Chapter 41: Sima Yi Makes His Move

  Simay received a report from Cao Jing's personal attendant, knowing that Cao Jing and Zhuge Jun had already made initial contact. He remembered Xun Yu's entrustment to arrange for Cao Jing and Zhuge Jun to meet, so he asked his subordinates about the progress of their contact. The subordinate reported that they had already contacted someone from Zhuge Jin's household and were waiting for a reply.

  Sima Yi's route was the same as Ma Chao's, and he also came into contact with Zhuge Jin's wife through someone else's introduction, who introduced him to Zhuge Jun.

  Zhuge Jun had told his sister-in-law that as long as someone asked her to introduce them, she should agree and accept the gift if it was offered. She didn't know what "small uncle" meant, but since there were gifts to be received and it was an easy task, she was happy to do it.

  He did this for the next step of his plan. It's inconvenient for him to show up in person, so it's more normal for his sister-in-law to introduce him.

  Simayu informed Cao Jing about the matter and told her to wait patiently for a few days. She felt a bit shy that he could understand her thoughts, but she developed some good feelings towards Sima Yi and waited quietly for his news.

  Simay's task is almost half completed, and he is also delighted. He then tightens the arrangement for the next step of the mission to obtain the glass formula.

  He thought that since he couldn't get the formula from Zhuge Jun, he would start with the workers who knew the formula in the glass factory. His plan was to first find a way to approach people related to the factory and try to bribe them into giving him the formula. Secondly, send someone to understand the layout of the factory, defense situation, etc., and when necessary, launch a surprise attack on the factory and take the workers hostage.

  After completing his task, he also began to wander around and get familiar with the environment of Wu County.

  He received a message from Cao Jing's subordinate, and among Zhuge Jun's attendants, there was a person with a unique appearance. With his keen sense of smell, he first thought of the Western Regions and also remembered Ma Teng. He believed that it should be taken seriously. He personally came to the poetry club, wanting to take a look at this person's appearance, find a way to contact him, and feel out his bottom line.

  He arrived at the Poetry Society and saw that everyone coming and going was very young, making it inconvenient for him to enter. He thought for a moment, then came up with a plan. He instructed his subordinates, who understood and left separately.

  Ling'er is busy with the poetry club every day, her life is very fulfilling and happy. Now that she has Ma Dai, the two of them chat and laugh together, and are even happier. Ma Dai likes Ling'er a lot, although he doesn't quite understand poetry, but being able to follow Ling'er around is already his greatest happiness, so he helps her with some miscellaneous tasks.

  Ling'er was reviewing a poem by a poetry enthusiast when suddenly a refined young man asked to see her, saying that there was a fortune teller outside who specialized in calculating marriage fortunes and had coincidentally seen her before. He wanted to calculate her marriage fortune for free and asked him to pass on the message.

  Ling'er rarely goes out, although she has heard of fortune-telling, she hasn't really come into contact with it before, and is somewhat curious. Now that she's just started dating, when it comes to marriage, she's quite particular, so she wants to take a look. Whatever Ling'er is willing to do, Ma Dai is also willing to do. So he brings along a few guards and accompanies her to the outside of the courtyard.

  Not far away, a stall was set up, and Sima Yi disguised himself as a middle-aged scholar. He had a clear face, with a long beard under his chin, and had some elegant and refined bearing. Ling'er saw his appearance and first had a good impression of him. She asked: "Sir can calculate marriage destiny, let's have you calculate it for us." As she spoke, she looked shyly at Ma Dai.

  Simayu smiled secretly: "This girl is really simple, just this one move, even a fool can see the close relationship between the two. Do you still need to calculate?"

  Simayu was a meticulous person, before coming to Eastern Wu, he sent people to Xiangyang and Longzhong to make a detailed understanding of Zhuge's family as much as possible. Cheating this little girl should be no problem.

  He took a glance at Ling'er, twirled his mustache, and after calculating with his fingers for a while, he said out her birth eight characters, extremely accurate.

  The little girl's mouth was slightly open in surprise, and she said with admiration: "Sir, you calculated it accurately, it is indeed my birthday."

  Miss, you are destined to be a noble person, and your marriage will naturally be very happy. From the look of your eyebrows, I can tell that you have never met a man who has caught your eye before, but recently, the noble person in your fate has arrived in Wu County. You will soon form a happy union with him.

  Not only was Ling'er delighted by these words, but Ma Dai also felt great joy, thinking to himself: "I am the first man that Ling'er has ever liked, this is truly exciting."

  Ling'er wanted to know if her future husband was indeed Ma Dai, and asked somewhat nervously: "What kind of person is he?" Upon hearing this, Ma Dai also became somewhat nervous, fearing that he would say something different from himself. His eyes stared straight at him.

  Simayu smiled secretly, but on the surface he put on a serious face, pinched his fingers to calculate: "Your future husband is a tall and handsome young man with fair skin from the northwest, a young master of a large family." He stopped there, narrowed his eyes to continue calculating, secretly observing their expressions.

  Ling'er and Ma Dai looked at each other, both with excitement in their eyes.

  Simay continued, "If I'm not mistaken, his surname is either Niu or Ma, in any case it's related to an animal." He calmly shifted the attention to Mateng, even if he was wrong, it didn't matter, confirming that he wasn't a member of the Mateng family would still be a gain.

  Ling'er was overjoyed and had already made up her mind. But she didn't want to let Ma Dai get too smug, so she said with a straight face: "What the gentleman says is true, he really is surnamed Niu."

  Simayu had already understood in his heart that this person must be related to Mateng. Think about it, what is Zhuge Liang's identity: Zhuge Jin and Zhuge Liang are heroes of the time, Zhuge Jun will also become the son-in-law of Eastern Wu, ordinary families cannot marry her, only the northwest Ma family has this qualification, and there is only one family, Mateng.

  He deliberately said, "The mountain man sincerely treats you with kindness, doesn't charge a fee, and gives you free fortune-telling. You deceive me instead. Forget it, I was blind to this." He then packed up his divination tools and prepared to leave.

  Ma Dai hastily said: "Sir, slow down, I am indeed surnamed Ma, thank you for your auspicious words." He said, looking at Ling'er happily. Then, he took out a gold ingot from his bosom, weighing about five taels, and gave it to Sima Yi. Following that, Ling'er walked away with satisfaction.

  Simazhi's subordinates, disguised as passersby next to him, admired him with all their might.