The Unwelcome Truths of Jia Wenhe

Jia Xu spoke slowly, and when he finished, Cao Pi sank into thought. This seemingly kindly old man had far keener and more discerning insight than those people at court who fought over power.

"Does the Grand Commandant suspect this is Liu Bei's scheme?" Cao Pi furrowed his brow.

"Liu Bei's major advisers are all still alive. On the tactical level, it may have come from Pang Tong or Fa Zheng. Strategically, it should be Zhuge Liang, since he was the one who proposed the Longzhong Plan." Jia Xu stroked his beard as he speculated.

Cao Pi felt a pang of gloom as he listened. Great Wei had once had strategists skilled in both strategy and tactics, but unfortunately they had passed away one by one. Even Jia Xu, the last man he could rely on, was now advanced in years.

Why did you kill Zhongda? Cao Pi badly wanted to ask Cao Cao.

Whenever trouble arose, Cao Pi thought of his old friend. Each time, he felt he had wronged Sima Yi. Unfortunately, weeds had long since overgrown the Sima family's graves.

Sima Shi and Sima Zhao were living under another's roof in Jianye, so Chen Qun and the others had secretly found ways to provide for them. Cao Pi had turned a blind eye. After so many years of friendly cooperation, he believed the Henan gentry would never defect to Sun Quan.

"On Ziyang's advice, I sent Zilin (Xiahou Mao) to cut off the supply route along Mount Qi. Might that force Zhang Fei to retreat?" Cao Pi pressed.

Jia Xu shook his head with a wry smile. "Consort Xiahou has never fought a major battle. For his first campaign, you've sent him to face Zhang Fei. I fear you may be giving him far too much credit."