"I just came back from the south," Mi Huang proactively explained his recent whereabouts.
"An old friend's son is serving in the military, so I went to ask them about the situation south of the Luo River."
"How is it?" Shao Xun asked.
"The Xianbei people have retreated. It's said they went back to demand payment from Sima Ying," Mi Huang said with a laugh.
"Probably just rumors, right?"
"Could be, but they really did leave."
"It seems the war is truly coming to an end," Shao Xun said with a complicated expression.
From a rational standpoint, he felt there was no issue with surrendering.
Emotionally, however, he had spent most of his time fighting against the people of Hebei.
Seeing them fail due to lack of provisions left a bitter taste in his mouth.
But then again, it wasn't all bad.
The troops were still intact.
It wasn't an unconditional surrender.
If pushed too far, they could still have one last good meal, rally the entire army, and launch a desperate assault on the enemy camp.
The outcome would still be uncertain.
The Battle of Jianchun Gate had already taught the Ji Province troops a harsh lesson.
They had been driven like sheep for over ten miles, enough to make them remember.
In a direct field battle, they were no match.
"Of course, it has to end. If it doesn't, how will the Minister of Works take control?" Mi Huang said.
"The Minister of Works is showing great ambition this time," Shao Xun remarked, somewhat surprised, as this didn't align with Sima Yue's usual style.
Mi Huang hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice.
"Do you think I really went south just to wander around?"
Shao Xun remained silent, listening intently.
"I went there to pick someone up. You didn't know about this," Mi Huang said.
"It was a messenger from King Fan Yang."
Shao Xun nodded.
Mi Huang was his superior and wasn't obligated to tell him everything.
Even out of professional ethics and personal integrity, some of the lord's confidential matters couldn't be spread around.
"Say what can be said, and don't ask about what can't be said"—this was something Mi Huang had once told him.
Even an honest man had principles.
The fact that Mi Huang was sharing this now likely meant that Shao Xun was getting closer to Sima Yue's inner circle.
"The Minister of Works is currently negotiating with the Ye government. He is now the leading figure pushed forward by the Luoyang court and the central army. To increase his chances in the negotiations, he will definitely take some actions."
"The Governor of Yu Province, King Fan Yang, the Governor of Bing Province, Duke Dongying—they are either Sima Yue's cousins or close relatives. They are actually quite willing to see Sima Yue take control, so they can serve as external allies."
"Additionally, Sima Yue has also sent envoys through secret routes to Xu Province, Qing Province, and Wancheng to win over King Dongping, King Gaomi, and King Pengcheng, intending to unite with them to resist Sima Ying."
"The title of Crown Prince can be given to Sima Ying for now, and we can play along with him temporarily. Once the major issues are settled, Sima Yue will definitely contend with the Ye government."
After Mi Huang finished speaking, Shao Xun quickly digested the information.
Sima Yue was truly a cunning old fox.
Betraying Sima Yi wasn't about bowing to Sima Ying—it was about his own rise to power.
He was now doing everything he could to win over the generals of the imperial guards and curry favor with the powerful families, securing their support in the court to stabilize the situation in Luoyang and gather as many allies as possible.
Outside the capital, Sima Teng, the Governor of Bing Province, and Sima Lue, the Governor of Qing Province, were his brothers.
Sima Xiao (his cousin) in Xuchang and Sima Shi (son of his cousin Sima Zhi) in Wancheng were even more formidable, holding significant military power.
Although many governors now held the title of "Commander of Military Affairs in a Province," in the Jin Dynasty, only the eight old commanderies controlled the hereditary troops.
These eight commanders were stationed in Chang'an, Xuchang, Wancheng, Xiangyang, Shouchun, Xiapi, Ye, and Ji, corresponding to the strategic directions of the Cao Wei period.
Among them, the commanders in Chang'an, Xuchang, Xiangyang, Ye, and Ji controlled the majority of the 300,000 hereditary troops.
Thus, the weight of Sima Xiao, the Commander of Yu Province and King Fan Yang, was significant.
Sima Shi, the Commander of Mianbei and King Pengcheng, was slightly less influential but still not to be overlooked.
Adding in Sima Teng, who controlled Bing Province, and Sima Lue, who controlled Qing Province, the hidden power of the Prince of Donghai was becoming evident.
Of course, not all of these people would necessarily support Sima Yue.
After all, he had been lying low for so many years, and it was normal for others not to trust him.
But based on the current situation, it seemed that Sima Xiao in Xuchang had started to support him.
No wonder, no wonder!
As for whether Sima Yue had contacted Sima Xiao before taking action or afterward, that was unclear.
Shao Xun tended to think it was the former.
They were all descendants of Sima Yi's fourth brother, Sima Kui, so it would have been easy for them to connect.
"So, the Minister of Works will eventually mobilize a large army to attack Sima Ying. But where will the troops come from? The forces he can control now are too few, aren't they?" Shao Xun asked.
"That will definitely take some time," Mi Huang said, somewhat uncertain.
"If Sima Yi could win the support of the imperial guards, there's no reason Sima Yue can't."
Shao Xun, however, wasn't so optimistic.
To be fair, Sima Yi's abilities were stronger than Sima Yue's, even stronger than Sima Ying, Sima Yong, and the deceased Sima Jiong.
The fact that he could win over the imperial guards didn't mean others could.
Moreover, since the execution of King Zhao Sima Lun, the imperial guards had clearly developed their own will.
During the conflict between King Qi and King Changsha, they chose to stay on the sidelines and not get involved.
When King Changsha, King Chengdu, and King Hejian were at war, they joined the fray.
Now, with the Prince of Donghai and King Chengdu about to clash again, it was hard to say what their attitude would be.
An army with its own will was terrifying for those in power, as they would be driven by interests and instincts, no longer blindly obedient.
Fortunately, even if driven by instinct, they now subconsciously leaned toward Sima Yue, uniting to resist external threats.
To some extent, including Shao Xun, the Luoyang royal forces were forced to band together in their disadvantage, temporarily forming a united front to avoid being wiped out.
Whether they would split in the future was a matter for later.
"Have you been appointed as the Commandant's Major?" Mi Huang changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on these matters.
"Probably still have to wait a few months. The Minister of Works told me to start working on things first," Shao Xun said.
"Good, good," Mi Huang said with a smile.
"Given your family's situation, having someone become an official is really not easy."
Recommendations for filial piety and integrity were common in historical records, but don't think it was easy—that's assuming you were part of the upper class.
How many of the "Outstanding Talents" recommended by provincial governors ended up in the hands of ordinary people?
How many of the "Filial and Incorrupt" candidates selected by commandery governors went to those without family backgrounds?
Too few, too few.
The occasional ones who did were often recorded in history books.
But ninety-nine percent of the "Outstanding Talents" and "Filial and Incorrupt" slots were quietly divided among the aristocratic families behind the scenes.
Historians didn't even bother recording it, as it was too commonplace—it was essentially prepared for them.
"Outstanding Talents" who couldn't read, "Filial and Incorrupt" candidates whose fathers lived apart—these titles had lost their original meaning.
They were just tools for the aristocratic families to enrich themselves.
"Once things settle down in Luoyang, you should send a letter home to let them know the good news," Mi Huang said.
"My family will still need your protection, Commander," Shao Xun said.
"Small matter, small matter," Mi Huang said happily.
What did this mean? It was a sign of closeness.
Having his family move into the Mi family's stronghold meant they were now tied together—prosperity and ruin shared.
The two of them were deeply bound by interests.
"I've also received a promise from the Minister of Works. Once Sima Yi is captured, I will become the new Commandant of Donghai," Mi Huang said, stroking his beard.
He then quickened his pace with Shao Xun, moving away from the crowd before asking, "Do you have any suggestions for organizing the troops?"
Since Mi Huang asked, Shao Xun didn't hold back.
"I plan to select seven squads of strong soldiers from the existing troops and combine them with three squads of young boys to form a battalion. I will personally serve as the battalion commander, with Wu Qian as the deputy. The remaining soldiers will form another battalion, with Yang Bao transferred over as the deputy."
"Since the Minister of Works has granted me the position of Commandant's Major and tasked me with strictly selecting and training soldiers, I've decided to pick thirty elite warriors to form a 'training unit,' with Chen Yougen as the unit leader."
"I will also prepare a list of other unit leaders, squad leaders, and team leaders for your review."
Mi Huang was quite satisfied with this.
Shao Xun knew his limits.
He didn't meddle with He Lun's upper army and only made adjustments within Wang Bing's lower army.
That was a good approach.
If Wang Bing cooperated, fine.
If not, when his subordinates stopped listening to him and higher-ups sided against him, he would be in trouble.
Of course, Wang Bing could also choose to fight to the death and completely break ties.
But nothing in the world is perfect.
Wanting the benefits without offending anyone? Dream on.
"In a few days, we'll move the troops back to Luoyang. There's no need to guard Piyong anymore," Mi Huang said.
"We'll also find a chance to have a good talk with Wang Bing. I don't think he's the type to be unreasonable. Besides, I sense that Wang Bing seems interested in joining the imperial guards. Once the Minister of Works wins over the imperial guards, he will definitely try to place his own people in key positions. Wang Bing probably doesn't even care much for the position of General of Donghai's Lower Army."
"Oh? Does he want to become the Left or Right Guard General or something?" Shao Xun asked.
"Don't you want to?" Mi Huang asked, surprised.
"No," Shao Xun answered honestly.
Mi Huang laughed.
"You're a strange one."
Shao Xun also smiled.
Troops that weren't raised by oneself were hard to command effectively.
It might not show in peacetime, but once on the battlefield, the difference would be clear.
Was a position obtained through parachuting or inheritance the same as one built from scratch? The difference in prestige was vast.
(End of Chapter)