Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 56 Open the champagne at halftime
Shi Shouxin brought news of the great victory in Hanzhong, which greatly excited Sima Zhao, who almost burst into song! Even though it was late at night, Sima Zhao, whose mood was still not calm, was still discussing matters with Jia Chong in the study.

Duke Jin was granted the Nine Bestowments and promoted to the position of Chancellor. This triple combo of usurpation was finally added!
Even if the ceremony wasn't yet complete, it was a done deal, with no further complications. This "small step" was actually of great significance to Sima Zhao.

This means that he can legally "pass" his position to the next generation. The next step is to test the "wisdom of future generations," and there's no need to rush.

For the rest of the time, Sima Zhao could expect to ascend the throne himself, or if he failed, let his son succeed him, without worrying about things going wrong.

Sima Zhao has already broken half of the blood curse cast by Cao Mao!
"Duke Jin, Hanzhong is already in our grasp; it is time to take another step forward."

Why not return to Luoyang tomorrow, then bestow upon him a noble title, accept the Nine Bestowments, and advance to the position of Chancellor?

Such an important matter cannot be handled in Chang'an; it must be carried out in Luoyang.

Jia Chong poured cold water on Sima Zhao's hopes.

“That makes sense. Let’s go back to Luoyang first, and then come to Chang’an to take charge after we’ve been granted a title.”

Sima Zhao nodded, having calmed down somewhat. The back-and-forth travel was indeed exhausting, but it was all worthwhile. The less renowned one was, the more attention should be paid to etiquette details; steps that could be omitted should not be skipped.

"However... we have just captured Hanzhong, and the morale of the army is high. If we head straight back, some people may criticize us."

Jia Chong continued.

"That's right, that makes sense."

Sima Zhao did not deny Jia Chong's statement.

He sighed and said, "There's no need to rush the return of the army that conquered Shu to Guanzhong."

Taking Hanzhong meant the conquest of Shu was a success. This was an unprecedented achievement for the Sima family since they seized power, and Sima Zhao finally felt relieved.

Therefore, everything else is already "minor details" and can be dealt with gradually. Everything is negotiable and can be compromised.

“Zhong Hui is fond of fame, so it would be better to give him official rank and title to keep him in check.”

All the generals in the army should also be rewarded according to their merits, and this should be done together with the matter of receiving the Nine Bestowments, and the emperor should issue an edict.

That way it won't seem too abrupt.

As his name suggests, Jia Chong added more details. He linked the officers who led the campaign against Shu with Sima Zhao himself, who had been granted the Nine Bestowments, thus silencing any remaining vested interests.

"Hmm, you write the imperial edict. But what official position should Zhong Hui be given?"

Sima Zhao asked again.

Jia Chong thought for a moment. Although he was very uncomfortable and could not bear to see Zhong Hui promoted, he still suggested, "I think it would be enough to appoint him as Minister of Works and grant him a fief of ten thousand households."

This reward was already quite generous, and Sima Zhao was initially reluctant to part with it.

But then he remembered that Zhong Hui could not possibly return to Guanzhong alive, so he felt there was no need to be so petty.

There's really no point in arguing with a dying person.

"Let's arrange it this way."

Sima Zhao waved his hand, signaling Jia Chong to leave.

After Jia Chong left, Sima Zhao excitedly clenched his fists and danced around in the study.

"First the Duke of Jin, then the King of Jin, and finally... a change of dynasty!"

Sima Zhao muttered to himself, his face contorted with an uncontrollable madness.

Much later, Sima Zhao finally calmed down, plopped down at the table, and began thinking about what to do next.

Over the past decade, Zhong Hui, acting as a political pawn for the Sima family, has done a lot of dirty work and learned far too many things he shouldn't have known.

With Zhong Hui's intelligence and wisdom, he must have understood the principle of "the cunning rabbit dies, the good bow is put away."

Therefore, Zhong Hui is bound to rebel, or rather, he will cause trouble. So what if Zhong Hui really does nothing and obediently returns to Guanzhong?
Sima Zhao fell into deep thought.

If Sima Yi had never existed, Zhong Hui would have been sidelined and dismissed after returning to Guanzhong, ultimately ending his life with dignity.

But Sima Yi had already used all those tactics of retreating to advance!

As Sima Yi's son, how could Sima Zhao not know how dangerous someone like Zhong Hui was?

Even if he were to retire now, Zhong Hui would likely make a comeback thanks to his family's deep-rooted influence. As for the timing of his return, it would certainly be when Sima Zhao had just died and Sima Yan was still unable to control the political situation.

Then become the next Sima Yi.

Therefore, Zhong Hui cannot be allowed to live! No matter what he thinks, he must die!

Sima Zhao spread out a large sheet of paper and wrote the two characters "Zhong Hui" on it, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes.

Next, he wrote down the two characters "Deng Ai".

This man occupies a high position in the Northwest Army, but he's not one of our own, and he's getting old. It's time to make arrangements for him and move him to a different place.

Of course, Deng Ai was not like Zhong Hui; he posed no direct threat and had limited influence, so there was no need to eliminate him completely.

Sima Zhao pondered for a moment, then wrote down several more names on the paper. These were the people who needed to be dealt with immediately after the war against Shu ended.

Suddenly, Sima Zhao remembered Shi Shouxin, who had delivered the letter this time.

He stood up and said to the guards on duty outside the door, "Go and bring Shi Shouxin, who lives in Yang Hu's villa, here."

It was already time to retire for the night, but Sima Zhao didn't care whether others were asleep or not.

In less than half an hour, Shi Shouxin was dressed and ready and arrived at Sima Zhao's villa.

"This humble official pays his respects to the General. May I ask what brings you to my court so late at night?"

Shi Shouxin stepped forward, bowed, and asked.

"Tomorrow you will take my handwritten letter to Hanzhong and deliver it to Wei Guan. Do you dare to go?"

Sima Zhao asked in a deep voice, not letting Shi Shouxin sit down, but just looking at him.

"General, please forgive my bluntness. If we go back like this, it will be no different from sending ourselves to our deaths. You might as well find an excuse to kill me, so that I don't have to run away."

Shi Shouxin replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

I haven't heard such a ridiculous order in a long time.

Shi Shouxin simply couldn't agree to it.

"Did you know that there's another detachment of about two thousand men on the eastern side during this campaign against Shu?" Sima Zhao asked with a smile, stroking his beard.

"I know. They are troops from the commanderies and kingdoms under Liu Qin, the governor of Weixing. They will meet up with Zhong Hui's army through the Ziwu Valley, but they are not directly under Zhong Hui's command."

Shi Shouxin said calmly.

Sima Zhao nodded in satisfaction and pointed to the cushion opposite the table, saying, "Sit down and let's talk."

After Shi Shouxin sat down, Sima Zhao sighed and said, "First, go and deliver a message to Wei Guan, then go to Liu Qin's camp, still as the military supervisor. However, you will no longer be under Wei Guan's control, but will only take orders from me. If there is anything, you can discuss it with Liu Qin. No, you can directly order Liu Qin to do things for you."

After speaking, Sima Zhao presented the letter written to Wei Guan, along with a new letter of appointment and a waist token.

Front of the waist tag: Silitai.

Back side: History of work.

The letter of appointment was an imperial edict stamped with the imperial seal, which stated: Shi Shouxin is appointed as the Silitai Attendant, dispatched to supervise the army in the campaign against Shu, and Liu Qin's troops must cooperate unconditionally, etc.

In addition, there is another key word: false festival!
Liu Qin, the Prefect of Weixing, didn't even have the authority to act on behalf of the emperor, but Shi Shouxin, the military supervisor, did! This is a classic case of using the small to control the big—they don't care about anything normally, but they can step in and take responsibility when it matters most!

In this era, "假节" (jiǎ jié) meant that one had no authority to punish others in peacetime, but had the power to execute those who violated military orders in wartime. Sima Zhao granted Shi Shouxin this "假节," which wasn't an official position at all; it was a way of hoping that Shi Shouxin would step forward and resist in times of trouble, but otherwise, he wouldn't be able to cause any real trouble.

Simply put, Wei Guan's decision to send Shi Shouxin to scout the way made Sima Zhao realize the unreliability of such a slick person.

In other words, in Sima Zhao's eyes, even military supervisors need to be supervised!

In any case, this all has some negative effects from the balance of power. If Sima Zhao had personally led the army to conquer Shu, these problems wouldn't have existed.

"I will depart tomorrow. I will certainly carry out the tasks entrusted to me by the General."

Shi Shouxin carefully put away the letters and tokens, only to discover that his "false insignia" hadn't received the bronze scepter. He had seen it before at Wei Guan's place; it was about the length of a flute, with a red tassel at one end.

Wei Guan was a man who held the imperial staff, so he had a staff.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. If a person holding the scepter also needs to carry a scepter, then a person holding the scepter would need to carry two scepters, otherwise how would the difference be shown?

Those in power used the concept of "false" authority precisely because they didn't want excessive use of military power. For example, during the recent campaign against Shu, Deng Ai and Zhong Hui both used false authority, and neither interfered with the other.

"Well, let's go."

Sima Zhao didn't waste any words, nor did he show any "respect for scholars," and directly dismissed Shi Shouxin from the villa.

Shi Shouxin's return with the message demonstrates his strong ability to control the situation, so it's necessary to assess him further. Sending him back as a spies within the army tasked with conquering Shu would be an interesting endeavor.

Of course, if Shi Shouxin is to be given an important position in the future, firstly, he must be able to return safely; secondly, since he is acting as a proxy, his journey will certainly not be peaceful, and he must use his talents to ensure his survival.

Now that Sima Zhao has great power, he no longer needs to painstakingly discover capable people like Shi Bao, as Sima Yi did decades ago.

The next day, Shi Shouxin watched Sima Zhao leave Chang'an with Emperor Cao Huan and a group of confidants. As the long procession walked eastward into the distance, he felt a deep sense of unease.

Seeing the expression on Shi Shouxin's face, Meng Guan, who was standing to the side, did not know what had happened, so he could only stand there without saying a word.

Those in lowly positions obey orders and have no say in anything. They are manipulated like puppets on strings.

Shi Shouxin sighed, looking melancholy.

At this moment, he longed to return to Luoyang with Sima Zhao to see his wife and children.

Even just going home to visit would be good.

But there was nothing he could do; his schedule had already been arranged by Sima Zhao, leaving him no room for negotiation.

"Once the army that conquered Shu returns to Guanzhong, you will surely be able to obtain an official position."

Shi Shouxin patted Meng Guan on the shoulder and said.

"Alas, I didn't do much, I really don't deserve it."

Meng Guan shook his head, a look of disappointment on his face.

"Hehe, it's not the right time yet. What do you think Zhong Hui will think after we return to the main camp? What do you think Wei Guan will think?"

Shi Shouxin sneered.

These words jolted him awake, and Meng Guan's face instantly fell, looking like he was about to cry but had no tears.

The two men led their horses westward, chatting as they went.

Meng Guan asked in a low voice, "Supervisor Shi, Zhong Hui will surely be wary when he learns of your return to the camp, and Wei Guan will probably feel the same way. But the best part is that they have something to hide, but they can't say it and have to pretend they don't know. Once you go to Hanzhong, I'm afraid these people won't stay quiet."

Meng Guan is now very worried about Shi Shouxin, and also about his own future.

"Who can argue with that? With this in hand, Zhong Hui certainly can't kill me, but... never mind."

Shi Shouxin pulled out the letter of appointment stamped with the imperial seal from his sleeve and handed it to Meng Guancha, leaving Meng Guancha completely dumbfounded.

"Commander Shi, you... you've already taken leave of absence?"

He was very surprised.

Generally speaking, those who are granted the authority of a general are usually military commanders. Shi Shouxin, however, had neither military power nor an official position appointed by the imperial court.

Actually, my situation is quite awkward.

"Sima Zhao, he separated official positions and power and granted them to different people."

The person leading the troops has no command authority. The person in charge of the troops has no daily management authority.

There are also military supervisors who can only speak when major events occur in the army; otherwise, they cannot even command a single soldier.

Whether one holds the authority to act on behalf of the emperor, whether one has the power to make decisions on the spot, and whether one holds a formal military rank—there are too many intricacies involved here.

Shi Shouxin explained it to Meng Guan.

"Supervisor Shi, you are truly remarkable. If the General were to grant me the same appointment, I certainly wouldn't dare accept it."

I couldn't escape Zhong Hui's butcher's knife.

Meng Guan said with lingering fear.

If everything in the world could go as one wishes, where would there be so much sorrow?

Shi Shouxin casually made a sarcastic remark.

That's just how the world is; he had no choice!
(End of this chapter)