Cao Cao said, "Liaodong District has 18 counties, and Wuoliusi is the westernmost county and the closest to Liaoxi District."
"Unless Gongsun Yuan is foolish or stupid, he would surely arrange enough trustworthy people to defend Wuolusi City, even loyalists who would die for him."
Cao Rui coldly laughed and asked, "Are you suggesting that Wuolusi City will not surrender and it is reasonable, and you do not need to worry too much, Your Majesty?"
Sima Yi bowed and said nothing more.
Cao Rui said, "It's just a small city, and it's the first battle of the great Wei's campaign against Liaodong. Even if it's a night battle, we must capture it; otherwise, my heart will not be at ease!"
"Let the Marquis sit here with me, and I will wait for news from Man Chong!"
Currently it was the fourth year of Taizong, and the Emperor had led two campaigns personally, his reputation high in the army. The night battle would be no problem. Sima Yi knew that he could not persuade him, so he calmed down and sat in silence with the Emperor, eyes closed to cultivate spirit.
The two sat quietly on the mats, eyes closed, saying nothing. On the surface, they were as still as the deepest of lakes with no ripples, but the waves in their hearts were not known to outsiders.
Only at the stroke of midnight did the voice of Man Chong requesting an audience come from outside.
"Enter," Cao Rui said with a slight opening of his eyes and uttering a single word.
Two fully armored tiger guards opened the tent flap, and Man Chong came in, holding a wooden plate in his hands.
"Your Majesty, this is the head of Zhang Feng, the county magistrate of Wuoliusi County, which was cut off by the soldiers of the great Wei during the assault."
Cao Rui quietly asked, "How many troops are defending the city? Which troops of the great Wei were attacking the city?"
Man Chong took a deep breath, bowed, and said, "The first attack on the city was led by General Tian Yu of the guards protecting the Wufan tribes. The second attack was led by Lieutenant General Xianyu Jing's troops."
"Zhang Hong, an army officer under Xianyu Jing, personally cut off Zhang Feng's head on the city's walls."
Cao Rui coldly said, "Zhang Feng was killed by Zhang Hong? The two names sound the same but have different tones. What a coincidence?"
Man Chong bowed and said, "This may be just a coincidence."
Cao Rui placed his hands on the table and stood up, coldly laughing twice: "Even if it were a coincidence, a small town with only 500 people guarded would still require the combined forces of Tian Yu and Xianyu Jing's troops of 6,000 elite soldiers to capture."
"How many casualties?"
Man Chong awkwardly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the exact number of casualties has not been confirmed yet. Tian Yu's troops are expected to have around two hundred casualties, and Xianyu Jing's troops are expected to have around four hundred."
Cao Rui said, "How this battle is going, General Man knows it well. I don't need to check on you personally."
"Now order the commander of the advance camp to take over the city's defense, and I want to move my camp to stay in the city!"
"Acknowledged!" Man Chong immediately took the order and retreated.
"……"
On the second morning, Cao Rui had not yet risen in the county offices of Wuolusi City when Man Chong had already gathered a group of generals with more than 2000 stones in rank to the central camp outside the city, and no Xiongnu generals were among them.
The tent was crowded with figures, with nearly thirty people crammed inside.
The commander of the Left Wing of the Yunlin Army, Wen Chincheng, was accompanied by four generals under his command, and only two generals remained in the five-rank camp: Changshui and Shuangping. Additionally, there were two generals in charge of 2000 armor-clad cavalry under the Central Guard led by Huang Fan. Altogether, there were eight generals in this location within the central camp.
The four thousand heavy cavalry under Zhongjiongjun Guanhoujian, responsible for the emperor's protection, were not summoned by Man Chong to this location.
There were 6,000 foot soldiers from the outer army, led by General Tian Yu, who guarded the Wufan tribes, and Lieutenant General Xianyu Jing. Additionally, there were 14,000 soldiers from the Hebei provinces and commanderies, with seven military commissioners in charge of the troops also present.
The remaining people were all various types of assistants and secretaries.
Military affairs throughout the empire were led by the Zhonghuiyuan, and Man Chong, as a former general and western cabinet minister, was in a role similar to that of Cao Xu during the Conquering Wu campaign and Cao Zhen during the Campaign to Defeat Shu, responsible for coordinating military affairs.
Naturally, he had the power to gather and discuss military matters. Man Chong stood with his hands behind his back on the stage, looking down at the crowd with a scornful expression as he said, "Yesterday, when the great army arrived at Wuolusi, we captured the city that day itself, and Your Majesty also stayed in the city."
"General Tian and General Xianyu, you two have accomplished great things!"
At this moment, Man Chong had no intention of praising anyone. His face, with its chin and two cheeks covered in facial hair, was pulled downwards. Anyone who wasn't blind could sense the sarcasm in Man Chong's tone.
Yesterday, the emperor had a heated exchange with Man Chong, so today, Man Chong naturally wouldn't show any favor to the subordinates.
General Tian and General Xianyu knew that the damage during the night attack on the city was very significant. Facing their fellow generals' gaze, they had to bow and apologize rather embarrassedly, acknowledging their mistakes.
Man Chong snorted lightly, "General Tian has been fighting against the Xianbei in Bening for so long that he can't even attack a city now?"
"Have you forgotten how to use the tactics of 'sound the east while striking the west' or 'attack swiftly and withdraw slowly'? Where did you learn this method of attacking all sides at once, like throwing beans? From Ke Bìnéng?"
General Tian knew he was in the wrong and had to bow low and apologize.
Although General Tian was an old general and the emperor needed to give him some face, Man Chong did not care about that. The emperor used him to manage the generals, not to sing their praises or act as a goody-goody, but to wield the whip and discipline them.
General Tian has deep seniority, but Man Chong has deeper credentials and is even more infamous in the great Wei!
After General Tian pleaded guilty, Man Chong shifted his gaze to General Xianyu, saying, "General Tian's military tactics are excellent. You, General Xianyu, are not to be underestimated either!"
"A city with only 500 people defending it, would you not have been unable to capture it as well if it weren't for your general's lucky hit that cut off the guard commander?"
"Tell us, and tell all the colleagues here as well. General Tian has already attacked once, and yet you, the one who benefited from it, still lost 400 people? Where did you learn your military tactics? Did they come from your father or did you inherit them?"
Presently, General Xianyu, who is 45 years old, is the eldest son of General Xianyu Fu, the former Guohuo General.
Being publicly criticized by Man Chong was naturally embarrassing, and hearing Man Chong mention his late father added a hint of anger. General Xianyu wanted to use the difficulties of the night battle to excuse himself, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he roughly guessed that Man Chong was trying to assert his authority over him, so he restrained himself and bowed respectfully to begin apologizing.
Seeing that General Xianyu's attitude was respectful, Man Chong did not exacerbate the situation or punish him, but publicly scolded him:
"The emperor treats you like his closest confidants and staunch supporters. He even specifically granted you double the fief as a reward for your loyalty at Jiaoshi. Such a benevolent and righteous sovereign, I, Man Chong, cherish in my heart, but I wonder what you all are thinking in your hearts."
Man Chong, with a stern face, shouted at the crowd: "Titles of generals, marquis, rewards—where has the emperor ever been lacking in any of these for you?"
This is Man Chong, the Western Cabinet Minister and a notorious figure who is feared by everyone. No one here dares to provoke his bad mood.
As Man Chong spoke, he even began to clench his waist and point at the names one by one:
"Wen Qin, Commander of the Left Yunlin Army. What a grand title for a Yunlin Commander! It sounds more formidable than my own title of former general. I wonder how your battles are going."
Wen Qin had long been residing in Luoyang, and he had already endured Man Chong's reprimands more than once. At this moment, he dared not argue back: "As an officer of the great Wei, I will definitely serve to the death and repay the benevolence of our king."
"Ridiculous!" Man Chong's eyes widened, giving everyone in the hall a scare. "Does the emperor and your high position mean that you are only there to die for him? Isn't it time you think about how to fight? What's wrong with just wanting to die for him? How much money is your head worth?"
Wen Qin nodded submissively, lowering his head and bowing.
After reprimanding Wen Qin, the next to be addressed were Changshui and Shuangping, as well as Zhonghou. Some were scolded a few words, while others received some sarcastic comments. None were left unscathed.
General Tian and General Xianyu were scolded again.
When it was time for the seven military commissioners who led the troops of the commanderies, Man Chong suddenly softened his tone in an unusual manner: "Although you are all du fu (commanders), I've reviewed your records from your time at the central army, and you're just some minor officials like generals or assistants."
"Campaigning and battle are not difficult tasks, but they cannot be taken lightly by you. Be more observant, listen more, and learn more. If you encounter difficulties, report them to the superior officers."
"Do you understand?"
Commanders Zhao Hong and the other seven all responded in unison. (Chapter ends)
