Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 157 Nostalgia for Tongguan

After more than a month of marching, Shi Shouxin led his troops to Tongguan.

The general guarding Tongguan was none other than Hao Meng, the eldest son of Hao Zhao, a famous general of Cao Wei. Upon hearing this name, Shi Shouxin was stunned for a long time before asking Hao Meng if he had any brothers.

Why call her "Hao Meng"? "Hao Mengmeng" would be much better!
Shi Shouxin thought to himself.

Hao Meng said he has a younger brother named Hao Kai, who is a general in the army and has been granted the title of Marquis of Guannei. He seems to be doing quite well and is currently serving in the Hedong army.

Because Sima Zhao frequently adjusted the military order, Hao Meng didn't know Hao Kai's exact location.

The Tongguan Pass of today is the "Old Tongguan Pass" of history, not the "New Tongguan Pass" of the Sui and Tang Dynasties. At this time, the Tongguan Pass's defense system left attackers in despair, with almost no way to break through by force. It would not be an exaggeration to describe it as a place where one man could hold off ten thousand.

Although the garrison commander of Tongguan did not hold a high-ranking official position, he was nonetheless a figure of great importance.

Although Hao Zhao fought desperately against the Shu army during the reign of Emperor Ming of Wei, his descendants clearly sided with the Sima family and were given important positions.

Shi Shouxin thought to himself: The so-called "die-hard loyalty" to Cao Wei probably has no practical significance in the current power struggles and alliances among aristocratic families. He had witnessed the utter loyalty to the Han Dynasty during his trip to Shu. Since loyalty to the Han Dynasty is also loyalty, why be loyal to Cao Wei when it has no practical meaning?

This shows that although people's hearts may be as volatile as water, they are not entirely without rules.

People are either after fame or profit; they always have something to gain. Where does loyalty come from without a reason?
If this was the case with the Cao Wei dynasty, then the Sima clan, born out of injustice and dying in disgrace, was even more so.

After settling the army in the camp east of Tongguan, Shi Shouxin led Li Liang and others on a stroll outside Tongguan. They saw a large natural rock at the exit of Yangchang Slope, about a mile east of the pass, and a plan immediately came to mind.

He said to Li Liang, "Find a stonemason and have the poem engraved on it."

What poem is it?

Li Liang inquired.

"Let's call it 'Remembering Tongguan'."

Shi Shouxin dismounted and took a charcoal pencil from Li Liang.

Charcoal pencils are typically made by burning extremely fine willow twigs to produce charcoal, which is then used to create the pencil lead. This lead is then inserted into a hollow, thin wooden stick, much like the pencils of the past.

"The peaks are like a gathering of people, the waves are like a raging storm, and the Tongguan Pass is located between mountains and rivers."

Looking westward towards the capital, I hesitate. Heartbroken, I see the places where the Qin and Han dynasties once stood, their countless palaces now turned to dust.

"When a dynasty prospers, the people suffer; when a dynasty falls, the people suffer!"

Having finished writing it in one go, Shi Shouxin inwardly cursed himself for his sins and dared only write "Anonymous" at the end.

Why doesn't Shi Sima leave his name here?

Li Liang asked in confusion.

"This was written by someone else. That person once said that he wanted to save the people from the sea of ​​suffering in the chaotic world, and that the ancient rulers personally shouldered the burdens and brought peace to the people."

However, he died before achieving his goal.

Shi Shouxin sighed.

"No wonder he could write such verses."

Li Liang nodded in empathy and then ordered his personal guards to find a stonemason inside Tongguan Pass to carve the poem onto the large stone.

"It's a pity that the Prime Minister can't see this."

Liu Shan sighed and shook his head, without asking who the "nameless person" Shi Shouxin was referring to was.

Seeing that no one was around, Shi Shouxin looked at Liu Shan and asked:
"After you go to Luoyang, the Prince of Jin will definitely host a banquet for you. After a few rounds of wine and singing and dancing, if the Prince of Jin asks you, 'Do you miss Shu?' how will you answer?"

Although the princess of Shu was pregnant, Shi Shouxin still addressed Liu Shan with utter disrespect. This was not because he was ignorant of etiquette, but because he did it on purpose.

"I am happy here and don't miss Shu."

Before Liu Shan could speak, Xi Zheng answered from the side.

Shi Shouxin glanced at him with some surprise, while Xi Zheng looked at him calmly as well. After a while, Shi Shouxin looked at Liu Shan and said meaningfully, "Listen to advice and you'll eat your fill. Sometimes, listening to the advice of good officials around you can help you avoid disaster."

After saying that, he turned and left, heading towards Zhongtongguan Pass.

After Shi Shouxin left, Liu Shan patted Xi Zheng on the shoulder and said, "You said it well."

However, Xi Zheng said with a worried expression, "No matter what, Master Shi is your son-in-law. He may seem cold on the outside but he's warm on the inside. There are many things he can't say, and he doesn't mean you any harm. Even if you say something wrong, he can't do anything to you. But once you get to Luoyang, things might not be so easy to deal with Sima Zhao. You must be careful."

Liu Shan nodded somewhat helplessly. Things had come to this point; he could only take it one step at a time. He saw the stonemason carving the poem that Shi Shouxin had just written onto the large stone.

This poem reminded him of Zhuge Liang's famous line, "I will dedicate myself to the cause until my dying breath." Some people may have passed away, and their actions may seem foolish to later generations, but their spirit lives on.

These people and events left Liu Shan with mixed feelings.

That night, Hao Meng hosted a banquet for Shi Shouxin and his trusted subordinates, but did not send anyone to inform Liu Shan.

This is actually quite normal, because a ruler who has lost his country is not worth associating with. On the contrary, Shi Shouxin is a rising political star in recent years, and has served in both civil and military positions.

Such a person is likely to become a "military governor of a certain region" who manages the military and political affairs of a region, and will also be accompanied by the titles of "prefect" and "holding the imperial staff" or "acting as an imperial staff," transforming into a powerful figure with all three in one.

Now that we have the opportunity, wouldn't it be a waste not to make connections?

Shi Shouxin did not refuse Hao Meng's deliberate flattery at all, and the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely during the meal.

After leaving the banquet, he summoned his confidants to his stone house to discuss important matters.

"Have you decided where to settle your troops—Liaodong, Hedong, Hexi, Qingxu, Henan, or Huainan?"

After everyone was seated, Shi Shouxin looked around and asked. He had mentioned this question when they left Chengdu, telling everyone to think about it carefully along the way.

Now that they've reached Tongguan, Luoyang is not far away, and it's time to give an answer. With internal opinions unified, Shi Shouxin can more easily mobilize political resources to find a place to stay.

This is no joke; it's a matter of life and death!
As for Jingzhou and Xiangyang, neither the Cao family nor the Sima family had much control there, and the area was sparsely populated due to years of war. Settling Shi Shouxin and his troops there would be tantamount to creating a new warlord, at least a Liu Biao.

How could the Sima family do such a stupid thing!
Therefore, this place is not even worth discussing. The Sima family will definitely place their most trusted person here to take charge of the overall situation.

"Liaodong is bitterly cold and surrounded by barbarians. We have no foothold there; at best, we can only serve as watchdogs for the Sima family."

Li Liang spoke first.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Going to Liaodong at this time was tantamount to suicide. It was far better to stay in Hanzhong than go to such a place. In Hanzhong, at least they could survive, and if they encountered someone as enlightened and capable as Shi Shouxin, they might even live a good life.

Once you get to Liaodong, they only care about who has the fastest sword! Without a strong foundation, you won't be able to get reinforcements, and you'll be doomed if something happens.
"The Qiang and Hu tribes in Hexi have already gained momentum and are now stirring up trouble. Sooner or later, they will cause chaos. When we were in Hanzhong, we heard many rumors about them. Going to Hexi now would be tantamount to courting our own destruction."

Moreover, Hexi is not far from where Deng Ai established his military farms; it's akin to having a powerful enemy wielding a knife behind you, leaving you no room to even move freely, let alone live and work in peace.

Xi Zuo also cast a veto.

No one objected to this suggestion.

In fact, neither Liaodong nor Hexi was very friendly to these retainers from Hanzhong.

"Let me say a few words too."

Shi Shouxin said, "Although Henan is a good place, whether it is Henan, Luoyang, Xingyang, or Yingchuan, they are all close to the throat of the imperial court. In my opinion, our status is probably not worthy of settling down in these places."

Without waiting for anyone's reply, he continued, "Huainan is indeed a suitable place, but it has seen numerous rebellions, and those rebellions have almost always been against the Sima family. If we go there, we might be coerced into joining the rebellion. In that case, no matter whose side we choose, we will have to endure a lot of hardship. Going to Huainan now would be tantamount to courting our own destruction."

This idea is quite novel; no one has ever heard of it before, but upon closer examination, it makes sense.

Indeed, as Shi Shouxin said, after Sima Yi's mausoleum at Gaoping Mausoleum, there were three rebellions in Huainan. There might even be a fourth, fifth, or sixth rebellion later on.

If Shi Shouxin were to bring them to settle here, they would have a manor of at least several thousand households, along with several thousand hereditary soldiers. Although they would be nothing in the eyes of the Sima family, they would still be a force to be reckoned with in the local area.

If something really happens, whichever side Shi Shouxin stands on will likely become stronger.

At that point, it won't be enough to simply say "I won't participate" and truly distance myself from the situation.

"Sir Shi, after looking around, only Hedong and Qingxu are worth going to."

Zhao Lun sighed, "In the end, the choices are getting fewer and fewer."

“The local powerful families in Hedong are very strong, and many of them have fortified villages and private armies. The Sima family has settled and cultivated land here, and they are on equal footing with them, jointly governing Hedong.”

If we go there, regardless of which side we side with, it will change the current balance of power.

Judging from this, Sima Zhao might not allow us to settle there.

Furthermore, Hedong is a crucial strategic location connecting Guanzhong and Henan. If a rebellion were to occur here, it would pose a significant threat to the imperial court.

This alone shows that the Sima family would definitely arrange for a prince surnamed Sima to be stationed in Hedong.

Li Liang voiced his opposition, believing that Hedong was only a theoretical possibility. Or rather, such prime territory was simply not theirs to have a chance with.

"It's not that you can't go to Hedong. The connections there are actually quite simple. The problem isn't there."

Shi Shouxin shook his head.

Li Liang's point of view is correct, but he didn't get to the heart of the matter.

"We are still very weak right now, and at this time, we should be low-key and cautious."

Hedong is the stage of the world, or at least a key strategic point in the north.

Whatever happens here will attract attention.

"If you want to go here, I can try to arrange it, but I think going to Hedong is definitely not the best option."

Shi Shouxin said solemnly.

Everyone else nodded repeatedly, but Zhao Lun felt it was a pity.

"Qingxu is an inconspicuous place, and it is not close to the front line."

Let's keep a low profile here.

Shi Shouxin explained to everyone.

Just then, Li Liang suddenly frowned, thinking of a "worst-case scenario".

"Sima Shi, do you think such a situation is possible?"

Li Liang lowered his voice and said, "If Sima Zhao has no good intentions, he will give us a small piece of land around Luoyang to make a living, and send the able-bodied men of our families to join the army in Huainan. Then, he will agree on the fiefdom of Shi Sima, which will be in a place like Danyang or Moling in Wu. If we take it, we can be granted a fiefdom. If we don't take it, then Shi Sima will lead his troops to fill the pit with lives."

His words caused everyone to gasp. It wasn't that it was impossible, but given the Sima family's reputation for being untrustworthy, such a tactic was all too normal.

"If that's the case, then we'll have to make other plans."

A cold glint flashed in Shi Shouxin's eyes as he spoke.

If Sima Zhao really wanted to play this game, he had his own alternative methods.

Haha, if you don't want me to sit at the table to eat, then I'll flip the table and smash the pot, so that no one will have anything to eat!
(End of this chapter)