Chapter 2555: Throwing stones to ask for directions
After paying a heavy reward to the ranger who came to report the news and asking Sima Lang to deliver it in person, Sima Fang's face darkened.
After a while, Sima Lang turned back and sat aside, "Father...this matter, I'm afraid it's not a trivial matter..."
Sima Fang's eyelids were half-closed and half-opened, "Let's talk about it."
Sima Lang said in a deep voice: "If it is a conscription, just send three or five soldiers and deliver the written documents... so many soldiers coming... is definitely not a good thing!"
"Humph! Did you bully someone into losing your health?" Sima Fang sneered, then gritted his teeth and popped out these words.
It is not a top secret that Sima Fang has been weak and sick in the past two years. The powerful nobles in the surrounding area know it, and Le Jin and others in Hanoi also know it.
Hanoi gentry, headed by Sima.
Le Jin didn't have much patience to blend things slowly, so he wanted to achieve quick results and suppress the Hanoi nobles, just like Prime Minister Cao, and make the local Yingchuan nobles bow their heads and obey. One mode was to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, and the other mode was naturally to capture the thieves first.
Capture the king!
Killing chickens to scare monkeys is often because monkeys are harder to catch and chickens are easier to bully, but now...
Sima is the "king"!
In the words of later generations, it is "Kill him while he is sick." Since Sima Fang is sick, just pinch him while he is soft!
Is this normal logic?
"Father, is it possible that you are not afraid of us..." Sima Lang frowned, "A fight to the death?"
Sima Fang grinned, revealing some yellow-black remaining teeth, "Haha...how do you know he doesn't want us to really fight to the death?"
"This..." Sima Lang finally started to panic, "Isn't it like this?"
Sima Fang raised his hazy eyes and looked into the distance, "I'm really ill at the wrong time..."
Of course, it is possible that Le Jin felt that if Sima Fang, a bad old man who was about to die of illness, wanted to scare him, he might not actually take action. He could only let the Sima family lower their heads and stick out their butts to get slapped, and then order other families in Hanoi to do the same.
Just stick your butt out, isn’t it simple?
After all, only under the teachings of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in later generations, many people know how powerful the Sima family is. And in the current Han Dynasty, from the perspective of the entire Han Dynasty, the Sima family is not ranked highly, and it is only famous in Hanoi County.
Peace talks, or splitting accounts between 30 and 70, must be done when both parties feel that they can cooperate and have generally equal status...
Like now, Sima looks down on Le Jin, and Le Jin doesn't think there's anything great about Sima, so how can they sit together and share the accounts?
The current branch of the Sima family in Wen County comes from Sima Jun. Sima Jun is somewhat similar to Liu Bei. The descendants of such and such kings, it is fair to say, they should be like Liu Bei and talk about it every day.
I'm so sorry...
And Sima Jun, the general who conquered the west, committed suicide.
Sima Jun committed suicide. On the surface, it seemed that it was related to some failed military operations and he committed suicide out of fear of crime. But in fact, it may not be simple. I believe it is more of a political issue.
After Sima Jun, Sima Liang and Sima Jun have nothing to say. Generally speaking, for middle-class people, even after Sima became emperor in later generations, there is no special deeds to praise them. They can only say that they are "erudite and fond of ancient times". Suave and generous. He is eight feet three inches tall, has a 10-gauge belt, and has a strong demeanor. He is unique..."
Well, growing tall and strong was indeed a skill in the Han Dynasty.
What skills does Sima Fang have now? Has he done anything big?
Does having eight sons count?
Maybe.
So much so that later historians pondered for a long time, but they really couldn't find any glorious deeds of Sima Fang. In the end, they could only say that Sima Fang complained a lot. "Hundreds of thousands of words". Hundreds of thousands of words may seem like a lot, but it is not even a fraction of Mahou's. Therefore, it is indeed possible that Le Jin, based on the above factors, does not even feel the need to come to Wen County himself and send a The Army Sima is so strong, isn't he just dealing with a poor old man?
Sima Fang is not afraid of threats.
But what if Le Jin's soldiers and horses this time are not just a bluff?
The Sima family's ruthlessness and forbearance are traditional and are in their bones.
On the couch, Sima Fang, who was already a little thin, opened his closed eyes, and there was a ruthless look in his drooped triangular eyes.
It's useless to bully an old man...
"It seems that I can't bear it anymore." Sima Fang said slowly, "This time, even if I endure it, it will probably break my muscles and bones... Don't forget, this Le Jin Le Wenqian was in Piao back then. The rider has suffered a great loss..."
Sima Lang's expression was solemn, "My father's intention is..."
Sima Fang raised some of his eyelids and said, "I'm afraid I'm here for you!"
Sima Lang took a breath and frowned, "If this is the case, it's really a safe disaster!"
Although Sima Lang was not as clever and cunning as Sima Yi, he was not bad at all. After thinking for a while, he understood what his father Sima Fang meant.
It's really possible that this is aimed at him!
It’s hard to say that Le Jin developed the “cool trick” after learning from Lao Cao!
Isn’t Mr. Lao Cao “holding the emperor hostage to order the princes”?
Didn’t we hold the Yingchuan red and white flag once?
So what's wrong with Mr. Le Jin's plan to "take an heir to control the nobles"?
What’s the problem with forcing Hanoi’s gentry to take sides?
After the army arrives at the city, they can find any excuse, such as bandits appearing in the Taihang Mountains, and ask Sima Lang to cooperate, or directly order Sima Lang to be recruited as a counselor in the army. Anyway, there are many reasons.
If Sima Lang refuses, saying that Sima is protecting himself or something, Le Jin can also find excuses, such as just a temporary secondment, or asking Sima Lang to prove that his father is his father...well, to prove that the Sima family and those thieves It doesn't matter, wait a minute, are you trying to find fault anyway? As a member of the public, if you don't have this ability, then what the hell are you doing?
If you don't look at the checkpoints on the road and stop a caravan, no matter how complete the procedures are, can you still find some problems?
As long as the driver's license is... bah, after Sima Lang is pinched in his hand, can other problems be a problem?
So Sima Fang may be okay, but Sima Lang will never look back even if he is a meat bun and beats a dog.
When the time comes to hold Sima Lang in his arms and threaten Sima, will Sima bear it or not?
"My child..." Sima Lang didn't know what to say for a moment, "My child..."
"You don't have to be like this..." Sima Fang shook his head slightly and sighed, "No, this is inevitable... Even if we don't hate Le Wenqian today, we will hate Cao Mengde tomorrow! Sooner or later, sooner or later... you
Think about it, that war horse..."
"War horse?" Sima Lang looked up at Sima Fang, "Father, how is this possible? We are very careful..."
"No matter how careful we are, there will be times when we are exposed..." Sima Fang sighed, "Besides, if we are careful, what's the use? In Hanoi, there are probably people who are watching our collapse, and then they can take over this business!"
"..." Sima Lang fell silent.
Indeed.
War horses are big business.
As a senior official under Qiusi, Sima Yi could obtain sales quotas for some war horses from legitimate channels. But when these sales quotas were in the hands of Sima's caravan, how could he follow the price set by Cao Cao?
Official prices are official prices.
Looking at the market, the prices of war horses are very in line with the standards and are not exaggerated at all. Reasonable shipping costs, reasonable profit margins, and reasonable label prices.
But it’s just out of stock…
The stable was empty.
But if the price is increased several times, it will be available again!
If the price were higher, there would be better war horses!
The channels for "semi-smuggling" war horses in Hanoi are all in the hands of the Sima family.
The reason why it is called "semi-smuggling" or "juqi" is because the horses are sold legally from the hussar side, but when they get to Cao Cao, the war horses have entered the black market and no longer appear in the market.
For example, it is like mobile phones and graphics cards at a certain stage in later generations. They must be regular when they come out from the manufacturer, but then they are out of stock halfway. At the end of the consumer, they want
There are no affordable ones at all, and you can’t buy them at the prices listed on the website...
Sima Fang sneered and said: "I just have inconvenience in my legs and feet. Why don't I just lie in bed and wait for death? This is already a knock on the door. If I really wait until the day when I stretch my neck and kick my legs, I don't know what will happen to me."
Bullying!』
"Father..." Sima Lang said, "How should we respond?"
Sima Fang pondered for a while, "Go and call Ma Dalang. We must know how many people are coming... If there are few people, there is still some room for maneuver. If there are many people coming..."
Sima Lang took a breath, nodded, then stood up and went out.
Not long after, Sima Lang came with Ma Chong.
Sima Fang smiled and asked Ma Chong to sit down, and then asked: "Ma Dalang, you have been at Sima's house... for ten years?"
"If I go back to Grandpa, it will be ten years in more than two months..." Ma Chong replied respectfully.
Sima Fang nodded and said with emotion: "It's been ten years..."
Sima Fang raised his head, not knowing whether he was feeling nostalgic for his past youthful years, or feeling sad about the passage of time.
Ma Chong glanced at Sima Fang, feeling somewhat uneasy.
After a while, Sima Fang sighed softly and said, "To be honest, that young chivalrous man came here in the evening to avenge the Sima family for a disaster!"
Ma Chong couldn't help but widen his eyes, "What trouble?"
Sima Fang forced himself to stand up, and then bowed to Ma Chong, "Ma Dalang, I have a heartfelt request..."
……╰(‵□′)╯……
Looking at Chenjiaping's camp from a distance, it looks like a huge monster squatting in the shadows.
It has already fallen into the night, and the bright moon hangs high above our heads.
In any case, Chenjiaping's camp still has some appearance, with dug earth forming a moat, trees forming a fence, and sentries standing high.
Ma Chong crouched behind the rock, his eyes flashing.
After rushing all the way, we finally arrived at Chenjiaping.
He is also afraid.
But being afraid or shrinking cannot solve the problem.
Back then, Ma Chong's father risked his life to give Ma Chong and his brother a place in the Sima family. Now, it is Ma Chong's turn to risk his own life to give his brother and his children a place.
Expand a wider space!
What's more, what Old Master Sima said is somewhat true. On the one hand, Ma Chong is a hunter and often goes out hunting, so his presence here will not easily arouse suspicion. On the other hand, among the sons of Sima, many people in Chenjiaping know each other.
, if he is recognized, his life is secondary, I am afraid that it will delay the important matter.
after all……
Ma Chong's wife and children are also still in Simawu Fort.
"Ma Dalang, we..." The other two hunters next to Ma Chong looked at the Chenjiaping camp, with some trembling in their voices, "We...are we really going to go there like this?"
Ma Chong took a breath and looked at the other two trembling hunters beside him, "No... I'll just go..."
"Ma Dalang!"
"How, how can this be done?!"
Although the two hunters said that this was not possible, they obviously did not look as trembling as before. "How about we just stay here and take a look..."
Their location is only two or three miles away from Chenjiaping.
After going around from behind the rock, there is a smooth river. As long as the sentinels in Chenjiaping pay a little attention, they can see its traces.
Ma Chong shook his head and said, "That's not right. What the old lady wants is the number of soldiers. What can you tell by just looking at it here?"
Ma Chong looked at Chenjiaping's camp, "You have to go there to know how many people there are! Besides, if you don't sneak in, how can you set fire to the camp?"
The two hunters looked at each other and remained silent.
That's right, if you just rush back and say something random, you can still communicate, and you may even not reveal any flaws, such as exaggerating a little, or saying that you didn't see it clearly, or simply talking about Chen Jiaping's defense.
It's so tight that you can't get in. Is it possible that the old lady can come here to check it out with her own eyes?
But, that's not how things work...
Ma Chong took a deep breath and said, "Give me the thing!"
"Ma Dalang..."
Ma Chong looked determined, "Give me the thing!"
Ma Chong saw that the two hunters actually didn't have the guts to get close, so instead of risking exposure and bringing these two guys with him, he might as well give it a try! At least he didn't have to worry about when these two men would show their flaws and drag him down.
leg!
The two hunters looked at each other, then took out the small bamboo tube that started the fire from their arms and handed it to Ma Chong, "Ma Dalang...are you really...going to go there?"
"Stop talking nonsense," Ma Chong hid the small bamboo pipe that started the fire. "If you are shot outside, you should run back immediately! Grandpa Sima will not blame you... If I can sneak in, you can just wait...
...Well, wait for an hour. If after an hour, I still can't light the fire...you guys also go back..."
Ma Chong stretched out his hand and grabbed two or three pheasants and hares. "Remember?" Ma Chong said in a deep voice. He had already made up his mind, and there was some determination in his expression.
The two hunters looked at Ma Chong's face and nodded silently.
Under the moonlight, I saw Ma Chong grinning, showing his white teeth, "Remember to tell the old lady when you go back, I, Ma Chong, have not failed in his ten years of protection!"
Ma Chong stretched out a hand, patted the two hunters, then stood up from behind the rock and strode forward.
"Ma Dalang..."
"How proud..."
The two hunters stood on the rock and watched Ma Chong's figure heading towards Chenjiaping. They couldn't help but sigh.
After a while, the two hunters looked at each other and said, "You..."
"I……"
"I said……"
"you say……"
"Hi! You say it first!"
"No, you should say it first..."
The two were silent for a while.
Because both of them could see timidity and withdrawal in each other's eyes, but they didn't dare to speak out of shame.
"Alas..." One of them sighed, then turned to look at Ma Chong, "Forget it, not everyone can be a hero..."
"Whoever says a bad word about Ma Dalang again from now on, I will fight with him!" Another person patted the rock in front of him as if slapping an enemy, "Ah, Ma Dalang has been discovered!"
Under Chenjiaping, Ma Chong was spotted halfway by the barracks sentry on the ping ground, and then ordered him to stop and undergo interrogation...
Suddenly some soldiers were running back and forth in the camp, and the firelight was flickering.
Ma Dalang raised the prey in his hand high and seemed to shout something into Chenjiaping.
After a while, several people came out from the camp, surrounded Ma Chong, seemed to be questioning him, and then escorted Ma Chong back to the camp.
"broken……"
"Will it be discovered..."
The two hunters couldn't help but start to shiver behind the rock again.
"what to do?"
"Shall we go back now?"
"..." The two hunters shivered for a while, and then found that there seemed to be no special movement in the camp. Their nervousness gradually relaxed a little. Just as they were about to discuss what to do, they heard some small sounds coming from behind them.
, they were so frightened that they immediately turned around and looked back, "Who? Who is over there?"
A figure appeared not far away, shaking his hands empty, "Is it me, Ma Dalang? Why are you two here?"
"..." The two hunters recognized each other and took a breath, "Oh, it's Mr. Liulang, why are you here? Ma Dalang was just captured and taken to the military camp..."
Sima Jin came up with two followers, then looked towards Chenjiaping, and said in a calm tone, "What does Ma Dalang have to say?"
The two hunters looked at each other, and then repeated what Ma Chong said.
"Well," Sima Jin nodded, "Ma Dalang... is really good..."
Sima Jin looked at the barracks on Chenjiaping in the distance, and seemed to be counting the numbers. He immediately took a breath of cold air, his face darkened, "Okay, let's go..."
The two hunters were a little confused, "Ah? Are you going back now? No more waiting?"
"You two have to wait, that's fine..." Sima Jin turned his head, but put on a smile, "Or, go back with me?"
The two hunters looked at each other, and then laughed a little awkwardly, "Well... naturally we will follow Liu Lang..."
"Okay, let's go!" Sima Jin stretched out his hand to indicate that the two hunters should go first.
The two hunters didn't know what was going on. They seemed to feel that something was wrong, but they couldn't tell what the problem was. They looked at each other, nodded in confusion, and walked back.
After just a few steps, two people suddenly jumped out from the shadows. One of them held down an Orion, covered his mouth and nose with one hand, and stabbed him with a knife with the other hand!
"You chickened out..." Sima Jin clasped his hands behind his back, not even looking at the two hunters who were struggling on the ground. "The Sima family treats you two well. We are also hunters. Ma Dalang did well, and then he took the risk."
Risk... If Ma Dalang dies but you survive, how should I look to see Ma Dalang's family papers? How should I tell others? Oh, those who shrink from the battle will live, but those who have the courage to take responsibility will die.
?』
Sima Jin continued to move forward, "Throw the body into the ravine! Clean it again and don't leave any traces..."
