Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Chapter 27 Brotherly Love
Sima Mansion, study.

Guanqiu Jian's late-night visit disturbed the quiet night.

The words that Guanqiu Jian asked on behalf of the emperor made Sima Yi, who was the General of the Army and the Recorder of the Secretariat, feel a chill down his spine.

Sitting in the position of a senior official of the country is like walking on a tightrope. If you are not careful, you will fall to pieces.

Sima Yi sat behind the desk. The candlelight shone on Sima Yi's figure, casting a long shadow on the wall behind him.

The eldest son Sima Shi asked, "Father, should we ask my uncle?"

Sima Yi snorted coldly: "It's curfew, how can you ask? By dawn tomorrow, it will be too late for anything!"

The study fell into silence.

The flame jumped from time to time while burning, and the wax tears slowly flowed down, gathering into a full ball on the candlestick, and then dripped onto the table with a plop.

It had been a long time since Sima Shi had seen his father silent and deep in thought. He opened his mouth to say something, but held back, not daring to disturb his father's thoughts.

"Oh..." Sima Yi let out a long sigh.

With Sima Yi's intelligence and cleverness, he had already guessed about 80% of the ins and outs of the matter.

Sima Shi hurriedly asked: "Father, what is the reason for today's incident?"

Sima Yi looked around and said, "Ziyuan, do you know what is the most important thing for an official?"

Sima Shi thought for a while and said: "As an official, one should cultivate virtue and achieve political achievements. These are the two most important things for an official."

Sima Yi shook his head slightly: "Virtue and political achievements are all right, but it is not what a father in such a position should do."

Sima Shi was puzzled: "Father, as an important official of the country, the most important thing should be to balance internal and external affairs and govern the country?"

Sima Yi said: "It is Jian who is in the emperor's heart and is judging the situation!"

Sima Yi stared at the table and said, "My Henei Sima family has been officials for generations. Your great uncle Sima Lang was recruited by Emperor Wu to be a subordinate of the Minister of Works at the age of 22."

"My father entered the government at the age of 22, first as a senior accountant in Henei County, and at the age of 29 he was recruited by Emperor Wu as a literary official."

"During the reign of Emperor Wu, I did my duty and did my best. But my influence was insignificant, and the state affairs at that time had nothing to do with me."

"During the reign of the previous emperor, I had a good personal relationship with him. I first served as a minister in the Secretariat, and later as a recorder of the Secretariat. I was granted the title of marquis, commanded the army, and was given the title of general, and was granted the title of general..."

"In the past twenty years, I have never considered whether Emperor Wu or the previous emperor disliked me."

Sima Yi coughed lightly, and Sima Zhao quickly poured his father a glass of warm water.

After moistening his throat, Sima Yi continued.

"It has been two months since Your Majesty ascended the throne. There has not been a single private conversation between Your Majesty and I. Your Majesty is already in his prime. Does he think that we, the ministers, are blocking His Majesty's path to power?"

Sima Shi was shocked. The 19-year-old Sima Shi boasted that his family was high-ranking and his father was one of the four great ministers. If he entered the government in the future, he could at best be a Sanqi Shilang like Zhong Yu.

But Sima Yi said that the emperor might be tired of the assistant ministers being in power...then what about his own career in office?
Sima Shi asked anxiously, "Father, what does this have to do with my uncle rejecting His Majesty's order today?"

Sima Yi glanced at his anxious son and said slowly, "You don't know, this has something to do with your uncle himself."

"Your uncle Sima Fu is one year younger than your father. He claims to be as intelligent as me and has been comparing himself to me in everything since he was a child."

"In the 24th year of Jian'an, your uncle and I were both appointed as the late emperor's crown prince's junior sons. At that time, when Guan Yu attacked Xiangfan in the north and the military situation was urgent, Emperor Wu selected me as the military commander and accompanied him to Luoyang to plan military affairs."

"I have the same position as your uncle. Your uncle also wanted to follow Emperor Wu to the south to make merit, but he was not selected and could only stay in Yecheng." Sima Shi asked, "Father, is your uncle jealous of you?"

Sima Yi chuckled: "If we only talk about this time, it can't be considered jealousy."

"Later, Emperor Wu died in Luoyang. The late emperor was the crown prince of Wei at the time and was panicked and wailing in Yecheng. It was your uncle who stood up and, together with Chen Jiao, asked all the officials of Wei to worship the late emperor as the king of Wei."

"After achieving this great feat, your uncle and Chen Jiao were proud of it and considered themselves as national heroes. But after Emperor Wen became emperor, even though Chen Jiao became the Minister of Chancellery and your uncle was the Minister of Chancellery, they were always ranked below me and Chen Qun."

Sima Shi was stunned. This was the first time he heard the secrets between his father and his generation. Sima Shi said, "What does this have to do with your uncle rejecting the emperor's order?"

Sima Yi snorted coldly: "What does it matter? He wanted to seek a high position but couldn't, so he resorted to some crooked ways, hoping to get promoted by seeking fame."

"When he was in Yecheng, whenever Cui Yan and Yang Jun evaluated people, your uncle would go. Yang Jun praised him by saying 'Among the eight Sima, Shu Da is the best', and he would praise Yang Jun's ability in every way."

"After the rebellion of Wei Feng in Yecheng, Yang Jun was demoted and many people were killed. It was the late emperor who removed your uncle's name from the file for my sake."

"From now on, with the support of the late emperor's 'favor', your uncle will definitely not let go of anything that can make you famous."

"He must have thought that the monarch was young and would be willing to accept advice. Moreover..."

Sima Yi said this and slammed the table heavily with his right hand.

"What's more, he has a brother like me who is in charge of the Shangshu affairs! I will take care of everything for him!"

"Cough, cough, cough..." Sima Yi started coughing again.

Sima Shi hurried forward and patted his father on the back.

Sima Shi said: "Father, please don't be angry. Don't do anything that will hurt your body."

Sima Yi nodded: "Yes, preserving your health is the most important thing. If you die at the age of 40 like the previous emperor, what great things can you accomplish?"

Sima Shi asked tentatively: "So let's just leave it at that?"

Sima Yi said: "How is that possible! Given the character of the current emperor, he might even ask your uncle in person, or even go to the Secretariat in person."

Sima Shi said: "Father, maybe you can help mediate so that His Majesty doesn't get angry about this."

Sima Yi sneered, "How can I not be angry? They even sent people to my house to ask about it! It has nothing to do with Cao Xiu and Cao Zhen. If it involves the subordinates of the Secretariat, Chen Qun will definitely help to mediate."

Sima Shi asked, "What about the Shangshu Ling Chen Jiao?"

Sima Yi narrowed his eyes and said, "Chen Jiao... maybe Sima Fu did this because Chen Jiao was behind it."

"It's a pity that this time, His Majesty has issued a large number of appointments. After breaking this precedent, the personnel of internal and external officials may not be controlled by the Shangshutai."

When Sima Shi heard this, he knew that his uncle would be safe, and he felt much more relieved. As for the internal and external official positions, Sima Shi had not yet taken office, so it had nothing to do with him.

However, Sima Shi thought about Guanqiu Jian, who had just asked questions on behalf of the emperor, and couldn't help but ask his father a few more questions.

Sima Shi said: "Father, I just saw Guanqiu Jian, who was already a 2,000-stone official at the age of 25. He has a natural demeanor and a good appearance. He is indeed a talented person."

"Talent?" Sima Yi glanced at his son and said, "Is it a blessing for scholars like us that a minister close to the emperor suddenly gets such a high position?"

There is one more chapter before twelve o'clock

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(End of this chapter)