Chapter 42 3. The secret in the back garden

In October of the fifth year of Jian'an, when Cao Cao was confronting Yuan Shao at Guandu, a surprise attack suddenly robbed and burned the most important Wuchao granary behind Yuan Jun's rear, cutting off the life support line of more than 100,000 Yuan Jun, and immediately reversed the entire battle situation in one fell swoop: In one night, Yuan Shao had no choice but to abandon all the camps, luggage, picture books, and ordnance, and fled northward in a hurry with 800 remnant cavalry alone! Since then, Cao Cao has truly established his supreme power and status as the overlord of the Central Plains with his terrific victory in the Battle of Guandu!Ma Teng in Guanzhong, Liu Biao in Jingzhou, Sun in Jiangdong, Liu Zhang in Yizhou and other vassals who ruled the separatist side could not help but be terrified by this, and at the same time began to worry about their own future - now Cao Cao's soldiers are in front of him. It means that no one is invincible, if the next target he aims at is himself, wouldn't he be like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered?

At the end of the year, Sima Lang, who was the head of the Sikong Mansion, suddenly returned to Xiaojing Village in Wen County for a vacation to visit his relatives. The back garden of Sima Mansion leans against the Fuxi mountain wall in the south of Jindao Valley. It covers a very large area, with hills and gullies, lakes and ponds, gardens and gardens, pavilions and pavilions. Among them, the winding corridors extend in all directions, appearing open and open yet quiet and profound. At this moment, Sima Yin and Niu Jin carried a bamboo couch and walked slowly behind Sima Lang on the Yingying greenery.On the bamboo couch, Sima Yi, dressed in light fur, was lying half-lying.

Everyone could tell that Sima Lang was in a good mood when he went back to his hometown to visit his relatives this time, with a swaggering manner, as if he had picked up some rare treasure.Naturally, there is a reason for this: in view of the fact that Sima Lang did all the housework in an orderly and meticulous manner in Sikong's mansion in Xudu, after Cao Sikong returned from the front line at Guandu, he immediately reported to the Ming court to reward him with a salary of 400 shi. Promoted two ranks.Moreover, Cao Sikong thought that he had been busy with official duties for more than half a year and had no rest, so he specially allowed him to go home for a vacation to visit his relatives, rewarded him with a large cart of fine wine, and wrote a letter of thanks to his father, Sima Fang. Kind regards.Faced with Cao Sikong's favor, how could Sima Lang not hide his joy in his actions? !

"Second brother, I really didn't expect Yuan Shao, the overlord of the generation with a base of thousands of miles and 300,000 soldiers, to be defeated like this. The fire in Wuchao's granary would destroy his entire army!" Sima Lang sighed deeply, "Cao Sikong was able to turn the world around in such a difficult and dangerous situation—he is truly a hero!" "That's right! Food and grass are the basis for marching and fighting——Cao Sikong cut off Yuan Shao's 'base' at one stroke, and the 300,000 Yuan Jun, who was pampered and depended on more to win, suddenly faced the dilemma of having no food to eat. Since it's a small matter of injustice, it's a big matter of starvation', why don't they all lose their fighting spirit and flee?" Sima Yi leaned on the bamboo couch and said solemnly, "In the final analysis, the 300,000 soldiers under Yuan Shao's command are nothing more than A group of mobs will gather if they have food, and disperse if they have no food-this also exposes the major flaws of Yuan Shaozhi's army's "no way, lawlessness, discipline, and incompetence"! In contrast, Cao Sikong fought hard with an army of 40,000. The more than 300,000 enemy troops from Hebei were constantly assembled, and they were short of weapons and food. They were able to hold on for half a year with one heart and one mind, and it was only at the last moment that the situation was turned around. It is not true that the elder brother praised him as the "Hero of Heaven". Pass!"

"Hmm...Actually, Cao Sikong was able to hold on for half a year in the predicament of lack of food and equipment, and only at the last moment did he turn things around—after all, it was thanks to Xun Lingjun's unstoppable supply and strategic planning in the rear!" Sima Lang continued, "About the fourth month of the confrontation at Guandu, Cao Sikong could hardly survive, so he wanted to withdraw his troops to defend Xudu. After learning about it, Mr. Xun Ling hurriedly sent a letter to persuade him: 'Today we Although there is a shortage of food and grass for the army, the state of embarrassment is not as good as that between Chu and Han when they fought for supremacy between Xingyang and Chenggao! The hearts of the people are scattered, and if the hearts of the people are scattered, they will retreat and collapse! Now Lord Sikong has set aside a tenth of the people to guard the land, choking his throat and not being able to enter, it has been more than four months. He has exhausted his emotions, and there will be Change, this is the last moment to use odds to win, and it must not be lost!' In this way, Cao Sikong garrisoned his troops and did not retreat, and finally waited for the last moment to turn things around..."

"Good strategy! Good strategy! Good decision! Xun Lingjun is truly a sage through the ages and a great man of all ages! His wisdom and sharpness may still be expected to be surpassed by the world; his depth and determination are unmatched by the world!" Sima Yi Hearing this, he couldn't help but stretched out his right palm and slapped the armrest of the bamboo couch, and the words overflowed with infinite admiration and admiration, "Whoever wins the king of Xunling will surely win the world! Cao Sikong can win the assistant of Lord Xunling, this is the only way to win the throne!" It is his real 'Fortune of Heaven'!—Only by obtaining this 'Fortune of Heaven' can Cao Sikong become a 'Hero of Heaven'!"

"Second brother has always been conceited of being a genius, arrogant to the world, and has no children left. Now he also understands the principle of 'beyond the mountain, there is the sky'?" Sima Lang turned his head and took a deep look at Sima Yi, and said with a smile, "Now Cao Sikong took the power of Guandu to win the victory, and he was in the Central Plains, overwhelming all the heroes. The world's celebrities are flocking to him—does the second brother intend to go out of the mountain to become an official? That Chen Qun is now going smoothly in the Sikong Mansion, and has already reached Dongcao Cao Sikong is going to release him to be the prefect of Yingchuan next time! Second brother, you have outstanding talents, and now you are taking advantage of the situation, I am afraid that your achievements in official career will far surpass Chen Qun..."

After hearing what the elder brother said, Sima Yi just listened with a smile, leaned back, leaned on the bamboo couch, and said leisurely: "The younger brother has already understood the reminder of the elder brother. However, according to the current situation From the looks of it, the younger brother is not suitable to be an official yet. First, Cao Sikong just broke Yuan Shao's army, and the younger brother came out with a face. Such an act of following others will probably attract the disdain of Cao Sikong and Xun Lingjun; second, Cao Sikong, Although Xun Lingjun has defeated Yuan Shao now, how can he survive the battle of Guandu alone? After all, Yuan Shao has been operating in Hebei for a long time. The so-called "a centipede is dead but not stiff"-if he wants to completely occupy the entire territory of the four prefectures in Hebei However, Cao Sikong and Xun Lingjun still have a few tough battles to fight. Therefore, at this moment, the younger brother can only continue to recover from his illness, wait and see the overall situation, and let the times change!"

"This...Second Brother! Although what you said is good, Cao Sikong has mentioned his appreciation to Brother Wei many times. I'm afraid it's "the tree wants to be quiet but the wind doesn't stop"-he will definitely live in seclusion for you You can be spied on by not being an official. Since you have decided not to be an official for the time being, you have to cover up more, so as not to be caught by him..." Sima Lang hesitated for a while, waiting to be persuaded, seeing that his second brother had made up his mind, I had no choice but to let him go, "However, it's good if you are willing to stay in the filial piety! My father's health has been a little weak in recent years, and you can just take advantage of the opportunity to recuperate at home and live in seclusion for him. imperative."

"Brother is right, younger brother will remember it." Hearing Sima Lang's words, Sima Yi's face turned serious, and he quickly replied respectfully. When the two of them were talking, they suddenly heard a melodious sound of singing and dancing coming from far in front, wafting and lingering over the green lawn.Sima Yi's face changed slightly, it turned out that the two of them had approached Xiaoyao Pavilion, a forbidden area in the back garden of Sima Mansion.This Xiaoyao Pavilion is extremely mysterious and heavily guarded. No one is allowed to approach it without the permission of his father, Sima Fang.Even during the two years that Sima Yi lived at home, he never went inside once.

For some reason, when Sima Lang saw the cornices and corners of the Xiaoyao Pavilion hidden in the green shade, his heart was shaking, and his expression was very different-a layer of tears overflowed from his eyes! "Brother, you..." Sima Yi was secretly surprised, and couldn't help crying out. Sima Lang didn't respond for a long time, and after a while he finally collected his mind and asked in a slow voice: "Second Brother, how are you and Chunhua siblings?" "This..." Sima Yi's throat choked, and after a moment of silence, he lamented, "This is a golden marriage that my father carefully selected for my younger brother...Brother, younger brother naturally has nothing to say." He bit his lip , and finally added a sentence: "Actually, Miss Chunhua treats my younger brother impeccably..." "Second brother, as a brother, I also know that the qualifications of the Chunhua brothers and sisters and the family of the Zhang family in Suyi are not enough to match you." Sima Lang said leisurely, "For the great cause of our Sima family, it is really a good match. I'm sorry for you." At this point, his voice trembled suddenly, and his eyes were fixed on the Xiaoyao Pavilion shaded by greenery, "Actually, for the prosperity and prosperity of our Sima family, a century-old family, as a Your big brother, why didn't I sacrifice a lot..." "Brother..." Sima Yi looked at the deep grief on Sima Lang's face, but couldn't persuade him. Finally, Sima Lang reached out to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes, straightened his face, and pointed to Xiaoyao Pavilion: "Second Brother, I can tell you the secret now: that Xiaoyao Pavilion is used by Sima Mansion to train music girls and singing maids." Forbidden place..." "Training music girls and singing maids?" Sima Yi couldn't help being slightly taken aback. Sima Lang was already walking forward, he only left one sentence: "You can go in with me and have a look!" Gently push open the courtyard door of Xiaoyao Pavilion, only to see a volley corridor that is so deep that you can't see the end. Under the corridor is a lake as green as jade, full of green lotus leaves, and the side of the corridor is curved. There are white stone railings and lotus-shaped copper lamps hanging on the top of every back eaves——Niu Jin and Sima Yin carried the bamboo couch where Sima Yi was sitting and followed Sima Lang into the place, only to feel a sudden light in front of them, everywhere There is an amazing feeling of being in the fairyland of Yaochi, transcending the world! Walking slowly along the long corridor, I don’t know how many loops I walked, but I saw a crimson organdy screen at the end of the corridor, like a faint haze, and there are graceful and graceful figures reflected in it, It's just eye-catching!And at this moment, the clear and moving voice of singing is becoming more and more clear, as if it is close to the ear! Sima Lang seemed to be familiar with walking in front - he stopped in front of the crimson screen, coughed lightly, and raised his voice inside: "Miss Wang... Sima Lang and his second brother Sima Yite are here. Pay your respects!" Miss Wang?What Miss Wang?Sima Yi's heart was shocked: Unexpectedly, there was such a mysterious woman hidden under his nose in the Xiaoyao Pavilion in the back garden of his mansion!I actually don't even know all her origins and details! The sound of singing and dancing in the pavilion stopped abruptly.From the left side of the crimson screen, a young girl emerged from the left side, and lightly stepped forward with Fen Dai, she was the handmaid, Qing Fu!She walked up to Sima Lang and the others, knelt down politely, and said, "Young masters, Miss Wang welcomes you!" While Sima Yi was thinking secretly, he had already been carried into the pavilion by Niu Jin and Sima Yin on the bamboo couch - there were two rows of singers standing on the left and right. A slim woman in a goose yellow light shirt is sitting on the couch. Sima Yi looked up, and saw that the two rows of singers were all girls with beautiful temples and eyebrows. The youngest was fourteen or fifteen years old, and the eldest was eighteen or nineteen years old. , each of them is as beautiful as peaches and plums, fragrant in the wind, with fluttering postures.He glanced forward, and saw that the woman in the yellow shirt who was supporting the case and playing the piano was not only exquisite in appearance and elegant in manner, but also the elegance and elegance that overflowed from his gaze made his heart beat, and he suddenly felt There is a feeling of admiration that seems familiar! "Mr. Sima, how many singing girls are you planning to take away today?" The woman in yellow didn't look up at Sima Lang, she just leaned over the table and gently played with the strings of the Yaoqin, asking casually. Sima Lang's lips were visibly trembling slightly - he took out a small yellow silk bag from his bosom, held it out in his hand, and said slowly: "This is the agarwood eight-treasure necklace from Yiwu Kingdom in the Western Regions. , wearing it can make one's body have a strange fragrance that lasts for a long time. I remember you talked about that you wanted to get this treasure in Situ's mansion before." The slender hand of the woman in the yellow shirt who was adjusting the strings of the zither froze suddenly, and big teardrops rolled down her cheeks shiningly, splashing stars on the surface of the zither! After a long time, she finally said slowly: "Situ's mansion...it's really difficult for you, Mr. Sima...you still remember what happened in Situ's mansion back then..." Sima Yi listened to it and wondered to himself: The voice of the woman in the yellow shirt sounds so familiar!But I just can't remember who she is.Then, her voice gradually calmed down: "Master Sima, you should keep the agarwood eight-treasure bracelet for yourself! You should give it to the girl you like in the future. The little girl is no longer the daughter of the Situ Mansion, and she is no longer worthy of wearing it." Such a rare treasure. Mr. Sima doesn't need to waste any more unnecessary thoughts on the little girl..." "Miss Diaochan?" Sima Yi straightened up from the bamboo couch, "So you are Miss Diaochan!" "Second Young Master..." The girl in the yellow shirt smiled sadly, her body trembling as if being stabbed by a needle, "Unfortunately, now that Diao Chan's face has been ruined and her legs have been crippled in the chaos, she can no longer salute you, the savior." Welcome, I hope you will forgive me for being rude. Diao Chan just thought that the second son, you have forgotten Diao Chan..." Sima Yi sat up on the bamboo couch, staring at Diao Chan who was leaning on the piano table and weeping mournfully, his eyes were blurred by tears.He chanted softly: "There are tall buildings in the northwest, and the top is as high as the floating clouds. The windows are sparsely intersected, and the jade pavilion has three steps. There are strings singing on the top, and the sound is so sad? Who can be generous and mourn for this song! Troubled times destroy jade Jie, those who hear it are heartbroken..." "Stop reading!" Sima Lang yelled violently, his eyes were red, and he stopped Sima Yi abruptly.His chest was heaving violently, and he didn't calm down after a long time. Finally, he squeezed out the following words between his teeth: "Madam Wang, please choose ten outstanding singers for Lang...after three days , Langzi will send people to come and get it..."