Chapter 19 1. Choose to march

These years are really weird, the clouds are disturbing all over the world, and the world is in chaos. Military disasters and man-made disasters have caused the people to live in dire straits. I didn't expect God to join in the fun to add to the chaos.On the seventh day of the first lunar month in the fifth year of Cao Weitaihe, when the spring was cold and cold, a huge comet rose from the eastern night sky, drew a dazzling bright arc, and then slid down in the western sky. Such an obvious "vision from heaven" immediately shocked the ruling and opposition parties of Wei State.The next day, the imperial court recruited fortune tellers from all over the country to go to Beijing to explain the celestial phenomena.Almost all the warlocks gave the same statement: a comet fell from the sky, indicating that this year Wei State will be plagued by swords and soldiers, and a general will die, which is an ominous omen.

Wei Guojun and his ministers couldn't help being dubious about these two "must have" statements made by the warlocks.Today, Wei, Shu, and Wu are fighting for hegemony, fighting every day, and thousands of soldiers die every day. This is a common occurrence, and there is nothing surprising about it.If one day the sorcerers say that from today onwards, a vision will descend from the sky, and the three kingdoms will no longer fight each other, this will be the greatest miracle in the world!It's a pity that such a miracle is still far away, at least in the minds of ordinary people.What really attracted the attention of the monarch and ministers of Wei State was the phrase "the general must be killed".Judging from the sky, it seems that a high-ranking general will die, so who will he be?As a result, all the civil servants in the Wei state couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and all the generals consciously or unconsciously raised their awareness of self-protection, silently hinting to themselves in their hearts: I'm definitely not "that one"!Others will be so unlucky!There are too many generals in the state of Wei, there are hundreds of them!The odds of me being "the one" are the same as the odds of that comet falling from the sky and hitting me on the head!

However, Cao Rui, who is in the highest power center of the Wei State, is paying more attention to this matter than everyone else.According to the latest intelligence he got from the front line, Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of the Shu Kingdom, has been preparing his troops and training his troops since the failure of the last Northern Expedition. He is actively preparing for another attack, and it is very likely that he will launch a war this year.It seems that a great war between Wei and Shu is inevitable.The twenty-six-year-old young emperor was deeply worried and did not want this so-called comet to be fulfilled in reality.Since he ascended the throne five years ago, Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Shu, and Sun Quan, the lord of Wu, have all regarded him as the hero of his life and regarded him as a "little boy who can be bullied". .Fortunately, the few ministers appointed by the first emperor before his death were very effective and helped him tide over difficulties many times.Later, he listened to the suggestions of the ministers and handed over the great cause of Yu Shu to Cao Zhen, the minister of the imperial court and the famous clan general Cao Zhen, and the great cause of defending Wu to Sima Yi, another minister of the minister of Gu Ming, and let them be alone. Stabilized the situation in the middle of the country and fended off the rampant attacks of the Shu bandits and Wu bandits.However, just after a few days of quiet life, I never thought that Zhuge Liang was about to move and plan to attack again. How could Cao Rui not be worried or anxious?And how could the warlocks' prophecies about the comet's ominous appearance not frighten him?

However, God's will always seems to run counter to people's hearts.You don't want something to happen, but this thing will happen when you are caught off guard, and you can't avoid it.In March, when the spring is warm and the flowers are blooming, all civil servants and scholars are looking forward to going out for an outing to enjoy the flowers and the moon in the imperial court. Invade Guanzhong in a big way!And following this half-fulfilled prophecy, the coach of the Guanzhong theater of Wei Guo, the governor of Zhengxi, and the great Sima Caozhen died of a sudden illness.Everyone suddenly realized: it turned out that this general whose life was taken away by the comet was actually Cao Zhen, the Megatron in Western Xinjiang!

From the time of the first emperor to the present, most of the blocking wars launched by Wei State against Shu in the past eight years have been led by Cao Zhen.Cao Zhen has established an outstanding position as stable as Mount Tai in the army of Wei State with his honor of taking care of his life and trusting his ministers and his honor of invincibility in a hundred battles.Now, the general star has fallen, and Wu and Shu have gone to a strong enemy, so they are very happy.Zhuge Liang, who was always well-informed, was overjoyed when he learned of this information on the way to the army. He thought that God would bless the Shu Han, and immediately became more confident.

The enemy is now coming fiercely, who will be the commander-in-chief of Guanzhong to resist the invasion of the Shu invaders has become the most concerned issue for the monarchs and ministers of the Wei Kingdom.Now, there are two sayings circulating in the imperial court: one is to directly promote virtuous talents from the various armies in the original Guanzhong theater to be promoted to marshals;A flickering personnel struggle has already begun around the position of Grand Marshal of Guanzhong, who was vacuumed up by Da Sima Cao.There are at least five to seven powerful people competing for this position. Among them, the hussar general Sima Yi who guards Wancheng and presides over the defense of Wu affairs, and Cao Zhen's chief deputy commander, Zhang He, the chariot general who conquers the west, are the strongest and the most prominent. of two people.Moreover, there are a large number of extremely powerful and prominent recommenders and supporters standing behind them: Zhang Yun was recommended by Cao Zhen and another Gu Ming minister, Sikong Chen Qun before his death, and Sima Yi was also recommended by a high-ranking official. It was jointly recommended by senior ministers such as Taifu Zhongyou, Situ Wanglang, and Yushi doctor Dong Zhao.This made Cao Rui feel difficult to choose for the first time.Theoretically, this position is actually quite suitable for Zhang Yun. He has been assisting Cao Zhen in Guanzhong to deal with the Shu army for many years, and has already accumulated rich experience in fighting the enemy;From the point of view of a capable general, Zhang Xi is a veritable leader among the reserve generals against Shu.

However, the problem lies with Sima Yi.Sima Yi has been telling the court that he has been studying and dealing with the Shu Han bandits for many years. Although he is in Wancheng, he has a close relationship with him and has been paying attention to the movement of the Shu army.He has also always wanted to fight Zhuge Liang, Prime Minister of Shu, who is also known as "Confucian Commander".In addition, Sima Yi himself is also an excellent general: Three years ago, Xincheng prefect Meng Da rebelled and colluded with the Shu army to rebel, and it only took half a month in Sima Yi's hands to wipe out it in one fell swoop.This illustrious military exploit made people convinced of his military skills.But this time, as soon as Sima Yi heard the news that the Shu invaders had invaded and Cao Zhen died of illness, he arranged for the important event of defending Wu and then flew to Beijing to play Cao Rui. Guanzhong led the army to a showdown with Zhuge Liang, and issued a military order "If you don't break the Shu bandits, you will not return them."

In the face of Zhang He and Sima Yi, both outstanding generals, who should be chosen as the commander-in-chief of Guanzhong?This question gave Cao Rui a headache for a long time.In fact, in Cao Rui's mind, Zhang He gave too much and got too little.Those veterans Zhang Liao and Xu Huang who were contemporaries with him have already been enshrined as Liehou and Shiyi Qianhu. Only he is still a chariot general and Guanneihou. mean.However, the reason that affected Zhang He's promotion in his life was not that he did not meet the wise "Bole", but because of his so-called moral "flaws" criticized by the world: The rebel generals who came from the traitor Yuan Shao were taken in during the war.Moreover, one of the key reasons for his betrayal at that time was not that he was forced by Yuan Shao to defect passively, but that he voluntarily abandoned Yuan when he realized that Yuan Shao's defeat had appeared.This is the same as that Xincheng prefect Meng Da, his "betrayal" is an active speculation.This became the "original sin" that restricted Zhang He's career development.In the employment environment dominated by the traditional Confucian concept of "ruling the country by virtue", as long as you have taken the initiative to commit betrayal, you will always be a "rebel" and disloyal all your life, and you can never be completely reassuring. It will never be reused.Obviously, no matter how much meritorious service Zhang He has in the battle against the enemy, he can't change the latent deep prejudice against him, so it is not enough for him to be subordinated to his subordinates because of his ability to win every battle. No wonder.

In fact, in Cao Rui's view, he didn't take it seriously.Everything about a person in the past cannot be used to infer what he is doing today, let alone cover up his achievements today with past prejudices. The practice of "carrying out the boat and seeking the sword" and "finding faults" is not advisable.However, the reality is far from being as clear-cut as the feelings in a certain corner of his heart.Even though Cao Ruigui was the son of heaven, he kept his promises, but he didn't dare to go too far against the opinions of many veteran ministers in the court and go his own way.And he also expected that if he really broke the rules and promoted Zhang He as the coach of Guanzhong, then the spittle and cold faces of the elders and ministers in the court would immediately become an "unbearable burden" in his life.To be an emperor, there are times when you have no choice but to follow the crowd against your will!

In order to temporarily free himself from right and wrong, Cao Rui got up and left the imperial study room, and went into the harem garden to relax alone.The young Emperor Wei put down all his burdens for the time being, strolled among the blooming flowers, sniffing the fragrance mixed with the smell of earth, his spirit seemed to be much refreshed gradually. He raised his head abruptly, and in the distance, a cornice of a majestic palace to the south came into view.His heart was suddenly suffocated, and suddenly it jumped up chug-chug!It's really bad luck, why did I see this Yong'an Palace at a glance?Cao Rui's face darkened.Seeing this, the maids who followed him knew that His Majesty's mood had deteriorated. They were afraid that they would accidentally say or do something wrong and end up in this bad situation. They were walking on eggshells, so they couldn't help but be more careful.

How did they know that although Cao Rui is the emperor who controls the life and death of his subjects, he also has troubles and pains that he can't get around just like ordinary people.Cao Rui's biological mother, Empress Dowager Zhen, was gifted to death when he was seventeen years old because he fell out of favor with the late emperor.And since the death of Empress Dowager Zhen, he has not been loved by the late emperor. He is often left alone in the East Palace to pass the time by burying his head in reading and practicing calligraphy. He has not been officially registered as a prince for four full years.Finally, until the day before the death of the first emperor, he was suddenly told that he had been established as the heir and inherited the great line.The bitterness, tortuousness and ups and downs during this period not only tempered Cao Rui's persevering, deep, rigorous and thoughtful personality, but also made Cao Rui silent and gloomy, thinking more and talking less, so that he seemed to stutter when he spoke. And in the Yong'an Palace that Cao Rui was looking at at the moment, lived the person who single-handedly caused the tragedy between him and his birth mother, Queen Mother Zhen—his stepmother, Queen Mother Guo.Cao Rui once heard those old palace people who were familiar with the past of the Wei Palace talk vaguely that it was precisely because of the concubine Guo Gui, who is now the Empress Dowager Guo, who slandered and framed her, that the Empress Dowager Zhen was given poison and alcohol to commit suicide in a fit of anger by the late emperor. .Although there are a lot of secrets in this matter, and Cao Rui couldn't find out the truth for a while, a "pimple" formed deep in his heart.Therefore, since last summer, he stopped going to Yong'an Palace to greet Queen Mother Guo every day on the grounds of his busy government affairs, and expressed his silent dislike and disgust to Queen Mother Guo with practical actions. He looked at Yong'an Palace from a distance, slowly clenched his fists with his palms in his sleeves, and his eyes shot out fierce gazes like wounded wolves, which made people dare not look at each other.When all the maids saw it, they all knelt down on the ground, not daring to let out more air.After a long, long time, he let out a long breath, and slowly ordered: "Get down! Go and call Sun Zi and Liu Fang to the imperial study, I have something important to discuss!" A palace maid stood up and came go.Cao Rui stood still for a while, then turned around, left the Yong'an Palace behind him, and walked slowly out of the garden. Zhongshu ordered Sun Zi and Zhongshu supervisor Liu Fang to deal with political affairs in the side hall of the palace. When they heard Cao Rui's oral order to summon him, they quickly got up and rushed to the imperial study.The two of them, as officials of the Central Committee of the Inner Court, secretly sent Cao Ruilong a lot of tricks to protect the heir and retain the throne since Cao Ruilong went to the East Palace.In addition, the two of them have participated in the planning and suggestion of a series of military and state affairs since the time of Emperor Taizu Weiwu, the Battle of Chibi, the Battle of Hefei, the Battle of Hanzhong, the Wei Dynasty and the Han Dynasty, and Emperor Wen's Southern Expedition. Already perfect.What is particularly commendable is that, unlike most counselors, they dared to face the monarch regardless of gains and losses, and remonstrated directly. Naturally, they became confidants with outstanding achievements in three dynasties.When Cao Rui ascended the throne five years ago, Sun and Liu had the secret help to stabilize the court and establish authority. Therefore, he also favored them and regarded them as advisers.Usually Cao Rui would first visit all the ministers for military and state affairs, and then bring the relevant suggestions and opinions of civil and military officials back to the palace, and hand them over to Sun and Liu for careful integration and careful analysis, and finally form the "best policy, middle policy" Cao Rui came to make a final decision on the three-level response plan of "first, worst policy".This set of practices has been followed for many years since the time of Emperor Wu of Wei, and Cao Rui is quite satisfied with using it.What he can be proud of is that during the five years since he took the throne, there has not been a single major decision-making error on his hands, which has played an extremely important role in establishing his supreme authority in the minds of his officials. Seeing Sun Zi and Liu Fang coming in, Cao Rui didn't say a word, but just put a large pile of recommendation letters from the ministers on the candidate for the head coach of the Guanzhong theater on the sapphire table in front of him, and all the thoughts in his heart were written on his face superior.Sun Zi and Liu Fang saw him frowning and thinking hard, knowing that the young emperor was anxious about this matter, so they stood aside in awe, waiting for Cao Rui to speak. After a while, Cao Rui raised his face, looked at the two of them with burning eyes, and said slowly: "You two love ministers, who do you think should be appointed as the coach of Guanzhong at present?" Sun Zi and Liu Fang listened, but kept silent, not daring to make mistakes.Although the two of them are close ministers around Cao Rui, it is much more convenient for them to make suggestions and suggestions than others, but it is precisely because they are close ministers of the emperor that they have to be more cautious in their words and deeds, and have very little right and wrong with the court officials. Interject, so as not to arouse Cao Rui's sensitivity and suspicion.Therefore, when Cao Rui asked about the candidate for Guanzhong's coach, the two of them did not dare to respond sloppily.Cao Rui didn't rush them, but just looked at their faces quietly. Finally, Sun and Liu looked at each other sideways at the same time as if they had a mutual feeling.Then, Sun Zi coughed lightly, straightened his face, and said solemnly: "This matter is not difficult to decide. Since General Zhang Yun and Lord Sima are both generals who can bear heavy responsibilities, then please Your Majesty, please make a decision and choose between yourself and Master Sima." It is enough for the officials in the court to trust the most trusted person. This will not only reassure His Majesty, but also satisfy the officials. Get rid of the worries of the officials in the court." As soon as these words came out, Cao Rui suddenly realized.Who is most worthy of the trust of yourself and the courtiers?Of course it was Sima Yi. He was not only a veteran of the three dynasties, who was famous for his loyalty and integrity, but also a minister of Gu Ming Tuo Gu appointed by the late emperor's edict.If even he is not trustworthy, there will be no one in the Manchu Dynasty who is worthy of trust!Cao Rui nodded slowly while meditating quietly.He slowly leaned back on the back of the chair behind him, his eyes flashed again, projected on Sun Zi's face, and said: "Chen Sikong's opinion is that General Sima has always been stationed in Jingzhou, and has never been with the Shu army." He lacks the necessary combat experience against Shu, so it might be inappropriate to throw him into Guanzhong immediately." The Chen Sikong he was talking about was none other than Chen Qun, one of the three ministers who were ordered by the late emperor to assist the government.Recently Chen Qun has been advocating that Zhang He preside over the Guanzhong War, and his clear attitude is well known throughout the court.Sun Zi listened, pondered for a moment, and said: "You must not ignore what Chen Sikong said. According to my opinion, Your Majesty may temporarily assign General Sima to take charge of the battle in Guanzhong, with General Zhang He as his assistant. If the situation changes, Sima The general is indeed at a disadvantage in the battle against Shu, and the two of them can be replaced in the middle of the battle." "Isn't it a big taboo for military strategists to change generals in the middle of the battle?" Cao Rui said worriedly. "No! When the Qin State attacked Zhao, seeing that Zhao Kuo was the leader of the Zhao State, he changed to Bai Qi, who was victorious in hundreds of battles, to lead the Qin army. He won a great victory in Changping and captured 400,000 enemies. Therefore, marching troops, Only adapting to the situation and moving in accordance with the times is the highest criterion, and you must not use glue sticks." Sun Zi said slowly, "General Sima just went to Guanzhong alone. The army in Guanzhong has no foundation and cannot form a strong faction. General Zhang He's change in the middle of the battle should not cause major turmoil in the army and hinder things." "Yes." Cao Rui thought for a long time before nodding.He turned his head and glanced at Liu Fang, who had never spoken, and cast a questioning look on his face.Liu Fang straightened his face, and replied solemnly: "Master Sun's words are very true, and I agree with you." Therefore, the confirmation of the candidate for the coach of Guanzhong was settled in the secret room of Wei Gong in these few words. Cao Rui flicked his sleeves, motioning for Sun and Liu to retreat.Unexpectedly, the two of them stood in the room, as if ignoring his gestures, chatting with each other, hesitant to speak.Cao Rui let out a "huh", his eyes were as cold as a sword's edge, and he stared at the two of them: "Qing, what else do you want to play?" "Plop plop" two times, Sun Zi and Liu Fang knelt down on the ground, and played in unison: "This matter is of great importance, and the ministers dare not hold back-this morning Tingwei Gao Rougao lord handed over the impeachment form , to sue the servant of the Huangmen, Guo Jin, Lord Guo, who used his power to rob dozens of civilian women, sell officials and take bribes of more than 100,000 taels of gold, the evidence is solid, and I hope His Majesty will order it." Guo Jin is the younger brother of Queen Mother Guo, who has always been extravagant and dissipated, and has a notorious reputation.Although Cao Rui had heard of it all along, he never expected that he would dare to do such a dirty and rampant act!He stretched out his hand and slapped the imperial case suddenly, his face sank like an iron plate.