Jia Xu, though his courtesy name was Wenhe, his actions had little to do with 'harmony' or 'peace'.
Historically, after Dong Zhuo was executed, the tens of thousands of Xiliang Iron Cavalry stationed far away in Shan County and Huazhen were thrown into panic. It was Jia Xu, that peerless strategist, whose single remark instantly cast a dark shadow over the walls of Chang'an, the capital of the Eastern Han Empire. With Li Jue, Guo Si, and others leading tens of thousands of Xiliang Iron Cavalry in a sudden rebellion, the Eastern han dynasty never managed to catch its breath again.
A single stratagem could endanger a state; a few words could throw a country into chaos—this aptly describes Jia Xu.
He Xian did not understand why Jia Xu, who was usually so low-key, would suddenly speak up now. But he did know that if Jia Xu harbored any intent to harm him, just a few words from him would be enough to ensure He Xian's corpse would be nowhere to be found.
What He Xian didn't expect was that this very Jia Xu, who was a complete stranger to him and had no connection whatsoever to the He family, upon hearing Dong Zhuo's angry inquiry, replied calmly,'Sikong, although ancestral regulations cannot be broken, there is still room for flexibility. Since ancient times, there has been the saying that military affairs do not avoid filial piety. While it is indeed inappropriate for the Sikong to recommend Young Master He for a civil post, if you recommend him for a military position, then special dispensation can be applied.'
As soon as Jia Xu finished speaking, everyone in the hall who was well-versed in ritual understood. They deeply felt that Jia Xu was both erudite and adaptable. Although the practice of observing mourning originated in the han dynasty, it was far from as strict as it would become in the Ming and Qing dynasties; typically, the period of deepest mourning lasted only a hundred days. As for military affairs, it was even less common to require a general to retire from office to observe mourning. Therefore, if Dong Zhuo were willing to recommend He Xian for a military post, the entire issue would be resolved effortlessly.
Upon hearing this, Dong Zhuo, no longer willing to spare He Xian a glance, spoke impatiently, 'In that case, this old man will recommend He Xian for the position of acting sima.'
This time, Dong Zhuo didn't even bother with the pointless formality of asking He Xian's opinion. With a low, menacing tone and an overbearing stance, he made his meaning perfectly clear to He Xian: either accept the offered position, or die!
At this moment, sensing the undisguised killing intent emanating from Dong Zhuo, He Xian realized just how dangerous and foolish his earlier actions had been. After all, Dong Zhuo was a wolf from the northwest, not a fox playing political games in the court.
The biggest difference between a wolf and a fox is that a wolf, to achieve its goal, will not hesitate to crush any obstacle in its path; it never lacks the decisiveness for a direct confrontation! This time, if not for that peerless strategist Jia Xu extending a helping hand, He Xian would likely have truly had only a path to death left.
Having understood this, He Xian dared not utter another unnecessary word. He immediately bowed in acknowledgment and said, 'This Subordinate thanks the Sikong for his great favor!'
'Since that's settled, you may withdraw!' Dong Zhuo waved his large sleeve dismissively, shooing He Xian away as if he were garbage. This showed that his residual anger toward He Xian had not subsided.
He Xian immediately bowed and took his leave, not daring to stay a moment longer in this perilous hall.
Fortunately, as he reached the main gate, he happened to see Dong Huang, beaten half to death, being carried by a group of Personal Guards. The moment Dong Huang spotted He Xian, his pale face instantly flushed crimson with blood. His gaze turned wildly vicious, and he howled, 'He Xian, I will kill you with my own hands, tear you to pieces!'
Originally intending to ignore Dong Huang, He Xian stopped upon hearing these words. He looked down at Dong Huang from his height. His gaze was indescribably strange, and his voice was equally eerie: 'Dong Huang, right now, under the entire Sikong's command, anyone can kill me—except you.'
Perhaps intimidated by He Xian's sinister expression, or perhaps confused from the thirty military lashes, Dong Huang, for once, did not fly into a furious retort. Instead, he asked in surprise, 'Why?'
'Because everyone knows you and I are at odds. And, the Sikong has just recommended me for the position of acting sima.' After saying this, He Xian turned and strode away, regardless of whether Dong Huang understood or not.
'Not only didn't he kill you, but he recommended you as acting sima? Impossible!' Dong Huang continued to shout, but He Xian, already gone, paid him no heed. Filled with worry, He Xian had no mind to waste time on a fool.
And He Xian would never know that, just as he was on his way back home, an eerie silence had fallen over the hall of the Sikong Residence. Dong Zhuo kept heaving heavy breaths, his chest rising and falling, until he could no longer contain himself. He violently swept everything off the table in front of him: 'No! How dare this insignificant brat try to be clever in front of this old man! I cannot swallow this hatred in my heart!'
Seeing this scene, everyone present once again fell deathly silent. A military officer nearby, reacting quickly, immediately stepped forward and said,'Sikong, please give the order! this humble general will surely bring you that brat's head!'
Cao Cao, who had remained in the hall, hearing this, hurriedly stepped out of the ranks to dissuade him:'Sikong, you absolutely must not! Governing a state has always followed certain principles, and one cannot go back on one's word.'
'This old man knows!' Dong Zhuo roared irritably, flipping over the table before him and shouting at the officer who had stepped forward, 'Get back! All you know is fighting and killing—can that govern a court properly?'
Pacing back and forth a few steps, Dong Zhuo finally calmed down and sat back in his seat at the head of the hall. He swept his arrogant gaze over those below before turning to Li Ru and asking, 'Wenyou, what is your assessment of this He Xian?'
'A talented youth, an uncut jade. However, his mind is cunning, and he does not know when to advance or retreat. Since the Sikong has already taken him under his wing, it's best to simply observe and see how things develop.' After a moment of contemplation, Li Ru offered this evaluation.
Then, as if remembering something, he added, 'My Lord, this person is of significant consequence; we cannot rely solely on intimidation. Since he is already an acting sima, why not simply promote him another half-step to assistant military officer, and refrain from appointing a colonel or commandant above him for now? Let him perform. This way, when the truth comes to light, My Lord can easily decide whether to keep or discard him.'
Cao Cao, standing nearby, heard Li Ru's words and committed them to memory. Someone as astute as him had already discerned the insidious nature of Li Ru's plan: on the surface, Li Ru was promoting He Xian in rank, but he was also exposing He Xian directly to the scrutiny of Dong Zhuo's wolf-like and tiger-fierce troops.
Having commanded troops for some time, Cao Cao naturally knew that the covert struggles, rivalry, and ruthless competition between various military units were no less intense than those in the court. He Xian, merely bearing the empty title of son of the Former Grand General, was nothing more than a scholar. He would be utterly incapable of surviving amidst a pack of wolves. Once he was pushed to retaliate and made some improper move, Dong Zhuo could deal with him with just a single word.
One could say Li Ru's plan was one of fostering destruction—the most insidious kind.
Therefore, Cao Cao immediately wanted to intervene on He Xian's behalf. But before he could speak, Dong Zhuo, seated above, had also grasped the cleverness of Li Ru's plan. He couldn't help but laugh heartily: 'Wenyou, your wisdom and stratagems are indeed unparalleled! We shall do as Wenyou suggests. This old man will recommend him for the position of assistant military officer and see what his true intentions are!'
'My Lord is wise!' A chorus of praise rose from below. Cao Cao, knowing the matter was now irreversible, could only join in the perfunctory praise, mumbling a couple of phrases.
Immediately after, attendants brought in a new table. Dong Zhuo regained his previous calm composure, waved his hand, and resumed handling government affairs: 'Order Fengxian to bring that Zhang Liao here. Let's see if he has a better grasp of the situation than that He Xian!'
The civil and military officials in the hall once again sat upright and proper. The atmosphere returned to what it had been like while waiting for He Xian to enter.
But He Xian, now walking on the street, felt no joy at having narrowly escaped disaster. The moment he relaxed after leaving the Sikong Residence, a wave of deep exhaustion washed over him. Although the time in the hall had been short and the conflict merely verbal, in reality, deadly perils had lurked everywhere in the blink of an eye, exhausting all his mental energy.
Thus, as He Xian walked, his head felt heavy and muddled. Suddenly, that cold, metallic voice sounded in his mind: 'Gained the attention of Dong Zhuo, an important figure of the Late Han and Three Kingdoms period. Reputation points increased by 1000. Total reputation points: 1500.'
'Huh? What's going on?' Startled by this sudden message, He Xian's face showed confusion. 'That guy Dong Zhuo, in every aspect, is inferior to Boss Cao, right? Both of them paid attention to me, so how could Fatty Dong give me ten times more reputation points than Boss Cao?'
This question was originally just He Xian talking to himself; he didn't expect that so-called system in his head to explain. However, to his surprise, the voice in his head actually replied: 'The source of reputation points is naturally related to the authority and status of the person in question. Currently, Dong Zhuo holds great power in Luoyang, so naturally, his attention is worth more than Cao Cao's.'
He Xian nodded, beginning to understand somewhat: 'Hmm, to show off, one needs to do it in front of people with power and influence...'