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

Chapter 330 Bian Zhuangzi Stabs the Tiger

Youzhou, Youbeiping Commandery, Wuzhong County.

"Your calculations are brilliant! Zhuge Liang has indeed marched west to Longyou!"

Excited voices came from outside the door.

Sima Yi, however, remained engrossed in his books, motionless.

Only after the speaker came forward and bowed did he begin to speak:

"It's not exactly wonderful."

"Zhuge Liang sought to do things in a stable and predictable manner, avoiding any major mistakes."

“As long as Longyou is unstable, he will definitely go west.”

"The Qiang and Hu peoples are nomadic and wild, and if they are provoked and lured, they will surely turn against you."

Just as he finished speaking, Sima Yi looked up after reading a page of his book.

A young and elegant face came into view.

It was his eldest son, Sima Shi, who was just over twenty years old.

"You've come to see me today only because of this news?"

Sima Shi sensed that his father was testing him, and his smile vanished instantly. He calmly replied:

"Paying respects to you morning and evening is the way of filial piety. Even without news of Zhuge Liang, it will not prevent me from paying my respects to you, sir."

Sima Yi nodded slightly, indicating his approval of the answer.

But his face still didn't show much expression.

Sima Shi's gaze shifted, and he added:

"Yesterday, I discussed state affairs with the Prefect of Youzhou."

"Now that Zhuge Liang has gone far away to Guanzhong, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei have been stuck in Luoyang for a long time, and Mi Wei is also in mourning. Apart from Zhao Yun, there is no great general in Hedong."

"When the emperor went west to Shexian, his sword was already aimed at Taiyuan and Hedong, in order to avenge the previous humiliation."

"Your Excellency can take this opportunity to return south and actively support the Emperor's plan."

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi immediately retorted:

Do you think that if I return south now, I can avenge my previous defeat in Hedong?

Sima Shi pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said:
"Disaster."

"Just as you said, Zhuge Liang is prudent in his actions."

"In the past two or three years, the enemy country has closed its borders and allowed its people to rest, resulting in abundant granaries and sufficient military equipment."

"Although we have not achieved the feat of expanding our territory by thousands of miles, our national strength is already greater than it was back then, and we are truly incapable of competing with them."

Sima Yi remained unfazed:
"Since we can't win, why return south?"

Sima Shi replied without hesitation:
"Although we cannot win the battle, if we return south now, the emperor will surely appreciate your hard work."

"Even if the subsequent struggle goes poorly, it can't be blamed on the adults."

"On the contrary, we might be slandered by treacherous officials in the court, who would shift the blame for the defeat onto you, saying that we failed to provide timely support to the imperial carriage!"

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi finally smiled.

He slowly closed the book and said:

"Your vision transcends immediate interests, considering long-term gains and losses, which greatly pleases your father."

Sima Shi's lips curled up slightly.

Although he was calm and composed, he was still just a young man in his early twenties.

It's easy to be overjoyed to receive praise from one's father.

However, the next moment, Sima Yi's expression suddenly darkened, and his tone became unusually stern:

“But you shouldn’t be so clever as to discuss state affairs with Wang Yuanbo.”

"Furthermore, we should not be instigated by him to persuade my father to travel south!"

Seeing his father suddenly turn hostile, Sima Shiben panicked.

Hearing his father question him by name again, he realized that his words and actions had gone against his father's wishes.

But then again.

He did indeed suspect that he had been instigated by Wang Xiong, the governor of Youzhou.

And the other party's purpose is not hard to guess.

Holding military and political power over an entire province, how could he possibly want the Sima father and son to share the spoils with him right beside him?

But wasn't my father's future always closely tied to the central government and to the emperor's carriage?
Even without Wang Xiong's underhanded tactics to drive away guests, my father and I should have already sought an opportunity to return to Yecheng in the south, right?
How can we waste our lives in this harsh and desolate border region?

While pondering, Sima Shi's gaze fell on the paper book beside his father.

The book was closed, and the cover prominently displayed the words "Essentials of Cao Cao's Art of War".

This wording clearly comes from an enemy country.

After all, the emperor and his ministers of the Great Wei could not directly address Emperor Wu by his given name.

To be strict, you can't even touch this book.

If you see it, burn it on the spot to avoid giving others a handle to use against you.

And yet his father was so grandly displayed right in front of him.

Could it be...

An unexpected and startling thought suddenly arose in Sima Shi's mind. He couldn't help but look up at his father.

But their eyes met.

At that moment, he vaguely saw a hint of ambition in his father's sinister gaze that was hard for outsiders to detect.

And so that thought just now resurfaced uncontrollably.

After a long silence, Sima Yi casually turned the "forbidden book" upside down and said in a calm voice:

"Have you figured it out?"

Sima Shi nodded slightly and licked his lips, saying:
"Your wisdom and foresight are far beyond what I can achieve."

"Did we go to such lengths to transfer Zhuge Liang to the west just for... this?"

Sima Yi chuckled softly and said:
A good doctor treats illness before it manifests.

"If you wait until the condition becomes severe before seeking medical help, it will be too late nine times out of ten."

"Even if we make it in time, we'll suffer serious injuries and be on the verge of death."

"When the disease is in the superficial layers of the skin, it can be treated with hot compresses. But when it is in the bone marrow, even the god of fate is helpless... Don't you read Han Feizi's books?"

Sima Shi immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

He subconsciously touched his eye sockets again.

There happened to be a very small tumor there.

A doctor once told him to have it removed as soon as possible to prevent the disease from worsening and endangering his life.
But he was afraid that the needles would damage his eyes and make him blind, so he never dared to touch them.

Perhaps I should go back and see a doctor again?

Slightly distracted, Sima Shi had already fully understood his father's plan and hurriedly said:

“What you say is very true, sir.”

"If my guess is correct, then it seems that you will soon take action in Youzhou, sir?"

Sima Yi: "What action?"

Sima Shi: "Cease military power and establish authority."

Sima Yi: "How to seize power, how to establish a new regime?"

Sima Shi: "Like the story of Bian Zhuangzi stabbing the tiger, first sit and watch the two tigers fight, wait until the larger one is injured and the smaller one is dead, then stab the injured one, and you can kill both tigers in one fell swoop!"

Sima Yi: "What is big, and what is small?"

Sima Shi: "Wang Xiong is the greatest, and the Xianbei are the least."

Sima Yi pursed his lips and did not respond.

Sima Shi thought for a moment, then suddenly realized and corrected himself:

"Wang Xiong is the greatest, and the Gongsun family of Liaodong is the least!"

Sima Yi then spoke again:
"And what about the Xianbei?"

This time, Sima Shi acted without hesitation:

"That's the bait adults use to lure the tiger, and also the knife adults use to kill it!"

"good!"

Sima Yi gave a soft praise, finally showing a satisfied expression towards his eldest son.

……

In mid-autumn, the water level recedes and the truth comes out; it is a good time to cross the river.

Zhuge Ke once again followed Yu Fan and Zhang Xiu across the Yangtze River to the north.

Compared to the shabby and dejected state I felt when I last went to Xiapi to pay my respects at a funeral.

Yu Fan and Yu Zhongxiang's entourage this time was noticeably more upscale.

There were drums and trumpets clearing the way in front, and knights guarding the left and right.

Behind him were more than a dozen carts of valuable treasures, which were gifts for the visitors.

These were all specially bestowed upon Yu Fan by King Sun Deng of Wu.

The reason, of course, was that not long after returning from the last funeral, Zang Ba secretly sent someone to deliver the seal of the Attendant Gentleman, asking Yu Fan to advise him and mediate between the feudal lords in the future.

Specifically, if something were to happen in the future, Yu Fan would serve as the bridge between him and the Sun family of Jiangdong.

With this identity, Yu Fan immediately felt more confident in his actions.

In just a few months, he visited Zhu Ling in Shouchun and Wang Ling in Yanzhou.

They both received different appointments from the two masters.

Although they were all low-ranking, idle positions like clerks and assistants.

But this was enough to give Yu Fan more and more chips in his hand.

It bears a striking resemblance to the story of Su Qin, who was appointed prime minister of six states in ancient times.

It is said that even the Gongsun family, who lived far away in Liaodong, had some vague rumors about it.

Although Zhuge Ke disdained being a strategist and debater.

However, one cannot help but admire that Lord Yu indeed possessed some skill in navigating turbulent times.

This time, he was invited by Cao Hong, a general of Cao Wei, and Jia Kui, the governor of Yuzhou, to come to Hefei, an important town in Huainan.

(End of this chapter)