Three Kingdoms: Start by marrying Cai Yan, then vie for supremacy.

18

Sima Yi wanted to give chase, but he didn't even have the strength to raise his hand. The servants in the household? Since the whole family fell ill three days ago, the servants had been fleeing one after another. Today was the seventh day, and even the trusted confidants had all run away.

"Cough cough! This is definitely not a plague!" His eyes flashed coldly. "Why is it only my Sima clan who are infected? The servants are all unharmed? Who is plotting against my Sima family?"

Suddenly, a burst of crisp applause rang out in the courtyard. The man in black stood under the eaves, smiling broadly, and said, "As expected of Sima Zhongda, you are indeed astute. Unfortunately, it's too late. Your Sima family—it's time for you all to go."

Sima Yi's pupils contracted sharply, and he questioned in a stern voice, "It's you?! What grudge does my Sima family have against you?" Before he could finish speaking, he coughed violently again.

Sima Yi was filled with resentment.

The man in black smiled contemptuously: "That's true. You've offended my young master, and if he wants you dead, you must die!"

"The young master said that you will cause the Han people to become two-legged sheep in the future, a grave sin. It would be better for you to set off sooner rather than later, so as not to harm others and yourselves!"

The members of the Sima family collapsed one after another, except for Sima Yi, who was still able to hold on due to his special constitution. Lu Qishiqi appeared, ready to finish them off personally.

"Ahem... If you're determined to frame someone, you can always find a pretext." Sima Yi's eyes widened in anger. "You're going to destroy my Sima family based on these fabricated charges? Aren't you afraid of divine retribution?"

"Of course I'm not afraid!" Lu Qishiqi sneered. "Besides, are you really innocent? Do you really think no one knows about your schemes and underhanded dealings over the years?"

Sima Yi's expression changed drastically.

The Sima family's rise to power was stained with blood, and they committed countless atrocities in their pursuit of great ambitions. Now, exposed to his face, he stared intently at Lu Qishiqi: "You shouldn't have shown yourself! We can't detect this poison at all; your appearance has given us a chance to live!"

After saying that, he blew a whistle, but Lu Qishiqi watched leisurely from the sidelines.

A cold wind swept by, but no one responded for a long time. An ominous premonition welled up in Sima Yi's heart.

"Waiting for those assassins?" Lu Qishiqi sneered. "Too bad, we've already wiped them out."

I help you

"Heh! You're quite capable, managing to train a suicide squad of several hundred men, and your intelligence work is pretty good too! What a waste of your efforts, you're just unlucky to have run into us!"

The secret guards are always meticulous in their actions, and they have carefully considered every action plan countless times. How could they leave such a big flaw?

"You...you all..."

Sima Yi's expression changed drastically at this moment, a mixture of anger and despair. His trembling hand pointed at Lu Qishiqi, and suddenly a mouthful of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

He then clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground, his eyes gradually losing focus; he was already nearing the end.

"Tsk tsk!"

Lu Qishiqi strode forward, looking down at him, and said, "You're quite resilient. I have good news for you. The whole family just went to see Master! Don't worry, your eldest brother, Sima Lang, will be going down to reunite soon."

Upon hearing this, the dying man's unfocused eyes suddenly flashed with a final hatred as he stared intently at Lu Qishiqi. At the same time, one last question flashed through his mind: "Who is this 'Master'?"

The Taoist system of ghosts and gods was not yet complete at that time, and Sima Yi had indeed never heard of this person.

After he breathed his last, Lu Qishi clapped his hands three times, and more than ten guards instantly appeared in the courtyard.

"Clean up the scene to make it look like the victim died of illness, and prepare to close the net!"

"It's a pity I can't skim some extra cash this time."

After Lu Qishi finished explaining, he clicked his tongue regretfully.

The news had already spread among the secret guards that Lu Lao Si and his group had performed a great service, securing millions of gold coins and several million bushels of grain for their lord. The key point was that the young man even wrote a letter to boast about it, making the others extremely envious.

Everyone is now eager to compete and see who can bring more money and provisions to the Lord.

"What a pity!"

The other guards echoed their agreement. After all, to fake a death from illness, they couldn't touch the mansion's valuables.

"Brother Seventy-Seven, it's not like there's absolutely no room for maneuver..." someone suggested quietly.

The following is

A young bodyguard raised his hand and suggested, "Once news of the Sima clan's downfall spreads, various forces will inevitably covet their wealth. Whether it's bandits, outlaws, or powerful clans, we can plunder their possessions after they've taken them!"

There is a lack of powerful forces within Wen County, making this plan highly feasible.

"wonderful!"

Lu Qishiqi and the other guards' eyes lit up. Their previous rigid thinking had prevented them from coming up with such a brilliant plan.

Lu Qishiqi gave an approving thumbs-up: "Clever! You're Lu Wansanwuliuqi, right?"

"It is indeed your subordinate!" Lu Wansanwuliuqi quickly replied.

"You deserve a great reward!" Lu Qishiqi announced on the spot.

"Many thanks to Brother Seventy-Seven for your guidance!"

The guards quickly completed the scene disguise. They focused on removing the traces of Sima Yi's "natural death," while leaving the rest of the people as they were.

"withdraw!"

Upon returning to the base, the message was urgently transmitted in two directions: one was sent to the headquarters of the secret guards, and the other was delivered by fast horse to Lu Feng in Rencheng County.

The following morning, Lu Feng read the secret report.

The guard Lu Yi reported: "Lord Seventy-Seven reports that only Sima Lang remains, and since he serves under Cao Cao, it is not advisable to deal with him openly. We have arranged for a slow and gradual approach, creating the illusion that he is gradually weakening, which will take some time. We have already successfully placed two secret guards to monitor him closely."

"Excellent." Lu Feng lightly tapped the table with his fingertips. "Issue an order to award seventy-seven points; this merit will be calculated at double the rate."

Thinking that Sima Yi's lineage had finally been wiped out, leaving only Sima Lang to fight alone, Lu Feng's pent-up resentment dissipated. If these hidden dangers were not eliminated, they would surely become a great scourge to the Han people in the future, and the thought of this made him feel as if he had thorns in his back.

(

The best course of action is to eliminate Sima Yi and his associates before they enter officialdom.

Otherwise, given Sima Yi's intelligence and abilities, if he were to sense the murderous intent later, he would surely try every means to protect himself, making it difficult to strike at that point.

The best course of action is to get rid of this kind of person as soon as possible.

"Hey! If Old Seventy-Seven knew, he'd be laughing his head off!"

Lu Yi grinned, his tone filled with envy.

"Envious? How about I send you to do that kind of job?"

Lu Feng raised an eyebrow and joked.

"No, no, no!"

Lu Yi hurriedly waved his hand: "It's best for me to stay with you, young master! I've gotten used to it over the years, and you find it convenient to use me, why change?"

He changed the subject abruptly: "By the way! Old Seventy-Seven asked me to ask you where they're headed next? The brothers want to take on a more prestigious job, preferably one as prestigious as Old Fourth's!"

"Ha, Fourth Brother has really stolen the show this time, making the other guards green with envy!"

Not to mention others, he himself was itching to get in.

"Um......"

Lu Feng stroked his chin thoughtfully, "In that case, let's transfer them to Yangzhou! The secret guards there are short-handed; we haven't had time to attend to them in recent years. Sending more people there to pave the way will also help us plan for the future."

"Yes, sir!"

Lu Yi clasped his hands in response.

After he withdrew, Xi Zhicai spoke up, "My lord, if the matter of Yangzhou can truly win over Sun Ce, Huang Gai, and others, we might as well send them to form a new army."

"After all, they are familiar with Jiangdong, and their connections and resources are all there, making things easier for them."

If this is delayed for a few more years, the situation may change.

"That is indeed a good strategy."

Lu Feng nodded slightly: "However, the time is not yet ripe. Although Sun Ce can be trusted, Huang Gai, Cheng Pu, and Han Dang have not yet pledged their allegiance; it will take time."

"It would be safest to wait until Xuzhou and Jiujiang are pacified before attempting to conquer Yangzhou. Otherwise, being isolated in this enclave, Liu Biao, Yuan Shu, and Tao Qian will certainly not stand idly by."

In any case, the priority for the coming year should be consolidating the existing territory.

(

---

At most, we can only capture Jiujiang County.

"That's true." Xi Zhicai nodded in agreement.

Inside the Chen residence in Xiapi,

Chen Deng, looking bewildered, asked his father, Chen Gui, "Why did you suddenly change your stance? Why did you send me to Donglai to investigate the governance of the Marquis of Wu? Weren't we originally his enemies? Besides, his new policies have seriously damaged our interests."

He couldn't understand why his father's stance had changed after just one mission.

Chen Gui waved his hand and said, "It's not that I'm changing my stance, but rather that I failed to see the situation clearly before. Although Lord Wu's new policies will damage our family business, if we can seize the opportunity to serve him and gain his trust, our Chen family might be able to step out of Xuzhou and rise to a higher level."

"We previously refused Lord Wu because he never contacted us proactively. However, a few days ago, his strategist Guo Jia and Xu Chu secretly visited me and had in-depth discussions. Guo Jia is indeed an extraordinary man."

Chen Deng was shocked: "Lord Wu sent people to your door? They threatened you? What if Governor Tao finds out about this..."

"Don't panic," Chen Gui said with a smile. "Wu Hou wouldn't act so rashly. They came in secret; even I didn't notice how they entered the study. I haven't told Tao Qian about this either."

Chen Deng breathed a sigh of relief: "Father almost scared me to death. This matter must not be known to the governor, otherwise the Chen family will be in danger."

Tao Qian appeared magnanimous, but colluding with foreign enemies would surely offend him.

"How could I, as a father, be a foolish person?" Chen Gui shook his head helplessly.

"Of course not! Father has always been the person I admire most! Your wisdom and talent are unmatched!"

Chen Deng gave a thumbs-up in approval, then changed the subject: "Father wants me to go to Qingzhou? That's probably not a good idea. Tao Qian could summon me at any time, and I simply can't get away. If he finds out I'm secretly going to Qingzhou, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

Now that the Landwind faction has begun to take shape, it is facing a shortage of talent due to the implementation of new policies, so joining them now is indeed an opportunity.

After all, they are given important responsibilities.

Father is right; clinging to the empty title of a noble family is indeed meaningless.

Why did the Chen family of Xiapi fail to grow strong despite being based in Xuzhou for many years?

It is precisely because they are suppressed by those top-tier wealthy families that they have little chance of achieving anything.

Whether he pledged allegiance to Tao Qian or later switched allegiance to other feudal lords, he would find it difficult to gain genuine respect.

In every place, there are deeply entrenched local clans and factions, making it difficult for outsiders to gain a foothold.

In Xuzhou, he was still able to hold an important position under Tao Qian; if he were to defect to another, his situation would likely be even worse.

However, Tao Qian was mediocre in talent and had a shallow foundation.

In such a chaotic world, it is destined to be difficult to achieve anything significant.

Born in a chaotic era, incompetent people who attempt to carve out their own territory are only inviting disaster.

In comparison, joining forces with Landwind is clearly more advantageous.

Lu Feng's forces are clearly divided into factions with well-defined lines of command.

Simply put: Refreshing!

This is a rare advantage!

"That's absolutely right!"

Chen Gui agreed with his son's opinion, but added, "Since Guo Jia dared to make such a suggestion, he must already have a well-thought-out plan. Time waits for no one! We must make a decision soon so that we can calmly plan ahead and help Lord Wu seize Xuzhou."

"Only in this way can my Chen family truly gain a foothold under Lord Wu. What do you think?"

Chen Deng nodded and said, "That makes sense! Why not make secret contact first? If that's really inconvenient, we can send a trusted confidant to investigate. To be honest, after meeting Yuan Shu and Liu Biao on this mission, I'm increasingly convinced that Tao Qian, Yuan Shu, and Liu Biao are all unwise rulers!"

Yuan Shu was arrogant, conceited, and stubborn; he was truly a frog in a well.

Liu Biao was too pedantic and conservative, and coupled with his advanced age, he was unlikely to achieve anything significant.

Tao Qian is even less worth mentioning.

Of the three, he was the most mediocre.

"Sending you on this mission was indeed wise! It allowed us to see the true capabilities of these feudal lords; otherwise, we would still be kept in the dark!"

Chen Gui wholeheartedly agreed.

On that very day, the token given to him by Guo Jia was hung high in front of the plaque in the main hall.

But a whole day passed and there was still no movement.

"Didn't you see it? Why don't you hang it outside the gate?"

"Wait until tomorrow. If there is still no news, then we can move the plaque to the front door."

Chen Gui nodded again.

"No need for further trouble. The signal has been received. Has Patriarch Chen made his decision?"