Wei Ni

Xiahou Hui, who had been serving in local military campaigns for many years, had few friends in the imperial court.

As for those with higher status, such as his uncle Wang Su and the Minister of the Court Chen Jiao, Shi Jian could not invite them, let alone enter their mansions.

As for those of lower status, such as Du Shu, Fu Gu and others, Shi Jian had no interaction with them.

Besides, given the personalities of these two people, how could they stand on Shi Jian’s side?

Shi Jian thought about it and suddenly realized that his current situation was like there was no way up to heaven or down to earth.

The idea of ​​making the matter a big fuss and having it reported to the emperor so that Emperor Cao Rui would come out to dissuade his court officials from killing each other was not feasible.

Xiahou Hui wanted to kill him, that’s for sure!

But the problem is that Xiahou Hui has no handle to catch him in the law.
Unless he's been killed.
Then Emperor Cao Rui would come forward to rebuke Xiahou Hui, ask the officials to report Xiahou Hui's illegalities, and even punish him.

But he is dead, so what’s the point of holding him accountable or not!
"Hehehehehe~"

After vaguely realizing that his fate seemed inevitable, Shi Jian didn't know whether he was terrified or depressed. He let out a meaningless laugh like a madman, turned around in a daze and moved towards his seat.

But when his eyes passed over Xiahou Xuan, they condensed slightly, and then a dazzling light burst out.

That is the desire to survive.

"Brother Taichu! Please save me!"

He didn't care that the funeral hall was not far away, he shouted loudly and knelt on the ground, "Brother Taichu and General Xiahou are relatives, flesh and blood. If you are willing to lend a hand, General Xiahou will let me live in this world. Please don't refuse, Brother Taichu!"

He is desperate and is trying every possible means to save the situation.

Anyone who has been in Luoyang for a while knows that in the dispute between Cao Shuang and Xiahou Hui, Xiahou Xuan stood on Cao Shuang's side. Wouldn't it be counterproductive to ask Xiahou Xuan to speak up for Xiang?
Besides, once Xiahou Xuan showed up, would it lead to Xiahou Hui's speculation that Shi Jian was instructed by him to humiliate Han Long and other subordinates in public?
Xiahou Xuan didn't have time to avoid suspicion in the melon field, so why bother to get into trouble!

Therefore, when Shi Jian's eyes lit up, Xiahou Xuan felt sick in his heart. After hearing his request, he felt as if he had been fed a spoonful of flies.

You were full of vigor and vitality when you were overestimating your own abilities and trying to attract attention, but now that you have been retaliated, you are begging for mercy like a stray dog! ?

What about the character of a scholar?

Do you want to give up the reputation of the literati who are praised for their noble aspirations?

There is nothing more shameless than this.

After a while of secretly despising, Xiahou Xuan felt extremely angry.

Because of Shi Jian's request, he couldn't refuse.

There is no other reason, I’m just burdened by the fame.

Respected as the leader of the younger generation of scholars and a famous scholar in Luoyang, he could not and would not ignore Shi Jian's kneeling and praying in public.

What's more, it's not just Shi Jian's request that's coming.

Soon, other people present also began to ask Xiahou Xuan to "be public-spirited and save people from danger."

Most of them had no friendship with Shi Jian, nor did they feel that Shi Jian's situation was unfair or pitiful.

But it is the feeling of sympathy for one's own kind.

Besides, the person who needs to come forward is Xiahou Xuan, and they are just going to give him a word or two of advice. Why not do it?

"Uncle Lin, there is no need to do this. Get up first."

Xiahou Xuan got up from his seat and came over to help Shi Jian stand up. He said slowly, "Since Uncle Lin has spoken, how can I not agree? However, my uncle and I rarely communicate on a daily basis, so I am afraid it will be difficult to accomplish. If Uncle Lin wants to settle this matter, he needs to think about it again, discuss with others, and find a comprehensive plan."

Since I have been put on the spot by everyone, I have no choice but to say something. I might as well just accept it and go through it with reluctance.

Anyway, saying please or not is one thing; whether it can be done is another.

"Thank you, Brother Taichu, for your righteousness!"

Shi Jian stood up, a look of gratitude on his pale face. After thanking him repeatedly, he continued to flatter him, "Brother Taichu is well-known in the capital, and he is the leader of our generation of scholars."

In fact, he also realized his own confusion at this moment, and completely forgot that the relationship between Xiahou Xuan and Xiahou Hui was very delicate. But having a glimmer of hope is better than having no hope at all.

"Gentlemen, I wonder if the commotion here just now is due to our servants' poor hospitality?"

Just as Shi Jian was still praising Xiahou Xuan endlessly, a clear voice came from the corridor.

Everyone turned their heads and saw that it was Shangshu Lang Fu Gu who was bowing and asking.

He was an old official of Duke Changwen, so he took a leave of absence these days and came to the Chen Mansion to help with the funeral. Shi Jian's loud words just now were heard by the Chen family in the main hall, so he came to see what happened as a half-master.

His arrival allowed Xiahou Xuan to get rid of the disgusting flattery and saw the possibility of getting Xiahou Hui to show mercy.

Who in Luoyang doesn't know that Xiahou Hui's kindness towards Fu Gu is no less than Ding Mi's?
If we can get Fu Gu involved to explain the situation, the chances are very high.

He didn't care whether Shi Jian lived or died.

But he has agreed to do it, so it would be even better if he can accomplish it.

"It's not that others have done anything wrong. It's that we didn't check and made loud noises, which disturbed the etiquette. It's a sin. A sin."

Xiahou Xuan took the responsibility very responsible, stood up, bowed and apologized, then stepped forward and asked Fu Gu to come over and sit down, "Lanshi, please stay for a moment, I need your help with something."

After that, without waiting for Fu Gu to ask, he briefly explained what had just happened, and then extended an invitation, "Lan Shi, although Uncle Lin was at fault for what happened just now, his crime is not punishable by death. And if you don't persuade my uncle to change his mind and restrain his troops, I'm afraid that Lin Bo will be killed, and my uncle will also be criticized by the government and the public. In this way, both sides will suffer, which is really not advisable. I know that Lan Shi and my uncle are very friendly, how about we go and persuade him together?"

Go and persuade Zhiquan to change his mind?
It’s better to skip it!
Those who humiliate others deserve death.

Although Shi Jian and I are both Shangshulang, we are not familiar with each other and have never had any interactions, so why should I stand up for him?

On the contrary, if Zhiquan asked me to discuss how to kill Shi Jian quietly and how to deal with the aftermath, I would definitely be happy to go.

Glancing at Shi Jian, whose eyes were filled with eager anticipation, Fu Gu did not immediately refuse.

Instead, after a brief pause, he answered, "I believe Brother Taichu also knows that I was previously a military officer of the Zhenhu General, and I followed the army to fight against Gongsun in Liaodong, so I roughly understand why General Xiahou did this. If Brother Taichu doesn't mind me being too nagging, I will tell you a little bit."

First, I didn't say anything, then I talked about something else.
This also made Xiahou Xuan realize immediately: Fu Gu was rejecting him in a tactful way.

However, being rejected was also one of the expected results. He did not feel disappointed at all. He just nodded slightly and said, "I would like to hear more details."

"General Xiahou has dozens of followers, all of whom are Han people from Youzhou. None of them are barbarians. I hate being treated as barbarians the most, and I hate being humiliated by those four people the most."

Fu Gu immediately spoke quickly.

It turned out that the four generals were from Shanggu County and Youbeiping County respectively.

In the early years when the Xianbei wreaked havoc in the northern border of Youzhou, it was common for them to enter the border to plunder property and kidnap civilians.

Among them, young men and women suffered the most.

After their families were destroyed, they were often taken to tribes outside the Great Wall to be slaves, where they were tortured and their bones were left scattered on the grassland.

Those four warriors were the ones who were abducted by the Xianbei tribe and taken to the outside of the Great Wall as slaves when they were young. They survived by chance, and secretly formed an alliance with a dozen other people who suffered the same fate, stole horses, and escaped back together.

But only seven people managed to enter the Sene alive.

However, it was difficult to make a living after returning.

Their hometown is in ruins and they have no relatives left.

After some discussion, the seven men decided that none of them were willing to serve as apprentices to powerful families, and even less willing to join the army - the governor of Youzhou at that time was Wang Xiong, who was implementing a policy of maintaining stability on the border with grace and righteousness.

Although Wang Xiong's plan was to divide and rule the Xianbei tribes, he would gain the trust of each tribe with kindness and then win over one part to fight the other part.

But those who escaped back were not aware of this thought.

They knew that the tribal nobles who had captured them as slaves could often obtain supplies through trade with the government and receive rewards from the State of Wei from time to time.

Therefore, in their hearts, the government is not worth their death.

If he wanted to avenge the destruction of his family and the nearly ten years of slavery, he could only rely on himself.

Relying on their strong physique and hard work, they made a living by working as servants, guards and hunters for the rich.

Among them, hunting was not about looking for ordinary wild animals such as deer and wild boars, but dressing up as Xianbei people, running to the outside of the Great Wall to treat lone Xianbei herdsmen as prey, and taking cattle, sheep and horses as trophies.

Due to their familiarity with the terrain outside the Great Wall and their ability to disguise themselves as Xianbei people, they were successful many times. In addition, they were extremely brutal when they attacked, so their reputation spread after only a few years.

The price was that the number of people was reduced from seven to five (one person was guarding the warhorse outside the street intersection).

Before Han Long volunteered to be a spy, he would occasionally look for some helpers to go out of the border to do a job without any capital, so he became acquainted with them. The two sides even worked together and had a very pleasant cooperation.

Later, after Han Long became a spy, the two sides became close friends.

The reason, of course, was that with the government's military intelligence as guidance, they were able to avoid danger and return with a full load every time they went out of the border.

Later, Han Long was entrusted by Xiahou Hui to recruit troops, and it was natural for them to become Xiahou Hui's men: Han Long only mentioned the Battle of Macheng where 20,000 Mobei Xianbei were defeated by Xiahou Hui, and they responded to the call.

Besides, Xiahou Hui also made a promise to them -

They will never be treated as servants, or subjected to injustice or insult!

No matter when and where they wanted to leave, Xiahou Hui would let them go and perform the formalities.

"Brother Taichu, General Xiahou always keeps his word. Today, his troops were humiliated, and he cannot avenge them due to the law. So he can only fulfill his promise and let those four troops go."

After explaining the reason in general, Fu Gu stood up and bowed without waiting for Xiahou Xuan to speak, "There are still guests paying their respects in the main hall. Since I am here to help, I should not stay in this wing for long. I will leave first."

After saying this, he left without caring about other people's reactions. Xiahou Xuan did not try to stop him.

Fu Gu's intentions have been revealed very clearly. If he forces it, he will be disliked.

Furthermore, Fu Gu had said a lot about those troops, which was meant to hint that he should not get involved in this mess. They had already shown goodwill, so how could he force them to do something against their will and not appreciate their kindness?
And out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Shi Jian, who was originally expectant, turned pale again. He was afraid that he would flatter and beg again, so he immediately stood up and bowed to everyone, "Gentlemen, I will go to my uncle to make a plea, and we will meet again another day."

Before Shi Jian could say anything, he blocked his mouth and said, "As I said just now, Uncle Lin needs to seek help from others. It will be difficult for me to accomplish anything alone."

After saying that, he also strode away.

After he left, the room that was originally full of people soon became empty.

I don't know if it was because after the departure of this scholar leader, everyone felt that it was pointless to stay here, or if they were worried that they would receive a request from Shi Jian who was desperate and seeking medical help from anywhere.

Well, it should be a combination of both.

At the intersection outside Chen Mansion Street, Xiahou Hui and his troupe led their war horses to the eaves of a tavern in a remote corner to avoid the snow.

When he came out, he met the attendant Wei Zhen who came to pay his respects.

The reason why Wei Zhen came to pay his respects today was because he took leave some time ago to return to his hometown in Chenliu to worship his ancestors.

I just heard the news on my way back to Luoyang, so I hurried here.

When he met Xiahou Hui on the road, he exchanged a few pleasantries, and then asked Xiahou Hui to wait for a while until he came out after paying his respects, as if he had something to discuss. If nothing unexpected happened, it should be about Xiahou Hui's previous petition to the court to grant Ding Mi a title for his military merits.

I just don't know whether Wei Zhen, who held opposing opinions on this matter, sought him out privately in order to persuade him not to submit any more petitions after the spring, or whether he had other matters to discuss?

It should be the former.

After all, he and I didn't have much in common, and we didn't have a friendship where we could discuss matters in private.

It was a long wait.

Wei Zhen's figure came into view, but beside him was Xiahou Xuan.

What is Taichu doing here?

Could it be that he was the one who instructed Shi Jian to do this?
Given his character, he wouldn't do such a thing, right?
A hint of surprise flashed across Xiahou Hui's eyes.

You should know that Xiahou Xuan's mansion is at the intersection on the other side of Chenfu Street.

"Uncle Clan."

When the two men came up, Xiahou Xuan greeted them first.

"Ah."

Xiahou Hui nodded in response. Just as he was about to ask a question, Wei Zhen spoke first, "It's very cold. I've been traveling all the way and I'm tired. Let's go in and have some warm wine to warm ourselves up before we talk."

Having said that, he took the lead to walk into the tavern and go up to the attic, forcing the two younger generations to follow him.

Go up to the pavilion and take seats in order.

After the innkeeper served some dried fruits, roasted meat, and warmed wine and left, Wei Zhen waved his hand and said, "I'll have some wine. You and your nephew have something to talk about first. You don't need to pay attention to me."

It seems that he already knows what happened in the Chen Mansion.

"Uncle, please."

Seeing Wei Zhen start to drink by himself, Xiahou Xuan took the lead to raise his cup and invite him, saying slowly, "What Shi Linbo did was not instructed by me. It was just that after my uncle left, he asked me to come to my uncle to plead for him, and the people present also joined in, and I couldn't refuse, so I came to bother him, and I didn't have any other intentions."

ok~
Straightforward and clear in meaning.

I went here because I couldn't refuse, I'm not really saying this.
Uncle, you have heard it, so just let it go. Don't misunderstand~
Xiahou Hui couldn't help but smile, and raised his cup to say hello, "Taichu is a man I can trust."

Afterwards, the two chatted about some small things, mostly revolving around Xia Houru - apart from Xia Houru, they couldn't find any other topics to talk about given their current unfamiliarity.

After a lukewarm conversation and a few rounds of drinking, Xiahou Xuan stood up, bowed, and prepared to leave.

But he didn't expect that before he could finish his words of resignation, Wei Zhen, who was still drinking, glanced over and raised his hand to press down, "Taichu, sit for a while."

Uh!
Could it be that you want to plead for Shi Jian?
Xiahou Xuan was somewhat unbelievable about this.

Although he suddenly remembered that Wei Zhen's main position was Shang Shu You Pushe, and Shi Zhong and Guang Lu Da Fu were both promotions.
Xiahou Hui was completely stunned.

Although he had no connection with Wei Zhen, he knew very well that Wei Zhen always hated cliques and had no selfish motives, so he would never do something like instructing Shi Jian.

So, what does he want to do?
"Zhi Quan, how about you listen to my advice?"

As expected, after Wei Zhen kept Xiahou Xuan, he smiled and said to Xiahou Hui, "Zhi Quan is highly valued by His Majesty. He will be a pillar of the country in the future. For your own sake, why should you damage your reputation because of a clown? Now that Taichu has been entrusted to speak for you, why don't you go with the flow and punish Shi Jian a little and let this matter go. This way, you will live up to His Majesty's high expectations."

Actually using the emperor as an excuse
Is this simply a kind advice, or is there something else behind it?

For a moment, Xiahou Hui remained silent.

Yes, he was thinking about Wei Zhen's intention of interfering, not whether he should listen to the advice.

In fact, no matter whether Wei Zhen persuaded him or not, he had no intention of killing Shi Jian now.

Just now, he specifically instructed Ding Mi and Han Long to fetch the gold and handle the customs clearance certificates, which was actually a hint for them to bring the four soldiers back to the mansion to appease them first.

Otherwise, with his means, if he wanted to help his subordinates who killed people escape to Youzhou or Liaodong, he would need a pass from the government? And his second brother Xiahou Ba, Guanqiu Jian, Fei Ru Zuojia or Songyan Mo's livelihood, which one can't accommodate a few people?
What gold?
In any case, Shi Jian was an assistant to the Shangshutai, the central government of the imperial court, and his position was related to the reputation of the imperial court.

If he killed him as a way of venting his anger, it would inevitably attract the attention and disappointment of Emperor Cao Rui - this method of killing was too crude!
He knew that to the emperor Cao Rui, he was just a Shangshu Lang, and it was no big deal if he died. The Wei Kingdom had never lacked handsome scholars who wanted to be officials, but he couldn't kill him in the most stupid way!
There are so many legitimate ways to save the court's reputation, such as framing others, instructing others to impeach and criticize, recruiting knights to find opportunities to provoke and kill, and secretly asking someone to send Shi Jian to Huainan, Youzhou, or Liaodong to take up a post. Why do you have to get yourself covered in blood when there are so many legitimate ways to do so?
How could Cao Rui dare to entrust the important task of changing the court to someone who acted so thoughtlessly and recklessly?
Xiahou Hui would not ruin his future for the sake of Shi Jian.

Things have their priorities.

As long as he consolidates his power, he can kill Shi Jian anytime he wants! There are many people who want to make progress and volunteer to help him!
Therefore, his actions just now were mostly pretense.

The purpose is to force out the person behind Shi Jian.

When you instruct others to do something, you must also have the awareness of protecting them. Otherwise, how can you make them work hard for you in the future?

Now that he has shown his true colors, the people behind Shi Jian should try to rescue him and then reveal their true colors.

Of course, if the person behind Shi Jian is as steady as an old dog and never shows up, then he will have no choice but to turn his fake play into reality.

The words that are spoken, the water that is poured out.

He couldn't just thunder without raining, and let the emperor Cao Rui think that he looked fierce but was timid and had no murderous intent~
Even if he was a little reckless and did things a little roughly, as long as he admitted his mistakes sincerely and showed an attitude of not giving up until he changed his ways, at least the emperor Cao Rui would feel that after polishing him, there would still be a chance to do things more carefully and beautifully in the future. But if Cao Rui felt that the "knife" in his hand had no murderous aura and could no longer intimidate people, then why would he be reluctant to promote him!
There was a moment of dead silence in the attic of the tavern.

Xiahou Hui, who was weighing the gains and losses in his mind, remained silent.

Wei Zhen did not urge him and started drinking by himself, waiting for the answer.

As for Xiahou Xuan, who had sat down again, he had already drooped his eyelids to rest, as if he was not concerned about anything.

Think about it.

He just came here to make a gesture. No matter what Xiahou Hui decided, it didn't matter to him.

Alas, that’s all.

After a moment, Xiahou Hui finally sighed in his heart.

He was unsure of Wei Zhen's intention, but decided to listen to his advice, even though he knew that listening to his advice meant giving up on forcing out the person behind Shi Jian.

"Mr. Wei's advice is good and I dare not disobey it."

After bowing to Wei Zhen, Xiahou Hui set his sights on Xiahou Xuan who was sitting opposite him, and said slowly, "Thank Lao Taichu for delivering the message to Shi Jian, saying that Duke Wei's advice has eased my anger. If he can follow my words and apologize to the humiliated troops, I can let this matter go."

"Dare not to serve?"

Xiahou Xuan immediately bowed and responded loudly, "How do you want Shi Linbo to apologize? Just tell me directly. I will definitely pass on every word to Shi Linbo."

Xiahou Hui's request was simple.

Shi Jian had to give back the insults he had given his troops.

At the hour of Mao the next day, he would have the four followers wait outside Xiahou's residence for Shi Jian to come over and apologize one by one; but the prerequisite was that Xiahou Xuan needed to invite everyone who was in the wing of Chen's residence today to "witness" it!
"This"

Xiahou Xuan, who had just spoken a lot, was dumbfounded and remained silent for a while.

Asking Shi Jian to bow and apologize was not excessive; inviting everyone who was in the side rooms of Chen's mansion today to come over was not difficult to do given his fame; but adding the two together would make it difficult and excessive.

Xiahou Hui is planning to "publicly execute" Shi Jian!

If Shi Jian had done this, his reputation would have been tarnished, and this kind of thing would inevitably become a topic of conversation among everyone in the capital city of Luoyang.

It may even evolve into an allusion and last forever!

"Uncle, as the saying goes, a gentleman can be killed but not humiliated."

After hesitating for a moment, Xiahou Xuan said softly, "Shi Linbo is an official of the imperial court after all. My uncle asked me to do so, yes..."

Before he could finish his words, Xiahou Hui interrupted him, "If you humiliate others, you will be humiliated. I have made up my mind, Taichu does not need to say more. Besides, whether to bow and apologize to my troops is up to Shi Jian himself, why should Taichu reason on his behalf."

Yes!
I just happened to be in this situation, why should I get involved?

Moreover, Shi Linbo was the one who did this first, and he wanted to beg for mercy afterwards. Isn't it normal for him to be asked for whatever he wants?

In an instant, the sadness that Xiahou Xuan felt as a fellow scholar disappeared, and he immediately stood up and bowed, "I am obsessed. Uncle, I will pass the message to Lord Shi Lin."

Then he bowed to Wei Zhen, who was sitting at the top of the table, and turned to leave. (End of this chapter)