Wei Ni

After Grand Tutor Sima Yi hastily distanced himself from the matter, those present could roughly guess who had instigated Emperor Cao Fang to come to the East Hall today to participate in the discussions among the officials.

She was nothing more than Empress Dowager Guo, who had the advantage of being in a privileged position.

Cao Shuang wanted to continue probing with his words to confirm whether this was only Empress Dowager Guo's idea, or whether the entire Guo family of Xiping was involved, and whether Cao Zhao himself was aware of the matter, and if so, whether he was the one who took the initiative.

Or rather, since things have already happened, whether Cao Zhao took the initiative or not, it doesn't change the fact that he would be colluding with the Guo family, the maternal relatives headed by Empress Dowager Guo, so why bother digging deeper?
But that's not how things are defined.

The late emperor entrusted the young emperor with a will, and Xiahou Hui, Cao Shuang, and Sima Yi are the current "rulers" of the Wei Kingdom!
Anyone who dares to cross their line and incite the emperor to interfere in state affairs has crossed their red line and shaken the stable order of the Wei court, and is absolutely unforgivable.

The purpose of clarifying the situation is to ensure accountability and to make the conviction more accurate.

Furthermore, Cao Shuang and Cao Zhao had both served as close advisors to the late Emperor Cao Rui for over a decade, and they knew each other very well.

He knew that Cao Zhao was neither a pleasure-seeking playboy nor a mediocre person content to live a life of mediocrity. Given the opportunity, he would also choose to soar to great heights and look down upon all the people and scholars under heaven.

They must never be regarded as ants who take whatever they want.

Furthermore, Deng Yang had recently returned with a letter informing him that Cao Zhao had remained silent regarding Cao Shuang's attempts to win him over. Combined with the current emperor's interference, how could Cao Shuang not understand Cao Zhao's intentions?
"General of Chariots and Cavalry, you are mistaken!"

The still immature Emperor Cao Fang, upon receiving Cao Shuang's suggestion, raised his head without hesitation and smiled smugly, saying, "It was General Zhao who wrote to me requesting to be sent out to guard the region! I am young, and upon receiving the letter, I consulted the Empress Dowager. Initially, the Empress Dowager said that I should discuss this matter with the Grand General and other regents; when I asked her again, she said that with the Grand General and other regents leading the government and the capital region at peace, there is no need for Zhao. Moreover, Zhao is a member of the imperial clan and a descendant of meritorious officials. Now, he has returned to court with his achievements and has requested to be sent out to supervise troops and defend the country. His loyalty is commendable, and perhaps we can grant his wish to encourage him. Therefore, I have come today to disturb your discussions and ask about Zhao's future."

Well, things are clear now.

This was something Cao Zhao orchestrated on his own.

The Guo family of Xiping was completely unaware of the situation; Empress Dowager Guo remained quite well-behaved, merely offering a suggestion without violating the rule that relatives of the empress should not interfere in politics.

As for who Cao Zhao used to deliver the letter to Emperor Cao Fang in the inner palace, we will not investigate that further.

There's no way to investigate this kind of thing.

In any case, Cao Zhao served in the palace for more than ten years.

Moreover, among those present in the East Hall, who wouldn't be able to do something similar?
"I see."

Xiahou Hui, suddenly realizing what was happening, had a slight thought and immediately cupped his hands in agreement, saying, "As Your Majesty said, since Commander Zhao has requested to be transferred to a post outside the capital and has the intention of defending the border and suppressing disloyalty, and since the late Emperor appointed Zhao as his deputy to accompany him on the expedition to Haidong, he intended to cultivate talent for the country, we, your servants, should naturally grant Zhao's request and select a unit in the newly established garrison to appoint him as its commander."

Grand Tutor Sima Yi, who reacted just as quickly, also bowed and said, "This old minister agrees with the General's opinion in order to fulfill the late Emperor's wishes."

"This old minister also agrees."

Grand Commandant Man Chong and the other two high-ranking officials, along with the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, followed closely behind.

With everyone agreeing and the outcome already decided, Cao Shuang, despite his dissatisfaction, had no choice but to agree with the proposal.

He certainly had every reason to be unhappy.

It wasn't just because his attempt to win over Cao Zhao had completely failed; he was also angry that he had reacted too slowly and that Xiahou Hui had once again beaten him to the punch in winning the favor of the officials.

Sending Cao Zhao to serve as an inspector in a remote area will have an impact on the future political situation of the Wei Kingdom.

After all, the late Grand Marshal Cao Xiu had commanded troops for decades and had many protégés and former subordinates in the army. In addition, Cao Zuan was currently in charge of military power as the Prefect of Lujiang in Huainan, and he would certainly become an assistant that Emperor Cao Fang could rely on after he took power.

Empress Dowager Guo believed that the emperor could grant her request, presumably also to gain Cao Zhao's goodwill in this matter and to provide more security for the Guo family of Xiping in the future.

Xiahou Hui's initial approval of the matter was a subtle way of expressing to the officials that he respected the emperor's authority, would not hinder the growth of those who could become the emperor's assistants, and would definitely return power to the emperor as scheduled in the future.

And now that Cao Zhao has achieved his goal, shouldn't he also feel grateful to Xiahou Hui for making the final decision?
Cao Shuang didn't dwell on the answer.

But he knew that Cao Zhao would not have any good intentions towards him.

Because what prompted Cao Zhao to request a transfer to a post outside the capital was that he instructed Deng Yang to curry favor with him.

From another perspective, showing goodwill and winning over others is actually forcing them to take sides and make a choice.

"The General's words, and the agreement of all the ministers, are exactly what I desire!"

Unaware of the intricacies involved, Emperor Cao Fang's face was filled with the joy of being recognized by the people for his first intervention in state affairs. "I am tired. The Grand General and the other officials shall discuss and decide on other matters. I will not participate."

After saying this, he got up and left.

Judging from his excited expression, he must be eager to go and share the discussion with Empress Dowager Guo.

After seeing him off, the crowd remained silent for a moment before dispersing and leaving.

As for the Three Dukes and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, since it has been decided that additional garrisons will be established, the remaining issue of selecting and supervising the troops can be left for the three regents to contend with.

They had no intention of getting involved, nor did they want to stay and be used as pawns.

Grand Tutor Sima Yi shared the same idea. The distraction surrounding Cao Zhao had nearly cost him his image as someone who had relinquished power and was no longer interested in vying for it, making him a common enemy of Xiahou Hui and Cao Shuang. How could he possibly have the mind to concern himself with selecting new military commanders?
Not to mention that this decision would affect his previous deployments to various tribes in Yongliang and weaken his influence in Yongliang, so why should he get involved?
I might as well just ignore it and not bother myself.

As for Xiahou Hui and Cao Shuang, their plans were disrupted by Emperor Cao Fang, and they needed to return to consult with their trusted advisors before continuing their struggle.

Cao Shuang goes without saying.

The failure to win over Cao Zhao meant that his original plan to bring the Huainan war zone under his control had changed. He urgently needed to strengthen his ties with General Wang Ling and consolidate his existing external forces. He needed to solidify his foundation and stabilize what he had in the present before he could strive for what he might gain in the future.

The situation was even worse for Xiahou Hui.

Originally, his conspiracy with Fu Gu was to push Cao Zhao to Cao Shuang's side, make Cao Shuang think he had succeeded and act recklessly, so that he could find an opportunity to convict and dismiss him.

Now that Cao Zhao has escaped, how can he talk about "Zheng Bo defeating Duan"?

It can be said that he has now returned to the very beginning, and everything has to be overturned and started from scratch.

Therefore, after the discussion ended, he did not return to the General's Office, but went straight back to his residence and sent someone to inform Ding Mi, Fu Gu and Yu Song to come and see him that night.

He had also considered whether to invite Jia Chong to come to his residence.

But after careful consideration, I gave up.

Jia Chong has the ability to devise strategies, but loyalty and trust need time to develop, so it is not advisable to involve him in such highly confidential matters too early.

Sunset.

After playing with his children for a while, chatting with his wife Wang Yuanji, and having a meal, Xiahou Hui took Ding Mi to the study to wait for the others to arrive. However, he did not expect that the first person led over by the steward Sun Lou would be Zhen De, the emperor's tutor, who was accompanied by his nephew Xiahou Gong.

Needless to say, he was sent by Empress Dowager Guo to explain the events of today's East Hall.

When Emperor Cao Rui was still alive, he had Zhen De serve as Xiahou Hui's subordinate, providing him with training and care. Moreover, even after Xiahou Hui became Grand General, he still maintained good relations with the Guo family of Xiping, and the two sides always had a harmonious relationship. Therefore, Empress Dowager Guo must have been worried that the events of the daytime might cause Xiahou Hui to harbor resentment after Emperor Cao Fang relayed her words.

After exchanging greetings, Zhen De immediately explained the reason for his visit.

"General, I have come here abruptly to inform you of something. Your Majesty inquired about the Empress Dowager with a letter from the Commander of the Central Army. The Empress Dowager had no interest in state affairs and originally did not wish to answer. However, Your Majesty informed me that the Commander of the Central Army had sent this secret letter because the General of Chariots and Cavalry intended to win him over to his side. Therefore, the Empress Dowager advised Your Majesty, which led to Your Majesty's question in the East Hall today."

There's no need for me to come and explain; I can figure it out myself.

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Hui sighed quietly, his heart filled with helplessness at the ever-changing nature of life.

Empress Dowager Guo's intentions were good.

Everyone in the court knew about her power struggle with Cao Shuang, so she stood on her side from the perspective of the Guo family of Xiping and suggested that Emperor Cao Fang grant Cao Zhao's request, thus thwarting Cao Shuang's scheme.

However, she was unaware that this action would disrupt her plans, turning a well-intentioned act into a bad one.

Of course, Xiahou Hui couldn't be criticized either.

What's done is done; dwelling on it further will only alienate us from the Guo family of Xiping.

"Yes, I understand."

Nodding and smiling, Xiahou Hui first bowed to the north in a distant gesture of greeting before speaking in a very gentle tone, "I am grateful to Yansun for coming to inform you, and please convey my thanks to the Empress Dowager. Well, it is late, and it would be inconvenient for you to return to the palace or your residence. You and Zixun should stay here for the night."

"Only General Rao."

Respectfully responding, Zhen Defu bowed and then left the study together with Xiahou Gong.

He was just a messenger.

Moreover, being allowed to stay overnight meant that Xiahou Hui's goodwill towards the Guo family of Xiping remained unchanged, so he naturally wouldn't say anything that might annoy others.

Shortly after this little incident, Fu Gu and Yu Song arrived one after the other.

Xiahou Hui explained the ins and outs of the matter, and then asked everyone what their opinions and plans were.

He asked the question for a long time, and the three people being asked all frowned and lowered their eyes in deep thought, making the study remain deathly silent.

It wasn't that they were stunned by the sudden change and at their wits' end; rather, it was because the matter was of great importance that they dared not speak out until they had carefully considered and thoroughly examined their ideas.

Seeing this, Xiahou Hui did not urge him.

He simply stepped out of his study and summoned the steward, Sun Lou, to prepare some wine and food, preparing for a sleepless night.

"Since it's difficult for Duke Zheng, let's just cut off his wings and claws to weaken him."

In the end, it was Ding Mi, who had secretly controlled the Imperial Secretariat for a period of time, who spoke first, "I am familiar with most of the people Zhao Bo has gathered. I know their incompetence. With a little inducement, it will not be difficult to dismiss them according to the law." (End of this chapter)