Wei Ni

Of the three suggestions Xiahou Xuan mentioned, the least important was changing the dress code.

That was merely a system that respected ancient rites and established different dress codes for officials, nobles, commoners, and merchants; it had no impact on current politics.

The point of "restricting the power of the Zhongzheng official" is a continuation of the Nine-Rank System, allowing it to better select talents for the country and reduce the possibility of the Zhongzheng official engaging in favoritism and corruption.

This effectively deterred Xiahou Hui's plan to reform Wei's talent selection system.

This is essentially a compromise.

Since Xiahou Hui felt that judging people's character based on family background would stifle the upward mobility of those from humble backgrounds, the officials could propose limiting the power of the Zhongzheng official, urging him to be more cautious in evaluating talent, and having the court review the cases again. This would make the selection of talent by the state more fair, and no matter how much Xiahou Hui disagreed, he could no longer forcefully change the practice of judging people's character based on family background.

Politics is about compromise.

The scholar-official families have already backed down, so how can the general be so aggressive? Aren't you worried about a complete confrontation that would jeopardize the nation?
There is no need to worry that the officials and nobles are afraid of the general's power and dare not speak out in the court.

The shape of a dog barking, the sound of hundreds of dogs barking.

As long as Sima Yi instructs Jiang Ji or Wang Guan to mention Xiahou Xuan's suggestion to restrict the Zhongzheng officials in the imperial court, all the officials in the court will know what to do—for their own benefit, they will shout slogans that benefit the country, letting Xiahou Hui know what it means to go against the will of the people.

This predictable outcome explains why Sima Yi, while not agreeing to his eldest son's proposal, did not issue any further instructions.

This is beneficial to both the Wei dynasty and the Sima family.

Needless to say, the selection of talent has become more rigorous and appropriate, which is more conducive to long-term stability and security.

For the Sima family, this pointed out a direction for those officials who were friendly to them and resolved their dilemma of worrying that their legacy and the benefits of the establishment of the Wei state would be taken away.

And whether this move succeeds or not is not important.

The important thing is that the Sima family has already taken on the responsibility without hesitation.

If they succeed, the officials who avoided losing their benefits will be grateful to the Sima family for stepping in to resolve the crisis; but if they fail, they will only secretly curse Cao Shuang for being incompetent and a scoundrel who is not fit to plan!
What Sima Yi found ruthless about his eldest son was his "removal of redundant officials".

Admittedly, the overlapping responsibilities of court officials inevitably lead to overstaffing, buck-passing, and inefficiency. Reducing the number of officials and streamlining administration can not only reduce the expenditure of the imperial treasury but also assign responsibilities to individuals, thereby improving the efficiency of policy implementation.

However, when implementing something, we should not only consider the long term, but also whether it is appropriate for the current situation.

Why are there so many redundant officials in the Wei state today? And who are these people who are holding positions without performing their duties?
The answer lies with the imperial family members who entered officialdom through hereditary privilege, the descendants of Qiao and Pei, and the meritorious descendants who made significant contributions to the founding of the Wei state.

Among the descendants of those who followed Emperor Wu in establishing the dynasty, such as the Xiahou and Cao families, the old friends from Qiao and Pei, and the scholars from Ying and Ru, how many remained commoners after reaching adulthood?

To say nothing of the distant past, Xiahou Hui's elder brother, Xiahou Heng, was a redundant official who had almost no duties but received a salary without any real responsibility!
Did Cao Ren's eldest son, Cao Tai, who held the official position of General Who Guards the East, and Xiahou Dun's second son, Xiahou Mao, who held the position of General Who Pacifies the West, rise to their positions based on military merit? And how many troops did they actually control?

Therefore, Sima Shi's plan to widely publicize Xiahou Xuan's suggestion created an insurmountable obstacle for Xiahou Hui, greatly hindering Xiahou Hui's goal of gathering popular support.

If Xiahou Hui ignores this point, then he is ignoring the benefits to the state, holding a position but not daring to act, and his prestige will inevitably be damaged.

But if he does it, he will face both praise and criticism.

Even the privileges of entering officialdom through the merits and favors of one's father are being stripped away. Who would still be willing to die for the State of Wei?

Even though he set an example by dismissing his elder brother Xiahou Heng from his official position, he could not change the criticism that he was mean and ungrateful.

Naturally, he will also receive some praise.

Such as being selfless and not seeking personal gain. After all, eliminating redundant officials would inevitably reduce the expenditure on the national treasury and reduce the situation of overstaffing in the imperial court and local prefectures.

However, the world is now governed by loyalty and filial piety.

The moral condemnation would make all those who wanted to rely on him think twice: how could someone who disregarded the fatherly bond between elder brothers and dismissed them from their official positions regard others as brothers? With the lessons of the past still fresh in their minds, how could they not worry that they themselves would become abandoned in the future?

Furthermore, Sima Yi knew that his eldest son's actions were also for the sake of future road construction.

In his view, given Xiahou Hui's strong and assertive personality and his desire to reform the long-standing problems in the court, he would definitely take action once the calls to "eliminate redundant officials" grew stronger in the court and among the people.

This would inevitably garner praise and support from many loyal Wei officials, such as Man Chong and Wei Zhen. Even Sima Yi himself and Jiang Ji, when consulted by Emperor Cao Fang or court officials, would inevitably adopt a fair and impartial stance, claiming that this action would benefit the state.

This is also a scenario that Cao Shuang does not want to see.

This would likely cause them some degree of dissatisfaction with Xiahou Xuan, who advocated for this matter.

As a cousin of Xiahou Hui, Xiahou Xuan was already in a difficult position caught in the power struggle between the two. If he lost Cao Shuang's favor on this matter, it would be difficult for Cao Shuang to accept his advice in the future, which would give Sima Shi an opportunity to take advantage of the situation!

Don't forget, Sima Shi was one of those imprisoned in the past for his extravagant scheme!
Most of Cao Shuang's trusted henchmen are involved in the frivolous affair. Among them, Xiahou Xuan has the best overall perspective. Others, such as He Yan and Deng Yang, are talented but greedy and lack foresight.

Sima Shi, who had already been appointed to a post, could indirectly influence Cao Shuang simply by exchanging a few pleasantries with these people when he met them in office, or by occasionally making a few drunken remarks about the current situation while they were drinking and reminiscing.

After all, Sima Shi's every word and action represented the attitude of another regent minister of Wei!

Neither Cao Shuang nor Xiahou Hui could ignore the "neutral" forces.

Of course, Sima Yi also knew that his eldest son's actions were not for the pleasure of behind-the-scenes manipulation, but to pave the way for Cao Shuang's failure in the power struggle so that he could smoothly take over this political legacy—the fact that Sima Yi did not think highly of Cao Shuang was a consensus between the father and son.

Another consideration was to prepare the scholar-official families for a smoother control of power when Emperor Cao Fang assumed personal rule and reclaimed authority.

Because if the policy of eliminating redundant officials is implemented, it will inevitably harm the interests of the sons of the Xiahou and Cao families.

Those whose interests have been harmed are unlikely to have a good impression of Xiahou Hui. In addition, Cao Shuang has no chance of winning in the power struggle. If Sima Yi, as a senior minister who has served two dynasties, were to extend an olive branch at the right time and promise to do his best to restore their interests in front of the emperor, they would naturally flock to him and vie to join him!

Thus, when Emperor Cao Fang, who was about to assume personal rule, wanted to reclaim Xiahou Hui's power, the old ministers of the court, the important officials of the state, the members of the imperial clan from Qiao and Pei, and the old friends of Cao Shuang who had been defeated by Xiahou Hui all unanimously advised him that he must rely on the Grand Tutor in order to succeed. What would Emperor Cao Fang choose?

Tsk tsk, in this way, the golden age of Wei, where "the emperor ruled by doing nothing," has arrived!
This is the intention behind Sima Shi's compromise proposal, and also the reason why Sima Yi was unwilling to accept it.

Everything has its advantages and disadvantages.

If everything goes as expected, and Cao Shuang exits the stage in disgrace, and Xiahou Hui is forced to return power to Emperor Cao Fang, then the Sima family will face a crisis—because Sima Yi has already exhausted all his titles and rewards.
How will Emperor Cao Fang reward the Sima family for helping him regain power?
Moreover, as an emperor, how could Cao Fang not be wary of the Sima family, whose influence extended to all the officials? Would he possibly regard Sima Yi as a reincarnation of Wang Mang?
Do not overestimate the moral integrity of those who claim to be alone and isolated.

If Cao Fang is still not suspicious and wary of the Sima family by then, General Xiahou Hui will not need to return power to the emperor!

Sima Yi considered himself a loyal subject of Wei and was willing to follow Emperor Ming Cao Rui's entrustment to help Emperor Cao Fang assume power in the future. However, if the consequence was the destruction of his own family, then this matter needed to be carefully considered and planned for the long term.

Another reason is that Sima Yi, who witnessed Cao Cao being appointed prime minister and granted titles of duke and king, clearly knew that ambition is a seed.

Once you find fertile ground to take root and sprout, there are only two possible outcomes.

They either endlessly plunder nutrients and grow into towering trees that block out the sky, or they are slaughtered and become firewood for others to keep warm or pillars to support others' families.

Neither of these outcomes is something he wants to consider right now.

The former's path is too bumpy, battered by wind, snow, drought, floods, and even eaten by wild animals, making it extremely difficult for them to grow up.

The latter goes without saying.

The Sima family of Wen County, a family that has been in official positions for hundreds of years, has become a great family that is no less than the Yuan family of Runan and the Yang family of Hongnong in the past. He did not want to die and have his family wiped out, and to have no face to see his ancestors in the netherworld.

However, after the visit of Minister Wang Guan and the reiteration of his eldest son Sima Shi's remarks today, his mind suddenly softened.

There are two reasons.

Firstly, even his former advisor Wang Guan "unintentionally" visited, making him feel that in the current situation, his family was like a boat sailing against the current—if they didn't advance, they would fall behind. A very real question arose: if he allowed Xiahou Hui to gather popular support and suppress the court officials, how would he treat the Sima family after he won the power struggle with Cao Shuang?
Did Xiahou Hui also foresee this when he voluntarily relinquished power and bided his time, waiting for Emperor Cao Fang to take over the reins of government?
Will they strike first and clear away obstacles in advance?
Another reason is that he saw ruthlessness in his eldest son, Sima Shi.

He was already in his sixties, so he inevitably became passive in his view of things and dealing with matters, but he overlooked the fact that his eldest son, Sima Shi, was in his prime and wanted to make a difference!

Moreover, his eldest son is an outstanding individual in terms of intelligence and talent. Would he be willing to be suppressed by Xiahou Hui for the rest of his life?
Since I am still alive, my eldest son comes to me for instructions on everything.

What if I'm no longer here?
Life is unpredictable; I may not live to see Emperor Cao Fang assume personal rule. (End of Chapter)