Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 29 Performance Review
After dealing with Xu Ying's matter, Shi Shouxin didn't even go home; he went straight to the Shi residence.

Settling Xu Ying was just an accident; the "serious business" that Shi Shouxin had to handle was related to his own future and opportunities.

He was lucky; Shi Bao happened to be off duty at the yamen that day. Upon learning that Shi Shouxin had arrived, Shi Bao was very hospitable, personally greeting him at the door and inviting his "adopted son" to his study for a detailed discussion.

As soon as he sat down, Shi Shouxin placed the waist tag engraved with the title "Jia Zuo" on the table. Jia Zuo under the Sili Xiaowei were all "temporary workers," who only went to other places as inspectors when they needed to be assigned tasks.

After returning to Luoyang to report on his duties, his waist token was taken back, and so was his power.

Such a supervisory system can, to some extent, prevent supervisory personnel from colluding with local officials. It may seem simple and crude, but it is actually very ingenious.

What is the grain storage situation in Hedong?

Shi Bao asked with a smile, his tone casual and as if he were having a casual chat.

"Father, there is a shortfall of more than one million bushels of grain for the military farms. This shortfall is due to loans made to local powerful families over the years, ostensibly for disaster relief. The remaining grain reserves match the accounts perfectly."

As for the treasury of Anyi, after careful consideration, I decided not to investigate it.

Shi Shouxin answered truthfully.

Shi Bao nodded, neither confirming nor denying, his calm expression leaving Shi Shouxin somewhat puzzled.

"Let's leave it at that. You don't need to worry about it anymore. I've already recorded your contribution."

As Shi Bao spoke, he carefully put away the waist token, but then he saw Shi Shouxin take out a silk book from his sleeve.

"Father, the powerful families in Hedong have already made an agreement; they are willing to make up the difference of more than one million bushels of grain."

This is the proposal I drafted, and people from all over the river have already signed it.

It's best not to hand the godfather over to the general; it's better to keep it to himself, at least not now.

Shi Shouxin handed the silk scroll to Shi Bao and then stepped aside.

Shi Bao could no longer remain calm. He read it quickly, his face showing surprise.

Doing eight out of ten things well is considered a success; doing twenty out of ten is truly remarkable!

Shi Bao knew all too well that asking the wealthy families in Hedong for grain was no less than pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth!

Let alone Shi Shouxin, even Shi Bao himself might not be truly appreciated by others; it's merely a facade of harmony.

To put it bluntly, Shi Bao came from a very humble background. Now that he has joined the ranks of the Celestial Dragons, he is just a rising star. There are plenty of people who look down on him.

Sima Zhao was aware of the grain shortage in the Hedong military farms and granaries, but it was simply inconvenient for him to intervene. Shi Shouxin's official business trip was merely a trial balloon, a test of the waters to gauge the capabilities of those people.

There's no hope of a solution.

"Why would these people be willing to give up their provisions? Have even the tigers started eating grass now?"

Shi Bao placed the "Proposal" on the table and looked at Shi Shouxin with a puzzled expression.

Shi Shouxin, however, took out the "Summary of IOUs" and handed it to Shi Bao, patiently explaining, "Father, each IOU here is marked with one, two, and three. In reality, it's a categorization and comparison, forcibly linking the matter of borrowing grain to the timeline of the three rebellions in Huainan. At the time, I simply asked: 'Why did you powerful families in Hedong borrow grain during the Huainan rebellion? Were you planning something unspeakable? Should we let the General judge?' And they gave in."

Shi Shouxin spoke casually, but Shi Bao dared not be presumptuous. As a seasoned veteran of officialdom, Shi Bao knew that this matter was not easy to handle, and the twists and turns involved were probably not as simple as Shi Shouxin made it out to be.

"You might as well elaborate."

Shi Bao spoke calmly, his face already serious. He was determined to hear Shi Shouxin's explanation clearly, otherwise this matter would not only fail to bring merit but could very well cause trouble.

Do you think it's so easy for you to plunder the grain of powerful families?
Shi Bao didn't believe it at all. It wasn't like he hadn't dealt with these people before.

"Godfather, the truth is that this matter is different now than it was then. The real secret lies in the two words: the general trend."

Shi Shouxin said solemnly.

Shi Bao nodded slightly without changing his expression, signaling him to continue.

"Why did these wealthy households dare to borrow military rations from the military farms back then? Why were they so fearless?"
It was because they knew that Huainan was not yet pacified, and the Sima clan was very worried about instability in the rear, so they would never do anything to them.

Even though their reasons for borrowing grain were ridiculous, the imperial court had no choice but to accept them. They said it was for disaster relief, so it was for disaster relief; they were given military rations, and there was no intention to repay them.

The imperial court wasn't stupid; it was simply choosing the lesser of two evils and yielding to the prevailing trend.

Shi Shouxin offered an explanation, and his words hit the nail on the head.

Shi Bao sighed, then nodded, admitting with some helplessness, "The situation was indeed very critical at the time. Huainan was already in chaos, and if Hedong were to fall into chaos as well, the consequences would be unimaginable. The powerful families borrowing some military rations were just a test, and given the circumstances at the time, we had no choice but to comply. Would we really turn against them and send troops to Hedong to attack them over such a small amount of food?"

Shi Bao had experienced these things firsthand and knew the ins and outs of the matter very well.

"Yes, but the situation has changed. The Huainan rebellion has been quelled, and there is no internal strife in Wei for the time being."

If the powerful clans of Hedong were to rebel now, the imperial court would have plenty of elite troops at its disposal and ample provisions available; at most, the campaign against Shu would only be delayed by a year.

I explained these things to them, and they naturally worried that the imperial court would retaliate later.

Since the accounts can be settled silently, making up the shortfall is the way to minimize losses.

Otherwise, if the imperial court were to investigate, they would have to explain why they borrowed grain multiple times during the three rebellions in Huainan.

This is not an easy question to answer, especially when it is being asked of the general.

It's the same dilemma of choosing the lesser of two evils; this time, however, it's the powerful clans of Hedong who have to make the choice.

Shi Shouxin finally revealed the secret to accomplishing this task.

In short, it's the so-called "surrender and lose half the battle." Settling past scores is better than Sima Zhao seeking revenge later, right?

With the debts settled and the imperial court's campaign against Shu imminent, who would bother to investigate their past dirty deeds?

The military settlements in Hedong and the Anyi prefectural government, deeply influenced by local powerful families, were two political forces that balanced each other. When one was strong, the other was weak.

Shi Shouxin went to support Xie Zuan and replenished the grain reserves of the military farms, which greatly increased the power of the imperial court and objectively suppressed the local powerful clans.

With the local powerful clans behaving themselves, the obstacles to conquering Shu were reduced. This demonstrates how taking a strategic, overarching approach can solve the most critical issues.

Shi Bao was naturally well aware of this.

"I took on this official mission and it was very effective, far exceeding my expectations."

Shi Bao said approvingly, then changed the subject with a smile and asked, "Do you know why I assigned this task to you?"

This was not an easy question to answer, but Shi Shouxin answered directly: "I believe that my adoptive father just wants to find a way to slip in during the war against Shu and gain some credit."

The more Shi Bao looked at Shi Shouxin, the more satisfied he became. Hearing this, he frankly admitted:

"You've been handling those machines in the Imperial Household Department for the past two years, many of them military equipment, so you can say you're very familiar with this area. In addition, you've had the experience of inspecting grain reserves this time, so you're also familiar with the procedures for certain matters."

"If the General were to launch a campaign against Shu, I could recommend you to Guanzhong to oversee the logistics and supply transport of the army. As long as the front lines maintain a continuous supply, this will be a windfall. Regardless of victory or defeat, you will undoubtedly receive your share of the credit."

Shi Bao's plan was flawless; as long as Shi Shouxin didn't mess things up, the whole thing was practically without any loopholes.

His familiarity with military equipment indicates that he is knowledgeable; he has inspected the situation of granaries in the local area and achieved political success (the wealthy households in Hedong returned the borrowed grain), so he is perfectly capable of serving as a military supervisor in charge of military equipment and supplies in the rear during wartime.

At least in terms of qualifications, he is fully qualified.

As for ability, who can tell how capable someone is before they take office? When recommending officials for office, there's no need to talk about specific abilities; as long as their past qualifications are acceptable, that's enough.

"Thank you for your help, Father Xie. This is truly wonderful."

Shi Shouxin said with a grateful expression. He was genuinely grateful. It was true that Shi Bao had used him, but in this day and age, who doesn't have some selfish motives?
Even though he is no longer a retainer, he is still Shi Bao's adopted son, and this mark cannot be washed away from him. If Shi Bao falls from power, Shi Shouxin will also be implicated.

This is the rule of the times, and anyone can only abide by it before changing it.

"The return of grain and fodder by the powerful clans of Hedong has truly been a great help to me. Recommending you to manage military supplies in Guanzhong is an opportunity you deserve. Whether it will be a blessing or a curse depends on your performance there; nothing is certain yet. Moreover, I am only making a recommendation; it may not actually happen."

Shi Bao sighed, not informing Shi Shouxin that he, as the Commandant of the Capital Region, would not participate in the campaign against Shu. Not only would Shi Bao not go, but Shi Chong would not go either.

Shi Bao orchestrated Shi Shouxin's involvement because he didn't feel sorry for his adopted son's death, but could use him as a wingman while he was alive. This made him quite suitable for participating in major events where risks and rewards coexisted.

"By the way, godfather, I encountered a troublesome matter when I returned from this business trip."

After much deliberation, Shi Shouxin decided to tell Shi Bao about Xu Ying. After all, Xu Ying was, in name only, his godfather. Even if it was a matter of mutual exploitation, before their relationship soured, they were still staunch political allies.

Upon hearing what Shi Shouxin said, Shi Bao laughed loudly and said, "She's just a beauty. Who cares how she got here? Do whatever you want with her. Lü Xun was never a big shot. He wasn't valued by the General when he was in the General's mansion. After he comes to the mansion to report on his duties, I'll say a few words to the General and have him dismissed from his post."

After saying this, Shi Bao exuded an unparalleled domineering aura!

He was never a law-abiding person, and he was also very lecherous, with no taboos in this regard. He was even disliked by Sima Yi back then.

Yang Huiyu might have some moral fastidiousness, but Shi Bao didn't care about such things at all.

Even if Shi Shouxin kept Xu Ying for himself, he would accept her as a gift to his godfather!

Women are just women; you can just play with them and that's it. Who cares if she's someone else's wife? Once the divorce papers are issued, she's just a flower without an owner.

If you don't bring this into the room, are you even a man?
Shi Bao glanced at Shi Shouxin and thought to himself that this adopted son was good in every way, and ruthless and decisive in his work, but he valued emotions too much, and would probably suffer in the future. Of course, if it weren't for this "minor flaw," Shi Bao wouldn't have valued this person so much.

Who would want to raise an ungrateful child?

"Alright, go back and spend some time with Madam Li. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I haven't assigned you any official duties recently. I'll go to the General's mansion now to record your merits. As for that young lady, Madam Xu, you can do whatever you want with her. I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!"

Shi Bao laughed heartily and waved his hand, indicating that Shi Shouxin could leave.

The credit for the supply of provisions to the Hedong army naturally belonged to Shi Shouxin, but it also belonged to him as the Commandant of the Capital Region. In Sima Zhao's version of events, the story became that Shi Bao orchestrated the events, while Shi Shouxin ran errands, making the powerful clans of Hedong obediently hand over the owed provisions.

Both of them deserve credit!

Shi Shouxin quickly bowed in thanks and left. He had just reached the door of the study when, as if remembering something, he turned back to Shi Bao and asked, "Father, when I passed Mengjin Ferry, I noticed that a bridge could be built here. I wonder if you could mention this to the General?"

"Mengjin Ferry."

Shi Bao pondered for a moment, then sighed, shook his head, and continued:

"You're welcome. I have high hopes for you and am willing to recommend you for a suitable official position when you achieve something."

However... the things you need to do must be things that the General is thinking about, only then can you be promoted.

Doing anything else is a waste of time, understand?

It's not that building the Mengjin Bridge is bad, but this matter will hinder your career.

What you need to do now is to think more about the conquest of Shu. If you come up with any good ideas, report them to me immediately for my consideration.

"Like this time when you went to Hedong to retrieve the military rations, you handled it very well. You should take this as an example and continue your efforts."

Shi Bao said with a smile, his words full of earnestness. If his adopted son hadn't been quite capable, he wouldn't have bothered to speak at all.

Building the Mengjin Bridge is indeed a good idea. It will make transportation around Luoyang more convenient and facilitate crossing the river between the two banks.

But so what?

This bridge did not affect the logistics of the campaign against Shu. However, building it required a large amount of manpower and resources.

This is a losing proposition; even if it were repaired, Sima Zhao wouldn't feel anything.

Why bother with all that trouble and effort? If you have too much time, why not just take a few beautiful women as concubines to play with?

Shi Bao inwardly complained that Shi Shouxin had asked an unnecessary question.

"Thank you for your guidance, Godfather. I was too presumptuous. Without your enlightening words, I would have almost ruined everything!"

Shi Shouxin quickly apologized.

Shi Bao patted his shoulder and laughed, "You're still young. You have plenty of time in the future. There's no need to rush. You should learn and observe more in the future."

……

Late at night, after a “friendly” conversation, Li Wan collapsed into Shi Shouxin’s arms like a limp rag doll, her small hands stroking her husband’s shoulders, a satisfied smile on her face.

Shi Shouxin's attitude towards Xu Ying and his mature interpersonal skills made Li Wan love him even more.

"I'll go to Mengjin tomorrow to see how things are there."

Shi Shouxin said in a low voice.

"Why go to Mengjin? You've finally come home, so spend more time with me. I've missed you so much."

I want another child, you should try your best too.

Li Wan said coquettishly.

"Building a bridge between Mengjin Ferry and Fuping Ferry will facilitate the travel of merchants and travelers and prevent boats from capsizing in the river."

It saves many lives every year, so consider it accumulating some good karma.

"Since I'm not on official business, I'll go over there to do some research. Maybe I'll need it later. It'll only take a day and a night round trip."

Shi Shouxin gently comforted Li Wan.

"Now I finally understand why my father valued you so much."

Li Wan sighed softly and did not insist any further.

It's not that good things are bad, it's that good people are bad. For a married woman, whether her husband is a good person is extremely important.

You can take your time if you have no money or status, but when it comes to character, it's said that "it's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature."

Li Wan had no complaints about this, except that her husband was a bit too busy with official duties.

"My lord, are you really not going to bring that Mrs. Xu home? Our family is small, wouldn't it be good to take a concubine?"

Madam Xu is well-educated and reasonable; I quite like her.

Li Wan suddenly spoke up and asked.

"No, why would we bring Madam Xu home?"

Shi Shouxin felt confused and the more he listened, the more something seemed off.

"Don't you think she owes you too much and should serve you well to repay your kindness?"

Li Wan countered with a question.

"Helping the weak and punishing the strong is a chivalrous spirit, but to expect a weak woman to lie in bed and serve you in gratitude is too despicable."

Shi Shouxin did not agree with Li Wan's idea.

"When you rescued your concubine from Sima Yan, was it also out of chivalry?"

Li Wan hugged him and whispered, her breathing becoming rapid.

"No, no, no, I was just after your beauty back then. I was willing to risk my life for your beauty."

Shi Shouxin said with a wicked smile, then pressed Li Wan down and kissed her red lips fiercely.

(End of this chapter)