Wei Ni

If a family wants to prosper, in addition to the brothers working together, they must also perform their respective duties, dabble in diverse areas, and strive to benefit each other in different fields.

The Xiahou family is no exception.

Xiahou Ba and Xiahou Hui are in the army, aiming to maintain the reputation of the generals; Xiahou Wei is serving in the local area, serving as a governor and educating the people; Xiahou He will stay in the central government and serve as a voice in the temple in the future. This is the result that Xiahou Heng expected.

Of course, if it weren't for Cao Shuang's relationship, which caused Xiahou Xuan, who had profound academic attainments, to become alienated, it would mean that the Xiahou family, which combined control of the military, herding of the people, academics, and voices, would become an evergreen power in no time.

Alas, what a pity.

Therefore, Xiahou Heng, who held a redundant position with few responsibilities, regarded himself as a person behind the scenes; someone who cleared obstacles in the official careers of his brothers and safeguarded the prosperity of the family.

This is why he asked his seventh brother not to mention the matter again after listening to Xiahou He's retelling.

Because he already had a vague idea.

He planned to take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble for Xiahou Xian, Qin Lang, Cao Shuang and others when Xiahou Hui was demoted by Emperor Cao Rui in the future - since they didn't care about the clan ties and factions and were willing to deal with their sixth brother, don't blame him for giving them a taste of his own medicine.

After all, it's rude not to reciprocate!
Although the Xiahou family has been a little declining in recent years, they are not someone that can be bullied at will!

For this reason, after Xiahou He left, he wrote a letter to Xiahou Ba, who was already in Yecheng, asking this second brother, who was simple-minded and quicker to act than to think, to control his temper and not be reckless.

Well, Xiahou Ba is quite depressed now, after learning that Xiahou Hui will lead troops to Yecheng, Weijun soon.

Having wasted nearly twenty years in Guanzhong, he was eager to make achievements, fearing that he would be "old and mediocre" all his life. For this reason, he did not hesitate to lose face and asked his family to find him a job with the opportunity to make achievements on the battlefield.

Fortunately, Xiahou Hui helped him.

He was requested to be the temporary commander of the Zhenyue Division and to recruit soldiers and conduct military exercises in preparation for the conquest.

He was quite happy at that time, thinking that he would soon have the opportunity to fight on the battlefield and prove himself.

Unfortunately, just as he arrived in Yecheng to take up his post, Xiahou Hui was expelled from the capital Luoyang.

Xiahou Hui, the garrison general, has angered the emperor. As the commander of a camp under his command, does he still have a chance to go out on a campaign?
Xiahou Ba thought it was impossible.

He couldn't help but feel angry towards his sixth brother.

After all, although he would hardly be able to fight in the battle if he stayed in Guanzhong, he was still on the front line of defending Shu. If the imperial court planned to attack Shu in the future, he would definitely be involved.
Now that I'm stationed in Yecheng and staying in the rear, doesn't it mean that even this little hope is gone!
With this idea in mind, Xiahou Ba had already figured out how to teach his sixth brother, who dared to disobey the emperor, a lesson as the second brother.

It was under such circumstances that Xiahou Heng's letter arrived in Yecheng.

Nothing more was said.

He just said that if Xiahou Ba didn't want to move out of Anningting Mansion, he should not use force or words against Xiahou Hui.

It also made Xiahou Ba feel very aggrieved.

Not only was he betrayed by his sixth brother, but he also had to face threats from his elder brother. What kind of thing is this?
Is there anyone who bullies people like this?

Therefore, when Xiahou Hui led the three battalions of garrison troops to Yecheng in late May, Xiahou Ba simply put on a sour face, welcomed them into the camp in a businesslike manner, and then left.

He didn't even bother to look at his sixth brother, whom he hadn't seen for nearly ten years.

Even Chen Qian and Fu Gu, who were following Xiahou Hui, felt embarrassed by his behavior, so they took over the trivial matter of settling the soldiers so that Xiahou Hui could take care of the household affairs.

But Xiahou Hui was not in a hurry.

He first summoned Li Zhen, the captain who was in charge of allocating garrisons for the Zhenhu Department and preparing military camps in advance, and asked him to take him to inspect the military camps and talk about the supply of food, fodder and bags.

Li Zhen was the son of the late General Li Dian.

Because the Li family of Chengshi County was a powerful family, in the early years, the clan and its followers totaled more than 3,000 households. Even after the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the separatist rule of many warlords, when Li Dian took charge of the clan, there were still more than 13,000 people.

Therefore, after Cao Cao was crowned a duke and a king, he requested that all his clansmen and followers be moved to Yecheng to be registered and incorporated as households, and that he hand over his followers to show his loyalty to Cao Cao, which also led to his being treated well by later generations.

For example, after Cao Pi ascended the throne, he specially granted his son Li Zhen additional fiefdoms and appointed him as a commander to garrison his old nest, Yecheng.

It can be said that he is treated as a confidant like an old friend from Qiao Pei.

It is for this reason that Li Zhen is very concerned about the trivial matters of settling the town guard department.

The general camp was set up on the north bank of the Zhang River, facing Yecheng across the water. This not only prevented the hustle and bustle in the city from disturbing the soldiers, but also did not delay the transportation of baggage and other items.

The periphery of the military camp was very open and the view was clear at a glance. The camp walls, low fences, and wooden railings had all been erected; but due to time constraints, the defensive fortifications such as the lookout towers on all sides and the trenches surrounding the camp had not yet been repaired; but the residences in the military camp had already transported enough food and fodder for the soldiers of the garrison to last for two months, and even a lot of firewood had been prepared in advance.

After walking around and inspecting the place, Xiahou Hui was full of praise.

I also feel that it is a pity to leave a logistical talent like Li Zhen who is good at planning and coordination in Yecheng.

But he did not dare to talk too much and asked him rashly whether he had any intention of joining the army in the expedition.

I just thanked him very sincerely and praised his talent.

While Li Zhen was being humble, he also asked Xiahou Hui if he needed his help to ask the governor of Weijun to recruit soldiers and common people to dig trenches and cut wood for use.

After Xiahou Hui declined on the grounds that he "didn't want to disturb other people", he kindly said before leaving that if Xiahou Hui had any needs in the future, he could send someone to find him in Yecheng.

"In the past, the army called our ancestor 'the elder'. Now I see Lieutenant Li, and I can say that we all have the same style as our father."

Ding Mi, who accompanied the inspection all the way, sighed as he watched Li Zhen leave, and whispered to Xiahou Hui, "Zhi Quan, such a talent is hard to come by. If we ask him to supervise the grain and baggage when we attack Liaodong in the future, we will be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort. Moreover, since the late emperor established Luoyang as the capital, Ye City has lost its status, and Li Duwei may have the intention of being transferred to another place. If Zhi Quan recommends his name to the emperor, it will be a good thing regardless of whether it succeeds or not."

Well, Ding Mi also knew about the attack on Liaodong.

Because at the beginning, he didn't want to follow Xiahou Hui to Yecheng.

He used the excuse that he had nothing to do in Yecheng and thought of staying in the capital to socialize with others, which would be of greater help to Xiahou Hui.

Therefore, Xiahou Hui also revealed his private plans with Emperor Cao Rui.

Ding Mi came without saying a word.

Whether for the purpose of serving as an aide to him or accumulating merits to free himself from the shackles of his official career, he could not miss the war against Liao.

"Um"

Xiahou Hui agreed with this and said after a moment's hesitation, "Well, Yan Jing will write a memorial on my behalf, saying that when my troops arrived in Ye, they had done a good job in setting up the military camp, and he should add a few words of praise for Lieutenant Li."

"it is good."

Ding Mi responded and said no more.

At this time, the two of them stopped at the floating bridge of Zhangshui River and looked to the west.

That was the place where the General of Agriculture was stationed during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Cao Cao. The station was Wucheng, and Pingyangcheng served as a barrier to Yecheng. Today, the Huyue Camp with 5,000 soldiers is stationed in Wucheng.

Two thousand of them were selected from the garrisons guarding Yecheng and Wucheng, and the other three thousand were recruited from Weijun, Yangpingjun, and Guangpingjun. Xiahou Ba showed up and left, saying that the Huyue Camp had just been established and that if he was not in the camp, those soldiers from various backgrounds might cause trouble.

"Let's go, Yan Jing."

After silently gazing at Wucheng for a while, Xiahou Hui said, "The soldiers in the army should have been settled. I will go back and take a look."

Ding Mi did not move, but suggested, "Zhi Quan, if not, I will go to Wucheng to talk to Zhong Quan?"

"No, there's nothing to say."

Xiahou Hui did not look back, and continued walking. "In a few days, the Huyue Camp will move troops here to practice martial arts together. There is no need to rush to catch up with Yan Jing. Besides, although my second brother is upright, he is not unreasonable. There is no need to pay attention to him."

Reminiscing about old times?

No need to care?

Ding Mi hesitated for a moment, then followed him and asked tentatively, "Does Zhiquan mean to just let it go?"

"Ah."

Nodding slightly, Xiahou Hui replied, "Yan Jing doesn't know that my second brother is the worst at hiding his emotions. It is better for him and others if we don't let him know some things."

Uh, I see.

Ding Mi did not say anything else. He stood with his hands behind his back and admired the scenery along the Zhang River.

The Zhang River meanders northward, and after people dug countless irrigation ditches, its flow rate was very slow even in the midsummer when there was abundant rain. However, in places where water bridges were built, the flow of water became faster because of the obstruction.

I guess this is the reason why Zhiquan didn't intend to explain to Zhongquan.

Time keeps flowing.

Before I knew it, it was already the end of June, the height of summer.

The soldiers of the Zhenhu Division who moved to Yecheng were confined in the barracks to practice martial arts and compete with each other all day long. They had long been accustomed to the peaceful days of being marginalized, and were looking forward to the arrival of the rest period. Even Xiahou Ba, who was the most dissatisfied, was unable to privately criticize his sixth brother for his reckless disobedience to the emperor.

Xiahou Hui did nothing during this period.

It was nothing more than eating and practicing together with the soldiers, setting an example by observing military discipline, exchanging the monthly salary for wine and meat to share with the soldiers, and making fair judgments when dealing with frictions or disputes among the soldiers.

This made Chen Qian, Fu Gu and others feel much more relieved.

Because Emperor Cao Rui had recently sent three envoys to Yecheng to observe the military training of the soldiers of the Garrison Department.

This also means that the emperor’s anger has subsided.

As long as Xiahou Hui doesn't cause any more trouble, they will soon receive the imperial edict to transfer them back.

As the central army in Luoyang, there is no reason for us to stay outside for long.

However, their expectations were soon dashed.

Xiahou Hui, who did not learn from his failure, planned to submit another petition to advise the emperor, and his words would be even more intense than last time!
The cause was that Emperor Cao Rui had recently selected beautiful women to fill his harem, and there were thousands of performing artists and singers alone, indulging in lust. After he got tired of playing in the Lingzhi Pond, he dug a pond in the Fanglin Garden, and held oars, sang Yue songs, and had banquets. He selected female scholars who were knowledgeable and listed them as "female secretaries" to report on affairs, thus neglecting the affairs of state.

When Xiahou Hui learned about it, he cited King Zhou's "wine pool and meat forest" and the "Western Garden (Yiguo) Tour Pavilion" of the previous dynasty Emperor Ling of Han as examples to persuade Cao Rui to restrain his temperament and not be accused of being a licentious emperor in history books.

Needless to say, if this memorial reached the imperial court, Cao Rui would be furious.

Regardless of whether Xiahou Hui's advice was out of loyalty.

For this reason, when Xiahou Hui was repairing the watch, Fu Gu, who often stayed in the big tent, saw it and immediately tried to persuade him earnestly; when he saw that Xiahou Hui was indifferent, he also pulled in Chen Qian, Ding Mi, Xiahou Ba and others to persuade him together.

Therefore, they also witnessed Xiahou Hui's stubborn side.

It is mandatory to submit a petition, and this cannot be changed.

But considering their good intentions, Xiahou Hui still omitted the deeds of King Zhou and Emperor Ling of Han, and tried to make the wording of the memorial as tactful as possible.

People had different reactions to this.

Ding Mi clapped his hands and praised.

With the words "a minister is loyal to his emperor and is willing to sacrifice his life to show his loyalty", Xiahou Hui was praised for his determination to help his emperor.

Xiahou Ba was scowling and glaring.

He did not hesitate to scold Xiahou Hui as his elder brother. If Lu Fan and other soldiers were not there, he might have beaten him with a stick.

Chen Qian let out a long sigh and said no more.

Fu Gu was much more resolute.

Seeing that Xiahou Hui was determined, he left with everyone else.

But he turned back to find Xiahou Hui in private and proposed another solution - since Xiahou Hui was determined to submit a memorial, he would do it on his behalf.

In his words, his father had also made contributions to the Wei Dynasty, so Emperor Cao Rui would not kill him.

Moreover, he was still young, and if the emperor Cao Rui was angry and dismissed him from office and made him a commoner, he would definitely have a chance to be reinstated in the future. But Xiahou Hui was different. Once he was dismissed from the post of Zhenhu General, he would probably not have the opportunity to join the central army in the future.

"Zhi Quan, since we have known each other for a long time, please listen to my advice this time."

After explaining the reason, he addressed Xiahou Hui by his courtesy name, indicating that the two were now friends rather than superiors and subordinates. "With Zhiquan's current position and responsibilities, as long as he does not offend Your Majesty, he will definitely be the pillar of the country in the future. Even if I am deposed, Zhiquan will be able to recommend me to be re-elected one day. I hope Zhiquan will focus on his achievements and stop acting on impulse."

These words deeply moved Xiahou Hui.

No matter what, the fact that Fu Gu was willing to sacrifice his career to sign the memorial on his behalf was enough to prove that he was committed to his work and was prepared to share the honor and disgrace with him.

"Alas! The friendship between Lan and Shi is beyond words."

Therefore, Xiahou Hui sighed, and then looked at Ding Mi. After Ding Mi understood and led his troops out, he whispered to Fu Gu, "Lan Shi, it's not that I don't know what's good for me, but His Majesty is waiting for me to submit a memorial."

Fu Gu was stunned.

Then, he nodded silently, bowed and left.

Ten days later, Xiahou Hui submitted a memorial to the imperial court.

Emperor Cao Rui was furious when he heard the memorial. He ignored the advice of the ministers and exiled Xiahou Hui to Liaoxi County to guard Yuguan Pass for treason. He also ordered him to leave as soon as he arrived in Yecheng. (End of this chapter)