At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the heroes were divided
In the last years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a situation of division and chaos in the entire land of China. In order to compete for the right to rule the world, the princes of all walks of life have risen up to conquer and conquer, and the forces have become many separatist forces.
In this troubled era, it finally evolved into a three-legged situation of Wei, Shu and Wu. Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan fought to the death for the position of the lord of the world.
However, after years of fierce fighting, in the end, it was the Sima family who sat firmly on the throne. Although Liu Bei was assisted by Zhuge Liang, he never realized the ideal of supporting the Han Dynasty.
Zhuge Liang's empty city plan
In the confrontation between Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi, the most famous is Zhuge Liang's empty city plan, which retreated the 150,000 army led by Sima Yi. Sima Yi knew that Zhuge Liang was bluffing, why did he choose to retreat and not attack? In fact, there is a deep inside story in it.
The historical origin of the Sima family
The Sima family is a famous family in Chinese history, according to records, the Sima family is one of the five emperors, the descendants of Zhurong, that is, the descendants of the Zhurong family, so it is called Xia Guan Zhurong. From the ancient tribal period to the Shang Dynasty, the Sima family inherited the position of Xia official for generations. After King Wen of Zhou established the Zhou Dynasty, the official position of Xia Guan was changed to Sima, and when King Xuan of Zhou was given the gift of the emperor, the official position of Sima was changed to the surname of their family, and since then there has been the Sima family, and has lived in Hanoi County for generations, becoming a big family that has stood tall under the change of many dynasties.
Sima Yi's growth with Cao Cao
Born in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Sima Yi was strategic, read poetry and books, received the best education from his family, and understood the current political situation. When Cao Cao was just starting out, Sima Yi was known for his talent and became the target of Cao Cao's recruitment. Cao Cao, who was serving as Sikong at that time, heard about the young and promising Sima Yi, so he sent someone to write to Sima Yi, hoping to recruit Sima Yi to serve in his Sikong Mansion to assist him, which was equivalent to calling him as his guest.
However, Sima Yi did not have a good impression of Cao Cao, but he could not offend Cao Cao, so he replied that he had rheumatism, which was already very serious, and he could not move, and he had to stay in bed, and there was no way to assist Cao Cao. Cao Cao sent someone to Sima Yi's house, and saw that Sima Yi was bedridden and couldn't get up, so Cao Cao gave up. However, this incident became the fuse for Cao Cao's suspicion of Sima Yi later. Seven years later, Cao Cao became the prime minister, and he was still determined to summon Sima Yi out of the mountain, but Sima Yi was unwilling to join Cao Cao's camp, and Cao Cao decided to use coercive means to force Sima Yi to be recruited. Cao Cao said to the envoy who went to Sima Yi's house to lobby: "If Sima Yi still excuses himself because of illness, then he will be arrested directly and thrown into prison." ”
Sima Yi was suspicious
For the suspicious Cao Cao, Sima Yi was unwilling to follow him from the beginning, and he only joined the gang halfway under his coercion and temptation, which must be unreliable. Therefore, Cao Cao restricted the development of the Sima family, and at the same time showed suspicion of Sima Yi many times. However, Sima Yi established a good relationship with Cao Pi, and Cao Cao had an ambivalent attitude towards him and had to tolerate his existence. But Sima Yi knew that he and his family had always been jealous of Cao Cao, so he had been hibernating, carefully preventing Cao Cao from cleaning himself up, and at the same time showing that he had no second thoughts. This is also the reason why Sima Yi chose to withdraw from the army in the empty city plan.
Sima Yi's trade-offs
In the sixth year of Jianxing, Zhuge Liang waved his army north as planned and defeated Cao Cao in one fell swoop, but the miscalculation caused the Shu Han camp to lose an important strategic place. Sima Yi led an army of 150,000 to besiege Xicheng, while Zhuge Liang had only a few civil officials around him. In this case, Zhuge Liang used the empty city strategy and successfully retreated Sima Yi's army. Sima Yi knew that if he attacked directly, he would win. But he also knew that once he won, Cao Cao's suspicion of himself would inevitably deepen, and he would eventually eradicate himself. Therefore, he chose to retreat, using this as an excuse to show that he did not dare to attack, thus saving his life. This wise choice allowed him to preserve himself in the troubled times and laid the foundation for future usurpation of power.
Sima Yi's choice
Sima Yi himself also wants to earn a career, and he still despises Cao Cao's treacherous behavior in his heart. He knew that if Zhuge Liang of Shu Han was solved, Cao Cao's momentum would be even better, and it would only be a matter of time before he would sit firmly in the future. Therefore, he weighed the pros and cons of the Battle of Xicheng and finally chose to retreat. He was well versed in Cao Cao's temper and knew that only in this way could he protect himself and his family. Sima Yi's wise choice also laid the foundation for his future seizure of power.
Sima Yi's resourcefulness and mind
Sima Yi's resourcefulness and open-mindedness made him invincible in troubled times. He not only has a vision, but also is good at weighing the pros and cons, and is well versed in the world and people. He was well aware of his situation and Cao Cao's thoughts, so he was able to protect himself in the troubled times, and finally usurped the throne and seized power, becoming the founder of the Western Jin Dynasty.
Sima Yi's choices and wisdom are particularly precious in troubled times. He knew how to deal with Cao Cao and how to protect himself, and eventually won power and sat on the throne. His resourcefulness and open-mindedness not only showed his personal wisdom, but also added a touch of luster to the entire era.