In "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", it is well known that Zhuge Liang is one of the characters who is mythologized, but Sima Yi is also treated by myths. When Zhuge Liang set out on the expedition of Qishan, Sima Yi skillfully relied on his ingenuity and won everywhere, making Cao Zhen lose face, and even the exploits of the Battle of Jieting became Sima Yi's halo.
However, the real history reveals a different side. Cao Zhen successfully blocked Zhuge Liang's first Northern Expedition, and the victory in the Battle of Jieting was the credit of the general Zhang He, and it had nothing to do with Sima Yi. Cao Zhen even laid out Chencang in advance during Zhuge Liang's second Northern Expedition, and did not have much intersection with Sima Yi.
Sima Yi's real battle with Zhuge Liang as a commander dates back to 231 AD. Cao Zhen's illness caused Emperor Cao Rui of Wei Ming to use Sima Yi to break Liaodong, which was the first time Sima Yi confronted the high-profile Zhuge Liang. Faced with his younger brother Sima Fu's inquiry, Sima Yi replied confidently: "Don't worry!."Although Zhuge Liang has great ambitions, he cannot understand current affairs, he is rich in strategy but indecisive, and likes to use soldiers but is not good at flexibility. Even though he came with an army of 100,000, he had already fallen into the palm of my hand, and defeating Zhuge Liang was like a bag to get something!This historical depiction makes Sima Yi's triumphant posture more vivid.
However, the development of the story shows the side of Zhuge Liang's so-called "more resourcefulness and less decision". In 234 AD, during Zhuge Liang's last northern expedition, Sima Yi saw what a "nemesis" was. According to the "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms", Zhuge Liang actually cut wheat in Shangqi!This record seems strange, it is obviously a confrontation between the two armies, why do you want to describe Zhuge Liang's wheat harvesting operation?It turned out that Shangtai belonged to Cao Wei's territory. Since the grain and grass of the Shu Han Dynasty has always been a problem for Zhuge Liang, he adopted the method of "wooden oxen and flowing horses" to transport grain. Under Sima Yi's nose, Zhuge Liang actually harvested grain on Cao Wei's territory, and Sima Yi was helpless.
This plot makes the whole story even more confusing. When Sima Yi said before the war that "defeating Zhuge Liang is a piece of cake", how could he let Zhuge Liang harvest his own grain in the battle?This reversal is incredible. When Zhuge Liang ran out of food and retreated, Sima Yi ordered Zhang He to pursue, but Zhang He was killed by an arrow in the battle with Zhuge Liang, and Sima Yi had to pursue again in person, but in the end he left the impression of "fearing Shu like a tiger".
In 234 AD, when the news of Zhuge Liang's death came, Sima Yi finally gained the courage to pursue again, but when he saw the shadow of "Zhuge Liang" appear, he was so frightened that he turned around and fled. This scene is ridiculous, and even the "Book of Jin" twistedly admits the saying that "Dead Zhuge scares away the living Zhongda". In the end, Sima Yi praised Zhuge Liang: "The genius of the world is also!.""It makes the whole story of history dramatic.