NOVEL WEB Chapter 41 - Sima Yi’s First Campaign
Chapter 41. Sima Yi’s First Campaign
After Unryong’s army merged with Zhang Yang’s forces, everything was resolved in an instant.
The remnants of Dong Zhuo’s army were already losing morale, and Unryong’s forces steadily cut off their supply lines.
As a result, the chaos in Henei was being quelled.
The progress was visible.
In a small inner chamber, where sunlight split into several rays, a girl and an old man sat facing each other.
“I heard your martial skills are exceptional, but…”
The old man, with a dignified appearance, stroked his beard. His name was Sima Jun, the grandfather of Sima Yi and the pillar of the Sima family, also known as the “Lying Tiger”, a man of extraordinary abilities.
“Who would’ve thought you could turn the tide with a mere five hundred soldiers?”
“It’s not all that surprising.”
Sima Yi smiled brightly.
“After all, that’s the power of those called ‘Fierce Generals.’ And furthermore, he’s a hero of the coalition, who stands against even the ‘Peerless Warrior of the World.’ That’s why the warlords are so obsessed with talented people.”
“However, your brother said that person is still inexperienced. He told me we should still question whether they possess the qualities of a hero.”
“Well, we’ll have to see for ourselves.”
Sima Yi’s lips curled into a cold smile. Her brothers treated her like a child and looked at her affectionately, but in her eyes, her granddaughter already showed the keen gaze of a seasoned politician.
But only in front of Sima Jun.
The girl’s eyes gleamed with ambition, as if asking to be acknowledged, as if she was the only reliable talent in the Sima family.
In these turbulent times, such an attitude was necessary.
Thus, Sima Jun was fond of his granddaughter.
Usually strict and composed, he would lean forward and smile kindly when facing her.
“So, what’s your opinion?”
“I don’t know. It’s dangerous to make hasty judgments.”
“But we don’t have time. Your father is in Luoyang. Now that the coalition has disbanded, we must make a decision.”
“What do the other Sima Eight Talents think?”
“Isn’t it obvious? They insist that we should immediately turn back and head to Louyang.”
Sima Yi nodded as if she expected that.
“Now is the time to prioritize safety.”
“Yes, that’s right. So, what do you think?”
“…Grandfather, shall we play a game?”
Sima Yi suddenly proposed. Sima Jun tilted his head but nodded nonetheless.
Then, the girl quickly ran over to bring out a Go board.
Once the board was set, the girl made the first move.
Naturally, it was the star point.
“The Han Dynasty has faced many hardships and trials.”
Countless corruption, the tyranny of the eunuchs, the yellow shadow cast over the sky, and even Dong Zhuo’s army.
The imperial family had continued to rot, beyond the point of no return.
“Our Sima family has done our best to guide the nation as loyal subjects of the Han.”
“Indeed, you’re right.”
As the game progressed, influence began to form on the left side, and Sima Yi pointed to it.
“Now, the ruler of the land is Dong Zhuo.”
“But he’s finished now.”
Click, Sima Yi’s black stone was surrounded.
The girl nodded with a bright smile.
“Yes, even though the coalition has disbanded, no one will let that cruel man be. What do you think will happen next?”
The black stones began to spread from the left to the center.
Sima Yi continued to place her stones, and Sima Jun did his best to respond to her moves.
Attacking the center, then the lower-right corner, then the upper-right, and suddenly the upper-left.
“The land is filled with heroes. Have you heard? The Imperial Seal has disappeared.”
“Yes, I’ve heard.”
Sima Jun began to sweat. How far into the future was this small girl seeing?
“A dynasty that lasted a hundred years. But who won’t raise a flag against an already fallen dynasty? No, now everyone will rise.”
“Since the failure of the punitive expedition, the coalition has been silent.”
“Even so, those who ignore legitimacy will surely appear. Just like the eunuchs did, and just like Dong Zhuo.”
Before long, the Go board was filled with black stones.
The white stones had completely vanished without a trace.
“Are you saying they’ll covet the throne?”
Sima Jun asked.
“At the very least, a similar chaos will once again descend upon the world.”
“Rain will fall.”
“And it will pour very heavily.”
Click!
Sima Jun threw down his stone. He had lost completely.
“So, what should the Sima family do?”
“Right now, we have nothing. So, we must first take shelter from the rain.”
“So, are you saying we should align ourselves with the Governor of Shangdang? We won’t achieve anything in such a rural place. On the contrary, your father in the court will only be in greater danger.”
“He seemed kind, but I’m not particularly interested in him.”
“Well, stop beating around the bush.”
In the end, the story Sima Yi wanted to tell was clear from this game.
The girl desired victory. And it had to be a complete one.
“Who do you think is closest to ruling the land?”
“Well, it’s probably the two men from the Yuan family.”
“They wouldn’t care about us.”
“Exactly.”
“The survival of our family is at stake. We must be careful. Why are you being so roundabout?”
“To be honest, I’m just not sure yet with my limited knowledge. Grandfather, what are we, the Sima family and the Qingliu faction, waiting for?”
Sima Jun closed his eyes. He had witnessed many things over the decades.
The eunuchs’ tyranny and their deceitful tongues.
Under the strict laws of the imperial court, it was never the emperor who stood at the top.
Thus, like other noble families, Sima Jun had also joined the Qingliu faction.
He wanted to escape the tiresome political struggles.
Yet, they could not let go of that tiny bit of ambition.
“Heroes.”
“Yes. We are waiting for a true hero, one who will reach out from this burning pit.”
“So, are you saying we should rely on that hero? Even though we have no one to depend on, we must bow to that hero first?”
“Grandfather, it’s not just a mere hero. Whether or not he possesses heroic qualities, the fact remains that everyone is already praising him as a hero. He is the perfect temporary shelter.”
Sima Yi smiled coldly, a smile unbefitting her age.
“Even if he isn’t a hero, it doesn’t matter. However, he’s already being hailed as the hero of the coalition. No one would criticize us for attaching ourselves to him temporarily.”
Ultimately, it was a matter of legitimacy.
In that respect, Unryong was the perfect candidate.
He had achieved clear victories, his forces were small, yet he had the power to protect them.
“For now, just think of him as a tool, Grandfather. We’re only preparing for the storm. When the time comes, we can decide who is truly fit to rule the land.”
“Yes, he’s a talent even the other lords desire, so it will be beneficial for us to build a relationship with him.”
Sima Jun nodded in satisfaction, patting his knee.
“In that case, Yi, keep an eye on him.”
“Yes.”
Even if someone appeared useful, they still needed to determine if he was trustworthy.
In other words, she would be the information network.
“I will keep a close watch on him.”
“Yes, with you on this, I can be at ease. Everything is for the safety of our family.”
“For the prosperity of the Sima family.”
Sima Jun chuckled as he stood. He tapped his back, a sign of his old age.
The girl also stood. Her movements had an elegance that belied her age.
Discipline and restraint.
Indeed, she was the masterpiece of the Sima family. At least, Sima Jun had no doubts about that.
One day, this Zhongda would surely lead the revival of the Sima family.
After Sima Jun left,the girl gently ran her fingers over the Go board that was left behind.
“For the safety of the family.”
Then, *snap!*
The girl roughly grabbed the black stones. Her small hands couldn’t hold them all, and the stones scattered everywhere.
“I don’t care about that, Grandfather.”
The girl was always bored.
She was tired and weary.
To her, the members of the Sima family were nothing but cowards.
Fools who only cared about their own safety.
Useless people who preached lofty ideals with no substance.
And yet, the reason the girl had no choice but to be loyal to the Sima family.
What the girl lacked was power.
Her young age was a problem, and the Sima family had no capable soldiers.
But now, all the conditions were in place.
The conditions for the girl to act.
As she saw it,this Unryong was nothing but a fool. You could tell just by looking at his attitude. Wasn’t he born a beggar? His foolishness was proportional to his origins.
How hard she had worked over the past few days to gauge him.
Thus, he was nothing but a tool.
A tool to become her sword.
The girl had that ability.
At least, that’s what Sima Yi believed.
Therefore, whether he possessed heroic qualities or not didn’t matter to her.
In the end, everything was just a tool to showcase her talents.
Finally, Sima Yi stood.
This was her monumental first campaign.