The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 417 Entering the Liu family genealogy is a great honor for one's ancestors.

As night fell, the study in the Prince Yi's mansion was brightly lit with candles.

Liu Feng was reading through military books when his steward came to report:

"Your Highness, Prime Minister Li has arrived."

Liu Feng nearly dropped the scroll in his hand and hurriedly straightened his clothes to greet him.

For some reason, he was always subconsciously terrified of Li Yi.

Therefore, he was very respectful to Li Yi.

After going out,
Li Yi, dressed in a simple blue robe, stood in the courtyard under the moon with only two attendants.

"I was unaware of the Prime Minister's arrival; I have failed to greet you properly!"

Please forgive me.

Liu Feng bowed deeply, his tone respectful yet tinged with fear.

Li Yi smiled and helped him up:

"...Your Highness, there's no need for such formalities."

"Is my late-night visit disturbing you?"

"Your Excellency is too kind. Please take a seat."

Liu Feng personally led the way and ordered someone to serve him fragrant tea.

The two sat down, and Li Yi sipped his tea, then suddenly said:

"Did the Crown Prince visit today?"

Liu Feng hurriedly replied:

“The Crown Prince did visit in the afternoon and mentioned the ancestral worship ceremony at Mangdang Mountain next month.”

"I want Xiao Wang to act on my behalf."

"In that case, what is Your Highness's opinion?"

Liu looked troubled and frowned, saying:

"...Your Excellency is wise."

"Although Feng was raised by the Emperor, he is still an adopted son."

"The ancestral worship ceremony concerns the ancestral temple, and I am afraid it is beyond my ability to handle."

"Among the imperial clan are elders such as Uncle Chen..."

Li Yi put down his teacup, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
"Does the Wing King know why His Majesty bestowed the title 'Wing' upon you back then?"

Liu Feng solemnly said:
"Please enlighten me, Your Excellency."

“Wings are auxiliary wings.”

Li Yi spoke earnestly, "His Majesty hopes that you will become a bulwark for the imperial clan and protect the Han Dynasty."

"Although the country is thriving, a tall tree catches the wind."

"The higher you go, the more careful you need to be."

Seeing Liu Feng deep in thought, Li Yi added:
“Ancestor worship is not merely a ritual, but also a demonstration of orthodoxy.”

"If you perform the ancestral sacrifice on behalf of the Crown Prince, you will be declaring to the world:"

"Although he is an adopted son, he is of Liu blood and should be a pillar of the imperial clan."

Tears welled up in Liu Feng's eyes:

“Prime Minister… Feng lost his father at a young age and was adopted by the Emperor, who treated him like a second child.”

However, he always felt awkward about his position and dared not address the princes as brothers.

"Confused!"

Li Yi said solemnly, "Since His Majesty has adopted you as his son, you are now of true imperial blood."

"This ancestral worship ceremony can be recorded in the family genealogy, allowing us to recognize our ancestors and return to our roots."

"In the future, when history is recorded, you, Liu Feng, will be the Wing King of the Han Dynasty. Who will dare to question that?"

Although Liu Feng's historical account is extremely abstract.

However, Liu Feng in this world lived as if walking on thin ice, trembling with fear every day.

The reason is quite simple.
In the original history, Liu Feng was raised as Liu Bei's successor from the moment he was adopted as a son.

Even Guan Yu and Zhang Fei at the time tacitly agreed, since Liu Bei really couldn't have a son.

But to everyone's surprise, A Dou was born later, and Old Liu had his own son.

Liu Feng's position suddenly became awkward.

From being the first in line to the throne, he suddenly fell to the margins of the royal family.

For Liu Feng, who has a stubborn personality, this naturally creates a great sense of psychological disappointment.

Of course, Lao Liu also handled the matter of succession very poorly.

It stands to reason,
Now that A Dou was born, everyone would certainly regard him as the "Crown Prince".

As for Liu Feng, the "deposed crown prince," he should be directly marginalized.

But Lao Liu is a kind and honest man, or to put it bluntly, a soft-hearted man.

In fact, with Liu Shan's position as crown prince established, all Liu needed to do was clearly tell Liu Feng that he had no chance.

Then there weren't so many unexpected problems after that.

But Lao Liu neither explained things clearly to Liu Feng, nor did he feel that he had "let down" Liu Feng.

Therefore, in order to compensate Liu Feng
Liu Bei not only appointed Liu Feng as deputy general, but also made him, like Guan Yu, the commander-in-chief of a war zone.

All of this sowed the seeds for the later tragedy.

Liu Feng in this world knew from the beginning that he was not the heir.

From his perspective, he felt he could rise from a fallen nobleman to become a member of the Han imperial family.

For him, Liu Bei was naturally a benefactor who had given him a second life.

The princes did not like him, and although Liu Feng was the eldest son, he dared not talk back to them.

This is why he felt like he was walking on thin ice every day.

When Li Yi said that Liu Feng would have the opportunity to be included in the Liu family genealogy.

These words were like a sudden awakening.

Liu Feng was overjoyed and rose from his seat to kneel in obeisance:
"The Prime Minister's words have awakened us from our slumber!"

"Although I am not talented, I am willing to take on this important task."

"To repay the Emperor's great kindness! To repay the Prime Minister's high regard!"

Li Yixin helped him up with relief:

"Only in this way can Your Majesty's ability to judge people be truly demonstrated."

"The Ministry of Rites will assist with matters related to ancestor worship."

Liu Feng was resolute:

Although Feng was dull-witted, he understood the greater good.

"I will certainly live up to the great trust placed in me by my father and the prime minister!"

Just then, the sound of a night watchman's drum was heard.

Li Yi rose to take his leave, and before departing, he gave the following instructions:

"I will submit a memorial to express my gratitude tomorrow and volunteer to perform the ancestral worship ceremony."

"His Majesty will surely be pleased to see you like this."

After seeing Li Yi off, Liu Feng stood alone in the courtyard, gazing at the moon and sighing deeply.

He recalled that he was just a down-on-his-luck nobleman in Jingzhou who was adopted by Liu Bei as his son.

Now that it can be used to perform sacrifices at ancestral temples, I couldn't help but shed tears.

Forever with tears in my eyes.

……

Let me talk about two things.

At this time, Liu Bei's edict had already been sent back to the Yue Kingdom.

Inside the Yue King's Palace, candlelight flickered.

Liu Li held the newly delivered imperial edict in his hand, his face solemn.

Chen Tai, Zhuge Ke, and other trusted ministers stood at attention, holding their breath; the hall was completely silent.

"Father...in the end, he changed his mind."

Liu Li sighed softly and handed the imperial edict to everyone for them to read.

After reading it, Chen Tai was dumbfounded and exclaimed urgently:
"Your Highness! Although the imperial edict has rescinded the previous order, the Crown Prince is still required to enter the capital."

"This must be a scheme by the princelings!"

"If the Crown Prince goes to the capital as a hostage, Your Highness will be forever bound to Luoyang!"

Zhuge Ke also advised:

"The young prince is only two and a half years old. His departure from the capital is uncertain, and his return date is unknown."

"I urge Your Highness to reconsider!"

Just as everyone was discussing it, a sobbing sound suddenly came from behind the screen.

Princess Chen Yao of Yue walked out with tears in her eyes, holding her sleeping infant son Liu Xi in her arms.

"Your Highness!"

Chen Yao knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Xi'er is still an infant, and you want to separate her from your flesh and blood? How can you bear it?"

Liu Li quickly helped his beloved wife up and gently comforted her, saying:
"Yao'er, don't worry."

"Father Emperor simply misses his grandson and wants to see Xi'er..."

Why would Your Highness lie to me?

Chen Yao raised her tearful eyes and said, "Although I am a woman, I have studied the classics and history with my father."

“In the past, Emperor Gaozu of Han appointed the sons of feudal lords as court officials, which was ostensibly a favor, but in reality a means of control.”

"How could I not know such methods?"

She hugged her baby tightly and gently stroked the baby's cheek.

Her beautiful eyes filled with tears, and she sobbed uncontrollably.

“Once Xi’er enters the capital, those princelings will definitely not let him return.”

"At that time, my son and I will be separated by thousands of miles, which will be no different from a final farewell."

Liu Li remained silent, speechless upon seeing his beloved wife's profound grief.

He could only gently stroke his wife's trembling shoulders and back.

Chen Tai and Zhuge Ke looked at each other and sighed, both bowing their heads.

All the officials in the hall bowed their heads and sighed, unable to bear the sight of the pain of separation from their loved ones.

After a long silence, Liu Lifang said:
"Do you have any good ideas?"

The hall was silent.

The crowd looked at each other, speechless.

Chen Tai pondered for a long time, then suddenly said:
"Does Your Highness remember the story of Emperor Wen of Han?"

Liu Li was taken aback:
"Are you referring to... Emperor Wen's more than ten years of forbearance in the Dai Kingdom?"

"Exactly."

Chen Tai lowered his voice even further, "When Emperor Wen was in the Dai Kingdom, he walked on thin ice, but eventually ascended to the throne."

"Your Highness may have to endure the pain of parting with your beloved for now, but there is plenty of time in the future..."

Zhuge Ke also advised:

"The Crown Prince's entry into the capital, though as a hostage, can also be regarded as a grace from Heaven."

"If Your Highness can be patient and wait for the right time, there may still be a chance for things to turn around."

Liu Li sighed and waved for everyone to leave.

Only after the palace doors were tightly closed did he embrace his wife and children.

"Yao'er, I know your heart is breaking."

"Chen Tai's words are true; today's forbearance may be tomorrow's blessing."

Chen Yao, tears streaming down her face, leaned on her husband's shoulder:

I have often heard the saying, "The most ruthless are those in the imperial family," but today I realize that every word is written in blood and tears.

"Is it not even possible for us to peacefully reside in Yue and live as a peaceful vassal king?"

Liu Li gently patted his young son's back and said with a wry smile:

"Can things in this world always go as one wishes?"

"Back when my father was weaving mats and selling shoes, did he ever imagine that things would turn out like this?"

"Since you are born into an imperial family, you cannot escape these schemes."

He wiped away his wife's tears and solemnly said:
"But I swear to you that one day I will bring Xi'er back."

"At that time, our family will be reunited and never be separated again."

Chen Yao looked up at her husband and saw that although his eyes were filled with pain, they also revealed determination.

She knew that her husband had already made a decision.

"Your Highness..."

Chen Yao finally choked up and buried her face in her husband's arms.

"I... understand."

"For the greater good, I...am willing."

Liu Li hugged his wife and children tightly, his voice trembling slightly:
"Thank you, Yao'er."

"If I succeed in the future, I will not let down the hardships I endure today."

The moonlight outside the window was bleak, illuminating the royal couple who were forced to separate.

The following morning, the Yue King's Palace sent a reply:

"Your subject Li Jin respectfully obeys the imperial edict and immediately dispatches the Crown Prince Xi to the capital for an audience."

"I beg Your Majesty to have pity on his youth and take good care of him."

When the convoy set off,
Chen Yao stood atop the city wall, watching the departing carriage, her silk robes soaked with tears.

Liu Li gripped her hand tightly, his gaze fixed firmly on the north.

He knew that from this moment on, he had to be more careful in making every move.

……

North bank of the Wei River

The Wei army's camp stretched for ten miles, its banners obscuring the sky.

Inside the central command tent, Sima Yi was discussing matters with his generals when he suddenly heard the rapid sound of horses' hooves outside the tent.

"Report——!"

The scout dismounted and said, "Prime Minister, a spy has arrived with news."

"Zhuge Liang has recently been cultivating land at Meiwu, and the camp is well-fortified, suggesting that he intends to stay there for a long time."

Sima Yi nodded, his brows furrowed, and waved for the scouts to retreat.

He walked to the sand table, stared at the terrain of Wuzhangyuan, and frowned.

"Father,"

Sima Zhao stepped closer and whispered, "Zhuge Liang's move clearly indicates that he intends to engage in a long-term standoff with our army."

"Our troops can solve the problem of food and fodder by cultivating land here."

"But if Zhuge Liang stays here for too long, something might happen."

Sima Yi remained silent, his fingers lightly tapping the edge of the sand table.

After a long while, he suddenly looked up:

"Summon Jia Kui to see me."

A moment later, the strategist Jia Kui hurriedly entered the tent.

Sima Yi dismissed his attendants, leaving only his two sons by his side.

"Liang Dao, what has been the recent activity of the Xianbei leader Kebineng?"

Jia Kui reported:

Kebineng harbored resentment ever since Tian Yu helped Budugen seize his pasture.

“Last winter, the Xianbei tribes suffered heavy losses and now they need to replenish their supplies.”

A glint of light flashed in Sima Yi's eyes:
"This is a golden opportunity."

"I intend to join forces with Kebineng to launch a pincer attack on the State of Qi from the north and south."

"What do you think?"

Jia Kui pondered for a moment and said:

“Kebineng is ambitious and ruthless, and I fear he will be difficult to control.”

"If they take this opportunity to grow too powerful, it could become a future problem."

"Hahaha!"

Sima Yi laughed loudly, "How could I not know the principle of using one wolf to devour another? Now the Xianbei are short of food and weapons, which is exactly what we need to make use of them."

"It is not too late to deal with the Xianbei after we have defeated Qi."

With the fall of the Wu kingdom, Sima Yi could find no other ally in the Central Plains.

We can only focus our attention on this new steppe overlord who succeeded Modu Chanyu.

The only way out for the State of Wei was to befriend distant states while attacking nearby ones.

By the way, here's a little-known fact:
Historically, Zhuge Liang also contacted Kebineng to launch a pincer attack on Wei from the north and south.

However, Kebineng was quickly defeated by Qianzhao and retreated to the south of the Gobi Desert, thus losing his ability to coordinate with Kongming's military movements.

Sima Yi immediately gave Jia Kui a secret order:
“Select eloquent and persuasive individuals and send them with generous gifts to the Xianbei.”

“Tell Kebineng: If you are willing to send troops, the State of Wei is willing to provide food and weapons, and we will share the land of Han.”

“In particular, we should mention Tian Yu’s assistance to Bu Dugen to incite his desire for revenge.”

Three days later, the Wei envoy secretly arrived at the Xianbei royal court.

Kebineng was discussing matters with the leaders of various tribes when he heard that the Wei envoy had arrived, so he immediately summoned him.

The tallow torches crackled in the tent as the Wei envoy bowed and presented the gift list:
"A thousand taels of gold and a hundred bolts of brocade are offered as a token of my Prime Minister's respect."

Kebineng glanced at the gift list and sneered:
"Is Sima Yi trying to bribe me?"

"How dare you!"

The Wei envoy calmly said, "The Prime Minister is well aware of Your Majesty's great talent and ambition. It is only because Tian Yu helped Bu Dugen that Your Majesty lost the fertile pastures."

"With internal strife within the Han court and Liu Bei seriously ill, this is the perfect opportunity for revenge."

Mentioning Tian Yu, Kebineng's eyes indeed widened in anger:

"You old scoundrel Tian Yu! I swear to avenge this!"

The Wei envoy struck while the iron was hot:

"The Prime Minister is willing to provide 100,000 shi of grain and 5,000 jin of ironware to assist Your Majesty in your military campaign." "After the Han dynasty is defeated, all of Bingzhou and the land north of it will belong to Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, the leaders of the various tribes in the tent were all intrigued.

Grand Commandant Murong Tiele said:

"Your Majesty, the tribe is short of food this spring."

"If we can obtain assistance from the State of Wei, it would be a godsend."

But the high priest, Bald Uggu, said:

"The Han people are cunning and should not be trusted easily."

"Sima Yi's plan is likely to result in our forces and the Han army suffering heavy losses."

Kebineng pondered for a long time, then suddenly slammed his hand on the table:

"Even if Sima Yi wants to use me, this is an opportunity."

"Order all units to mobilize their troops and advance into Shicheng!"

However, Kebineng was unaware that there were already Han spies in his tent.

The news quickly reached Luoyang via beacon fires.

at the same time,

Sima Yi stood on the bank of the Wei River, gazing at the lights of the Han army camp in the distance, and said to Sima Shi:
"If the Xianbei make a move, Zhuge Liang will definitely divide his troops to resist them."

"At that time, our army can take advantage of the situation and invade."

Sima Shi said worriedly:

"What if Zhuge Liang sees through this plan and remains inactive?"

Sima Yi stroked his beard and smiled:
"Then let the Xianbei people take another step forward."

"Send orders to spies to incite Kebineng to attack Yanmen Pass."

"At that time, Liu Bei will definitely lose his composure."

The news quickly reached Luoyang.

In the imperial court, Liu Bei, who was ill and attending to state affairs, was furious upon hearing the report:

"You Xianbei traitors, how dare you do this!"

Therefore, they intended to send troops to conquer him.

Li Yi stepped forward to dissuade him:

"Think twice, Your Majesty!"

"Conquering nomadic tribes is like shooting sparrows with golden bullets; the losses outweigh the gains."

"In the past, Emperor Wu of Han repeatedly attacked the Xiongnu, exhausting the resources accumulated by Emperors Wen and Jing, and finally issued the Luntai Edict of Self-Reproach."

"We must heed the lessons of the past."

Liu Bei frowned:

"So, should we just sit idly by and watch the Xianbei occupy Shicheng?"

Li Yi calmly replied:
"I have been promoting futures trading on the border for many years and have long had measures to restrict the Xianbei."

"Please grant me permission, Your Majesty."

Liu Bei pondered for a moment:

"In that case, Ziyu will be in charge of handling it."

Upon returning to the Prime Minister's residence, Li Yi immediately issued two imperial edicts:
One:

"Effective immediately, all cattle and sheep deposited by Xianbei nobles in all border cities shall be seized, and all futures contracts signed shall be frozen."

Second:

"Order Protector of the Xianbei, Tian Yu, and Protector of the Wuhuan, Qian Zhao, to strictly investigate smuggling along the border. Not a single grain of rice of any goods from the Central Plains shall be allowed to leave the border."

The order reached the border and immediately caused a great uproar.

In the border trade city
The Xianbei nobles surrounded the Han officials, their emotions running high.

The nobleman Murong grabbed the magistrate's collar:
"My tribe has 30,000 sheep here, and you just freeze them like that?"

"This is blatant robbery!"

The city magistrate coldly pushed him away:
"This is the order of the Prime Minister's Office."

"Blame your leader for colluding with the State of Wei."

Another nobleman, Tuoba Ye, stamped his feet in frustration:

"Our tribesmen are still waiting to use tea to cure their illnesses! Aren't you Han people supposed to be benevolent and righteous?"

Some of the minor leaders even wept bitterly:

"Winter is coming, and the tribe's stored food is all in your warehouses."

"This is going to starve us to death!"

On the grasslands, the situation is even more dire.

Tian Yu and Qian Zhao dispatched troops to guard the pass strictly, not letting even a single merchant caravan escape.

An old Xianbei woman knelt before the pass and pleaded:
"Sir, please have mercy! My granddaughter is seriously ill and needs medicine..."

The garrison soldiers shook their heads:

"The superior has ordered that not even a single piece of paper is allowed to leave the pass."

In grassland tribes, the shortage of salt and medicine is becoming increasingly serious.

Children suffer from dental diseases due to a lack of tea, and the elderly are on the verge of death due to a lack of medicine.

Even more seriously, with the harsh winter approaching, most of the winter supplies stored by the tribes were kept in Han Dynasty border warehouses.

Inside Kebineng's main tent, the tribal leaders were full of complaints:

"Your Majesty, some people in the tribe have already starved to death!"

"Without Han Chinese iron tools, we couldn't even make arrowheads!"

"If this continues, we'll be finished even before the Han Chinese come to fight us!"

Kebineng was in a terrible predicament; he hadn't expected Li Yi to be so ruthless.

At this moment, a scout came to report:

"Your Majesty, Sima Yi's messenger has arrived again, urging us to advance our troops."

Kebineng angrily smashed his wine cup:

"Advance with troops? The tribe is barely surviving now, what's the point of advancing troops!"

at the same time,

Inside the Prime Minister's residence in Luoyang, Li Yi was listening to a report from the border.

After listening, he said to Chen Deng:
"The Xianbei will not survive this winter."

"At that point, they will only have two choices: either withdraw their troops or come begging to us."

Chen Deng was impressed:

"Is this the economic warfare you've always advocated?"

"By controlling the means of production, and then restricting exports."

"The siege of Shicheng can be lifted without losing a single soldier."

"Your economic theory of subduing the enemy without fighting will surely attract the attention of future generations."

As expected, just ten days later.

Kebineng, unable to withstand the pressure of the shortage of supplies on the grasslands, sent an envoy to Luoyang to apologize.

Inside the palace, the Xianbei envoy was dressed in mourning clothes.

When he crawled into the palace, the entire court was in an uproar.

"Your humble servant Kebineng, special envoy Murong Tiele, pays homage to His Majesty the Emperor of the Celestial Dynasty!"

The messenger touched his forehead to the ground, his voice choked with emotion:

“My lord is foolish and confused, misled by Sima Yi, and has committed heinous crimes.”

"I have specially dispatched this guilty subject to plead guilty, and I wish to be a subject of the Celestial Empire for eternity, and never again dare to be an enemy of the Celestial Empire!"

Li Yi stepped forward and said coldly:
"The Xianbei are fickle; they apologize today and rebel again tomorrow. How can we trust them?"

Murong Tiele hurriedly presented the gift list:

“My lord is willing to offer three thousand fine horses, one hundred thousand cattle and sheep, and send a hostage to the court.”

"We only ask that the Celestial Empire reopen the border markets and save the lives of our tribe!"

Then he burst into tears:
"On the grasslands, people are already resorting to cannibalism... We beg Your Majesty for mercy!"

Liu Bei was deeply moved by his condition:
"Since Kebineng has admitted his mistake, I will show him leniency."

"But you must agree to three things: first, send a hostage to the court; second, return the occupied Shicheng; and third, swear never to commit the crime again."

"This humble subject, on behalf of His Majesty, accepts all of this!"

Murong Tiele kowtowed repeatedly, "My lord is willing to present three secret letters from Sima Yi to show his sincerity."

When the secret letter was presented, the entire court was in an uproar.

The letter details how Sima Yi instigated the Xianbei to send troops and plotted to divide Han territory.

Liu Bei was furious:
"Sima Yi, you old scoundrel! How dare you do this!"

He then issued an imperial edict:

"The border market will be reopened immediately, but a Maritime Trade Office must be established to strictly control it."

“The Xianbei were required to pay tribute of a thousand warhorses every year to show their submission.”

After the court session, Li Yi remained alone in the palace.

Liu Bei sighed:

"Ziyu's plan is brilliant; it subdues the Xianbei without losing a single soldier."

Li Yi, however, said:

"Your Majesty, although the Xianbei have surrendered, Sima Yi's plan is ruthless."

"Now Zhuge Liang is confronting them at the Wei River. If the Xianbei really march south, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"I know."

Liu Bei coughed a few times and then ordered Zhuge Liang to inform both armies of Sima Yi's collusion with the Xianbei.

"I want the world to see who is truly the scourge of the country and its people!"

……

Inside the Wei army's main tent north of the Wei River, candlelight flickered.

Sima Yi was discussing military matters with his generals when a scout suddenly stumbled in, looking terrified.

"Prime Minister! The Xianbei...the Xianbei have retreated!"

"Kebineng has already submitted to Liu Bei and paid tribute!"

"what?!"

Sima Yi suddenly stood up, and the bamboo slips on the table fell to the ground with a clatter.

His fingers trembled slightly. "Give me the details!"

The scout prostrated himself and wept as he reported:

"Kebineng sent an envoy to Luoyang, presenting three thousand fine horses and swearing to be a subject of the Han Dynasty forever..."

"He also presented all three secret letters from the Prime Minister..."

The tent fell into a deathly silence.

Sima Yi staggered backward, looking up at the sky and sighing:
"Heaven is not on my side! It's the timing! It's fate!"

Suddenly, his body trembled violently, and a mouthful of blood gushed out, staining his purple robe red.

"Father!"

Sima Zhao hurriedly helped the limp Sima Yi up.

Chaos erupted in the tent, and the generals hurriedly summoned the army doctor.

The old military doctor examined the patient's pulse for a long time, then shook his head and sighed.

"The Prime Minister's illness is caused by excessive worry and overwork, resulting in internal stagnation."

"Furthermore, the sudden onset of internal heat caused blood to fail to return to its proper channels..."

Sima Zhao asked anxiously:
Is it treatable?

The military doctor sighed and said in a deep voice:
"Only by calming the mind and recuperating can it be cured."

"If we can retreat to Chengdu, where the soil and water are mild, we may be able to recover gradually."

At this moment, Sima Yi slowly awoke, and upon hearing this, struggled to sit up:

"We must not...we must not retreat..."

Before he could finish speaking, another bout of coughing occurred, staining the handkerchief a fresh red.

Sima Zhao knelt and wept, advising:
"Father! Your health is the most important thing!"

Sima Yi's gaze was unfocused, yet he still forced himself to stand firm:

"If we retreat this time... it will be difficult to gather such a large army again in this lifetime..."

He gripped his son's wrist tightly, screaming at the top of his lungs:
"That old scoundrel Li Yi... the hatred for wiping out my entire family... cannot go unpunished..."

Jia Kui, with tears in his eyes, advised:
"Prime Minister, it's better to live than to die!"

"Green Mountain..."

Sima Yi gave a bitter laugh, "The wronged souls of over a hundred members of my Sima clan... can they possibly rest in peace in the afterlife?"

He suddenly became agitated.

"Send the order! Attack the city tomorrow! Even if it costs us our lives."

Before he could finish speaking, he fainted again.

The military doctor quickly administered acupuncture and whispered to Sima Zhao:
"Young General, the Prime Minister must not resort to force in this situation."

"If we insist on going to war, I'm afraid... I'm afraid our lives will be in danger."

Sima Zhao looked around at the generals in the tent and saw that everyone had a worried look on their faces.

Finally, gritting his teeth, he said:
"Order all battalions to dig deep trenches and build high walls, and not to engage in battle for the time being."

"We will make further plans once the Prime Minister's condition has improved somewhat."

That night, a gloomy and desolate atmosphere enveloped the Wei army's camp.

Meanwhile, in the Han army camp on the opposite bank...
Zhuge Liang climbed to a high place to observe the celestial phenomena and saw that the constellations on the north bank were disordered. He sighed to Jiang Wei:
"Sima Yi's fate is already in chaos, but even a cornered beast will fight, so we must be wary."

The Wei River seemed to weep, as if it were singing a tragic song for the end of this unparalleled hero.

Sima Yi lay on his sickbed, sometimes unconscious and sometimes lucid, muttering incoherently:

"Li Yi... blood debt... must be repaid in blood..."

However, everyone understands,
The old prime minister's dream of revenge will probably never be realized.

Inside the Han army's main tent, the black-boned chicken soup simmering in the copper pot emitted a fragrant medicinal aroma.

Zhuge Liang personally took the ladle and served Jiang Wei a bowl of clear yellow soup.

"Boyue, do you know why this medicinal meal was specially prepared today?"

Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, his gaze gentle.

Jiang Wei respectfully accepted it:

"Could it be because Sima Yi fell ill?"

Zhuge Liang nodded and smiled:
“…Exactly.”

"Sima Yi was intelligent all his life, but he could not understand the meaning of 'nourishing life'."

He pointed to the medicinal herbs in the pot, saying, "Black-boned chicken nourishes the blood, angelica promotes blood circulation, and goji berries improve eyesight."

"If a general does not know how to take care of himself, he is like a sharp blade without a sheath, and will eventually hurt himself."

Jiang Wei seemed to be deep in thought:
"This disciple observes Sima Yi and finds him to be indeed overworked."

Zhuge Liang sighed:
"Their failure was not due to a lack of wisdom and strategy, but to their impetuousness and rashness."

"The hatred of his family's massacre tormented him day and night, making him as eager as a trapped beast to achieve his goal."

He took a sip of soup and said, "The art of war is to alternate between tension and relaxation."

"Just like simmering soup, if the heat isn't right, it won't taste good."

Outside the tent, the autumn wind was bleak, but inside, it was warm and cozy.

Zhuge Liang continued:

“When I was with Your Majesty in the past, I was often taught to ‘cultivate oneself with tranquility and nurture virtue with frugality.’”

"A general who commands thousands of troops must first govern himself."

"If you can't even manage yourself, how can you manage the three armies?"

Jiang Wei seemed to understand something:
"Therefore, the master meditates and regulates his breathing every day, and eats at regular times and in fixed quantities."

"good."

Zhuge Liang lightly tapped the map on the table with his feather fan, saying, "Sima Yi only knows how to attack and seize by force, but he doesn't know that 'subduing the enemy without fighting' is the best strategy."

"The Xianbei people are clear evidence of this."

He stood up and paced around the tent:
"Health preservation is like warfare; the key is perseverance."

"Daily breathing exercises are like deploying troops, dietary regulation is like managing supplies, and a peaceful state of mind is like sitting firmly in the center of the army."

"Only in this way can we wait for the opportune moment."

Jiang Wei suddenly said:
"However, you rise early and retire late, personally handling every matter. Doesn't this contradict the principles of health preservation?"

Zhuge Liang smiled with satisfaction:
"...Good question."

"However, my toil is like that of a farmer, proceeding step by step."

"Sima Yi's mental anguish was like a forest fire, which would eventually burn itself out."

He pointed north of the Wei River:
"You see, the Wei army's recent deployment has been chaotic, which is precisely because the commander-in-chief is in a state of confusion."

"Although our army remained inactive, its morale was high, which is due to the effect of maintaining its health."

As night deepened, Zhuge Liang, when seeing Jiang Wei off from the tent, specifically instructed him:
“Starting tomorrow, you will also be practicing the Five Animal Frolics.”

"A general must have the composure to remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses before him."

Jiang Wei bowed and agreed.

Stepping out of the main tent, I was greeted by a dazzling starry sky, and suddenly understood the profound meaning behind Master Kongming's words:
True victory lies not in temporary gains or losses, but in who can remain clear-headed until the very end.

Inside the tent,

Zhuge Liang sat alone by the lamp, gently stroking the zither on the table.

The strings trembled slightly, producing a clear and melodious sound.

He looked south and muttered to himself:

"Sima Zhongda, you have ultimately lost to your own inner demons."

The Wei River flows swiftly, ceaselessly day and night.

The lights in the military camps on both sides of the strait are like the life philosophies of two wise men.

One is as impatient as a raging fire, the other as calm as a deep pool.

And the scales of history are quietly tipping in this movement.

(End of this chapter)