The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 495: The Cruelty of the Aristocratic Family
In Shi Xie's study, the candlelight flickered, reflecting his slightly tired face. Shi Xin and Shi Kuang stood respectfully by his side, feeling uneasy. Shi Xie was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Recently, there have been rumors in the clan that someone has secretly contacted the Cavalry Army with the intention of surrendering. Have you heard about this?"

Shi Xin and Shi Kuang were both nervous. Shi Xin lowered his head and said, "Father, we have also heard about this matter, but we have not yet found out the truth."

Shi Xie nodded slightly and looked at the two of them with deep eyes: "What do you think should be done about this matter?"

Shi Lin hesitated for a moment, then said quickly, "We will obey our father's decision."

"Is this what you really think?" Shi Xie chuckled and said, "There are only three of us here, and you are going to lie to your own father?"

Shi Xin finally mustered up the courage to say, "Father, Qin Shou's army is marching southward with unstoppable force. Although Jiaozhou has the upper hand, the disparity in military strength makes it difficult to resist. If we really fight to the last soldier, the people of Jiaozhou will surely be devastated, and our Shi clan will also be in danger of destruction. Rather than destroying everything together, it is better to make plans early and surrender to the Central Plains to save the people of Jiaozhou and our Shi clan."

Shi Kuang also echoed, "Brother, what you said is very true. Uncle, the survival of Jiaozhou is related to the fate of the entire clan. We cannot destroy the family's future because of a momentary impulse."

Shi Xie was silent for a long time, and finally he sighed: "I know what you said. It's just that my family has been guarding Jiaozhou for generations, and I just don't want to give up!"

Shi Xin said quickly: "Father, the Cavalry is strong and has a large population. If we fail once, we can still attack again. But we have fewer soldiers and horses in Jiaozhou. If we fail once, we will never recover. If we can surrender voluntarily, perhaps we can still preserve the status and wealth of our Shi family."

A complicated look flashed across Shi Xie's eyes, and he nodded slowly: "In that case, you continue to contact the Cavalry, but you must be cautious and not let the pro-war faction in the clan know. If there is a chance, you can test Qin Shou's attitude to see if he is willing to protect our Shi clan."

Shi Xin and Shi Kuang were delighted when they heard this. Shi Xin quickly responded, "Don't worry, father. We will be careful and will never let you down."

"If not, my Shi family has you two, so it won't be considered as extermination of the family. At least, the bloodline can be preserved, right?" Shi Xie said with a wry smile.

Shi Xin and Shi Kuang did not reply, but stood quietly aside.

They also knew Shi Xie's plan, which was clearly to leave a glimmer of hope for the Shi family in case of emergency.

Shi Xie waved his hand and signaled them to leave. After the two left, Shi Xie sat alone in the study, looking at the night outside the window, with a lot of thoughts in his mind. He knew that he was old and the future of Jiaozhou would eventually be handed over to the next generation. However, Shi Hui's ambition and stubbornness forced him to make more plans for the future of his family.

As soon as the two left, Shi Hui walked in with a look of dissatisfaction on his face.

"Father, there have been rumors in the clan recently that someone has been secretly contacting the Cavalry Army with the intention of surrendering." Shi Hui asked impatiently.

"I know." Shi Xie's face looked calm.

"Father, if we don't work together at this time, will we be defeated one by one by the enemy? I am going to find this traitor and will never let him off easily." Shi Hui said coldly.

"Forget it. They are also secretly contacting the Cavalry Army to protect their family and the people. You don't have to be too harsh on them. After all, the survival of the family is the top priority."

Shi Hui was shocked when he heard this, and immediately understood his father's intention. He bowed his head and said respectfully: "Father's teachings, I will remember them in my heart."

After Shi Hui left the study, his heart was not at peace. Although he accepted his father's advice on the surface, he was still worried about the fact that someone in the clan was secretly in contact with the Cavalry.

He has taken the family's honor as his own responsibility since he was young, and regarded Jiaozhou as the foundation of the Shi clan, and would never allow anyone to shake this foundation. Now that he heard that someone wanted to surrender to the Central Plains, he couldn't help but feel a little resentful and unwilling. In Wu County, Qin Shou had a very happy time these days. The country was settled, and although the four barbarians had not yet submitted, the overall situation had been decided. When the time came, he could naturally conquer the four directions.

These days, he mostly enjoyed singing and dancing, with Jia Xu, Zhou Yu, Lu Xun and others accompanying him. He lived a very happy and carefree life.

"Your Majesty, someone from Jiaozhou came and said that he came to see Your Majesty on the orders of Shi Xin."

Jia Mu rushed into the hall to report.

"Shi Xin?" Qin Shou hesitated.

"Your Majesty, Shi Xin is the eldest son of the Shi family, but it is Shi Hui who inherits the Shi family's foundation." Jia Mu hurriedly explained.

Qin Shou heard this, a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes, he gently put down the wine glass in his hand, and said with a smile: "Oh? Shi Shi's eldest son Shi Xin sent someone to see me? This is interesting. Didn't Jiaozhou always advocate fighting against our army to the end? Why did his brother send someone here?"

Jia Xu smiled slightly, stroked his beard, and said slowly: "Your Majesty, the Shi family may not be united. Although Shi Hui is the heir, Shi Xin, as the eldest son, will not be willing to be inferior to others? This time, they sent people here, perhaps to secretly contact our army and seek a way out."

Zhou Yu also nodded and agreed, "Mr. Jia is right. The Shi family has guarded Jiaozhou for many years and has a deep foundation. But now our army is unstoppable and Jiaozhou is isolated and helpless. It is inevitable that the people in the Shi family are uneasy. I am afraid that Shi Xin's move is to leave a way out for himself and his family."

Qin Shou nodded. This situation was very normal. All the noble families in the world did this. Even Shi Xie knew about it.

After all, in the land of Jiaozhou, it is difficult to hide from Shi Xie's eyes.

Qin Shou pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "In that case, let's meet this envoy and see what Shi Xin wants to say."

Jia Mu took the order and left. Not long after, he came in with a man dressed in Central Plains clothes. When the man saw Qin Shou, he bowed and said respectfully: "I am here to see the King of Tang on the orders of Master Shi Xin. I am willing to serve the King at his whim."

Qin Shou nodded slightly, motioning him to stand up, and then asked, "What is the important matter that Shi Xin sent you here for?"

The messenger replied respectfully, "Reporting to the King of Qin, Master Shixin knows that the King is a man of great talent and strategy, and the whole country is loyal to him. Although Jiaozhou is far away, we dare not be an enemy of the King of Qin. The master is willing to submit to the King, and only asks that the King of Qin can save the lives of his family and spare the people of Jiaozhou from the suffering of war."

Qin Shou heard this, a smile flashed in his eyes, and he slowly said: "It is rare that Shi Xin has such a heart. However, the affairs of Jiaozhou have always been decided by Shi Xie. Although Shi Xin is the eldest son, I am afraid he may not be able to influence the overall situation, right?"

After hearing this, the messenger looked embarrassed and didn't know how to answer.

"I promised him."

Qin Shou said with concern: "As long as he surrenders, I am willing to spare his life and wealth."

(End of this chapter)