Chapter 24 3. Mastering time affairs

"Father, Brother Zhao wrote an urgent letter." Sima Shi handed a letter to Sima Yi, but his face couldn't help showing joy, "The letter said that he made great contributions to eradicating Guo's rebellious party in the court battle. , was promoted by the emperor to be the general of the middle base - at the age of just twenty years old, he was among the dignitaries of the first rank in this dynasty, this can be regarded as setting an unprecedented precedent! The boy is really a sign Brother is happy!" Sima Yi's face was as still as water, he didn't say a word, he just quietly looked at the letter from Sima Zhao by the dim candlelight in the tent.After reading the letter, he slowly closed his eyes, and sat motionless on the chair as if in meditation.Master Sima knew that his father was thinking about something again, so he kept his mouth shut and stood there in awe, waiting for his father to speak.

After a long time, Sima Yi slowly opened his eyes, and his gaze was fixed on the far, far ahead, as if he had penetrated all the space until he saw into the city of Luoyang and the depths of the palace thousands of miles away.He sighed deeply, and ordered in a low voice: "Master, you go down later and write a letter to tell your younger brother Zhao, let him see the Holy Majesty as soon as possible, in front of all the elders and ministers, no matter what Resign the position of the middle base general desperately - just tell him that this is the meaning of the father, and let him do it!"

"Why?" Master Sima was puzzled when he heard this, "This is Zhaodi's fame earned by working so hard! How could father ask him to resign on his own?" Sima Yi turned his head, looked straight at Master Sima's face coldly, and said slowly: "Master! Does the mere position of 'General of Center Base' make you dizzy? Everyone must have self-knowledge! On this point, whether it is you, Zhaoer, or father, you must learn from Taizu Wei Wudi!" He paused for a while, and seeing the puzzlement on Master Sima's face, he continued: " About 12 years ago, it was still the 24th year of Jian'an, Taizu Wei Wudi embraced the gift of nine tins and became the king of Wei. Liu Xie is under his control. As a powerful minister, he has everything an emperor can have, only a crown has not been worn on his head. That is, in that year, Sun Quan of Soochow wrote a letter expressing his willingness Bow your head and profess your allegiance, and respect Taizu Wei Wudi as the lord of the world..."

"Sun Quan? He...he once voluntarily bowed his head and surrendered to our great Wei?" Master Sima was taken aback, "It seems that he still bowed his knees and became a minister out of fear of the great ancestor Wei Wu..." "Hmph! It's a common man's opinion!" Sima Yi couldn't help sneering, "You think that Sun Quan, as a hero of a generation, can be figured out by you so easily, then you are hopelessly wrong! In reality, at that time too After Emperor Wei Wudi read Sun Quan's letter of persuasion word for word, he just sneered: This kid wants to push the old man to the fire! So he tore up Sun Quan's letter of persuasion, and passed away as a courtier all his life and go."

Speaking of this, Sima Yi glanced at Master Sima, and said coldly: "Now do you understand the meaning of the story I told my father? The throne of the Son of Heaven, what a tempting throne! The Emperor Taizu Wei Wudi's Tianzong Xiongcai, sitting on that throne is completely well-deserved, so why not? However, he turned down this huge temptation! Tell me, why is he doing this?" Master Sima blushed, he couldn't help lowering his head, and muttered: "Father, I know I was wrong. Father often teaches the child to carefully learn the skills of judging the situation and knowing people and things, but the child forgets when things come to an end! The child thinks that Taizu The reason why Emperor Wu of Wei did not proclaim himself emperor on behalf of the Han Dynasty until his death was that the general trend and the timing had not yet come, so he suppressed his ambition and always guarded himself with the integrity of his ministers. Moreover, if Emperor Taizu Wei Wu proclaimed himself emperor according to Sun Quan's words, It will surely become the target of all the people in the world, and they will attack them in groups and force them from all directions. If they sit on the fire, they will not be able to rest for a moment! Then, Sun Quan's sweet-spoken letter to persuade his ministers to enter the table became the reminder of Taizu Wei Wudi !"

Sima Yi listened carefully to every word he said, then nodded, stroked his long beard on his chest, and sighed leisurely: "Now, the emperor has granted Zhao'er the position of general of the middle base by an imperial decree. Push him into the fire too? "Youth success, suddenly ascend to the important position", everyone is afraid of it, it is not a good thing! "The "Book of Changes" is right, 'Heaven is full of benefits and modest, tunnels are full of prosperity and flow is modest, ghosts and gods are harmful and full of blessings, and human nature is evil and full of love and modesty.' Zhao'er only needs to resign as the general of the middle base. Blindly retreating and guarding yourself, not only gaining the favor of the emperor, but also gaining the respect of his colleagues, given time, he will definitely accomplish a lot, so why bother with fame and fortune at this moment?"

After hearing this, Master Sima couldn't help but be impressed by his father's foresight and sagacity. He bowed and said, "Father's words are very true. After my son returns to the camp later, he will follow what his father said and persuade Brother Zhao to resign as the general of the middle base." " Sima Yi said "Yes", then sighed with relief, and his face became a little more relaxed.He pondered for a moment, then put the letter from Sima Zhao on the candle and lit it, letting it burn slowly.The ashes of the letter dissipated in the night wind, but two gloomy flames ignited in his deep pupils.This flame is fleeting as soon as it shines, and it is deeply buried in his heart, buried in the deepest part of his heart, silently brewing, waiting for the right opportunity, and one day it will burst out like a raging fire and devour the entire world!

"Father..." Seeing Sima Yi's unusual behavior, Master Sima couldn't help but bewildered.But Sima Yi waved his hand to him, pointed to a few wooden boxes in the corner of the camp, and said: "Call some trusted soldiers over tomorrow morning, and transport these wooden boxes to the capital for them to go to." Send them to the mansions of Taifu Zhong, Doctor Dong, Wang Situ, Lord Sun, and Lord Liu—just say that this is a little care for my father, please accept it." Master Sima blushed, hesitated for a moment, and couldn't help but said: "Father... don't we feel a little wronged by us doing this? My son has never heard of someone like father who would use himself to run business smoothly." Handling personal wealth up and down..."

"That's right! Doing this for your father is indeed a bit ambiguous." Sima Yi smiled slightly, "Master, the distinction between righteousness and benefit is certainly a virtue, and integrity is also the foundation of being an official. All of this is right—— —But in the officialdom, human relationships and harmony in the world should not be ignored!" Sima Shi's face was serious, but he didn't answer.Sima Yi knew that he hadn't figured it out for a while, so he smiled and said: "Do you know why Zhong Taifu, Dong Dafu, Wang Situ and other veterans and important officials insisted on not being bewitched by Chen Qun and Hua Xin, and gave their full support from the beginning to the end? Is it a strategy against Shu for the father not to fight but to subdue the enemy's soldiers?"

"Because my father's strategy of 'subduing the enemy without fighting' is absolutely correct and unquestionable..." Sima Shi replied firmly, "All the people of insight in the court will not They were deceived by Chen Qun, Hua Xin and others." "Master, you are saying 'you only know one, but not the other'!" Sima Yi smiled and shook his head, with an inscrutable expression on his face, "Do you know that Taifu Zhong has four thousand families in the Guanzhong area? Among the households conferred by the imperial court, Dafu Dong has 3,500 households near Chang’an City, and Wang Situ also has 3,500 households in Yongzhou... Each of these lords has hundreds of people. These households bestowed by the emperor provide food, rice, money and labor to support their families! If the war in Guanzhong is tight, every minister’s household in Guanzhong will be allocated money, food and labor to the front of the war—several For the past few years, Cao Zhen has been fighting against Shu Xing soldiers every day, and the troubles have already caused everyone in these adults' families to live in peace! If we continue to fight the war like before, I am afraid that each of the hundreds of members of each of the adults will really go to the Northwest. The wind is blowing! So when my father proposed the strategy of "surrendering the enemy without fighting", they were like farmers in a severe drought who were happy with the rain, so why didn't they support it with all their strength? Think about it. Fighting, while using a strong wall to clear the field and stick to the danger to drag down the Shu bandits-this will not touch and damage the private interests of your lords in the Guanzhong area, and you can subdue the soldiers of Shu without fighting, which is good for the country and the people, public and private One action serves multiple purposes'. The adults naturally fully support being a father and have never been moved by Chen Qun, Hua Xin and others!"

Sima Shi listened carefully to his father's words, and couldn't help standing on the spot, his face changed a few times, and after a while, he murmured to himself: "I really didn't expect...it turned out to be like this..." Sima Yi stood up slowly , approached Master Sima, stood still in front of him, hesitated to speak several times, and finally said: "Master, do you feel a little unclear? In this world, you advance and retreat, and you win." I bear, you prosper and I decline, you honor and I humiliate, you honor and I despise, it is nothing more than showing their skills in the four words 'reason, power, way, and benefit'. These four words are used with experience. There is power, there is root and end, there is light and weight, there is delay and there is urgency. The world is so big, and the Tao is so deep, you and I live in the world, how can we use a frame to surround ourselves? It seems that tonight is the time for the father to ask It's time for you to talk about some of the things you should hear most in your life! I hope you can listen carefully." Master Sima came back from his trance, straightened his face quickly, calmed down, stood up in awe, and said, "Father, please speak, and my son will listen carefully." Sima Yi was somewhat satisfied with his serious attitude. Nodding his head in approval, he said slowly, "Master, do you know why this Western Expedition is going so hard for my father to seek the power of the commander in this pass?" "Didn't my father often say that a man was born in troubled times, and the only way to realize his ambition of helping the world, the people and the world is to become a great weapon, hold great power, and be successful in great tasks? The post of commander in chief of Guanzhong is in charge of the military power of half of our great Wei Dynasty. , How could it fall into the hands of others?" Sima Shi said respectfully, "Everything my father taught, I have always kept in mind." Sima Yi listened quietly, without answering immediately.He has indeed told Brother Sima many times what he said.And although these words seem simple, they are indeed his conclusions from his personal experience.Sima Yi remembered that he moved eastward and westward with his father and brother to avoid wars since he was young and sensible, and witnessed the tragic scenes of warlords fighting in various parts of the Central Plains and people living in dire straits.It is really a plain of thousands of miles, with bones everywhere, the city walls are all in ruins, the people are trapped in ravines, orphans and children are crying and wandering, it makes people feel sore!Under the guidance of his father and brother, Sima Yi, who was obsessed with Confucianism, spontaneously developed a feeling of "sorrow for the hardships of the people's lives, and often danced with swords". Through ancient and modern times, he has mastered hundreds of schools of art, cultivated into extraordinary talents in order to turn the chaotic world back to peace, and save the people from the fire and water.Later, the fate of two people affected his view of saving the world: one was Guan Ning, a high official in Liaodong, who was famous for transforming people with virtue and attracting people to good deeds; At the beginning, he assisted Cao Cao, swept away the filth, helped the Han Dynasty, and made great achievements for thousands of years.In Sima Yi's eyes, they possess great talents and virtues, and they should be qualified for the "great cause of heaven" to bring order out of chaos and help the world and the people, so that they will be praised by all people and leave a good name in the annals of history.However, due to lack of power and power, although Guan Ning is virtuous, but his benevolence is limited to the neighbors, and cannot change the tragic situation of people in the world suffering from hunger, cold and homelessness; , although Xun Yu has great ambitions and talents, but he can't turn the Han Dynasty into a general, curb Cao Cao's conspiracy, and he himself is forced to die in sorrow and anger.Because of this, Sima Yi persistently believes that only by becoming a great weapon, mastering great power, and being competent for great responsibilities, is the only way to realize his ambition of helping the world and the people and the world, otherwise everything is empty talk and fantasy! After being silent for a while, Sima Yi stared at Master Sima, and said with a slight smile: "In terms of general principles, Master's answer is considered correct, but there are still some imperfections. When an army of 200,000 fought against Wu, wouldn’t it also be able to “take power and win great responsibilities”? Why did my father have to come to this bitter cold place in the northwest to compete with Zhuge Liang?” He paused for a moment when he said this, Seeing Sima Shi's expression was a bit bewildered, he said again: "It's like this: the reef rises because of the ebb and flow of the tide, and the boat rises because of the rise of the water. The success of every hero is to stand on the shoulders of a strong enemy. At that time, Emperor Taizu Wei Wudi defeated Yuan Shao in the battle of Guandu, and he jumped up to become the overlord of the Central Plains that everyone expected; Zhou Yu of Soochow also set fire to the chain boat in Chibi, driving away Emperor Wei Wu, the great ancestor, was so powerful that he became the number one wise general in the Wu Kingdom... and since his father took charge of the army, although he has fought a few tricks with Wu Shuai Lu Xun and Zhuge Jin, Wu Kou has always retreated to the south of the Yangtze River to protect himself. However, he was not aggressive enough, fighting with them for his father was very tedious, and he had a lot of small victories and small profits, but he still failed to show his strengths, gain a great reputation, and become famous all over the world! "Looking around in the universe, only Zhuge Liang, Prime Minister of Shu, has enjoyed a high reputation for a long time. All the officials in the court respect him very much, and he is worthy of being my father's enemy. Moreover, Zhuge Liang is unwilling to guard Hanzhong, and always wants to show off his might to attack our great Wei! If your father With him as an opponent, the fight will naturally be brilliant and breathtaking. If you win against him, you will become a father and become famous all over the world... This will greatly benefit the prestige and status of our Sima family. Therefore For my father, I have tried everything possible to get the right to be the commander-in-chief of Guanzhong, and to make contributions to the northwest border! Do you understand?" Master Sima listened, and sincerely admired his father's foresight and foresight, and replied respectfully: "Master, I understand." Sima Yi said slowly again: "Master, I always like to study military books and war strategies, which is very good. But, your cleverness Wisdom can’t just stay at the level of leaving generals and entering appearances. Today, father, I want to tell you a deeper truth. Only after you understand these truths in a deeper way, can you fly to the sky!” "What... what is 'flying dragon ascending to heaven'?" Sima Shi was already dumbfounded, not knowing what his father wanted to say. Sima Yi's expression suddenly became extremely serious, and he straightened his chest, his eyes were deep, and his tone was deep, and he said boldly: "Since the chaos of the late Han Dynasty, all the heroes in the world have competed to compete for the Central Plains. I, Sima, originally It is a famous aristocratic family in Hanoi. However, in the early stage of the competition, due to the lack of strong authority, they had to temporarily hold back their ambition to win the Kyushu. My father hid behind closed doors for ten years in Xiaojing Village, Wen County, Hanoi's hometown! "Later, Taizu Wei Wudi—that is, Cao Cao, did not know where he found out about his father's reputation, so he relentlessly threatened and lured him out of the mountain, disrupting the previous overall plan of our Sima family. So he followed his plan, sneaked into Cao's mansion, and watched the changes. Cao Cao is really a once-in-a-century hero. He served under him for many years as his father. The true meaning of art!" "The art of the emperor?" Master Sima asked in surprise, "What is the art of the emperor?" "The art of the emperor, that is, the art of conquering the world, usually has only two ways, one is to devour the whale, and the other is to eat away: Han Gaozu started from the commoner, the dragon prospered and the tiger changed, roared and gathered the wind and clouds, drove evil and attacked violence, within eight years , Vega added to the sea, established a foundation and established a business, and unified the world. Taking Liuhe as our home and all people as our servants is the art of cannibalism." Sima Yi said leisurely, "The ancients said it well, 'the emperor has no relatives, only virtue is the assistant'. Now our Sima family has produced many talents from generation to generation. According to Wei Shi The position of Tai Ding, accepting the people who go to the world, taking over the heroes, controlling the heroes, taking in the hearts of the people to eat away at the foundation of the Wei family, and expanding the territory to swallow the bandits of Wu and Shu. stand?" If these rebellious words came from other people, Master Sima might have believed them, but when he clearly heard that these words came from his own father, he couldn't believe his ears.This is the father he has always respected like a perfect man!Who would have expected that such a deep and lofty ambition lurks in the heart of the father who has always been famous in the government and the public in the name of "being loyal to the country"?Suddenly, it was like a thunderbolt rolled over his heart, shocking him dumbfounded.Aside from being amazed, a secret excitement slowly grew in his heart——Yes!Xiang Yu, the Overlord of Western Chu back then, dared to point at Qin Shihuang when he was a commoner and had no power, and boldly said, "He can be replaced!" What's more, our Sima family is deeply rooted and powerful in the Wei Dynasty. watch for?It is not unimaginable to aspire to the crown of Shenzhou and stand on behalf of Wei!Thinking of this, his face flushed as if he was drunk, and he was very pleasantly surprised. He couldn't help rubbing his palms as if he was about to have a big fight.After Sima Yi finished speaking, he just glanced at him indifferently, as if feeling a little tired, he stood there quietly and adjusted his breath for a while, and then said slowly: "Now we help Your Majesty eliminate the Queen Mother Guo's party, for her After saving the driver, he should have more trust and full support for our Sima family from now on, and at the same time, he will be more dependent on our Sima family, then our Sima family will "make great progress and make further progress". Oh... ...By the way, in the letter from Zhao'er, there is something about His Majesty mentioned..." Sima Shi was stunned: "About His Majesty?... What is it?" He really didn't expect his father to suddenly bring up the matter about the emperor at this moment, nor did he expect his father's thoughts to jump so quickly. It's like a powerful and unconstrained style-as if my father's wise and profound mind can simultaneously calculate all kinds of false and real, far and near, and chaotic problems, without stopping for a moment. Sima Yi reached out and stroked his long beard under his chin, and said slowly: "Zhaoer wrote a letter, saying that His Majesty loves the piece of 'Qinglong Amber' handed in for his father, and plays with it every day, thinking it is a natural auspicious thing, yes He came here to protect the Wei family, and plans to change the reign name to Qinglong next year or the year after to celebrate this auspiciousness, and cancel the current Taihe reign name." "Huh? Changing the year name just for a piece of amber?" Sima Shi couldn't help shaking his head, "Unexpectedly, the emperor also regards state affairs as a trifle, and it's hard to become a master! Father should persuade him as the assistant minister. The boy is confused again, 'the emperor has no relatives, only virtue is the assistant'. Your majesty's loss of morality and ambition in government today is the opportunity for our Sima family to govern and win the people in the future. What do you think, father?" "Don't discuss this matter for the time being. You should understand all this in your heart." Sima Yi waved his hands with a serious expression on his face, "What my father is most concerned about now is how to take advantage of the victory and pursue the attack on the basis of being invincible. , Eradicate the political enemies of the DPRK and China in one fell swoop!" When Master Sima heard this, he couldn't help becoming a little nervous: "Father, does he want to attack Chen Qun and Hua Xin?" Sima Yi shook his head slowly, and said coldly: "Although Chen Qun and Hua Xin are hateful, they are not Don't be afraid, they will only use their pens and tongues to make senseless disputes! How can you take them seriously as a father? Besides, Your Majesty is currently relying heavily on our Sima family, so it is not enough to listen to their slander. Harmful. The ones my father fears are the Cao family members!" "Cao Clan?" Master Sima asked in surprise. Sima Yi stared outside the curtain of the tent, as if staring at a distant place.After a long while, he said solemnly: "That's right, the Cao family. The ups and downs of various forces in this world are often one ebb and flow. In March, the great Sima Cao really died, freeing up for our Sima family. The position of the commander in chief of Guanzhong. But, have you ever thought about it, what if someone capable of the Cao family shows up? The emperor can give us power with a single edict, and he can also take back all this power with a single edict In the hands of their Cao family. Therefore, if we want to occupy and expand the power in our hands, we must weaken and seize the power of their Cao clan!" "However, with so many relatives in the Cao family, how can we be prepared?" Master Sima asked. Sima Yi paused, paused for a moment, looked deeply at his son, and said, "That's right, although the Cao family has many relatives, as a father, he is only afraid of Cao Zhi, the king of Dong'a!" "Eastern King Cao Zhi?" Master Sima was startled again.Cao Zhi, the king of Dong'a, is the uncle of the current emperor. He was exiled from the capital after failing to win the heir with the first emperor twelve years ago, and has been depressed all the time.He pondered for a moment, and said: "My boy, I heard people talk about Cao Zhi, the king of Dong'a. Back then, he was quite wise but lacked the talent of a king. His writing style was excellent but his strategy was lacking. That's why he lost in the battle to establish an heir. A Confucian like him, Will Father still fear him?" "To know people and predict things, one should have true knowledge and insight. How can you rely on hearsay and popular opinions?" Sima Yi straightened his face and said coldly, "The contention of the heir dispute between the late emperor and Dong'a king Cao Zhi, all the inside information, Is it better for you to be a father? If the king of Dong'a hadn't been kind and considerate of the overall situation and retreated humbly, how could the late emperor really win at the last moment? Do you know that before the death of Taizu Emperor Wei Wudi, he called Cao Zhi, the king of Dong'a urgently? His younger brother Cao Zhang led an army of 100,000 people to Beijing, and his original intention was to defend Cao Zhi and succeed him to the throne. At that critical moment, it was Cao Zhi himself who did not want to cause a civil war in Wei and let outsiders benefit, so he personally persuaded Emperor Wu of Wei. Abandoned the position of the son of the world, persuaded Cao Zhang to retreat, and surrendered to the first emperor willingly. Only in this way can we avoid the mistakes of Yuan Shao, Liu Biao and others in the disputes between the sons and concubines! Such a vision, such a magnanimity, how can I Is it something a rotten scholar can do?" When Master Sima heard this, he lowered his head, and said, "My child is not clear about things, and I know people are inaccurate. I know I'm wrong here." Sima Yi stroked his long beard under his jaw, with a worried expression on his face, and said, "Father, I often listen to you lately. Letters from Sun Zi and Liu Fang stated that King Dong'a wrote to the emperor many times, requesting to lift the ban on the kings of the Cao family, who are close to the clan and have different surnames, and use the clan kings to compete against the powerful officials in the court." He suddenly sighed deeply again. , said: "His memorials are clearly aimed at our Sima family! And according to Sun Zi and Liu Fang, the emperor has always been very sympathetic to his uncle, and seems to have the heart to call him back to Beijing. We must We have to make a plan as soon as possible to curb Dong'a Wang's comeback!" After saying that, a cold light flashed in his eyes, he stretched out his right hand, and slashed out like a sharp knife! "If the way of heaven is extreme, it will be reversed, and if it is full, it will be a loss. Therefore, if you are wise and broad, guard against stupidity; if you are well-read and debated, guard with frugality..." A few big red candles as thick as a child's arm, carved with carved luan and carved cranes were burning brightly, illuminating the study room as brightly as day.The Wei Guotai Fu Zhongyou, who was born with a childlike face and white hair and a hale and hearty spirit, caressed the silvery beard under his chin with one hand, and held a large wolf hair brush in the other, writing on a piece of white silk like a dragon and a snake with great interest. "Father's regular script is so well written!" The eldest son Zhong Yu, who had been standing on the right side of Zhong Yao and watching quietly with his breath, couldn't help but sighed deeply, "Yu'er believes that father's calligraphy In the future, it will definitely shine through the ages and be admired by future generations!" "That's right! Brother, look at my father's handwriting. It's really like what the late emperor praised - 'Straightforward and unrestrained like a flying crane swimming in the sky, and graceful like a flying bird playing in the sea'!" Zhong Hui, the second son standing on the left side of Zhong Yao He was also full of praise, "I'm afraid that after exhausting all my life's work, I may not be able to reach one ten thousandth of my father's calligraphy attainments!" Zhong Yao didn't answer, but still concentrated on writing the last word, then let out a long breath, and gently put the big wolf hair brush on the pen stand.He turned around, looked at his two sons, and smiled slightly: "Yu'er, what a moment! The ancients said well, 'A scholar who reaches a long distance must first know his skills and then be talented.' No matter how good the calligraphy is, it is nothing more than a trivial skill! You should pay attention to the economical way of governing the country, and you should not imitate your father and indulge in this trivial skill! You are a father because you are old. It’s all for self-indulgence between this inkstone! You don’t want to learn to be a father..." He paused for a while, and then said slowly: "You should know the story of Cao Zhi, the king of Dong'a, right? Yu'er, in a moment, the word you praised as a father will "shine through the ages and be admired forever". , the treasure that is admired by all ages is the brilliant articles written by Dong'a Wang Cao Zhi! But, look at the ups and downs of Dong'a Wang Cao Zhi's life... Alas! Heaven is jealous of geniuses!" After Zhong Yao finished expressing his emotions, Zhong Hui took the lead unhurriedly and said, "Actually, what my father said is not quite true. Calligraphy and brushwork are of course a trivial skill, but we can also 'know the work' from it." —When my father was picking up the pen and dropping the paper, his wrist was strong and solid, he could be firm or soft, he could be fast or slow, he could release or retract, this is also the "Economic Way" beyond the reach of all the officials in the court!" "Oh? Just a little while! You can see Qi Zhiping's 'Economic Way' from the writing skills of being a father?" Zhong Yao's complexion moved slightly, and he stroked his long snow-white beard. He smiled lightly, "It's rare, it's rare!" He was about to continue talking, but he heard a light knock on the door of the study, and there was a sound of "Du".Hearing this soft sound, Zhong Yao stopped and turned his eyes to the door. Zhong Yu understood, turned her head and asked outside the door: "Who?" "Tell Taifu and the two masters that Sima Yin, the housekeeper of General Sima's mansion, has brought a box of things and is here to see Taifu." A servant outside the door responded respectfully. "Sima Yin?" Zhong Yao's complexion changed, he frowned and thought for a moment, then asked in a deep voice, "How did he get here?" "Tell Tai Tu, Sima Yin is wearing casual clothes, and his whereabouts are secretive. He came from the back door." The servant outside the door replied. "Let him in!" Zhong Yao pondered for a moment, and finally said, "Be careful, and be careful not to be followed by someone!" After the servant outside the door walked away in response, Zhong Yao sighed softly and shook his head slightly.He naturally understood the reason why Sima Yin came to visit him late at night-needless to say, this Sima Yin must have brought him a message for his master Sima Yi. "Father..." Brothers Zhong Yu and Zhong Hui couldn't help turning their astonished eyes to Zhong Yao. Zhong Yao stood there stroking his beard and contemplating for a moment, and didn't answer, but waved to them both.Brother Zhong Yu immediately felt overwhelmed, so they turned to hide behind a large bookcase near the wall in the study. There was a sound of footsteps outside the study door, followed by a "squeak", and the door was gently pushed open.Sima Yin, the steward of the Sima Mansion in a rough green robe, walked in slowly, followed by two servants, who came in carrying a big red wooden box together. "Oh! Butler Sima, this is..." Zhong Yao looked up at Sima Yin, with a slightly surprised look on his face, but a faint smile on his lips. Sima Yin also smiled slightly, but did not answer. After the two servants put the big red wooden box in the middle of the study, he gave them a wink.The two servants understood and quickly retreated. At this time, Sima Yincai bowed to Zhong Yao, with lowered eyebrows, and said respectfully: "Master Taifu, your support for my general, my general has always been grateful .He asked me to prepare this small gift, and I beg the Master Tai Tu to accept it!" "Hey! Steward Sima! Your general is so polite!" Zhong Yao's eyes were only on Sima Yin's face, and he didn't even glance at the red wooden box. I dare not be..." "Where! Where! Master Taifu! My general went to Guanzhong this time, and accidentally found an authentic small seal script written by Li Si, Prime Minister of Qin, from a hermit. Jue Tianxia, ​​let me pass it on to the Grand Tutor for appreciation." Sima Yin smiled slightly, bent over to open the mahogany wooden box, and suddenly there was an aura of jewels and jewels, and he didn't know how many rare treasures were inside. Yingying Huacai is so dazzling that people can't keep their eyes open. Zhong Yao narrowed his eyes slightly, with a faint smile on his face all the time, but he didn't make a sound. But Sima Yin stood up, took out a roll of copybooks from the mahogany box, held it in his hand respectfully, and presented it to Zhong Yao. Zhong Yao smiled and nodded slightly, reached out to take the copybook, slowly unfolded it, and read it seriously: "Well... this is really Xun Qing's "Encouraging Learning" written by Li Si in Xiaozhuan. Well! His handwriting is like a cloud clustered in the sky, with unrestrained posture, unrestrained and elegant, it is indeed a rare treasure! Look, this brushwork, this use of ink... tsk, tsk, really wonderful!" As he spoke, he couldn't help stretching out his fingers to trace the strokes of Li Si's characters on the copybook, unable to restrain himself for a long time. "My great general said, if Master Tai Tu likes this copybook, please accept it! He believes that such precious pens and inkstones are in their rightful place in the hands of Master Tai Tu, and there is no regret " Seeing this, Sima Yin said respectfully from the side. "Your general is really... Sigh! I'm afraid I'm a little disrespectful." Hearing this, Zhong Yao stopped gesticulating on the copybook, and a deep smile appeared on his face. "I would like to thank your great general for your kindness." As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and slowly rolled up the copybook, held it in his hand, but did not put it down again. Sima Yin leaned forward again, and said in a low voice: "My general has reported to the imperial court that this year, the grain that should be paid by the households in Guanzhong has been reduced and exempted, and it has been decided to cultivate land and cultivate wasteland for self-sufficiency in the Western Expeditionary Army, without the need for you Your lord’s households have offered food and salaries—your lords’ household offerings at the end of this year will naturally not be lacking.” "Gao Ming! Gao Ming! It's really smart!" Zhong Yao listened, and after a long silence, he clapped his hands lightly as if he had come to his senses, and sighed leisurely, "It's also thanks to your general who came up with such a It's the best of both worlds, and a watertight solution! Master Sima is really thoughtful and thoughtful, and I admire you so much, I'm ashamed of myself!" Speaking of this, he paused suddenly, and then slowly said: "It seems that this seat, Wang Situ, and Doctor Dong are all fully supporting your general to be the commander of Guanzhong. It is indeed completely correct. My seat It is only today that I understand how valuable it is that "a person deserves a position and a job deserves his position"!" After finishing speaking, he took Li Si's "Encouraging Learning" copybook, walked slowly in the study for a few steps, then stopped suddenly, as if talking to Sima Yin casually, and said: "Go back and tell me General Sima—that is to say, all the veterans and ministers in the court have always supported him without hesitation and spared no effort. Please rest assured and boldly display his skills in front of him and make new achievements as soon as possible without any scruples. In fact , He shouldn't have any worries about Zhang He. Zhang He and the others can't make any waves in the court. But..." He changed the subject, looked straight at Sima Yin with scorching eyes, and said deeply: "I don't know if General Sima is clear or not...Recently, there are very loud voices among the royal family in the court asking Dong'a King Cao Zhi to come back and take charge of the government! I have heard His Majesty praise Dong'a King many times, both civil and military, and worthy of a great job..." "Oh! Thank you, Master Tai Tuo, for your reminder. I know how to reply to my great general. I have bothered Master Tai Tuo for too long tonight." Sima Yin bowed his hands and replied, "Before I leave, I wonder if Master Taifu has anything else to say to my great general?" Zhong Yao smiled lightly, and said: "Forget it, your great general gave me an authentic work of Li Si, so I will show my shame - I will give back to your great general a piece of graffiti that I wrote casually." You laughed, you laughed!" As he spoke, he handed over the copybook he had just written on the desk. Sima Yin took a look at Zhong Yao's copybook, and saw that it read: "When the way of heaven is extreme, it will be reversed, and if it is profitable, it will be a loss. Therefore, if you are smart and wise, guard it with stupidity; be well-educated and debate, guard it with frugality; use force, perseverance, and courage. Guard with fear; riches and honor are vast, guard with narrowness; morality bestows on the world, guard with yield. These five are the reason why the previous kings guarded the world.” The strokes of the characters are strong, with golden hooks and silver strokes, three points into the paper, and the style is not vulgar. "Well written! Well written! I will pass it on to my general in time." After reading it, Sima Yin slowly rolled up the copybook, bowed and saluted, "I will take my leave now." He bowed his hands respectfully backed out. Hearing the sound of Sima Yin's footsteps outside the study door fading away, the smile on Zhong Yao's face faded away in an instant, revealing deep thoughts.After a while of silence, he sighed a long time and said, "Yu'er, come out now..." Zhong Yu and Zhong Hui brothers came out from behind the bookshelf one by one in response to the sound. There was silence in the study room, only the long flames of the big red candles flickered, burned and danced silently. 钟繇静静地凝视着那烛焰，没有回转过身来，而是继续站在原地，久久地沉默着。 “父亲……”钟毓表情有些惶惑地开口了，“您……您是不是和司马大将军走得太近了……” 他的弟弟钟会却是目光闪烁地看着自己的父亲，嘴唇嚅动了几下，想说什么又没说出什么来。 隔了半晌，钟繇才缓缓说道：“怎么？毓儿，你害怕了？” 钟毓沉默了片刻，面色凝肃，答道：“孩儿心中倒不害怕什么。只是孩儿认为，父亲位列三公，位高权重，与大魏朝本是休戚与共，又何必与居心叵测的司马氏搅在一起呢？孩儿还认为，无论是司马大将军，还是华太尉、陈司空，他们在朝中执政都不得不仰仗我们钟氏一族……我们又何必趟入这浑水之中呢？” 在他说这番话的时候，钟会在一旁伸手悄悄拉了他的袖角足足有四次，拼命使眼色让他不要再继续说下去了，钟毓却毫不理会，仍是秉着心直口快的性子，也不怕得罪了父亲，还是侃侃然谈了出来。 钟繇听罢，没有立即答话，静立片刻，方才缓缓开口说道：“毓儿啊，你说得很对！在大魏一朝，我钟氏一族确是能繁荣持久，我们的根基也无人可以撼动。 “但是，你想没想过，倘若大魏朝的运祚有一天猝然就崩断了呢？我们钟氏一族是不是也必将如丧家之犬一样——惶惶然何以善终？！” “父亲……”钟毓和钟会都没料到钟繇会把这个问题讲得这般透彻和尖锐，顿时吓得满头汗出，急忙一齐跪倒在地，含泪说道，“父亲为何要出此不祥之言？孩儿们惶恐万分，还请父亲对此宽心以待。” 钟繇脸上便似铸了一层青铜面具一般，表情冷硬得很：“你们不要以为为父是在危言耸听！世事难料，人心难测啊！为父今年就是八十一岁了，这一生中不知闯过了多少大风大浪才挺到今天来！为父一生所见所闻之事的复杂繁庞，岂是尔等少不更事之人可以想象的？想那辉煌的大汉朝，在为父眼中也仅仅是二三十年间便土崩瓦解了！这世间又有什么事情不能发生的？这世间又有什么灾劫不会降临到人们头上的？我们钟氏一族又如何不能'居安思危，未雨绸缪'？” 钟毓、钟会跪伏在地上，听着父亲的慨叹，大气都不敢透一下。 钟繇停下了讲话，依旧站在原地静默了许久，待得自己心情慢慢平复下来，才又开口说道：“毓儿啊，为父问你，依你之见，平心而论，为父在修文理政之才上，可比陈司空还强么？” 钟毓一愕，竟是语塞起来。 “为父再问你，平心而论，为父在治戎御敌之才上，可比司马大将军还强么？” 钟毓嗫嗫着，仍是不能作答。 钟繇深深地看着他，冷冷地笑了：“为父也不怕揭自己的丑——为父实在是文不如陈群能安邦治国，武不及司马懿能临机制胜。但为父却能在这人才辈出的大魏朝廷稳踞太傅之位数十年，凭恃的是什么？” 钟毓低低地垂下了头，不敢正视自己的父亲。 钟繇捋了捋自己垂在胸前的银白须髯，毫不讳言地说道：“其实为父这一生，除了一手书法造诣还可聊以自慰外，实则一无所长！而为父宦海沉浮数十年，亦无甚卓绝特异之处，仅仅只是会'通达时务'罢了。” 他将目光投向了窗外苍茫的夜空，若有所忆，悠悠说道：“想那前汉末年，献帝刘协为西凉匪首李傕、郭汜所挟，是为父与董承冒险以刘协的名义，联名潜修书札暗召太祖武皇帝入关平乱，从而使得太祖武皇帝名正言顺地一展其'挟天子以令诸侯'之大略，终成伟业。这便是为父因通达时务而大获成功的第一次——太祖武皇帝执政掌权之后，百日之内便擢升为父出任相尉！ “第二次则是在当年先帝与东阿王曹植立嗣之争中，为父全力支持先帝继承大统，先赠先帝'五色宝玦'以示忠款之心，后又联络名士大夫一齐上表公开力荐先帝——所以，先帝刚登大宝，便任为父为魏国太傅……我们钟氏一族绵延数十年不绝的繁兴，就是这样得来的。这一切，毓儿，你可懂得了？” 钟毓涨红了脸，只是闷声不答。 钟繇静静地看了他片刻，忽然柔声说道：“夜已深了，毓儿你也不必再为为父的话去多想什么了，你且下去休息吧！就让会儿留下来陪为父收拾收拾书房吧！” 钟毓应了一声，头也不抬，躬着身退出了书房。 钟繇目送着他离去，不禁微微摇了摇头。他正欲回身，却见钟会双手撑在地上，抬起头来目光闪闪地盯着他，神色恭敬地问了一句：“会儿只想请教父亲，如今您'通达时务'的这一次为何要选中他们司马氏家族？” 钟繇不料他竟有如此一问，一时竟是怔了，半晌方才说道：“难得会儿竟是这么一个'有心人'哪……也好，也好……毓儿木讷守道，自有他的一套活法，在大魏朝可为我钟氏一族顶门立户——而你会儿心思灵动，却不妨为我钟氏一族在未来的繁荣昌隆另行投下一注！” 钟会静静地听着父亲的话，无声地点了点头。 钟繇见状，有些满意地点头微笑了一下。他沉吟片刻，忽然伸手指着那几支粗大红烛上灿亮夺目的烛焰，问钟会道：“会儿，你双目能一瞬不瞬地直视这烛焰有多久？” 钟会抬眼盯了一下那烛焰，恭恭敬敬地答道：“孩儿自信可以直视到燃尽半支蜡烛的地步。” “很好。”钟繇微笑着赞了一声，又道，“那你若是一直不眨眼地盯着三伏天里正当午的太阳去看，又能坚持多久？” “这……孩儿从未试过……”钟会沉吟着说道，“不过，面对那么灼人的炎炎夏日，孩儿只怕坚持不到一盏茶的工夫。” “可是司马懿在你这个岁数的时候每天午未时分都要盯着炎炎烈日一眨不眨地看至少一炷香的工夫！”钟繇抚着颌下银须，悠悠说道，“为父是在一次与他参加中午朝议时才无意中发现这一点的。从那时起，为父就注意到了他这个人。他当时不过是一个小小的文学掾，又比为父小了整整二十五岁，但为父却一直感到他身上隐蕴着一股极深极深的锐气，一朝喷薄而出，必是势不可遏…… “唉，为父果然没有看错，司马懿仅仅只用了二十多年的工夫，便平步青云手揽大权，成为了我大魏朝最得力的栋梁之臣……看他这超群绝伦的势头，他还会在朝中更有建树的。也许连当时身为前汉丞相的太祖武皇帝生前所拥有的赫赫威势——他今后都有可能拥有的。” 钟繇说到此处，语气顿了一下，深深说道：“现在回想起来，他早年的'目中无日'，其实就是'目空一切'啊！他积蓄了这么多年的野心和实力，一旦羽翼养成，只怕真有掀天揭地之能啊！会儿，现在你可懂得为父为何要选中他们司马氏了？” 钟会深深地点了点头，沉默片刻，却猝然带着一丝浅浅的笑意问钟繇道：“父亲……他们司马氏既有问鼎九州之心，我们钟氏一族又为何不能像他们一样也定下大计、求揽大权呢？父亲如此'通达时务'，难道从未往这方面去想过吗？” “嗯？”钟繇双眸深处顿时精光一闪，在钟会脸上一掠而过。他缓缓闭上了双眼，隔了许久，方才睁了开来，直盯着钟会，道：“你错了！这世间不是每一个靠近天子之位的人都能成为司马懿、曹操那样的人的。在今日之大魏朝，要想潜移神鼎，除了他们司马氏能够心想事成之外，其他所有的人，包括我们钟氏一族，都不能存有这个念头。人，应该贵有自知之明。今后，你们想都莫要往那方面去想！” 钟会见父亲说得这般斩钉截铁，却是颇有几分半信半疑。他一时也不再多想，便点头表示了认同。 钟繇见钟会点头称是，这才放下了心。他静立片刻，瞥了瞥放在书房中间的那口红木箱，深深叹了口气：“司马懿送了这些礼物来，为父实在是'纳也不是，拒也不是'啊！ “若是拒了他这些礼物，他就会以为为父没给他'面子'，不会在朝中全力支持他的抗蜀大略，必会对为父深怀疑忌；不过，若是纳了他这些礼物，为父又会被他看作是个嗜财轻义的人，在他眼里也没什么分量了……这不行哪！为父总得想个办法把这些礼物换个途径回赠他才是啊！” 他皱着眉头埋头苦思半晌，双眉忽地一扬，面露喜色，道：“对了！我钟府之中还有一柄祖传的'灵犀剑'，乃是尧舜时代传下来的神兵剑器……会儿，你且去后房拿来！” 钟会应声奔进书房后边的密室，取出一柄装在金鲨皮鞘的宝剑拿来呈给了钟繇。 钟繇从金鲨皮鞘之中慢慢抽出那柄“灵犀剑”来——只见一弧青蒙蒙的寒光似流水般汩汩然一泻而出，闪闪缩缩，映得人须眉俱蓝！ 他眯着眼，将那“灵犀剑”持在手中细细观看片刻，忽然青光一闪，手起剑落，“嚓”的一响，竟把那书桌一角如切豆腐般一削而落！ “父……父亲！您……您真舍得将这柄能吹毛断发的祖传宝剑赠予他司马家？”钟会看着这柄“灵犀剑”，语气里颇有些不舍。 “这又有何不可？该舍就得舍！”钟繇还剑入鞘，递向了钟会，淡然说道，“这个人情，为父要让你出面来做。司马懿的次子司马昭眼下深得陛下恩宠，前程自是远大。会儿啊，他和你年纪相仿，你要和他多多结交才是。这柄'灵犀剑'，你在合适的时候赠送给他吧……他和他的父亲一定会明白我们钟家的心意的。” “孩儿谨遵父亲教诲。”钟会接过了宝剑，一脸恭敬地点头答道，只是眼神中仍然掩不住那一缕淡淡的不舍之意。 看着钟会那欲舍不舍的表情，钟繇不禁在心底深深一叹：想那司马懿的次子司马昭，面对中垒将军之位这一偌大诱惑，居然能辞之以谦、让之以礼，而我这会儿却对一柄宝剑亦是难以割舍……相比之下，我们两大家族将来的成就已是高下立判了！人，真的应该贵有自知之明啊！