History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 455 Three Strange Birds
Regarding the war in Yingzhou, Governor Wei's original plan was to continue sending spies to exploit the unrest among the barbarian tribes within Wei territory and disrupt the Wei army's supply lines. After all, soldiers could go three days without food, and warhorses couldn't keep up!

Unfortunately, this time, Wei Rui, renowned for his strategic acumen, miscalculated. Before Wei Rui arrived in Yingzhou to assume his post, Zhao Zhi, taking advantage of the stalemate between the two armies, personally led Jingzhou troops deep into the mountains and forests, killing all the powerful barbarian leaders and ordering their respective tribesmen to send their heads to the remaining barbarian tribes. This warning not only ensured the Wei army's food supply but also allowed them to recruit many barbarian warriors as soldiers.

Therefore, when Wei Rui heard the emperor say this, he finally felt relieved and cursed, "Who would have thought that a mere woman could be so troublesome!"

Then he asked, "Who does Your Majesty think Yuan Ke might send to replace Zhao Zhi?"

Xiao Yan also sighed, "Yes, a mere woman, no matter how capable, should stay in the inner quarters to support her husband and raise her children. It's only because the Suo barbarians don't know the proper etiquette that..."

He shook his head and returned to the main point: "The most likely candidate is Li Chong."

Wei Rui guessed it was Li Chong, so he said, "Li Chong previously served as the governor of Jingzhou. He is skilled in recruiting and mobilizing troops and knows how to appease the people better than Zhao Zhi. The advantage is that I am quite familiar with his fighting style. Your Majesty, rest assured, I will definitely defend Yingzhou and not lose another city!"

Xiao Yan smiled, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings. He pointed to the chessboard beside him, and after Wei Rui brought the chessboard over and sat down opposite him, Xiao Yan said with hatred, "Wang Mao, Lü Sengzhen, and Cao Jingzong loyally followed me when I was in dire straits. Now all three of them have been assassinated and killed. If I don't kill Yuan Ke's favored generals, how can I quell the hatred in my heart, how can I comfort the souls of my loyal subjects! If Zhao Zhi stays, kill Zhao Zhi; if Li Chong comes, then kill Li Chong. I will set up the chessboard..."

Before he could finish speaking, a military officer delivered a secret report.

As he unfolded the letter, Xiao Yan's brows furrowed. The letter contained information gathered by spies in Yangzhou. After reading it, Xiao Yan clenched his fist and lightly slammed it on the chessboard, his breathing noticeably heavier.

"Yuan Xie refused Yuan Ke's recall and insisted on staying in Yangzhou."

Wei Rui understood what was going on in an instant and was shocked: "How could this be? Yuan Xie must know that this move will make Yuan Ke even more wary of him. He has hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in Yangzhou... Our spies in Luoyang are really useless! Such a big change, and we didn't even notice the slightest movement!"

Xiao Yan arranged the chess pieces himself, and Wei Rui dared not utter a sound, knowing that the emperor was not playing chess, but using a long-lost divination technique to calculate the timing of the heavens, the advantages of the land, and the hearts of the people.

Their campsite was nestled against a mountain, where the weather was unpredictable. A light rain began to fall from the tent roof, but it stopped after only a quarter of an hour.

Xiao Yan's forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat as he said, "It's a good thing that two tigers are fighting. The problem is that Yuan Xie, this strong tiger, can easily kill the young tiger in Luoyang. At that time, we won't be able to sit back and watch the tigers fight. The situation will be even more difficult. Once Yuan Xie seizes power, the hundreds of thousands of Wei soldiers will surely be of one mind. The only way to break this deadlock is now!"

Wei Rui: "What plan does Your Majesty have?"

"We must use whatever means necessary to bring Wang Xian, the governor of Xiangzhou, back to Luoyang and to Yuan Ke's side. Anyone could betray Yuan Ke, but Wang Xian will not! Wang Xian previously secretly investigated the officials for Yuan Ke and has gathered a lot of dirt on them. With his return to Luoyang, we can win over the hearts of the officials and eliminate dissidents for Yuan Ke in the shortest possible time. Furthermore, Wang Xian is a skilled physician. With him around, we can prevent Yuan Ke from being secretly harmed by poison."

Wei Rui: "I estimate that Yuan Ke, faced with this sudden predicament, will also think of summoning Wang Xian back to his side. In order to expedite this matter, why don't I send someone to Xiangzhou to spread the word and get Wang Xian to Luoyang as soon as possible?"

Xiao Yan nodded.

The ruler and his minister are unaware of this, but the one who sets up the game first has already taken the initiative.

That night, Yuan Wei Xiangzhou.

More than a hundred cavalrymen made a surprise visit to the governor's mansion, bringing a letter to Governor Wang Xian.

The letter was written in the handwriting of Grand Tutor Yuan Xie. It stated that he had been wounded by a knife on the battlefield, and the army doctors were helpless. He urgently requested that Wang Xian go to Yangzhou. The cavalry leader respectfully gestured for him to come: "Prefect Wang, please come with us."

Wang Xian smiled and said, "Please allow me one night to settle the affairs of the general..."

With a clang, the cavalry leader drew his sword and said coldly, "The Grand Tutor instructed us that if we cannot persuade you, then we need not try!"

Wang Xian brandished his sharp blade and threatened back, "Anyone who values ​​their life should be grateful. You are only a hundred or so people..."

The other person interrupted him: "Stop talking nonsense. Your way back to the capital is completely blocked, Wang Xian. I'll ask you one last time: are you leaving or not?"

It was all over. When Wang Xian heard that "the road back to the capital is completely blocked," his heart sank to the bottom, realizing that the change he had guessed had indeed happened.

What chilled him to the bone was that, as they were setting off, the cavalryman said, "Don't have any foolish thoughts of suicide. Don't let your death become the catalyst for the discord between the Grand Tutor and the Emperor."

The following day, in Qibo County, at the Wei army camp.

Military Commander Diao Zheng was discussing matters with Guerrilla General Li Hui when a military officer came into the tent to deliver a message: "General Zhao requests General Li to go to the granary."

"Something went wrong with the supplies?" Li Hui asked in confusion, and quickly left.

He had just left when Zhao Zhi came in, handed a letter to Diao Zheng, and then said one word: "Read it."

Seeing that Zhao Zhi was filled with murderous intent, which was very different from usual, Diao Zheng did not dare to ask any more questions. He opened his hand and said, "Yuan Zhen, the governor of Yangzhou, is dead. The Grand Tutor has been staying in Yangzhou for a long time. The court has ordered Li Chong to oversee the military affairs of Nanyang. Mother, please return to the capital without worry."

There were only four sentences in total, and each one was absolutely terrifying!
First, this letter was written by Minister Wei Yao to General Zhao. The fact that he informed General Zhao before the imperial edict arrived indicates what? It means that all the officials involved in delivering the letter were Minister Wei Yao's men. Furthermore, Minister Wei Yao believed in General Zhao's authority over the military, and that no one dared to spread the contents of the letter.

Diao Zheng wiped the sweat from his forehead, his hands trembling. He thought, how could the Emperor allow the Grand Tutor to stay in Yangzhou for long? There was only one possibility: the Grand Tutor himself wanted to stay in Yangzhou and no longer obey the court's orders. Yangzhou had over 100,000 elite troops! In the hands of the Grand Tutor, who was skilled in strategy, these 100,000 soldiers were enough to threaten the military strength of Sizhou.

Then there's the question of how Yuan Zhen, the governor of Yangzhou, died. Actually, how he died isn't important. What's important is that the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat didn't mention in the letter who would succeed Yuan Zhen as governor. That shows that with the Grand Tutor around, it's useless for anyone to go to Yangzhou to take up their post!
Finally, Li Chonglai came to Qibo camp to take over the war, so the only reason General Zhao returned to the capital was to take over the highest official position of the Imperial Guard.

Connecting the dots, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat disregarded the imperial edict, the Grand Tutor regained military power, and General Zhao took command of the Imperial Guards... The three eagles are ominous, and a great change is about to occur!

That night, Emperor Yuan Ke, burdened by days of sorrow, developed a fever and fell into a nightmare. He dreamt that three strange birds flew in from the horizon, and behind them were terrifying, densely packed celestial soldiers and horses. The horses neighed, and people shouted "Kill!" The wings of the giant birds descended from the sky, as if to change the world!
Yuan Ke shuddered, but did not wake up from the nightmare. Suddenly, the dream changed, and a blurry figure with a strange eye on its head broke through the mist and walked towards him.

Yuan Ke wanted to see the other person clearly, so he asked, "Who are you?"

When the "strange-eyed" person got closer, Yuan Ke could see that what was hanging on the other person's forehead was not an eye, but a small lantern that swayed and obscured the strange person's face no matter how it was shaken, making Yuan Ke feel irritated.

"Who are you?" he asked angrily, reaching out to grab.