The temporary imperial palace in Zitong.
Sima Yi knelt before Lu Yu, while Xiahou Dun glared at him with an arrogant air. Lu Yu, looking displeased, addressed Sima Yi: "Jiangling being flooded by Guan Yu was one thing; I was in Hanzhong then. But this time, I personally supervised the battle in Zitong, and the war has turned into this mess. Sima Zhongda, you truly bring honor to me!"
Sima Yi replied softly, "Your Majesty, this defeat was due to Zhuge Liang's treacherous scheme, not a lack of strength from the Wei army. Your Majesty need not worry too much!"
Before his words could fully register, Lu Yu tossed the bamboo slip in his hand towards Sima Yi.
"Look at this. It clearly lays out every detail of this defeat. How many times have I repeatedly warned you? The surrendered generals from Shu under Zhuge Liang are trustworthy, but do not believe a single word from the surrendered generals of Jingzhou. Yet, you have disregarded all my advice."
Sima Yi lowered his head, "Your servant... is guilty!"
It seemed Lu Yu was placing all the blame on Sima Yi.
Combined with the statement... "The surrendered generals from Shu are trustworthy, but do not believe a single word from the surrendered generals of Jingzhou. Have you dismissed all my words as wind?" ...
This statement struck a nerve with Xiahou Dun.
At first, he wondered why Sima Yi hadn't informed him if it was the Emperor's command. But then... he quickly recalled that Sima Yi *had* informed him. The key was that Xiahou Dun, how could he possibly heed the advice of such a junior?
At this moment...
Xiahou Dun realized it wasn't that Sima Yi hadn't come to his rescue or cooperated with his plan, but rather... Sima Yi had strictly followed the Emperor's decree. The facts had proven that it was Xiahou Dun who had underestimated the enemy, and Sima Yi's actions were correct.
Suddenly...
Xiahou Dun, who had been furious and even prepared a blood-written memorial to accuse Sima Yi, bowed his head. He lowered the proud head, adorned with the merits of Qiaopei.
Lu Yu's few words... made him realize whose fault it truly was.
Sima Yi continued to plead for forgiveness, "Your servant failed to see through Deng Fang's feigned surrender, which led the Grand General into a perilous situation. During the battle, I noticed the terrain, nestled against the mountains and by the lake, was easy to enter but difficult to exit, a place for an ambush. I feared Zhuge Liang was designing a trap to lure our army, and thus... I was unable to rescue the Grand General in time. Your servant is guilty!"
Sima Yi seemed to have a clear conscience, or perhaps it was a tacit understanding between master and disciple. He likely took all the blame... This, in turn, made Xiahou Dun's resentment towards him vanish, replaced by admiration and gratitude.
"Indeed, guilty..." Lu Yu narrowed his eyes and slowly walked towards Sima Yi. "Ma Su was guilty, and Zhuge Liang still shed tears and executed him to enforce military discipline. Though you, Sima Zhongda, are my disciple, if you are guilty, I cannot indulge you. However, there are reasons for this matter, and the crime does not warrant death. Take him away, thirty strokes of the cane, demoted by three ranks, and he will still temporarily hold the position of commanding officer."
"Yes!" Sima Yi cupped his hands in acceptance... and withdrew from the grand tent with conviction. Shortly after, the sounds of caning echoed from outside the temporary palace.
Xiahou Dun's expression grew even more somber.
Lu Yu's voice was timely: "Although Sima Zhongda is my disciple, there is a distinction between closeness and distance; he is, after all, an outsider. The Grand General is my kinsman, one of our own. Are you satisfied with such a punishment for Sima Zhongda, Grand General?"
Satisfied? This...
Xiahou Dun's face flushed with shame. He was not satisfied; he was deeply dissatisfied. People value their dignity!
Xiahou Dun valued his dignity and reputation even more!
No matter how angry or furious he had been before,... once he knew the blame lay with him, and seeing that Sima Yi, though having merit and no fault, had taken all the blame for him, Xiahou Dun felt his face burning intensely, his entire being swelling with it.
A profound sense of shame swept over his entire body.
With a "clatter...", Xiahou Dun, in a rare display, knelt before Lu Yu. "Your Majesty, this is..." Lu Yu hurried to help Xiahou Dun up.
Xiahou Dun, however, frowned. "Yesterday, Mao urged me not to blame Sima Zhongda. As for the outcome of this battle... the defeat was because I fell into Zhuge Kongming's stratagem. I was still furious, saying our army was several times larger than the enemy's, and if Sima Yi had brought half the troops to reinforce us, with the advantage in numbers, how could we not have broken through? But after Your Majesty spoke just now, I finally realized... this situation was orchestrated by Zhuge Liang. He didn't want my life; he wanted the lives of all the Wei soldiers at Peishui Pass!"
*Huff...*
Having said this, Xiahou Dun exhaled.
Lu Yu intended to offer words of comfort, but unexpectedly, Xiahou Dun's frown deepened. "Your Majesty, I have fought battles for most of my life. I should not still be unable to distinguish who is right and who is wrong in this battle. Your Majesty punishing Sima Yi is to save my face, Xiahou Dun, and the faces of these Qiaopei warriors. But in reality... I should be clearer. I, Xiahou Dun, am not good at commanding troops; I am a perpetually defeated general!"
Lu Yu never expected that this arrangement between him and Sima Yi would allow Xiahou Dun to face all of this so candidly, to face his constant defeats.
"Grand General, do not belittle yourself," Lu Yu continued to comfort Xiahou Dun...
Xiahou Dun shook his head repeatedly. "Where am I belittling myself? I am truly deserving of the title 'perpetually defeated general'... I... no, I have one last request..."
"Grand General, please speak freely!" Lu Yu gestured.
Xiahou Dun took a deep breath and then said, "From today onwards, Your Majesty should no longer let me command armies in battle. My temperament is too impulsive and rash. I may be capable as a general, but I am not fit to be a commander!"
"Grand General..."
"Your Majesty, please let me finish," Xiahou Dun continued with an unwavering voice. "The command of my hundreds of thousands of troops... should have been handed over to Your Majesty long ago. I shouldn't have held onto it. Times have changed, and Your Majesty's thoughts are correct: those who are skilled at commanding troops, command them; those who are skilled at farming, farm. I, Xiahou Dun, am not skilled at commanding troops, but I can manage logistics and farming!"
"And once I resign this position as Grand General, those Qiaopei meritorious officials, those who have achieved great victories, will no longer dare to defy Your Majesty's orders, relying on past merits to openly request battle and make things difficult for Your Majesty... This is good for Your Majesty and good for Great Wei!"
Xiahou Dun seemed to have gained enlightenment overnight.
Lu Yu clasped Xiahou Dun's hands, feigning deep emotion... Xiahou Dun, supported by him, stood up once more.
"Alas... I am old, so old!"
"I wasn't good when I was young, and I'm even less capable now!"
Xiahou Dun bowed to Lu Yu one last time, lamenting the passage of time and his own incompetence. "It's just... it's just that Zhuge Kongming has stolen a great victory. Peishui Pass... is probably... probably going to be even harder to fight!" While lamenting, Xiahou Dun slowly retreated from the temporary palace.
Looking at Xiahou Dun's departing back, Lu Yu sighed...
Xiahou Dun had finally understood.
The rules of this era should indeed be like this—those skilled in warfare command troops, and those not skilled in warfare can also shine in other areas!
The Qiaopei warriors had achieved great merits, and they were Lu Yu's kinsmen, deserving of certain privileges. But these privileges... should not supersede imperial authority, nor should they become a means to threaten imperial authority!
With this thought, Lu Yu raised his head and gazed at the sky... murmuring softly. "Next... it's up to you!"
Just then...
From behind the curtain, Guo Jia slowly emerged. "Does Your Majesty dare to be certain that Liu Chan will recall Zhuge Liang?" "Don't forget," Lu Yu turned and looked at Guo Jia, "He is not Liu Chan; he is Cao Chan!"
"No matter what Chan... eventually, one must be willing to summon, and the other must be willing to return." Guo Jia continued to muse. "Indeed..." Lu Yu nodded slightly. "A pity, this Zhuge Kongming has the heart of a sage!"
.....
In Shu, Chengdu.
In the cellar of a tavern.
"The letter, you have all read it, haven't you?" Gan Fu asked Jiang Wei and the others present. Jiang Wei nodded.
Gan Fu pondered for a moment. "General Zilong has already begun repairing the road at Motian Ridge. Once Ah Dou's identity is revealed, our mission will begin."
As he spoke these words, Jiang Wei felt a great sense of honor and mission. He cupped his hands and said, "Special Forces Corps, ready at all times!"
After saying this, Jiang Wei showed a hint of worry.
"What is Captain Jiang worried about?" Gan Fu, seeing Jiang Wei's concern, asked proactively.
"I fear..." Jiang Wei hesitated before speaking, "Once Ah Dou's identity is revealed, this mission will not be easy. Zhen Rong, she..."
Clearly, Jiang Wei was worried about Zhen Rong.
*Huff...* Gan Fu also let out a sigh. He squinted and mused, "I hope everything goes smoothly!"
...
...
In Chengdu, within the imperial palace.
Liu Chan, beaming with joy, entered the imperial garden with Huang Hao. Zhen Rong was sitting in front of a drawing board, her eyes filled with tears.
Liu Chan, not noticing, walked along, smiling and asking, "Sister Zhen, the painting from yesterday is not yet finished. Today... Sister Zhen must teach me to finish it before she leaves."
As he spoke, Liu Chan suddenly heard Zhen Rong's sobs. Liu Chan panicked, "What's wrong, Sister Zhen? Who bullied you?"
Zhen Rong remained silent...
Liu Chan became frantic and quickly asked, "Sister Zhen, tell me, so I know who bullied you. I... I'll cut off his head!"
As he said this, Zhen Rong reached out and covered Liu Chan's mouth.
Liu Chan looked bewildered. Huang Hao, standing nearby, said, "Your Majesty, regarding this matter... I have heard something." Liu Chan turned and shouted, "Speak quickly..."
Huang Hao explained, "...A while ago, Prime Minister Zhuge won a victory, didn't he? With increased confidence, Prime Minister Zhuge requisitioned more troops. With more troops, the food supply became insufficient. So... the Prime Minister... ordered the requisition of grain throughout Bashu."
"Prime Minister did this? What does this have to do with Sister Zhen?" Liu Chan quickly asked.
Huang Hao continued to explain. "Miss Zhen's family is a merchant family, with extensive business dealings throughout the empire, including in our Bashu. However, the Prime Minister's forced purchase of Zhen family's grain at a low price was already outrageous. He also demanded delivery to Peishui Pass within ten days. The Zhen family's horse teams merely encountered some treacherous terrain and were delayed by a few days. The Prime Minister then severely punished the Zhen family... and ordered the confiscation of all Zhen family businesses in Bashu, and the arrest of all Zhen family members. More than half have already been apprehended."
Liu Chan was stunned...
Zhen Rong's crying intensified. Liu Chan could not bear this. He quickly said, "Then... I'll go and talk to the Prime Minister, tell him not to blame the Zhen family, alright? At worst... he can scold me a few times too!"
Zhen Rong said with grievance, "When Lizhi Road fell and Jiameng Pass was lost, officials advised the Emperor. Your Majesty, as the Crown Prince, issued an edict on behalf of the late Emperor, sparing Ma Su. But the Prime Minister ignored it and immediately executed Ma Su. This matter was also left unresolved. Your Majesty is the Emperor, the Prime Minister is the minister, but when has the Prime Minister ever listened to Your Majesty's words? If only one edict is issued, this matter will also be left unresolved. My Zhen family... so many of my family members are..."
Huang Hao, standing by, added fuel to the fire with a sinister tone, "Yes, the Prime Minister seems to disregard Your Majesty. He clearly knows about Your Majesty's relationship with Miss Zhen, yet he acts this way... This... could this mean something else?"
Huang Hao's words made Liu Chan falter. "Then... what does the Prime Minister mean?"
"Holding heavy troops and eliminating the Zhen family to establish authority, this is testing Your Majesty's bottom line. If Your Majesty does nothing, then perhaps... in a few months, will Shu Han be surnamed Liu? Or Zhuge?"
Liu Chan was startled. He shook his head repeatedly, "No, Prime Minister is not disloyal to Shu Han. He swore an oath before my father's遗诏, to serve with utmost devotion until death... If Prime Minister harbored aspirations of independence, at that time, he... he would have declared himself emperor!"
Zhen Rong said with sobs, "Could it be that at that time, Prime Minister's prestige was not enough? At that time, Shu troops were in continuous retreat, and the morale was scattered. Even if he declared independence, what would it matter? But now... he has defeated Cao Yu, then... the situation is completely different."
Liu Chan's legs went weak, and he sat on the ground, "I... I still don't believe it!"
Huang Hao continued to add fuel to the fire, "Your Majesty might as well try. Your Majesty issues an edict, ordering the Prime Minister to return to the court to discuss the matter of the Zhen family. If... if the Prime Minister refuses and continues to act against the Zhen family, then he has intentions of independence..."
"What if Prime Minister returns? And listens to me, and doesn't act against the Zhen family?"
Huang Hao continued, "Then Your Majesty can be assured, and your Sister Zhen will not have to cry anymore. Isn't this killing two birds with one stone?" Liu Chan felt it made sense... He blinked his eyes, "Yes... yes, that's how we'll do it!"
.....
.....
A day later, Zhuge Liang, holding the imperial edict in astonishment, questioned Jiang Wan.
"Now that our army has just defeated Cao Yu, our morale is high. At such a juncture, what urgent matters are there in the capital that require my hasty return? If I return, how will the frontline soldiers fare? How will their morale be sustained?"
Zhuge Liang was heartbroken.
Jiang Wan said regretfully, "We all tried to advise against it, but His Majesty is adamant... It seems, it seems to be related to the Prime Minister's actions against the Zhen family." "They might be spies!" Zhuge Liang worriedly frowned... He said painfully, "It must be that young lady from the Zhen family in the palace who has bewitched His Majesty!"
Yang Yi angrily said, "Huang Hao by His Majesty's side is no good fellow either!"
Wei Yan said coldly, "His Majesty lost his father at such a young age, and the Prime Minister has always been strict. How can the Chief Clerk Yang, who has not experienced His Majesty's suffering, understand the affection between His Majesty and the eunuchs around him?"
Changing his usual stern and sharp demeanor... Wei Yan's attitude surprised Yang Yi.
"Prime Minister..." Jiang Wan also advised, "I also know that the morale of the three armies is currently high, and all wish to achieve merit. If we retreat upon command... it will be difficult to find such high morale again in the future. In my opinion, Prime Minister might as well not reply for now. I think His Majesty will make excuses to the Emperor when reporting back. Given His Majesty's respect and awe for the Prime Minister, he will certainly not blame you."
Yang Yi immediately agreed, "What Chief Clerk Jiang said is reasonable..."
Wei Yan mused, "A general outside the capital does not necessarily obey the ruler's command, which can also be said to be acceptable." However...
Zhuge Liang merely looked at the imperial edict with heartbreak, remaining silent! Respect...
He could bear His Majesty's respect, but how could he bear His Majesty's awe? In this world, only subjects fear their rulers, how can rulers fear their subjects?
Finally, Zhuge Liang spoke, "I will return..." "Prime Minister..." everyone cried out in unison.
Zhuge Liang said helplessly, "We are all ministers of Han. If we use troops to defy orders, it is bullying His Majesty. How can we face the late Emperor's遗诏? Without loyalty and trust, how can we win the trust of the people, and how can we command the army!"
At this point, he looked up at the sky in resignation.
He murmured, "Cherish the worthy and reject the wicked; this is why the former Han prospered. Cherish the wicked and reject the worthy; this is why the latter Han declined! His Majesty has wicked people around him, and the fault lies with me! Cough cough..."
Towards the end, Zhuge Liang coughed violently...
He covered his mouth, lowering his voice... After a long while, he weakly lowered his hand, revealing dots of bright red on his hand! He silently gazed at the bloodstains in his hand!
......