Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 191 The Strongest Working Man
When Shi Shouxin arrived at the Prince of Jin's residence again, he was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and barely managed to stay upright.

In fact, whether it was Sima Fu killing Sima Zhao or the Sima family committing massacres, he didn't care.

Of course, he was indifferent to the direct impact of the massacre, but the indirect impact was quite significant.

We absolutely cannot allow things to continue developing like this until it collapses.

If Sima Fu's faction wins, history will descend into an unpredictable abyss. At this moment, all of Shi Shouxin's historical knowledge was almost systematically abolished.

Moreover, with each new emperor comes a new court, and the network of connections that Shi Shouxin has worked so hard to build over the years will most likely... also go to waste.

These changes aren't necessarily unacceptable, but frankly, it all boils down to this: Who does Sima Fu think he is? What gives him the right to rise to power?
How shameless is this old geezer?

If Sima Fu's lineage can all rise to the throne and become emperor, why can't he, Shi, do the same?

Shi Shouxin would never tolerate this old man. If given the chance, he would not hesitate to stab him in the neck.

This is not to say that Shi Shouxin thought Sima Zhao's family was any good, but rather that Sima Fu was definitely bad!

At the crucial moment, Shi Shouxin had no choice!
Sima Yan and Sima You were both quite surprised by Shi Shouxin's swift return. They had assumed that Shi Shouxin would go home to rest after visiting Sima Liang, but he had returned in just half an hour.

"My lords, there is an urgent matter at hand."

Shi Shouxin explained Sima Liang's attitude, the fact that it would take at least twenty days to mobilize troops from Chang'an, and also handed over the personal letter from Consort Fu to Sima Yan and Sima You for review.

After reading the letter, Sima Yan hesitated before asking, "So, you're going to transfer troops from Xuchang to Luoyang..."

"Indeed, troops from Xuchang can arrive in Luoyang in five days, which is much faster than troops from Chang'an!"

Shi Shouxin emphasized this point. He had done his homework beforehand, which is why he dared to offer suggestions now.

Between Xuchang and Luoyang, the land is all plains, with the nearly abandoned Hulao Pass in between.

Not only can the marching speed be increased, but even in terms of the straight-line distance, the distance from Xuchang to Luoyang is much shorter than that from Chang'an to Luoyang!
Sima Jun, who was stationed in Xuchang, was Sima Liang's fourth brother and the youngest son of Empress Dowager Fu. With this letter from Empress Dowager Fu, persuading Sima Jun should not have been difficult at all.

It has all the advantages: favorable location and harmonious relationships!

This matter, at first glance, doesn't seem unusual. But what if it was all orchestrated by Shi Shouxin alone?
Sima Yan's expression immediately turned serious.

If Option One doesn't work, immediately switch to Option Two, and prepare all the necessary materials for the new option in advance. Only when it's successfully implemented will outsiders take it for granted.

If it doesn't work out, it's like you just can't kick the final kick!

The difference between the two is slight, yet the result is vastly different! Everything in the world has a cause and an effect; nothing is ever truly self-evident!

"Yang Xiu, take the letter from Consort Fu and go to Xuchang. You must persuade Sima Jun to bring troops to Luoyang to defend the emperor!"

Sima Yan gave instructions to Yang Xiu.

"Your Highness, I..."

What Yang Xiu really wanted to say was, if he went to inform Sima Jun, who would give him advice and who would compile the information he had gathered?

On a deeper level, Yang Xiu is the legitimate son of a noble family, already serving in the service of powerful figures and entrusted with important responsibilities.

He himself was a "benefactor," so he had no desire to do errands.

Seeing Yang Xiu hesitate for a few seconds, a flash of disappointment crossed Sima Yan's eyes.

However, at that moment, Sima Yan saw Shi Shouxin bow to him and Sima You and say, "My two sons, I won't trouble you with two masters for one matter. I will go to Xuchang now. Speed ​​is of the essence in war. The sooner the Right Army arrives in Luoyang, the sooner we can secure our victory!"

"No!"

Sima You quickly stopped Shi Shouxin.

"If something happens to Luoyang after you leave, what will we do?"

Sima You began to explain.

Shi Shouxin has been running the whole operation. If he leaves and the situation in Luoyang changes drastically, who can withstand it?
However, Shi Shouxin waved his hand and said:
"My lords, the Prince of Jin must have made arrangements as well. We have done enough."

As long as Sima Jun's Imperial Guards are there to make the final decision, it doesn't matter if Sima Fu loses a few pieces in the game within Luoyang.

This is a matter of great importance. The two young masters are being closely watched and will certainly not be able to leave Luoyang, as leaving would alert the enemy.

If we send someone else, they won't understand that this is a matter of life and death. What if these people are negligent, or even defect to Sima Fu? Wouldn't we be sitting here waiting to die?

If Mr. Shi doesn't go this time, who else can?

His words were logical, well-founded, and resounding, leaving Sima Yan and Sima You speechless as they looked at each other in bewilderment.

Yes, if Shi Shouxin doesn't go, are we supposed to send Shi Chong? Or Pei Xiu, or Wei Guan?

Even if these people are willing to go, can we guarantee they won't betray us?

In such a major event, at such a critical moment, who the hell can we trust?! A slight misstep could lead to deaths and shipwreck!

When Cao Mao started his rebellion, two of the three kings betrayed their master for personal gain at the first opportunity.

With such a precedent to follow, I ask you, which of Sima Yan and Sima You wouldn't be afraid?
"Be careful on the road, and come back soon."

Sima You walked over, patted Shi Shouxin on the shoulder, and sighed deeply.

In fact, he also wanted to personally go and persuade Sima Jun.

But after I go to Xuchang, who will take care of the Imperial Guards in Luoyang?

This area also needs someone to keep an eye on it at all times.

So the topic has come back to this: who can be entrusted with important matters now and will never betray us?

Who would absolutely not side with Sima Fu, and wouldn't stab them in the back at a crucial moment?

Normally, neither Sima Yan nor Sima You would have been without someone to run errands.

Sima Yan was always surrounded by a large entourage, and he could easily gather dozens of people for a dinner party at Shi Chong's house!

But when it came to the crucial moment, they discovered that no one was truly capable of handling important matters. Those who could be trusted, had the ability to withstand pressure, and could get things done could be counted on one hand!

Sima Yan also stepped forward and, right in front of Sima You, tried to win over Shi Shouyin, saying, "After this matter is over, whatever you want, Shi Sima, I can get it for you!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Shouxin pointed to the bright moon in the sky outside the window and asked, "If I want the moon, will the young master grant me that as well?"

Uh, this really won't work.

Sima Yan gave an awkward smile, but Shi Shouxin said, "Your Highness, whatever you offer, I believe the Duke of Changle can afford it, and perhaps even more. If I were only doing this for personal gain, I would have gone directly to Sima Fu. Why bother with all this trouble and running around?"

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter, and the awkward atmosphere vanished instantly.

Shi Shouxin bowed to Sima Yan and Sima You to take his leave. Sima You sent two personal guards to accompany him. The three of them rode on the Prince's fast horse, carrying the tokens of the Prince of Jin's mansion, and rode out of Luoyang.

After Shi Shouxin left, Sima Yan looked at Sima You and asked, "Tao Fu, once Father recovers, I'll have him appoint Shi Shouxin to an official position and have him serve by my side. What do you think?"

Sima You simply smiled slightly, shook his head, and remained silent.

……

At noon, the sun shines brightly.

On the official road near Xingyang City, three fine horses galloped, kicking up clouds of dust.

Suddenly, the horse running in the lead buckled in the front and collapsed to its knees. The rider was also thrown to the ground, rolling many times before coming to a stop with a thud—it was a truly gruesome sight.

The horse immediately collapsed, foaming at the mouth, and was clearly going to die.

The two riders behind him dismounted and rushed forward to help the fallen man to a tree by the roadside.

"It's nothing, just a minor injury."

Shi Shouxin stood up, exhaled a breath of stale air, and patted the dust off his body.

He glanced at the horse lying in the middle of the road, beyond saving, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Ahead lies Xingyang City, there's a post station there, right?"

Shi Shouxin pointed to the outline of the city not far away and asked.

"Sima Shi, you should rest for a while. It won't make a difference if you take an hour or two."

One of Sima You's personal guards earnestly advised him. He had never seen anyone more desperate than Shi Shouxin.

"It's not too late to rest when we get to Xuchang."

Shi Shouxin gave an instruction to the two men behind him, and then the three of them led their horses to the post station outside Xingyang City. Once there, they would change horses and then travel south along the official road to Xuchang.

He was covered in mud and ash, soaked with sweat and clinging to his clothes, looking extremely disheveled.

If it weren't for his intact robes, he would be no different from a beggar on the street.

Because of the long journey on horseback, Shi Shouxin's inner thighs were chafed and sore, and each step brought him pain. The fall he had just taken had left his elbows and calves with multiple scrapes, but thankfully, no bones were broken.

If you can endure hardship, then you will have endless hardship to endure.

If you're unwilling to risk your life when undertaking great tasks, then you must open your arms to face the storms.

Like a hothouse flower, waiting to win while drinking tea in a room—it's not that such things don't happen, but it's certainly not Shi Shouxin's place to experience them.

All he experienced was racking his brains, running errands, and risking his life.

These things don't matter if you want to win.

An hour later, the three arrived at the post station outside Xingyang City. They didn't even have time to eat; they simply took some dry rations, changed into three horses, and prepared to continue their journey.

The horse stumbled and fell, scraping Shi Shouxin's face. He hadn't felt anything before, but now that the wound had scabbed over, it was itchy and painful.

You can't touch it with your hands yet.

Sweat dripped onto the wound, causing an unusual pain.

"Sir Shi, get some wound medicine at the post station and wash your wound before you go."

Seeing that Shi Shouxin was about to mount his horse, a guard stopped him.

"Is this how the King of Qi taught you to be loyal to your duties?"

Shi Shouxin looked at the two men and asked, his tone somewhat cold, even carrying a hint of reproach. Sima You was not yet the King of Qi, but the two guards understood what he meant by mentioning the King of Qi.

Shi Shouxin already held the official position of governor, and in addition, he served as the military supervisor during the campaign against Shu, and even overturned Zhong Hui's coup.

A person's reputation is like the shadow of a tree; one's environment shapes one's character and upbringing. The moment he spoke, his imposing aura swept over the two guards, making them不敢直视 (dare not look directly at him)!

"Sima Shi, I have been rude."

The two quickly apologized.

"It's alright, you meant well."

But if we're too late, we might lose; if we lose, we'll definitely die.

Compared to death, what are these superficial injuries?

Do you really want to die with your families, only to be killed?

Shi Shouxin sighed and asked in return. Without waiting for the two guards to answer, he mounted his horse and took the lead on the official road.

He fears death, but he fears no pain! A man should be strong; in the face of wind and rain, what is this little bit of pain!
If Sima Jun's troops had arrived any later, who knows what might have happened!
Shi Shouxin had no confidence in Sima Zhao's abilities.

The two guards watched Shi Shouxin's departing figure with admiration, then mounted their horses and followed behind.

(End of this chapter)