Seeing the mention of the water conditions, Liu Ye on the opposite side interrupted and asked, "Sir Qiang, how are the water conditions in the Yellow River?"
Cao Rui and the other ministers all fixed their gaze on Sima Yi.
"Having already reviewed all the documents from various places, I am well aware of the water conditions. Therefore, I directly addressed Liu Ye and said:"
"The situation of the Yellow River is directly related to the rain in August at various places. Since most of the heavy rains in the southern bank of the Yellow River are concentrated in several prefectures, it has a relatively limited impact on the areas north of the river. The Yellow River has been rising since Luoyang and becomes relatively calm only after passing Dongzhou. The Yi River and Luo River to the south of Luoyang have already overflowed, and other rivers such as Kwei, Ying, and Zhuo in Henan Province have been even more severe."
Liu Xie asked, "What about Jingzhou?"
"I haven't finished yet, Ziyang, don't be in a hurry." Sima Yi showed a hint of helplessness on his face, "The counties of Jingzhou are located to the west of Yingchuan and Younanchuan. Although the rain situation is only a few days later, it is still severe."
"Previously, the table I presented to Your Majesty mentioned that the naval base west of Fucheng was flooded and the naval ships were safe for the time being. Meanwhile, the Han River has overflowed onto both banks, and the latest news indicates that both Xiangyang and Fucheng have experienced an overflow of one foot."
Cao Rui sighed at this moment, "This must be the will of heaven to turn Xiang and Fan into a land of lakes."
Cao Rui had some foreboding about this abnormal climate, but when it actually happened, he felt it to be quite difficult.
The court officials had all started their careers during the Jian'an years, and they all had experiences in Luoyang and the state and prefectures. Therefore, when Cao Rui asked about the specific climate each year, he could piece together a rough overview from the answers provided by them.
The climate change in the past few decades can be summarized as two main characteristics.
The first characteristic is that it is gradually getting colder, and it is getting colder every year.
A typical example is when Emperor Cao Pi, the predecessor of Cao Rui, led a large fleet in his six year reign to invade Wu via Yangzhou and Guangling. When the fleet sailed southwards through Guangling, the waterway froze over, preventing the fleet from entering the Yangtze River.
To know this, Guangling is located between the Huai River and the Yangtze River. From the perspective of the entire national map, it is already in a distinct southern region. A place where later generations did not have heating, yet the waterway froze over.
The severity of the cold weather can be seen from this. Although the various tribes of the Xianbei and Wuhan people in the north are not as numerous as before, their prosperity is related to the cold climate of winter.
The second feature is the abnormal weather.
There is more frequent heavy rain, and droughts have also increased. The year 24 of the Jian'an era, the year 4 of the Huangchu reign... It's impossible to list them all.
Cao Rui understood in his heart that this might be some abnormal climate phenomena during a stage that is later called the "little ice age".
If the current situation was still the Han Dynasty, one or two of the three top ministers would be dismissed after each disaster. Fortunately, the state of Wei had just established ten years, and those in the court all supported Wei. No one said anything about 'the Emperor's misdeeds' or 'Divine and Human Correspondence'. The only thing is that the people were a bit more hardworking.
Sima Yi said, "Although the water situations in the three regions of the Sikuo, Yuzhou, and Jingzhou are all urgent, Jingzhou is after all a front-line region against Wu. I have ordered Minister of Works Fu Gongti to go directly to Fancheng to take full charge of the water situation in Xiang and Fan."
"For the two regions of Si and Yu, I have also dispatched a waters minister to Xuchang to assist the governorship of Yu Prefecture Huang Gongheng in disaster relief and channel management."
Cao Rui nodded, "The minister of affairs has done a good job. Just the physical condition of Fu Xian, can he still withstand it at his age?"
Sima Yi replied in a serious tone, "Fu Gongti is a minister of the country, serving as the Minister of Works and Mathematics. At this time, how can he be concerned about his own life? Please allow me to speak candidly, if Fu Gongti were to meet with any accident or misfortune, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, I would personally ask the throne to grant him a posthumous title."
"Too much," said Cao Rui, waving his hand. "Fu Xian is a good person, a capable minister."
"Minister of Affairs, I'm in a hurry to return to the capital this time. There are also factors of concern that Wu might take advantage of the situation and attack us, coupled with the news that I received on the road that Wen Pinyao is seriously ill." What do you think, Minister?"
Sima Yi said, "General Wen Zhongye is a national heavyweight. He has been in Jiangxia for more than ten years and has deep roots in both respect and fear. The court should dispatch a heavyweight general to guard Jiangxia, otherwise it will not be able to pacify the masses."
"It should indeed send a heavyweight general, but I am at a loss for who to appoint." Cao Rui scanned the hall of ministers and asked, "Your Excellencies, is there anyone you recommend?"
At present, the court's heavyweight generals are mostly stationed in the Huainan and Guanzi directions.
The best generals are all in Guanxi, such as General Cao Zhen stationed in Chenping, General Zhang Hua stationed in Wudu prefecture, General Lu Shun stationed in Dazhong, and General Guo Huai stationed in Hanzhong.
The generals of the central army are all unsuitable for posting as frontier commanders, or one might say, none of them can be moved.
Qian Zhao is a bit old, and Nuan Que Jian is too young. The intelligence and strategy of Wen Qin and Cheng Xi are lacking. They can be very useful in battle under the command of Cao Rui, but as independent commanders, it remains to be seen. The only one with some talent, Wang Ling, is also a target for Cao Rui's training. He does not want to release him.
And the generals of Huainan, in Cao Rui's subconscious, are more suitable for the local conditions. Chen Qun is a coordinator of overall command, while Jia Qi is a general who specializes in Wuan City and Wukan. Cao Tai, Zhang Hu, Yue Zhi and others are all fighters with some experience.
Sorting it all out, General Zhu Gai, who is stationed in Yu Province as the Right General, might be a suitable choice. However, Yu Province is a strategically important position that spans from east to west, and Cao Rui is not willing to move him.
While Sima Yi was silent in thought, Liu Ye had already asked, "Your Majesty, I think there may be one person who can do it."
"Who?" Cao Rui looked at Liu Ye.
"Zang Bao, the Commander of the Golden Lance." Liu Xie said. "In recent years, Zang Bao has been enjoying a leisurely retirement in Luoyang. Among the senior officers in the court, only Zang Bao has nothing to worry about. Moreover, Zang Bao has more experience than other generals in facing Wu."
Cao Rui was a bit speechless, "Liu Jing, Zang Bao is already in his seventies, how can he still lead troops?"
Liu Ye shook his head, looking somewhat reluctant: "Please allow me to think it over again, Your Majesty."
Cao Rui then turned to the rest of the assembly: "Any of you have someone to recommend?"
As soon as the words were spoken, the assembly remained silent.
After a while, the Zhongshu Xu Shu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, if there is no other suitable candidate, I am willing to go to Jiangxia for the time being to ease your worries!"
With Xu Shu's words, the rest of the assembly all turned their attention to him.
Cao Rui touched his chin thoughtfully for a moment and said, "Xu Shu going to Jiangxia is not a problem. But Xu Shu, I have one question."
Xu Shu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please ask."
Cao Rui said, "As early as the Jian'an era, Wen Pin served as a subordinate of Liu Biao and guarded Jiangxia. Emperor Wu did not move Wen Pin because of the principle of using people for their specific talents. For decades, the court has kept Wen Pin in Jiangxia. How do you plan to deploy this person's troops and commanders, Xu Shu?"
Xu Shu didn't hesitate at all and directly answered, "Your Majesty, the reason the country chose Wen Pin was due to political considerations. If Your Majesty's servant were to arrive in Jiangxia and Wen Pin were still there, of course, he should be the main figure."
"If Wen Pin is not there, I believe we should first issue an imperial decree to bestow the title on Wen Pin's son and lead his old troops. First, we should calm his mind, and then I will enlighten him about the consequences of good and evil so that he can be temporarily stable. Once the flood situation subsides and the borders are peaceful, we can take our time to settle matters."
Cao Rui nodded: "Wen Pin has been in Jiangxia for many years. To put it fundamentally, he's almost become someone who follows orders without caring for declarations. Your plan, Xu Shu, to proceed slowly and carefully is the right approach, to think things through long-term."
"Are there any other suggestions from the other ministers?"
A fleeting thought crossed Sima Yi's mind to recommend WU ZHOU, the Minister of War, but he quickly withdrew the idea. Jingxia bordered Wu's Chang'an, which was not a good place to go. Therefore, he swallowed the words that had almost slipped out and instead bowed and said:
"Minister Xu is well-versed in military affairs and has made many contributions. He is more than capable of guarding Jiangxia for the country. I agree."
Sima Yi had already expressed his stance, and the other ministers also showed their agreement. Ao Qian felt a bit eager to take on the task, but considering that he was not as skilled in military affairs as Xu Shu, he might not be able to control the situation if sent to Jiangxia, and therefore felt some regret.
Cao Rui nodded: "Minister Xu is loyal and concerned for the country, which brings me great comfort."
"Minister Xu Shu!"
Xu Shu understood that the emperor was about to issue an edict, and he stood up in compliance, bowing deeply and saying, "I am here!"
"Xu Shu, I confer upon you the title of Ningyuan General and entrust you with the imperial seal to preside over military affairs in Jiangxia. This is your own initiative, and I also favor you very much. Do not disappoint me!"
Xu Shu replied, "I will certainly make contributions to the country under Your Majesty's trust and favor!"
"Stand up," said Cao Rui, nodding. "Tai Chu, go tell Liu Shushu to draft the edict. Once it's ready, Xu Shu can leave."
Xu Shu stood up, his face solemn: "I follow the imperial edict."
Those who have taken on critical missions in times of danger are most touching.
Cao Rui looked at Xu Shu's face and couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. "Xu Shu, you are a national important official. The reason I made you the Ningyuan General and not a temporary general is so that you can temporarily go to Jiangxia to handle an emergency for me."
"When the situation gradually stabilizes, Xu Shu's prospects are still in the court. Understand?"
Xu Shu bowed and replied, "Your Majesty's decree is sacred, and I feel it deeply in my heart. The little rascals of Wu country, if they dare to attack, I will definitely defeat them for Your Majesty!" (The chapter ends)
