If one warlord was defeated, the victor would punish only the official who had served him and would not implicate the man’s entire family.
That was an unspoken rule among the warlords.
Sima Yi served Wei and advised the Cao family.
If Xiao He had wanted to kill someone, killing him alone should have been enough.
So why had he broken that rule and slaughtered his entire household?
Among Cao Wei’s strategists, Sima Yi was still ranked below men like Cheng Yu and Jia Xu.
He had only just begun to make a name for himself, so why would Xiao He, the Grand Commandant of Chu and Liu Bei’s chief adviser, go so far as to target him with such ruthless methods?
Sima Yi could not understand it.
No matter how hard he thought, he could not understand it.
“I cannot understand it either, why that monster would do this to Sima Clan.
But none of that matters now.” Sima Yi drew a deep breath, and endless hatred flooded his face.
Through clenched teeth, he said, “I, Sima Yi, swear to the Yellow River that if I cannot wipe out Xiao He’s entire family and avenge my wife, my children, my father, and my brothers, then may heaven and earth destroy me, and may I die a miserable death.” His face was twisted with grief and fury as he pointed toward the Yellow River and made his savage oath.
Just after he finished, Cao Pi hurried over.
The moment he saw the Sima estate swallowed by flames, his eyes filled with shock, and he urgently demanded to know what had happened.
Sima Yi had no choice but to explain the whole matter, hatred heavy in his voice.
Cao Pi’s expression changed sharply, and he cried out, “That monster Xiao He is actually so ruthless that he sent troops to wipe out your whole family, Sima Yi?” Sima Yi nodded heavily.
“Not only did that thief slaughter my entire family, I believe the one who commanded the attack on Luoyang this time and sent troops to intercept us was also him.
My lord, Wei has fallen into such a desperate position, and you and I have ended up in such misery, all because of that monster.” Cao Pi’s body trembled, and the anger in his chest flared at once.
That meant the surprise attack on Luoyang had not only been planned by Xiao He, but was likely directed by him in person.
If Xiao He had not led troops to strike Luoyang, he would never have been forced to flee in haste with Son of Heaven, and Son of Heaven would never have had the chance to cripple him on the road.
Tracing it all back, the true cause of the miserable state he was in now was Xiao He.
That same monster from the countryside, the man he had once driven away like a madman outside the camp at Xu Capital.
“Xiao He, you country bumpkin, you monster.
If I, Cao Pi, do not kill you, then I swear I am not a man, I swear I am not a man!” Cao Pi clenched his fists, his face twisted with fury, and he too made a vicious oath.
After a long while, while still seething, Cao Pi suddenly thought of something and asked, “Sima Yi, where is your wife’s younger sister?
Could she also have been harmed by Xiao He?” Sima Yi froze for a moment and shot him a subtle glance.
He had already suffered that blow and become a ruined man.
From now on, he was likely finished with women, so how could he still be thinking about whether Guo Zhao was alive or dead?
Sima Yi could only turn to Sima Jin.
Sima Jin thought for a moment, then slapped his forehead.
“I remember now.
Sister-in-law was about to send that girl from the Guo family to Luoyang when Chu Army happened to attack.
From what the surviving servants said, Chu Army did not kill the Guo girl.
They probably carried her off.” Sima Yi’s expression changed slightly.
He would rather Chu Army had killed Guo Zhao along with the others.
But instead of killing her, they had taken her away.
Where could they have taken her?
Naturally to Luoyang, to present her to Xiao He.
That was the woman he had meant to offer to Cao Pi, yet now she had been seized and fallen into Xiao He’s hands.
What would Cao Pi think of that?
Sima Yi swallowed hard and slowly turned to look at him.
As expected, Cao Pi already had both fists clenched, his face red, and his eyes bulging with rage.
Luoyang had been struck by Xiao He.
He himself had been crippled because of Xiao He.
Now even the woman he wanted had been taken by Xiao He.
Cao Pi hated him so much that his teeth ground together, his chest felt ready to burst, and he nearly coughed up blood.
“My lord…” Sima Yi wanted to comfort him, but he did not know how to begin.
After a long while, Sima Yi finally steadied his emotions.
He drew a deep breath, cupped his hands, and said, “My lord, things have already come to this, and nothing can be undone.
The only plan now is for me to send you back to Ye City for treatment first.
Then I will go south to Xingyang to meet the king, report the truth to him, and help him relieve the danger at Luoyang.” Cao Pi let out a long breath and forced down the shame, fury, and hatred in his chest.
He grabbed Sima Yi’s hand tightly and said, “Everything depends on you now, Sima Yi.
You must kill Xiao He.
You must kill him.” Sima Yi nodded heavily.
“Rest easy, my lord.
Even if I must throw away this life, I will fight Xiao He to the end and avenge you and Sima Clan.” He immediately gathered the troops of Wen County and ordered Sima Jin to escort Cao Pi to Ye City for treatment, together with Sima Jin’s only remaining son, Sima Zhao.
Sima Yi, meanwhile, traveled day and night straight toward Xingyang.
In Xingyang, groups of Wei soldiers were hurrying in from the east.
Outside the south gate, Cao Cao met up with his brother Cao Ren.
“Why has Your Majesty suddenly brought troops to Xingyang instead of staying at Cangting to block Chu Army?” Cao Ren asked in confusion as he handed Cao Cao a bowl of hot broth.
Cao Cao drained it in one gulp and wiped his mouth.
“There is no time to explain, Cao Ren.
Gather all the troops stationed at Xingyang at once and follow me west into Hulao Pass to rescue Luoyang.” With that, Cao Cao rose and headed down from the wall.
Cao Ren froze, then hurried after him and asked blankly, “The main force of Liu Bei is still being held south of Three Passes.
I have received no urgent report that Three Passes has fallen or that Luoyang is in danger.
Why is Your Majesty in such a rush to save Luoyang?” Cao Cao swung himself onto his horse and was just about to explain when a rider came galloping in and threw himself from the saddle.
Dropping to his knees, he shouted, “Urgent report to the king.
Emergency news from Hulao Pass.
Chu general Zhang Liao led seven thousand of Chu Army in a surprise attack on the pass city from the west this morning.” “Our defenders were few, and they were caught unprepared.
Hulao Pass has already fallen.” Cao Cao’s face changed drastically.