Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 55 You can't fight city hall.
The atmosphere was extremely tense in Yang Hu's study in his secluded courtyard in Chang'an.

Sima Zhao sat at his desk, awaiting Shi Shouxin's answer. A poor response could very well mark this day next year as the anniversary of his death.

"In order to lull Zhong Hui into a false sense of security and avoid alerting him, I handed over all the original letters without resistance, feigning compliance. However, the copies of all the letters are still with me."

Shi Shouxin took out a silk package from his sleeve and handed it to Sima Zhao. Inside was a letter that he had spent most of the night copying.

"This……"

Upon seeing the silk package before him, Sima Zhao was shocked and speechless for a moment.

He opened the silk package, inside which were stacks of white paper.

Yang Hu, standing to the side, also stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Sima Zhao remained silent, unfolding and reading the letters one by one, his expression constantly changing.

Many things in the letter were expected, yet many were also unexpected.

After reading them all, Sima Zhao finally breathed a sigh of relief. If these letters hadn't reached him, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Sima Zhao casually placed the copied letter on the table, then looked at Shi Shouxin and asked, "Why did Zhong Hui only steal the letter and not kill you?"

"Because killing someone would be superfluous."

If Zhong Hui sends someone to kill the messenger, the Grand General will surely investigate the matter.

If the messenger had not died but had merely fled, the general would most likely place suspicion on the messenger.

Zhong Hui predicted that Shi would escape and intended to use this to deceive the general.

Shi Shouxin explained calmly, his words so detailed and compelling that no one could refute them.

Sima Zhao thought about it and realized that this was indeed the case.

"But you have no right to open the letters sent to the General's Mansion."

Your unauthorized copying of the letters raises suspicion of leaking secrets, which is also a serious crime.

Sima Zhao said with a cold face.

In his view, since the letter was copied, it must have been opened without authorization, which was naturally a serious crime.

"General, I certainly wouldn't dare to do such a thing in private."

The reason for copying was that the military supervisor Wei Guan hinted to Shi to do so in order to lure Zhong Hui out of his hole and test him.

And so, Zhong Hui's rebellious intentions were tested and revealed.

Shi Shouxin used Wei Guan as a shield, effectively deflecting Sima Zhao's accusations.

"How did Wei Guan hint at it to you?"

Sima Zhao tapped his index finger rhythmically on the table, asking with great interest.

He suddenly found this very interesting.

“The military supervisor knew perfectly well that Zhong Hui was unreliable, and many people in the army also reported to him that Zhong Hui was unreliable.”

However, in front of Zhong Hui, he ordered his subordinate to deliver a message and publicly informed the subordinate of the specific departure time.

The military supervisor was exceptionally intelligent; it was certainly not an oversight. It must have been intentional.

Shi was worried that the letter would be intercepted by Zhong Hui's confidants, so he made a copy of it, preparing for both possibilities.

Now that the copy has been delivered to the General, we have fulfilled our mission.

As for whether the letter was erroneous, the general could verify its authenticity by simply asking the person involved after the war against Shu.

Of course, there was an element of luck in the letter being delivered; I took a gamble, and I won.

Shi Shouxin patiently explained to Sima Zhao, downplaying the main points.

"You are very good. It is no wonder that so many people recommended you to go to war with the army. You have not let them down."

Sima Zhao nodded in satisfaction; he now understood the situation.

The generals in the army all sent their letters of denunciation to Wei Guan, because Wei Guan was the military supervisor and also held the title of "Inspector General," which, in principle, gave him the highest authority to make decisions!

Zhong Hui and Deng Ai were both "falsely appointed officials," meaning they were half a rank lower.

Whether Wei Guan deliberately set a trap for Zhong Hui or sent Shi Shouxin as cannon fodder to scout ahead, his aim was to test the extent of Zhong Hui's rebellious intentions.

In other words, they were testing whether Zhong Hui dared to send someone to intercept the letter of betrayal!
As for Zhong Hui, his goal was also very clear: to find out whether the generals in the army had reported on him, who had reported him, and what exactly those reports contained!
In this way, Zhong Hui would know the attitudes of his generals towards him. This would help him with his subsequent actions, such as determining in advance who could be bribed, who was sabotaging him behind his back, and who was praising him to his face but plotting against him behind his back.

The reason for only robbing the letter and not killing the messenger was to make Shi Shouxin take the blame. Without the token, Shi Shouxin faced certain death whether he fled, returned to the camp to testify, or went to Chang'an empty-handed.

In this round, he was the sacrificed offering!

After reading the letter, Zhong Hui would completely destroy the evidence. No matter how Sima Zhao investigated afterward, there would be no way to prove anything.

This situation was a dead end for Shi Shouxin, but he managed to survive against all odds, like an eel squeezing out through a narrow crack!

Zhong Hui thought he had succeeded.

Wei Guan thought he had succeeded.

The generals in the army also thought they had succeeded.

But no one expected that Sima Zhao, who should have been completely clueless in Chang'an, would eventually see the letter.

Shi Shouxin had the least capital, yet he won the most!
Sima Zhao stood up and paced back and forth in the study of Yang Hu's villa, his mind racing as he weighed the pros and cons.

He suddenly remembered something and looked at Shi Shouxin, asking, "You also participated in the campaign against Shu. What is the situation in the army now? What is the enemy's situation?"

Sima Zhao had seen the battle reports, but he wanted to hear what the people on the front lines had to say in person.

"Yang'an Pass is already under our control. The general can simply order the army to return to the capital. There is no need to waste food and provisions in Hanzhong."

Hanzhong is a place where troops can be stationed and land can be cultivated; there is no shortage of weapons or provisions.

Although the northern part of Shu is mountainous, the troops from Hanzhong can continuously harass and deplete the national strength of Shu.

Transporting grain from Shu to the northern passes is far more costly than it is for us. When the time is right, the General will conquer Shu with a mere flick of his wrist.

Shi Shouxin bowed to Sima Zhao and said.

Upon hearing these words, Yang Hu, who was standing to the side, almost applauded and cheered for Shi Shouxin!

Regarding the situation of attacking Shu, there were certainly insightful individuals in the court. However, to grasp Sima Zhao's thoughts so accurately required considerable skill!
Is the only option for this campaign against Shu to capture Hanzhong?
That's obviously not the case. However, all Sima Zhao wanted was Hanzhong; anything more would only cause trouble.

“Uncle, since you are familiar with Shi Shouxin, let him stay in your villa for a few days.”

"I will make my own arrangements when the time comes." Sima Zhao stood up, gave Yang Hu a few instructions, and then left the villa. It seemed that he was letting Shi Shouxin stay here, but in reality, he was having Yang Hu monitor and imprison him.

After Sima Zhao left, Yang Hu brought out a pot of wine and some ice from the cellar. After chilling the wine, he filled Shi Shouxin's cup, and the two drank and chatted in the study.

"Taking on this official mission seems quite dangerous."

Yang Hu remarked with emotion.

Shi Shouxin nodded and said, "That's right. This time, we have a large number of troops to attack Shu. The general's arrangement is to distribute the troops and generals equally and to ensure that no one can be in charge."

"Unfortunately, the war was not over yet, and the army was already in turmoil."

Yang Hu sighed, unsure how to comment.

Actually, one can't blame the numerous problems within the army that was attacking Shu. The biggest responsibility lay with Sima Zhao himself, who didn't personally lead the campaign and feared others might rebel. Therefore, he ultimately had no choice but to adopt this "multiple forces vying for power" approach.

If Sima Zhao were capable of fighting himself and personally led the troops to conquer Shu, then there would be no problem at all.

Li Er, the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty, was just like that. When he led his troops, his arrogant and fierce soldiers obeyed him obediently. Who would dare to have any wicked thoughts?
Li Yuan was nominally the emperor, but what good was it? In the end, it all came down to who had the faster sword!

“If we attack Shu this time, Zhong Hui will surely die and will not be able to return to Guanzhong alive.”

Shi Shouxin said in a deep voice.

Many people share this view, but Yang Hu still wants to hear what Shi Shouxin has to say.

He feigned ignorance and asked, "What makes you say such a thing?"

"It's very simple. If Zhong Hui doesn't die, I will die."

Shi Shouxin smiled bitterly.

Zhong Hui was a clever man, and sooner or later he would discover that Shi Shouxin had already used other methods to deliver the letters that Zhong Hui had intercepted to Sima Zhao.

Would he let Shi Shouxin off the hook? Even if he did, there would be a sinister plot behind it.

"Indeed.

The officialdom is treacherous; Wei Guan certainly didn't have good intentions.

Yang Hu couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

Why did Wei Guan dare to send Shi Shouxin to deliver the message, deliberately letting him go ahead and test the waters, instead of sending Yang Xiu, who was equally quick-witted?

It wasn't just because Shi Shouxin was an inspector. The real reason was that Shi Shouxin didn't have a strong backing.

Behind Yang Xiu stood the Yang family of Taishan, with a large number of members serving as officials in the court, and Yang Huiyu was Sima Shi's second wife.

How could Wei Guan risk offending the Yang family to harm Yang Xiu?
This is the rule by which the Celestial Dragons operate; they are not fools, nor do they fail to weigh the pros and cons.

Without powerful backing, Shi Shouxin was a weakling in officialdom. Yang Hu didn't want to be too explicit, as it might be hurtful.

"You should rest for a couple of days. The army that is going to conquer Shu won't be able to get into Shu anytime soon."

Yang Hu comforted Shi Shou, who believed in the Way.

"I wish I could go back to Luoyang for a visit."

Shi Shouxin shook his head, looking preoccupied.

……

Compared to Cao Mao, a passionate emperor, Cao Huan was much more "normal," or as the saying goes, "a wise man knows when to yield."

Since being made emperor, Cao Huan has been a competent tool.

Even though Sima Zhao didn't accept the "one-click triple combo" of usurping the throne, Cao Huan kept adding it to Sima Zhao's list, adding it four times in just over two years.

However, even if Cao Huan showed no intention of resisting, Sima Zhao had no intention of letting him go.

When Sima Zhao moved his garrison to Guanzhong, he brought his family along, as well as Emperor Cao Huan.

On the very day Shi Shouxin arrived in Chang'an, Cao Huan was watching dancers perform in the main hall of the "temporary palace" in Chang'an.

It was late spring, and the weather was already quite warm.

The dancers, dressed in light gauze skirts, danced gracefully in the palace hall. Their slender, smooth waists swayed to the music, making Cao Huan's mouth dry.

The thought of lying down suddenly made Cao Huan feel the world expand. He thought his current life wasn't bad.

Just as he was lost in his fantasies, his gaze wandering over the dancer's hips and waist, Sima Zhao led his imperial guards into the hall.

In an instant, the room, filled with the warmth of spring, turned into a somber atmosphere!

"Go back!"

Sima Zhao, with a solemn expression, gave orders to his men and women.

The imperial guards and dancers who had accompanied him to the palace all filed out, disappearing in an instant. Only Jia Chong remained by Sima Zhao's side, along with Cao Huan, who was terrified and frozen in place at the table.

"Your Majesty, our army has captured Yang'an Pass, and the entire land of Hanzhong now belongs to the Wei Kingdom!"

Sima Zhao bowed to Cao Huan, his tone tinged with excitement.

"Oh, very good, very good. Have the soldiers at the front been rewarded yet?"

Cao Huan asked lazily, sounding somewhat tired and indifferent.

Sima Zhao's words are no better than having a beautiful woman sit on his lap! The Wei Kingdom now belongs to the Sima family, not the Cao family. So what if they conquer Hanzhong? So what if they unify the world?
Cao Huan had no interest in playing the role of a harmonious ruler and minister with Sima Zhao; it was too boring.

"Your Majesty, the General has rendered meritorious service in the conquest of Shu. He should be granted the title of Duke of Jin, the Nine Bestowments, and promoted to the position of Chancellor."

Seeing that Cao Huan still didn't understand, Jia Chong quickly stepped forward and offered some advice.

Again?

Cao Huan felt somewhat bewildered. He had ordered this "one-click three-in-one" package four times in the past two years, and each time Sima Zhao had firmly refused.

Why are you asking for it now?
Cao Huan felt something was strange, so he didn't say anything, but just looked at Jia Chong with an innocent and somewhat silly expression.

Sima Zhao was getting impatient as he waited for him to speak.

He coughed lightly, and seeing this, Jia Chong continued, "Your Majesty, the General has rendered meritorious service in conquering Shu and should be rewarded. If he is not rewarded, the soldiers and officers of the army will be dissatisfied, and the entire court will be dissatisfied."

Cao Huan finally realized what was going on.

He nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes, yes, then I will bestow upon the Grand General the title of Duke of Jin, grant him the Nine Bestowments, and promote him to the position of Chancellor."

Upon hearing this, Sima Zhao was finally satisfied. He casually bowed to Cao Huan without saying a word, then turned and left with Jia Chong.

(End of this chapter)