Brief introduction and history of Sima Yi of the Three Kingdoms

The army captured Sanguan and Longcheng, and then returned to attack Sima Yi.　In August, Sima Yi followed Emperor Ming's instructions to "hold the wall and wait for labor", and held Zhuge Liang for more than a hundred days. Zhuge Liang challenged Sima Yi several times, but Sima Yi refused to come out, waiting for the Shu army to run out of food, and then counter-attacked. Zhuge Liang sent people to send Sima Yi "women's jewelry" ("Jin Book - Xuan Di Ji") to humiliate it, want to stimulate Sima Yi out of the war, Sima Yi still do not go to war. In order to calm the discontent of his subordinates, he deliberately pretended to be angry and submitted a petition for war. The Ming Emperor did not allow, and sent the candid minister Xin Bi staff section to do Sima Yi's military adviser, in order to control his actions. After Zhuge Liang came to challenge, Sima Yi will lead the troops to attack, Xin Bi staff section in the army door, Sima Yi will not go out.　When Xin Bi arrived, Shu general Jiang Wei said to Zhuge Liang: "Xin Bi staff section and arrived, the thief does not come out again." Zhuge Liang said: "He has no war feelings, so the solid invitation to war, to show martial arts in its crowd ear. Will be in the army, the king's orders are not, if you can control me, not thousands of miles and please war evil!" ("Three Kingdoms - Zhuge Liang biography" Pei Songzhi note "Han Jin Spring and Autumn Annals") Zhuge Liang then divided his troops in the cantonment, to do the preparation of the long cantonment.　Sima Yi's younger brother Sima Fu wrote to ask the front line military situation, Sima Yi replied: "Liang Zhi big but do not see the opportunity, more plans but less decision, good soldiers but no power, although mentioning the pawns of 100,000, has fallen into my painting, broken will be." ("Jin Book - Xuan Di Ji") Soon, Zhuge Liang sent an envoy to seek war, Sima Yi does not talk about the military, asked the messenger: "Zhuge Gong how to live, food can be a few meters?" The messenger said, "Three or four liters." Then he asked about political affairs, and the messenger said, "Twenty penalties have been imposed on all of them." After some careless inquiries, Sima Yi said to the people, "Liang will die." ("Three Kingdoms" Pei note "Han Jin Spring and Autumn Annals") Sure enough, Zhu Geliang died of illness in the same month in Wuzhangyuan army. Sima Yi Shu will not send a secret funeral, the whole army retreated. The local people see the Shu army withdrew, reported to Sima Yi, Sima Yi sent troops to pursue. The Shu general Yang Yi returned to the flag and drums, making a return attack, Sima Yi thought he was trapped, and hastily withdrew his troops back. The next day, Sima Yi visited Zhuge Liang's camp and praised Zhuge Liang as "a genius in the world!" ("Book of Jin - Xuan Di Ji") Xin Bi that Zhuge Liang's death is not yet known, Sima Yi said: "the military family is important, military books and secret plans, troops, horses, grain and cereals, now all abandoned, how can someone donate their five hidden and can be born? It is desirable to pursue them urgently." ("Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji"), then, rate of troops in hot pursuit. Guanzhong ground many thistles, Sima Yi sent three thousand soldiers feet wearing soft material made of flat bottom wooden clogs, walking in front of the army, thistles are pierced in the clogs, and then the army horse step and into. They chased Zhuge Liang all the way to the Red Bank, and only then did they get the exact news of Zhuge Liang's death. At that time, people had a proverb: "dead Zhuge walks the birth of Zhongda", Sima Yi smiled and said: "I will expect life, not convenient to expect death also." ("Three Kingdoms" Pei note "Han Jin Spring and Autumn Annals") lasted seven years Zhuge Liang attack Wei battle to this end. Zhuge Liang regardless of strategic blunders, to a state of the strong attack on the central plains of Wei, even if the loyal and wise, finally because of the disparity in strength and difficult to achieve its strategic purpose. Wei, on the other hand, under the correct command of Sima Yi and others, adopted a defensive strategy with superior forces, and eventually forced the Shu army to retreat without a fight, and achieved the final victory.　The Shu generals Yang Yi and Wei Yan competed for power after the retreat, and Yang Yi killed Wei Yan. Sima Yi wanted to take the opportunity to attack Shu, but Emperor Ming did not authorize it and called it quits. In the third year of Qinglong's reign (235), Sima Yi was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.　At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Gongsundu held Liaodong. This force was a submissive force to the Cao Wei regime, sometimes rebelling, sometimes surrendering, and maintaining a semi-independent status. After Gongsun Yuan became the governor of Liaodong, he became even more unfavorable to Wei. In the first year of Jingchu (237), Gongsun Yuan, the former governor of Liaodong, betrayed Wei and established himself as the king of Yan with a list of officials and the capital of Xiangping (present-day Liaoyang, Liaoning).　In the first month of the second year of Jingchu (238), Emperor Ming of Wei summoned Sima Yi back to the capital and ordered him to lead an expedition. Emperor Ming said: "This is not enough to labor the king, things want to be sure to win, so to annoy ear. What is your plan?" Sima Yi said, "Abandoning the city and leaving in advance is the best plan. According to the Liao water, we will be far away from the army, which is the second plan. If we sit and defend Xiangping, we will be captured." Emperor Ming asked again, "What will be his plan?" Sima Yi replied, "Only the brightest man can know his own depth, and it is out of his reach to abandon it. This is not what he is capable of. Now that the army is on a long expedition, the general will say that it cannot last long, so it must be far away from the water of Liao before defending itself, and this is the middle and lower plan as well." Emperor Ming asked, "How long will it take to return?" Sima Yi said, "A hundred days to go, a hundred days to return, a hundred days to attack, and sixty days to rest, a year is enough." (Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji) At that time, the court made great repairs to the palace, plus military supplies, so that the people were starving. Before Sima Yi left for his expedition, he advised Emperor Ming that, "In the past, Zhou Gong camped in Luoyi, and Xiao He built Weiyang, but now the palace is not ready, and it is my responsibility to do so. However, since the north of the river, the people are poor, and there are external and internal services, the situation is not concurrent, it is appropriate to leave the internal affairs, in order to save the time of emergency." (Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji) in the first month, Sima Yi rate cattle gold, Hu Zun and other foot riders 40,000, from the capital, through the Kuju, Jieshi, June, into the Liao Shui. Gongsun Yuan really ordered General Peiyan and Yang Jo to lead tens of thousands of horsemen and riders to surround the moat of Liao Shui for more than 20 kilometers, and to block the Wei army with high barriers.　Sima Yi adopted the strategy of attacking the enemy from the east and striking the west, firstly, he put up many banners on the southern line, pretended to attack the siege moat to attract the enemy's main force, and then he used his main force to cross the Liao River to force the enemy's camp. Then, instead of attacking the enemy camp, he swung his army to Xiangping, the base of Gongsun Yuan (the seat of Liaodong County, present-day Liaoyang, Liaoning). The generals did not understand what he meant and said, "To make a siege without attacking the bandits is not to show the public." Sima Yi explained, "The thieves have set up a strong camp and high barricade, and they want to use our soldiers as old men. This is why Wang Yi was ashamed to pass through Kunyang. The ancients said, although the enemy high barricades, had to fight with me, attacked its must save also. If the bandits' masses are here, their nests and caves will be empty. I point directly to Xiangping, then people with internal fear, fear and seek war, broken will be." (Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji) So he forced the enemy to give up the siege and return to rescue Xiangping. Sima Yi supervised his army to return to Shoushan (southwest of Liaoyang, Liaoning) to meet the enemy reinforcements, and told his generals, "That's why I don't attack his camp, I just want to achieve this, and I can't lose it." (Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji) The Wei army met the attack and won all three battles, and then took advantage of the victory to besiege Xiangping.　When Gongsun Yuan heard that the Wei army was attacking, he asked for help from Sun Quan, who also sent troops to support him, and wrote to Gongsun Yuan: "Sima Yi's good use of the army has no precedent, and I am y worried about my brother." ("Three Kingdoms - Gongsun Kang Biography" Pei Songzhi notes "Han Jin Spring and Autumn Annals") coincided with the heavy rainfall, Liao water surged, several feet of the flat ground, the Wei army was afraid, the generals want to move the camp. Sima Yi ordered that anyone who dared to say that they would move the camp should be beheaded, and Zhang Jing, the governor, was beheaded for disobeying the order, and the army's mind was put at ease. Gongsun Yuan's army took the rain out of the city, playing firewood and herding horses, at ease. Wei generals request to attack, Sima Yi did not accept. Sima Chen Gui asked Sima Yi: "In the past, when we attacked Shangyong, we had eight troops advancing in parallel, day and night, so we were able to pull out the city and cut down Meng Da in half of a day. Today's far away and more peaceful and slow, I steal confused." Sima Yi said: "The emperor said:" Meng Da less and food support for a year, my soldiers four times as many as the da and food not drowning month, to January figure a year, An can not be fast? To four strikes a, is to make half of the solution, still should be for it. It is not counting the deaths and injuries, and food competition. Today, I am not many thieves, thieves hungry, I am full, water and rain are, the work is not set up, although it should be promoted, but also what. Since the issuance of the capital, do not worry about thieves attack, but fear of thieves go. Today, the thieves food is dying, and the siege fall not together, plundering its cattle and horses, copying its woodcutting, this is why the drive away. The soldiers are tricky, good because of the incident. Thieves rely on the crowd rely on the rain, so although hungry and poor, not willing to bundle hands, when the incompetence to show that they are safe. Take a small profit to frighten, not plan." ("Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji") Then, Sima Yi also will trick, deliberately show weakness. When the court heard that it was raining heavily and the enemy was strong, many people requested that Sima Yi be summoned back. However, Emperor Ming said, "Sima Yi is prepared for danger, and he can count on capturing Yuan in the coming days." (《三国志-明帝纪》) After a few months of Sima Yi in the new version of the Three Kingdoms, the rain stopped and the water gradually receded. Wei army to complete the siege of Xiangping, up the earth mountain, digging tunnels, building floor car, hook and ladder and other siege equipment, day and night strong attack. The city ran out of food and died a lot, and its general Yang Jo surrendered. Occasionally there are meteors from the southwest of the city to the northeast, fell near the Liangshui, the city more and more shocked. Gongsun Yuan was also terrified, and in August, he sent his ministers Wang Jian and Liu Fu to ask for relief, and then surrendered with their hands tied behind their backs and their faces facing forward. Sima Yi beheaded the messenger, issued a diatribe of strict responsibility: "former Chu and Zheng listed countries, and Zheng Bo is still meat and lead sheep and welcome. Lone for the king, the position is on the public, and build, etc. want to unlock the retreat, is not Chu Zheng said evil! Two people old and senile, will rumor that the loss of purpose, has been chopped for each other. If you want to have not yet, you can send more young people who have a clear decision to come." (Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji) Gong Sun Yuan also sent his retainer Wei Yan to request a date to send the hostages. Sima Yi said to Wei Yan: "There are five major military maneuvers: to be able to fight when fighting, not to be able to fight when defending, not to be able to defend when leaving, and the remaining two things are only to surrender and to die. You are not willing to face the bondage, this is determined to die, do not have to send Ren." ("Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji") Gongsun Yuan want to break out from the south of the city, Sima Yi troops broke his army, Gongsun Yuan died in the Liangshui (now the Prince River) on the edge of the Starfall. After entering the city, Sima Yi slaughtered more than 7,000 men over the age of 15 and collected the corpses to build the Jing Guan (京观). The Jing Guan was a mound made of the bodies of enemies collected and sealed by the victor in ancient wars to show off his martial arts skills. He beheaded all the ministers appointed by Gongsun Yuan and killed more than 2,000 generals, including Bi Sheng. He collected 40,000 households and more than 300,000 mouths.　At that time, some soldiers in Sima Yi's army had cold clothes and begged him for jackets, but Sima Yi refused to give them. Someone said, "Fortunately, there are many old jackets, so I can give them." Sima Yi said, "襦 is an official thing, and human ministers do not give it out privately" (《晋书-宣帝纪》). So he petitioned the court to release more than a thousand soldiers over sixty years old from military service and send them back to their hometowns. Then, within the original one-year period, the army was victoriously dismissed.　Emperor Ming sent a messenger to Ji to reward his troops, and added Sima Yi to eat Kunyang County, before and after **** two counties.　Originally, the court told him to take a shortcut to the town of Guanzhong. But when arrived at the White House, there is an imperial decree called him to return to the capital with all speed, between three days, the decree five to. Emperor Ming's handwriting said: "between the side of the breath look to, to the straight rows of the pavilion into, see my face" ("Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji"). Emperor Ming's Orphanage It is said that when Sima Yi was in Xiangping, he dreamed that Emperor Ming was resting on his knee and said, "Look at my face." He looked down and saw that Emperor Ming's face had a strange color. Now, once he saw the edict of this language, greatly alarmed, ride the chasing car day and night, from the White House to the capital, more than 400 miles, one night and arrived. To then path people Jia Fu Hall inside the Royal bed next to the eyes full of tears, referring to the disease. Ming emperor took his hand, eye Prince Qi Wang, said: "after the matter entrusted. Death can be tolerated again, I endure death to wait for Jun, to see, nothing to hate again" ("Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji", "Three Kingdoms - Wei Shu - Ming Di Ji" for "I am very sick, after the matter belongs to the king, the king of its and Shuang auxiliary less son. I get to see Jun, no hate?") On that day, Emperor Ming died. It was the first month of the third year of Jingchu (239).　Cao Fang, the king of Qi, was only eight years old, and Sima Yi accepted the posthumous edict to assist the young lord together with General Cao Shuang. When the King of Qi assumed the throne, Sima Yi was appointed as the minister, holding the section, overseeing the Chinese and foreign armies, and recording the affairs of Shangshu, and Cao Shuang was in charge of 3,000 soldiers each, and he was in charge of the government.　Cao Shuang wanted to marginalize Sima Yi, and wanted to let the ministers to pass through him beforehand, so that he could be in charge of the government, so he advised the Emperor to appoint Sima Yi as the Grand Secretary. The courtiers thought that it was unlucky that many of the former grand secretaries had died in office, so they appointed Sima Yi as a tai fu with no real power, just like Xiao He in Han Dynasty, who entered the palace without tending to the emperor, and praised and worshiped him without naming him, and went up to the palace with his sword and his feet.　In April of the second year of Zhengshi (241), Emperor Sun Quan of Wu divided his army into four to attack Wei: General Quan Cong led tens of thousands of troops out of Huainan to break the water of Shao Pei (present-day Shouxian South of Anhui Province), General Zhuge Ke of Wei Bei attacked Liu'an (present-day northeast of Lu'an, Anhui Province), General Zhu Ran attacked Fancheng (present-day Xiangfan of Hubei Province), and General Zhuge Jin attacked Zuzhong (present-day Nanzhang of Hubei Province in the valley of the Barbaric River).　In May, Wu general Quan Qiong invaded Shao Pei, Zhu Ran and Sun Lun besieged Fancheng, and Zhuge Jin and Bubliang invaded Chaenzhong, so Sima Yi invited himself to send troops to discuss the matter. The courtiers thought that the enemy soldiers were attacking from afar, so they should wait for them to break up, but Sima Yi said: "If the border city is attacked by the enemy and you are sitting in the temple, the frontier will be in turmoil and the people will be doubtful, which is a great worry for the gods of the earth and grain" (Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji).　In June, Sima Yi unified army reinforcement, Sima Yi knew that the southern heat and humidity, the army should not last here, first sent light cavalry challenge, Zhu Ran did not dare to move. Then, he rested his soldiers. He selected the elite, recruited warriors, issued an order, and set up a posture to attack the city. The Wu army was frightened and retreated in the night. At the mouth of Sanzhou (the junction of Jing, Yu and Yang states), the Wu army was pursued by the Wei army, and more than 10,000 people were annihilated, and a lot of ships and materials were lost. The Wu army that attacked Liuan and Chaenzhong also returned without success.　In July, additional Sima Yi food place, Linying, before and after *** four counties, cognac 10,000 households, sons and daughters of eleven people are all lords.　Previously, Wu sent Zhuge Ke to canton Wancheng, the border people y thought bitter. Sima Yi to lead the troops to attack, the discussants thought that Zhuge Ke occupies a fortified city, wide grain, a lone army to attack from afar, the rescue will come, then the retreat is lost, did not see its convenience. Sima Yi said: "the thief's long water also, now attacking its city, in order to see its change. If the use of its strengths, abandon the city to run away, this is the temple victory. If you dare to defend, the lake winter shallow, the boat can not walk, is bound to abandon the water to save, by its short, but also my advantage" ("Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji"). So, Sima Yi in the first four years (243 years) in September, led the army to march. When the army arrived at Shucheng, Zhuge Ke really burned the accumulation and abandoned the city.　In the spring of the fifth year of Zhengshi (244), General Cao Shuang wanted to establish his fame in the world, and did not listen to the advice of the Imperial Minister Sima Yi, and strongly advocated the invasion of Shu, which was accepted by the Emperor of Wei. As a result, he was defeated by Wang Ping, the former supervisor of Shu and the general of Zhenbei, and the Wei army was blocked in Xingshi, and the supply of food to the rear of the army was not enough, and a large number of oxen, horses, mules and donkeys died, and the reinforcements of Shu Fuxian and Fei Yi also arrived one after another. Cao Shuang saw that he could not win, and was forced to listen to Sima Yi's advice, and returned with his army in May. The army was intercepted by the Shu army, and the Wei army fought hard before they could return, with many casualties.　Zhengshi six years (245 years) in the fall and August, Cao Shuang abolished the center of the base, the center of the battalion, the two battalions of soldiers to his younger brother Cao Xi leadership, Sima Yi cited the former emperor to stop the old rules, Cao Shuang did not listen.　In the first month of the seventh year of Zhengshi (246), Wu soldiers invaded Chaengzhong, and more than 10,000 families crossed the Shinnan River to avoid the Wu soldiers. Sima Yi thought that the south of Shinnan was too close to the enemy, and that if the people ran back, they would attract the Wu soldiers, so they should stay in the north for the time being. Cao Shuang disagreed and said, "It is not a long term strategy to keep the people in Shinnan instead of defending it." Sima Yi said, "No, it is not. Everything is safe when it's in a safe place. Dangerous ground is dangerous. Therefore, the book of war says 'success or failure, shape; safety and danger, potential'. Situation, the play of the Royal crowd, can not not be examined. If the bandits break the inundation with 20,000 people, 30,000 people hold with the army in the south of Shin, and 10,000 people in the middle of Chaenomeles, how will they save it?" (Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji) Cao Shuang did not comply, and drove the order to return to the south. The Wu army really broke through Chaenzhong, and lost tens of thousands of people.　The first eight years (247 years), Cao Shuang with beloved He Yan, Deng Yang, Ding Quiet strategy, the Empress Dowager moved to the Yongning Palace, a Cao Shuang brothers "monopoly of the government, brothers and the ban on the military, more trees and pro-party, and repeatedly change the system" ("Jin Book - Xuan Di Di Ji"), to crowd out the power of the Sima clan. Sima Yi could not forbid it, and from then on, his conflict with Cao Shuang deepened. In May, Sima Yi pretended to be sick and did not ask for political affairs. The people said: "He, Deng, Ding, messing up the capital" ("Jin Shu - Xuan Di Ji").　Thereafter, Cao Shuang and others stepped up the pace of usurping power. In March of the ninth year of Zhengshi (248), the yellow door Zhang Dang privately took the inner court talent Quartz