Chapter 1198 The lesser of two evils
“My lord, Sima Zhao, pay homage to your majesty. Long live your majesty, long live, long live!”
Sima Zhao walked forward with his head lowered and his hands folded. He came to the palace, prostrated on the ground, and kowtowed once every time he shouted "Long live."
The words and deeds during the pilgrimage are meticulous and extremely standard, and the demeanor and tone are extremely respectful, making it impossible to find a single fault.
Cao Fang looked happy when she saw Sima Zhao's appearance and was about to speak. Fortunately, she glanced at Cao Shuang subconsciously before speaking.
But I saw Cao Shuang staring at Sima Zhao with a gloomy expression.
Cao Fang, who had already spoken half a word, quickly stopped speaking, put down her outstretched hand, and stopped speaking.
The hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Sima Zhao, who rested his hands on the ground and pressed his forehead against the back of his hands, did not hear the emperor's call and did not dare to make any movement.
Of course, no one can see the look on his face at this time.
This time, Man Chong stood up again:
“General?”
"snort!"
Cao Shuang snorted, flicked his sleeves, turned his head away, and said nothing.
Seeing Cao Shuang's move, Cao Fang shrank back and didn't dare to speak out.
He is ten years old. Although he is not very old, he has already understood a lot of things by staying in a place like the palace.
Especially the Empress Dowager Yu, who was supposed to be Cao Fang's biggest supporter in the palace, was forced to move to a different palace by Cao Shuang. Mother and son could not see each other several times throughout the year.
Made Cao Fang become even more cautious.
So seeing the appearance of the general, Cao Fang naturally did not dare to make any decisions.
The scene in front of them made many veterans feel angry:
Cao Shuang is such a bastard!
Man Chong tilted his head slightly and glanced at Tingwei Gaorou.
Gao Rou understood and stood up:
"Your Majesty, now that we are facing a powerful enemy, we must retreat from the thieves. Now that Taifu has sent envoys here, it is a good opportunity to work together to defeat the thieves!"
The words were spoken to the emperor, but his eyes were looked 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 all the old ministers saw this, they were secretly angry.
It's just that in addition to his status as an auxiliary minister, Cao Shuang also has another level of relationship, that is, clan kinship.
The relationship between him and the emperor was not only a matter between the monarch and his ministers, but also an internal family matter within the Cao family.
As a minister with a foreign surname, no matter how much you dislike it, you will still have a layer of worry and dare not interfere easily.
After all, we are not close to each other!
Sima Zhao, who had been lying on the ground, breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the emperor's words and stood up quickly.
“General Sima Zhonglang, you said you came here to discuss how to defeat thieves?”
Cao Shuang sat there and asked condescendingly.
“Back to the general, that’s right.”
Sima Zhao replied respectfully.
"Oh?" Cao Shuang said in a long voice, "But I don't know what the master's plan is?"
Seeing how he was still putting on airs, many old ministers secretly cursed:
This arrogance is simply ignorant!
“Returning to the general, the thieves in Shangdang and Hedong are rampant. The Taifu wants to personally lead the army and cross the river to the north to defend against the enemy.”
“Therefore, Taifu asked Zhao to come and report to Your Majesty that the enemy in the north will be blocked by Taifu so that Your Majesty does not have to worry.”
Hearing this, Cao Shuang looked at Sima Zhao, his expression calmed, and he straightened his body:
"What did you say? Did you mean that the Tutor wants to lead the army across the river and go north?"
“Back 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, everyone in the court, except for a few people such as Man Chong Gaorou who had learned the news in advance, the remaining ministers were in a commotion.
Those who think faster can guess Sima Yi’s intention at once.
So some people couldn’t help but sigh in their hearts:
Taitufu...this is taking the overall situation into consideration!
In his last few years, Cao Rui suffered a lot of blows and became increasingly suspicious, so he sent more guards to block the palace.
They also set up female officials in the harem, acting as female ministers, so that they can report affairs to foreign ministers, thereby reducing contact with foreign ministers.
Cao Rui's move, apart from his love for women, may not mean that he was beaten into self-isolation.
After arriving in Xuchang, Queen Mao was sentenced to death for asking about Cao Rui's condition.
Together with the palace servants who served around him that day, they were also executed.
Under such a high-pressure blockade of news, the fact that Cao Rui once cursed Sima Yi in private was only spread within a small area.
In addition, before Cao Rui died, he left a will to make Sima Yi his assistant minister - this was Cao Rui's last desperate attempt to protect Wei from being divided.
It was this edict that was very confusing to the ministers in the court.
Perhaps someone in the court has realized that there is something hidden.
But under the pressure of foreign enemies, no one dared to raise this issue clearly—even Cao Shuang never publicly said that Sima Yi had a desire to be independent.
It just so happens that what Cao Shuang has done in recent years has gradually lost people's support.
In contrast, some people now think that Sima Yi is thinking about the overall situation, which is normal.
Compared with the bad one, normal people will naturally prefer the less bad one subconsciously.
While everyone was confused, Cao Shuang still asked again and again in disbelief:
“Is this true?”
As soon as this question was asked, someone frowned again.
The General's words really seem to be too narrow-minded, or in other words, not magnanimous enough.
Even if you don’t believe it, you shouldn’t ask directly.
Because this is considered to be a public suspicion that the Taifu deceived the Emperor in the court.
Besides, if the Taifu leads the army north to fight against the bandits, as long as he sends someone to Luoyang to inquire about it, he can know about it.
Wouldn’t it be beneath the general’s dignity to ask such a question at such a time?
After Cao Shuang asked this question, he realized that he seemed to be too reckless.
However, before he could open his mouth to make amends, Sima Zhao had already said loudly:
“How dare Zhao lie about such a big matter in front of His Majesty?”
As soon as Sima Zhao finished speaking, his servant Wang Guan couldn't help but stood up and said:
“The great general and the great general guarded the two capitals separately. The great general guarded the Western bandits in the north, and the great general acted against the Wu bandits in the south. Therefore, the late emperor asked the great general and the great general to assist His Majesty.”
"Now that the bandits have invaded Jingzhou, the war is urgent. The general must focus on getting rid of the bandits at this time. Regarding the matter in Jingzhou, the general must make an early decision."
Wang Guan was lonely and poor since he was a child, but he was ambitious. Later, he was called by Cao Cao to serve as the prime minister's literary director.
Throughout the four dynasties of Cao and Wei, he held many positions.
At the time of Cao Rui, he was recommended by Sima Yi and served as Zhonglang. He was later promoted to Shangshu, Henan Yin, and then Shaofu.
After Cao Rui's death, the general assisting the government, Cao Shuang, took full power and lived a luxurious life. He repeatedly misappropriated money and materials from the palace and treasury for his own use.
The Shaofu was originally in charge of the income and expenditure of the imperial family. When Wang Guan learned about what Cao Shuang had done, he specially created a register and sealed up the royal property.
In order to facilitate himself to continue to occupy the royal family's property, Cao Shuang transferred Wang Guan to the position of imperial servant.
Man Chong, Gao Rou, and Wang Guan, although they were all deprived of real power by Cao Shuang, they were all veterans of the four dynasties and had great reputations.
With a large army of thieves approaching, and in front of everyone in the court, Cao Shuang naturally couldn't easily refute the reputation of the three of them.
His eyes swept over the faces of Man Chong, Gao Rou, Wang Guan and others. Finally, he succumbed to the situation and gritted his teeth and said:
"What Wang Taipu said is indeed reasonable, but I was negligent."
…
After the dynasty was dismissed, Sima Zhao left the palace. A servant came over and saluted him:
“Master Sima, please come this way.”
Sima Zhao looked over and found Man Chong sitting in a carriage. He lifted the curtain and looked towards him.
Sima Zhao quickly saluted Man Chong from a distance to express his gratitude, and then followed his servants.
After getting into the car, Sima Zhao thanked him again:
“Thank you, Duke Man.”
Man Chong waved his hand: "I'm just doing it for the great Wei Jiangshan'er."
He lowered the curtain and Man Chong's body swayed slightly with the carriage, and he could only hear him sighing softly:
"In the third year of Chuping, Emperor Wu came to Yanzhou and specially recruited this old man to work. It has been fifty years now."
“During these fifty years, I followed Emperor Wu in his campaigns in the north and south, and watched with my own eyes as Emperor Wu pacified the north and founded the country as king.”
“I also watched Emperor Wen accept the abdication of the Han Emperor and ascend the throne as emperor, and I also know that thieves were rampant during the late emperor’s time.”
“I have been a minister of Wei for most of my life, and I have devoted countless efforts to Wei.”
Man Chong said, his tone became a little sharp:
"If Cao Zhaobo can hold on to this power, I won't say anything. But if he can't, then let someone else do it."
Sima Zhao bowed his head respectfully and listened.
Man Chong’s voice continued to sound in the carriage:
"The great empire of the Wei Dynasty, even though my surname is Cao, I still have merit."
“Not only the old man, but also the Taifu, Gao Tingwei, Wang Taipu and other senior ministers of mine have all contributed. Only Cao Zhaobo (that is, Cao Shuang) is sitting back and enjoying the achievements.”
“I’m already this old, and I probably don’t have much time left to live. In these last days, I just want to prove one thing.”
"That means that my hard work for most of my life has not been in vain. Otherwise, I will never die in peace!"
Man Chong said so much in one breath, he seemed a little tired, so he closed his eyes to rest his mind.
Feeling that Man Chong had finished speaking, Sima Zhao raised his head, glanced at Man Chong, and then said cautiously:
“What Duke Manchu said is absolutely true, and your Excellency also means the same thing. As the saying goes, brothers are jealous of each other within the wall, and they should be protected from their aggression outside.”
“No matter what the general thinks of you, when facing foreign enemies, you must try your best to protect the country that we have conquered together.”
Sima Zhao has traveled frequently between Xuchang and Luoyang over the years, and is well aware of the psychology of these veterans.
Some of them don’t want their life’s hard work to be wasted.
Some people want to protect their own glory and wealth that are maintained in the mountains and rivers of Wei.
Some are thinking about their own future generations...
There are various reasons for different reasons.
But the ultimate goal is to maintain the country they have conquered with their own hands.
The actions of Cao Shuang and the Three Dogs of Taichung are obviously damaging the foundation of the country, and are naturally not liked by the old ministers.
Man Chong heard Sima Zhao’s words and nodded:
“The Taifu and I are both veterans of the Wei Dynasty, so we naturally understand how difficult it was for Emperor Wu to conquer the country.”
“Well, it’s sad that the general was born into wealth and has not experienced the difficulties of starting a business. He doesn’t know how to cherish it.”
Sima Zhaogong claimed so.
Honestly and caringly, he asked:
“If Taifu leads his troops to cross the river and go north, wouldn’t Luoyang be empty? The thieves are coming out of Tongguan. What should we do?”
Sima Zhao replied:
“Don’t worry, Lord Manchu. Your Excellency once said that among the generals who are robbing the West, the Feng thieves will cause the greatest harm.”
"Now that Feng is in Wuguan, he has transferred some of the defenders from Tongguan, so Luoyang has no worries for the time being."
Man Chong asked:
“What should we do if Thief Feng leads his army to turn back?”
Sima Zhao smiled and said:
“This is why Zhao came to Xuchang.”
Man Chong understood, nodded with a smile, and asked again:
“Can Taifu be sure to defeat the thief this time?”
Sima Zhao shook his head:
“The affairs in the army have always been in the hands of my lord and my elder brothers, and they are unknown. Besides, who dares to say that they are completely sure of the battle in front of the battle?”
Man Chong patted his knees, nodded and said:
“That’s right, no one can say for sure what happens before the battle.”
As he spoke, he looked at Sima Zhao again and said with some meaning:
“Over the years, the Wei Dynasty has been repeatedly defeated by the Western thieves. Everyone in the government and the public is afraid of the name of the thieves.”
“If Taifu can defeat the Western bandits this time, it will boost the morale of the Wei officers and soldiers, and Taifu’s reputation will become stronger and stronger.”
Sima Zhao modestly said:
“In accordance with Duke Man’s auspicious words, my Lord, this time is actually to dampen the spirit of the Western thieves, so that the thieves do not dare to be so rampant.”
“As for reputation and so on…”
When he said this, he glanced at Man Chong and knew that he could not tell lies in front of the other party, so he changed his words and said, "It's just to protect myself."
Man Chong sighed slightly when he heard this:
“The general has been loyal to the Party in recent years and has repeatedly changed the system. Many upright and outspoken people have either been forced to leave the court or have been transferred to empty posts.”
“It is reasonable for the Tutor to be worried and want to protect himself.”
Not to mention waiting for these old ministers, Lu Yu, the great scholar Lu Zhi, and Fu Gu, the successor of the Fu clan in the north, were all squeezed out.
Hearing Man Chong’s words, Sima Zhao secretly breathed a sigh of relief:
“It’s good if the lieutenant can understand you, it’s good if you can understand me!”
Man Chong has a complicated look on his face:
“Given the current situation in the Wei Dynasty, how can we not understand the Taifu?”
Man Chong does not mean that he has never thought about what Sima Yi might do in the future.
But so what?
The same thing is said, they just want to keep their share of the country.
Besides, Sima Taifu has worked with him and others for many years, and they are both veterans of the four dynasties.
Even if you have other plans, it would be much better than Cao Shuang and the Taichung Three Dogs, right?
As the saying goes, choose the lesser of two evils. If Sima Taifu were in charge, at least veterans like myself would not be ridden by those flashy people like they are now.
The government will not be in a mess like it is now, with these people making a mess and losing people's hearts.
While Sima Zhao and Man Chong were talking, Cao Shuang came out of the palace and entered the general's mansion in high spirits.
Taichung Three Dogs, followed closely behind.
"General, what Sima Yi did is to show off his power in front of the general. He is really forcing him too much. We might as well find an excuse to arrest that Sima Zhao and use him as a hostage."
"No! As everyone in the court said, two thieves are attacking at the same time. When we work together to stop the thieves, we must not create extraneous problems."
"It makes sense. If Sima Yi is angered and leads Luoyang's army southward, and there are Feng Yong and Lu Xun in the southwest, what should Xuchang do?"
Cao Shuang was fat and could not stand for a long time. After sitting down, he said bitterly:
"What I care about is whether Sima Yi's move is true or false? What if he leads the army and returns to Luoyang halfway, but the Xuchang Imperial Army has been transferred to Nanyang? What should we do?"
(End of this chapter)