Wei Ni

The road must be walked step by step, and the meal must be eaten one bite at a time.

Taking advantage of the opportunity when Tian Yu submitted a petition to return home, Xiahou Hui wanted to kick his future competitors out of the capital Luoyang. He chose Qin Lang and Cao Shuang because these two people posed the greatest threat.

Qin Lang's performance in the past two years has deviated from the original historical trajectory.

His cautious words and actions and his self-protection approach freed him from criticism in the court and the public, and also made Emperor Cao Rui value him even more.

For example, whenever Cao Rui went out for a trip or had fun, the close ministers who would accompany him would always come at the whim of the moment and were not fixed, but Qin Lang was never absent.

Based on this inference, if that time comes, Qin Lang will definitely occupy a seat.

Even if someone wanted to interfere, they can't find a reason now.

There is no better candidate than Qin Lang, right?

Although he was the adopted son of Emperor Wu, his descendants were no longer included in the royal family. From the perspective of the Wei Dynasty, he had no legal basis for treason and usurpation of power; for the aristocratic families, he was a possible candidate who could be recruited into their own family.

The reason why Xiahou Hui felt that Cao Shuang was a great threat was because he was very humble.

To put it bluntly, his character is not strong enough, which makes the important officials in the court feel that he will be obedient and allow themselves to be manipulated as long as they give him a few words of advice.

Furthermore, although his father Cao Zhen has passed away for some years, many of the generals he promoted are still alive and have actual military power, so his legacy has not completely disappeared!

As for Xiahou Hui, he also recommended Cao Zuan.
Just as Emperor Cao Rui thought, it was just a choice made to make up the numbers.

After all, with Cao Zuan's straightforward character, he could only be a general and not a commander. Even if all the royal family members were dead, Cao Rui would not have the idea of ​​letting him be the governor.

The rest of Xiahou Xian and Cao Zhao
Xiahou Hui felt that they were not a big threat because their flaws were very obvious.

For example, although Cao Zhao has now recruited many people to cheer for him, and it seems that his momentum is growing and his reputation is high, it is actually difficult for him to make a name for himself.

Blacksmith need its own hardware.

Since he entered the government, Cao Zhao has done nothing remarkable. He has never been involved in the fields of military exploits, state governance, the successes and failures of advising others, or recommending talents.

Relying solely on some people's propaganda and facade is nothing but a castle in the air.

In particular, his act of making friends with scholars was a big taboo.

Cao Rui was aware that the former general He Jin had not been dead for many years and that he was the fuse that led to Dong Zhuo's rebellion in the Han Dynasty.

Xiahou Xian’s shortcomings are also obvious.

When Xiahou Hui was reorganizing the central army in Luoyang, he let Cao Rui know that he was narrow-minded and suppressed the heroes and meritorious officials of the Wei State when he was the commander of the central army; when he was investigating the farming of the scholars, Cao Rui found that he did not distinguish between the important and the trivial, and even encouraged the wounded soldiers to cause trouble.

Given the available options, how could Cao Rui entrust such a person with such an important task?

Although Cao Rui had shortcomings such as extravagance, debauchery, and acting on impulse, he really cannot be called stupid!
Of course, these reasons were all in Xiahou Hui's mind. If he wanted to answer Cao Rui's questions, he had to find reasonable excuses.

"Your Majesty, I judged based on each person's personality. The specific reasons are as follows. The rest of my words may be arrogant, but I beg Your Majesty to forgive me."

By saying sorry, Xiahou Hui quickly organized his thoughts and spoke eloquently.

"To be stationed in Bingzhou and Hetao, General Lang is the best candidate. Your Majesty is wise enough to understand the reason, so I will not elaborate on it."

"The second candidate is General Shuang of the Wuwei Army. He has a humble character and has served in many positions in the capital without any mistakes. The important officials in the court all praise his diligence. Although I, Hui, do not get along with him, I cannot ignore the facts and reject him."

"The second is Anfeng prefect Zuan, who is mighty and brave, and can deter the barbarians from doing whatever they want. Moreover, there are few people with literary talent in the border areas of Bingzhou, and Zuan's straightforwardness and generosity can best calm the hearts of the people on the border."

"As for the rest, the governor of Henan and the commander of the five camps, Zhao, I personally think are inappropriate."

Speaking of Xiahou Xian and Cao Zhao, Xiahou Hui dragged out the last word and paused for a moment. He looked up to see if Cao Rui's expression had changed, then lowered his head and said softly, "Your Majesty, the border areas are unstable and uneasy, the frontier is cold and simple, and the slave trade is deeply rooted, and the government cannot prohibit it."

ok~
As soon as he heard it, Cao Rui immediately understood it.

I also understand why Xiahou Hui apologized before explaining the reason.

He was saying that Cao Zhao lived an extravagant life and never tired of eating fine food. If he were stationed in the austere Wuyuan County, the people on the border and the barbarian tribes would certainly think that the Wei Dynasty was as corrupt and endlessly conscripted as the previous Han Dynasty.

When mentioning the prevalence of the slave trade, Xiahou Xian's father, Xiahou Mao, was mentioned.

It was well known in the court and the public that Xiahou Mao was greedy and business-minded (he was keen on making money to expand his family business). If Xiahou Xian went to Bingzhou, he might succumb to his father's orders, making the slave trade one of the stains of the children of Qiaopei.

"Well, I understand what Zhiquan meant."

After a moment of silence, Cao Rui nodded, still smiling, "I will think carefully about who to send out. There is nothing to do here, and I am tired, so you can go back first."

"only."

After leaving the Taiji Hall, Xiahou Hui felt very relaxed.

The report he heard during the summons made him certain that Cao Rui would definitely send someone to guard Hetao. No matter who he chose in the end, even if it was Cao Zhao who was the least threatening, his evil plan would have succeeded.

With joy, he, who was originally going to leave the palace, turned around and went to the Shangshu Terrace, intending to find Shangshu Lang Fu Gu to ask if he was free after the break so that they could have a drink together tonight.

As he walked along, he bumped into a man along the way before he reached the Shangshu Terrace.

The man was about 50 years old, with a slender figure, a prominent nose and horns, and gray hair and beard, but he was energetic. He was Sima Yi, the Grand Marshal of the current dynasty.

And he also saw Xiahou Hui.

With a smile on his face, he even took the initiative to bow and greet, "Zhi Quan."

To be honest, since he returned to the capital, Xiahou Hui had only met him at court meetings. They had never spoken to each other, and there was no overlap in their duties, not even a nodding or spiritual acquaintance.

Today, he actually behaved in this way, which made Xiahou Hui have to admire him in his heart: there was a reason why he faced almost no resistance when he laid the foundation for the Jin Dynasty to usurp the Wei Dynasty in history.

Let me ask, how many people can not feel good about him when facing his attitude?
What people of low status value most is the respect and courtesy of those in high positions.
"Central Guard General Hui, I greet the Grand Commandant."

He hurriedly took a few steps forward and bowed more respectfully in return. Xiahou Hui smiled and said, "Grand Commander, you really humble me."

"Haha~"

Seeing Xiahou Hui like this, Sima Yi smiled even warmer, "Why do you say that I am being humiliated? Zhiquan is a rising star in the Wei Kingdom, and his achievements are the best among his peers. Although I am older, officials in the court should be judged by their achievements, not their age. I am not honoring Zhiquan's status or official position, but I am fortunate to be the pillar of the Wei Kingdom."

Gee!

Listen to this, how well said it is~
No wonder Emperor Cao Rui always regarded him as a loyal minister to the country and had no suspicion of him at all!

But if age is not the only factor, why do you bow down to Chang Lin, who is from the same hometown, when you see him? Is it for fun?
Unable to resist a word of criticism in his heart, Xiahou Hui smiled bitterly and said modestly, "Grand Commander, please stop praising me like that. I really don't deserve it. Although I have made some contributions, how can I be called a pillar of the country? If I can achieve even one or four of your achievements in my lifetime, I can comfort my father's spirit in heaven."

"Zhi Quan's words were modest."

Shaking his head and laughing, Sima Yi put his hand on his beard, "He killed the enemy Wu Zhengbei General on the battlefield, and defeated Gongsun of Liaodong in a battle of 4,000 miles. He was young and yet he was still in power, but his achievements can be recorded in history. But I am only a clerk at the age of thirty."

"No."

Xiahou Hui sighed, "The Battle of Guangling was the work of the General of the Eastern Expedition; the expedition to Liaodong was planned by Your Majesty and the officials in the court. I was just lucky enough to execute it, so I dare not take credit for it. Moreover, the Grand Marshal is far-sighted and has outstanding insights. Who in the court and the public does not know this? For example, during the previous Battle of Hanzhong by Emperor Wu, when Yuan Hou surrendered, Shu was in shock three times a day. The Grand Marshal advised that the troops could be sent into Shu. If Emperor Wu had followed his advice, how could there be the trouble of rebelling against Shu today!"

You all know my advice to Emperor Wu when Zhang Lu surrendered to him.
Why are you studying it so carefully for me?

Sima Yi smiled, "Zhi Quan knows one thing but not the other. At that time, our Wei army was old and tired, and there was chaos in the rear. If Emperor Wu took my advice, it would be a mistake. Well, I have heard for a long time that Zhi Quan is excellent in both civil and military strategy, and is knowledgeable and intelligent. Today, I see that Zhi Quan actually knows about the events in Hanzhong in the past. It can be said that his reputation is well-deserved!"

"I don't dare to take the words of the general."

Xiahou Hui, who still maintained a respectful attitude, hurriedly explained, "The commander also knows that my father and brother both died in Hanzhong. I was very concerned about the war between my Wei Kingdom and the enemy Shu Kingdom, and that's how I learned the commander's past strategy, not because of my extensive knowledge."

"Even so, it is rare."

"Don't dare, don't dare."

The two continued to flatter each other for a few more words, and then left with completely different thoughts.

When Xiahou Hui looked at Sima Yi's back as he walked away, his evaluation in his heart was just a few words: impeccable and extremely difficult to deal with!

Yes!

He couldn't find any flaws in Sima Yi.

Earlier, when Sima Yi had just set out to return to the capital, he felt that to deal with such a person, slander, framing and other means would be ineffective, and only flattery would be effective.

But today's encounter made him realize that this path was a dead end.

It might even backfire and make Emperor Cao Rui feel that Sima Yi's loyalty and honesty were highly praised by everyone.

what should I do?

His good mood was gone, and he suddenly felt that when he was drinking with Fu Gu, Ding Mi and others tonight, he had to have a good debate on the hypothesis of "If Wang Mang had not usurped the Han Dynasty, how should the power be taken back when Emperor Liu Ying of the Han Dynasty took power?"

Unlike Xiahou Hui's calculations, Sima Yi was very relieved when he left.

Firstly, he had already thought of "what else to ask for" at this time, and he was still a loyal minister who hoped that the Wei Dynasty would last forever, so he was very pleased that there was a talented person among the young men of Qiao Pei.

The other is the comfort of home.

Because his eldest son Sima Shi had long regarded Xiahou Hui as his rival.

What can best motivate a person to grow is to have an opponent who is equally matched with him. (End of this chapter)