Chapter 48 4. The Four Friends of the Eastern Palace

"Ding Yi really gave such a secret note to my father?" Cao Pi's eyes widened, his eyes were tearing apart, "I should have expected that this 'one-eyed wolf' would stab me in the back!" His eyes were so sharp, if ten Ding Yi stood in front of him, they would almost be cut to pieces by his eyes. Sima Yi didn't react as violently as he did.He knew that as soon as Prime Minister Cao was promoted to the Duke of Wei, the matter of establishing an heir would surface sooner or later.And the battle between Cao Pi and Cao Zhi for the heir will soon begin.All of this was within his expectations, but he didn't expect it to come so quickly.In his opinion, Ding Yi's secret memorial is the trigger for the dispute between Cao Pi and Cao Zhi for the heir, and the various forces behind the two sides will also start to compete immediately.

In fact, Sima Yi has never been used to the so-called "Seven Sons of Jian'an" such as Chen Lin and Wang Can who surround Pingyuan Hou Cao Zhi, a group of literati who speculate on speculation by writing gorgeous articles praising meritorious deeds. What is the merit of the wind in the country?What is the benefit to the people?Cao Zhi and this group of scholars who only know how to dance and play ink all day long, how much development prospects do they have?Singing the wind and playing the moon, you sing me and me, you are happy, you don't know how to make achievements and make achievements, so most of the literati and Confucian scholars can't apply it to the world and are laughed at by the world.However, among the many Confucian scholars around Cao Zhi, only Ding Yi is an exception.Sima Yi has read all kinds of memorials written by him, and feels that his writing is clear, clear, sharp and profound, without any rotten Confucianism, and he has the style of a strategist in the Warring States Period.From the text to see people, it can also be detected that Ding Yi's courage and strategy are beyond the reach of others.Therefore, this time he dared to boldly write a letter to Prime Minister Cao to make Ping Yuanhou his son.Thinking of this, Sima Yi couldn't help feeling a little wary of Ding Yiping in his heart.However, as the head of Cao Pi's "Four Friends of the East Palace" and the most trusted confidant, now he can only choose how to help Cao Pi deal with Ding Yi and the others and win the battle for succession.He looked at the other three of Cao Pi's "Four Friends of the East Palace", Chen Qun, the prime minister's attendant, Wu Zhi, the chief of the court song, and Zhu Shuo, the commander of the Yulin army. Thoughts.

The four of Sima Yi were actually waiting for Cao Pi to calm down after venting his anger, so they were all racking their brains to think of countermeasures while trying to persuade Cao Pi softly.Although Cao Pi was furious, he also knew that this matter could not be settled by losing his temper, so he slowly calmed down, stabilized his mood, sat back on the chair, and calmed himself down. After a while, Chen Qun said slowly: "Your Highness, don't get confused. Mr. Sima, since you have read Ding Yi's secret performance, you should know it in detail. Please recite it again. Let's see what reason Ding Yi used to persuade the Prime Minister to make Ping Yuanhou his son."

When Sima Yi heard this, he couldn't help secretly admiring Chen Qun's calmness from the bottom of his heart.He looked at Wu Zhi and Zhu Shuo.Wu Zhi and Zhu Shuo also nodded in agreement: "If you know yourself and the enemy, you will never end up in a hundred battles!" Of course Cao Pi knew the details of the secret memorial before the three of them, and he wished he could grab the secret memorial and tear it to pieces immediately.Now if Sima Yi recited this secret performance in public, it would be tantamount to slapping him in the face!The anger in his chest suddenly rose again, and his face became very ugly.

Sima Yi's face straightened, and he said solemnly to Cao Pi: "Your Highness, there is an old saying:' Virtue grows through forbearance, and reputation grows through humiliation." Han Xin, who was humiliated at the crotch, swept the world and was invincible. When the crisis changes drastically, Your Highness should remain calm, endure, restrain oneself and control anger, and not be disturbed by traitors!" He said These words were spoken so righteously and forcefully that Cao Pi was so moved that he stood up and thanked him with his hands down: "Mr. Sima taught you well. Zihuan will never be as impulsive as he is today."

Sima Yi also nodded, and replied: "That's very good. Then, I will recite the secret performance that I saw when Cheng Ding Yi was drunk that day. Please listen carefully. "'Chen Ding Yi risked his life to speak to His Highness the Prime Minister: Pingyuanhou Cao Zhi is benevolent and filial in nature, has a noble character, is smart and open-minded, has profound knowledge, and is unique in the world with economics and articles. Today's talented gentlemen in the world, no matter how old or young, no matter how high or low, No matter how far or near, everyone is as happy as a sunflower, and is willing to befriend the Marquis of Pingyuan and die for him. This is a natural lin species, blessed by the Great Wei, and will be bestowed on the Cao family forever. The Marquis of Pingyuan has won the hearts of scholars and people all over the world. , If all the rivers return to the sea, the great cause of the Wei family can be achieved in one fell swoop. The minister does not avoid the baht of the axe, and bears the sincerity of the blood alone. I beg the prime minister to quickly make Cao Zhi, the Marquis of Pingyuan, the son of the prince, and follow the heavens to respond to people, so as to determine the great cause. '

"That's all. He also pressed his blood fingerprints in the melody to show his determination to protect the Marquis of Pingyuan." After Sima Yi finished speaking, he quietly watched the people in the secret room, waiting for their opinions. "It's really a beautiful word!" Wu Zhi said angrily, "If the article is well written, you must be the son of the prince?" Zhu Shuo also said immediately: "Ding Yi praised Pingyuanhou for his outstanding literary talent, which is a great advantage for Pingyuanhou. We also have to guard against it. But General Zhonglang’s literary talent is also rare in the world! This gap is not too big! I believe that General Zhonglang will definitely surpass him.”

Cao Pi listened, and smiled bitterly in his heart.He himself knows that the literary talent of his third brother Cao Zhi is really a marvel of talent, and it cannot be achieved by manpower.The most important thing is that according to his own intensive observation on weekdays, he has always felt that his father's preference for his third brother is far above his own.Among his more than a dozen younger brothers, only the third brother was invited by his father to be "prosperous in literature and knowledge, and outstanding in talent". I am still just a general with five senses with an official rank of more than two thousand stones!Thinking of this, the worry on his face became a little more serious.

Chen Qun said unhurriedly: "Ding Yi said that Cao Zhi is the heart of all the scholars and people in the world, like the sun like a sunflower, so how many sages and celebrities can he win to join Cao Zhi's sect? This matter should be found out quickly. Get to the bottom of it." Hearing these words, Sima Yi couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat, and he slowly raised his eyes to look deeply at Chen Qun's face, which was as deep as an ancient pool and always waterless.He felt that this person's talent and strategy cannot be underestimated.They are also the "Four Friends of the East Palace" around Cao Pi, but they have the same intelligence and status.It seems that Chen Qun will inevitably join Cao Pi's powerful confidantes in the future, and gradually become a hidden threat to prevent him from monopolizing the Cao family's government.If he has the ability to compete with himself for favor, he has the ability to compete with himself for power and profit.This must be guarded against!Sima Yi suddenly felt that his mind seemed to have traveled through decades, as if he saw all kinds of conspiracies and plots in the future - he couldn't help being afraid that he had such a deep and sober mind.However, in the cruel reality of the struggle, it is absolutely correct to have such a mind.Sima Yi smiled self-deprecatingly, letting the last trace of weakness in his heart disappear forever with the inexplicable smile on his lips.

"Sima Jun, what do you think?" Cao Pi's anxious voice seemed to call Sima Yi from his deep thinking back to reality from a very far away place.The rest of the chamber was watching him, waiting for him to speak.Because everyone knows that this Sima Yi will always come up with a blockbuster and immediate solution when everyone is at a loss for thousands of times.He will always be the last and most powerful "trump card" in Cao Pi's hands. Sima Yi coughed lightly, gathered himself together, suddenly became serious, straightened his chest, and said boldly: "Since ancient times, two heroes have competed for nothing more than the words 'reason' and 'power'. Whoever takes the lead first Li, whoever gains the power first will be invincible. Since ancient times, heirs have been established, the elders should not be established, and the heirs should not be established. This is the universal axiom handed down by the Three Emperors and Five Emperors. Who dares to openly To defy it? Therefore, Zhong Langjiang's greatest advantage is that he has one more word for "reason" than Ping Yuanhou. This "reason" can be used openly to stop the mouths of those treacherous villains!"

When Cao Pi heard this, he couldn't help but feel refreshed, and a gleam of joy appeared on his face.Sima Yi's tone paused, and then he said slowly: "Now that we have finished speaking the word 'reason', let's weigh the word 'potential' again. What the people want and what everyone expects, this is what General Zhonglang and Marquis Pingyuan should do." The 'potential' of desperate struggle. The famous people in the world are like sunflowers in the sun? It's ridiculous! Ding Yi thinks that all other famous scholars and officials will support Cao Zhi as his heir because of his outstanding literary talent? Let's take a look at which famous people The scholar-bureaucrats are supporting Pingyuanhou..." As he spoke, he took out a roll of tissue paper from his sleeve and spread it on the table. Everyone gathered around to take a look, and couldn't help but be surprised. They saw that it recorded in chronological order the statements and actions of the famous scholars and bureaucrats in the past few years on the matter of Wei Shizi's establishment of an heir on Pingyuanhou Cao Zhi: In March of the fourteenth year of Jian'an, Yang Xiu, the doctor's order, said to all officials that Cao Zhi was a genius and worthy of a great job; In April of the 15th year of Jian'an, two brothers, Ding Yi and Ding Zhen, praised Cao Zhi's literary talent and martial arts at the World Celebrity Conference, which caused a sensation among the public; In June of the 15th year of Jian'an, Shangshu ordered Xun Yu to publicly praise Cao Zhi for being able to take on the responsibility alone, and suggested that the imperial court and the prime minister's government should reuse him to sharpen his talent; In May of the sixteenth year of Jian'an, the prime minister ordered hundreds of officials to discuss the pros and cons of Cao Pi and Cao Zhi.Although Yang Jun, the commander of the southern army, said that the two had their own strengths, he strongly praised Cao Zhi, but had little praise for Cao Pi; At the beginning of the eighteenth year of Jian'an, Yang Xiu, Ding Yi, and Ding Zhen contacted celebrities from all over the country, disseminated Cao Zhi's poems and essays, and built momentum for him to establish an heir; ... Looking at it, a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on Cao Pi's forehead.He clenched his fists tightly, his face was flushed red, and he muttered to himself: "Damn! Damn! It's so hateful..." He raised his head suddenly and looked at Sima Yi, his eyes seemed to say: Zhong Da Jun save me!If you can help me win the heir of the world today, I will share the wealth and honor of the world with you in the future, and I will never break my promise. Sima Yi smiled lightly, and said, "You don't have to be too nervous, General Zhonglang. You only know one thing, not the other. Let's turn over the tissue paper and have a look at the back of it." Cao Pi hastily turned over the piece of silk paper to take a look, but saw that the back also recorded in chronological order the statements and actions made by other celebrities and ministers regarding Cao Pi during the matter of Wei Shizi's establishment of an heir: In July of the 14th year of Jian'an, Sima Lang, the head of the Prime Minister's Mansion, and She Huaxin, the minister's servant, urged the Prime Minister to appoint Cao Pi as his heir early, so as not to shake people's hearts; In August of the 16th year of Jian'an, Xun You, a military adviser, and Zhong Yao, a lieutenant of Sili, praised Cao Pi for his versatility in civil and military affairs, and he should have an heir early; In November of the 16th year of Jian'an, Huan Jie, the prime minister in the censor, said that Cao Pi had extraordinary talents, and advised the prime minister to make him his heir quickly; In March of the 17th year of Jian'an, Cui Yan and Mao Jie jointly made a petition to persuade the Prime Minister to appoint Cao Pi as his heir early; ... Seeing all this, Cao Pi's mood slowly calmed down again.Holding the tissue paper in his hand, he looked at it carefully, and said to himself, "That's great! That's great! There are still so many people supporting me..." Sima Yi said slowly: "Therefore, General Zhonglang doesn't have to underestimate himself. We are no weaker than Yang Xiu and Ding Yi when it comes to the word 'potential' in the dispute with Pingyuan Hou Lisi." Chen Qun, Wu Zhi, and Zhu Shuo all nodded in agreement.After a while, Chen Qun suddenly asked again: "Then, Mr. Sima, what will Prime Minister Cao do in the face of this big event of establishing an heir? How should we adapt to the situation?" As soon as these words came out, the room fell silent again, so quiet that everyone's heartbeat could be heard clearly. Sima Yi's face also became extremely solemn.As a courtier, it is an act of disloyalty and disbelief to speculate on Prime Minister Cao's intentions, whether wise or not.He resisted the urge to confide in his heart, made his face as calm as a pool of stagnant water, and said slowly: "Prime Minister Tianwei is unpredictable, I dare not speak nonsense." Upon hearing this sentence, everyone present couldn't help showing deep disappointment on their faces.