Cao Rui rode horseback with the other ministers into the city, Liu Ye's position followed closely behind Sima Yi and Man Chun, still ahead of several other officials.
Cao Rui's evaluation of Liu Ye has been clear, today's move has only deepened his understanding.
Liu Ye possesses exceptional wisdom and strategical insight, always offering brilliant perspectives on court tactics and battlefield planning, a great talent for advising on statecraft.
However, from a personality standpoint, Liu Ye's shortcomings are also obvious: he is overly flattering and seeking favor. These two flaws can be summed up in one, which is the intention to gain the emperor's attention and favoritism, and to repeatedly weigh the emperor's will for this purpose.
In an era when influential families are intertwined and complex, Liu Ye, such a clever person who neither values fame nor kinship but only serves the throne, should be greatly utilized and given special attention.
As an emperor, both the loyal and simple minister who serves with sincerity and simplicity and the clever minister who relentlessly pursues 'progress' should be utilized. Similarly, both the pure and clean water and the dirty water cannot be neglected; there is always a suitable use for them.
The affairs of the world cannot be completed by the emperor alone; power must be shared with others. Giving Liu Ye, a beloved and capable minister, is always better than the former emperor's Bao Xun and Zhan Yan who incurred treason charges for voicing their opinions.
After entering Changping City, Cao Rui did not pause for a moment and immediately summoned the ministers to discuss matters together.
There were two board members, Man Chun and Sima Yi, three members of the Grand Secretariat - Xu Shi, Pei Qian, and Lu Yu, Liushuo's General Liushao General Liu Ye, General Tian Yu, and General Xiahou Xian. That's a total of eight people here.
The remaining one, Xin Pi, had long been ordered by Cao Rui to be left behind in Qingzhou, a strategically important location in the southeastern part of Yuyang Commandery, where he was in charge of overseeing the internal river transportation and the shipping of grain and supplies by sea.
Xin Pi, who had been responsible for logistics in Chang'an during the campaign against Shu Han, accepted his new position without complaint and without any murmurs.
Xin Pi is loyal, prudent, and decisive in his actions, making him the perfect fit for managing logistics and resources at the rear of the army.
"Three armies march not before the grain is ready." This critical function of logistics is not something that can be easily replaced by just any governor, and at present, Cao Rui is reluctant to appoint Xin Pi as an outsider.
Cao Rui swept his gaze across the assembly in the hall and said in a low voice, "I set out from Luoyang earlier this year, traveling via Xuchang, Yecheng, Yanmen Pass, and Daiyue Circuit before arriving in Yanjeng. Many divisions and plans were made along the way, all for the sake of affairs in the eastern border."
"West Hall, I shall present to the ministers a brief military strategy."
Man Chun stood up upon hearing these words, bowed to Cao Rui, and then turned to face the assembly and said aloud, "Ladies and gentlemen, since the time of Gongsun Du, the Liaodong region has been succession from Gongsun Kang to Gongsun Gong. Now it is in the hands of Gongsun Yuan."
"The territory is remote, and the people are few. However, Gongsun Yuan has ambitions to usurp but lacks the abilities to govern and rule. According to the Military Strategy Hall, Gongsun Yuan is nothing more than a smaller version of Wei Xiao."
Cao Rui nodded slightly: "The matter involving Wei Xiao is well known to all of you. Previously during the Han Guangwu era, Wei Xiao held control over the area to the west of the Qin Mountains and sought to secede and attain supremacy, but was ultimately subdued by Han Guangwu and his generals."
Man Chun continued from where the emperor had left off, "Wei Xiao submitted to and then repeatedly rebelled against Guangwu, taking advantage of his remote location to repeatedly obstruct Guangwu's large army."
"Taking the achievements of the campaign against Wei Xiao by the Han Guangwu as a benchmark, we should launch a swift and decisive attack to break the enemy's army, capture their leader's head and offer it to the Temple of Heaven. It is vital to complete this task in one stroke rather than engaging in a protracted war, which would be drained of our military resources due to the enemy's advantageous position in remote areas."
Cao Rui said, "The West Hall's words are well-received by the emperor. The Liaodong district is four thousand miles away from Luoyang, and I departed from Luoyang last year, traveling for nearly a hundred days before arriving in Yanjeng."
"The journey is so far that one trip is enough for me," said Cao Rui with a smile as he continued, "Does anyone here want me to make another long journey?"
The assembly erupted in laughter.
Sima Yi bowed and said, "Your Majesty's wisdom is great. Gongsun Yuan in Liaodong has neither military nor strategic abilities, his usurpation of power is a collective outrage among people and gods, he does not understand the principles of governance."
"It's time for his demise."
Cao Rui also smiled and replied, "While we, the monarch and his ministers, discuss Gongsun Yuan's actions in Changle City, he may very well be speaking to the people of Liaodong in Xiangping City about how my heart is filled with false ambitions."
"We must be optimistic in strategy, but we must never take any chances with the specific tactics of military operations."
Man Chun nodded in agreement and said, "Your Majesty's words are very insightful. I would like to discuss the military force, routes, and logistics from three aspects."
Cao Rui said, "Please proceed, General Man."
Man Chun gestured towards the door, and Huo Zhu and Xiahou Hui, two men, carried a portable stand that was brought along by the army. The stand held a long piece of white silk, which depicted a vast area from Jixian to Liaodong.
This method of hanging maps and explaining strategies in battle has been universally adopted since the campaign against Sichuan, and has become a standard process for discussing military strategies in the Military Strategy Hall. Upon setting up the stand, He Li and Xiahou Hui stood motionless in the corner of the hall. Man Chun noticed that the emperor had no intention of sending them away and stepped forward two steps to stand by the map and explain:
"The road to Liaodong has two main routes."
"The first is the Lulong Road."
"Previously, Emperor Wu led an expedition against the Wuhuan during his conquest of the Uighur region, taking the Lulong Road. With a local scholar named Tian Chou serving as a guide, they departed from Lulong Pass, heading northward and traveling through Pinggang before arriving at Lücheng."
"The second is the seaside route."
"The seaside route is near the sea, with rivers and marshes intersecting in a maze. It often has difficulty traveling due to flooding. When Emperor Wu led an expedition against the Uighur, heavy rain in July prevented them from taking this route and forced them to take the Lulong Road instead."
Cao Rui nodded: "Both the Lulong Road and the seaside route have their own advantages and disadvantages. You, all of you are old statesmen of the country, these old matters should also be clear to you."
"The Lulong Road travels overland, the path winding and fraught with harsh cold. Although Emperor Wu's expedition on the Lulong Road dealt a major defeat to the Wuhuan, they suffered from lack of food and severe casualties due to the cold. Even he often feared for his life on that journey."
"The seaside route is closer to the sea, but it is more vulnerable to water hazards and can be dangerous."
Cao Rui coughed lightly: "Please proceed, General Man. The Military Strategy Hall wishes to choose which route to take."
Man Chun bowed and said, "After consultation with the Minister of Works and the Military Strategy Hall, we believe that the seaside route should be taken!"
Cao Rui looked towards Man Chun and asked, "Why?"
Man Chun said, "We believe that the imperial army, with its superior strength in both troops and combat power, far exceeds the enemy. The most critical factor to consider is logistics and supplies."
"Your Majesty came from Dai Commandery to Yan Commandery with a grand army of 39,000 infantry and cavalry. According to Your Majesty's edict, the Military Strategy Hall mobilized troops from various commanderies in Jizhou and gathered them in Jixian. Just now, General Xiahou has informed me that there are 3,000 soldiers from outside and 14,000 soldiers from the commanderies and states, totaling 17,000 infantry."
"The army consists of a total of 56,000. If we take the Lulong Road, we will have to traverse mountains and rivers and find difficult grasslands. At that time, there will be no food supply! However, if we take the seaside route, we can rely on river transportation and maritime shipping for supplies without worrying about logistics."
Cao Rui asked calmly, "So, you're all talking about logistics? How strong are Gongsun Yuan's forces?"
Man Chun said, "This information comes from General Liu. I would like to ask General Liu to explain it to Your Majesty."
Liu Ye rose and bowed respectfully towards the emperor, then slightly nodded towards Man Chun in greeting.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, previously I, along with the Commander of the Central Army Wanqiu Zhongkong, planned to persuade Gongsun Gong to submit to us while traveling to Liaodong. However, this plan was abandoned after Gongsun Yuan captured his uncle and rebelled."
"Gongsun Gong has always been loyal to the Great Wei. According to what Gongsun Gong said, the Gongsun family in Liaodong has an army of 30,000, including 5,000 cavalry and 25,000 infantry. In the event of battle, I estimate that they can temporarily increase their army by another 20,000 to 30,000."
Cao Rui asked, "All of this comes from Gongsun Gong?"
Liu Ye replied, "Gongsun Gong only told me about the military force at that time. The estimation that an additional 20,000 to 30,000 troops could be raised is based on the population and manpower of the local people."
Cao Rui nodded slightly, "With 30,000 soldiers and cavalry, they can at least challenge me."
"Do the ministers all agree to take the seaside route?"
Liu Ye had not yet sat down when he spoke up: "Your Majesty, I believe we should also select a portion of our forces to travel the Lulong Road!"
The emperor and the ministers in the tent did not seem to find anything unusual, but Man Chun narrowed his eyes slightly.
Before the military discussion began, Man Chun had already communicated with Liu Ye. As the Administrator of the region to the north and northwest of the Great Wei and also the newly appointed Administrator of the Beihai Commandery, Man Chun had explained the Military Strategy Hall's arrangements, and at that time Liu Ye had expressed complete agreement without raising any other objections.
But now, in the military discussion before the emperor, Liu Ye suddenly suggested considering the Lulong Road. Was this a new idea of his, or had he premeditated it without discussing it with Man Chun? (The chapter ends)
