Silver Fox of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 485: Cao Rui is Fearful and Moves His Capital to Yecheng!
On April [-]th of the first year of Jianxing, Shen Chen defeated Cao Zhen in the Battle of Leishou Mountain.

Two days later, on April 22, Zhao Yun besieged Puban, and Xu Huang led his troops to break through. He personally broke the rear and captured Zhao Yun alive.

Cao Jun in the entire Hedong County was empty.

Three to 4000 people fled from Zhu Ling, more than 1 people fled from Xu Huang's side, and Cao Zhen's side was almost wiped out. At least 6 to [-] people were either killed, surrendered, or disappeared.

For a while, Hedong changed hands, and Cao Wei's 1 troops in the West Front Pass were only 2 in Tongguan. Xu Huang and Zhu Ling's remnants were about 7, and almost [-] people died or were captured or disappeared in two Pupu In the Battle of Sakamoto, the Battle of Ujo City and the Battle of Leishou Mountain.

At the same time, at the end of April, Zhuge Liang's main force had already left Nanyang, with 15 mighty troops passing through Yecheng. According to Kunyang, Wuyang, Dingling and other places, the overwhelming army was like a flood, threatening Yingchuan. and Runan.

Knowing that Zhuge Liang sent troops, the Cao Wei court sent Sima Yi, the new general of chariots and cavalry, as the commander-in-chief, and Xia Houshang, the general of the southern conquest, as the deputy commander, leading an army of about 12 to Henan to resist.

This is almost the last main force of Cao Wei.

After repeated defeats, Cao Wei was knocked down from the peak of 60 to 30 troops to the bottom, and now the total force is only about 12, including [-] on the west front, [-] on the south front, and [-] on the east front.

Now in addition to the Gyeonggi troops of about [-] people in Luoyang, Bingzhou, Youzhou, Jizhou, Yanzhou, Qingzhou and other places have become empty nests, with no local county soldiers stationed.Maintaining law and order and cracking down on rebel insurgents all depended on local government servants to catch robbers.

If it hadn’t been for Cao Rui’s hard work and recuperation after he came to power, he changed the previous policy of harshly criticizing the people, and then used the nine-rank Zhongzheng system to attract some aristocratic families to pay tribute, so that a group of newly formed new troops existed in Hebei and other places, I am afraid that the hinterland of Cao Wei is now The rebellion continued, and peasants who could not survive revolted everywhere.

After Sima Yi arrived in Henan, he adopted the policy of strengthening the walls and clearing the wilderness, and moved all the people from Yingchuan and the west side of Runan to the hinterland of Henan. The camp was fully retreated and did not fight Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang made several tentative attacks, but Sima Yi repelled them one by one. Regardless of Zhuge Liang's attack or provocation, Sima Yi was determined not to leave the camp to fight Zhuge Liang.

During Zhuge Liang’s last Northern Expedition in history, Sima Yi’s military strength was stronger than Zhuge Liang’s, and Zhuge Liang still traveled long distances out of the Baoxie Road, stationed in Wugong Wuzhangyuan, worked hard on the expedition, and gave Sima Yi women’s clothing to provoke him. Sima Yi couldn’t even shrink back, let alone now Zhuge Liang is stronger than Sima Yi.

So after judging the situation, Sima Yi just didn't come out, and wanted to continue to confront Zhuge Liang.

Apparently he was smart enough.

Sima Yi knew that if he fought Zhuge Liang decisively, he would die very quickly.

And continue to consume, when Cao Wei's aristocratic family's military strength is well trained, his military strength is replenished, and there may be a chance to defeat Zhuge Liang, so it is the right choice to shrink back.

And when the two sides were at a stalemate in Henan, at this moment in Luoyang, in the imperial palace, Cao Rui was sitting on the throne, looking at the urgent documents in his hand, very sad.

According to the official document, Shen Chen is now confronting Cao Zhen at Leishou Mountain. After Zhu Ling died in battle, the Han army surrounded Puban, and the situation in Hedong was precarious. Although Cao Rui had sent Sun Li there before, Zhu Ling was gone before Sun Li arrived. , did not have the effect of rushing to help Zhu Ling to defend Pi's family, which made him very worried.

Once Shen Chen occupies Hedong, his situation will be very dangerous.

Hedong can threaten the land of Bingzhou, and it can also directly bypass Tongguan through Zhongtiao Mountain. From Dayang County, which is later known as Pinglu County, to the north bank of the Yellow River, crossing the river can directly attack Luoyang from Hanguguan.

So Cao Rui can be said to be anxious.

In the hall, Chen Qun, Dong Zhao, Wei Zhen and Guan Qiujian sat side by side, acting as counselors to advise Cao Rui.

Seeing the solemn expression on Cao Rui's face, Chen Qun said: "Your Majesty, although the official documents say that the situation on the western front is somewhat tense, General Zhenxi has always been courageous and prudent. I believe he will not make any mistakes. What's more, General Xu still has three or four months of grain storage, which should last for a long time."

"But he only has food for March and April."

Cao Rui said worriedly: "If Cao Zhen has made no progress, he will be dragged to Leishou Mountain by Shen Chen. After three or four months, won't Xu Huang's entire army be wiped out? By then, if Hedong is lost, Bingzhou will be destroyed."

Chen Qun persuaded: "Your Majesty, don't worry, our new army should be able to train some after three or four months. What's more, we have also sent some reinforcements there. General Zhenxi will definitely find a way to meet General Xu. Cavalry We have more cavalry, even if we can't defend the east of the river, we can retreat to Bingzhou without any worries."

Cao Rui sighed and said: "That's what I said, but I still feel uneasy, and I always feel that something big will happen. Once Zhu Ling died, there was a loophole in the east defense line. Shen Chen will not let this opportunity go. I am here think"

"What is His Majesty thinking?"

Dong Zhao asked.

Cao Rui hesitated and said: "I'm thinking, should I move the capital? Yecheng is the place where my Great Wei Longxing was born. If I move back to Hebei, I can feel more at ease."

After Cao Pi usurped the throne, he moved the capital to Luoyang. There were many considerations in it.

At that time, although Cao Wei experienced defeat in the Battle of Guanzhong and the Battle of Xiangfan, his overall strength was still there, and Sun Quan and Liu Bei were not of one mind, so he believed that Liu Bei was the main enemy, so he put the imperial capital in Luoyang.

Luoyang is relatively close to Guanzhong and Henan, and a little farther away from Huainan, which means that Cao Pi will focus on attacking Liu Bei, and wants to unite with Sun Quan to plot Jingzhou and Yizhou together.

I just didn't expect Sun Quan to be a little bit down, and he was wiped out by Liu Bei when he usurped the throne. In other words, the reason why Cao Pi usurped the throne was that Sun Quan was under attack. When Liu Bei had no time to look north, he took the opportunity to secure his position first.

It's just that at that time he thought that Sun Quan could handle it, but Sun Quan was taken away by Liu Bei in one wave, which made him quite disappointed.

But no matter what, the western front and Nanyang were the directions Cao Wei wanted to attack at that time. Therefore, whether it was due to political considerations or the convenience of deploying troops and transporting food and grass, he thought it would be more appropriate to place the capital in Luoyang.

But at that time, Cao Wei was still relatively strong. Even after two major defeats, he still had hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses, ruled the north, and was able to hold the situation in Luoyang.

However, now with several major defeats, the domestic situation is becoming more and more unstable. Shen Chen also attacked Hedong, threatening the safety of Bingzhou and Luoyang. In the current situation, Cao Rui had to consider the idea of ​​avoiding his edge and moving his capital to Yecheng .

When Chen Qun heard his words, he immediately advised, "Your Majesty, you can't. Now is the time for war. If your Majesty moves the capital, the world will think that your Majesty is afraid. This will definitely cause unrest in the hearts of the army and the people."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Dong Zhao also persuaded: "What's more, Bingzhou can go directly to Hebei. If Bingzhou is lost, what is the difference between staying in Luoyang and moving the capital to Yecheng? Therefore, the most urgent task is not to move the capital, but to keep Bingzhou as the top priority."

"Do you feel the same way?"

Cao Rui looked at Wei Zhen and Guanqiu Jian. Compared with Chen Qun, Dong Zhao, Sima Yi and other old people left behind by his grandfather Cao Cao, he still trusted Wei Zhen and Guan Qiujian, the two close servants who accompanied him from the East Palace. .

Guan Qiujian said: "Your Majesty, the words of Sikong and Weiwei are indeed justified, and the will of the army and the people must not be violated, not to mention that the hearts of the major families will also be floating."

"The family will also have people's hearts fluttering?"

Cao Rui was a little surprised.

Guan Qiujian explained: "The aristocratic family will probably have nothing to do with the south. They will be afraid that the south will take away their population and land. But don't forget, your majesty, the heart lies in courage. If we don't have the courage to fight the south, they will Maybe you will dare to choose to support us with all your strength!"

The words are well-founded and convincing.

Wei Zhen said: "Your Majesty, the matter of moving the capital will be harmful but not beneficial. Please think again."

"Ah."

Seeing that even Guan Qiujian and Wei Zhen objected, Cao Rui nodded.

The main thing is that everyone is right.

If Bingzhou is lost, then he will be threatened if he moves his capital to Yecheng. It is better to stay in Luoyang and stick to Hedong and Bingzhou.

Thinking of this, Cao Rui also let go of the idea of ​​moving the capital to Yecheng, and asked everyone: "Nowadays, the major families have sent troops, horses and food, how is the training going?"

Guanqiu Jian said with a wry smile: "Your Majesty, although the major families have sent troops, horses and food, it will take at least half a year to train these people to become qualified soldiers, and at least one or two years to train them to become elite soldiers." , it's only been a month, and I'm afraid I won't be able to go to the battlefield yet."

At the end of the Han Dynasty, the princes from all walks of life recruited brave men from all walks of life, and they were often able to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy very quickly. Even if Cao Cao allowed Yu Jin to train troops, he could train tens of thousands of lions in three to five months. It made people feel that there was no need for much training. will know how to fight.

But in fact, all the people in the Han Dynasty served in the military at that time, and most ordinary people had received militarized training, so once a war broke out, many soldiers knew what to do, and they had a certain foundation of border guards and military training.

However, since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, this system has been abandoned. Now in 228 AD, the main soldiers are basically between 16 and 40 years old, and their birth dates are often after the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Having received that kind of training, it is difficult to retrain soldiers.

Under normal circumstances, even if you want to make it fast, it will take at least three to five months to half a year.And if you want to train elites, it will take at least a year.So judging from the current situation, even if the major aristocratic families send their population to serve as combat power, it will still take a few months for recruits to arrive.

"Ugh."

When Cao Rui heard Guan Qiujian's words, he also heaved a long sigh and said, "Since I succeeded to the throne, I have been sleepy all day long, and I dare not slack off. However, the south is hard pressed against each other. If it is one year later, I will There are enough troops to defend against them, and now that General Hussars has gone to Yingchuan, I don’t know what to do.”

Chen Qun said: "Zhongda followed Taizu in the South and North for many years, and he has the talent of a general. Your Majesty does not need to worry. Even if Zhuge Liang has the ambition to annex our Great Wei in the Northern Expedition, General Hussars will definitely be able to stop him."

"So much the better."

Cao Rui nodded and said: "It only needs to be able to hold on for more than half a year. As long as there is nothing wrong with General Hussars and General Zhenxi, we will soon have a large number of soldiers trained and become the elite guarding the frontier. You can take back Guanzhong."

Although the Great Wei is indeed at an extremely dangerous time, its population and arable land area have indeed surpassed that of the Southern Great Han.Although the territory seems to be much smaller than Liu Han in the south, most of the territory occupied by the south is mountainous.

The limited arable land area is only the Sichuan-Shu Plain, Hanzhong Basin, Nanyang Basin, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain, and the newly developed Jiangxia Plain. They have not even used the Guanzhong Plain.

Compared with Cao Wei, which has an area of ​​31 square kilometers of arable land in the entire North China Plain, its productivity is actually relatively weak. This is why Shen Chen actively seeks out Champa rice to develop double-cropping rice, and builds a large number of terraced fields in the mountains.

Therefore, including Cao Rui and other high-level wise people in Cao Wei, they all believe that as long as they can survive this difficult period, they can still become strong.

The population and arable land area in the north are enough to grow rapidly in the next few decades and regain an overwhelming advantage over the south. At that time, it might not be possible to eliminate the south in the future and dominate the world.

It's just that Cao Rui and the others didn't realize that during Cao Cao's time, he wanted to march south and dominate the world.

In Cao Pi's early days, he thought about holding on first and waiting for the big man's attack to be weak, excessive consumption, and domestic shortages, and then send troops to take down the big man within a few years and achieve a generation of hegemony.

As a result, in Cao Rui's period, Cao Wei's strategy had become a defensive strategy. First endure this wave of beatings, and develop insignificantly for decades. After Cao Wei grows stronger in the future, he will think about regaining the south.

Reducing requirements and expectations step by step also reflects the situation that Cao Wei's national power has been weakening from the late Cao Cao to the early Cao Rui from the side.

Maybe in a few more years, if Cao Rui managed to resist the Northern Expedition of the Great Han in the South, but he died of illness not long after, when Cao Fang succeeded to the throne, Cao Fang's strategy would be considered a success if the country was not destroyed.

At present, the battle on the western front is relatively tense, while the southern front is in a stalemate. Wei Zhen said again: "Your Majesty, Shen Chen will send troops in February, Zhuge Liang will go north in April, and Guan Yu will probably send troops soon. Hussars are still needed. Be careful with the general."

"Well, I will write a letter to General Hussars, telling him not to fight Guan Yu, but to focus on defense."

Cao Rui nodded, Guan Yu was strong and strong, and he was worried that Xia Houyuan would not be his opponent.

They chatted about other things.

At this time, Xu Xuan, who was in charge of the national official documents at the Shangshu Desk outside the door, stumbled in and shouted sadly: "Your Majesty, General Zhenxi fought bloody battles with Shen Chen on Leishou Mountain. During the battle, he was attacked and killed by Shen Chen. The army is dead!"

In an instant, the whole room was silent.

After a while, Cao Rui's eyes were terrified, and he said with a trembling voice, "Move the capital to Yecheng!"

(End of this chapter)