Chapter 12 Two, Sima Yi's high hat
On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month in the third year of Jingchu in the Great Wei Dynasty, the sky above the city of Luoyang was so blue that not a single cloud could be seen.
The warm sunlight shone on the snow-covered roof of the Nine Dragon Hall, melting crystal drops of water, dripping down from the corners of the eaves of the wind chimes, and knocking out the pattering light on the bright white marble floor tiles. ring.
Looking down from the high nine-story Danqi Qiongyu Terrace in the hall, the civil and military ministers of the Great Wei Dynasty, relatives of the clan, and envoys from various countries lined up in order, kneeling in a large area on the hall, all of them bent down intently. I prayed silently.
It was the first time in Sima Yi's life that he sat on the special seat on the brocade cushion on the right side of the dragon bed above the throne on the Danyu Terrace, and it was also the first time in his life that he was openly so close to His Majesty the Emperor in front of the subjects of the world.The seats between each other are only about five feet apart.All of this, as if a dream reappeared, reminded him of the Jian'an period of the previous dynasty. On the main hall of Weiyang Palace in Xudu, Cao Cao, with the honor of the prime minister and the nobility of the king of Wei, was also the tiger skin sitting on the right side of the throne of Han Xiandi Liu Xie. On the couch, arbitrators of state affairs in public.At that time, almost all eyes in the court were focused on Cao Cao, and Cao Cao also looked directly at the Han Xiandi who was sitting side by side with him like transparent air, listening to advice and accepting advice on his own. Give orders without hesitation.How carefree and free-spirited it is to look at oneself freely, play freely, laugh and scold freely, and reward and punish freely!And today, I have almost sat in the same position as him, so how should I behave?Over the past few decades, in order to get closer to the dragon seat step by step, he has tasted almost all the suffering, tiredness, grief, and pain one by one; He is also slowly savoring the eight handles of , abolishing and punishing.It is the supreme reverence overlooking the Kyushu, the only one who is the only one, the moment of life and death cannot be reversed, and the command of the moment is determined, and I can't blame the heroes such as Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Sun Quan, etc. for their efforts. Crawl before this dragon throne!As for myself, thanks to the shadow of my ancestors and the support of my father, brother and friends, I finally got close to it—I can reach it with my head bowed, only one step away!However, when Cao Cao sat in this position, he suddenly detonated a series of potential crises, but he must definitely learn from him!
As soon as he thought of this, he immediately gathered all his thoughts and sat on the brocade mat seat as firmly as a giant bell.When he was silent, his eyes slanted to the left: just to the left of the throne where the young emperor Cao Fang was sitting, there was also a brocade mat seat five feet away, another Gu Ming Assistant Minister, the new general Cao Shuang sat on it.It could be seen that Cao Shuang seemed very nervous, his chubby face was flushed red, and his hands were hanging down by his sides, tightly pinching the corner of his robe, as if he wanted to grab something to give him an invisible support.When Sima Yi saw it, he smiled secretly in his heart: After all, Cao Shuang's child is inexperienced, and he is crowned with a monkey, even if he is given a special seat on the throne, he seems to be on the verge of falling and can't calm down!
At this time, the jade bell rang "Dang", indicating that the auspicious time had come.Liu Suo, the supervisor of Zhongshu who was standing under the jade steps of the Danqi, walked slowly to the main hall, unfolded the imperial decree slowly, and read aloud:
The emperor's edict said, "I have inherited a great career with a humble body, and I am guilty of being alone, and I am accused by Mi.The Taiwei and the Great General were ordered by the first emperor to serve as assistants to me. The three lords and nine ministers and the ministers of all ministries should be loyal and dedicated to the prosperity of Wei.From today onwards, I will change the name of the year to "Zhengshi", to keep the integrity of the beginning and the goodness of the end forever.This!
As soon as he finished his words, all the ministers in the hall shouted in unison: "The ministers should be loyal and dedicated, do their best to do the king's affairs, and use the righteousness of the beginning to keep the goodness of the end forever!"
After Liu Fang rolled up the imperial edict, he glanced around the hall, and solemnly declared: "Please order the chief assistant minister, Sima Taiwei, to give instructions to all officials on behalf of the king!"
As soon as he said this, Huan Fan, Xia Houxuan, He Yan, Deng Yang, etc. who were kneeling down and kneeling down were all shocked: This Liu Fang carried Sima Yi out in public as soon as he opened his mouth. He won a "chess move first"!
But Sima Yi stroked his silver beard, leaned aside, and said politely to Cao Shuang who was opposite the throne: "General Cao Shuang is a close relative of Wei, please first give instructions to all officials on behalf of the king!"
Cao Shuang's face flushed with a "thump"—how did he know how to "represent the king and train the government" above the court?At that time, Liu Fang, the master of ceremonies, didn't give him any approval!How can he prepare for it?Therefore, Cao Shuang had no choice but to reply, "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!"
Cao Shuang himself said so, Sima Yi no longer refused, stood up slowly and stood on the right side of the jade platform of Danchi, his eyes poured down like a mighty stream, as if he was watching all the people below him, but he didn't seem to care about him. All the people below paid attention to it, and said in a deep and slow voice:
"My fellow colleagues, how can the old minister be so good? How dare he teach the government on behalf of the king? The old minister is here today, just to have a heart-to-heart talk with everyone. The old minister came back from the Liaodong rebellion a few days ago. The arrow wound he suffered while fighting against the traitor Gongsun—however, the veteran never thought that the late emperor would once again entrust himself with the task of taking care of his life and assisting the government when he was about to die! There are many opportunities? I only hope that all the lords here will "perform their duties and drive together" to jointly promote the great cause of our great Wei and all ages! And the only thing for the veterans who are relentless day and night is to inherit the Emperor Wu , Emperor Wen, and the late emperor’s behest, to use all the efforts of the whole life to combine the abilities of all the monarchs to clear up thousands of miles, to bring all the people in the world back to unity and to share peace!"
Hearing his generous and sincere words, Cui Lin, Jiang Ji, Gao Rou, Lu Yu, Wei Zhen, Sima Fu and other high-ranking ministers who were sitting on their knees were moved to the point of tears in their eyes.
"At the same time, the old minister hereby proposes: first, immediately stop all labor in Fanglinyuan, Bailiangtai, Zongzhangguan, etc., dismiss the farmers and women who have been conscripted from various places, and return to their hometowns to farm and weave and settle down to their own businesses. There should be no more disturbance;
"Secondly, Master Ma Jun, the master craftsman, took the lead to smash and melt the 'Bronze Man of the Sky' on the Bailiang Terrace, and use it to forge the arrowhead weapons of the three armies, and prepare for battle with all our strength;
"Thirdly, under the leadership of Da Si Nong Huan Fan, we will strive to raise six million shi of military rations within three months to pay for the destruction of Wu and Shu;
"Fourth, Sima Fu, Minister of the Minister, and She Weizhen, Minister of the Minister, are in charge. They widely issue clear orders to seek advice and talents, and collect various suggestions on military and national plans from various states and counties..."
While he was talking, suddenly he saw Huan Fan raised his right hand Yahu and shouted loudly: "Master Taiwei, wait a moment, you want me to raise six million shi of military rations within three months, it is really difficult to achieve! "
Huan Fan stepped forward and publicly interrupted Sima Yi's speech, which immediately caused a slight commotion in the court.
Hearing this, Sima Yi's expression froze slightly, and then his face became sinking and calm, and he stared at him quietly for a moment, his gaze piercing like a sharp sword: "Lord Huan, as far as I know: you The Department of Agriculture and Agriculture took all the surplus grain from the military colonies of the states to Taicang, and only allowed the localities to reserve two months of grain storage. Then, if you come to Taicang, there must be heaps of millet in the warehouse——I don’t ask you to pacify Wu But who is going to get the military rations for the battle of destroying Shu?"
Huan Fan also met his awe-inspiring gaze, without changing his face, and replied with respect but also firmness: "To my lord Taiwei, there are still eight or nine million stones in Taicang under the jurisdiction of my Da Si Nong." The accumulated grain is true, but it has two major uses - one is to prepare for natural disasters and catastrophes, and should not be transferred easily; the other is to be used exclusively for the imperial court to obtain titles and rewards. General Cao told this official yesterday , Now that the new emperor ascends the throne and starts reform with the people, he must increase the salaries of officials at all levels of the court by five shi per capita this year to show the mighty emperor's grace; Five shi of rice, the statistics mean that five million shi of grain must be paid out... You say, how dare my Taicang treasury send more of your army rations?"
"General Cao, did you decide earlier that you would give five shimi to the officials at all levels of the court this year as a token of your mighty grace?" Sima Yi understood what he heard, his eyes turned sharply, and he turned sideways to stare at himself. Cao Shuang on the left.
Cao Shuang was sweating profusely on his forehead, and his face was flushed with nervousness: "Master... Taiwei, this... about this matter, this general just had some initial...preliminary thoughts yesterday, just... So I had a chat with Dr. Huan first... Dr. Huan strongly agrees: donate food to the world and win the hearts of the people, why not do it?"
How smart is Sima Yi?He immediately guessed from Cao Shuang's faltering that this was Huan Fan's temporary move to prevent himself from carrying out the general strategy of pacifying Wu and destroying Shu, and made new achievements, and he also played "additional salary rice for hundreds of officials, announced The mighty emperor's grace" card, of course, I don't want to expose and reject it in public at this moment, so as not to arouse public grievances, so I pretended to be indifferent, nodded deeply and said: "General Cao and Huan Fan's move is indeed true. It is extremely sympathetic. Such a beautiful thing, I should also agree with it from the sidelines! Well, since the Taicang treasury is in an emergency this year, the collection of military rations will be postponed! But the Department of Agriculture must not slack off, We need to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, and store more grain and grass to lay a solid foundation for our great plan to flatten Wu and destroy Shu!"
When Sima Yi made such a statement, Huan Fan held up his wat and replied: "Your Excellency is indeed wise and decisive, and I will follow orders."
Cao Shuang wiped the sweat from his forehead secretly with his hand, and said repeatedly: "Not bad, not bad. Such a beautiful thing, can have the support of the Taiwei, and this general is also grateful on behalf of all the officials and soldiers in the world." endless..."
"This Sima Yi really doesn't take you seriously, big brother. Since he took office, he has given orders and bossed him around, as if he is the chief assistant! Big brother, little brother, I feel angry when I look at him!"
Back in the secret room of the Cao Mansion, Cao Xun yelled angrily at Cao Shuang as soon as he sat down.
Deng Yang also twirled his beard, and said darkly: "The general——Sima Yi is trying to seize the military and political power of the whole country secretly in the name of suppressing Wu and destroying Shu!"
Cao Shuang sat on the tiger-skin beard bed, with his arms crossed, his eyes squinting, and he glanced at them coldly: "This general has already seen his intentions... You two are just here for nothing." What's the use? We still have to come up with an effective way to contain him!"
Xia Houxuan straightened his clothes, and said deeply, "Uncle Zhao, at the ceremony of today's court meeting, thanks to Uncle Huan's scheming and adaptability, he seized the key of 'lack of military rations' and made a big fuss, so that his campaign of defeating Wu and destroying Shu was defeated." It has been postponed until next year... In the next eleven months, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief and curb Sima's limelight!"
The corners of Cao Xi's brows were clouded with sorrow: "Although I said that, but you and Sima Yi have just been working together in the government, and you have jealousy and fight with each other... I'm afraid it's not good?!"
"Young Master Xi, you are so kind!" At this time, He Yan, who had been slowly dusting off the corners of his white shirt, said gently, "General Cao, Yan has something to remind you: Sima Yi He has always had great ambitions and is deeply respected by everyone. If he succeeds in the long run, will it be the blessing of the Wei family? For him, we must never push him away!"
"This, the general knows well." Cao Shuang replied coldly.
Cao Xun rubbed his hands, shrugged his shoulders, leaned forward and said, "Brother! Didn't you see it? As soon as Sima Yi took power, he began to 'Guangshu pro-party' - he sent four or five consecutive shots yesterday. The imperial edict was dispatched eight hundred miles, recalling his in-law Weng Wang Su from the position of prefect of Guangping County to Luoyang as a commonplace, and transferred Meng Jian from Chongwen Temple to Yushitai to serve as the governor and servant of the censor. He ever brought back Chongwenguan from other counties to do the "taixue sacrificial wine", and transferred Hefei prefect Wang Guan from Dongjiang to Luoyang to serve as Duzhi Shangshu... It is said that he discussed with two old men, Sun Zi and Liu Fang He is going to put Sun Li in the office of the Great General as the chief historian! He... he is clearly planting 'eyeliner' around us! We can't just sit back and watch him weave a 'web of power' like this! !"
Cao Shuang's chubby face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost: "I think we should have countermeasures."
"That's right. Big brother, we can also 'treat him in the same way' - he is weaving a 'net of influence' loyal to his Sima family, and we have to weave a net: We should win over any old enemies of his Sima family! My younger brother heard that his father once said that the Ding clan in Guanzhong had a deep hatred with Sima Yi. The leaders of the Ding clan, Ding Yi and Ding Yi brothers, were killed by Sima Yi under Emperor Wen. In front of him, he died of slander and assassination...Now Ding Yi's cousin, Ding Mi, is already known as an "extraordinary talent" and has a feud with the Sima family, so he has nowhere to go—why not Recruit him to deal with Sima Yi together?"
"Ding Mi? Well... General, Deng has seen this man before. He is indeed a generation of resourceful geniuses! It was only because Emperor Wen left the edict of 'sealing the Ding family in Guanzhong' that he has not been able to Entering an official position... If the general can promote him and use his hands to deal with Sima Yi, this method is naturally ingenious and ingenious--Deng is deeply admired!" Deng Yang listened , and echoed Cao Xun beside him.
"Well... this matter, Brother Xun and Mr. Deng, you two should take care of it." Cao Shuang nodded.
"Of course recruiting a talent like Ding Mi to deal with Sima Yi is a brilliant move. We should also play tricks on the bright side, using the technique of 'repressing desires first' and 'rising brightly and descending secretly' to paralyze Sima Yi..." He Yan pinched his slender white fingers extremely hard for a while, until they turned black and blue, and then loosened his hands again, watching the suppressed blood slowly turn red like a dry river, It slowly melted into the snow-white, "General, you can present a memorial written in your own handwriting, requesting His Majesty to advance Sima Yi to be the Grand Tutor and Grand Sima's Grand Master, so that all the scholars and people in the world can see your respect for him." Admiration and respect... In this way, you have taken the initiative, and he, Sima Yi, can't be aggressive with you in public, right?"
"Jin made him Grand Tutor and Grand Sima's Grand Master? Isn't this going to elevate him even higher?" Cao Yan felt that He Yan's suggestion seemed a bit too humble at this time, and asked in surprise.
"Hey... What Tai Tuo and Da Sima are all things with false names and titles. They are just used to flatter him and show him a superficial favor. It's not a big deal! Anyway, he is already here. Nominally, he is the chief minister of Gu Ming, so why not put some tall hats on him and overwhelm his head?" He Yan said gloomily, "Let's restrain ourselves a bit first, and behave like a man with our tails tucked up, mostly at the bottom. Light a few fires on Sima's house to make their heads go crazy."
The minister's deceased father was true, and he served the three dynasties. He entered Beizhong Zai and left as a general.The first emperor used the heart and soul of his ministers, rewarded and promoted them, ordered troops to ban provinces, entered without loyalty and accumulation, and retreated without the festival of self-government.The first emperor's holy body was not hesitant. Although the ministers were running around and serving the sick to taste the medicine, they never responded with sincerity and sincerity.The minister heard that Yu and Shun ordered the virtuous, with Ji and Qi as the first, Chengtang to praise meritorious service, with Yi and Lu as the leaders, judge and select the best, and get what is good or bad. , Since ancient times, there has been no or no.Today's minister is vain and dark, he is the leader of the class, Gu Weiyue is the second, he is ashamed in the center, dares to use up his stupidity, and writes to the truth.The three masters of Dao in the world are called Virtue, Jue, and Teeth.Yi originally thought that he was brilliant and upright, he was in the position of superior, and he was famous for his foot township.Bao Huai Da Lue, Yun Wen Yun Wu, still standing for the meritorious service of conquest, far and wide, the second is also.Thousands of miles of rotating banners, personal acceptance of the edict, wings shining on the royal family, internal and external directions, three things.In addition, Qi Ai, Ji Gangbangguo, practiced government affairs; his morals surpassed Ji Fu and Fan Zhong, and his academic performance surpassed Fang Shu and Zhao Hu: all of these are both good and practical.If the subject stands shoulder to shoulder with empty fame, people in the world will say that the subject is selfish because of the clan, knowing it and then not knowing how to retreat.Your Majesty, Qi Yi, Ke Ming Ke class, if there are words from the inspectors, the ministers think that it is appropriate to use Yi as the Tai Tuo and Da Sima, to show His Majesty the wisdom of being a virtuous man, to show the reality of Yi's civil and martial arts, and to save the foolish ministers from slander.
Sima Zhao slowly read the memorial written by Cao Shuang to His Majesty sentence by sentence, and then put it on the table in front of Sima Yi.
"Zhaoer, what do you think of Cao Shuang's memorial?" Sima Yi stared at Sima Zhao with bright eyes.
"Father, is it possible that Cao Shuang is sincerely showing his affection to you?" Sima Zhao replied cautiously, "Maybe he is using this to test you, Father..."
Sima Yi stroked his long beard slowly, and said thoughtfully: "Recently, among the scholars in the capital, there has been a famous saying about Pinzao, 'We are deep, so we can understand the aspirations of the world. That’s right; it’s only a few things, so it can accomplish the world’s affairs, and Sima Ziyuan is the same; only gods, so it can come quickly without being too fast, and Uncle He Ping is the same.” It's a bit strange to compare it with my children."
"Father, my son has heard of this famous quote before. If my guess is not wrong, it is very likely that Xia Houxuan and He Yan made it up - on the one hand, it is used to pretend to be good, and to paralyze the vigilance of our Sima family. On the one hand, they use this to tout their own talents and virtuous prestige..." Sima Zhao's eyes sparkled, but his tone was extremely calm, "If they really have such sinister intentions, our Sima family will promptly guard against them. Prepare!"
After hearing his analysis, Sima Yi's eyes darkened: This Zhao'er really has extraordinary knowledge!I, Sima Yi, have a son like this, what regrets do my husband have?He calmly suppressed the excitement in his chest, and said calmly: "Zhaoer, what you said is indeed reasonable. However, in the face of Cao Shuang's autograph, how do you think a father should respond?" Woolen cloth?"
"This... Originally, father, you have nothing to do with the honor of the chief assistant of Gu Ming, and the two titles of Tai Tuo and Da Sima." Sima Zhao has always expressed his feelings directly in front of his father. When my father asked this question, he continued to follow his own train of thought and replied, "However, in my child's opinion, holding the titles of Taifu and Da Sima can no longer demonstrate your great achievements and virtues, my lord father." You might as well dismiss it for the time being, wait for a while, and see how Cao Shuang responds."
Sima Yi closed his eyes slightly, his heart was secretly moved, but he pretended to be ignorant, and slowly followed Sima Zhao's words: "Oh? Your opinion is that if Cao Shuang sends out any higher-level ones' 'gift', is it still acceptable for the father?"
"Well... from my child's point of view, Sun Zi, Liu Fang, Cui Lin, Gao Rou and other adults have been planning in advance to give you the honor of 'promoting the prime minister and adding gifts to Jiuxi'-if Cao Shuang can be here again... Add more strength from time to time, and you will be able to reach the peak naturally." Sima Zhao bowed and said in a low voice, with his forehead lowered so that Sima Yi could not see his expression.
Sima Yi didn't answer immediately, but picked up the copy of Cao Shuang's autograph on the case table, rubbed it repeatedly in his palm, and moved his eyes away from Sima Zhao's head, as if staring at some distant place, Said solemnly: "My father remembers that there was such a story, before Emperor Taizu Wu was promoted to the Duke of Wei and conferred gifts on Jiuxi, Emperor Wen Cao Pi tried his best to encourage his father to reach the pinnacle... On the surface, Cao Pi is Fulfilling filial piety to strive for glory for his father; however, in his private heart, Cao Pi used this as a means to compete with his third brother Cao Zhi in front of his father. As a result, Cao Cao took one step to ascend to the position of Duke Wei, although on the surface he has monopoly and glory Infinity, but from now on, you will be separated from the Ninth Five-Year Honor and the king's career, and it will never be settled!"
Hearing Sima Yi's words, Sima Zhao's whole body was suddenly shocked as if he had been shocked by an electric shock, his back immediately bent even lower, and cold sweat rolled down his forehead——Your Father is really amazing!The secret intention buried in the deepest part of his heart was also clearly and clearly understood by him!
Seeing his reaction, Sima Yi didn't want to push him too far, so he softened his tone and changed the subject: "That's all! The decision to be a father has been made, and to the greatest extent, I will only accept the position of Taifu that they persuaded. ... As a father, as the chief minister of Gu Ming, if you take the title of Taifu, you will be well-deserved and flawless. Then, Zhao Er, please help me to think about this issue carefully, because my father is being promoted to Taifu Afterwards, who will be the most suitable to take over the position of Taiwei vacated by my father? Zhaoer, I believe that you have always been considerate and thoughtful about the matter of being a father, so you should not hesitate to speak out Bar!"
When Sima Zhao heard his father suddenly change the subject, his frightened heart was finally relieved.He secretly licked his lips, sorted out the thoughts in his head, and replied cautiously: "My lord, in my child's opinion, in terms of qualifications and talents, the new captain should follow the example of Man Chong Dadu Du, Zhao Yu He was born among the three senior ministers, Yan Dajun and General Pei Qian."
Sima Yi nodded slowly, swung the corners of his clothes, and slowly stood up from the couch, with his hands behind his back, walked to the door of the secret room, and ordered outside: "Liang Ji, go to the housekeeper Jiang Yin, Niu Hengjun, General Niu Jin, Zi Yuan and the others called here, I have important matters to discuss."
Liang Ji, who was guarding the door of the secret room, answered, and the sound of footsteps flew away immediately.
"Then, Zhao'er, who among these three people do you think is most likely to take over the position of Taiwei?" Sima Yi continued the topic just now and asked Sima Zhao.
Sima Zhao pondered and replied: "My lord father, first of all, my son thinks this way - the position of Taiwei has a lot to do with it, and Cao Shuang and the others still have their hands in it. But the position of Taiwei is really not something that cannot be held by a highly respected person. Therefore, Cao Shuang and the others actually have no such candidate in their pockets. In this way, as long as your father nominates any one of these three important ministers, he will be promoted to Taiwei. Therefore, in this question In fact, you don’t have to worry about it getting out of our Sima family’s control. What I worry about is who should take over the vacant position left after they were promoted to Taiwei.”
"Hmm... Father is planning to promote the governor of Manda to Taiwei, but if he is transferred back to Luoyang, the position of 'Governor of Zhendong' will be vacant... According to father's Naturally, the grand plan of defeating Wu and destroying Shu should be to transfer a capable general to the Xuyang two prefectures. Pei Qian is a suitable candidate for the 'Governor of the East of the Town'..." Sima Yi had already planned and answered casually.
"However, Father, since Cao Shuang and the others gave you a step in the selection of the Taiwei, how could they give in to you in the aspect of the 'Governor of the East of the Town'? My child has doubts about this." There was a touch of worry on Sima Zhao's eyebrows.
Sima Yi looked up, passed over his head, and asked Sima Yin who happened to walk into the room: "What plans does Cao Shuang's residence have for the Dongjiang commander's residence?"
Sima Yin came in together with Niu Heng, Niu Jin, and Sima Shi. He just heard their question and answer, recalled slightly, and said: "Second Young Master expected it right—Cao Shuang has been thinking about Dongjiang Commander's Mansion. Take General Wang Ling from the position of Inspector of Yangzhou to replace the Governor, and let him take over as the Governor of Zhendong."
"Oh! That's right—Cao Shuang has been colluding secretly with Wang Ling." Sima Shi obviously understood the internal situation of the Dongjiang Commander's Mansion, and he also said it.
Sima Yin continued to report to Sima Yi: "Cao Shuang has always had a very good relationship with Wang Ling's nephew Linghuyu. It was through Linghuyu that he secretly connected with Wang Ling."
"Oh, so it is like this!" Sima Yi seemed to be thinking, and nodded slowly.
Master Sima's eyes shone coldly: "Father, Wang Ling was a wedge that Chen Jiao and Cao Shuang tried to push under the hands of the Manda Governor. Let's find a chance to pull him out completely." .”
Hearing what Master Sima said, Sima Zhao frowned, looked at him, and stopped talking.
"Why are you so ruthless and aggressive? Don't you know how much Wang Ling weighs? Don't act so rashly—how can you make him jump as soon as you come up?" Sima Yi glared. Master Sima glanced at him, and made him short, "With a father around, even if Wang Ling squeezes into the position of the governor of the east of the town, he won't be able to cause any trouble!"
Master Sima let out an "uh" and had no choice but to keep silent.
Sima Yi ignored him, and asked Sima Yin, Niu Heng, Niu Jin, Liang Ji, etc. to sit down on the right side seat, and asked Sima brothers to stand still in the room.He sat back on the couch, looked straight at Brother Sima, and said earnestly, "Shi'er, Zhao'er, I'm over 60 years old now as a father, and my energy is finally exhausted. You two see, Steward Yin and Uncle Niu , General Niu, Brother Liang, and the others have followed their fathers for decades, going through life and death, fighting east and west, almost all of them have frost on their temples, and they are getting old... Now, it's time for you two brothers to broaden your horizons and look for talents , I let go of my hands and feet to venture into the world. After all, you two brothers will be responsible for the huge foundation laid down for your father!"
After hearing this, Sima brothers hurriedly bowed down and replied solemnly: "Father's instructions, the children must follow them carefully."
Sima Yi nodded, and ordered solemnly: "Well, I will assign tasks to you and my brothers today as my father. Zhao'er, you are thoughtful, elegant and easy-going. From now on, you will follow Steward Yin , Uncle Niu Heng, learn how to deal with all kinds of secret affairs, hidden lines and other affairs of our Sima family. At the same time, on the bright side, you will come out of the big inner hub, and serve as a servant under Duzhi Shangshu Wang Guan, and learn the way of economics, military affairs and common affairs.
"Also, Zhao'er, you are in charge of communication with Pei Qian's son Pei Xiu, Man Chong's son Man Wei, Wang Chang's son Wang Hun, Jia Kui's son Jia Chong, and other family acquaintances. The friendship between the Sima family and these old friends has been passed down from generation to generation.
"In addition, you will come forward to win over those young celebrities who are socializing and traveling in Shanyang County. For these Qingliu celebrities, our Sima family must not follow their Cao family-the overlord is fierce, shouting and shouting. It is the best policy to be respectful and courteous, and to accept him personally. Do you know how much trouble the Taizhong officials Kong Rong and Yilang Niheng caused Cao Cao? The Sima family must take this lesson seriously. Learn! Remember—loving the people and being safe, loving scholars and being proud, will always be the wings of our Sima family to soar to the sky!"
Speaking of this, Sima Yi seemed to think of something again, and said slowly: "By the way, I heard that there is a top-notch young celebrity named Ruan Ji in the Zhulin Poetry Club of Shanyang County. Ruan Ji's father Ruan Yu At that time, he was also a noble and chaste man who disdained to submit to Cao Cao, who was an eunuch. He once hid in Funiu Mountain in order to avoid his conquest. At that time, Cao Cao sent people to set fire to the mountain to drive him away. , Only then did he find him. Ruan Yu had no choice but to go out of the mountain and work in the Cao Cao shogunate.
"But after he entered Cao's mansion, he drank and wrote poems all day long, and did not advise Cao Cao. Therefore, throughout his life, he can be regarded as a perfect man in the last generation of Han Dynasty. His son Ruan Ji now deliberately abdicated after Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty Is there no deep meaning in wandering around the feudal town of Shanyang County where he lives? Maybe he is nostalgic for the orthodoxy of the Han Dynasty in the past? Or maybe he wants to follow what his father did, wandering far away in the rivers and lakes, and stop thinking about The height of the Lang Temple? Zhao’er, you have to go and communicate with him! If our Sima family can absorb Ruan Ji into the government and turn it into their own, it will be better than Cao Cao’s indiscriminate killing of Kong Rong and Mi Heng. Some!"
"Yes! My child has remembered." Sima Zhao replied respectfully.
Sima Yi turned to Master Sima again and said: "Master, you should pay more attention to the important military and state affairs. From now on, you will follow Uncle Niu Jin and Brother Liang Ji to learn the key to using troops to conquer. For your father, you must look for opportunities Push you to an important position in the military, and let you secretly occupy the military fortress for our Sima family. Your specific task is to be responsible for the planning of the great cause of defeating Wu and Shu. You can join forces with Deng Ai, Zhou Tai, Zhuge Dan and other elites from poor families. Get in touch, respect them as teachers, and actively explore good strategies to pacify Wu and destroy Shu."
"Husband, have you really resolutely decided to give up this great opportunity to accept the support of the ministers and be promoted to the prime minister and give gifts to Jiuxi? Are you really willing to be a Taifu and stop?"
Zhang Chunhua pulled a felt blanket over Sima Yi's waist and legs, and gently kneaded the muscles of his legs through the felt blanket—even though it was the beginning of spring, winter was not far behind. In addition, Sima Yi's whole body was immersed in rainwater for about a month when he suppressed the rebellion in Liaodong last year, so his leg muscles suffered from frostbite, and he needed frequent hot compresses and massages to avoid stiffness and numbness.Naturally, Zhang Chunhua took on the responsibility of health care again.While kneading and massaging Sima Yi softly and warmly, she said slowly: "If this is the case, my husband, your great achievements in flattening the four thousand miles of Liaodong will be of no use at all... It's a pity for nothing... This is a great opportunity."
"Chunhua, this is not a good time to be promoted to the prime minister and give gifts to Jiuxi—you must be sober!" Sima Yi was leaning on the back of the couch and reading the memorials presented by various places, when he heard Zhang Chunhua's question, He raised his head and replied earnestly, "Nowadays, the young emperor is in power, and the government and the public are paying attention. If you don't know how to advance or retreat, and blindly go hunting for the honorable gift, you will be regarded as 'Cao Cao's rebirth' by the people of the Great Wei Dynasty, and you will become the target of all the people in the world. , How passive at that time! You may not be aware of the serious consequences of taking this step for your husband! My husband knows that Cao Cao was promoted to prime minister and gifted Jiuxi in a moment of enthusiasm before he became a Han Dynasty loyalist Public Enemy! Weifu will never repeat his mistakes!"
"Husband, you are really used to being a minister. Today, you have ascended to the position of the head of the hundred officials and the elder of Gu Ming in one step, but you are still so cautious!" Zhang Chunhua smiled lightly and punched him on the leg , "You -- you are a life of hard work and life of a courtier who has worked hard for others all his life!"
Sima Yi gave her a white look: "What's the matter with the life of labor and the life of ministers? Isn't Zhou Wen Wang Jichang also a life of labor and life of ministers all his life? But his son became the king of the Great Zhou Dynasty! Moreover, he himself was enshrined I have enjoyed the admiration of the people for eight hundred years in the Taimiao!"
The crow's feet in the corners of Zhang Chunhua's eyes can't be seen from the smile: "Didn't my husband take Han Gaozu and Qin Shihuang as his lifelong role models when he was young? Now that he is old, he wants to be King Wen of Zhou again!"
"Didn't Cao Cao also want to call himself King Wen of Zhou before he was alive? However, according to my husband, he failed as King Wen of Zhou in the end!" Sima Yi sighed leisurely, "Madam, to tell you the truth, since my husband was After being appointed as the chief minister of Gu Ming, Cao Cao has always been used as a guide. Cao Cao really started to end after he was promoted to prime minister and monopolized power in the thirteenth year of Jian'an in the previous dynasty...Of course, he also had unavoidable difficulties The reason why he seems so eager for quick success and quick success is because he realizes that no one of his sons can inherit his Cao family's dominance, so he can only take risks and try to rule the world as King Wen of Zhou in his lifetime. Handed over to his son. However, he failed in the end."
"That's right! Cao Cao's King Wen of Zhou is quite qualified himself—two-thirds of the world." Zhang Chunhua said deeply, "Unfortunately, his son is not King Wu of Zhou who can carry forward his father's career!"
Sima Yi nodded slowly, looked at Zhang Chunhua and said: "Ma'am, you are right, the key to my Sima family being better than his Cao family is here: Thank you, Madam, for helping me educate my husband Ziyuan and Zishang." These two sons are enough to inherit the great achievements of our Sima family. Therefore, as a husband, you can safely become King Wen of Zhou, and Ziyuan and Zishang can also be King Wu of Zhou in the future... Cao Cao wants to learn from King Wen of Zhou. There is no successor, but as a husband, I will definitely become King Wen of Zhou and celebrate the descendants of Kun!"
Zhang Chunhua's eyes slowly turned red, and he said with tears in his eyes: "For thirty years, my husband has overcome difficulties and expanded the territory for the Cao family, but today he is still resigned to the position of Taifu and insists on being humble. He Cao Mengde has the patience to do this." Got it? Cao Mengde has been working hard for the Han court for more than ten years, and he can't wait to abolish the three princes and become the only prime minister. People can see through his intentions at a glance. Thinking about it now, it is so shallow!"
"His superficiality finally made him pay a heavy price!" Sima Yi replied slowly, but his thoughts were relaxed: After Cao Cao was promoted to prime minister and monopolized power, his ambition to usurp the Han and stand on his own was fully exposed. Therefore, it immediately attracted the open attacks and plots of loyal and loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty, such as Xun Yu, Xun Lingjun, Yang Biao, Yang Taiwei, Wang Lang Wang Situ, Taizhong doctor Kong Rong, and finally failed to settle the world and achieve great achievements amidst many constraints. .那么，反观自照，而今自己成为顾命首辅大臣之后，又会面临什么样的敌手呢？现在看来，应该就是桓范、曹爽、夏侯玄、何晏等这一帮人。不过，对付他们这一帮人，司马懿早是胸中有数：桓范虽有智谋，但他素来清高孤直，所以他远远不及荀令君那般广结人心、一呼百应；曹爽、夏侯玄、何晏等虽是年富力强，然而个个德浅才薄，在朝野上下威望颇低，在儒林名门之中更是没有什么号召之力了。因此，司马懿暗暗庆幸自己成为“周文王”时所面临的阻力应该比曹操那时小得多。
然而，自己真的就可以安枕无忧了吗？司马懿从来不会这么盲目乐观。他倏地又忆起了什么，转头向张春华问道：“夫人，为夫听说关中丁氏一门的新秀丁谧日前竟被邓飏破格提拔为尚书台秘书郎了？这其中有什么蹊跷吗？”
“唉……丁谧这个人也是个铁脑筋，这些年来妾身让寅管家通过各种关系、各种手段前去拉拢于他，他都是不为所动，一心仇恨我司马家而始终难消其意。”张春华沉沉而叹，“夫君你还是心太软，直说'人才难得'，硬是不让我们斩草除根——现在好了，他终于被搞到曹爽、夏侯玄那一帮人当中去了，终于找到机会与我们司马家为难了。”
“夫人你错了——为夫其实从心底里就是一直暗暗盼望着这一天呢！”司马懿没有答话，只是将自己骨节铮铮的双掌捏得像爆栗似的一阵阵脆响：你哪里懂得——为夫这一生当中若是缺了一些像他这样的厉害敌手，岂不是实在过得太没趣、太乏味了？留着丁谧他们，锻炼一下自己的筋骨身手也好！这样，才会刺激起自己蓬勃旺盛的斗志和能量，而不致让自己老得太快！
关心朝局变动的，其实并不是只有司马氏和魏室宿旧亲贵这两派。就在洛阳西坊钟府的后院密室之中，钟毓兄弟二人紧闭房门，正在窃窃私议着。
“真想不到，司马懿也升任了父亲大人当年所居的太傅之位！”钟毓向弟弟钟会幽幽地叹道，“父亲大人生前给我们讲的预言果然一一实现了。这司马懿几乎拥有了当年太祖武皇帝曹操生前所拥有的一切——总揽万机、统领军政、享受入朝不趋、赞拜不名、剑履上殿的殊礼，他分明已经是我大魏朝'不是丞相的丞相'了！”
“是啊！伴随着司马氏的势力在朝中异峰突起，”钟会慢悠悠地问道，“大哥您不觉得这眼下的朝局与昔日汉魏易代之际相比，其实何其相仿也？您现在对此可已想好了对策么？”
钟毓双眉一垂，沉下了脸，低低说道：“我钟氏一族在大魏也算是享尽了荣华富贵，正所谓'乘人之车者载人之患，衣人之衣者怀人之忧，食人之食者死人之事'——当此朝局潜变之际，我钟氏一族难道还有其他的选择吗？”
“大哥，你错了。其实，我钟家还是有其他选择的。”钟会用手指在面前的桌几板上“笃笃”地点了几点，“这些年来，父亲大人早在生前就替我们钟家一心一意经营好了与司马家、曹家的关系……难道大哥您没看出来——现在咱们钟家正巧处在一个'左右逢源'的超然位置之上？！”
“可是司马氏以卑抗尊、以臣犯君、以下压上，这简直是在'逆流行舟'啊！追随他们司马氏，未免风险太大！”钟毓仍是双眉紧皱，忧郁而答。
钟会见钟毓的口气终于松动了一些，就继续娓娓讲道：“大哥，父亲大人生前曾经讲过，他毕生之中最为佩服的，唯有三人而已。这三个人一为大汉敬侯荀彧，他善于以德服人而人不忍犯；二为太祖武皇帝曹操，他善于以威服人而人不敢犯；三为司马懿，他善于以智服人而人不能犯。如今，人不忍犯的荀令君、人不敢犯的太祖武皇帝都已经去世了，普天之下又还有谁会是人不能犯的司马太傅的敌手？连西蜀名相诸葛亮尚且被他拖死于国门之外，他还有什么难关闯不过去的？”
钟毓的眼珠飞快地转了几转：“你就这么肯定他司马懿是将来这个天下最后的大赢家？”
“这个自然是一定的。”钟会直视着他郑重地点了点头，从衣袖中取出一幅绢帛在桌几面上铺展开，对钟毓说道，“大哥，您看，这是小弟这些年来暗暗搜集记录的一些朝政大事。”
钟毓探头过去一看，只见那绢幅之上，写着的其实是一段简明的编年史，其内容为：
前朝建安二十五年春，太祖武皇帝驾崩时，司马懿任丞相府主簿、军司马及魏国太子少傅；
大魏黄初元年，文皇帝即位之初，司马懿任侍中兼尚书仆射；
黄初七年五月，司马懿受文皇帝遗诏，为顾命辅政大臣，任抚军大将军、镇南大都督；
太和元年，明帝即位之初，司马懿任御史中丞、骠骑大将军、假黄钺；
太和三年，司马懿兼领镇东大都督；
太和五年三月，司马懿调任征西大都督，击退诸葛亮后升为大将军，与天子分陕而治；
景初二年，司马懿出任太尉，总揽举国兵权，率师平定辽东；
正始元年，司马懿再受明帝遗诏，为顾命首辅大臣，并拥握“持节、都督中外诸军、录尚书事”等军政实权；
...
这张绢帛上面并没有多写什么，只是就这样简明扼要地记录着一段段史实。但它字里行间，却明确无误地暗示出了司马懿是如何一步一步登上今天这个“无冕之王”的宝座的。
“会弟，你……”钟毓正自惊诧之际，钟会却将那绢幅轻轻翻了过来，指着它的背面，轻轻又道：“大哥，您再瞧一瞧这一面的内容。”
钟毓应声定睛看去，只见这绢幅的背面记录着这些内容：
司马懿之三弟司马孚现任尚书令之职，执掌军国机务。司马孚之子司马望现任平阳郡太守；
司马懿之堂弟司马芝现任河南尹，镇抚京师。司马芝之子司马岐现任河南府主簿兼洛阳令；
司马懿之四弟司马馗现任兖州别驾兼鲁国相；
司马懿之五弟司马恂现任鸿胪丞；
司马懿之六弟司马进现任典农中郎将兼关内侯；
司马懿之七弟司马通现任司隶从事兼安城亭侯；
司马懿之长子司马师现任散骑常侍，次子司马昭由大内首席议郎调任度支侍郎；
司马懿之亲家翁满宠现任镇东大都督，即将升为太尉，他另一个亲家翁王肃现任太常；
司马懿之旧友裴潜任镇北将军；司马懿之僚属王昶任镇南将军；司马懿之幕府军师赵俨任平西将军；司马懿之世交崔林任司徒；司马懿之好友卢毓任吏部尚书；司马懿之干将王观任度支尚书；司马懿之老友高柔任廷尉；荆、豫、徐、扬、雍、凉、幽、冀、兖、青等十州郡将校守令十之七八出自司马懿之门生故吏，其中尤以征蜀将军邓艾、荆州刺史州泰、徐州刺史诸葛诞等三人最为杰出；
...
一见之下，钟毓不禁暗暗咋舌：原来司马氏一族的势力网络竟是如此宽阔而又密实！满朝上下、各地要津，都有他们的身影存在！
他喃喃地自语道：“这……这……这也太匪夷所思了！他……他们司马家'偷天换日'的勃勃野心最终一定能够实现吗？”
“这还用多说吗？”钟会慢慢将这张绢幅用心地卷好，沉声而道，“司马懿不仅自身才能卓异，他的兄弟亲戚、故交朋友、门生僚属，哪一个不是一等一的人才？单是那司马师、司马昭两兄弟的能力，依小弟看来，就远超曹爽、夏侯玄之上了！”
钟毓颓然坐倒在席位之上，深深叹道：“这……这不是王莽重生、董卓再世之凶象么？”
“司马懿哪里是王莽、董卓之流所能比拟的？”钟会冷冷一笑，“他这一生文治武功的造诣至少不在太祖魏武帝曹操之下……啊！能够与他生在同一时代而又可以定睛旁观他在改朝换代之际编出来的精彩大戏，并从中借鉴学习，小弟实在是太兴奋了！”
“会弟，你……你……你这话是什么意思？”钟毓讶然而问。
钟会自知刚才有些失态，急忙心神一敛，把话题移了开去：“父亲大人当年真是太傻了，一直默默地甘心为他人忙碌。”
同时，他心底却暗暗想道：我钟会在这当今朝局变荡之际，自然也是要效仿他司马懿当年的手法，“己欲立而先立人，己欲达而先达人”，依附在他司马家的身上同步壮大自己……我就是要押上自己的一切狠狠地赌上这一把，赌的就是自己能不能成“第二个司马懿”！
江南的春天自然是比北方中原来得要快一些。这才刚过二月，五千里长江两岸流域就已是春暖花开、莺歌燕舞，处处洋溢着一派安定祥和的气氛。
然而，吴国国主孙权的心情却丝毫看不出轻松愉悦的迹象。他从建业城皇宫内高高的“望北阁”上望出去，紧紧地拧着两道浓眉：“短短的这一年间，想不到公孙渊这么快就灭亡了，伪帝曹叡这么快就毙命了，而司马懿也是这么快就身登伪魏首辅之位、执掌了伪魏的军政大权了！听说这司马懿在扶持伪幼帝曹芳登基之日，便向文武群臣发出了'平吴灭蜀、一统六合'之号召……唉！我大吴又将进入多事之秋了！”
侍立在他身后的陆逊、顾雍、全琮、诸葛恪、孙峻等诸臣亦是一个个愁眉苦脸、忧心忡忡的样子。
“伯言，依卿之见，我大吴应当如何作好准备以抗魏贼的猖狂来犯？”孙权踌躇了片刻，终于还是点名向陆逊直接提问。
陆逊脸上愁云一敛，露出深思沉吟之色来，过了一会儿，才出列肃然奏道：“陛下能够未雨绸缪、先天下之忧而忧，老臣钦服。依老臣之见，当今之势，司马懿在伪魏掌兵执政，而我大吴之患亦确是将会尤深于伪帝曹叡在世之时！司马懿乃诡诈叵测、机深谋远之枭贼，其才不在当年曹操之下，我大吴万万不可等闲视之！
“在老臣看来，目前的上上之计，是唯有与西蜀再结盟议，东西呼应，掎角并进，迫使伪魏左右不能兼顾，从气势上先行压倒伪魏君臣，如此方能'反客为主、以攻为守'，保得大吴基业磐固；
“中策，则是敛兵固守长沙、武昌、皖城、东关、建业等五处沿江要塞，广积粮、多修船、常练军，做到'左右联手、此呼彼应'，不让魏贼的势力圈扩张到长江北岸二百里疆幅之内……”
“好了，朕只要听取和择断你这上策和中策就行了——朕不要听你的什么'下策'。”孙权忽地开口打断了陆逊的奏言，一边踱着圈子，一边微微沉吟起来，“如今西蜀诸葛亮已亡，刘禅他还有什么雄心壮志欲和我大吴一齐出兵共割伪魏吗？伯言，你的上上之策未免有些太'一厢情愿'了！倒是你的这条中策，来得不缓不急、不虚不浮，朕以为可以及时采纳。
“但朕亦要稍作修改：长沙、武昌两大重镇由伯言你在西面严加把守；皖城、东关两处长江中段要塞，便由诸葛恪、全琮联手据守；东面的建业京都，自是由朕在此亲临坐镇——待到粮足械备之后，我大吴再三路并进，一齐北上讨伐伪魏！”
这时，顾雍却上前一步，躬身谦谦然奏道：“陛下，您这一番决策有攻有守、刚柔兼备，实在英明睿智，老臣深为折服。但是，当今形势之下，老臣愚意以为我大吴雄师尚未到三路并进、大举北伐之时，不可轻易冒进。
“请陛下深加详思，如今伪魏宿贵后裔曹爽正与司马懿并肩辅政，但曹爽以魏室肺腑之亲而暴贵，司马懿以异姓元老大臣而权重，两人岂能同床而又同梦乎？倘若我大吴雄师北上急于进击、威震中原，他俩势必因避共同之害而不得不一致对外、联手合力，则我军难以得志矣！倘若我大吴雄师缓于躁进、持重不发，如此一来，在外患不紧的情形之下，他俩说不定就会因为意念不一，争权夺利而自相残杀，两败俱伤。则我军自可坐收渔利矣！”
他话一讲完，陆逊便面露喜色，拱手赞同而道：“陛下！顾丞相此言实乃老成谋国之策，老臣恳请陛下嘉纳之！”
孙权听了，深深的眸光往陆逊脸上一横，又收转回来在顾雍脸上一划，唇角透出一丝莫名的笑意来：“陆爱卿、顾丞相，你俩倒是此唱彼和，左呼右应，心有灵犀，默契之极啊！你俩都这么说了，朕若不同意你俩共同提出的高明建议，那朕岂不是成了一个不知裁断的昏君了？一切就照着你俩的意见去做吧！”
顾雍、陆逊听着他这话，各自心底里都不禁掠过了一丝隐隐的尴尬与不适，互相侧头对视了一眼，彼此的目光里尽是深深的苦笑。
送走了陆逊、顾雍、诸葛恪、全琮之后，孙权让孙峻单独留了下来。
“你埋设在伪魏境内的细作和暗线可有什么新的情报送将回来了？”
“据微臣埋设在伪魏境内的细作送讯回禀，司马懿因今年南犯之际军粮不足，已经暂缓对吴用兵，大约在明年才会举兵来犯。”
“唔……这可太好了！咱们又可以争取到一年的时间来积粮备械，坚守自固了！”孙权听到这个消息之后，心头顿时一松，但他暗一转念，又向孙峻吩咐道，“你刚才做得很好。这个消息暂时不要向任何第三者泄露，以免泄了他们的锐气。
“从今以后，你就让校事府的那些眼线们紧紧盯住陆逊、顾雍、朱然等元老重臣。他们若是稍有不轨之迹，便速来奏报。”
“是。微臣遵旨。”孙峻一脸的谦恭，躬身而答。
孙权直盯着他的背影从阁中慢慢退出，心底却暗暗地想，朕绝对不能让朕的大吴朝中也出现一个“司马懿”式的权臣！这才是朕目前最应关心的问题！对了，司马懿就是在当年魏宫曹丕、曹植兄弟的立嗣之争中渔翁得利的！我大吴也绝不能让司马懿一样的阴枭之才插手到宫闱之争中来！不过，近来校事们来报，那陆逊与朕的太子孙和（原吴国太子孙登已经病亡，孙权的爱子孙和接任了太子之位）信来函往异常频繁，而且他俩之间的关系亦是异乎寻常地热络，孙和的太子太傅吾粲还邀请陆逊到东宫为群僚授课。难道这个陆逊已经准备要在朕万年之后操控和儿了？no!朕得要给和儿扶持起一个宗室藩王来替他制衡这些异姓大臣们。依朕看来，和儿的同母胞弟霸儿就颇有些才干，若是由他成长起来以宗室至亲的身份来辅佐和儿自然是最好不过了！朕明天便亲笔下诏，晋封孙霸为鲁王，允许他开府建牙，培植羽翼，有足够的力量可以与陆逊、顾雍等异姓大臣们公开抗衡……