Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 19 The Gradual Call to War

Li Wan did not wait for Shi Shouxin at Yang Hu's house last night, but was picked up by her elder brother Li Gu and taken home.

The reason is not complicated: her father, Li Yin, had received an imperial decree to be transferred from Guanzhong back to Luoyang and appointed as the Vice Censor-in-Chief!
This official position had the power and responsibility to supervise and impeach all officials, and its position in the central government system was extremely important.

Basically, as long as they find an excuse, they can remove high-ranking officials from the central government; they are truly a sharp and swift weapon in the hands of those in power.

Clearly, Li Wan's marriage to Shi Shouxin did not affect her father Li Yin's standing in Sima Zhao's eyes. In order to control the court, Sima Zhao was gradually placing his key confidants from the General's Mansion into important positions in the court.

As for his eldest son's failed attempt to woo a woman, Sima Zhao considered it a trivial matter, far less important than his ambition to usurp the throne.

Sima Zhao gave free rein to those who were capable and useful.

To quell external threats, internal stability must come first. Li Yin's ascension to the throne meant that Sima Zhao's massive purge of the court was imminent. Shi Shouxin's father-in-law was the one who orchestrated it.

The plan to conquer Shu was obvious.

Usurping the throne and conquering Shu are two sides of the same coin, intertwined and inseparable.

Because the plan to usurp the throne requires a successful conquest of Shu, failure to do so would severely jeopardize the entire usurpation scheme.

Li Yin hurriedly returned to Luoyang from Guanzhong. Before even entering the city, he went directly to his son-in-law, Shi Shouxin, to discuss countermeasures.

The matter to be discussed was what to do next, and what to do next for the family members. Unfortunately, Shi Shouxin wasn't home; he had gone to Yang Hu's house to deliver "scientific research samples."

When he returned the next day, Li Yin had already gone to the General's Mansion to receive his official seal, leaving only his brother-in-law, Li Gu.

When the two met, Shi Shouxin's words left Li Gu speechless with shock.

“Brother-in-law, the General has already decided on the leader of the expedition against Shu, so he has asked my father-in-law to step down and return to the court to stabilize the rear. We will soon find out who will be the Governor of Guanzhong.”

In the study, Shi Shouxin looked at Li Gu with a solemn expression and said.

Upon hearing this, Li Gu was greatly impressed by his father Li Yin's keen insight; no wonder he valued this son-in-law so highly.

"Brother-in-law, what do you mean by that?"

Li Gu asked doubtfully, but he was already half convinced.

"My father-in-law has no talent for leading troops, yet he spent two years in Guanzhong. Why?"
Because his father-in-law was an honest and upright official, the general wanted him to oversee military affairs, strengthen military equipment, and stockpile provisions.

It's not about sending your father-in-law to attack anyone.

It seems that my father-in-law's military affairs are almost finished, and the general has probably already sent someone to check them and is very satisfied.

So he issued two orders.

Firstly, he recalled his father-in-law to the court, promoted him, and granted him significant power, thus strengthening his control over the court. Secondly, he replaced him with the commander-in-chief in charge of the campaign against Shu, thus advancing the military expedition.

Shi Shouxin said with great certainty.

This kind of thing is like a semi-open-book exam for him; as long as he doesn't ask about the details of the battle, it's almost not difficult.

Although Shi Shouxin can only be considered a "corrupt official" who comes from a poor family, his information channels are still open.

"Oh dear, brother-in-law is absolutely right! How come I didn't think of that!"

Li Gu was very annoyed. He felt that if he were to reveal the answers to many of the questions, they would be worthless, as if he himself could do the same.

But before the answer is revealed, most people can't figure it out no matter how hard they try, which really tests their strategic skills.

Li Gu is now quite certain that Shi Shouxin is at least far superior to him in terms of strategic vision.

Let alone the fact that Li Wan is so infatuated with Shi Shouxin that she's willing to do anything for him, just considering his abilities and foresight, marrying him as a son-in-law is definitely a good deal.

"Father asked me to ask my brother-in-law whether he wants to continue serving in the central government or be sent to a remote area for training. I've heard that you've made a name for yourself in the Imperial Household Department these past two years. Father can recommend you for an official position. It's the same with relatives when it comes to recommending the worthy, so brother-in-law, you don't need to mind."

Li Gu continued.

To survive in the Celestial Dragons' circle, one must become an official; there's no other way. In this era, there aren't many paths a time traveler can take, and becoming an official is the best option for advancement.

Of course, this excludes those who transmigrate into the body of an emperor.

Shi Shouxin proposed marriage to Li Wan the first time they met. Was it just so he could spend all his time playing the darling of a beautiful woman?

That's obviously not the case. The father-in-law's ability to support him was also one of the reasons why Shi Shouxin was so insistent on the marriage.

There's nothing shameful about it, because everyone does it this way. Whether you like your wife or get along with her is secondary.

If you're capable, it means you're competent; finding a good wife and father-in-law is also part of that competence.

If you're incompetent, everyone will take advantage of you without any mercy. The fact that you can't find a good wife or father-in-law is itself a sign of a lack of ability.

Neither personal ability nor family ability will be valued.

On the other hand, maintaining the daily marital relationship and the relationship with the wife's family and relatives requires time and energy, which is also a test of one's comprehensive abilities.

Therefore, when Shi Shouxin and Li Wan could do all sorts of novel things every day, making many people aware that their marital relationship was so good that it aroused jealousy, in the eyes of many Celestial Dragons, this already said a lot.

If a man can handle his wife, who comes from an official family, and his father-in-law and brother-in-law, then he must not be an ordinary person.

There was no need for Shi Shouxin to go around boasting to people about how capable he was.

"I don't know yet, but... I'm going to Hedong tomorrow to deliver a document to Ji Kang requesting his service."

Shi Shouxin said with a troubled expression.

My father-in-law's recommendation is certainly excellent, but we can't neglect Yang Hu and Shan Tao. Shan Tao clearly wants to promote Shi Shouxin, and this relationship is worth cultivating long-term.

If you refuse, you'll offend someone, especially making Yang Hu lose face.

If the matter is accomplished, Shan Tao will recommend Shi Shouxin to go to Guanzhong to participate in the conquest of Shu, which is another "progressive" route.

Shi Shouxin still felt that he could wait and see with his father-in-law, since Li Wan was a very understanding wife, and the family could discuss it slowly.

"Um, brother-in-law, who do you think will lead the army in this campaign against Shu?"

Li Gu suddenly leaned closer and asked in a low voice.

Currently, the issue of attacking Shu was raised by people sent by Sima Zhao. The purpose was to test the waters and see who agreed and who opposed it.

Then, the test results showed that almost everyone was against it, saying that the timing was not right.

It seems that the issue of conquering Shu will end in failure due to the opposition of the masses, but any Celestial Dragon who understands a little bit of political maneuvering knows that the conquest of Shu is impossible to stop!

Because Sima Zhao wanted to usurp the throne! He couldn't possibly tolerate it!
Previously, Sima Zhao wanted to be promoted to "Duke of Jin," but Cao Mao thwarted his plan in one fell swoop, and he would never be able to succeed by taking a gradual approach.

Therefore, Sima Zhao could only follow Cao Cao's example and leave the opportunity to become emperor to his son after Cao Cao became the King of Wei.

Sima Zhao planned to first ensure the succession of the title of Duke of Jin, then replace the State of Wei with the State of Jin, and finally declare himself emperor. He intended to achieve this goal in two steps, during the reign of Sima Yan.

Perhaps Sima Zhao had already sensed the curse that Cao Mao had placed upon him: he would never be able to become emperor in his lifetime!

Even someone of average appearance like Li Gu could see this.

However, the fact that an invasion of Shu was inevitable was one thing, but who would lead the army was another. To gain political advantage from this, knowing that an invasion of Shu was useless; one needed to be able to guess who would lead the army in order to make advance arrangements.

"It's hard to say right now. Perhaps the general will personally lead the expedition."

Shi Shouxin pretended not to know, mainly because he didn't want to get involved.

To everyone's surprise, Li Gu sighed with some disappointment and said, "If only I had known, I could have pulled some strings beforehand. After the successful conquest of Shu, I would have the merit of destroying a country, which would be enough for a promotion. I don't care if others eat the meat; I'd be happy to get a little soup too."

Now, the people of the Great Wei, or rather, all the people of the Great Wei, have entered an era of "competition for existing resources".

Military merits are no longer as easy to acquire as they used to be. Territory is also not as readily available as it was in the early Three Kingdoms period.

The official system is well-established, with each position filled by a specific person. While the number of official posts is limited, the trend of Celestial Dragons marrying and having children is expanding, resulting in an increasing number of qualified individuals for official positions.

If the number of officials remains the same but the number of people who can become officials increases, then the competition will inevitably become more intense.

People like Li Gu, a second-generation Celestial Dragon, or Shi Shouxin, who are fresh blood absorbed into the Celestial Dragon circle, may still be able to hold their official positions steadily.

But for their children, the path to officialdom won't be so smooth. Everyone has connections, so it comes down to who has the stronger connections; the competition will never disappear!

Shi Shouxin worked in the Imperial Household Department for two years. With someone looking after him, he also developed many useful new weapons and agricultural tools.

But it was only a minor promotion of three ranks, from "Research Group Leader" to "Research Section Chief." In the Nine-Rank System, a minor promotion of three ranks was insignificant; only a major promotion of three ranks could be considered a true rise to prominence.

As for the others, not to mention how many people have been stuck in the same place for the past two years, going from Shi Shouxin's colleagues to his direct subordinates.

They even gossiped about him behind his back.

Those people believed that Shi Shouxin's rise to power was purely due to his skill in picking up women and making them happy, and that he relied on his father-in-law Li Yin's "superpowers." Otherwise, he would never have been promoted.

In short, these people simply refuse to acknowledge that Shi Shouxin's abilities far surpass theirs, yet they dare not speak ill of him to his face.

Don't ask, the answer is this guy only knows how to rely on his father-in-law.

As for the attention given to "noblemen" like Yang Hu, those people believed that they befriended him because they valued his status as Li Yin's son-in-law.

People's words can be terrifying; you never know what they're saying about you behind your back, even if they're being kind and friendly to you.

Shi Shouxin chose to ignore this and not argue with these people. The more he argued, the more excited they became.

After chatting for a while, Li Gu left, promising that he would visit more often and take care of his sister after Shi Shouxin went away on official business.

Shi Shouxin hurriedly prepared the items he needed for his trip at home. After dark, he and Li Wan had a great time on the bed in the bedroom, enjoying a night of pleasure.

Early the next morning, he went to Yang Hu's house alone, bringing a small gift to express his gratitude in person.

……

In the study of the General's mansion, Sima Zhao sat at his desk, sulking.

On the table was a letter from Longyou, written by General Deng Ai, who was in charge of the Western Expedition.

In his letter, this man stated bluntly: Jiang Wei's Shu army remains quite formidable. There is currently no opportunity to attack Shu. A hasty action might very well repeat Cao Shuang's defeat years ago.

General, you should wait for the right opportunity. Shu is exhausted. Once the time is right, the Wei army will be able to sweep through and conquer Chengdu!

Deng Ai was not a direct descendant of the Sima family; he could only be considered a "rising star" to whom Sima Yi had once bestowed favors.

It's true that they're late bloomers because of their humble origins; it's also true that they're old, having wasted twenty years of their lives, making them "newcomers."

However, Deng Ai's past failure to rise in rank was not entirely due to the exclusion of him by the Celestial Dragons; his emotional intelligence also played a role.

This letter reveals Deng Ai's extremely low emotional intelligence.

On the one hand, he was quite considerate of the country, and his suggestions were very reasonable, all of which he had summarized from his battles of wits and courage with Jiang Wei on the front lines. Therefore, Deng Ai's letter would greatly influence the court officials' views on the campaign against Shu.

On the other hand, Deng Ai was completely unaware of Sima Zhao's intentions.

This powerful minister did not actually want to conquer the Shu Kingdom and achieve great deeds, but rather to usurp the throne, accumulate military merits, and incidentally divert the criticism from the court officials.

As a result, Deng Ai kept persuading them not to attack Shu.

Sima Zhao then had a question in his mind: Did Deng Ai really want to become my confidant, or did he have some other intention?

With the three rebellions in Huainan preceding them, who dares to say that Deng Ai had no ulterior motives? Yong and Liang are far from Luoyang!
This letter aroused Sima Zhao's suspicion towards Deng Ai.

However, Deng Ai had rendered great service in the Northwest and was a pillar of the region. If he were executed without proper justification, it would be difficult to find a suitable replacement in a short period of time.

Deng Ai was already old, and Sima Zhao's plan was to use him to his advantage during this campaign against Shu. After the victory, he would give Deng Ai a sinecure in the court to retire, and then place a trusted confidant in the northwest whom he could trust more.

This way, Deng Ai is removed, and it looks good on the surface.

Just then, Yang Huiyu, dressed in a greyish-white gauze dress, was led into the study by a servant. Sima Zhao looked at her with some confusion, wondering what she was up to.

These clothes... are they worn when paying respects to the dead?

"General, I wish to go to Mangshan today to pay respects to my late husband. I have come to inform you of this matter and hope you will grant me permission."

Yang Huiyu said very politely.

"Oh dear, sister-in-law, you're being too polite. You are a member of the Sima family and the widow of your elder brother, so you are naturally free to visit and pay your respects to him at any time."

However, I am unable to attend due to work commitments. Could you please help me write a eulogy?

"If you want to look beautiful in mourning clothes," Sima Zhao glanced at his beautiful sister-in-law, suppressed his wicked thoughts, and said something he didn't mean.

Of course, Yang Huiyu was a man of exceptional literary talent, and helping to write a eulogy was no problem for him. Sima Zhao, however, didn't care about this at all.

"Well then, I'll set off now. Leave the matter of the sacrificial text to me."

Yang Huiyu bowed deeply to Sima Zhao and then turned to leave.

That's just how Sima Zhao is. If you tell him in advance what you're going to do, he'll be so busy with important matters that he'll forget about it as soon as he turns around.
But if you don't greet him, he will keep suspecting and pressing you afterward.

Sima Zhao completely forgot about Yang Huiyu's plan to pay respects to Sima Shi and never thought about it again.

After leaving the General's Mansion, Yang Huiyu returned to Yang Hu's residence to bid him farewell. Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the main hall, she saw Yang Hu chatting and laughing intimately with a young man.

It was undoubtedly Shi Shouxin.

Yang Huiyu instantly recognized the young man as the one she had been making love to the night before.

I thought it would take a lot of effort to find out, but it turned out to be so easy.

She stood there, stunned, her heart pounding wildly, forgetting even to take a step.

That night's kiss was so passionate, so tender, so long; it lingers in my mind.

Yang Huiyu's body was so limp that she almost collapsed to the ground, as if she had been frozen in place.

"Big sister is here."

Yang Hu noticed that Yang Huiyu's expression was a bit strange and assumed that she was unwell, so he quickly took her arm and made her sit next to him.

He introduced her to Shi Shouxin, saying, "This is my elder sister, the widow of my elder brother, the Great General."

Sima Shi's wife? She looks so young, could she be a concubine?
Shi Shouxin was puzzled, but he lowered his head and bowed very politely to Yang Huiyu, saying, "I am Shi Shouxin, and I greet you, Madam."

The lady had a delicate and dignified appearance, but Shi Shouxin couldn't help but feel that the dress she was wearing was a bit strange.

How should I put it? It has a vibe that of a widowed 18+ adult film heroine.

At first glance, the clothes seemed very conservative; apart from her slender neck, which was covered by a white scarf, revealing only a sliver of fair skin, the rest of her body was completely covered.

This outfit is, no matter how you look at it, rather conservative.

But when he looked closely and savored it.

The more I pondered her, the more I sensed an indescribable allure and seductive charm about this woman. It seemed that every piece of fabric exuded feminine grace.

Yang Huiyu felt uncomfortable under his gaze. She coughed lightly to cover her embarrassment and looked at Yang Hu, suggesting, "I'm going to sweep my late husband's grave now. It's in Mangshan, not far from Luoyang. You know the place."

"While it's still early, take me there."

Yang Hu couldn't refuse such a request, after all, Sima Shi was Sima Zhao's elder brother. And Sima Zhao was not a magnanimous person!
“I dare you. You go home first and prepare to leave for Hedong. I will accompany my sister to sweep the tomb. We can have a drink and chat when you return from your business trip.”

Yang Hu looked at Shi Shouxin apologetically and said.

"Fine, let him come along too. It'll be more lively with more people. On the way back, we'll head straight to Hedong, which is on the way anyway."

There are many dead bodies buried in Mangshan; I'm a little scared.

Yang Huiyu offered a suggestion without batting an eye, making up a random excuse.

Yang Hu looked puzzled but said nothing, only nodding to Yang Huiyu. Shi Shouxin had no idea what this had to do with him and was about to refuse when he saw Yang Hu wink at him.

He had no choice but to bow and follow the two men out of the courtyard.

(End of this chapter)