It’s no wonder that some people scolded Cao Shuang behind his back, it was because he had done too many things to disappoint the veterans of the court since he took over as general in charge of the government.
At first I thought he was courteous to virtuous people and praised by celebrities, and I thought he was recruiting talented people in order to turn the tide and help the building collapse.
Who knows what kind of people he will take into the general's mansion half a year later!
No one can compare to talking with one's hands, no one can compare to running the country with practical actions... No one can compare to him!
On weekdays, he pretends to be like a saint, but once he gains real power, his true colors are revealed. He fights for power and gain like a pack of dogs fighting for shit, and he enjoys it more than anyone else.
To exchange official titles for money, women, and land in an open and honest manner...
You really don’t have any face at all!
If you really have the talent to govern the country, then even if you don't practice virtue, that's it.
After all, the world has not yet been unified, so we cannot be too demanding.
However, one or two of them seem to be famous, but in fact they are all relying on their words!
How long has Cao Shuang been a general?
The entire court was divided by him and those people.
Among the senior ministers in the court, the first ones followed Emperor Wu to conquer the world, and the later ones joined the Wei State when Emperor Wen was the crown prince.
They have experienced countless swords and swords, and they know that a country is defeated with swords, guns, halberds and the lives of soldiers, not by talking to others.
Otherwise, why would the three generations of the Cao family have repeatedly suppressed the trend of glitz?
Now the Shu captives and Wu invaders have repeatedly invaded the border, and the country is in trouble.
Don’t you, Cao Shuang, really think that just by those so-called celebrities talking quietly and talking a few words, the thieves in Shuwu will wake up and surrender?
The old ministers who followed Emperor Wu to conquer the world are still alive!
What Cao Shuang and his party members did was not so much to ruin the country they had built with their lives and wealth in front of them.
It's better to say that it's a waste of their life's faith. Your old man used his wealth and life to conquer the Wei Dynasty. Is it for you to waste it like this?
So it’s not surprising that many people are secretly cursing:
How long has it been since the founding of the Wei Dynasty?
How did it end up looking like this ghost now?
Coupled with the fact that the Wei Dynasty has suffered successive defeats in recent years, many people have actually begun to accumulate dissatisfaction in their hearts.
At this time, what Cao Shuang did after coming to power finally brought these dissatisfaction to its peak.
At this time, Sima Taifu, who was far away in Luoyang and had a strong contrast with Cao Shuang's actions, almost became the last hope for these veterans to maintain their faith.
Compared to some people in Xuchang who were scolding him, Luoyang City was filled with joy.
Since Taifu tried to redeem General Wang Shuang and others who were trapped in the Han Kingdom, yes, redemption. As for the redemption method, it is unknown.
I heard that the Taifu would rather suffer the infamy than to redeem the captured general from the thieves.
Then there were rumors that the border between Wei and Han had begun to relax.
I heard that caravans under the names of some big families have been able to pass through the checkpoints between the two countries.
These news spread quickly in Luoyang, causing many people to celebrate:
It seems that the Shu people really will not continue to move eastwards, at least in the next two years.
The Taifu did a great job in protecting Luoyang.
As for whether this move was suspected of showing weakness to the thieves, when did the Emperor of Wei plan to return to Luoyang?
The emperor is like this, why should he be so harsh on his ministers?
The prestige of the Emperor of Wei had already been largely depleted by the repeated losses of troops and territory in the battles between Han and Wei in previous years.
Especially when the Han army came to the east of Hedong, the emperor's hasty abandonment of the city and patrol eastward was a disgrace.
Emperor Wu had great success in pacifying the north, but after the Battle of Chibi, people within the country still felt unstable.
Where is the late emperor?
Since he ascended the throne, he has not won a single battle against Shu. Instead, he has lost Yongliang and three states in a row.
How many states did the Wei Dynasty have?
In such a situation where the country is in crisis, instead of stabilizing the overall situation, they actually let a five-year-old baby take the throne!
It's enough to make a baby boy the emperor, but let Cao Shuang be the general?
The Wei Dynasty had only been founded a few years ago, and there were no members of the Cao family?
Emperor Wu had twenty-five sons!
The news that the Taifu redeemed Wang Shuang and others from the Han Kingdom also made some people think of Xiahou Ba who also fell into the hands of the Han Kingdom a few years earlier.
Some people lamented, if Xiahou Ba could have gone to Guanzhong a few years later, why would he have ended up here?
Since it was determined that he had surrendered to the Han Kingdom, there was no way to sever the blood relationship except that the Xiahou family shared the same honor and disgrace.
Almost all the remaining in-laws regarded Xiahou Ba's family as a plague beast and cut off all relations as quickly as possible.
The courtyard, which used to be bustling with guests, has been neglected for several years, with grass growing in front of the door and even rats infesting it.
The originally brightly colored door paint has not only become old, but has even begun to peel off in many places, exposing the wood material inside.
On the days when Master Sima was getting married, two completely different worlds formed around Xiahou Ba's mansion and the bustle a street away.
It was as if there was an invisible taboo between the two, which made the silence in front of Xiahou Ba's house even more apparent.
At this time, someone happened to not believe in evil, crossed this taboo, and raised his hand to knock on the door.
The sound of knocking on the door seemed extremely abrupt in front of this unapproachable door.
Someone in the distance saw someone actually visiting Xiahou Ba's old mansion, and couldn't help but stretched his neck to look at it curiously:
"Who is this? So bold? How dare you visit Xiahou's mansion in public?"
Some people are not surprised, as if they are used to it:
"The only person who dares to do this is Taiyang Shuzier, the son-in-law of Xiahou Zhongquan."
"Who?"
The closed door was opened a crack, and an old face cautiously poked its head out.
The young man standing in front of the mansion responded: "It's me."
When the concierge saw the person coming, his eyes that were originally cloudy and lifeless suddenly became brighter, and the old concierge said happily:
"It turns out to be Mr. Lang, please come in."
As the porter spoke, he opened the door to let Yang Hu and his entourage in. Then he carefully looked around and then closed the door tightly again.
Yang Hu seemed to be still familiar with Xiahou Ba's old mansion. He walked through the vestibule and came to the living room without any servants guiding him.
Someone had been waiting in the living room for a long time. When he saw Yang Hu coming in, he smiled and said:
"The Xiahou family's best son-in-law is here."
It turned out that Xia Houwei, the son of Xia Houyuan, was already here.
Yang Hu quickly stepped forward and saluted:
"Why is my uncle here?"
"Luoyang has not been as lively as it is now for many years. I will take advantage of today's opportunity to come over and visit my sister-in-law."
Because several of Xiahou Ba's brothers, although unlike other in-laws, directly severed all relations.
But they all invariably reduced their interactions with Xiahou Ba's family.
Only Xia Houba's fourth brother, Xia Houwei, has a bold personality and the most chivalrous spirit. He is also Yang Hu's matchmaker, and he occasionally comes to look after him on weekdays.
So when Yang Hu saw Xia Houwei here, except for being a little surprised at first, he didn't doubt that he was there. After bowing to Xia Houwei, he said: Gu Kuan
"Let Hu go and say hello to my grandma first."
Xia Houwei waved his hand: "Go and come back quickly."
Looking at the back of Yang Hu who turned around and left the living room, Xia Houwei's eyes were quite complicated.
Ever since the Xiahou family was suspected by the late emperor and suffered successive blows, the situation of the second brother's family has become even worse.
At that time, I strongly advocated marrying my second brother's daughter to Uncle Yang.
Nowadays, in times of adversity, among all the in-laws of the second brother, only this son-in-law often comes to visit the relatives in the second brother's house. He is more friendly and courteous than in the past.
He is never empty-handed when he comes. It is obviously to pray, but in fact he is helping others, which is really extremely rare.
Although now it seems that the second brother has indeed got a good son-in-law, and his vision is indeed unique.
It's just that considering the situation of the second brother's family, I can't help Uncle Yang, but I don't have a good uncle!
Thinking of this, Xia Houwei felt emotional and a little apologetic.
After Yang Hu visited his maternal aunt in the backyard, he comforted him for a while as usual, and then returned to the living room, where he heard Xia Houwei say to him:
"Although I have taken care of my second brother after his accident, I have an orphaned sister-in-law in my house. If I come here often, I am afraid of being criticized by others, but I will harm my second sister-in-law. Fortunately, I have you, uncle. I would like to thank you for my second brother."
Already."
Yang Hu quickly returned the gift:
"My uncle is wrong. My uncle is not here. I am my half-son. It is my duty to take care of the house."
When Xia Houwei heard this and saw the natural expression on Yang Hu's face, he couldn't help but sigh:
"I'm just afraid that I'm going to drag you down!"
Yang Hu smiled carelessly:
"I don't have the intention to serve as an official yet, so why would I say it's a drag? In fact, according to Yi Hu, given the current situation in the Wei Dynasty, it may not be a bad thing for the Xiahou family not to join the court."
"Oh?" Xia Houwei didn't expect that Yang Hu would actually say these words, and couldn't help but look surprised, "You were recommended as a senior official the year before last, but you rejected it because you were too young."
"I heard that last year, the Yanzhou Prefecture recruited you for official positions such as Engagement, Scholar, and Five Prefectures, but you refused to take office four times in a row."
"Now that I hear your remarks, could it be that you really don't want to be an official?"
Having said this, he lowered his voice again:
"Still... don't want to work in Luoyang?"
Yang Hu smiled slightly:
"To be honest with my uncle, a few days ago, someone actually came from Xuchang and wanted to conquer Xiuhu and his friend Wang Chudao to go to Xuchang to take up a post."
"Wang Chudao also persuaded Hu and agreed to conquer remote areas, but Hu said to him, 'How easy is it to convict people?' So Wang Chudao went to Xuchang alone."
Wang Chudao is Yang Hu's good friend Wang Chen. He is good at reading and writing, and is known for his filial piety.
Wang Chudao agreed to Cao Shuang's expedition and went to Xuchang. He had nothing to do with the Xiahou family.
But when Xia Houwei heard this, his expression changed slightly:
"Tai Yangshi, is it possible that you don't like the general?"
Yang Hu looked around, smiling and saying nothing.
After Xiahou Ba was trapped in the Shu Kingdom, the servants who insisted on staying in the house were basically regarded as loyal servants who would never leave him.
Even so, Xia Houwei still asked everyone to retreat, and then looked at Yang Hu:
"Now it's just you and me who can talk."
"In the year of Hu, I was not weak and did not know the power of the world, but I once heard my aunt say: Taifu and the general are both ministers left by the late emperor. Taifu is a veteran of four dynasties and has assisted in two dynasties. He is the hope of the court."
"Cao Shuang has not made any great contributions to the country. He only relies on his family status to serve as a general and be on an equal footing with the Taifu."
"With neither merit nor qualifications, if you suddenly assume great power, the most correct thing to do is to discuss government affairs with the senior ministers of the DPRK and not to act exclusively."
"If you can humble yourself as a general, why worry about people not accepting you?"
"But the general is not only doing the opposite, but he is also indulging his subordinates and breaking many laws. If things continue like this, not to mention people's hearts, he is afraid that his life will be lost!"
Xia Houwei was shocked when he heard this:
"Did she really say that?"
Yang Hu lost his father when he was twelve years old. It was his uncle Yang Dan who raised his three brothers and an elder sister.
The woman Yang Dan married was none other than the famous and talented Xin Xianying.
Yang Hu served his uncle with great respect, and at the same time he regarded Xin Xianying as his mother.
It was not without reason that Xia Houwei was shocked when he heard Yang Hu relaying Xin Xianying's words.
When Emperor Wu was still alive, Emperor Wen and King Chen Si (namely Cao Zhi) competed for the throne.
Later, when Emperor Wen was established, he cried with joy, hugged the neck of Prime Minister Shi Xinpi and said:
"Do you know how happy I am in my heart?"
Xin Pi returned to his home and told his daughter Xin Xianying about the incident. Xin Xianying, who was only in her twenties at the time, asserted:
"The prince is the person who takes care of the ancestral temple and the country on behalf of the king. You must not act without worry on behalf of the king."
"The prince will be the one who takes over from the king to govern the world in the future. When governing the world, you must be cautious."
"Today's fate is uncertain, which is worrying but not joyful. If the prince is like this, Wei will not be able to last long!"
If Emperor Wen was around and Xin Xianying's words came out, at most it would make people think that this woman was quite knowledgeable and could actually utter such words of advice.
As the crown prince, Cao Pi couldn't possibly cause trouble for a woman just because of such words.
If he could behave better and act like he sincerely listens to advice, he would be able to win the hearts of his superiors and subordinates.
Who could have expected that today, twenty years later, looking back at what Xin Xianying said will make people shudder.
Therefore, when Xia Houwei heard Xin Xianying make such an assertion about Cao Shuang, his expression changed subconsciously.
Seeing Xia Houwei's appearance, Yang Hu couldn't help but be a little confused:
"Why is my uncle like this?"
Xia Houwei sighed:
"You don't know that a few days ago, the general sent someone over again to invite Taichu (Xia Houxuan) to go to Xuchang, and Taichu also agreed."
"So today I will not hesitate to go to the Taifu's mansion to congratulate him and see if I can get the Taifu to agree to let him leave Luoyang."
Although Xia Houxuan was implicated in the Fuhua case, he was the pioneer of metaphysics in the Wei State. He was called the leader of the "Scholar Sect" by the scholars of the Wei State and had a great reputation.
In particular, He Yan, who was one of the "Four Congs" like Xiahou Xuan, highly praised Xiahou Xuan, calling him "only profound, so he can reach the aspirations of the world, and Xiahou Taichu is the same."
Now that Cao Shuang has become the general, he has begun to reuse the scholars who were demoted in the flashy case.
Xia Houxuan and Cao Shuang are even cousins by marriage.
Therefore, Cao Shuang repeatedly asked Sima Yi for Xiahou Xuan, hoping to let him go to Xuchang as an official.
It can be said that this opportunity is an excellent opportunity for Xiahou Shang's lineage to regain its former glory.
Unfortunately, it was precisely because of Xia Houxuan's reputation that even Sima Yi had some concerns.
He was worried that if he went to Xuchang to help Cao Shuang, the scholars would follow suit, so he kept refusing to let him go.
Xia Houxuan was able to go to congratulate Master Sima in person this time, which was considered as a condescension to go and gave Master Sima a great deal of face.
At the same time, it seems that he is determined to go to Xuchang.
After hearing this from Xia Houwei's mouth, Yang Hu's expression changed drastically:
"Although the Grand Tutor has not publicly quarreled with the General, anyone who cares would know that the two have already been secretly fighting each other."
"The Yulin Supervisor (Cao Rui demoted Xia Houxuan to the Yulin Supervisor during his lifetime) is betraying the Taifu to the general at this time. I'm afraid he will offend the Taifu!"