When one is in a place of suspicion, a wise man will inevitably take precautions against the slightest possibility.
For example, when Pan Jun, the second minister of Jiangdong, was in a high position in the Wu Kingdom, he was furious at his eldest son for having an affair with Yinfan, a native of Wei Jiang, and finally allowed his eldest son to escape the "Yinfan case".
Sima Yi, who was superior to Pan Jun in both intelligence and general strategy, naturally understood this well.
He also warned his nephews at home not to have any interaction with Li Jian who entered the Wei Dynasty from the Hexi Corridor.
The friendship between Sima Zhao and Li Jian was nothing more than an occasional whim of Cao Rui, who instructed him to try to get in touch with Li Jian, who was already vaguely famous in the Central Plains, while he was on business in Qingzhou.
Moreover, after Sima Zhao accepted the order, he still behaved in the style of an official and aristocratic family.
Over the past few years, he has appended every meeting, conversation, and correspondence with Li Jian to a book, and forwarded it to the emperor's bodyguards to report on his behalf. This non-official way of handling things has almost become a casual pastime for Cao Rui. , which also doubled his trust in Sima Zhao.
Therefore, he would not believe the letter from Xia Houxuan and Yan King Cao Yu in his heart.
Even Cao Yu privately asked his confidants to compare the treasonous words on Li Jian's tattered clothes with the handwriting of Sima Zhao's usual official or private letters, claiming that the two were completely different. The only thing that was suspicious was some idiomatic usage in the handwriting. There are amazing coincidences in the traces, and it cannot be ruled out that it was written with the left hand.
But Cao Rui knew that Cao Yu's character was very careful and cautious.
The so-called only slightly suspicious, in fact, it is almost the same.
It's just that this matter has a serious impact on Wei State. He knows that he can't make it public, and he doesn't dare to swear.
This also made Cao Rui hesitate.
Wei Jun's many years of rationality told him that Sima Zhao was trustworthy and would not betray him, let alone leave such an obvious clue to be caught.
However, the emperor's already suspicious mind kept reminding him, what if something goes wrong?
Li Jian is not a spy against Shu!
His original intention and pursuit of the art of hating victory was that he was an incompetent emperor of the Wei State and a monarch who brought misfortune to the Wei State, so he thought of cursing him to die early and replacing him with another wise monarch. The Wei State will no longer be defeated, regain its lost territory, and become "one in the world" as soon as possible!
Therefore, would Sima Zhao also have such a view?
It was just betraying him, but not betraying Wei, let alone endangering Wei's society.
Therefore, under this alternative passion for serving the country, he who is not yet old enough to be cunning will conspire with Li Jian and will not look back...
For a moment, Cao Rui suddenly felt that everything was reasonable.
Because he knows that in recent years, there have been voices questioning him from both the government and the public.
He first privately allowed Cao Xiu to launch the Battle of Shiting, and later urged Sima Yi to continue to implement the strategy of besieging the Manyin City fortress. Both battles ended in defeat, which also made Wei a disadvantaged party against the enemy. , enough to prove that he is an incompetent monarch.
The most important thing is that his descendants have withered away.
Many of the concubines in the palace no longer came out, and they were not even pregnant.
Therefore, he could not prevent the theory of destiny promoted by Qiao Zhou, a Confucian rebel against Shu, from taking root in the Wei Dynasty and growing vigorously as time went by.
It was this lack of confidence that prompted him to decide to come back to Yecheng to deal with the matter in person before it escalated.
Yes, put things to rest.
No matter whether Sima Zhao was involved or not, and no matter how many unidentified people and things were involved, he did not want to continue to investigate, but wanted to end everything before the situation escalated.
The reason is that the decisive battle in Guanzhong is imminent.
In other words, he was confident enough. Even if Sima Zhao was involved, his father Sima Yi did not have the troops he wanted - now the main force of the 110,000 Guanzhong army is the 50,000 Luoyang army!
Their real leader is Qin Lang!
The generals of each department were followed by Cao Zhao and Cao Zuan, sons of Cao Xiu, Cao Shuang, son of Cao Zhen, and other clan leaders.
When facing Ni Shu, Qin Lang and others obeyed Sima Yi's orders; but if Sima Yi dared to have any evil intentions, they would fight for the country without hesitation!
Otherwise, if he didn't even have this assurance, how could Cao Rui dare to entrust the entire country's troops to Sima Yi's hands?
As the emperor, no matter how much he trusted Sima Yi, he would not do so at the expense of his family, his life, his throne and the country!
Therefore, Cao Rui wanted to settle the matter as soon as possible, because he did not want Sima Yi to be in danger during the decisive battle in Guanzhong, and he could not be distracted when making decisions, which would bring uncertainty to the war.
Of course, he also wanted to see Li Jian.
I don't want to personally crush this traitor who cursed me to an early death to ashes to vent my anger, but I want to have a calm talk with him and hear why he regards him as a monarch who is harmful to the country.
Obviously, after taking the throne for more than ten years, he has been working hard and working hard to govern.
Compared with Emperor Wen, he did not launch three eastern expeditions because he was tricked by Jiangdong Sun Quan. He did not imprison his clan member Cao Hong out of personal anger. He did not suffer humiliation and death under the ban. He did not hang human skulls on Wang Zhong's saddle for fun. , etc. are not like what a human king would do.
Moreover, even Wei Wu, who swept across the north, suffered defeats in Chibi and Hanzhong!
Indeed, he will never be able to match Wei Wu in this life.
But it’s better than Wei Wen?
Are they better than the previous emperors of the Han Dynasty?
How can we regard him as the king of misfortune and the king of harm to the country!
With such indignation, Cao Rui was a little anxious when he saw Li Jian across from him.
Perhaps, he himself did not realize that with such a mentality, he had already fallen into the self-doubt of "talking too much if you don't believe enough, and arguing too much if you don't have enough reason".
And sometimes, self-doubt is simply acknowledging what others say.
....................................
Weijun, on the outskirts of Yecheng.
This is a manor nestled on low hills.
Large, scattered buildings occupy one side of the low hill, and the rolling roofs blend into the trees.
It is also very quiet. In the busy season of autumn harvest, there are no golden waves of wheat among the green mountains and green waters. There are no farmers busy in the fields. Instead, the pavilions and pavilions are hidden under the shade of dense trees beside the flowing water. Elegant and interesting objects such as stone tables, tea stoves, bronze vessels for burning incense, kettles, xylophones, chessboards or pens and ink are left unused. It does not take too much thinking to know that this is a paradise for a wealthy family to place their love on the mountains and rivers.
But it's also strange.
There was no one in the manor at this time.
There was no master, no guards, no servants, no royals, nobles or dandy children who came to play. Even the invisible stables, which vaguely smelled of excrement and urine, were empty, like ghosts isolated in the world.
Li Jian sat alone in a small pavilion next to the stream.
It has been half an hour since he was blindfolded and escorted here. The soldier who escorted him has left for a long time, and the person who wanted to see him has still not shown up.
But he was not anxious at all and continued to wait calmly.
Because he knew that if nothing unexpected happened, he would die when the person who wanted to see him showed up.
When life enters the countdown, there is nothing to be anxious about, right?
He didn't panic, and there was no turmoil in his heart.
From the moment he was sent and captured by Xia Houxuan, he had a realization and was looking forward to death coming as soon as possible.
It's not that I want to suffer less physical pain.
But if he dies, then his duty to join Wei and his promise to Zheng Pu are over, and he will be freed from wandering alone, studying the hypocrisy of studying hard, pretending to be in front of everyone, etc.
.
Yes, he was looking forward to it being over.
He grew up in the Hexi Corridor where he was happy with his grudges and advocated sincerity and sincerity. He adhered to the principle that "a scholar should have a hundred practices and put morality first", but he was already tired of everything today.
Sometimes, he was even surprised that he could persist for so long.
Occasionally, he would laugh at himself. It turned out that he was not a scholar of noble character. In the years since he entered the Wei Dynasty, he had not only deceived everyone, but also deceived everyone. He was the same as the previous bureaucrats who plundered people's wealth and support in various counties in Hexi Province.
, is it no different from Hao You who hides his sword in his smile?
The world is like a carving knife, you can carve any words you want on the bamboo slips.
Some are shameless and unsightly; some are loyal and courageous, which makes people praise them for solving crimes.
He knew that after his death and the war between Han and Wei came to an end, Zheng Pu would definitely spread the word about his deeds, which would give him the opportunity to leave some words on the bamboo slips.
But he didn't know whether these words about his life would be praise or criticism.
However, it doesn't matter anymore.
In his heart, he never expected to be famous for eternity, nor was he afraid of being infamous for eternity; he just knew that when receiving favors from others, he should repay them without thinking about life and death, and he should live up to the promises made by others.
It doesn’t matter what others judge as right or wrong, as long as you live up to your own heart.
The only regret is that he will be buried in a foreign country and his soul will never return to his hometown.
Yes, he has been away from his hometown for many years.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen phoenixes dancing all over the sky and the yellow sand that hurt people’s faces; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a golden continuous forest of Populus euphratica; and it’s been a long time since I’ve felt the joy of having fun with the villagers, old and young, when it rains.
The land in the heart of the Central Plains is rich, rich, with beautiful mountains and rivers, outstanding people, four distinct seasons, and a strong literary style...
I don’t know how much better it is than the Hexi Corridor.
But he couldn't stop missing the sky full of yellow sand in Biaoshi County, Jiuquan County.
Because those buried in the yellow sand are his ancestors and parents; those living in the yellow sand are his clan and village; those being tempered in the yellow sand are his wife and children who entrust his various emotions.
I wonder if people really have spirits after death?
If so, I hope my soul can still remember the journey back to my hometown by then.
Oh, fortunately, although his low and dilapidated mud house is not outstanding, it is not difficult to recognize, and Li Jian clearly remembers that there are two trees planted in front of the house!
One is a mulberry tree.
What his father and grandfather planted has long stopped producing mulberries.
There are not many leaves all year round. I wonder if they have died in the past few years.
The other tree is also a mulberry tree.
He planted it himself, not many years ago.
But the branches are lush and have begun to bear mulberries, which is enough to protect the home from the occasional wind and sand, and allows the family to enjoy the cool under the shade of the trees.
Under the shade of a small tree, he can let his wife mend clothes and shoes in the cool air, chatting about the family's shortcomings; and let his children grow up from babbling to learning Chinese calligraphy books.
But now, no matter whether the mulberry tree he planted will die like the old mulberry tree in the future, his wife and children no longer need to enjoy the shade under the shade.
Because they had long been sent to live in Shu by Zheng Pu.
Therefore, Li Jian suddenly felt that he seemed to have no regrets left in the world.
Having done what he wanted to do, fulfilled his desires, and given his wife and children a life-changing blessing, he felt very lucky and contented.
It is also possible to welcome death calmly.
This indifferent demeanor and eyes made Cao Rui, who had arrived after a long journey, feel very melancholy.
He suddenly felt that it was unnecessary to come to see Li Jian in person.
From a prince whose biological mother was executed to becoming an emperor and ruling the world for more than ten years, this experience allowed him to easily see through many people and things.
For example, Li Jian indiscriminately designated him as the king of misfortune, and went straight to Wei Wu Gaoling to practice the art of hating victory in order to curse him to an early death, which he could not forgive.
He wanted others to know and recognize him, but he was actually a very competent king.
But when he saw Li Jian's face, which was pale due to excessive blood loss, but had a calm demeanor and indifferent eyes, he knew that everything was meaningless.
Even God cannot erase the prejudice that is embedded in people's hearts.
Even if he could reverse Li Jian's prejudice, what would he do to Tianxia Youyoukou?
People don't care whether he worked hard on state affairs and worked hard to govern. People just know that he is the emperor, so in everything related to the state of Wei, he will enjoy its successes and its failures.
that is it.
There is no need to distinguish right from wrong, no need to sort out the causes and consequences.
Therefore, after Cao Rui entered the small pavilion, he did not say anything, but quietly asked the attendants to come and eat, and briefly raised his hand to signal Li Jian to eat together.
It's like two travelers who meet by chance and one of them kindly invites the other to have a meal with him.
Li Jian was slightly emotional about this.
This kind of practice of strangers who are unwilling to talk but can share food is very common in his hometown.
Therefore, he didn't say anything, and he was not curious about the tired and tired man in front of him. He just nodded lightly and then ate calmly.
It was this indifference that made the stagnant water in Cao Rui's heart ripple again.
The only difference was that Cao Rui's sudden emotion was jealousy.
Or envy.
Because he was also very tired, and it was not just physical fatigue caused by the long journey.
It has been a long time since he had such a calm state of mind, and no longer had the mind to deal with everything indifferently.
It seems that since Ni Shu sent troops to Longyou for the first time, there have been no more.
Alas, it has been more than ten years.
And I don’t know how many years it will last.
Cao Rui, who suddenly lost his appetite, gently put the bamboo chopsticks on the table, picked up the wine cup and sipped it slowly.
The wine was slightly cold and sweet. After entering the mouth, it swept away the heat of the autumn harvest season, allowing Cao Rui to temporarily relax his mind. He looked around with a slightly blurred gaze, landing on the pen and ink, the piano table, the chessboard, the wooden sword, and the throwing pot. , tea stoves, stables and other items used by wealthy families to spend time...
I studied reading and biographies in the spring and summer, and hunted in the autumn and winter for my own entertainment.
He didn't know if Emperor Wu of Wei, when he granted the title of duke or queen, would occasionally think of the leisure and indulgence he had in his early years when he resigned to avoid trouble in his hometown.
But he knew that he really wanted to have such a time now.
"Thank you very much for the meal."
After an unknown amount of time, Cao Rui, who was in a trance, was awakened by a voice.
When he looked up, he saw that Li Jian had already finished his meal and stood up to thank him.
"Um."
Nodding and vaguely responding, he thought for a while, but finally couldn't help but ask, "When the emperor died using the magic spell of "Weary of Victory", did you ever think about who could take his place? What about other generations? Therefore, how can we assert that it is better than today’s Zixie?”
"Haha~~"
Unexpectedly, Li Jian smiled when he heard this.
But his smile seemed to have opened a wound on his body, and he bared his teeth in an inelegant manner before continuing, "Why do you suspect evil? Who can take his place is not my responsibility; whether he can win is not my fault either. I can make a decision. If you plan for eternity, you will not be limited to one moment. If you are desperate, you will seek to change your ears. How can you give up eating because of choking?"
Cao Rui responded silently.
Yes, how would you know if you don’t try it?
After all, since the founding of Wei Wu, the Wei State has never suffered such misfortunes as during his reign.
In other words, everyone in the government and the public feels that if Wei changes to another monarch, no matter how bad the outcome will be, it will not be as bad as it is now.
With this understanding, Cao Rui waved to the attendant next to him without raising his head.
We've had our meal, we've had our conversations, and it's time to let everything settle.
Li Jian will be executed on the charge of "disrespect" based on the reason for Xiahou Xuanxun's detention; all other people involved have been ordered to keep silent. If they cannot keep the secret, Cao Rui doesn't mind shutting them up forever.
Those clothing patches directly pointing to Sima Zhao's involvement will be destroyed, and even the documents submitted by Xia Houxuan and King Cao Yu of Yan will also be destroyed and will not be recorded.
And he will also go to Gaoling of Weiwu to pay a visit the next day.
The purpose of rushing back to Yecheng this time was to hope that Wei Wu's spirit in heaven would protect him and the war would go smoothly.
So, this matter is over.
As for those who question his moral integrity and think he is the Lord of Doom, he does not intend to pay attention to them, at least for now.
Now he knows that nothing can be a factor that affects the decisive battle in Guanzhong.
Once Gain wins the decisive battle in Guanzhong, the voices that doubt him will melt away, and he will usher in the restoration of the old territory in his lifetime, worthy of the dawn of his father. If it is the other way around, and those doubts become more and more intense, then he will not Would you mind doing another "Wei Xi case" again?
It is even a liquidation that involves a wider scope than the "Wei Xi case".
The matter ended with this result, and King Cao Yu of Yan did not hesitate to praise Emperor Cao Rui's handling of the matter.
Not even Xia Houxuan was upset at all.
As a hero of the Wei State, he certainly hopes to win the decisive battle in Guanzhong, and he also knows that at this moment, his personal anger with the Sima family must not interfere with the country's contribution.
The most important thing is that he has achieved his goal!
Because after this incident, the emperor will definitely be secretly wary of the Sima family; in the future, he will also use Qiao Pei's descendants to join the army and hold power in order to ensure the stability of his throne and the stability of Wei's society.
However, what they didn't know was that Cao Rui's approach of calming down the trouble was counterproductive.
Not only did it not make Sima Yi worry about anything else, it actually made him feel at risk!