Sima Yi's Three Kingdoms Collection Collection

Chapter 171 Collecting public opinion and helping Cao Cao rise to power (7)
"Now, I can only ask Dr. Dong to go and work hard." Sima Lang hurriedly picked up the jade cup and offered Dong Zhao a cup of green tea.

Dong Zhao didn't refuse, took the jade cup, threw it away, and hurried away.

Watching Dong Zhao's figure quickly disappear into the night outside the hall gate, Sima Lang stood quietly for a long while, and slowly let out a long breath, as if facing the void in front of him, he slowly said: "Unexpectedly, Prime Minister Cao This time I was promoted to the rank and ceremony, but I will encounter such resistance, what can I do? What can I do?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his second younger brother, Sima Yi, slowly walked out from behind the majestic screen, and stood on the side of the wooden couch, with his sleeves hanging down behind him.

After the eldest brother's mood gradually calmed down, Sima Yi said bluntly: "Brother, Prime Minister Cao's promotion to the rank and gift is a critical moment for the survival of the Han Dynasty. All famous scholars and officials loyal to the Han Dynasty will try their best to obstruct this matter. How can the resistance we encounter not be great? All of this should have been within our expectations!"

"Sigh... Brother, why don't you know that there will be many obstacles and difficulties in advancing this matter?" Sima Lang frowned, shook his head, and sighed, "However, it is so difficult. Unexpected for my brother..."

"That's right. This morning, my younger brother went to the Xun Mansion in person to speak to Xun Lingjun on behalf of elder brother and Dr. Dong..." Sima Yi's face was calm, "My younger brother has also done his best with Xun Lingjun! However, this fact It is the key to the survival of the Han Dynasty, even if Zhang Yi and Su Qin were reborn, it would be difficult to persuade Xun Lingjun and Yang Taiwei to lead the support of Prime Minister Cao and the Duke of Jin to add gifts."

Sima Lang suddenly turned his head back, with deep anger in his eyes: "Since that's the case, why do you insist on instigating your brother to present this 'reset Sangong, win over people's hearts, use your strength to be promoted, and go up to the next level'" A strategy? Aren’t you pushing Brother Wei and Prime Minister Cao rashly to confront the iron wall?”

"Brother, there is nothing wrong with the strategy of 'resetting the three princes, winning over people's hearts, taking advantage of the power to advance to the next level'. The people of all parties know that in Xudu City today, it is the Central Plains that supports the foundation of the Han Dynasty. Four great families: one is Guanzhong Hongnong Yang family headed by Yang Taiwei; the other is Yingchuan Xun family headed by Xun Lingjun; the third is Shandong Wang family headed by Wang Situ; the fourth is Hanoi Sima headed by my brother Sima Facing Sima Lang's angry eyes, Sima Yi said eloquently, "Now Prime Minister Cao listened to my younger brother's plan and did not hesitate to divide his own power. He suggested on the spot to re-establish the 'Three Dukes' officials and use the position of Taiwei to win over the Yang family. He used the position of Sikong to win over the Xun family, the position of Situ to win over the Wang family, and then used the position of the prime minister's mansion, Dong Cao's family and other cronies to win over our Sima family, in exchange for our four great families joining forces to push him to win The prince of the state, the gift of the nine tins, is famous in the world with extraordinary rewards... If you look at it closely, you want to win people's hearts and take it for your own use, but if you look at it from a distance - it is actually eating away at the pillars of the Han Dynasty! Waiting for a plan, why not clever?"

"Gao Miao is naturally Gao Miao—but it doesn't seem to be very effective!" Sima Lang turned his head, looked at the dark night outside the window with a sad face, and sighed deeply, "Second brother, you have also seen it, even if it has been thrown As a generous gift, Yang Taiwei and Wang Situ still expressed their unwillingness to support Prime Minister Cao, and Mr. Xun Ling had no room for accommodation... The rest of us, the Sima clan and Mr. Dong, are really helpless .”

"Brother, don't worry, don't worry. In fact, we can 'plan ahead of the world's trends, seize the world's opportunities' and present this wonderful plan to Prime Minister Cao before other ministers and officials. It has been harvested." Sima Yi said calmly, and slowly took out three smooth and bright white jade chess pieces from his chest, put them on the palm of his right hand, and stretched them out to Sima Lang's eyes, "Do you remember the summer of the 13th year of Jian'an, Did my father use these three white stones to set us up in the secret room to indicate the general trend of the Cao family in Peijun? In the past three years, Cao Cao defeated Ma Chao and Han Sui in Xiliang, and secured Guanzhong The two prefectures of Yongliang and Liangzhou have already reached the second step of his Cao family chess game in a solid manner. Possessing unworldly feats and holding the power of shaking the master, he followed the example of Wang Mang back then, ascended to the position of Duke Zhou, and then cut off all dissidents , to monopolize the power of the world, and lay a solid foundation for Cao Daihan in the future. Now that his power has expanded so much, if my Sima family doesn't see the opportunity to come forward to offer advice and persuade others to advance, there will be others who will take the lead. At that time, they will treat me Sima The great fortune of the family is a bit unfavorable..."

Sima Lang lowered his face, looked at the three white chess pieces in Sima Yi's hands quietly, and after a long silence, he said leisurely: "Second brother is right. Since Cao Cao has already taken this second step, our Sima family has indeed He could only follow his father's careful planning during his lifetime, adapt to the current situation in a timely manner, and try his best to help Cao Cao to be a gift to the Duke of Jin, so as to rise in step with him, and contribute to the founding of the Cao family in Peijun County, thus overwhelming the others and standing out from the crowd. So that we can better display the general strategy of 'emerge suddenly, strike late, and turn the world around'!"

Sima Yi nodded slightly when he heard that, picked up the three white jade chess pieces with his fingers, and played with them casually, making them make a pleasant sound of tinkling and clinking, and said slowly: "Brother, you just need to understand this."

"We can't just think about how to profit from Cao Cao." Sima Lang seemed to have realized something, and reminded him, "Cao Pi is also a key player in our Sima family's plan to 'emerge suddenly and turn the world around', second brother, you Don't let him relax."

"Brother, don't worry. Cao Pi is now a confidant to my younger brother, and he can be said to be obedient. My younger brother is confident that he can control him freely!"

"Now he is in adversity, and he wants to rely on us to help him seize the throne. Of course, he obeys our words, as if listening to Lun's voice; when he gets his wish and stands up for himself one day, he may not trust us. Added." Sima Lang let out a snort, and said angrily, "Look at the relationship between Cao Cao and Xun Lingjun..."

"Brother—your analogy is a bit wrong."

"Wrong? Where is it wrong?"

"Cao Pi will never become Cao Cao, he will never stand up for himself on his own strength, and my Sima family will never be like Xun Lingjun, who only restrains others with kindness and morality and disdains Constrain the Cao family with deep plans."

"How can you say that Xun Yu doesn't bother to use secret schemes to restrain the Cao family in Peijun? In fact, the loyalists of the Han family, headed by Yang Taiwei, Xun Lingjun, and Wang Situ, have long been fighting with the Cao family in Peijun! "Sima Lang glanced at Sima Yi, "Second brother, do you know that Prime Minister Cao has suggested that His Majesty appoint Xiahou Dun as the Great Inner Guard? And did you know that at the same time, Yang Taiwei and Xun Lingjun jointly presented and recommended Xun Lingjun's Master Jin Yi, the favorite student, served as Jing Zhaoyin of Xu Capital City? In this season, why did Xia Houdun become the Great Inner Guard? Why did Jin Yi become Jing Zhaoyin? Second brother, do you understand?"

After hearing this, Sima Yi kept his mouth shut, with no expression on his face: Brother!How could I not know these two things you mentioned?Cao Cao appointed Xiahou Dun, his cousin of the same clan, as the Wei Wei, because he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to eradicate the former Wei Wei Ma Teng to firmly control the palace, and monitor and coerce the emperor Liu Xie at the closest distance.But at the same time, Yang Biao and Xun Yu recommended their trusted disciple Jin Yi as Jing Zhaoyin, who is in charge of the military and political affairs of Xudu Gyeonggi, clearly defending and fighting against the Cao's army stationed in the palace from the front line. !Brother, you are right—Han and Cao have indeed launched life-and-death contests that cannot see the smoke of gunpowder in the invisible and silent!But what makes Sima Yi like it is that Xun Lingjun's actions are always well-organized, reasonable and upright, and he is upright-you Cao Mengde used Xiahou Dun to control Da Nei, and I, Xun Wenruo, should use Jin Yi to support the capital. You have the inside, I have the outside, it is to warn and check and balance you not to push you too far.

"Hey! In my brother's opinion, sooner or later this big man will belong to the Cao family. Who can stop it at this time?"

"Prime Minister Cao has strategy in mind and holds military power in his hands. I am afraid that Confucian civil servants such as Yang Taiwei and Xun Lingjun cannot compete." Sima Lang pondered for a long time before he murmured, "Ah! The Yang family in Guanzhong, the Xun family in Yingchuan After all, they are also family friends of the Sima family in Hanoi! Brother, I really can't bear to see anything happen to them..."

"However, didn't Dong Zhuo, who was invincible in the past, also had a strategy in mind and held military power? In the end, he was still killed in the hands of a group of Confucian officials headed by Situ Wangyun." Sima Yi quietly looked at his elder brother, and said bluntly .

"Prime Minister Cao is so talented and general, how can Dong Zhuo compare with it?"

"Xun Lingjun's resourcefulness and resourcefulness are not comparable to that of the former Situ Wang Yun."

"This……"

"In my opinion, when the Han and Cao fight each other, it will be difficult to distinguish the superior for a while. And I, Sima, are the foreign aid that both sides must fight for. If I, Sima, secretly help the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty will win; if I, Sima If you secretly help the Cao family, the Cao family will win. At this moment, our Sima family is in a very delicate position."

"Subtle? What's so subtle about it nowadays? Our Sima family has been so deeply involved in helping Prime Minister Cao to give gifts to Duke Jin, we have already decided to bet the future of our Sima family on the Cao family." The superior of the clan, advance and retreat with them, attack and defend together!" Sima Lang frowned, and said with some dejection, "Look, today's situation is really a dilemma! My brother wants to advance now, There are already many thorns ahead; if I want to retreat, I am afraid that I will bear the great trust of Prime Minister Cao. What's more, with the power of our Sima clan, we are forced to help Prime Minister Cao to give gifts to the Duke of Jin. For my brother, I feel powerless. There is no second brother. Brother, you are so talented... I knew this matter was so difficult, I really shouldn't have rashly offered advice to persuade you to come in this muddy water, and learn from Jia Xu, Zhong Yao, these "old tricks" and watch from the sidelines. good!"

Sima Yi stood there, quietly watching the worry and regret on his elder brother's face, and didn't say a word, but the corners of his lips curled slightly, and a trace of disdain flashed in his eyes.After the eldest brother finished nagging, he said again, "Yes, today's situation is indeed a dilemma. But, I'm afraid our Sima family has no other way but to grit their teeth and move forward bravely. What do you think big brother?"

"This... this..." Sima Lang froze for a moment.

"Brother, please be more frank, younger brother Rong. Today's situation is not only a dilemma, but also riding a tiger!" Sima Yi said solemnly, "Although Dr. Dong is the only person who is jumping up and down outside and contacting all parties, we Sima It seems that the Sima family is still staying out of the matter, and has not been discovered by others for the time being. But paper cannot contain fire, and one day the government and the public will know that my Sima family is also the same party who promoted Prime Minister Cao and the Duke of Jin. At that time, we are There is really no turning back."

(End of this chapter)