The waves rhythmically crashed against the reef, splashing a vast amount of water.
Cao Rui looked at the ministers calmly and said, "In the twelfth year of the Jian'an era, when Emperor Wu returned from his campaign against the Wuhuan people, he requested that our late emperor and Prince Yongqiu each offer poems."
"Do you know, at that time, Emperor Wu preferred whose poem?"
The grudges between Cao Pi and Cao Zhi are well-known among the heavyweights of Wei. Cao Cao, their father, initially favored Cao Zhi before making Cao Pi the Crown Prince of Wei. This is obvious. But the present emperor is the son of the late emperor. Who dares to speak favorably of Prince Yongqiu?
For a while, no one spoke.
Cao Rui chuckled lightly, "In the twelfth year of Jian'an, Emperor Wu preferred the ambition and vigor of Prince Yongqiu's 'White Horse Passage', but disliked the gentle longing of my late father's 'Swallow's Flight'. But when Emperor Wu chose my late father as the Crown Prince of Wei, he himself said that 'Swallow's Flight' was better."
"Do you know why?"
"This royal secret has never been mentioned before in front of others."
Cao Rui noticed that no one answered and lifted his hand to point at Sima Yi.
Me? Why do all these difficult things always have to be handled by me?
Sima Yi's heart felt a sense of helplessness. He opened his mouth and replied, "I roughly guess that Emperor Wu thought my late father's literary talent was even greater and his emotions expressed more delicately, so he believed that 'Swallow's Flight' was better."
Cao Rui sneered and shook his head: "Is what the Grand Preceptor says true? It seems a bit of flattery."
Sima Yi awkwardly laughed and said, "I am ashamed."
Cao Rui, with his back to the sea, spoke aloud with a spirited tone: " 'Marching far to trample the Huns, glancing to the left to crush the Xianbei. Abandoning life in sharp sword's edge, how can one hold on to life?' Prince Yongqiu's poem is excellent, with extraordinary brushwork and extraordinary spirit. Just considering the poetry, there is nothing wrong. However, there is one point that does not align with Emperor Wu's wishes."
"Who can answer this?"
Mancun was convinced that he was the most trusted insider of the emperor's heart, and after hearing the two different time points of "returning from campaigning against the Wuhan people" and "appointing the crown prince", he ignored everyone's staring gaze and stepped forward half a step, with a determined expression and bowed his hands: "The poem does not match the person!"
"Correct!" Cao Rui's gaze returned from the distance, meeting Mancun's: "General Man, do you know how it does not match?"
Mancun added, "Exaggeration and boasting without shame!"
Cao Rui nodded gently: "In the twelfth year of Jian'an, when Emperor Wu first conquered the Wuhan people, he climbed to the top of Jie Mountain and sang to express his aspirations. At that time, Prince Yongqiu was only sixteen years old and could say such words as 'Abandoning life in sharp sword's edge, how can one hold on to life?' with a young person's body."
"Emperor Wu, with his achievements and ambitions, naturally prefers Prince Yongqiu a little more. Meanwhile, my late father's poems about love and sorrow are more subtle in their emotions. The two Swallow's Flights in the twelfth year of Jian'an may not have been fully understood by Emperor Wu."
Cao Rui continued to recite: " 'Poor concubine, lonely in an empty room, when worries come, I dare not forget you, tears unconsciously wet my robe.' "
"I asked you, who is the 'poor concubine'? And who is the person that she thinks about?"
Guang Jian's heart seemed to dawn, bowing and saying, "Is it that the late emperor used poetry to express his aspirations? To convey the late emperor's miss of Emperor Wu?"
"Zhonggong is very much to your heart," Cao Rui nodded slightly, "The Emperor Wen is using the analogy of the fragrant grass and beauty in Qu Yuan's 'Li Sao,' comparing himself to a woman in the harem, and the traveling son to the king."
"Which king does not hope that his ministers will be as loyal and faithful as a concubine?"
"Emperor Wu always considered my late father guarding the city of Yè, although he didn't make significant contributions, he also didn't make any mistakes. On the contrary, Prince Yongqiu frequently disappointed Emperor Wu. He was entrusted with important tasks during the Battle of Xiang and Feni, but he failed to carry out his duties due to drunkenness."
"The comparison in the poem, in the end, is still a comparison of emotions and aspirations, a comparison of people."
"The emperor, with the help of the old site of Jie Mountain, commented on the poems of Emperor Wu, my late father, and Prince Yongqiu in the twelfth year of Jian'an."
Sima Yi, Man Chong, and the other ministers could understand it. Liu Bao, the chieftain of the Huns, could pretend to understand it. Ke Bi Neng, Bucifangren and others were completely confused.
Guang Qianjin bowed and said, "I understand the emperor's meaning."
Cao Rui smiled and looked at Guang Qianjin, "Zhonggong, what did you understand?"
Guang Qianjin said, "As a minister, one should speak and act consistently, have a beginning and an end, and not pretend to be loyal by making grandiose statements."
Cao Rui chuckled softly, "Zhonggong seems to know only one aspect and not the other."
Guang Qianjin bowed and kunched, "Please allow me to enlighten Your Majesty."
Sima Yi, Man Chong, and others also bowed: "Please allow the emperor to enlighten us."
Cao Rui swept his gaze over the ministers standing on the top of Jie Mountain and said calmly, "I left Luoyang on the first day of the lunar New Year and only arrived at Jie Mountain in May. All that hardship along the way was for the sake of pacifying Liaodong."
"The late emperor and Prince Yongqiu had their own advantages and disadvantages, but Emperor Wu favored different people at different times. I deeply agree with this. When Emperor Wu was subduing the four directions, he preferred bravery and martial prowess; when he was passing on the imperial inheritance, he favored stability and prudence, which is human nature."
"In the end, what a ruler needs, you, as ministers, must strive to execute according to the strategies I set forth. Whether it is in battle or in military affairs, it is this way."
"And I," Cao Rui said in a deep voice, "Since I have made up my mind to conquer Liaodong, I must definitely break through Gongsun's bandit. Any person who has contributed to this cause will be highly rewarded by me, without hesitation."
"The current suppression of Liaodong will result in a doubling of fief grants and rewards!"
The few words lightly spoken by Cao Rui were enough to make the hearts of the ministers present tense. The emperor was already generous, but now he had promised double rewards, which was naturally cause for excitement.
Titles and fiefs can be passed down to succeeding generations, who would not want more?
From Man Chong and Sima Yi below, all ministers bowed in unison. A few Huns were bewildered and also bowed their bodies.
Looking at the expressions of joy or excitement on the faces of the crowd, Cao Rui said softly:
"Before I went to attack the Eastern Wu and the State of Shu, my military strength far surpassed theirs. Now, in this campaign against Liaodong, I have only 20,000 mounted and foot soldiers. The rest are all light horsemen from the barbarian tribes. 'I told you all in advance that this war may not be easy. As ministers, you must always act in accordance with your words and fulfill your duties to the end, without pretending to be loyal by making grandiose statements. These were words spoken by Zhonggong just now and they are also expectations for you."
"All ministers, each do your best!"
Man Chong immediately bowed and shouted, "We will not fail Your Majesty's ardent expectations! We are willing to serve Your Majesty with all our strength and loyalty!"
The rest of the people also shouted and bowed in compliance.
……
The incident at Jie Mountain was just a minor detour.
The road along the sea is difficult to travel, but it is not impossible. At this time, there are no heavy rain or natural disasters, so what can withstand an army is not terrain problems, but another army.
By traveling through Jie Mountain and then heading to Liaodong, the daily marching speed dropped from fifty li to forty li. The stoppages for repairing the boats and bridges, as well as waiting for the rear supply, lasted several days.
After another ten days of marching, on the sixteenth day of May, the Left Wing of the Feathered Soldiers, Sun Li's detachment of 4,000 light cavalry, arrived first outside of Wufulu City.
Wufulu City is located five miles east of the Yi Wu Mountain, and it is the starting point for traveling from the inland to Liaodong and circumnavigating the Liaozhe River from the south.
Sun Gong Yuan seized Liaodong, and the geographical boundaries between Liaodong and Liaoxi were not understood as the Liao River in common terms, but rather the Yi Wu Mountain.
Wufulu City and the Yi Wu Mountain are integrated, separated from the Liao River to the east by a Liaoze that spans over two hundred miles. This land has long belonged to the Liaodong Commandery, under the jurisdiction of the Sun family.
Since the Jian'an years, when Cao Cao sent Liang Mao to serve as the prefect of Liaodong but was detained by Sun Gong Du, the court has not sent any officials to Liaodong Commandery. It only collected tribute and selected Xiao Huan, among other things.
In other words, Wufulu City was a genuine "enemy territory."
In this era, there was no faster means of communication than mounted soldiers.
The 4,000 light cavalry led by Sun Li, arriving abruptly at the city gates, were not expected. Before the garrison inside could react, Wufulu City was surrounded by Sun Li's forces.
The city was in chaos, to say the least. The civilian inhabitants living outside the city fled to the mountains and wilderness. Meanwhile, a hundred cavalrymen within the city took advantage of the incomplete encirclement and broke out rapidly towards the east, heading towards the direction of the Liaoze to the east.
At a distance of twenty li to the west of Wufulu City, where the large army was traveling, three eagle riders galloped quickly over, shouting important military news in front of them.
Cao Rui rode slowly to the east on his horse, thinking for a moment after hearing the news. He turned his side face to look at Man Chong, "What does General Man think this is?"
Man Chong stroked his beard and reported, "Your Majesty, twenty li ahead is where Wufulu City is located. According to the division of the army, the vanguard is Sun Li's 4,000 light cavalry."
"If my guess is correct, Wufulu City should have already been surrounded by Sun Li's forces at this time."
Cao Rui did not answer, gesturing slightly to the rear of his horse. The counselor Xu Shu rode quickly up and took the military report from the riders' hands, then handed it back to Cao Rui.
After glancing at it for a few moments, Cao Rui laughed and said, "General Man is correct. Sun Li has surrounded Wufulu City and is asking for instructions whether to launch an attack."
However, Man Chong did not smile: "The fact that Sun Li is asking to attack the city suggests that they have not yet opened the gates or successfully convinced them to surrender."
"I think we should first move our main forces forward and then consider other options?"
Upon hearing Man Chong's words, Cao Rui also realized something was amiss.
It's not Wufulu City.
Wufulu City is not a large city, and it is isolated to the west of the Liao River and Liaoze. It should not have much defense. With 48,000 troops around me, if I insist on attacking, there is no way it can be stopped.
The real problem is that Wufulu City has not surrendered!
In the afternoon, Cao Rui and the main army finally arrived at the outer walls of Wufulu City. Accompanied by Wen Chong, Sun Li personally reported the military situation to the emperor's tent.
Sun Li had dispatched messengers to shout at the city gates nearly ten times, but the people inside clearly told Sun Li that they would not surrender.
After listening to Sun Li's report, Cao Rui furrowed his brow and looked at Sima Yi: "General Sima, who is the county magistrate of Wufulu County? Is there any record of it in the department of officials?"
Sima Yi, feeling a bit awkward, bowed and replied: "Your Majesty, since the Jian'an years, the court has not sent officials to Liaodong. It has always been the practice for Sun Gong Shi to recommend whom to send, and the court would issue official seals and robes accordingly. However, this is merely a formality. The list of officials recommended by Sun Gong Shi has remained virtually unchanged for nearly ten years."
"This is the first time I've heard of this," said Cao Rui, his expression looking rather stern. He pointed at Man Chong, "Before the sun sets, there is still an hour. No matter how late it gets tonight, I will stay in Wufulu City!"
Man Chong's expression became serious, he nodded and turned to leave, pulling along Wen Chong and Sun Li with him.
Sima Yi, standing to the side, bowed and advised: "The presence of the emperor's troops at Wufulu City and its refusal to surrender is truly despicable."
"I believe Your Majesty should not worry too much."
Cao Rui raised his eyebrows: "What do you mean by that?" (End of this chapter)
