Chapter 129: People After a Thousand Years, the Future of the Sima Family

Happy birthday~

Sima Yi looked at the box before him, his heart stirred slightly; he knew today marked the one‑year anniversary of their meeting, but he had only regarded it as a point‑earning occasion. He hadn't expected Shisui to treat it as his birthday and even prepare a gift.

Shisui's dark, gleaming pupils turned, and he looked at Sima Yi with some anticipation, saying, "Grandpa, open it quickly and see if you like it; I chose it for a long time."

Sima Yi smiled, took the box, and opened it in front of Shisui.

Inside the box lay a purple sandalwood‑patterned gold rabbit‑hair brush, a delicate paperweight, and an inkstone.

Sima Yi gently stroked the brush, smiling repeatedly, and nodded, "Thoughtful, Grandpa likes it very much."

Seeing Sima Yi's smile, Shisui relaxed, and happily said, "It was custom‑made by someone in Kyoto; as long as Grandpa likes it, that's enough."

Sima Yi, hearing that, closed the box, placed it carefully aside; he never cared about such things, but Shisui's effort moved him greatly.

"Without realizing it, I've been here for a year; getting along with you has been quite harmonious, and I've never experienced a long separation from you, but this time it seems we must part for a while."

Shisui's smiling face vanished instantly, and he asked, "Grandpa, are you still going to the North?"

"Indeed, I have never cared about external honor or disgrace in my life; I only keep in mind that whether I fight or endure, both are merely means, and only the goal remains unchanged."

Our goal is the Hokage position, so this time we must not endure any longer; now someone is portraying this failure as the greatest defeat Konoha has seen in fifty years. If we can lead troops to victory, the rewards will be enormous.

The Third's body is growing increasingly frail, likely not to live many more years. This war is an excellent chance to earn battle merit and military authority; the two of us must go somewhere. I have decided to take Hui with me to the North; he has never been involved in affairs, and Nara Suzaku's reputation has been damaged.

Such a good chance, I will look for an opening to seize military command; if I succeed, I will return with accumulated prestige, and if I fail, I will still keep the enemy in check.

Shisui opened his mouth; the two have always followed his opinion when they agree, and even when they disagree Sima Yi does not press, but generally Sima Yi is right, and he cannot find a reason to deny it.

"Then use this point to strengthen Grandpa!"

"No need; compared to my own safety, I worry more about you."

"Me?"

Shisui was confused; within the clan's territory there are two kaleidoscopes, who can take them and what would they do.

Sima Yi shook his head and said, "We don't know when we can return from this, and you are in Konoha, long at the eye of the vortex; Konoha's situation is changing faster and faster, and it's possible that the Third might meet an accident someday."

If you cannot seize the opportunity in time, the higher‑ups may bring a young, vigorous junior to take the position; then our own attempts to rise will have to be even more ruthless, leaving some lingering trouble.

So summon one, preferably a colleague who is flamboyant in personality yet well‑versed in human nature.

As for the effect of strengthening, let's wait until the situation stabilizes before trying; I can still wait for that time.

Shisui, not in a high mood, retorted, "If we bring someone who knows military strategy and can fight, could we let him replace Grandpa and go north?"

Sima Yi shook his head and explained, "Your clan members aren't that easy to control; I've spent considerable time with them, and they understand me, which is why they obey my orders. Replacing me with someone else would likely cause trouble."

Sima Yi had experience with this; newcomers after training are still roughly a single‑tuned lower‑rank ninja, and with such strength it takes extra measures to subdue those Uchiha clan members.

However, they are waiting for the big name's funds to be allocated before departing, and there is no more time.

In the coming period, Konoha's forces will be depleted, and the external situation is more perilous than before; they will have to rely on the Uchiha's power and ease their suppression of the clan.

Therefore you must seize this chance to increase influence, win hearts, expand the Police Department; this requires a strong, clear‑interest strategist who is adept at reading people.

Shisui was deeply moved, offered no further objection, but his eyes reddened as he nodded repeatedly.

"I understand, Grandpa, I will keep this in mind."

"Hahaha, why are you crying? I haven't left yet. Before I go, I want to get to know this upcoming colleague; perhaps he's someone I already know," Sima Yi sighed, feeling rather anticipatory.

Shisui, hearing that, flushed, quickly wiped away his tears, composed himself, and then softly called up the panel in his mind.

Points: 1 Advisor: Sima Yi (Enhancement count: 0)

"Grandpa, time's up."

"Let's begin."

Shisui's mind shifted, consuming points; the moonlight by the window, under a mysterious force, gradually formed into a silhouette.

Sima Yi's pupils contracted; this power to create a being from nothing was too astonishing, while Shisui felt nothing, simply tilting his head to investigate.

The person was not as tall as Sima Yi, slightly plump, but his crimson robe was especially striking.

After appearing, he stared blankly around, then after a moment realized it, touched his own neck, then pressed his forehead and covered his eyes; after digesting the extra memories in his mind, he suddenly burst into a wild laugh.

"Uchiha Shisui, the ninja world? Hahaha, I never expected His Majesty's decades of cultivation to grant me such a strange encounter; it's laughable."

He said that, his expression still a bit resentful, but it quickly subsided as he turned his gaze back to the two.

Shisui only then saw the other's features: about forty years old, a face full of righteousness, giving a first impression far better than the earlier Sima Yi.

Beyond his righteousness, his demeanor was also quite magnanimous, his aura strong, befitting a high position; however, there was a sense of overbearing arrogance and unruly temperament.

While observing, Shisui also stepped forward, bowing, and said, "Sir, I am the student Uchiha Shisui; may I know your name?"

The man in the crimson robe surveyed Shisui from head to toe, nodded, realizing the person he was to teach, showed no rudeness, and immediately bowed with a smile, "Hahaha, I am Yan Shifan, courtesy name Deqiu; if you wish, just call me teacher."

After speaking, his peripheral glance fell on Sima Yi; Shisui's attire differed markedly from his, while Sima Yi's long robe actually resembled his more.

Thoughts flashed in his mind; having an outsider at such a gathering meant they must be a trusted insider.

He harbored a slight suspicion, and without concealment asked, "May I ask who this person is?"

Yan Shifan?

Tianshui Yanshi?

A two‑character name; it should come from a commoner or perhaps a Hu person.

Hearing that name, Sima Yi's mind instantly filled with many thoughts; noticing the other's attention, he immediately bowed and smiled, "I am, Sima Yi, courtesy name Zhongda."

Unexpectedly, as soon as his words fell, Yan Shifan's gaze shifted; he widened his eyes, examined Sima Yi, then retreated two steps calmly, his eyes showing marked suspicion, "Could it be Emperor Xuan in person?"

Emperor Xuan?

Shisui was startled; the emperor, in the knowledge Sima Yi taught him, was even more formidable than the big name, and he hadn't expected his Grandpa to have once been an emperor.

Sima Yi had long anticipated this and didn't mind; after all, the path had already been trodden, and as long as the junior follows it, the chance of success is high.

What concerned him was Yan Shifan's attitude; upon hearing his name, he immediately stepped back, clearly indicating they were not in the same camp.

Moreover, seizing the throne to become emperor would require at least several decades; judging by his appearance, when he dies the other likely hasn't even been born yet. So many years and there are still opposing factions, showing the country hasn't been unified.

Thinking of this, Sima Yi's brows furrowed slightly.

But before he could speak, Yan Shifan realized the issue and rephrased, "I suppose it is the Grand Tutor in person; I have long admired your great name."

Sima Yi nodded and replied, "Indeed it is I, the old man. I do not know in which year you were born, yet you know of my later affairs; could you tell me a bit about them?"

"Your later affairs?" After confirming the other's identity, Yan Shifan, both shocked by that mysterious power and half‑smiling, looked at Sima Yi, nodded, and said, "I was born during the Zhengde era of the Ming, a full thousand years after the chaos at the end of the Han."

"More than a thousand years!"

Sima Yi was shocked inside; this mysterious power could indeed bring two people a thousand years apart together here. He looked at Yan Shifan, eager to know whether his family had ever unified a nation in the end.

"Indeed, I also did not expect to actually see the Grand Tutor. As for what follows the Grand Tutor, hahaha~"

In front of Sima Yi, Yan Shifan no longer called himself "old man", but as he spoke he suddenly burst into laughter, which made Sima Yi's heart sink, though his expression remained unchanged.

"After the Grand Tutor, Sima Shi also died; Sima Zhao became the Duke of Jin and murdered the Son of Heaven in the street—an act that will be remembered for ages."

What?!! Murdering the Son of Heaven in the street, known to the world, famed for eternity—how could that have a good outcome?

Sima Yi's eyelid twitched; he knew such a deed could only be carried out within the imperial palace. If exposed to the world, it would be tolerable while the Sima family were strong, but once they weakened, later generations would not let them off.

Yet even a mighty Great Han fell; how could any dynasty be immortal? As Yan Shifan mentioned, a thousand years later it is already the Ming court's world.

The Sima family says: "After Cao Mao's death, Sima Zhao conquered Shu Han; after Sima Zhao's death, Sima Yan received the abdication and ascended the throne, then conquered Eastern Wu, unified the world, and founded the Jin dynasty."

"However, the consequences of the Luo River breach and the street murder of the Son of Heaven must be clear to the Grand Tutor; after Sima Yan, power waned, internal and external wars never ceased, and ultimately Liu Yu shattered them, wiping out the entire clan."

Yan Shifan's smile was hard to suppress, speaking with great ease; Shisui listened nearby, his mouth twitching, his eyes darting back and forth, unsure what to say.

Even with Sima Yi's scheming mind, hearing his family's downfall in such a way still unsettled him.

He knew the Luo River breach would have great impact, but he cared little, for it was already the final step; as long as later generations follow Wang Mang's steps upward, they can smoothly usurp the throne.

Anyway, Cao Pi has already done it; the world will not raise much opposition. Once the Sima family ascends, they can gradually cleanse things; it is still possible to cleanse.

But he truly did not expect Sima Zhao could force the Son of Heaven out of the imperial palace, and the Cao family to produce another fierce man; indeed Heaven did not aid the Sima family. It's a pity the master and disciple left so quickly; had he still lived, he would not have been so reckless.

Sima Yi reflected briefly in his heart, then finally calmed down; no matter what, he was already dead in that world, and whatever follows after death can be left to fate.

Seeing Sima Yi's composure, Yan Shifan added, "Because of Sima Zhao's deeds, two sayings emerged in later generations and spread widely."

One is, "Sima Zhao's intentions are known to all passersby."

The other is, "The Son of Heaven commissions the strong and the mighty to fight," and your Sima family's actions have provoked endless turmoil across the world, continuous internal and external wars, leading to the chaos of the Five Barbarians, the fall of the Central Plains, forced migration of the gentry southward, the north nearly becoming barbarian, the Han people almost extinct; such an outcome is the cycle of heavenly justice, and thus it should be so.

Yan Shifan let out a cold laugh; in his view, everyone should despise the Sima family's foolish deeds, yet after a couple of laughs he thought of himself.

He too had committed heinous acts to the extreme, thus meeting such an end.

No, the Ming dynasty rests on his shoulders; the world is full of corrupt officials, is it only the Yan family? Why cling to his trivial matters? The old scoundrel of the Xu family is far more ruthless, already partitioning lands to grant titles, yet the emperor does not punish them; the Jiajing youngster rightly cannot obtain a heavenly destiny.

Thinking that way, Yan Shifan felt much more comfortable.

Sima Yi offered no rebuttal, stroked his beard in silence, his thoughts unknown.

But Shisui's expression turned very sour, and he said outright, "You may not speak like that about grandpa!"

Hm? Both paused, turning to look at him; Shisui, angry, flushed bright red, yet did not know how to defend himself, for even in his heart those matters were hard to accept.

"Grandpa?"

Yan Shifan, watching the two's relationship, felt a sudden chill in his heart, silently thinking it was ominous.

Sima Yi waved his hand, chuckling lightly, "No matter, matters after death are no longer related to the old man; let them be."

"Truly worthy of the Grand Tutor, your magnanimous heart surpasses ordinary men; the junior respects you," Yan Shifan clasped his hands, no longer provoking the two.

Seeing this, Shisui finally ceased, breathed a sigh of relief, hurried to the side and fetched chairs for the two.

"Shisui misspoke just now; I hope you, sir, will not mind. Grandpa, please have a seat and chat,"

"No problem; a sincere heart is most rare. Grand Tutor, please sit."

The three took their seats; Yan Shifan's knowledge of this world was limited, his heart bottomless, and he tried his best to restrain his emotions.

Sima Yi and Shisui did not ask further about the other world; instead they endeavored to explain the ninja world background, the events of this year, and the current state of the Uchiha.

Having conversed with Sima Yi, Shisui added many pieces of information he had previously overlooked.

The three talked for a long time, most of it with Sima Yi and Yan Shifan conversing while Shisui listened attentively beside them.

Yan Shifan was widely read and had a strong memory, well‑versed in statutes and systems, able to speak eloquently after perusing histories; after a long chat, Sima Yi gained a preliminary understanding of him.

At this moment, Shisui seemed still unwilling to give up and asked, "Sir, are you versed in military strategy?"

Yan Shifan's eyes flickered; smiling, he explained, "I've flipped through a few military texts, but have never had the chance to command troops in battle."

"I see."

Shisui was somewhat disappointed; this meant only Sima Yi could go north, so he continued, "Then, sir, what do you think the Uchiha should do next?"

Yan Shifan raised his hand to his beard; he knew this was Shisui's test.

However, in his view the Uchiha's situation was excellent, with no particular difficulty.

"With the northern wars underway, the Uchiha become the pillar of the Leaf, their status will keep rising; as long as the north remains unsettled, the Leaf can do nothing to you. Therefore, in the coming period, just focus on distinguishing friend from foe, eliminating dissenters, expanding influence, and developing freely."

Shisui felt a slight stir in his heart; the other's opinion was not far from Sima Yi's, and he immediately realized the person also possessed genuine talent and learning, his respect rising. He rose, bowed, and said, "Master, your strategy is astonishing, your ideas are in line with grandpa's; in the days ahead, I ask you for continued guidance."

"Nothing more?"

Yan Shifan raised an eyebrow, glanced at Sima Yi, and felt a sense of boredom; using them for such a trivial matter was a waste of talent, better to let that foolish youngster Gao Hanwen practice.

Nevertheless, he still smiled and exchanged a couple of sentences with Shisui, then felt drowsy; Shisui immediately left to fetch the pre‑prepared food.

The midnight snack was not luxurious; Yan Shifan had endured many hardships already and did not mind. After eating his fill, he slept in the room prepared by Shisui.

After arranging Yan Shifan, Shisui returned to the study and saw Sima Yi staring at a roster.

He saw that a person had inexplicably appeared on the roster, accompanied by some information.

"Altering consciousness, creating beings from nothing, linking the two realms, communicating past and present—what a magnificent power!"

Sima Yi let out a light sigh, a yearning arising in his heart.

Shisui watched from the side, silent; after a moment, when Sima Yi put away the roster, he said, "Grandpa, what do you think of this teacher?"

Sima Yi commented, "I see De Qiu is proficient in state affairs, well‑versed in economic matters, insightful into human interests, also a high‑ranking minister of the state, and his personality is rather flamboyant, making him very suitable for the Uchiha. After I head north, he can be a pillar for the family; when uncertain, consult him often."

Hearing this, Shisui nodded repeatedly, naturally trusting Sima Yi's judgment, but he sighed lightly, "What a pity he is not versed in military strategy."

Sima Yi understood what he was thinking, smiled and gently said, "No one is perfect; don't force it. It's already late, go back and rest. In the next few days I'll hand over the clan affairs with him."

"Alright, grandpa."

(End of chapter)