had always been reluctant to speak in a definitive way, leaving himself some room for his usual habits.
Cao Rui nodded to Man Cong, "What do you think, General Man?"
Man Cong smiled, "Since Your Majesty asks me to guess, I will venture a guess."
"Your Majesty is in Hebei, and the remaining important military matters in the capital are only the invasion of Shu in the western regions. I think it will be good news!"
Cao Rui nodded, "I also believe it is good news. Call Wang Wen Shu!"
However, not long after, Wang Chang rode up from behind. From a distance of several meters, Wang Chang raised the victory report with his right hand, "Your Majesty, news of a victory from the west! Generals Zhang and Guo have forced the Shu army led by Zhuge Liang back to Yang'an Pass, and the loss of imperial troops is less than four hundred!"
"Cao Rui chuckled heartily. After several days of march, he rarely heard such good news. He looked at Wang Chang and said with a smile, "What do you think, Wang? I told you to worry not about the west with General Meng Da holding the fort. How is it today?"
Wang Chang showed a look of genuine admiration, bowed his hands, and sighed, "Strategizing in the midst of the tent, deciding the victory ten thousand miles away — I think this saying fits perfectly. Your Majesty's wisdom extends to ten thousand miles, and I am truly in awe."
Cao Rui smiled and waved his hand, "It's unnecessary for you to admire it. The matter should have been like this."
"I personally went to the western region, established and stabilized fields, repaired cities and built passes. We have done so much for Wei in the west, and now is the time to see the results."
"The General, the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Campaign, the Commander-in-Chief of the Campaign against Shu, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of Qiang are all in the west. I have great confidence in them, just as I do in all of you. Why should there be any concern?"
The surrounding officials all congratulated him.
The retreat of Shu's army is, of course, something to be happy about. But for Cao Rui, this was just a inevitable outcome after the layout in the west was tested.
Cao Zhen, Zhang He, Guo Hua, and Lu Sun — these four generals stationed in the western region are the best lineup that the Great Wei can currently field at the border.
Although Zhuge Liang was a great man, he was not a god. Even if his talents were outstanding, he would not have the ability to use magic, such as transforming six palaces into six armies or casting beans into soldiers. Military campaigns also require practicality in operations.
The western region is secure, and the north can be attended to with ease.
