diymy Chapter 62 Let Sima Yi come to his own door to meet his death.
Chapter 62 Let Sima Yi come to his own door to meet his death.
"What's wrong? Young Master Gu won't take us in?" Lu Lingqi asked again when Gu Cheng remained silent.
Gu Cheng was about to speak when Xu Chu said, "Miss Lü, if General Gao stays, he can be a young master's bodyguard like me. What can you, a young lady, do?"
Lu Lingqi said with dissatisfaction, "He can be a bodyguard, but I can still protect your young master. Don't underestimate me." "Oh, with your spoiled princess temperament, you can actually lower yourself to be a bodyguard?" Xu Chu looked unconvinced.
He then changed the subject with a chuckle, saying, "However, I see that you seem quite interested in our young master. Staying as his concubine would be most suitable for you."
Lu Lingqi shuddered, her face instantly turning crimson. She scolded, "You idiot, what nonsense are you spouting!" The two were about to start arguing. "Alright, stop shouting!" Gu Cheng had no choice but to interrupt, saying, "Since you've asked, how could I refuse? If you want to stay in my Gu family, then stay."
Lu Lingqi breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes. She then cupped her hands in greeting and said, "Then I thank Young Master Gu for taking me in. Please feel free to give me any instructions."
"That would be wonderful." Gu Cheng's eyes lit up, and he said, "Actually, I have something I'd like to trouble Miss Lü to do." "Please speak, Mr. Gu." Lü Lingqi asked happily, seemingly pleased to serve Gu Cheng.
Gu Cheng then asked, "Miss Lü has been in Hanoi County for several months now. Do you know anything about Wen County?" Upon hearing "Wen County," Lü Lingqi immediately understood what Gu Cheng wanted her to do.
She readily agreed, saying, "I stayed in Wen County for a few days and know where the Sima family is. If Young Master Gu wants to destroy the Sima family, just tell me to do it."
"She's clever; she understands immediately," Gu Cheng thought to himself, secretly praising her.
"You must immediately set off for Meng County, meet up with that young master Cao, give him this brocade pouch, and together you will go to Wen County to wipe out the Sima clan!"
As Gu Cheng spoke, he took out a brocade pouch from his bosom and handed it to her.
Lu Lingqi took the brocade pouch, but asked suspiciously, "What's inside?"
Gu Cheng said calmly, "Young Master Cao is going to destroy the Sima clan, so he will definitely be concerned about the pressure from the fishing boats. This brocade pouch contains the solution."
Realizing her mistake, Lü Lingqi put the head into her bosom and cupped her hands, saying, "Don't worry, Young Master Gu, I will definitely bring back Sima Yi's head for you!" Immediately, Lü Lingqi left the Gu residence, crossed the Yellow River to the north, and went to Meng County.
Meng County, the county seat.
"Young Master, three hundred elite soldiers have assembled. Please give the order!" Zhao Yun entered the hall and reported to Cao Ang.
Cao Ang nodded slightly and said, "Zilong, Fengxiao, you stay in Meng County and rest the soldiers. I will lead these three hundred men to Wen County."
"Wen County?" Guo Jia looked doubtful and couldn't help but ask, "What is the eldest young master doing in Wen County?"
Cao Ang hesitated for a moment before saying, "Since you are all friends of my brother-in-law, I won't hide it from you. I'm going to Wen County to slaughter the Sima clan!"
Upon hearing this, both men changed color.
Guo Jia asked urgently, "Why would the eldest young master slaughter the Sima clan for no reason?" "Yes, how is this related to Young Master Liheng?"
Zhao Yun was also puzzled.
Cao Ang did not hide anything and told them that Sima Yi had assassinated Gu Cheng, and that Gu Cheng wanted to exterminate the Sima clan as revenge, so he told the two of them. "That dog Sima Yi actually wanted to harm Prince Liheng!" Zhao Yun clenched his fist, his face immediately burning with anger.
"What kind of status does Young Master Liheng have that Sima Yi would want to harm him for no reason? It's truly despicable!" Guo Jia was also furious, but a trace of apprehension flashed in his eyes.
"But this was ultimately Sima Yi's doing. Wouldn't it be a bit much to exterminate his entire clan because of him alone?" "Furthermore, Sima Fang was once our lord's patron. If the eldest son were to slaughter Sima Fang's entire clan, it might bring slander upon our lord."
Guo Jia expressed his concerns.
Cao Ang resolutely replied, "I have considered Fengxiao's concerns, but my swift victory over Sui Gu is all thanks to my brother-in-law's brilliant plan. Since I have promised him, I must do my best to fulfill it!"
He disregarded the consequences and was about to lead his troops away. At this moment...
A guard reported that a female general, claiming to be acting on the orders of Young Master Gu, had come to see Cao Ang. "She's my brother-in-law's woman!"
Cao Ang's eyes lit up, and he waved his hand, saying, "Please come in quickly." Not long after.
Lu Lingqi, dressed in military uniform, entered with her head held high and cupped her hands in greeting: "Lu Lingqi, a guard under Young Master Gu, greets Young Master Cao." Lu Lingqi!
Lü Bu's daughter!
The name immediately shocked everyone present.
Even Cao Ang, who knew that Gu Cheng had saved her outside Xiapi, was taken aback. "Miss Lü, you actually went to seek refuge with Young Master Gu?"
Cao Ang couldn't help but ask in surprise.
Lu Lingqi said calmly, "Young Master Liheng has been kind to me. Since I have nowhere else to go, I can only seek refuge with him. Fortunately, he has taken me in and allowed me to be his guard."
Cao Ang suddenly understood.
"She is Lü Bu's daughter, so proud and arrogant, yet she's willing to serve as her brother-in-law's bodyguard. I must say, her brother-in-law truly possesses extraordinary charm..."
After a moment of reflection, Cao Ang asked, "I wonder if Miss Lü has come here because Young Master Gu has some instructions for her?" "I am quite familiar with Wen County. Young Master Liheng has instructed me to act as his guide, to accompany the eldest son in annihilating the Sima clan." "Young Master Liheng also said that the eldest son has reservations about annihilating the Sima clan, so he asked me to give this brocade pouch to the eldest son, saying that it contains a solution."
Lü Lingqi explained her purpose and handed over the brocade pouch.
Cao Ang's body trembled, and a look of surprise welled up in his eyes.
Guo Jia gasped, his eyes narrowing in shock.
Just moments before, he had warned that the massacre of the Sima clan might cause unnecessary trouble. Unexpectedly, Gu Cheng had anticipated this and even provided Cao Ang with a solution.
"This young master Li Heng is like a dragon, appearing and disappearing without a trace, yet everything is under his control. Such wisdom and strategy truly leave me far behind..."
Guo Jia sighed inwardly, clicking his tongue in dismay.
Cao Ang had already opened the brocade pouch and taken out the silk scroll inside. Guo Jia and Zhao Yun both crowded around to examine it. The scroll contained only a short line of text:
They changed into the armor of the Hanoi army, disguised themselves as defeated soldiers, and slaughtered the Sima clan.
Cao Ang and the other two suddenly realized what was happening, and the gloom on their faces vanished in an instant.
"After Sui Gu's defeat, a large number of his routed soldiers will flee to various counties, where they will take the opportunity to loot and plunder."
"If we disguise ourselves as defeated soldiers from Hanoi, we can slaughter the Sima clan without leaving a trace. Who can blame Young Master Cao then?"
"Brilliant! That's a brilliant move. How come I didn't think of that?" Guo Jia exclaimed in admiration, but also felt a little ashamed.
The silk book was closed.
Cao Ang laughed loudly, "Then what are we waiting for? Immediately order three hundred men to change into their armor and follow me to Wen County to slaughter the Sima family!"
Wen County, Sima Family Manor.
The manor was already decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, exuding joy and celebration. Inside the main hall, Sima Yi, dressed in his wedding attire, looked dashing and spirited.
Today is Sima Yi's joyous day. He is going to the Zhang family in person to marry Zhang Chunhua, the daughter of the Zhang family. "Zhongda, Sui Gu has been defeated and killed. That young master Cao has captured Meng County. Cao Cao's hand has reached our Hanoi Commandery, which is completely beyond your expectations."
"I'm worried. That young master Cao's military campaign is so swift. Is Gu Cheng behind it all?" "What if he and that young master Cao accuse you of sending someone to assassinate him? I'm afraid the situation will become quite bad." Sima Fang frowned deeply, his face full of concern.
"Cao Ang's swift victory over Sui Gu was indeed beyond my expectations. However, Lord Yuan will certainly not sit idly by and watch things go wrong. I believe he will soon send troops to deal with Hanoi. It is still unknown who will be in charge in the future."
"As for that matter, as I have said before, based solely on Wang Yue's word, I reckon that Young Master Cao wouldn't dare to make any rash moves against me."
"Father, please rest assured, everything is under my control," Sima Yi said calmly, offering words of comfort. Sima Fang was somewhat relieved.
"The auspicious day is approaching. I will set off now to the Zhang family to fetch the bride. Father, if you have any concerns, we can discuss them upon my return." Sima Yi then left the Sima family, leading the wedding procession with music and fanfare, heading towards the Zhang family. Not long after Sima Yi headed east, a large army surged towards him from the west.
The area in front of the Sima Manor was already bustling with activity.
The Sima family was a prominent clan in Hanoi, and with Sima Yi's wedding today, it was no surprise that many powerful and influential families from the region came to offer their congratulations. Sima Lang, the eldest son, stood at the entrance to greet the guests. Just then, Cao Ang led three hundred elite soldiers, rushing in. "Brother, those are soldiers from Hanoi, the remnants of Sui Gu's forces!" Sima Tong exclaimed, pointing ahead.
Sima Lang frowned, but said, "Don't panic. What is the status of our Sima family? Even if Sui Gu is killed, his remaining forces wouldn't dare to disrespect our Sima family!"
Sima Tong finally breathed a sigh of relief. In the blink of an eye, Cao Ang led his army to attack.
Sima Lang stepped forward and said loudly, "Are you General Sui's men? Have you come to congratulate my second brother on his wedding?" "Who are you? State your name!" Cao Ang pointed his long sword and shouted sharply.
Sima Lang remained calm and composed, cupping his hands in greeting: "I am Sima Lang. May I ask this general's esteemed name?" "Sima Lang!" Cao Ang's eyes blazed with murderous intent as he sneered, "We were defeated by Cao Cao's army. Our brothers have no food or money. We have come today to plunder your Sima family!"
Sima Lang's expression suddenly changed, and he said urgently, "How dare you! We have a relationship with the Ma family..." He didn't finish his sentence.
Cao Ang raised his sword and brought it down. *Crack!*
Sima Lang's head rolled to the ground. A commotion immediately erupted in front of the mansion gate.
Sima Tong's face paled in horror, and he roared in grief and anger, "You bunch of defeated soldiers, how dare you kill my elder brother! You—" Before he could finish the word "you," Lü Lingqi beside him thrust out her halberd with lightning speed. "Pfft!"
Sima Tong was stabbed in the chest, a bloody hole appearing in his chest. His eyes widened, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud. This scene stunned all the nobles and guests around him. "Have these defeated soldiers gone mad? How dare they kill two young masters of the Sima family!" "Whose men are these? How dare they plunder the Sima family!" "Run! Don't let us get caught in the crossfire!" Terrified murmurs suddenly rang out.
Clearly, all the witnesses present regarded Cao Ang as Sui Gu's defeated soldiers. "Brother-in-law's plan was brilliant, deceiving everyone!"
A cold smile flashed across Cao Ang's eyes. Then...
His eyes flashed with ferocity, and he brandished his blood-red sword: "Today I'm only robbing the Sima family. It's none of your business. If you want to live, get out of here!"
The guests awoke with a start, hastily scattering in panic. "Charge in! Slaughter the entire Sima clan!" Lü Lingqi brandished her halberd and charged into the manor on horseback. Cao Ang followed closely behind, leading three hundred disguised defeated soldiers, who surged into the Sima estate. The slaughter resumed.
The Sima clan members were slaughtered, their cries of agony echoing across the land. Though the manor housed several hundred private soldiers, they were no match for Cao Ang's fierce troops, and were routed in all directions. The surviving members of the Sima clan retreated step by step, driven into the ancestral hall. At this moment...
Sima Fang was still offering incense to his ancestors when he saw his sons scrambling in, and his expression changed drastically. "What's going on here?" Sima Fang asked in a deep voice.
"Father, a band of Sui Gu's defeated troops has arrived outside. They're killing everyone they see, saying they're going to loot our Sima clan and slaughter our entire family as well!"
Sima Fu cried out in a trembling voice. Sima Fang's face changed color in horror, and he exclaimed, "It's common for defeated troops to loot, but how dare they plunder our Sima family?" Before he could finish speaking...
The main gate of the ancestral hall was then kicked open.
Cao Ang spurred his horse, sword in hand, and stormed into the hall, stepping over the corpses of the Sima clan. Three hundred fierce soldiers surged in, surrounding Sima Fang and his surviving sons. Sima Fang stepped forward angrily, shouting, "You band of bandits! Do you know who I am? Do you know the status of the Sima clan in Hanoi? How dare you kill my sons! Do you know the consequences?!"
"Sima Fangyao, I'll kill you!" Cao Ang roared, slashing out with his blood-red sword once more. "Crack!" Sima Fang's head was severed, and his body crashed to the ground.
Sima Fu was horrified and rushed forward, shouting angrily, "You treacherous dog, how dare you kill my father..."
Before the word "father" could be uttered, Cao Ang raised his sword and brought it down. Sima Fu's head also fell to the ground.
The surviving members of the Sima clan were all stunned and dumbfounded.
Cao Ang brandished his blood-red sword and shouted, "Slaughter the entire Sima clan, leave no one alive!" Three hundred fierce soldiers swarmed forward and pounced on the terrified Sima clan members.
Blood stained the ancestral hall, and cries of agony echoed endlessly. As the sun set in the west, the slaughter ended. More than seventy members of the Sima clan were all killed.
"Where is Sima Yi? Why is the body of that scoundrel nowhere to be found?" Cao Ang noticed something amiss after counting the bodies. Lü Lingqi rushed over and whispered, "Young Master, I just interrogated a servant. That scoundrel Sima Yi just left the Sima family and went to Licheng to fetch his bride."
"Our main purpose in coming here is to kill Sima Yi. How can we slaughter his entire family and let him escape!" Cao Ang's eyes flashed with murderous intent again, and he shouted, "Go straight to Licheng immediately and kill Sima Yi!" So, Cao Ang and Lü Lingqi led their troops away from the bloody Sima family and headed straight for Licheng in the east.
At dusk.
On the main road, a wedding procession was making a great fuss as it headed west.
Sima Yi, riding a tall horse, glanced back at the wedding carriage every now and then, his face beaming with smug satisfaction. "Miss Zhang is beautiful and intelligent; she'll surely be a virtuous wife to me..." Sima Yi's thoughts raced, a smug smile playing on his lips. Just then, a rider came galloping towards them. "Second Young Master, something's happened! Something terrible has happened!" The man, covered in blood, tumbled off his horse and scrambled to Sima Yi's side. Sima Yi looked closely and recognized the man as a servant from the manor.
"What happened? Why are you all so flustered!"
Sima Yi frowned and asked in displeasure.
"Second Young Master, a band of defeated soldiers from Suigu just stormed into the manor and killed everyone they saw!" "Master, the Eldest Young Master and the other young masters were all killed by them." "Our entire Sima clan has been slaughtered by those defeated bandits!" The servant tearfully delivered the devastating news.
A bolt from the blue struck like a thunderbolt.
Sima Yi's body stiffened, freezing in an instant, his face frozen in shock and horror. While he was away welcoming his bride, the Sima family had been wiped out? Sima Yi was dumbfounded, utterly bewildered, and for a moment thought he was in a dream. "Impossible! This is impossible!"
"Our Sima clan is a prominent family in Hanoi, of such high status! How dare those defeated soldiers slaughter our entire clan!" "That's impossible!"
Sima Yi suddenly awoke, his face contorted in agony, and he roared hysterically. "Second Young Master, it's absolutely true! The entire Sima clan has truly been wiped out!"
"Those defeated soldiers are still chasing us this way, it seems they won't even let the Second Young Master go!" the servant cried out.
Sima Yi suddenly shivered, a hint of doubt flashing across his grief-stricken eyes. The routed soldiers looted and killed simply for money.
Now, the Sima family is a defeated army; they should have simply taken the wealth from the estate and left. But why are those defeated soldiers even targeting him, slaughtering their way through, determined to wipe out the entire Sima clan? Sima Yi was utterly perplexed. Just then…
Dust billowed and swept in from the west side of the main road.
"Second Young Master, it's bad! The fleeing soldiers are coming! Run!" The servant scrambled to his feet and shouted in a trembling voice.
Sima Yi took a deep breath, instantly recovering from the grief of his clan's annihilation and regaining a semblance of composure. He turned his horse around, intending to urge the wedding procession to take his bride and retreat towards Li City... but the words caught in his throat, and he swallowed them back.
"How can I escape quickly with them? We'll be caught by those bandits within a mile, and then I'll surely die!" "I am the last descendant of the Sima family. I cannot die, I absolutely cannot die!" Sima Yi frowned, his gaze involuntarily turning to the wedding carriage.
He hesitated for only a moment, then gritted his teeth, spurred his horse, and galloped away. He abandoned the wedding procession and the bride who hadn't yet been married, fleeing alone. The wedding procession panicked, seeing their second young master escape alone, they were all at a loss. In the blink of an eye, everyone scattered in all directions, fleeing for their lives. Only the wedding carriage was left alone on the road. "Miss, the groom has abandoned us and run away by himself, what should we do?" the maidservant who had accompanied the bride cried out in a trembling voice outside the carriage.
"I warned my father long ago that Sima Yi is a heartless and ungrateful man, but he wouldn't listen and insisted that I marry him. Alas—" A sigh of grief and helplessness came from inside the carriage.
The maidservant urged, "Miss, don't say such things! Those defeated soldiers are coming! Please come down and escape with me!" "How can we escape those bandits? We can only wait and see, and leave the rest to fate!" Inside the bridal carriage, the woman let out a calm yet helpless sigh. Moments later, the pursuers arrived and quickly surrounded the carriage. Cao Ang gave the order, and three hundred elite soldiers scattered to search for Sima Yi. Before nightfall, the various groups arrived one after another, but none had captured Sima Yi. "Young Master, I've interrogated him. Sima Yi abandoned his bride and fled alone; his whereabouts are unknown."
Lu Lingqi rushed over, shouting. Cao Ang's face flashed with disdain, and he sneered, "This Sima Yi actually abandoned his bride to flee for his life alone; he's truly heartless and ungrateful!"
"He's already escaped and we don't know where he is. What should we do?" Lu Lingqi asked, frowning.
Cao Ang pondered for a long time, then sighed, "Never mind, we've done our best. It's just that Sima Yi was too lucky. Let's go back to Ping County and meet with Li Heng first."
"That's all we can do for now."
Lu Lingqi glanced at the wedding car: "Should we kill the one inside? She overheard our conversation." "Let's forget it."
Cao Ang waved his hand: "She has not yet married into the Sima family, so she cannot be considered a member of the Sima clan. Spare her life and take her back to your young master to deal with."
People are like this
The next day is dawn.
Cao Ang and Lü Lingqi had arrived at the Gu residence. "What's going on?"
"You went to the Tu Sima family, not to pick up a bride, so why did you bring back a wedding carriage?" Gu Cheng looked at the wedding carriage in the courtyard with surprise in his eyes.
Cao Ang looked apologetic and sighed, "Brother Gu, I'm sorry. We arrived at the Sima family's residence a step too late. Although we slaughtered the Sima family, Sima Yi managed to escape by sheer luck."
"Hmm?" Gu Cheng frowned.
Cao Ang then recounted the entire incident truthfully.
"We originally went to hunt down Sima Yi, but who would have thought that at the crucial moment, that guy heartlessly abandoned his fiancée and ran away alone, which is why we lost track of him."
Cao Ang sighed helplessly at the end.
"Abandoning his wife and fleeing alone, hmm, Sima Yi, you do have some of Liu Bei's style..." Gu Cheng's lips curled into a sarcastic sneer.
Lü Lingqi retorted bitterly, "Don't worry, even if Sima Yi escapes to the ends of the earth, I will kill him and bring his head back to you!"
Gu Cheng remained calm, his gaze sweeping over the wedding car as his thoughts raced. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he had an idea.
He sneered, "Don't worry, I have my own ways to make that Sima come to his death on his own."