Chapter 2554: Throwing stones to ask for directions
After paying a heavy reward to the ranger who came to report the news and asking Sima Lang to deliver it in person, Sima Fang''s face darkened.
?After a while, Sima Lang turned back and sat aside, "Father...this matter, I''m afraid it''s not a trivial matter..."
Sima Fang’s eyelids were half-closed and half-opened, “Let’s talk about it.” 』
Sima Lang said in a deep voice: "If it is a recruitment, just send three or five soldiers and deliver the documents... so many soldiers coming... is definitely not a good thing!" 』
"snort! Are you bullying someone into losing your health? Sima Fang sneered, then gritted his teeth and said these words.
Sima Fang has been weak and sick for the past two years. It is not a top secret. The surrounding gentry and powerful people know it, and Le Jin and others in Hanoi also know it.
Hanoi gentry, headed by Sima.
Le Jin didn''t have much patience to blend things slowly, so he wanted to achieve quick results, suppress the Hanoi nobles, and make the local Yingchuan nobles bow their heads and obey like Prime Minister Cao. One mode was to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, and the other mode was naturally to capture the thieves first. Capture the king!
Killing chickens to scare monkeys is often because monkeys are difficult to catch and chickens are easier to bully. But now...
Sima Shi is this "king"!
In the words of later generations, it is "Kill him while he is sick." Since Sima Fang is sick, just pinch him while he is soft!
Is this normal logic?
“Father, is it possible that you are not afraid of us...” Sima Lang frowned, “If we fight to the death? 』
Sima Fang grinned, revealing some yellow-black remaining teeth, "Haha...how do you know he doesn''t really want us to fight to the death?" 』
"This..." Sima Lang finally became a little panicked, "Isn''t it like this?" 』
Sima Fang raised his hazy eyes and looked into the distance, "I''m really ill at the wrong time..."
Of course, it is possible that Le Jin felt that if Sima Fang, a bad old man who was about to die of illness, wanted to scare him, he might not actually take action. He could only let the Sima family lower their heads and stick up their butts to get slapped, and then order other families in Hanoi to do the same. Just stick your **** out, isn''t it simple?
After all, only under the teachings of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in later generations, many people know how powerful the Sima family is. In the current Han Dynasty, from the perspective of the entire Han Dynasty, the Sima family is not ranked highly, and it is only famous in Hanoi County.
Peace talks, or splitting accounts, etc., must be conducted when both parties feel that they can cooperate and have generally equal status...
?Like now, Sima looks down on Le Jin, and Le Jin doesn’t think Sima is great, so how can they sit together and share the accounts?
?The current branch of the Sima family in Wen County is descended from Sima Jun. Sima Jun is somewhat similar to Liu Bei when he is higher up. He is a descendant of so-and-so king. It''s okay to talk about it every day. It''s really embarrassing to talk about it every day like Liu Bei...
And Sima Jun, the general who conquered the west, committed suicide.
Sima Jun committed suicide. On the surface, it seemed that it was related to some failed military operations and he committed suicide out of fear of crime. However, in fact, it may not be simple. I believe it is more of a political issue.
After Sima Jun, Sima Liang, and Sima Jun have nothing to say. Generally speaking, middle-class people, even after Sima became emperor in later generations, could not find any special deeds to praise them. It can only mean that they are "erudite and fond of ancient times". Suave and generous. He is eight feet three inches tall, has a belt of ten girth, and has a strong demeanor, which makes him stand out from the rest..."
?Well, growing tall and strong was indeed a skill in the Han Dynasty.
What skills does Sima Fang have now? Have you done anything big?
Does having eight sons count?
Perhaps.
So much so that later historians pondered for a long time, but they really couldn''t find any glorious deeds of Sima Fang. In the end, they could only say that Sima Fang complained a lot. Hundreds of thousands of words." Hundreds of thousands of words may seem like a lot, but they are not even a fraction of Ma Hou. Therefore, it is indeed possible that based on the above factors, Le Jin did not even feel the need to come to Wen County himself, and sent an army commander to conquer the sky. After all, isn''t it just a matter of dealing with a poor old man?
Scare, Sima Fang is not afraid.
But what if Le Jin’s soldiers and horses this time are not just a bluff?
Sima''s ruthlessness and forbearance are traditional and are in his bones.
On the couch, Sima Fang, who was already a little thin, opened his closed eyes, and there was a ruthless look in his drooped triangular eyes.
??This is a useless attempt to bully an old man...
Looks like I can’t bear it anymore. ” Sima Fang said slowly, “This time, even if I endure it, it will probably break my muscles and bones... Don’t forget, this Le Jin Le Wenqian suffered a big loss at the hands of the hustle riders back then..."
Sima Lang''s expression was solemn, "My father''s intention is..."
Sima Fang raised some of his eyelids and said, "I''m afraid it''s for you!" 』
Sima Lang took a breath and frowned, "If this is the case, it''s really a safe disaster!" 』
??Although Sima Lang is not as clever and cunning as Sima Yi, he is not bad at all. After thinking for a while, he understood what his father Sima Fang meant.
??It''s really possible that this is aimed at him!
It can’t be said that this is a “cool trick” developed by Le Jin after learning from Mr. Lao Cao!
???Didn’t Mr. Lao Cao “hold the emperor’s hand to command the princes”?
??Didn’t we hold a red and white flag in Yingchuan?
?So what’s wrong with Mr. Le Jin’s plan to “take an heir to command the gentry”?
What''s the problem with forcing Hanoi''s gentry to take sides?
?After the army arrives at the city, they can find any excuse, such as bandits appearing in the Taihang Mountains, and ask Sima Lang to cooperate, or directly order Sima Lang to be recruited as a counselor in the army. Anyway, there are many reasons.
If Sima Lang refuses, saying that Sima is protecting himself or something, Le Jin can also find excuses, such as just a temporary secondment, or asking Sima Lang to prove that his father is his father...well, it is to prove that the Sima family has nothing to do with those thieves. Wait, are you trying to find fault anyway? As a member of the government, if you don’t have this ability, then what the **** are you doing?
Without looking at the checkpoints on the road, if you stop a caravan, no matter how complete the procedures are, can you still find some problems?
?As long as the driver''s license... bah, after Sima Lang is pinched in his hand, can other problems be a problem?
?So Sima Fang may be fine, but Sima Lang will never look back even if he is a meat bun beating a dog.
When the time comes, if Sima Lang is pinched and then comes back to threaten Sima, will Sima tolerate it or not?
“My child...” Sima Lang didn’t know what to say for a moment, “My child...”
"You don''t have to be like this..." Sima Fang shook his head slightly and sighed, "No, this is inevitable... Even if we don''t hate Le Wenqian today, we will hate Cao Mengde tomorrow!" Sooner or later, sooner or later... Think about it, that war horse..."
War horse? Sima Lang looked up at Sima Fang, "Father, how is this possible?" We are very careful..."
"No matter how careful we are, there will be times when we are exposed..." Sima Fang sighed, "Besides, what''s the use of just being careful?" There are people in Hanoi who are watching our collapse, and then they can take over this business! 』
…” Sima Lang fell silent.
That is indeed the case.
War horses are big business.
As a senior official under the Hussars, Sima Yi can obtain the sales quota of some war horses from legitimate channels. But when these sales quotas are in the hands of Sima''s caravan, how can he follow the price set by Cao Cao?
Official price is the official price.
Looking at the market, the prices of war horses are very in line with the standards and are not exaggerated at all. Reasonable freight, reasonable profit margins, and reasonable label prices.
But it’s just out of stock…
The stables were empty.
But if the price is increased several times, it will be available again!
If the price were higher, there would be better war horses!
The channels for "semi-smuggling" war horses in Hanoi are all in the hands of the Sima family.
The reason why it is called "semi-smuggling" or "Juqi" is because the horses are sold legally from the Hussar side, but when they get to Cao Cao, the war horses have entered the black market and no longer appear in the market.
For example, it is like mobile phones and graphics cards at a certain stage in later generations. They must be regular when they come out from the manufacturer, but then they are out of stock halfway. At the end of the consumer, they want There are no affordable ones at all, and you can’t buy them at the prices listed on the website...
Sima Fang sneered and said, "I just have inconvenience in my legs and feet. I am not just lying in bed with no light and waiting to die!" This is already a knock on the door. If I really wait until the day when I stretch my neck and kick my legs, I won''t be bullied in any way! 』
“Father...” Sima Lang said, “How should we respond? 』
Sima Fang pondered for a while and said, "Go and call Ma Dalang." We have to know how many people are coming... If there are few people, there is still some room for maneuver. If there are many people coming..."
Sima Lang took a breath, nodded, then stood up and went out.
Not long after, Sima Lang came with Ma Chong.
Sima Fang greeted Ma Chong to sit down with a smile, and then asked: "Ma Dalang, have you been at Sima''s house for ten years?" 』
"If I return to Grandpa, it will be ten years in more than two months..." Ma Chong replied respectfully.
Sima Fang nodded and said with emotion: "It''s been ten years..."
Sima Fang raised his head, not knowing whether he was feeling nostalgic for his youthful years in the past, or saddened by the passage of time.
?Ma Chong glanced at Sima Fang, feeling somewhat uneasy.
After a while, Sima Fang sighed softly and said, "To be honest, that young chivalrous man came here in the evening to report a misfortune to the Sima family!" 』
Ma Chong couldn''t help but widen his eyes, "What trouble?" 』
Sima Fang forced himself to stand up, and then bowed to Ma Chong, "Ma Dalang, I have an unkind request..."
…╰(‵□′)╯…
Looking at the Chenjiaping camp from a distance, it looks like a huge monster squatting in the shadows.
It has already fallen into the night, and the bright moon hangs high above our heads.
??In any case, the camp in Chenjiaping still looks a bit like it, with dug earth forming a moat, trees forming a fence, and sentries standing high. Ma Chong crouched behind the rock, his eyes flickering.
?Hurrying all the way, we finally arrived at Chenjiaping.
He is also afraid.
But being afraid or shrinking cannot solve the problem.
Back then, Ma Chong''s father risked his life to give Ma Chong and his brother a place in the Sima family. Now, it is Ma Chong''s turn to risk his own life to give his brother and his children a place. Expand a wider space!
What''s more, what Old Madam Sima said is somewhat reasonable. First of all, Ma Chong is a hunter and often goes out hunting, so it is not easy to arouse suspicion when he appears here. On the other hand, among the sons of the Sima family, many people in Chenjiaping know each other. If he is recognized, his life is secondary. Afraid of delaying important events.
after all…
?Ma Chong’s wife and children are also still in Simawu Fort.
"Ma Dalang, we..." The other two hunters next to Ma Chong looked at the Chenjiaping camp, with some trembling in their voices, "We...are really going there like this?" 』
Ma Chong took a breath and looked at the other two trembling hunters beside him, "No... I''ll just go..."
Ma Dalang! 』
This, how can this be done? ! 』
??Although the two hunters said that this was not possible, they obviously did not look as trembling as before. "How about we all just take a look here..."
They are located only two or three miles away from Chenjiaping.
Going around from behind the rock, there is a flat river. As long as the sentinels in Chenjiaping pay a little attention, they can see its traces.
Ma Chong shook his head and said, "That''s inappropriate." What the old man wants is the number of soldiers. What can you tell by just looking here? 』
?Ma Chong looked at Chenjiaping''s camp and said, "You have to go there to know how many people there are!" Besides, if you don''t sneak in, how can you set fire to the camp? 』
The two hunters looked at each other and remained silent.
That''s right, if you just rush back and say something random, you can still communicate, and you may even not reveal any flaws, such as exaggerating a little, or saying that you didn''t see it clearly, or simply talking about Chen Jiaping''s defense. It''s so tight that you can''t get in. Is it possible that the old lady can come here to check it out with her own eyes?
But, that’s not how things work…
?Ma Chong took a deep breath and said, "Give me the thing!" 』
Ma Dalang…』
Ma Chong looked determined, "Give me the thing!" 』
Ma Chong saw that the two hunters actually didn''t have the guts to get close, so instead of risking exposure and taking these two guys with them, it was better to give it a try himself! At least you don''t have to worry about when these two people reveal their flaws and hold you back!
The two hunters looked at each other, then took out a small bamboo tube to light the fire from their arms and handed it to Ma Chong, "Ma Dalang...are you really...going to go?" 』
"Stop talking nonsense," Ma Chong hid the small bamboo pipe that started the fire. "If you are shot outside, run back immediately!" Sima Taigong will not blame you... If I can sneak in, you just wait... Well, wait for an hour. If after an hour, I still can''t light the fire... You also go back..."
Ma Chong reached out and caught two or three pheasants and hares in his hands, "Do you remember?" Ma Chong said in a deep voice, having already made up his mind, and there was some determination in his expression.
The two hunters looked at Ma Chong''s face and nodded silently.
Under the moonlight, I saw Ma Chong grinning, showing his white teeth, "Remember to tell the old lady when you go back, I, Ma Chong, have lived up to his ten years of protection!" 』
Ma Chong stretched out a hand, patted the two hunters, then stood up from behind the rock and strode forward.
Ma Dalang…』
『It’s so heroic…』
The two hunters stood on the rock and watched Ma Chong''s figure heading towards Chenjiaping, and couldn''t help but sigh.
?After a while, the two hunters looked at each other and said, "You..."
"I…"
permit
"you say…"
"Hi! You say it first! 』
『No, you better say it first...』
?The two were silent for a while.
Because both of them could see timidity and withdrawal in each other''s eyes, but they did not dare to speak out of shame.
‘Alas…’ One of them sighed, then turned to look at Ma Chong’s figure, ‘Forget it, not everyone can be a hero…’
『Whoever says a bad word about Ma Dalang again from now on, I will fight with him! "The other person patted the rock in front of him, as if slapping an enemy, "Ah, Ma Dalang has been discovered! 』
Under Chenjiaping, Ma Chong was spotted halfway by the barracks sentry on the ping ground, who then ordered him to stop and undergo interrogation...
?Suddenly some soldiers were running back and forth in the camp, and the firelight was flashing randomly.
?Ma Dalang raised the prey in his hand high and seemed to shout something into Chenjiaping.
?After a while, several people came out of the camp, surrounded Ma Chong, as if they were questioning him, and then escorted Ma Chong into the camp.
"broken…"
『Will it be discovered...』
The two hunters couldn''t help but start to shiver behind the rocks again.
"what to do? 』
‘Shall we go back now? 』
"..." The two hunters shivered for a while, and then found that there seemed to be no special movement in the camp. Their nervousness gradually relaxed a little. Just as they were about to discuss what to do, they heard some small sounds coming from behind. They were so frightened that they immediately turned around and looked back, "Who?" Who is over there? 』
??A figure appeared not far away, shaking his hands empty, "It''s me." Has Ma Dalang gone in? Why are you two here? 』
“…” The two hunters recognized each other and breathed a sigh of relief, “Oh, it’s Liulang-kun, why are you here?” Ma Dalang was captured and taken to the military camp..."
Sima Jin came up with two followers, then looked towards Chenjiaping, and said in a calm tone, "What does Ma Dalang have to say?" 』
The two hunters looked at each other, and then repeated what Ma Chong said.
‘Well,’ Sima Jin nodded, ‘Ma Dalang… is really good…’
Sima Jin looked at the barracks on Chenjiaping in the distance, and seemed to be counting the numbers. He immediately took a breath of cold air, his face darkened, "Okay, let''s go..."
The two hunters were a little confused, "Huh?" Go back now? Can''t wait any longer? 』
"You two have to wait, that''s fine..." Sima Jin turned his head, but put on a smile, "Or, go back with me?" 』
The two hunters looked at each other, and then laughed a little awkwardly, "Well... naturally we will follow Liu Lang..."
‘Well, let’s go! ” Sima Jin stretched out his hand to indicate that the two hunters should go first.
??The two hunters were confused and seemed to feel that something was wrong, but they couldn''t tell where the problem was. They looked at each other, nodded in confusion, and walked back.
Having just taken a few steps, two people suddenly jumped out from the shadows. One of them held down a hunter, covered his mouth and nose with one hand, and stabbed him with a knife with the other hand!
"You chickened out..." Sima Jin clasped his hands behind his back, not even looking at the two hunters who were struggling on the ground. "The Sima family treats you two well. We are also hunters. Ma Dalang did well, and then he took the risk." ...If Ma Dalang dies but you survive, how should I look to meet Ma Dalang’s family? What should I tell others? Oh, those who shrink from battle will live, but those who have the courage to take responsibility will die? 』
Sima Jin continued to move forward, "Throw the body into the ravine!" Clean it again, don’t leave any traces...』
(End of this chapter)