Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 243 What kind of young person wouldn't be wild?
Why sleep so much while alive? You'll have plenty of time to sleep after you die.

Shi Shouxin was a person who was very wary of "critical moments". At critical moments, he could stay up for three days and three nights without sleep, because such moments may only come a few times in a lifetime, and missing them could really kill him.

It was late at night, and he was still writing a letter to Hu Fen in his study. Jia Yu, on the other hand, was like a pendant, clinging to his waist, and had fallen asleep.

Shi Shouxin picked up his brush, pondered for a moment, and then placed the brush back on the brush holder.

Previously, there was no official title of "Governor of Qingxu", only "Governor of Xuzhou".

This position was responsible for managing the border defenses of Eastern Wu in the south, focusing primarily on defense and rarely involving preparations for offense.

Since the Sima family came to power, their foundation has been unstable, and Huainan has repeatedly rebelled. The rebel forces even cooperated with Eastern Wu at times, putting significant pressure on the defense of Xuzhou.

It was already quite an achievement for the Sima family to hold onto Xuzhou; an attack was out of the question.

Therefore, the governor of Xuzhou could only be considered a "minor governor," merely a border defense commander, and not someone with high rank or power.

However, ever since the conquest of Shu, what the Sima family had been thinking about, especially what Sima Yan had been hoping for, was to destroy Wu.

The reason why Shi Shouxin's offer of "Governor-General of Qing and Xu" was accepted without any obstacles was because the Sima family planned to destroy Wu and would shift from strategic defense to strategic offense against Wu.

The junior governor of Xuzhou is not suitable; his troops are too weak, his military power is too limited, and he lacks strategic depth. We need a senior governor of Qingzhou and Xuzhou to keep things in order.

Now, with one large and one small governor-general, and two governors-general existing side by side, isn't that a conflict?
Therefore, Hu Fen should be transferred. In fact, he should have already received the transfer order, but he hasn't left yet.

All of this did not come out of nowhere; it was closely related to the strategy of the Jin state in destroying Wu.

Hu Fen may not have intentionally wanted to stay in Xuzhou; he probably wanted to make a quick buck before leaving.

In reality, when the State of Jin was founded, Hu Fen was only granted the title of "Yangxiazi," which was two ranks lower than Shi Shouxin's title of "Marquis of Donglai." Clearly, the Hu family had not yet entered the political core of the State of Jin.

The title bestowed upon the Hu family by the Sima family is also quite interesting. Since the Hu family had a private army and a clan, there was a tendency for them to transition from military men to aristocratic families.

Therefore, they should not be given high titles.

The Sima clan would never allow any one person to possess all three things simultaneously: direct subordinates, high-ranking official positions, and a powerful family background.

Shi Shouxin compared Hu Fen with himself, analyzed their respective strengths and weaknesses, and then he had a better understanding of the situation.

The Sima family's wariness of Hu Fen far exceeded that of Shi Shouxin, a young man without family backing!

If things really escalate, then it's highly likely that Hu Fen will be punished.

So he began to write a letter.

In his letter, Shi Shouxin wrote:

"Xuzhou is located south of the Yangtze River, facing the Eastern Wu across the river. Even the Danyang County of Eastern Wu is not far from Guangling City."

However, the capital of Xuzhou was in Xiapi, and the distance to Guangling City was much greater than that of Danyang County of Eastern Wu.

If Eastern Wu really has some major event or treacherous intentions, then even if you are stationed in Xiapi, you will not be able to deal with it in time.

In view of this, as the Governor of Qingzhou and Xuzhou, I am deeply concerned about this matter.

Taking advantage of the lower water levels in autumn and winter, which would prevent the Eastern Wu navy from attacking, I intend to lead my troops to Guangling for military exercises, and also to survey the terrain and build fortifications in preparation for any eventuality.

I'm writing this letter simply to let you know.

"Once I arrive at Guangling with my troops, I will order your unit to join us here. We will then discuss the details of the exercise."

The inscription is signed by Shi Shouxin, General Who Conquers the East, Commander-in-Chief of the Military Affairs of Qing and Xu, and Marquis of Donglai.

All the possible modifiers have been added.

After finishing the letter, Shi Shouxin read it over and over again, and was satisfied with it.

The only drawback is the absence of the phrase "holding the imperial staff." However, since there is no need to wage war at present, the staff is generally not issued, and no official is appointed to hold it.

If you want to show off, you'll have to wait until later.

The letter was very impolite and made no mention of his relationship with Hu Fen's younger brother, Hu Lie.

Shi Shouxin got straight to business from the start:
The Xuzhou defense line has natural weaknesses. How can you, the former governor of Xuzhou, still sleep soundly?
If you are still the governor of Xuzhou, hurry up and come to Guangling City to see what's going on with Eastern Wu.

When Lao Tzu takes office, he makes three bold moves, and the first one is to set fire to you.

If you know that the Governor of Xuzhou has been removed and you are no longer the Prefect of Xuzhou, then hurry back to Luoyang, or go wherever the transfer order takes you. Don't occupy the position without doing your job!
Shi Shouxin believed that as long as Hu Fen was a smart man, he would definitely be able to understand the letter.

Speaking up for Ji Xi would be unwise and would only invite trouble from Hu Fen. Rather than letting Ji Xi force his way into power, it would be better to give Hu Fen, who is currently the governor of Xuzhou, a good beating.

Once Hu Fen is worn out, he will naturally leave, and then Ji Xi will be able to take over easily.
What if Hu Fen doesn't leave?

In fact, Shi Shouxin had also thought of this situation. At that time, he would ask: Do your troops listen to your command or to me, the governor of Qingxu?

I may not bring your troops, but I still have the authority to deploy them, right?
If Hu Fen refuses, he won't be able to stay in Xuzhou. If the soldiers in Xuzhou don't obey the orders of the Qingxu Governor, it's tantamount to rebellion, and they can be directly suppressed.

If Hu Fen doesn't shirk responsibility, well, Shi Shouxin has many ways to prove that Chang Wei knows martial arts, no, to prove that Hu Fen can command his troops.

Then we can have these soldiers repair their camps, dredge the waterways, and help out at the shipbuilding workshops near the ferry crossing.

Shi Shouxin, being a higher-ranking official, had plenty of ways to deal with Hu Fen.

Just think of it as someone taking out a loan to work; it's a win-win situation.

"No wonder everyone wants to be an official and hold great power. The taste of power is just too wonderful, it's irresistible."

Shi Shouxin sighed deeply, then looked at the letter he had just written, his heart filled with emotion.

About a year or two ago, he was far less capable than Hu Fen is now, and he was constantly being ordered around by others.

But now, he has become a superior who can order others around.

No wonder everyone wants to improve.

That's great progress! You even have more opportunities to learn foreign languages ​​now.

"Ah Lang, have you finished writing the letter?"

Just as Shi Shouxin was lost in his fantasies, Jia Yu, half asleep and half awake, squinted and asked.

"The wolf has finished its business and is now extremely hungry."

As Shi Shouxin removed Jia Yu's bathrobe, he whispered something in her ear.

His words were full of provocation and seduction.

"My lord, you, you might as well kill me."

I'm not afraid.

As Jia Yu murmured with rapid breathing, he helped the other man undress, and the two soon lay on the couch "wrestling" together.

After a night of wind and rain, Shi Shouxin, who had spent most of the night playing with Jia Yu on the bed in the study, didn't get up until the sun was high in the sky.

Last night was quite enjoyable, and Jia Yu is still lying on the couch, not wanting to move, his body as limp as mud.

Shi Shouxin wasn't deliberately indulging in pleasure; if he could, he could go a month without any problems.

The reason he indulged himself last night was to deliberately leave Ji Xi out of the room, and to let Ji Xi know that he had been pampering Jia Chong's precious daughter last night.

These matters couldn't escape the notice of seasoned officials like Ji Xi. Rather than hiding them, it was better to openly expose them to these political animals.

As expected, when Shi Shouxin left the study, Ji Xi had been waiting outside for a long time, his attitude much more humble than the night before.

"This is a letter that Shi wrote to Hu Fen. Lord Ji, please take a look. If there are no problems, I will have someone send it to Xiapi by fast horse."

Shi Shouxin handed the letter he had written the night before directly to Ji Xi, showing that he was very open-minded and frank, without holding back.

Ji Xi was so excited he was almost in tears. He really hadn't expected Shi Shouxin to be as straightforward as ever. This was something not just anyone could do; there would usually be some conditions involved.

However, after quickly reading the letter, Ji Xi's expression suddenly turned strange.

"Commander Shi, this letter... are you really going to Guangling for the military drills?"

Ji Xi asked in confusion, his mind filled with a hundred questions.

"That's natural."

Shi Shouxin said calmly.

Ji Xi stood there stunned for a long time without saying a word, and finally just nodded silently.

He felt that Shi Shouxin was going too far, but this was to stand up for him, and if Ji Xi objected, it would be like he was getting a benefit and then acting innocent, which would be considered ungrateful.

He still knows basic manners.

Hopefully, nothing serious will happen.

Ji Xi sighed inwardly.

The power of a military governor overseeing all military affairs in a certain region, especially one spanning several prefectures, cannot be abused; otherwise, chaos would have ensued long ago.

Generally speaking, a Grand Commander who is in charge of the military affairs of several provinces can only exercise this power when fighting against an enemy country, or when he already knows the enemy country's war plan and is leading troops to defend against it.

Otherwise, if the Grand Commander were to go hunting outside the city, or simply to suppress bandits near the prefecture, would it be necessary to waste resources and manpower by bringing in troops from other prefectures and counties?
This is obviously unreasonable.

Although military orders don't explicitly state many things, there are often unspoken rules behind the scenes.

Everyone was tacitly carrying out the plan; those who actually overturned the table, like Zhuge Dan and Guanqiu Jian, don't count.

Shi Shouxin's letter can only indicate two things: either the imperial court is preparing to attack Eastern Wu, or it has already intercepted intelligence about Eastern Wu's troop deployment and has deployed troops in advance to defend the front line of Guangling City.

Either way, they've gone too far.

In fact, it would have been easy for Shi Shouxin to escort Ji Xi to Xiapi, and without violating any taboos.

The local area is not peaceful now. As the governor-general takes office, he cannot guarantee his own safety. It is only natural that the governor-general's office sends troops to escort him.

Ji Xi didn't know what Shi Shouxin was thinking, but things had already come to this point, and it was no longer up to him to decide.

We can only wait here in Linzi for the time being.

After Ji Xi left the governor's mansion and went to the post station, Shi Shouxin sealed the letter and sent someone on horseback to Xiapi to deliver it.

In fact, he did not intend to lead his troops to Guangling, because Sun Hao of Eastern Wu had just succeeded to the throne, and the situation was still very unstable, so there was basically no possibility of attacking the State of Jin.

He's lucky if he can even hold onto his position. Now, without the support of the Shu army, if Eastern Wu were to launch a preemptive attack on Xuzhou, well, in dreams everything is possible, but in reality, only the bare bones remain.

Hu Fen will definitely reply. If he does, he will either inform Shi Shouxin that he will "resign" or that he will bring troops to join him.

If it is the latter, then Shi Shouxin will definitely lead his troops to Xuzhou and meet Hu Fen in Guangling City.

If it's the former, Shi Shouxin could simply send troops to escort Ji Xi to Xiapi; it would be very easy.

This game looks like a sure win.

……

The Hu family has six sons in this generation.

The eldest son, Hu Guang, served as an official in the central government of Luoyang. Although he climbed the ranks slowly, he took it one step at a time and has now become the Minister of the Imperial Household.

The second son is Hu Fen, who has just been transferred from his post as the governor of Xuzhou.

My third brother, Hu Lie, is currently on official business in the Jingzhou army, but he is not in charge of military affairs in Jingzhou.

The fourth brother, Hu Qi, served as an official in Bingzhou.

The other two were not famous and did not work in officialdom; they were probably managing their family businesses in their hometown of Anding County.

The Hu family was a powerful and influential family in the area, even more so than the Sima family in Wen County back then. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they could control everything.

Logically speaking, the Hu family, having risen to such a level, should be considered a prominent and wealthy family.

However, this family was ultimately lacking something; to be precise, it lacked close advisors like Jia Chong and Yang Xiu who were close to the Sima family.

Therefore, their fate was often beyond their own control, and they frequently had to depend on the whims of these close advisors.

At this moment, Hu Fen sat in the study of the Governor's Mansion in Xiapi, looking at the letter of appointment sent by the imperial court, his face somewhat grim.

"Uncle, did the imperial court's order say anything?"

"I am worried," Hu Xi asked his nephew.

Hu Fen's only son died young, leaving only his nephew Hu Xi, the son of his elder brother Hu Guang, to accompany him and be groomed as his successor.

"Just the governor of Bingzhou."

Hu Fen sighed, his face revealing his disappointment.

The order did not contain the phrase "Commander-in-Chief of the Military Affairs of Bingzhou".

Just a few words change the meaning significantly, turning it into an enhanced version of "Bicycle Governor".

That is, he is only slightly better than a governor who went to his post alone.

After all, the Hu family was a powerful local family that had accumulated a large fortune over generations and had no shortage of soldiers and retainers.

"Bingzhou is located near the grasslands, so I'm afraid it's not as stable and prosperous as Xuzhou."

Hu Xi was intelligent and quick-witted from a young age, and with careful nurturing, he naturally possessed political acumen, and he succinctly pointed out the key to the current situation.

Bingzhou is not a poor place, but it has a small land area and limited development potential. Moreover, it is directly facing the Xiongnu!
The idea that the Xiongnu people beyond the Great Wall were plotting a rebellion was no longer just a rumor, but something that had been heard about frequently. It's just that it never actually happened.

Is it alright to go to Bingzhou as a single governor without any military command?
It's important to know that transporting troops to Bingzhou, such a long distance, consumes a considerable amount of grain, fodder, and money.
Are we going to leave them in Xuzhou?

Sima Yan could then accept the offer without thanks.

Hu Fen rubbed his temples; this was the consequence of having no one in the court. Even his brother Hu Lie's military achievements in the conquest of Shu did not change the situation.

Just then, a guard came in and led the messenger from Qingzhou to the study.

"I am Hu Fen, the governor of Xuzhou. Who are you, and what brings you here?"

Hu Fen looked at the person who had come and asked.

Without saying much, the man handed over a bamboo tube sealed with sealing wax and then stepped aside.

In front of this person, Hu Fen scratched off the sealing wax, took out the letter inside, and read it quickly. Immediately, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"Lin Fu (Hu Xi's courtesy name), take him to the post station to rest. Don't leave yet. Wait for my reply and have him take it back."

Hu Fen waved his hand gently, sending Hu Xi away.

He was the only one left in the study.

"What exactly is Shi Shouxin planning to do by going to Guangling for the martial arts demonstration?"

Hu Fen crossed his arms and pondered deeply.

The key issue is the current situation; he's caught in a dilemma, unable to decide whether to go or not.

(End of this chapter)