Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

"Really?" Wang Yuanji pursed her lips and smiled, "I suppose so. I've been with my husband for over two months, and I know everything he's heard and seen. What's so difficult about writing a memorial? It's just that imitating my husband's handwriting takes a bit of time."

"My husband doesn't know, does he? Back in Luoyang, when Father sometimes had to transcribe documents related to etiquette for His Majesty, I did most of the work for him!"

Xiahou Xuan was taken aback: "You can even imitate the lord's handwriting? In my opinion, your calligraphy skills are no less than Zhong Yu's!"

Wang Yuanji lowered her head and chuckled: "The Zhong family is adept at forging books; I am no match for them!"

After a few words, the couple became serious again.

Wang Yuanji said, "The memorial contains three points."

"First, there was the matter of Du Li, an official in Yangzhou, being executed by her husband for plotting rebellion, and second, the matter of Governor Jiang failing to properly select officials."

"Secondly, the punishments in Wu have not been completely abandoned. In the past, the corporal punishments in Wu were excessive and horrific, which is inconsistent with the benevolence of the Great Wei Dynasty. I request the court to propose a motion to completely abolish corporal punishments."

"Thirdly, it is proposed that the mountain tribes in the Wu region be registered as ordinary citizens as soon as possible, and treated the same as the common people of the Great Wei."

“Husband…” Wang Yuanji paused, then looked at Xiahou Xuan and said, “Although this memorial has been written, should we really send it? If we do, I’m afraid Lord Jiang will retaliate against you, and the court’s discussions on revising the law and corporal punishment, which have been suspended for several years, will resurface.”

Xiahou Xuan nodded and said in a deep voice, "Let alone impeaching a governor, even if I were to impeach a minister or a vice minister, what would I have to fear? In the first year of Taihe, His Majesty consulted with me on politics when he inspected the Imperial Academy. The scene at that time is still vivid in my mind, and I can still remember it now."

"His Majesty often regards all the Cao and Xiahou clans as relatives. It is up to us to protect the Great Wei. If I can remain unmoved by the suffering of the people, the rampant use of corporal punishment, and the cutting off of hands, ears, and noses of eight hundred people, then I am not a Xiahou, not a disciple of the Emperor, and not a prefect with a salary of two thousand piculs!"

“Jiang Ji is a duke, and I, Xiahou Xuan, am no commoner either! He has been pressuring the state so hard for his own merits; he should have known this day would come!”

……

Several days later, in Jiangning City.

After receiving Xiahou Xuan's request for troops, Duan Mo made a decision in just half an incense stick's time, and then selected one of his trusted officers to lead nine hundred men toward Wanling County.

As was customary, Duan Mo first wrote a document and sent it to Luoyang for record-keeping. At the same time, he also set off for Yangzhou Prefecture to discuss the matter with Jiang Ji.

When Duan Mo arrived at the prefectural capital, Jiang Ji's face was so gloomy it could drip water.

"You've sent troops to Xiahou Taichu again?" Jiang Ji asked coldly.

Duan Mo nodded: "Yes. Prefect Xiahou said he wanted to rectify official corruption and needed guards, so I assigned them to him."

Jiang Ji frowned deeply, and his voice rose several octaves: "You'd give it to him just because he wants it??"

Duan Mo was also somewhat puzzled: "He asked for it, so I gave it to him. My lord, is there anything wrong with that?"

Duan Mo had long served in the Five Colonels' Camp and was a trusted confidant of the Emperor. Even disregarding their relationship, based solely on rank, Duan Mo possessed the final decision-making power regarding military operations in Yangzhou. He only needed to report to the Privy Council directly under him, and to the Yangzhou prefecture government only a matter of notification. How could His Majesty and the Privy Council refuse Xiahou Xuan's request for troops to escort him in order to reorganize the copper mines in a county? In other words, if Xiahou Xuan were to personally visit the Privy Council, his mere presence could secure him a thousand soldiers!
Jiang Ji's chest heaved a few times as he forcibly suppressed his anger: "Alright, I understand. I'm busy with other matters, so please ask General Duan to return."

"Alright, I'll take my leave now." Duan Mo cupped his hands and left, muttering to himself as he walked out of the prefectural government office about Jiang Ji's sour face today.

But inside the prefectural government, Jiang Ji had already become furious, slamming his fist on the table and shouting:
"Du Li is my man! He's my appointed servant! How dare this brat kill one of my men!"

"My lord, please calm down." Prefect Li Ying said with his hands clasped, "Prefect Xiahou is, after all, a confidant of His Majesty. It would be unseemly to make things too tense. With his two months of delay, all the copper mines have reduced their production. We can no longer finish 1.2 million catties of copper material, but we still have 1 million catties."

“My lord, 1.2 million catties and 1 million catties are not much different, and 1 million catties is not bad either.”

Jiang Ji spat angrily.

Li Ying then said, "My lord, why don't I make a trip to Wanling and meet with Prefect Xiahou to mediate on your behalf? You want to save face, so I'll do the same for you. How about that?"

Jiang Ji sighed softly, "Thank you for your trouble, Prefect. Go ahead, I'll wait for your news. Anyway, I won't be leaving for Luoyang until the end of the month."

"Yes," Li Ying replied.

After three days away and three days back, Li Ying returned to Jiangning City on the 29th and went to see Jiang Ji as soon as he entered the city.

“My lord…” Li Ying’s expression was also extremely ugly: “When I went to Wanling, I did not see Prefect Xiahou. Prefect Xiahou stayed in the mine and made it clear that he would not see me.”

"Hao Ning, an aide to Prefect Xiahou, also told his subordinates that Prefect Xiahou had submitted a memorial to Luoyang, saying that he wanted to impeach the governor for his negligence in appointing Du Ning as his aide!"

Jiang Ji laughed in anger: "That bastard from the Xiahou family actually tricked me! He made the move, so I'll take it!"

"Pass down the order: there's no need to wait until April 1st. Set off early tomorrow morning! I want to go to Luoyang myself and see how Xiahou Xuan impeached me for such a trivial matter in this remote county of Wu!"

Li Ying still hesitated slightly: "My lord, please reconsider. Although Prefect Xiahou has not met with me, I have seen the situation at the Xishan Copper Mine, and it is a fact that many miners there are subjected to corporal punishment. How about you write a letter yourself, my lord, and I will go to Wanling to mediate on your behalf?"

"What are you talking about?" Jiang Ji's anger intensified. "He's just a brat who got his position through family connections, yet he dares to impeach me! When I rendered meritorious service to the Great Wei, Xiahou Xuan wasn't even born yet, and his father, Xiahou Shang, was nothing more than a trusted but redundant official!"

"I want to see whether it is someone like me, who works for the country, or someone like him, who, after failing to seize power, directly impeaches the central government, who is more useful!"

Seeing that he could not persuade Jiang Ji, Li Ying could only shake his head: "Since Your Excellency is so confident, then I will not try to persuade you any further. I request to accompany Your Excellency on your journey to Luoyang."

"You shouldn't go, Prefect," Jiang Ji replied, stroking his beard. "When I go to Luoyang, you must look after things for me in the prefecture. Also, make sure to keep in touch with the remaining copper mines and be careful in your actions, lest Xiahou Xuan find any more leverage against me. If anyone intentionally or unintentionally harms me, I will be the first to behead them!"

"Understood, Your subordinate." Li Ying cupped his hands in greeting. (End of Chapter)