Chapter 154: Cao Rui's Crisis

Your Majesty, the military situation is critical and admits no further delay. Unable to endure the prolonged silence any longer, Sun Zi spoke in a soft voice to remind him.

Cao Rui turned around and walked slowly toward the center of the hall. Although his steps were unhurried, they were exceptionally steady, showing no discernible difference from his usual demeanor. Sun Zi knew that this Emperor possessed profound strategic depth, but given the disastrous defeat in the southeast and the collapse of the entire northwestern defense line, Cao Rui’s continued composure still caught him greatly by surprise.

Victory and defeat are common occurrences in military affairs. Cao Xiu was deceived by the rebels, yet it is already a rare feat that he fought his way out through a bitter struggle. Instruct him to handle the situation carefully and prevent Sun Quan from seizing the opportunity to raid Jianghuai. Jianghuai is the southeastern gateway of the state, and at such an extraordinary time, no mishap can be tolerated.

Understood! Sun Zi hastily acknowledged the command. This was the Emperor’s disposition regarding Cao Xiu. It was not unexpected at all; since Sima Yi had not been stripped of his office despite his defeat, it was only natural that Cao Xiu, being a member of the imperial Cao clan, should receive leniency.

Seeing that Cao Rui had no further instructions, Sun Zi bowed and backed out of the hall. Cao Rui picked up Cao Xiu’s military report, read it through once more, then gently laid it aside and let out a soft sigh: Where can I find fierce warriors?

Mao Zeng, a palace attendant standing nearby, heard the words and his eyebrows twitched. He was about to utter something, but the moment he recalled the temper of the Emperor before him, he clamped his mouth shut tightly.

Summon the Great General into the palace. I wish to discuss the military situation in the northwest with him.

Mao Zeng was momentarily stunned, but he quickly recovered, bowed, and accepted the command: Understood!

...

Great General Cao Zhen walked in hurriedly. At the entrance, he unbuckled his sword, took off his shoes, and then trotted all the way to Cao Rui’s presence, prostrating himself on the ground.

Your humble servant Zhen, Marquis of Shaoling and Great General, pays homage to Your Majesty.

Rise, Cao Rui pointed to the side. Grant the Great General a seat.

Mao Zeng brought over a sitting mat. Cao Zhen expressed his gratitude, bowed once more, and then sat down cautiously.

Regarding the military situation in Guanzhong, what lofty insights does the Great General have?

As Cao Zhen wiped the light perspiration from his brow, he cast a surprised glance at Cao Rui. The Shu-Han army had occupied Tongguan, Xiahou Mao’s fate was unknown, and whether Chang'an had already fallen remained entirely unclear. Yet Cao Rui remained so calm, which vastly exceeded his expectations. Nevertheless, he quickly gathered his wits and replied respectfully, Your Majesty, this subject believes we should dispatch troops immediately to recover Yongzhou.

Can it still be recovered?

Of course it can. Cao Zhen raised his sleeve to wipe the unceasing sweat beading on his forehead. His health had not been good recently, and the weather was unbearably hot; having jogged all the way here, he was already finding it rather difficult to endure. The sweat poured down like rain; the moment he wiped away one layer, another emerged. Your Majesty, although Zhuge Liang has dispatched a massive army to Longyou and sent Wei Yan to occupy Tongguan, appearing to have seized the entirety of Guanzhong, in reality, he will never achieve his desires. Please allow Your Majesty to permit this subject to explain in detail.

Speak, Cao Rui exchanged a glance with Mao Zeng. Prepare a map for the Great General.

Mao Zeng fetched a map and spread it out on the desk before Cao Rui. Cao Zhen moved forward on his knees for two steps, leaned over the desk, and first pointed to the location of Jincheng Commandery. Your Majesty, Zhuge Liang has entered Qishan. Although Tianshui and Nanan have rebelled, Jincheng Commandery is guarded by heavy forces. Guo Huai suffered an unfavorable initial engagement, but he will certainly retreat into Jincheng. Although Zhuge Liang has acquired the three commanderies west of the Long Mountains, he cannot capture Jincheng.

Who is the defending general of Jincheng?

Hao Zhao.

Cao Rui pondered for a moment and smiled. With Hao Zhao there, Jincheng's safety is assured. He looked at Cao Zhen. It seems your decision to leave him behind in Jincheng was correct.

Your Majesty is wise. Cao Zhen also smiled slightly. Jincheng not only had Hao Zhao, but also generals such as Lu Pan and Wei Ping; yet the abilities and reputations of those men fell short of Hao Zhao’s. Mentioning them would not give the Emperor peace of mind, so it was better to name Hao Zhao alone. Hao Zhao had once been a fierce general under the command of General Zhang Liao, the Marquis of Gang. At the Battle of Xiaoyaojin, he had slain Sun Quan’s major general Chen Wu, and later he guarded Hexi for more than ten years, inspiring awe and submission among both the common people and the Qiang tribes. He was one of the foremost renowned generals in Hexi. Cao Rui was thoroughly familiar with him and held him in high esteem. Hao Zhao alone provided a reassuring presence to Cao Rui that outweighed the combined total of any other two generals.

Furthermore, although our army in Longyou numbers only a little over twenty thousand, our cavalry force is superior in number to that of Shu-Han, and we are familiar with the terrain—far beyond the ability of Zhuge Liang, that bookish scholar, to handle. If Zhuge Liang wishes to defeat them and secure a firm foothold in Longyou, it will by no means be an easy task.

The corner of Cao Rui’s mouth lifted, and he nodded in agreement. In his impression, Zhuge Liang was merely a manipulative court minister who wielded power, not a renowned general who understood military strategy. Launching an expedition in the height of summer was nothing more than an attempt to exploit the southeastern crisis to sneak in. To put it bluntly, it was because he knew his own strength was insufficient and thus resorted to opportunistic speculation. Although the Wei army in Longyou numbered only twenty thousand, they possessed an advantage in cavalry; if direct confrontation was not viable, they could employ guerrilla tactics to tie down the enemy’s pace. It was evidently no simple feat for Zhuge Liang to achieve a swift victory.

And what about Guanzhong?

Guanzhong is likewise not to be feared. Guanzhong is sparsely populated and lacks sufficient grain and revenue; although military agricultural colonies were initiated this year and have accumulated some modest reserves, given Guanzhong’s population and Shu-Han’s military forces, it cannot sustain them for long either. In this subject’s view, if Zhuge Liang had not dispatched troops to Longyou, but instead entered Guanzhong via the Baoxie Trail, while sending Wei Yan out through the Ziwu Valley, and guarded Tongguan to resist our main army, with his forces he could have fought and farmed alternately. Utilizing the advantage of Guanzhong’s four surrounding mountain passes, he could have held out for a time. Dispatching troops to Longyou merely demonstrates his ignorance of military strategy.

Cao Rui thought for a moment and asked, How many troops approximately did the rebellious Shu forces bring into Guanzhong?

Cao Zhen had prepared for this and replied immediately: According to intelligence gathered last year, Zhuge Liang’s total military force in Guanzhong is around one hundred and twenty to thirty thousand. If he leaves twenty to thirty thousand men to defend Hanzhong, the maximum number of troops he can deploy will not exceed one hundred thousand. Since Wei Ba faked his surrender, he must be well aware of our forces in Longyou; without more than double our strength, he would not dare to act rashly. This means the forces in Longyou number at least fifty thousand, and very likely seventy to eighty thousand. Consequently, the combined forces of Zhao Yun and Wei Yan cannot exceed thirty thousand.

With thirty thousand men, having to guard Tongguan, Wuguan, as well as Xiaoguan, the Long Mountains, and several strategic strongholds in Guanzhong, they are stretched absolutely thin. If they also have to besiege cities, the force is even more inadequate. Guanzhong is plagued by warfare, hearts are filled with terror, and the populace has scattered. Where could they possibly find enough hands to establish agricultural colonies? Without colonies, the grain can only rely on transport from Hanzhong, which in turn demands a massive labor force.

Great General, there is one matter we cannot fail to guard against, Cao Rui stated. There are quite a few people from Hanzhong in Guanzhong; although they were relocated there nearly ten years ago, they may not necessarily consider themselves true natives of Guanzhong. If they are mobilized for agricultural farming, it remains possible to resolve the grain supply issue.

Cao Zhen smiled. Your Majesty, this subject dares to ask: if Your Majesty were to dispatch troops from Hanzhong, would you attack Longyou or Guanzhong?

Cao Rui raised his eyebrows and laughed. The Great General stated it clearly just a moment ago—naturally, attacking Guanzhong offers greater advantages.

Your Majesty is wise. Yet Zhuge Liang has dispatched troops to Longyou instead, which shows that he fundamentally does not know how to deploy troops; he is not even one ten-thousandth of Your Majesty. Deploying troops in such a manner, he employs personnel the same way. Cao Zhen put away his smile and continued: To my knowledge, Zhuge Liang monopolizes power; the people he heavily employs are all from Jingxiang, while he squeezes out and marginalizes the people of Yizhou on all fronts. The people of Hanzhong will not support him.

Cao Zhen bowed slightly. Only those whose minds embrace the entire realm can employ the talents of the entire realm. Zhuge Liang has a narrow mind, envies the talented, and resents those of superior ability. He is merely a scholar, insufficient to cause alarm. Do not look at how formidable his momentum appears right now; it is merely temporary splendor. The moment our great Wei’s mighty army marches out, he will inevitably melt away like snow encountering the blazing sun.

Cao Rui nodded repeatedly, and a smile finally appeared on his face. Then how many troops does the Great General require?

Cao Zhen calculated: This subject estimates that seventy thousand infantry and cavalry will break Zhuge Liang.

Seventy thousand infantry and cavalry? Cao Rui hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Very well, I shall give you seventy thousand infantry and cavalry; go and make your preparations. Great General, since your health is impaired, I ought not to burden you, but state affairs take precedence; I have no choice but to rely on a veteran general like you.

Your humble servant is willing to expend the utmost efforts of a dog or a horse for Your Majesty. Cao Zhen gave his customary expression of gratitude, but then froze in bewilderment. Your Majesty, where are seventy thousand infantry and cavalry to come from? Has the southeastern war... already ended?

Cao Rui offered a bitter smile. It has ended, but not in the manner we hoped. He handed Cao Xiu’s memorial of self-incrimination to Cao Zhen. Cao Zhen took a glance, was utterly shocked, and instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

Your Majesty?

Matters have reached this point; further talk is useless. Cao Rui was far more composed than Cao Zhen. Although the southeast suffered a setback and lost some troops, the foundation remains undamaged. It is merely that the imperial guards suffered heavy losses, and I cannot temporarily muster seventy thousand infantry and cavalry all at once. I have no choice but to draft generals such as Sima Yi and Zhang He to march west alongside you.

Cao Zhen understood. When Cao Rui spoke of giving him seventy thousand infantry and cavalry, it actually already included the thirty thousand men from Sima Yi’s southern theater of operations. The forces truly under his direct command numbered only forty thousand.

Cao Zhen felt a heavy weight pressing upon his shoulders. He opened his mouth to speak several times, only to stop each other, wearing an awkward expression. After hesitating for a long while, he reminded the Emperor: Your Majesty, do you intend for this subject to advance alongside the General of Chariots and Cavalry?

Cao Rui did not speak; he knew what Cao Zhen was reminding him of. The western theater was originally Cao Zhen’s jurisdiction, and since Xiahou Mao had bungled it, it ought to be Cao Zhen himself who cleaned up the mess. Now, not only was Sima Yi being sent to assist, but Sima Yi’s forces were comparable to his own, yet Sima Yi would be taking the Wuguan Trail, which was far easier to traverse than Tongguan, likely allowing him to enter Guanzhong ahead of him. When merits were rewarded and punishments assessed in the future, Sima Yi would reap the greater glory—something hardly auspicious for an Emperor single-mindedly seeking to suppress Sima Yi.

Yet, what alternative did Cao Rui have? Cao Xiu’s crushing defeat had caused him to lose over half of the five main imperial guard divisions he had sent to win glory. Currently, the only forces he could actually deploy were the twenty-odd thousand defeated soldiers just withdrawn from the southeastern battlefield and the twenty thousand imperial guards left behind to garrison the capital.

They shall all be under the command of the Great General. However, the Great General will launch a feint attack against Tongguan to draw the rebellious Shu forces' attention, while the General of Chariots and Cavalry takes the Wuguan Trail, hoping to launch a surprise breakthrough into Guanzhong. Cao Rui twitched his mouth, revealing a smile that was the epitome of forced. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. The Great General is a pillar of the state and a seasoned veteran versed in military strategy; you cannot be unfamiliar with the principles of combining the unorthodox and the orthodox, the false and the real, nor can you be unaware that speed is the essence of war.

Cao Zhen did not dare to say more. He bowed and accepted the command: Understood! Pausing for a moment, he asked again: On what day shall we set forth?

Speed is the essence of war. The withdrawing imperial guards are still on the road; the Great General may lead the two thousand infantry and cavalry garrisoning the capital to set out first. Cao Rui sighed. We have delayed far too long; we can hesitate no longer.

(To be continued)