My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 538 Zhongda Offers Advice
Yuan Tan felt that Ju Shou was humiliating and plotting against him, but Ju Shou thought that Yuan Tan was simply beyond redemption.

With the fall of Li County, Yuan Tan and Chunyu Qiong's forces, though not in dire straits, were certainly at a disadvantage.

It was Ju Shou who was appointed to a critical mission and, with his own strength, turned the tide, averted disaster, and plunged the allied forces into a low morale.

It's one thing for you, Yuan Tan, not to be grateful to me, but to speculate that I have ulterior motives and malicious intentions. Is your brain filled with water?

Ju Shou could not suppress his anger and had a big argument with Yuan Tan.

If it weren't for Chunyu Qiong's mediation, given Ju Shou and Yuan Tan's fiery tempers, it's hard to say how disastrous the outcome might have been.

Chunyu Qiong tried his best to appease both sides, and finally got the two to sit down together again to discuss military matters. However, Yuan Tan and Ju Shou had completely opposite attitudes, and the meeting ended in discord. Yuan Tan insisted on leading his troops back to the Jumei River line and strongly urged Chunyu Qiong to merge and turn east.

Chunyu Qiong finally agreed to Yuan Tan's request and returned with him to the west bank of the Jumei River. He attempted to cross the river and launch an attack, but was stopped by Guan Yu.

Undeterred, Yuan Tan attempted to sneak across the border again, thwarting Lü Bu's plan.

After a stalemate across the water for half a month, Chen Deng's troops finally arrived at the battlefield, replacing Zhang Fei's forces and stabilizing the battle line. Zhang Fei then led his troops back to Langya to rest and regroup.

Ju Shou stationed his troops in Linzi to observe the changes at the front, and he and Yuan Tan took their dispute to Yuan Shao in Ye City.

The dispute between the two quickly escalated into a battle between two factions. The Henan faction and the Hebei faction engaged in a fierce argument, each sticking to their own version of events and accusing and slandering each other in front of Yuan Shao.

The Hebei faction accused Yuan Tan of being ungrateful, jealous of talent, and forgetting the kindness of Ju Shou's rescue, instead making baseless accusations, which they deemed utterly depraved. The Henan faction, on the other hand, attacked Ju Shou for being arrogant, abusing his power, and neglecting to continue defeating the enemy, instead wanting to abandon territory, suggesting ulterior motives.

The argument only gave Yuan Shao a huge headache. It was a mess to begin with, and the root cause was the conflict between the Henan and Hebei factions. Yuan Shao himself had instigated it to suppress the Hebei faction and balance his own power.

If it could be resolved, Yuan Shao would have resolved it long ago. Now that things have developed to this point, even he himself can't stop it if he wants to, let alone whether Yuan Shao really wants to stop. If the Henan and Hebei factions are as close as family, then he, as the lord, will be sitting on pins and needles, unable to sleep at night.

Yuan Shao was exasperated watching the two factions continue their struggle, while Liu Feng, after reading the military report once again, sighed repeatedly.

If it were Guan Ping who sent the troops, he would most likely have been able to remain unmoved by Ju Shou.

Fortunately, the battle lines have been stabilized. If Yuan's army had crossed the Jumei River and pushed eastward, forcing Liu Bei to personally intervene, the situation would have been dire.

Coincidentally, while Liu Feng was repeatedly reading the military report, Cao Cao in Luoyang was also looking at the military report.

Compared to Yuan Shao's annoyance and Liu Feng's regret, Cao Cao was simply filled with sorrow.

There were two military reports in front of him. One report was about the battle in Qingzhou, and the other was news from Shangyong.

When the Mian River flows into Shangyong, a section of it is within Cao Cao's territory. Before Gan Ning set off, he even greeted Cao Cao's officials in Nanyang. Cao Cao could not possibly be unaware that Liu Feng had taken action against Shangyong.

I just didn't expect Shangyong to surrender so quickly.

If he had known that Shangyong was so easy to conquer, he would have acted sooner.

However, after calming down, Cao Cao realized that things were not so simple.

The land route to Shangyong was much easier than the water route, not to mention that he had no navy in the Nanyang Basin. Advancing along the Mian River valley would not only be much less efficient and fraught with danger, but logistical support would also be a major problem.

"Wow, how could it be so fast?"

Cao Cao shook his head and sighed, his good mood from seeing the battle report of Qingzhou completely gone.

It was thought that with Yuan Shao and Liu Bei each winning a major victory, it would be even more difficult for them to stop fighting, especially for Liu Bei, whose losses were truly significant. Of his five thousand elite troops, less than a thousand managed to escape, and Zhang Fei's forces were rendered useless. Without reorganization and training, they would be unable to return to the battlefield. This was a devastating defeat.

If it weren't for the internal strife within Yuan Jun's army, once they crossed the Jumei River, Liu Bei's army might have had to give back everything they had gained, and might even have had to fill in the Beihai Kingdom.

Cao Cao, observing from the sidelines, was naturally happy to see Yuan Shao and Liu Bei locked in a fierce battle. However, Liu Feng's capture of Shangyong not only increased his strength but also gave him the resources to covet Hanzhong, putting Cao Cao in a difficult position.

If Hanzhong is lost, then Guanzhong, which Cao Cao had envisioned as his rear route, will be directly threatened.

"Congratulations, lord, congratulations, lord."

Just as Cao Cao was frowning in worry, Sima Yi suddenly stood up and loudly congratulated him.

A hint of displeasure flashed through Cao Cao's mind, but he asked with feigned curiosity, "What is there to be happy about?"

Sima Yi replied solemnly, "My lord, in my opinion, it is a great thing that Shangyong was acquired by Liu Feng."

Cao Cao became interested: "Please tell me in detail, Zhongda."

Sima Yi immediately replied, "My lord, who do you think is most distressed and worried about Shangyong being so easily captured by Liu Zisheng?"

Cao Cao was about to say, "Isn't that me?"
But then a thought flashed through his mind, and he uttered two words: "Zhang Lu?"

"Not bad!"

Sima Yi nodded heavily: "It is indeed Zhang Lu. His family has been promoting the Five Pecks of Rice sect in Hanzhong, using it as a religion and recruiting the people of Hanzhong as believers. They have suppressed the powerful clans and gentry, and now Hanzhong has become their domain. They have forced Liu Zhang to do nothing against them with just one prefecture."

"How can Liu Jiyu be compared to Liu Zisheng?"

Sima Yi laughed: "It's like a domestic dog compared to a young dragon, or a crow compared to a fledgling phoenix. If there's a dog outside the door and the house is already in turmoil, what will Zhang Lu do now that a dragon has arrived?"

In fact, Sima Yi was being too polite. Shangyong Commandery originally belonged to Hanzhong Commandery, but Liu Biao forcibly separated it from Hanzhong and established it as an independent commandery so that he could annex it.

In reality, Zhang Lu's territory was only two-thirds of Hanzhong, so to have achieved this was truly remarkable.

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao pondered for a moment, and his eyes immediately lit up.

Cao Cao was no fool; on the contrary, he was extremely clever. He could understand the meaning behind Sima Yi's words from just a few short sentences.

However, Cao Cao did not answer directly, but continued to adopt a posture of seeking advice: "What Zhongda said is true, so what should I do now?"

Sima Yi respectfully suggested, "I humbly request to serve as the Grand General as an envoy to Hanzhong. I will surely persuade Zhang Lu to submit to me!"

"Is this true!?"

Cao Cao suddenly perked up. He had indeed guessed Sima Yi's plan, but he did not expect that the other party would be even more confident than he had anticipated.

In Cao Cao's eyes, Sima Yi was probably suggesting that he send someone to Hanzhong to win over Zhang Lu and persuade him to form an alliance with him.

Sima Yi was actually confident that he could make Zhang Lu bow down to him, which was much better than Cao Cao had expected.

Sima Yi replied decisively, "How could I dare to deceive my lord? These are my heartfelt words." Cao Cao nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to the side: "Wenruo, Boning, what do you think of Zhongda's words?"

Man Chong glanced at Xun Yu, clearly wanting to wait for the other to speak first, since Xun Yu was of much higher status than Man Chong.

Xun Yu pondered seriously for a moment before looking up and saying, "If Zhongda has such ambition, he might as well give it a try."

"Ah."

Cao Cao then pressed Man Chong for his opinion: "What do you think of Bo Ning?"

Man Chong, who had been wanting to speak for a long time, quickly revealed his thoughts: "My lord, Zhang Lu is quite weak. If Zhongda can use Liu Feng as a threat, there is indeed a possibility that he can persuade him to submit to the court."

Seeing that both of his chief strategists agreed with Sima Yi's plan, Cao Cao was overjoyed and secretly made up his mind.

Then Cao Cao turned to Sima Yi and said, "If Zhongda can persuade Zhang Lu to come to my aid, he will be credited with a great achievement."

After a moment's consideration, before Sima Yi could express his gratitude, Cao Cao added, "Today I will submit a memorial to the court, appointing Zhongda as an advisor, granting him the authority to command all manpower and resources in Guanzhong, and to handle all matters concerning the mission. He can act first and report later. Besides this, if you have any other needs, please tell me before you depart."

Cao Cao's words clearly indicated his full support for Sima Yi's offer to come to Hanzhong.

Sima Yi was secretly pleased. Although the responsibility was heavy at this moment, he was indeed confident: "Thank you, my lord."

“Zhongda, I have given you everything I could, without the slightest bit of stinginess.”

Cao Cao stared intently at Sima Yi with eyes like an eagle: "I hope you will not disappoint me."

Sima Yi replied humbly, "Your subject will do his utmost. If I fail to live up to your expectations, I am willing to accept your punishment."

"Great!"

Cao Cao burst into laughter, his mood no longer as sorrowful as before, but instead filled with boundless hope.

If Sima Yi truly succeeds and Hanzhong becomes an ally, then Guanzhong will be stable. Given Hanzhong's strategic location and with my assistance, it will be extremely difficult for Liu Feng to further seize control of Hanzhong. Meanwhile, I can gradually gain control of Hanzhong by aiding Zhang Lu, and with the court's interests on my side, won't Hanzhong eventually be mine?
Thinking of this, Cao Cao laughed even more triumphantly.

After the court session ended, Sima Yi walked outside. As he exited the palace gate, a man was waiting for him by the roadside.

Upon seeing this person, Sima Yi's composure vanished instantly, and he hurriedly stepped forward to bow respectfully and greet him.

This person was none other than Sima Lang, Sima Yi's elder brother.

Sima Lang was just over thirty years old. He had passed the imperial examination for the title of "Children of the Imperial Academy" at the age of twelve and was the true leader of the Sima family. At this time, Sima Yi was merely Sima Lang's assistant and had neither the ability nor the qualifications to take on a major role.

Upon seeing his younger brother, Sima Lang's expression turned somewhat grim, but his words were gentle: "Zhongda, I know you have great ambitions and wish to make a name for yourself in the world, but this time, you have been a little too hasty."

After a pause, Sima Lang added, "You're in such a hurry, unlike your usual self."

Although Sima Lang's words were mild, the underlying meaning was rather strong, especially the additional sentence, which implied that Sima Yi was blinded by greed.

It's no wonder Sima Lang said that; the Sima family has always been characterized by humility and modesty.

In official history, Sima Yi maintained a humble attitude until the oath at Luoshui. Otherwise, so many top wealthy families wouldn't have praised him and been willing to form marriage alliances with his family.

This clearly shows that they gained many benefits from the Sima family. These benefits did not come for free. In addition to Sima Yi's abuse of power and favors, some of them were even benefits that the Sima family conceded.

But now, Sima Yi is clearly in a hurry, otherwise he wouldn't have done something so extraordinary. The Sima family values ​​blending in with the world, so Sima Yi's actions are undoubtedly very unusual.

Sima Lang was eager to know what his younger brother was thinking.

Sima Yi looked at his elder brother and said in a low voice, "Elder brother, this is not the place to talk."

Sima Lang glanced at his younger brother and slowly nodded: "Then let's go home first."

After several years of recuperation and the support of resources from various places, Luoyang has begun to regain its vitality, and the streets are bustling with more people.

The Sima family's residence was not far from the palace. In the past, this land was worth a fortune, but now it was just a gift given to officials.

After the two returned to the Sima residence, Sima Lang sent away his third brother, Sima Fu, who had come to greet them, and took Sima Yi directly into the study in the backyard, ordering that no one should disturb them.

After entering the study, Sima Lang went straight to the point and asked, "Tell me, what exactly are you thinking?"

Sima Yi replied frankly, “Brother, the situation has changed. Liu Zisheng has risen to prominence and is now a powerful figure in the southeast. He and his son already control five provinces, which is quite impressive. We, on the other hand, are already tied to the Cao family’s ship. If we do not rise up, our fate will be dire.”

Sima Lang stared intently at his second brother. What the other man said made a lot of sense, but it was definitely not true. He was certain that Sima Yi was not speaking from the heart.

Since Liu Feng swallowed up Jingzhou last year, his power and influence have been unstoppable. It is not something that has only become so great now.

Sima Yi's words were merely a perfunctory response.

Seeing that his elder brother did not believe him, Sima Yi gave a wry smile and had no choice but to ask, "What do you think of our family's current situation, elder brother?"

"What do you mean?"

Sima Lang was taken aback by Sima Yi's words and was somewhat confused.

Sima Yi continued, "Currently, my Sima family is only of average standing under the General's command."

"good."

Sima Lang nodded, affirming Sima Yi's statement.

He is currently only the Western Assistant of the Grand General. Although he is a trusted confidant and has considerable power, his status is not high at all, only six hundred shi of grain, which is not as high as his younger brother who was recently promoted to the rank of Consultant.

Sima Yi suddenly became nervous, swallowed hard, and carefully surveyed the study. After confirming that it was safe, he lowered his voice and said, "Now that Liu is strong and Cao is weak, if the general fails in his military campaign, my family may not be able to escape unscathed. But if you want Liu Zisheng to make an exception for my family, my brother and I must demonstrate enough value, elder brother."

Sima Lang was startled and suddenly realized that his younger brother's unusually high-profile proposal and his self-recommendation to go to Hanzhong were actually for this purpose.

"you……"

Sima Lang raised his finger and pointed at Sima Yi, wanting to say something, but the words just wouldn't come out.

(End of this chapter)