As Cao Mengde spoke incessantly, he gestured with his fingers on the detailed map, carefully outlining his strategic vision.
Chu Zhenglin was deeply moved by Cao Mengde's passionate words. If the prospects Cao Mengde described could truly be realized, then no matter how chaotic Shu was, they would not be able to easily affect Wei. However, a small doubt still lingered in Chu Zhenglin's heart.
Chu Zhenglin asked Cao Mengde his question: "Logically speaking, the border areas between Wei and the Xiongnu should be given priority for the construction of military fortresses. After all, Wei is currently at war with the Xiongnu, and border security is of paramount importance."
After hearing this, Cao Mengde smiled slightly, a deep light flashing in his eyes. He slowly said, "Your Highness, you must understand my sincere intentions. Do you know that my daughter and son-in-law were hunted by that wolf and vicious woman, and finally had no choice but to flee to the State of Wei?"
If I, as a father, cannot seek justice for them and avenge their grievances, then what qualifications do I have to call myself an elder?"
After listening to Cao Mengde's suggestion, Chu Zhenglin felt that it made sense, so he responded: "On behalf of the Royal Government Affairs Office, I agree with your decision.
Furthermore, the 200,000 new troops under my command do need some practical combat experience. If I were to lead them directly into battle against the Xiongnu, I'm afraid these novice soldiers would suffer heavy casualties."
After receiving Chu Zhenglin's response, Cao Mengde left the Royal Government Affairs Office, secretly thinking about his own plan in his mind.
In fact, there were two reasons why Cao Mengde decided to build a military fortress on the border between Wei and Shu.
First, he wanted to avenge his daughter and son-in-law, so he made full preparations. Second, he considered that if he went to the border between Wei and the Xiongnu, who would the soldiers obey, between himself, the Minister of War, and Mu Yunfeng, the general? This would undoubtedly lead to chaos and a struggle for power.
If he chose to build a fortress on the border between Wei and Shu, he would have absolute say and would not have to worry about the dispersion and chaos of power.
In addition, there is another advantage to doing this, which is that it can prevent His Majesty from handing over the position of Prime Minister to him. Moreover, if he goes to the border, he will be away from the court, and his relationship with the officials in the court will become weaker, making His Majesty less afraid of him.
At dawn, Cao Mengde could not wait to mount his horse with his bag and wait in front of the city gate. When the dawn broke and the city gate slowly opened, he rushed out of the city gate without hesitation, as if something terrible was chasing him.
It was astonishing that such an old man in his seventies could still steer his horse so nimbly and gallop along the pipe. If he weren't also a warrior, at his age, his body wouldn't be able to withstand such intense exercise and heavy loads.
It didn't take Cao Mengde a few days to reach a city on the border: Liangtu City.
Before this, his son-in-law, Liu Yu, the monarch of Shu, had already arrived in Liangtu City.
After meeting the Emperor of Wei, Liu Yu traveled to the border between Wei and Shu, seeking to find those generals still loyal to him and plan a counterattack to regain his lost power and status.
However, although Liu Yu had good ideas, his situation did not improve much. Not many of the Shu generals were willing to continue following him, the former King of Shu.
When the Shu King and his family fled Shu, the current Shu King, Liu Buchu, the former fourth prince of Shu, announced that King Liu Yu of Shu had died of illness in the palace, and that his two elder brothers had also been assassinated.
Those who were once loyal to Liu Yu, under the coercion and inducement of the new King of Shu, turned to the current King of Shu one after another and did not dare to question the news of the death of the previous king announced by Liu Buchu.
After all, Liu Buchu not only inherited the throne of the King of Shu, but also inherited most of the wealth and resources of Shu. Liu Buchu's mother, the current Queen Mother of Shu, was originally from the Wang family, a powerful family in Shu. She had a deep family background and extensive connections.
Therefore, Liu Buchu enjoyed the support and recognition of many of Shu's aristocratic families from a young age. These families held significant positions in Shu's politics, economy, and military. More importantly, these families disliked the rule of the previous Shu King, Liu Yu.
An adviser close to Liu Buchu pointed out that in order to consolidate his ruling position, he must win the loyalty of those generals who have military power.
He then used his resources to actively win over the generals and ministers who had previously been loyal to Liu Yu. He spared no expense in sending these generals and ministers gold, silver, treasures, and beautiful women to express his goodwill and trust. He hoped that this way, they would feel his generosity and sincerity and willingly join his camp.
However, Liu Buchu was well aware that some might not readily accept his overtures as the new king. He adopted harsher measures against these individuals. He ordered the confiscation of property and extermination of the clans of generals and ministers who refused his overtures, leaving no one vulnerable. Through these harsh measures, he intimidated those who harbored dissenting ideas, making clear the consequences of their allegiance to him.
In short, Liu Buchu skillfully consolidated his ruling position by inheriting the throne and wealth of the King of Shu and leveraging his mother's family background and the support of the aristocratic families. He ensured his authority and stability in Shu through a dual approach of coercion and intimidation.
Although Liu Buchu's methods were cruel, they were effective. Soon, the situation in Shu stabilized. The generals and ministers who were originally loyal to Liu Yu also followed the current King of Shu, Liu Buchu, wholeheartedly. After all, Liu Buchu had generously given them wealth and beauties. However, those who followed Liu Yu did not receive such good treatment.
Therefore, there are very few generals and ministers of Shu Kingdom who are willing to follow Liu Yu to restore the throne.
Liu Yu's path to restoration thus became exceedingly difficult, forcing him to bide his time in a Wei border city. Meanwhile, Liu Buchu was actively preparing defensive measures to prevent any counterattack by Liu Yu. The atmosphere on the border thus became tense and uncertain, and relations between the two states grew increasingly strained.
In the hearts of the soldiers on the border of Shu State, they were not willing to participate in this war because they knew that the soldiers of Wei State were much stronger than them and they did not want to sacrifice their lives in vain.
Liu Yu and the general defending Liangtu City came to pay their respects after learning that Cao Mengde had arrived in Liangtu City.
Cao Mengde briefly addressed Liu Yu and the general defending the city, then went to sleep. After all, they had already reached the border, and His Majesty would never recall him to Kaifeng. He had been traveling for days without adequate rest, and he was exhausted.
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