Wei Ni

In this corrupt world, not black is not necessarily white, and not winning does not necessarily mean losing. Nothing is absolute.

Just like in the matter of investigating the military farming by the scholars, all the officials in the court and the public thought that the only winner was Emperor Cao Rui. However, Xiahou Hui, who was determined to conduct a thorough investigation despite countless pressures and bad reputations, not only did he not gain the reputation of exposing the accumulated malpractices, but in the end his memorial became a pawn for the emperor to increase his power over administrative affairs, so he was also a loser.

But Xiahou Hui himself felt that he did not lose.

His original intention was just to reduce the hidden dangers to the Wei Dynasty.

Today we have achieved great success, so why would we admit defeat?
However, when it came to midsummer June, he realized that he had really lost.

Emperor Cao Rui made him lose completely like a clown.

Firstly, the Taiwei Mansion conducted an extremely swift investigation of the agricultural departments in the counties surrounding the capital, and in just one month it submitted a memorial to the imperial court stating that the investigation was over.

On the surface, the embezzled land was recovered, and the governors of Hongnong and Hedong were replaced. However, the price was that all past crimes were ignored, and illegal activities such as hiding the people and enslaving the scholars were tolerated.

Such a result greatly disappointed Xiahou Hui.

Although he knew that the long-standing problems of military farming were difficult to eradicate, he still had to at least do his best. After this investigation, he could ensure that there would be no fraud or corruption in the Department of Agriculture in the capital for five to eight years, right?
Now all mistakes are not investigated. Believe it or not, when the spring plowing season comes next year, the land that has been recovered will have a different surname again?

Xiahou Hui did not think that Emperor Cao Rui, who was praised by the court and the public as a wise ruler, could not even anticipate this.

But reality gave him a hard slap in the face.

Cao Rui issued an edict to complete the investigation.

He also praised the Grand Commandant Sima Yi for his mature statecraft and his ability to plan for the country, saying that he was a great asset to the country who could keep the people calm.

The only thing that comforted Xiahou Hui was that Cao Rui issued an imperial edict to commend him, and appointed Shizhong Chen Jiao as Situ and Shangshu You Pushe Wei Zhen as Sikong, which slightly curbed Sima Yi's extraordinary status that was unmatched in the court.

Another reason was that Cao Rui felt that the palace was boring and wanted to build a hill landscape in the northwest of Fangyuan.

However, the previous words that the scholars would no longer be conscripted for labor for the palace were still in his ears, so he personally took a hoe and dug the earth, and ordered all officials, from ministers to students, to carry earth to build the mountain. He also sent people to plant birch, bamboo, miscellaneous wood and other good grasses on the mountain, and caught mountain birds and animals to place on the mountain.

It really made the ministers and officials share the joys and sorrows with tens of thousands of common people, and also planted the resentment of the nobles in the Wei Dynasty's country.

Even God could not tolerate this and caused an earthquake to hit the capital city Luoyang in June.

After all, "If you treat me as a national hero, I will repay you as a national hero."

Since the emperor of Wei used the officials as servants, don't blame them for turning a blind eye and being indifferent when the emperor's authority was trampled. Xiahou Hui, who had carried soil and stones for several times, suddenly felt that Emperor Wu Cao Cao's words "I will rely on you for three generations" might not be the comfort of having a successor, but the sadness from the heart.

Of course, what you wish for is what you wish for.

Xiahou Hui did not try to speak out against the emperor.

Instead, he behaved himself and went back and forth between the Central Guard Army Office and the Central Secretariat every day to report for duty, waiting calmly for the arrival of the second year of Jingchu.

He had already lost hope and no longer had any hope for Cao Rui.

The most urgent task is how to make himself the pillar of the country and a loyal minister in Cao Rui's mind who can be entrusted with the final affairs within this short period of one year.

Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared.

Just at the end of June, a memorial from Wuyuan County in Bingzhou gave him the opportunity to eliminate his competitors.

This memorial was submitted by Tian Yu.

On the grounds that the restored Yunzhong, Wuyuan and Shuofang counties were all peaceful, and the various Xianbei tribes in the west and the miscellaneous Hu tribes that had surrendered were all properly pacified, he asked the court to allow him to resign his power as the Protector General of Hetao.

If nothing unexpected happened, Tian Yu asked to give up his military power because he knew that the Grand Commandant Sima Yi had resigned as the Governor of Yongliang.

Sima Yi, as the only remaining regent minister of Wei, had given up his military power and returned to the court. As a former official of Liu Bei, the ruler of Shu, he should have been more sensible.

Furthermore, after the Xianbei leader Kebineng surrendered and Liaodong Gongsun was destroyed, it was an indisputable fact that there was no war in the northern border of Wei. He had fought for Wei for many years, but his official position was limited to a county. Now that he was nearly seventy years old, he did not want to continue to serve as an important general in the border area, so as not to be framed and attacked and bring disaster to his family.

The memorial first went to the Secretariat and then to the Zhongshu Jian. According to Cao Rui's previous instructions, a copy was placed on the desk of Xiahou Hui, who was also the Zhongshu Shilang.

In this regard, Xiahou Hui, who rarely made suggestions on government affairs, spared no effort to write about it.

Appendix:

"Your Majesty should approve the request. The border areas are not well-produced. Now that the northern border is safe, withdrawing troops can reduce expenses and save the border people from the hardship of supporting them. General Tian has been in the army for many years and is familiar with the ranks. If he returns to the court, he can consult with Your Majesty on military affairs. If he is transferred to another place, it is better to transfer to Huainan or Jingxiang. This is because General Tian had made great contributions in defeating the bandits in Wu in his early years. In addition, I dare to speculate that if Your Majesty is worried that General Tian will leave and the border areas will become troublesome again, you can send a member of the royal family to govern there, which can also be a good choice for the selection of governors for the Wei family."

After asking the clerk to present it according to the procedure, he returned to the Central Guard Army Office and waited for the emperor to summon him.

Because he was certain that the ministers in the court could give Cao Rui various opinions on whether Tian Yu should stay or go, but he was the only one who dared to say and could say the six words "temper the selection of the governor".

As expected, the next day at about noon, the attendant in the East Hall came to the Central Guard Office, claiming that the emperor had sent him a meal and asked him to come quickly.

The gift of food is real.

When the meal was just served, Cao Rui joked, "In Tian Guorang's memorial, Zhiquan advised me to replace him with a member of the royal family to reserve talents for the country. Is he trying to emulate Mao Sui?"

"No, Your Majesty."

Xiahou Hui, who had no intention of using his dagger and chopsticks, answered respectfully without hesitation, "It's not that I am arrogant, but my current military experience means that I no longer need to go to Wuyuan County to guard it and appease the barbarians to hone my talents."

"How shameless of you to say that!"

Cao Rui immediately laughed and scolded, pointing out, "Tian Guorang has been a minister for three dynasties. He fought for the country for decades before he was given the power to supervise the northern border. Although Zhiquan also has achievements, he is still better than Tian Guorang! Moreover, does Zhiquan really not seek merit?"

Although he cursed, Cao Rui did not get angry.

He knew that, judging from his achievements in defeating Gongsun in Liaodong, Xiahou Hui really didn't need to stay in the northern border to add color to his resume. If he was sent to supervise the local areas, Yongliang would not be an option, and Huainan, which was mainly attacked by the Wu bandits, would also be a little lacking, but if he was to stay in Jingxiang, no one would refute him because of his age.

Just like Xiahou Shang in his early years.

When he was appointed General Zhengnan and stationed in Jingzhou, he had just turned thirty.

"Your Majesty cannot hide my selfish desires from you."

Without any sign of panic, Xiahou Hui also smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I do not recommend myself, but I want to stay in the capital. When the rebellious Shu or the treacherous Wu invade, I will have the opportunity to rush to help and make achievements."

"Ah."

Cao Rui, with an expression of "as expected", stroked his beard leisurely.

Seeing this, Xiahou Hui's mind moved, and he hurriedly added, "Your Majesty, as General Tian said in his memorial, the northern border is peaceful and Bingzhou has no military affairs. Whether to keep the post of governor is uncertain. In the appendix, I mentioned that the sons of the royal family can be sent to replace him in order to train the selection of governors for the country. It is just a comprehensive advice. Now that Your Majesty has asked, I dare not hide it. This position will definitely add the experience of governor, but it may not increase the talent of commander. Please examine it yourself."

The advice was that I could send someone, but I myself didn't want to go, so there must be a reasonable reason.

Especially in front of a suspicious monarch.

However, Xiahou Hui's move was unnecessary.

In Cao Rui's mind, he had no intention of letting him go to Bingzhou.

It's not necessary, it's a waste of talent~
And from the perspective of the Wei Dynasty, he thought Xiahou Hui's proposal was very good.

Because for Qin Lang, Xiahou Xian, Cao Zhao, Cao Shuang and others, this kind of position that can add to their resume without any risk is something that can only be encountered once in a while!
Even if Xiahou Hui's hidden intention was that this move was like forcing things to happen, Cao Rui still accepted it.

Who caused the lack of successors between the current Wei royal family generals and Qiao Pei governors?
Therefore, Cao Rui smiled even more after hearing this, and said earnestly, "I was just joking, why should Zhiquan doubt himself? Zhiquan's heart to benefit the country is clear as day and night, when have I ever doubted it? Well, let's not discuss this matter for now, let's have dinner."

"Yes. Thank you, Your Majesty, for the meal."

After eating and drinking, everyone rinsed their mouths and washed their hands.

When the attendants removed the dining table and other things and there were only two people in the hall, Cao Rui chatted for a while before returning to the topic, "Since Zhiquan advised against the appointment of governor of Bingzhou, you must have thought about it. I wonder who you think is qualified for the job?"

"Your Majesty, I have some thoughts on this, and I would like to share them with you."

Xiahou Hui, who had been sitting upright for a long time, answered without hesitation, "I personally think that General Qin Lang of the Cavalry is the best, General Cao Shuang of the Guards is the second, and then Cao Zuan, the governor of Anfeng, is the third. As for the rest, it is better to leave them alone, or increase the power of the Governor of Bingzhou, but it is better not to delegate them."

Better to have nothing than to have something
In your eyes, are the others, such as Xiahou Xian and Cao Zhao, so unworthy as to be just filling in the numbers?

For a moment, Cao Rui was silent.

But he quickly skipped over this point and turned his attention to the fact that Xiahou Hui actually put Cao Shuang above the second choice!
It is indisputable that Qin Lang is the best person to govern Bingzhou.

It was not only because Qin Lang was from Yunzhong, which made the border people and the Hu Lu tribe feel familiar; it was also because Qin Lang was cautious in nature and was the best person to take on the responsibility of appeasement.

Cao Zuan, the prefect of Anfeng, was sent to serve as deputy to Xiahou Hui in his early years. The two had a friendship, so it was reasonable for him to be placed last.

But why did he recommend Cao Shuang?

You know, Cao Shuang has never stopped attacking Xiahou Hui over the years.

Even Cao Rui's ears were callused from listening so much.

Cao Rui pondered for a moment but still could not understand, so he finally asked, "Zhi Quan thought that some people were qualified and some were not qualified. What was the reason for his judgment? Please tell me in detail."

What's the reason?
Huh~
Of course, I want to take this opportunity to kick one of them out of the capital Luoyang, so that he won't be able to appear in front of you at some time next year! (End of this chapter)