The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 287 Retreating to Advance
The winter of the sixth year of Huangchu was colder than usual.

For example, in Huainan, the canals and waterways suddenly froze over.

Many warships ran aground and were subsequently damaged before they could be moved to large rivers or lakes.

General Zhu Ling executed over a hundred ship officers for this.

This drew criticism from General Zang Ba, who was in charge of the Eastern Garrison.

In previous years, the conflict between two border generals would have been enough to cause a great deal of discussion in Luoyang.

However, during this winter, no one in Luoyang cared about matters in other prefectures.

Besides the fact that the Shu bandits in Guanzhong were nearby.

Furthermore, news of the emperor's serious illness had repeatedly spread from Luoyang Palace.

What caused the emperor to fall ill?

The most direct reason, of course, is the cold winter.

The recent devastating defeat in Guanzhong was also a factor that cannot be ignored.

It is said that the emperor had become weak as early as Hongnong due to chronic headaches and insomnia.

The subsequent betrayal by the Xianbei people, leading to a complete collapse of the Guanzhong region, was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

However, there are also rumors circulating that the emperor was not angry with the Xianbei people, but rather with his trusted general who had deceived him...

Regardless, the Shu bandits ran rampant within the pass, while the emperor lay in grave danger in Luoyang.

The loyal officials of the Wei court could not help but be deeply worried about this.

In fact, this happened after the emperor had not held a morning court session on the first day of the lunar month for three consecutive months.

The politically astute elite officials in Luoyang finally sensed something was amiss.

They began large-scale campaigning and gatherings to prepare for the future.

This naturally includes Xu Shu, the Commandant of the Capital Region.

But it's different from the private collusion of others.

Xu Sili was acting on imperial orders.

First, we headed south to Xuchang.

Cao Tai, one of the three remaining generals of the Cao Wei imperial clan, was summoned to Luoyang Palace, where he and another member of the imperial clan, General Xiahou Mao, awaited orders.

As for Cao Hong, who actually had the highest seniority and rank, he remained in Yingchuan to guard against Guan Yu.

Then Xu Shu made a special trip to Hedong to bring back General Zhang He, who had been released by the Shu bandits, to Luoyang.

However, he was not allowed to enter the palace directly, but was only temporarily put in charge of the various city gates of Luoyang.

And after the generals were all in place.

Chen Qun and Sima Yi, these two trusted ministers, were also summoned to the palace.

What Cao Pi specifically discussed with these four people remains unknown to the outer court.

Xu Shu, who was in charge of organizing the gathering, remained tight-lipped about the matter.

In any case, three days after the audience, an imperial edict was issued from Luoyang Palace.

Cao Rui, the Prince of Pingyuan, was appointed as the Crown Prince.

Without a doubt, Cao Rui suddenly found himself in the eye of the storm.

First, for well-known reasons.

After being "adopted" by Empress Guo, Cao Rui became the de facto eldest son of the legitimate wife.

However, he never received the title of Crown Prince.

But today, a clear statement has suddenly emerged.

How could a crown prince not attract attention?

Secondly, this unusual occurrence deepened the public's speculation that the emperor was critically ill.

This, in turn, added a different dimension to the attention given to Cao Rui.

Finally, there was the attitude of the several trusted ministers who had entrusted the young emperor with the care of the young ruler.

Cao Tai and Xiahou Mao, needless to say, immediately came forward to express their support for Cao Pi's decision to establish Cao Pi as heir apparent.

Although Minister Chen Qun was not so direct.

However, in private gatherings, he would constantly praise the Crown Prince's character to others.

This is clearly a move to pave the way for a new emperor's succession.

But the last one was Sima Yi, the military governor who had just won a "great victory" at Tongguan.

However, contrary to his usual behavior, he made no comment.

That's not all.

The day after the Crown Prince's investiture ceremony, he simply submitted a letter requesting to travel north to Liaodong to inspect the border defenses.

Sima Zhongda was truly a unique figure throughout history in fulfilling his role as a regent entrusted with the care of the young emperor.

On this day, Sima Yi received the imperial decree and left Luoyang to head north. He had just arrived at Mengjin Pass when a rider came galloping after him through the snow.

It was Xu Shu who came to see them off.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Sima Yi dismissed his attendants, stepped forward, took Xu Shu's hand, and said:

"Is Yuanzhi here today on the orders of the Crown Prince to see you off, or for his own sake?"

"Yes, I have them all," Xu Shu replied frankly.

"The Crown Prince has just arrived at the Eastern Palace and lacks prestige. He is in dire need of the help of elders like Lord Sima."

"But the Duke avoided meeting him, which inevitably made the Crown Prince feel uneasy."

"As for me, I have long placed my future on Lord Sima. Now that you have left without saying goodbye, I have come to ask you why."

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi chuckled, then looked past Xu Shu and towards the majestic capital city in the distance behind him.

He stared at it for a long moment before saying:
"Yuanzhi, do you still remember that day when I privately remarked to you that such a palace should be occupied by a powerful ruler?"

Xu Shu nodded silently.

Sima Yi paused for a moment before slowly saying:

"I believe that the Crown Prince will surely become a great ruler in the future."

Xu Shu simply nodded without saying a word.

Sima Yi had no choice but to say:
“That old revolutionary Zhang He survived a great calamity and will surely seek revenge against me.”

"If I cling to the emperor's favor and remain in Luoyang, I will surely be attacked and it will be difficult for me to win the new emperor's favor."

"It would be better to retreat in order to advance, and to seek some tangible achievements abroad... In this way, perhaps one day the emperor will remember us and we will be reinstated!"

Xu Shu then spoke:
"Sima Gong's profound wisdom and foresight are beyond my reach."

"But why Liaodong of all places? That's a bitterly cold land, three thousand miles away!"

Sima Yi exhaled a long breath of white air and said:
"Does Yuanzhi know anything about the Gongsun family of Liaodong?"

Xu Shu nodded slightly and said:

“In the past, at the end of the Han Dynasty, the world was in turmoil. Gongsun Du of Liaodong felt that the Han Dynasty was about to end, so he began to plot to seize territory and become king early on.”

"Because its location was too isolated and remote, it was not taken by the feudal lords of the Central Plains, so it remained safely outside the chaotic world."

"Even his distant relative, Gongsun Zan of Liaoxi, had no intention of plotting anything back then."

"It wasn't until the late emperor conquered the Wuhuan and massacred Liucheng that Gongsun Du realized he was no match for the powerful ruler of the north, and only then did he surrender with Yuan Shang's head."

"However, since then, the Gongsun clan has completely submitted, so there has been no further news of their deeds."

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi scoffed:
"Gongsun has ambitions to seize territory, so how could he be willing to 'submit'? He is only lying low for now."

Xu Shu: "So, what does Lord Sima mean..."

"I'm on my way to prevent any potential problems," Sima Yi said matter-of-factly.

“When I was young and retired, I once talked with Your Majesty about the affairs of Liaodong.”

"In the year Gongsun Du died, because his two sons were both young, his followers supported his younger brother Gongsun Gong as the governor of Liaodong."

"However, Gongsun Gong suffers from a hidden illness and is too weak to govern the country. In the future, there will inevitably be internal strife between the uncle and nephew."

"If I intervene as soon as possible, I might be able to reclaim Liaodong without bloodshed and achieve a great feat!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Shu was stunned and speechless.

Although he had long guessed that Sima Yi planned to leave to avoid trouble.

But they never expected that the other party would avoid them for three thousand miles, completely cutting themselves off from the power center of Luoyang.

Can you accept that?

But the other party's analysis was so logical that it was hard to tell the truth from the falsehood.

But Sima Yi didn't give him a chance to think, and squeezed his hand tightly, saying:

"I will be going to the frontier, and from now on, Yuanzhi will be my only hope in the court!"

"I heard that before Shi Guangyuan defected, he had secretly entrusted his wife to me, which is why my family in Luoyang was able to be saved."

"Although I am not in such a state now, I am still terrified by the slander of petty people. I hope that Yuanzhi will remember our past and do something for me before the new emperor!"

Xu Shu readily agreed.

But deep down, he didn't quite believe that he was Sima Yi's only hope.

Most likely, he's just a dabbler.

But it doesn't matter.

Once Sima Yi leaves the central government, he will have more room to maneuver in the future.

However, the most urgent task is to get the news of Cao Pi's impending death to Guanzhong as soon as possible...

Thinking of this, Xu Shu was eager to return home.

However, they still made a show of it, escorting Sima Yi all the way to the riverbank, bidding him a reluctant farewell before returning south.

　Thank you to [A Pot of Maple Syrup] for the Qidian Coins!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)