Tongquefeng

The snow came early in the 17th year of Jian'an, and the cornices of Tongque Terrace were covered with a thin layer of snow, like a layer of broken silver. Cao Cao held the memorial on the case and ran over the words "Sima Yi" with his fingertips. When he looked up, he saw the man coming in with the curtain raised. His black court clothes were stained with snow particles and melted when they fell into the heat of the charcoal basin. "Zhongda is on time." Cao Cao pushed the memorial over and glanced at his drooped eyelashes - this man always lowered his eyes, as if he was hiding a lot of calculations. His eyelashes were soft and seemed docile when the snow fell. As soon as Sima Yi's fingertips touched the memorial, Cao Cao grabbed his wrist. The charcoal fire crackled, and his wrist bones pressed against the opponent's warm palm. He could clearly feel the hand that had held a sword and written a memorial, and the knuckles still had calluses from old battles. "Ming Gong..." He wanted to pull away his hand, but was clenched tighter. "Gu heard that you were reading "Spring and Autumn" in the study last night until midnight?" Cao Cao's voice was low, and his breath smelling of alcohol brushed the tips of his ears, "Are you really reading, or are you thinking about how to deal with Gu?" Sima Yi raised his eyes and met Cao Cao's eyes. Those eyes were filled with half a lifetime of killing and planning, but at this moment they were shining with a tiny bit of light, like the lamp on the Tongque Terrace at night. "If you don't believe me, you can send someone to keep an eye on me." His voice was steady, but his fingertips curled up quietly. Cao Cao suddenly smiled, let go of his wrist, and pinched his earlobe - it was actually softer than expected. "No." He stood up and went around to the back of the case, took out a jade ring from the ancient rack and put it into Sima Yi's hand, "I got this when I broke up Yuan Shao. It's just right for you to wear." The jade was warm and cool. Sima Yi held it in his palm, his fingertips turning white. He knew the weight of this finger ring - when Yuan Shao's counselor wore it, he ended up with his body and body missing. But Cao Cao's eyes fell on his hand, with a passion that could not be refused: "I will never take back what I gave to you." In the days to come, Sima Yi was often called into Tongque Terrace. Sometimes when they were discussing military matters, Cao Cao pointed to the map and asked him to explain Shu's plan to conquer Wu; sometimes he did nothing and watched Cao Cao write his message with a broken lamp. Occasionally, with the rustle of the pen tip falling on the paper, a piece of freshly roasted chestnut cake was handed over - a piece of chestnut cake that Sima Yi had mentioned inadvertently. In the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an, Guan Yu besieged Fancheng. Cao Cao summoned the ministers to discuss matters. Sima Yi stood in the crowd and listened to the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty arguing about moving the capital. He suddenly said: "There is a gap between Sun Quan and Guan Yu. You can send someone to persuade Sun Quan to attack Jingzhou and the siege of Fancheng will be relieved." The whole hall was silent, Cao Cao looked at him, his eyes were astonishingly bright. After the court ended, Cao Cao dragged him towards the Tongque Terrace. Snow fell again, falling on their shoulders. "Zhongda," Cao Cao suddenly stopped, turned around and held his face, "I know you will not let me down." When the lips fell, they were filled with the coolness of snow and the strongness of wine. Sima Yi froze, but did not push away - he knew he should push away, but the warmth from Cao Cao's palm came through the fabric of his clothes, like a red-hot iron, making his heart tremble. Later, Cao Cao was seriously ill and lay in his dormitory in Luoyang, with Sima Yi guarding his bedside. The candlelight flickered, Cao Cao held his hand, and his voice was like a gossamer: "Zhongda, after I leave, you have to help Pi'er well..." "Ming Gong..." Sima Yi's voice was tight and his eyes were hot. "Don't call him Ming Gong." Cao Cao smiled and traced his brow with his fingertips, "Call him Gu Mengde." Sima Yi opened his mouth and finally called out softly: "Meng De." When Cao Cao closed his eyes, the snow outside the window was still falling. Sima Yi held his hand that was getting colder, and the jade ring in his palm hurt. He knew that from now on, he would be the one to guard the world - guarding Cao Cao's empire, and guarding the thoughts that no one knew about in the Tongque Tower. Many years later, Sima Yi stood on the tower in Luoyang, looking at the Bronze Bird Tower in the distance, rubbing the jade ring on his wrist with his fingertips. The wind blew the fallen leaves flying past, and he suddenly thought of the snow in the 17th year of Jian'an, of Cao Cao's smile when he pinched his earlobe, and of the words "I will never take back what I gave to you." It turns out that some things can really be held on to for a lifetime. Purpose: fictional history