Wei Ni

Despite having a vague premonition, Xiahou Hui still tried to persuade him.

“Yuanming, we have known each other for many years, so I will not speak falsely.”

He began his speech in a straightforward and sincere manner: "After the late Emperor fell ill, he repeatedly sent messengers to summon Yuanming back to the capital. I'm sure Yuanming knows why. Unfortunately, fate played a cruel trick on us. Last year, Bingzhou was ravaged by a severe snowstorm, blocking the mountains and roads, preventing Yuanming from seeing the late Emperor one last time. Now, the Emperor has ascended the throne at a young age, facing powerful enemies abroad and internal strife. As a man of meager virtue, yet holding the title of Grand General, I live on the edge. At this critical juncture for the nation, I hope Yuanming can return to the capital to serve and help us protect the Wei dynasty. Currently, the positions of Commander of the Central Army, Protector of the Central Army, and Governor of Henan are all vacant. I will submit a memorial to the Emperor tomorrow regarding Yuanming's preference. Furthermore, I have not yet decided on the position of Grand General's Sima. If Yuanming does not mind, he may concurrently hold these positions."

Even though he was mentally prepared, Xiahou Hui would definitely offer very generous terms in order to win him over.

But Qin Lang was still stunned by these words.

The three positions of Commander of the Central Army, Protector of the Central Army, and Governor of Henan were all acceptable to him, given his experience and ability. But Xiahou Hui actually made him concurrently serve as the Grand General's Commander!
Once he accepts, his status and power in the State of Wei will be second only to the regent.

What moved him most was Xiahou Hui's trust: those who had once vied for favor and power now dared to entrust their lives and fortunes to him.

Therefore, filled with gratitude, he became even more determined to refuse.

"I cannot accept General Zhiquan's kind offer."

He composed himself, cupped his hands in greeting, and followed the example of Prince Yan Cao Yu in addressing people by their courtesy names, explaining slowly, "It's not that I'm unwilling, but that I simply cannot. There are three reasons for this."

"When the late Emperor was still alive, many claimed that among the members of the imperial clan from Qiao and Pei, Zhiquan was the most talented, and instructed us close ministers to strive to emulate him. When the late Emperor fell ill, he appointed Zhiquan as Grand General to entrust him with his affairs after his death, which was a matter of appointing the virtuous and capable. I hope that Zhiquan will not underestimate himself and fail to live up to the late Emperor's expectations. Moreover, my family's wealth is comparable to that of princes and dukes. I am ashamed, and I believe Zhiquan knows why. Zhiquan treats me with sincerity, and I cannot covet power and allow Zhiquan to be criticized by others. This is the first point."

"Zhiquan, Zhaobo, and the Grand Commandant were all entrusted with the care of the young emperor. Zhaobo had previously been at odds with Zhiquan, and now that he is ranked below him, he is already uneasy. I was previously on good terms with Zhaobo and we had a lot of friendship. If I were to accept Zhiquan's kindness now, I fear that Zhaobo would... With Zhiquan's wisdom, he will surely understand, so I will not elaborate. Therefore, if I were to remain in the capital to serve, it would only add to the turmoil of the state. This is the second reason."

"The third is that it is the will of Heaven that cannot be defied."

"I am the adopted son of Emperor Wu, and should have lived an ordinary life. It is only because of the late emperor's lavish favor that I have achieved my current glory. A person should be content, and I do not ask for more. Moreover, since receiving the late emperor's edict, I have been rushing back to the capital from Wuyuan County day and night for thirteen days. I even changed my clothes on horseback. Yet even so, I have not been able to see the late emperor again. I believe this is the will of Heaven, a warning from the heavens that I should stop and not remain in such a high position."

After explaining the reason, he stood up, bowed solemnly, and requested, "As the Grand General, Zhiquan is in charge of all military affairs, both inside and outside the capital. Whether I am inside or outside the capital, I belong to him. I beg Zhiquan to grant my wish."

Ok.

In the end, you and Prince Yan, Cao Yu, both lack a sense of responsibility at heart. Both used the pretext that the current political situation is treacherous and that the matter is already settled to withdraw and protect themselves.

Xiahou Hui sighed inwardly.

But he couldn't force or criticize anything; most people in the world are like that, thinking only of their own good.

“Yuanming need not do this.”

As Xiahou Hui rose to help Qin Lang, he patted his arm before turning to leave. “If Yuanming is determined, I will not force him. Just now, the Prince of Yan said that the late emperor claimed that Yuanming could one day serve as a governor, and that he had also appointed Yuanming as the Protector of the Army in the conquest of Shu in his early years. Therefore, Yuanming should strive for it. If he has free time, he can learn more about the war and customs of Yong and Liang.”

Conquering Shu Protectorate Army
And should we pay more attention to the war in Yongliang?

Although Zhao Yan, the current Protector of the Army in charge of the conquest of Shu, has only been in office for a short time, he seems to be quite old.

Qin Lang, who had been silently savoring the moment, quickly understood and bowed again to Xiahou Hui's retreating figure.

Xiahou Hui returned to his felt mat, keeping watch by a dim lamp, his face showing some loneliness.

After becoming a general, he wanted to do something for the stability of the Wei dynasty for the first time, and he did it in a righteous way, but he was still rejected.

Yes, he had no intention of plotting against Prince Yan, Cao Yu, or Qin Lang.

Because he still remembered his original aspirations when he entered officialdom.

From his initial career as a Gentleman Attendant to his current position as a Grand General, his goal in striving for power has never changed: to avoid the historical trajectory of Sima usurping Wei and the unification of the three kingdoms under Jin.

He now holds the reins of the State of Wei.

The purpose of our hard work can be said to be more than half accomplished.

Therefore, he was sincere just now, generously sharing his power with them so that they could join hands with him to declare in the face of the current situation of a young ruler and a suspicious state that although Emperor Ming died young, the Wei dynasty still has vassal kings, members of the imperial family, and the sons of Qiao and Pei working together to protect it! It can still be passed down as steadily as Mount Tai!

However, it's a pity.

Neither King Cao Yu of Yan nor Qin Lang could understand his heart.

Or perhaps, after experiencing ups and downs and witnessing the unpredictable nature of life, they pretended not to know his intentions.

Green are your robes, deep is my longing; to whom shall I turn?

Alas, that’s all.

Sighing in vain will not help.

Some paths are destined to be walked alone.

After calming down, Xiahou Hui raised the wick of the oil lamp until the light was bright enough to see the words, then found a pen and ink and wrote two letters. One was to Chen Tai.

The message was simple: he was asked if he was willing to take up the post of Grand General's Chief of Staff.

He had just realized that Chen Tai's mourning period had already lasted two years, and would end in three months. Compared to Chen Tai's talent, it was only three months, so he was naturally willing to vacate the seat and wait for him.

Have you not seen the new city prefect, Zhou Tai?

In his early years, when Grand Commandant Sima Yi was stationed in Jingzhou and Xiangyang, he greatly appreciated Zhou Tai, an official in Jingzhou, and recruited him as a subordinate.

Unfortunately, Zhou Tai's parents and grandfather all passed away one after another at that time, and he had to observe a nine-year mourning period (actually more than six years. The nine-month mourning period is counted as one year).

However, Sima Yi kept the post vacant until the mourning period in the state ended.

From this point alone, we can understand why, in the original history, when Sima Yi usurped the throne of Wei, the vast Wei state only experienced three rebellions in Huainan. If Sima Yi had also guarded Huainan, perhaps even if Wang Ling, Guanqiu Jian, and Zhuge Dan had intended to start a rebellion, their generals and soldiers might not have been willing to follow them!

The other letter was addressed to Xun Yi.

Xiahou Hui had no intention of recruiting him, but simply claimed that there were still vacancies in his own staff and asked if he had any candidates he could recommend.

It's both an expression of goodwill and a way of testing the waters regarding the previous agreement between us.

If he were willing to lower his stance and bring some scholars from Yingchuan to serve him, Xiahou Hui would still be willing to pave the way for his future career, all the way to the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers.

If they are unwilling, then there's nothing more to discuss.

Just consider him as one of Sima Yi's people.

After finishing the two letters, he hesitated for a moment before summoning his attendant Han Long and instructing him to arrange for someone to deliver them the following morning.

The hesitation was not because the letter was inappropriate.

Instead, he was considering whether he should also write a letter to Chen Qian.

Chen Qian still needed to observe mourning for more than half a year, so he was given the nominal position of Zhonglang, which Xiahou Hui was willing to accept.

But then he thought again that Chen Qian was a very cunning and calculating person. He had followed him for many years under the arrangement of Emperor Ming, Cao Rui, but he had never considered himself a confidant or henchman.

Therefore, Xiahou Hui still felt it was better to leave the choice to him.

If he were to write a letter, Chen Qian would certainly not refuse, but he would definitely not act as a confidant or henchman as before. Rather than forcing him, it would be better to wait until Chen Qian finished his mourning period and see whether he chose to come and pay his respects or wait for the court to bestow an official position upon him.

Nothing more was said that night.

The following day, after returning to the capital Luoyang to pay homage to Emperor Cao Fang, the three regents came to the East Hall to act as acting ministers in charge of state affairs.

After reviewing some daily affairs reports from various prefectures and counties, Lu Yu, the Minister of Personnel, drew everyone's attention with his memorial: he claimed that Sun Li, the Prefect of Lujiang, had already been appointed as the Chief Clerk of the Grand General by the late emperor, but Huainan was the front line against Wu, and the position of Prefect of Lujiang could not remain vacant for long. Therefore, he requested that the court appoint him as soon as possible.

His petition was timely and without any personal motives.

But it also served as a reminder to Xiahou Hui.

Once the vacancies on the Huainan front are finalized, such as the positions of Commander of the Central Army, Protector of the Central Army, Governor of Henan, and General of the Imperial Guard, then the finalization should begin. He should also consider the candidates for these positions in order to gain control over the area surrounding the capital.

"General, you have more knowledge of the situation than we do, having previously served in the Huainan campaign. We ask that you decide who is suitable for the position."

As soon as Lu Yu finished speaking, Grand Commandant Sima Yi spoke first.

ok~
Having learned from his previous experience, he directly and logically let Xiahou Hui make the decision himself, subtly expressing his obedience and telling Xiahou Hui not to make fun of them, the old ministers.

"Since the Grand Commandant has said so, I cannot refuse."

After bowing to Sima Yi with a smile, Xiahou Hui also showed his gentleness, saying, "The position of Prefect of Lujiang is vacant. It can be transferred to Cao Zuan, the Prefect of Anfeng. This is also the time when the late emperor sent Cao Zuan to Huainan in his early years. Who is suitable to be the Prefect of Anfeng? I ask you all to recommend someone. I will not make a decision on my own."

Cao Zuan?

Grand Commandant Sima Yi nodded in approval and said no more.

Having served as the governor of Jingxiang and Yongliang, he did not want to get involved in the arrangements for the Huainan front in order to avoid being criticized for being power-hungry.

On the other side, Cao Shuang frowned slightly.

He wasn't trying to refute, but rather he suddenly became alert, wondering if Xiahou Hui's move was an attempt to extend goodwill to Cao Zhao, who was far away in Pingzhou, by transferring Cao Zuan. Therefore, after a moment's thought, he spoke before everyone else, "In my humble opinion, Wen Qin is suitable for the position of Prefect of Anfeng; the next best candidate is Cavalry Commandant and Attendant-in-Ordinary, Xu Yun." (End of Chapter)