Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 158 Do you bow your head like me in the sun?
Spring has come again.

Outside Luoyang, the fields are bustling with activity.

Under the warm sunshine, hardworking farmers bent over, their backs hunched, pulling plows to turn the soil like oxen. Some wealthy landlords, however, had their tenants use whips to drive oxen to turn the soil instead of by hand.

Many people are also digging ponds and ditches to draw water from the Luo River for irrigation.

Looking around, one word comes to mind: busy!

As Shi Shouxin rode his horse, looking at the fields on both sides of the official road, he couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. In fact, the fields weren't this busy when he left in the spring.

After coming from Tongguan, everything he saw and heard was filled with the atmosphere of peace and new life.

It was probably after the conquest of Shu that everyone saw the prospect of a meal soon to be served, so they were able to settle down and focus on developing production.

Only when there is more food on the table can more be eaten. Even the powerful and wealthy need orderly exploitation and oppression; they also oppose turbulent situations.

From this perspective, the interests of both landlords and tenants partially overlap.

"The tenants are doing alright now, but it's hard to say what will happen in ten years."

"I'm riding on horseback," Shi Shouxin muttered to himself.

His troops, family members, and confidants are all currently stationed in Gucheng, west of Luoyang, and are not allowed to go to Luoyang; they can only remain in Gucheng to obey orders.

The only people allowed to go to Luoyang were Shi Shouxin, Li Liang (who served as his advisor), Liu Shan himself (excluding his entourage), and Deng Ai, who was sitting in a prison cart.

The group consisted of four personal guards, totaling less than ten people. It must be said, this treatment was even worse than that given to Zhuge Xu when Zhong Hui sent him back to Chang'an. It all seemed rather strange.

But there was nothing they could do. Last night, Sima Zhao sent someone with an imperial edict in Cao Huan's name, and they had no choice but to obey!
"Sir Shi, something seems off about the court's actions this time."

Li Liang rode forward and said in a low voice.

Yesterday, Li Liang received an imperial edict ordering everyone to remain in Gucheng and only a select few to travel to Luoyang. He immediately realized that this was not in accordance with common sense.

It was inevitable that Shi Shouxin's troops, returning to Luoyang, would be barred from entering the city, as they were not Sima Zhao's trusted troops. However, the fact that they were not even allowed to camp in the suburbs was highly unusual.

As victorious soldiers returning home, they should not be treated like this; they are not prisoners of war!
Just then, a dozen or so riders came along the official road in the distance. As they got closer, it became clear that these riders were all wearing long trousers without robes, and only short jackets over their upper bodies.

However, their clothes were not military uniforms; they looked more like the private soldiers of some wealthy family. The styles were generally the same, but the colors varied, including black, white, and gray, creating a very messy appearance.

A makeshift troupe at first glance.

"Halt! Who are you?"

Shi Shouxin drew his sword and pointed it at the menacing group, questioning them. Four guards rode forward to protect him, their bowstrings already drawn, all looking on alert.

"Ai Ai killed my family, and today I've come for revenge!"

"Get out of my way!"

The leader gave Shi Shouxin a perfunctory reply, then waved his hand, and dozens of people behind him bypassed Shi Shouxin and the others, rushing to the prison cart carrying Deng Ai. They raised their crossbows and fired into the prison cart!
"Thief, stop it!"

Shi Shouxin shouted loudly, pulled on the reins, turned his horse around, and charged forward.

Unfortunately, those people seemed to have been prepared. Seeing that Deng Ai in the prison cart had been hit by several arrows and his clothes were covered in blood, they did not linger and turned to head west.

These men came and went like the wind, shooting Deng Ai dead in the prison cart in just a few breaths, showing that they were no ordinary people.

Shi Shouxin rode his horse and chased after them for several dozen paces, but realized that it was pointless to keep chasing, so he returned to the group.

Upon seeing Liu Shan on horseback, he was trembling with fear and his face turned deathly pale. He sighed helplessly and had no choice but to abandon his plan to pursue the thief.

It's actually quite obvious who those people were and why they wanted to kill Deng Ai.

However, Sima Zhao's show of force came at just the right time.

If they had acted sooner, Shi Shouxin would have had thousands of soldiers protecting him, and these men wouldn't have been able to reach Deng Ai at all;
If they entered Luoyang later, even if Sima Zhao was insane, he couldn't possibly send assassins to kill people in the city, could he?

Who would have thought that a cavalry unit would charge out from the outskirts of Luoyang and kill the prisoners in the prison cart?
Shi Shouxin felt guilty and secretly lamented his situation. He could only admit that he had overestimated the bottom line of some people.

He arrived at the prison cart and saw that Deng Ai was dead with his eyes wide open, with at least seven or eight arrows in his body, one of which had struck his throat! He was already dead beyond any doubt!
Things have come to this point and there's no going back. Fortunately, there's always a way out. Let's just take it one step at a time.

Shi Shouxin thought to himself, but his face remained calm and his emotions were not visible.

If Deng Ai were to enter Luoyang, whether or not to convict him, how to convict him, and what crime to convict him of were all major headaches for Sima Zhao.

Every time the courtiers discussed it, it was as if they were dragging Sima Zhao out and slapping him in the face.

Because no matter what, it was Deng Ai, not Sima Zhao, who conquered Shu. Treating such a meritorious official, whether imprisoning or releasing him, would tarnish Sima Zhao's reputation.

Therefore, it would be best if Deng Ai died on the road! This would save Sima Zhao trouble and the court trouble as well.

Shi Shouxin recalled that the leader had said it was for revenge, and he secretly wondered if the matter would end up being left unresolved.
Perhaps to confirm his statement, less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, another group of people came towards them.

However, the people who came this time were all clad in bright armor and carried the banners of the Imperial Guard, with the large characters "Sima" embroidered on them, making them particularly eye-catching.

Needless to say, they were clearly imperial guards from Luoyang.

The young general leading the group rode up alone, bowed to Shi Shouxin, and asked, "Is this Shi Shouxin, the Commander Shi?"

Shi Shouxin spurred his horse forward and bowed, saying, "I am indeed Shi Shouxin, temporarily serving as the military commander of the army that is conquering Shu. May I ask who you are?"

"My name is Sima You. I have been ordered by the Prince of Jin to lead Sima Shi and his entourage into the city. Please!"

As Sima You spoke, he noticed Deng Ai inside the prison cart, his body riddled with arrows, already dead. He frowned, recalling Sima Zhao's instructions before his departure, but ultimately said nothing, turning his horse around and leaving. The cavalry behind Sima You "protected" Shi Shouxin and the others in the middle, fearing they might escape or encounter some mishap.

This unexpected encounter made Shi Shouxin feel Sima Zhao's anger.

Indeed, Sima Zhao's anger was expressed in this clear and unambiguous way.

As he had previously requested, Shi Shouxin should have killed Deng Ai in Shu, using any pretext, such as having Deng Ai's soldiers kill him to vent their anger and seek revenge.

Anyway, let Deng Ai die without knowing why.

Not only were they spared, but Deng Ai was also brought back. It was because Shi Shouxin disobeyed military orders and had "his own ideas."

In Sima Zhao's view, Shi Shouxin could be a knife, a dog, a horse, or a carriage. Basically, anything was fine, as long as he was put to good use, the only thing he couldn't have was his own thoughts.

Considering that this matter was not a matter of life and death, Sima Zhao did not intend to kill Shi Shouxin as a sacrifice. However, although he could escape the death penalty, he would not escape punishment, and some punishment was inevitable. This was also a warning before he was put to great use in the future.

Throughout the journey, Sima You, who knew the inside story, dared not speak to Shi Shouxin.

After entering Luoyang, Shi Shouxin and Li Liang were ordered to leave the ranks and take their personal guards to live in Yang Hu's residence in Luoyang to await the summons of the Prince of Jin.

Liu Shan was "invited" to the Prince of Jin's residence by Sima You. As for the prison cart containing Deng Ai's body, it was taken away by Shi Bao, the Commandant of the Capital Region, under the pretext of investigating a case.

As soon as he entered the city, Shi Shouxin felt a chill.

Although the conquest of Shu was over, the distribution of spoils was far from finished. The subsequent rewards, punishments, and purges were only just beginning!
When they arrived at Yang Hu's house, there were only a few servants guarding the courtyard. It seemed that Yang Hu had given instructions beforehand, and after Shi Shouxin and Li Liang arrived, these people obeyed his orders, preparing food and bedding without any surprise.

Shi Shouxin and Li Liang entered the study. After they sat down, Li Liang's expression turned very unpleasant.

"Sir Shi, judging from the situation in Luoyang, it seems that something big is about to happen."

He spoke with a worried expression, but Shi Shouxin waved his hand and said, "What's the big deal? It's just a change of dynasty. If you call it a big deal, then it is."

That's the truth.

Changing Cao Wei to Sima Jin was like an arrow already on a bowstring, ready to be released; how could one not be nervous?

"Sima Zhao did not kill Deng Ai, but insisted on sending him back to Luoyang. Sima Zhao was furious and humiliated, so he ruthlessly killed him."

This matter is not over yet; both the Silitai (司隶台) and the Tingwei (廷尉) will come to investigate the case.

Although it's just a formality, a little warning is definitely unavoidable.

Li Liang spoke his mind.

In short: The Sima family are utterly despicable!

"If Sima Zhao doesn't even have this much skill, then I'll look down on him."

Shi Shouxin said calmly, clearly not worried.

"Sima Shi, Sima Zhao will definitely remember this incident. He will think about it from time to time and then take his anger out on you."

"You sacrificed so much to send Deng Ai to Luoyang, and not only did you not receive any benefits, you didn't even get to deliver him."

Li Liang said with deep sorrow.

Who dares to say that Shi Shouxin wasn't responsible for Deng Ai being shot by an arrow in the death row carriage?

This matter cannot be proven by oneself, and fortunately, Sima Zhao is unlikely to actually investigate.

There should be another trap set up.

After all, I did manage to deal with Zhong Hui in Chengdu, and that achievement should be remembered.

Otherwise, if another rebellion breaks out in the future, no one will help the Sima family.

You don't need to worry about this; I have my own plans.

Shi Shouxin said in a deep voice, not taking Li Liang's question seriously.

Actually, it wasn't that he didn't care about Sima Zhao's resentment, but rather... Sima Zhao didn't have many days left to live!
The founding emperor of the Western Jin Dynasty was Sima Yan!

Judging by the timeline, it's estimated that in another six months to a year, Sima Zhao will be eager to change the Wei dynasty to the Jin dynasty. Since Sima Zhao failed in the previous historical account, it means he must have died from a sudden illness or a violent death.

In any case, the dead have no right to criticize the living. What's Shi Shouxin afraid of—a dead futures trader?

Just then, someone outside the door called out, "Sima Shi, I am Sima You, here to deliver your visiting card. I have left the card outside the door, and I will take my leave now."

After saying that, he left the courtyard without waiting for Shi Shouxin to open the door.

Shi Shouxin walked out of his study and saw a red invitation card on the ground. He opened it and read that it instructed him and his entourage to attend a banquet at the Prince of Jin's residence the following night.

He handed the visiting card to Li Liang for inspection, and the latter smiled wryly after reading it, saying, "Sima Zhao doesn't even want to act anymore, huh?"

"That's for sure. After destroying the Shu Kingdom, why not change the dynasty and enjoy life while we're still young? Are we going to wait until we're too old to move before becoming the founding emperor?"

Shi Shouxin sneered and tucked the visiting card into his sleeve.

The scene of a leader giving a reprimand to a capable but unruly subordinate at a banquet looks all too familiar.

Shi Shouxin thought to himself: Sima Zhao also wants to finish these trivial matters as soon as possible, and then happily sit on the dragon throne!
This person couldn't wait even a day longer!

(End of this chapter)