Farmers of Shu Han

Chapter 1198 The lesser of two evils

"My minister, Sima Zhao, meet your majesty, long live your majesty, long live, long live!"

Sima Zhao, who lowered his head and folded his hands in small steps, came to the hall, prostrated himself on the ground, and kowtowed every time he shouted "Long live".

The words and deeds of the worshippers are meticulous, extremely standard, and the demeanor and tone are extremely respectful, so that people can't pick out a single fault.

Cao Fang saw Sima Zhao's appearance with a happy expression on her face. She was about to speak, but fortunately, before speaking, she subconsciously glanced at Cao Shuang.

But seeing Cao Shuang staring at Sima Zhao, his face was gloomy.

Cao Fang, who had already said half a word, hurriedly shut her mouth, put down her outstretched hand, and closed her voice.

The hall was so silent that it seemed that even a needle was dropped.

With his hands on the ground and his forehead pressed against the back of his hands, Sima Zhao didn't hear the Son of Heaven aroused, so he didn't dare to make any movement.

Of course, no one could see the look on his face at this time.

This time, Man Chong stood up again:

"General?"

"Humph!"

Cao Shuang snorted, flicked his sleeves, turned his head, and said nothing.

Seeing Cao Shuang's move, Cao Fang shrank and did not dare to make a sound.

He is ten years old, although he is not very old, but staying in a place like the palace, he has already understood a lot of things.

In particular, the Empress Dowager Yu, who was supposed to be Cao Fang's biggest support in the palace, was forcibly moved to another palace by Cao Shuang, and the mother and son did not see each other several times a year.

It made Cao Fang become more cautious.

Therefore, seeing the appearance of the general, Cao Fang naturally did not dare to make an assertion.

The scene in front of them made many old ministers feel enraged:
Cao Shuang, this guy!

Man Chong tilted his head slightly and glanced at Tingwei Gao Rou.

Gao Rou understood and stood up:
"Your Majesty, now that the enemy is facing the enemy, the priority should be to repel the thieves. Today's Taifu is sending an envoy, which is a good opportunity to join forces to break the thieves!"

The words were addressed to the emperor, but his eyes were looking at the general.

Thinking of the war in Jingzhou, Cao Shuang reluctantly raised his chin and gestured to Cao Fang.

Seeing this, Cao Fang quickly stretched out his hand again and shouted, "Get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

When the old officials saw this, they were secretly angry again.

It's just that Cao Shuang has another level of relationship in addition to the status of the auxiliary minister, that is, the clan.

Between him and the Son of Heaven, it is not only a matter of the monarch and ministers, but also a family matter within the Cao clan.

As an official with a foreign surname, no matter how unaccustomed you are, you will eventually have a layer of concern and dare not intervene easily.

After all, they are inseparable!

And Sima Zhao, who had been lying on the ground all the time, heard the Son of Heaven speak, he was relieved, and quickly got up.

"General Sima Zhonglang, you said that you came to discuss the thief?"

Cao Shuang sat there and asked condescendingly.

"Return to the General, that's right."

Sima Zhao replied respectfully.

"Oh?" Cao Shuang stretched his voice, "but I don't know what Taifu's plan is?"

Seeing that he is still holding an air, many old ministers are secretly cursing:

This stubby is simply incomprehensible!

"Returning to the Great General, the thieves from Shangdang and Hedong are rampant, and the Taifu wants to lead the army personally and cross the river to defend against the enemy."

"Therefore, Taifu asked Zhao to report to His Majesty. The enemy in the north, Taifu will try his best to block them, so that His Majesty does not need to worry."

Hearing this, Cao Shuang looked straight at Sima Zhao, his expression softened, and he straightened his body at the same time:
"What did you say? You mean, Taifu wants to lead the army across the river?"

"Return to the General, that's right."

Hearing Sima Zhao's affirmative answer, Cao Shuang's heart moved:
Doesn't that mean that Xuchang no longer has to worry about the army in Luoyang?

Not to mention Cao Shuang, it was everyone in the court hall, except for Man Chong Gao Rou, who knew the news in advance, and a few others, the rest of the ministers were all in a commotion.

Those with a quicker mind immediately guessed Sima Yi's intentions.

So some people can't help but sigh in their hearts:
Taifu... This is taking care of the overall situation!
In the last few years, Cao Rui suffered a lot of blows, and his suspicions increased, and he sent more imperial guards to block the palace.

They also set up women's officials in the harem, thinking that women were ministers, so that they could play affairs outside the province, so as to reduce the contact with foreign ministers.

Cao Rui's move, in addition to liking women's sex, may not mean that he has been beaten to self-enclosed.

After arriving in Xuchang, Empress Mao was given death for inquiring about Cao Rui's condition.

Together with the palace servants who served the surrounding that day, they were all executed.

In the case of this high-pressure blockade of news, Cao Rui once scolded Sima Yi in private, but only spread it in a small area.

In addition, before Cao Rui died, he also left a will to make Sima Yi the auxiliary minister - this was Cao Rui's last helpless attempt to protect Wei from being divided.

And it was this edict that was very confusing to all the ministers in the DPRK.

Maybe someone in the court has realized that there is a secret.

But in the case of strong pressure from foreign enemies, no one dared to bring this issue to the fore - even Cao Shuang has never publicly stated that Sima Yi has the will of self-reliance.

But what Cao Shuang has done in the past few years has gradually lost people's hearts.

In contrast, now some people think that Sima Yi is thinking about the overall situation, but it is normal.

Better than bad, normal people naturally tend to prefer the less bad one subconsciously.

When everyone's thoughts were confused, Cao Shuang asked again and again in disbelief:
"Is this true?"

As soon as the question was asked, someone frowned.

The general's words really seem too narrow-minded, or in other words, the bearing is not enough.

Even if you don't believe it, you shouldn't ask directly.

Because this is already a public suspicion that Taifu deceived the emperor in the court.

Besides, the big matter of Taifu leading the army north to fight against thieves, as long as you send someone to Luoyang to inquire a little, you can know.

Wouldn't it be a disgrace for the general to ask such a question at such a time?
After Cao Shuang asked this sentence, he also realized that he seemed too reckless.

But before he could speak to remedy, Sima Zhao said loudly:

"How dare Zhao dare to lie in front of His Majesty on such a big event?"

As soon as Sima Zhao finished speaking, Tai servant Wang Guan couldn't help but stand up and say:

"The Great General and the Great General guard the two capitals separately, the Great General guards the north against the thieves in the West, and the Great General South is the Wu Kou. That's why the first emperor asked the Great General and the Great General to assist His Majesty."

"Now that the thieves have invaded Jingzhou, and the war is urgent, the general should focus on retreating the thieves at this time. Regarding the matter of Jingzhou, the general should make an early decision."

Wang Guan was orphaned and poor at a young age, but he was ambitious, and was later summoned by Cao Cao to be the prime minister of literature.

During the four dynasties of Cao and Wei, he held many positions successively.

In the era of Cao Rui, he was recommended by Sima Yi to serve as a middle-man, later promoted to Shangshu, and then appointed as Henan Yin, and transferred to Shaofu.

After Cao Rui's death, Cao Shuang, the general of the auxiliary government, had the dictatorship and lived a luxurious life.

The Shaofu was originally in charge of the income and expenditure of the imperial family. Wang Guan, knowing what Cao Shuang had done, specially made a book and sealed up the royal family's property.

In order to facilitate his continued occupation of the royal family's property, Cao Shuang transferred Wang Guan as a servant.

Therefore, Wang Guan has long been unaccustomed to what Cao Shuang has done for a long time. Now that Cao Shuang is so indistinguishable, how can he tolerate it?
Man Chong, Gao Rou, and Wang Guan, although Cao Shuang took over their real power, they are all veterans of the four dynasties and have a great reputation.

The army of thieves was crushing the border, and in front of everyone in the court, Cao Shuang naturally couldn't easily refute the face of the three.

His gaze swept across the faces of Man Chong Gao Rou Wang Guan and the others, and finally succumbed to the situation, gritted his teeth and said:

"What Wang Taifu said really makes sense, but I was negligent."

……

After the dynasty was dispersed, Sima Zhao left the palace, and a servant came over and gave him a salute:
"Master Sima, please come here."

Sima Zhao looked over and found that Man Chong was sitting on a carriage. He lifted the curtain and looked towards him.

Sima Zhao hurriedly bowed to Man Chong from a distance to show his gratitude, and then followed his servants.

After getting into the car, Sima Zhao thanked again:
"Thank you, Lord Man."

Man Chong waved his hand: "This old man is just for the sake of Wei Jiangshan's ears."

Putting down the curtain, Man Chong's body swayed gently with the carriage, only to hear him sigh softly:

"In the third year of Chuping, Emperor Wu came to Yanzhou and specially recruited the old man to work for him. It has been 50 years since then."

"During the past 50 years, I followed Emperor Wu to conquer the north and south, and watched with his own eyes that Emperor Wu pacified the north and established the country as king."

"I also watched Emperor Wen accept the concession of Emperor Han and ascended the throne as emperor. I also knew that when the previous emperor was around, thieves were rampant."

"The old man has been a Wei Chen for most of his life, and he has also devoted countless efforts to Da Wei."

Man Chong said, his tone became a little sharp:
"If Cao Zhaobo can keep this country, the old man will not say anything. But if he can't keep it, then another experienced person will guard it."

Sima Zhao respectfully bowed his head and listened.

Man Chong's voice continued to sound in the carriage:
"Although the surname is Cao in the great country of the Wei Dynasty, the old man also has credit."

"Not only the old man, but also my old ministers such as Taifu, Gao Tingwei, Wang Taipu, etc., all deserve credit. Only Cao Zhaobo (that is, Cao Shuang), is sitting and enjoying his achievements."

"The old man is this age, and he probably doesn't have much time to live. In these last days, the old man just wants to prove one thing."

"That is the hard work of the old man for most of his life, and it was not in vain, otherwise, the old man will die!"

After talking so much in one breath, Man Chong seemed to be a little tired and closed his eyes to rest in peace.

Feeling that Man Chong finished speaking, Sima Zhao raised his head, glanced at Man Chong, and said cautiously:
"Manchu's words are very true, and the adults also mean the same thing. It is the so-called brother who is in the wall, and the outside is against his insults."

"No matter what the general thinks of your lord, when facing foreign enemies, you must do your best to protect the country that you have conquered together."

Over the years, Sima Zhao has traveled between Xuchang and Luoyang a lot, and he is well aware of the psychology of these old officials.

Some of them don't want their hard work in this life to be wasted.

Some want to protect their prosperity and wealth on the Great Wei River.

Some are thinking about their children and grandchildren...

There are many different reasons.

But the ultimate goal is to maintain the country they beat down with their own hands.

The actions of Cao Shuang and the Taichung Three Dogs are obviously damaging the foundation of the country, and naturally they are not favored by the old ministers.

When Man Chong heard Sima Zhao's words, he nodded:

"Taifu and I are all veterans of the Great Wei Dynasty. Naturally, we understand that it was not easy for Emperor Wu to conquer the country back then."

"Hey, General Naihe, born in wealth and wealth, without the difficulties of starting a business, I don't know how to cherish it. It's really sad."

Sima Zhaogong claimed it was.

Man Chong asked with concern:

"This time Taifu is leading the troops to cross up the river. Isn't Luoyang empty, and the thieves came out of Tongguan, what should I do?"

Sima Zhao replied:
"Don't worry about Duke Manchu. Your Excellency once said that the thieves of the West are the thieves Feng who are the worst offenders."

"Now that Feng Thief is in Wuguan, and some of the defenders of Tongguan have been transferred away, Luoyang is not worried for the time being."

Man Chong asked:

"What if Feng Thief leads the army to turn around?"

Sima Zhao smiled and said:
"That's why Zhao came to Xuchang."

Man Chong understood, nodded with a smile, and then asked:
"Master, can you be sure to break the thief this time?"

Sima Zhao shook his head:
"The affairs of the army have always been in the hands of the adults and the elder brothers, and it is not known. Besides, who would dare to say that they are completely sure about the battles before the battle?"

Man Chong patted his knees and nodded:
"That's right, no one can tell what happened before the battle."

After speaking, he looked at Sima Zhao again and said meaningfully:

"Over the years, the Great Wei has repeatedly been defeated by the Western thieves, and the court has gone up and down. Hearing the name of the thief, he is not afraid."

"If this time Taifu can defeat the Western thieves, then it will boost the morale of the Wei generals, and the Taifu's prestige will also grow stronger."

Sima Zhao said modestly:

"Chengman Gongjiyan, this time, my lord, it is actually to dampen the spirit of the Western thieves, so that the thieves will not dare to be so rampant."

"As for reputation or something..."

When he said this, he glanced at Man Chong, knowing that he couldn't tell lies in front of the other party, so he changed his words, "It's just for self-protection."

When Man Chong heard this, he sighed slightly:

"Over the years, the general has established a pro-Party relationship and has repeatedly changed the system. Many honest and outspoken people have either been forced to leave the court, or have been transferred to empty positions."

"Taifu is worried and wants to protect himself, which is also reasonable."

Not to mention that he was waiting for these old ministers, even Lu Yu after the great Confucian scholar Lu Zhi, and Fu Yu after the Fu family in the northern land were all excluded.

Hearing Man Chong's words, Sima Zhao breathed a sigh of relief:

"It's good that the captain can understand the adults, and it's good that he can understand!"

The full pet looks complicated:

"With the current situation of Dawei, how can we not understand Taifu?"

It's not that Man Chong didn't think about what Sima Yi might do in the future.

But so what?
Again, they just want to keep this share.

Besides, Sima Taifu has worked with him and others for many years, and they are also veterans of the four dynasties.

Even if there is another plan, it is much better than Cao Shuang and Taichung Three Dogs, right?

As the saying goes, the lesser of two evils, if Mrs. Sima is in power, at least the old officials themselves will not be ridden by those flashy people like they are now.

The government will not be as messed up by these people as it is now, and people will lose their hearts.

While Sima Zhao and Man Chong were talking, Cao Shuang, who came out of the palace, entered the General's Mansion in a righteous manner.

Taichung Three Dogs, followed closely behind.

"General, Sima Yi's move is to show his prestige in front of the general. It's too compelling. We might as well find an excuse to arrest that Sima Zhao as a hostage."

"No! Just as everyone in the court said, at this time, the two thieves are committing crimes together. When they are working together to stop the thieves, they must not be extravagant."

"It makes sense. If Sima Yi is annoyed and leads the army of Luoyang to the south, and there are Feng Yong and Lu Xun in the southwest, what should Xuchang do?"

Cao Shuang was fat and could not stand for long. After sitting down, he said bitterly:
"What I care about, is Sima Yi's move true or false? What if he leads the army and returns to Luoyang, but the Xuchang forbidden army has been transferred to Nanyang, what should we do?"

(End of this chapter)