This was the first time Zhou Duo was received by the emperor.
In the past, Zhu Gai was a small soldier in the army of the Right General. Today, he is able to make reports to the emperor in person, and all this happened in just one year.
The wind of fate always blows people to places they never expected.
Although Zhou Duo was a little nervous, he still behaved appropriately and concisely recounted many things that had happened to Lu Xun since he set out from Luomen.
"So, Lu Xun marched from Luomen on the 28th, led the Qiang cavalry to march 80 miles a day, and arrived in Lintao on the second day of February?" Cao Rui turned to look at Cao Zhen: "How could the march be so fast?"
Cao Zhen organized his words and said, "Your Majesty, I have conquered the Qiang people in Yongliang many times and I am quite familiar with their habits."
"If they are well organized, the Qiang cavalry can move as fast as the wind. When Xiahou was in the west conquering Liangzhou, some Qiang people escaped nearly 180 miles in one day and one night."
Cao Rui smiled and said, "This is faster than the central army."
Cao Zhen nodded: "If the Qiang people were leaderless and gathered together blindly like loose sand, they could have advanced twenty or thirty miles."
Cao Rui said with emotion: "The difference between the Han people and the Qiang people is not in individual differences, but in whether they can advance and retreat in moderation and organize themselves properly."
"We arrived in Lintao on the second day of the Chinese New Year and marched to Dangchang on the fifth day. Why did we capture Yang Qianwan only on the fifteenth day?"
Zhou Duo bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, when General Lu first arrived in Dangchang, Yang Qianwan was unprepared in Dangchang and was surrounded by General Lu's army in a hurry."
"General Lu besieged us for five days before he succeeded in persuading Yang Qianwan to surrender. But after pretending to surrender, he took the opportunity to gather his followers from all over the surrounding areas, intending to launch a surprise attack when our army was not prepared."
"That's why he was captured by General Lu again. After selecting Yang Chao, the younger brother of Yang Qianwan, from the Baima Di tribe in Dangchang to lead his people, General Lu sent me to escort Yang Qianwan to Your Majesty's presence."
Cao Rui snorted, "He who surrendered and then rebelled again should have been killed to serve as a warning to others. But I heard you say that Lu Xun chose Yang Qianwan's brother? It seems that the Yang family is quite prestigious among the Baima Di?"
Zhou Duo cupped his hands and said, "Their tribe has no more than 20,000 people, the land is barren and the people are ignorant, and Yang Qianwan's family has been in charge of their tribe for generations. General Lu chose Yang Chao because the two of them don't seem to get along well."
"They are just some Di people, and they are not as honest as the Qiang people." Cao Rui looked at Cao Zhen and said, "General, go and see this Yang Qianwan. I don't care whether he lives or dies. You can handle it."
Cao Zhen cupped his hands and said, "I understand. I will order someone to move him to Shanggui and put him under house arrest later to see if he can be of any use later."
"Both are fine." Cao Rui nodded, then looked at Zhou Duo: "When did Lu Xun march into Dazhong? What did he tell you?"
"Your Majesty," Zhou Duo replied, "General Lu should be in Dazhong by now. General Lu told me earlier that he would let Yang Chao lead 5,000 white horse Di as the vanguard to attack Dazhong."
Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi, who replied, "If what Zhou Changshi said is true, if Lu Xun could reach Dazhong now, he should have been able to control the Dangxun tribe of the Qiang people in Dazhong by now."
"It seems easier to use Qiang soldiers to attack the Qiang people."
"After Da Zhong... Wujie?" Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi first, then at Cao Zhen.
"Yes, it is Wujie!" Cao Zhen replied: "From Dazhong, go downstream along the Qiang River to the southeast, and you will reach Wujie!"
"Wu Street is a gathering place. There are roads that lead to Wu Street from Wudu and Xiabian to the southwest."
Sima Yi also interrupted and replied: "With Wujie in hand, if we move our troops southwards, we will reach Yinping County."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "Further south of Yinping is Baishui and Jiange in Zitong County!"
The three of them looked at each other for a moment and all laughed.
Cao Rui paused after laughing, and then said, "I never thought that Lu Xun would advance from Lintao to Dazhong so quickly. Could it be that he has a natural talent for leading Qiang soldiers?"
"I'm afraid it's not that the Qiang soldiers are strong, but that the Qiang and Di tribes in Dangchang and Dazhong are too weak." Sima Yi said: "Before Zhuge Liang invited these two tribes to send troops, each of them sent no more than 5,000 soldiers."
"Yang Qianwan of Dangchang has only 20,000 people under his rule. How powerful can Dangtan of Dazhong be?"
Cao Rui sighed, "Comparison is the worst thing in everything. But you tell me, when will Zhuge Liang get the news from Dazhong?"
Sima Yi stood up, cupped his hands and said, "We now roughly guess that Lu Xun has just arrived in Dazhong, but Zhuge Liang certainly doesn't know about it at the moment!"
"If Lu Xun continued to move south from Dazhong and attack Wujie, the distance would be almost the same as from Xiabian to Wujie."
"In other words," Cao Rui stared at Sima Yi and said, "If I quickly reach Xiabian now and send cavalry to Wujie, can I meet Lu Xun in Wujie?"
"This news seems a little unbelievable to me."
Sima Yi looked at the emperor for a few moments, then nodded and said, "Yes! Your Majesty should send a capable general to lead the cavalry to Wujie and defeat Yinping and Baishuiguan together with Lu Xun!"
"What do you think, General?" Cao Rui turned and looked at Cao Zhen again.
"Your Majesty, I don't think there are many omissions!" Cao Zhen's eyes gradually became firm: "Yinping is not an important town where the Shu army is currently stationed, and Shu certainly does not have much defense there."
"If they gain the upper hand, Zhuge Liang will definitely lead his army back to help, to prevent the Wei army from occupying Baishui Pass and Jiange Pass, and blocking the Shu army's way back to Chengdu!"
Cao Rui stood up, walked out of the tent with his hands behind his back, stared at the mountains and fields in the distance, and breathed deeply.
Letting Lu Xun attack Dazhong was just a casual move after accepting the Qiang soldiers. Cao Rui's original intention was just to take Yinping County to threaten Shu. He never thought that the advance would be so smooth that it seemed possible to force Zhuge Liang to return to defend Zitong and Baishuiguan areas?
If this is really possible, what will happen to Hanzhong?
Ultimately, it is due to information asymmetry.
In the original history, Zhuge Liang launched several northern expeditions to Longyou just to occupy Longyou and then plan to take over Guanzhong.
But after Jiang Wan and Fei Yi came to power, when Jiang Wei came to power, the population and economy of Longyou had gradually recovered, and there was no possibility of being conquered as during Zhuge Liang's time.
In the original history, Jiang Wei could only focus on the more western and remote areas, intending to control Liangzhou first, then surround Longyou and slowly annex it.
It was not until this time that remote areas such as Didao, Taoxi and Yinping officially appeared on the stage of Chinese military history.
"What are you thinking about, Your Majesty? Perhaps I can share your worries." Cao Zhen and Sima Yi walked out together, but it was Sima Yi who first noticed that something was wrong with the emperor and asked directly.
"I am thinking about this question." Cao Rui said directly: "If we really take Wujie Yinping and can attack Baishui Pass, how should we fight this battle?"
When Sima Yi heard what the emperor said, he fell into deep thought for a moment.
On the contrary, Cao Zhen was more open-minded and said with a smile: "Why are your Majesty and Sikong still worried?"
"If we really take Yinping and Baishui, shouldn't the Shu thieves be worried about how to resist the Wei army? We will just have to act according to circumstances!"
"Either confront the Shu army on two fronts, or force the Shu army to retreat in Hanzhong. I think both are good results."
"I'm overthinking." Cao Rui shook his head and asked, "Who should be sent to Wudu? How many troops should be sent?"
Cao Zhen said: "I think it would be a good idea to send 10,000 cavalry. The terrain in Wudu and Xiabian is narrow. If we send 10,000 cavalry, the remaining 10,000 cavalry will still be enough for the battle."
"I think we can let Xiahou Xian supervise Generals Fei Yao and Cheng Xi. The success or failure of the small army will not affect the overall situation, so we can let Xiahou Xian do it."
"Well, let Xiahou Xian go." Cao Rui nodded and said, "Tomorrow the central army will rush to advance to Xiabian!"
……
Early the next morning, Zhou Duo went south with Xiahou Xian, preparing to pass Wudu and then head southwest to attack Wujie, intending to meet up with Lu Xun in Wujie.
Just when Cao Rui arrived in Wudu, he received a reply letter from Sun Quan sent by a messenger from the direction of Qishan behind him.
Cao Rui called Sima Yi, Yang Fu, and Chen Jiao to his side, held up the letter in his hand and asked directly: "After Sun Quan learned that Concubine Sun was pregnant, he once again showed goodwill to me and sent many gifts to Luoyang."
"He also requested that we open trade routes and allow trade between the north and the south."
Sima Yi replied: "Sun Quan can reply to your majesty at this time, and last year Wu and Shu were allies again. He must have received messages from Liu Chan and Zhuge Liang."
"As for the trade route..." Sima Yi laughed, "Forgive me for being blunt, but Sun Quan must want to buy horses from Wei. As for other products, Jingzhou and Yangzhou are not lacking."
Cao Rui placed the document on the table without commenting: "Sun Quan wants to buy horses from Wei. What can I buy from Sun Quan?"
"Ivory, pearls, tortoise shells?" Cao Rui sneered, "Sun Quan has nothing that I need."
"Have."
Chen Jiao said a word directly, causing the other three people present to look at him.
But at this time, Chen Jiao still said calmly: "Da Wei needs ships from Dong Wu."
“Hahahaha.” Sima Yi laughed. “Ji Bi, stop joking. How could Sun Quan sell ships to Wei?”
After laughing a few times, Sima Yi stopped laughing by himself. His expression turned serious. He looked at the emperor and bowed, saying, "Chen Jibi is right!"
Cao Rui also figured out the key point: "War horses are to Wei as boats are to Sun Quan."
"If I sell Sun Quan a horse, I will be considered as aiding the enemy! But Sun Quan knows that I can't sell him a horse, but he still asks for it."
"Is Sun Quan crazy? I don't think so."
"Then there is only one possibility," Cao Rui said slowly, "Buying horses is secondary. The real reason is that he is anxious to make peace with me. If he really wants to buy them, it is not impossible to exchange horses for ships."
Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi and the other three and said, "I am now curious about the situation in Soochow now."
"Your Majesty, are you saying that Dongwu has internal troubles?" Yang Fu asked.
"Perhaps he is worried internally, or perhaps he is trying to confuse me. It doesn't really matter. What matters is that Sun Quan knew that Wei had won a battle, but he still had no intention of helping Shu."
"The alliance between Wu and Shu." Cao Rui laughed: "It's really a bond stronger than gold." (End of this chapter)
