Jinting Han people

"Duke Lu, this is the seventh person to be killed since Guo Zhou."

After examining the body with its throat cut, Shangshu and Yu hurried back to the backyard of the court and said this to Duke Jia Mi of Lu.

He Yu's elder brother was He Qiao, a famous wise minister during the reign of Emperor Wu. He Qiao was a man of generous character, insightful vision, and outspokenness. Even though he did not cultivate his personal connections, he was deeply respected by court officials and was praised as "He Qiao is as dense as a thousand-foot pine tree."

Unlike his brother, He Yu was an ordinary man, lacking the strategic planning to govern a nation or the refined conversationalism. However, he possessed a cunning and slyness that his brother lacked, having early on ingratiated himself with Duke Jia Mi of Lu. Consequently, after the current emperor ascended the throne, He Jiao died in melancholy, while He Yu rose to prominence.

Now that He Qiao has passed away, He Yu has become Jia Mi's confidant, responsible for investigating the assassination.

After the shock of the first incident and the outrage of the second, this was the seventh consecutive day of bizarre executions of officials from the Hou Party. This time, the victim was Liu Qi, the Left Supervisor of the Imperial Court. He was found dead in a dark alley, along with four guards. The indictment on the corpse clearly stated the cause of death: aiding and abetting the tyrant, aiding and abetting the tyrant's cruelty, and repeatedly creating wrongful convictions.

He Yu, who was investigating the case, had become somewhat numb. He no longer paid attention to the specific assassination method, but directly stated his conclusion to Jia Mi:
"This is psychological warfare, and also a propaganda campaign launched by the princelings. They are using this method to put pressure on us and force us to give up power."

Needless to say, the other party's purpose was very clear. Not only did they kill people, but they also listed the crimes of the people who were killed and wrote the four words "Execute the thief in accordance with justice". This basically ruled out other possibilities such as revenge killing and robbery.

The swiftness and meticulous organization of this series of assassinations were simply beyond the reach of ordinary people. They carried out the attacks during this extraordinary period, often operating during curfew. At their most egregious, the assassination took place just a block away from the palace gates, and they evacuated the scene so quickly that no one noticed.

All of this shows that this was not only accomplished by a group of well-trained people, but also with the private assistance of a large number of officials. Such a large-scale organizational behavior could not have been aimed at any one person, but rather a general political declaration of war.

Jia Mi certainly understood this. He was half-lying on the table, one hand covering his forehead, with an expression of toothache. He said slowly:

"That's not what I want to hear now. That's something my aunt would consider."

"My aunt is furious right now. What you need to think about now is how to catch these murderers and restore my aunt's dignity."

Man Fen, the lieutenant of the Imperial Capital, was sitting nearby. He had handled criminal cases for many years and was well aware of the difficulty of handling such a major case. He said:

"Lord Lu, we also want to help Her Majesty the Queen, but the problem now is that these cases are simply impossible to investigate."

"Can't check? What do you mean?"

"First, the perpetrators were incredibly efficient. Although we don't know how many there were, our investigations show that each one was a skilled operator. Every victim we've tracked down didn't even have time to scream before they died. Furthermore, the timing was incredibly tight. We hadn't even finished reviewing the testimony of the previous victim before the next one appeared. Forget compiling the evidence; even the clues are conflicting."

Jia Mi frowned and said, "What clues do you want? Have you eaten too much and your brain is not working? When did we talk about evidence? Since you have already guessed that it was the prince's henchmen who did it, why not just send people to arrest them? I just want to please my aunt, not really seek revenge for these bitches."

Man Fen smiled bitterly and said, "Duke Lu, this is also very difficult to deal with!"

"What's the problem?"

"I heard that after the Crown Prince met with the Prince of Huainan, he initially stayed in the palace. However, those in the Eastern Palace also stayed away from the palace except for their daily chores, so they couldn't find any evidence against him."

"But after the first assassination attempt, the Crown Prince and the Prince of Huainan began frequently meeting with veteran ministers who had served diligently and meritoriously. The same thing happened with the Prince of Qi and the Prince of Chengdu. These ministers were either dukes or marquises. Who could I arrest? If that alarmed the court and the public, wouldn't that give them a handle?"

This was indeed a problem, but Jia Mi didn't care much. He listened to the birds chirping outside the window for a moment and said coldly:
"This must be the order of the King of Huainan. That loser in the East Palace is backed by the King of Huainan. Doesn't he have any real power? You just bring your troops to scare them, grab a random person and run away. What can he do?"

"Wouldn't that be exactly what the King of Huainan wants?"

Man Fen bowed his head and said, "If I act this way, and the King of Huainan brings his retainers to arrest the man, and a fight breaks out, what will happen then?"

"If they want to fight, then let them fight! The Northern Army is in our hands, there is nothing to be afraid of."

"Please be careful, Duke Lu! Most of the Imperial Guards are in the hands of the royal family, and the Crown Prince still has 7,000 guards. If anyone in the Northern Army is wavering, the outcome is uncertain!"

At this point, Jia Mi snorted coldly and finally chose to give in, but he still didn't forget to mock Man Fen: "Man Gong, I thought you were a giant python with a belly that could swallow an elephant, but I didn't expect that seeing a few sheep would make you afraid of bursting your belly?"

Man Fen was no longer moved by such words. He replied with a stern face, "My duty is the Inspector of the Capital, supervising all officials in the capital on behalf of the Emperor."

"So many people have died under the feet of the emperor. What are you going to do?"

"If the murderer is caught, the case will be closed. If the murderer is not caught, I will resign."

"Stop talking such nonsense!" Jia Mi cursed, a rare outburst. "You want to imitate Fu Zhi and be a fence-sitter? Are you worthy enough?"

"Then please enlighten me, what countermeasures does Duke Lu have?"

"If you don't dare to go to the Eastern Palace, then we'll capture one of the prince's followers outside the Eastern Palace to make up the numbers. Ha, kill one to warn the rest! If we don't let these dogs feel the pain, how can they still be so unscrupulous!?

After hearing this, Man Fen finally couldn't stand it anymore. No matter how experienced a person is, there is a limit to his patience. Man Fen looked up at Jia Mi and said quietly:
"Duke Lu, please forgive me for speaking frankly."

"Oh, what do you want to say?"

"The Crown Prince is the one designated by Emperor Wu."

"..."

"Let alone in Luoyang City, who in the whole world, in the four seas, would not support the crown prince's succession to the throne?"

"..."

"Including the twenty-four friends around you, how many of them are flirting with the Eastern Palace? Who should I arrest to convince the Queen?"

"shut up!"

At first, Jia Mi was able to remain calm, but when he heard this, he was furious.

Over the years, he had hated many people, Liu Xian being just one of them. But there was only one person he despised the most: Sima Yi. In his view, Sima Yi was simply lucky, having been born into the family of an emperor, but he was no match for him in any way. But now, someone had revealed the truth to him—Crown Prince Sima Yi was the one everyone wanted.

When King Sima You of Qi competed with the current emperor for the throne, almost the entire court supported Sima You. It was Sima Yan who used Sima Yi as a shield to allow the current emperor and empress to sit firmly in their positions.

It could be said that the Empress was Empress not because she was the Emperor's wife, but because she was Sima Yi's stepmother. While the divisions within the court might be endless, there was at least one thing they could all agree on: only Sima Yi could be the Crown Prince, and only Sima Yi could inherit the throne. As long as Sima Yi remained alive, everyone else would be a member of the Crown Prince's faction.

Therefore, the Western Jin Dynasty never saw a conflict between the Empress Dowager's faction and the Prince's faction. Ever since Sima Yan's death, the factional struggles within the court were essentially a struggle between the Prince's faction and its ulterior motives. Jia Mi felt a wave of naked shame and anger at this thought. He had imagined himself the center of the court, the center of attention, indispensable. But Man Fen wondered if, in the eyes of the entire court, he was no better than a clown.
He couldn't accept this, and he stood up suddenly. His fair skin was covered with a red blush, and he glared at Man Fen with undisguised anger: "So, according to you, do you want my aunt to endure this?"

Man Fen felt that he had gone too far. He did not want to offend the Crown Prince, but he also did not want to offend Jia Mi, so he tried to make amends:

"Duke Lu, this is the Crown Prince's trap. Those who have died were already involved in numerous scandals. If you make a big fuss about this and let everyone in the capital know about it, how will the people of the world view the Queen? People will increasingly lean towards the Crown Prince, and that is definitely not what you want to see!"

But the implication was that the Queen really had to swallow her anger.

The hall was eerily quiet for a moment. Jia Mi stared at Man Fen for a moment, chuckled twice, said "good" twice, and then slammed the door and left. He Yu glanced at Man Fen and immediately chased after him.

After getting on the oxcart, Jia Mi said to the driver, "Let's go to Jingu Garden." Then, with a gloomy face, he looked out the window at the scenery angrily. He Yu got on right after him and comforted Jia Mi:
"Why is Duke Lu so angry? The Crown Prince's resort to such despicable tactics proves that he has no way to deal with you and the Queen head-on."

Jia Mi sneered, "No way? But I think that old bastard Man Fen has clearly changed his mind!"

"We only killed one insignificant person. If we don't find a way to fight back, who knows how many people will defect!"

He Yu also held the same view. He said: "That is indeed the case, but Lord Man is right. If this matter is made bigger, it will be detrimental to you and Her Majesty the Queen."

"You're also telling me to keep quiet?!"

"This..." He Yu waved his hands repeatedly and begged for mercy: "I am incompetent and can't think of any good way."

Jia Mi once again turned his gaze out the window, watching the noisy yet numb crowd on the street. He said, "It's not that difficult. If I can't depose the crown prince, what good will it do even if I arrest a hundred or a thousand of his followers? Yesterday, the King of Chengdu popped up. Today, the King of Huainan popped up. Tomorrow, the King of Qi will pop up."

"That bastard Sima Yi doesn't have the guts to kill people openly, but he's quite skilled at sneaking attacks. If we don't depose him and replace him with an obedient prince, there will be endless trouble."

Jia Mi's tone was light, but it carried a lot of weight. Even though He Yu had guessed Jia Mi's thoughts long ago, he was still startled. He wanted to peek at Jia Mi's expression, but he quickly restrained himself and asked quickly:
"What do you think should be done?"

"Sima Yi used this tactic simply because he thought it would publicize my aunt's scandal and undermine her prestige. Oh, he's committed countless scandals over the years just to save his life. If I just publicize a little bit for him, wouldn't it be easy to depose him?"

After Jia Mi finished speaking, he waited for He Yu's approval, but he was met with silence. He turned around and found He Yu bowing his head in deep thought, so he asked:

"how do you feel?"

"Ah..." He Yu raised his head and said, "Duke Lu, I was wondering...what scandal has the Crown Prince committed?"

"Do I need to say more about his ugly deeds?" Jia Mi wanted to laugh when he heard this. The prince of the Celestial Empire likes to kill pigs and weigh meat. Isn't this indecent enough?
He Yu continued, "What I mean is... Your Highness, have you done anything shameful to harm others?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Jia Mi's long speech was interrupted, leaving him speechless.

He originally wanted to criticize Sima Yi for his extravagance, but then he thought that among the gentry, extravagance was not worth mentioning, at least he was far inferior to himself; he wanted to criticize Sima Yi for his debauchery, but Sima Yi's harem was harmonious, and the people he respected and loved were nothing more than Crown Princess Wang Huifeng and Concubine Jiang; if he wanted to criticize Sima Yi for being cruel, he had never killed anyone, and the only thing he did was to prick people with needles or cut the reins of a pony, causing his followers to fall and get bruised.

On second thought, Sima Yi was extravagant, but he often shared the meat he bought with his servants; Sima Yi was dissolute, but he never violated the moral code; Sima Yi was a strict person, but he was surrounded by many virtuous ministers...

Jia Mi was silent at this time, and he suddenly felt a chill in his bones.

He Yu saw that Jia Mi finally reacted and advised: "The prince is definitely not an ordinary person. I'm afraid the strategy you just thought of will not succeed."

Jia Mi remained silent.

By this time, the oxcart had passed through Xiyang Gate, and the clamor of Luoyang had gradually died down. The sound of the wind rustling wheat waves gradually drifted in from all around. Then, Jia Mi heard several children singing nursery rhymes. The children's voices were tender, and the melodies were simple, like the wheels of the cart rolling back and forth, gradually attracting the attention of the two men. The children sang repeatedly, even the words were unclear, but after a few repetitions, Jia Mi finally understood: they were two nursery rhymes.

The first lyrics are:

"The south wind rises, blowing the white sands. Looking out at the distant Lu, how majestic it is, with thousand-year-old skulls growing teeth."

The second lyrics are:

"Don't be so nosy, the girl from the east of the city will be pestering you until next year."

Jia Mi's face immediately changed. He ordered the driver to stop, then got off the carriage and called to the children who were singing the nursery rhyme. He casually threw a handful of silver coins at them and asked, "Who taught you to sing this?"

The children all said that it was an old woman who sold melons on the street in the West Market who taught them the trick. She would give melons to any child who sang the two nursery rhymes. But when Jia Mi found out, the old woman was gone, and the one selling the goods was an old man selling eggs.

At this point, Jia Mi could only return to the car with a dark face and said to He Yu: "Oh, someone actually got there before me and started spreading rumors first!"

It's not difficult to understand these two nursery rhymes. In the first, "Nanfeng" is the Empress's name, "Shamen" is the Crown Prince's nickname, and "Lu" is Jia Mi's fiefdom. Together, they suggest that the Empress and Jia Mi intend to frame the Crown Prince and leave him without a burial place. In the second, "Chengdong Mazi" refers to the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace, who likens himself to a wronged spirit haunting the Empress's boudoir, seeking her life.

Jia Mi was just thinking about how to spread some rumors about the Crown Prince's immorality. But now someone had actually taken the initiative to spread the rumors. If Jia Mi did the same, it would undoubtedly become a naked frame-up and could not be trusted at all.

Who was the one who conceived this plan? The answer was self-evident. Jia Mi and He Yu looked at each other in bewilderment.

After a long while, Jia Mi finally calmed down. He said to the driver calmly, "Let's not go to Jingu Garden. Turn around and go back to the mansion first. I want to see my uncle."

Although Jia Mi had always loathed Sima Yi, he hadn't felt the urgency to eliminate him. He had always believed that Sima Yi was a worthless waste in name only. The reason was simple: anyone who didn't even dare to resist was naturally a cowardly prey. And he was the patriarch of the Pingyang Jia clan, the most prestigious Duke of the Jin Dynasty. If the current empress was considered the true emperor, then Jia Mi was the true crown prince, and Sima Yi was merely an imposter.

But now, Jia Mi has somewhat woken up from his dream. He finally discovered that the prince seemed to have unparalleled talents, which made him angry and unbelievable.

Like the queen, Jia Mi never believed that he was weaker than Sima Yi. He thought that he was just temporarily blinded by pride, so he was deceived by Sima Yi. Now that he saw through Sima Yi's tricks, it was nothing more than making more preparations.

Although Sima Yi had killed many people during this period, they were only a few minor officials of the seventh or eighth rank, and even an old woman. Jia Mi believed that he could not fail in dealing with such a villain who only dared to target the weak.

However, soon after the oxcart turned around, a knight came riding up on horseback. He was ordered by Man Fen to inform Jia Mi of the latest news:

The eighth victim appeared, the former General of the Palace, now the General of the Central Fortress, who was assassinated in his residence.

Eight years ago, it was this general who, bearing the Zuoyu Banner, left the palace and reached the foreign army. He sternly rebuked the foreign troops led by Sima Wei and put down the rebellion of the King of Chu. (End of this chapter)