Not only did Guo Bile be frightened by the imposing atmosphere of armored riders, but all the other Hu people were equally intimidated.
On the ramparts of Daiyang county, a crowd of Xianbei, Wuhan, and Huns stood in a row, standing one meter away from the emperor's back, witnessing the whole process of armored riders marching from west to east, changing formations and turning back, accelerating and charging.
Two thousand armored cavalry, divided into twenty formations of a hundred riders each, galloped past in succession. As they swept over these Hu troops' formation, the front row of the Hu soldiers were even scared back slightly, unable to maintain their ranks.
After the armored riders passed by, it was time for the military formations of the Xianbei, Wuhan, and Huns three tribes to accept inspection.
After the Xianbei's Buodu root and Suoli tribe passed through the southern gate in a messy formation, Cao Rui glanced over them briefly, his interest waning. He stood up, turned his side face to Man Chong, and said calmly:
"General Man, you will take over the hosting of this ceremony from here. I shall return to rest."
"Submissive to the command." Man Chong bowed his hands: "Praying for Your Majesty's farewell."
The rest of the officials and Hu chiefs also bowed their respects in succession.
Man Chong had been by the emperor's side for nearly two years, and he knew a third of the emperor's temperament.
At the beginning of this year, during the Grand Review at Mobei, the five-thousand central army had already undergone a comprehensive review of military exercises, including marches and formations, which the emperor had already inspected once.
The Feilin Zuo Jun, Zhong Jingling Camp, and the Five Guards Camp passed through the southern gate of Daiyang county. The emperor was still interested in sticking to it. Even Man Chong himself thought that the messy Hu troop formation had little viewing value.
In other words, this review was originally prepared for the Xianbei, Wuhan, and Huns. His Majesty once said, "The Hu people are afraid of strength but not grateful for virtue; they must be coerced by force and constrained by power before they can be used by the Great Wei."
Looking at the faces of these Hu leaders today, it is clear that the purpose has been achieved. After the emperor left after seeing Buodu and Suoli's two military formations, these two were embarrassed and could not help but lower their heads even further.
……
After the review was over, the leaders of each unit received silk and mulberry cloth rewards from Man Chong, although the rewards were a bit hot to touch.
The next day, the total of 39,000 infantry and cavalry outside of Daiyang county, in accordance with the command of Emperor Wei of Wei, continued their military campaign towards the northeast.
Crossing the cities of Dangcheng, Zhulu, and Juyong, and passing through the JunDu Ling pass to reach Changping County in Yan Prefecture. The journey of five hundred miles was completed in ten days.
Upon arriving in Changping, it was already the beginning of April.
The towering and majestic Taihang Mountains and Yan Mountains in Hebei divide the plains from the frontier.
When Emperor Cao Rui reached Changping after crossing the JunDu Ling Pass, he clearly felt the tremendous difference in climate between the two places. The Juyong in Shanggu Prefecture still had a chill, while at noon in Changping, the sun's rays were already causing people to sweat slightly.
To be serious, Jixian is actually the capital of later times. However, in the early days of Wei, although it was the prefectural capital of Yan Prefecture, it couldn't compare to large cities like Yanzhou and Luoyang. Even smaller cities like Chenliu and Wanyan were not as good as it.
But at this moment, Jixian had become the gathering place for the Great Wei army's campaign against Liaodong.
The emperor brought 39,000 foot soldiers and cavalry.
The infantry of Hebei did not have to travel a long detour to the northern edge of Shanxi, arriving early at Jixian, where Xiahou Xian was stationed. The troops from Wei Prefecture and Guangping Prefecture had just arrived, while the troops from Zhongshan, Heliyan, Bohai, Fanyang, and other prefectures had been trained for over a month.
On the third day of the fourth month, outside the western gate of Changping City, Youzhou Governor Liu Ye, Anbei General Xiahou Xian, and Yan Prefecture Governor Deng Jun were all waiting there. Senior and junior officials stood in solemn order on both sides of the road, and many young people and children were chosen to hold food and wine at the forefront.
Wen Qin had arrived as the advance party, followed by 18,000 Hu light cavalry. With a massive force of nearly 30,000 riders, the column directly marched towards the designated campsite in the northeast of Jixian.
The emperor's 10,000 cavalry and Tian Yu's 3,000 infantry followed in the rear, heading towards the direction of Changping City.
"Your subjects humbly pay homage to Your Majesty!" Seeing the emperor's carriage approaching, Liu Ye, Xiahou Xian, and Deng Jun knelt down in unison and paid a grand obeisance.
Cao Rui dismounted and walked to Liu Ye's front, lifting him up with his hand and saying, "I have missed you, Lord Liu, dearly for three years!"
Liu Ye was also moved by this. After being pretentiously supported by the emperor, he bowed and replied, "While serving as an envoy to Youzhou and Bingzhou, I never expected to stay in Youzhou for nearly three years."
Cao Rui laughed and asked, "Have you come to know the land, water, people, and customs of Youzhou completely, Lord Liu?"
Liu Ye nodded: "I first went to Liaodong and then returned, although I dare not say that every place in Youzhou has been visited by me, but the Ludong Road along the Ludong Pass, Luolong Gorge, Pinggang Plain, and Liu Cheng, and the coastline along the Wutian Pass, Wutian Fortress, Yangle City, and Jieshi were walked by me more than twice!"
Cao Rui patted Liu Ye's shoulder: "Lord Liu, your wisdom and strategic thinking are highly valued by me. Your actions are measured, you work diligently in governance, and you are truly a good minister for the region."
Liu Ye slightly bowed his hands: "I am truly honored by Your Majesty's praise. I feel truly ashamed."
Cao Rui said, "This time I am attacking Liaodong, I intend to rely on Lord Liu's wisdom."
After saying this, Cao Rui addressed the assembled ministers, "Lord Liu, listen to my decree!"
Liu Ye had served in Youzhou for three years. When he knew that the emperor would be arriving in Youzhou to attack Liaodong, he had already made several guesses, but he never expected the appointment to come so quickly!
Summer and Deng Jun, who had bowed along with Liu Ye, had not yet risen when Liu Ye knelt down again.
Cao Rui said slowly, "Governor Liu Ye of Youzhou is wise, decisive, and has a sense of governance. He is truly the vital limb and core of my inner circle, a key talent for the country. Appoint him immediately as the General in Charge of Crossing the Liao River, to accompany my army to Liaodong!" Liu Ye had been in and out of office for more than half his life, and he had more than enough experience dealing with such occasions. In this moment when the emperor was rewarding him for his three years of hard work, he did not hesitate at all. He bowed his head deeply and shouted out in a loud voice, "I, Liu Ye, thank Your Majesty for His Imperial Grace!"
The people behind Cao Rui looked at Liu Ye with either envy or admiration, without a single person showing the slightest hint of dissatisfaction.
This is also related to the political tradition of Han and Wei.
In the path of promotion for civil officials in the court during the Han and Wei dynasties, almost everyone would serve as an external official for one term or more.
Among the most prestigious positions, it was the prefectural governors of the interior provinces, as well as the governors of large counties such as Henan, Chenliu, Nanyang, and Yingchuan.
But the "bitter cold" areas where Liu Ye served as the prefectural governor of Youzhou and Sima Fu served as the prefectural governor of Liangzhou, there is a sense of having established "bitter labor".
Who would want to serve in Youzhou when there are opportunities to serve in Henan, a more comfortable region?
After Liu Ye rose to thank the emperor and left, Cao Rui helped Xiahou Xian up from the side.
"My General of the North, you have done well in Youzhou for one and a half years. This time joining me in the expedition, there will be opportunities for you to demonstrate your martial prowess in Liaodong!"
Xiahou Xian also bowed and said, "I have been training soldiers for Your Majesty in Youzhou and am ready to be summoned at any time. I will definitely accompany Your Majesty to subdue Sun Quan's rebel party!"
Cao Rui nodded: "Very good!"
After a brief conversation with Yan Prefecture Governor Deng Jun, Liu Ye stood aside smiling and waving his hand. Four children aged about ten, dressed neatly and looking like scholars, approached carrying cookware in their hands.
Cao Rui glanced at Liu Ye and asked with a smile, "Lord Liu, what kind of play are you putting on for me? Serving food and drink?"
Liu Ye bowed and smiled, "In the 'Mencius', it says 'Dian food pot wine, to welcome the imperial army,' the local people of Changping hear that your Majesty is leading a large army here, so they are offering local food and drink to your Majesty."
Cao Rui nodded slightly and walked to the four children in front of him: "Barley rice, meat soup, vegetable gruel..."
Walking to the right child, Cao Rui picked up an object from the dish in his hand and exclaimed in wonder, "This is chestnuts!"
The ten-year-old child was not afraid either. He replied confidently, "Reporting to the emperor, this is the chestnut my family has collected."
Cao Rui was not discrete, and in front of everyone, he peeled open a chestnut with his fingers, took a small bite, and tasted it, smiling, "Oh? Are these from your family?"
"Tell me, what is your name? Have you gone to school?"
The child retreated a step back, squatted down to place the tray on the ground, and then bowed and said, "My name is Hu Tu Chi. I began my studies at the county school last spring."
Cao Rui, upon hearing the name that did not sound Han, raised an eyebrow slightly: "Rise. If you began studying last spring, that would make a year of study. What have you learned in school?"
Hu Tu Chi stood up and bowed respectfully: "Master, you have only taught us one book, 'The Analects of Confucius', which we read every day in the school. We have not been taught anything else yet."
"Good," Cao Rui continued, "The Analects of Confucius is a good book. Hu Tu Chi, tell me, how many chapters have you learned in the school?"
Hu Tu Chi's voice was clear and crisp: "I have learned up to the twelfth chapter of Yan Yuan."
Cao Rui laughed lightly: "Then let me ask you, 'Jun is Jun, the sovereign is the sovereign, and father is father, the son is the son', how did your master teach you this?"
Hu Tu Chi bit his lips and started to think, glancing at Liu Ye as he did so, then stammered on:
"The king should protect the people, the people should be loyal to the king. The father should love his son, and the son should respect his father. Each person has their own position in life, and they must be governed by 'ritual.'"
Cao Rui, despite knowing that this was a political performance orchestrated by Liu Ye to welcome him, genuinely admired it from the heart.
Liu Ye combined the three elements of the people offering food and drink, children studying culture and education, and the Hu people being assimilated into the empire, presenting them all to his Great Emperor of the Wei Dynasty.
From the imagination and political sensitivity, this was something that Cao Rui had only seen in the past few years.
In the world, there are always some people who are gifted with exceptional talents. Even the art of flattery, which involves taking things to the heart of others and leaving no room for any negative feelings, can be mastered by such individuals.
There is no doubt that Liu Ye is one of the outstanding ones among them.
Cao Rui laughed and clapped his hands: "Lord Liu, you have put in a lot of effort! Tell me, what are the backgrounds of these four children?"
Liu Ye bowed and replied: "The one in front of your Majesty, who is called Hu Tu Chi, is a Dingling. The three children over there are Han, Wuhan, and Xianbei."
"After I took office in the second year of the Taihe era, seeing that Yan Prefecture is a place where Han and Hu peoples live together, I started to establish county schools to educate children, teaching them about loyalty to the ruler and love for their country."
"As Your Majesty sees, these Dingling, Wuhan, and Xianbei children are able to speak Han language and recognize Chinese characters, almost identical to Han peoples."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "Barbarians who enter China become Chinese, this is your excellent governance. Each of them will be rewarded with one bolt of silk."
"Let's enter the city, for I have come a long way for the Liaodong military matters, and there is still a discussion to be had with all of you." (The chapter is over)
