Farmer of Shu Han

In November of the ninth year of Yanxi, General Jiang Wei of Zhennan returned to Chang'an to report on his duties. After receiving instructions from Feng Da Sima, he did not bother to rest and rushed back to Luoyang in the wind and snow to reorganize his army and prepare for war.

As soon as Jiang Wei, the general of Zhennan, left, Guan Suo, the general of Zhendong, set off from Chang'an, preparing to lead the front army across the river to Taiyuan.

In mid-November, Feng Da Sima officially set out for Hebei, and the Emperor of the Han Dynasty led hundreds of officials to send him ten miles outside Chang'an City.

Feng Da Sima resigned as emperor, covered the countryside with banners, and led his army to the east of the river.

Feng Da Sima did not do anything to cover up his expedition this time, and even delivered food and grass in the early stages without concealing his momentum.

When he first started to take action, he kept his nerves tense and kept a close eye on the various spies in Guanzhong. Feng Dasima had already rushed to send the news back to its destination before he had even crossed the river.

Jiang Ji, who got the news earlier than Sima Yi of Yecheng, finally let out a long breath after getting the news for the first time, and his heart that had been hanging fell back to its original place.

He unconsciously clutched the secret message in his hand and murmured:

"finally come."

He has been waiting for this day since Guanzhong fell.

That year, Taifu's Shangdang counterattack made him think that this day would never come.

Unexpectedly, Feng Zeisheng turned the situation around, which is really disappointing.

Now that he knew that Feng Thief was personally leading the army on the expedition, Jiang Ji felt a sense of relief in his heart while feeling heavy.

After all, over the years, facing the legendary far-sighted and ruthless Feng Thief, it has been a kind of torture to always be on guard against what sinister tricks the other party might use.

But it was obvious that Thief Feng didn't want to play any tricks this time. He just wanted to rely on the elite soldiers of the Han army to defeat Taifu Sima and take Hebei in an upright manner.

Thinking about it, the Han army's only two defeats over the years - once at Shangdang and once at Youzhou - were both calculated by Taifu Sima.

Apart from this, they all have won many battles and have the potential to be invincible and invincible.

This time, Thief Feng probably wanted to defeat Taifu Sima in a dignified manner and avenge his previous humiliation while being prepared.

Thinking of this, Jiang Jichang took out a breath and ordered:

"Come here, prepare your horses!"

Although he felt that he had guessed Feng Thief's thoughts, at this age, Jiang Ji could not be so naive as to think that Feng Thief would only focus on finding Taifu Sima.

If Feng Zei obviously planned to attack Jizhou, but actually planned to attack Hanoi secretly, and he was careless and lost Hanoi, then he would really have to die to thank his master.

Therefore, when Feng entered Hedong, he had to personally guard Zhiguanxing in order to feel at ease.

Arriving just one day late in Yecheng, Sima Zhao held an urgent message in his hand and looked flustered. He walked all the way and entered Sima Yi's study in an extremely rude manner:

"Sir, Feng Wenhe is really making a move! This time, he is leading the army in person instead of imprisoning thieves!"

A few days ago, I learned that Guan Suo was lucky enough to lead the army to Taiyuan, but this time he was shattered into pieces.

Sima Yi, who was at his desk annotating official documents, heard this and did not immediately raise his head. Instead, he finished approving all the official documents at hand, closed them and put them aside, and then put down his pen.

Then he stretched out his hand and slapped his waist, stretched his neck hard, and tried to move his neck.

When Sima Zhao saw it, he quickly stepped forward and massaged Sima Yi's shoulders:

"Sir, how do you feel? Are you feeling better?"

Sima Yi closed his eyes and sighed slowly:

"I'm old. I can't stand it anymore. I just sat for a while, and my bones became so stiff that I almost couldn't move."

The afterglow of dusk slanted in from the window, shining right on his face.

The tiny ravines and dots of age spots on the skin were illuminated, making it look old and haggard, as if its luster had been ruthlessly stripped away by the years.

Wrinkles were deeply etched on his forehead and corners of his eyes, like deep ravines, recording his years of hard work.

Even if he tried to sit up straight, looking from the direction of Sima Zhao, he could still see his master's back slightly hunched, as if he was carrying the heavy burden of Wei.

The adult's hair, which had always been neat and clean before, has now become messy and fluffy, as if it has not been taken care of for a long time.

His beard also grew unevenly, and most of it had turned white, mixed with some traces of gray, giving him an unkempt look.

He remembered clearly that when he was in Luoyang, his beard was still neatly trimmed.

Everyone knows that after Shangdang's battle, although your Excellency failed to regain the lost territory, you at least took some advantage and allowed the Han Dynasty's Hedong Governor's Mansion to lose troops.

Even Wei Yan, the powerful general of the Han Dynasty, ended up being bedridden for the rest of his life.

But who knew that this battle would deal a heavy blow to the adults.

The eldest brother suffered an eye injury in that battle and eventually died of his injuries.

More importantly, in the eyes of adults, after this battle, the Wei Dynasty forever lost hope of regaining Hedong and Bingzhou.

Between Han and Wei, offense and defense completely changed from then on.

Your Excellency, you have been working hard day and night since you arrived in Yecheng. You must not only seize the time to dispatch troops and generals, but also strictly guard the entrances of Taihang to prepare for thieves to invade eastward.

At the same time, it is also necessary to appease the officials in various places to calm people's hearts.

Although Hebei is said to be rich in land and produce, since the time of Emperor Wen, people from Hebei have been moved several times to fill Henan.

When Emperor Ping arrived, he also recruited soldiers from Hebei to fill the vacancies on the western front.

The good land of Hebei had been away from war since the time of Emperor Wu, but when the adults entered Jizhou, they saw that people's livelihood was in decline.

If Yecheng was not the capital of Wei and the place where the country was founded, and the treasury still had some reserves, they would probably have to transport military rations from Henei and Luoyang to help.

It was precisely because of this that the adults had been working diligently and cautiously in the past few years, not daring to relax at all.

On the one hand, they had to guard against the thieves from the west who took advantage of the situation, and on the other hand, they had to do everything they could to restore the people's livelihood in Hebei, so that food and grass would no longer be controlled by Cao Shuang.

He saw with his own eyes how the adults' health collapsed.

Who would have thought that when Hebei had just improved a little, the Feng thief would send troops here immediately like a fly that smelled a fishy smell.

This world is so difficult!

From Guanzhong to Luoyang, and then to Yecheng, the thieves pressed forward step by step, almost suffocating the adults.

Why does the heaven always make things so difficult for you?

Seeing you like this, and thinking about the current situation, Sima Zhao's nose couldn't help but feel sour:

"Your Excellency, this Wei is not the Wei of our Sima family, why do you do this?"

Hearing this, Sima Yi opened his eyes.

At this time, his eyes were already full of bloodshot, and he looked tired and turbid.

The corners of his eyes drooped, with a trace of fatigue and helplessness that could not be concealed, as if he had been under too much pressure, and his body and mind were exhausted.

I only heard Sima Yi sigh softly:

"Yes, this Wei is not the Wei of the Sima family, but the Sima family is tied to the Wei!"

Thinking back then, I looked down on Cao Aman, who was a eunuch, and repeatedly refused to serve Cao.

I didn't expect that Cao Aman was not a son, and actually let people hold a knife to force me to serve.

Alas...

Sima Yi shook his head gently:

"I can't go back, I can't turn back."

It's impossible to surrender.

If they surrendered to the Han Dynasty, they would be pushing the noble families who supported them into the fire pit.

The Han Dynasty could not kill all these noble families. If any of the surviving noble families turned over, they would try every means to eat the Sima family alive.

"If the Wei Dynasty perishes, what difference will there be between the Sima family and the Wei Dynasty? Only when the Wei Dynasty rises can our Sima family rise!"

The Wei Dynasty is now a world shared by the Sima family and the Cao family.

These two families are also thorns in the eyes of the Han Dynasty, and they want to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Others can surrender, but the Sima family and the Cao family cannot surrender.

With this thought, Sima Yi ordered:

"Zi Shang, you get ready and leave immediately tomorrow to go to Qiao County."

"Go to Qiao County?" Sima Zhao was shocked, "Sir, what are you going to Qiao County for at this time?"

"Crying in the court." Sima Yi said slowly, "Call for help."

"Ah? This..." Sima Zhao was obviously stunned, "Sir, you want me to go to Qiao County to call for help at this time?"

How could Cao Shuang send troops to help?

He was not worried about his personal safety.

After all, when his elder brother was still alive, he had repeatedly traveled between Luoyang and Xuchang as your envoy.

Not to mention that Yecheng and Qiao County are still the capitals of Wei.

Your Excellency and Cao Shuang, one is the Taifu of Wei, and the other is the general of Wei.

The fight between the two is a power struggle in the court of Wei.

No matter how hard they fight, it is still an internal matter of Wei.

When the two armies were fighting, they didn't kill the envoys.

Moreover, Cao Shuang liked to associate with celebrities, valued fame, and was a person who sought fame and reputation.

He was indecisive and soft-hearted.

As an envoy from Hebei, he went to the court to ask for help. It would not be surprising if Cao Shuang found any reason and was unwilling to send troops to help.

But if he dared to attack him openly, it would be nothing less than risking the world's disapproval: for his own personal grudge, he would not hesitate to collude with the Han State.

This can be said to be cutting himself off from the Wei Dynasty.

With Cao Shuang's character, he would never do this.

Of course, Sima Zhao had this idea because at this time, most people's political and moral standards were still relatively high.

If it were in the original history, after his master pointed at the Luo River and farted, Sima Zhao would not dare to have this idea even if he was beaten to death.

"It doesn't matter whether Cao Shuang sends troops or not. What matters is that we have to show this gesture."

Sima Yi's body joints seemed to have finally recovered their freedom of movement. He slowly leaned on the table, staring at a void in the air in front of him, his eyes looked a little empty:

"Feng the thief is the leader of the Han thieves. This time he personally led the army here. His intention to swallow Hebei is obvious. Therefore, I guess that the thieves must come with the whole country."

"How can Hebei alone stop the whole country's troops led by Feng the thief? In the eyes of the world, Cao Shuang, as a general of the Wei Dynasty, should not sit on the sidelines at this time."

But Sima Yi knew that things in this world are unreasonable.

What he wanted was Cao Shuang's unreasonableness.

Only if Cao Shuang was unreasonable, Sima Taifu's image as a loyal minister of the Wei Dynasty, who was alone and had been struggling to fight against the thieves, would become more and more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

Sima Zhao seemed to understand.

"Don't worry, as long as I have a large army, even if you go to Qiao County, Cao Shuang won't dare to do anything to you."

"This time, just cry in the court, the more sad the better."

Sima Zhao nodded: "I understand."

The war is urgent and should not be delayed. He will leave for Qiao County tomorrow. After Sima Zhao resigned to Sima Yi, he turned around and went to visit Zhang Chunhua.

Sima Yi and Zhang Chunhua, a loving couple when they were young, are ultimately no match for time.

Zhang Chunhua, over the years, has rarely had the opportunity to see Sima Yi.

Especially after the hunger strike incident, Zhang Chunhua moved to the courtyard farthest from Sima Yi in the Taifu Mansion.

Sima Zhao came out from Sima Yi's place, spent a lot of time and walked a long distance before arriving at Zhang Chunhua's yard.

Having been with Sima Yi for most of his life, he didn't expect to be hated by him in the end, which already dealt a big blow to Zhang Chunhua, who was already strong-minded.

Coupled with the untimely death of his eldest son Sima Shi, Zhang Chunhua fell into grief and couldn't extricate himself.

th.

At this time, Zhang Chunhua was lying alone on the couch. The wrinkles on his face were spreading like withered vines, and his skin was loose and dry, as if it had been ruthlessly drained of moisture by the years.

She once gave Sima Yi great support in her career. Her eyes were originally bright and full of energy, but now they have become deeply sunken, like two dry wells, which can no longer reflect the light of the past.

The turbid and dim pupils seemed to be shrouded in a thick layer of haze, reflecting not the light and shadow of the outside world, but the loneliness and sadness deep inside.

Her hands hung limply at her sides, her fingers slightly bent like withered branches.

Only the corners of his mouth were tightened, forming a stubborn and desolate arc.

The corners of his mouth, which had once been raised to reveal a happy smile, now could only carry endless bitterness and helplessness.

It wasn't until he saw the figure of his son Sima Zhao that Zhang Chunhua's hopeless eyes flashed with light, and the corner of his mouth showed a rare hint of joy.

"Quick, help me up."

Zhang Chunhua ordered around and struggled to get up.

Sima Zhao quickly stepped forward and held Zhang Chunhua's withered hand:

"Mom, if you are not feeling well, just lie down and don't get up."

Zhang Chunhua was indeed weak. She did not force herself to get up, but lay down again. She looked at Sima Zhao steadily with dry eyes:

"My son is here. I also said that you are busy today and can't make it."

"My child is indeed busy with some things today, so he came a little late, which made my mother worried."

Sima Zhao held Zhang Chunhua's hand and said with some guilt.

"It's very rare that you can come to see me every day." Zhang Chunhua stretched out his other hand and pressed Sima Zhao's hand. His withered face was filled with relief, "How dare I not be satisfied?"

The husband is ruthless, but fortunately the children are filial.

Hearing his mother's words, Sima Zhao's nose felt sore.

How great would it be if the eldest brother was still here?

That way, he can always be by his mother's side.

Thinking of the task entrusted to him by the Lord, Sima Zhao knelt in front of Zhang Chunhua's couch:

"Mom, the child is unfilial!"

Zhang Chunhua was shocked when he saw that Sima Zhao was uncharacteristically and even shed tears:

"What's wrong with my son? Why are you acting like a son?"

"The child will go to Qiao County tomorrow. From the day after tomorrow, my mother may not be able to see the child every day."

Sima Zhao sobbed and recounted the story.

My mother was so seriously ill that I wanted to stay by her side all the time and serve her medicine, but I didn't expect that I would have to stay away.

Why is this world always so difficult?

After understanding the twists and turns, Zhang Chunhua couldn't help being shocked and angry. He pounded the bed hard and yelled:

"How dare the old thief do this? The death of my eldest son was due to the old thief overestimating his own abilities. Now he wants to harm the life of my second son! How vicious!"

Upon hearing this, Sima Zhao quickly explained:

"Mom, calm down. My son's trip to Qiao County looks dangerous, but it's actually not serious. Cao Shuang won't do anything to me."

Then he recounted the conversation between himself and Sima Yi.

Unexpectedly, this explanation not only failed to calm Zhang Chunhua's anger, but made her even more sad and angry. She beat her chest with her right hand and started crying:

"Old man! Old thief, you and I are incompatible with each other! It's not enough to harm my eldest son, but this time you have to harm my younger son. It's hard, my life is hard!"

As soon as Sima Yizhao saw Zhang Chunhua's appearance, he panicked: "Mom, mom?"

"Son," Zhang Chunhua stretched out his hand to caress Sima Zhao's head and said with tears, "You only know one thing about this, but you don't know the other!"