Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 15 Prologue 15 A Bigger Stage (End of Prologue)
Shi Bao had been secretly inquiring about and monitoring Shi Shouxin. Upon learning that Shi Shouxin and Li Wan's engagement would proceed as planned, this nominal "godfather" finally made his move.

Previously, he had carefully observed the situation from all sides and found that Shi Shouxin had indeed overcome the difficulties, which is why he extended an olive branch. As for Shi Chong's request, Shi Bao pretended not to hear it and did not mention it at all.

When an adopted son is getting married, the adoptive father naturally cannot fail to express his gratitude.

Three days before the wedding, Shi Bao personally went to the house and brought over his family's courtesan, Yang Qian. According to the rules of the aristocratic Tianlong family, this was Shi Shouxin's "private property," and unless someone intended to break off relations or Shi Shouxin gave his consent, no one else was allowed to touch her.

This is the internal code of conduct for the Celestial Dragons. After all, they are human too, and they also fear the chaos that comes without rules.

Besides the beauty Yang Qian, there was also a hundred acres of land adjacent to Shi Shouxin's farmland, as well as a nearby pond and a large grove of trees.

In addition, all of Shi Chong's former servants and their families, totaling more than ten people, were given to Shi Shouxin. Among them were retainers and ordinary servants.

Holding these people's household registration documents, Shi Shouxin could kill them without any reason and without being held accountable.

The now-famous Shi Chong had already separated his family and had his own residence. He had even chosen his own new servants. At this moment, Shi Chong had already gone to Xiuwu County to take up the post of magistrate and had no time to come here, leaving only a letter.

It may seem like they're too busy, but actually they feel embarrassed and ashamed to come.

Xiuwu County is in Hanoi, not far from Luoyang. If Shi Chong wanted to come, he could definitely do so. However, the proud and arrogant Shi Chong knew how he earned his reputation, and Li Gui simply didn't want to meet Li Kui.

Shi Shouxin changed the registered status of all the slaves to that of his retainers, entrusted them with the management of his family's land, and allowed them to build their own thatched huts outside their own residences. The annual land rent they paid was the same as that stipulated by the government.

These people were not given any special treatment.

Shi Bao was a seasoned warrior who had acquired many spoils of war and was quite wealthy. Instead of giving Shi Shouxin his wealth, he gave him many valuable farm tools, cattle, sheep, donkeys, and other "practical items."

Moreover, Shi Bao also hired Shi Shouxin as an instructor, who would spend a few days each month teaching the Shi family's children "moral conduct" at the Shi residence, and he paid them generously.

Shi Shouxin readily agreed.

Shi Bao's various intimate actions were all conveying an important message to the outside world: Shi Shouxin is my confidant and adopted son, and if you mess with him, you are messing with me.

Shi Shouxin understood that these unexpected benefits weren't because he was handsome. Rather, it was because his actions regarding Cao Mao had shown many powerful figures the value of investing in him!
What others give you now may one day be returned tenfold, in some way they need.

On the wedding day, Shi Shouxin led a large entourage (all relatives and servants of Shi Bao's family) from the eastern suburbs of Luoyang to Li Yin's residence in the north of the city, making quite a grand spectacle.

For reasons unknown, Sima Yan, the heir of the Grand General's mansion, actually dispatched the military band belonging to the Grand General to accompany the wedding procession.

Shi Chong's elder brother, Shi Qiao, naturally knew that Sima Yan was still thinking about the bride who was about to marry him.

Shi Qiao teased Shi Shouxin in private, saying: "Perhaps the Crown Prince hopes that Shi Shouxin will give his heavy 'love' to the bride instead of him."

Shi Shouxin immediately understood the implied meaning of those words. Yes, it was something rather sleazy and despicable.

Shi Shouxin thought to himself: Maybe Sima Yan really meant that.

Perhaps because there were too many people around, these words were overheard by outsiders and eventually reached Sima Yan's ears.

Seemingly feeling humiliated, Sima Yan harbored resentment towards Shi Qiao from then on, to the point that Shi Qiao nearly met his death many years later because of it.

But this is all for later.

At this moment, the bride, Li Wan, was dressed in a white brocade robe, looking exquisite and elegant, and her beauty was beyond compare.

The wedding guests were all amazed when they saw it.

Instead of following the proper etiquette of having the bride board the carriage, Shi Shouxin carried Li Wan on his back and headed east of the city.

This road wasn't short at all! You could say young people have great stamina. Many of the wedding guests were saying that Li Wan would probably have a very happy sex life.

However, no one objected to this. Everyone knew that Shi Shouxin dared to accompany even the emperor, so he wouldn't care what outsiders thought about something as trivial as carrying his wife home.

"My lord, I've heard that many people have given gifts. Are we now richer than a country?"

Li Wan whispered in Shi Shouxin's ear.

"How big exactly is the country you're referring to?"

Shi Shouxin turned around and asked a question, but Li Wan leaned over and kissed him on the lips.

The wedding procession witnessed this intimate gesture, but Li Wan didn't mind at all. She hugged Shi Shouxin's neck tightly, as if showing off.

She was deliberately kissing him for others to see; it was no different from asserting her sovereignty.

"Don't worry, I'll make you tired of looking at me in the future. You can't escape me, and no one will compete with you for me."

Shi Shouxin complained helplessly.

"Who knows? I heard that you were threatened by the general and forced to marry Sima Liang's daughter. I was so scared that I couldn't sleep. I almost ran away from home to elope with you."

My father said he trusts your character; he really is a better judge of people than I am.

Li Wan muttered to herself the whole way on Shi Shouxin's back.

Shi Shouxin wasn't the only one feeling nervous about Sima Zhao's coercion; Li Wan was also so frightened that she almost ran away from home.

Both of them were the kind of people who didn't care about what others thought. If Sima Zhao pressed them too hard, they might actually elope.

Fortunately, with the help of many people, none of this happened.

The wedding procession returned in a grand procession to the manor east of the city. Many guests had already arrived, most of whom... Shi Shouxin didn't recognize at all!

Seeing this, Shi Qiao quickly stepped forward to introduce Shi Shouxin, among whom were many important figures.

For example, there was Lang Shantao, Minister of Personnel, and Chen Tan, the cousin of the recently deceased Left Vice Minister Chen Tai. They all came to offer their congratulations for various reasons and presented generous gifts.

Some of the guests were colleagues of his father-in-law Li Yin, some were acquaintances and friends of Shi Bao, but some had no relation to them and could not reveal their purpose for coming here.

For example, Ji Kang.

This former official, a man from the Heavenly Dragon, who was usually unruly and didn't know Shi Shouxin at all, came here to play the zither for the guests and act as the chief musician!

He also gave away a kitchen knife that he had forged himself as a gift to celebrate Shi Shouxin's wedding, showing no concern for the opinions of outsiders.

Li Wan kept the knife and used it in the kitchen to kill chickens and cut vegetables. It was of very good quality and did not break even after a long time of use.

Ji Kang only said one sentence to Shi Shouxin before leaving. His arrival was abrupt, and his departure was equally hasty.

The line was: I am Cao's son-in-law, and I am repaying a favor to you on behalf of the Emperor (Cao Mao).

Clearly, the Celestial Dragons know the rules. Shi Chong stealing credit and prestige might fool some, allowing him to gain fame and fortune. However, the top Celestial Dragons in the circle value the truth highly.

They can play dumb, but they won't be led by the nose.

Today's wedding of Shi Shouxin is so grand in scale, so many people are attending, and so high in status that it is completely out of line with his social class.

Whether these people were giving face to Shi Bao and Li Yin, or were supporting Shi Shouxin because of his past feats, is now impossible to ascertain.

But Shi Shouxin knew that he was already a figure in the Celestial Dragons' circle, even though he wasn't considered a Celestial Dragon himself.

In short, they were undoubtedly the ruling class.

From then on, Shi Shouxin was freed from working in the fields and from the predicament of having his fate arbitrarily determined by others.

After the wedding banquet ended and the guests left, Shi Shouxin and Li Wan couldn't wait to embrace each other, then rolled onto the bed and kissed each other passionately.

They no longer needed to hide anything; they could completely merge into one. From now on, they would never be separated again, and they would have a very, very long time together.

……

While Shi Shouxin's wedding was taking place, a certain residence in Luoyang was completely surrounded by the Imperial Guards.

As Jia Chong rode on his horse, he watched Cheng Ji, shirtless, standing on the roof of the main hall in the courtyard, gesticulating wildly like a frightened bird. A cold smile crept onto his face.

This fool kept waiting for Sima Zhao to promote him, but after waiting for several months, he still hadn't received the order for promotion.

Just as Cheng Ji was feeling resentful and complaining that Sima Zhao had not rewarded his merits, and just as the officials were about to forget that Cheng Ji had killed Cao Mao, Empress Dowager Guo's "last will and testament" led Sima Zhao to decide to cut his losses and save himself.

He killed Chengji and his brothers, as well as all members of their three clans.

Leave no one behind!
This might salvage some of Sima Zhao's personal reputation.

Without trial or procedure, the Imperial Guards stormed into the residence of the Cheng brothers and killed everyone they saw.

There is absolutely no exceptions!
No one was spared—no elderly, young adults, women, children, or even infants in swaddling clothes!
Only enough blood can wash away sin.

The Emperor's favor has been repaid today. Shi Shouxin and his wife are locked in a passionate embrace in their bridal chamber. The warrior who accompanied the Emperor has gained both fame and fortune, and has a beautiful woman in his arms.

However, on the same day...

The emperor's revenge was finally achieved. Cheng Ji hid on the rooftop from the imperial guards who were besieging him. His family was wiped out, leaving a lasting stain on his reputation.

"Sima Zhao! You will die a horrible death! Your entire Sima clan will die a horrible death, and your lineage will be cut off!"
Jia Chong, you won't die a good death either, and you'll be childless and without descendants!

Cheng Ji, shirtless, shouted curses at the Imperial Guards below who were holding bows and crossbows.

Jia Chong remained silent and waved to his attendants.

He had no interest in wasting time talking to a dying man.

The imperial guards below the main hall hurled arrows upwards. Cheng Ji dodged left and right, his burly body surprisingly agile. But because there were too many arrows, he was eventually riddled with holes and fell from the roof to the ground, utterly dead.

The imperial guards did not let him go. One of them stepped forward and beheaded Cheng Ji with a single stroke. Then, carrying the bloody head, he went to report to Jia Chong.

Of course, you can't just kill someone like that; there has to be some procedure. Even if you can get on the train first, you still can't skip the ticket purchase process.

Soon, the new emperor Cao Huan issued an edict to execute Cheng Ji and his brothers, along with their entire families. The matter of Cao Mao was now closed.

With Emperor Cao Mao's death, Empress Dowager Guo was indirectly angered to death, and Sima Zhao lost his chance to usurp the throne. It can only be said that this was a lose-lose situation for everyone involved.

However, Cao Mao believed that losing more was better than winning only one; as long as the Sima clan lost, it would be equivalent to him winning indirectly.

With these matters settled, the political situation in Wei entered a period of calm.

To replace the old officials who had benefited from the Cao family's favors, Sima Zhao promoted his cronies extensively and recruited talented newcomers from among the common people. The pace of personnel changes within the court accelerated, and a large number of truly capable new faces appeared in high positions.

For example, Zhang Hua is an outstanding talent that Sima Zhao recently promoted.

Shi Shouxin's married life was very happy. Li Wan, who was like a honey pot, soon became pregnant and gave birth to a son the following year, named Shi Yue.

Meanwhile, Yang Qian, Yang's concubine, gave birth to a daughter named Shi Liang. Unfortunately, two years later, a great plague struck Luoyang, and Yang Qian, being weak, did not survive the epidemic.

Apart from that, Shi Shouxin's career was relatively smooth.

Perhaps it was because he married the daughter of the "human resources director" in the general's mansion, or perhaps he was good at writing, calculating and drawing, or perhaps he was diligent and eloquent, plus he had a solid foundation in science and mathematics.

With someone protecting him, Shi Shouxin quickly stood out among the many low-ranking officials in the Imperial Household Department and was promoted three ranks within two years.

The suppression predicted by Yang Hu did not occur. It is possible that Empress Dowager Guo's last letter really hurt Sima Zhao too deeply, so much so that this great general is now very careful in everything he does, afraid of causing any controversy. Naturally, he would not come to cause trouble for Shi Shouxin, this little Karami.

After working as a scribe and draftsman in the Imperial Household Department for a month, Shi Shouxin was promoted to the ninth-rank position of Zhuye Dianshi (a minor official post) because of his "superb skills." Although it was a minor official post, it involved doing serious work and was officially employed.

To put it in Shi Shouxin's words, this position is similar to the head of a research group at the Agricultural and Weaponry Industry Research Institute.

His responsibility was to specifically research new agricultural tools and weapons, which Yang Hu was happy to see and even strongly supported.

Yang Hu was a loner with no children. His wife, Xiahou, was supported by adopted children from the Yang family in their hometown, while he lived alone in Luoyang. Apart from hunting, Yang Hu spent his days reading in his study, leading a rather dull life.

Shi Shouxin frequently interacted with Yang Hu. The two were not only colleagues working in the same government office, but also mentors and friends, often discussing various topics in the study. These ranged from metaphysics to border defense, the migration of Hu people to the interior, and local governance.

We talk about almost everything except for those vulgar and trivial matters.

Yang Hu was knowledgeable, had a remarkable memory, was very talkative, and had a far-sighted vision, which Shi Shouxin greatly admired and took as a role model to learn from.

As time went by, Shi Shouxin often stayed overnight at Yang Hu's residence, and the two talked late into the night by candlelight.

Even the servants in the Yang family didn't treat him like an outsider.

Two years passed in the blink of an eye, and during those two years, nothing unusual happened in the imperial court! It was so calm that it was unbelievable!
But behind this calm was the quiet, almost ant-like movement of supplies. Large quantities of grain, fodder, and military equipment were being transferred to Guanzhong without anyone noticing.

From time to time, memorials in the court concerning the conquest of Shu would be thrown out by a certain minister, only to disappear without a trace.

The shadow of war is slowly approaching. Though the pace is slow, it has never ceased.

(End of prologue)

(End of this chapter)