Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 118 The Incompetent Husband

Inside Chengdu, in front of the Fei residence, Liu Shan hesitated, unsure whether he should step inside.

The original owner of this house was Fei Yi.

When Liu Bei first entered Shu, Fei Yi served as Liu Shan's attendant. The two had known each other for decades and had an extremely close relationship until Fei Yi was assassinated.

Fei Yi's eldest daughter was the concubine of Crown Prince Liu Xuan; while Liu Shan's third daughter married Fei Yi's second son, Fei Gong. Of course, this marriage was arranged by Liu Shan to compensate Fei Yi for his assassination.

In a way, the two families were even closer than family, with the Fei family being their staunch confidants. If he could, Liu Shan really didn't want to do this kind of work that would earn him the Fei family's scorn.

"Ugh!"

Liu Shan sighed deeply and gently knocked on the door.

Soon, a servant from the Fei family came to answer the door. Upon seeing that it was Liu Shan, he hurriedly went back to announce his arrival. Shortly after, Fei Yi's eldest son, Fei Cheng, who had also inherited the title, came to greet him.

Now that the Shu Kingdom has fallen, "noblemen" like Fei Cheng are basically unemployed and at home. It would be an exaggeration to say that they are living in constant fear, but it would be more accurate to say that they are shrouded in gloom.

Fei Cheng didn't say much, but led Liu Shan directly into his own hall. He was very worried, because if Liu Shan were to do something "daring," his family would have to participate out of loyalty and duty.

However, from their own perspective, they didn't want to get involved in things like dead bodies or capsized boats, which created a dilemma.

"I was unaware of His Majesty's arrival..."

Before Fei Cheng could speak, Liu Shan waved his hand and said, "Your Majesty need not repeat yourself."

Fei Cheng then realized he had let something slip, but hearing Liu Shan's tone, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The word "Your Majesty" is now considered taboo. Liu Shan's reluctance to hear it indicates he has truly given up hope.

"Why has Uncle-in-law come?"

Fei Cheng asked in confusion.

"I just came to see Third Sister."

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Liu Shan's face as he spoke.

Fei Cheng nodded and led Liu Shan to his younger brother Fei Gong's bedroom. At that moment, Fei Gong and his wife Liu Yue were chatting idly, creating a harmonious scene in the room.

Upon seeing his father-in-law arrive, Fei Gong quickly stood up, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Father-in-law."

"Yes, sit down, sit down, no need to stand on ceremony."

Liu Shan waved his hand gently.

He was a very easygoing person by nature, and now that he no longer held the title of emperor, he naturally lost some of his majesty.

Fei Gong still had a smile on his face, but Liu Yue's heart sank! She had never seen her father like this before, so low-key that he was even somewhat humble, especially in front of his son-in-law!
You know, a father-in-law naturally has a higher status than his son-in-law!

"What brings you here today, Father?"

Liu Yue asked.

Liu Shan glanced at Fei Cheng, who was standing at the door. Fei Cheng suddenly realized what was happening and quickly left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"Does Father have some unspeakable secret?"

Liu Yue pressed for more information.

Looking at his young and beautiful third daughter, Liu Shan felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

Since marrying Fei Gong, she has lived a harmonious and peaceful life, and at the prime of her life, she looks even more feminine now.

The thought that his own child, whom he could not bear to see, was about to become a plaything of the Wei generals filled Liu Shan with deep resentment for not being able to protect the country, which would lead to the humiliation of his descendants.

Now not only is the country destroyed, but our families are also doomed.

"You all take a look."

Liu Shan took out the letter from Zhong Hui from his sleeve and handed it to Fei Gong. After reading it, Fei Gong turned pale. Liu Yue, who was standing nearby, snatched the letter and was dumbfounded after reading it.

"Third Mistress, let me ask what you think first. If you're not willing, then I'll go ask Second Mistress."

He didn't mention the eldest daughter-in-law, after all, she was Zhuge Liang's daughter-in-law. Even if the second and third daughters were sent away together, it was impossible to let the Wei people touch the eldest daughter-in-law.

Liu Yue gripped the silk scroll tightly in her hand, her face contorted with anger, which ultimately turned into a sigh.

She knew very well that her father was a man who cared a lot about his reputation. The fact that he came to her husband's house first already said it all.

"Father-in-law, does it have to be this way? What did we do wrong?"

Fei Gong abruptly stood up, looked at Liu Shan and questioned him, no longer caring about etiquette.

He looked at Liu Yue, hoping his wife would join him in opposing the idea, but he was disappointed. Liu Yue remained seated on the cushion, head down, saying nothing.

Alternatively, it can be described as "silence speaks louder than words".

"Fei Gong, write a letter of divorce."

Liu Shan waved his hand gently, not wanting to say anything more to Fei Gong. What was there to say anyway? Was he supposed to don armor and go to Zhong Hui's camp to challenge him to a duel?
"Ah Lang, write a letter of divorce."

Liu Yue looked at Fei Gong and said softly.

Her red lips parted slightly, her voice as melodious as a nightingale's, yet those few words left Fei Gong dizzy.

Fei Gong stared at his wife with a horrified expression, as if he didn't recognize her.

Married for over a year, although Fei Gong frequently leaves Chengdu due to official duties, resulting in limited time together, Liu Yue is always overjoyed whenever they reunite!

Why could she so brazenly persuade herself to write a letter of divorce?

"I won't write it! Why shouldn't I!"

Fei Gong immediately transformed into a furious lion, roaring at Liu Shan! In the past, Fei Gong would never have dared to bare his teeth at Liu Shan like this, but now Liu Shan was no longer the emperor of Shu Han, or to put it bluntly, the Shu Kingdom was gone! Liu Shan was now a ruler of a fallen kingdom!
What right does a deposed monarch have to interfere in his own marriage?

Fei Gong was not convinced!

"We have been married for over a year, and I have not given birth to a single child. Being childless is one of the seven grounds for divorce. I have no objection to your writing of the divorce papers, my lord."

Liu Yue spoke calmly, her tone carrying a hint of determination.

Fei Gong slumped down, covered his face with his hands, and sobbed silently.

“Zhong Hui has 200,000 troops under his command. If I don’t comply, next time he won’t just write a letter demanding it; he’ll storm into my house and arrest me. If I write a letter of divorce, I’ll be the one who loses face. If I don’t, even if Zhong Hui spares my life, you’ll still be the one who loses face.”

Why escalate things to that point?

Liu Shan sighed and shook his head repeatedly.

Fei Gong didn't listen to these words, but the phrase "two hundred thousand troops" stayed in his mind, not going in one ear and out the other.

Yes, 200,000 troops, how can we possibly win?
Fei Gong deflated instantly, like a punctured balloon.

"I've already written the letter of divorce for you. Just sign your name."

Liu Shan thoughtfully took a piece of paper from his sleeve and placed it on the table. Making Fei Gong write the letter of divorce by hand was tantamount to stabbing him in the heart, pulling it out, and then stabbing him again.

It must be said that Liu Shan did take good care of Fei Gong. Even though taking away his wife was a last resort, Liu Shan tried his best to consider Fei Gong's feelings and the Fei family's reputation.

Since things aren't going well, let's keep the process simple. Everyone has a sense of shame.

After the divorce, whatever Zhong Hui did to Liu Yue was no longer relevant to the Fei family. This was also the reason for not choosing the second daughter.

Because the Guan family could not possibly kick out a widow whose husband had died for the country.

Sending them away directly would be illegitimate and would be a disgrace to the Guan family should they be humiliated in the Wei army camp.

San Niangzi has been married for over a year and has no children. Her husband is still alive, so the overall cost of dealing with her is the lowest.

Fei Gong looked at Liu Yue, hoping his wife would say something.

However, Liu Yue took out a pen and ink and signed his name on the divorce papers first. This meant that his wife acknowledged that what her husband said was true and was willing to be divorced.

Liu Shan also looked at Liu Yue with some surprise. Before she got married, his third daughter was the most delicate and spoke in a soft voice.

I never expected him to be so strong at this moment!
Fei Gong wanted to say something more, but Liu Yue placed her small hand on the back of his hand.

"Ah Lang, let me protect you this time."

Her face was resolute, showing no sign of backing down.

Fei Gong wanted to say something, but his throat seemed to be blocked. In the end, he still used his trembling right hand to pick up the pen and write his name on the letter of divorce.

Liu Yue folded the letter of divorce and tucked it into her sleeve. She smiled at Fei Gongqiang and said, "I'll take this letter of divorce to the Wei army camp. Then everything will be over for you, my lord. I don't think Zhong Hui, no matter how despicable, would bother the Fei family again."

She stood up, bowed respectfully to Fei Gong, and said to Liu Shan, "Father, let's go. Quickly send a carriage to take me to Fucheng to avoid any unforeseen complications."

Liu Yue didn't look at Fei Gong again. At this moment, her face was already covered in tears, but she didn't bother to wipe them away and walked straight out of the bedroom.

After leaving the Fei family mansion, Liu Chan looked at Liu Yue, who was wiping away tears, and said, "I will send someone to tell Zhong Hui that we will bring you back as soon as possible. Please bear with it for a few more days. As for your marriage, we'll talk about it later."

He looked ashamed, but also filled with helplessness.

Liu Yue nodded obediently and said, "Father, I understand, there's no need to say anything more."

"Okay, you can get in the car first. I'll have Xi Zheng take you to the Wei army camp in Fucheng."

Liu Shan helped his daughter into the carriage, and only then did Liu Yue notice that the driver sitting in front was Xi Zheng.

Seeing Liu Yue get into the carriage, Xi Zheng turned around and said apologetically, "Third Miss, it was I who suggested that General Liu send you to Zhong Hui's place. It was all my fault. If you have any grievances, then blame me. Don't blame your father; he's already having a hard time."

“I don’t want to see my sister suffer either, and I don’t resent Mr. Xi. Let’s set off now.”

Liu Yue said softly.

"Sigh, conquering the world is a man's business, why should you, a young lady, suffer like this?"

Xi Zheng couldn't help but sigh, then urged the horse forward with a whip. Liu Shan watched the carriage depart, feeling an emptiness in his heart.

We've overcome this hurdle, but is this really the final one?

Liu Shan's face was clouded with worry, just as the saying goes, "How much sorrow can one have? It's like a river of spring water flowing eastward."

……

Having just finished a full day of training, Shi Shouxin returned to his tent, exhausted. He drank some refreshing soup and pondered the details of his plan.

Zhong Hui was waiting for news from Sima Zhao, and Sima Zhao was also waiting for news from Zhong Hui. Once the plan was launched, it would be earth-shattering.

The overall situation needs to be controlled, and Shi Shouxin plans to use a clever approach to push the situation forward.

Before Shi Shouxin could even settle in, Qiu Jian arrived at his tent, saying that Zhong Hui had something to discuss.

Heh, it's obvious what Zhong Hui wanted to see him about. Shi Shouxin stood up and, without saying a word, followed Qiu Jian to Zhong Hui's camp.

Upon entering the command tent, Zhong Hui didn't stand on ceremony and directly handed Sima Zhao's letter to Shi Shouxin for review.

After quickly reading through the text, Shi Shouxin's face immediately showed disappointment.

He had expected Sima Zhao to severely punish Deng Ai, or at least reprimand him. Unexpectedly, aside from Deng Ai's suggestion to prepare for an attack on Wu, Sima Zhao accepted everything else without question!

Sima Zhao agreed to the rewards Deng Ai offered to Liu Shan and the former officials of Shu.

Sima Zhao also agreed to the appeasement policy of not harming the soldiers, civilians and people of Shu.

As for Zhong Hui's report that Deng Ai harbored ulterior motives and wanted to become the "King of Guanzhong," he was instead reprimanded by Sima Zhao, who said that he was jealous of talent and ability, and that he was not only incapable of fighting but also jealous of Deng Ai's military achievements.

In other words, Sima Zhao is now strongly supporting Deng Ai, and Zhong Hui's previous series of conspiracies seem to have had little effect.

Of course, Zhong Hui had no way of knowing whether Sima Zhao was genuinely indifferent or just pretending.

Shi Shouxin was also somewhat surprised, realizing that he had underestimated Sima Zhao's forbearance.

"Sima Zhao wanted to sit on the sidelines and watch the tigers fight. Seeing that Deng Ai's army was small and weak, he deliberately wanted to help him, rather than being truly unafraid of Deng Ai."

After a long silence, Shi Shouxin finally spoke up and offered his opinion.

Clearly, Sima Zhao was trying to maintain a balance, and he wanted to be a master of balance as well.

Zhong Hui nodded noncommittally, his face showing some hesitation... even fear.

Shi Shouxin's heart sank! Zhong Hui was actually afraid of Sima Zhao!
At this point, you're not really going to chicken out, are you?
Shi Shouxin really wanted to step forward and slap Zhong Hui twice to wake him up.

(End of this chapter)