Chapter 17 4. Conquer Wu's new strategy

After the heavy rain in the capital of Luoyang, the air is exceptionally fresh.This summer rain is very precious, and it wipes away the high temperature that has scorched the skin for several days, making people feel refreshed. In the Lingxiao Pavilion of the Imperial Palace, Cao Rui picked up a bundle of bamboo slips on the dragon bed of the imperial throne, with a rare relaxed expression on his face: "Last night, the great general Cao Zhen sent a good news, and his cavalry general Zhang He suddenly besieged the street. Pavilion, defeated the thief general Ma Di, cut Zhuge Liang's throat to enter Yongliang north, and forced Zhuge Liang to retreat back to Hanzhong." At this point, he let out a long breath of relief, "It seems that I On the frontier of the Great Wei, we can finally be quiet for a while!"

On the long seats on both sides of the Lingxiao Pavilion, Cao Xiu, Sima Yi, and Chen Qun sat on the right side, and on the left side sat the new ministers, She Chen Jiao, Mu Jiakui of Yuzhou, Mu Manchong of Yangzhou, Zhongshuling Sun Zi, and Zhongshujian Liu Fang et al.When they heard what Cao Rui said, they all sat down and shouted in unison: "My emperor's power spreads all over the world, and the world is peaceful! Congratulations to my emperor, long live! Long live! Long live!" Cao Rui waited until they had finished shouting, then he waved his sleeves, straightened his chest, and said solemnly: "My dear friends, although the border of the Wei Dynasty is safe, we must not forget the motto of 'Be prepared for danger in times of peace' as the ancients said. Training. Today, I specially summoned Qing and others to come here, just to brainstorm, make decisions, and prepare a set of mature and perfect countermeasures for the great cause of pacifying Wu and conquering Shu. It will never be like before. , West is urgent to save the west', making them very passive and exhausted! Cao Da Sima, Chen Da Sikong, Sima Dadu Dudu, Chen Pushe, Jia Kui Inspector, Man Chong General, Sun Aiqing, Liu Aiqing, please express your opinions and speak freely! All ears must be listened to.”

When Sima Yi heard this, he was secretly amazed: This Cao Rui, who was hiding in the East Palace, did not show his character at all, but now that he has the power in his hands, he jumped up and was ready to show his grand plans!Just based on his behavior of "turning passive into active, and taking precautions before the rain" today, it shows that he can be called a wise king of a generation!Where is it like when the first emperor Cao Pi was alive, he just stared at Soochow Sun Quan for repeated "see-saw" contests? ! But despite his admiration, Sima Yi didn't rush to speak first, but sat there quietly, waiting for the other ministers to speak.Chen Qun, who is also the auxiliary minister, also has the motto of "It is better to be silent than a thousand words". He seems to be contemplative and waits and sees.

Cao Rui glanced at the long seat on the left—Jia Kui couldn't help himself, and said loudly when he came out of the class, "Your Majesty Qi Zuo, how can he see me as a minion? You call 'beat', old minister." Then rushed to the front and fought desperately; you shouted 'Shou', and the old ministers will station in the city and guard carefully! Guaranteed to let the Wu thief return home in defeat!" Hearing his words, Cao Rui couldn't help smiling, and without saying anything, his eyes slowly turned to the long seat on the right. In the past few days, Cao Xiu has seen Sima Yi defeating Meng Da and Cao Zhen forcing Zhuge Liang to retreat. Both of them have made great achievements in battle, but only his side on the eastern front is quiet, and his heart is itching all the time!Seeing Cao Rui looking towards him at this moment, Cao Xiu raised his breath secretly, raised his eyebrows, and wanted to speak—at this moment, Zhongshu ordered Sun Zi to play first: "Qizou Your Majesty, my minister He has worked in Zhongshu Province for a long time. After consulting ancient and modern historical records, he saw that Yuan Shao's rebels attempted to raise troops to the south during the Jian'an period of the previous dynasty to make trouble. Dao. The best policy is to stick to the important and stick to it for a long time. According to the solidity of the mountains and rivers, the Duke of Ming embraced the people of the four states, gathered heroes outside, and cultivated agricultural warfare inside. Disturb Henan, save the right side and hit the left side, and save the left side hit the right side, so that the enemy army will be exhausted and the soldiers will not be able to rest. I will be trapped before I am tired. In less than three years, you can sit down and overcome it! Today Shimiao It is a long-term strategy, but success or failure will be determined at the moment of the first battle. If it is not as good as it is, it will be too late for regret.' I don’t care whether this passage is right or wrong, but it can be used as a reference for our current situation in Great Wei..."

Sima Yi listened silently, his eyes sparkled brightly: this grandson is so smart!To be able to find such examples to subtly confirm his own opinion - what he said about Tian Feng's words "don't matter whether it is right or wrong", but in fact, after the Guandu battle, Emperor Taizu Wu heard what Tian Feng presented to Yuan Shao. When he wrote this remonstrance, he raised his hand and sighed: "Fortunately, the heavens didn't make Yuan Shaona say that, otherwise how could I drive away and take Hebei Ping?" "Reference? How can this passage be used as a reference?" Cao Rui asked.

Sun Zi seemed to be well prepared to come, so he straightened his face and said politely: "From this passage, I have a little inspiration, but please correct me: the good fighters in the past were invincible first, and then they were invincible." To be victorious against the enemy is to be invincible. It is up to oneself to be victorious, but it is up to the enemy to be victorious. Now the Great Wei covers eight-tenths of the world and is in a strong position. Wu and Shu each occupy a corner, and are extremely weak. Therefore, the way to win the Great Wei lies in sticking to the dangerous points and garrisoning them. Master the frontier, wait for work with ease, wait for the opportunity to move, fight if you can fight, and defend if you can't. A few years later, the situation of the Great Wei is as stable as Mount Tai, and the bandits of Wu and Shu are exhausted, so there must be a gap to take advantage of. At that time, the long drive will be invincible, and the great cause can be achieved .”

When Sima Yi heard Sun Zi's words, he nodded secretly: in the past, Zhongshu Province lived in the inner court, and its functions were only to draft imperial edicts and issue documents with seals. Its power is about to rise, and it will fight against power institutions such as Shangshutai and Yushitai in the outer court!Cao Rui is really using Zhongshu Province to check and balance Shangshutai, etc., so as to establish his own authority as the emperor!After thinking about all this clearly, it is even more impossible for Sima Yi to raise objections to Sun Zi's strategy proposal. On the contrary, Cao Xiu was robbed of the conversation by Sun Zi's intrusion in such a way, and in addition to the fact that Sun Zi was gesticulating in front of him, the great Sima, as a fourth-rank bureaucrat, it seemed a bit too ostentatious. Changed his color and said: "Sun Jun's plan is too passive and not aggressive! As you said, how long will my Great Wei delay the great cause of conquering Wu and destroying Shu? You sit in Zhongshu Province and only know how to shake With a shake of the pen and a word of mouth, how did you experience the hardships of the soldiers in front of you who took arrows and stones and fought bloody battles? We can't wait to wipe out the Wu and Shu bandits as soon as possible, so that everyone can return like Sun Jun. The hometown of Central Plains enjoys a happy life!"

When Sun Zi heard this, his face turned red and he secretly gritted his teeth.This Cao Xiu is clearly picking on his words deliberately!Doesn't Sun Mou want to take down the two captives of Wu and Shu as soon as possible?But do the current realities allow it?Because of this, Sun Mou proposed such a strategy of "waiting for work with ease, waiting for opportunities, and seeking victory in stability"!But why did you jump up and spit such angry remarks at Sun Mou inexplicably?Isn't this intentionally insulting people? Sima Yi saw that the atmosphere between the two sides had become tense, so he had a haha, came out and said, "Sun Jun's words are the perfect strategy of 'seeking progress while maintaining stability'. In the eyes of the veteran, it cannot be ignored. We are in the same temple, and both Serve the country wholeheartedly! A little flaw, why bother? By the way, Cao Da Sima, you have lived in Dongjiang for a long time, and you must have some experience in conquering Wu——Yi is here to listen!"

Seeing that Sima Yi came out first to smooth things over, Chen Qun, Chen Jiao and others also joined in the persuasion.Man Chong laughed beside him, and said: "Cao Da Sima's determination and confidence in the two captives of Wu and Shu to 'destroy this imperial food' is very great--Man also admires him very much! Man also believes that Cao Da Sima is There must be someone with a high opinion..." Cao Xiu ignored their words, but stabbed Sima Yi's face deeply, and said in a cold tone: "According to Xiu's experience, the key to defeating the enemy lies in making changes in the face of the situation and acting randomly. Can it be presupposed? But, Commander Sima, you have always been wiser than others, and you must be the one who truly 'owns your own wisdom'! Hugh, please teach me!"

According to common sense, under Cao Xiu's soft but hard stab, other ministers, such as Dong Zhao, Chen Qun and other "old tricks" might have avoided it, so as not to confront him head-on.However, Sima Yi seemed to have a very thick skin. Regardless of Cao Xiu's two cold and sharp eyes that were about to shoot him straight through, he still calmly said: "This... Thanks to the humility of the Great Sima, the old minister is really a little If you have a stupid view, please correct me, Your Majesty and all the gentlemen." When Cao Rui heard this, his spirits jumped up: "What is Sima Aiqing's strategy to defeat the enemy, tell me quickly!"

"Your Majesty Qi Zuo, according to the old minister's humble opinion, if you must attack the Wu and Shu captives now, you must take the Wu captive as the first. However, Wu captive relies on the advantage of the boat master, and it is very difficult to jump across the river. But soldiers There is a saying in the tactic, "Anyone who attacks the enemy must first strangle his throat and smash his heart, and then everything will be accomplished." Xiakou in Jingzhou, Dongguan in Xuzhou, and Wancheng in Yangzhou are all the throats for Wu Lu to transport troops in and out. ;Wuchang outside Sanjiang Estuary, and Chaisang by the Poyang Lake are both the heart and lungs of Wu. If our Great Wei first marched straight to Dongguan and Wancheng with the army on foot, and attracted Sun Quan to come from the east of Wuchang to help, and then use water The division's powerful brigade followed the Han River to Xiakou, took advantage of its emptiness and attacked it, and quickly crossed the river and swept Wuchang, it can be said that the "magic soldiers descended from the sky", and it must be broken!" As soon as he said this, the audience shook!Sima Yi's strategy of "soldiers descended from heaven, attacking east and west, and advancing both land and water" is quite different from the previous strategy against Wu, showing three new bright spots: First, Wei and Wu have fought for more than 20 years, and the state of Wei The main attack direction is Huainan in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which has little effect; however, Sima Yi suggested that the main attack direction should be changed to Xiakou in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.The second is that in the past Wei Guo used the method of overwhelming troops to attack Wu, and used tens of thousands of troops to storm Huainan, but the method of "attacking the east and attacking the west, using both the virtual and the real" as Sima Yi said has not been used before, which can be called "a new method of offensive warfare." .The third is that in the past, the main attacking arm of Wei State has always been the army, but Sima Yi used the technique of the army's feigned attack and the navy's actual attack, which can be called "a new offensive arm"!These three new highlights make Sima Yi's strategic strategy for conquering Wu even more brilliant and eye-catching!Rao Cao Xiu had a big prejudice against him, so he had nothing to say after hearing this plan.However, although he had nothing to say on the surface, he was still a little unhappy in his heart: How long has Sima Yi been in charge of the military?But more than a year of work!Why does it seem irrefutable to put on the air of a seasoned veteran?Your strategy for conquest of Wu is clearly a hint to the imperial court that the hope of pacifying Wu and destroying the bandits should be pinned on the Hannan area where you are in charge of the army, not the Huainan wing where I, Cao Xiu, have been in charge for many years!In your words, where do you put me, Cao Xiu, the general who conquered the East?Is it possible that in your heart you still want to "pick up" the two important positions of the Governor of Zhennan and the General of Zhengdong? ! He was thinking about it here and there, but Cao Rui secretly admired Sima Yi's plan after hearing Sima Yi's plan!He looked at Sima Yi from a distance, and saw that he sat still like a clock, talked about the world like a river, and showed a solemn, majestic and grand demeanor when he raised his hands and raised his feet, which was really heartbreaking. Endless!He thought of his father, Emperor Cao Pi, who had become relaxed and undisciplined because of his habit of admiring Xiaoyi, and he couldn't help sighing deeply in his heart: the speech and behavior of Governor Sima It's really just the appearance of the pillars of my great Wei who support the sky and the earth! At this point, Cao Rui showed his face and said: "Sima Aiqing's words are extremely brilliant-but I don't know if you have any other words to fill in the gaps?" Hearing Cao Rui's words, Cao Xiu opened his mouth slightly.In fact, before he went to Beijing to face the saint this time, he received a top-secret surrender letter from Zhou Fang, the prefect of Poyang, Wu State.In that letter, Zhou Fang claimed that he had worked so hard for Sun Quan in the past two or three months to put an end to the rebellion of Peng Qi, the chief surname in the county, who gathered a crowd to start an army. He berated him in public!Under this insult, Zhou Fang believed that Sun Quan's judgment was unfair, that rewards and punishments were unclear, and that he was unwise, so he cut off his oath in a fit of indignation, intending to raise the county to vote for Cao Xiu.Cao Xiu asked people to investigate secretly, and found that what Zhou Fang said was true, but it was difficult to determine the authenticity of his motives, so he did not bring it to the public to discuss it with the officials.But he also vaguely felt that if Zhou Fang's request for surrender was revealed in public at this moment, it should be a wonderful supplement to Sima Yi's strategy of "soldiers descended from heaven, east and west attack, and land and water advance side by side"!However, he changed his mind again: Sima Yi is now clearing Jingchu and destroying Mengda, and just now he wants to get involved in Huainan military affairs, it is really menacing!His popularity almost surpassed Cao Zhen and himself!If I give him "the icing on the cake" at this time, isn't it just a cocoon?It's better to keep Zhou Fang's request for surrender in his arms first, maybe he will be of great use after he settles down!So, he closed his mouth tightly and didn't say anything more. Cao Rui saw that all the ministers in the pavilion had no objection, so he said solemnly: "Since you and others have no objection, then I hereby issue an edict——Sima Aiqing and Cao Da Sima are the ministers in charge of this plan, Yangzhou Mu Manchong, Mu Jiakui of Yuzhou, Mu Peiqian of Jingzhou, etc. are all his deputy. Qing and others will join forces in Xuchang to accompany the capital, and after making preparations, they will choose a day to implement this plan, and strive to complete their achievements in the great cause of defeating Wu in one battle!"