Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 31 Humble Position, Great Power

Shi Shouxin returned home from Mengjindu the following afternoon.

He thought he was only going out for a day and nothing would happen. But as soon as Shi Shouxin got home, Li Wan said worriedly, "A man named Lü An came to our door today, saying he wants to find his newlywed wife, Xu Ying."

She knew what it was all about, so she ordered her servants to throw Lü An out of the courtyard, her attitude extremely arrogant.

They've already written a letter of divorce, so why are they still making a fuss?

Li Wan possessed a simple sense of justice.

Shi Shouxin was secretly on guard; this matter was indeed unlikely to be resolved so easily.

To outsiders, he had done a good deed. But in Lü An's eyes, he was nothing but a lecherous scoundrel!

But even if you're right, you can't explain it clearly. Helpless, Shi Shouxin could only accept his bad luck.

"Ah Lang, should we tell Yang Gong's elder sister about this? After all, Xu Shi is her maid now."

Li Wan pulled Shi Shouxin into the bedroom and asked him in a low voice.

"There's something fishy about this. Perhaps Lü An was instigated by Lü Xun."

Shi Shouxin pondered for a moment, then frowned slightly. He felt that if Lü An really had courage, he wouldn't have written the letter of divorce and then disappeared without a trace; something must have happened later.

Early the next morning, a carriage stopped in front of Shi Shouxin's farm. Xu Ying, dressed as a maid, walked in gracefully and was led directly into the courtyard by a greyhound.

"Young Master Shi, the lady requests your presence."

Xu Ying pretended not to know Shi Shouxin and bowed to him.

"Which lady?"

Shi Shouxin was completely confused. He thought Xu Ying knew that her ex-husband Lü An had come to Luoyang to look for someone, but it seemed that the young lady in front of him did not know about this.

"Naturally, she is Yang Gong's elder sister. Of course, she is also relaying a message. Please go to Yang Gong's mansion, and you will know when you get there."

Xu Ying said slowly, looking Shi Shouxin up and down, her desire growing stronger with each glance.

She was so hungry she could cry, but she couldn't have any!
Shi Shouxin instructed Li Wan, "I'll be right back. The autumn wind is getting cooler, let's have hot pot tonight. Get ready."

After saying that, he followed Xu Ying into the carriage.

He had assumed that Xu Ying had come alone, but when he got into the car, he found Yang Huiyu sitting upright with her eyes closed, a slight smile on her lips.

"Lady Yu, what's wrong..."

Shi Shouxin hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Yang Huiyu was not a widow idle at home; she was more like a politician! Or rather, a spokesperson for Yang Hu's lineage. Whenever Yang Hu couldn't handle something personally, Yang Huiyu would do it on his behalf.

Yang Huiyu almost never has personal matters when he's on a mission, so something big must have happened today.

"Someone reported you in Hedong County for abducting a respectable woman, and the person who made the report was kicked out of the yamen by Wang Jun, the governor of Hedong County."

Later, they went to Luoyang to file a complaint with the authorities; the official document detailing their accusation is here.

Yang Huiyu took a piece of paper out of her sleeve and handed it to Shi Shouxin.

The inscription reads something like this: When Shi Shouxin, an official of the Imperial Household Department, came to Hedong on official business, he stayed overnight at the home of Lü Xun. Instead of being grateful for Lü's hospitality, he seduced Lü's sister-in-law, Xu, causing Xu's husband, Lü An, to divorce her. Shi Shouxin then took this woman home as his concubine.

Shi Shouxin is an official of questionable character. We hope the court will remove him from office and punish him according to the law.

Now that the accusation document has been delivered to Shi Shouxin, there is no need for further explanation; it is as if someone is accusing this official.

"To be honest, this matter didn't need to be brought up so openly; it was all caused by the insatiable greed of some people."

Yang Huiyu sighed, a look of bewilderment appearing on her face.

Upon reading this, Xu Ying quickly explained for her, "Lü Xun was kicked out of the General's mansion as soon as she arrived, without even seeing the General. According to Lady Yu, your godfather Shi Bao, Lady Yu herself, Lady Yu's brother Yang Gong, and your father-in-law all advised the General that Lü Xun was of questionable character and despicable, and should not serve as a staff member in the General's mansion. However, this accusation should have nothing to do with Lü Xun."

Upon hearing these inside stories, Shi Shouxin immediately figured out the cause and effect.

The brothers Lü Xun and Lü An must have had a falling out later because of Xu Ying's matter, and their relationship had already broken down.

The former came to Luoyang to take up an official post, while the latter filed a complaint against the authorities in Hedong. Lü Xun was a thief himself; how could he dare to file a complaint? His little tricks could be easily exposed during an investigation.

However, with so many people speaking ill of him behind his back, even if Sima Zhao really wanted to settle Lü Xun, he would probably have to change his mind. In particular, the suggestion from Li Yin, Shi Shouxin's father-in-law, carried considerable weight; as the Imperial Censor, his job was to impeach officials.

Since Xu Ying was by Yang Huiyu's side, Lü An's lawsuit became a joke. It was already quite polite that he wasn't beaten out by the relevant government offices in Luoyang.

"Go to the General's Mansion."

Xu Ying gave the driver an instruction.

Aren't we going to Yang Hu's house?
Shi Shouxin was taken aback, but then he saw Yang Huiyu say calmly, "You really have a bad memory. Don't you remember what just happened?"

She made that sarcastic remark and then fell silent, leaving Shi Shouxin completely bewildered.

Soon, the carriage entered Luoyang City and drove into the General's Mansion.

Yang Huiyu was familiar with this place and led Shi Shouxin into Sima Zhao's study, where the ambitious general was currently working at his desk. Yang Huiyu said softly, "General, I have brought the man. Should we have a face-to-face confrontation?"

"That's fine too."

Sima Zhao nodded slightly, placed the brush in his hand on the brush holder, and looked at Shi Shouxin with a playful expression.

He suddenly noticed that Yang Huiyu's expression was not very good, and she seemed very angry. He immediately felt a little nervous and quickly laughed loudly, "I was just joking. Since my sister-in-law has spoken, it must be true. There's no need to say anything more."

"General, the truth of this matter was already clear back then."

This woman is now my maid; the suggestion of taking her as a concubine is pure slander.

Lü An is ignorant, and Lü Xun is despicable and vile. For Xu Shi to live in such a family is no different than jumping into a fire pit. I urge the General to investigate this matter thoroughly.

Now that Lü An dares to file a complaint, I think we should use the precedent of punishing false accusations to sentence him to exile in the frontier.

Yang Huiyu offered her advice in a serious and straightforward manner, without any politeness.

The Lü brothers have really bitten off more than they can chew this time. Since Xu Ying has become Yang Huiyu's maid, how could this second wife of Sima Shi possibly let someone else take Xu Ying away? That would be like slapping her in front of everyone.

"This can be discussed in the long run, sister-in-law. Don't worry, I've already had Lü An arrested and imprisoned."

Sima Zhao waved his hand slightly, his expression a little embarrassed. He had feelings for this beautiful sister-in-law, just like a boy facing a girl he secretly admires—always feeling a little guilty.

"Shi Shouxin, the reason I summoned you here today has absolutely nothing to do with the Xu family."

After saying this, Sima Zhao gave an order to the servants outside the door, and soon a beautiful young woman walked in, who looked seven or eight parts like Sima Zhao.

"I heard that you saved my brother-in-law, Du Yu, near the Mengjin ferry yesterday. He's getting married to my sister in a few days, and you jumped into the river to save him; it's truly..."

Sima Zhao sighed, thinking that Shi Shouxin was a bit foolish, but he couldn't say it directly, so he gave his sister, Sima Shi, a meaningful look.

"Thank you, benefactor."

Sima Zhao's sister, Lady Sima, bowed to Shi Shouxin with a respectful demeanor.

"It's nothing, just a coincidence, nothing more than a small favor."

Shi Shouxin waved his hand and said that he didn't care much about it.

At that moment, he suddenly realized someone was watching him. He turned his head slightly and saw that it was Yang Huiyu. The other woman was smiling and nodding gently at him, her eyes holding an indescribable expression. Besides admiration, there seemed to be something else.

Although it was clearly an expression of goodwill, the reason for this goodwill was unclear. Shi Shouxin nervously withdrew his gaze, no longer meeting the eyes of the graceful widow.

This woman is actually quite pretty.

"The wedding is still being planned, and it's not convenient for you to receive guests. Go back and rest."

Yang Huiyu whispered a reminder to Sima. Sima Zhao's sister quickly took her leave, leaving only Shi Shouxin, Sima Zhao, and Yang Huiyu in the study.

"I have long heard of your outstanding character. Now that the campaign against Shu is imminent and the whole court knows it, there is no need to hide it from you."

Under the jurisdiction of the Commandant of the Capital Region, there is a position called Du Guan Cong Shi. Would you be willing to take up the post?
After receiving the official seal, he will go to Guanzhong to specifically enforce military law and investigate illegal activities within the army.

If you are willing to take up the post, you may depart tomorrow.

Sima Zhao said with a serious expression, "The reason I invited him here is to bestow an official title upon Shi Shouxin."

An inspector with a low rank but great power is doing things that offend people.

This was a reward given to Shi Shouxin by Sima Zhao after he jumped into the river to save Du Yu, and it was also a way of repaying a favor.

In today's world, there are no hard and fast standards for selecting talent. It's a typical case where if someone says you're good, you're good, and if someone says you're not, you're good too!

In just one day, Shi Shouxin went from a lowly clerk to a man of "outstanding virtue." It's true that officials have two mouths; no one can argue with an official.

"I thank General for your promotion and will proceed to Guanzhong immediately."

Shi Shouxin bowed to Sima Zhao, accepted the order without hesitation, and turned to leave the study.

"Sister-in-law, how about this?"

After Shi Shouxin left, Sima Zhao looked at Yang Huiyu and asked him a question.

"Don't you, as the older brother, know anything about your sister's situation?"

If you owe someone a favor, you should repay it. But then, all those past issues are in the past, aren't they?
Li married Shi Shouxin, and the two were very much in love. They already had children, so what was there to argue about?

Yang Huiyu rebuked Sima Zhaodao, speaking bluntly and without any politeness.

Sima Zhao dared not argue with Yang Huiyu and quickly apologized. Sima Yan's sordid deeds back then seem utterly insignificant today, and facts have proven that Li Wan did not make the wrong choice; she indeed picked a virtuous man whom everyone praised.

On the contrary, Shi Shouxin's rescue of Du Yu yesterday was witnessed by everyone; he risked his life to go into the water and save several people. It would be really unreasonable for Sima Zhao not to show any appreciation.

It was precisely because Yang Huiyu's reprimand was reasonable that Sima Zhao dared not retort. Of course, he dared not say any other reasons; he couldn't very well say that his attempt to please his sister-in-law was simply to sleep with her, could he?

"Not letting one's own family members serve as military supervisors is to avoid giving others grounds for criticism."

Shi Shouxin is a virtuous man and capable of this task. Would a person without virtue risk their own life to jump into the water to save a stranger?

Yang Huiyu persuaded Sima Zhaodao.

“Indeed, sister-in-law is right. But I originally wanted my brother-in-law (Yang Hu) to take on this position.”

Sima Zhao nodded, feeling somewhat regretful. "How could we let an outsider have such a chance to gain prestige?"

“My uncle is afraid of Zhong Hui and refuses to go to Guanzhong. If you persuade him, he will immediately resign and go home. You cannot force him.”

Yang Huiyu sighed, feeling quite helpless. Of course, she was on Yang Hu's side; she simply disliked Sima Zhao appointing Zhong Hui as commander-in-chief.

Sima Zhao immediately fell silent. He got along very well with his sister-in-law, Yang Huiyu, but he couldn't bring up the matter of Zhong Hui leading the army into battle; it would kill the conversation. He was already quite fed up with so many people telling him that Zhong Hui was unfit to lead the troops.

Yang Huiyu bowed and turned to leave.

Sima Zhao couldn't help but sigh. He secretly pondered: If Yang Hu can't go, then Yang Xiu must go!

In short, it wouldn't be acceptable for the Yang family not to send someone to participate in the conquest of Shu.

And then there are the Wei, Pei, Xue, Du, and so on—not one can be left out. Sima Zhao wants to send the scions of these powerful families into the main force of the campaign against Shu; if he does that, victory is assured!
Meanwhile, as Shi Shouxin left Sima Zhao's study, he was led out of the General's mansion by Xu Ying, who was waiting outside. This young woman, who had been divorced because of Lü Xun's treacherous scheme, was clearly in much better spirits than she had been in the past few days.

Shi Shouxin asked curiously, "Did you know that Lü An came to my house looking for you yesterday and left in a huff?"

"I didn't know before, but I know now."

Xu Ying spoke calmly, as if she were talking about a stranger. But not long ago, Lü An was her newlywed husband!
This newlywed marriage was as fragile as paper; once it was punctured, the bloody reality was revealed.

Shi Shouxin didn't know how to comment, since it was someone else's business, so he could only remain silent.

Anyway, he's managing his own marriage very well, so he has no reason to interfere in others' affairs; whether it's good or bad is none of his business. As long as he and Li Wan are doing well, everything is fine.

“I have severed all ties with Lü An, so my benefactor need not mention him again. If Lü An has slandered you, I am willing to die to prove my innocence.”

Xu Ying said with great certainty.

"No way, it was not easy to save your life. It would be too much of a waste if you died because of this."

Shi Shouxin quickly dissuaded her from doing anything foolish.

Xu Ying sighed softly, not responding. As if suddenly remembering something, she chuckled softly, "Madam greatly admires our benefactor and has spoken highly of him to Master Yang in private."

Yang Huiyu spoke well of me?

Shi Shouxin felt bewildered, so he could only laugh awkwardly and say, "Yu Niangzi is a very nice person. If she ever has any difficulties and needs help in the future, I, Shi, will naturally do my duty without hesitation."

"Hehe, that's not necessarily true."

Xu Ying said something strange without explaining, and the two of them walked out of the General's Mansion one after the other.

Once inside the carriage, Yang Huiyu remained seated with her eyes closed, seemingly resting. Only after noticing Shi Shouxin and the others had boarded did she instruct the driver to head north, but not to Yang Hu's residence.

Instead, it was Li Wan's family home... a small courtyard next to it.

“My uncle’s social circle is growing wider and wider, and it is quite inconvenient for me, a widow, to live with him. This is a small courtyard that I obtained from the General, and I will live here alone from now on.”

Yang Huiyu explained to Shi Shouxin.

Shi Shouxin nodded; he understood the widow's situation very well.

Widows, especially beautiful widows who have never had children, like Yang Huiyu.

If a woman lives in her parents' or husband's ancestral home, she is essentially considered prey for lecherous men in the neighborhood. The scandals within these large mansions are countless, and the saying "a widow's door is always surrounded by gossip" is no exaggeration.

If you live with your younger brother, it's fine if there's no sister-in-law, but conflicts will arise if there is.

If the younger brother's friends frequently visit, and they see his beautiful widowed sister, will they have any wicked thoughts?

It's hard to say. Even if it doesn't, it wouldn't be good for my reputation if word got out.

Therefore, it was the normal and appropriate thing for Yang Huiyu to move out and live in a small courtyard not far from the General's Mansion.

It's safe, convenient, and quiet.

Shi Shouxin secretly pondered: Yang Huiyu is truly a cautious and wise woman. No wonder she has survived in the Sima family for so many years, remaining standing even without offspring.

The three entered the courtyard, where there were only two maids responsible for daily cleaning and cooking. Both were middle-aged women who looked very simple and unassuming, unlike the beautiful maids in Shi Chong's household.

As Yang Huiyu entered the study, she gently raised her hand, and Xu Ying, understanding the situation, withdrew from the room and waited outside.

After taking his seat, Yang Huiyu didn't stand on ceremony and asked directly, "Do you know why I recommended you for the position of Du Guan Congshi? This position only has a salary of 100 shi, but it is low in rank but powerful in authority."

Yang Huiyu raised a very intriguing question.

(End of this chapter)