Wei Ni

"Your Majesty, I am Jian, the governor of Youzhou."

Guanqiu Jian, who was facing the outward corridor, was the first to see Emperor Cao Rui and Wei Zhen who were slowly approaching, and he quickly stood up and saluted.

Xiahou Hui followed closely behind.

"No need to be polite."

Cao Rui walked past them without stopping, and when he waved to them to follow him into the house, he asked Guanqiu Jian, "Zhonggong and Zhiquan are sitting together, smiling happily, but what's the funny thing? Tell me about it."

"only."

Guanqiu Jian, who was half a step behind the emperor, answered truthfully, "Your Majesty, there are some interesting stories about the border troops of Youzhou and the miscellaneous Hu. For example, the leader of the Bai tribe Xianbei..."

They talked and laughed, and after a while they arrived at the courtyard where the banquet was set up.

Everyone took their seats in order, and after the manor steward served them wine and food and left, the small talk stopped.

Emperor Cao Rui, who was sitting at the top, was the first to raise his wine cup and invite everyone to drink together. He took the opportunity to cast an inquiring look at Guanqiu Jian.

In response to this, Guanqiu Jian hesitated slightly before nodding slightly without leaving a trace.

This made Wei Zhen, who was also watching from the corner of his eye, frown slightly.

Known for his uprightness, Cao Rui also disapproved of the practice of avoiding the royal family's abuse of people's power.

As soon as he learned that Guanqiu Jian was recalled, he tried to persuade him privately, but Cao Rui refused to listen, so he could only go along with it.

Now, seeing that Xiahou Hui was also persuaded by Guanqiu Jian, he felt a little disappointed.

Either don’t do it, or do it to the best of your ability!
Yang Fu, who was in charge of the first investigation, failed miserably. Now that the investigation is being restarted under his name, why is he still acting vaguely?

Doesn't this send a wrong signal to the government and the opposition that "making mistakes and failing to fulfill responsibilities is nothing to be afraid of, as it can be covered up as long as someone comes out to take the blame", which will only make the unhealthy trends in the government and the opposition more and more serious!
And he found it quite ironic.

When he had just decided to restart the investigation of the Shi family, he was worried that the young and energetic Xiahou Hui would make a big move and cause controversy among the government and the public! As a result, now that the final push was in place, he felt very sad because Xiahou Hui also compromised.

Hey~
Although Your Majesty has engaged in a number of large-scale construction projects in recent years, you have not lost your composure and judgment. Why are you doing this now?
Wei Zhen raised his sleeves and drank it all in one gulp, hiding all his confusion in his heart.

"Zhi Quan, please tell me."

Emperor Cao Rui, who had put down his wine cup, did not pay attention to Wei Zhen's thoughts. When he saw Guanqiu Jian nod, he felt very happy and asked Xiahou Hui directly, "I know that you have consulted the family files of Luoyang Dian Nong Department in Xunshi Er, and I am quite puzzled. I originally wanted you to first investigate the military farming in Yewang or Hedong, and proceed step by step from the easy to the difficult, so that everything will come naturally. Why did you do the opposite?"

"Chen Hui is terrified."

Xiahou Hui, who had prepared a speech in advance, apologized politely before answering slowly, "Your Majesty, I am not arrogant, but I am a soldier with stubborn will. I am used to trying to accomplish everything in one battle. I am willing to give up the difficult and take the easy way out. Although it may be rash, if we can open up the situation smoothly, the problems in other farming sites will be solved easily."

After explaining, he paused and added, "Of course, I dare not go against your Majesty's wishes. If your Majesty feels that my consideration is inappropriate, I will start from Yewang or Hedong when I investigate the families of scholars."

Are you thinking about changing to Yewang or Hedong now?
Then wouldn't all the preparations I made earlier, including asking Guanqiu Jian to come back from afar, have been in vain?

Cao Rui said this in his heart, pretending to think for a moment, then waved his hand, and said in a wise manner, "There is no need to change it. You are the one in charge, and since you have your own plan, I will follow your will. Have you thought it through in detail, how do you need me and Wei Qing to cooperate? Also, when we investigate, where will Zhiquan break out and where will he stop?"

Ugh!
really
Even though he was mentally prepared, when the words actually came out of Cao Rui's mouth, Xiahou Hui couldn't help but sigh secretly, feeling absurd in his heart.

Because Cao Rui's last question was urging him to promise in person that the royal family would never be implicated in the investigation of the scholars' families.

What he found absurd was the approach of first determining the intensity and scope of the crime and then thoroughly investigating the case. It made him feel as if he had traveled back a thousand years.
Cough!

"Your Majesty, I have considered this."

After letting out a breath to calm down, Xiahou Hui stood up, bowed respectfully, and began to speak eloquently.

"Your Majesty, there are three reasons why I, your Majesty and Duke Wei, need my help."

"First, I ask Your Majesty to grant me the power of holding the imperial seal to intimidate the villains. The Minister Yang who previously investigated the families of the scholars was a famous minister of the Wei Dynasty! He was known for his uprightness and was admired by the court and the people, but he still could not accomplish anything. And I, Hui, am only thirty years old. Although I have made some achievements, I have a bad reputation in the court. Without the imperial seal to intimidate the people, nothing can be accomplished."

"The next step is to ask Your Majesty to grant me two thousand infantry and cavalry to command. The politics of the scholar family originates from..."

Xiahou Hui was interrupted by Cao Rui when he said this. "Zhi Quan, please wait." He frowned slightly, with some doubt in his eyes. "I would have granted Zhi Quan's request for the imperial seal even if he hadn't mentioned it. But I don't understand why Zhi Quan wants two thousand infantry and cavalry. Zhi Quan is investigating the Luoyang Department of Agriculture. If he encounters any difficulties, he can come to me for consultation in no time. Why does he need to lead the troops himself? No war should be started within the capital. If I agree to Zhi Quan's request, I'm afraid that the ministers and officials will impeach him!"

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely true!"

As soon as Cao Rui finished speaking, Wei Zhen beside him also spoke up, warning him earnestly, "Warfare is dangerous! The capital is the best place, how can Zhiquan ask to lead 2,000 infantry and cavalry? You should know that the most powerful position in the capital is the Sili Xiaowei, and he only leads 1,200 city officials and slaves!"

No, why are you so nervous?

Could I still rebel?

Besides, if you think the troops I asked for are too much, just tell me directly. I can ask for less.
After muttering to himself, Xiahou Hui pretended to be sincere and said, "Your Majesty, Duke Wei, please allow me to explain. I also know that the capital is not a place where soldiers can be deployed. I know this, but I still ask for it because I want to investigate the accumulated malpractices of the scholars and deal with them according to military law. I will not allow those involved to ask for favors, deceive or obstruct. Your Majesty also knows that the laws of our dynasty are complicated and it takes a long time to review the officials' mistakes. If the laws are used to determine the crimes, the malpractices of the scholars may be difficult to detect. Only by governing them according to military law can we solve the problems without hesitation and ignore the resistance from all sides. Moreover, the politics of the scholars originated from Emperor Wu, and it was also governed by military law at that time. Now that I have been ordered to investigate and deal with it according to military law, it is reasonable to follow, and the ministers and officials have nothing to criticize."

Governed by military law.
It is a good way to break the deadlock.

But, you asked for two thousand infantry and cavalry right away. Are you trying to make a big fuss about this matter and then force others to say that "Among the accumulated evils of the scholars, the most serious one is the labor service of the royal family"?
Cao Rui suddenly remembered the small detail that Guanqiu Jian hesitated slightly when he nodded to indicate that the matter had been settled.

Moreover, based on his understanding of Xiahou Hui, this possibility exists.

The chances are still very high!
With this thought in mind, Cao Rui suddenly became alert and had already decided to refuse. While he was considering his words, he heard Xiahou Hui's words of apology, "I have been supervising troops outside for a long time. I forgot that I was in the capital. Soldiers cannot be given privately. I hope Your Majesty will not punish me. After Duke Wei's reminder, I realized my mistake. If Your Majesty does not doubt me, please grant me 700 soldiers."

This is not a question of two thousand and seven hundred, okay?

I don't doubt you, but I really don't dare to give you soldiers!

For a moment, Cao Rui was silent.

He couldn't say the words he wanted to refuse.

After all, Xiahou Hui both apologized and compromised. If he refused again, what else could it be but doubting Xiahou Hui?

Fortunately, Guanqiu Jian, who had been just a spectator, quickly spoke up to help.

"Zhi Quan requested troops and dealt with the matter according to military law, but don't treat the capital as a border area and kill people ruthlessly! If it causes controversy in the court and the public, even if His Majesty wants to protect you, it will be difficult to stop the anger of the court officials!"

That's what he said.

In a joking tone, he implicitly expressed Cao Rui's worries.

Or perhaps it was his own worry.

When the two of them were talking earlier, Xiahou Hui's compromise came too quickly, which made him feel uneasy, so he thought that Xiahou Hui's current move to ask for troops was a secret attack on Chencang!
To some extent, he and Cao Rui were the true ruler and minister who understood each other and had a tacit understanding.

With a casual joke, he resolved the situation in which Xiahou Hui took the opportunity to demand power and forced Xiahou Hui to behave like a subject.

"Brother Zhonggong, you are joking. Although I have killed countless people in the army, I am not a bloodthirsty person."

Xiahou Hui smiled and replied, also tactfully giving Cao Rui a way out, "Your Majesty, whether you would like to grant me the troops or not, it would be better if I can answer all your questions and my own concerns before making a decision."

"As it should be."

Cao Rui, who had taken advantage of the situation, nodded slightly and said, "When making plans for the country, we only seek to benefit the country. I do not doubt Zhiquan, and Zhiquan should not be bound by formalities. Whatever you think, you can just speak. Whether you take it or not, everyone can discuss it together. Well, Zhiquan continued to speak."

"only."

After responding, Xiahou Hui continued to explain his thoughts.

"The third is to ask Duke Wei to bear with me and refuse to appeal to others. I have been reading the files of the Luoyang Department of Agriculture these days and found that many of the fields under the Department of Agriculture are no longer on the books. I sent my troops to search for them and found that they were swallowed up by the powerful, relatives or officials. If I start to investigate, I must first take back these fields, which may lead to complaints from them to the Henan Yin, Sili Xiaowei or Tingwei. I hope Duke Wei can help me."

Having said that, he saluted Cao Rui again and explained.

"Your Majesty, this is why I am asking for troops. To use the power of the vassal to intimidate the lawless, to use weapons to deter greed, to take back all the land from the soldiers' homes in one swift move, and to ensure that no poor slaves or servants are killed in the dispute. The intention is to stop war with weapons."

"The above three points are what I would like to ask Your Majesty to negotiate with Duke Wei. And what I am thinking is that this time the investigation is to recover the land, and not to ask about other things, nor to investigate the officials in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture." (End of this chapter)