Sima Yi, a scheming and thoughtful politician, endured all his life, worked hard step by step, and finally laid a brilliant foundation for future generations. However, such an eloquent and strategic person left a puzzling will before his death: every year on the day of death, future generations are not allowed to pay tribute to the grave. Why did Sima Yi make this decision? Was it to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, or was it because of the fear of the soul of the dead asking for his life? Thousands of years later, when people gradually understood Sima Yi's personality, it suddenly dawned on them that this was actually another move he had carefully calculated. What kind of considerations did Sima Yi have, and how did it affect future generations?
Sima Yi's background and early experience
Sima Yi, whose name is Zhongda, was a native of Wen County, Hanoi (now Wen County, Henan Province). He was born in the illustrious Sima family, and his ancestors were all famous ministers of the Han Dynasty for three generations. Sima Yi's great-grandfather Sima Fang was the Tai Lieutenant, his grandfather Sima Lang served as a servant, and his father Sima Fang was the Tai Fu. Under the influence of such a family history, Sima Yi has shown extraordinary talent and lofty ambitions since he was a child.
Sima Yi was well-read when he was a teenager, especially proficient in the art of war and strategy. He has a calm personality, humble and polite, but he has an extraordinary bearing and mind in his bones. Sima Yi knows that in the troubled times, if you want to achieve a career, you must endure dormancy and wait for the opportunity. He once said to a friend: "I want to contribute to the country, but the time has not yet come, and I must wait and see what happens." ＂
In the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an (219), Cao Cao unified the north, which was the time of employing people. Sima Yi saw the opportunity and resolutely decided to take refuge in Cao Cao and work for him. Cao Cao admired Sima Yi's talent and appointed him as a military advisor and in charge of military affairs. Since then, Sima Yi has accompanied Cao Cao on the battlefield many times and has made many military exploits. He was known for his strategy, often solving problems for Cao Cao, and proposing clever strategies, which was highly appreciated and trusted by Cao Cao.
However, Sima Yi was not complacent. He knew that although he was talented, he was still in a weak position in the Cao Wei regime. The forces of the DPRK and China are intricate, and the slightest carelessness may lead to death. Therefore, Sima Yi has always maintained a low-key and humble attitude, and does not easily show his face. He often said to people, "In troubled times, do not be arrogant." You must be cautious in your words and deeds in order to save your life. ＂
Sima Yi lived in seclusion in the Cao Wei Dynasty in this way, accumulating his strength and connections step by step. He seemed to be waiting for a special moment, an opportunity to let him shine. And this opportunity soon came with Zhuge Liang's military campaign of the Northern Expedition.
Since Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition, Cao Wei's army has been repeatedly defeated in confrontation with the Shu Han army. Cao Cao was quite worried about this, and he knew that he had to find a military talent strong enough to compete with Zhuge Liang in order to turn the tide of the battle. Cao Cao thought of Sima Yi, and he thought that Sima Yi was the only person who had the ability to fight Zhuge Liang.
So, in the twenty-sixth year of Jian'an (221), Cao Cao personally visited Sima Yi, hoping that he could go out of the mountain to help. Sima Yi was reluctant on the surface, saying that he was only a shallow learner and embarrassed to take on a big responsibility. But in his heart, he had already understood Cao Cao's thoughts, and this was the opportunity he had been waiting for for a long time. Sima Yi finally accepted Cao Cao's invitation and stepped onto the stage of military command.
Since then, Sima Yi has begun a journey of wits and courage with Zhuge Liang. He strategized and thwarted Zhuge Liang's military deployment many times, and made great achievements for Cao Wei. Sima Yi's calm and wise strategy was undoubtedly a great help to the Cao Wei regime. However, his talent and prestige also aroused the jealousy and vigilance of some forces within Cao Wei.
Sima Yi knows that in this era full of treacherous circumstances, he must always be vigilant and not easily expose his edge. He needs to continue to endure and continue to hibernate until the moment is ripe. And his whole life was spent in this kind of forbearance and waiting.
Sima Yi's career and conspiracy
Sima Yi's performance in the Cao Wei Dynasty can be described as step-by-step, paying attention everywhere. Although he is talented, he never shows his edge easily. Sima Yi is well versed in the art of power and strategy, and knows how to survive and thrive in a complex political environment. He is humble and conscientious to his superiors and strict with his subordinates, and has won the trust and respect of his superiors.
However, Sima Yi's real test still came from the contest with Zhuge Liang, a military strategist of the Shu Han Dynasty. Since Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition, Cao Wei's army has been repeatedly defeated in confrontations with the Shu army. The situation was very serious, and Cao Wei was looking for a military talent who could compete with Zhuge Liang. Cao Cao took a fancy to Sima Yi and thought he was his only hope.
Sima Yi accepted this important task and began a battle of wits and courage with Zhuge Liang. He judged the situation, strategized, and defused Zhuge Liang's military deployment many times. Sima Yi defeated the strong with the weak, won more with less, and repeatedly performed miraculous feats. His duel with Zhuge Liang became a classic chapter in the military history of the Three Kingdoms period.
However, as Sima Yi's military talents were fully revealed, his status in the court also increased. This caused some courtiers to be jealous and uneasy. They feared that Sima Yi would pose a threat to them once he seized military power. As a result, some people with ulterior motives began to slander and slander Sima Yi in front of Cao Pi.
Sima Yi knew this, and he knew that in this era of suspicion and fickleness, the slightest carelessness could lead to death. In order to protect himself, Sima Yi began to adopt a series of forbearance strategies. He claimed to be seriously ill and asked to return to his hometown. At the same time, he secretly arranged his henchmen to continue to control the important affairs of the army.
Sima Yi's move can be described as attacking the east and the west, not only avoiding the edge of the enemy in the DPRK and China, but also firmly grasping the real power of the army. On the surface, he stayed away from politics, but in fact he was secretly planning and waiting for opportunities. This strategy of hibernation and waiting for the time fully reflects Sima Yi's superb political wisdom and scheming skills.
As time passed, Cao Wei's rule weakened. After Cao Pi's death, he was succeeded by his son Cao Rong. Cao Rong was suspicious by nature and was very strict with his ministers. He was even more jealous of Sima Yi, fearing that this battle-hardened military strategist would pose a threat to his rule.
Sima Yi saw through Cao Rong's thoughts, and he knew that he had to take action. He secretly contacted his henchmen and supporters, and was ready to wait for an opportunity to seize power. At the same time, Sima Yi pretended to care about politics and just wanted to spend his old age in peace, in order to dispel Cao Rong's doubts.
The opportunity has finally arrived. In the first year of Jianxing (223), Cao Rong's younger brother Cao Zhang conspired to depose Cao Rong and proclaim himself emperor. The coup ultimately failed, and Cao Chang was executed. Sima Yi took advantage of the chaos to control Cao Rong and forced him to make himself a lieutenant and grasp the power of the court.
From then on, Sima Yi became the de facto ruler of Cao Wei's regime. He began to carry out a series of reforms in the government, purging the administration of officials and promoting meritocracy. At the same time, Sima Yi took a series of military actions to consolidate Cao Wei's rule. He successively quelled the rebellions of Xianbei, Qiang and other ethnic minorities, and defeated the attacks of Wu and Shu many times, winning a relatively stable development environment for Cao Wei.
Sima Yi's intrigues and talents undoubtedly injected new vitality into the Cao Wei regime. However, his rise also laid the groundwork for the Sima family to replace Cao Wei and establish the Jin Dynasty in the future. Sima Yi used his life to deduce a legend of scheming and wisdom. His story has also become a model for later generations of power strategists to emulate and learn from.
Sima Yi's Will and Considerations
After Sima Yi took control of Cao Wei's power, he laid a solid foundation for the rise of the Sima family. However, before he died, he left a puzzling will: every year on the day of death, descendants are not allowed to pay tribute to the grave. What are the considerations behind this decision?
First of all, let's take a look at the specific content of Sima Yi's will. According to historical records, Sima Yi said to his descendants before his death: "After I die, every year on the death day, there is no need to pay tribute or sweep the grave." This decision is undoubtedly contrary to the traditional concept of sacrifice. At that time, the worship of ancestors was an extremely important thing, and it was the bond that maintained the family blood and inheritance. As the head of the family, Sima Yi actually asked his descendants not to pay tribute to himself, which cannot but be said to be an astonishing move.
So, why did Sima Yi make such a decision? We can analyze it from several aspects.
First, Sima Yi may have wanted to avoid repeating the mistakes of the Cao regime. We know that during Cao Cao's reign, he once built a mausoleum on a large scale to create a grand atmosphere. Although this practice demonstrated the majesty of imperial power, it also laid a curse. After Cao Cao's death, his tomb was stolen and excavated many times, which was not only a great disrespect to the first emperor, but also exposed the fragility of Cao Wei's regime. Sima Yi did not want his mausoleum to repeat the mistakes of the past and become the object of contention for future generations, so he asked future generations not to build mausoleums and not to pay tribute to and sweep tombs.
Secondly, Sima Yi may have been out of fear of the soul of the dead. Sima Yi has made great achievements in his life, but he has inevitably caused a lot of killings. At that time, it was widely believed that the soul of a person would not be dispersed after death, and if the resentment was too deep, the soul would come back to ask for his life. Before Sima Yi died, he probably wanted to avoid the entanglement of the souls of the dead, so he asked future generations not to pay tribute to prevent future troubles.
Again, Sima Yi's decision may also be out of consideration for the eternal stability of the Sima family. Sima Yi was well aware of the impermanence of power, and he was worried that future generations would rely too much on the shadow of their ancestors and ignore their own cultivation. Therefore, he asked future generations not to pay tribute, that is, he hoped that future generations could be self-reliant and self-reliant, rather than relying on the shadow of their ancestors. This practice of "cutting off sleeves", although it seems cruel, is for the long-term development of the family.
Finally, we cannot rule out that Sima Yi was motivated by some kind of unspeakable hidden intention. Sima Yi has been scheming and treacherous all his life, and many of his decisions are not as simple as they appear on the surface. There may be deeper considerations behind this will that does not allow future generations to pay tribute, but our descendants have no way of knowing.
The impact and evaluation of Sima Yi's will
Sima Yi's will undoubtedly caused a huge shock at the time. This decision not only affected the Sima family, but also affected the evaluation of Sima Yi by later generations to a certain extent.
First of all, let's take a look at the interpretation of Sima Yi's will in later generations. After Sima Yi's death, his decision became a topic of conversation after dinner. Some people believe that this is a manifestation of Sima Yi's "cunning and cunning", and it is a game he did in order to protect his reputation in history. Some people also believe that this is the embodiment of Sima Yi's foresight, and it is a difficult decision he made for the long-term development of the family.
As time passed, more and more historians and literati began to study and comment on Sima Yi's decision. Liu Yiqing, a writer of the Southern Song Dynasty, once commented on Sima Yi in "The New Language of the World": "Zhong Dazhi is a human being, wise and wise, suspicious of nature, and good at power and strategy. It does not allow future generations to sacrifice, and covers the end of the disaster. Liu Yiqing believes that the reason why Sima Yi made this decision was to prevent future generations from causing trouble due to sacrifices.
The Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu also mentioned Sima Yi's decision in his poem. He wrote in the poem "Shu Xiang": "In ancient times, the prime minister will die without guilt, and now I see a sad wind in the empty mound." Du Fu sighed that a country like Sima Yi should not have such a cold ending. The word "empty mound" is an allusion to Sima Yi's will that he did not allow his descendants to pay tribute.
In the Song Dynasty, Sima Guang had a more in-depth analysis of Sima Yi's decision in his "Zizhi Tongjian". He believes that Sima Yi did this, on the one hand, to avoid the mistakes of Cao Cao, and on the other hand, to warn future generations not to rely too much on the shadow of the ancestors. Sima Guang commented: "Zhongda's wisdom, although it is said to be a power plan, is actually a far-sighted plan, and he is also a long-term plan for future generations." ＂
In addition to historians and literati, there are also many stories and commentaries about Sima Yi's will. There is a widely circulated saying that the reason why Sima Yi did not let future generations pay tribute was because he had done too many things that hurt nature and reason during his lifetime, and he was afraid that his soul would be punished after death. Although this statement is somewhat sensational, it also reflects the complex evaluation of Sima Yi from one side.
Sima Yi's will also provided a useful inspiration for later generations of power strategists. It teaches us that in a game of power, sometimes it takes more courage and wisdom to give up than to possess. The decisions that really affect the course of history often come from deep insights into life and death, power, and human nature. Sima Yi used his life to deduce a legend of scheming and wisdom. And this decision before his death undoubtedly added a touch of mystery to this legend.
Sima Yi's life is a magnificent epic. He came from a prestigious family and showed extraordinary talent at an early age. He devoted himself to Cao Wei, did his best for it, and resolved crises many times. The battle of wits and courage between him and Zhuge Liang has become a classic chapter in the Three Kingdoms period. Sima Yi used his wisdom and strategy to inject new vitality into the Cao Wei regime and laid the foundation for the rise of the Sima family.
However, Sima Yi's life is also full of controversies and mysteries. Many of his decisions are still the subject of speculation and discussion. And his last will left an eternal puzzle for future generations.
end
Sima Yi, the victorious general in the power arena, the embodiment of wisdom and strategy, finally failed to escape the curse of time. His body will eventually turn to dust, but his spirit, his wisdom, will forever be engraved in the sky of history.
Sima Yi's story is an allegory of power, wisdom, life and death. It tells us that in this complex world, those truly great decisions often need to transcend life and death, beyond power, and beyond self. And those who really influence history often need to have such courage and wisdom.