After briefly settling into the administrator's residence, Xiahou Xian went without pause the very next day to pay a visit to Man Chong's residence as General of the Vanguard.
Although Man Chong cared little for such official formalities, Xiahou Xian felt the visit was still necessary as a matter of courtesy.
Man Chong's residence was a sprawling compound north of the center of Shouchun.
It was said to have been rebuilt on the ruins of Shouchun Palace, which Yuan Shu had constructed when he proclaimed himself emperor.
Xiahou Xian's carriage stopped outside Man Chong's residence, and he went to knock on the door himself.
"Who're you?"
The man who answered was a minor clerk of the household. He spoke with a Runan accent, and Xiahou Xian did not quite catch what he said at first.
Xiahou Xian paused. "I am Xiahou Xian, the newly appointed Administrator of Huainan. I have come expressly to pay my respects to General Man."
The clerk looked him over. "Please wait here, Administrator, while I announce your arrival."
Xiahou Xian nodded his thanks for the trouble.
The clerk closed the door and went to report his arrival, but Xiahou Xian was curious. Why did a clerk in Yang Province have a Runan accent?
After a while, he suddenly recalled something he had heard before leaving Luoyang.
Apparently, during Man Chong's tenure in Runan, he had won the admiration of the local soldiers and civilians. When they learned he was being transferred to Yang Province, quite a few people had wanted to follow him there, bringing their elderly and children along.
It had all the flair of Liu Xuande leading the people across the river back then.
When word of this reached Cao Rui, some ministers even submitted memorials calling for severe punishment for those who had led the gathering.
In the end, Cao Rui had done no such thing. He allowed Man Chong to take over a thousand trusted followers with him to his new post in Yang Province, and that was the end of the matter.
Before long, the clerk led Xiahou Xian inside. As they walked, he explained that Man Chong was discussing affairs in the administrative hall, and Xiahou Xian could participate as well.
So if I hadn't come today, they wouldn't even have invited me to this meeting, would they...? Xiahou Xian thought.
I'm a fifth-rank official, at least!
There really are so many high officials in Huainan that they don't even count an administrator as an official.
Putting aside his inward grumbling, Xiahou Xian walked slowly into the offices of Man Chong, General of the Vanguard.
Inside the hall, Man Chong was speaking from the seat of honor. When Xiahou Xian entered, he merely glanced in his direction and said in a low voice, "Make yourself comfortable, Administrator Xiahou."
Xiahou Xian offered a salute and a word of acknowledgment, then found a place to sit.
Man Chong wore a full beard and had a sharply angular face.
He was plainly a man who rarely smiled or joked. He spoke neither quickly nor slowly, and even the muscles of his face scarcely seemed to move.
Another general seated in the hall presented a striking contrast. He was rather plump, with a round face and a goatee.
At that moment, he was speaking loudly to Man Chong, his brows and expression animated.
"General Man, you have only just taken up your post in Huainan, yet you already intend to act like this? Isn't it too harsh?"
Man Chong continued expressionlessly, "Inspector Wang, that is precisely why we must be all the more vigilant."
"But General, this matter has far-reaching implications. If it is handled poorly, I fear it will send tremors through Huainan's official circles!"
"I know how far to take this," Man Chong said. "If pulling up the radish really does bring the mud out with it, what does it matter if there are tremors? Great Wei has its laws. We should investigate impartially."
After listening all this time, Xiahou Xian was still lost in the clouds. The only thing he could identify for certain was the Inspector Wang whom Man Chong had addressed.
That was Wang Ling, Inspector of Yang Province.
Wang Ling had clearly been angered by Man Chong's refusal to yield an inch.
Although the other man outranked him, the Wang Clan of Taiyuan was an illustrious family. What standing did Man Chong have?
He was merely a harsh official, a lone minister without allies.
Today, Wang Ling finally understood why so many people found it difficult to work with Man Chong. The man was utterly impervious to reason.
"I oppose this!" Wang Ling declared at once. "General, do you know that over in Longxi, Shu Han has already assembled a great army and advanced along Chencang Road, with its sights set on our Guanzhong?"
Although Xiahou Xian had not heard this news, according to the course of history, Zhuge Liang, Chancellor of Shu Han, had seized the opportunity to launch another war against Wei State after learning that Cao Xiu, Cao Wei's Grand Marshal, had died of illness.
It was known to history as the Second Northern Expedition.
Upon hearing this news, Man Chong merely replied flatly, "I know."
"Then do you know, General, that as soon as Shu Han invades our borders, Eastern Wu will certainly not stand by and watch? Right now, with our Huai'an undergoing a change of commanders and the troops unsettled, our immediate priority should be strengthening Huainan's defenses to prevent Eastern Wu from slipping in through the gap."
In a rare gesture, Man Chong nodded. "That is true enough."
Seeing that the other man's attitude had finally softened somewhat, Wang Ling had just begun to look pleased when Man Chong added, "But that does not conflict with this matter. On the contrary, it gives us all the more reason to act swiftly."
"You!" Wang Ling laughed in anger. "Fine, fine. If you insist on doing this, General, there is nothing your subordinate can do to stop you."
"Allow your subordinate to take his leave!"
With that, Wang Ling stormed out of the hall.
After Wang Ling left, Man Chong merely leafed silently through the booklets on his desk.
Silence lingered in the hall for a long while before Man Chong spoke, without raising his head to look at Xiahou Xian.
"Administrator Xiahou, forgive this old man's lack of hospitality. I still have official business to attend to."
"If you have any important matters, feel free to speak."
Xiahou Xian paused. "General, your subordinate has only just arrived to take up his post and came expressly to pay his respects. There is no important business."
"In that case, please return, Administrator Xiahou," Man Chong said. "Forgive me for not seeing you out."
Uh... Xiahou Xian suddenly felt that the air in the hall was rather heavy.
Man Chong really was different from ordinary officials. He had been this way even when serving under Cao Cao.
He did not care what rank an official held. Even if someone was a Cao clan prince, if he was guilty, Man Chong would arrest him on the spot without the slightest hesitation.
Thus, Man Chong cared nothing for Xiahou Xian's background at that moment. He could not even be bothered with pleasantries.
Xiahou Xian rose from his seat and bowed once more before leaving.
Then he turned to go. He had just reached the doorway when Man Chong's voice sounded behind him again.
"Is this your first posting in Huainan, Administrator Xiahou?"
Xiahou Xian did not know why he was asking, but still answered, "Yes. Your subordinate only recently entered official service. This is my first local posting."
"Hmm..." Man Chong raised his head. His eyes were piercing, as though they could see right through a person. "I wonder what sort of man you are, Administrator Xiahou. This old man has a question he would like to ask."
Xiahou Xian hurriedly replied, "How would your subordinate dare instruct you, General? If you have a question, please ask freely."
Man Chong closed the booklet in his hands, rose, and walked past the side of his desk. Then he said slowly, "Back when this old man was still serving as Commandant of Justice, I handled a case."
"At the time, the Prince of Yongqiu (Cao Zhi) was accused by his supervising envoy, who alleged that the prince had once slandered and cursed the late emperor after becoming thoroughly drunk."
"This old man handled that case. Subsequent investigation established that although the Prince of Yongqiu was dissolute in his conduct, he had committed no such treasonous act."
"It had all been deliberately contrived by the supervising envoy under someone else's instructions."
"Let me ask you: if you were the Commandant of Justice, how would you handle it?"
Looking into Man Chong's eyes, cold as blades, Xiahou Xian finally understood the despair felt by the prisoners Man Chong interrogated.