Wei Ni

In April in Luoyang, the heat has already begun to spread.

Xiahou Hui, who was dressed neatly and followed Emperor Cao Rui closely, soon began to sweat on his forehead and the lining of his back became sticky.

There was no way. No matter how bold he was, he didn't dare squeeze under the curved canopy of the sedan chair in front to avoid the sun.

Fortunately, Cao Rui on the sedan chair was talking about something, so he could listen attentively and had no time to pay attention to the hot summer weather.

Cao Rui was relaying the story.

Before Xiahou Hui entered the palace, Cao Rui had discussed for some time the follow-up matters of the investigation of military farms in the capital with Wei Zhen and Pei Qian who had arrived earlier.

Regarding the resignation of the Hongnong prefect due to illness, Wei Zhen and Pei Qian had basically the same suggestions.

They all tend to stop investigating while they are ahead.

The reason is that the very smooth outcome of the Luoyang Diannong Department could not be replicated in Hongnong, Hedong, Hanoi and other places.

Because the Luoyang Dian Nong Department had military farms, only the powerful and wealthy could take them over or get involved.

The powerful and wealthy are the group above the temple and closest to the emperor, so they also know the priorities and will not offend the emperor over some petty gains.

But it was different in the Department of Agriculture in the counties and prefectures below.

Most of the people who got involved in military farming were officials and powerful families who had been settled in the local area for many years.

These people are not easy to deal with.

To be precise, it is because they have a low level of awareness and are used to bullying others in the local area, which has more or less developed an arrogant character that looks down on others.

After all, during the Han Dynasty, there were many powerful families who ran rampant in the countryside and were beyond the control of the two thousand officials.

In addition, Emperor Ling of Han decentralized power during the Yellow Turban Rebellion at the end of the Han Dynasty, and Emperor Wen of Han, Cao Pi, granted some power again. As a result, today in local counties, the powerful and wealthy have a say that is not inferior to the imperial edicts.

This phenomenon originated from the abolition of the mausoleum town system by Emperor Yuan of the Han Dynasty and expanded after Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu relied on powerful people to achieve his empire. Under the catalysis of the universal view of dual monarchy, it has now become fixed and irreversible.

It's not something that can be solved overnight.

Even one or two generations of monarchs who worked hard to govern the country could not eradicate it.

Therefore, Wei Zhen and Pei Qian's suggestions were to adapt to local conditions and prescribe the right remedy. They would just have to recover the land that had been swallowed up by means of a compromise, such as not blaming others or asking about the past.

There is no way to cure the root cause~
There is no need to intensify conflicts, which may lead to local tyrants coercing the people to cause rebellion, or incumbent bureaucrats resigning or committing suicide out of fear of punishment.

"I know that Zhiquan has the heart to benefit the country, and I also know that what Zhiquan said is very good."

After retelling all this, Cao Rui also sighed, "But Zhiquan should also know that even though the emperor has the whole world under his control, it is still difficult for me to handle certain matters!"

Xiahou Hui could not say anything about this.

He also knows that some things cannot be accomplished simply by passion.

Methods such as erecting a monument to judge people's opinions, as just mentioned in the Nine Dragon Hall, are not the right way to go. They are difficult to implement in the government or at the level of changing major political affairs.

Moreover, he suddenly recalled the time when he was banished from Luoyang in his early years and visited his fourth brother Xiahou Wei on his way to Huainan.

Xiahou Wei, who was then the Captain of Agriculture, once said that as a son of Qiaopei, he allowed the scholars and people under his jurisdiction to share their production according to the ratio of "half for private cattle and six for official cattle".

Looking back on it now, isn’t it a kind of sadness?
Only officials who are backed by the emperor and are no different from members of the royal family can ensure the normal implementation of the original system. This shows the inherent deficiencies of the Wei State when it replaced the Han Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, I dare not force you to do anything."

After a brief pause, Xiahou Hui replied, "Duke Wei and Duke Pei are mature and wise in their advice to the state. Your Majesty should accept their advice. Moreover, I also know that the collapse of the military farming system cannot be cured overnight. For example, when the late Marquis Su Jia Liangdao was the governor of Hongnong, he had already discovered that the chief of the military farming was hiding the people of his tribe."

"Jia Liang Dao"

Cao Rui, who was sitting in the chariot, repeated it in a low voice, with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

He was remembering that after the Battle of Shiting, Jia Kui died of grief and anger because of the unfair treatment he received.

So, he followed his train of thought and thought that when Xiahou Hui mentioned Jia Kui at this time, was he implicitly asking him not to try to smooth things over and let him follow in Jia Kui's footsteps and die of grief and anger?
Cao Rui, who was suspicious and self-imagining, was silent for a moment.

Well, judging from this guy's character, he seems to be making indirect accusations.

Cao Rui cursed in his heart.

After calming down, he spoke to comfort her, "There are priorities, and we have to make temporary arrangements when we have no choice. However, Zhiquan, don't be discouraged. Zhiquan and I are both in our prime. Let's take it easy today. There will be plenty of time to cure this problem in the future."

No shortage of time?

I should be fine, but you...
Oh, it’s difficult~
I seem to have heard gossip in the market that you have recently started to frequently invite He Yan to banquets for drinking and pleasure all night long. I guess, given your personality, you have also taken the Hanshi Powder that He Yan highly recommends, right?

Hearing this, Xiahou Hui felt the heat becoming more unbearable, but in the end he was unable to make any remonstrances, so he could only respond, "Yes. Your Majesty is wise."

At this time, we also entered the Tianyuan Pool.

A gentle breeze blows, bringing coolness to your face, and the faint scent of grass and trees lingers in your nose, refreshing your spirits.

There were already people in the pavilion on the corridor along the bank of the pond. As Cao Rui got off the carriage, they all bowed to the ground. What caught Xiahou Hui's attention was that two children, about seven or eight years old, were among them. Could it be...
With a vague guess in his mind, Xiahou Hui couldn't help but turn his head to look back. After Cao Rui nodded, he hurriedly saluted to the two children and said, "Your Highness, I am Xiahou Hui, the Central Guard General, and I pay my respects to the King of Qin and the King of Qi."

The two children who were greeted had different reactions.

The bigger one slightly curved his eyebrows to suppress his smile, while the thinner one pouted his lips in displeasure.

"Zhi Quan got it wrong."

Cao Rui, who was standing by, also laughed. He waved his hand to let the two children leave, and then explained as they walked to the small pavilion in the middle of the lake, "Xun'er is one year older than Fang'er, but since he was kept in the palace, he often got sick and had a poor appetite, so he is even thinner than Fang'er."

Oh, I see.

Only then did Xiahou Hui realize that he had made a mistake when performing the ceremony.

So, this should be the reason why the younger Cao Fang ascended the throne in the future, right?

"Chen Hui is terrified."

"No problem."

After walking across the Xian Bridge, the emperor and his ministers sat down in the pavilion in turn, and Cao Rui finally mentioned the reason why he kept Xiahou Hui.

"The Grand Commandant will be returning to the capital soon. I don't think Zhiquan has ever met him?"

"Your Majesty, no. When I was granted the title of Imperial Guardsman by the grace of God, the Grand Commandant had already been stationed in Jingzhou. Later, I was on duty in another place, so I never saw the Grand Commandant when he came to the court to report on his duties."

"You must have heard of it. Tell me, what does Zhiquan think of the Grand Commandant?"

Let me evaluate Sima Yi. Did you take too much Hanshi powder?

Startled, Xiahou Hui quickly stood up and saluted, declining the charge and saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for not speaking. I am only a Central Guard General, and I am not yet thirty years old. How dare I criticize the Grand Marshal?"

Don’t you dare to make irresponsible comments?
Is there anyone in this world that you dare not criticize?
Cao Rui was amused, but he did not make things difficult. Instead, he waited until the eunuch who served the wine and food went to the shore to wait, then he raised his cup and drank slowly. He closed his eyes and savored the wine, then he said in a leisurely voice, "Zhi Quan, stop talking. What is said here must not be spread outside of your ears."

"only."

After glancing at the eunuch who was more than ten steps away, Xiahou Hui thought for a moment and answered in a low voice.

"The Grand Commandant established meritorious service during the reign of Emperor Wu. He was diligent in his duties and was known for his strategy and ability to judge people. He was relied upon as a confidant during the reign of the previous emperor, and was later appointed as a minister of state. In terms of reputation, there is no one in the Wei Kingdom who can match him. The Grand Commandant is a veteran minister of three generations. He has served in many positions since he entered the government. He was once the Minister of the Right, responsible for selecting talents for the court. Later, he was sent to govern Jingxiang and Yongliang, during which time he made many achievements. In terms of his resume and achievements, there is no one in the Wei Kingdom who can match him. The Grand Commandant is humble and courteous. He has never offended anyone in the court for many years. He always greets the elders first. He is decisive and persevering. For example, he captured Meng Da in a few days and was not ashamed of wearing women's clothes."

"All right."

Before Xiahou Hui finished speaking, Cao Rui impatiently interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "I know these things better than anyone else, so stop making noise and talk about something else."

After saying that, he added, "Well, there's no need to be shy about it."

Are you sure you know better than anyone else?

Who gave you the confidence?
Xiahou Hui, who was interrupted before she had finished applying the eye drops, felt a little regretful and dissatisfied.

When he stole a glance at Cao Rui, who had already turned his head to follow the birds in the middle of the lake, and saw that he did not look annoyed, he plucked up his courage and said directly and concisely, "Yes, Your Majesty, I dare to say that the Grand Commandant is a man of benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, and wisdom, just like a reborn saint."

When he said the word "saint", he emphasized it.

Actually, he didn't need to be so deliberate.

Because Cao Rui was very intelligent, his talent was not much inferior to that of his grandfather and father.

He had long guessed what Xiahou Hui, a native of Qiaopei, wanted to express, and naturally he also knew that the last person who was regarded as a "sage on earth" was Wang Mang.

"saint."

So he did not look back, his eyes still following the birds that were unaware of the dangers of the human world, and he murmured, "Is it a blessing that a saint has been reborn in the Wei Dynasty? Or is it a disaster?"

Is it a blessing or a curse? It is impossible to say now.
Xiahou Hui remained silent.

Although he really wanted to say that it was a disaster, but looking at Sima Yi's life up to that point, was there anything that could serve as evidence?

The death of Zhang He?
This reason is not sufficient.

Making groundless accusations would only make Cao Rui think that he had bad intentions and was slandering him maliciously.

As for being so successful that it threatens the ruler, that is even worse.

Cao Rui had been the emperor for nearly twenty years and had long held real power, so it was easy for him to suppress Sima Yi.

Besides, how old is Sima Yi now, and how old is Cao Rui now?

Saying that his achievements were so great that they frightened the emperor, what's the difference between this and cursing Cao Rui to his face that he would not live longer than Sima Yi?

Even taking a step back, in the original historical trajectory, if it weren't for the stupid Cao Shuang's rebellion, Sima Yi would have a high probability of being a loyal minister of the Wei State who was praised by history.

"Why are you silent?"

After a long silence, Cao Rui turned around and urged in a light tone, "I have already said it just now. The words here should not be spread outside the ears of others. What else is there for Zhiquan to be afraid of saying?" (End of this chapter)