Wei Ni

With Sikong Cuilin speaking frankly, the other officials no longer hesitated to keep quiet.

Apart from Grand Tutor Sima Yi and General of Chariots and Cavalry Cao Shuang, the Grand Secretary Sun Zi and the Nine Ministers present also expressed their own views, and almost all of them agreed with Cui Lin's point of view.

The only exception was Sun Zi, the Grand Secretary, who, based on the earlier implication from the late Emperor Cao Rui that he should cooperate with Liu Fang in the Liaodong campaign, now explicitly stated that he should fully cooperate; while Jiang Ji, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, played a trick, only analyzing whether the Wu Kingdom might send troops to invade.

He claimed that the Wu bandits were always opportunistic and acted on a whim, but their early defeats had eroded the morale of their rulers, ministers, and soldiers, so they would not launch an attack.

Even if his guesses were inaccurate, if Sun Quan were to send troops, Huainan's geographical advantage and military strength would be sufficient to defend it without worry; given the geographical interdependence between Jingzhou and Xiangyang and Luoyang, only a small number of Luoyang's central army needed to quickly reinforce the city to ensure its survival.

It could be said that they were inclined to support Guanqiu Jian's decision to restart the war.

Xiahou Hui was slightly moved by Jiang Ji's statement and turned her gaze to the composed Grand Tutor Sima Yi.

In the current decision-making process of the Wei state, the opinions of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers are only for reference, while the attitudes of the three regents are the final decision.

Coincidentally, Jiang Ji and Sima Yi had a very close personal relationship.

They share the same political views, at least historically.

Sensing the gazes of the crowd, Grand Tutor Sima Yi nodded in acknowledgment and slowly said, "General, gentlemen, I believe the war in Haidong should end as soon as possible, for three reasons."

"Firstly, in war, victory is more important than prolonged battles."

"The war in Haidong began last year. If it weren't for the heavy snow blocking the roads in this frigid region, the late emperor would not have ordered Jian and Ba to temporarily cease hostilities. Now, we are resuming the campaign to achieve complete victory, not to start a war recklessly. Moreover, Haidong is a wild and uncivilized land. Our soldiers have traveled thousands of miles to fight. If the war drags on, resentment will grow and morale will be lost. If we do not end the war in one fell swoop this year, it will be even more difficult in the future."

"Secondly, the rebellious Shu bandits and Wu are not worth fearing."

"The rebellious Shu is but a small state. They have repeatedly invaded before, exhausting their military resources only to return empty-handed. Furthermore, internal strife has made them vulnerable. Even if they were to take advantage of our Wei's mourning this year, they would find it difficult to sustain their invasion. At most, they could send ten or twenty thousand soldiers to harass us, as Yong and Liang are more than capable of defending themselves. The treacherous Wu, driven by greed and lacking in martial prowess, is merely putting on a show of petty behavior. When Shu's Prime Minister Zhuge Liang fell at Wuzhang Plains, the alliance between the two states—based on Wu's reinforcements at Baqiu and Shu's reinforcements at Baidi City—was merely a facade, a facade of mutual support. If the rebellious Shu does not intervene, even if the treacherous Wu launches a large-scale invasion, they will be unable to withstand it alone, and Huainan and Jingxiang will have nothing to worry about."

"Once again, victory in the Haidong campaign is assured."

"As Jianzhi's memorial states, the Yemaek tribes have already submitted, and Goguryeo and Han are devastated. In just six months, our country has achieved a complete expansion of its territory by a thousand miles, as easy as taking candy from a bag. As for the Three Hans, they are far away and may need more time. However, if Goguryeo is destroyed, how can the Three Hans withstand the might of our Wei army? If I am not mistaken, the day Goguryeo is destroyed will be the day the Three Hans surrender at the mere sight of us."

At this point, he paused, speaking eloquently, before speaking softly.

"General, gentlemen, although His Majesty is young, upon ascending the throne, he immediately issued edicts to abolish harsh and extravagant policies, promoting simplicity and frugality. The qualities of a wise ruler are already beginning to emerge. If the war in the East Sea is successfully completed, expanding the territory by thousands of miles, it will deter villains, secure the state, and stabilize the people's hearts. Admittedly, as you gentlemen have said, the war has depleted the national treasury and is not without reason. However, compared to the fact that this war has enhanced the prestige of the nation and demonstrated the glory of our Wei dynasty, which is the mandate of heaven, a little money and grain is not worth regretting."

To secure the nation and stabilize the people's hearts
Those who had just expressed their opposition now stroked their beards and pondered upon hearing this, nodding occasionally in approval.

They were all veteran officials of the Wei Kingdom who had followed Emperor Wu in establishing the dynasty and were also shining examples in the process of the Wei dynasty replacing the Han dynasty, so they were also moved by this reason.

Even though Sima Yi used this reason to refute their suggestion.

Their opposition to Guanqiu Jian's renewed military campaign stemmed from their desire for the stability of the Wei dynasty. Although their perspective differed from Sima Yi's, they ultimately reached the same goal.

The one who reacted the most was General Cao Shuang.

As soon as Sima Yi finished speaking, he beamed with joy, clapped his hands, and exclaimed, "Grand Tutor's insights are truly profound and enlightening! His loyalty to the emperor and his dedication to the country make him a worthy minister of the state! We are far inferior to him!"

Faced with such blatant praise, even Sima Yi, who was usually unfazed by any collapse of Mount Tai, hurriedly waved his hand and smiled wryly, offering a few words of humility.

He didn't want to be used as a pawn by Cao Shuang.

What he just said was truly from the bottom of his heart, stemming from his deep loyalty to the Wei dynasty.

Cao Shuang's lavish praise is quite intriguing.

After all, thanks to the friendly relationship between Xiahou Xuan and Guanqiu Jian, Cao Shuang sent his cronies, such as Deng Yang and Li Sheng, to accompany him on his campaign against Haidong!

Aside from Cao Zhao, he was the one in Wei who most hoped the war in Haidong would end soon, as he was single-mindedly focused on vying for power.

In fact, he had already discussed this with Xiahou Xuan and He Yan last night.

The result of the three-person team's collective strategy was that, at all costs, the imperial court approved Guanqiu Jian's decision to seek war.

In order to strike while the iron is hot and consolidate the results of the previous recommendation of Sima Shi to serve as the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Since Xiahou Hui had already forced him to bear the stigma of "unauthorized alteration of the late emperor's policies," he naturally wanted to maximize his own interests and shamelessly recommended his cronies for official positions—if he had already lost face, he couldn't just throw away the substance as well, could he?
Given that Xiahou Xuan was a descendant of a meritorious official from Qiao and Pei, and He Yan was Emperor Wu's adopted son, it was unlikely that they would face opposition from the high officials if they were appointed to prominent positions after Sima Shi. However, if Deng Yang and Li Sheng did not return soon, the good positions might be taken by the people recommended by Xiahou Hui!
The State of Wei is not lacking in talented individuals.

There were countless people who wanted to attach themselves to the Grand General's power and those who wanted to recommend themselves as Xiahou Hui's henchmen. Therefore, he was even prepared to seek out Xiahou Hui for a deal after the plan was over, offering to recommend Xiahou Heng for the position of Central Protector General in exchange for Xiahou Hui's support for the renewed war in Haidong.

Yes, Xiahou Wei's memorial rejecting the appointment as Commander of the Central Guard arrived at the Ministry of Personnel the day before yesterday and was presented to Emperor Cao Fang for review.

The reason why this matter has not yet caused a stir in the imperial court is twofold: firstly, Emperor Cao Fang and Xiahou Hui have remained silent on the matter, and secondly, the officials and nobles have not shown any interest in it.

The positions of Commander of the Central Army and Protector of the Central Army, which were in charge of the central army in Luoyang, had become an unwritten rule since the time of Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, and served as prestigious positions for the Wei imperial family to cultivate their sons from Qiao and Pei.

The officials and nobles did not want to get involved in such matters, lest they cause trouble for themselves, especially in such a sensitive time.

Cao Shuang is paying close attention to this.

They also silently waited for the right opportunity to recommend Xiahou Xuan for the post.

However, when the memorials concerning the war in Haidong arrived in the capital, he lost interest in the position of Commander of the Central Guard.

There are differences in weight, right?
Cao Zhao will be appointed as the commander of the central army in the future, a consensus reached between him and Xiahou Hui.

Even after Xiahou Xuan was appointed as the Commander of the Central Army, he could not escape the checks and balances of Cao Zhao and the interference of Xiahou Hui, who held the power of Commander-in-Chief of all armies, and could arbitrarily select his trusted henchmen.

Most importantly, besides being a member of the Central Protectorate Army, Xiahou Xuan, now freed from the restrictions on his official career, has many other powerful official positions to choose from.
So it's no wonder he's in such a good mood right now.

Just now, when he saw the number of ministers who held opposing views, he felt extremely disheartened. He even thought that even if he were to make a willing exchange of benefits, Xiahou Hui might not accept it because it was difficult to go against the wishes of the masses.

Little did he expect that when Grand Tutor Sima Yi spoke, he would feel that things had taken a turn for the better and the situation had completely reversed.

He doesn't have to pay any price!
"Grand Tutor is too modest."

Cao Shuang bowed to Sima Yi with great pleasure and insisted, then turned to Xiahou Hui and said, "General, I think the Grand Tutor's words are very true, and I also think that ending the war in Haidong as soon as possible is a good thing for the country and for His Majesty."

Both regents agreed, and the ministers' opinions changed. They even brought up the emperor's name. Even if you are the general, you can't just oppose it on your own, can you?
Xiahou Hui would certainly not object.

"Since everyone agrees, let's present the decision to His Majesty."

He immediately nodded to the crowd, readily accepting their suggestions, and sighed softly, "This year is still the third year of the Azure Dragon era. I hope the war goes smoothly, so that when Jian and other meritorious men return to Luoyang, they can still pay homage to the late emperor's tomb and report their victory."

The moment the words were spoken, the entire east hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Those whose memories and emotions were stirred up realized that the general had actually been in favor of the idea.

There is even a possibility that he had already informed Guanqiu Jian.

In any case, the war in Haidong was his doing, and he even joined forces with Guanqiu Jian to quell the rebellion of Gongsun in Liaodong.

Especially after the final decision was made, when Xiahou Hui got up to leave, he said this to Pei Qian, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

“I know the national treasury is not full. If Wu and Shu invade, the military expenditure will be difficult to sustain. Here’s what we’ll do: I will temporarily hold onto my salary and the proceeds from my fiefdom this year. If the military expenditure exceeds this amount, it will be used to replenish the national treasury. I have already made up my mind about this matter and will also report it to His Majesty. Please do as I say, Lord Pei.”

Wei inherited the Han system, and the annual salary of the Grand General was said to be 10,000 shi, but in reality it was more than 4,000 shi. In addition, Xiahou Hui was paid taxes from 10,000 households. Although it was far less than the losses incurred in the war in Haidong, it was still a considerable amount of money and provisions.

Moreover, since the Grand General has set an example, shouldn't the others who claim to be loyal to the emperor and devoted to the country also follow suit?
In a short while, Pei Qian realized this.

He quickly responded, and disregarding the proper etiquette, waited for Sima Yi and Cao Shuang to rise before hurriedly leaving, citing other official duties as an excuse.

No one criticized him.

After all, Xiahou Hui had dug a pit, and if he were still inside the East Hall, everyone would have no choice but to jump in one by one.

In fact, Xiahou Hui did not intend to disgust everyone.

It was just that I suddenly felt very bad, and then the malice arose on the spot.

Because he had just witnessed how Grand Tutor Sima Yi's words changed the attitudes of the officials, giving him a profound understanding of what it meant to be the hope of the court and the people!

Even though he was no longer in charge of the Secretariat and had been promoted from Grand Commandant to Grand Tutor! (End of Chapter)