As a top wise general, why is Sima Yi ridiculed for his caution?

I believe that many people will be laughed at by others because they have done something wrong. After all, no matter what kind of people are, they can't be perfect in everything, and they can't be without any shortcomings, so it is quite normal to be laughed at. Although he was said to be a very top-notch wise general, he was laughed at by the world because of an excessive caution, and there were some doubts in it. What's going on here?

He is Sima Zhong Da. At that time, as the highest counselor of Wei State, he and Zhu Gekongming of Shu State have been old rivals for many years, and the thing lies in their last encounter. On that occasion, Zhu Gekongming was physically overwhelmed by years of hard work. When he learned that he was coming to an end, he began to plan the final plan-to allow the Shu army to evacuate from Wuzhangyuan smoothly. While Sima Zhong Da guessed what was wrong with Zhu Gekongming's body, he told himself that no matter what happened, he had to be cautious, because he would step into the trap if he didn't pay attention, which was a lesson he learned from real experience.

Therefore, when he got the news that Zhu Gekongming had passed away, he was still not happy, and even became more depressed. After all, it was difficult for him to tell whether this was the truth or a new trap, so he delayed sending troops to attack the Shu camp. In his view, even if Zhu Gekongming really dies, he will leave a plan to deal with them, so he can't rush to send troops.

It is true that he guessed the mind of Kong Ming, but in the same way, his mind was thoroughly touched by Kong Ming, and it was superior to him in degree. Zhu Gekongming knew the character of Sima Zhong Da, even if he knew that he was dead, he would be very cautious, and he planned to take advantage of this psychology, thus leaving vitality for the Shu army. In this way, before Zhu Gekongming died, all the matters had been arranged, including Sima Zhong Da's suspicion. He had to be convinced of his foresight and really guessed things accurately, just like he was still in the camp of Shu. Therefore, Sima Zhong Da lost, and the competition on this strategy was that he lost, without any loss, but lost face, which made people laugh that "living Zhong Da" was scared away by "dead Zhuge". However, things don't seem that simple.

This joke, which was known by quite a few people at that time, may have been sent out by Sima Zhong Da himself! Why, here is still to talk about his wisdom. From many years, it seems that Kongming can't really defeat Zhong Da. The gap between them in strategy is not too big, and this time, the mistake is really too low for people like Sima Zhong Da, so it's hard to say that he has no other ideas. So what does he think?

You know, Sima Zhong Da's position in Wei Zhong at that time was extremely high. Except for the supreme monarch, no one else could surpass him or even compare with him. Therefore, he actually threatened the position of the monarch, and how many courtiers were suspected because of his high contribution and lost their lives? Smart as Sima Zhong Da can't understand, so he will deliberately belittle himself. As for the release of the Shu army, this is of course a good thing for him. Sima Zhong Da is of course important for Wei, just like Zhu Gekongming is for Shu. However, if the enemy has been destroyed, he will lose his value. It is really dangerous to have an empty threat but no value, so it is the best policy to leave a way to Shu. Without Kongming, it is not difficult to defeat Zhong Da, Sima. Therefore, leaving your opponent and belittling yourself will keep you from getting close to danger.

Of course, these are just guesses, which have not been confirmed by any substance.