Chapter 941: The Rise of Conspiracies

Sima Yi looked at the edict in his hand and sneered, "As brilliant as the sun shining brightly, yet it contains such schemes. Truly worthy of my own family."

"Zhongda, stop laughing. Chen Zichuan has officially started targeting the aristocratic families. This is different from the seemingly hopeless vows of two years ago; it is a concrete declaration. Moreover, he now possesses the strength to carry out his promises," Sima Lang said with a hint of helplessness. Xu Zhi's edict might fool those below the top tier, but it is far from deceiving the likes of Xun Yu or top-tier strategists like Sima Yi.

"Big Brother, has our family ever failed to achieve what it intended? Although it is hard to admit, one must acknowledge that his eyes seem to see through history itself, preparing for the future and calculating every step," Sima Yi said with a smile, without any trace of hesitation.

"Alas!" Sima Lang sighed, "As Sima Yi said, Chen Xi's methods are always a combination of softness and firmness. He never places hope on a single thing. His strategies are mostly premeditated, and when they erupt one day, it will be discovered that one is already deeply mired."

"Rather than focusing on such distant matters, it is better to think about how to handle the Xianbei and Qiang Hu. Currently, the situation of the Lord Cao is not looking too good," Sima Yi said calmly. "As for our family dealing with the aristocratic families, it is still a distant prospect for us. Our family has yet to fall from grace."

Sima Lang forced a smile, feeling that he and Sima Yi's conversation today seemed like talking to a duck.

"Big Brother, rest assured. The one who has targeted the aristocratic families cannot fundamentally change one thing: his own identity. And both you and I understand him. Whether he is merciful or compassionate, he has never done anything to the extreme," Sima Yi said with a hint of unusual emotion in his eyes.

To be honest, Sima Yi was too tired to evaluate Chen Xi. If he could reach the height of Chen Xi, grasping the world's trends, he would certainly not proceed so slowly.

"I regret saying things too decisively back then. Now, we can only grit our teeth and continue. The concept of opposition and unity is not false!" With the passing years, Sima Yi's wisdom had grown continuously. By now, he had a profound understanding of the book on opposition and unity from back then, even starting to forge his own path based on that foundation.

"Chen Zichuan's achievements are probably just beginning. After all, with no clear path ahead, even with his astonishing talent, it is unlikely he can find a way quickly," Sima Lang shook his head and said.

The words spoken back then were indeed too absolute. Although no one knew them, with the temperament of the Sima brothers, they would not look back now. They should focus on their own duties and act with their true intentions.

Whether they win or lose in the end, it would not have a major impact on the Sima brothers. Their status ensured that even in defeat, they would not end up with nothing.

"Big Brother, you are mistaken. Chen Zichuan’s path is probably already in his hands. What the book from back then said was very accurate—opposition and unity; all contradictions are interconnected. Hence, there is a point of balance to resolve them," Sima Yi shook his head. To this day, he had to admit that the most refined book he had read in recent years was the one on opposition and unity from the Taishan Library. Without mentioning the content, just the ideas were far superior to all the books he had read until now.

"This is also your and Kong Ming's opportunity. The books I read with Ziyu were merely minor details evolved from your two books. It’s a pity that those books seem to have a magical effect. The first volume was the most shocking," Sima Lang said with a wry smile.

Over the years, Sima Lang had also collected some lost books from Taishan. Although they were refined and modified by Cai Yan and others into masterpieces, they had lost the initial impact.

To be precise, Sima Lang, with his mature worldview and understanding, was deeply affected by the first book of this type he encountered. The second book, however, fell short in comparison, which is why it is called an opportunity.

"Indeed, it is an opportunity," Sima Yi said with a nostalgic expression. The wisdom gained from those books did not significantly increase his knowledge but provided a fresh perspective and method of problem-solving.

"Enough about him. No matter how formidable he is, he will need some peace for a while," Sima Lang decisively changed the topic. Liu Xuande had risen from nothing in just a few years. More importantly, his foundation was solid. A towering building starts from the ground up, and the most feared thing in power is an unstable foundation.

"Not talking about him. Do you want to discuss something else?" Sima Yi smiled and said. With the current situation of the world, major events mainly revolved around Liu Bei's forces. Anything else, even events concerning Cao Cao and Sun Ce, were mere small matters.

"Perhaps the Lord is about to take action," Sima Lang said thoughtfully.

"Although the Qiang and Hu are numerous, they are only minor ailments," Sima Yi shook his head. "On the contrary, what I mentioned earlier is the root of all problems. Liu Bei is the real enemy. Therefore, current priorities are not only to strengthen oneself but also to cut off Liu Bei’s future power while strengthening oneself."

"Chen Zichuan’s ability to calculate every step and the way many things naturally fall into place—planting seeds and eventually reaping the desired results—makes it seem effortless. Relying solely on Lord Cao's capabilities, not to mention catching up, it is even difficult to see the dust," Sima Yi said with a mocking expression.

"……" Sima Lang was helpless. The topic was once again brought back by Sima Yi.

Meanwhile, Cheng Yu, after fulfilling Cao Cao's responsibilities, began to ponder a problem. If one were to say which of Cao Cao’s civil officials is the most loyal, it would undoubtedly be Cheng Yu. He could betray his own beliefs for Cao Cao’s ideals, dirty his hands and heart, and even risk falling into disgrace, cursed by future generations.

Cheng Yu valued Cao Cao's foundation the most and was willing to do anything to protect it. However, Cao Cao's foundation had already been greatly affected, and it could even be said to be in danger of dissipating.

Although there were consecutive schemes by Xun Yu, Cao Cao’s one mistaken war had put everything to waste. If not for the Battle of Xuzhou, Cao Cao would now certainly have tens of thousands of soldiers and be a significant threat. Unfortunately, the Battle of Xuzhou made all the efforts of Xun Yu and Xi Zhicai go to waste!

This wasted the best opportunity for a decisive battle and also the strategic advantage gained from Xun Yu and Xi Zhicai’s early move to dominate Yanzhou and seize Nanyang.

Fortunately, Cao Cao managed to rise again, but even to this day, he had not recovered his vitality. Not to mention contending with Liu Bei, even uniting Yong and Liang was impossible. Under such circumstances, Cheng Yu had no choice but to consider other methods.

Previous Chapter | | Next Chapter