Farmers of Shu Han

Chapter 1440 Seizing Power
Jiang Ji left the mansion in anger. Gao Rou and the others stayed for a while longer, said a few words to Grand Tutor Sima, and then took their leave.

"Master Gao, won't you stay a little longer?"

Sima Zhao, who was carrying a bowl of medicine, saw Gao Rou and the others about to leave and quickly asked a question.

"No, Zhongda is injured and weak. Let him rest more. We won't disturb him any longer."

Upon seeing the bowl of medicine that Sima Zhao was holding, Gao Rou seemed to remember something and added:
"And the ginseng, make plenty of ginseng soup morning and night, don't be stingy. If it's not enough, our old faces may not be of much use, but they still have some face."

Sima Zhao quickly thanked them, then put down the medicine bowl and saw them off.

When he returned to the room, he found the medicine bowl empty, and his master sitting on the tatami mat, staring blankly at the doorway.

"grown ups?"

"Hmm, they've all left?"

After Sima Zhao closed the door tightly, he carefully checked it again to prevent any draft from getting in, and then answered:
"Yes, I have already seen all the gentlemen off."

But Sima Yi behind him gave the order:

"Open the door a little, it's too stuffy in here, let it air out."

Upon hearing this, Sima Zhao turned around in surprise:

"But sir, your health..."

"Just drive when I tell you to. Stop talking nonsense. I'm not going to die anytime soon."

Seeing his master's expressionless face and unable to discern the emotion in his words, Sima Zhao dared not disobey and had no choice but to obediently open the door a crack.

A gust of cold wind rushed in, causing Sima Yi to wrap himself tighter in the blanket and feel the fresh air.

When did the snow stop?

"Last night."

Is the rainfall heavy?

"It's quite big; the snow is up to our calves."

Sima Yi gave a soft hum and said slowly, "This is only the first snow. It seems that this year will be tough for Great Wei again."

Upon hearing this, Sima Zhao couldn't help but say:
"My lord, you are in such a state, and our Sima clan has even been driven out of Hanoi. I believe that how we will establish ourselves in the future is the question you should be considering."

The entire family was forced to move away from their ancestral home, something that would have been absolutely unimaginable in the past.

But it's different now.

Since the Hedong tragedy, such incidents have become increasingly common.

They were either settled by Han immigrants or actively distanced themselves from Han.

This phenomenon has finally brought back memories of the fears of being dominated by the ancient Han dynasty's mausoleum system for some families from long ago.

What was the true nature of the so-called new policies of the Han state? And what was the attitude of Feng, the most powerful minister in the Han state, towards the aristocratic families? Grand Tutor Sima saw this far more clearly than his own son.

Upon hearing his son's words, Grand Tutor Sima sneered:
"idiot!"

Sima Zhao seemed surprised that his master would scold him like that, and was taken aback for a moment before hesitatingly saying:
"Sir, what did you just say?"

"I'm calling you an idiot!" Sima Yi raised his voice, looking at his son with a hint of mockery. "Is there a problem?"

"My lord... I..." Sima Zhao's lips moved, but he dared not speak.

With his eyes closed, Sima Yi slowly said:
"If the skin is gone, where will the hair attach? Without the Great Wei, where do you think our Sima clan can stand?"

He opened his eyes, stared at Sima Zhao, and emphasized in a slightly questioning tone: "Only by protecting the Great Wei can we protect our Sima clan, do you understand?"

Judging from the fate of the Sima clan members left behind in Hanoi, the Han state simply could not tolerate the Sima clan.

Of course, it's more likely that Mr. Feng didn't want to leave the Sima family a way out.

As for the reason, Sima Yi could vaguely guess some of it.

The idea of ​​resisting the Han state from Hebei was a kind of attempt by powerful clans.

The Sima family was the representative chosen by the various aristocratic families.

Clearly, the Han state did not want such an attempt to occur.

More likely, Mr. Feng simply didn't want to see this trend emerge.

After all, ever since Feng came out of seclusion, he has been at odds with the powerful families, and in recent years he has been promoting so-called new policies in the Han Kingdom.

Sima Yi had been dealing with Feng for years, and while pondering his opponent, he would always feel a chill run down his spine whenever he thought about what this man was planning.

Because everything he did showed that he harbored hatred towards aristocratic families—although it was unclear where this hatred came from.

Clearly, the attempts by the Sima family and the powerful families of Hebei seemed to have greatly stimulated him.

Of course, Sima Yi did consider testing where Feng's bottom line was—after all, surrendering to the Han might not be a bad way out in the future.

After his defeat in Hebei, the reason he did not immediately lead his troops to Qiao County was not only to guard against the Han army continuing to advance south, but also to delay time and observe the situation.

But the fate of those clansmen left behind in Hanoi shattered the last glimmer of hope in his heart.

As for the Sima family, which represents aristocratic families, in Feng's eyes, they may very well have become the chicken to be used as a warning to others.

Now that things have come to this, it would be a lie to say that Sima Yi doesn't regret it.

They thought that having a large army and controlling Hebei was the starting point for the Sima family to become the most prestigious clan, but unexpectedly it was their last chance to surrender to the Han.

"We are not accepted by the Han state. Apart from the Great Wei, where else in the world can the Sima clan find a foothold?"

Sima Yi didn't spell it out, but asked with a disdainful look, "Do you still want to go and surrender to the Wu bandits?"

We might as well just surrender to the Han!
To avoid suffering twice.

Currently, the Han and Wu kingdoms are still allies in name only, and the Han kingdom is happy to focus its main efforts on the Wei kingdom.

But if one day the Great Wei is no longer there to protect them, do you think the Wu bandits will still be able to remain unscathed?

Go dream!

Sima Yi thought to himself that if he were Sun Quan, after confirming the loss of Hebei, his first action would definitely be to send people north to seek peace with Wei.

Unfortunately, the Jiangdong rats are all blind to the truth.

From the very beginning of the campaign in Hebei, I heard that Sun Quan had gathered his troops in Jianye.

Now that the battle in Hebei is over, the enemy is still concentrating their forces in Jianye.

I have no idea what that scoundrel Sun is even doing!
Of course, people like Cao Shuang are even more foolish.

Instead of finding a way to reconcile with the State of Wu, they are busy trying to deal with me, their Grand Tutor.

Shuzi!

Dolphin dog!

Duh!

After cursing Sun Quan and Cao Shuang in his heart, Sima Yi finally spoke again and asked:
"I told you to buy some estates here, did you buy them?"

Sima Zhao was clearly a little confused by his master's train of thought, and paused for a moment before replying, "Your Excellency, it has been purchased."

"That's good." Sima Yi breathed a sigh of relief. "There's nowhere for us to stay in this city for the time being. Find an opportunity to leave the city and have everyone who came from Hanoi stay at the manor."

Many clansmen followed, and even Sima Yi himself is now living in a dilapidated mansion. It's unrealistic for all the clansmen from outside the city to move in.

If they all enter the city, and Cao Shuang goes mad and decides to target the entire Sima family, then they will be wiped out in one fell swoop.

Although the possibility is slim, we should be prepared for the worst.

Sima Zhao agreed.
-
Compared to Sima Yi, who worried about the future of Wei and whether his clansmen would have a place to live, General Cao had far fewer concerns.

In the warm pavilion of the General's Mansion, the exotic fragrance emanating from the pepper-coated walls permeated the hanging Shu brocade curtains.

Cao Shuang walked barefoot on the exquisite plush carpet, her gold stockings stained with spilled wine.

Twelve bronze animal-head incense burners were arranged around the perimeter, each tray on which was lit a candle as thick as a baby's arm.

The wax was mixed with mutton fat, and the wax core was mixed with camel hair from the Western Regions, making the entire warm room incredibly bright.

The golden plate, which was originally reserved for the emperor, was now openly displayed on the table.

The whole bear paw on the plate was coated in amber-colored honey, and the snow frog eggs around the bear paw rolled like pearls.

The golden dagger sliced ​​open the bear's paw, releasing a sweet and cloying aroma.

"This bear paw was boiled for three days and three nights with honey that came from Shu. The caravan managers said that this is wild honey that can only be found in southern Yunnan. Even in Shu, very few people can enjoy it. Now we've gotten a good deal!"

(Li Tong, the younger brother of Li Mu, a beekeeping expert and concubine of Mr. Feng, gave it a thumbs up.)
He Yan broke the clay seal on the wine jar, and poured the amber wine into the gold-inlaid goblet. The luminous pearls embedded in the goblet made the lead powder on his face appear bluish.

He casually pointed around, indicating, "The delicacies brought from Western Shu are more or less related to that traitor Feng."

"That Ghost King Feng is indeed worthy of being a disciple of the mountain sect; his skill in serving people is truly rare."

After he finished speaking, everyone present burst into laughter.

"Liu Bei was a weaver of mats and a seller of shoes, while this Feng thief was nothing more than a merchant who traded various goods."

Everyone burst into laughter again.

After laughing, they tacitly avoided delving into topics related to the Shu Han dynasty.

The battle in Hebei forced Sima Yi to withdraw from the court, completely depriving him of the ability to contend with the Grand General.

But at the same time, it also brought the threat of Shu Han to their own heads.

The group hasn't yet figured out how to deal with Shu Han in the future.

As trusted confidants, no one would be so tactless as to bring up Shu Han too much during such a joyous occasion, thus spoiling the general's mood.

If we don't want to spoil the fun by mentioning Shu Han, then we should naturally bring up things to liven things up.

"I heard that old thief has woken up?"

Ding Mi brought up Sima Yi at the opportune moment.

As the musicians below changed the tone of their harps, the atmosphere in the courtyard relaxed.

"I woke up yesterday."

"The old man is lucky. At his age, after suffering such a defeat, he ran all the way back to Qiao County from Hebei. A few days ago, he went through such a ordeal, and when I saw him vomiting blood and falling into a coma, I thought he wouldn't wake up."

"Hey, you can't say that. It's better for him to wake up than not. Otherwise, wouldn't the General be accused of publicly forcing the old thief to his death?"

"Too……"

Sitting at the very end, Li Sheng said with a hint of obsequiousness:
"General, I have inquired and found that in the past two days, all the old ministers, led by Minister Gao, have been running to the Grand Tutor's residence. Perhaps they are plotting something. General, you should be careful."

Upon hearing this, Cao Shuang's face showed displeasure:

"A bunch of old geezers!"

As Cao Shuang's most trusted confidant, Ding Mi smiled slightly:
"Why should the General care? Those old ministers have empty titles but no real power. No matter how loudly they shout, it's nothing more than a dog barking in the alley at night. They are nothing to fear."

"However, the remnants of the army that old scoundrel Sima and Jiang Zitong brought back from Hebei need to be dealt with promptly and the hidden dangers eliminated."

Cao Shuang's brows relaxed slightly, and he nodded, saying:

"Indeed, the defeated troops in Hebei number in the tens of thousands. Most of them have followed Sima Yi for many years and only know the Sima family, not Your Majesty. We must be careful."

"Who was the leader of the defeated soldiers in Hebei?"

"Guo Huai and Lu Yu."

Upon hearing this, Cao Shuang snorted heavily again, even slamming his wine glass on the table, spilling the wine inside.

Most of those present, seeing the general's appearance, knew the reason.

Lu Yu was originally the Director of the Selection and Appointment Office of the Ministry of Personnel, responsible for the selection of officials. After the Grand General took power, in order to stabilize the people's hearts, he wanted to purge those in the court who supported Sima Yi.

This person not only failed to see the situation clearly and refused to cooperate, but even opposed the general at every turn.

That would have been bad enough, but he also publicly submitted a memorial criticizing the general for nepotism, which enraged the general, who then dismissed him.

Unexpectedly, Lu Yu showed no remorse and went to join Sima Yi.

How could the general not be furious to hear this person's name again?
"Lu Yu betrayed the Grand General and joined Sima Yi. He cannot distinguish between the wise and the foolish, nor can he recognize heroes. He is nothing but a mediocre man with mud in his eyes!"

Ding Mi chuckled, "The General could dismiss someone with a single order in the past, and he can dismiss someone with a single order today. What's there to say?"

Lu Yu was dismissed for slandering important officials, so there is no need to frame him for any further crimes.

If the general were to investigate the past again, it would be enough to dismiss him from his military post.

Upon hearing this, Cao Shuang's brows relaxed, he nodded slightly, and a smile appeared on his face.

I wonder what Lu Yu's feelings will be when he sees the people he sent out dismiss him from his post again.
Thinking of this, Cao Shuang couldn't help but feel even more pleased.

"As for Guo Huai, we'll have to put some effort into him."

Guo Huai is different from Lu Yu.

Although Lu Yu came from a prominent family, the Lu family of Fanyang not only betrayed the entire Hebei aristocratic family, but also colluded with the Han state and took the initiative to lead the Han army into Youzhou. Their actions have crossed the bottom line of the aristocratic families. Now, who dares to speak up for them?

Given the relationship between the Lu family and Liu Bei, Lu Yu was dismissed without a second thought, and no one stood up for him.

The Guo family of Taiyuan is different.

After Taiyuan fell, the Guo family of Taiyuan had no choice but to support the Han state in order to protect themselves. This was the survival rule for aristocratic families in chaotic times, an unspoken rule.

Moreover, Guo Huai began his official career during the Jian'an period. When Emperor Wen was the General of the Five Offices, he was summoned to serve as the Chief of the Bureau of Evil Retribution. Later, he was transferred to serve as the Chief of the Military Affairs Bureau of the Chancellor.

He was a true elder statesman of the Great Wei Dynasty.

Unfortunately, this person was too close to Sima Yi, having followed him since the Battle of Guanzhong.

Guo, a woman from his clan, married Sima Zhao and even had a son with him.

In the eyes of Cao Shuang and others, this was already Sima Yi's staunch supporter.

Guo Huai's status, seniority, and military achievements prevented Cao Shuang and others from dealing with him as they had with Lu Yu.

"He's nothing more than the old codger the general was talking about."

Ding Mi narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "There are so many senior officials in the court, what harm is there in having one more Guo Huai?"

Seeing Ding Mi's confident demeanor, Cao Shuang quickly asked, "Oh? What Yan Jing means is..."

"Since Emperor Ping's eastern tour, many official positions in the court have been vacant. Guo Huai has long been a meritorious general, but he is now old. His Majesty has taken pity on him and has specially summoned him to court to serve as Grand Master of the Palace and Grand Master of the Palace. Does the Grand General agree?"

After Ding Mi finished speaking slowly, he asked Cao Shuang.

"Brilliant!" Cao Shuang clapped his hands and laughed.

Deng Yang raised a possibility: "But what if Guo Huai is unwilling and insists on leading the remnants of the army to defy the imperial order?"

"No." Before Cao Shuang could speak, Ding Mi glanced at Deng Yang indifferently, "Guo Huai accepted the position of Grand Master of the Palace. Although he lost his military power, he still retains the dignity of one of the Nine Ministers and the honor of his son inheriting the title."

"If he disobeys the imperial decree, the court only needs one imperial edict to label him a traitor and he will lose all his wealth and status."

"Now that Sima Yi has no chance of turning the tide, even if Guo Huai doesn't think about himself, doesn't he also consider his offspring?"

As a prominent and influential family, it is impossible for them to be completely bound to one person.

Diversified betting and timely stop-loss are the basics.

However, speaking of betting from multiple sources, He Yan remembered something and quickly reminded him:
“I have heard that the Guo family of Taiyuan has now submitted to the Han state, especially Guo Huai’s younger brother Guo Pei, who is the Prefect of Bingzhou and has repeatedly done his best for the Han state.”

"What if Guo Huai defectes to the Han state?"

Ding Mi remained expressionless, seemingly having expected this:
"If Guo Huai is willing to surrender to the Han state, wouldn't it be better to raise an army and surrender to him while he is in Hebei? He could then surrender when the Han army launches a surprise attack on Ye City, and cooperate with the Han army to cut off Sima Yi's army's retreat. Wouldn't that be a great achievement?"

"If they didn't surrender to the Han state then, why would they surrender now? Seeking refuge when they have nowhere else to turn—do they think they'll be valued by the Han state? It's utterly ridiculous!"

With one side in Wei and the other in Han, this is the standard practice of powerful families hedging their bets on multiple fronts.

He gave a cold laugh and continued:

"Even if he really wants to defect to the Han state, so what? What the general wants is to incorporate the defeated soldiers of Hebei, not Guo Huai himself."

"The only thing we need to be careful about is preventing him from inciting the soldiers."

Cao Shuang nodded, making the final decision: "Then quickly send someone to keep an eye on him, to prevent any trouble!"

After a moment's hesitation, he asked again:

"According to Yan Jing, who would be suitable to send?"

Ding Mi seemed to have expected this, and answered without hesitation:

"Li Gongzhao can be appointed as the chief clerk and sent to the army to monitor Guo Huai and others."

Li Gongzhao, a famous scenic spot.

Li Sheng's father, Li Xiu, was once a subordinate of Zhang Lu. After Zhang Lu surrendered to Cao Cao, Li Xiu also surrendered to the Cao family.

In the case of Fu Hua, Li Sheng befriended many "famous scholars" and became Fu Hua's friend.

After Cao Shuang came to power, Li Sheng rose through the ranks due to the Fu Hua case and was given important responsibilities by Cao Shuang.

"can."

“But before that, it would be best to test Sima Yi.” Ding Mi’s lips curled up. “Let Li Gongzhao represent the General to visit Sima Yi and see how Sima Yi’s health is.”

"Secondly, as long as Sima Yi does not object, Li Gongzhao's trip to Hebei to supervise the defeated army will be more legitimate."

"Miao miao miao!"