Wei Ni

Late March.

Ding Mi, who had just returned from reporting to the Ministry of Personnel, walked into the General's Office with a solemn expression and light steps, wearing his newly issued official robes and seal.

If someone observes him closely, they will notice that his hand, hidden in his wide sleeve, is trembling slightly, and there is a faint, otherworldly look in his eyes.

Jia Chong, who had just come out of the main hall, was a person who paid great attention to details.

So he paused for a moment, blinked a few times, and then went straight up to him with a smile and cupped his hands, saying, "Congratulations, Brother Yanjing, you've risen from the ashes."

The unexpected congratulations made Ding Mi pause in her tracks.

He stopped and looked closely. Upon seeing that it was Jia Chong, he raised his eyebrows slightly, and the few faint forehead wrinkles indicated that he was waiting for what was to come.

He did not consider his kinship with Xiahou Hui and looked down on Jia Chong, refusing to speak of him.

Rather, the two had never crossed paths before. In fact, when Ding Mi was famous in the capital in his early years, Jia Chong had a vague sense of distance from these "famous scholars." Today, he suddenly came to congratulate them out of the blue. Even Ding Mi, who was known for his cunning, couldn't figure out what he was up to.

Another point is that, in the eyes of people at the time, Ding Mi should feel not only no joy, but also anger and grievance!

The reason is that Cao Shuang privately suggested that He Yan be recommended as the Minister of the Capital, and with Xiahou Hui not objecting, Emperor Cao Fang officially approved it a few days ago; as the son of a meritorious official from Qiao and Pei and the maternal brother of the Grand General, he was only reinstated to his original position in the imperial court and appointed as the Director of the Ministry of Revenue!

Later, when he bumped into He Yan in the Ministry of Personnel, he had to consciously give way and bow.

How can this be tolerated?
In terms of talent and reputation, he was no less than He Yan; in terms of experience, he was even better than He Yan; moreover, he was affiliated with General Xiahou Hui. Wasn't the court's decision to grant him an official position a silent humiliation?
But no one spoke out about the injustice in the government.

Instead, they privately discussed whether Xiahou Hui's actions were fair in upholding the law or cruel and stingy towards his subordinates.

Indeed, it was Xiahou Hui who personally requested Ding Mi's appointment as the Director of the Treasury.

"Your Majesty, my maternal brother, Marquis Mi, is a member of a prominent family in Qiao Commandery and a descendant of Emperor Wu's maternal clan. In his early years, he held many official positions. Although he sometimes indulged in empty pursuits and superficial pursuits, he was able to correct his mistakes. He followed me in the campaign against Liaodong, serving the country as a commoner. He displayed great strategic acumen in battle and made meritorious contributions. The late Emperor was generous in rewarding him, bestowing upon him riches and granting him land and a marquisate. Now, as Your Majesty ascends the throne and seeks to recruit talented individuals from across the land, I, Hui, dare to recommend worthy men without regard to kinship or personal relationships. I humbly request Your Majesty to demonstrate your benevolence and reinstate Mi to his original post as the Director of the Revenue Department, so that he may serve the country and not let talented individuals go to waste."

At the grand court assembly that day, when Emperor Cao Fang, who had not yet assumed personal rule and was merely a "person who uses the seal of office," issued an edict formally approving the memorial submitted by the General of Chariots and Cavalry to fill the vacancy of Minister of the Capital, Xiahou Hui rose and stepped forward to speak.

When he finished speaking, the expressions of the officials and nobles attending the grand court assembly were quite interesting.

Many people looked surprised, while others lowered their heads and used their official tablets to cover their sneers. A very few people turned their heads slightly and glanced at General Cao Shuang's reaction out of the corner of their eyes without any hesitation.

Xiahou Hui's words were tantamount to spitting in Cao Shuang's face in front of the emperor and all the officials, and pointing his finger at him and cursing him for being shameless.

If you connect the dots, you'll understand.

Cao Shuang promoted He Yan to the position of Minister because of their different social statuses.

From the perspective of the Wei dynasty, He Yan and Ding Mi were of similar status, so it was acceptable for Xiahou Hui to recommend Ding Mi for the position of Minister as well.

But Xiahou Hui just wouldn't have it.

He merely requested Emperor Cao Fang to reinstate Ding Mi to his original post.

Furthermore, it mentions that Ding Mi had military merits and had been praised and ennobled by the late emperor, which highlights He Yan's unworthiness to be given a prominent position; in other words, it is a veiled criticism of Cao Shuang for abusing his power for personal gain, disregarding the court's rules for selecting officials and promoting his own confidants, and only caring about seizing power and profit while ignoring the late emperor's entrustment of his son.

The scene of the two regents openly feigning indifference before the emperor at court naturally attracted the attention of the officials. Realizing that a power struggle was about to unfold, they couldn't help but watch Cao Shuang's reaction, casually letting out a few sneers.

There is no other reason than this.

Since being entrusted with the care of the young emperor, Cao Shuang has taken numerous actions, and his ambition to seize power is common knowledge.

This also drew the ire of the high-ranking officials and nobles.

Although they didn't particularly like Xiahou Hui for his early, extreme actions, it didn't mean they wanted to see Cao Shuang do anything improper. The late Emperor Cao Rui had already established the titles and ranks, and Xiahou Hui hadn't acted recklessly after assuming the position of Grand General. So why should Cao Shuang, who was second in line to the throne, be allowed to so brazenly install his cronies?

Everyone contributed to the establishment of the Wei Kingdom from the ruins of the Han Dynasty.

As a member of the imperial clan, Cao Shuang should have set an example by setting aside personal grudges and lust for power during a time of uncertainty and instability, and instead worked diligently to maintain the stability of the state!
How can we so openly create more trouble and disturb the imperial court?

Didn't you see that Grand Commandant Sima Yi, through Jiang Ji's words, relinquished his power as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and became Grand Tutor? Didn't you see that since taking office, General Xiahou Hui has almost always readily accepted the good advice of the officials in the court?
Everyone else is dedicated to the country, but you, Cao Shuang, have chosen to be a clown who keeps jumping around and making a lot of noise!

At that time, Cao Shuang's face was purplish-red, his lips were tightly pursed, and the veins on his forehead throbbed from time to time.

But he had no reason to have an attack.

Furthermore, he knew that arguing back under these circumstances would only bring him shame.

This farcical slap in the face ended after Emperor Cao Fang granted Xiahou Hui's request.

For Emperor Cao Fang, it was merely the reinstatement of a minor official position, and this was only possible because the Grand General had mentioned Emperor Wu and the late Emperor. He could make the right choice without consulting anyone else. As for Xiahou Hui's actions, which signified that the two ministers had officially broken off all pretense of civility, the young Cao Fang could not see through it, and under the circumstances, no one would have pointed it out to him.

After the court assembly ended, the story spread throughout the streets of Luoyang.

The high-ranking officials no longer harbored any sneer at Cao Shuang, but were instead filled with anxiety about the impending power struggle within the court that would ensue over the regent, and whether they themselves would be implicated.

Meanwhile, ordinary officials and their associates were either waiting to see how things would develop, hoping for a chance to rise in rank, or planning to leave the capital and be reassigned to a remote location to avoid being caught in the crossfire of power struggles.

But they all agree on one point.

That is, Ding Mi felt wronged by being appointed as the Director of the Ministry of Revenue: Xiahou Hui used Ding Mi's future as a bargaining chip in order to damage Cao Shuang's face and prestige.

It should be noted that the current Minister of Revenue is Sima Fu.

A highly respected and accomplished minister, praised and valued by the first two rulers of Cao Wei.

Ding Mi was destined to have no say in front of such a superior, and she would never have any room for advancement before he was promoted.

So, wasn't Ding Mi, Xiahou Hui's maternal brother and his most trusted confidant, aggrieved?
He must have felt wronged to some extent. So, what was Jia Chong's true intention in coming forward to offer congratulations at this critical juncture?

Ding Mi, who had never crossed paths with Jia Chong before, was unsure of his intentions at this moment, but he had a vague guess: if nothing unexpected happened, Jia Chong was indirectly "recommending himself".

After all, Jia Chong was an assistant in the General's Office, and Xiahou Hui had tacitly approved of this since taking office, so Ding Mi could handle many matters in the General's Office on his own. In other words, the General's Office actually had two chief clerks: openly, Sun Li, appointed by the late Emperor Cao Rui, and secretly, Ding Mi, chosen by Xiahou Hui.

As for who wields more power, Sun Li or Ding Mi, well, those who know, know.

In fact, that was exactly what Jia Chong was thinking.

During that previous picnic that he had accidentally stumbled upon, Fu Gu invited him to ride home together.

Along the way, Fu Gu didn't exchange many pleasantries. Instead, as Xiahou Hui's confidant, he frankly asked Xiahou Hui on his behalf what his plans were for the future and what responsibilities he wanted to assume.

This deeply moved Jia Chong.

Throughout history, regardless of the character of those in high positions, as long as they show sufficient respect to those in lower positions, it can more or less stir up feelings of loyalty and righteous indignation. Jia Chong, who had just begun to think of "enjoying life if he can't resist" and intended to follow Xiahou Hui first, was not immune to this kind of treatment.

“If the General does not consider me young and dull, and thinks that I was competent when I was in the Ministry of Personnel, I am willing to follow the Chief Secretary and do my best.”

Almost without hesitation, he answered Fu Gu in this way, choosing to stay in the field he was best at.

It was also out of a small selfish motive: Chief Secretary Sun Li was acting as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and Jia Chong, who followed him, would often have the opportunity to report matters to Xiahou Hui on behalf of Sun Li.

He's new here, and his father had a conflict with a high-ranking general of the royal family.
There was no longer a way to gain Xiahou Hui's trust more quickly, as he could no longer keep himself under Xiahou Hui's watchful eye at all times and ensure that everything he did was known to her.

After he made his choice, Fu Gu revealed some information to him in a casual conversation.

“Zhi Quan has the heart of a child, which the late emperor once praised. Now, entrusted with the administration of the young emperor, he is conscientious and cautious, and often consults with Yan Jing and Shu Mao on matters. Shu Mao and I are not colleagues in the General’s Office, and we each have our own affairs, so there are often times when we cannot discuss matters in a timely manner. Now that you, Gong Lü, have entered the General’s Office, Shu Mao and I can have some free time.”

These few words, though brief, were clear in their meaning and greatly encouraged Jia Chong, who had grown up in the capital.

He knew he had made the right choice.

They chose Xiahou Hui's expected duties.

That's why Fu Gu bluntly told him that Xiahou Hui only had a few trusted advisors, and they weren't the kind of people he spent every day with, so he really hoped that he could become one of them.

Therefore, when Ding Mi was granted his post and would no longer be able to linger at the General's Office, he naturally had the thought of offering his congratulations.

It wasn't that he was congratulating himself on being able to surpass Xiahou Hui by taking advantage of his close proximity to him, but rather that he wanted to express his goodwill to Ding Mi by not competing for the lead, and to make Ding Mi re-evaluate and accept him.

"The most important matters of state are sacrifice and war. When the late emperor entrusted his son to the Grand General, he was in charge of all the armies, both inside and outside the capital. And what he was in charge of was nothing more than personnel and finances. Now, my brother Yanjing has been appointed as the Director of the Revenue Department. Moreover, the Grand General personally requested him to do so in the imperial court after he began to take over the government. This is truly a joyous occasion. Therefore, I take the liberty of offering my congratulations."

Faced with Ding Mi's doubts, Jia Chong, with a beaming smile, cupped his hands and offered another explanation.

Upon hearing this, Ding Mi immediately smiled.

As he expected, Jia Chong was indeed demonstrating his knowledge and talent, and also subtly indicating that he would obediently remain to his left.

"This is due to Zhiquan's favor, not my talent or learning."

With a friendly smile and a modest reply, Ding Mi bowed and greeted him, speaking in a friendly manner, "Of course, I will remember your encouragement." Then, as if feeling his words lacked persuasiveness, he asked, "Gonglu is about to leave the office; is there some important official business?"

I'm just a junior staff member who's only been in the job for less than a month, what urgent official business could I possibly have?
Furthermore, if there were any important official business, wouldn't you know that you're always in the office?

Could it be
A thought struck Jia Chong, but his expression remained unchanged as he replied, "These are just some trivial matters concerning the Ministry of Personnel. The General has already taken care of them and sent me to deliver a reply to Chief Secretary Sun. They are not of great importance. I wonder if Brother Yanjing has any instructions?"

"It's not really a matter of giving instructions, but if you don't have anything urgent to do, then don't rush to leave the office."

Ding Mi smiled and stepped into the hall. "Zhi Quan will be going out, and may summon Gong Lu to accompany him."

Will you let me accompany you?

I just saw the Great General come out~
Watching Ding Mi's retreating figure, Jia Chong, who had stopped as instructed, raised his eyebrows slightly, a smile spreading across his eyes.

A moment later, Xiahou Hui, who had changed into a white robe, came out side by side with Ding Mi. As they passed by him, Xiahou Hui greeted Ding Mi, "Gonglu, come along too."

"only."

He responded and followed behind Ding Mi.

He didn't care or care where he was going or who he was going to see. What mattered was that he knew he had taken another step in the right direction and had climbed another step forward.

The only inconvenience was that after the three left Nanque, they changed to riding horses and left the city.

This made Jia Chong, who was still wearing his official robes, feel slightly awkward on horseback. After all, he was supposed to be the last among them, but he had become the center of attention all the way.

However, he wasn't in the mood to dwell on it.

Instead, he wondered who Xiahou Hui was going to meet by leaving the city so secretly. Could he, through Ding Mi's kindness and by chance, become involved in the matter and thus gain access to the general's secrets?
After traveling more than ten miles outside the city, he finally learned who Xiahou Hui had come to see, or more accurately, who he had come out to greet.

He was Man Chong, the Grand Commandant who had returned to the capital from Huainan to take up his post.

Judging by the time, Man Chong should have arrived in Luoyang, the capital, long ago.

However, he did not enter Luoyang through Hulao Pass, but instead went through Nanyang County and Guangcheng Pass, probably to pay homage to the late emperor's Gaoping Mausoleum.

Was the Grand General secretly lowering himself to greet Grand Commandant Man Chong in an attempt to win the support of this veteran minister who had served three reigns of Cao Wei?

When Jia Chong saw Man Chong's carriage in the distance, this was his thought. (End of Chapter)