Chapter 12: Reporting for Duty

After settling matters regarding Xu Ying, Shi Shouxin did not even return home, heading straight to the Shi residence instead.

Arranging for the young lady Xu Ying was merely an incidental affair. The "serious business" Shi Shouxin had to attend to concerned his own future and opportunities.

He was in luck; Shi Bao happened to be off duty that day. Upon learning of Shi Shouxin’s arrival, Shi Bao greeted him warmly, meeting him at the door and inviting his "adopted son" into the study for a detailed discussion.

As soon as they sat down, Shi Shouxin placed the waist medallion engraved with the title "Provisional Assistant" on the table. The "Provisional Assistants" under the Colonel of the Retainers were essentially temporary staff; they only walked the provinces as overt inspectors when specific missions required it. Once they returned to Luoyang to report on their duties, the medallion was surrendered, and their authority was revoked.

This inspection system was designed to prevent inspectors from colluding with local officials. It appeared crude and simple, but it was, in fact, quite ingenious.

"What is the state of the grain reserves in Hedong?" Shi Bao asked with a smile, his tone as casual as if they were chatting about nothing in particular.

"Reporting to my adoptive father, there is a shortfall of over a million bushels of military grain in the colony fields. It was caused by years of loans to local powerful clans, ostensibly for disaster relief. The remaining reserves match the ledgers perfectly. As for the Anyi government treasury, after weighing the risks, I chose not to audit it," Shi Shouxin replied truthfully.

Shi Bao nodded, remaining noncommittal. His calm expression made it difficult for Shi Shouxin to gauge his thoughts.

"Let this matter end here. You need not concern yourself with it further; I have already noted your contribution." As Shi Bao spoke, he collected the waist medallion, only to see Shi Shouxin draw a silk scroll from his sleeve.

"Adoptive Father, the powerful clans of Hedong have reached an agreement; they are willing to make up the missing million-plus bushels of grain. This is the proposal I drafted, and the heads of each clan in Hedong have already signed it. It would be best if you do not present this to the General-in-Chief yet. Keep it in your possession; at the very least, do not give it to him just yet."

Shi Shouxin handed the scroll to Shi Bao and stepped aside.

This time, Shi Bao could not maintain his composure. He scanned the document at a glance, his face revealing his astonishment. Achieving eighty percent of a goal was considered a success, but to achieve two hundred percent was truly eye-opening.

Shi Bao knew well that extracting grain from the wealthy clans of Hedong was no different than pulling teeth from a tiger. Even for himself, let alone Shi Shouxin, these clans would likely only offer a facade of harmony. Plainly speaking, Shi Bao’s origins were humble; he was merely a late bloomer who had ascended into the ranks of the elite, and there were plenty who looked down upon him.

Sima Zhao was aware of the grain shortage in the Hedong colony, but it was inconvenient for him to intervene directly. Sending Shi Shouxin had been a trial balloon to test the depth of the waters—there was never any expectation of a real resolution.

"How were these people willing to cough up the grain? Have the tigers started eating grass?" Shi Bao placed the proposal on the table and looked at Shi Shouxin, asking in confusion.

Shi Shouxin took out the "Summary of IOUs" and handed it to Shi Bao, explaining patiently, "Adoptive Father, every IOU here is marked with numbers. In reality, this is a categorization that forces a connection between the grain loans and the timeline of the three rebellions in Huainan. At the time, I simply asked: Why did you, the great clans of Hedong, borrow grain during the Huainan rebellion? Were you planning something unspeakable? Shall I ask the General-in-Chief to judge the matter? And so, they yielded."

Shi Shouxin spoke lightly, but Shi Bao dared not underestimate the situation. As a veteran of the bureaucracy, he knew this was not a simple task, and the twists and turns were likely far more complex than Shi Shouxin described.

"You had better elaborate," Shi Bao said, his expression turning grave. He had to hear the full story; otherwise, this would not be an achievement, but a source of disaster. Was the grain of the great clans really so easily seized? Shi Bao did not believe it for a moment.

"Adoptive Father, in truth, it is a matter of changing tides. The secret lies in the 'momentum' of the situation," Shi Shouxin stated solemnly. Shi Bao nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

"Originally, why did these powerful clans dare to borrow military grain? Why were they so fearless? It was because they knew that with Huainan unsettled, the Sima clan was deeply concerned about instability in the rear and would never dare to move against them. Even if their excuses for borrowing were laughable, the court had to accept them. If they claimed it was for disaster relief, then it was relief, and the military grain was lent out, never to be returned. The court is not foolish; it was merely choosing the lesser of two evils and bowing to the circumstances."

Shi Shouxin’s explanation hit the nail on the head. Shi Bao sighed, nodding in helpless acknowledgement: "The situation was indeed critical. With Huainan in chaos, the consequences of Hedong also revolting would have been unthinkable. Those clans were merely testing us. Could we really have fallen out over a bit of grain and sent troops to suppress Hedong?"

"Indeed," Shi Shouxin continued. "But the momentum has changed. The Huainan rebellion is suppressed; the Wei state faces no internal strife. If the Hedong clans were to revolt now, the court has ample troops and grain to deploy. At most, it would only delay the conquest of Shu by a year. I made this clear to them, and they naturally feared the court would settle accounts after the harvest. Since they could fill the gap quietly, making up the deficit was the path of least loss. If not, if the court truly pursued the matter, could they explain why they repeatedly borrowed grain during the three Huainan rebellions? That is not a question easily answered, especially not when presented to the General-in-Chief. Once again, it is a choice between two evils, but this time, it is the turn of the Hedong clans to choose."

Shi Shouxin had finally revealed the secret of his success. It was, in essence, "surrendering to lose half." Clearing old debts was better than letting Sima Zhao settle accounts later. Once the debts were cleared and the conquest of Shu was imminent, who would bother digging up their past filth?

"Gandan, this mission has been remarkably effective, far exceeding my expectations," Shi Bao praised. He then shifted his tone, asking with a smile, "Do you know why I assigned this task to you?"

"I suspect, Adoptive Father, that you simply wanted to find a gap to insert a needle into the war against Shu, to secure a share of the merit."

Shi Bao felt more satisfied with Shi Shouxin than ever. He answered candidly, "In the past two years, you have been tinkering with mechanisms at the Court Architect’s office, many of which were for military use; you are very familiar with that field. Coupled with your experience in inspecting grain reserves, you are no stranger to the procedures. If the General-in-Chief invades Shu, I can recommend you to Guanzhong to oversee the transport of logistics and supplies. As long as the front line does not run out of grain, this is a merit practically handed to you. Regardless of victory or defeat, your share of the glory will be secure."

Shi Bao’s plan was airtight. Familiarity with weaponry proved competence, and the success in Hedong proved his administrative ability. It was a perfect resume for an overseer of logistics. As for actual capability, who could judge that before he took office? Recommendations were based on credentials, not abstract talent.

"Thank you, Adoptive Father. This is truly wonderful," Shi Shouxin said, feeling genuine gratitude. Even if Shi Bao was using him, in this day and age, who didn't have their own agenda? He was still Shi Bao's adopted son, a brand he could not wash away.

"The return of the grain by the Hedong clans was a great help to me. Your recommendation to Guanzhong is your due. Whether it turns out to be a blessing or a curse depends on your performance. And besides, I can only recommend; nothing is certain." Shi Bao sighed, not mentioning that as the Colonel of the Retainers, he would not be participating in the Shu campaign himself.

"By the way, Adoptive Father, I encountered a bit of trouble on this trip." Shi Shouxin decided to disclose the matter of Xu Ying.

After hearing the story, Shi Bao laughed heartily. "It is just a woman. Treat her however you wish. Lu Xun was never an important figure. Once he comes to report, I will say a few words to the General-in-Chief and have him stripped of his office."

Shi Bao possessed an incomparable arrogance. He was a man of few inhibitions, especially regarding women. "Women are merely for pleasure. Why care if she was someone else's wife? Once the divorce letter is written, she is a flower without an owner. If you don't take her into your house, are you even a man?"

"Go back and spend time with Lady Li. A short separation is like a new marriage. I will go to the General-in-Chief’s residence and record your merit. Treat that woman as you please; I will take the blame if anything goes wrong!"

Shi Shouxin bowed and prepared to leave. As he reached the door, he turned back. "Adoptive Father, when I passed the Mengjin Ferry, I noticed it would be possible to build a bridge there. Could you mention this to the General-in-Chief?"

Shi Bao paused, then sighed. "Gandan, I think highly of you, but you must focus on what the General-in-Chief cares about if you wish to rise. Other things are a waste of time. You must focus on the campaign against Shu. Bring me any good ideas for that, just like you did with the grain. That is how you advance."

"Thank you for your guidance, Adoptive Father. I was being presumptuous," Shi Shouxin quickly apologized.

Late that night, Li Wan lay in Shi Shouxin's arms, her face filled with satisfied warmth. Shi Shouxin’s maturity in handling affairs only made her love him more.

"Tomorrow, I am going to Mengjin to look at the situation there," Shi Shouxin said softly.

"Why go to Mengjin? Stay with me," Li Wan pleaded.

"Building a bridge between Mengjin and Fuping will facilitate travel for merchants and travelers, and prevent ships from capsizing. It would be a virtuous act. I will go and inspect it; it is only a day and a night’s journey."

Li Wan sighed, no longer insisting. She was not dissatisfied with her husband; she only wished he were less busy. "My lord, will you really not bring that Lady Xu home? We have few people in the house; taking a concubine would be fine."

"Why would I bring her home?" Shi Shouxin asked, feeling bewildered.

"Because she owes you so much," Li Wan replied.

"Helping the weak is a matter of chivalry. To force a vulnerable woman to serve me as repayment would be base," Shi Shouxin retorted.

"Was it out of chivalry that you saved me from Sima Yan?" Li Wan whispered, her breath hitching.

"No, no, that was purely because I was greedy for your beauty," Shi Shouxin teased, pinning her down and kissing her red lips.