The emperor asked, and Mara Yi hastily replied, bowing:
"My elder brother has been absent from the world for a long time, and I am not good at speaking about this matter. Now, fortunate to receive Your Majesty's edict, and with Your Majesty's benevolence, being granted the title of Marquis within the Pass, I can also console my brother's soul in the heavens."
Marquises Zhuō and Wang also prostrated themselves in gratitude: "Servants are greatly grateful for Your Majesty's divine grace!"
"Excellent," Cao Rui nodded slightly and looked up at Liu Jing: "In Henan, Liu is doing very well. Last autumn, the Imperial Examination Department reported to me."
"Retire."
"In compliance, Your Servants bid farewell," Liu Jing seemed not to have expected anything. After performing the courtesy bow, he and the two young Marquises Zhuō and Wang left.
After Liu Jing's departure, Cao Rui yawned as if he was tired: "The emperor is weary. You may also retire. The next morning, proceed to Luoyang. Rest early."
"In compliance." The officials in the tent successively left.
Wan Qiujian naturally went to supervise the guard, and Mara Yi also stopped Liu Ye: "Zi Yang, I don't know how the banquet with Mount Yang will be tonight?"
Liu Ye felt that this scene was somehow familiar. After thinking of the imperial order to keep silent, he chuckled bitterly: "Your Majesty's words with the former Han emperor are beyond my ability to express, please, Marquis, forgive me."
"It's no problem, it's no problem," Mara Yi smiled: "We will be returning to Luoyang tomorrow. Many affairs in the capital have been left unattended for a long time. Whether it's big or small matters, I will have to take care of them. Please take care of the matters in the General Office."
There's no need for you to say this.
Liu Ye muttered to himself and still maintained a polite smile on his face: "Thank you, Marquis, for the reminder. I take my leave!"
"Very well."
After the two parted ways, Mara Yi slowly approached his own tent. As soon as his right hand touched the tent door, he seemed to have thought of something instantly. It was like a shock and suddenly, sweat burst out on his forehead.
With his right hand on the tent door, Mara Yi's chest heaved several times, and after a long period of calming himself, he quickly stepped inside.
When the emperor had just sent Liu Jing away, he had said, "I heard about Liu Jing's political achievements from the Department of Civil Service last autumn."
The Minister of Civil Service is Yang Ji, the emperor's most trusted advisor. And it is well known in the Department of Civil Service that Wen County magistrate Wang Xiang was transferred to Longle County, the westernmost end of Changcheng Prefecture, to serve as a magistrate. When Wang Xiang came to his home, he once asked Wang Xiang to speak highly of Liu Jing in the Department of Civil Service.
Since it's not the time for evaluating officials' performance in autumn across all regions, and Yang Ji would not randomly bring up a governor to the emperor, it must be Wang Xiang!
I had previously used Wang Xiang's affair to test the current situation, and the emperor must have understood it. However, instead of pointing it out, the emperor has kept everything as usual since last autumn, and my duties have not changed at all.
What is the matter that the emperor does not know? What is the emperor thinking?
Compared to the casual words the emperor spoke about Liu Jing, renaming Marquis Zhuō and changing Marquis Wang's father are not even considered major events.
It is not uncommon for the emperor to interfere in the domestic matters of officials. In the early years of Huang Chu, when Xiahou Shang favored his concubine and neglected his legitimate wife, the late Emperor Cao Pi personally ordered the execution of the concubine.
Compared to the late emperor, the emperor has simply changed a name. Commemorating virtue and bestowing the title of Marquis within the Pass, that is the greatest consolation for Marquis Lang.
The heart was pounding in his chest. Outside the corrupt Lu city, a place under the Han Emperor Liu Xie's domain, Marquis Yi Ma even experienced his first ever sleepless night in life.
...
September 10th, Jingzhou, 60 li southeast of Xiangyang City on the Han River.
Having traveled on boats for several days in a row, the ships rocking with waves night and day, even the normally pampered Crown Prince Sun Deng of Wu could not endure it; he hardly slept at all during the first half of the night.
On the first day, Crown Prince Sun Deng only spent half a day in Sun Quan's warship before going to Quan Cong's ship with Zhuge Ke and others. Just as Sun Deng was about to return to Sun Quan's warship in the evening, he was ordered by Sun Quan to stay with Quan Cong's fleet and even assigned a ram ship by the latter.
If the warship is spacious and stable, suitable for command and troop transportation, then the ram ship is a specialized combat vessel. It has a narrow and elongated hull and is the fastest among all types of naval warships.
As the speed increases, the stability decreases significantly.
Past the third watch, Sun Deng fell into a daze and finally went to sleep. He felt that he hadn't slept long when he was abruptly awakened by the shouting outside, which sounded like a mountain roar.
At this moment, Zhuge Ke also started knocking on the cabin door loudly: "Crown Prince! Crown Prince! We've won ahead!"
Hearing this, Sun Deng sat up, took off his shoes and opened the cabin door, indicating to Zhuge Ke to enter: "Have we won ahead? How did we win?"
Zhuge Ke smiled and squeezed his way in, sat on the couch by himself and, with a sense of wonder, said: "General Yang Wei led 200 warships to unite for the advance, sneaking near Xiangyang before dawn. The Weibo fleet was docked without any defense, so our Wu water army easily won the battle!"
The so-called General Yang Wei refers to Sun Han and Sun Jiming, members of the royal family of Wu.
Sun Deng's eyes brightened: "General Yang Wei truly achieves his goal! How many were captured? How many ships were captured? Who were the specific commanders?"
Zhuge Ke touched the sparse beard on his chin: "The General Yang Wei led the vanguard with Assistant General Zhang Liang. After his victory, he sent a messenger downstream to report the military situation."
"Among the armies of the Great Wu, General Yang Wei's twenty-thousand-man contingent is at the forefront. Second in rank is the General of Southern pacification. This victory news, Your Highness knew even before His Majesty."
Sun Deng nodded: "This is indeed something to be pleased about. My father has entrusted me with a ram ship and sent me to lead the attack, which seems to indicate that he wants me to achieve merit."
Zhuge Ke nodded: "This kind of march is indeed a good opportunity for the prince to accumulate merit. The counties near Xiangyang have not yet dried up after the flood, becoming muddy swamps. Presumably, this is due to the flood, and along the way, we did not encounter any Weibo naval forces. The nearby Heduo and Yicheng counties were easily surrounded and attacked by our troops on the bank of the Han River. This advancement is indeed smooth and enjoyable."
"Xiangyang City is just around the corner. I suppose the Great Wu can finally occupy the south side of the Han River this time."
Sun Deng walked to the deck, gazing at the water splashes and the river surface outside. He straightened his waist belt, puffed out his chest slightly, as if he had acquired a bit more presence.
Sun Deng was full of confidence and spirit, but General Sun Han, the Marshal of Glory at the front line, was angry to the point of near-disorder.
"How could such a large naval camp, which only destroyed and captured one hundred ships, most of which are small boats and civilian vessels?" Sun Han stood on the deck of the warship, with the Yellow Mud Cove on the north bank of the Han River and Bancheng on the west side nearby. This is the largest Weibo naval camp near Xiangyang.
"Is this how a report of victory is made?" Sun Han frowned at the assistant general Zhang Liang beside him: "The messenger flowing down the river to spread the news. If the rest of the troops don't know, they might think that General Yang Wei has wiped out all of Weibo's naval forces!"
Zhang Liang knew that his general was in a bad mood and said cautiously beside him, "General, wasn't it you who granted your assistant the right to report the victory yesterday?"
"Never mind." Sun Han sighed: "At least we won a battle. Although it was a small victory, it can boost our morale. However, your troops should not stop; continue to lead your ships upstream along the Han River to pursue our enemies."
"The Weibo navy in Jingzhou, how could it only have a hundred ships? Search meticulously! From Xiangyang all the way upstream to Yin County, I won't believe we can't find them!"
"Yes, your command." Zhang Liang bowed: "Understood. My troops will move upstream immediately."
...
In the city of Xiangyang, less than twenty li from the Yellow Mud Camp, Zhao Yan, the Minister of Light and Supervisor of Military Affairs in Jingzhou, was standing on the city wall, leisurely gazing at the incoming Wu navy ships on the Han River to the north.
"As we had predicted, the Han River separates the north and south. The priority for the Wu army is to attack our Weibo naval dockyard."
General Niujin, standing beside Zhao Yan, respectfully said: "With your wise strategy, the movements of the Wu army have indeed fallen within our grasp."
"Now there are ten thousand soldiers in the city, five thousand in Fan City across the river, and another ten thousand in Xinye under the court's command. Sun Quan excels in naval operations but not in land battles. With this strong city, he should be unable to do anything."
Niujin was originally a general under Cao Ren. During the Battle of Red Cliffs, Niujin led three hundred men to challenge Zhou Yu's three thousand men's vanguard at Jiangling. At that time, Niujin was gradually losing ground, but Cao Ren personally led dozens of horsemen out of the city to fight and save him and others, and even praised him as a "divine being" by Chen Jiao, who was then the chief of staff under Cao Ren.
Twenty years later, the vanguard of Cao Ren's command had grown into a lieutenant general of 2000 taels. Niujin could also be counted as one of Zhao Yan's top generals under his command.
(Chapter ends)
