Wei Ni

Sima Zhao's frustration stemmed from the fact that he discovered he was able to recruit Gan Xing not because of his personal charm, but because Gan Xing had no choice but to submit out of fear of the Sima family's power.

So his attempt to prove himself failed.

When he told his elder brother Sima Shi about this matter, he blamed himself, saying that he had not listened to his brother's advice and was too eager for things to be true, which ultimately led him to fall into the trap of using his power to coerce others.

His tone and expression both conveyed a sense of disappointment.

Sima Shi did not comfort him, but silently looked at him for a moment before asking, "Gan Xing's shadow followed behind, did you intend to attack him?"

"Of course not."

He then asked, "If Your Majesty were to send you away, would you be willing to die for it?"

“I will certainly not be stingy.”

"In that case, what regrets could you possibly have?"

Sima Zhao was speechless.

He finally realized what the biggest difference was between him and his brother.

It was neither talent nor worldliness.

Rather, it is a profound and magnanimous spirit that does not dwell on the past, accepts the present with equanimity, and always keeps the future in mind.

For example, in those two brief questions from Sima Shi, he understood a perspective on things: the result is the most important thing, and there is no need to pursue the perfection of the process. Because as long as the result is guaranteed, there is a chance to make the process perfect.

At the end of December in late winter, Emperor Cao Rui fell ill.

Although Emperor Cao Rui had lived a dissolute life in recent years, he had almost never been sick. Therefore, after falling ill this time, not only did his condition not improve for a long time, but it also became more and more serious.

All the physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau had made their diagnoses, but none of them could offer a solution.

Because the emperor's illness couldn't really be considered an illness; rather, it was like the depletion of a seventy- or eighty-year-old's physical reserves—a very "normal" death from old age.
The Huainan peasant woman who claimed to be a nun and kept in the palace by the emperor, had previously used her miraculous powers to cure diseases by giving people water to drink and to heal sores by washing them. However, these powers had no effect on Cao Rui, so she was given death.

He sought medical help, but medicine was ineffective; he sought help from ghosts and gods, but to no avail.

Under the double blow, Emperor Cao Rui himself came to his senses.

Therefore, he did two things.

One of them was to establish Consort Guo as Empress and to grant all men in the land a second-level title, and to establish a valley for widows, widowers, and orphans.

A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, nor can the position of empress remain vacant for long. Normally, it is a matter of course to establish an empress, but given that the emperor is ill and unwell, everyone knows why.

The other option was that he had himself carried to Jiafu Palace to live.

Since the Duke of Zhou established rites and music, officials of the rank of Shi and above all had a main chamber and a private chamber. The private chamber was their usual residence, while the main chamber was their final residence (returning to the main chamber at the end of life), and they would move there only before death.

The main room is also known as the road room or the suitable room.

For example, the Gongyang Commentary on the 32nd year of Duke Zhuang states: "The Duke died in the Luqin. What is Luqin? It is the main sleeping quarters."

For example, the "Record of Mourning" in the Book of Rites states: "The ruler and his wife die in the roadside chamber; the wives of high officials and noblewomen die in the inner chamber; the wives of wives die in the lower chamber before being ordered to do so, and their bodies are moved to the inner chamber; the wives of scholars all die in the inner chamber."

Jiafu Hall was the main residence of the Wei dynasty.

Previously, Emperor Wen of Han, Cao Pi, also moved to Jiafu Palace after falling seriously ill and knowing that his days were numbered.

These two events made this late winter in Luoyang, the capital, particularly cold this year.

The vast majority of the court officials were saddened by Emperor Cao Rui's passing and sincerely hoped that he could live another ten or eight years.

The reason is very simple.

In the eyes of these bureaucrats, Cao Rui was a wise and benevolent ruler.

If he was tolerant, he never executed a minister during his more than ten years in office; no matter how outspoken a minister was, he would not punish him for his words. If he never interfered with the duties of his ministers, he only inquired about the results of their respective duties, leaving everything else to the officials to do as they pleased.

As for his negative aspects, such as extravagant construction projects, lavish concubine gatherings, and luxurious lifestyle...
The harm caused by these things is borne by the common people and the gentry, while they are the bureaucrats.
Another reason that alarmed the court officials was that both Prince Qi, Cao Fang, and Prince Qin, Cao Xun, were children under ten years old.

Regardless of who is chosen to ascend the throne, there will inevitably be concerns about a young ruler and a nation in turmoil.

Naturally, given the precedent of Cao Rui having reached adulthood and Emperor Wen of Han (Cao Pi) still appointing four regents on the grounds that Shu and Wu were disloyal, the new emperor would inevitably have ministers to entrust with the care of the young emperor.

The worries of the high-ranking officials and nobles lay in entrusting the young emperor with the responsibility of raising him.

The transfer of power is often accompanied by bloodshed; even a smooth transition of power can lead to a major change in the political landscape due to the convention of "a new emperor, a new court".

With both princes currently young, the ministers entrusted with the care of the young prince will inevitably wield immense power, which could lead to what? Emperor Wu of Han's choice of ministers for his care of the young prince was certainly virtuous, yet later Huo Guang and Sang Hongyang also became adversaries.
The most critical issue is that the Wei dynasty's replacement of the Han dynasty lasted far too short a period, a mere nineteen years to date.

The Duke of Zhou feared rumors, just as Wang Mang was humble before his usurpation.

Not everyone is like Huo Guang or the ruler of Shu. How could the officials not worry that the minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor might become too powerful and follow the example of Cao Cao, who enfeoffed the young emperor as a duke or king?
To put it simply, it's just one problem.

As beneficiaries of the Wei dynasty's usurpation of the Han dynasty, they did not want the Wei state to face turmoil, nor did they want their own interests to be affected.

However, these are things that are not within their control.

No one dared to make connections or collusion at this critical juncture; that would be tantamount to suicide. Xiahou Hui didn't dare either.

Since Emperor Cao Rui fell ill, he was frequently summoned to the palace.

The day before yesterday, when Cao Rui moved to Jiafu Palace, it was Cao Shuang and others who carried the emperor and his bed there together.

That day, he and Cao Shuang and others stayed by Cao Rui's sickbed, reminiscing about many things from the past, and several times they were overcome with tears and choked with sobs, unable to speak.

He wasn't putting on an act; he was genuinely heartbroken.

Non-vegetation, ruthless Practice makes perfect.

Regardless of the circumstances, Cao Rui has truly been exceptionally good to him over the years.

Even if Cao Rui's initial intention in showing him great favor was to use him as a pawn, a very sharp and useful knife.

However, he was an emperor!

Which minister isn't a sword in the emperor's hand?
Moreover, Cao Rui was generous, allowing Xiahou Hui to be ennobled and appointed as a general within just ten years, becoming a pivotal minister in the imperial court!

Another reason is that although he had been preparing for Cao Rui's imminent death, he found himself unprepared when that day was fast approaching.

These days, when he was with Emperor Cao Rui, Xiahou Xian was there; when he was not there, Xiahou Xian was still there.

It seems that Xiahou Xian had completely relinquished the duties of the Governor of Henan to his subordinates, such as the Prefect, and spent his days waiting outside the Sima Gate for the Emperor's summons; even if he was not summoned, he would still request an audience.

This news was conveyed by Cao Fu, the official in charge of public transportation.

When Xiahou Hui left the palace once, he mentioned it quietly as they passed each other to exchange greetings.

Therefore, Xiahou Hui no longer returned to the Lingzhi Marquis's residence. He instructed Ding Mi to help look after the house, and then stayed at the Central Protectorate Officer's Office day and night.

He could not go to see him every day.

Because Xiahou Xian had a prior record with the emperor, he hadn't seen the emperor for quite some time.

He did not, and frequently entered the palace. If he were to do so now, Emperor Cao Rui would suspect his motives were impure and his intentions malicious!
Therefore, he can only worry helplessly now.

It carries a sense of frustration, knowing that the situation is about to spiral out of control but being powerless to intervene and change it.

Ding Mi, who had a misunderstanding about Xiahou Hui and whose fate was intertwined with Xiahou Hui's, was also thinking about how to resolve this issue. Judging from the fact that Emperor Cao Rui had been frequently summoning Xiahou Hui to the palace these days, Xiahou Hui must be among the candidates to entrust the young emperor to, but Cao Shuang and Xiahou Xian would also be among them.

Cao Shuang and Xiahou Xian were very close friends in their early years.

Although there were minor disagreements along the way, given that they both harbored resentment towards Xiahou Hui, it goes without saying whether they would join forces to ostracize him in the future.

In particular, both of them entered officialdom very early on.

Moreover, they had been serving in the capital Luoyang, and the officials and nobles had a good impression of them.

As for Xiahou Hui...
Constrained by his age, he entered officialdom too late. In order to catch up with others, he had no choice but to work hard. Therefore, his reputation among officials is best left unmentioned.

Therefore, Xiahou Hui and Ding Mi are currently considering how to remove Xiahou Xianji from the list of those entrusted with the care of the young master.

The reason for not choosing Cao Shuang is somewhat amusing and somewhat helpless: his performance over the years has been too mediocre, with nothing to praise and therefore nothing to criticize.

Even if a fabricated charge is found, one must consider whether Emperor Cao Rui will believe it!
In contrast, Xiahou Xian, who had a prior criminal record, had a much easier time.

However, Xiahou Hui had been thinking about this for months without finding a good solution. How could he possibly come up with one now in such a rush?

Ding Mi, however, was different.

Known for his cunning, he came to the Central Guard Officer's Office with a completely new perspective on this issue, which he had never considered before. After pondering for two days and nights, he arrived with heavy dark circles under his eyes.

When they entered Xiahou Hui's office, for some reason, they also summoned Yu Song, the Attendant Gentleman.

It should be noted that Yu Song was not Fu Gu. He was only temporarily subordinate to Xiahou Hui and did not consider himself a confidant, let alone have the right to inquire about such confidential matters.

Of course, Xiahou Hui did not let Yu Song leave either.

They've already been brought in; how can we ask them to leave again? No matter the reason, it's just pushing them away and causing them to become disloyal.
He felt that Ding Mi must have had ulterior motives for doing this.

as predicted.

Ding Mi closed the door and, before even sitting down, said, “Zhi Quan, the situation is urgent! His Majesty is ill, yet Xiahou Yunjin comes to see us every day; his intentions are obvious. If we do nothing now, we will surely suffer the consequences later!”

Xiahou Hui remained silent.

Because Ding Mi didn't need his answer; she was speaking to Yu Song.

Yu Song was no ordinary person either.

Upon hearing this, her eyelids twitched slightly, but after a sigh in her heart, she calmly took her seat.

This scene was exactly the same as when Xiahou Hui and Fu Gu went to recruit him back then; they simply dragged him onto the carriage without saying a word.

He couldn't refuse, nor could he refuse; he had no choice but to accept his fate. (End of Chapter)