Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3851 Fear in the Face of Adversity

The brazier inside the large tent warded off the winter chill.

Fei Qian summoned Sima Yi.

"Zhongda, sit down." Fei Qian gestured to the seat below him, his tone flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Sima Yi bowed respectfully, sat down as instructed, his back straight, his eyes lowered, awaiting the question.

The Book of Documents states, "The people are the foundation of the state; when the foundation is firm, the state is at peace." Guanzi also said, "The success of governance lies in conforming to the will of the people." This ideal must have been well understood by Zhongda (Sima Yi)... To secure the people and strengthen the nation, it is not merely a matter of bestowing temporary benefits, but rather a long-term, sustained effort.

Fei Qian said slowly.

"Zhongda (Sima Qian) was skilled in warfare and knew that victory or defeat in battle depended not only on the soldiers in the camps and on the battlefield. Cao Gui, in discussing warfare, always sought to understand the people's opinions; Sun Tzu, in his five principles, placed the first importance on unity of purpose. Therefore, in war, one should send men deep into the villages and alleys to hear the hardships of farming and the difficulties of the marketplace, as if gathering intelligence on the enemy; one should also value the scattered ideas of the people, gathering them into strategies, as if devising military plans. Furthermore, one must ensure that the people trust my decrees, just as the three armies are of one mind. Only by knowing both oneself and the enemy can one command with unwavering unity."

There are three reasons why someone values ​​the people.

Fei Qian looked at Sima Yi with a calm demeanor.

"Using the people as a mirror is one principle. In the past, Zichan did not destroy the village schools, and Emperor Wen of Han stopped the imperial carriage from receiving advice; both were examples of accepting the people's suggestions to remedy the shortcomings of the government, like looking in a mirror to see oneself, repairing what was broken and correcting what was flawed."

Secondly, it is like using the people as fuel. Valuing the people is like seeking firewood; nurturing the people is like storing fuel for a fire, treating the people with kindness is like storing poultry. At first, you love and cherish them, treasure and preserve them, but when you need them, you will flutter them with the wind and burn them with fire.

Thirdly, one should learn from the people. In managing irrigation, one should also observe the wisdom of experienced farmers. The people have their own methods for deep plowing and weeding, and experience in avoiding drought and flood; by pooling collective wisdom, good strategies can be developed. Woodcutters on the ridges can point out dangerous passes, and fishermen on the riverbanks can understand the water patterns.

Fei Qian paused for a moment, then asked Sima Yi, "The people are not calculating, nor are their hearts driven by transactions. Furthermore, I wonder if Zhongda (Sima Yi) values ​​the people? And if so, what kind of person are they?"

Sima Yi immediately realized that this was a test, and also an opportunity given by Fei Qian.

Perhaps this is the last chance...

After a moment of silence, Sima Yi rose from his seat and bowed, saying, "Your subject had selfish motives; I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

Fei Qian nodded. "Self-interest is a universal human trait. But to neglect public duty for personal gain is a crime. I summoned you here today not to repeat myself, but to reiterate my intentions. The Commandant has been besieged at Xishan, his injuries are severe, and his troops are in grave danger. Cao Cao's army is besieging him but not attacking, clearly indicating they have other plans. What do you think we should do to save him?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency," Sima Yi pondered for a moment, then raised his head, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes, "Cao Cao's army is surrounding the Colonel, plotting to lure my reinforcements and disrupt my plans. I request a small force of eight hundred, mostly armed with flags and drums. They will circle around to the rear of Cao Cao's army at Xishan, widely deploying feints, displaying numerous flags, setting fires at night, and raising dust during the day, creating the appearance of a large encirclement. Cao Cao's army at Xishan is a detachment, intended to lure us; they may not be prepared to fight to the death. Seeing the feints, they will likely be surrounded and forced to retreat. I will then send an elite squad to infiltrate and assist the Colonel and others in their escape."

This is very much in line with Sima Yi's style...

Efficient, calculating, and striving to achieve goals at the lowest possible cost.

Fei Qian looked at Sima Yi for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Very well. I will give you a thousand men, mostly for banners and drums, to provide support. And remember, I will not repeat myself, but I will act accordingly."

"Yi, I obey!" Sima Yi bowed his head and knelt down.

……

……

The following evening, at the foot of the Western Hills.

Cao Cao's army besieged the area for days, but the remnants of the Flying Cavalry held their ground and fought to the death.

Cao's army attacked several times, suffering heavy casualties but failing to capture the city, and was at a time of frustration and exhaustion.

Suddenly, Cao Cao's army noticed a cloud of dust rising from their flank, accompanied by the deafening roar of drums and horns!
Looking into the distance, smoke and dust rose, and countless flags fluttered among the loess plateaus and forests, as if an overwhelming army was moving to encircle and surround them!

"Oh no! It's reinforcements!"

Cao Jun's captain was greatly alarmed.

They were not elite main force to begin with, and their mission was to lure the enemy rather than fight a decisive battle. Seeing that they seemed to be surrounded, where did they find the will to fight?
"The cavalry army is here!"

"We're doomed!"

"Retreat! Retreat quickly! Retreat towards Yique!"

Cao's detachment panicked and, without even thinking to investigate, hastily fled in the southeast.

Sima Yi led his troops, one part pretending to give chase for a while, while the other part immediately went up to the Western Hills, quickly found Cong Lai and his remaining troops who had been trapped for many days and were exhausted and wounded, and protected them as they withdrew from the Western Hills from another direction.

Sima Yi's feint attack was remarkably effective.

Having escaped danger, the wounded and pale-faced Cong Lai, upon seeing Sima Yi who had come to his rescue, bowed deeply and said, "Thank you so much for your rescue, Zhongda! I am deeply grateful!"

Sima Yi looked at Cong Lai, then at the cavalrymen around him who had survived the ordeal and were casting grateful glances at him. For some reason, a slight ripple suddenly appeared in his usually calm demeanor, which treated everything as a pawn.

Sima Yi recalled the words of General Fei Qian, "The people are not calculating, their hearts are not about transactions," and a thought struck him. He remained silent for a moment, then waved for the others to step back, leaving only himself and Cong Lai.

"From the rank of colonel."

Sima Yi's voice seemed to carry a complex mix of sincerity. "This rescue was my duty, no need for thanks. However… there is one thing I must clarify, and I must also apologize to the Colonel."

Zong Lai was taken aback: "Why does Zhongda say such a thing?"

Sima Yi looked directly into the eyes of the general and slowly said, "That day, the colonel wanted to pursue, and I was ordered to provide support. However, I judged that Cao Cao's army intended to lure our reinforcements to Luoyang, so I did not lead my troops directly to where you were trapped, but instead adopted a feint northward strategy. This was partly to avoid danger, and partly... also to use you as bait to draw Cao Cao's army away and observe their subsequent plans."

Sima Yi paused, noticing the change in the soldier's expression, but continued, "This plan... failed. Cao Mengde did not halt his army's advance despite the captain's predicament; his intention to withdraw was firm... Our lord has already discerned this matter and admonished me, saying that a general must know that his comrades are not pawns; they can be used to plot against the enemy, but never to lightly abandon the loyalty of his soldiers."

Sima Yi, having spoken, took a step back and then bowed deeply to Sima Yi, saying, "I have overcalculated, treating the Commandant and his soldiers as mere pawns on a chessboard. This is a breach of loyalty and a defiance of our lord's teachings. I have neglected public duty for personal gain; this is my crime. Today, I sincerely apologize to the Commandant!"

Sima Yi's words left Cong Lai speechless. He was initially incredulous, but then a surge of anger at being used welled up inside him, burning even his wounds with pain! Cong Lai's face flushed red, his fists clenched, and he glared at Sima Yi, his chest heaving violently, wishing he could punch that still calm face!

It turns out that the bloody battles he fought with his life on the line, and the casualties of his subordinates, were merely measurable bait and costs in Sima Zhongda's eyes!
"You... Sima Zhongda! You..."

His voice trembled with anger, his teeth clenched.

However, in the next moment, just as the angry curses were about to burst forth, he saw Sima Yi still maintaining his bowed posture, and he remembered Sima Yi's words, "Personal interests can lead to the destruction of public affairs," as well as the admonition from the General of Chariots and Cavalry, which Sima Yi relayed, that soldiers should not be treated as mere flags. He also remembered his purpose in pursuing Cao Cao's army...

And no matter what, it was this very person he hated at this moment who used a trick to scare away Cao Cao's army and sent troops to rescue him from his desperate situation...

Without Sima Yi's actions, he and his remaining brothers might have truly perished in Xishan.

Anger surged within his chest, yet he could find no outlet to fully vent it.

Reprimand?

The other party has apologized.

Hands-on?

It is illogical, and the other party did indeed perform the rescue work.

To complain to the General?

Fei Qian already knew the whole story.

He angrily denounced Sima Yi for causing the deaths of innocent soldiers.
But it wasn't Sima Yi who first led his soldiers into danger; it was Sima Yi himself!
Sima Yi could even save him without saying a word, and then thank him himself!

After a fierce clash of various emotions, it finally turned into a muffled groan of extreme resentment and deep exhaustion.

He abruptly turned his head away, no longer looking at Sima Yi, and squeezed out a harsh sentence through clenched teeth: "Military Advisor Sima saved our lives... Today... it's even! I hope... I hope that in the future, there will be no more such 'scheming'!"

The word "compromise" was used instead of "forgiveness." It can be considered a compromise that could be made between reason, reality, and anger.

Sima Yi slowly straightened up, noticing the lingering anger on his face, and the turmoil in his heart intensified. He understood part of the meaning behind Fei Qian's earlier words about "the people's importance" and "counting rods"...

As for the deeper meaning, Sima Yi felt he still needed to ponder it deeply.

"Take care, Colonel. I take my leave." Sima Yi bowed again. This time, Sima Yi's posture contained less of a formulaic formality and more of a complex meaning.

Standing still, watching Sima Yi's retreating figure, and then glancing at his subordinates who were gradually settling down, he let out a long, pent-up sigh. The relief of being rescued mingled with the anger of being used, leaving him with a complex mix of emotions. He vaguely sensed that something was slipping away, while he could only remain rooted to the spot…

……

……

While Cao Cao was plotting something big in the He-Luo region, Cao Ren was also planning something big in Jingzhou during the same period...

After Cai Mao's open rebellion and the Kuai clan's quiet escape, this land was like a sandcastle without its bonds, teetering on the brink of collapse amidst turbulent undercurrents. Cao Ren, stationed in Xiangyang, had his brow furrowed all day long, as somber as the autumn and early winter sky over northern Jingzhou.

Although Cao Ren was known for his defensive skills, he was not facing the attack and defense of a fortified city, but rather the loss of popular support, the insidious attacks that were impossible to guard against, and the pervasive suspicion.

The operation to hunt down the remaining followers of Cai and Kuai has made little progress. These two families have been deeply rooted in Jingzhou for many years, and their influence is intricate. Once they decide to hide, they are like a drop of water in the sea, impossible to find.

Just when he was in a state of utter distress, a secret letter from Jiangdong arrived in Cao Ren's hands after going through "many hardships".

In the letter, Sun Quan, with impassioned words, denounced General Fei Qian as a "traitor to the country," deserving of twelve unpardonable acts. He argued that Dong Zhuo's continued existence would shake the state and overthrow the Han Dynasty. As the most loyal subject of the Han Dynasty, Sun Quan expressed his willingness to set aside past grievances with Prime Minister Cao and jointly attack Jiangling to divide Jingchu. The letter even included a rough outline of the Jiangdong advance route and a joint attack strategy.

"A combined attack on Jiangling?"

Cao Ren held the silk scroll from Sun Quan, which was written with earnest words, but his face showed no joy. Instead, his doubts deepened.

The Sun family of Jiangdong has always been fickle and two-faced, and they have a deep-seated grudge against Cao Cao.

Why would someone suddenly become so 'righteous' and 'loyal to the Han', taking the initiative to invite a joint attack on Jiangling?
Cao Ren's first thought was that this was a trick!
He interrogated the messenger repeatedly and summoned his trusted generals for a secret meeting.

"General, the Jiangdong wolves are ambitious and cannot be trusted! This is probably a trap to lure our army out of Xiangyang before we attack them!" Cao Zhen, standing to the side, also didn't quite believe in Jiangdong's so-called "loyalty."

Cao Ren nodded silently; this was precisely his biggest worry.

Although the situation in Xiangyang is unstable, the city's defenses are still intact. If they hold their ground and wait for reinforcements, there may still be a chance for a turn of events. However, once the main force leaves Xiangyang for Jiangling, not to mention the long distance and the problem of replenishing troops and supplies, if the Jiangdong army suddenly turns against them at this time, or if there are any internal changes in Xiangyang, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However, the promise in the letter to "jointly attack Jiangling and divide up Jingchu" is like a sweet cake.

Or like a crispy, caramelized pancake.

For example, the one that's about to be released.

Once it goes on sale...

Fragrant!

Jiangling is the heart of Jingzhou. If we can join forces with Jiangdong to conquer it, it will not only greatly relieve the pressure on northern Jingzhou, but may even reverse the decline of the entire southern war situation.

This is an irresistible temptation for Cao Cao's army, which is currently on the defensive in every aspect.

"Perhaps... Jiangdong also knows that the General of the Cavalry is powerful, and fears that after pacifying the Central Plains, Jiangdong will be their next target? Therefore, they want to strike first?" Another advisor offered a different opinion. "Furthermore, I've heard that Liu Bei is the Emperor's uncle... He was once sent to Jiaozhi and didn't get along with the General of the Cavalry... Now he's residing in Jiangdong... It's possible that Sun Quan wants to use him to deal with the General of the Cavalry."

This possibility led Cao Ren into deeper contemplation.

Self-interest is always the most fundamental driving force behind alliances.

If Fei Qian takes Shandong, his next step could very well be to "usurp the throne" just like Dong Zhuo...

Of course, Fei Qian has not yet "plotted to usurp the throne," but many people in Shandong believe so.

If Sun Quan felt that cooperating with the Cao family was profitable, then this alliance was not entirely impossible.

Caution prevailed over everything. Cao Ren did not immediately reply to Jiangdong, but instead dispatched a large number of scouts to closely monitor the movements of the Jiangdong army, especially the naval troop movements.

At the same time, he ordered the garrison in Xiangyang to be on high alert and prepared to deal with any emergencies.

Several days later, scouts reported that the Jiangdong navy was indeed showing signs of assembling, and some of the army was also beginning to move towards Jiangxia, which did not seem to be a ruse.

More importantly, the cavalry garrison in the Jiangling direction has also significantly strengthened its defenses, with beacon towers burning day and night.

The scales in Cao Ren's heart began to tip slightly.

But he still dared not be careless.

He decided that even if they were to cooperate, they must never relinquish all control to Jiangdong.

Cao Ren personally mustered 5,000 soldiers and 5,000 laborers, calling it an army of 50,000. He then appointed Cao Zhen as his deputy general to garrison Xiangyang before personally leading his troops south to Jiangling.

During the march, Cao Ren was also extremely cautious, choosing routes that were easy to defend and difficult to attack. His campsites were always backed by mountains and faced water sources, and the fortifications were extremely sturdy. Scouts were sent out dozens of miles away to guard against any possible sneak attacks.

After arriving at the outskirts of Jiangling, Cao Ren did not rush to join forces with the Jiangdong army. Instead, he first set up a strong camp in a high-lying area about thirty miles from Jiangling City, near a tributary of the Han River, which would facilitate water access and retreat.

Cao Ren personally surveyed the terrain to ensure that the camp was easy to defend and difficult to attack, just in case Jiangdong suddenly turned against them, so that they could hold out for a period of time.

Once everything was ready, Cao Ren sent an envoy to contact the commander of the Jiangdong army. Cao Ren did not trust Liu Bei and refused Liu Bei's invitation. He carefully observed the movements of Liu Bei's army, trying to find any flaws.

Even though Liu Bei appeared quite "sincere," explaining in detail his plan to jointly attack the city and stating that the Jiangdong army was willing to lead the attack as a sign of sincerity, Cao Ren still did not let his guard down.

"Jiangdong is willing to be the vanguard?" Cao Ren sneered inwardly. This was either a genuine desire to capture the city as quickly as possible, or the beginning of a ruse. He remained calm and indicated that the Cao army was exhausted from their long journey and needed a short rest, and that he was willing to first witness the heroic feats of the Jiangdong warriors as they breached the city.

In short, the Jiangdong Army needs to show some 'sincerity' first...

As it turned out, Liu Bei actually agreed!

This surprised Cao Ren somewhat...

The siege of Jiangling began the following day.

Cao Ren personally climbed to a high point and looked out over the battle situation below Jiangling City.

Thousands of soldiers bearing the banners of Jiangdong, under the command of their general, carried ladders and pushed shield carts, braving the dense arrows and rolling logs and stones from the cavalry on the city walls, and launched a fierce attack on the walls!

The fighting was extremely fierce.

The cavalry on the city wall put up a fierce resistance, with arrows raining down and rolling stones and logs crashing down.

The Jiangdong army's offensive was repeatedly repelled, and casualties increased visibly.

Cao Ren could even clearly see that some Jiangdong soldiers were shot through the chest by arrows and fell from the ladders screaming in agony; others were hit by rolling stones and instantly became bloody and mangled; soon, a lot of Jiangdong soldiers' corpses and wounded soldiers piled up below the city, and the ground was stained red with blood.

"this……"

Cao Ren's sense of justice began to waver.

Once a person dies, they cannot be brought back to life.

Even from a distance, you can smell the stench of filth and blood...

"It seems...not fake..."

Cao Ren muttered to himself, his tone tinged with shock.

Such realistic casualties, if used for a staged performance, would come at a far too high a price.

Cao Ren remained silent, continuing to observe, his sharp gaze sweeping across the battlefield.

Of course, Cao Ren also noticed that in the Jiangdong front, although Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei's offensive was fierce, they did not seem to be using their most elite troops, and their siege equipment was not particularly sophisticated.

Moreover, Liu Bei's battle flag was positioned in the center of the formation for a long time, and was not too close to the front line.

This is also normal.

If Cao Ren were in Cao Ren's shoes, he wouldn't throw out all his cards at once; maintaining a certain level of vigilance would be more reasonable.

Just then, a troop of cavalry from the west gate of Jiangling suddenly charged out and rushed straight towards the flank of the Jiangdong army attacking the city!

The Jiangdong army seemed caught off guard, and their formation immediately became somewhat chaotic.

At the opportune moment, a dense volley of rockets was fired from the city wall, igniting some of the Jiangdong army's siege equipment.

In the chaos, Cao Ren saw a general who appeared to be a captain of the Jiangdong army, who was desperately organizing a resistance against the cavalry that rushed out from the side gate. He was no match for the cavalry general, and after a few rounds of fighting, he was cut down from his horse and dragged away by his personal guards...

This scene dispelled some of the last vestiges of doubt in Cao Ren's heart.

When blood spurted out, Cao Ren judged from his experience that it meant someone was truly injured, and possibly seriously so!
The casualties...

Even a mid-level officer from Jiangdong was wounded. If this is still considered a "ruse," then there's just too much blood and gore involved...

(End of this chapter)