Wei Ni

Xiahou Hui was not particularly surprised by the reply Fu Gu brought back.

That was a sure thing.

Considering Yu Song's background and his current power, as long as Yu Song lived up to his reputation of "talented at a young age", he would not make any other choice. Besides, in order to lure Yu Song into his trap, he and Fu Gu used a combination of courtesy, coercion, sincerity, playing hard to get, and not using someone they doubt. What kind of surprises could there be?

If something unexpected happened, Yu Song actually refused the offer~
Xiahou Hui didn't feel sorry either.

There are only two reasons for Yu Song's refusal.

First, he was cowardly and self-protective, and was frightened by what he wanted to do in the future.

If this is the case, Xiahou Hui would naturally not feel sorry for a person who has no sharpness.

Another is that he is a proud and arrogant person.

Xiahou Hui would have no intention of staying with a person of this character.

There are actually not many official positions that he can recommend or influence now, and his bargaining chips are very few. Naturally, he has to use them to win over capable officials who are sensible, know practical matters, and know how to adapt. How can he waste them on those who are upright, aloof, and self-disciplined?

People with good reputations are used to decorate the appearance, but Xiahou Hui does not have such needs now.

He wants people who can and dare to do things.

Even if you don't agree with them, you still have to stick to the principle of "a cat that catches mice is a good cat" and use it for now.

He had just come out of the Central Guard Officers' Office and was heading to the Secretariat.

However, it was said that a few days after the imperial edict came down to transfer the post of General of the Guard to the post of Guanglu Xun, Jiang Ji handed over the affairs to his subordinates and went straight to take over without even waiting for Xiahou Hui to come over for the handover.

He had no attachment to the position of Central Guard General, which was a lowly but powerful position known as the "Shangqing".

When Xiahou Hui came, he not only knew that the Sima and Zhonglang officials who were about to take over his position had already written down the general affairs in detail for him to review, but also that the desks, tables, and couches had been replaced. He also specifically said that this was not their flattery, but a special instruction from Jiang Ji when he left office.

This also made Xiahou Hui feel emotional.

Just from the way he resigned in a carefree manner, we can tell that it was no coincidence that Jiang Ji was still favored by two generations of kings of Cao Wei during these twenty years!
In other words, the old ministers who have served since the time of Cao Cao, Emperor Wu of Wei, are extremely sensitive to power and will take actions and take gestures that will satisfy the king.

Such as Cheng Yu.

After Cao Cao had largely pacified the Central Plains, he said to him, "If I had not listened to your advice, I would not have come to this point in the defeat of Yanzhou." He then understood the meaning of the situation, handed over his military power, and closed the door to visitors.

There is also Sima Yi.

When Cao Pi went east to attack Sun Quan, he was given a temporary title to guard Xuchang and 5,000 soldiers. Sima Yi tried his best to refuse, but finally accepted the appointment. When Cao Pi returned, he hurriedly asked to resign. Now, after serving as the governor of Yongliang for many years and seeing fewer invasions from Bashu, he handed over military affairs to others and enjoyed hunting, suggesting that Emperor Cao Rui could recall him to Luoyang as there was no war on the front line.

The same is true for Jiang Ji today.

He had been in the position of Central Guard General for more than ten years, but as soon as the imperial edict came, he could not wait to resign.

Do not be greedy for power, do not cling to position, do not take credit for yourself, and do not complain about hard work.

Therefore, since these people have a high reputation in the court and can often influence the emperor's mind, should we praise them for being well versed in career planning, or should we say that they know how to "retreat to advance" very well?
Xiahou Hui, who was already prejudiced, walked into the office of the Secretariat with this idea in mind.

Because the official styles of these two people in charge of the Secretariat were completely opposite to those of Jiang Ji, Sima Yi and others.

But they were also highly valued by Cao Rui, almost to the point of obeying his every word. The title of "exclusive responsibility" was well-deserved by everyone in the court and the country.

So, when it comes to career, it doesn’t matter whether the cat is white or black.

The important thing is to be able to catch the mouse.

Xiahou Hui, who has been used as a knife, is confident enough to catch the mouse, but when it comes to making a living, such as rectifying current malpractices and reforming the system, he is not sure that he can escape unscathed.

Emperor Cao Rui was unable to cover for him.

It was not because he was wary of the stinginess and ingratitude of the successive emperors of Cao Wei, or worried that he would face a reckoning of "the cunning rabbit dies and the running dog is cooked", but because he knew that even if Cao Rui did his best to protect him, he would not be able to do so for many years.

Therefore, it was particularly important for him to enter the Zhongshujian office to take up his post and pay a visit to Shangguan Liufang and Sun Zi.

The key is related to whether he can continue to hold power safely in the future, and even his life and property!

After all, among the ministers who have a say in the government, there are only a few who are willing to support him; if he stands on the opposite side of Sima Yi, there will be no one left.

no way.

Who made Sima Yi's reputation of being "loyal and upright" endorsed by two generations of Cao Wei kings and a consensus among the government and the public?
Among all the officials in the court, only Liu Fang and Sun Zi were not favored by the ministers and officials. They were also the important officials that Xiahou Hui felt could be tried to bring in to help.

Of course, he did not expect that Liu Fang and Sun Zi would help him fight against Sima Yi.

That is impossible.

Given the personalities of Liu and Sun, they should have stood on Sima Yi's side.

The chances of winning are better over there.
Xiahou Hui was just thinking about trying to make these two people stand in the middle and not cause trouble at the critical moment.

It is very difficult to achieve this; and it can only be done step by step, taking advantage of the situation, and there is no possibility of achieving it overnight.

Fortunately, he also has several years to implement it.

As the saying goes, well begun is half done.

In today's meeting, he just wanted to make a good start - to express his attitude and achieve a pleasant way of coexistence.

To put it bluntly, it is about seeking common ground.

He also had to try his best not to let the two of them realize that he was just being hypocritical.

After entering the office of the Secretariat, Xiahou Hui casually stopped a minor official and asked about the locations of Liu Fang and Sun Zi's offices. He did not even go through the procedures for employment and registration, but walked straight in.

Fortunately, he often entered the palace in recent years and became famous recently, so most of the Zhongshujian's colleagues recognized him. Otherwise, he would have been arrested by the guards on duty for trespassing into the central secret area.

Liu and Sun have always been known together in the court, and even their offices are connected.

I don't know whether it is convenient for colleagues to report daily miscellaneous affairs or for them to sleep together and discuss privately when they stay overnight in the office.

It was afternoon, and the two men had just returned from the East Hall, where they had accompanied the emperor on government affairs, and were both taking a nap in the house.

After hearing the message from the clerk on duty, he ordered someone to bring Xiahou Hui in.

"I have met Mr. Liu and Mr. Sun."

Xiahou Hui walked in proudly, looking very relaxed, and bowed in a familiar way. Liu Fang and Sun Zi did not take it as an offense, but instead stroked their beards and nodded with a smile on their faces.

In any case, the relationship between the two sides was very harmonious before, and they even had a certain tacit understanding on certain things.

"Zhiquan, don't be so polite, please take a seat." Liu Fang, who was sitting in the host seat, greeted him kindly, with a cordial tone in his voice.

Sun Zi, who was sitting on the side, smiled and joked, "We finally got Zhiquan to take up the post. The position of assistant minister has been vacant for more than half a year, leaving Mr. Liu and I without anyone to take over. We have to do everything ourselves, and our old bones are almost falling apart from being busy."

uh~
Aren’t you too eager?

As soon as we met, he showed his power!
As soon as Xiahou Hui sat down, he could sense the hidden ulterior motive in Sun Zi's words.

The two people in front of me are known for their power grabbing, and they are eager to do everything themselves, so why would they expect the Secretary of the Central Secretariat to take office?
This was clearly a warning to me, telling me to be tactful after taking office, and not to rely on my status as a child of Qiao Pei and the favor of Emperor Cao Rui to disrupt their previous practice of being arbitrary in everything!
So, is the previous happiness not worth mentioning in the face of "boredom from similar things"?

"I am late in arriving at my post, and have caused Lord Liu and Lord Sun to work harder. I am truly guilty of this."

Xiahou Hui apologized with a smile, and then changed the subject, "However, I am afraid that Lord Liu and Lord Sun will be disappointed. Even if I take office, I will not be able to change the situation and share the chores with the two Lords."

Oh?
Liu Fang and Sun Zi couldn't help but look at each other, and they both saw the slight surprise in each other's eyes.

They did not welcome Xiahou Hui to serve as the Secretary of the Central Secretariat.

The reason is also very simple.

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Xiahou Hui's personality is too strong and his background is too detached.

They had long been accustomed to holding power, so they naturally did not want to welcome a deputy who could not influence them. Previously, when the emperor's edict had just come down, they had discussed it privately, and had once speculated that the emperor had listened to the advice of the officials outside the court and began to suppress their "exclusive" power!

That's why Sun Zi used to insult others whenever he met them.

Who would have thought that Xiahou Hui would directly state that he would not interfere in the miscellaneous affairs of the Secretariat?

It's so unexpected, and so weird~
Is this a scam?
For example, if you want to take something, you must first give it.

"What does Zhiquan mean by this?"

After a moment of silence, Liu Fang asked, "He who is in the position should fulfill his responsibilities. Since Zhiquan has come to accept the position, he should be responsible for sharing the responsibilities of the general affairs. How can he ignore it?" At this point, he paused for a moment, and then added, "Could it be that Zhiquan intends to go to the palace to ask His Majesty to withdraw the imperial edict?"

"The imperial decree has been issued, how dare I disobey it!"

Xiahou Hui immediately denied it.

You are a reckless man, how many times have you disobeyed the emperor?
Liu Fang and Sun Zi were speechless for a moment.

"What I mean is that I am too busy to share the responsibility."

Fortunately, Xiahou Hui explained immediately, "My main position is the Central Guard General, and the position of the Secretary of the Central Secretariat is a concurrent one, so the primary and secondary positions are different. And Mr. Liu Sun knows that the position of the Central Commander is vacant now, and some military affairs may still be handled by me. Military affairs have always been known for being tedious, and I really can't take care of the responsibilities of the Secretary of the Central Secretariat at the same time!"

Oh, that's great.

After hearing this, Liu Fang and Sun Zi were immediately happy, but they still had to put on a good show.

"Zhi Quan's words are inappropriate."

This time it was Sun Zi's turn to speak. Following his superior's solemn rebuke, he said, "Although there are priorities in responsibilities, this cannot be an excuse for Zhi Quan to not perform his duties. If Zhi Quan really cannot take care of both, then Mr. Liu and I are not unreasonable. We can do the job as you say, one day at a time. What do you think, Zhi Quan?"

Come every three days?
How is this different from not participating?

All they need to do is pile up those trivial documents on my desk on the day I arrive, and then I'll be nothing more than a decoration, right?
Xiahou Hui couldn't help but complain in his heart.

He may have complained in his heart, but he also knew that he couldn't argue now.

"If not, how about doing it once every five days?"

After a brief pause, he suggested, "I have been in the army these years and have rarely participated in the general affairs of the court, let alone confidential matters. Moreover, Lord Liu and Lord Sun are wise, and they also know that your majesty's intention of appointing me as the Minister of the Central Secretariat is to make me familiar with government affairs and strive to learn from the good people under the guidance and influence of the two gentlemen."

After saying this, without waiting for Liu Fang and Sun Zi to speak, he lowered his voice again and smiled somewhat embarrassedly, "Your Majesty has privately warned me more than once that I should follow the calmness of Lord Liu and Lord Sun when encountering things, and not be impatient and make trouble."

"Haha~"

"Ahem! Ahem!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Fang and Sun Zi couldn't help laughing.

Of course they knew that although Emperor Cao Rui was very fond of Xiahou Hui, he was also fed up with his habit of speaking out against him and writing harsh memorials to the emperor at every turn.

They finally let down their guard a little, thinking that Xiahou Hui's arrival would not interfere with their power.

"Well, let's just do it once every three days."

Liu Fang frowned and stroked his beard for a moment before shaking his head and saying, "It's not that I don't believe what Zhiquan said just now, nor do I understand the difficulty of Zhiquan's splitting. It's just that Mr. Sun and I have been in charge of the central secrets in recent years, and have been criticized by the officials in the court, claiming that we are abusing our power and taking on the responsibility exclusively. If Zhiquan is one person and five people are separated, I'm afraid that people in the market will talk about 'Liu and Sun are so eager for power that the emperor can't separate them even if he has a young man from Qiaopei as his deputy'."

"What Mr. Liu said is not without reason."

Sun Zi also tried to persuade him, "As the saying goes, three people can make a tiger, and many mouths can melt gold. Zhiquan should just be considerate of me and Mr. Liu. If you are really busy with military affairs, you can stay in the Zhongshujian for a while before leaving."

"This"

Xiahou Hui looked embarrassed and hesitated for a long time.

In the end, he agreed to it under the "earnestly expectant" eyes of Liu Fang and Sun Zi, "This is related to the reputation of Mr. Liu and Mr. Sun, I dare not disobey, I can only do it reluctantly."

"So good!"

"I'll trouble Zhiquan to bear more of the burden."

The deal was settled and all three were happy.

According to common sense, Xiahou Hui should have stood up and said goodbye at this time.

After all, Liu Fang and Sun Zi are often very busy and are not young anymore. They have already spent a lot of time accompanying Emperor Cao Rui in the East Hall to handle government affairs in the morning, and they don't have the energy or mood to chat with Xiahou Hui.

However, Xiahou Hui had no idea about the ways of the world and started to ramble on and on.

For example, he claimed that he only recently learned that when he was first conferred the same title as the late Xiahou Yuan, it was Liu Fang and Sun Zi who facilitated it, and then he expressed his gratitude for a long time.

For example, he mentioned how much effort Liu Fang and Sun Zi had put in during the campaign against Liaodong. He even pretended to be sorry, claiming that Liu Fang and Sun Zi's identities were sensitive, so he could not come to thank them.

Liu Fang and Sun Zi responded incoherently, and gradually became impatient.

But soon, their eyes became sharp.

Because of Xiahou Hui's angry sigh.

"There are many people in the court who admire your reputation, but few who are pragmatic. They do not think about the cause and effect, but accuse Liu Gongsun Gong of abusing his power. How unfair! They have not forgotten that your majesty was blocked from entering the Shangshutai in the early years!" (End of this chapter)