Wei Ni

None of the Nine Ministers were lacking.

There was a less important but comparable position in terms of authority. There used to be a Governor of Henan, but now Liu Jing, the Minister of the Capital, has filled it. I can’t possibly demote one of the Nine Ministers to the position of Minister of the Capital, can I?
That old man Huan Fan!

Since you are so eager for an official career, why didn't you write this letter sooner?
After hearing Ding Mi's reminder, Xiahou Hui suddenly felt a headache coming on.

Despite his complaints, Huan Fan's current demand for an official position is not unreasonable. After all, Huan Yu, the most talented member of the next generation of the Huan family, had served as an advisor to Xiahou Hui many years ago.

The strongest relationships are built on shared benefits and mutual support.

Xiahou Hui understood this as well, which was why he had previously recommended Huan Fan to Emperor Ming for the position of Protector-General in the conquest of Shu. Unfortunately, Huan Fan himself proved unworthy of the position.
And the timing isn't right either!
After much deliberation, finding no good solution, he asked, "The Nine Ministers cannot be moved. I have only recently assumed office and cannot give others grounds for criticism. Moreover, the previous measures were hard-won, and we cannot let all our previous efforts be wasted for the sake of Fan alone. Does Yanjing have a suitable solution?"

Ding Mi had also considered this question and answered directly, "Rumors in the marketplace say that the Grand Secretary's family is already preparing for his funeral."

Oh no, is Liu Fang going to die?
Without warning, Xiahou Hui turned his head over.

Ding Mi smiled, revealing his teeth. "After I learned of this, I sent someone to investigate further. It turns out that since the Grand Commandant was promoted to Grand Tutor, the Director of the Secretariat, who had been suffering from a serious illness, has started to vomit blood frequently and has given instructions for his final affairs. He should be passing away in the next few days."

It turned out to be the case.

Already bearing the infamy of being called an "old thief" by the late emperor, Sima Yi now requests to relinquish his power as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, effectively refusing to accept his good intentions. It's no wonder he's utterly despondent.

However, it would be inappropriate to use Huan Fan to fill the gap.

After pondering silently for a moment, Xiahou Hui shook his head. "Yanjing's words are inappropriate. The Director of the Secretariat and the Director of the Imperial Secretariat were previously known for their 'exclusive appointments,' which drew much criticism from the court and the public. Now that the Emperor is young, all the officials are hoping to reduce the power of the Director of the Secretariat and the Director of the Imperial Secretariat. If I recommend Huan Yuanze to enter the Secretariat, it may cause turmoil in the court and make everyone think that I have the ambition to take on an exclusive position."

Wait, haven't you always had one?

Besides, they are all high-ranking generals entrusted with the care of the young emperor; isn't it perfectly legitimate for them to assume full authority?
Ding Mi, though puzzled by the rejection, did not expose Xiahou Hui's desire to protect his reputation. After stroking his beard and thinking for a moment, he suggested again, "Since there is no suitable candidate in the imperial court, let's find someone outside the capital. During the funeral at Gaoping Mausoleum, Zhi Quan encouraged Qin Yuanming by mentioning the Yong and Liang regions during their late-night conversation. We can now use the excuse that Emperor Ming was waiting anxiously for Qin Yuanming's return at Jiafu Palace to petition the emperor to transfer him to the position of General Who Conquers the West, and have Huan Yuanze fill the vacancy left by him."

"Yan Jing's suggestion is even more inappropriate."

This time, Xiahou Hui rejected the idea without hesitation, saying, "Qin Yuanming is not yet capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of governing Yong and Liang. Moreover, the matter of Huan Yuanze is a private matter. How can I let personal feelings lead me to treat matters of national importance as child's play?"

This won't work, that won't work, you'll have to figure it out yourself.

Upon hearing this, a somewhat frustrated Ding Mi simply shrugged, indicating that she had no other suggestions and could not help.

This made Xiahou Hui feel increasingly troubled.

Even the simple few lines of text in the letter seemed detestable, so he threw it into the brazier. "Let it drag on. Yanjing, write a reply for me, and try to be as tactful as possible."

"No need for letters."

Ding Mi nodded and said, "I will go find Huan Wenhua later and explain in detail the current difficulties of Zhiquan. It would be more appropriate for him to go home and talk to Huan Yuanze."

"Yes, that's even better. Yanjing is very thoughtful."

Xiahou Hui gave a heartfelt compliment, temporarily setting aside the matter of Huan Fan, then shook his head and sighed, "Alas, I didn't expect that Cao Zhaobo would still be unwilling to live in harmony with me."

Ding Mi remained silent.

He harbored resentment towards Cao Shuang and He Yan, so he didn't want to get involved.

He had anticipated this outcome and felt there was nothing surprising about it.

The reason Xiahou Hui did not object to Cao Shuang's choice of the governor of Yangzhou a few days ago was not only because he felt that Wang Chang was indeed capable of the important task, but also because he wanted to give Cao Shuang one last chance. If possible, he would not mind relinquishing some power in exchange for Cao Shuang not causing trouble, so that Wei could peacefully get through this period of uncertainty caused by a young ruler.

Those who govern a country should prioritize the overall situation.

But his concessions only earned him Cao Shuang's underhanded tactics.

Knowing full well that his seventh brother, Xiahou He, was already the son-in-law of the Huan family, and that he would certainly recommend Huan Fan to return to court and make his mark, Cao Shuang still wanted to recruit Huan Fan as his chief secretary. Wasn't his intention to undermine the Huan family and sow discord between them? Put yourself in his shoes, how would Cao Shuang have felt if he had recruited Xiahou Xuan as an aide to the Grand General?
Of course, Xiahou Hui was just expressing his feelings.

Based on reality and in accordance with his previous intentions, his top priority is to make thorough preparations and take advantage of Cao Shuang's "tailwind" to achieve his goals.

Therefore, after expressing his feelings, he asked Ding Mi again, "Zhao Bo wants to seize power, and he must want to place his confidants in the Ministry of Personnel. Now that the position of Minister of Personnel is vacant, I plan to give it to him. In Yan Jing's opinion, if we want to send Sima Shuda to a post outside the capital, how should we arrange it?" Send Sima Fu to a post outside the capital?

Do you want the position of Minister of Revenue?
Grand Tutor Sima Gong has already relinquished his power to oversee the affairs of the Secretariat. If Sima Fu is transferred as well, I fear you will face criticism.

Oh, no!

You are because I served as a financial officer in my early years.

Ding Mi, who was slightly taken aback before realizing what was happening, did not express her gratitude but instead began to think seriously.

After a long pause, he frowned and slowly said, "The Minister of Revenue is cautious and honest. Although his reputation and talent are slightly inferior to his brother's, he is still one of the best officials in our Wei Kingdom. Moreover, he has already served in local positions and should be among the candidates for high-ranking officials. The next best candidate should be the Vice Minister or the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. If Zhi Quan wants to send him out to a remote area, he can do so by citing the fact that Emperor Wen and Emperor Ming relied on him for military advice in his early years. Sending him out to oversee local military affairs would show that he is highly regarded and thus make the move possible. Otherwise, there will be many people in the court and the public who will criticize Zhi Quan."

After speaking, he paused, then couldn't help but add, "Zhiquan, I humbly believe that seeking the position of Minister of Revenue is inappropriate. This move would likely cause resentment from Sima Yi, not to mention that the court has already appointed Wang Wenshu as Governor of Yangzhou. If Sima Shuda were to be appointed to command the troops again, it would be unwise for the Wei dynasty and even more detrimental to Zhiquan. Furthermore, as Zhiquan just said, we should not let personal feelings cloud our judgment and treat matters of state as child's play. Why make further trouble now?"

Whoops!
I'm just asking for your advice first, not planning to do anything based on it.

Besides, how can Huan Fan be compared to you?

Um.
Xiahou Hui made a soft nasal sound, but did not answer. He lowered his head and quietly considered the matter.

Seeing this, Ding Mi's eyes darted around, and he quickly added, "Moreover, since Cao Zhaobo intends to compete with Zhiquan for power, for the sake of long-term considerations, Zhiquan should not recommend any of his confidants as Minister."

"Oh, how do you say this?"

As expected, Xiahou Hui's attention was immediately drawn to him. "I hope Yanjing will not hesitate to enlighten me."

"It's not a particularly brilliant strategy; it's merely imitating Zheng Bo's victory over Duan."

Ding Mi smiled and said softly, “Now that Zhi Quan is ranked ahead of Cao Zhaobo, he can always strike later and win. However, Zhaobo was entrusted with the care of the young emperor by the late emperor along with Zhi Quan, and he cannot relinquish his position without a strong sense of righteousness. If Zhi Quan were to contend with him now, he might gain the upper hand and reap the benefits, but it would be difficult to silence him. Therefore, it would be better to indulge him for the time being. While he is eager for personal gain, Zhi Quan is devoted to the public good; while he desires high rank and honor, Zhi Quan is humble and modest; while he seeks personal profit, Zhi Quan is considerate of others. By doing the opposite of him, we can make him arrogant, blinded by greed, and swayed by his desires. When the court and the public have witnessed this and publicly declare him a madman, Zhi Quan can then petition the emperor and his ministers to join forces to eliminate this traitor, which will be perfectly justified!”

uh~
You want to eliminate future troubles!
Although I don't get along with Cao Shuang, it hasn't escalated to the point of a life-or-death struggle.
Xiahou Hui, having understood, was speechless for a moment.

As the sun and moon can attest, what he desired was the stability and longevity of the Wei dynasty, not personal power. He certainly harbored ambitions similar to Huo Guang, but he never truly regarded Cao Shuang as akin to Shangguan Jie.

It's not that he's naive or childish.

Instead, he still regarded Cao Shuang as one of the sons of the Xiahou and Cao families, and believed that they should not kill each other.

Furthermore, he still remembered how kind Grand Marshal Cao Zhen had been to him at Tianyuan Pond, and how good he had been to his elder brother Xiahou Ba when he was in charge of Yong and Liang. Besides, if he really killed Cao Shuang, wouldn't that confirm the late Gao Tanglong's dying words, "a hawk-like minister within the walls"?

How will the government and the public view him at that time?
“Zhao Bo merely wants to compete with me for power. Yan Jing’s analogy of Zheng Bo defeating Duan is inappropriate.”

After a moment of silence, Xiahou Hui casually remarked, subtly warning Ding Mi against having such thoughts in the future, while also explaining that he did not intend to kill Cao Shuang: "However, there are some merits to this. It is only a pity that Yan Jing will have to start from the old position of Director of the Ministry of Revenue when he is reinstated."

Is it inappropriate?
Given Cao Shuang's status and position, if we don't find an opportunity to remove him, won't we have to be on guard against him every day in the future?
No, wait.

You don't mistakenly think I'm suggesting you kill Cao Shuang, do you?

In all honesty, I cherish my reputation and don't want to be remembered like Jia Xu or Cheng Yu.

Upon hearing this, Ding Mi was speechless.

But just as he was about to explain, he swallowed his words.

Why bother explaining?

Who can predict the final outcome of the power struggle between Xiahou Hui and Cao Shuang?
"What do I have to feel wronged about?"

When he spoke again, he was all smiles, "Zhiquan is now a Grand General, and I'm being reinstated to my former position. Why should I worry about not rising rapidly through the ranks? Haha~"

"Haha~"

Xiahou Hui chuckled a few times, then changed the subject, first recounting his encounter with Chen Liu that day, and then jokingly said, "In a few days it will be late spring, March. The vegetation outside the city must be lush and vibrant by now. Yanjing is quite agitated from reading the letters sent; why not go for a spring outing to the outskirts of Beiman Mountain?" (End of Chapter)