At the end of September and autumn, due to the continuous rain, the waterways were overflowing and the roads were muddy. Under the predicament of heavy rain blocking the roads, the army was really unable to move forward.
Due to the difficulty and danger of Hanzhong, it would be the rainy season, and the plank road would be washed out by rainwater. It took Da Sima Cao Zhen a month to cover half of the distance.
At this moment, in the Tai Chi Hall, Emperor Cao Rui was wearing the splendid dragon suit (Note 1) that was often criticized by the young master Yang Fu and Yang Yishan. He was sitting in front of the case, carefully reading the three memorials.
These are the memorials of Taiwei Bopinghou: Hua Xin, Shaofu Yang Fu, and Grand Situ Lanlinghou Wang Lang's heir: Sanqi Changshi Wang Su.
[Note 1: In Fu, it was common to see Emperor Ming wearing an embroidered hat and half-sleeves of tassels. Fu asked the emperor: "How can this be done according to the etiquette?" The emperor silently did not answer, so he was not docile and could not see Fu. 】
The memorials from Hua Xin, Yang Fu, and Wang Su all coincided with Shangshu's urging Cao Rui to issue an edict to withdraw his troops.
Cao Rui sighed and picked up the memorial of Taiwei and Boping Hou Huaxin:
"More than two centuries have passed since the war broke out. Chengtian of the Great Wei Dynasty was appointed, and His Majesty regarded Kang Zhilong as a saint and virtue, and it was appropriate to promote the rule of one generation and show the traces of the three kings. Although two thieves were in danger and their lives were delayed, they continued to be saints, and people from far away were virtuous, and the generals The soldiers have no choice but to use them, so they must be mobilized from time to time. I sincerely hope that your majesty will pay attention to governance first and conquest as a later matter. Moreover, transporting food thousands of miles is not the advantage of using troops; if you go deeper and deeper into danger, there is no way to defeat it alone. Merit. I heard that this year’s conscription has resulted in a considerable loss of farming and mulberry farming. Those who serve the country take the people as their foundation, and the people take food and clothing as their foundation. If China is free from hunger and cold, and the people have no desire to leave the land, then the world will be very lucky, and the two thieves will You can sit down and wait. I am preparing to be prime minister. I am getting old and sick, and my dogs and horses are about to die. I am afraid that I will no longer be able to look after you. I dare not continue to love you, but your majesty will judge!"
Cao Rui looked at Hua Xin's memorial and was stunned for a long time. He remembered the ingenious plans that this famous Han scholar and veteran of the three dynasties had planned before. After another long while, Cao Rui unfolded the imperial edict paper and wrote it for Hua Xin himself. After receiving the reply, they did not dare to neglect this veteran of the Three Dynasties, his father Emperor Wen Cao Pi, and Cao Rui himself. Cao Rui wrote:
"I highly commend you for your careful consideration of the country's affairs. The thieves rely on the mountains and rivers, and the two ancestors have worked hard in the previous life, but they still can't conquer the peace. How dare I add too much, saying that I will destroy you! All the generals think that if they don't explore it at once, there is no way to do harm to them. , this is to observe the troops to see their provocations. If the time has not come yet, Zhou Wu returns to the army, this is a lesson from the past, I will not forget the warning."
After Cao Rui finished writing his reply, he picked up the memorial from Shaofu Yang Fu.
Yang Fu followed Emperor Taizu Wu to defeat Ma Chao in Liangzhou. He has always been praised as having both ability and political integrity in the court, so Cao Rui also attached great importance to Yang Fu's opinions:
"In the past, King Wen had the talisman of red crows, but he still had no time to eat; King Wu had white fish in the boat, and the emperor and his ministers changed their colors. But when he moved Ji Rui, he was still worried. If there is a disaster, who does not fight? Today, Wu and Shu are not at peace. , as the weather frequently changes, your majesty should respond with expertise, sit on the side of the seat, and think of the virtue of being far away, and the frugality of being close. When the armies begin to advance, there will be the danger of rain from the sky, and the dangers of Jilu Mountain. It has been accumulated over time. The labor of transportation and the hardship of burden have cost too much. If it is not continued, it will violate the original plan. It is said: "Advance when you see the possibility, retreat when you see the difficulty, this is the good governance of the army." The six armies are trapped in the valley. They have no way to advance and no way to retreat. This is not the way to lead the army. King Wu returns the army, and the Yin army is killed. This is the destiny. This year, the people are hungry, so it is appropriate to issue an edict to reduce food and reduce food. , all the skills and treasures can be discarded. In the past, when Shao Xinchen was a young man in the government, he would give up the food in a time of peace and quiet. Nowadays, the military is insufficient, so it is better to be disciplined."
After reading it, Cao Rui understood in his heart that what Yang Fu said was true. Da Sima's expedition had indeed consumed much more money and food than expected.
Finally, Cao Rui opened the memorial from Wang Su, the regular servant of Sanqi:
"There is a previous ambition, 'Thousands of miles of feeding food, the soldiers are hungry, the woodcutter is behind the Cuan, and the army is not full.' This is what the marchers in Pingtu mean. What's more, when they go deep into danger and dig a road forward, they will To work hard, you must have a lot of things. Now there is a heavy rain, and the mountains are steep and slippery. The crowds are forcing you to move forward, and it is difficult to continue the food and counties. This is a taboo for those who implement the army. I heard that Cao Zhenfa has been out for more than a month, so he went to cut half of the valley, which is a great way to manage the road. , all the soldiers have done. It is the thieves who are allowed to relax and wait for work, which is what the military strategists are afraid of. Talking about the previous generations, King Wu attacked Zhou and returned after leaving the pass; talking about the current affairs, Wu and Wen Zhengquan, Linjiang But it doesn't work. Isn't it the so-called one who knows the time by obeying the sky and is able to adapt to contingency? The people know that the sage is suffering from floods and rains, so they rest and take advantage of it. If there is a challenge in the future, they take advantage of it. This is the so-called joy of adversity and the people forget it. He is dead."
Cao Rui was successfully persuaded by the three men. He wrote an edict to withdraw the army and sent it to the front line at night.
In this way, the three-pronged attack on Shu planned by Great Sima Cao Zhen, which he single-handedly supported, was forced to be suspended.
The 100,000-strong army was forced to retreat and retreat.
————
In the capital, Luoyang, in the mansion of Da Sima and Marquis Shaoling Cao.
Xia Houxuan, who came to visit, looked at his uncle Cao Zhen with a sick face on the sick bed, and couldn't help but feel a little sad in his heart.
The most famous general in the Wei clan, who had spent his military life, was just like this, lying on the bed with a sluggish expression. His hands and feet were stiff and unable to move, and he could not say a word. At this moment, he could only With his eyes that were no longer sharp and majestic, he looked sadly outside the door. His eyes were clearly full of loneliness and unwillingness.
He was a general who had experienced hundreds of battles, and he didn't want to die on his bed like this. But he could do nothing now. He could only recall in his mind the scenes of swords and swords on the battlefield, and the joyful grudges and grudges.
The end of a hero and the twilight of a beauty are indeed the saddest things in the world.
Cao Zhen looked back on his life, and it seemed that he had never done anything that he regretted. He joined the army as a young man and fought hard on the battlefield before he achieved the honor he has today. Although he is a member of the royal family, he Rather than muddle along because of his noble birth, he still chose to use his own blood and sweat to build a legacy that was not inferior to that of any famous general in the Wei Dynasty!
If I have any regrets, it is that I was not able to wrap up my body and die on the battlefield.
The thing that made him most distressed was that his four former brothers, Boren, Zihuan, and Wenlie, all passed away before him.
But now I'm fine, I can finally go see them.
If I had to find one thing that made me feel uneasy, it would be that he failed to fulfill the late emperor's instructions and failed to protect His Majesty the Prime Minister for a few more years.
However, although Your Majesty is young, he is indeed a wise king. Perhaps the vague worries in his heart are just unnecessary.
"uncle……"
Xia Houxuan thought about it for a long time, and wanted to ask Cao Zhen something, but he swallowed the rest of his words. He understood that his uncle was speechless, and Brother Xi was in tears again at this moment and lost control of his emotions, so, He couldn't even ask at this moment.
Although he was sad in his heart, he did not lose his mind because of it. He had many doubts in his heart and wanted to ask his uncle for clarification.
He didn't understand why Zhuge Kongming, who was always known for his magnanimity, would send such a malicious and deliberately sarcastic letter.
He was even more doubtful about the authenticity of the letter, because the ink pad on the letter seemed more like the northern method of making it, judging from its color and smell. He always couldn't help but think of the ink that Grandpa Yu Jin had received back then.
Emperor Wu's secret order to seal the fake.
If the fake letter that Grandpa Yu Jin received back then might have been designed by a certain aide of Prince Pi in order to remove obstacles to the crown prince's succession, then what is the purpose of this letter being forged now?
So what is the purpose of the people behind the scenes?
Obviously, it is to seize military power!
So many things have happened over the years, and Xia Houxuan has always been careful, how could he not discover the mystery behind it?
It's a pity that although His Majesty is smart and wise today, his daily concern is the general situation of the country. How could he think of these trivial conspiracies?
Despite the power of the powerful dragon, it is still difficult to detect the viper's tricks.
Xia Houxuan once again felt helpless and tired.
It was like he was playing chess with a chaotic, invisible and extremely powerful opponent. Although he racked his brains, that person became more and more arrogant.
I desperately wanted to uncover this hazy chaos, but after peeking at a few clues again and again, I fell into the boundless swamp and darkness again.
Maybe the truth and answers had already appeared in his heart, but he couldn't prove everything clearly, so he could only endure the pain silently.
The Great Sima Cao Zhen, who had been surrounded by swords and swords for half his life, lingered on his bed for several months.
————
As winter comes and autumn comes, the imperial capital remains unabatedly prosperous. No one can pry out the endless darkness behind the prosperity.
Winter has turned to spring, and although the cold snow has melted, it cannot melt the bone-chilling coldness in the imperial capital.
The fifth year of Taihe, early spring and March.
The Great Sima Cao Zhen, who had lived in troubled times for half his life, passed away in his residence. After discussions with the officials, Emperor Cao Rui decided on Cao Zhen's posthumous title: Shaoling Yuanhou.
Cao Xi will never forget that when his father was dying, he looked at himself and his eldest brother with eyes full of expectation and sorrow.
He understood that his father, who was about to pass away and was helpless, was telling his elder brother and himself that they were the descendants of the Cao family. They were born as Cao family members and died as the ghosts of the Cao family. They would sacrifice their lives to serve the Cao family and the country with their blood!
"Dad..." Cao Xi, who was wearing hemp and wearing filial piety, had a withered face. After he bowed down and burned incense to worship his father, he looked at the spiritual tablet that stood tall in the smoke with his eyes that had become more and more determined.
, promised word by word: "Don't worry, my child will support the Cao family with his blood in this life, be loyal to the emperor, and assist Bi brother until death!"
————
Qingqingyuan was very popular at the time, that is, in the early Huang Dynasty, after Cao Zhen led his army to penetrate the Western Regions, Sima Yi and Chen Qun proposed to Emperor Wen and presided over the construction of a new market in Luoyang. A wealthy businessman who called himself uncle spent huge sums of money on it.
The red building that was built with funds is still filled with the sound of singing and tinkling piano.
Although this is currently the most luxurious Red Mansion and Chu Pavilion in Luoyang, it rarely does any superficial business. Instead, it is famous for its elegant singing, dancing and orchestral music.
But at this moment, upstairs and downstairs, under the illumination of colored lights, there was still an endless stream of regular drinkers, frustrated scholars, soldiers changing their posts, and plainclothes officials.
What surprised all the officials and people in Luoyang was that ten years ago, His Royal Highness Prince Pingyuan, who had not yet ascended the throne, did not inspect the Qingqing Garden after discovering that Xiao Xuanxue, the oiran in the garden, was working for Soochow during Emperor Wen's southern tour and supervision of the country.
Ban.
What the people of Luoyang don't even know is that today's Qingqingyuan still has unknown details mixed in it.
That detailed work may have come from Western Shu, or from Soochow, or even from the northern border of the desert, or it may have been planted by officials from various places in the Wei Dynasty, or even the school officials under the emperor were involved.
The general, Sima Zhao, the second son of Wuyang Marquis, is currently disguised as an ordinary rich man, sitting in a corner above the attic drinking special rice wine from Xishu, while Zhang Bolun, the young man from Qingqingyuan,
Sitting next to Sima Zhao, the two of them were talking about something unknown.
Speaking of this Bolun, he is just a minion of Li Chun Yuan.
When Qingqingyuan was first opened more than ten years ago, it was originally called Lichunyuan. Later, when the business gradually prospered, in order to further attract the talented gentry of Luoyang City, it was renamed Qingqingyuan.
The owner of this restaurant is a mysterious man named "Uncle" in rumors. No one knows the name of this uncle, and no one knows the identity of the person known as "Uncle".
Below the uncle is Qin Mo, the second-in-command of Qingqingyuan.
This Qin Mo has long been subdued by his father and often delivers news to the Sima Mansion. Therefore, Sima Zhao and his brother Sima Shi are also familiar with this Qin Mo. Sima Zhao remembers that his father told his eldest brother and himself that this Qin Mo is related to
The two big bosses of Qingqingyuan, "Uncle", although they run the same building as Qingqingyuan, they actually don't get along well with each other.
The uncle was so mysterious that Sima Zhao even suspected that even his father Sima Yi did not know his true identity. He only knew that this man should be a Central Plains man.
But Qin Mo was different. He was a Xianbei man from the northern grasslands. Due to the important relationship between these two people, his father only told his eldest brother and himself so much.
As for the other shrimp soldiers and crab generals in Qingqing Garden, he already knew them clearly.
Once upon a time, Xiao Xuanxue, the number one oiran here, was the uncle's confidant. However, ten years ago, Xiao Xuanxue's secret identity was revealed by the former supervisor of the country with the help of Xia Houxuan, Xun Can, Li Feng, and Kui.
His Royal Highness King Pingyuan, who is now Your Majesty, saw through it and sentenced him to the end of ten years' imprisonment.
In a blink of an eye, this singer who was very popular back then may have already become a beauty.
There are rumors that after Xiao Xuanxue was released from prison, she and You Ling'er, another popular dancer from Qingqingyuan, went to a county in northern Xinjiang to start a cooked food business.
Sima Zhao thought to himself: If he remembers correctly, Cui Wenji, who was jealous of You Ling'er in Qingqing Garden with the fifth son of the deceased Emperor Wen, and now His Majesty's fifth brother, King Cao Jian of Dongwuyang, was in Xiahou Xuan and the great minister who served at that time.
Honglu was rescued by Cui Lin Cui Deru, who was now the captain of Sili School, and was sent to the northern Xinjiang by Emperor Wen to serve as an army garrison.
I think back then, everyone was still just a teenager. His Highness Cao Jian, King of Dongwuyang, who was the most powerful man on the court, has been dead for six years now.
When Sima Zhao thought about this, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. Regardless of princes, emperors, grandsons, or ordinary people, the lives of people in this world are really as thin as grass.
After a while, Sima Zhao's mind returned to Qingqingyuan. He also thought of three people: Li Nie, Liu Yizhen, and the unknown warrior known as "Sitting General" because he was good at fighting while sitting still.
The boss's confidant is also the bodyguard of Qingqingyuan.
And since Xiao Xuanxue and You Ling'er retreated to northern Xinjiang, Qie Fangsheng was the only reputable singer in Qingqingyuan.
At this moment, she, who is nearly 20 years old, is standing on the singing platform, singing a song "Fording the River to Pick Hibiscus" loudly:
I waded into the river to pick hibiscus, and there were many fragrant grasses in the orchids.
Who do you want to leave behind? What you are thinking about is far away.
I still look back at my old hometown, the long road is long and vast.
They live together and live apart, and they end up in sorrow.
The song was ethereal and plaintive, and paired with the famous wines from all over the world in Qingqing Garden, many guests who came here to drink and listen to the music were intoxicated.
At this time, the four brothers-in-law and husbands who were entrusted by Xiahou Xuan, as well as Yu Huan, the Marquis of Yishou Ting, and Xiahou Xuan's two cousins, Xiahou Xian and Xiahou Feng, were also wearing casual clothes at this time, listening to music and drinking indifferently.
Xiaojiu. Although they noticed that Sima Zhao was talking to the servant Zhang Bolun in the attic, they could not hear any important information.
At this moment, Zhang Bolun, a young boy from Shu, informed Sima Zhao of a shocking event: the Marquis of Wuxiang in the Shu Han Dynasty and the Prime Minister Zhuge Kongming were about to embark on another Northern Expedition!
And in the corner where Sima Zhao, He Kui, Yu Shanjun, Xia Houxian, and Xia Houfeng could hardly notice, several secret agents under the school officials were paying attention to five people at the same time just like four people were paying attention to Sima Zhao.
trends.
The mantis stalks the cicada, but the oriole is wary of it.