In May of the eighth year of Jianxing, the Empress Dowager Bian of Cao Wei died, and she was given the posthumous title of Empress Wu Xuan Bian.
The coffin stopped in the palace, Cao Rui wept, accompanied by ministers and officials, all wearing white single clothes and no white hats.
Cao Rui was so sad that he could not handle political affairs for ten consecutive days. His ministers persuaded Cao Rui to put the world first.
Cao Rui reluctantly accepted his sorrow and went to court again.
Empress Wuxuan gave birth to Emperor Wen Cao Pi, King Cao Zhang of Rencheng Wei, King Cao Zhi of Dong'a, and King Cao Xiong of Xiaohuai.
His face does not change when he is angry, he does not lose his temper when he is happy, he is frugal by nature, not showy, he has no writing, embroidery, and all his utensils are black.
Not only did she win the respect of Emperor Wu Cao Cao, but she also set an example and created a simple and frugal style in Cao Wei's harem. She also often suppressed the influence of her relatives and had maternal etiquette and virtue, which was respected by all officials.
Now that he has passed away, the whole country of Wei is crying bitterly.
In July, Gaoling (Cao Cao's tomb) was opened in Xiandao, and he was buried with Emperor Wu. The Changle Taipu, Shaofu, and Dachang Autumn Ceremonies were held.
The city of Luoyang is completely white.
Just when the eyes of the world fell on the funeral of Empress Dowager Bian, in the east hall of Taiji Hall, Cao Rui, who was supposed to attend the funeral in person, was sitting on the throne wearing white clothes.
The people sitting below were all important officials of Cao Wei and the emperor's close officials, such as Sikong Chen Qun, Taiwei Hua Xin, Zhongshu Ling Sun Zi, Zhongshu Ling Liu Fang, Shizhong Liu Ye, Zhongshu Ling Yang Ji, etc.
What was placed on Cao Rui's desk was a memorial sent by Cao Zhen who was guarding Guanzhong.
It mentioned:
The Shu people took advantage of Wei's unpreparedness and attacked Longyou, cutting off Liangzhou and peeking into Guanzhong.
Now it is heard that the Shu people are approaching Liangzhou, and Liangzhou is in danger.
If Liangzhou is lost, the Shu people can invade Guanzhong with all their strength. If Guanzhong is disturbed, the Central Plains will be uneasy.
It would be better to take advantage of the fact that people in Liangzhou still favor Wei, and send troops from Guanzhong, or attack Shu from the Xiedao, or march west to Longyou, and restore Liangzhou.
I have been planning for a long time, and the officers and soldiers in Guanzhong are united, and all the generals are advancing in parallel, and they can defeat it greatly.
Cao Rui had several copies of this memorial passed to the people below for viewing, and asked: "Do you think the general's method is acceptable?"
Chen Qun frowned after reading Cao Zhen's memorial.
Empress Wuxuan is now preparing to be buried, and the emperor will go there without following the etiquette.
After all, the two captives of Shu and Wu were watching, and it made sense that state affairs came first.
It's just that Cao Zhen, as a member of the royal family, wanted to encourage the emperor to engage in war during the national mourning period, which was not the way for a minister.
More importantly, the emperor not only did not feel anything was wrong, but instead summoned his ministers to discuss the matter, and his intentions were self-evident.
He turned his head slightly and saw that many people were looking at him with worried eyes.
Chen Qun knew what he meant, and as an auxiliary minister, he naturally had to be the first to stand up: "Your Majesty, the conquest of Shu is a matter of great importance, so we must not be careless."
"In the past, when Emperor Taizu wanted to attack Zhang Lu, he harvested more beans and wheat in advance to increase the army's food supply. However, before Zhang Lu's attack, food and grass were exhausted. Now the pass is desolate, and there is no way to get food from the land."
"If grain is transported from Guandong, the loss is too great, and the sloping valley is dangerous and difficult to advance and retreat. The Shu people are familiar with the terrain and will definitely select elite troops to attack the grain road."
"In this case, the only choice is to leave more troops to guard important places. This will also consume more troops, so we must carefully consider this."
Cao Rui nodded, "What Sikong said is true. But Sikong doesn't know something. For more than two years, grain and grass have been transported from Guandong to Guanzhong day and night, which has already been enough to supply the army in Guanzhong."
"Therefore, the issue of food 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, you have to go through the inclined valley alone."
"Especially Ziwu Valley, you can go directly from Chang'an to Hanzhong. Even if you can't go to Ziwu Valley, you can still walk back to the middle road, take Longyou and then go down to Hanzhong."
Chen Qun was good at governing the world and was not very familiar with military affairs.
He had only heard about the dangers of the Shu Road, but he had only heard of the name of the Xiegu Ziwu Valley, but had not seen its details.
Now that Cao Rui said this, although he felt wrong, he didn't know where to start.
In addition, the turmoil of the flashy case has just subsided. As the only auxiliary minister in Luoyang, his identity is indeed a bit sensitive and it is difficult to say too much.
However, with Chen Qun as the starting point, people naturally followed him to give advice.
Taiwei Hua Xin also stood up and said: "Your Majesty has great virtue and is in the prosperous age of Kangxi. I would like to focus on governing the country first and conquest later."
"But if China is free from hunger and cold, and the people are free from alienation, then the two thieves can wait and be eliminated."
Cao Rui heard such big but empty words countless times.
He opened his mouth and said: "The thieves rely on mountains and rivers. When Emperor Wu and Emperor Wen were there, they were still unable to defeat them. How dare I say that they will be destroyed?"
"It's just that the two captives were fierce and stubborn. The generals in the army thought that they would be unable to defeat them if they didn't attack them, so they used troops to detect their provocation."
"If the time of the day has not come, I also have lessons from the past. I can learn from King Wu of Zhou to attack Zhou, join forces and make an alliance and return to the army. Respect and never forget the warning."
When Hua Xin heard that the emperor had moved out even King Wu of Zhou, he knew that the emperor was determined and sighed in his heart.
Seeing that both Sikong and Taiwei were unable to persuade the emperor, one man couldn't stand it anymore and stood up and said loudly:
"Your Majesty, it is absolutely impossible to attack Shu at this time!"
Cao Rui took a closer look and saw that it was Yang Ji, the leader of the army.
Although Yang Ji was a close official of the emperor, he was the most adamant that Shu should not be conquered.
This is not the first time that he has publicly opposed the invasion of Shu.
Cao Rui scolded: "You are just a scholar, how can you know about military matters?"
Yang Ji thanked him and said, "I come from the last period of Confucianism. I have been greatly favored by Your Majesty. I am selected from among the best of the ministers and placed at the top of the six armies. I have a small heart and dare not keep silent."
"Lu Xun of Wu State was only a scholar, but he was able to defeat Liu Bei in Yiling. How can your Majesty say that a scholar is not enough to do military work?"
Cao Rui said angrily: "Can you compare yourself to Lu Xun?"
Goodbye Yang Ji:
"I am stupid, but I dare to ask your Majesty. The people of Shu and Wu have openly formed an alliance. If the Wei Dynasty attacks Shu, the people of Wu will follow behind. If what happened in the second year of Taihe is repeated, the Wei Dynasty will be in danger! Your Majesty must not be careless."
When Cao Rui heard this, his expression turned extremely ugly.
The two major defeats in the second year of Taihe were the shame of his life. When Yang Ji mentioned it in public, he felt very angry.
"In the second year of Taihe, the Shu people took advantage of the Wei Dynasty's unpreparedness and attacked Longyou. The Wu people were shameless, ignored their faith, and lured them to surrender. It was only then that Da Sima was deceived."
"Now the Wei Dynasty is taking the initiative to attack the Shu people. In addition, I have already made preparations in Soochow, so the Wu people will not have another chance!"
Cao Rui thought of his arrangements in Soochow, and felt even more confident.
Yang Ji naturally understood what the emperor meant by the arrangement.
Because it was he who personally led Yinfan to see Cao Rui.
Thinking that His Majesty's plan at that time was actually prepared for today, Yang Ji understood even more clearly that His Majesty had already intended to attack Shu.
The memorial written by the general just gave His Majesty an excuse.
It's just that Yang Ji wanted to understand, but he still didn't give up and still insisted on his opinion:
"Since Your Majesty feels that the sincerity of my minister's words is not good enough, but Liu Ye, one of the advisors of the late Emperor, often said that Shu cannot be conquered, your Majesty must listen."
"You're talking nonsense!" Cao Rui said angrily, "The servant told me that Shu can be conquered! Do you want to deceive me?"
Yang Ji was not afraid and looked at Cao Rui: "How dare you deceive Your Majesty? Liu Shizhong is also in the palace, why don't you ask me?"
Everyone looked at Liu Ye, who was sitting there and had not spoken.
Liu Ye sat in silence with his eyes lowered, as if he had not heard the argument between Cao Rui and Yang Ji.
Cao Rui was impatient and shouted: "Liu Shizhong, I'm asking you something, why don't you answer it?"
When Liu Ye heard Cao Rui calling him, he quickly left his seat, stood up and came out, saluted Cao Rui, and then stood with his hands bowed.
Everyone thought 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 seemed to rarely express his opinions in the court.
He was thoughtful, so he put aside the court discussion for the time being.
Then someone left Liu Ye alone.
"The Duke often discussed with me the conquest of Shu. Why didn't he speak up just now in front of all the ministers?"
Cao Rui met Liu Ye alone in private, with a look of dissatisfaction on his face.
Just now, all the ministers opposed the invasion of Shu. They thought that Liu Ye, who usually supported Shu, would support himself despite all opinions, but unexpectedly he did not say a word.
Unexpectedly, Liu Ye at this time was completely different from the taciturn person in Chaochang.
His face was serious and his eyes were bright. He looked directly at Cao Rui and reprimanded him righteously:
"Conquering the country is a big plan. When I heard about the big plan, I was frightened. First I felt your Majesty's kindness in my heart, and then I was afraid that I would be lax in my words."
"I am even afraid that I will reveal this matter while talking in my sleep. In this case, it will be the crime of leaking secrets."
"My soldiers are deceitful. Before the army is launched, they are not tired of keeping secrets. Now that your Majesty is discussing this matter openly, I am afraid that the enemy country has heard about it."
"Zhuge Liang is a great man. When he learns about this, he will definitely know that your majesty intends to attack Shu. By then the people of Shu will be prepared, and I am afraid that what your majesty plans will cause many twists and turns."
When Cao Rui heard these words, he was shocked and quickly stood up to thank him.
Then he asked: "All the important ministers in the court are opposed to the conquest of Shu. Can you give me some advice?"
Liu Ye accepted Cao Rui's gift, sat on his seat, and smiled calmly:
"How can all the princes in the court know about the military affairs on the frontier while they are sitting in the temple? When the war is going on, 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 fish by relying on trees?"
When Cao Rui heard this, he suddenly woke up, as if a light suddenly appeared in the dark, and he suddenly realized:
"I was almost mistaken by the scholar in the court!"
I have a close respect for Liu Ye in my heart.
But he thought for a moment and said hesitantly: "All the important ministers 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 man?"
I heard Liu Ye say again: "Everyone who is a master must be in charge of the affairs alone, otherwise he will be easily bullied by his ministers."
"As a minister, you should not be monopolistic, otherwise you will easily become arrogant and deceive the emperor. This is why there is a difference between the emperor and his ministers."
Cao Rui couldn't help but applaud: "This is a great thing to say!"
"The master should be in charge alone. I understand his meaning!" Cao Rui sighed and said deeply, "It's just that this minister has exclusive power. Fortunately, I have never seen it."
When Liu Ye heard this, his face seemed to be smiling but not smiling, and he did not answer.
Seeing Liu Ye's expression, Cao Rui felt a move in his heart and asked tentatively, "Is it possible that there is no explanation for this?"
I only heard Liu Ye say slowly: "The minister has the power, and your Majesty may not have encountered it. It's just that your Majesty is generous and will not pursue it."
"Oh? What do you mean by this?"
"I once heard that Your Majesty went to the Shangshu Gate to prepare documents for a case, but was stopped by Chen Jiao, the minister's order, and refused to enter. He said that writing documents was the duty of the minister."
"In the end, he threatened to remove him from office and force His Majesty to return to the palace? Isn't this considered authoritarian?"
When Cao Rui heard Liu Ye mention this, his expression changed and he said forcefully: "Chen Shangshu Ling is right, he is a direct minister..."
He listened to Chen Jiao's words that day and apologized to Chen Jiao in shame. At this time, he naturally wanted to defend what he had said before.
"In the past, Gao Tingwei (Gaorou) refused to obey Emperor Wen's edict. Compared with Chen Shangshu Ling, was he considered a direct minister? However, His Majesty went to listen to Chonglin many times to watch the trial. Did Gao Tingwei ever persuade His Majesty?"
The so-called Gao Rou did not listen to Emperor Wen's edict, which refers to the fact that Cao Pi had an old grudge against Bao Xun, the censor, and wanted to kill him for a minor mistake.
Unexpectedly, Gao Rou, who was then Tingwei, refused to comply and must be dealt with according to the law.
Cao Pi had to find an excuse to temporarily transfer him, and then let others carry out the edict.
After killing Bao Xun, Gao Rou was transferred back to Dali Temple.
"Therefore, in my opinion, what Gao Tingwei did is that he is in his position and keeping his position is a true loyal minister."
"As for Chen Jiao, it's just an act of invitation to exercise his power."
Cao Rui was silent when he heard Liu Ye's words.
The two talked for a long time, and then Cao Rui released Liu Ye from the palace.
Unexpectedly, Liu Ye was sent out of the palace and met Yang Ji, the leader of the army.
It turned out that Yang Ji had been waiting outside the palace.
"Zi Yang, I've been waiting here for a long time!"
Yang Ji saluted Liu Ye, with an anxious look on his face, "Your Majesty has been planning to attack Shu for a long time, and today, the general has announced it again."
"I saw the look of interest on His Majesty's face, and I was afraid that he had already agreed with the general's suggestion."
"Zi Yang is highly valued by Your Majesty, and he often tells me that Shu cannot be conquered. Did I advise Your Majesty just now in the palace..."
Before Yang Ji finished speaking, Liu Ye's expression changed drastically.
"Please be careful what you say first!"
Yang Ji was scolded by Liu Ye, and then he realized what he was doing. He looked around and apologized to Liu Ye quickly: "Zi Yang, I was too impatient. I didn't mean it."
Liu Ye sighed and said in a low voice: "Please go back to my house with me first."
"well!"
Yang Ji responded repeatedly.
The two left in the same carriage.
Back at home, Liu Ye and Yang Ji entered the study. Before Yang Ji could speak, he spoke first:
"Don't you know how to go fishing first?"
Yang Ji didn't know what he meant.
Liu Ye explained: "If a fisherman catches a big fish, he will follow it. Only when it can be controlled can he pull the line up, and there is nothing wrong with it."
"The majesty of my lady master cannot be compared to that of a big fish. Therefore, if you don't care about your appearance and give direct advice, it will only backfire."
"Today in the court hall, Sikong and the Taiwei persuaded me, but they did not argue with His Majesty. Only Xiuxian has repeatedly given advice, and Your Majesty has been dissatisfied for a long time."
"You are an honest minister, but your plans are not good enough, so you must think carefully."
When Yang Ji heard Liu Ye's words, he remembered that what he said today was indeed a bit extreme, and His Majesty's face was indeed as Zi Yang said, a bit unsightly.
His heart was suddenly startled, and he quickly thanked him: "It turns out that Ziyang doesn't want to speak in front of everyone. The reason is this. It's because I don't think well."
Yang Ji respected him even more when he thought that Liu Ye not only had the talent to serve the world, but was also far superior to him in being a minister.
