Jinting Han people

Chapter 129 Zu Ti's Persuasion to the King of Liang (4k)

At the same time, Zu Ti's activities in Luoyang also reached a critical moment.

In fact, according to common sense, given the connections of Liu Xian and Zu Ti, the best way to rescue Liu Xian from the Imperial Court Prison would definitely be to go through the Crown Prince Sima Yi.

But Zu Ti keenly sensed something was amiss. In the current political situation, Sima Yi was precisely the one being targeted by Empress Jia, and he had neither the strength nor the resolve to fight the empress to the end.

"Although the title of Crown Prince is impressive, during the Yang Ji Rebellion, he couldn't even control his own guards and nearly lost his life, let alone save others."

He analyzed this privately with Liu Kun and was very pessimistic about the prince's prospects.

"At best, we can ask him to find a way to delay it. If we really want to save people, we have to get the person who has the final say to speak up."

But now, apart from Empress Jia, who else could have the final say? Sima Wei, King of Chu, Sima Liang, King of Runan, and Yang Jun, the Grand Tutor, were all dead. All those who had been so close to imperial power were gone. Was there anyone left who could truly rival Empress Jia?
In Zu Ti's opinion, there really is one.

That was Sima Rong, King of Liang.

Sima Rong, King of Liang, was the eighth son of Sima Yi, Emperor Xuan of Jin. Although his name has occasionally appeared so far, it seems unimportant.

After all, whether it was the coup against Yang or the rebellion of the King of Chu, the King of Liang only participated verbally, watching the success or failure without taking any action. However, if you study the King of Liang's resume, it is not difficult to find that he is indeed a very important figure:

In the first year of Taishi, Sima Rong, the Prince of Liang, was promoted to General of the Northern Army and was in charge of defending Yecheng.

In the fourth year of Taikang, he replaced Kong Xun as the military supervisor of Yuzhou, and was promoted to General Pingdong, stationed in Xuchang.
In the fifth year of Taikang, he replaced Sima Huang, the King of Xia Pi, in supervising the military affairs of Qing and Xuzhou, and was promoted to General of Andong.
And now, that is, in the first year of Yuankang, Sima Rong was transferred to the position of General of the Western Expedition and Commander-in-Chief of the Military Affairs in Guanxi, and would soon arrive in Chang'an to take up his post.

At the beginning of the Western Jin Dynasty, besides Luoyang, the most important cities were Yecheng, Xuchang, and Chang'an, collectively known as the Three Great Military Regions. In addition, there were the two prefectures of Qing and Xu, which were carefully constructed to counter the Eastern Wu.

As a result, Sima Rong not only successively took charge of the two major military towns of Yecheng and Xuchang, but also cultivated his followers in Qingxu, and now he was going to Chang'an to take charge.

Judging from his military service experience alone, Sima Rong can be said to be the best in the court.

It can be said that regardless of whether King Liang Sima Rong could fight or not, his influence in the army was unparalleled. Even the deceased King Chu Sima Wei and King Runan Sima Liang were probably far behind.

But why would such an important figure remain unknown in the successive disturbances in the court?

Because Sima Rong was a truly smart man.

As the son of Sima Yi, he is not the kind of person who pretends to be smart by showing his shrewdness on his face, but a truly smart person who knows how to live the most comfortable life.

In his opinion, all ambitions and ambitions are false and empty.

A person's life is only a few decades long, and half of that time is spent sleeping, so there is very little time left for us to waste.

Why would an intelligent person waste time vying for power and gain? It would be better to spend more time enjoying life, so that life will not be in vain.

Therefore, Sima Rong indulged in sensual pleasures in his early years and ruined his health at a young age, resulting in him still having no son at the age of sixty.

But the world is so strange. A prince without a son and no desire for power is just admired by those in power. Over the years, Sima Rong has made no contribution to the country. A bunch of people have fought and robbed him, and Sima Rong has done nothing, but his official position has risen higher and higher.

By now, all those with more seniority than him had died, so he naturally became the number one member of the Sima clan.

But although the power and position changed, Sima Rong's mentality remained unchanged.

He had been appointed General of the Western Expedition in May, but now, in July, he was still leisurely wandering around the capital, having not yet taken up his post. He seemed unconcerned, as long as the court didn't press him, he would just muddle along.

On this day, a light drizzle suddenly fell, and the summer heat subsided immediately. The early autumn was cool and pleasant, so King Liang Sima Rong took a birdcage and took a walk under the maple tree in the mansion, sometimes enjoying the scenery and water, and sometimes stopping to tease the shrike in the cage and listen to its chirping sounds.

As he aged, Sima Rong's interest in women had somewhat faded. After witnessing the many changes in Luoyang, King Liang became even less interested in government affairs, his love for birds completely overshadowing his concern for the government. Now, he was contemplating whether he could find a way to get a Lingnan 鸩鸟 (a Chinese 鸩 bird).

Just as he was enjoying the breeze and meditating, a maid came to announce, "Sir, His Highness Yingchuan is here to see you."

"Xiu Hua?" Although Sima Rong was old, he was still quick to react. He stopped and asked, "What is she doing here?"

"Her Highness said that she recently got a parrot and wanted you to help look after it."

"Oh? Is that true? Bring her in quickly."

Then King Liang met Sima Xiuhua. After not seeing her for a while, Sima Xiuhua was shocked when he saw Princess Yingchuan again.

Because Xiuhua has changed so much.

Originally, she was innocent and pure, about fifteen or sixteen years old, with fair but rosy skin, a plump and lively body. Whether she was crying or laughing, she revealed a healthy and full vitality, like a gardenia bud, exuding wildness and health.

But now Xiuhua looked completely different, like a gardenia that had been plucked and left unwatered for days, giving the impression of withering. Her face, once as clear as the bright moon, was now gradually withered, with a sense of melancholy like the cold moon, making Xiuhua seem suddenly more mature and sensible.

The first time she saw Prince Liang, she subconsciously smiled as usual, but it seemed a bit forced. She said, "Eighth Uncle, long time no see. How are you?"

"Alas, I'm just an old man, I'm not that good, nor that bad. But you..." Sima Rong casually hung the birdcage on the branch, approached to look at Xiu Hua, then couldn't help shaking his head and sighing, "You're a newly married girl. We met last month, why are you here now..."

He fell silent mid-sentence, the answer self-evident. It was an indisputable fact that among Emperor Wu's descendants, Princess Yingchuan and the King of Chu had the best relationship. Now that the King of Chu had gotten into this situation, it was certainly a huge blow to Xiuhua.

As expected, Xiu Hua lowered his head and said after a long time: "Fifth brother is dead, but I haven't even seen his body..."

When saying this, Xiuhua was about to cry, just like an orchid dripping with dew.

Sima Rong, however, was very open-minded. He advised, "Things have already passed. It doesn't matter if you are sad. The dead must also want the living to live well. Just be open-minded."

After saying that, the old man blew a whistle, and the shrike in the cage began to call. The call was clear and pleasant, like bamboo leaves falling on one's shoulders.

He said complacently, "Many things in life aren't as important as we think. Take this shrike. It used to soar in the sky, so it should be so happy. But I keep it in a cage and feed it. Isn't that unhappy?"

"Be open-minded, don't be hard on yourself, then the sky will be the limit and everything will be fine."

"Will it really get better?"

"You are the daughter of the Sima family. You must learn to be strong."

These words seemed to soothe Xiuhua, leaving her lost in thought. Seeing this, Sima Rong quickly changed the subject and asked, "I heard you brought me a parrot?"

Xiuhua nodded and said softly, "It's a white-feathered cockatoo. My husband's friend gave it to me, but I don't know how to raise it, so I thought I'd just give it to my eighth uncle."

"Ha! Then I'd like to see it for myself."

Speaking of parrots, Sima Rong was still very happy. He also raised a cockatoo two years ago. Unfortunately, he was not familiar with its habits and did not prepare enough seeds. As a result, the parrot died of starvation, which made him feel very regretful.

But when he saw Zu Ti coming in with the parrot, his expression changed immediately.

Although Zu Ti was dressed like an ordinary servant, Sima Rong knew immediately from his haughty stance, stubborn demeanor, and the sharp, sword-like glare in his eyes that he couldn't be Xiu Hua's follower. Only someone prepared for negotiations and confident of victory would have such an expression. Xiu Hua's visit was a cover; this man was the real mastermind... King Liang glanced at the princess beside him, feeling a sense of regret.

However, he was not angry about this, because it was normal for people to change in the face of such a drastic change. What he was interested in now was who Xiu Hua came to see him for, and what this person in front of him wanted to talk to him about.

"All of you, please go down." Sima Rong said to the maids who were still serving in the courtyard. After they had all left, he smiled at Xiuhua and said, "Xiuhua has indeed grown up. She has learned how to play tricks on her eighth uncle..."

Xiuhua's expression darkened upon hearing this. Clearly, this kind of exchange wasn't her original intention, but when Zu Ti came to visit and asked her to guarantee Liu Xian's life, she agreed without hesitation.

For her, Sima Wei's death was a bolt from the blue. No matter how distant Sima Wei had become from Xiu Hua recently, he would always be the best brother in Xiu Hua's heart.

The dead will not be resurrected, but the living must always fight for something for the dead. Otherwise, wouldn’t the passing of life be meaningless?

Therefore, she had to do something for Liu Xian. In this way, she could not only repay Liu Xian for saving her life in the Eastern Palace last time, but also express her remembrance of Sima Wei. She wanted to use this method to dispel some of her sadness about her own incompetence.

So in response to her eighth uncle's ridicule, she replied, "I just want to go back to the way things were before..."

But since Zu Ti had already arrived here, Xiu Hua was no longer the protagonist of the negotiations.

He calmly interrupted, responding, "Why do you have to tease Your Highness? Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Besides, I came to see you to give you a parrot."

Holding a birdcage in hand, he introduced it to Sima Rong, "Look at this parrot. Its claws are green with red, its beak is bright red, its feathers are pure white, and its breast is a pale yellow. It's truly a top-notch piece. I used connections to get it from Liangzhou. It wasn't easy! Take a look!"

Sima Rong took the birdcage, looked it over for a moment, and said with a sigh, "Hmm, yes, it is indeed a top-grade item! A parrot like this is probably worth three hundred gold."

But he immediately put the birdcage down, twirled his beard, and said to Zu Ti with a chuckle, "But I don't know you. I won't accept a gift from a stranger."

"why?"

Sima Rong said calmly, "This is my life experience. When you are facing someone you don't know, don't accept gifts carelessly, because you don't know what the price will be."

Zu Ti smiled and replied, "Now you know me. I am Zu Ti of Fanyang, an obscure little clerk in the Sili Prefecture."

Faced with the King of Liang's stiff and cold attitude, Zu Ti was not at all nervous. His smile was so sunny that it seemed to be able to blow away the autumn wind and let spring flowers bloom on the earth.

"Oh? You are Zu Ti?" The King of Liang finally understood. He looked at Zu Ti with interest and said with a faint smile, "You are not unknown now. I heard that you have been active recently, trying to rescue the prince of Anle who offended the Duke of Lu. Everyone praises you for your loyalty and righteousness!"

"If you can't save your friends, then it's just fake friendship."

"So you used Xiuhua's connections to find me?"

"Yes," Zu Ti said, "There is no one in the world who can save Liu Huai Chong except you, my Lord."

Hearing this, Prince Liang smiled unmoved. He turned back to teasing his shrike, "Then you've got the wrong person. I won't offend the newly-emerged queen for the sake of a prince of Anle."

This was a natural answer. Sima Xiuhua, who was standing by, became anxious upon hearing this. He wanted to say something, but was quickly stopped by Zu Ti. He continued, "My Lord, do you think that a venomous snake will ever be fed?"

"What do you mean?" Sima Rong stared at the shrike, motionless.

"There is a paulownia tree in the world. On its branches there is a large bird's nest. There are now more than thirty birds. Then a poisonous snake climbed up to the nest. On the first day, it ate a bird. On the second day, it ate a bird. On the third day, it ate another bird..."

"It didn't leave until a month later, when it had eaten all the chicks in the nest."

"May I ask, sir, why don't these birds fly away?"

Sima Rong frowned and remained silent. Zu Ti continued, "Because the birds are thinking, there are so many birds in the nest, and the snake will soon be full. Why should they abandon their homes to avoid a full snake?"

"But in reality, my Lord, you and I both know that a poisonous snake can never be full."

It is obvious that Zu Ti's words were comparing Empress Jia to a poisonous snake and the Sima family to a flock of birds. He was warning King Liang that if he continued to indulge Empress Jia in her reckless behavior, he would not be spared either.

Sima Rong looked back at Zu Ti and said slowly, "A poisonous snake can only bully sparrows, but it cannot swallow a swan. And a swan will not take the initiative to provoke a poisonous snake."

What he meant was that he had no intention of seeking political status, and Empress Jia would not target him.

But Zu Ti remained calm. He believed that the King of Liang had been persuaded by him, so he continued, "Are you saying that I am a hermit and have no power at all?"

After saying this, Sima Rong's face turned pale and he snorted coldly, but there was no further words for a long time.

Zu Ti had directly shattered the King of Liang's illusions. After the deaths of Sima Wei and Sima Liang, Sima Rong was now the de facto leader of the imperial clan and held immense power. Even if he no longer had any desire to fight for power, he would inevitably clash with Empress Jia, a position he could not simply shirk.

As long as he was Sima Yi's son, he would inevitably come into conflict with Empress Jia.

After a long silence, Sima Rong finally spoke again: "But even if that's the case, the worst that can happen is that I can secretly be on guard. Why would I have to go out in the open and provoke the Queen?"

This time he still maintained a rejection attitude, but his tone had softened a lot, showing signs that he was willing to fight for it.

Zu Ti struck while the iron was hot and said sternly, "Mingsong, this is not to provoke the Queen, but to show your prestige!"

"prestige?"

"Although the King of Chu is dead, he still holds great prestige among the royal family. Liu Xian, as the King of Chu's best friend, stayed with him until the end. He is undoubtedly a loyal minister to the King of Chu."

"If you can lend him a hand at this critical moment and demonstrate your stance towards the King of Chu, then the remaining royal family members will undoubtedly regard you as their leader, right?"

This was indeed the truth. Sima Rong twirled his beard again, raised his eyes to glance at Xiu Hua, and weighed the pros and cons in his mind: Although the King of Chu was dead, the descendants of Emperor Wu, such as Sima Xia, Sima Yi, and Sima Ying, were still alive, especially Sima Yun, the King of Huainan. He was stationed in Moling and had been recruiting soldiers and horses in recent years. His momentum seemed to be no less than Sima Wei.

If he helped Liu Xian, he might gain their favor, but compared to the dislike he incurred from Jia Mi, the gain seemed not enough.

Sima Rong thought, this is like the love between a man and a woman: if you like someone, you can keep it silent, but if you dislike someone, it will definitely show on your face. There is still a big difference between quietly supporting someone and openly opposing them.

So after a moment of deliberation, he shook his head and said, "That's not enough. I'm not that ambitious. I just need to protect myself. If I hang out with these people, sooner or later I'll be dragged into the rebellion."

Zu Ti still had leverage, of course. He continued, "So I have another list to present to you, my lord."

"His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu's influence is certainly not limited to the royal family. He often bestows favors on others, and a large number of his followers remain in the Northern Army, and most of them stay in the Imperial Guards here."

"The Queen plotted against the King of Chu, but it was difficult for her to settle accounts with them. She could only place them in the Imperial Guards. These soldiers were filled with resentment and were absolutely unwilling to fight for the Queen."

"If you, as the head of the royal family, can save the prince of Anle, you can demonstrate your benevolence, and then these remnants will be used by you. With their support, what can the Queen use to fight you?"

Zu Ti took out a piece of white silk from his bosom, presented it to King Liang with both hands, and said, "This is the list of these people. They are all willing to guarantee Liu Xian."

Sima Rong looked suspicious as he took the list from Zu Ti's hand. After glancing through it, he was finally moved.

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(End of this chapter)