Jinting Han people

Chapter 124: The Sound of the Wolf's Den (4k)

The Rebellion of King Chu ended. In just one day, the country lost two vassal kings who were considered the pillars of the country. Hundreds of royal family members were implicated, and countless officials were imprisoned. This can only be said to be a disaster.

Coupled with the demise of Yang Jun's party, it can almost be said that the two major political foundations left by Emperor Wu of Jin, Sima Yan, the foreign relatives have been completely shattered and the vassal kings have been severely weakened. No one knows in which direction the court situation will develop next.

Most people were at a loss, terrified by the future. Faced with two unrests in Luoyang within six months, even the most obtuse of minds began to realize that the situation in the capital had changed. And the person who orchestrated all of this, who controlled the entire situation, was about to officially step forward. Regardless of who this person might be, everyone smelled a mingled scent of conspiracy and poison, blood and blades.

Of course, this is only the view of the ruled. In the eyes of the victors, those means that others consider despicable are merely the necessary path to victory, and the victors are not to be blamed. Now, they are elated and overjoyed, and can't wait to enjoy the fruits of victory.

The place for sharing is of course the East Hall in front of the Tai Chi Hall.

This was where Sima Yan met with his inner court officials during his lifetime. In the year following Sima Yan's death, it lay empty and forgotten. After all, the center of power had shifted to either the Grand Tutor's residence or the Grand Chancellor's residence.

But on the night of Sima Wei's death, the days of Sima Yan's life seemed to return. The East Hall had been spruced up. Incense, hanging scrolls, candlesticks, potted plants, curtains... Palace maids came and went, decorating the East Hall with ever-greater splendor. The blazing lights illuminated the silver-painted nails of the tables and couches with a luxurious hue, swallowing up the shadows of the attendees.

In the summer, so many candles would have made people feel stuffy and uncomfortable, even with ice cubes placed indoors. But everyone present wore smiles. When the joy of victory naturally rose, all other emotions subsided. This has been the instinct of mankind as a conqueror for tens of thousands of years.

But today's conquerors aren't as barbaric and untamed as their ancestors. Instead, they wear tall hats and robes, their faces as white as jade. They sit cross-legged or kneeling, clutching feather fans or baring their breasts. Their words and actions are free and unrestrained, without a murderous air. No one could have imagined that the performance art of Ruan Ji and Ji Kang, who feigned madness and pain to denounce the world's injustice, would now become a symbol of success and elegance.

Jia Mo, the leader, raised his luminous cup high and said to the chatting crowd, "Ah, what a joyful day this is! The Queen has been secluded in the palace for years and has finally waited for this day! You are all meritorious officials, and the Queen will never forget your contributions! Tonight, everyone can drink to their heart's content and not leave until you are drunk!"

After saying this, he drank the wine in the glass and showed it to everyone, which was greeted with cheers.

Guo Zhang, the Imperial Court Attendant and Empress Jia's cousin, also laughed and said, "Sifan, you're talking too much. The Empress has devoted herself wholeheartedly to the well-being of the Jin Dynasty. As her subjects, how dare we not share her care? And how can we possibly claim any credit for anything?"

"Yang Jun, Sima Liang, and Sima Wei are nothing more than three clowns. How dare they violate the law and get their hands on a divine artifact? This is an act against heaven! Their current fate is both heaven's will and the common people's hope!"

"Everyone, let's drink together! This drink is not for personal glory and wealth, but for the people of the Great Jin!"

These words are quite grand, not only highlighting the victory of the victor, but also highlighting the virtues of the victor. However, this is also the reason why victory is sought after by people, because it not only brings material enjoyment, but also can belittle the loser without bottom line, and then weave a gorgeous robe, even decorating it with things that belong to the loser, such as "nothing".

The participants naturally enjoyed it and even began to sigh and regret.

General Pei Wei of the Left Army said, "It's not that the Queen didn't give them opportunities, it's that they didn't cherish them. Yang Jun abused his power when he came to power, Sima Liang demolished the bridge after crossing it, and Sima Wei was greedy. Ultimately, they all overestimated their own abilities, which is why they ended up in this situation."

"I often say at literary gatherings that officials must be humble and abide by their duties. Heaven's will cannot be imposed, nor can it be escaped. It's a pity that these three were not fond of studying. As a result, two of them were unable to enjoy their old age, and one died young. Why did they suffer so much?"

"Hey!" Duke Jia Mi of Lu County disliked this hypocritical scene. He stood up, raised his glass, and stood in front of the hall door. While admiring the waning moon in the sky, he complained, "Today is a happy day. Such a beautiful day. Instead of drinking and listening to music, why keep talking about the dead? It's really unlucky."

"Since the founding of the Jin Dynasty, our Jia family has always had a share in the country. We will support those who understand this matter, and we will kill those who don't. It's that simple. What else is there to say?"

"Cry when you should cry, laugh when you should laugh. Don't do anything fancy. If someone doesn't know, they might think there's some kind of funeral in the palace!"

Jia Mi's words were so harsh that they embarrassed the ministers present. They had only spoken casually, yet they had unexpectedly upset the Duke of Lu. But he was the core of the Pingyang Jia family, the only legitimate grandson of Jia Chong, and the nephew of the Empress. In the current court, if Empress Jia was the true emperor, then Jia Mi was the true crown prince. So even though he had offended everyone, the ministers only chuckled, not daring to react.

At this moment, a female voice suddenly rang out from the East Hall. Her tone was very soft, but it couldn't conceal the firmness in it, as if she were a tigress holding cotton. She said, "Changyuan, don't say such things. You are all scholars. It is normal for scholars to feel sad about the passing of time and lament about life and death."

As soon as the voice fell, everyone present put down what they were holding, bowed down in unison towards the source of the voice, and said, "May the Queen live forever."

It turned out that it was Queen Jia Nanfeng who had arrived.

She slowly walked out from a folding screen room filled with paintings of ladies. It could be seen that the queen was indeed as strange-looking as the rumors said: she was not tall, only about six feet tall, and her face was powdered, but it still couldn't hide the dullness of her skin. Her brows were drooping, but it couldn't relieve the dissatisfaction in her eyes. The corners of her mouth were slightly raised, but it made her lips look even more mean. With a mole at the corner of her right eyebrow, she looked like a snake shedding its skin, with a cold and lingering temperament.

But contrary to her temperament, Empress Jia's words were still soft, and there was a pure white kitten lying in her arms, which made her voice seem even more gentle.

She slowly walked to the chair, sat down in the seat where Sima Yan used to sit, and then said:
"What Yimin just said is exactly what I'm thinking. I'm deeply saddened by what happened today. King Runan aside, the King of Chu is truly a good man. He governs with integrity and cares for his people. Liu Song just reported that his family's remaining assets are only two hundred gold coins, making him a middle-class family. He truly deserves the title of virtuous king."

"What a pity! He lost his mind for a moment and forged an imperial edict to complain. After the incident, he refused to defend himself before the Supreme Court and even committed suicide. I don't know how to explain this to Your Majesty now!"

"His Majesty just said he was lonely and wanted to see his brothers. I coaxed him for a long time, but he finally fell asleep. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting here for so long."

No one even dared to say so.

Unlike the Empress Jia who lived in the legend, the real Empress Jia was ugly and killed people like crazy, but she did not show her murderous and vicious side through her words and deeds. This was because she was a politician. Although she could kill people, she could also use people, and she knew in front of whom she needed to maintain her decency.

At this time, her ferocious appearance became an advantage, because ordinary people would get used to her coldness and be surprised by her kindness. Just a little bit of courtesy would be enough to make others grateful.

The effect is indeed like this now. When the ministers see Empress Jia, they all show awe in the face of the winner of the political struggle.

But this was not enough. Empress Jia knew that compared to superficial efforts, rewards were the key to unity. Today's banquet was not so much a celebration as it was everyone was eagerly waiting to divide the spoils. Only by accomplishing this could they truly consolidate their power. So Empress Jia smiled strangely. She stroked the fur on the cat's back and said slowly, "Anyway, the chaos is finally over. Today's banquet is only temporary. It will be long-term for you to trouble me in the future. So many people died today, but there are still many things that need to be done by the court. I hope you will not hesitate to work hard."

As soon as the words fell, everyone immediately understood the meaning behind them. This was an informal reward system, but it didn't make any difference. After all, she no longer had any enemies in the court. What she said would be the truth from now on. So everyone smiled easily. Even though they only exchanged glances, a cheerful atmosphere filled the East Hall.

They all said, "How dare we let the Queen down!"

"Then I'll spoil the fun." Empress Jia already had a plan in mind on how to deal with the aftermath, so her orders were naturally smooth and fluent, but each appointment also had a basis to follow.

The first thing to do was to deal with the imperial guards. In this incident, the imperial palace quelled the rebellion almost entirely with the help of a Zuo Yu banner. This certainly did not mean that the Zuo Yu banner had magical power, nor that Empress Jia had a high prestige in the imperial guards. All of this stemmed from Wang Yan's support for Empress Jia.

Although this aristocratic leader usually did nothing but recommend talents based on their rank, almost half of the aristocratic sons relied on his connections to elevate their reputations. Therefore, Wang Yan also had a strong appeal among the imperial guards, which were heavily populated by aristocratic sons.

With his support, no matter what plan Sima Wei had, as long as it targeted Empress Jia, it would be almost impossible to carry out. Thus, Empress Jia was invincible.

Therefore, Empress Jia returned the favor by appointing Wang Yan as the Northern Army Lieutenant General and recruiting him, saying, "Duke Lu is young and unmarried. I heard that your family has a beautiful wife. I wonder if Yifu is interested in her?"

This is because Wang Yan had two daughters, the eldest daughter was named Wang Jingfeng and the younger daughter was named Wang Huifeng. Both were beautiful, and the eldest daughter, Wang Jingfeng, was particularly beautiful. Empress Jia said these words because she wanted to marry Wang Jingfeng to Jia Mi, so that the Jia and Wang families would be closer.

However, this was not a coincidence, because Wang Yan had already been discussing with the Eastern Palace about marrying Wang Jingfeng to the Crown Prince Sima Yi, and the process of proposing marriage had already been reached.

But Wang Yan remained calm when he heard Empress Jia's proposal and said immediately, "It is a blessing for my daughter to marry Duke Lu."

Her words revealed that she was planning to break off the engagement with the prince.

The next step is to deal with the border troops, especially those in Jingzhou and Yuzhou. These two places are the bases of the King of Chu and the King of Runan respectively. Any carelessness may provoke a mutiny.

Empress Jia appointed Shi Chong, the Grand Coachman, as General Zhennan, commander-in-chief of all military affairs in Jingzhou, and He Shao, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, as commander-in-chief of all military affairs in Yuzhou.

Of these two, Shi Chong had been the governor of Jingzhou and had been secretly in contact with Sima Wei for many years, and had betrayed the plans of the Chu King's coup to Empress Jia;
He Shao was an old friend of Sima Liang, King of Runan, and had extremely high qualifications. He was also the envoy who introduced Wei Guan to Empress Jia. He was not only a suitable person to appease her, but also a meritorious official who helped Empress Jia seize power, so such an arrangement was made.

Next are the three provinces.

Empress Jia appointed three of her relatives, Pei Wei, Guo Zhang, and Jia Mo, as ministers of state, giving them full control over the Ministry of Personnel. This allowed her to use the Ministry's power of rejection to overturn any decisions that she did not agree with.

Sima Huang, Prince of Xiapi, was still appointed as the Minister of the Secretariat, but Sima Tai, Prince of Longxi, was also brought in to co-record the Secretariat. This was done in order to win over the old clan members as allies at the cost of not interfering in the Secretariat.
Finally, regarding the appointment of the Secretariat, the most important imperial edict-drafting agency among the three ministries, and in fact the core decision-making body, Empress Jia unexpectedly did not give it to one of her relatives, but instead gave it to an unexpected person, Zhang Hua, who had long retired from officialdom.

She said to the crowd with a smile, "Even before I got married, Maoxian was recognized as a talented assistant to the king. Unfortunately, he was abandoned by the late emperor because of a few disagreements with the King of Qi! When my master was still alive, he felt deeply sorry for this and befriended Maoxian, asking him to advise me. Now that we have been able to pacify the two kings and keep the capital safe, it is all Maoxian's credit!"

After saying this, she personally handed the seal of the Minister of the Central Secretariat to Zhang Hua and said, "From today on, the affairs of state will be handed over to Mr. Mao."

Zhang Hua looked at the seal in his hand, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. He wanted to say something, but finally gave up.

No one expected that a man who had been driven out of the center of power by Emperor Wu would return to the historical stage in such a dramatic way as currying favor with the queen, but he succeeded, and successful people are not to be blamed.

Thus, Empress Jia's power center was established: with Zhang Hua and other humble men as pioneers, the elders of the imperial clan as allies, and the common prosperity of the gentry as the cornerstone. The other secondary official changes will not be discussed further here.

The group drank happily until dawn, and only then slowly left the East Hall and took a rest in the palace's annex.

After Empress Jia watched these people leave, Jia Mi couldn't help but complain to her, "Aunt, why make such a big deal out of it? They're just a bunch of running dogs. How can they possibly cause trouble?"

After the others left, Empress Jia's strange and stiff smile faded, and she returned to her calm ugliness. She sat back on the chair, touched the white cat huddled in the corner, and said calmly: "Chang Yuan, even if you are facing a group of running dogs, you still have to feed them meat."

"Can't running dogs eat shit? Why do they need to be fed meat?"

"Hahaha..." Empress Jia couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing her nephew's words. This time, her smile was no longer concealed or hypocritical, but rather natural and unrestrained, like a ferocious beast. She stood up, casually drew a decorative ceremonial sword from the wall, and replied in a voice as strong as iron, "Changyuan, you must remember that a lackey who doesn't eat meat can't bite off the flesh of others."

Holding the sword, Empress Jia casually cut the middle finger of her left hand, put it in her mouth and sucked the blood, saying, "Just like these blades, those that are sharp enough to cut yourself are often the best weapons to kill the enemy."

After saying that, she swung her sword casually, and with a shrill cat cry, the life that she had just gently caressed was soaked in blood in an instant.

Empress Jia's expression remained unchanged, her expression intoxicated as if in a dream. She sighed with emotion, "Take a good rest. Just now it was a reward, and soon it will be time to complain..."

Jia Mi was accustomed to this, and his aunt's behavior did not horrify him. On the contrary, he was excited and couldn't help laughing. He said, "Yes, the day for complaining has come..."

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(End of this chapter)