Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 95 The Uncle Who Drives a Mercedes

The Li family was very sincere. Early the next morning, Li Liang set off for the neighboring village to visit the Zhao family and persuade them to join Shi Shouxin.

Unlike the Li family, which had remained silent for many years, the Zhao family had already been officials in the local area before Liu Bei entered Sichuan. They were extremely fierce in their actions and had clashed with Zhang Lu's subordinates.

At that time, members of the Zhao family had a remarkable record of single-handedly entering the enemy camp with a sword to assassinate the enemy's commander and killing more than ten people in battle!
The Zhao family's family tradition is the same: they are full of martial virtue, but they usually act as allies, following the Li family's lead and advancing and retreating together.

The Li family aspired to a career as advisors, while the Zhao family was clearly committed to military force, so it's not surprising that the two families had intermarried for generations.

One has brains, the other has physical strength.

This is a classic example of a powerful alliance where everyone gets what they need.

However, by Li Liang's generation, the two families did not unite, because Li Qiu, who was originally to marry Zhao Lun, was taken as a concubine by Shi Shouxin.

This was originally just a "small matter," but it became an obstacle at a crucial moment.

An hour later, Li Liang returned to the Li family mansion and reported to Shi Shouxin that the matter had not been resolved and that the Zhao family wanted to meet with him before making a decision.

Although Li Liang didn't say it, Shi Shouxin guessed that it was probably the Zhao family, known for their martial prowess, who wanted to see if the person he was going to rely on was worth it.

“I understand. By sending your younger sister to me, you have lost the trust of the Zhao family. That’s why they want to see for themselves.”

After listening to Li Liang's explanation, Shi Shouxin said with a "sudden realization".

"General Shi has keen insight. Although Zhao tried every means to refuse, Li broke his promise, so Zhao is not to blame."

Li Liang smiled wryly.

Didn't he know what Zhao Lun was thinking? He was just resentful. Although Li Liang wasn't lustful, he had been married before. If his engagement were broken, he would also be unhappy with that family.

Shi Shouxin nodded slightly. He saw through Li Liang's little scheme, but he didn't point it out.

The Li family may not be the most powerful, but their household is certainly large enough. If the task was simply to "send the daughter," Li Qiu wouldn't have needed to participate, since she and Zhao Lun were engaged.

The Li family has many beautiful women; Li Qiu might not even be the most beautiful.

But Li Liang simply gave his sister away without any regret or hesitation, and without considering the marriage contract she was bound to.

He certainly didn't neglect it; he did it intentionally.

Firstly, Shi Shouxin would surely appreciate Li's ingratiation after learning that she had broken the marriage agreement. This would also be an expression of "loyalty." How can one show loyalty without giving something truly precious to them?

Secondly, even if Zhao doesn't actually rebel after learning that his fiancée has been taken away, he will definitely harbor resentment.

If both the Li and Zhao families were to serve under Shi Shouxin in the future, the Li family would definitely take the lead.

Shi Shouxin couldn't help but sigh that arranging a daughter's marriage these days was truly an art, but he didn't mind. If he had known beforehand that Li Qiu was engaged to the Zhao family, Shi Shouxin would definitely have... been even more excited during sex!

There will never be any so-called "helping others achieve their goals"!

Why is this so?
Because Li Qiu was brought to their bed by their family, not forcibly abducted by Shi Shouxin.

Using the phrase "You can't take what I want" to demonstrate one's authority is also a way of managing subordinates. This is the Li family's own choice, and Shi Shouxin will not cover for their choice. This is internal team politics, which cannot tolerate negligence or leniency.

Providing a safety net for the Li family is itself a sign of weakness. A leader who is weak cannot command his subordinates.

Shi Shouxin didn't think that a concubine was anything special, but his authority was not to be challenged!
"Don't waste your time on things like this in the future. I'll let it go this time for your sister's sake, but don't let it happen again."

Shi Shouxin patted Li Liang on the shoulder and gave him a meaningful look.

Feeling guilty, Li Liang dared not make eye contact with Shi Shouxin and bowed to show humility.

Shi Shouxin walked ahead on his own, while Li Liang followed cautiously behind. Not far away, Meng Guan was directing his soldiers to load the Li family's grain and fodder onto carts, busy as bees.

"Meng Guan, put aside what you're doing for now."

Shi Shouxin shouted to Meng Guan.

"Commander Shi, what are your orders?"

Meng Guan wiped the sweat from his forehead and stepped forward to inquire.

"Take two bodyguards with you and go to the Zhao family. Didn't you used to say you were a master of martial arts? Now's your chance to prove yourself."

"If you perform well, I'll give you the rank of Cavalry Captain."

Shi Shouxin smiled.

Once the military designation application was successful, the generals would appoint their own officers according to the hereditary military system. As long as they could generally carry out the imperial court's military orders and not delay important matters, the generals had the final say on everything internally.

Giving Meng Guan the title of Cavalry Commandant would naturally not be a problem.

This is also an important reason why local wealthy families in Hanzhong are willing to follow Shi Shouxin: these days, finding a reliable person to serve is the most important thing!
Because within the hereditary military system, the military laws established by the Wei state government were not followed at all! Instead, the military laws were formulated by the generals themselves.

"It's a deal, then I've gotten a good deal. Let's go now."

Meng Guan patted the ring-pommel sword at his waist, looking very confident.

Li Liang smiled wryly. He had originally thought that after learning that the Zhao family was "uncooperative," Shi Shouxin would lead his troops to surround the Zhao family's fortified village. He then planned to act as a peacemaker, persuading the Zhao family not to be stubborn and eventually sit down to talk together.

This will demonstrate his ability to navigate social situations skillfully.

Unexpectedly, Shi Shouxin did not play by the rules at all.

"General Shi, with only a few people going to Zhao Family Fortress, I'm afraid..."

Li Liang stepped forward and stopped Shi Shouxin, looking conflicted.

"If anything happens to me, I won't talk about what will happen to the Zhao family, but your family is doomed."

"Let's go. You've had generations of marriage alliances with the Zhao family; they'll give you this much face."

Shi Shouxin laughed heartily, but inwardly he was secretly complaining.

The situation in Hanzhong is really interesting. A bunch of turtles in a shallow pond are actually making quite a scene by fighting.

The Xi family were outsiders from the Ba region, and even after they were assimilated into Han culture, they were still at odds with the local powerful clans.

They have always advocated "bullying the weak with the many," so although their territory is large, their treasury is empty because they have too many "idle people" on their side.

For this reason, Xi often referred to himself as an unofficial "border general" and worked for local warlords, guarding their territory.

The Li family is adept at navigating officialdom, has extensive connections, a distinguished past, and a wealth accumulated over generations. Its members are also highly cultured.

It was evident from the Li siblings' demeanor and bearing that their family was not skilled in martial arts, so they sought a marriage alliance with a family known for its martial virtues in order to protect themselves locally and await an opportunity to enter officialdom.

Their development is explosive. In the early stages, they may seem sickly and insignificant, but once they obtain official positions and power, they can enter a higher level of competition and no longer have to struggle with the local powerful families.

When the Zhao family begs them for a marriage alliance, they probably won't even consider it.

Of the three families, the Zhao family had the fewest members and occupied the most remote territory, and they suffered heavy losses during Zhang Lu's rule. However, they were the most martial and the most capable fighters.

Their alliance with the Li family was to obtain some wealth from them in order to maintain the survival and development of their families.

The reason Li Liang dared to bully Zhao Lun and openly break the contract was that he was certain Zhao Lun couldn't survive alone and wouldn't turn against him just because of the loss of a woman for marriage. After all, Li Qiu wasn't married into the Zhao family yet; could childhood sweethearts really put food on the table?

Li Liang's actions were justifiable; he had calculated the gains and losses. The gains outweighed the losses, so he could break the contract.

These three families likely have a long history of grudges, so Xi Zuo was also looking for an opportunity to take revenge on the other two.

As for other families, Xi Zuo might not know them, so naturally he wouldn't bring them up.

On his way to Zhao's Fortress, Shi Shouxin wondered to himself: Could it be that Uncle Mercedes' driving skills are really better than Takumi's?
Why is this the same approach used in ancient times?

Last night, Li Qiu was incredibly passionate in bed, kissing me so much that my lips were swollen; it didn't seem like she was being forced.

Indeed, the charm of Uncle Mercedes is not to be underestimated; it was already like this in ancient times.

Noticing the strange smile on Shi Shouxin's face, Li Liang coughed lightly and reminded him, "Zhao Lun harbors resentment, but the Zhao family actually has no prejudice against General Shi."

"Are you teaching me how to do something?"

Shi Shouxin asked calmly.

"I had absolutely no such intention!"

Li Liang immediately became nervous with fright.

"Isn't this all the mess you made? You underestimated Zhao Lun's courage. I'm cleaning up this mess for you now. Just watch from the sidelines and don't say anything unnecessary."

Shi Shouxin waved his hand gently, giving Li Liang a reprimand.

The Zhao family's fortified village is located at the foot of Dingjun Mountain, built against the mountainside.

It was not far from the Wei army's camp. Presumably, because the place was relatively dangerous, the Wei generals didn't bother with it and didn't want to send troops to attack a wealthy, fortified village that was as prickly as a hedgehog.

Standing in front of the fortified village, Shi Shouxin looked up and carefully examined it, secretly praising Zhao Shi in his heart.

Of the three families, only the Zhao family truly understood military affairs. This can be seen from the fortified village where they lived.

Although such terrain is not suitable for farming, its defensive capabilities are even stronger than those of the Wei army's fortifications.

The Xi clan has many people, but it's all show and no substance. The wooden fortress looks sturdy, but it lacks proper defense and can only intimidate bandits.

Not to mention Li Shi, she looked exactly like Li Qiu when she was lying naked on the bed. Both were soft, white and tender, and you could just put her on the menu without any fancy moves.

Only the Zhao family's fortified village was heavily fortified. The mountain path leading up the mountain was the first line of defense, with wooden watchtowers and arrow towers built halfway up the mountain for mutual cover. This type of defense was similar to that of the Golden Enclosure and was very difficult to deal with.

Unless a large fire sets the mountain ablaze, a thousand or two soldiers really can't do anything to the Zhao family in a short time.

Shi Shouxin was immediately struck by a desire to recruit talent. If he could take over the Zhao family's private army, it would be tantamount to gaining a formidable and elite force!
With Li Qiu leading the way, Shi Shouxin and his group naturally had no obstacles along the way. Upon entering Zhao's fortified village, they were greeted by a group of people, led by a burly young man.

The man's face was dark, and his eyes were fixed on Li Liang, almost as if he were seeing an enemy.

Shi Shouxin thought to himself, "This must be Zhao Lun."

"Li Liang, you are shameless!"

Zhao Lun glared at Li Liang and roared, completely ignoring Shi Shouxin.

"Zhao Lun, stop being so rude! This is Supervisor Shi, a high-ranking official of the court, holding the title of Imperial Envoy!"
"My father-in-law is a censor in the imperial court! Hurry up and pay your respects!"

Li Liang reprimanded in a low voice, then introduced Shi Shouxin to Zhao Lun.

Neither of them seemed to dare to make a loud noise.

Seeing this, Shi Shouxin seemed to be deep in thought, and without saying a word, he looked Zhao Lun up and down.

"If you can beat me, everything from before will be wiped clean, and we're willing to be your followers."

But if you can't win, then I'm sorry. The Zhao family will not bow to the incompetent.

Zhao Lun pointed at Shi Shouxin and challenged him to a duel.

"If you weren't bragging before, you should have no problem dealing with him, right?"

Shi Shouxin patted Meng Guan's arm and asked in a low voice.

"Commander Shi, you didn't say you were this strong before?"

Meng Guan muttered to himself.

He wasn't short, but Zhao Lun in front of him was a head taller than him! He was broad-shouldered and burly, with thick limbs and a thick beard!
Let alone fighting, just looking at him is a bit intimidating.

Shi Shouxin suddenly realized that Li Qiu must have been overjoyed last night, because she finally didn't have to marry such a burly man. In terms of looks alone, Shi Shouxin could easily beat Zhao Lun to a pulp!
"Supervisor Shi, then I shall give it a try."

Meng Guan stepped forward and faced Zhao Lun. The two locked eyes.

"Coward! Why don't you come up here!"

Zhao Lun pointed at Shi Shouxin and asked in an unfriendly tone.

"Sigh, you explain it to him."

Shi Shouxin sighed softly and looked at Li Liang, giving him instructions. He was really tired and didn't want to act anymore.

Zhao Lun is quite adept at playing dumb; he deliberately pretends to be confused, and even in this state, he still tries to gain some verbal advantage.

If someone really wanted to fight or kill, they wouldn't act like this.

Shi Shouxin's mind was as clear as a mirror; what he saw was not necessarily the true situation behind the scenes.

His official rank in the Wei army, his status as a general, and the power his father-in-law wielded in the court—these were all quite obvious. If Zhao Lun had truly ignored them, he wouldn't have survived to this day; he might have died a dissolute child.

Zhao is simply unwilling to lower herself and insists on putting on a show. However, while she may want to put on a show, she may not necessarily want to cooperate with Li Liang.

"Zhao Lun, have you made enough of a scene? If things really fall apart, what will happen to your family?"

Li Liang stepped forward and shouted, his voice barely audible to the two of them, like the buzzing of mosquitoes.

"Please, no weapons needed. Kill them without mercy!"

Zhao Lun looked at Meng Guan and said in a deep voice.

"Since you don't want to reason with me, then I, Meng, will also have some basic martial arts skills."

Meng Guan said while clenching his fist, showing no sign of backing down.

The group arrived at an open space below the city gate, which was where Zhao's private soldiers trained daily.

Meng Guan and Zhao Lun both took off their robes, revealing their upper bodies. Their muscles were bulging, indicating that they usually trained a lot.

"Zhao Lun isn't really stupid; he's quite good at acting."

Shi Shouxin looked at the two people preparing to fight in the open space and commented to Li Liang.

(End of this chapter)