As Wei was retreating steadily on the Western Front, heavy pressure was like dark clouds in winter, pressing on the heads of Wei's monarchs and ministers, making people somewhat breathless.
The reason why Cao Rui agreed to the suggestion of Wang Xiong, the governor of Youzhou, was because he was more gentle than capable.
At the same time, Tian Yu, the Huwuwan captain who advocated being tough on Xianbei, was transferred. This was actually related to the huge military pressure in the west.
With another major defeat in the Battle of Xiaoguan, except for the New Fifth Army affiliated to the Central Committee, which was still stationed in Luoyang as a strategic reserve.
Cao Rui had to transfer all the best soldiers in the country to Guanzhong to defend Shu.
Because in his opinion, Shu is already the biggest threat to Wei.
This final barrier in Guanzhong must not be lost.
Therefore, he delegated a lot of power to Sima Yi, giving things to others and giving things to others.
The only requirement is that Shu is not allowed to advance an inch further.
Because if the last barrier in Guanzhong is lost again, the essence of Wei State, it will face the threat of Shu State.
Therefore, Cao Rui not only sent the most elite soldiers to Guanzhong, but also appointed Sima Yi as Grand Sima, making him the nominal supreme commander of the Wei army.
The State of Shu held back too many troops of the State of Wei in Guanzhong. Under the ebb and flow of the situation, both the eastern and central lines facing Soochow entered strategic preparedness.
In Liangzhou in October, it has started to snow.
However, Jianghuai in October has just entered winter.
The winter days in Shouchun City are gloomy and cold.
Manchong, the governor of Yangzhou, was sitting in front of the table. There was a fire pit next to the table.
Man Chong was enjoying himself by warming the wine in the fire pit. After the wine was warmed, he raised his glass and drank to himself.
Although the Wei State, which was founded on aristocratic families, had only been officially founded for about ten years, its rate of corruption was alarming.
The aristocratic and wealthy families not only accommodated a large number of land guests but also concealed their population.
They even blatantly colluded with local officials to devour the farmland left over from Cao Cao's time.
Not to mention being tyrannical in the local area and bullying the people.
As a cruel official, Man Chong was one of the first veterans to follow Cao Cao.
In this era of rampant right-wing rule, Man Chong acts with an iron fist and emphasizes strict laws, which is not a bad thing for the people.
Therefore, after the Battle of Shiting, Man Chong was transferred from the governor of Yuzhou to Yangzhou and took charge of the military affairs in Yangzhou on behalf of the governor.
The people of Runan County, which is under the jurisdiction of Yuzhou County, learned that supporting the old and carrying the young, reluctant to leave, and running along the road should not be prohibited.
The guards were so frightened that they quickly reported to the court and wanted to kill the leader as a warning.
Man Chong's actions may be favored by Cao Cao.
But after all, Wei State is based on aristocratic families and powerful rightists, so he will inevitably offend certain interest groups.
For example, Wang Yun's nephew Wang Ling performed well in the Battle of Shiting and was appointed governor of Yangzhou.
But he was almost incompatible with Manchu, the military governor of Yangzhou.
Of course, it is a long-standing tradition that the main generals of the Yangzhou armies are at odds with each other. This is probably the way of balance in Wei.
There were rapid footsteps outside the door, and an aide walked in quickly with an angry face:
"General, Wang Ling's gang members are slandering the general again. Shouchun is full of rumors now..."
When Man Chong heard this, his expression remained unchanged, he drank the glass in one gulp, and then said calmly:
"When I succeed, I am just arrogant for a while. What are they talking about me this time?"
As a cool official, he always has very few friends around him. Unlike others who have many relatives and friends, drinking alone is a common thing.
"They all said that the general was old and frail, his words and deeds were absurd, and he drank too much and got into trouble, making him unfit for the post of governor of Yangzhou."
The staff member said angrily, "General, that Wang Ling, because of his family background, does not take the general seriously and slanders the general so much. It is really abominable."
"The general's position is higher than Wang Ling's, his achievements are higher than Wang Ling's, and his power is higher than Wang Ling's, but why are you so tolerant of him?"
Upon hearing this, Man Chong nodded in agreement with what his staff said:
"Yes, since I am higher than Wang Ling, how can his slanderous words hurt me at all?"
As he spoke, he stroked his gray beard.
Although he has been a cruel official all his life, Man Chong also knows that many people dislike him, but he still wants to spend his old age peacefully.
Therefore, it is not appropriate to have bad relations with others now.
"General, I'm just afraid that if those words reach His Majesty's ears, it will be detrimental to the General."
"Your Majesty is the Lord of Saints, how can you easily believe rumors?"
Seeing their general's disapproval, the staff couldn't help but feel angry and anxious, but they were helpless.
At this moment, another burst of rapid footsteps came, and the bodyguard came to report:
"General, Governor Wang sent someone to deliver a letter."
When Man Chong heard this, he couldn't help but look at his staff and felt a little surprised.
The so-called governor Wang is naturally Wang Ling.
What does he mean by sending a letter at this time?
"Send it up."
"promise."
After reading the letter, he sneered fondly:
"Wu general Sun Bu sent a secret envoy to surrender, intending to rebel against Wu and return to Wei..."
As he spoke, there was a look of ridicule on his face, "This Sun Wu rat, besides pretending to surrender, can't he do anything else?"
How long has it been since the bream faked its surrender last week?
Now want to do it again?
After thinking for a while, he asked someone to grind it, and then he wrote a letter himself, replying to Wu General Sun Bu on behalf of Wang Ling:
Knowing what is wrong and knowing what is right, if you want to avoid disaster, follow the path, and avoid violence and return to the path, which is very good and honorable. Now we want to send troops to meet us, but if we have few troops, they will not be enough to defend us, and if there are many, people will hear about it. You can make a secret plan first and be fully committed, and then discuss it when things happen.
Wang Ling learned that he was very dissatisfied:
"There was Jin Zong before him, and Han Zong after him. They all came and returned sincerely. Why do you know Zhou Li alone?"
So on the surface, he asked Man Chong to allow him to lead the army to meet him, and at the same time, he sent a secret envoy to Luoyang overnight with his memorial.
The memorial said that Man Chong was old and weak-minded, stubborn in maintaining the status quo, speaking absurdly, and often drinking and causing trouble. He asked the court to send someone else to supervise the military affairs in Yangzhou.
After Cao Rui finished reading, he felt something in his heart.
Since Sun Quan ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, he has made plans to go north every year.
The attempt to attack Xiyang the year before last and the attack on Hefei the year before were detected in advance, so they failed.
Nowadays, the pressure in Guanzhong is very high. If something happens to Yangzhou, the Jianghuai River will be in ruins.
He hesitated for a long time and could not make a decision, so he summoned his closest officials to consult.
Guo Mou suggested:
"He has been favored and appointed as the governor of Runan and the governor of Yuzhou for more than 20 years, with many meritorious deeds. When he controlled Huainan, the people of Wu were afraid of him."
"It is said in the table that people all over the city are talking about pampering because they are old and weak, and their words and actions are ridiculous. It may not be a plan to spread rumors among the Wu people."
"If you easily believe what is said in the form, Yangzhou will definitely be spied by the Wu people. It is better to temporarily summon your favor and return it to the court, and ask about Yangzhou affairs to find out."
Cao Rui was very happy when he heard it, so he followed his words.
Luoyang sent an envoy to Shouchun as quickly as possible to summon all the favors back to the court, saying only that His Majesty had something to inquire about.
Man Chong had no choice but to go to Luoyang.
After Wang Ling learned about it, he was overjoyed and sent people to the governor of Liufu to ask for troops to greet Sun Bu.
Unexpectedly, the governor of Liufu, Shi, rejected Wang Ling's request.
It turns out that before Man Chong left yesterday, he specifically told the governor of the residence, Shi: If Wang Ling wants to lead the army to meet the surrendered general, he must not send a single soldier.
When Wang Ling found out about this, he was extremely angry, but had no choice but to send his own general with 700 troops.
Sun Quan asked Sun Bu to surrender in an attempt to capture Hefei.
Unexpectedly, it took so long to prepare. Even if Man Chong was not fooled, even Wang Ling only sent less than a thousand people.
It's just that the arrow is on the string and has to be fired.
Sun Bu saw that he could no longer hide it, so he had to set up an ambush at night to attack.
Most of the 700 people in the Wei army were killed or wounded, but only the governor led a few people to escape.
When the news came back to Shouchun, Wang Ling lost face.
Although less than a dozen of the 700 men sent by Wang Ling escaped, it sounded the alarm for Shouchun and put Yangzhou on alert.
Sun Quan learned that he had to postpone his plan to go north for the third consecutive year.
At this time, Man Chong had just rushed back to Luoyang to meet Cao Rui.
Cao Rui looked at Man Chong below, and saw that although he had a gray beard, his voice was like a bell, and he could still feel the power in his movements.
When discussing matters in Yangzhou, his speech was clear and well-organized. There was no trace of old age and declining ambition.
So I finally came to a conclusion in my mind.
Then he said calmly:
"After the battle at Xiaoguan, people's hearts were in panic. What I'm worried about is that people in Yangzhou are floating. Now that I can hear your words, I feel at ease."
"The military forces in Yangzhou, please be more careful."
Manchu has favored three dynasties, how could he not know what happened in this dynasty?
He knew that in the past, the military was led by members of the Cao family, but now that the talents of the lineage were withering, he, as a foreigner, had the opportunity to command the military in Yangzhou.
Thinking back to the fact that he was suddenly and inexplicably recalled to the capital, it may not be without reason.
Immediately he requested:
"Your Majesty, I am old and my strength is declining. I am acting as the commander-in-chief of Yangzhou's military affairs. I am afraid that I will not be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility. If I interfere with national affairs, I will die at my own risk."
"Therefore, I would also like to ask Your Majesty to choose another talented person. I am afraid that I will not be able to take on the war anymore due to my old health, so I am begging to stay in the capital to enjoy my remaining years."
Hearing this, Cao Rui said flatly:
"No! The general is the humerus minister left by Emperor Wu. Now that the country is in danger, how can the general sit in the capital and ignore the border invaders?"
Man Chong wanted to talk more, but Cao Rui forcibly changed the topic:
"The Shu captives are rampant and have repeatedly invaded the border. Today, Da Sima has stationed troops in Guanzhong. I have reported that I want to establish farmland in Guanzhong as a long-term plan."
"Runan, Yuzhou, is the land where Emperor Wu used to farm. You have been the governor of Yuzhou for a long time, so you should know about farming."
"I want to move 10,000 soldiers and civilians who are familiar with farming to Guanzhong. How can you teach me?"
A considerable part of the farmland left by Cao Cao in his early years has now been severely damaged.
Yuzhou, on the other hand, can still be preserved relatively intact because Man Chong has been the governor for more than 20 years and can strictly enforce the law.
Man Chong had no choice but to follow Cao Rui's topic:
"Your Majesty, it is the national policy left by Emperor Wu to cultivate the fields to prepare for famine and to provide enough food for the army to prevent bandits."
"Now the great Sima wants to establish farming in Guanzhong, which is a long-term way to maintain a stalemate with the Shu captives, and it is a good strategy."
"However, it is winter now and it is not suitable to move. Your Majesty can first move the farm officials to Guanzhong for planning."
"We will wait until the spring of next year before moving the troops and civilians to the fields. This will not delay the fielding in Guanzhong, and will not cause unrest among the people."
Upon hearing this, Cao Rui nodded and agreed with Man Chong's statement: "This is a great kindness."
Then he thought for a moment and said:
"Now that the prefect of Runan has been in office for less than two years, he may not be as familiar with the field officials as you are. After you leave, you might as well draw up a list to avoid omissions."
Man Chong quickly agreed.
After staying, he not only carefully drew up a list, but also wrote a memorial, once again expressing his intention to stay in the capital.
At this time, urgent news of Wang Lingda's defeat, the governor of Yangzhou, reached Luoyang.
Cao Rui's intention to let Man Chong guard Yangzhou became stronger.
He personally wrote a handwritten edict and sent it to Man Chong:
In the past, Lian Po was forced to eat, and the horse was supported by the saddle. Now the king is not old yet he calls himself old. How can he be inconsistent with Lian and Ma? He wants to secure the border and benefit China.
Seeing that His Majesty did not hesitate to use Lian Po and Ma Yuan to persuade him, Man Chong did not dare to resign. In addition, Yangzhou urgently reported, so he had to rush back to Yangzhou.
After this incident, Man Chong finally established his authority in Yangzhou.
Cao Rui was very impatient. After getting the list of officials in the field, he combined it with the list submitted by Tian Yu, the prefect of Runan.
Then let people select the officials according to the list and set off to Guanzhong.
By the time this group of field officials arrived in Chang'an, a thin layer of snow had covered the entire Guanzhong.
In the cold weather, not to mention the field officials who came from Runan, even the officers and soldiers in Guanzhong who were guarding against the Shu captives huddled in a certain place to warm themselves up.
Before taking over Guanzhong, Sima Yi had told Cao Rui that now he could only stick to Guanzhong and no longer distract Liangzhou.
But when the news of the fall of Liangzhou came, it still made his heart tremble.
My whole body felt like I was standing in the wilds of Guanzhong wearing single clothes, feeling chilly.
In the past few months, he traveled throughout the army and talked with the soldiers who participated in the Battle of Xiaoguan, trying his best to restore every detail of the Battle of Anding.
Especially in the battle of Xiaoguan, what happened? Thief Feng was able to break through 100,000 with 20,000?
But the more detailed he learned, the colder Sima Yi's heart became.
The armored cavalry has never been seen before, the trebuchets that sound like thunder, the ballistas that fire spears...
Plus extremely elite soldiers.
This is also what Sima Yi is puzzled about.
How did the Shu people do it?
How did they raise such an army?
At that time, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry defeated Yuan Shao in Hebei and defeated Ma Chao in the northwest. They were regarded as the best cavalry in the world.
Why has it disappeared since the time of Emperor Wen?
One is because it is too expensive to raise such a cavalry army.
War horses are precious and need to eat not only grass but also grain.
The cost of raising a fine war horse is almost equivalent to the money and food needed by five families.
As for the second place, it was because the Wei Dynasty had completely pacified the north at that time, but Wu and Shu in the south were mostly blocked by mountains and rivers, and the cavalry could not exert its combat effectiveness.
In this case, the ordinary fine cavalry is enough, so there is not much significance in retaining the tiger and leopard cavalry.
I just didn't expect that the Shu people not only captured Longyou, but were even able to form an armored cavalry army in just over three years.
But no matter how fertile the land of Shu is, how can it possibly support such consumption?
With the national power of the Wei Dynasty, it is still difficult to raise tigers and leopards.
The Shu Kingdom was just a state, how could they afford to raise these elite cavalry troops?
The more Sima Yi thought about it, the more he felt worried about unknown things.
Feeling gloomy, he boarded Chang'an City to calm down.
Unexpectedly, he had just climbed to the top of the city, only to find that someone had already been there.
In the vast white snow, this person wandered back and forth, sometimes squatting down and scratching something on the ground with his fingers.
At the same time, you can see that his mouth is constantly opening and closing, as if he is mumbling to himself, and suddenly he looks up to the north, not knowing what he is doing.
The guard beside him was about to chase them away, but Sima Yi stretched out his hand to stop him and stepped forward slowly. When he saw the painting on the ground clearly, his pupils could not help but shrink slightly.
In order to see more clearly, he couldn't help but want to get closer.
The sound of footsteps finally woke up the man who was squatting there and paddling on the snow in fascination.
He turned around suddenly. I don’t know if he was frightened, but he stuttered and asked:
"You...you are...who...who are you?"
"Bold! Dare you be rude to Da Sima?"
The guard shouted loudly.
The young man's expression changed drastically, and he raised his feet to step back and salute.
Unexpectedly, Sima Yi quickly stretched out his hand to stop him:
"Wait a minute, don't step on the paintings on the ground."
It's just that the young man can no longer take his foot back. As soon as he steps down, there will be an extra footprint in the painted picture.
The young man looked at his feet hastily, and he didn't know whether the other foot was moving or not.
"What was that thing you just drew?"
Sima Yi signaled him not to be polite and pointed to the ground.
Young's expression suddenly changed.
But when he saw the guard who had pressed his hand on the handle of the knife, he had to bite the bullet and answer:
"Hui...hui...Da...Da...Da Sima, Xia...Xiaguan painted...yes, it is the terrain of Chang'an."
He didn't dare to hide anything. The picture on the ground hadn't been wiped off yet. With Da Sima's eyesight, how could he not see it?
Sima Yi nodded and asked again:
"What are you doing drawing this?"
"I, I want to try to regulate the painting... of the military camp premises..."
Having said this, he pointed to the north again, "The Shu captives are in peace, and sooner or later... they will wait for an opportunity... to go down the Jing River."
"So...I was thinking...how to...be good at it, so I just...doodled on the ground."
After listening to the other party's words, Sima Yi understood in his heart that this person must be stuttering.
Although he was in a high position, Sima Yi listened patiently to what he said, and then asked with interest:
"what's your name?"
"The next...the lower official is Deng Ai, whose courtesy name is Shi Zai."
"Deng Shizai?" Sima Yi nodded, "What camp do you belong to?"
"Go back, go back to Da Sima. Exit, the official is... just came from Runan to work in the fields."
"Okay, okay!" Sima Yi nodded frequently, showing approval, and said kindly, "It's cold here, please follow me back home. I have something to ask you."
