Wei Ni

Chapter 98

The wedding date was set, and various preparations began to be busy.

Uncle Sun and Lou Sun, father and son, one is responsible for pre-purchasing ingredients and preparing clothing and accessories; the other is going to recruit helpers on the wedding day and welcome and send them according to the etiquette.

The party involved, Xia Houhui, was not free either.

He was considering who to invite as guests.

After thinking about it carefully, I found that I really have very few friends in Luoyang.

Du Shu and Chen Tai were the only ones who could be invited.

Needless to say about my brothers, only Xiahouhe can ask Xiumu to help.

As for the clan's Xiahoumao, Xiahouxian, and Xiahouxuan, I don't think about it.

Because Xia Houhui and Xia Houhui didn't have much contact with each other before, the two fathers and sons should use the excuse that they are busy with business and can't separate themselves, so it is enough to send a steward to send the congratulatory gift.

But Xia Houxuan is still in Jizhou and has not returned.

If there is no accident, he will not come back at the end of the month, in order not to be in a dilemma.

Before Xia Houhui recommended Du Shu and refuted Cao Zhen's attack on Shu, Cao Zhen himself had no grudges, but Cao Shuang held a grudge because of it.And Xia Houxuan is Cao Shuang's aunt, so naturally she won't rush back to attend the wedding and make Cao Shuang feel bad.

However, Xia Houshang's son-in-law He Fu can be invited to try.

He Fu doesn't care much about these things, and he has had an encounter with him before, maybe he will really come to help; and Xia Houshang's other son-in-law, Sima Shi, will he come?
Xia Houhui was not sure.

Today is the date for him to invite Master Sima to a banquet, and the place will be in his own Wubao at the west end of the Yangqu Canal. As for when the banquet will be held, he has not decided yet.

Because he invited Sima Shi alone.

When will he arrive, then when will it start, true friends don't pay so much attention to etiquette.

But now he regrets that he didn't set a specific time.

The time limit is almost over, and the setting sun is about to fall into the mountains, but Wubao still hasn't welcomed outsiders.

Invited guests should attend the banquet some time in advance, which is the most basic courtesy.With Sima's family style, if Master Sima planned to come to dinner, he should have arrived at this time.

So, is he planning to come?
Luoyang, the residence of the Great General.

Xia Houhui, who was lying on the sickbed, woke up in a daze, looked around the room with some blurred eyes, but found that Master Sima was reading a book next to the side case, so he couldn't help rubbing his eyes, and after he woke up, he asked, "Why is your husband Are you still at home? Today, aren’t you going to the clan uncle’s banquet?”

She began to suffer from minor illnesses at the beginning of the year, and her voice was very weak.

According to the doctor, she didn't have any major problems, but her body was too weak, so it was inevitable that she would get sick in spring and winter.

The members of the Sima family deeply believed in this.

After all, she is only 24 and has already given birth to five children.

How could the body not be weak.

"Xijun woke up."

Master Sima, who heard the sound and paid attention, said happily.

Then he put down the bamboo slips in his hand, got up and sat sideways on the couch, tried the temperature of Xiahouhui's forehead with his hand, and asked without answering, "Is Xijun thirsty? Do you want to eat something? You even forgot that you didn't have soup before you fell asleep." drink."

"No."

Shaking his head slightly, Xia Houhui reached out and grabbed his forearm, and asked again, "Husband, you haven't answered me yet."

"Hehe~"

With a faint laugh, Master Sima, whose eyes were full of concern, deliberately made a righteous gesture, "Your Excellency is sick on the bed, if you go out to have fun with your husband, wouldn't it be a promise to swear?"

But Xia Houhui's eyes were not moved, nor was he amused.

Just silently staring into his eyes.

The meaning is obvious: Don't think that she is sick and confused, just thinking about talking to him and fooling her.

"Alright alright."

Sighing helplessly, Master Sima relieved his expression, and explained softly, "I don't want to go to the appointment. Zhiquan is now favored by the emperor and has a bright official career, but my official career has already been imprisoned. If I have too close friendship with Zhiquan, I may It will make the emperor dislike the childish power."

"My husband's words are wrong."

Xiahou Hui, who supported the couch with his hands and struggled to lean against the edge of the couch, was sitting upright, his eyes shining brightly, "Uncle (Sima Yi) is the minister of the late emperor Gu Ming, and the general of the dynasty. My husband suffered a setback in his official career for a while, and he will recover in the future." .And who is His Majesty? An Neng Yifu. Cough! Cough cough~~"

Before she finished speaking, she coughed for a while.

It also made Master Sima busy for a while to caress her back and pat her chest, "Don't care about these things anymore, Mr. Xi, just rest in peace and recuperate."

And when she stopped coughing, he turned around and fetched some warm water for her to drink.

But Xiahou Hui had just moistened his throat, breathed lightly, and then continued, "Anneng will anger the uncle because my husband and the clan uncle have a banquet? Husband, my grandfather died early, and there are many people before the king and the crown." Under the care of my ancestors, my uncle and my family are one. Now that my elder brother has also been deposed, the only one who can restore the honor of my ancestors is the uncle of my family. My husband is the most talented and knowledgeable in the present. It is also a blessing for my family.”

"Well, my husband knows."

After listening quietly, Master Sima nodded, smiling like a spring breeze, "Xijun is right. But it is getting dark now, so I may not be able to go to the banquet this time. When I have a chance in the future, I will do what Xijun said. Speak." After saying that, before Xia Houhui could speak, he got up and went out of the room, "Young Master, wait a moment, I'll ask my servants to warm up the soup and medicine."

It also made Xia Houhui open his mouth, and finally watched him leave silently.

It's one thing to be late for a dinner, another thing not to be.

She understands this truth, and so does her husband.

So she also had to be silent.

Similarly, the smile on Master Sima who had just walked out of the room also disappeared.

His wife is a good match for him regardless of her talents, appearance, conduct and other aspects.

He has always respected and loved her very much.

But there is only one bad thing.

Once it involves Xiahou's family or Cao Wei Sheji, even if it is against the interests of the Sima family, Xiahou Hui will not have the consciousness to marry and follow her husband.

This made Master Sima feel a little uncomfortable.

For example, just now, his wife thought that Xia Houhui was the one who might restore the lintel, and wanted him to be friendly with Xiahou Hui and help him as much as he could; but she didn't think about it from his perspective at all.

He Hanoi Sima has always acted in a low-key manner.

Now that he has been imprisoned by the emperor Cao Rui, how can he go to drink and get close to Xia Houhui?

Aren't you afraid of arousing the emperor's dislike?
Even if the emperor didn't have this idea, he would still leave an excuse and be trapped by some unscrupulous people, claiming that he wanted to make the emperor let go of his imprisonment by being friendly with Xia Houhui?

His father was a veteran of the three dynasties, and now he is the great general of the current dynasty, the governor of Yongliang and Liangzhou, and an extremely personable official of the military forces. He walked on eggshells all day long, and he was most worried about such rumors.

As the eldest son in the family, how could he give him a reason?
As for him not going to the banquet this time, he will acquiesce in Xia Houhui's phrase "following Guan You'an's cut-off table" in a disguised form~
He doesn't care anymore.

How can the friendship of personal friends compare with the interests of the family!

As night falls, insects sing softly.

Xia Houhui, who had been waiting for a day in Wubao at the west end of Yangqu, finally had a banquet.

The person who accompanied him was Zhang Li, a subordinate who had just arrived from Taishan County.

As Uncle Sun said, when he moved back to his hometown when he was young, he even encouraged his younger brother, brother Cong and brother Cong's other three families to come to Yangquwubao to join Xia Houhui.

So, he asked his family to come later, and he came ahead of time to inform Xia Houhui.

It wasn't that he was worried that Xia Houhui would refuse to accept his relatives as apprentices; it was that the houses here were not well prepared, so that the four families of his relatives would be squeezed into one house.

Xia Houhui has always liked this subordinate who is faster with his hands than his brains.

Not only because he chose to continue to follow him in the position of the 500-man governor and his retinue; but also because when he was in the Wancheng Valley, he dared to point a stringed crossbow at Cao Zuan's head as soon as he gave an order. .

In the eyes of superiors, those who resolutely carry out orders regardless of right or wrong are worthy of being cultivated as confidantes.

And those who have no shortage of talents but have selfishness, use them when they are available, and discard them if they are not available.

Or even destroy it.

"I've already had someone prepare the house."

Looking at Zhang Li who was feasting, Xia Houhui held up a cup to drink slowly, and said with a gurgling smile, "When your relatives arrive, you can choose a place to live. If you still need anything, just find Uncle Sun. By the way, I will come back the next day." Luoyang City, you can also go with me. I have accommodation outside the city and inside the city, you should familiarize yourself with it first."

"only."

Zhang Li, who tore off a roasted chicken leg, put it in his mouth and bit it fiercely, nodded repeatedly when he heard the words, and replied vaguely, "Just give orders to the general if you have something to do. I'm just a man, and I don't know many big characters. I only know how to obey orders, hehe~"

"Hehe~"

Xia Houhui also chuckled lightly.

After drinking the wine in the cup, he got up and walked out with the wine bag, and signaled to Zhang Li not to get up, "I'm done eating. I'm tired today, so I'll go to rest first. If you're done using it, then Go to the house on the left to rest. Well, the well is on the east side, and if you take a bath, bring the water back to the house. There are many young children in Wubao, so don’t be alarmed.”

"Okay~ Don't worry, general, I understand the seriousness."

Responding loudly, Zhang Li who sat down took advantage of the situation and dropped the bone, reached out to pick up the whole roast chicken and gnawed it.

The night outside Wubao is like lacquer.

Sparse stars hang on the sky, and the bright moon is hidden in the thin clouds, making the originally bright moonlight falling on the mountains, rivers and fields become hazy and gloomy.

Xia Houhui, who climbed up to the height of Wubao alone with a wine bag, was also in a gloomy mood.

Sima Shi didn't come to the banquet, which surprised him.

At that time, when Uncle Sun, who had returned from Luoyang City, claimed that he had left the city just as the city gate was closing, Xia Houhui still couldn't believe it.

After all, I said everything in the receipt.

If Master Sima didn't come today, it meant that the two of them would never see each other again in the future.

So Xia Houhui, who was extremely surprised, suddenly realized that he still knew too little about Master Sima, and began to be afraid.

At least, put yourself in his shoes, if he was Master Sima, he would have come to the banquet directly.
Of course, regardless of whether Sima Shi attended the banquet or not, he got the answer he wanted.

Come on, it means that Sima Shi still hasn't changed, he is still as before, a humble scholar with outstanding talents and the style of a gentleman.

And if he didn't come, it proved that his character had begun to change.

Even years of similar temperament and sympathy can be easily let go of the friendship, which is enough to show his determination and...
cruel!
In particular, he obviously put the banquet venue in Wubao, the west end of Yangqu, a place that few dignitaries or idlers would know about. Even if Master Sima came to the banquet, no one would know about it.

But even so, Sima Shi still didn't come to the banquet.

He was not muddled at all, and cut off the friendship between the two very decisively.

Could it be that the trajectory of history cannot be changed in the end?
After all, Cao Wei Sheji is still going to usher in a hero who will support three thousand dead men?

And I, too, was doomed to usher in a life-and-death enemy.
Gently shaking the wine bag, Xia Houhui, who took a sip without taking a sip, looked at the hazy moonlight, and couldn't taste the wine that was bought at a huge price.

After a while, the wine bag was empty.

He also walked back to his house slowly.

The emotion is over, life always has to go on, just get used to facing difficulties.

No matter how many stumbling blocks are still ahead, just pry them out one by one.

Well, he is going to the manor in Beimang Mountain the next day.

Uncle Sun hurried back to Wubao because Xia Houhe sent a message that Emperor Cao Rui called him to wait there the next afternoon.

As for what it is~
If there is no accident, he thinks it should be a matter of discussing Liaodong and Bingzhou.

After all, counting the time, it was almost time for Jingzhou Inspector Wu Qiujian, who returned to Luoyang to report on his duties, to go back.

However, hasn't the emperor Cao Rui already made a decision?

They all sealed and generously rewarded Gongsun Yuan of Liaodong, and transferred Tian Yu to Bingzhou to serve as a general of the Xiongnu Zhonglang and the prefect of Yanmen. Why bother to order himself to accompany him?

Furthermore, the strategy of running Bingzhou is the last plan of Qianzhao, and I have no way to comment on it~
He has never been to Bingzhou!
Even the current situation of the five tribes of the Southern Huns and the Hetao Plain is unknown, so how dare I make admonitions?
But if it wasn't for the matter of Bingzhou, why did the emperor Cao Rui order the fake self to accompany him?
When I clearly met with my seventh younger brother Xiahou Yiquan, I asked him to find an opportunity to say something to the emperor Cao Rui in a cryptic manner, claiming that I would knock into the palace in three days to thank him for my marriage.

Why is it so hasty that the Emperor Cao Rui couldn't wait for two or three days?
Xia Houhui, who was already lying on the bed, was puzzled.

Simply, I don't want to.

Anyway, he would know the specifics the next day.

And he didn't do anything shady, so there's nothing to worry about.

It is impossible to expose the matter of raising children privately.

Because Uncle Sun didn't even know where the children were scattered and raised!

The next day, Beimang Mountain Manor.

Xia Houhui, who arrived half an hour before noon, was invited in to rest by the steward on duty at the manor.

Not those in charge remember him.

But the emperor Cao Rui knew that he would come and wait in advance, so he specially warned him.

(End of this chapter)