Chapter 1234 Sima Yi and Lu Xun
Since Cao Rui's death, Sima Yi first occupied Henan, then joined forces with Jiang Ji, and then occupied Hanoi.
It can be said that it suddenly occupied the best place in the Central Plains.
Although he still calls himself Wei Chen, he can actually be regarded as supporting the army and respecting himself.
Especially when facing Cao Shuang, who represents the emperor of Wei, "listening to the tune but not the announcement" is not enough to explain Sima Yi's attitude.
It can be said that he neither listens to the tune nor the propaganda.
It’s just this kind of thing, no matter what the reason is, no matter how good the superficial appearance is, it will not be true.
So if you want to consolidate your position, you must have a sufficient degree of internal control.
As a senior figure in the Wei state, Sima Yi naturally understood this deeply.
Therefore, the generals who are still in the army and are qualified to discuss matters in the commander's tent are all Sima Yi's supporters.
Sima Yi decided on the strategy of abandoning Jinyang and marching eastward to Jizhou. Except for some people who were worried about whether Shangdang would fall, there was no objection from others.
After the generals went down to prepare, Sima Yi ordered again:
“Send Dr. Ma over.”
Ma Jun quickly followed the order:
“Master, are you looking for me?”
"That stone cannon..." Sima Yi paused, and then continued to ask: "How is the construction going?"
When mentioning this, Ma Jun's face showed excitement:
“Master, please don’t worry. I’ve been trial-producing it many times in Luoyang, so I’ve known it for a long time. I’m sure I won’t miss the master’s big event now.”
Hearing this, Sima Yi had a look of unwillingness and regret on his face:
"My big deal...Oh! Dr. Ma, let's postpone the construction of this stone cannon. Go back now and destroy all the parts."
“Remember, it’s all destroyed, nothing will remain!”
Hearing Sima Yi's instructions, Ma Jun couldn't help but be startled, suspecting that his ears had heard it wrong.
Either... the Master made a mistake?
“Taifu, you mean...said..."
Ma Jun already stuttered, but when he was anxious, his stuttering became even more serious, and he could not even speak completely:
“Destroy, destroy, destroy?”
“Yes, destroy it!”
Sima Yi nodded and said resolutely: "The rebel reinforcements have arrived. It seems that there is no chance of using this stone cannon."
"There are stone cannons in our army. We need to keep them secret until we are against the enemy, so you must destroy them completely!"
“Thieves, the thief army has arrived?”
Ma Jun was also unwilling to give in. When he heard that the bandits' reinforcements had arrived, his eyes dimmed and he could only obey the order.
After Ma Jun left, Sima Yi sat alone in the tent for a long time, and then he let out an almost inaudible sigh:
“The general trend of the world can no longer be reversed!”
The Taifu of Wei State, who always pays attention to cultivating his mind and character, sighed. In an instant, his body became slightly rickety, and his face also became a little slumped.
After several years of planning, Sima Yi had the intention of turning the tide.
Especially after the death of Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, it is unknown whether the Han Dynasty can still be as aggressive and unstoppable as before.
After all, the former Prime Minister Shi Yangyi rebelled against the Han and defected to the Wei Dynasty, and the left hussar general Wei Yan was at peace with Feng Yongyong, not to mention the women in the harem of the Han Dynasty interfering in politics.
And the easy victory over Shangdang gave Sima Yi an illusion: Is it possible that the Han Dynasty is going to decline?
Sending troops this time, especially to attack Taiyuan, seems a bit risky, but it may not be a test.
As long as the Han Dynasty is really in constant internal strife, then sending troops this time will be regarded as a successful adventure.
What people didn't expect was that even though Feng Yong had been transferred out of Chang'an, the rapid response of the Han Dynasty still exceeded his expectations.
It can be said that General Guan Da passed through the Guanjue Valley and reached the south of Qi County so quickly, which gave Sima Yi a sense of powerlessness in his heart and made him sigh to the sky:
“I am not in the right place at the right time, God’s will is difficult to deal with...”
Over the years, he has to bear the huge pressure of Guanzhong alone while also having to be careful of Xuchang's back stabbing, which has really made him feel a little exhausted.
In the fourth year of Yanxi reign of the Han Dynasty, Sima Yi, the Taifu of Wei State, attacked Shangdang and then led an army to attack Taiyuan.
General Guan Suo of the Han Dynasty Zhendong led his cavalry to rush to Taiyuan. Sima Yi expected that Jinyang would not be able to leave and did not want to get entangled with Guan Suo, so he withdrew his troops from Jingxing and entered Jizhou.
At the same time, the war in Jingzhou and Xiangyang also came to an end.
Lu Xun, the general of Wu State, surrounded Xiangyang. Taking advantage of the rising water of the Han River, he let the Chang'an approach the bank of the Han River and borrowed the bridge-building gun left by Wu Hou to build a bridge and board the city.
There were only a few guards in Xiangyang, and most of them were stationed in the south. It was impossible to imagine that the Wu people could climb the city wall from the water.
Caught off guard, the outer city of Xiangyang fell.
Although Guanqiu Jian, Hu Zhi and others on the other side wanted to break through the Han River from Fancheng and rescue Xiangyang, there were almost no naval forces in Wei.
In addition, they faced the navy of Wu State and Lu Xun, who knew the most powerful troops in Wu State.
The Wei army did not want to break through the Han River, or even wanted to take a boat to the center of the Han River. It was a luxury.
Standing at the top of Fancheng, knowing that the outer city of Xiangyang has been lost, there is nothing we can do.
A few days later, they could only watch helplessly as the inner city was filled with flames and black smoke rising into the sky...
Puzhong, the general of Xiangyang who burned himself in the fire, cried out sadly before his death:
"The fall of Xiangyang is not my fault, but Guanqiu Jian's fault! He was deceived by thieves first, and then failed to rescue him. This is really the sinner of the Wei Dynasty!"
Lu Xun, who entered Xiangyang City accompanied by everyone, looked at the figures in the fire and couldn't help but sigh:
"What a pity, how can such a strong man serve a thief?"
Ma Tian, who was following Lu Xun, looked at the fire with a thoughtful look on his face.
At this time, Lu Xun turned around, suppressed his sigh, and put a smile on his face:
"Mr. Ma, if it weren't for your help, I'm afraid it wouldn't be that easy to capture Xiangyang."
Martin also smiled slightly:
"The general said something serious. Han and Wu are allies of each other and have agreed to fight against the bandits. It would be fine if Tian didn't encounter it. But if it does, how can there be any reason to sit back and watch?"
"Sir, you are very determined!" Lu Xun said with emotion, "If everyone in the two countries of Wu and Han is like you, why worry about not being able to eliminate the thieves as soon as possible?"
I’m not worried!
With the current momentum of the Han Dynasty, as long as there are no internal problems, it will be a matter of time to eliminate the thieves.
Maybe…
Ma Tian looked around Xiangyang City and smiled:
“What the general said is that as long as our two countries can continue to cooperate sincerely, the traitors will be wiped out.”
Hearing Ma Tian's words, a look of longing appeared on his face, and then a trace of sadness flashed past, and there was a slight sigh in his tone:
“I hope I can see that day.”
Hearing this, Ma Tian couldn’t help but be surprised and said:
“Why did the general say this?”
After a moment of silence, Lu Xun looked at the soldiers celebrating their victory in the distance, sighed, and whispered:
“I am old. In one more year, I will be old enough!”
Ma Tian took a serious look at Lu Xun, but saw that the other man’s temples were covered in frost.
He counted in his mind:
Sima Yi of Wei State is already over sixty years old, Lu Xun of Wu State is almost there, and how old is the Central Protector of our Han Dynasty?
Well, anyway, I can survive them to death!
It’s done!
Ma Tian glanced at Lu Xun again. To be honest, there was actually a wise king in Wu State who was about the same age as the Great Hanzhong Protector, but it was a pity that he was short-lived.
No, it should be said that fortunately he is a short-lived ghost.
“Sir, do you have something to say?”
Ma Tian was startled, fearing that the other party would see what he was thinking, so he coughed quickly:
“Ahem, I do have something to say to the general, but I don’t know if it’s appropriate.”
Lu Xun smiled and said:
"Sir, you have done me such a great favor. If you have anything to say, please just say it. Why should you be restrained?"
Ma Tian looked around and saw that the Wu soldiers who had entered the city were rushing to plunder, for fear of being delayed.
At this time, those who were following him were Lu Xun's most trusted bodyguards.
“It is a great joy for the General to conquer Xiangyang City. However, since I accompanied the General to the city, I have found that the General’s face occasionally looks worried. Why is this?”
Lu Xun didn't seem to think that Martin could observe his own thoughts so carefully under such circumstances. He took a deep look at the other party and did not answer immediately.
Seeing Lu Xun’s expression, Ma Tian quickly said:
"It's Tian Menglang. You shouldn't ask the general such questions..."
The joy on Lu Xun's face has dissipated. He waved his hands and sighed slightly:
“There is nothing that cannot be said about this matter.”
He paused, looked eastward for a while, and then said in a low voice:
"Although I have won a great victory in the west, over there in Jianye, the country is mourning the loss of its direct descendants!"
“If possible, I would rather trade this Xiangyang City for the health of His Royal Highness…”
When Martin heard this, he almost choked on his own saliva.
Just now I was thinking that it was lucky that the Crown Prince of Wu was short-lived!
Thinking in his heart, Ma Tian also had a regretful and slightly sad look on his face:
“I have been in Jiangdong for a long time, and I have met His Royal Highness several times. His Royal Highness loves people, loves kindness, and has great virtues.”
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince died young, and Jiangdong lost a wise and wise prince. This is not a blessing to the people. What a pity, what a pity!"
Sighing repeatedly, Ma Tian comforted Lu Xun and said:
“However, Master Wu has many descendants, and I heard that they are all outstanding people. I think he will be able to choose the best and establish him in the future.”
Lu Xun let out a long sigh: "I hope..."
He and Sun Deng had guarded Wuchang together for several years. Although they were different rulers and ministers, not to mention the age difference, they could be regarded as congenial.
Lu Xun regarded the prince as a wise king, and Sun Deng regarded Lu Xun as a wise minister.
Unexpectedly… Alas!
Lu Xun sighed again, not knowing who your Majesty would appoint as the crown prince?
Martin's words that His Majesty's heirs are all outstanding people are really just words of comfort.
In Lu Xun's opinion, among all the princes, none could compare with the prince.
This is where the melancholy lies in his heart.
Just this, naturally you cannot say it to Ma Tian.
Seeing that Lu Xun had lost interest in talking, Ma Tian was not interested in what was happening in Xiangyang City at this time.
He bowed his hands to Lu Xun:
"General, the matter here is over. I'm afraid I can't stay any longer. I will take the students back to Dahan in the near future. Please allow me, General."
Sun Quan returned from Hefei a few months ago, and the students who accompanied the army also returned to Jianye.
Sun Deng died of illness, and although there was no major chaos in Jianye City, Ma Tian had made extensive contacts in the past few years, so how could he not notice that there was an undercurrent in Jianye?
So he planned to take the students back to Dahan immediately.
Unexpectedly, just after arriving in Jingzhou, Lu Xun besieged Xiangyang.
At the same time, Guanzhong, or to be precise, Zhongdu escorted a secret message, which happened to involve Lu Xun and Xiangyang.
After weighing it up, Martin decided to use the students’ identities to help investigate.
At the same time, compared with Sun Quan's attack on Hefei, Lu Xun, the great general, cut off the Han River and besieged Xiangyang, which was obviously more valuable.
Students can better observe the level of water warfare of the Wu Kingdom’s navy at close range.
Martin will not miss this good opportunity.
Sure enough, in this battle, students could not only see how the Wu navy fought, but also how the navy's warships coordinated with each other.
Even after Martin took out the arch bridge gun, the students were able to board the Wu people's core battleship Chang'an and cooperate with the Wu people in fighting.
It can be said that in this battle, we have gained a lot.
Although he repeatedly tried and tested carefully, he could not confirm whether Lu Xun was actually connected with Sima Yi.
But the purpose of this trip can be considered to be mostly completed.
It is time to retreat.
Lu Xun, on the other hand, had a look of reluctance on his face when he heard Ma Tian bid farewell:
“Sir, are you leaving now?”
“I was ordered by the imperial court to lead my students to Jiangdong to learn the art of sailing. It has been several years now. It’s time to go back. How dare I delay?”
Lu Xun took Ma Tian’s hand and said sincerely:
“Sir, I haven’t thanked you properly for helping me conquer Xiangyang. If I just let you go, wouldn’t it look like I’m too merciless?”
Martin laughed, but his attitude was chic:
"General Shang has just conquered Xiangyang. There are still strong enemies in the north of the Han River. I don't know how many things are waiting for General Shang to deal with."
“If it’s because of one person, Tian, that I miss the opportunity to go to the General’s office, it will be a capital crime that cannot be redeemed!”
“I’ll keep this in mind for now, and when the general is free, I’ll ask for it again.”
Seeing what Ma Tian said, Lu Xun naturally couldn't say anything else.
What’s more, what the other party said is also true.
Conquering Xiangyang is just the beginning, how to deal with the aftermath is also a major event.
Lu Xun looked at the streets of Xiangyang City. There were already excited soldiers of the Wu Army coming out of private houses carrying large and small bags...
His brows furrowed, finally unable to hold on any longer.
Martin surrendered again:
“Then I’ll take my leave first.”
Turning around, I happened to see Luo Xian and Fu Jian not far away, looking towards the city and seeming to be pointing.
Ma Tian walked over and waved his hand: "Let's go, is there anything good to see?"
The two curled their lips with disdain on their faces: "If you don't want to look at it, don't look at it."
After walking some distance away, Martin slowed down and asked:
“Any ideas?”
“What do you think?” The two looked at each other, somewhat confused.
“I mean, what do you two think about what the Wu people did in Xiangyang City?”
“Everyone in the world criticizes Cao for robbing the city. In my opinion, the Wu robbing the city is no different. Both of them can be called thieves!”
Fu Jian answered first.
His lord died at the hands of Wu Gou, so naturally he would not have a good impression of the Wu people.
Even if he was sent to study in Wu State, he would not change his opinion.
Compared to Fu Jian’s somewhat personal views, Luo Xian is more objective:
“Most of the elite battalions of the Wu army are composed of generals. When fighting externally, they only like to plunder the people’s children and property, but they are weak in siege and field operations and lack resilience.”
“Therefore, even though he knew that looting after breaking the city would cause trouble, Lu Xun had no choice but to act according to the wishes of the generals in the army.”
“It can be seen from this that there is insufficient coordination among the Wu army’s battalions, and they seem to be fighting independently. It is difficult for the Wu state to become a grand force if you look at the big picture from a small perspective.”
When Ma Tian heard this, he laughed.
(End of this chapter)