Although Sima Yi deliberately wanted to keep a low profile, there was an endless stream of people who came to congratulate him, which also had to make the scale of the full moon banquet prepared by Sima's family continue to expand, and the number of tables booked was changed again and again.

Sima Yi's old age and childbirth have also become a good story in Luoyang City, but there seem to be some discordant voices, thinking that what Bai Lingyun was born may not be Sima Yi's species.

However, such gossip can only be spread in private, if it reaches Sima Yi's ears, the rumor-mongers are likely to suffer, after all, as Sima Yi's Taifu, in the absence of evidence, it is malicious slander and slander, which will cost him his life.

So no one dared to talk about it in public, but people whispered such a rumor in private.

Sima Yi is old, so the preparation of the full moon banquet naturally has to be handled by Sima Shi and Sima Zhao.

Since serving as the middle guard, Sima Shi has become more and more calm, after injuring his left eye, Sima Shi can only wear a black blindfold to cover the defects of his left eye, the image of the one-eyed dragon with a gloomy expression, as if no one is close to the living.

After Sima Zhaoxi came back from the expedition, he worshiped for the sake of Yilang, which can be regarded as neither rising nor descending, and not rewarding or punishing. It stands to reason that Sima Zhao and Guo Huai were responsible for the loss of Dingjun Mountain, but Cao Shuang himself was not responsible for the failure of this expedition, so all the accountability afterwards became an understatement.

Although Sima Zhao was dissatisfied, it was not easy to have a seizure, so he could only endure it and wait for the opportunity.

Sima Shi is like a fish in water in the position of the Central Protector Army, because the Central Protector Army is in charge of the election, taking advantage of this opportunity, Sima Shi has placed a lot of cronies in the forbidden army, and has also recruited a lot of talents, and his wings are gradually growing. Not only Zhong Hui, Fu Yi, Chen Qian, Xun Yi and others, who had a good personal relationship with Sima Shi, were in important positions, but even Zeng Zhengchong, who had considerable influence in the court, also fell to the Sima family, which also greatly increased the power of the Sima family.

On the other hand, the general Cao Shuang, after the failure of the Shu attack, his reputation plummeted, but not only did he not repent, but instead intensified, rejecting dissidents in the court, and occupying a large number of fertile land outside the court, which made the heavens angry and resentful.

Cao Shuang's move was quite a bit of a broken jar. Before the conquest of Shu, Cao Shuang still wanted to devote himself to the duty of an auxiliary minister, and before the battle of Shu, there were many discussions inside and outside the court, saying that Cao Shuang was immoral and incompetent, and he was in a high position as a general, so Cao Shuang's conquest of Shu actually wanted to correct his name and enhance his prestige in the court.

The result backfired, the failure of the battle of Shu, instead of enhancing Cao Shuang's prestige, made his prestige plummet, Cao Shuang was naturally discouraged, without prestige, then use the power in his hands to suppress, whoever disobeys will suppress whom, whoever opposes will be attacked, on the road of dictatorship, go farther and farther.

On the surface, Sima Yi has been greatly excluded, Cao Shuang monopolized power, whether it is in the court or in the army, he has installed his cronies, and completely set Sima Yi up, many court matters, without Sima Yi's knowledge, Cao Shuang has already made a decision, including the recent adjustment of the candidates for the state assassination, Sima Yi did not participate at all, and the auxiliary ministers appointed by the emperor can only stand aside now, and completely lose the right to speak in the court.

Many people complained about Sima Yi, but Sima Yi handled it calmly, did not feel angry at all, and took this opportunity to often complain about illness and not go to the court, and pushed all the government affairs of the DPRK and China to Cao Shuang.

"Heaven wants to destroy it, and it must first make it mad." These are Sima Yi's words to his son Sima Shi.

Although Sima Yi retreated to the second line and ignored the government, the Sima family's actions in private were accelerating, among them, Sima Shi played a very important role, and among the younger generation of scholars, his influence and appeal even surpassed Sima Yi.

"The eldest prince, this is the list of officials invited to the banquet, please take a look at the eldest prince." Steward Hou respectfully handed over a roster.

Sima Shi took the roster, opened it and looked at it, there were only about a hundred people on it, he couldn't help frowning, and said, "So little?" It's not just these people who remember to send congratulatory gifts, right? ”

Steward Hou said: "It was ordered by the master, saying that the scale of the banquet should be reduced as much as possible, and irrelevant personnel will not be included in the scope of the invitation." ”

Sima Shi would not doubt Steward Hou's words, according to Sima Yi's always low-key style, it was already very good to have more than 100 people on this list.

Sima Zhao said very dissatisfiedly: "Daddy, why are you more and more retreating, a few days ago I heard that the Gaoling Marquis Mansion held a full moon banquet, but it is very public, our Taifu Mansion, is it still a small Pavilion Marquis Mansion compared to him?" ”

The speaker is unintentional, the listener is intentional, as soon as Sima Shi heard about Cao Liang, his heart was faintly tingling, this was a hurdle that he couldn't overcome in his heart after all.

Steward Hou obviously knew a lot, he said: "Cao Liang of the Gaoling Marquis Mansion has just been promoted to the history of the Bingzhou Assassin, such an upstart, the court is naturally more attached to the court, I heard that the Gaoling Marquis Mansion was like a cloud of guests that day, and even the general went to congratulate him in person, which was enough to give Cao Liang face." ”

Sima Zhao said angrily: "How can this be true, just a history of thorns, what's the big deal, isn't it a dog next to Cao Shuang?" Big brother, it seems that this list still needs to be changed, at least our Taifu Mansion can't lose to the Cao family. ”

Sima Shi said lightly: "You don't have to change it, just act according to my father's wishes, this kind of face, it doesn't matter if we fight or not." ”

"But, big brother ......" Sima Zhao was a little anxious.

Sima Shi interrupted him and said, "Okay, son, this matter is settled, I'll take the list and show it to my father, you and Steward Hou Zhang Luo Zhang Luo, time is a little tight." With that, Sima Shi took the roster and went to the back house.

Sima Zhao snorted helplessly, and said dissatisfiedly: "Isn't there only more than a hundred, what is there to show up?" ”

Steward Hou said: "Second son, this list was personally ordered by the master, of course the eldest prince is not easy to change." ”

Sima Zhao looked at Sima Shi's distant back, and muttered: "Big brother's temper has changed a lot in recent years, when I heard Cao Liang's name before, I hated him so much that I bit my teeth and tore him apart, but now I have become indifferent, it seems that this time can really change everything." ”