Chapter 79 6. Three horses feed in the same trough

A sharp "swish" sounded across the blue sky, and a feathered arrow shot swiftly, right in the middle of the nape of the hare's neck that was rolling among the grass like a snow ball.Then there was another "crack", and the feathered arrow pierced through the hare's neck and came out from its throat, nailing it firmly to the grass in one fell swoop! "What a precise arrow technique! What a strong wrist!" Xia Houshang saw this scene from afar on the back of the steed, and couldn't help but praise, "I can't see that the gentle and graceful Sima Pu is so proficient in archery." I really admire the skill of riding and shooting!"

After a burst of dust and stillness, Sima Yi's mount rushed to the side of the hare and stopped. He looked at the white rabbit that was shot on the ground by his arrow and was struggling for life, and slowly put it down. With the four-foot hard bow inlaid with gold and black iron in his hand, a smile appeared on the corner of his lips: "I'm afraid this arrow made a fool of myself in front of General Xiahou—speaking of which, my practice of riding and shooting skills is nothing more than It’s just talking about hunting and entertainment, how can it be like General Xiahou who can hide thousands of troops in his chest and dominate the battlefield?”

Xiahou Shangpai had to come right away, he laughed and said: "Sima Pu is too humble to shoot you, your archery skills of 'talking about hunting and entertainment' are already very good. According to this general, my great Wei Among the hundreds of generals in the three armies, there will never be more than ten people with your skill." After hearing this, Sima Yi twitched his eyebrows secretly. He was about to say something, but after thinking about it, he felt that it was best to keep silent at this time, so he smiled lightly and gently covered the ups and downs in his heart.After a while, there was a sound of horseshoes behind them: Zhou Xuan, the Taishi Ling of the Wei State, and Huan Fan, the new inner court counselor, came from behind, left and right, riding horses side by side.

"General Xiahou, do you think brother Zhongda is only good at this archery? His swordsmanship and spearmanship are both superb!" Huan Fan's outspoken and natural temperament when he was studying at Ziyuan Academy in Linglong Valley has not changed. , as soon as he came up, he said, "Brother Zhongda, when he was studying with Huan, he set the ambition to be a general and a general, and he was all-rounder in civil and military affairs. Now that he is in the position of minister, he probably only plays Out of his Xiao He's talent, you have never seen his "Han Xin's ability" like a god. By the way, General Han Jian, the captain of the Yubayashi Military Academy, has witnessed it with his own eyes..."

"Brother Huan's words are too much, I'm really ashamed to hear that—" Sima Yi hastily interrupted Huan Fan's praise, diverted the topic away, laughed and pointed at Xia Houshang with his horsewhip, "If it is said that the machine is like a god's 'Han Xin's ability', I am afraid that our General Xiahou is the only one in the world who deserves this honor! Not to mention other things, Brother Huan has heard of the Guanxi hero Lu Bu who 'shoots the halberd at the gate' Right? Our general Xiahou's arrow skills are not inferior to his!"

When Huan Fan heard this, he immediately became eager to win. He clamped his mount under his crotch, held his bow in his hand, and turned his eyes to Xia Houshang: "Xiahou Jun, when we were traveling in Peijun, Huan knew that you were strong and powerful. Bu Fan, I really want to learn and learn - today we are lucky to meet again, why don't you and Huan go to the front of the forest to shoot and hunt, how about comparing each other's riding and shooting skills?" Xia Houshang and Huan Fan were also fellow villagers in Peijun. He knew that his temper was always straightforward, but he didn't think it was disobedient. He pulled his rein and rushed forward side by side with Huan Fan: "Okay! We two Just let go of your hands and feet and compete in the forest ahead—hey! How can this general be afraid that Brother Huan will not succeed in your challenge?"

Sima Yi looked at the backs of the two of them galloping away, and shouted loudly: "Brother Huan, General Xiahou—I and Zhou Jun are here waiting for you two to shoot hundreds of birds and beasts and return with a full load!" The smile on Sima Yi's face gradually faded after he saw the two of them disappearing into the depths of the forest ahead.He straightened his expression, raised his eyes and looked around, seeing that there was no one around, he let his horse approach Zhou Xuan, and asked in a low voice: "Mr. Zhou, didn't you send a message yesterday saying that you have something important to have an urgent interview with me?" ? This is the perfect opportunity..."

Zhou Xuan glanced around, patted his horse and approached him closely, looked around very vigilantly, and whispered to him: "The night before yesterday, His Majesty suddenly summoned Zhou to enter the palace. In the bedroom, what does it mean to ask Zhou to break up a strange dream for him—can brother Sima guess what kind of strange dream it is?" "What kind of strange dream?" Sima Yi actually disliked Zhou Xuan's mysterious attitude, but he still pretended to be normal, staring straight into his eyes, and asked slowly. "It's a dream of 'three horses eating in the same trough'!"

When Sima Yi heard this, his heart tightened secretly: Is it this strange dream of "three horses eating in the same trough" again?Back then Cao Cao also had this weird dream... Zhou Xuan glanced at Sima Yi's face, saw his complexion changed slightly, and continued to say in a low voice: "At that time, His Majesty told Zhou: Not only did he have such strange dreams three or four times since he became the throne, Moreover, the late emperor had told him that he had this dream before. According to His Majesty, the late emperor thought it was a bad omen that Ma Teng, Ma Chao, and Ma Tie father and son would rebel against the Wei family, so he slaughtered the Ma family with a thunderbolt. However, after so many years, His Majesty now had the strange dream of 'three horses eating in the same trough', so he asked Zhou what good or bad luck it was?"

Sima Yi slowly turned the nine-knuckle horsewhip in his hand, without looking at Zhou Xuan's approaching face, his eyes stared at the ground, and just asked indifferently: "Senior Brother Zhou, how did you interpret this strange dream for Your Majesty?" ?” When Zhou Xuan heard that Sima Yi had changed the previous "Jun Zhou" to "Senior Brother Zhou", he smiled slightly on his lips, shook his lapel, and said solemnly: "That night Zhou It was explained to His Majesty in this way: "Your Majesty, the three horses in the dream are really extraordinary horses, and they are auspicious omens for the lucky horses. The three talented horses of "Heaven, Earth, and Man" belong to Cao, and the Wei family Zhilong is bound to flourish, and I hereby congratulate Your Majesty on the prosperity and prosperity!'——His Majesty then turned his worries into joy, praised him again and again, and rewarded Zhou with a box of gold cakes."

"Oh? The three talents of 'Heaven, Earth, and Man' all belong to Cao?" Sima Yi finally relaxed, "Senior Zhou, these words are really well explained! Later, Yi will let Steward Yin pretend Ten boxes of gold cakes will be delivered to your house." "No, no, Junior Brother Sima, you are too polite." Zhou Xuan raised his eyes to look at Sima Yi, the light in his eyes was faintly flowing, "However, if you just explain the dream of 'three horses eating together' to His Majesty, Zhou Xuan So there is no need for someone to send a message to urgently meet with Junior Brother Sima for an interview... That night, when Zhou was about to pay his respects to His Majesty and leave the palace, His Majesty suddenly asked Zhou: "In your opinion, Sima servant What is the amount of blessings shot? Can he be called an outstanding minister?'” When Sima Yi heard this, his heart suddenly mentioned in his throat: I didn't expect that Cao Pi's suspicion of him was so deep in his heart!It seems that the aftermath of his attempt to give him poison in the East Palace that day still lingers to this day.The heart of an emperor is indeed fickle and ungrateful! ——Cao Cao treats people like this, and Cao Pi treats people like this... Only when you have the power in your hands and you can control yourself, this is the most reliable!Although Sima Yi secretly felt angry in his heart, he felt that his whole consciousness was relaxed from the inside to the outside: after all, it was Cao Pi who had failed him first, and he no longer had to bear any "morality" when dealing with Cao Pi. burden"!After his thoughts calmed down, he still calmly asked Zhou Xuan: "Then, Senior Brother Zhou, how did you answer at this time?" Zhou Xuan didn't expect Sima Yi to be so calm and self-possessed at such a dangerous moment, he admired him very much from the bottom of his heart, and replied solemnly: "Zhou replied like this at that time: 'In my opinion, Sima Pu shot is nothing more than a shot. It is nothing more than a man of the temple who "has the luck to reach thousands of miles with the bluefly attached to his tail". As for the reputation of "the outstanding man and minister", I am afraid it is not enough! He is able to occupy the official seat and enjoy the title of Marquis, all thanks to His Majesty Long En Added to Sima's ancestor Yin Fuze, the amount of his honor and salary has been exhausted!'” "Very good, senior brother Zhou, you spoke very well." Sima Yi raised his eyebrows, his eyes lit up, and asked in a deep voice, "What is your Majesty's reaction after hearing this?" "Your Majesty's reaction at the time was a bit ambiguous. After he heard it, he just sighed deeply, then waved his hand, and let Zhou retreat." Sima Yi frowned slightly, bowed his head in thought for a moment, and bowed to Zhou Xuan on his horseback: "I would like to thank Brother Zhou for his ingenious protection. It seems that His Majesty has faintly doubted Yi's sincerity. From now on, when you and I are in a relationship, remember to be more secretive..." Zhou Xuan also returned the courtesy and replied: "Junior Brother Sima, what are you talking about? You are useful to Zhou, and Zhou will die!" Sima Yi raised his eyes, and cast his gaze quietly in the direction of the imperial palace: "This... Yi has nothing to bother Senior Brother Zhou for the time being. However, recently, Empress Zhen and Junior Sister Fang have been deeply troubled by Concubine Guo Gui in the harem. If you are trapped by your wife, you may be in danger—I hope you will help me!" "The kindness that Empress Zhen and Junior Sister Fang have treated me is as great as a mountain, and Zhou will help him desperately." Zhou Xuan was shocked when he heard this, "Regarding Guo Guifei's recent arrogance in the harem, Zhou also has something to say. I heard it. Zhou is also deeply worried about Empress Zhen and Junior Sister Fang. Junior Brother Sima, you have many tricks and skills, how do you suggest that Zhou should secretly help them?" "Today, Zhang Gong, the governor of Liangzhou, sent an urgent letter, claiming that there was a vision of 'Qinghong piercing the sun' in the local area... You can use this to spread the word of divination, just say, 'Qinghong piercing the sun, In this world, some noble women are afraid of being slandered'. In this way, when His Majesty treats Empress Zhen and Junior Sister Fang mercilessly, at least he will be a little cautious because of the astronomical warning." "This method is very useful." Zhou Xuan nodded after hearing Sima Yi's words, "Okay. After Zhou returns to the Taishi Office, he will immediately spread this rumor according to your teaching. ..." At this moment, Sima Yi's expression relaxed, looking at the depths of the forest in front of him, he changed the topic: "Hey...it's been so long, isn't the competition between Brother Huan and General Xiahou not over yet?" "Brother Huan and General Xiahou's riding and archery skills are between brothers - if they want to decide the outcome, it should be at least an hour or so?" Zhou Xuan squinted his eyes and stared forward for a while , suddenly remembered something, turned to Sima Yi and said, "By the way, Sima Pushe, Mr. Zhou has some news for you: Do you still remember the friend Qiao who Mr. Zhou once mentioned to you? Zhou? He is also from a family of astrology and divination, and now he has served as the Prime Minister of the Puppet Shu. Half a month ago, Qiao Zhou sent someone to send a secret letter, talking about Liu Bei's crusade against Jiangdong, the puppet Shu Prime Minister Zhuge Liang It is strongly opposed. It seems that Liu Bei's invasion of Jiangdong this time, the internal differences of opinion are really quite big..." "Zhuge Liang? Hehehe...Let me guess the reasons why he opposes Liu Bei's Eastern Expedition." When Sima Yi heard the word "Zhuge Liang", an inexplicable and deep smile immediately appeared on Sima Yi's face, as if He seemed quite pleased to hear the news from a long-lost close friend, "He must be advocating the Northern Expedition to the Great Wei and then the Eastern Conquest of Sun Quan. Moreover, in his heart, our Great Wei Fang is the most important enemy of the Shu Han." , while Jiangdong Sun Quan is just an 'old slicker' who guards his own family. As long as we wipe out my Great Wei first, then Jiangdong will win without a fight!" "Ah! Sima Pushe's eyes are as bright as a torch, and the candle shines thousands of miles away! However, according to Qiao Zhou, the original words of Zhuge Liang's advice to Liu Bei are more incisive and detailed than what you just said - this is what he said to Liu Bei :'I would like to discuss the importance and importance of your Majesty: Your Majesty is the uncle of the Yan Han Emperor. Today, the Han Emperor has been usurped by Cao. Is the relationship with brotherhood bigger or smaller? Others can tell at the first sight, but His Majesty is still raising troops to go east, which is to give up righteousness for small righteousness! The Central Plains is the hub of the sea; In the far-flung struggle between Jing and Chu, the people in the Central Plains witnessed the theft of the Han Dynasty, and they all led His Majesty Xiwang to send troops to rescue—how could His Majesty ignore the Wei Dynasty and instead want to take advantage of his anger to attack Wu? In the end, Liu Bei still insisted on going his own way, turning a deaf ear to this advice, and let him stay in Chengdu, while he led his troops east to Wuwu. Coming from the gorge..." Sima Yi smiled slightly and said: "It seems that Zhuge Liang's priorities and urgency were appropriate when he was planning and making decisions, not like Liu Bei who is so impulsive and puts the cart before the horse. If Liu Bei's Eastern Expedition cannot get Zhuge Liang's concerted assistance, the prospects may be a little bit different. Can be considered..." When he said this, he raised his eyes again, stared at Zhou Xuan's face, and said politely: "Xishu and my great Wei have a sworn feud, and we should be more careful. We will arrange for them There should be as many 'eyeliners' as possible. Brother Zhou, how is your fellow countryman Qiao Zhou? Does he have the heart to adore me, Huanghuang Dawei? If he is really a wise man who understands current affairs and discerns the general situation, you will help him. This seat will secretly accept him with all my heart—in the future, when my great Wei conquers the puppet Shu, I will definitely use him!" Hearing Sima Yi's words, Zhou Xuan couldn't help but be secretly impressed by his holy minister who "has the whole world in his mind, looks at the world, grasps the overall situation, and has a clear outline". Such far-sightedness and exhaustive strategies! Mr. Zhou admires you so much. Mr. Zhou remembers all your instructions—after you go down, you will definitely implement them in detail."