The atmosphere inside the room suddenly became tense.
Mr. Songshan then slowly said, "Doesn't Your Excellency want to know what happened to Sima Yi afterward?"
Gu Jinghui looked at Mr. Songshan with suspicion.
Mr. Matsuyama looked back at him calmly.
Gu Jinghui hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke up, asking, "Please tell me, Mr. Songshan, what happened to Sima Yi later?"
Mr. Matsuyama did not answer but asked a question in return.
"Does Your Excellency know how many times Sima Yi feigned illness throughout his life?"
Gu Jinghui was taken aback and murmured, "...How many times?..."
So it turns out that Sima Yi was just pretending to be playing around when he had nothing to do.
Mr. Songshan shook his fan and said slowly, "He pretended to be sick twice. The first time was before the famous Battle of Guandu. Sima Yi did not think highly of Cao Cao and pretended to be sick to refuse Cao Cao's appointment. Although Cao Cao knew that he was pretending to be sick, he could only endure it because the situation among the warlords was unclear."
"After the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao and once again sent someone to invite Sima Yi to serve as an official. He secretly instructed the messenger that if Sima Yi pretended to be sick and refused to come out, he should be killed. But this time, Sima Yi chose to enter the court and serve as an official. After the death of Guo Jia, Cao Cao's most capable strategist, Sima Yi accompanied Cao Cao on his campaigns and became the second Guo Jia, deeply valued by Cao Cao."
Gu Jinghui nodded thoughtfully.
Mr. Songshan stopped, cleared his throat, and Gu Jinghui, who was delighted to hear this, was taken aback at first, then hurriedly called out, "Serve tea."
When the tea was served, Mr. Matsuyama slowly and gently waved his folding fan, his eyes half-closed, as if he were in a meditative state.
Gu Jinghui didn't dare to call out to him.
After a long pause, Mr. Songshan continued, "Sima Yi feigned illness a second time, which was the story I told you before. The Marquis only heard a small part of it before leaving."
Gu Jinghui hurriedly said, "Please don't find me dull, Mr. Songshan, and finish the rest of the story."
Mr. Songshan lifted his eyelids and said calmly, "Last time we talked about how Sima Yi was deeply trusted by three generations of the Cao family and was appointed by Cao Cao's grandson, Emperor Ming of Wei, as a regent to assist the young emperor..."
Mr. Songshan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "He was no match for Cao Shuang, another regent, in the court. So he pretended to have a stroke and stayed home to lull Cao Shuang into a false sense of security. When Cao Shuang and the young emperor left the court to visit the late emperor at Gaoping Mausoleum, he raised an army and seized control of Luoyang. He declared that Cao Shuang had rebelled, forced the Empress Dowager to issue an edict to remove Cao Shuang from his military power, and exterminated nine generations of Cao Shuang's father, mother, and wife, totaling twenty-seven generations. He also imprisoned Cao's descendants in Ye City, thus seizing power in the court. In the end, the Wei Dynasty was replaced by the Jin Dynasty."
Gu Jinghui gasped.
I had heard the Grand Tutor recount the history of the Wei and Jin dynasties when I was a student, but I had never been so shocked.
The reason is that he is no longer the young man who was focused on practicing martial arts, studying military strategy, and wanting to become a close friend of the former crown prince. Hearing this history, he feels that there is danger everywhere.
Gu Jinghui reached for his waist, but found nothing.
After being discharged from the armor, he had not hung any swords or knives at his waist for a long time.
People gradually become complacent in this way.
Mr. Songshan paused, waiting for him to calm down, before asking, "May I ask if Your Excellency wishes to hear this story because of your wife?"
Lord Gu asked in surprise, "How did you know?"
This statement was essentially the same as an answer.
Mr. Songshan said, “I have read some books and traveled around, so I have gained some knowledge. At the beginning of the year, when I visited Master Shouyi in Zhongnan Mountain, I heard that Lord Gu had made unparalleled contributions, so I went down the mountain to the capital. I thought that if I had the opportunity, I would like to meet the Lord. It was also a blessing from heaven that I was able to enter the Lord’s mansion. As soon as I saw him, I knew that the Lord was straightforward. Although he was good at military strategy and had superb martial arts skills, he was not good at political intrigue.”
After pondering the question for a while, Lord Gu asked curiously, "I wonder why Mr. Songshan wants to see me?"
Mr. Songshan said, "Lord Marquis single-handedly changed the fate of my Great Xing Dynasty. I will only feel at ease after meeting you."
That's a statement that really requires some thought.
Lord Gu asked, "Does Mr. Songshan perhaps think that my wife is skilled in political maneuvering?"
Mr. Songshan said, "That's for sure. Your wife is exceptionally intelligent; otherwise, I wouldn't have considered staying at the Marquis's residence for a while."
Lord Gu couldn't fathom Mr. Songshan's meaning, so he asked, "It would be good if Mr. Songshan would like to stay at the Lord's residence for a long time, but there is something I don't understand. I wonder what you seek in your heart?"
Mr. Songshan said, "Having learned both literary and martial arts, one can sell them to the emperor. I am studying and pursuing knowledge, hoping to have the opportunity to make a difference."
Lord Gu felt that his answer was rather perfunctory.
If the goal is to sell to the imperial family, why bother coming to the Marquis of Dingbei's residence?
Mr. Songshan brought the topic back, gently waving his folding fan and shaking his head slightly, and asked, "Has the Marquis gained any insights from learning from history?"
Gu Jinghui said, "I am just a military man, so my views are inevitably a bit shallow. Sima Yi is good at assessing the situation, lying low and patient, and he is also decisive and ruthless, striking with certainty."
Mr. Songshan chuckled and said, "I didn't expect the Marquis to be so cunning. He said so much but didn't say anything he should have. That's a good thing. But I have one question: Your wife is exceptionally talented and has great strategic acumen. How does the Marquis conduct himself in his daily life?"
Gu Jinghui was directly confronted and felt quite embarrassed. He forced a smile and said, "My father-in-law is the Grand Master of Ceremonies, and my wife is naturally very learned and talented. I already know this. If my wife were not intelligent and capable, how could I entrust the affairs of the mansion to her? As the saying goes, husband and wife are one. If my wife does a good job, I am happy. Do you expect me to compete with my wife?"
Mr. Songshan pressed on, asking, "Does Your Excellency consider being afraid of your wife a good thing or a bad thing?"
Gu Jinghui asked with a blank face, "What do you mean by being afraid of one's wife? Are you saying that I am afraid of my wife?"
Mr. Songshan laughed and said, "Does the Marquis not fear his wife?"
Gu Jinghui said, "How could I, a dignified seven-foot man, be afraid of my wife? My wife listens to me and always thinks of me, understands my difficulties, and plans for me..."
Mr. Songshan was forced to listen to a long speech by Gu Jinghui about how couples should get along lovingly.
Finally, as usual, Lord Gu concluded by mentioning his young wife's various expressions of admiration for him.
Mr. Songshan sighed, “The more I listen, the more I feel that the lady and the marquis are a match made in heaven.”
"Your insight is excellent, sir."
Lord Gu's displeasure vanished completely.
Mr. Songshan recounted casually, “When I was young, I traveled with my teacher and once met an official in Yunnan. His wife was beautiful and talented in her youth, so he both loved and feared her. Later, under her scolding, he even learned to read and write, starting as a minor official and gradually accumulating military merits, eventually becoming the head of a prefecture. Because of this, he loved to boast about his wife's abilities to everyone he met, and he was even proud of his fear of his wife. If he knew that someone was not afraid of his wife, he would feel indignant and unreasonable. Everyone else thought he was ridiculous.”
Lord Gu immediately said, "His wife is probably just like my wife. Others find it laughable, simply because they are not fortunate enough to marry such a good wife."
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