Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 240 Shi Hu's Conspiracy

Just a few days after arriving in Linzi, Shi Shouxin received a personal letter from Sima You.

In the letter, Sima You did not engage in formalities, but instead told him about Qingzhou, or rather, about his own fiefdom.

The first thing Sima You told Shi Shouxin was that his fiefdom had 50,000 households, all of which came from the account books.

However, he estimated that the nine counties under the jurisdiction of the fiefdom could not possibly have as many as 50,000 households.

In fact, there aren't that many households in the entire Qingzhou.

So what should be done?

Sima You didn't know, but he felt that Shi Shouxin, as the prime minister of Qi, should find a solution himself.

In short, any missing household registrations must be filled.

The second matter is related to the first. Sima You told Shi Shouxin that the grain, wealth, and soldiers collected within the fiefdom did not need to be sent to Luoyang. If there was a surplus, it should be used to develop production, strengthen the defense of the fiefdom, and suppress bandits.

In short, treat the fiefdom as an independent kingdom and don't pay taxes to the Luoyang court!

The third matter concerns the "negotiations" between Jia Chong and Sima Yan, including maintaining the Nine-Rank System and the existing official system.

Sima Yan was dissatisfied with this and wondered what Shi Shouxin thought of it. If so, he should try his best to find a way to create even a small opening.

Sure enough, even though Shi Shouxin had already obtained the titles of Governor of Qingzhou, Commander-in-Chief of the Military Affairs of Qing and Xu, and General Who Conquers the East, his core official position was still that of Chancellor of Sima You's fiefdom, and a trusted confidant whom he relied on.

Without this connection, one's official position is unstable.

However, while enjoying the taste of power, one must also fulfill corresponding obligations; nothing that should be done can be omitted.

"Sigh, there's never a moment of peace."

Shi Shouxin couldn't help but sigh. He was in charge of the construction of the Qi King's Palace, which involved a series of troubles, such as land acquisition, corvée labor, and suppressing the local tyrants.

He even finds it difficult to find time to engage in humiliating play with female relatives at home.

Even though Shi Shouxin was already so busy, Sima You was still adding to his workload; he was truly born to be a workaholic.

Shi Shouxin realized that in order to keep power firmly in his hands, he could not live a carefree life.

There are always responsibilities that must be shouldered. If you don't seize them, power will slowly slip through your fingers.

However, it wasn't feasible for him to come up with a solution alone in the study, so he summoned Su Huiniang's two elder brothers, Su Shao and Su Shen, to the study of the governor's mansion to discuss the matters mentioned in Sima You's letter.

"Governor Shi, these matters are not easy to handle."

After reading the letter from Sima You, Su Shao looked embarrassed and said...

Although he was a confidant of Sima You, and a staff member who came from Sima You's household.

But he also felt that Sima You's demands were a bit outrageous!
They treated Shi Shouxin like a wishing well.

“Governor Shi, putting everything else aside, the Qingzhou register only shows 35,000 households. His Highness Prince Qi’s fiefdom has nine counties, which requires 50,000 households. How can we possibly gather that many households?”

Su Shen countered with a question, vaguely sensing that there was more to this than met the eye.

Shi Shouxin sighed and gestured for them to sit down before continuing the discussion.

After the two were seated, Shi Shouxin composed himself and asked, "The host has invited guests to a banquet. There are two tables of people, but the kitchen has only prepared one table of dishes. What should we do?"

"Reporting to the Governor, under normal circumstances, we can only... judge by how fast we pick up the chopsticks."

However, if a guest behaves improperly and kicks another guest off the table, that is somewhat understandable.

Su Shen said in a low voice. Such words are absolutely unacceptable in public. But in private, it doesn't matter; those who understand, understand.

"When the Great Jin Dynasty was founded, it bestowed titles upon its officials, granting them titles of Duke or Marquis, with many holding tens of thousands or thousands of households."

But since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, six or seven out of ten households in the country have been lost. Where can so many households be enfeoffed?

The imperial court would only make such a formality when bestowing titles; how much would actually be received was another matter entirely, depending on one's own abilities.

What do you think? "

Shi Shouxin asked with a smile.

Su Shao and Su Shen exchanged a glance, then both sighed and nodded.

There are too many monks and not enough porridge. If you eat more, others will eat less. Should we be polite in this situation?

Shi Shouxin continued, "Qingzhou doesn't only have 35,000 households; it's just that the official accounts show only 35,000. Do you understand what I mean?"

The Su brothers were sent by Sima You to help him, though there was also an element of surveillance involved.

Therefore, it was essential for Shi Shouxin to consult with them before taking any action. Presenting Sima You's handwritten letter to the two men for their perusal was the best way to gain their trust.

"Governor Shi, since it is Prince Qi's will, then you may proceed with it. If anything goes wrong, I will cover for you."

Su Shao explained, "Please rest assured and focus on your work."

"That's good. You two should go back and think of a solution. I also need to think about what to do."

We'll discuss these matters again tomorrow.

As for the messy and troublesome Nine-Rank System, it's none of your business, and I don't even have a say in it, so let's leave it for now."

Shi Shouxin comforted the Su brothers, who quickly thanked him and left to carry out his orders.

After they left, Shi Shouxin summoned Li Liang and showed him Sima You's handwritten letter.

"King Qi has quite the appetite! He's wary of the emperor discarding him after he's served his purpose!"

After reading the letter, Li Liang had different thoughts about the same letter.

"how do I say this?"

Shi Shouxin asked calmly.

After Li Liang sat down, he poured himself a glass of water, dipped his finger in the water, and wrote the four characters "在外而安" (meaning "peaceful life away from home") on the table.

Shi Shouxin couldn't help but nod.

"The Emperor and the King of Qi, though they are brothers now, will soon turn on each other and kill each other."

King Qi's decision to have Governor Shi oversee his fiefdom clearly indicated his intention to preserve his strength.

If they can no longer stay in Luoyang, it wouldn't be surprising if they raise a rebellion in Qingzhou in the future.

How can you play if you don't even have a household registration?
The King of Qi was implying to the Commander-in-Chief that he could use any means necessary, as the Commander-in-Chief would protect him in court.

Li Liang is a straightforward and outspoken man. No wonder he's the kind of ruthless person who sent his own sister to sleep with Shi Shouxin on their first meeting!
"My view is similar to yours. The imperial court bestows generous rewards, but there are simply not that many households in the corresponding territories."

What use are those wastelands if there's no one here? The King of Qi's fiefdom only comprises nine counties, a little over one prefecture.

"But they have 50,000 registered households? That's a joke! The entire Qingzhou government's records only show 35,000 households!"

Shi Shouxin was almost laughing in exasperation at the Sima family. They wanted to do something, but they wouldn't say it directly. Instead, they used roundabout hints. What a mess!

“Others have been enfeoffed here in Qingzhou, and they will all rush to register their household registration in their own fiefdoms.”

"While they haven't reacted yet, Commander-in-Chief, you should strike first."

Li Liang suggested in a low voice, but his eyes were practically sparkling with excitement!

"That's interesting. Let me elaborate."

Shi Shouxin suggested that Li Liang should speak more clearly if he had something to say.

Hearing the music, Li Liang understood the refined meaning. He sidled up to Shi Shouxin and whispered something to him for a long time. Shi Shouxin nodded repeatedly, his smile growing wider.

Indeed, Li Liang's method is quite interesting.

"I'll leave this to you, how about that? Let me know when you've done it, and then you can just sit back and watch the show."

I know how to play.

Shi Shouxin patted Li Liang on the shoulder and said, "Professional matters should be handled by professionals. As a local tycoon in Hanzhong, Li Liang is quite familiar with the intricacies of the local situation."

In Luoyang, the government is very particular about "respectability" when doing things. Even at a lavish feast, one must be careful not to eat in an unseemly manner.

But the local rules are different. Here, the winner takes all, and the effectiveness of the methods and the foresight of the vision are paramount. There's no coyness or hesitation.

When turtles in a pond fight amongst themselves, they are equally ferocious!

“Governor Shi, this Qingzhou region can’t cause any trouble. We have troops at our disposal, so we can easily take on one group and then fight another. It’s all a minor issue.”

However, this Nine-Rank System is a major hidden danger.

Li Liang sighed.

"how do I say this?"

Shi Shouxin pressed on, a bad feeling creeping into his heart.

"Governor Shi may not know this, but when I was about to go to Wei to serve as an official, I studied this system in detail."

The so-called Nine-Rank System was essentially about determining rank, which meant that the officials in charge of the Nine-Rank System would issue 'reports' to the talented people in the prefectures and counties.

The official rank was determined by the examination results, which would make it easier for the imperial court to select officials in the future.

Although Qingzhou has many talented people, if the imperial court were to appoint a Grand Master of the Imperial Clan of Qingzhou, the people he chooses would most likely be his own protégés.

Even if these people are on official business within the Governor's Mansion, how could they possibly be completely obedient to the Grand Governor?

Li Liang raised a rather thorny question.

How should this chief clerk be selected?

Shi Shouxin immediately became interested. He had been in Luoyang for a long time and had already caught the attention of powerful figures, so he didn't care what these officials were up to.

But what he doesn't care about, others will not.

Li Liang continued to explain:
"Within the Situ Mansion, a second-rank official will be selected to serve as the Grand Clan Minister, responsible for reviewing the selected talents."

Local prefectures and counties would recommend a clan official. For example, in Qingzhou, someone would be recommended to be the Grand Clan Official of Qingzhou.

This person was responsible for evaluating the quality of talents in Qingzhou and issuing certificates.

According to regulations, this official must be a local resident.

In large counties below the prefecture level, officials were recommended by the county government and appointed by the prefecture government; they were also locals.

Therefore, after careful consideration, I believe that the selection of the Imperial Clan Court Official is actually extremely disadvantageous to the Governor-General.

The King of Qi's letter may have only been referring to this matter.

In the current political environment, to become an official, unless one is directly favored and promoted by powerful figures, one must rely on the "certificate" issued by the official in charge of the imperial clan to determine one's rank.

If one's rank is not high, then one's future official position is unlikely to be very high. Given the current situation where there are no drastic changes in the country and each position is filled by a specific person, the rank limit is fixed.

This shows that the Zongzheng official had immense power, and he had to be a local, meaning that "only locals knew the local conditions."

It seems reasonable, but it's actually brain-dead.

No matter where the official is, when he selects the clan chief, besides his own conscience, he looks at who gives him the most lavish gifts and who has the closest relationship with him!

This is just one of the accumulated problems since the Cao Wei period. Shi Shouxin is not in a position to comment on it, but this situation is very unfavorable to him, and it is a real problem.

At this moment, Shi Shouxin finally understood what Sima You was talking about.

Sima You was saying: Even if you cannot personally assume the position of Grand Master of the Imperial Clan of Qingzhou, you must firmly control this official position.

Otherwise, Qingzhou would no longer be Sima You's territory.

The power to appoint and dismiss personnel is the source of all powers, and is the greatest of them all.

All power is built upon this foundation, so how can it be allowed to be touched by others?

Unless Shi Shouxin has no intention of recruiting locals from Qingzhou, he cannot get past the hurdle of becoming the Grand Master of the Qingzhou Clan!
"According to the rules, any local government official in Qingzhou, or any influential official in Qingzhou, can recommend someone to the imperial court to be the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan of Qingzhou."

The Grand Master of the Imperial Clan of Qingzhou could be a current government official or a local official who was highly respected and famous far and wide.

Is that what you just meant?

Shi Shouxin looked at Li Liang and asked, and the latter nodded with a heavy expression.

"Everything else is negotiable, but the word 'local' is very disadvantageous to the governor."

However, I, Li, humbly believe that perhaps even the Emperor and the King of Qi would have some reservations about this.

Li Liang sensed something strange in Sima You's letter.

Although Sima You did not say it directly, his words were somewhat sarcastic, as if he was dissatisfied that the Grand Clan Court could only select local people.

"The Emperor must have thought so too, otherwise the King of Qi's letter wouldn't have been sent over by fast horses through the post station."

Shi Shouxin said in a deep voice, he had already sensed something unusual from some clues.

What Sima You said to him may not have been entirely Sima You's own words; it's also possible that Sima Yan was using Sima You to convey information.

This round is a political struggle between the central government in Luoyang and local prefectures and counties.

"So what brilliant idea do you have?"

Shi Shouxin asked again.

Li Liang smiled slightly and said:

"Although it was in Hanzhong back then, and although there was no Nine-Rank System there, many rules were actually similar to those in other places."

If the governor interferes, certain locals will surely sabotage him in secret.

If the governor does his job well, the emperor and the King of Qi will delegate power to him; but if he does it poorly, the King of Qi may have to cut off his own tail.

In my humble opinion, it would be better to retreat strategically and keep a trump card up our sleeve.

Li Liang's suggestion was interesting. Shi Shouxin patted him on the shoulder and said, "Your sister is about to give birth. We're not strangers, so there's no need to hide anything. Just speak frankly."

Upon hearing this, Li Liang calmly replied:
"The Grand Commandant and the Clan Court Officials are indeed appointed by the imperial court and recommended by the local authorities."

However, whoever holds this official position in Qingzhou will abuse their power for personal gain and accept benefits from the local authorities.

Let them choose, let them perform to their heart's content.

If the governor stops those who have been assigned ranks by the official in charge of the Imperial Clan Court before they go to Luoyang, he will conduct another assessment.

This will surely expose these demons and monsters.

Since the selected person and the assigned rank are unreasonable, then the Grand Master of Qingzhou is clearly a useless person, and should even be held accountable.

At that time, wouldn't it be up to the governor to decide which person in Qingzhou should be assigned which rank?

Let's pretend to be ignorant and clueless, and pretend to be fooled by them.

"The Commander-in-Chief shouldn't pretend too much. As long as you don't completely ignore things, it shouldn't be difficult to fool them."

As Li Liang spoke, he stretched out his hand and made a chopping gesture.

Shi Shouxin nodded and said:
"How about this, we can do the two things together. I will oversee the construction of the Qi King's Palace in the early stages, while you go and gather information."

"When it's really time to make a move, I'll step in then. How does that sound?"

Shi Shouxin offered his opinion, which, to be honest, was quite insidious.

"Please rest assured, Commander, I will handle this matter properly."

Li Liang bowed to him in greeting.

(End of this chapter)