After 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 occupies the most essential 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 represented the emperor of Wei, "listening to the tune but not the propaganda" was 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 that for this kind of thing, no matter what the reason is, no matter how good the appearance is, it will always be true.
Therefore, if you want to consolidate your position, you must have sufficient 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 the rest.
After the generals went down to prepare, Sima Yi ordered again:
"Let Dr. Ma come 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 he mentioned this, Ma Jun's face showed excitement:
"My lord, my lord, please don't worry. I've been trial-producing it many times in Luoyang. I've known it for a long time... and I know it well. Now I will definitely not miss my lord's big event."
After hearing this, Sima Yi had a look of unwillingness and regret on his face:
"My big deal... Alas! Dr. Ma, let's postpone the construction of this stone cannon. You can go back now and destroy all the mechanical parts."
“Remember, it’s all destroyed, nothing remains!”
Upon hearing Sima Yi's instructions, Ma Jun couldn't help but be startled, suspecting that his ears had heard it wrong.
Or... the master made a mistake?
"Taifu, you mean...said..."
Ma Jun already stuttered, but when he was anxious, his stuttering problem became even more serious, and he could not even speak completely:
"Destroy, destroy, destroy?"
"Yes, destroy it!"
Sima Yi nodded and said resolutely: "The bandit 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 thieves have arrived?"
Ma Jun was also unwilling to give in. When he heard that the thieves' 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 before letting out an almost inaudible sigh:
"The general trend of the world can no longer be reversed!"
Taifu Wei, who always pays attention to cultivating his mind and character, sighed, and in an instant, his body became slightly stooped, and his face also became a little slumped.
After several years of planning, Sima Yi had some 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, former Prime Minister Shi Yangyi rebelled against Han and defected to Wei, and Wei Yan, the general of the left cavalry, was at odds with Feng Yong, not to mention the women in the Han harem interfering in politics.
And the easy victory over Shangdang gave Sima Yi an illusion: The Han Dynasty must be on the decline?
This time sending troops, especially attacking Taiyuan, seems a bit risky, but it may not be a test.
As long as the Han Dynasty is really suffering from internal strife, then this dispatch of troops 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 passed through the Guanjue Valley and reached the south of Qi County so quickly, which made Sima Yi feel powerless in his heart and made him sigh to the sky:
"I didn't get it right, God's will is hard to do..."
Over the years, he has to bear the huge pressure of Guanzhong alone while having to be careful of Xuchang's back stabs, which has really made him a little exhausted mentally and physically.
In the fourth year of Yanxi reign of the Han Dynasty, Sima Yi, the Taifu of Wei State, attacked Shangdang and then led his army to attack Taiyuan.
Guan Suo, the general in the east of the Han Dynasty, 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 great general of the State of Wu, surrounded Xiangyang. Taking advantage of the rising water of the Han River, he allowed the Chang'an to approach the bank of the Han River and borrow the bridge-building gun left by Marquis Wu 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, the Wei navy was almost non-existent.
In addition, they were facing the navy of Wu State and Lu Xun, who knew the most powerful military force in Wu State.
Not only did the Wei army want to break through the Han River, but even taking a boat to the center of the Han River 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...
Pu Zhong, the general of Xiangyang who burned himself in the fire, cried out sadly before his death:
"The fall of Xiangyang is not my fault, it is 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:
"Your Majesty's words are serious. Han and Wu are allies of each other and have agreed to fight against thieves. It's okay if Tian doesn't encounter it. But if it happens, how can there be any reason to sit back and watch?"
"Sir, you are serious!" Lu Xun said with emotion, "If everyone in Wu and Han countries 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, the thieves will be eliminated sooner or later.
maybe……
Martin 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, with a slight sigh in his tone:
"I hope I can see that day."
When Ma Tian heard this, he 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!"
Martin took a serious look at Lu Xun, but saw that his temples were covered in frost.
He counted in his mind:
Sima Yi of Wei State is already over sixty, Lu Xun of Wu State is almost there, and how old is our Han Dynasty's Central Protector?
Well, anyway, I can survive them to death!
That’s it!
Ma Tian glanced at Lu Xun again. To be honest, there was actually a wise king in Wu who was about the same age as the 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.
Noticing that Ma Tian was looking at him many times, Lu Xun asked strangely:
"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 invaded the city had already rushed to plunder, fearing that they would be delayed.
The people who were following him at this time were all Lu Xun's most trusted personal guards.
"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 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 had dissipated, and he waved his hands and sighed slightly:
"There is nothing that cannot be said about this matter."
He paused and looked east for a while, then said in a low voice:
"Although I 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 mind, Ma Tian's face also changed into a regretful and slightly sad look:
"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 beautiful 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!"
After 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 again."
Lu Xun let out a long sigh: "I hope..."
He and Sun Deng had been guarding 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.
I didn't expect...Alas!
Lu Xun sighed again, not knowing who your Majesty would appoint as the crown prince?
Martin's words that His Majesty's descendants 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 sadness lies in his heart.
But naturally, I couldn't say this to Martin.
Seeing that Lu Xun had lost interest in talking, Martin was not interested in what was happening in Xiangyang City at this time.
He bowed his hand 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.
Although there was no chaos in Jianye City due to Sun Deng's death, Ma Tian had many contacts in the past few years. How could he not notice that there was already 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 find out.
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 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 gun, the students were able to board the Wu's core battleship Chang'an and cooperate with the Wu in combat.
It can be said that this battle has been fruitful.
Although he carefully tested and investigated many times, 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 accomplished.
It's 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 take my students to Jiangdong to learn boating skills. It has been several years now. It's time to go back. How dare I delay?"
Lu Xun took Martin'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 heartless?"
Martin laughed, but his attitude was chic:
"The general has just conquered Xiangyang. There are still strong enemies north of the Han River. I don't know how many things are waiting for the general to deal with."
"If it's because of Tian Renren that he misses the important task of joining the general, then it will be a capital crime that cannot be redeemed!"
"I will keep this in mind for now, and I will come back to ask for it when the general is free."
Seeing what Ma Tian said, Lu Xun naturally couldn't say anything else.
Besides, what the other party said is also true.
The capture of Xiangyang is only 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...
He frowned, finally unable to hold on any longer.
Martin surrendered again:
"Then I will resign 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: "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 see it, then you won't see it."
After leaving some distance, 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 people 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 any good impressions of Wu people.
Even if he was sent to study in the Kingdom of Wu, he would not change his views.
Compared with 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 their 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 various camps of the Wu army, and they seem to be fighting independently. If you look at the big picture from the small, it will be difficult for the Wu country to become a big one."