After Zhuge Ke ordered to speed up, the Huanglong warship, which was already moving like the wind, was more like an arrow leaving the string, speeding north along Ruxushui. Due to the rapid march of the Wu army, it arrived at the south of Dongxing Embankment in less than two days. Ruxuwu fifty miles away!
"Quickly go to the pass to inquire about the news, and use flag language to inform General Quan and General Liu that the reinforcements have arrived!"
Zhuge Ke gave the order, and his soldiers immediately rode forward and waved the flag.
The mountains and rivers between the two mountains of Dongxing Embankment are intertwined, and the terrain is narrow. In addition, the terrain of Dongxing Embankment is high in the south and low in the north. The two thousand Wu troops who were condescending were able to hold on for a whole day by relying on the terrain where one man was in charge and ten thousand men could not open!
Although the 70,000 Wei troops were large in number, due to the terrain, they could only move forward in single file, making it difficult for them to advance together, and some of them could not move forward. However, the Wei navy warships carefully prepared by Sima Zhao were all blocked by embankments and could not directly approach the two gate towers.
Quan Duan and Liu Lue each had less than 500 men left under their command at the moment, but they were still fighting bloody battles. At this critical moment, the soldiers on the east and west gate towers finally saw the flag-waving flags in the south. Wu Jun, the blood-stained soldiers above the city gate suddenly had endless hope at this moment, and they waved their weapons and shouted excitedly:
"The reinforcements have arrived, the reinforcements have arrived, it's Taifu Zhuge's big banner!"
Originally, the Wu army on top of the city tower was almost unable to support itself, but the arrival of reinforcements instantly ignited their new fighting spirit. After Hu Zun and Zhuge Dan, who were expected to win, discovered this, they could only reluctantly gave the order to retreat.
After a strong attack, the Wei army, unable to spread out, failed to quickly conquer the two passes. They could only temporarily station themselves on the embankment and confront the Wu army.
Zhuge Ke, who was stationed in Ruxuwu in the south, saw that the Wei army had stopped attacking. He rolled his eyes and suddenly thought of a clever plan to attack from both sides:
"General Ding, General Lu, General Liu, and General Tang obey orders!"
When Ding Feng, Lu Ju, Liu Zan, and Tang Zi saw that their commander had an order, they immediately stepped forward and listened to the general's order:
"The general is here!"
Zhuge Ke passed the flag to the four people, and then ordered:
"Order the four of you to lead an army of 10,000 people, quietly march along the mountain path of Qibao Mountain to the west of Dongxing Embankment, go around to the rear of the Wei army within three days, and launch a surprise attack with the main frontal force led by General Zhu Yi and myself, so that the Wei army cannot look at each other. !”
After Ding Feng, Lu Zhi, Liu Zan, and Tang Zi heard Zhuge Ke's plan, they felt a burst of admiration in their hearts. They couldn't help but sigh in their hearts: Taifu is indeed the prodigy of our dynasty. They thought of this in an instant. Wonderful strategy.
Everyone's strategy was decided, and after the coordination was completed, the troops immediately divided into two groups and headed in their respective directions.
Three hours later, Ding Feng and his party arrived at the southern foot of Qibao Mountain.
After the scouts explored the road, Pegasus reported that the mountain paths were rugged and narrow, and the army might not be able to advance together.
After Ding Feng heard this, he frowned and thought for a while and then suggested:
"Several generals, Taifu ordered me to cross Qibao Mountain within three days. However, the mountain path is rugged and narrow. Our 10,000-strong army can only move in meandering directions and cannot march together. If we march like this, the people in the rear may be late. In two days, if the Wei army seizes the dangerous terrain of Qibao Mountain first, it will be all over!"
After hearing Ding Feng's words, Lu Zhi, the right general with the highest military rank among the four, nodded deeply, frowned and asked:
"What General Ding said is true, but I wonder if General Ding has any solution?"
Ding Feng was confident. Seeing that Lu Zheng was paying attention to his words, he immediately suggested:
"In my opinion, General Lu can allocate 3,000 men and horses to join me. I will continue westward in one breath and go down the river along Chaohu Lake in the northwest of Qibao Mountain. I will definitely not be slower than the large army walking on the mountain road!"
After listening to Ding Feng's suggestion, Lu Ju thought carefully for a moment, weighed the pros and cons, and finally made up his mind:
"Okay! I will allocate three thousand soldiers and horses to the old general. Old general, remember not to miss the time agreed with the Taifu!"
Ding Feng looked at Lu Zhi with his resolute eyes, and then made a serious promise:
"Don't worry, General Lu, I will never miss a big event. If there is a mistake, Ding Feng will take full responsibility for it!"
After hearing Ding Feng's self-responsible statement, Lu Ju was completely relieved and handed the troop deployment flag into Ding Feng's hands.
After the men divided their forces again, Lu Zheng led Liu Zan, Tang Zi and his main force of 7,000 people to climb the mountain along the path and entered the narrow mountain path.
Ding Feng and his three thousand soldiers galloped along the southern foot of Qibao Mountain and arrived at the dense forest on the shore of Chao Lake at extremely fast speeds.
"Brothers, immediately cut down trees on the spot and make simple boats. We must build four to five hundred simple boats within two hours!"
Most of the three thousand troops and horses under Ding Feng's command were private troops that he had raised for many years, so they followed Ding Feng's orders as if they were gods. Some of the boats built by the soldiers were canoes that could only carry two or three people, and some were strong and sturdy. After two hours, Ding Feng's entire army had built a total of 538 boats of various sizes with simple sails!
Ding Feng roughly inspected the boats and found that there were no quality problems, so he immediately and decisively issued the next military order:
"Soldiers, each battalion has arranged and assigned small boats. Let's pull up the canvas and take advantage of the west wind to take the Wei army's retreat!"
The officers and soldiers of each battalion had long wanted to follow the general Ding Feng to make achievements and win a reward. At this moment, the boats were ready, and everyone's mood was extremely high. The army commanders, hundred-man governors, station generals, and corps commanders of each battalion quickly organized The warships were assigned, and all three thousand soldiers quickly boarded the boats.
"Come on!"
"Go and take the fucking back route!"
"Kill these Wei dogs, his grandma's!"
The three thousand Wu troops who boarded the boat now raised their sails and set sail, with momentum like a rainbow, and swam eastward along Chao Lake like a long blue dragon. At this moment, Ding Feng seemed to have regained the momentum of his youth. Son, he stood proudly on the raft, waving the halberd in his hand, and kept shouting and motivating the soldiers under his command. More than five hundred canoes sailed in with the wind, and a group of people and horses sailed from Chaohu Lake into Ruxushui that night. Upstream!
After a short rest, Wu Jun raised his sails again at about midnight in the early morning. After the sun set the next day, Ding Feng had already arrived to the west of Xutang!
Since Zhuge Dan and Hu Zun were unable to attack for a long time and lost a lot of troops, the 10,000 soldiers stationed outside the floating bridge yesterday evening were transferred to the embankment to assist in the siege. Therefore, Ding Feng's 3,000 soldiers After the Qi army raided Xutang, they were not intercepted by the Wei army.
At this time, most of the Wei army on the embankment had suspended their attack and rested in the camp for the time being.
Ding Feng was not impatient at this moment. He carefully observed the surrounding environment and found that above the dam, the Wei army with the banner of "Wei Zhendong General Zhuge" stationed on the Xiguan side was not only in order, but also the camp was extremely stable, and there was no The noise.
In contrast, the Wei army camp with the banner of 'Wei Zhengdong General Hu' on the Dongguan side was obviously much more chaotic, and from time to time there was the noise of punching and guessing.
At this time, Ding Feng already had an idea in his mind, and he immediately called for several army commanders.
"Did you see that the Wei army in the east is undisciplined? Later we will take advantage of the night to quietly climb up the east embankment to attack Hu Zun's team!"
After hearing Ding Feng's plan, a military commander frowned and confirmed:
"General, have you forgotten Taifu's instructions? Tomorrow is the agreed time for us to attack from both front and rear. What's more, General Lu, General Liu, and General Tang haven't arrived yet, and Taifu's troops have not moved yet. Let's go ahead in advance. Attack, would it be... would it be too risky..."
What the Army Sima said was true, and it was always a taboo for military strategists to attack without following the general's orders. Ding Feng naturally understood this truth. He pondered for a while, weighed the pros and cons again, and then said again:
"What you said makes sense, but the sky is dark tonight, and the Wei army has relaxed its guard again. It is a good time for a surprise attack. This opportunity cannot be missed. If we wait for reinforcements as usual, I am afraid that if the Wei army is on guard tomorrow, we will not be able to do well. Winning by surprise!"
Seeing that Ding Feng had made up his mind, several people nodded and no longer refuted:
"Since you have made up your mind, General, we must fight to the death!"
"Yes, quietly climb up the embankment and kill him!"
Seeing that everyone was unanimous, Ding Feng no longer hesitated. He made a decisive decision and immediately issued an order to climb up the embankment and attack!
Ding Feng took the lead and rushed towards the dam slope first. But when he climbed up, he found that the dam slope was extremely steep and difficult to climb. In addition, the soldiers were wearing dozens of kilograms of weight. The iron armor makes it even more difficult to climb the dam slope!
"General, what should we do? The slope of the dam is steep, and the frost and dew have frozen over it. The slope is so steep and slippery that even the soldiers can't climb it!"
Ding Feng frowned when he saw that he was blocked under the dam slope. After a moment, he seemed to have thought of something and immediately called the soldiers beside him:
"Come on, help me take off my armor quickly!"
After listening to Ding Feng's words, several army commanders suddenly realized that just like that, everyone in the Wu army took off their heavy iron armor and piled all the long weapons that were difficult to carry down the slope.
Without the fetters of heavy armor and long weapons, Wu Jun's skills were obviously much faster. At this moment, the entire army went into battle lightly and quietly climbed up the dam slope.
After Ding Feng and his soldiers climbed to the top of the dam first, they ignored the bone-chilling cold and reconfirmed the situation of Hu Zun's camp. They saw that all the soldiers in the Wei army's tent were drinking wine to keep out the cold. Obviously, they did not expect that the Wu army would attack from the north behind them, so they were unprepared.
Not long after, Ding Feng saw that all three thousand lightly-armed soldiers under his command were on the dam. He no longer hesitated and immediately ordered the drummers to beat the war drums:
"Soldiers, follow me and charge forward, and be granted the title of marquis, today!"
"Kill! Charge!!"
The fighting spirit of the three thousand Wu troops was like a rainbow at the moment. The howling and biting west wind not only did not break their willpower, but made them even more excited!
"what sound?!"
After personally leading his soldiers to attack for a day and a night, the exhausted Hu Zun originally planned to have a good night's rest with his soldiers, but he never imagined that the Wu army would come from the north.
"It seems, it seems to be Wu Jun!"
General Han Zong was the son of Han Dang, the famous general of Soochow, and a rebel general of Soochow. He was still holding a wine bottle in his hand and knew the sound of the golden drums of the Wu army outside the tent.
Upon seeing this, Hu Zun made a decisive decision and immediately issued an order:
"Quickly, call the forward battalion to accompany me to defend against the enemy. General Han and Prefect Huan, you immediately lead the remaining 20,000 people back to the north bank of Xutang to protect the governor!"
Hu Zun understood that if the Wu army were to capture Sima Zhao's camp in the north, even if he had ten heads, he wouldn't be able to chop it off, so he decided to stay on the dam to resist the Wu army's surprise attack, and let Han Zong and Huan Jia, the governor of Le'an, quickly led most of their troops northward to protect Sima Zhao's main camp.
In the darkness, the tens of thousands of Wei troops couldn't see clearly how many people were on the opposite side. The unprepared Wei troops panicked. When they saw most of their companions running north, they actually started to flee!
"Run quickly, Wu Jun is here!"
"Help! It's so cold, so cold!"
Part of the Wei army recovered a certain combat capability under Hu Zun's command, but the overall collapse of the Wei army has become inevitable.
After Zhuge Dan discovered the enemy's situation, he immediately dispatched some soldiers and rushed to the east dam for rescue. However, the Wei army under Hu Zun was in chaos at the moment, and the reinforcement formation was often scattered by his own defeated troops, making it impossible to fight effectively.
Hu Zun encouraged and supported them, and after two hours of melee, the sky finally turned white.
At this moment, shouts of killing came again from the north and the south in the distance. Hu Zun, who was covered in blood, looked into the distance and found in despair that these two troops were not the Wei army he had longed for.
Of course these are the two armies of Zhuge Ke and Lu Zhi!
Hu Zun saw that his officers were too panicked and had reached the point where their command failed. He had no choice but to flee north. The Wei army saw that their commander had also fled. The morale of the army was completely shattered. They scrambled to cross the pontoon bridge. Thousands of people The Wei army was squeezing to cross the bridge, and the pontoon bridge was completely packed for a while. At this moment, the rickety pontoon bridge was full of Wei soldiers who were squeezed and unable to move. However, the soldiers on the south bank who were panicking were still moving crazily. Jam on the bridge!
Hu Zun, who had already crossed the bridge, saw that the pontoon bridge was swaying like a swing and was in danger, and he hurriedly shouted an order:
"Don't crowd, don't go on the bridge. Soldiers on the south bank, don't go on the bridge anymore, stand back, stand back!"
But at this moment, everyone in the Wei army wanted to live, and they were still willing to listen to Hu Zun's orders. Just like that, the shaky pontoon bridge was finally overwhelmed and broke with a 'pop' sound from the overload!
Some of the tens of thousands of Wei troops fell into the biting cold water due to congestion and froze to death, and some were even squeezed, trampled, and crushed to death because they trampled on each other!
As for Han Zong and Huan Jia, who were the first to return north, they have not come to join Hu Zun until now, so they are probably in danger!
Hu Zun, who successfully ran across the pontoon bridge under the protection of his own soldiers, had nothing to do at this moment. He could only watch helplessly as Wei Erlang, who was left on the south bank of Xutang before he could cross the bridge, was brutally massacred by the Wu army. He felt desperate and regretful to the extreme. Hu Zun was so heartbroken that he couldn't help but lie down on the north bank of Xu Tang and burst into tears:
"My sons of Wei, I, Hu Zun, am sorry for you..."
Hu Zun's heart-wrenching cry and roar, the screams of the Wei army on the south bank and the roar of the Wu army, accompanied by the whimpering west wind, just like sorrow and joy, flowed eastward along the Yangtze River into the sea.
————————————————
"Canglang!"
With a crisp sound, a delicate jade bowl, together with the porridge and soup, hit the ordering soldier head-on. The jade bowl fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Sima Zhao, who was serving as the commander of the army for the first time on an expedition, was originally full of endless hopes for this war.
He was having breakfast, but after learning about the horrific defeat at the front, he was instantly overcome with rage:
"Impossible, absolutely impossible! I have a total army of 70,000 people. Zhuge Dan and Hu Zun are well versed in the art of warfare. Han Zong and Huan Jia are known to be extremely brave. How could there be so many casualties! How is it possible! Bastard!"
The messenger who was covered in soup and kneeling on the ground, seeing that Sima Zhao was so angry, lay quietly on the ground, not daring to speak any more, not even daring to raise his head.
At this time, Sima Wang Yi, the Anton general who was accompanying the tent, spoke:
"Grand Governor, the defeat has become a fact, so why are you angry? Zhuge Ke's morale is strong at the moment, and he may take the opportunity to attack Shouchun New City from the north. The general has time to get angry, so it is better to arrange the defense as soon as possible!"
This Wang Yi is the son of Wang Xiu, a famous scholar of this dynasty. In recent years, he himself has become famous because of his talents. Because he is well versed in military strategy, Sima Zhao selected him as the Sima of the Andong Prefecture, specifically in charge of the affairs of the Andong Prefecture. military affairs.
This Wang Yi has always been aloof and unafraid of powerful people, so he dared to persuade Sima Zhao so directly at this moment.
Sima Zhao was still angry at this moment, but was "confronted" by Wang Yi again, and his mood instantly worsened. He held the hilt of the sword at his waist tightly at this moment, and took two steps in the direction of Wang Yi:
"Wang Sima, if the military situation is true, this defeat can be regarded as the worst defeat since the founding of the Wei Dynasty. The number of casualties of our army can only be compared with the defeat of Chibi!"
Wang Yi, who wholeheartedly wanted Sima Zhao to grow up quickly through this great defeat, with glaring eyes at this moment, responded to Sima Zhao's words:
"What the Governor said is true!"
Wang Yi did not notice the murderous intention hidden in Sima Zhao's eyes. After hearing this, Sima Zhao sneered and asked an extremely sensitive question:
"Then Wang Sima thinks, who is responsible for this tragic defeat?!"
Although Wang Yi noticed the displeasure in Sima Zhao's eyes at this moment, he, who wanted to make Sima Zhao take the blame himself and win over the major generals in the southeast, did not hide his true thoughts at this time:
"I am reporting to the Commander-in-Chief. I despise my position and think that the marshal alone is responsible for the defeat in this battle!"
The moment the sharp sword edge was drawn out of Sima Zhao's sheath and then ruthlessly slashed across his neck, Wang Yi's heart was filled with disappointment for Sima Zhao.
"Does Wang Sima want to blame this heinous crime on me alone!? Ah!?"
The furious Sima Zhao's eyes were red and he was breathing heavily. He held the sword stained with blood tightly in his hand. While hysterically questioning Wang Yi loudly and with his head separated, he looked at Wang Yi's body that had been moved and fell to the ground. His head, a trace of regret flashed through his heart in an instant.
In this way, Sima Zhao stared blankly at Wang Yi's face that had lost all color but still had a somewhat aloof look, and pondered for a full quarter of an hour.
The messenger who was kneeling on the ground did not dare to raise his head and was shivering. His legs were numb but he did not dare to move an inch. He was trying his best to control his breathing for fear of being killed by the crazy Sima Zhao.
————————————————
Soon, the two armies of Guanqiu Jian and Wang Chang, who were responsible for restraining the Wu army's upstream reinforcements on the west route, saw that Dongxing had been defeated in the battle, and immediately returned home.
Zhuge Ke, who was named prime minister and Yangzhou shepherd by Sun Liang, the Lord of Wu, for this great feat, decisively led his 40,000-strong Wu army to attack Hefei Xincheng on the border. However, Sima Zhao, who had calmed down, had been prepared. Seeing that he could not go any further, Ke gave it up and returned to Jiangdong with a mountain of trophies and the head of the traitor Han Zong, whom the late Emperor Sun Quan hated to his bones.
This tragic defeat made Master Sima, who wanted to become famous in one battle, very dissatisfied.
The Battle of Luogu launched by Cao Shuang did not result in the loss of many men and horses, and was even ridiculed by the people of the world. How could this defeat, which cost tens of thousands of men, not affect his reputation in the court?
Master Sima was very upset when he learned of the defeat, but he understood that what had happened had happened, and how to deal with the aftermath was the most important thing at this time.
After being summoned, Fu Gu and Zhong Hui soon arrived at Master Sima's residence.
"Lan Shi, I regret that I didn't listen to your advice, which led to this fiasco!"
"Why should the general be discouraged? Even if there are officials and people in the government and the public who are dissatisfied, who dares to say anything now?"
After hearing what Fu Gu said, Master Sima felt much more at ease.
My family raised the butcher's knife and annihilated so many people from the three tribes. Now even if there is any resentment in the court, no one would dare to say it openly.
"Lan Shi, Shi Ji, now, how should I deal with the situation?"
Zhong Hui rolled his eyes and immediately suggested:
"General, if you can take all the responsibilities on yourself this time in front of the civil and military officials of the court, not only will the ministers and generals no longer be dissatisfied with you, but they will become even more devoted to you!"
Master Sima thought carefully about what Zhong Hui said for a while, and thought to himself: If he personally takes over the responsibility, then everyone who participated in the war will indeed be grateful to him.
He had made up his mind and finally nodded:
"Forget it, I will take over all responsibilities at the great court meeting in a while!"
Seeing that the matter had settled, Fu Gu took out a letter from his arms:
"General, this is the confession sent by Zhuge Gongxiu. Please read it!"
When Master Sima heard this, he hurriedly took the document and started reading it. After he finished reading, he shook his head and sighed:
"This time it was me who secretly fine-tuned the plan for the public holiday. It was not his fault!"
After the three people discussed for a while and chatted for a while, Fu Gu and Zhong Hui took their leave.
Not long after, Sima Zhao, who was worried and returned to Luoyang, timidly came to Master Sima's study.
This time he was appointed as the Grand Governor by his eldest brother Sima Shi, originally to make a name for himself in the First World War.
However, he was coordinating Zhuge Dan and Hu Zun from behind, but failed to discover Ding Feng in time, which resulted in the frontline army being surrounded on the embankment and massacred. He indeed could not shirk the responsibility for the defeat in this battle.
After Sima Zhao walked into the study quietly, he held his breath and quietly raised his eyes to look at his elder brother. Master Sima, who was reading, didn't seem to notice anyone entering the room, and was still looking at the "Wei Liao Zi" in his hand. .
In this way, Master Sima punished Sima Zhao with suppressed silence for a while, and then suddenly put down the letter in his hand:
"How dare you come back?!"
Seeing that his elder brother was angry, Sima Zhao panicked and hurriedly ran forward, picked up the teapot and added some hot water to his elder brother's porcelain cup:
"Brother, I know I was wrong, so you can scold me!"
Master Sima's gloomy expression did not ease much. He looked at Sima Zhao coldly and scolded him again:
"I heard that you killed Wang Yi in a rage?!"
"Then Wang Yi wants to put all the responsibility on me alone..."
Before Sima Zhao could finish his words, there was a "snap" sound, and he received a hot slap on the face. Master Sima angrily lectured:
"This time you have been given the title of Commander-in-Chief. Everyone in the government and the public knows that you are the commander-in-chief of this war. You want to escape, but can you escape? Besides, even if Wang Yi offends you, you have to kill him. There are a hundred ways You could let him die quietly, but you lost your mind and killed Wang Yi openly in front of the army formation. You will inherit the great cause of our Sima family in the future. Your reputation is more important than anything else, but why did you do it? Don’t you know how to cherish feathers?!”
Sima Zhao, who learned his elder brother's true thoughts, finally realized his mistake. He lowered his head silently and said no more.
After a while, Master Sima, who had lost a lot of his anger, spoke again:
"At the great court meeting in a few days, you should study hard and think carefully about how to be a qualified leader who is convinced by everyone!"
Seeing his brother's pitiful and dejected appearance, Master Sima suddenly felt a trace of pity in his heart.
After a while, Master Sima patted Sima Zhao on the shoulder again and said warmly:
"Actually, Wang Yi should be killed if he commits a crime. Otherwise, if everyone tries to undermine us like him, things will not be easy to handle. You have done a good job in these years. Brother, I just hope that you can Be more calm and you will be able to inherit the great legacy of our Sima family in the future!"
After listening to his elder brother's words, Sima Zhao, who was originally feeling regretful and frustrated, once again had a bright light in his eyes.
——————————————
"Your Majesty, after this defeat, the people's resentment is very deep. In the opinion of the humble ministers, several generals from the southeast should be severely punished to serve as a warning and to calm the people's resentment!"
In the blink of an eye, the day of the great court meeting came, and Emperor Cao Fang remained expressionless, sitting on the imperial couch blankly like a wood carving and clay sculpture, as if he had not heard the angry words from the ministers under Danqi at all.
Just when the ministers all agreed with the idea of punishing the generals, Master Sima spoke:
"Your Majesty, I believe that the responsibility for this defeat and humiliation of the country does not lie with the commanders in the southeast!"
Master Sima paused for a moment. After seeing the ministers holding their breath and listening to his words, he felt quite satisfied. He continued:
"It was me who didn't listen to Zhuge Gong's suggestion to attack with light troops, which led to this tragic defeat. It's my fault, and all the generals are not guilty!"
After listening to Master Sima's words, the whole court suddenly resounded with noisy flattery of "Sima Gong is lenient and righteous" and "The general is noble and honorable".
At this moment, Emperor Cao Fang looked coldly at the drama that had been arranged in the entire court, just waiting for Master Sima to hypocritically let him issue the edict that had been prepared in advance.
Seeing Master Sima turn his attention to himself, Cao Fang secretly smiled bitterly and recited the words he had memorized last night in front of the ministers:
"What the general said is true. All generals are not guilty. Sima Zhao, the commander-in-chief of this battle, should take responsibility and deprive him of the title of Marquis of Ancheng Township as a warning to others. Guanqiu Jian was proficient in military strategy and ordered him to fight with Zhuge Dan. Change the defense areas, with Zhuge Dan as the general Zhennan and the governor of Yuzhou, and Guanqiu Jian as the general Zhendong and the governor of Yangzhou!"
"Your Majesty is wise and the general is wise!"
Seeing that this matter was over, Master Sima raised a proud smile. He adjusted his crimson nine-chapter robe and showed his color to Fu Gu behind him. Then Fu Gu made a concession. Xia Houxuan, who was speechless during the shift, made a shocking suggestion:
"Therefore, Taifu Wuyang Wenxuan Hou Zhongdagong, who is unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness and has repeatedly performed extraordinary achievements, should be worthy of being admitted to the Taizu Emperor Wu Temple. If he enters his temple, he will be the first among the meritorious officials!"
"I second the proposal!"
"I also second the proposal!"
Listening to the flattering echoes of the court officials and the triumphant look of Sima Master Sima Zhao, Xia Houxuan suddenly felt an uncontrollable nausea in his heart.
The famous ministers enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple include not only his father Xiahou Shang, uncle Cao Zhen and other famous generals, but also veteran generals such as Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren. Sima Yi and Emperor Xiangwu had little trouble in the temple, so his ranking jumped directly to the first place, surpassing the others. Above all the elders, that is no small matter.
Xiahou Xuan originally wanted to argue again for the glory and reputation of Xiahou and the Cao family, but then he thought that the matter was already a certainty. If he was still as impulsive and upright as he was when he was young, he would only add to useless troubles.
Thinking of this, Xia Houxuan took back the steps he had taken.
For a moment, Xia Houxuan suddenly felt that the battle between him and the Sima family over the years seemed to have lost its meaning.
All civil and military officials in the entire dynasty have become followers of the Sima family. Why should I miss this court that is like mud?
Xia Houxuan didn't know that many years later, the Yongjia Rebellion would be caused by the Sima kings competing for the country and foreign invasion. At this moment, he suddenly felt that it didn't matter whether the country's surname was Liu, Cao, or Sima. .
At this moment, he only knew that his wife and children were still waiting for him in Qingzhou, thousands of miles away.
——————————————
Changlinghou Mansion.
Since Sima Yi's death, Xia Houxuan, the head of the family, has devoted himself to writing books and compiling his collection of books.
Although he, the Taichang Qing, is nominally the head of the Nine Qings and has a distinguished status, he is a typical high-ranking official of this dynasty and has no involvement in military and state affairs. Since the last time the Sima Master in the court blatantly promoted Sima Yi to the number one position in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, After taking the position, Xia Houxuan suddenly became much calmer.
future
"Uncle Gu."
"Here you are, Your Majesty."
"I wonder how Huigu, Mingyue and the others have been living in Qingzhou these years..."
"Junhou, if you miss the madam and the young master, go and see them."
Xia Houxuan looked at Qingzhou thousands of miles away in the east.
There was once the place where he and his beloved wife first met.
It was also the place where I once had a cup of tea with an old friend and discussed the world.
He vaguely remembered the beautiful scenery there that made him fall into a hunting hole in a trance, as well as the lush and mysterious mountain forest, where he had seen the most innocent smile.
Xia Houxuan placed the letter he had left for his sworn brother Desert Khan in the hall.
I remember that my eldest brother once said that one day he would come to Luoyang to see me, but now I am going to be far away, and I don’t know when and what month it will be when I see him again.
"Uncle Gu, pack up, we will set off tomorrow."
"Junhou has really made up his mind and wants to leave..."
The old man spoke hoarsely and looked expectantly at the master he had seen since childhood.
"I'm going to write my resignation letter right now."
"Okay, old servant, go prepare your luggage now." Gu Ting said cheerfully.
"Tum, tom, tom!"
At this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door outside the hospital.
After hearing the knock on the door, Xia Houxuan seemed to realize that something might be going on.
Although Sima Yi has passed away and he no longer needs to be imprisoned every day, after all, his relatives and friends have died or left, and he has only a handful of acquaintances in Beijing. He can guess who will come to him at this time. who is it.
"Squeak..."
After the door was opened, an elegant middle-aged Confucian scholar and a middle-aged official who looked quite sleek and sophisticated walked in together and went straight into the atrium.
A wry smile appeared at the corner of Xia Houxuan's mouth. Sure enough, it was the friend with whom he had cherished each other in the temple, and now the Zhongshu Ling, Li Feng and Li Anguo, whom Sima Master valued highly.
Following him were another old friend, Xu Yun and Xu Shizong, who were the 'new nobles of the Sima family'.
"An Guo, it is indeed you."
"Taichu, you have suffered a lot these years, you are fine..."
——————————————
Under the middle pavilion, the three of them sat across from each other, making tea, chatting and reminiscing about old times.
After Li Feng and Zhang Ji received Cao Fang's secret edict, they began to carefully search for like-minded people in the court.
He found Xu Yun, a good friend who used to often get together with him and Xia Houxuan to talk.
During the coup in the 10th year of Zhengshi, although Xu Yun was instructed by Sima Yi to persuade the late general Cao Shuang to enter the city, he, like the late captain Jiang Ji, did not expect that Sima Yi would be so ambitious and cruel.
In principle, he was loyal to Cao after all.
Xu Yun picked up the steaming teacup, took a sip of hot tea, and said to Xiahou Xuan:
"Taichu, now that Sima Zhongda is dead, you have nothing to worry about."
Xia Houxuan smiled bitterly, shook his head and sighed:
"Shizong, you are wrong. Although Sima Yi is dead, how can the two brothers Sima Ziyuan and Sima Zishang tolerate me? Unless one day, I completely leave the Wei temple, maybe I will be truly helpless. Worry."
"From Taichu's tone, could it be that he wants to retire?"
Li Feng immediately put down the tea cup in his hand, and was shocked.
Although he and Zhang Guojiu have received His Majesty's order, everyone's hopes are actually pinned on Xia Houxuan, a great Wei Chunchen who is famous all over the world.
For Cao Fang, Li Feng, and Zhang Jijunchen, having Xia Houxuan was like a lonely ship with a bright light that could point the way in the dark sea.
Just like the saying that once circulated in Beijing: Xiahou Taichu is as bright as the sun and the moon in his arms.
Without the brightness of the sun and moon, how can there be light between heaven and earth?
Only when Xia Houxuan, who has enough charisma, nods and agrees to the plan, can everything be considered hopeful. Otherwise, everything will just be a cake to appease hunger.
But now, Xia Houxuan actually wants to retire. Where will this put Emperor Cao Fang, and where will this put the country of Wei?
When Li Feng thought about this, he was so anxious that his eyes turned red and he almost shed tears.
"Taichu, now His Majesty is humiliated and the Cao family is humiliated. As a minister of the Wei Dynasty, don't you see it? Don't you want to do something?"
Xia Houxuan's long eyebrows couldn't help but tremble slightly.
Has it finally reached this point?
As a minister of the Wei Dynasty and the son of a royal in-law, how could he not care about the survival of the Wei Dynasty?
However, in today's world, aristocratic families are running rampant, and in today's temples, Sima dominates. How can I change it?
If he were alone, he could sacrifice his life for the Wei Dynasty and fight hard, but what would happen to his wife and children far away in Qingzhou?
Over the years, in order to reform the system and for the sake of Wei, I have never had time to accompany them properly. Instead, I have to make them worry about myself. I really owe them too much.
"I'm tired, An Guo."
Xia Houxuan closed his eyes, stood up and turned around, planning to leave. He was afraid that he would accidentally choose this path of no return.
"Taichu!"
Li Feng hurriedly put down the tea cup, stood up and shouted:
"Let me ask you something, do you remember Uncle Cao Zhao and what he wanted in his life?"
Xia Houxuan felt sad when he thought of his former brothers of life and death, and couldn't help crying.
He closed his eyes and said:
"Of course I remember.
When Uncle Zhao was a boy, his biggest wish was to be valued by his father.
Later, he hoped to stay together with the person he liked for a long time, and that person was my sister.
After Yuan Rong died, he hoped to help his eldest brother realize his dream of prospering the Wei Dynasty on his own.
After his eldest brother was defeated, he just hoped to spend the rest of his life with his wife and daughter..."
Li Feng's eyes were red and he continued:
"But all of these were destroyed one by one thanks to the Sima family, right?"
Xia Houxuan burst into tears, turned his back to Li Feng, and said nothing.
"Taichu, even if it's for Uncle Cao Zhao, for the things he has never accomplished in his life, can't you try your best again? Some things, although they may not necessarily succeed, but if you don't do them, one day, won't you? Will you regret it for the rest of your life?"
"If this great country is destroyed like this, how can it be worthy of our fathers who have worked so hard and the millions of great people who have shed their blood for this country?"
There was a deathly silence in the courtyard at the moment.
"Three days later, there will be a ceremony for His Majesty to confer nobles on the throne.
At that time, His Majesty, Master Sima and various important ministers will all come in person, and there will also be guards guarding each palace gate.
At that time, Zhang Ji, the uncle of the state, will lead a part of the imperial army to control the situation; Huangmen supervisor Su Shuo, Yongning department commander Letun, and red servant Liu Xian will also be in the palace to assist us.
As long as we succeed this time, then this country will return to the hands of the Cao family! "
Li Feng and Xu Yun looked at Xia Houxuan expectantly, waiting for his decision.
After Xia Houxuan thought for a long time, his eyes were filled with determination again.
"Since Your Majesty has this edict, I, Xiahou Xuan, will take another risk for the Wei Dynasty. I swear here today: Xiahou Xuansheng is a minister of the Wei Dynasty, and I will be a ghost of the Wei Dynasty even if I die! Regardless of success or failure, I will die without regrets!"
The three of them were full of ambition and arrogance at this moment. They bowed to the ground respectfully, with no fear or regret in their hearts.
At this moment, Xia Houxuan secretly swore in his heart:
If Sima Shi really wants to usurp Cao, even if he dies like a moth, he must strive to stop the pace of the Sima family!
————————————————
"Jun Hou, the luggage has been cleaned up, when will we start tomorrow?"
"Uncle Gu, there is another thing that Xuan'er must do. Let's go tomorrow first, Xuan'er finished this matter, and then come to Qingzhou to find you ..."
"Jun Hou, Gu Ting watched you grow up, no matter where you go, Gu Ting will accompany you ..."
The spring breeze in the courtyard was blowing, and the birds in front of the hall were also crying.
Everything seems to be like Xia Houfu more than thirty years ago.
But everything seems to have already become different in years.
The only thing that has not changed is, maybe it is the original intention.
