Wang Su was well versed in etiquette. It was said that at eighteen, he had studied the Supreme Mystery under the great scholar Song Zhong.
He was the son of Wang Lang, the current Minister over the Masses, and now served as a Gentleman Attendant of Cavalier Service, just like Xiahou Xian.
This colleague was considerably older than the other three present, but he put on no preachy airs, even cracking jokes now and then as they chatted.
Still, although he showed no contempt for Mao Zeng, he did not have much common ground with him.
The emperor, Cao Rui, did not attend that day's duty, as though deliberately allowing his colleagues to get acquainted.
After his shift, Xiahou Xian went straight back to his residence.
Princess Qinghe eagerly asked Xiahou Xian about his first day on duty, though she kept circling back to the same few questions, such as whether he was tired and whether His Majesty had made things difficult for him.
Xiahou Xian could only marvel. If receiving letters from home had not been so difficult during his campaign, his mother's letters would probably have arrived more frequently than military dispatches.
His father, Xiahou Mao, also returned for the evening meal.
Although he had been stripped of his post as Commander of Guanzhong, he still held the nominal title of General Who Guards the West and served at court as a Master of Writing. His life was reasonably comfortable.
Yet Xiahou Mao's standing at home remained very low. During the meal, Qinghe could not even be bothered to look at him.
Xiahou Mao sat at his own low table, eating meat and drinking wine by himself. After a while, he suddenly said to Xiahou Xian:
"Fengming distinguished himself in Xiliang, and now His Majesty has summoned him to serve as a Cavalier Attendant. His prospects are truly boundless."
"My son, you have already come of age. It is time your father found you a marriage match. But rest assured, I am no man who fawns upon the powerful. If some family's daughter catches your eye, tell me, and I will certainly arrange the match for you."
Qinghe's expression turned exceedingly ugly at Xiahou Mao's words. "How could Xian be as undiscerning as you, husband? If my son marries, his bride must come from a distinguished family."
"You need not trouble yourself over this, husband. I have my own arrangements."
Xiahou Mao curled his lips and said nothing more.
Xiahou Xian had no desire whatsoever to get caught up in their conversation. He quickly finished eating, then found an excuse to return to his room.
Back in his room, Xiahou Xian lay on his bed, but his thoughts could not help returning to the evening meal.
Indeed, in ancient times, someone his age was due to take a wife. Leaving everything else aside, he was the sole male heir of Xiahou Dun's branch of the family. Even if he was in no hurry himself, Grand Princess Qinghe would begin making arrangements.
Although he could not escape a political marriage in the end, having a family of his own in this second life might grant his soul a little peace in this cruel age of chaos.
By late April, Xiahou Xian had been serving in the Eastern Hall for nearly a month and had gradually grown accustomed to his work as a Cavalier Attendant.
That day happened to be his day off.
Xiahou Xian had intended to stroll through Luoyang's markets, but just as he was about to leave, he heard a household servant's panicked voice.
"Young master! Young master!"
"What is it?"
"The Minister over the Masses-Minister Wang has passed away."
Hm?
Xiahou Xian was a little surprised-not that Minister Wang had died, but that the news had reached him.
On reflection, it was hardly surprising.
Wang Su was his colleague, after all. They must have thought him worth informing.
Xiahou Xian suddenly remembered his previous life, when he had received a colleague's wedding invitation just days after graduating from university and starting work. He had been so strapped for cash that he had felt caught between going and not going.
Still, the two situations could hardly be compared.
After all, Wang Lang was the reigning Minister over the Masses, one of the Three Excellencies. Not just anyone was qualified to attend his funeral.
It was worth mentioning that Wang Lang had died of illness, rather than being cursed to death by the Shu Han chancellor's cry of "gray-bearded old scoundrel"...
But he would live forever in a certain video site's remix section...
Xiahou Xian arrived at the minister's residence by carriage. By then, the entire residence was a sea of white. The Wang family stood on either side in hemp mourning clothes, receiving the guests who came to offer condolences with meticulous courtesy.
Sobs reached his ears from time to time. Xiahou Xian walked straight into the residence and approached Wang Lang's mourning hall.
He first bowed according to the rites, then offered his condolences to the Wang family's current head.
"Brother Ziyong, do not grieve too deeply. His Excellency spent his whole life toiling for the state. We should carry on his final wishes and strive onward."
"Thank you, Fengming..." Wang Su was clearly still immersed in grief. It took him considerable effort to utter those few words.
Xiahou Xian offered a few more words of comfort and was about to leave when he suddenly noticed a young lady standing beside Wang Su.
The young lady had a delicate, exquisite face, double eyelids, and large eyes. Though her lovely eyes were already somewhat red and swollen from crying, they remained as tender as water.
Xiahou Xian instinctively took another look. The woman wore hemp mourning clothes, yet even those could not conceal the lovely fullness threatening to spill from beneath her collar.
At that moment, the young lady had her head lowered as she quietly wept. Though it was rather improper to say so, Xiahou Xian seriously wondered whether she could see her own feet when she looked down.
Hmm...
"Cry if you wish, but do not be so heartbroken. Your grandfather will be watching over you from heaven."
Xiahou Xian walked up to the young lady. Seeing her face like pear blossoms drenched in rain, he could not help saying those words.
Only after speaking did he realize he had been somewhat discourteous.
The young lady raised her head slightly, parting her pearly teeth. "Thank you for your kindness, young master."
Her voice sent a tingling sensation through him, instantly engraving itself in Xiahou Xian's mind.
With that, Xiahou Xian said no more and left the minister's residence.
After returning home, Xiahou Xian lay awake all night, constantly recalling that woman's face.
He had guessed at the time that anyone standing beside Wang Su must be a member of the Wang household.
The woman looked thirteen or fourteen at most. She certainly could not have been Wang Su's wife or concubine.
And Wang Su had three sons, but only one daughter.
The answer, then, was obvious.
That woman was Wang Yuanji.
Speaking of Wang Yuanji inevitably brought another person to mind: Sima Yi's son, Sima Zhao.
Wang Yuanji bore Sima Zhao a son named Sima Yan.
Yes, Sima Yan.
It was bad enough that the Sima family had acquired the realm illegitimately, but this man's string of outrageous maneuvers had plunged the people of Huaxia into their darkest era-the Upheaval of the Five Barbarians-which lasted more than a hundred years!
At that thought, Xiahou Xian truly did not want such a tragedy to repeat itself.
And so, a brilliant plan suddenly occurred to him.
Cut it off at the root.
In the future, he might not be able to defeat Sima Yi. He might not be able to defeat Sima Shi, or even Sima Zhao.
If that was heaven's decree, why not approach it another way?
If he could make the Sima family's descendants a little more dependable from another dimension, perhaps Huaxia could escape disaster?
Yes, this definitely had nothing to do with Wang Yuanji's beauty.
It was for the greater good!