The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 494: The Disaster
After the meeting, Shi Xin and Shi Kuang quietly gathered in a remote courtyard and discussed the current situation in low voices.

Shi Xin frowned and whispered, "My father has made his position clear in the meeting room today, vowing to fight Qin Shou to the death. However, Qin Shou has strong soldiers and horses, and Gan Ning, Wei Yan, and Huang Zhong are all fierce generals. Although Jiaozhou has the advantage of terrain, the disparity in military strength makes it difficult to resist. If we really fight to the last soldier, the people of Jiaozhou will surely suffer, and my Shi family will also be in danger of destruction."

It has to be said that Shi Xie was very fertile. He gave birth to five sons in one go, namely Shi Xin, Shi Zhi, Shi Hui, Shi Gan and Shi Song. In addition, most of his brothers were long-lived people and had even more children.

The reason why Jiaozhou was under his control was because the other party had many relatives. Of course, he still liked Shi Hui the most and was even ready to pass on his family business to him.

However, doing so would cause dissatisfaction among others. It would be fine if it happened under normal circumstances, but now it is a matter of life and death. If the choice fails, the family will be destroyed in the end.

At least, Shi Xin was unwilling to do so.

The matter of Jiaozhou had nothing to do with him, so why should he take risks with the other party? If he was not careful, he would even lose the lives of his family members. He would never do such a thing even if he was beaten to death.

Shi Kuang nodded, his expression solemn: "Brother, what you said is very true. Although my Shi clan occupies Jiaozhou, has tens of thousands of soldiers, and the people are loyal to us, the current situation is beyond our control. Qin Shou's army is heading south with great momentum. Even with the help of Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, it is difficult to reverse the situation. Rather than destroying everything, it is better to make plans early, surrender to the Central Plains, and save the people of Jiaozhou and my Shi clan."

Shi Xin hesitated for a moment and whispered, "My father is determined, and most of the clan members are in favor of fighting. If we rashly propose surrender, we may be criticized and even regarded as traitors."

Shi Kuang sneered: "Although my father is the head of the family, the survival of Jiaozhou is related to the fate of the entire family. How can he decide it alone? Moreover, although Qin Shou is an external enemy, if he can surrender, it may not be a way out. The Central Plains court has always attached great importance to Jiaozhou. If he can take the initiative to surrender, perhaps we can still preserve the status and wealth of our Shi family."

Although he was talking about Shi Xie on the surface, in fact, he was talking about Shi Hui. We are all smart people, and everyone knows what Shi Hui is thinking.

It is better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. The other party would rather be the king of Jiaozhou than be a minister of the new dynasty. He only thinks about himself and never thinks about other brothers.

Shi Xin's eyes flashed with hesitation: "But Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang have formed an alliance with our army. If we surrender secretly, wouldn't it be a betrayal?"

He was afraid of Liu Bei's power and was afraid that this matter would be ruined by Liu Bei.

Shi Kuang shook his head and said, "Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang are only using the power of Jiaozhou to protect themselves. They can't even protect themselves, how can they help me? Besides, Qin Shou's army is approaching, how long can they hold out? Instead of waiting to die, it's better to make a decision early."

Shi Xin pondered for a long time and finally made up his mind: "You are right. The survival of the people of Jiaozhou and my Shi clan is the top priority. We need to contact Qin Shou as soon as possible and express our intention to surrender. However, this matter must be carried out in secret and must not be known to my father and the pro-war faction in the clan."

Shi Kuang nodded: "Leave this to me. I have a confidant who can secretly go to Jiangdong and pass on the message. As long as Qin Shou promises to protect my Shi clan and give preferential treatment, we can work together at the critical moment to help him take Jiaozhou."

After Shi Kuang left, Shi Xin stood alone in the courtyard, looking at the sky gradually darkening, with a lot of thoughts in his mind. He knew that his and Shi Kuang's decision was tantamount to a gamble, betting on the future of the Shi family. If successful, perhaps the family could be saved; if failed, not only would he become a sinner in the family, but he might even suffer a catastrophe.

However, at this point, he had no way out. His father Shi Xie's stubbornness and Shi Hui's ambition had already pushed Jiaozhou to the edge of the cliff. Rather than waiting for death, it is better to take the initiative to seek change. A few days later, Shi Kuang's confidant quietly left Jiaozhou and went to Jiangdong to try to get in touch with Qin Shou. At the same time, Shi Xin secretly moved among the clan, trying to win over some clansmen who were dissatisfied with Shi Xie and Shi Hui, in preparation for future actions.

However, things did not go as smoothly as they imagined. Although Shi Hui was young, he was not stupid. He had long noticed that some people in the clan had ulterior motives, especially the actions of Shi Xin and Shi Kuang, which aroused his suspicion. He secretly sent people to monitor the two and try to find their flaws.

One day, Shi Hui pretended to invite Shi Xin and Shi Kuang to his palace to discuss matters. During the meal, Shi Hui pretended to be relaxed and asked, "Recently, I heard that the Jiangdong Cavalry Army marched south in large numbers, and the momentum was fierce, and the people of Jiaozhou were unstable. I wonder what you think about this?"

Shi Xin's heart tightened, but his face remained calm, and he replied calmly: "Qin Shou may be strong, but Jiaozhou has mountains and rivers, and the people are in favor of us, so we may not be unable to fight. Father has made a decision, and we just need to obey."

Shi Hui smiled slightly, but his eyes were as sharp as a knife: "Brother, what you said is very true. However, I heard recently that someone in the clan secretly contacted the Cavalry Army with ill intentions. I wonder if brother has heard about this?"

Shi Kuang's heart sank when he heard this, and he quickly said, "Such rumors should not be believed. The clan is united, how could anyone betray the family?"

Shi Hui sneered and slowly stood up: "Really? Then why did my people find a messenger from our clan at the border of Jiangdong recently?"

"Who is it? How dare they do so. If we don't work together at this time, will we be defeated one by one by the enemy? Third brother, was it done by those side branches?" Shi Xin was furious.

Shi Kuang was also furious after hearing this, and cursed: "It must be those side branches, they just can't stand seeing our main branch doing well!"

Shi Hui saw Shi Xin and Shi Kuang's intense reactions and sneered in his heart, but his face remained calm. He slowly walked to the window, with his back to the two of them, and said in a calm tone with some deep meaning: "Brother, this matter is very serious. If it is really done by the collateral branch, it is fine, after all, they have always been restless. But if someone in the direct line has other intentions, it will be a major event that shakes the foundation of the family."

He didn't believe Shi Xin's words. After determining the successor to Jiaozhou's foundation, he knew that Shi Xin and he had turned from brothers into enemies.

Shi Xin's heart tightened, knowing that Shi Hui's words were full of hidden meanings, but he remained calm and said in a deep voice: "Third brother, you are absolutely right. At this time when the family's survival is at stake, any act of betrayal cannot be tolerated. This matter must be thoroughly investigated and must not be tolerated."

Shi Kuang also echoed, "That's right! Third brother, leave this matter to me. I will investigate it thoroughly and will never let anyone with evil intentions go!"

Shi Hui turned around, his eyes swept across the two men's faces, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a meaningful smile: "Thank you for your hard work, second brother. However, this matter is of great importance. I have sent someone to investigate secretly. If there is any progress, I will inform you two brothers as soon as possible."

Shi Xin and Shi Kuang looked at each other, their hearts sinking. They knew that Shi Hui had become suspicious of them, and they had to be more cautious in their next actions.

(End of this chapter)