SWDnovel Chapter 1443 No room
Chapter 1443 No room
Chapter 1443 No room
"General?"
Seeing that General Guanqiu had finished reading the letter and stood on the city wall for a long time without saying a word, as if frozen in place, those around him couldn't help but feel a little worried.
What exactly did that man surnamed Feng say to the general that made him lose his composure like this?
"It's nothing." Guanqiu Jian shook his head and unfolded the letter in his hand again. Although it was crumpled, the words in the letter were still strong and powerful.
This person is renowned for his writing and possesses exceptional talent, but judging from his calligraphy, there is not a trace of scholarly refinement; instead, a chilling aura emanates from it.
Guanqiu Jian clenched the letter again, looked north, and murmured to himself in a voice only he could hear:
"Feng Mingwen, what are you trying to do?"
Feng Da Sima was certainly doing serious business.
After all, if you're inviting someone out of town to hunt, you definitely need to learn how to hunt yourself first.
He raised his crossbow, aimed, and pulled the trigger. The arrow shot out like lightning, piercing directly through the eye of a sika deer fifty or sixty paces ahead.
As the sika deer fell to the ground, the herd scattered in fright.
Upon seeing this, Mr. Feng grinned and handed the crossbow to someone nearby.
Can't shoot a bow, and can't fire a gun?
Although it's not a real gun, operating it is no different from firing a gun.
Let's see who dares to say I can't use weapons from now on.
"There are indeed quite a few deer around Xuchang. I wonder if they escaped from the deer park."
It is said that in the early years, some deer did escape from the deer park and eat the crops of the people. Cao Rui even issued an edict that the people must not harm them, otherwise they would be punished.
Unexpectedly, the area around Xuxian County is now a wasteland with fields overgrown with wild deer.
After the Han army captured Luoyang, Xuchang faced defensive pressure from the Han cavalry, which could appear at any time.
Not only had the common people fled long ago, but the Wei army had also built up a dense defensive line around Xuchang City.
It was almost identical to the tortoise formation that Sima Yi had set up in Chang'an back then.
"Brother, we can eat deer anytime, but with our small force, we can't take Xu County. When will the rear guard arrive?"
Zhao Guang, who had gone to Xuxian County to investigate, did not focus on hunting and appeared somewhat worried.
"Are you the head coach or am I the head coach? What's it to you to worry about this?"
Feng Da Sima glanced at him, "Mind your own business."
Zhao Guang didn't understand: "What do you want to eat?"
"Radish is the same as turnip."
"Salted radish?" Zhao Guang was even more confused. "What do you mean?"
"Mind your own business."
The tortoise formation that Sima Yi set up back then was never used until Sima Yi withdrew from Guanzhong.
Now Guanqiu Jian is merely imitating others; how could he possibly be better than Sima Yi?
"If you really have the time, go help me roast this deer."
"Oh……"
Of course, in the end, Zhao Guang still didn't get to roast the venison, after all, his barbecue skills were far inferior to his killing skills.
Adhering to the principle of not wasting food, the venison was left to the cook to prepare.
Professional tasks should be left to professionals.
For example, since I, Feng, have always been good at getting to the heart of the matter, there is no need for me to launch a direct attack on Xuchang—have you ever seen me, Feng, launch a direct attack on Chang'an? Have you ever launched a direct attack on Luoyang? Have you ever launched a direct attack on Yecheng?
Sima Taifu voluntarily gave them up!
Therefore, he did not intend to launch a direct attack on Xu County this time.
He prefers to wait for the other person to take the initiative.
Fortunately, Guanqiu Jian was a sensible man and didn't keep Grand Marshal Feng waiting too long, quickly replying to the letter:
Guanqiu Jian replied to Feng Jun:
The snow sealed the blade, and the envoy arrived treading on ice. Unfolding the letter, I saw the old plum blossoms of the Deer Garden, and seemed to smell the fragrance of wine from Hexi.
Frost clings to the bowstring, a reminder of the past when we gazed at the Dan River; ice forms on the hilt of the sword, still bearing the marks of Emperor Wen's gift.
I have long heard that the wine from Hexi is strong and loved by many, but I alone love Jiu Yun Chun wine (the tribute wine that Cao Cao presented to Liu Xie, which is the predecessor of Gujing Gongjiu).
Strong liquor brewed in spring, with varying strengths and flavors, and different temperatures, is difficult to enjoy together.
The Han army's horseshoes are sharp, why didn't they trample the walls of Xuchang flat? The Shu warships break through the ice, why didn't they break through the thin ice protecting the city?
The mournful wind and fierce snow could not extinguish the loyal soul; though Jian was old, "Si Zhao" (the sword bestowed by Cao Pi) was still sharp.
Even if you lead 100,000 armored soldiers, this sword will take your head and spill your blood to defend the capital.
Guanqiu Jian, General Who Pacifies the South of the Great Wei Dynasty
January 18th, the eleventh year of Zhengshi
At Xuchang Arrow Tower
After reading the letter, Grand Marshal Feng smiled meaningfully, a somewhat unspeakable meaning in his eyes, and softly repeated:
"The mournful wind and fierce snow cannot extinguish the loyal souls..."
Unlike Guanqiu Jian, who dared not let his men and women read the letter, Grand Marshal Feng read it and then handed it to General Guan. After General Guan finished reading it, he passed it on to Zhao Guang.
“Brother, Guanqiu Jian is stubborn and dares not agree to the agreement, but he wants you to attack the city.”
Zhao Guang said excitedly, "Brother, since the thief is so ungrateful, let's grant his wish and attack the city!"
Grand Marshal Feng ignored him and instead instructed his men:
"Go and summon that Wei envoy."
The envoy sent by Guanqiu Jian has been brought in, and Grand Marshal Feng asked:
"What's your name?"
"Reporting to Lord Feng, this humble man is Guanqiu Feng."
"Guanqiu Feng?" Grand Marshal Feng pondered. "You share the same surname as General Guanqiu, so what is your relationship with General Guanqiu?"
“I lost my parents at a young age, but was fortunate enough to be adopted by General Guanqiu, so I took the general’s surname.”
Feng Da Sima nodded.
Indeed, if he weren't a trusted confidant, he probably wouldn't have been sent to deliver the message.
"I came here because I wanted to speak with General Guanqiu in person, but I did not expect that General Guanqiu is too busy with military affairs to find the time."
Grand Marshal Feng stood there with his hands behind his back, speaking softly. He was a man of imposing presence, dignified and awe-inspiring.
The presence of two handsome yet menacing generals standing on either side added to the imposing aura.
"Since General Guanqiu is unavailable, I will have to ask you to pass on the message."
Grand Marshal Feng stared at the other party and slowly said:
"You must remember every word I am about to say."
Since Guanqiu Feng was sent by Guanqiu Jian, he was naturally not lacking in courage, but at this moment he was intimidated by Grand Marshal Feng's imposing aura, and couldn't help but hold his breath, respectfully saying:
"Please give your instructions, Mr. Feng."
"Sima Yi will soon launch a coup, kill Cao Shuang and his cronies, and seize power..."
Upon hearing just that first sentence, Guanqiu Feng abruptly raised his head and exclaimed, "What?!"
Not only Guanqiu Feng, but even General Guan and Zhao Sanqian couldn't help but look at Feng.
"I'm telling you to listen, not to ask. You just need to remember what I say and tell Guanqiu Jian when you get back."
Guanqiu Feng knew he had lost his composure, but dared not speak. He obediently lowered his head, indicating that he would not dare to utter another sound.
Shaking the letter, Grand Marshal Feng continued:
"General Guanqiu told me in his letter that the mournful wind and fierce snow could not extinguish his loyal soul, and I believe he was indeed a loyal minister of Cao Wei."
"If in the future General Guanqiu intends to lead his troops eastward to purge the court of corrupt officials, but is afraid of being attacked from both sides, I can make a promise to General Guanqiu here."
“As long as he promises me that he will not destroy Xu County, burn palaces, or plunder the people when he advances eastward, then the Han Dynasty will never take advantage of his vulnerability and cut off his retreat.”
Guanqiu Feng looked up again, his lips moved, but he forcibly suppressed the urge to speak.
But it is quite obvious that what Mr. Feng said was extremely absurd to him.
If it weren't for the fact that the person in front of him was the infamous Ghost King Feng, he would have thought that this person had gone mad.
Grand Marshal Feng seemed to have seen through this man's thoughts and smiled faintly:
“I know you don’t believe me, and even if you go back and tell Guanqiu Jian, he probably won’t believe you either. But it doesn’t matter, you will understand soon.”
Having said that, he waved his hand, indicating that Guanqiu Feng could leave.
Having confirmed that Guanqiu Feng had returned to the Wei army's actual control area, Grand Marshal Feng did not linger and ordered a return to Luoyang.
"No, brother, are we just going back like this?"
Zhao Guang couldn't understand his brother's actions at all. "It's so cold, why bring so many people out just to take a stroll?"
"What else do you want? Why don't you take these men and go take Xu County?"
"This……"
He was a bit slow-witted, but not stupid. He had already personally inspected the place as soon as he arrived.
The bandit commander seems to be quite capable.
It is clear that they have made ample preparations to deal with the Han cavalry.
Compared to Zhao Guang, General Guan was clearly more concerned about the coup that Grand Marshal Feng had mentioned earlier: "My lord, is Sima Yi really planning a coup?"
"Sima Yi was a smart man. Whether it was the matter of the Sima family in Hanoi or the matter of the aristocratic families in Hebei, he should have known that there was no place for the Sima family in the Han Dynasty."
"Even if he goes to seek refuge with the Wu Kingdom, let alone whether the Wu Kingdom will accept him, even if they do, not to mention the four major families of Wu County, they probably can't even compare to the third-rate families in Wu."
"So unless absolutely necessary, he would have no choice but to remain in the puppet state of Wei. Now, he has suffered a defeat in Hebei and has been humiliated by Cao Shuang..."
At this point, Grand Marshal Feng chuckled, "If Cao Shuang were a decent person, that would be one thing, but he's just a good-for-nothing."
"Given Sima Yi's abilities, he could not possibly remain subservient for long; he would inevitably seek an opportunity to retaliate."
He chuckled again and continued:
"Although Sima Yi was defeated in the battle of Hebei, he still managed to bring back tens of thousands of troops, which was his capital to turn against Cao Shuang."
"With motive, resources, and the possibility of success, I see no reason why Sima Yi wouldn't take action."
Hearing Feng Wenhe's meticulous analysis, General Guan nodded in agreement, finding it quite reasonable, but she still had some questions:
"How does Ah Lang know when he will make his move?"
"I don't know!" Grand Marshal Feng spread his hands. "I only saw the news coming back from Qiao County, and I think he might make a move soon."
"What if Sima Yi prioritizes the overall situation, and Alang makes the wrong judgment?"
"So what if I'm wrong!" Grand Marshal Feng said nonchalantly. "What can Guanqiu Jian do to me if I'm wrong? Come to Luoyang to beat me up?"
As he spoke, he held up his riding whip, pointed at the soldiers behind him, and said, "Do you really think the Han cavalry are pushovers?"
"I brought so many people with me today, firstly to make him seriously consider my words, but more importantly, it's a demonstration."
"A thousand words are not as effective as a single cavalry charge into Xuchang."
No matter how powerful a legendary enemy may be, you'll still feel a sense of hope until you see it with your own eyes.
In a conflict between two countries, in addition to strength, one must also have the ability to take action.
Feng brought his troops here to tell Guanqiu Jian not to take any chances or act rashly, because he could send troops from Luoyang to attack him at any time.
After listening to Grand Marshal Feng's explanation, General Guan nodded silently, then asked one last question:
"How did you know, Ah Lang, that Guanqiu Jian would rebel against Sima Yi?"
Grand Marshal Feng couldn't help but burst out laughing:
"Because he had no choice but to oppose Sima Yi."
Guanqiu Jian's father, Guanqiu Xing, served Cao Cao in his early years. After the founding of Cao Wei, he was granted the title of Marquis of Gaoyang, making him one of the earlier people to pledge allegiance to the Cao family.
After Guanqiu Jian inherited the title, he was selected by Cao Pi to serve as Cao Rui's literary aide and assist Cao Rui.
Later, because he was a former member of the Eastern Palace, he was deeply trusted by Cao Rui and his career progressed rapidly.
Although Guanqiu Jian lost Xiangyang due to being attacked from both sides by Feng and Lu Xun, causing Cao Shuang to lose face, he may not be liked by Cao Shuang.
But if Sima Yi were to seize power through a coup, it wouldn't be a question of whether we'd like it or not, but rather whether he could be tolerated.
Even if Guanqiu Jian were willing to abandon his stance and switch allegiance to Sima Yi, would Sima Yi dare to trust him?
Given Sima Yi's temperament, he would never dare to allow Guanqiu Jian, a man who was naturally a loyal subject of Cao Wei, to command a large army and guard the area near Qiao County.
Therefore, Guanqiu Jian either obediently complied and voluntarily relinquished his military power, leaving his life and death in the hands of others.
They could either raise an army in rebellion and take a gamble—this time, I'm here to deliver a message to Guanqiu Jian, and the other side might be even more courageous in taking that gamble.
Of course, if he were willing to surrender the entire city, Grand Marshal Feng wouldn't mind.
Pointing southeast with his riding whip, he said calmly, "After losing Hebei, the pseudo-Wei seems to still have room for maneuver."
"But in reality, Cao Shuang, Sima Yi, Guanqiu Jian, and even those pseudo-Wei generals in Yangzhou, had no other choice."
"We just need to take care of Hebei and Yanzhou, watch them fight like dogs, and then find an opportunity to clean up the mess."
Only the final victor within the pseudo-Wei regime has the right to negotiate with the Han Dynasty.
"drive!"
General Guan took a deep look at Grand Marshal Feng's back, spurred his horse, and followed.
-
Sima Yi, far away in Qiao County, was unaware that his coup, which he had not yet had time to carry out, had already been preemptively planned and orchestrated.
"Cough cough..."
The room, filled with the strong smell of decocted medicine, was occasionally filled with coughs.
Everyone in Qiao County knew that the Grand Tutor was ill, very ill, his body barely clinging to life, his spirit already broken.
In fact, Grand Tutor Sima was indeed ill, but not as seriously as the outside world had reported. He was even able to sit up from his bed on his own.
With a creak, the door opened, and Sima Zhao entered carrying a bowl before turning around and closing the door again.
"My lord, it's time to take your medicine."
We were only halfway through our drink when someone started banging on the door.
"Zhongda, Zhongda!"
Sima Yi quickly put down his bowl and gestured for Sima Zhao to open the door.
"Gao Situ?"
Before Sima Zhao could even bow, Gao Rou had already rushed to Sima Yi's bedside like a gust of wind, her nimble steps belying that of a seventy-six-year-old man.
“Zhongda, there is…” Gao Rou started to speak, but then subconsciously stopped and looked towards the door.
Seeing Gao Rou's appearance, Sima Yi's expression brightened, and he then looked at Sima Zhao and gave the order:
"Stand guard the door and don't allow anyone to come near."
Sima Zhao was startled and quickly agreed.
Only faint sounds could be heard coming from inside:
"Cao Shuang will... His Majesty will leave the city next month..."
Although he didn't hear the whole thing, Sima Zhao had already guessed the general meaning.
Although Gao Situ did not hold real power, his status often allowed him to know a lot of information that others could not.
Just as he was pondering this, he suddenly saw an old servant approaching, and Sima Zhao quickly stopped him:
"What's the matter?"
The talking inside immediately stopped.
"My lord, someone claims to be acting on the orders of an old friend of yours and has delivered a letter to you."
"An old friend? Me?"
Sima Zhao was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.
In recent days, all those who have come to your residence are old friends of yours.
No one ever said they came looking for them.
Where did this old friend come from?
Upon taking the letter into his hand, he noticed that the envelope was made of gold-painted southern paper, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary item.
After hesitating for a moment, Sima Zhao pulled out the letter. After reading it clearly, his pupils dilated suddenly and his expression changed drastically!