Wei Ni

Fu Gu was still wearing his official robes; he had taken a temporary leave of absence to come here.

The main reason was that Xiahou Hui's picnic and outing was rather sudden. By the time someone came to inform him, Fu Gu had already missed his leave and had to work half a day before asking for leave to come over.

But it's all good, it just so happens to be lunchtime.

As he rode forward, servants from the Marquis of Wuping's residence came to settle the horses. He dismounted and said "Thank you for your trouble," then bowed to the people at the table who had risen to greet him.

Although he was still just a minor official, the generals and their associates, such as Wu Gang and Deng Ai, all knew that in Xiahou Hui's heart, he was no different from Ding Mi. Therefore, they naturally took the initiative to be warm and polite to him.

Fu Gu smiled and nodded occasionally as he slowly walked past the crowd toward Xiahou Hui. Only when he met Jia Chong's gaze did he pause slightly, his eyebrows raised.

Perhaps they found it somewhat novel.

Having grown up in the capital Luoyang, he was no stranger to Jia Chong and knew that Sun Zi had recommended Jia Chong to the General's Office. However, he was truly surprised that Jia Chong would appear at Xiahou Hui's picnic for his trusted old friends.

“Gonglu”.

With a slightly solemn greeting, Fu Gu continued walking, "I will first pay my respects to the General, and then come to speak with Gonglu when I have time."

"Alright. Lan Shi, you may leave."

Although the two had hardly interacted before, Jia Chong was beaming with joy and felt a faint sense of gratitude.

Because Fu Gu's seemingly meaningless polite words were actually a way of welcoming him to the General's Office, how could he not feel touched as a newcomer?

Meanwhile, Xiahou Hui's son, Xiao Quji, who rarely showed any interest in eating and was instead being mischievous, was asking his father with great curiosity why kites could fly. When he saw Fu Gu approaching, he was quite sensible and obediently allowed to be led away by his side servants to play elsewhere.

"Sit first."

Xiahou Hui gestured for Fu Gu to sit at the same table. Seeing that Fu Gu was dressed in court robes and his face was covered in dust, Xiahou Hui poured him a cup of wine and asked with concern, "Lan Shi seems to be in a hurry. Have you been busy with many official duties lately?"

"No, there isn't."

After taking his seat, Fu Gu raised his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp before smiling and joking, "I'm just a little anxious knowing that Zhi Quan is already a great general and will probably have little time to enjoy roasted meat in the future."

"Heh~"

With a soft chuckle, Xiahou Hui cast his gaze upon the lush green willows in the distance, a hint of reminiscence in his eyes. "Indeed, I fear I will have little leisure time in the future. The days when I was in Ye City with Lan Shi, indulging in activities like riding horses and fishing, will be long gone."

Fu Gu's smile froze for a moment.

After a moment, he criticized again, "You're not even thirty yet and you're already feeling sentimental and melancholic, as if Zhi Quan wanted to retire to the mountains and forests and didn't want to be a great general!"

"Hahaha~"

This made Xiahou Hui laugh heartily, and he pointed to the roasted meat on the short table and said, "Lan Shi, eat first, it will be hard to eat if it gets cold."

"it is good."

Nodding, Fu Gu picked up a slice of roasted meat with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, casually asking, "Where's Yan Jing?"

"He's here too, but he's discussing some matters with someone else elsewhere. He should be coming over soon."

Xiahou Hui also picked up his chopsticks and ate, chatting idly as well. "By the way, are Lan Shi and Jia Gonglu acquainted?"

"We're just nodding acquaintances, not close friends. However, his talent is as good as the rumors say, and his character is impeccable."

"Well, Lan Shi, what do you think is the best way for me to use him? Should I assign him to his previous post as assistant to Chief Secretary Sun in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel? Or should I find an opportunity to request that he be transferred to a local post?"

Alas?
Upon hearing this, Fu Gu did not answer immediately, but instead stared intently at Xiahou Hui.

"I didn't expect him to be here today. Although I don't know him well, he was recommended by Lord Sun. Besides, Lan Shi also knows that the Three Rivers have been known as one since ancient times."

Uh, I understand.

Fu Gu nodded, picked up another piece of meat, put it in his mouth and chewed slowly, his eyelids drooping.

Because of geographical and kinship ties, Xiahou Hui distrusted Jia Chong, who lived in a neighboring county to Sima Yi; yet, because of his relationship with Sun Zi, he had to value Jia Chong. Therefore, Xiahou Hui was asking him how to "just right" value Jia Chong.

Originally, Fu Gu was somewhat dismissive of this.

Even Xun Yi, who was related to the Sima family by marriage, was secretly promised to be associated with by Xiahou Hui. So why would they not trust Jia Chong?
But then he thought about it again and realized he could understand.

After all, Xiahou Hui's connection with Xun Yi occurred before he was a Grand General, and he did not yet have the strength to be targeted by Sima Yi.

Of course, understanding is one thing, but agreeing with it is another. After a long silence, Fu Gu finally couldn't help but ask.

"Zhiquan, I am quite puzzled. Why is Zhiquan so concerned about the Grand Tutor?"

"Not to mention that Zhi Quan has just become the Grand General, which is the time to consolidate his foundation and enrich his power, and it is not advisable to make enemies. Moreover, the one who is eager to seize power now is Cao Zhaobo, not the Grand Tutor!"

"The Grand Tutor voluntarily retired and relinquished his power to oversee the affairs of the Secretariat. This was a concession to Zhi Quan, who should have reciprocated. However, Zhi Quan sighed at the Grand Tutor's residence, saying, 'The late emperor's policies have been abandoned.' Could it be that Zhi Quan thinks that even the high officials and ministers are unaware that Xiang Zhuang's sword dance was aimed at Liu Bang?"

"The Grand Tutor disregarded the late emperor's high expectations and voluntarily relinquished power, which was a good thing for Zhiquan and the Wei dynasty. It would have been fine if Zhiquan hadn't appreciated the Grand Tutor's forbearance for the sake of the country, but instead he was being aggressive. Why is that?"

"Furthermore, Zhiquan has always been on good terms with Lord Sun, and since Jia Gonglu was recommended by Lord Sun, he is naturally trustworthy. Zhiquan is the chief of the advisors, but most of the people being recruited now are old friends and subordinates, which may make it difficult to silence the criticism that Zhiquan was entrusted with state affairs by the late emperor, yet he appoints people based on personal connections and betrays the country. On the other hand, Jia Gonglu is a son of a meritorious official of the Wei dynasty, and his talent is widely recognized. Why should Zhiquan doubt him just because he comes from a scholar from Hedong? If he trusts him without reservation and entrusts him with important responsibilities, wouldn't that only enhance Zhiquan's reputation?"

"I truly cannot resolve the doubts of those above. Therefore, I am also unable to offer any advice regarding Zhiquan's question just now."

A hint of doubt, tinged with criticism, escaped Fu Gu's lips.

If Ding Mi were also present, she would probably have been taken aback by Fu Gu's words and would have quickly tried to smooth things over. After all, Fu Gu's tone was accusatory, disregarding the hierarchy of status.

But Xiahou Hui was not annoyed at all.

On the contrary, his still smiling eyes revealed undisguised admiration.

The reason is simple.

This was the word he wanted to hear, and it was also the main reason he had summoned Fu Gu to the banquet today.

The so-called "appropriate appreciation" of Jia Chong was merely a pretext for Sima Yi to be brought out.

While it's true that those in high positions instinctively prefer subordinates who are neither particularly capable nor ambitious—because such people, while unlikely to bring great surprises, also won't cause alarm—Jia Chong, whose father had already solidified his official career, possessed considerable ability and ambition, but not to the point that Xiahou Hui found him difficult to manage and sought Fu Gu's advice.

His true purpose was to reveal the truth to Fu Gu, to let this trusted confidant know that Grand Tutor Sima Yi was the person he feared and the enemy he could not avoid in the future.

Time is running out.

Sun Zi did not resign from his post, and Sima Shi was appointed as the Palace Attendant. This meant that Cao Shuang had completed the groundwork and was about to reveal his true intentions by recommending his confidants for powerful positions in the imperial court. It also meant that the time had come for Xiahou Hui to take advantage of this opportunity to recommend Fu Gu and Ding Mi for official positions and transfers.

The transfer of Fu Gu to the position of Assistant Minister of Personnel was intended to help Xiahou Hui gain control over the selection of talent in the state; this was a pre-arranged plan.

Therefore, how could Xiahou Hui not explain things clearly to Fu Gu first?

"A wise man keeps his talents hidden until the right time to act."

After quietly watching Fu Gu for a while, Xiahou Hui suppressed his smile and said softly, "If Sima Gong were still the Grand Commandant, or if he had secretly instructed his former colleagues and close ministers to denounce my words that 'the late emperor's policies have been abandoned,' then I would have no reason to ask Lan Shi what I was just saying."

The seemingly irrelevant words caused Fu Gu's pupils to shrink rapidly. With his intelligence, he could naturally understand the implication of Xiahou Hui's words.

So for a while, he found it hard to accept.

Or perhaps anyone who has ever worked in the officialdom of Wei would find it hard to accept.

It should be noted that Sima Gong's character and loyalty to the Wei dynasty were widely praised and beyond question in the court and among the people!
However, from another perspective, Fu Gu could not refute Xiahou Hui's concerns.

Sima Yi is indeed currently in a state of "keeping his talents hidden until the right time to act." No one can guarantee that he won't suddenly emerge to reap the benefits when Xiahou Hui and Cao Shuang's power struggle intensifies—given his status and prestige, it wouldn't be difficult for him to do so.

"Also, Lan Shi knows about it."

Seeing the disbelief and slight confusion in Fu Gu's eyes as he fell silent, Xiahou Hui slowly added, "When the late emperor was still alive, I had the intention to eliminate long-standing abuses, and I still haven't changed my mind."

Oh right, I completely overlooked that!
Regardless of what happens in the future, Zhiquan and the Grand Tutor will inevitably clash.

This conflict is not about personal likes or dislikes, but about the interests of each party's own livelihood and the interests of those behind them.

Call ~
Fu Gu let out a deep breath, his eyes no longer filled with doubt, and nodded solemnly, saying, "I understand Zhi Quan's intention." After a pause, he added, "As for Jia Gonglu, perhaps we should do this: after the banquet ends, I will ask him on Zhi Quan's behalf and let him choose for himself. This would better demonstrate Zhi Quan's magnanimity, and I'm sure Lord Sun would also be willing to see it."

"Then there's Laulandite."

Xiahou Hui immediately nodded in agreement.

In his mind, how to arrange Jia Chong was not a problem at all.

Therefore, his thoughts quickly shifted to another matter, and he asked, "You should know my son, Changrong, right? He came today to deliver a message from my fourth brother. My fourth brother does not wish to serve as the Commander of the Central Army, and his memorial requesting resignation is already on its way. It should be presented to the court in the next couple of days, and the matter is irreversible. At that time, Cao Zhaobo will surely contend for it as well. In Lanshi's opinion, what should I do?" (End of Chapter)