The Sichuan army's plan to pursue Cao Cao failed. Liu Zhang ordered the Sichuan army to set up camp in Yingshui, and returned to Xuchang with Liu Xie's body. Along the way, people publicized Sima Yi's evil deeds of killing the emperor.*.*
Sima Yi tied the emperor to the horse in full view of everyone, and when Cao Jun escaped from Xuchang, Liu Xie sat stiffly on the horse and was urged by the sergeant. Many people also saw it. As soon as the news about the Sichuan Army came out, many people believed it.
, even including some aristocratic families.
If it weren't for Liu Zhang's New Deal, these noble families might have turned to support Liu Zhang because of this incident. Even if the noble families now had only one option to support Cao Cao, they would still be a little dissatisfied.
The news quickly spread through Yingshui, and Sima Fu hurriedly found Sima Yi. At this time, Sima Yi, who had always been calm, could not help but frown.
It's not that Sima Yi didn't expect that Sima Chang would be overtaken by the Sichuan army, but he didn't expect that Liu Xie would die. Sima Yi saw that Liu Xie was not of much help to Liu Zhang, and it was not suitable for Liu Zhang to coerce the emperor to order the princes, so he felt relieved.
The purpose of releasing Liu Xie was to allow Zhao Yun and Ma Chao to divide their troops.
Sima Yi didn't believe that Chief Sima suddenly rose up to kill the emperor. It was probably the Sichuan army who killed him. But when Sima Yi thought of this, he felt a chill in his back.
He seemed to have underestimated Liu Zhang's courage. Of course, Sima Yi did not believe that Liu Zhang was a good man and a believer who really supported Liu Xie as emperor, and he was willing to serve as his minister.
However, Sima Yi still felt that there was a 90% chance of treating Liu Xie as a puppet. This was not just a matter of good or not. Regicide required a lot of courage.
Sima Yi was lying on the coffee table like a ball of meat, and said leisurely: "Why didn't I think of it? You dare to offend the whole world without blinking an eye. What does it mean to kill an emperor?"
"Second brother, what did you say?" Sima Fu didn't hear clearly and said anxiously: "Second brother, now the Sichuan army has put the blame for regicide on our Sima family, which is a big disadvantage. Second brother, please find a way to clarify it quickly.
That’s right.”
The aristocratic families of the Han Dynasty are vested interest groups of the Han Dynasty. The vested interest groups and the heroes of their ancestors make the aristocratic families basically loyal to the emperor and have deep feelings for the Han court. Sima Fu is not a fool. He knows that he has been charged with regicide.
His Sima family was in a very bad situation.
"Clarify? Someone threw a basin of shit at you. After you wash it off, it doesn't stink to the sky. It's unclear." Sima Yi scolded Sima Fu and tapped his forehead.
"Now we are going to say that it was not Sima Chang who killed him, but the Sichuan army. The first one is Liu Zhang, the emperor's uncle. We have the emperor's imperial edict in hand and a queen in hand. How can we defeat them?"
What's more, everyone saw how we treated Liu Xie when we left Xuchang. Your second brother, I tied Liu Xie to a horse. Tens of thousands of Sichuan troops saw it. The people along the way also saw this shit.
It can’t be washed clean.”
"What should we do?"
"Transfer the Sichuan Army's dirty water to others."
"who?"
"Who else could it be? Cao Cao."
"Ah?" Sima Fu looked at Sima Yi in disbelief. Now the entire Sima family is going to defect to Cao Cao. If he transfers it to Cao Cao, wouldn't it still be a loss to himself?
"You go and spread it to the soldiers first, saying that this time we will resist the Sichuan army and use the emperor to divide the troops. Guo Jia told us before he left, and I, Sima Yi, was just following orders.
Then give a handwritten copy to each major family. They all say this. Remember, no matter who, including the head of the Sima family, asks why the emperor left it, it was Guo Jia who was afraid that we could not guard Yingshui, so he kept it.
The last move, do you understand?"
Until now, Guo Jia is still Cao Cao's top adviser. The military basically has to go through Guo Jia, who controls the overall situation with Xun Yu, both civil and military. It is reasonable to say that Guo Jia stayed behind to resist the Sichuan army.
Of course Sima Yi did not dare to directly spread the rumor that it was Cao Cao who took the initiative to keep the emperor, but it was Guo Jia who spread the rumor. Who would think that there was no instruction from Cao Cao?
Doing this can kill two birds with one stone. Sima Yi's biggest enemies at present are not Liu Zhang, but Xun Yu and Guo Jia, who were directly framed by Guo Jia. In addition, since Guo Jia took charge of the military, he suffered defeats from Guanzhong to Xuchang, as well as the impeachment of the civil servants of the family.
,Is it time for Guo Jia to fall?
As for Xun Yu, Sima Yi knew that Xun's uncle and nephew were very loyal to the emperor, so they put the blame on Guo Jia. As long as their acting was real enough, they first deceived Cao's soldiers and then all the aristocratic families. The Sichuan army's so-called blaming was actually a side story.
evidence.
Xun Yu and Xun You would also think it was Guo Jia, but with their intelligence, they could immediately think of Cao Cao. In addition, Cao Cao's disrespect for Liu Xie since Guanzhong could also deepen their doubts.
As long as Xun Yu and Xun You's loyalty to Cao Cao wavers, it will be easy to clean up.
"Third brother, within two months, my brother fell ill because of the death of the emperor. He was so sad that he fell ill. You are here to help Xu Huang handle military affairs."
Ignoring Sima Fu's look, Sima Yi continued: "The most important thing now is to stabilize the Yingshui defense line. It is already a certainty that we will hold on until Yujin's troops move south. But even if all our troops are combined, as long as the Sichuan army launches with all its strength,
Attacking still results in more wins than losses.
But the Sichuan Army may not necessarily start another war. The first point is that the Sichuan Army has been fighting for too long. The food and grass are definitely at the bottom. Moreover, they have just occupied Xuchang and collected a lot of surrendered troops. There is no one who can't digest it. The battle line is too stretched.
It's not good for them at all.
There is also uncertainty about the direction of the Sichuan army's attack, either Jiangdong or us. If our defense here is strong enough, they may not necessarily attack us.
If the Sichuan Army really starts another war, it will inevitably overdraw the supply of grain and grass in Jingyi and Guanzhong, and the construction of Guanzhong and the stability of Xuchang will be stranded. Then the Sichuan Army is a bloated fat man, and we are not afraid of him."
Sima Yi smiled when he said this: "The Sichuan army's occupation of Xuchang seems to be of great significance and the imperial capital, but the land of Yuzhou is connected to the Heluo Plain, and a place like this is a tug of war with us, and it is asking for trouble.
If the Sichuan army really overextends its internal affairs, ignores the development of Guanzhong and Xuchang, and attacks forcefully, as long as we hold on for half a year, they will still have to retreat. I, Sima Yi, am still confident about this."
Sima Yi was best at defense. He firmly believed that as long as he defended his territory, no matter what the war was like, he would not suffer any losses. The Sichuan army's occupation of Xuchang was just a point on a flat river. If there were too many directions to attack, too many troops would be restrained, even if
Having more troops than Cao's army may not necessarily form an absolute advantage.
Therefore, Sima Yi was not too afraid of guarding the front line of Yingshui.
"Of course, I still don't want the Sichuan army to start a war. What we need more now is to mobilize the resources of the major families, recruit new soldiers, train new soldiers, store grain and grass, and control the power of Cao's army in our hands.
Third brother, while my brother is seriously ill, please send me to Chenliu. The time has come and it is time for me, Sima Yi, to formally surrender to Cao Cao."
…………
Liu Zhang returned with his army from Xuchang. He also expressed the failure of the pursuit mission. The Sichuan army camped on the west bank of Yingshui River and called Wei Yan to discuss the next move.
"Wei Yan, if I want to send my troops to Yanzhou now, what do you think?"
"The last general is willing to accompany the army." Wei Yan said with enthusiasm.
"I'm not talking about this, I'm talking about what difficulties we will encounter? Do you think it is appropriate to march now?"
Wei Yan frowned and thought for a while, and his expression became solemn: "Lord, please forgive me for being blunt. If we succeed in breaking through Yingshui, then there won't be much pressure to enter Yanzhou, but now Xu Huang has led Shouchun's 40,000 troops and Yanzhou's three new recruits.
Thousands of people were stationed there, and all those noble families donated money and food.
Cao Cao was originally running out of food and grass. His treasury was withered, but now he is suddenly rich. And we don't have much food and grass anymore. If Guanzhong wants to recover, the investment will be very large, and we have no food to fight.
If we want to attack, the only way is to increase taxes. Not to mention raising taxes to arouse public resentment. Even if taxes are increased, Cao Cao's northern army will come down. Cao Cao will stay in the north to resist Wuhuan and the Yuan brothers.
The army under his command is very strong.
At that time, we will definitely face a decisive battle, a decisive battle between us raising taxes and bursting into wealth. Moreover, our rear is unstable. The families in Xuchang can rebel at any time, and the geography of Yuzhou is also very difficult for us.
unfavorable."
"It's the noble family again." Liu Zhang punched the table with his fist, his face flashing with anger. It was because of those crazy noble families that Ying Shui blocked the Sichuan cavalry with the threat of his servants' relatives.
It was okay for the clan to provide money and food. By doing this, even though Liu Zhang knew that they could only do this, he still felt angry. After all, it was his own army that was blocking him, because he missed a very good opportunity to defeat Cao Cao.
Liu Zhang's original plan was to drive Cao Cao north of the Yellow River.
Now that the Sichuan army wanted to attack, they not only had to fight against Fu Fu, who was fully supported by the family, but also prevented the family in Xuchang. The shadow of the family was everywhere, and Liu Zhang was inexplicably agitated.
"With so many difficulties, you just asked for help?" Liu Zhang looked at Wei Yan and said.
Wei Yan chuckled: "When it comes to fighting, there's no risk without taking risks. One battle will determine the outcome."
Liu Zhang thought for a while, and he naturally, like Wei Yan, hoped to end things once and for all, start a war in Yanzhou and drive Cao Cao to the northern region.
However, the consequences of failure are serious. If taxes are imposed, people's hearts will be lost. Yuzhou's land defense is unfavorable to the Sichuan army, which will contain too many troops. Moreover, if the Xuchang family rebels at a critical moment, the Sichuan army is likely to be routed thousands of miles away.
Zhou Buyi said at the beginning that the more prosperous you are, the easier it is to make mistakes, and mistakes are often fatal.
After a long journey and returning to Guanzhong, without enough food, Guanzhong would not be able to restore prosperity, and the consequences would be serious.
Moreover, Liu Zhang now knew that the opponent he was facing was Sima Yi, the old fox of the Three Kingdoms. According to history, what this guy is best at is procrastination, and procrastination will not pay for life. He must know the predicament of the Sichuan army and will definitely prolong the war.
The Sichuan Army, which is at a disadvantage in defense, simply cannot afford to waste it.
Liu Zhang was a little undecided about whether to advance or retreat. At this moment, a soldier came in and said: "Report, there is an urgent report from Wen Yujianye, the commander of the naval force."
"What? Wei Wen? Isn't he in the Chibi generation?"
Liu Zhang was stunned. The Sichuan navy in Chibi and the Jiangdong navy in Wulin were fighting to defeat Lü Meng and cut off the Yangtze River. Everyone, including the Sichuan army, thought Wei Wen was there.
Why did you go to Jianye? Liu Zhang took the military newspaper and read it. He was stunned and speechless at first, and then a joy came to his heart, Soochow, you are finished now.
"Wei Yan, immediately send an order to Yueying to return to Xuchang to discuss the Sichuan army's next march plan."
"yes."
Wei Wen made a surprise attack on Jianye and captured a large number of family members of the four major families in Jiangdong. An army of 40,000 had already threatened the heart of Jiangdong. Liu Zhang did not believe that Zhou Yu and Lu Su could do anything to Jingzhou.
Liu Zhang's joyful expression slowly settled. He thought of a person, Fu Shou. From a personal perspective, Liu Zhang was absolutely unwilling to do anything to Fu Shou, but even if it wasn't from a personal perspective, Liu Zhang still wanted Fu Shou to live.
Fu Shou was the empress. After the emperor's death, she came to take charge of the Sichuan Army in name only, and the Sichuan Army occupied the great righteousness. Although it could not attract famous men to attack, at least it was a well-known division, and the generals could stand up in single combat.
Moreover, if Fu Shou could match his confession, then Sima Yi would be convicted of framing the emperor.
Liu Zhang thought about walking to the back hall.
…………
In a small courtyard in Xuchang, a group of sons of aristocratic clans gathered together wearing inconspicuous coarse clothes. Xuchang is now closely guarded by Sichuan soldiers, and the guard of Xuchang, Wei Yan, is wide-eyed and finding fault. As long as these sons of aristocratic clans are caught in pigtails, they will
It is the crime of beheading.
The children of the aristocratic families who used to walk sideways on the streets now live like maggots in the gutter. They no longer dare to gather together openly. They still pretend to donate food to the Sichuan army and then enter the yard disguised as servants.
Diehard servants were standing guard outside, while a group of people inside were talking quietly.
"What is Wei Yan? It's too much. Five generations of the Cui family, two generations of three nobles, and one generation of ministers, actually let Mr. Cui crawl under his crotch. How is this different from barbarians?" A descendant of the noble family said angrily.
"Even barbarians are not so barbaric." Another person agreed.
"Okay, okay." An old man interrupted the two of them. It was Fu Gong, the head of the Fu family, who was once a minister, because the Fu family had been prominent for generations and had a high status in Xuchang.
"Mr. Cui has suffered humiliation, and I, Fu Gong, are also very angry, but we are not discussing Mr. Cui's affairs now. The Sichuan army has occupied Xuchang and strictly controlled our access. It threatens dozens of families in Xuchang. We must have countermeasures, otherwise we will not be subject to the
Humiliation is so simple."
"What can Mr. Fu do?" Everyone else looked at Fu Gong.
Fu Gong sighed: "As far as I know, Sima Yi is blocking the Sichuan army at Yingshui, and he and Xu Huang have set up the Yingshui defense line. Unless Liu Zhang wants a decisive battle, the Sichuan army will not be able to get through.
We really should have listened to Sima Yi and evacuated Xuchang immediately. Even if we lost some money, we wouldn't have all been trapped in the city. It's all our fault that Guo Jia, a poor man, caused our disaster today.
Since Sima Yi can only defend Yingshui at most, it means that we cannot be rescued by Cao Jun. With our strength alone, even if we all rebel together, we will only be destroyed.
The only thing we can do is to leave Xuchang and go to the place controlled by Cao Cao. All our family's properties are not limited to Xuchang. Even if we lose our property, we can make a comeback after we return. From now on, we will fully support Sima Yi."