The round moon shines over the nine provinces, some are happy while others are sad!
Just when Liu Qi took control of Yizhou and was in high spirits, Sima Yi returned home to visit his relatives, feeling depressed.
While feeding, Zhang Chunhua saw Sima Yi teasing the little boy Sima Shi, and she smiled a little. She couldn't help asking, "When Cao Cao repeatedly summoned you, your husband would rather pretend to be sick and stay at home for months than take up the post. Now that you are being alienated and idle at home, isn't that exactly what your husband wants? Why are you so unhappy?"
Sima Yi sighed, "Madam, you don't know that I didn't want to be recruited because I was dissatisfied with Cao Cao's control of the government. I was just an indignant young man! Later, I had to go to the court, and then I realized that the situation in the world was no longer under the control of the emperor. The Han Dynasty existed in name only. If I don't make achievements, all my life's learning will be wasted. Life is short, like grass and trees withering in autumn. If I have no achievements, what good is it to be so mediocre and idle?"
Zhang Chunhua smiled and said, "My husband is full of knowledge and has a close relationship with Cao Pi. He will never be buried. Sooner or later, he will shine."
Sima Yi frowned and said, "It's just a minor setback. I don't take it seriously. But I was dismissed this time. I can't guess the Prime Minister's intentions. It makes me sleepless and restless."
Zhang Chunhua asked, "Could it be that because of the heavy slaughter in the battle of Chang'an, the Prime Minister was forced to do so due to public opinion?"
"Not necessarily!" Sima Yi shook his head and said, "Cao Cao is a tyrant! He is arbitrary and only seeks profit, so why should he be afraid of rumors? He killed Lü Bushe, slaughtered people in Xuzhou, and even used their meat as food. He was not afraid of that, let alone the tens of thousands of bandits in Chang'an?"
Zhang Chunhua was silent for a while, then suddenly sighed, "Too much killing will harm the harmony of nature. If you lead troops again in the future, you must be more lenient and merciful."
Sima Yi shook his head and smiled, "A general should be decisive in killing and punishing. As the saying goes, a merciful person cannot command an army. To kill or not to kill depends on the situation. How can it be up to one's heart?"
Zhang Chunhua frowned and asked, "Aren't you afraid of retribution?"
"Retribution?" Sima Yi laughed. "Since ancient times, victors have been kings and losers have been bandits. Only the victors can be remembered for generations. I learn military tactics to change my fate. Why should I fear ghosts and gods?"
Zhang Chunhua said unhappily, "Aren't you afraid that retribution will come to me and my descendants?"
Sima Yi touched Sima Shi's chubby smiling face and said indifferently: "The physiognomist has seen that my son has the appearance of great wealth and honor, and his fate is extremely noble. If there really are ghosts and gods, they will only help secretly, how dare they harm him?"
Zhang Chunhua sighed helplessly and was about to persuade her when she saw a maid coming with a letter, which was an urgent report from the army.
Sima Yi opened the letter and laughed, "Finally, my day has come!"
Zhang Chunhua asked hurriedly: "When will it be?"
Sima Yi said, "Zhou Yu is plotting to capture Huainan, Shouchun has already been captured, the Prime Minister is helpless and ordered me to go to the front of the army to take orders."
Zhang Chunhua frowned and said, "Cao Cao just transferred you out of the army, and now he is calling you back. I don't think this is a good thing. How can you ever get ahead?"
Sima Yi's eyes were slightly stern, and he said slowly: "The war in Huainan is urgent, and the Prime Minister transferred me to the front of the army. This shows that I have been recognized by the Prime Minister for destroying Ma Teng in Chang'an! He transferred me away from the army not because of improper planning. Although I can't guess the reason, he re-employed me within a few months. It must not be his original intention, but he was forced by the situation and had to use me."
Zhang Chunhua asked, "Why do you think so?"
Sima Yi said, "Madam, you don't know that the Prime Minister has suffered from frequent headaches in the past two years, and has even fallen into a coma. Although Wu Shi San can relieve the pain, according to my teacher, all medicines are poisonous, and Wu Shi San is even more poisonous. I'm afraid he won't live long!"
Zhang Chunhua said happily: "Cao Cao was ambivalent towards my husband, but Cao Pi was a close friend of my husband. If I can inherit the position... I will be able to make it through."
Sima Yi looked up to the sky and sighed, and slowly said: "I don't want to sort out classics and teach students. I want to plan and win battles thousands of miles away, which is the ambition of a man!"
Zhang Chunhua hurriedly ordered people to prepare the ceremony, and before leaving, she warned: "Being with the emperor is like being with a tiger. You must be more careful when you work with the prime minister."
"Don't worry, Madam. Just take care of my son. I have my own way to protect myself."
Sima Yi rode as fast as he could to Xuzhou and meet Cao Cao in his camp.
Cao Cao personally met Sima Yi during his illness and said, "Zhongda has made great contributions in suppressing the bandits in Chang'an. I know in my heart that I have not been promoted or rewarded. Instead, I have been transferred away from Chang'an. This is to protect you and to stabilize the people's hearts in Guanzhong. Do you understand?"
Although Sima Yi felt that this was not entirely true, he still bowed and said, "Ma Teng has always been highly respected in Xiliang. If I try to get rid of him, I will certainly be retaliated. How could I not know the Prime Minister's painstaking efforts?"
Cao Cao was very pleased: "Since you know my intention, don't worry about it!"
Sima Yi bowed and said, "We serve our country, even if it means sacrificing our lives. I am willing to serve you at any time without complaint."
"A good man has ambitions to go far and wide. The world is in turmoil now, so why worry about not having a place to use your talents? Zhongda is full of ideas, and Huainan is the time for you to make achievements. You can do whatever you want."
Cao Cao stroked his beard and laughed, then he appointed Sima Yi as a military advisor and put him in charge of military affairs with Xun You.
Sima Yi was deeply moved and knelt down and said: "I am willing to go through fire and water for you, Prime Minister, and do my best to be loyal to you."
"You really live up to the name of Sima Bada!" Cao Cao was overjoyed, and personally helped Sima Yi up, saying, "Now Zhou Yu has returned to Chaisang to recuperate, and the generals in Jiangdong are no longer a concern. I intend to take advantage of their unstable foothold to retake Huainan. But Cheng Pu is defending Shouchun to the death, and this city was built and repaired by Zixiao himself, so it is as solid as a rock. What plan do you have to break the city?"
Sima Yi hesitated for a moment, clasped his fists and said, "Tomorrow I will be at the battlefront to supervise the battle, observe the enemy's situation, and then think of countermeasures."
Cao Cao was greatly impressed by Sima Yi's calmness and composure in dealing with difficulties, and appointed him as General of Annan, and ordered him to lead the generals together with Xiahou Dun to attack Shouchun.
Sima Yi thanked him, said goodbye to Cao Cao, and immediately consulted Xiahou Dun, Xun You and others to learn about the military situation.
Cao Cao had mobilized the garrisons of Xuzhou and Yanzhou, a total of 100,000 troops to besiege Shouchun, but the Wu army refused to come out and made no progress for several days.
There are 30,000 soldiers in Shouchun City, and another 20,000 are guarding Hefei. They are dredging the waterway of Feishui and expanding the new city, so they can provide support to Shouchun at any time.
Xun You said: "Shouchun is a strategic location at the throat of Xuyang and is located on the Huai River. We can retreat to protect Huainan and advance to take Xuzhou. Zhou Yu is determined to take this place regardless of his life and death. He must be planning to capture the Plains. If the Feishui waterway is opened, the navy can reach Shouchun directly, and the Wu army will surely go north. We must help the Prime Minister as soon as possible."
Cao Hong, who had defeated Ma Teng with Sima Yi in Chang'an, had long been convinced of his intelligence and immediately asked, "Zhongda is very clever... What do you think?"
Sima Yi said: "When the Prime Minister defeated Yuan Shu in the past, it was as difficult as ascending to heaven to attack Shouchun. Now that it has been repaired, it is even more solid. If there is no internal support, it may be difficult to break through. The only way is to lure the snake out of its hole and take advantage of the opportunity to act."
Xiahou Dun waited for a long time, and when he heard this, he snorted coldly: "Zixiao used the prime minister's plan to severely injure Zhou Yu. The Wu army was like a frightened mouse, hiding in its nest and not moving. How could they come out easily?"
Sima Yi laughed and said, "Snakes and rats hide in caves just to protect themselves. We can use intimidation to shake up their nests. After a while, they will change."
Xiahou Dun was startled, staring with his one eye in dissatisfaction, "I regard Jiangdong's generals as rats, but it was just an analogy. You are talking about the art of killing snakes and rats, which is really incomprehensible."