Wei Ni

A gentle breeze was blowing, and the sunlight was languid.

Having already eaten his fill and feeling somewhat weary, Fu Gu had no time to appreciate the beautiful gifts of late spring countryside.

Xiahou Hui's problem is too difficult; it's practically unsolvable.

After all, as early as the reign of the late emperor, due to the fact that the imperial clansmen of Qiao and Pei were in charge of the Diaoling, the positions of Commander of the Central Army and Protector of the Central Army could only be held by members of the imperial clansmen of Qiao and Pei.

Furthermore, with the new emperor now in power, it is even less likely that someone from outside the family will be appointed to the position.

Therefore, once Xiahou Wei's memorial requesting resignation reached the imperial court, Cao Shuang recommended Xiahou Xuan to fill the vacancy, and Xiahou Hui really had no good countermeasures.

There was no other way, because Xiahou Hui didn't have a better or more suitable candidate.

We can't possibly recommend Xiahou Heng for the position again, can we?

Even in the struggle for power in the imperial court, one must maintain a basic level of decorum. If one's behavior is too unseemly, it will draw criticism from the officials and nobles, who will accuse Xiahou Hui of abusing his power and treating the position of Commander of the Central Army as his own.

This led some previously neutral senior officials to side with Cao Shuang.

Of course, if it was simply to prevent Cao Shuang from succeeding, Xiahou Hui could still suggest that Cao Yan take his place.

Although Cao Yan's reputation was not as high as Xiahou Xuan's, he had the advantage of serving in the central army for many years and being sent by the late Emperor Cao Rui to be the garrison commander of Chang'an. In terms of seniority, he still had a great chance of winning.

However, what benefit would it bring to Xiahou Hui if Cao Yan were appointed as the Central Protector of the Army?

In the end, doesn't it all mean that the power to select the commander of the central army in Luoyang is no longer in Xiahou Hui's control?
In particular, Xiahou Hui had just mentioned Grand Tutor Sima Yi, and it was no secret in the capital Luoyang that Cao Yan had a very harmonious relationship with Sima Yi and his son since he took office as the garrison commander of Chang'an.

Alas, they say that when brothers are of one mind, their strength can break even metal.

Why did your fourth brother, Xiahou Wei, decline the position of Commander of the Central Army and refuse to help you take command of the military?

Fu Gu was quite puzzled by this, but he didn't ask.

As the saying goes, even strangers cannot separate relatives.

It is true that he can still converse with Xiahou Hui as a friend, but that does not mean that he can inquire about the entanglements between the Xiahou brothers without any reservations.

"Zhiquan, what is Yanjing's opinion on this matter?"

After pondering for a long time without finding a solution, Fu Gu wanted to consult Ding Mi's suggestion.

He is unaware of this yet.

Shaking his head slightly, Xiahou Hui, who had only asked tentatively, directly stated his thoughts, "To be honest, when I learned of this matter, I also considered it briefly. My initial thought was that if Cao Zhaobo recommended Taichu for the position, I would recommend Cao Yan, the garrison commander of Chang'an, to compete with him. But after thinking about it again, I felt it was better to let Cao Zhaobo succeed. Although Taichu is not of one mind with me, he is upright and of impeccable character, and will not cause any changes in the court. Furthermore, once Taichu has taken the position of Central Protector of the Army, no matter how shameless Cao Zhaobo is, he will not dare to covet the positions of ministers of various departments."

Well, as a last resort, that's the only way to think about it.

However, it is precisely because Xiahou Xuan is so renowned and of impeccable character that he should not be appointed to a substantive position in the central army!
What if he manages to win over the generals of the central army with his personal charisma, and Cao Shuang then uses old relationships to make peace with Cao Zhao, who will later return to the capital to serve as the Commander of the Central Army? Wouldn't that put Cao Yan in danger of losing his command of the central army? Moreover, Cao Zhao is also actively courting the sons of powerful families; from his perspective, he certainly doesn't want Cao Yan to have all the credit.
Fu Gu raised his eyebrows slightly and pointed out the key point directly, "Zhi Quan, have you forgotten that Cao Changsi and Zhao Bo have never had any actual conflict, and that his close associates are Bi Gui and He Zeng?"

"How could I forget evil!"

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Hui chuckled, “Lan Shi’s concerns are not without merit, but there are some things he doesn’t know clearly. Firstly, back when I left Ye City for Liaoxi, he and Cao Zhaobo had a falling out and a rivalry. Secondly, when I was still in Huainan, I worked with his brother Cao Desi, and he asked Desi to convey his desire for a peaceful relationship with me. Moreover, after I returned to the capital Luoyang to take up my post, there were no disputes between us. Now that I am in a higher position than Cao Zhaobo, he should not abandon me to collude with Cao Zhaobo. Finally, although he has Bi Gui and He Zeng as his allies, I observe that Chang Si, though talented in his time, has no great ambitions. He is merely a person who seeks fame and fortune and is content with his lot. There is no need to worry about his future.”

Do you only seek glory and comfort?

If he truly had no ambition, he wouldn't have volunteered to go to Liaodong to seek military merit.
Fu Gu, who had mentally refuted the statement, frowned deeply.

He couldn't understand where Xiahou Hui's confidence came from, or rather, why he had become so arrogant and short-sighted, daring to assert that Cao Zhao would never have any "great ambitions." Moreover, even with the Grand Tutor Sima Yi, who had already relinquished power and semi-retired, he was wary of the potential dangers posed by the proverb "a gentleman keeps his talents hidden," so how much more so Cao Zhao!
No, Zhiquan is not someone who gets carried away by success.

Since they dared to confidently claim that they had nothing to fear from Cao Zhao, there must be a deeper meaning behind it.

Fu Gu fell silent again, glanced up at Xiahou Hui who was still smiling, then picked up his wine cup and sipped slowly, savoring Xiahou Hui's earlier pronouncement about Cao Zhao.

After a moment, his expression paused slightly, as if he had thought of something, and his brows suddenly relaxed.

He figured out the key point—Xiahou Hui didn't firmly believe that Cao Zhao would be law-abiding and wouldn't collude with Cao Shuang in the future; on the contrary, he was worried that Cao Zhao had no ambition and, because of the harmonious relationship between the two of them, hadn't joined forces with Cao Shuang.

Yes, Xiahou Hui was hoping that Cao Zhao and Cao Shuang would make an alliance to oppose him.

Zheng Bo Ke Duan, huh?

Before Gongshu Duan openly raised the banner of rebellion, Duke Zhuang of Zheng had no pretext to quell the rebellion.

Cao Shuang was similar to Gongshu Duan.

Despite his current efforts to install his cronies, such as Xiahou Xuan, He Yan, and Deng Yang, in powerful positions in the imperial court, even if he succeeds, he will not have the strength to directly confront Xiahou Hui. The title of the regent and the real authority over the armies, both inside and outside the capital, cannot be usurped by simply winning a few official positions.

In particular, the foundation of the imperial clan members from Qiao and Pei lay in military achievements, and compared to Xiahou Hui, Cao Shuang was far inferior in this regard.

This means that Cao Shuang will not openly step forward and allow Xiahou Hui to find a reason to eliminate him; it also means that in the future, Cao Shuang will endlessly harass and disgust Xiahou Hui, like an incurable malignant tumor.

Therefore, considering that a short pain is worse than a long one, Xiahou Hui decided to help Cao Shuang by pushing Cao Zhao to his side.

Therefore, he worried that Cao Zhao was unambitious, content with his lot, and did not live up to his expectations.

“Cao Changsi is also a member of the imperial clan, and if it weren’t for Xiahou Yunjin’s affair, he would have been on the list of those entrusted with the care of the young emperor by the late emperor. Therefore, Zhiquan has nothing to worry about. He has no great ambitions and only seeks glory and happiness in this life.”

Having figured it out, Fu Gu first whispered his insights, then looked up at Xiahou Hui with a hint of helplessness in his eyes and a touch of dissatisfaction in his tone, "These words should not be spoken beyond four ears. If Zhi Quan has something to say, just say it. Why make me guess for so long?"

"Alas, I was not testing Lan Shi."

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Hui shook his head and explained softly, "Firstly, this idea was hastily formed by me, and Lan Shi really needs to review it together to see if there are any oversights. Secondly, in order to be on the safe side, I dare not underestimate others. Those who rely on Zhao Bo and Chang Si are also talents of our time. Now that Lan Shi can guess my intentions in a short time, I suppose they will also realize it later. I'm afraid my actions will backfire and become counterproductive."

Uh, that makes sense~
Xiahou Xuan, He Yan, Bi Gui, He Zeng, and others were not without their schemes, and they should have been able to see the obvious advantages and disadvantages.

Even if they could see it, they might not be able to curb Cao Shuang and Cao Zhao's lust for power.
However, since you seem uneasy and feel that the details are not comprehensive enough, I will add a few more points.

Fu Gu nodded slightly, stroked his beard and smiled, "Zhi Quan's concerns are not without merit. However, in my opinion, it is easy to facilitate the peace between Zhao Bo and Chang Si! Zhi Quan is gone, and it has been some time since the death of Liu Gong, the Director of the Secretariat, but no one in the court has mentioned recommending someone to fill the vacancy."

After Liu Fang's death, the court abolished the position of Director of the Secretariat, meaning that a memorial could be submitted to abolish the position of Commander of the Central Army.
Well, the position of Central Protector General was originally established to assist the Central Commander in managing talents. Returning this power to the Central Commander and letting Cao Zhao hold sole power is not impossible.

However, if I instruct Sun Li to make this proposal in the imperial court, and show that I do not want Cao Shuang's faction to have any say in the power of the central army, Cao Shuang will naturally object on the grounds that the old system cannot be changed. Furthermore, he will also develop a grudge against Cao Zhao because of the power struggle. Wouldn't this make Cao Zhao side with me?
Oh, wait a minute!

Cao Shuang and his men should be able to see the consequences of refuting my proposal, and they will likely go along with it, then privately analyze my "malicious intentions" to sow discord with Cao Zhao, thus forming a united front against me.
After all, for Cao Shuang, it would be much more worthwhile to win Cao Zhao over to his faction than to have Xiahou Xuan become the Central Protector General. He should make a "wise" choice, right?
In this way, my desired purpose can be perfectly concealed.

I wonder if Cao Zhao will remember our previous harmony and be unwilling to fall into the trap as he wishes?
That's it.

Man proposes, God disposes.

If Cao Zhao has no ambition and insists on siding with me, then I will return the favor by finding an opportunity to increase his power and instruct him to make trouble for Cao Shuang, so that Cao Shuang will have no time to hinder me.

Whichever the outcome, it will always be in my favor—a great thing!

Xiahou Hui, whose mind had been racing for a moment, exclaimed in sincere admiration, "Lan Shi's quick wit is far superior to mine! Haha~"

"Haha, Zhiquan, don't be modest."

With the business settled, the two got up and went to join the others in the fun, enjoying their leisure time on a picnic.

Naturally, those in high positions always have very little leisure time.

As the sun began to set, everyone ended the banquet and went home.

Fu Gu went to reminisce with Jia Chong, but Xiahou Hui, who had just returned home carrying the exhausted and sleeping Xiao Quji, was informed by his steward Sun Lou that a letter had arrived from Liaodong that day.

There are two letters, one written by his elder brother Xiahou Ba, and the other by Zhuge Dan. (End of this chapter)