As night fell and the lanterns were lit, the Sikong Mansion was filled with laughter and the continuous sound of music.
The number of people attending the banquet was not large, only about a dozen or so.
After several rounds of wine, the atmosphere gradually heated up, and whispers and murmurs filled the air.
"I heard that Kejian has written prefaces for many strange tales, making a name for himself in the capital," Wang Hu said with a smile to Pei Kuo, the General of the Central Garrison, who was sitting to his right.
Pei Kuo shook his head helplessly, "It's just something I do in my spare time, supporting a few lesser-known authors so they can make a living. I'm afraid I've made a fool of myself in front of you, Chuzhong."
"Not at all, I also enjoy reading strange tales. I've read 'The Tales of the Strange' more than ten times," Wang Hu laughed heartily.
'The Tales of the Strange' was written by Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, and later expanded by Zhang Hua, the Prime Minister of the Western Jin Dynasty.
It recorded ghost stories from the Zhengshi and Ganlu eras.
The book was rich in content, covering a wide range of topics such as Taoist exorcisms, ghost-catching and selling, the underworld, resurrection of the dead, and even ghost marriages.
It was a vast and complex collection.
This book spanned the Wei and Jin dynasties, with contributions from the emperor and later the prime minister, offering a glimpse into the cultural atmosphere of the time.
Hearing Wang Hu's words, Pei Kuo couldn't help but laugh, and the two men's relationship grew slightly closer.
This was akin to modern-day small talk, where people who aren't very familiar with each other might ask, "Have you eaten?" or discuss the weather—essentially the same kind of interaction.
"Several months ago, Minister Wang defeated Lu Ji, shocking the city of Ye. Tens of thousands of wandering spirits were added to Hebei. Aren't you afraid?" Pei Kuo joked, but he also subtly shifted the topic.
Wang Hu caught on and replied nonchalantly, "So what? Do you think those dead souls would dare to come after me?"
"Minister Wang is truly bold," Pei Kuo said with respect.
"The dead might not, but what about the living?"
Wang Hu downed his cup of wine in one gulp and said, "I hope Kejian will not hesitate to enlighten me."
"It's actually quite simple," Pei Kuo said without beating around the bush.
"As long as we work together, no one can touch us."
"Working together isn't hard, but we still need someone to lead, right?" Wang Hu said slowly.
"The leader isn't far away; he's right in front of us," Pei Kuo said, raising his wine cup.
"Minister Wang, you must have already made up your mind by attending today's banquet, haven't you?"
Wang Hu poured himself another cup of wine, pondered for a moment, then shook his head without saying anything.
Pei Kuo's expression changed slightly.
He hadn't expected that Wang Hu, who had killed more than a dozen Hebei generals, would still be hesitating.
Do you even know who the people of Hebei hate the most?
The Battle of Jianchun Gate was the most devastating battle Hebei had suffered so far, with many prominent figures from Hebei's noble families losing their lives.
How could you possibly side with Sima Ying?
Even if Sima Ying were magnanimous and didn't hold these things against you, you would still face ostracism.
Do you really think there's a future in that?
But Wang Hu just kept drinking and didn't respond.
Pei Kuo had no choice but to take a sip of his wine and turn to his right, where he saw Shao Xun drinking by himself.
He had heard some rumors that Shao Xun was about to become an "official."
Impressive.
A rising star from the war, daring and unafraid to offend others, with a bit of luck, he had managed to climb up quickly.
"The external army will soon enter the city. What are your thoughts, Lord Shao?" Pei Kuo raised his wine cup and asked.
"Protect the Sikong, that's all," Shao Xun said, downing his cup in one go.
Pei Kuo was momentarily taken aback, not quite used to Shao Xun's tone.
But then he relaxed, realizing that as an official, Shao Xun no longer needed to be as cautious as before.
He quickly adjusted his attitude and smiled, "It's a pity you're already a general of the Eastern Sea Army, otherwise I would have definitely transferred you to the Imperial Guard. But—well, as long as you protect the Sikong Mansion, that's enough. You're from the Eastern Sea, and your fortunes are tied to the Sikong. The Sikong is indeed more important."
Shao Xun smiled but said nothing.
Becoming an Imperial Guard officer? Not a good choice.
Once in the Imperial Guard, you're either stuck in Luoyang or divided between Sima Ying and Sima Yong, sent to Chang'an or Ye.
That's not impossible.
He had overheard the conversation between Pei Kuo and Wang Hu and found it quite interesting.
Wang Hu attending today's banquet hosted by the Sikong was itself a gesture of alignment.
But he seemed unwilling to fully commit, not making any statements at critical moments.
What is this? It's waiting for the highest bidder.
Perhaps he's waiting for Sima Yong or Sima Ying to make an offer.
After all, the Imperial Guard has made a name for itself and has significant value in the power struggle.
But Shao Xun didn't think Wang Hu would necessarily go to Ye or Chang'an.
The political landscape has its boundaries.
According to conventional wisdom, the Yellow River is a clear dividing line.
Scholars from north of the Yellow River might come to the south, and those from the south might go north, but neither would be the mainstream.
Especially now, with the central authority crumbling, scholars from various regions prefer to find political centers close to home, where they can easily find fellow countrymen and develop more smoothly.
Wang Hu is from Chen Commandery.
What's the point of going to Ye?
Didn't you see what happened to Lu Ji? Lu Ji might have died directly at the hands of Meng Jiu, but the collective ostracism by Hebei scholars definitely played a part.
How could Wang Hu be so foolish as to go to Ye?
But no matter where Wang Hu goes, Shao Xun ultimately realized one thing: Sima Yue's attempt to unite the Imperial Guard is going to be quite difficult.
The best outcome would be to win over some, while others are divided between the Kings of Chengdu and Hejian.
As for the other royal princes in the capital, sorry, they don't even have a seat at the table.
Pei Kuo seems to be trying his best to unite the Imperial Guard generals, not necessarily for Sima Yue, but perhaps to protect himself or to increase his bargaining power and value in the power struggle.
But it doesn't look like it's going smoothly.
The situation is a bit chaotic.
"People's hearts are in turmoil," Shao Xun sighed.
Hearing this, Pei Kuo slapped his thigh and sighed, "The royal family is declining, and indeed, people's hearts are in turmoil. I just want to preserve some foundation for the Luoyang Central Army. Ten years in the Central Army, I can't bear to see this elite force fall apart."
"It's already mostly fallen apart," Shao Xun shook his head.
"Since the time of King Zhao Lun, we've lost nearly half."
Pei Kuo smiled bitterly and was about to say something when he saw Sima Yue at the head of the table raising his cup repeatedly, so everyone followed suit and drank.
After putting down his cup, Shao Xun's eyes quietly scanned the room, first landing on Mi Huang.
Mi Huang raised his cup from afar in a toast.
Shao Xun picked up his cup and downed it again.
Old Mi is now a "famous general" of the Yue Mansion, having won two battles by sheer luck.
Among the mediocre, he stands out, and his status has risen rapidly.
Shao Xun then saw Wang Bing.
He was drinking alone, clearly in a bad mood.
Shao Xun felt a pang of sympathy.
He still remembered their first meeting, when Wang Bing was quite polite.
But when it came to competing for specific interests, some superficial courtesies couldn't be maintained.
Countrymen meeting countrymen, tears may flow, but sometimes they also stab each other in the back.
This stab was delivered by both Mi Huang and Shao Xun, leaving Wang Bing disoriented and his feelings indescribable.
Shao Xun also saw Gou Xi.
He was the first Imperial Guard general to side with Sima Yue, and now he was sitting close, chatting and laughing, their relationship quite good.
If Sima Yue wanted to promote an Imperial Guard general, Gou Xi would definitely be at the top of the list.
How far he could go would depend on the complex power struggles between Sima Yue, Sima Ying, and Sima Yong.
General Gou is quite the talent.
In his youth, he was promoted by the Commandant of the Capital, Shi Jian, and must have been an ambitious young man back then.
But after Shi Jian's death, he stagnated for many years until he sided with Sima Yue.
Then he switched allegiances again, siding with Sima Jiong, then Sima Yi, and then back to Sima Yue...
How many masters has he served?
"Without a noble background, if you can't swallow your pride, it's indeed hard to get by," Shao Xun sighed inwardly.
Gou Xi ultimately didn't have the family background of someone like Pei Kuo.
Perhaps he had no other choice.
Historically, he eventually became a provincial governor, though it's unclear whether he was a "single-chariot governor" or held a military title.
Thinking of this, Shao Xun glanced at Pei Kuo again.
His brother was vying for the position of Governor of Xuzhou, but if he couldn't obtain the "Commissioner with Special Powers" title and couldn't control the military, being just a single-chariot governor wouldn't be very meaningful.
Where is my territory?
Shao Xun took another sip of wine, silently pondering.
He was gradually realizing that he couldn't ask for too much.
Ideally, he would develop in Xuzhou, but if that wasn't possible, he needed a backup plan.
Even if an opportunity for an external appointment arose, he had to seize it, as vacancies wouldn't wait, and he didn't have the luxury of being picky.
First, he needed to earn merits, slowly gaining Sima Yue's appreciation and trust.
If that didn't work, he would have to wait until the Jin court's rule completely collapsed, leaving it powerless to suppress local warlords, and then directly carve out his own territory.
The music grew more enchanting.
Sima Yue clapped his hands, and a group of graceful dancers entered, beginning a beautiful dance.
The night banquet had reached its climax.
(End of Chapter)