Chapter 1112 Choice
It’s no wonder that some people scolded Cao Shuang behind his back, it was because he had done too many things to disappoint the veterans of the court since he took over as general in charge of the government.
At first I thought he was a courteous and virtuous corporal, and he was praised by famous people. I thought he was recruiting talented people to turn the tide and help the ruined building.
Who knows what kind of people he will take into the general's mansion half a year later?
No one can compare to talking with one's hands, and no one can compare to running the country with practical actions... No one can compare to him!
We usually pretend to be like saints, but once we gain real power, we show our true colors. We fight for power like a pack of dogs fighting for shit, and they enjoy it more than anyone else.
Exchange titles for money, women, and land in an honest and fair manner...
You really don’t have any face at all!
If you really have the talent to govern the country, then even if you don't practice virtue, then that's it.
After all, the world has not yet been unified, so we cannot be too demanding.
Just one or two of them seem to have a good reputation, but in fact they all rely on their words!
How long has it been since Cao Shuang became the general?
The whole court was divided by him and those people.
The old minister of the DPRK, the earliest, followed the Emperor Wu to fight the world. Later, he joined the Wei Kingdom when Emperor Wen became the prince.
They have experienced countless swords and swords, and they know that a country is defeated with swords, guns, halberds and the lives of soldiers, not by talking to others.
Otherwise, how could the three generations of the Cao family suppress the trend of glitz and glitz?
Now the Shu captives and Wu bandits have repeatedly invaded the border, and the country is in trouble.
Do you, Cao Shuang, really think that relying on those so-called celebrities to stand up and talk and talk a few words can make the thieves of Shu Wu wake up and surrender?
The veterans who followed Emperor Wu to conquer the world are not dead yet!
What Cao Shuang and his party members did was not so much to ruin the country they had built with their lives and wealth in front of their faces.
It's better to say that it's a waste of their lifelong faith - your old man used his wealth and life to conquer the Wei Dynasty, so you ruined it like this?
So it’s not surprising that many people are scolding women secretly:
How long has it been since the founding of the Wei Dynasty when he married his mother?
Why did you become like this ghost now?
Coupled with the successive defeats of the Wei Dynasty in recent years, many people have actually begun to accumulate dissatisfaction in their hearts.
At this time, what Cao Shuang did after coming to power finally brought these dissatisfaction to its peak.
At this time, Taifu Sima, who was far away in Luoyang and had a strong contrast with Cao Shuang's actions, almost became the last hope for these veterans to maintain their faith.
Compared to some people in Xuchang who were abusive, Luoyang City was full of joy.
Ever since Taifu found a way to redeem General Wang Shuang and others who were trapped in the Han Kingdom - yes, redemption. As for the redemption method, it is unknown.
I heard that the Taifu would rather suffer the infamy than to redeem the captured general from the thieves.
Then there were rumors that the border between Wei and Han had begun to relax.
I heard that caravans owned by some big families have been able to pass through the checkpoints between the two countries.
These news spread quickly in Luoyang, causing many people to celebrate:
It seems that the Shu people really will not continue to move eastward, at least in the next two years.
The Taifu did a great job in protecting Luoyang.
As for whether this move is suspected of showing weakness to the thieves - when does the Emperor of Wei plan to return to Luoyang?
The emperor is like this, why should he be harsh on his ministers?
The prestige of the Emperor of Wei was largely consumed by the repeated losses of troops and territory in the battles between Han and Wei in previous years.
Especially when the Han army came to the east of the river, the emperor's hasty abandonment of the city and patrol eastward was a disgrace.
At that time, Emperor Wu had great achievements in pacifying the north, but after the Battle of Chibi, there was still a feeling of instability within the people.
Where is the late emperor?
Since he ascended the throne, he has not won a single battle against Shu. Instead, he has lost Yongliang and three states in a row.
How many states did the Wei Dynasty have?
In such a situation where the country is in crisis, without considering the overall situation of stability, they actually let a five-year-old baby take the throne!
It’s enough to make a baby boy the emperor, but let Cao Shuang be the general?
The Wei Dynasty has only been in existence for a few years, and there are no members of the Cao family?
Emperor Wu had twenty-five sons!
The news that the Taifu redeemed Wang Shuang and others from the Han Kingdom also made some people think of Xiahou Ba who also fell into the hands of the Han Kingdom a few years earlier.
Some people lamented, if Xiahou Ba could have gone to Guanzhong a few years later, why would he have ended up here?
Since he was deemed to have surrendered to the Han Dynasty, there was no way to sever the blood relationship except that the Xiahou family shared the same honor and disgrace.
Nearly all the remaining in-laws regarded Xiahou Ba’s family as a plague beast and cut off all relations as quickly as possible.
The courtyard, which used to be bustling with guests, has been neglected for several years, with grass growing in front of the door and even rats infesting it.
The originally brightly colored door paint has not only become old, but has even begun to peel off in many places, exposing the wood material inside.
On the days when Master Sima was getting married, two completely different worlds formed around Xiahou Ba's mansion and the bustle a street away.
It was as if there was an invisible taboo between the two, which made the silence in front of Xiahou Ba's house even more apparent.
At this time, someone happened to not believe in evil, crossed this taboo, and raised his hand to knock on the door.
The sound of knocking on the door seemed extremely abrupt in front of this unapproachable door.
Some people in the distance saw that someone was actually visiting Xiahou Ba’s old residence, and they couldn’t help but stretch their necks and look curiously:
"Who is this? So bold? How dare you visit Xiahou's mansion in public?"
Some people are not surprised, as if they are used to it:
“The only person who dares to do this is the son-in-law of Xiahou Zhongquan, Uncle Taiyang.”
“Who?”
The closed door was opened a crack, and an old face cautiously poked its head out.
The young man standing in front of the mansion responded: "It's me."
When the concierge saw the visitor, his cloudy and lifeless eyes suddenly became brighter. The old concierge said happily:
“It turns out to be Mr. Lang, please come in quickly.”
As the porter spoke, he opened the door to let Yang Hu and his entourage in. Then he carefully looked around and then closed the door tightly again.
Yang Hu seemed to be still familiar with Xiahou Ba's old mansion. He walked through the vestibule and came to the living room without any servants guiding him.
There was someone waiting in the living room for a long time. When he saw Yang Hu coming in, he smiled and said:
“The good son-in-law of the Xiahou family has arrived.”
It turns out that Xia Houwei, the son of Xia Houyuan, was already here.
Yang Hu quickly stepped forward and saluted:
“Why is my uncle here?”
“Luoyang has not been as lively as it is now for many years. I will take advantage of today’s opportunity to come over and visit my sister-in-law.”
Several of Xiahou Ba's brothers, although unlike other in-laws, directly severed all relations.
But they all invariably reduced their contacts with Xiahou Ba's house.
So when Yang Hu saw Xia Houwei here, except for being a little surprised at first, he did not doubt that he was there. After bowing to Xia Houwei, he said:
“Let Hu go and say hello to my aunt first.”
Xia Houwei waved his hand: "Go and come back quickly."
Looking at the back of Yang Hu who turned around and left the living room, Xia Houwei's eyes were quite complicated.
Since the Xiahou family was suspected by the late emperor and suffered successive blows, the situation of the second brother's family has become even worse.
At that time, I strongly advocated marrying my second brother’s daughter to Uncle Yang.
In times of trouble, among all the in-laws of the second brother, this son-in-law is the only one who often comes to visit the relatives in the second brother's house. He is more friendly and courteous than in the past.
I never come empty-handed. I mean to pay homage, but in fact I am offering help, which is really extremely rare.
Although now it seems that the second brother has indeed got a good son-in-law, and his own vision is indeed unique.
Just because of the situation of the second brother's family, I can't help Uncle Yang - I'm afraid that Uncle Yang will be burdened by his uncle!
Thinking of this, Xia Houwei felt emotional and a little apologetic.
After Yang Hu visited his maternal aunt in the backyard, he comforted him for a while as usual, and then returned to the living room, where he heard Xia Houwei say to him:
"Although I have taken good care of my second brother after his accident, I have an orphan sister-in-law in my house. If I come here often, I am afraid of being criticized by others, but I will harm my second sister-in-law. Fortunately, I have you, uncle. I would like to thank you for this. ”
Yang Hu quickly returned the gift:
"My uncle is wrong. My uncle is not here, so I am my half-son. It is my duty to take care of the house."
Hearing this, Xia Houwei couldn't help but sigh when he saw the obvious expression on Yang Hu's face:
“I’m just afraid that I’m going to drag you down!”
Yang Hu smiled carelessly:
"I don't have the intention to serve as an official yet, so how can I say it's a drag? In fact, according to Yi Hu, given the current situation in the Wei Dynasty, it may not be a bad thing for the Xiahou family not to join the court."
"Oh?" Xia Houwei didn't expect Yang Hu to say these words, and couldn't help but look surprised, "You were recommended as a senior official the year before last, but you rejected it because you were too young."
“I heard that last year, the Yanzhou Prefecture recruited you for official positions such as being engaged, scholar, and the fifth government official, but you refused to take office four times in a row.”
“Now that I hear your remarks, is it possible that you really don’t want to be an official?”
At this point, he lowered his voice again:
"Still... you don't want to work in Luoyang?"
Yang Hu smiled slightly:
“To be honest with my uncle, a few days ago, someone actually came from Xuchang and wanted to conquer Xuchang. He and his friend Wang Chudao went to Xuchang to take up a post.”
“Wang Chudao also persuaded Hu to accompany him to Xuchang, but Hu refused on the grounds of ‘how easy is it to entrust someone with a task?’”
Wang Chudao is Yang Hu's good friend Wang Chen. He is good at reading and writing, and is known for his filial piety.
Wang Chudao agreed to Cao Shuang's expedition and went to Xuchang. He had nothing to do with the Xiahou family.
But when Xia Houwei heard this, his expression changed slightly:
“Tai Yangshi, is it possible that you don’t like the general?”
Yang Hu looked around, smiling and saying nothing.
After Xiahou Ba was trapped in the Shu Kingdom, the servants who could insist on staying in the house were basically regarded as loyal servants who would never leave him.
Even so, Xia Houwei still asked everyone to retreat, and then looked at Yang Hu:
“Now you and I are the only ones who can talk.”
“In the year of Hu, he was not weak and did not know the power of the world, but he once heard his aunt say: The Taifu and the General are both the ministers left by the late emperor to assist the government. The Taifu is a veteran of the four dynasties and assisted in the two dynasties. He is the hope of the court."
“Cao Shuang has not made any great achievements in the country. He only relies on his family status to serve as a general and be on an equal footing with the Taifu.”
“If you have neither merit nor qualifications and suddenly assume great power, the most correct approach should be to discuss government affairs with the senior ministers of the court and not to act exclusively.”
"If you can humble yourself as a general, why worry about people not accepting you?"
“However, the general did not only do the opposite, but also indulged his subordinates and violated many laws. If things continue like this, not to mention the people’s hearts, he is afraid that his life will be lost!”
Xia Houwei was shocked when he heard this:
“Did she really say that?”
Yang Hu lost his father when he was twelve years old. It was his uncle Yang Dan who raised his three brothers and sister.
The woman Yang Dan married was none other than the famous and talented Xin Xianying.
Yang Hu served his uncle with great respect, and at the same time he regarded Xin Xianying as his mother.
It was not without reason that Xia Houwei was shocked when he heard Yang Hu relaying Xin Xianying's words.
While Emperor Wu was still alive, Emperor Wen and King Chen Si (namely Cao Zhi) competed for the position of heir apparent.
Later, when Emperor Wen was established, he cried with joy. He hugged the neck of Prime Minister Shi Xinpi and said:
“Do you know how happy I am in my heart?”
Xinpi returned to his home and told his daughter Xin Xianying about the incident. Xin Xianying, who was only in her twenties at the time, asserted:
“The prince is the person who takes care of the ancestral temple and the country on behalf of the king. He must not act without worry on behalf of the king.”
"The prince will be the one who takes over from the king in the future and governs the world. He must not be unruly when governing the world."
“Today’s situation is uncertain, which is worrying but not joyful. If the prince is like this, Wei will not be able to last long!”
If Emperor Wen was around and Xin Xianying's words came out, at most it would make people think that this woman was quite knowledgeable and could actually utter such words of advice.
As the crown prince, Cao Pi couldn't possibly cause trouble for a woman just because of such words.
If he can be a better person and act like he sincerely listens to advice, he will be able to win the hearts of his superiors and subordinates.
Who would have expected that today, twenty years later, looking back at what Xin Xianying said will make people shudder.
So Xia Houwei subconsciously changed his face when he heard Xin Xianying making such an assertion about Cao Shuang.
Seeing Xia Houwei's appearance, Yang Hu couldn't help but be a little confused:
“Why is my uncle like this?”
Xia Houwei sighed:
"You don't know, but a few days ago, the general sent someone over again to invite Taichu (Xiahou Xuan) to go to Xuchang, and Taichu also agreed."
“So today I will not hesitate to go to the Taifu’s house to congratulate him and see if I can get the Taifu to agree to let him leave Luoyang.”
Although Xia Houxuan was implicated in the Fuhua case, he was the pioneer of metaphysics in Wei State. He was called the leader of the "Scholar Sect" by the scholars of Wei State and had a great reputation.
Especially He Yan, who was one of the "Four Congs" with Xiahou Xuan, highly praised Xiahou Xuan, calling him "the only one who is profound, so he can reach the aspirations of the world, and Xiahou Taichu is the same."
Now that Cao Shuang has become the general, he has begun to reuse the scholars who were demoted in the flashy case.
Xia Houxuan and Cao Shuang are even more related as cousins by marriage.
Therefore, Cao Shuang repeatedly asked Sima Yi for Xiahou Xuan, hoping to let him go to Xuchang as an official.
It can be said that this opportunity is an excellent opportunity for Xiahou Shang's lineage to regain its former glory.
Unfortunately, it was precisely because Xia Houxuan's reputation was so great that even Sima Yi had some scruples.
He was worried that if he went to Xuchang to help Cao Shuang, the scholars would follow suit, so he kept refusing to let him go.
Xia Houxuan was able to go to congratulate Master Sima in person this time, which was considered as a condescension to go and gave Master Sima a great face.
At the same time, it seems that he is determined to go to Xuchang.
Hearing this from Xia Houwei's mouth, Yang Hu's expression changed drastically:
“Although the Grand Tutor and the General have not openly quarreled with each other, anyone who cares would not know that the two have already been secretly fighting each other.”
“Yulin Supervisor (Cao Rui demoted Xiahou Xuan to Yulin Supervisor during his lifetime) is turning his back on the Taifu to the general at this time, for fear that he will offend the Taifu!”
(End of this chapter)