Farmer of Shu Han

In May of the eighth year of Jianxing, the Empress Dowager Bian of Cao Wei died, and she was posthumously named Empress Wuxuan Bian.

The coffin stopped in the hall, Cao Rui wept, and all the ministers and officials accompanied him, all dressed in white single clothes, without a white headband.

Cao Rui was overwhelmed with grief and was unable to deal with political affairs for ten consecutive days. His close ministers persuaded Cao Rui to put the world first.

Only then did Cao Rui reluctantly put away his grief and went to court again.

Empress Wu Xuan gave birth to Cao Pi, Emperor Wen, Cao Zhang, King Renchengwei, Cao Zhi, King Dong'a, and Cao Xiong, King Xiaohuai.

His anger does not change, his joy does not lose his integrity, his nature is frugal, he is not gorgeous, he has no embroidered pearls and jade, and his utensils are all black lacquer.

Not only won the respect of Cao Cao, Emperor Wu, but also set an example, creating a simple and frugal style in Cao Wei's harem, and often restrained the trend of foreign relatives, with motherly virtues, respected by all officials.

Now that he died, Wei Guo cried bitterly.

From July to July, Gaoling (Cao Cao's tomb) was opened to enshrine the road, and he was buried with Emperor Wu.

Luoyang City is completely white.

When the eyes of the world were all on Empress Dowager Bian's funeral, in the East Hall of Tai Chi Hall, Cao Rui, who was supposed to be buried in person, attended Bai Su and sat on the throne.

Sitting next to him were important ministers of Cao Wei and close ministers of the emperor, such as Sikong Chen Qun, Taiwei Huaxin, Zhongshuling Sun Zi, Zhongshuling Liu Fang, Shizhong Liu Ye, Zhonglingjun Yang Ji and so on.

What was placed on Cao Rui's desk was a memorial sent by Cao Zhen, who was guarding the pass.

It mentions:

Taking advantage of Wei's unpreparedness, the Shu people attacked Longyou, cut off Liangzhou, and peeped into Guanzhong.

Now it is heard that the people of Shu have invaded Liangzhou, and Liangzhou is in dire straits.

If there is a loss in Liangzhou, the Shu people can invade Guanzhong with all their strength, and if Guanzhong is disturbed, the Central Plains will be uneasy.

Why don't we take advantage of the fact that Liangzhou's people are still facing Wei, send troops from Guanzhong, or attack Shu from the inclined road, or go west to Longyou and return to Liangzhou.

The minister has been planning for a long time, the officers and men in Guanzhong are united, and all the generals advance in parallel, and they can be defeated.

Cao Rui asked someone to copy several copies of this memorial, handed it to the people below to read, and asked: "You guys think that the general's law is okay?"

After reading Cao Zhen's memorial, Chen Qun frowned.

Empress Wuxuan is preparing to be buried now, so it's fine if the emperor doesn't follow the etiquette.

After all, the two captives of Shu and Wu were watching from the sidelines, and state affairs came first, which made sense.

It's just that Cao Zhen, as a member of the royal family, actually wanted to encourage the emperor to fight recklessly during the national funeral, which was not the way to be a minister.

More importantly, the emperor not only didn't feel that there was anything wrong, but instead called his own ministers to discuss it, his heart was self-evident.

He turned his head slightly, and he saw many people looking at him with worry.

Chen Qun knew what he meant, and as an auxiliary minister, he naturally wanted to be the first to stand up: "Your Majesty, the matter of conquering Shu is of great importance, so we must not be careless."

"In the past, the emperor Taizu wanted to attack Zhang Lu, so he harvested more beans and wheat in advance to benefit the army. However, before Zhang Lu went down, the food and grass were exhausted. Now Guanzhong is desolate, and there is no way to get food from the ground."

"If grain is transported from the Kanto, the loss will be too great, and the sloping valleys are dangerous, making it difficult to advance and retreat. The Shu people are familiar with the terrain, so they will definitely choose elite soldiers to attack the grain road."

"In this way, the only way to keep more soldiers guarding the key points is to spend more troops, so we must think carefully."

Cao Rui nodded, "What Sikong said is true. But Sikong didn't know something. Over the past two years, he has been transporting grain and grass from the Guandong to Guanzhong without stopping around the clock, which is already enough to supply the Guanzhong army."

"Therefore, the issue of grain and grass is not something to worry about. As for the danger of the inclined valley, it is not a problem. The general also said that from Guanzhong to Hanzhong, the only way is to go to the inclined valley."

"Especially Ziwu Valley, you can go directly from Chang'an to Hanzhong. Even if you can't go to Ziwu Valley, you can go back to the middle road, take Longyou and go to Hanzhong."

Chen Qun was originally good at governing the world, so he was not very familiar with military affairs.

He had only heard of the dangers of the Shu Road, but he had only heard of the name of the Xiegu Ziwu Valley and the like, but had not seen details of it.

Now that Cao Rui said this, although he felt it was wrong, he didn't know where to start.

In addition, the turmoil of the vanity case has just subsided. As the only auxiliary minister in Luoyang, his identity is indeed a little sensitive, so it's hard to say too much.

But with the beginning of Chen Qun, there will naturally be people who follow and advise.

Taiwei Hua Xin also stood up: "Your Majesty is holy, living in a prosperous and prosperous age, I would like to pay attention to governing the way first, and take the conquest as the next thing."

"But if there is no hunger and cold in China, and the people have no desire to leave the superior, then the quarrel between the two thieves can be wiped out quietly."

Cao Rui did not know how many times he heard such big and empty words.

He opened his mouth and said: "Thieves rely on mountains and rivers. When Emperor Wu and Emperor Wen were around, they still couldn't win. How dare I say that they will be destroyed?"

"It's just that the two captives are fierce and stubborn. The generals in the army thought that it would be difficult to defeat themselves if they didn't go in and search for them, so they used troops to spy on their provocations."

"If the time has not come, I also have a lesson from the past. I can learn from King Wu of Zhou to defeat Zhou, join forces and allies and return to the army. Respect and never forget the warning."

When Hua Xin heard that the emperor even moved out King Wu of Zhou, knowing that the emperor was determined, he sighed inwardly.

Seeing that Sikong and the Taiwei couldn't persuade the emperor, one person really couldn't see him, stood up and said loudly:

"Your Majesty, it is absolutely impossible to attack Shu at this time!"

Cao Rui took a closer look, and it turned out to be Yang Ji, the leader of the army.

Although Yang Ji was a close minister of the emperor, he was the most steadfast in his opinion that Shu should not be conquered.

This is not the first time he has opposed Vashu in public.

Cao Rui scolded: "You are only a scholar, how do you know about military affairs?"

Yang Ji thanked him and said: "I came from the end of the Confucian scholars. I have received great favor from Your Majesty. I have selected my ministers to stand above the six armies. I have a small heart and dare not say nothing."

"Lu Xun of the Wu Kingdom was only a scholar, but he was able to defeat Liu Bei in Yiling. How can your Majesty use his scholar's ability to speak of military affairs?"

Cao Rui said angrily, "Can you compare yourself to Lu Xun?"

Yang Ji salutes again:

"You are stupid, dare to ask Your Majesty, the people of Shu and Wu have an open alliance. If the Great Wei conquers Shu, the Wu people will follow. If the matter of the second year of Taihe is restored, the Great Wei will be in danger! Your Majesty must not be careless."

When Cao Rui heard this, his expression became extremely ugly.

The two big defeats in the second year of Taihe were the shame of his life, and now Yang Ji mentioned it in public, and he was very angry.

"In the second year of Taihe, the people of Shu took advantage of our unpreparedness to attack Longyou. The people of Wu were shameless and disregarded their faith and lured them to surrender. Da Sima was deceived."

"Now it is Wei who is taking the initiative to attack the people of Shu, and I have already prepared for it in Soochow, so the people of Wu will never have another chance!"

When Cao Rui thought of his arrangement in Soochow, he felt even more confident.

Regarding the arrangement mentioned by the emperor, Yang Ji naturally understood what it meant.

Because he was the one who personally led Yinfan to see Cao Rui.

Thinking of what His Majesty planned at that time, it was actually prepared for today, Yang Ji understood even more, it turned out that His Majesty had long ago intended to conquer Shu.

The memorial presented by the general was just an excuse for His Majesty.

It's just that Yang Ji wanted to understand it, but he still didn't back down, and still insisted on his own opinion:

"Since Your Majesty thinks that the minister's words are not sincere enough, the former Emperor Liu Ye, who served as a counselor, always said that Shu cannot be conquered, so Your Majesty must listen."

"You're talking nonsense!" Cao Rui said angrily, "The servant told me that Shu can be defeated! Are you trying to deceive the emperor?"

Yang Ji was not afraid, and looked at Cao Rui: "Chen An dares to deceive Your Majesty? Liu Shizhong is also in the palace, why don't you ask one of them."

All eyes were on Liu Ye who was sitting there and had never spoken.

Liu Ye lowered his eyes and sat silently, as if he hadn't heard the argument between Cao Rui and Yang Ji.

Cao Rui was impatient and shouted repeatedly: "Liu Shizhong, I asked you something, why don't you answer it?"

Hearing Cao Rui calling him, Liu Ye hurriedly left his seat, got up and came out, saluted Cao Rui, and then stood in silence.

Everyone thought that he was going to express his opinion, but after waiting for a long time, Liu Ye still stood there without saying a word.

Cao Rui frowned, and was about to urge him again, when he suddenly remembered that since he ascended the throne, Liu Ye seems to have seldom expressed his views in the court.

He was thoughtful, so he stopped the court discussion for the time being.

Then someone left Liu Ye alone.

"Your Majesty used to discuss with me the matter of conquering Shu, but just now in front of the ministers, why didn't you speak up?"

When Cao Rui met Liu Ye alone in private, his face was dissatisfied.

Just now all the ministers were against the attack on Shu, and they thought that Liu Ye would support the attack on Shu on a daily basis, and would try his best to support him, but he didn't expect that he would not say a word.

Unexpectedly, Liu Ye at this time is completely different from the taciturn one in court.

I saw him with a serious face and piercing eyes, looking directly at Cao Rui, and reprimanded him righteously:

"Fighting a country is a big plan. When I hear about the big plan, I am sincere and fearful. First, I am grateful for His Majesty's kindness in my heart, and then I am afraid that I will not be strict with my words."

"I'm even afraid that in my sleep, I will tell the big conspiracy between the minister and your majesty. If this is the case, it will be a crime of leaking secrets."

"The soldiers are deceitful. The army has not yet been dispatched, and they are not tired of keeping secrets. Now that His Majesty is discussing this matter publicly, I am afraid that the enemy country has heard of it."

"Zhuge Liang, you are a great man. When you hear about this, you must know that His Majesty intends to attack Shu. When the people of Shu are ready, I'm afraid that what Your Majesty intends will lead to more twists and turns."

Cao Rui was shocked when he heard these words, and quickly got up to thank him.

Then he asked again: "The important ministers in the court are all opposed to the matter of conquering Shu. Can you teach me?"

Liu Ye received Cao Rui's gift, sat in his seat, and smiled calmly:

"The lords of the court, sit in the temple, how can you know the military affairs on the frontier? When it comes to military affairs, your Majesty will not listen to the generals guarding the frontier, but instead ask the people in the court. How is it different from asking for a fish?"

When Cao Rui heard it, he suddenly came to his senses, like darkness suddenly seeing light, he suddenly realized:

"I was mistaken by the scholars in the imperial court!"

He was even more close and respectful to Liu Ye in his heart.

It's just that he thought about it for a while, and said with some hesitation: "All the important officials in the court are opposed to this matter. If I insist on asking the general to send troops, won't I be called an independent husband?"

Only to hear Liu Ye say again: "Whoever is the master of others should be in charge of the leadership alone, otherwise he will be easily deceived by his ministers."

"And those who are ministers should not monopolize power, otherwise they will easily develop arrogance and deceive the emperor. This monarch and ministers are different."

Cao Rui couldn't help but applaud: "That's a great word!"

"The lord should be the only one in charge, I understand what he means!" Cao Rui sighed and said with deep emotion, "It's just that this minister has exclusive power. Fortunately, I have never seen it before."

Hearing this, Liu Ye had a half-smile on his face, and didn't answer.

When Cao Rui saw Liu Ye's expression, his heart moved, and he asked tentatively, "Could Mr. Cheng have something else to say?"

I could only hear Liu Ye saying slowly: "Your majesty may not have encountered the exclusive power of a courtier. It's just that your majesty is magnanimous and will not pursue it."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

"Your Majesty once heard that your Majesty went to the door of Shangshu and wanted to execute documents, but was stopped by the order of Shangshu, Chen Jiao, and was not allowed to enter, saying that it was the job of the order of Shangshu to execute documents."

"In the end, he was dismissed and threatened to force His Majesty to return to the palace? Isn't this considered exclusive power?"

When Cao Rui heard Liu Ye mentioning this matter, his expression changed, and he said forcefully, "Shang Shuling Chen is right, he is a direct minister..."

When he heard Chen Jiao's words that day, he apologized to Chen Jiao ashamedly, so at this time he naturally wanted to defend what he said earlier.

"In the past, Gao Tingwei (Gao Rou) refused to obey Emperor Wen's edict. Compared with Chen Shangshu's order, is he considered a direct minister? However, His Majesty has repeatedly gone to Tingchongguan to listen to the prison. Has Gao Tingwei ever persuaded His Majesty?"

The so-called Gao Rou's disobedience to Emperor Wen's edict refers to the fact that Cao Pi perverted the law to kill him because of his old grudge against Bao Xun, the prime minister of the imperial censor, because of a small fault.

Unexpectedly, Gao Rou, who was the Tingwei at the time, was determined not to follow, and must be dealt with according to the law.

Cao Pi had to find an excuse to temporarily transfer him away, and then let someone execute the edict.

After killing Bao Xun, Gao Rou was transferred back to Dali Temple.

"Thus, according to Yichen, Gao Tingwei's actions are considered to be in his position, and he is a true direct and loyal minister."

"As for Chen Jiao, it's just an act of inviting fame and exercising power."

Cao Rui was silent when he heard Liu Ye's words.

The two talked for a long time before Cao Rui released Liu Ye from the palace.

Unexpectedly, when Liu Ye was sent out of the palace, he met Yang Ji, the leader of the army.

"Zi Yang, I've been waiting here for a long time!"

It turned out that Yang Ji had been waiting outside the palace.

Yang Ji bowed to Liu Ye, with a look of anxiety on his face, "Your Majesty has long wanted to conquer Shu, and today he is going up, and there is another performance by the great general."

"I saw the expression on His Majesty's face, and I'm afraid I've already agreed with the general's play."

"Zi Yang is deeply respected by His Majesty, and he often tells me that Shu cannot be defeated, but just now in the palace, did he ever persuade His Majesty..."

Before Yang Ji finished speaking, Liu Ye's face changed drastically.

"Hugh, please be careful with your words!"

Yang Ji was reprimanded by Liu Ye, and only then did he react. He looked around, and quickly apologized to Liu Ye: "Zi Yang, I was too impatient, I must have done it on purpose."

Liu Ye let out a long sigh, and said in a low voice, "Xiu and I will go back to the mansion first."

"well!"

Yang Ji responded repeatedly.

The two left in the same carriage.

Back at the mansion, Liu Ye and Yang Ji entered the study room, before Yang Ji could speak, he spoke first:

"Does Xiu know about fishing beforehand?"

Yang Ji didn't understand what he meant.

Liu Ye explained: "When a fisherman catches a big fish, he will follow along. Only after he can control it can he pull the line and catch it. There is nothing wrong with it."

"Ma'am, the prestige of the lord is not comparable to that of a big fish, so if you disregard your appearance and remonstrate directly, it will only backfire."

"In today's court, although Sikong and the Taiwei persuaded him, he did not fight with His Majesty. Only Xiuxian, who repeatedly made remonstrances, made His Majesty displeased for a long time."

"Zicheng is a straight minister, but his plan is not good enough, so he must think carefully."

Hearing Liu Ye's words, Yang Ji remembered that what he said today was indeed a bit extreme, and His Majesty's face was indeed as Zi Yang said, a bit ugly.

My heart was startled, and I quickly thanked him: "It turns out that Zi Yang didn't want to speak in front of everyone, that's why, it's because I didn't think carefully."

Thinking that Liu Ye not only has the talent to serve the world, but even his way of being a courtier is far superior to his own, Yang Ji respected him even more.