Wei Ni

Ding Mi, who had been watching Yu Song's expression closely, couldn't help but show a hint of triumphant joy when she saw him sit down silently.

But we still need to maintain the proper posture.

As he sat down, he bowed slightly and clasped his hands in apology to Yu Song before continuing to speak seriously with Xiahou Hui, "Zhiquan, I have gained some insights from my thoughts these past two days, which may enable Xiahou Yunjin to thwart his wishes. Hmm, Zhiquan, you have read the works of various philosophers, do you still remember the words in the Zhou Benji section of the *Records of the Grand Historian*: 'King Wu fell ill. The world was not yet at peace, and the dukes were afraid. They consulted the oracle, and the Duke of Zhou purified himself and offered himself as a hostage, intending to replace King Wu. King Wu then recovered.'"

Did the Duke of Zhou request to die in place of King Wu?

Of course I remember such a thing that will be remembered for all time, but why are you bringing it up now?
Could it be that you want me to emulate the Duke of Zhou, go to the ancestral temple to pray to Heaven with a beautiful jade, seal the imperial edict and store it on the ground to inform the earth, and die in place of Emperor Cao Rui, so as to gain the emperor's favor and make me the first among the regents?

That's such a far-fetched argument.

For a moment, Xiahou Hui did not understand the key point and nodded with a puzzled look in his eyes, "Of course I remember. But I can't understand why Yanjing suddenly mentioned it."

"No problem."

Nodding slightly excitedly, Ding Mi hurriedly continued to ask, "Well, Zhiquan, let me confirm this first: do you believe in supernatural things like the Duke of Zhou taking someone's place?"

Although King Wu did recover from his illness after the Duke of Zhou's prayer, he still died not long after; and hadn't Emperor Wu of Cao Cao previously prayed for Cao Chong, asking Heaven to spare his life?
It is clear that praying to ghosts and gods is of no use.

But Xiahou Hui, who had been reborn as a second-generation human, hesitated for a long time before gently shaking his head, "Hmm, I don't believe it."

Ding Mi, who had been watching him intently, noticed him sit up slightly when he hesitated, his eyes filled with doubt. Only after hearing the affirmative answer did she breathe a sigh of relief, "If you don't believe me, that's good."

After speaking, he did not offer any explanation, but instead turned his gaze to Yu Song.

Yu Song, who had been listening silently, was already prepared.

From the moment Ding Mi mentioned the Duke of Zhou, he knew why he had been dragged into this—not only because Ding Mi wanted to make him and Xiahou Hui share the same fate, but also because Ren Ye was under his supervision.

Previously, when Ren Ye was forced by Xiahou Xian to become an informant, he had come to request to serve under Xiahou Hui, but was refused, and Xiahou Hui even allowed him to monitor him at will. However, out of a sense of caution, Xiahou Hui still privately reminded Yu Song to keep an eye on Ren Ye.

Therefore, if Ren Ye is to be used as a pawn, he is the easiest person to step forward.

It could be considered that Ding Mi wanted him to pledge his loyalty.

"General, Ding's strategy will be successful thanks to Ren Ye."

When Xiahou Hui turned his gaze, Yu Song spoke directly and succinctly.

This also made Xiahou Hui realize in an instant what Ding Mi's plan was.

It is true that he wanted to emulate the Duke of Zhou by going to the ancestral temple to pray for Emperor Cao Rui and sealing the content of "seeking to take his place" in the ground, but that was to dig a pit for Xiahou Xian.

Yu Song would try to find a way, such as mobilizing Ren Ye's soldiers or informing him through others, to let Ren Ye know about the matter and then pass it on to Xiahou Xian.

In this way, Xiahou Xian might have been able to report the matter to Emperor Cao Rui, and eventually the seal of investiture was unearthed.

This was not to let Cao Rui know Xiahou Hui's unwavering loyalty in being willing to die in his place; rather, according to the prevailing view at the time, such an edict would be unlikely to be effective once it was unearthed.

Therefore, Emperor Cao Rui, who was already seriously ill, would inevitably take his anger out on Xiahou Xian.

He was both angry that Xiahou Hui had thwarted his last chance of survival and furious that Xiahou Hui was unrepentant and still harbored malicious intentions, so that he would be dismissed and never be employed again.

The whole plan looks a bit complicated, but in fact it's not difficult to put into practice at all.

Firstly, there was no need to worry that Emperor Cao Rui would not believe it.

Xiahou Xian did have a prior record. Although Emperor Cao Rui had already killed the peasant woman from Huainan, in the eyes of a dying man, no matter how absurd the method, as long as there was a sliver of hope for survival, he would hold on tightly and never give up.

We will not allow anyone else to damage it!

Another possibility is that Xiahou Xian was tricked.

Just as Xiahou Hui wanted to include him in the list of those entrusted with the care of the young, he also wanted Xiahou Hui to be removed from the list!
When a rare opportunity arises, how can he resist the temptation?
He was unaware that Ren Ye was being used, and he would never have imagined that Xiahou Hui would actually get involved and even curse himself to die in order to scheme against him.

He himself knew that if he did nothing, he and Xiahou Hui were both entrusted with the responsibility of raising the young emperor, but he would inevitably be ranked last.

There is nothing we can do about it.

Why was it that his own achievements were inferior to others, and that he had disappointed Emperor Cao Rui twice?
Therefore, it is highly likely that he used this to slander Xiahou Hui.

Of course, if we have to say that this plan is difficult, it is in how Yu Song can successfully get Ren Ye to deliver the message; there may be some variables involved.

After all, Emperor Cao Rui had already moved into the Jiafu Palace, and there was no time left.

If Ding Mi's plan is to be carried out, Xiahou Hui will have to go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple the next day, which means that Yu Song will not even have time to think about it. Generals are not allowed to leave the camp without a reason. If he wants Ren Ye to know what Xiahou Hui is going to do, he will have to give him time to arrange his trusted followers to follow him after he reveals the information to him.

Furthermore, this is a very sensitive time.

Ren Ye was not a fool, and he might not be willing to believe the information that Yu Song "unintentionally" revealed.

Therefore, after realizing what was happening, Xiahou Hui fell silent again.

The focus wasn't on the gains and losses of the plan, but rather on how to ensure that Yu Song's persuasion of Ren Ye went smoothly.

As Ding Mi just said, "The matter is urgent." This is his last chance to entrust Xiahou Xian with the responsibility of supporting the young master, so there is no reason to hesitate. Only by taking action can there be a possibility of success; without taking action, there is no possibility at all.

A long silence fell inside the office, making the howling north wind and Ding Mi's snoring outside all the more distinct.

As soon as Yu Song spoke up to Xiahou Hui, Ding Mi, who had barely slept for the past two days, went straight to sleep on the couch on one side.

Anyway, it's none of his business anymore.

Although he was arrogant and self-important, it did not mean that he was unaware of hierarchy and his duties as a staff member.

Yu Song then went out of the office.

He went to instruct his attendants to prepare the items needed for the prayer at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Time is of the essence, so it's best to prepare the miscellaneous items first. Even if Xiahou Hui's decision later isn't needed, it won't be a big deal!
As for why he didn't consider how to get Ren Ye to comply...
He already had an idea, but he didn't want to disturb Xiahou Hui's thoughts.

Moreover, he didn't really agree with Ding Mi's plan in the first place, because in his opinion, it was completely unnecessary.

Even if Xiahou Xian colluded with Cao Shuang, what could they possibly do? And how could they possibly exclude Xiahou Hui, who had so many merits?

Do you really think that all the officials and ministers in the court are ignorant and unable to distinguish right from wrong?

Those who hold high positions in the government should uphold integrity and uprightness; those who resort to intrigue and trickery will never achieve great things or gain popular support.

On the contrary, they may suffer the consequences!
However, given that Ding Mi was Xiahou Hui's cousin and had considerable seniority, he couldn't voice his opposition on the spot. He would wait until he had time to be alone with Xiahou Hui before offering a word of advice.

Sigh, I've already been forced to share their fate, so I guess I'll just consider it helping myself.

Furthermore, General Xiahou is a good person and worth serving.

When Yu Song caught a glimpse of Xiahou Hui getting up, picking up his cloak, and quietly going to the bedside to cover the sleeping Ding Mi with it, he felt a surge of emotion.

The resentment and anger that had been forced into the situation twice, which had filled his chest and abdomen, also melted away.

"Shumao".

Just as he was lost in his own thoughts, Xiahou Hui had already reached the door of the office, beckoning and whispering.

Huh, where are we going?

Not understanding what was going on, he asked questions after leaving the office.

"Come with me to see Ren Ye."

Xiahou Hui, who kept walking, gave this answer, which only confused him more—if Ding Yanjing's plan was used, you were not suitable to come forward! And why didn't you ask me if I had a way to make Ren Ye obediently submit before going there yourself?
After a moment's consideration, Yu Song advised, "Isn't it inappropriate for the general to go see him?"

"What do you find wrong, Shumao?"

Unexpectedly, Xiahou Hui turned his head and directly refuted him.

Of course, I'm worried that if you personally intervene, things might still work out if Ren Ye goes directly to Xiahou Xian.
Moreover, this kind of thing is not honorable, so you should avoid it to avoid giving others something to talk about in the future!

Upon hearing this, Yu Song was speechless.

Speechless, I didn't know where to begin in offering any advice.

Seeing this, Xiahou Hui smiled and said softly, "I know what Shu Mao means. Moreover, I also know that Shu Mao is being too rigid now."

Am I being too rigid?

Yu Song paused slightly, silently scrutinizing Xiahou Hui's back for a moment before following.

It wasn't until he had taken a few steps that he realized what was happening.

He was indeed blinded by his own involvement.

Because there is never a perfect solution in the world.

No matter what method he used to deceive or lure Ren Ye into reporting to Xiahou Xian, he could not do it without leaving a trace.

This is why Xiahou Hui planned to meet Ren Ye in person.

He planned to be open and honest, hoping to get Ren Ye to cooperate with him willingly.

This wasn't about winning Ren Ye over with sincerity, but rather about being driven by shared interests—Ren Ye also wanted to get rid of Xiahou Xian, and for the sake of his own and his family's safety, he was even more eager than Xiahou Hui for Xiahou Xian's power to be gone.

As for whether Ren Ye would worry about Xiahou Xian's retaliation if things didn't go smoothly after being frank and open with everyone, well...
No need to worry.

He knew how to choose, and he also knew he had no choice.

Because if Xiahou Xian were to gain power in the future, he would inevitably still regard him as an ant and keep him firmly under his control. What Xiahou Hui is giving him now is an opportunity to eliminate future troubles.

As soldiers, how could we not know that even the smallest achievement requires a desperate struggle to attain? (End of Chapter)