Chapter 1279: Heartbroken

Xia Houmao winked at Xia Houwei.

Xia Houwei understood, turned and walked to the door, looked around to make sure there was no one, and then closed the door tightly.

“Today at dusk, just before the city gate was locked, two caravans left the city from Xiyang Gate and Dongyang Gate respectively.”

Although there were no outsiders, Xia Houmao still lowered his voice and said, "When the time comes, you can disguise yourself, follow the caravan at Dongyang Gate, and leave Luoyang."

After a pause, he said specifically, "Don't worry, the caravan is flying the flag of Sima Mansion, no one will stop it."

Even if Xia Houxuan was particular about Mount Tai collapsing before his eyes without changing his expression, he was slightly startled when he heard Xia Houmao's words:

 “Sima’s Mansion? Taifu’s Mansion?”

These words seemed to scratch Xia Houmao's itch, but he saw a slightly proud look on his face: "Exactly!"

Xia Houxuan frowned:

"How can the caravan sent by my uncle fly the flag of the Taifu Palace? Isn't this asking for death?"

 In today's Luoyang City, every city gate is guarded by Sima's cronies. How can they not recognize others who are pretending to be?

 No matter how desperate you are to escape from Luoyang City, you will not resort to such despicable means.

"No, no!" Xia Houmao's face became more and more proud, "This is not the caravan from my residence secretly flying the flag of Taifu's house, but this is the request of Taifu's house."

"What's the meaning?"

  Are the two Sima brothers crazy?

 Hang your own flag and send people out of the city?



Xiahou Mao chuckled:

"Your uncle and I don't have any other abilities, but my ability to manage the industry is something that few people can match."

“Over the years, Da... ahem, I owe a lot of the good things from the Han Dynasty to Guandong.”

“I think back then, even the late emperor asked me to find ways to raise raw materials for the army...”

Although he had misappropriated military rations from Guanzhong in his early years, which hindered the Longyou Battle.

But didn’t the late emperor just transfer himself away from Guanzhong, and even sent himself to the governor of Qingxu Province in the end? (Chapter 659)

Why?

 Isn’t it because you are interested in your ability to do business?

Taking good things and selling them in the East can not only help appease and make good friends with the Guandong family, but also take the opportunity to raise money and food.

It’s a pity that I escaped the first disaster, but I couldn’t escape the second disaster.

 Taichu did not give the emperor face in public, which offended Cao Rui.

Zhongquan (i.e. Xiahou Ba) "surrendered to the enemy" again. I heard that Xiaoguan's 100,000-strong army was almost wiped out in the first battle, and it was precisely because of his responsibility.

He was dedicated to buying and selling in Qingxu and Erzhou. One day, Cao Rui turned over the old account of selling military food in Guanzhong, and was so inexplicable that he was recalling Luoyang.

Since then, the Xiahou clan has declined.

　　　His mother’s wife!

 When you need to use your family's son, you will act magnanimously. When you don't need your family's family, you will turn your back on him.

　　You deserve to be betrayed by the Cao family!

 “Time is urgent, don’t be verbose, get to the point, get to the point quickly!”

Xiahou Wei, who closed the door and turned back, reminded Xiahou Mao.

Xia Houmao, who was about to sigh, felt a little resentful, so he had to swallow the unnecessary words:

“Anyway, as you know, I actually have some trading channels in the Han Kingdom, and many of the big families in Qingxu Prefecture are also on good terms with me.”

"Do you think that over the past few years, Sima Yi has guarded more than 100,000 and 200,000 troops here in Henan, with adequate food and clothing, all of which were provided by food stored in Taicang and provided by Xuchang?"

 “In fact, there is me in this, and my contribution is also there!”

Xiahou Mao pointed to his nose:

"Over the years, the caravans in my house have been traveling back and forth. Except for being unable to cross the border because of the tense war, they rarely rest throughout the year. In fact, they have been making money for the Sima clan to support their troops."

Xia Houmao was a little indignant when he mentioned this matter:

"Sima Yi is not a good person either. He used my caravan to transport rare items from the west, and then transported them to Shandong and Hebei for sale in the name of the Sima family."

“Not only did he make money and food, but he also took the opportunity to secretly communicate with the rich and powerful. I really don’t think I knew about it! Otherwise, he could have taken Jizhou so easily..."

 "Okay! It's over!" Xia Houwei shouted lightly, interrupting Xia Houmao again, "Let's get to the point!"

Xia Houmao let out a dissatisfied "tsk" and held back a sentence:

“The key point is that this time, there is a batch of goods that need to be sent to the east, and it is relatively urgent. There is also a caravan that wants to try its luck in the west.”

 Speaking of this, Xiahou Mao could not help but complain:

"I guess it was after Sima Yi captured Jizhou, so he wanted to test the reaction of the three aristocratic families in Yanzhou, Qingzhou and Xuzhou."

Xia Houwei glanced at Xia Houmao. This time, he did not interrupt Xia Houmao's words.

 Because he felt that Xia Houmao's words were quite reasonable.

No matter what reason Sima Yi used to capture Jizhou, it is an unchangeable fact that he did not obtain the emperor's edict in advance.

 Sima Yi and the general had some concerns and secretiveness in the past.

So this time the incident in Jizhou almost brought the contradiction into the open.

This also means that the internal struggle in Wei has reached a fevered stage, forcing all parties to prepare to take sides.

"Now Sima Yi is not in Luoyang, and Master Sima is seriously ill and cannot take charge. The person in charge is Sima Zhao."

"Sima Zhao is not as talented as his brother, nor as cruel as his brother. He has the intention to do great things, but he is indecisive in his likes and dislikes."

Xiahou Mao became more and more excited as he talked:

"These days, Luoyang has been in chaos and disorder. Who hasn't seen it? This is the first time he has taken over the matter. He probably has no clue and can only follow the old routine. This gives us a rare good opportunity."

Even though Xia Houmao only knew how to do business to make money for the Sima family over the years, in fact, he used this relationship to explore many ways in secret.

 All along, Sima Yi focused on training Sima divisions, while Sima Zhao could only be ordered to run errands.

Now that Sima Zhao suddenly took power, he did not have much practical experience at all and was already in a hurry.

Incidentally, the Han army in the west will be approaching the city at any time, and the east side has to help Sima Yi win over the wealthy families. How can there be time for Sima Zhao to study and prepare slowly?

As for Sima Yi, Luoyang City is useless now anyway, and he doesn't feel bad even if his son plays badly.

If you are not bad at playing, you can still practice your skills and accumulate some experience.

As the saying goes, a wise man will lose something if he thinks a lot; a fool will gain something if he thinks a lot.

  Sima Zhao, a novice, faced with the current situation, it was almost natural for him to make mistakes while busy.

Xia Houmao, the great rat in the country, has been running the rat track for many years. When he saw a bright light of hope in the gap in front of him, he naturally had to work hard to get into it.

"That's right." Xiahou Wei said, "We, the three Xiahou clans, have been trapped in Luoyang for a long time. We wanted to leave before but couldn't get there."

"Seeing that the army of Western thieves will arrive sooner or later, it will be very dangerous if we stay here any longer. Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, it is better to leave the land of right and wrong as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Xia Houxuan's calm and indifferent expression finally changed.

 Different from Xia Houzhen who had resentment against the Cao family, although Xia Houxuan had offended Cao Rui, and because of his identity as a metaphysical leader, he was implicated in the "Glorious Case", which resulted in the entire Cao Rui era being suppressed.

 But Cao Shuang, the general in charge of state affairs now, is his cousin!

After Cao Shuang came to power, he repeatedly asked Sima Yi for people. For this reason, he even promoted Sima Shi and Sima Zhao without holding their noses. This shows that he still values ​​​​Xiahou Xuan, his cousin.

However, Xia Houxuan's reputation was too great, and Sima Yi was also afraid that Xia Houxuan would go to assist Cao Shuang and give the world's scholars a bad start, so he was unwilling to agree to release him.

Now that he has the opportunity to leave Luoyang and go to Xuchang to express his ambition, it is impossible to say that Xia Houxuan is not moved.

 There was a rare hint of excitement on his face, but it quickly dissipated.

 Then he shook his head unexpectedly:

 “No, I can’t leave.”

Xiahou Mao and Xiahou Wei were stunned and asked in unison:

  “Why?”

Xia Houxuan let out a long sigh:

"The Sima clan is keeping a very strict watch on me. If I follow, I'm afraid I will be discovered by them before I leave Luoyang."

“Not only will I be unable to leave, but I’m afraid my two uncles will also be unable to leave.”

The Xiahou clan was trapped in Luoyang, which was originally Cao Rui's intention.

 The biggest trigger was Xiahou Ba's "turning into a traitor".

 So when Cao Rui was there, the Xiahouwei clan was the most closely guarded.

Later, Cao Rui fled Luoyang under strong pressure from General Guan. After Luoyang was taken over by Sima Yi, the people monitoring the Xiahouwei clan became a little embarrassed.

When Cao Rui died of illness, Sima Yi and Cao Shuang divided Xuchang, Luoyang, and Sima Yi ostensibly followed Cao Rui's instructions.

 In fact, in order to strengthen his control over Luoyang, he wanted to keep the people left behind by Cao Rui safe.

Xiahou Ba betrayed Cao Wei. What does it have to do with me, Sima Yi?

 On the contrary, the people left by the emperor to monitor me have been under my nose, which makes me feel even more uncomfortable.

 After all, if you can monitor the Xiahou family, you can naturally monitor the Sima family, right?

 As a result, the number of people under surveillance on the Xiahouwei family became smaller and smaller, and became more and more relaxed.

Not to mention Xia Houmao.

Already he had made atonement for his crimes in Qingxu Province, but he didn't expect to be implicated.

 Later on, he flattered the Sima family. Not to mention that he was trusted by the Sima family, but after so many years of kneeling and licking him, at least Sima Yi and his son would not be too wary of Xia Houmao.

On the contrary, Xia Houxuan, although initially hated by Cao Rui, still had the position of Yulin Supervisor.

 At most, he will not be promoted, and he will not be put under surveillance.

Unexpectedly, after Cao Rui's death, because of his great reputation and close relationship with Cao Shuang, he was tabooed by the Sima family and was closely monitored.

Thinking of these, Xia Houxuan only felt that there was nothing more ridiculous in the world than this.

　　I wanted to enter the court and serve the country, but I was actually put under guard in the capital of Wei Dynasty.

 Da Wei, what happened?

 As soon as he thought of this, Xia Houxuan's original joyful mood suddenly disappeared without a trace, and was replaced by a tone of sadness.

I saw him saying to Xia Houmao:

"I am grateful for my uncle's kindness. I would like to thank you here, but I'm afraid I won't be able to leave. If my uncle can have mercy on my family, please **** my wife and children out of Luoyang. Xuan will be under the yellow soil. I am also grateful for my great kindness."

Who would have expected that when Xia Houmao heard this, his face changed slightly and he looked a little embarrassed:

“Well, Taichu, this time, we will go separately. I plan to follow the caravan at Xiyang Gate.”

"It's better, it's better to entrust your wife and children to Ji Quan and let him take them to Xuchang."

Hearing Xia Houmao’s words, Xia Houxuan suddenly couldn’t react:

"Uncle, when you leave Xiyang Gate, you are heading west. If you want to go to Xuchang, you have to at least make a big circle around Luoyang. Not only is it a waste of time, but it also delays the journey."

“If someone from the Sima clan is chasing them, they probably won’t be able to escape…”

Xia Houmao’s eyes were wandering and he did not dare to look directly at Xia Houxuan. He just said with a guilty conscience:

“You don’t have to worry about me, I have my own way, and if everyone walks together, the risk is high, so it’s better to go separately.”

Hearing Xia Houxuan's words, Xia Houxuan instinctively felt that something was wrong, and when he saw the other party's expression.

He seemed to have thought of something. He straightened up suddenly and stared at Xia Houmao:

“Uncle, are you…could it be that…you are going to surrender to a thief!?”

Probably because this incident was too shocking, no matter how much Xia Houxuan insisted on detaching his body and mind from the outside world, his expression changed drastically at this time.

"What are you taking refuge in? Why are you taking refuge in thieves? I am not taking refuge in thieves. I am taking refuge in, taking refuge in, taking refuge in. Do you understand?"

Xia Houxuan told him that his plan was ruined, so Xia Houmao simply stopped pretending:

"I heard that Zhongquan (Xiahou Ba) has always been doing well in the Han Dynasty. I am going to join him. Taking refuge with him is not considered joining a traitor..."

 At the end of the sentence, he muttered something vague.



 With the current situation in the world, we still don’t know who the thief will be in the end!

"Uncle!" At this time, Xiahou Xuan no longer cared about his self-cultivation. He took a step forward with excitement, "We, the Xiahou family, have shared honor and disgrace, life and death with the Cao family since the beginning of Emperor Wu's rebellion."

"After the founding of the Wei Dynasty, the favor to our Xiahou clan has been even greater. Now that the country is in trouble, uncle, instead of repaying the kindness of the country, you are going to join the bandits."

"I'm sorry for the great kindness of the great Wei Dynasty, I'm sorry for the late Duke Xiahou, and I'm hurting my clan members. You, you, you, how can you do this?"

If the other party had not been his uncle, Xia Houxuan would have scolded him like an animal, careless about human relations and ignorant of morality.

"Implications? What implication! When my two good brothers falsely accused me, did they ever think that they would kill me?"

It's okay not to mention the clansmen, but when he mentioned the clansmen, Xia Houmao suddenly became a little irritable:

"If I don't go west, why should I go east to Xuchang to find that poisonous woman and maidservant? What's the difference between that and seeking death? Instead of going to Xuchang to seek death, I might as well stay in Luoyang and wait for death!"

The "poisonous woman and cheap maid" in Xia Houmao's mouth is naturally the eldest princess of Qinghe who is her own name - she should be called the eldest princess of Qinghe now.

In the early years, the eldest princess of Qinghe turned into hatred from jealousy, and she conspired with Xiahou Mao's two younger brothers to frame Xiahou Mao.

Coupled with the incident of selling grain in Chang'an, Xiahou Mao was almost killed by Cao Rui.

 After this incident, Xiahou Mao and Princess Qinghe's couple turned against each other.

 A beauty who is getting better and better, and a beauty who is unwilling to be left alone.

As for Xia Houmao and his two younger brothers, they are basically strangers.

This is almost a taboo pain that cannot be mentioned in front of Xia Houmao.

 Cao Rui hurriedly visited the east, and after Xuchang died of illness, the Cao family members who stayed in Luoyang were basically the political hostages of the Sima family.

In this case, the eldest princess of Qinghe, who ranked high among the clan, was naturally panicked and had been trying to go to Xuchang. (Chapter 1083 and 1087)

  In any case, I don’t know what means she used to make the Taifu Mansion relent, and she finally got what she wanted.

Although the eldest princess of Qinghe was involved in a scandal last year because the retainer was a Western thief, she was implicated a lot.

 But Cao Shuang did not excessively hold Princess Dachang accountable.

 After all, it is most common for the three kingdoms of Han, Wei, and Wu to send each other to work in detail.

No one can guarantee when or where the enemy’s detailed plans will appear.

Yinfan, who was sent by the late emperor to fight against the Wu invaders, and Guo Xun, who was sent by Sima Yi to fight against the Western invaders, which one did not accomplish great things in the enemy's country?

In addition to this factor, there is another more important reason that cannot be said:

If it hadn't been for the rebellion of the Western traitors and spies in the palace of the eldest princess, Sima Yi would have lost Luoyang's last barrier, Shaanxi, leaving Luoyang undefendable.

I am afraid that if General Cao loses Xiangyang, he will become the target of thousands of people.

So after this incident, the eldest princess of Qinghe was questioned by Cao Shuang in the name of the emperor's edict, and Tang Muyi was reduced and banned from the mansion. The matter was considered over.

 After all, no matter how high General Cao is, he is also a member of the Cao family.

 As for the eldest princess, few people can compare with her in the clan’s generation.

 In addition, she does not pose a threat to General Cao's dictatorship like the Queen Mother.

 So naturally it’s a small punishment but a big commandment!

 Xiahou Mao is different.

 He fled to Xuchang at this time, and he was no different from a lost dog.

The eldest princess is still resentful of him, so if she does any small tricks, Cao Shuang will most likely not see it.

 At that time, Xia Houmao might just do what he said, no different from seeking death.

 He is greedy for money and does not understand military strategy, but he is not a fool.

Xia Houxuan was startled when he heard what Xia Houmao said and saw the other party's appearance.

Just now he was in a hurry, but he forgot this section.

 Subconsciously, he looked at Xia Houwei beside him.

Xia Houwei smiled bitterly and shook his head silently.

 Obviously, before coming here, there was probably some discussion or even argument between him and Xia Houmao.

Xia Houxuan slumped to the ground, feeling a sadness gradually filling his chest, and murmured:

 “How could it be so? How could it be so…”

 Da Wei, why did it become like this?

 In the past, a minister ordered the Pei family to surrender to the traitors, and now the Xiahou family, who shared weal and woe with the Cao family, fled westward. What happened to the Wei Dynasty?

Xia Houwei was silent and unable to answer.

He had already argued with Xia Houmao about this question, and also asked himself, but he also did not get an answer. (Chapter 1123)

Xia Houmao, on the other hand, broke the jar and sat down with an indifferent expression, pouring a cup of tea to himself.

how so?

 Of course it’s a question about fixed body!

There must be something wrong with Wei's system. Otherwise, how could Wei, which was so close to unifying the world, begin to fall apart and lose people's hearts in less than twenty years?

 For Xia Houmao, the so-called eldest princess just gave him an excuse not to go to Xuchang.

At least you can do some business with the big man in Luoyang. Although it is to help the Sima family make money, with the convenience of the caravan, you can naturally enjoy a lot of good things from the big man on weekdays.

 What does Xuchang have?

Going to Xuchang, you will definitely not be able to do business, and you will not be able to bring the hundreds of beautiful women in the house. What is the point of waiting for others to give you scraps all day long?

Zhongquan was captured by the Han in front of the battle, and he lived there happily. I, the son-in-law of a great Wei Dynasty, took the initiative to run over, could it be worse?

 Even if it is leftovers, the ones from the Han Dynasty are more delicious than those from the Wei Dynasty!

 In the depths of Xia Houmao's heart, there is still a secret that cannot be told to anyone:

Over the years, my caravan has brought back so many good things from the big men. Do you really think they are giving me face?

　　Someone must have secretly set the strings for me!

During the late emperor's reign, the story of the eldest princess raising a face was circulated among the powerful, making Xiahou Mao a joke.

The great master-in-law of Wei can't do anything to the eldest princess, so why can't he deal with a pretty boy who escaped from the west and has no foundation?

As long as Xia Houmao can risk it all, even if he beats him to death in the street, the eldest princess will probably not dare to make a big deal out of it.

Coupled with the dirty things the eldest princess has done before, with Cao Rui's temperament, it is impossible to blame the eldest princess.

 But Xia Houmao did not take action, but endured it.

Not only did he endure it, but he endured it for many years.

Why?

 She is just a poisonous woman and a lowly maidservant. She is just being played with. How can she be compared with the trading channels of a big man?

PS: A 5,500-word chapter is not too short, right?

 (End of this chapter)