It is said that Xia Houxuan, at the suggestion of Chen Tai and others, immediately sent a messenger to deliver his own handwritten letter to the houses of two important ministers, Gao Tanglong and He Zeng, informing him that he wanted to recommend the veteran Hu Zun and the Taiwei Sima Yi together. The idea of sending troops to quell the rebellion.
In the secret room of Sima Mansion, brothers Sima Shi and Sima Zhao are continuing to discuss with Fu Gu, Wu Ying, Zhong Yu, Zhong Hui brothers, Xun Can's brother Xun Yi, Chen Ben's brother Chen Qian, as well as Wei Guan and Yang Hu. He was trying to figure out how to let his father, Sima Yi, lead an expedition and regain military power.
Gao Xun did not come to attend the meeting because he had been feeling unwell recently.
The talented but kind-hearted Yang Hu didn't want people to talk about these conspiracies, so he excused himself from feeling unwell and left Sima Mansion early.
Xun Yi and Xun Jingqian are now the sixth son of Taiwei Xun Yu and the biological brother of Xun Can and Xun Fengqian. Not only that, Grand Sikong Chen Qun is also his biological brother-in-law. When Xunyi was young, he was deeply appreciated by his brother-in-law Chen Qun. He was extremely filial by nature and became famous at an early age. Zhuge Dan, Li Feng, Sima Shi, Sima Zhao, Cao Zhao, Zhong Yu and others, but they are not as good as Cao Xi, Fu Gu, Xu Yun, Cui Zan, He Kuan, Wei Lie, Yuan Kan, Yuan Liang, Li Sheng, Yang Among the great celebrities of the day.
Because of his father Xun Yu's merits and his own talent, Xun Yi was appointed as Zhonglang at a young age. Later, he got acquainted with the Sima Master Sima Zhao brothers, and from then on he formed an indissoluble bond with the Sima family.
At this moment, he was talking eloquently, detailing his strategy to Master Sima and many of his friends present:
"Everyone, as I see below, the current turmoil in Liaodong is so fierce that even Guanqiu Zhonggong, who has always enjoyed a great reputation, has failed. Therefore, I am afraid that ordinary generals are no match for Gongsun Yuan. This dynasty still has The living, senior generals with qualifications and fame, such as Wang Ling, Wang Yanyun, Guo Huai, Guo Boji, Xia Houwei, Xia Houru, etc., are all guarding the outside and are difficult to transfer. There is only one Sima Taiwei in the court. As for the military cao Shangshu Sun Li Although Sun Deda is brave but inexperienced, the veteran Hu Zun has not fought for many years, so there is nothing to worry about. However, even so, it is difficult to prevent Xiahou Xuan and others from secretly plotting to make His Majesty erratic. If His Majesty insists on appointing Xiahou Xuan and Cao Shuang , Qin Lang, Xia Houxian and others went north, and they joined forces with Guanqiu Jian and won by luck, but that would be very disadvantageous for us!"
"What Jing Qian said is true, but how should we resolve this matter?"
Today's Sima Master has long lost the handsome appearance of his youth. At this moment, his face is gloomy, and the cold light in his eyes is as unfathomable as the Nine Netherworld. The place where he was stabbed by Cao Xi with the dragon-scaled sword is now. At this moment, a small tumor actually appeared, which made Master Sima's whole temperament look even more gloomy.
Wei Boyu, Wei Guan, was a great calligrapher in this dynasty, so Shangshu Wei coveted Wei Boyu's eldest son. A few years ago, after Wei Ji passed away, the young Wei Guan inherited the title of Marquis of Luxiang and became the new head of the Wei family. Today, Wei Guan is seventeen years old. Not only is he good at calligraphy, but he has also been praised in the Yuedan Commentary for "bearing the name of Jing Jing, and having clear knowledge and clear understanding." Therefore, among the later celebrities, he has been vaguely recognized. He is as famous as Yang Hu, Zhong Hui and Pei Xiu.
It was precisely because Wei Guan was so talented that he became the minister of the imperial court at a young age.
After Wei Guan thought for a long time, he opened his mouth and said to Master Sima:
"Eldest Young Master, from what I can see, Your Majesty will definitely not let Xia Houxuan and others send troops rashly this time!"
After listening to Wei Guan's words, Chen Qian and Chen Xiuyuan, who had always been praised for their intelligence, finally spoke. He stood up and said:
"Bo Yu's words make sense. Why should you worry, eldest son? From my point of view, your majesty's illness is not serious, and the situation in Liaodong is very critical. The possibility that your majesty will not send the veteran generals and let Xia Houxuan, Cao Shuang and other young generals practice is very slim. The more we try to seize military power, the more fearful His Majesty will be. Therefore, at tomorrow's court meeting, we might as well try to play hard to get, in this way, the chance of winning will be greater!"
After listening to Chen Qian's words, brothers Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, as well as brothers Fu Gu, Wu Ying, Zhong Yu, Zhong Hui, Xun Yi, Chen Qian, and Wei Guan suddenly realized.
————
After He Zeng received Xia Houxuan's letter, he was also worried about Sima Yi's return to military power, so he hurriedly wrote a memorial to the emperor. In the memorial, he urgently requested Cao Rui to send a supervisor or deputy general to accompany Sima Yi to prevent Accident.
The spring of the second year of Jingchu felt quite cold. The sharp spring breeze, mixed with the bone-chilling cold of winter, made this spring not very warm, and the emperor's condition gradually worsened.
In the Tai Chi Hall, the ministers were currently discussing.
"This rebellion in Liaodong has shocked the country. We must urgently put down the rebellion. Why hasn't Your Majesty come out to the court yet?"
"Since the death of Queen Mourning, His Majesty has often been ill. I heard that His Majesty's condition has shown signs of rebounding in the past few days!"
"Hush, your majesty's dragon body is related to the fate of the country. How can we allow us to make random comments? Don't make mistakes."
"Yeah……"
Although the ministers were a little commotion, Taiwei Sima Yi didn't seem to be anxious at all. At this moment, he was wrapping his hands in his sleeves and closing his eyes to rest. Gao Tanglong, who has been seriously ill recently, is very weak at the moment. It can be seen that he was able to come to the court today with great effort.
"Your Majesty is here!"
After the ministers had been waiting for a long time, a loud shout from the waiter at the back of the palace finally calmed everyone's turbulent hearts. Seeing the emperor's arrival, the ministers hurriedly returned to their duties.
"See my emperor, long live my emperor!"
"My dear friends, please stay flat, cough..." The pale-faced Cao Rui, with the support of two waiters, slowly sat on the throne. He must have been infected with the cold, and he coughed from time to time, which made him The emperor's crown above his head was trembling.
"The ministers have something to report!" Han Yong, the chief internal officer of the palace, stood on the steps and shouted loudly.
Liu Fang, the eunuch of the Zhongshu, held his scepter and went out to speak: "Your Majesty, ever since Gongsun Yuan from Liaodong claimed the number of heaven, and ever since he was called King of Yan in the north, people in the country have been in panic, and we must immediately send troops and generals to destroy him. .”
"In my opinion, I should... cough cough cough... yes, who should I send to lead the troops to put down the rebellion?"
"Your Majesty, I believe that the land of Liaodong is of great importance, and the important task of suppressing the rebellion must be entrusted to a wise and brave general. In the civil and military affairs of the dynasty, only the Taiwei can take on this important task."
The ministers were silent and said they had no objection to this. Even those few ministers who opposed Sima Yi's continued control of the military had no other candidates to recommend at this moment.
However, all famous generals with rich combat experience, such as Guo Huai, Wang Ling, Xia Houru, Xia Houwei, etc., are either in Qingxu, Yongliang, or Yangyang, Jingxiang. They are guarding one side and cannot be adjusted well. Therefore, apart from Sima Yi, there was no one else worthy of a general in the court.
"Lieutenant, are you willing to lead the troops to suppress the rebellion in Youzhou? Ahem..." Cao Rui coughed and looked at the old man who was as quiet as a stone sculpture at the foot of the stairs.
"I will go through fire and water without hesitation!" Sima Yi raised his head and looked at Cao Rui, his eyes full of calmness and confidence.
"Okay, then I will transfer 40,000 troops to you and march to Youzhou from now on to, ahem... put down the rebellion."
"Your Majesty." At this time, Gao Tang, who looked sallow and seemed to be seriously ill, came out and said: "Forty thousand people, a thousand-mile expedition, I am afraid that the military expenses, food and salary expenses along the way will be huge. I hope your Majesty will think twice!"
Cao Rui was silent for a while.
He knew that Gao Tanglong's intention was not just to worry about food and salary expenses, but to remind himself not to let Sima Yi easily establish too high a prestige in the army.
Cao Rui smiled bitterly, now that the matter was over, he had no other choice. Cao Rui replied to Gao Tanglong: "Nowadays, four thousand miles are being conquered to suppress the rebellion. Although defeating the enemy requires ingenuity, ahem..., Gongsun Yuan's power is not idle. He cannot win without enough troops, so there is no need to worry about military expenditures. Come on, Soldier talisman."
After Cao Rui watched Fu Jielang hand the military talisman to Sima Yi, he suddenly remembered He Zeng's memorial, so he said again:
"The thieves in Liaodong are so powerful this time, and the Taiwei alone... cough, cough, I'm afraid I'll make a mistake. I've ordered Generals Hu Zun and Niu Jin to be Taiwei's deputy generals, and I've ordered Changling Marquis Xiahou Xuan and Wu Wei to serve as deputy generals. Lieutenant General Cao Xi, each led his subordinates, and together... ahem, went to the front line to wipe out the rebels."
After Cao Rui said this while supporting his sick body, his face suddenly became even more ugly. He suddenly felt very unwell, so he hurriedly left the morning court and returned to his dormitory.
————
Although it has just arrived in early spring, Qingqingyuan and Huanggong Winery on Tongtuomo, the most prosperous area of Luoyang, are already crowded with customers.
As usual, the tea and wine guests had nothing to do and began to talk about the rumors they had heard recently.
"Have you heard that during the Liaodong rebellion, Sima Taiwei personally led troops to Youzhou to quell the rebellion?"
"That's right, I've heard about it too. It's said that the Taiwei brought 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers this time."
"Ah? Only 40,000 to 50,000 people. I heard that there are more than 100,000 rebels in Liaodong, and they are all fierce. Can Taiwei Sima defeat them?"
"Sir, I think you are worrying too much. When has Taiwei Sima ever been defeated?"
The boss of Huanggong Jiulong was dialing the abacus at the counter at the moment. Hearing the lively chatter from the tea guests, he couldn't help but interject:
"Even Zhuge Kongming, the Prime Minister of Western Shu, was exhausted to death by our Taiwei?"
"The boss is right..."
The green grass sprouts outside Luoyang City gradually pierced the ice and snow that had not yet completely melted, amidst the jeers of the crowd. In the distance, above Luoshui, there are reflections of a few birds passing by from time to time.
Spring has finally arrived.
―――
It was night, and above the dark sky, a bright moon hung in the vast Milky Way.
Outside the west wing of the Marquis Mansion in Changling Township, the head of the family, Xia Houxuan, was walking anxiously up and down the corridor.
Inside the house, the midwife was holding the hand of Mrs. Li Huigu to help her deliver the baby.
At this moment, Li Huigu's forehead was covered with sweat. She gritted her teeth and tried not to scream too loudly. She was afraid that she would worry her husband if she shouted too loudly.
Finally, a loud cry came from inside the house.
The midwife held a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and walked out of the door happily: "Congratulations, lord, congratulations, lord, you are a young master!"
"Where's my wife? How is she, madam?"
"Ma'am, she's fine. She's just very weak now and needs to rest."
"That's good, that's good..." Xia Houxuan held his newly born child with a smile on his face. He raised his eyes to look at the bright moonlight in the sky and murmured: "At this night, the moonlight is bright, like Pure Yang shines all over the world, so I will name you Yang, and your baby name will be Bright Moon."
And just when Taiwei Sima Yi was about to go off to war, the second child of his second son Sima Zhao and his daughter-in-law Wang Yuanji was also born.
This is a boy. It is said that when the boy was born, the sun was shining brightly in the sky and the fire was bright in the house, so Sima Zhao named his eldest son "Yan".
―――
In Jiafu Hall, Cao Rui was taking a nap on the couch.
Over the past year, too many things had happened, and he felt a little exhausted both physically and mentally.
At only thirty-four years old, he no longer had the vigor he had more than ten years ago, just like an old man who is approaching his twilight years.
He had a dream.
He dreamed that he and his father were sitting on the top of the palace, admiring the moon and talking; he also dreamed that he and his young friends such as Cao Shuang, Cao Zhao, Cao Yu, Guan Qiujian, etc. were fencing and hunting in the suburbs of Beijing; he dreamed that he On the wedding day with Mr. Mao, when they tied their hair; in the end, he also dreamed of his little prince Cao Yin, and he was playing hide and seek with him. He was calling him loudly, but no matter how he chased the child , just can't catch up with him.
"Father, come quickly..."
"Yin'er, wait a minute, Father, Father is here to find you..." Cao Rui shouted gibberish in his dream. The child in the dream ran faster and faster, and gradually disappeared from his sight.
"Yin'er!"
"Father! What's wrong with you!"
Cao Rui suddenly woke up from his nightmare and turned around to see his seven-year-old child, King Cao Fang of Qi.
"Lan Qing, why are you here..." Cao Rui stood up slowly, took the face towel from the waiter and wiped the sweat on his forehead.
[Note 1: In ancient times, people generally had to wait until they were twenty years old and crowned adults to choose their characters. Cao Fang is a descendant of the royal family, so he can choose the characters in advance. 】
"Father, a man came from outside the palace. He said he wanted to see you in an urgent matter, but he was stopped by someone inside the palace. When I saw that the man was in a hurry, I helped him find Father."
"So that's it. Then Lan Qing goes out and calls that man in to see the father, okay?"
"Your Majesty, I obey." Cao Fang said and walked out of the palace. Not long after, a man followed behind Cao Fang, his face seemed to be stained with tears.
"Wei minister, please see Your Majesty..."
Cao Rui looked at the face of the visitor carefully and felt that it was somewhat similar to Gao Tanglong, the regular servant of Sanqi. After a while, he realized that the visitor was Gao Tangchen, the eldest son of Gao Tanglong.
"You came to see me. What's the urgent matter? Why don't you see your father coming?"
"Your Majesty, my father...he is seriously ill and has passed away..." Gao Tangchen said, weeping uncontrollably. He took out a roll of bamboo slips from his arms, knelt down and handed it to Cao Rui: "This is my father's. His last words... said that he must present it to His Majesty..."
Cao Rui was shocked when he heard this, and then felt a twinge of pain in his heart.
When he was in the East Palace, Gao Tanglong, as the Prince of Pingyuan, had been admonishing and teaching him by his side, but he didn't expect that Gao Tanglong would just go like this.
He opened the bamboo slip and looked at the familiar vigorous handwriting inside.
"Your Majesty, I am high and mighty, weeping blood to tell Your Majesty:
In ancient times, Zengzi was ill and Meng Jingzi asked about it. Zengzi said: "When a bird is about to die, its cries are mournful; when a man is about to die, his words are also kind." 'How can I be inferior to Zengzi in my sincerity?
I am always worried that the master of the world will not fail to think about the rule of Yao, Shun, Tang and Wu, and follow the footsteps of Jie, Zhou, You and Li. How sad! What you are doing is like trying to get a fish from a tree or frying water to make ice. It is impossible to get it. It is clear!
Moreover, during the period of the Six Kingdoms, the world was in turmoil. Qin took over it and did not cultivate the holy way. Instead, he built the palace of Afang and built the Great Wall to guard it. It subdued all the barbarians, the world was shaken, and the roads were as far as the eye can see. It said that it has one branch and one hundred leaves, and it will last forever. How can it be that the great rays of light will be destroyed in two generations, and the country will collapse?
In the recent Han Dynasty, Xiaowu took advantage of the blessings of literature and scenery to fight against the barbarians and dignitaries outside, and built palaces inside. For more than ten years, the world was in chaos. The shaman believed in Yue, angered the heavens, built Zhang's palace, and thousands of households. However, Jiang was filled with evil spirits. As a result, the palace was estranged, father and son killed each other, and the poison of blame spread for generations.
When I was observing the early days of the Yellow Emperor's reign, I saw a sign from the heavens. A strange bird was raising a swallow's nest, its mouth, claws, and chest were red. This was a great difference in the Wei Dynasty. It was advisable to guard against the eagles and ministers within the Xiaoqiang. Choose the kings, make the king and the country prepare the troops, often use the horse to control the emperor's territory, and brighten the emperor's house.
In the past, when the Zhou Dynasty moved eastward, Jin and Zheng relied on it, and the chaos between Han and Lu was actually due to Zhu Xu, who was a clear example of the previous generations. My husband, the emperor, has no relatives, but virtue is his assistant.
From this point of view, the world of the world is not the world of His Majesty alone.
The minister is obsessed with all kinds of diseases and has little strength, so he often goes out of his body and returns to his home. If he sinks, his soul has knowledge, and he will weed the grass to repay him! "
[Note 2: This memorial is found in the "Three Kingdoms·Wei Shujuan 25·Xinpi Yangfu Gaotanglong Biography". In order to allow readers to understand it roughly, it has been slightly deleted and modified here. 】
When Cao Rui saw Gao Tanglong saying, "It is better to guard against Ying Yang's ministers within Xiao Qiang," he understood that the person he wanted to guard against was Sima Yi, the Marquis of Wuyang. And "Choose the kings to make the king and the country prepare troops, often to control the emperor's territory, and to brighten the imperial family..." It means that he should not be too harsh on the clan, but should give the clan appropriate power and let the kings assist The royal family prevents ministers with foreign surnames from being arbitrary and domineering.
Cao Rui looked at Gao Tanglong's memorial and suddenly realized that since he had no one to use, why not select one or two trustworthy people from the clan to assist the royal family and check and balance the court?
But Gao Tanglong has passed away, who else can help him do these things?
Cao Rui couldn't help but shed tears and sighed: "God doesn't want me to succeed, so that the students in Gaotang will die without me!"
After the emperor sighed, he felt great sorrow in his heart again, so he fainted again.
