Jinting Han people

This memorial was delivered by an unknown soldier. Upon arriving in Luoyang, the soldier went straight to the Sima Gate on Tongtuo Street and shouted, "His Highness the Prince of Hejian submits a memorial impeaching the Grand Marshal!" Before the palace guards could react, a large crowd of onlookers had gathered around him. He raised a yellow banner and shouted again, "The Grand Marshal is disloyal! Loyal patriots should think carefully!"

When Wei Yi, who was guarding the palace gate, arrived, he said, "I will offer this letter with my blood!" He then drew his sword and committed suicide, his blood splattering on the spot. The people present were all horrified, and then they began to discuss the impeachment content of the memorial.

Within days, the impeachment petition from the Prince of Hejian became the talk of the town, known to everyone. Sima Jiong, who had originally intended to suppress the matter, could no longer do so. To demonstrate his impartiality, he had no choice but to make the contents of the petition public, have copies made to various government offices, and order all officials of the court to gather at the Grand Marshal's residence that evening to discuss the matter.

The Sili Prefecture was naturally among those invited. Liu Xian received the memorial immediately and read it carefully with his advisors.

This memorial, titled "Memorial by Sima Yong," was actually drafted by Li Han and contains the following content:

"The royal family is beset by troubles, and calamities seem endless. Although Grand Marshal Jiong has the merit of restoring the throne through his righteous cause, the stabilization of the capital and the pacification of the state are truly due to the efforts of the Prince of Chengdu and the Prince of Changsha. However, Jiong has failed to uphold his duties as a subject, which is in fact in line with the expectations of those who oppose him. In Xuchang, there are east and west side gates, where he has appointed officials such as the Imperial Censor and the Chief Clerk and the Grand Marshal to stand on either side, as if they were serving as courtiers. When the capital was greatly pacified, the usurper was executed, and Jiong led a million troops to surround Luoyang. The army has been blocking the way for years, and Jiong has not once paid homage to the emperor. All the officials bowed and prostrated themselves, facing south in composure. He destroyed the music and entertainment offices and the market to enrich himself. He also took the secret weapons from the armory and displayed them in a strict manner without ever removing them."

This is the first paragraph of the memorial, in which Li Han clearly states his position, directly targeting Sima Jiong. He claims that Sima Jiong had no merit in the campaign to defend the emperor, and only gained his position as regent by virtue of the military achievements of Sima Ying and others. This denies Sima Jiong's legitimacy in ruling, and then lists his transgressions one by one, demonstrating that he is not a virtuous and capable minister.

"Therefore, King Rui of Donglai, knowing of his rebellious nature, submitted a memorial detailing his actions, but was falsely accused, punished, and exiled. He then formed a private clique and usurped official positions. His favored wives and concubines were given titles comparable to those of the Empress. He indulged in wine and women, showing no concern for the common people. Dong Ai was unrestrained and fearless, and the Censor-in-Chief investigated and dismissed him. Zhang Wei, in a moment of fear, supported the suspension of the imperial edict, and the young eunuch Ge Yu maintained the fate of the state. They manipulated the royal titles, and bribery was rampant. A group of treacherous officials formed a clique, arbitrarily deciding life and death. They secretly appointed confidants, all for the sake of profit. They denounced loyal and virtuous officials, and plotted to seize the throne."

In the second paragraph, Li Han directly begins by accusing the Qi Prince's mansion of misconduct. He denounces Sima Jiong for unjustly killing his brothers, indulging in wine and women, governing poorly, and appointing various treacherous officials. The current court can be described as a "clique of wicked men" and "criminalizing loyal officials," with Sima Jiong even harboring the treacherous ambition of "coveting the throne."

"Your Majesty, I have been entrusted with a heavy responsibility, guarding the frontier regions. Seeing Jiong's actions, I am filled with indignation. Immediately, Li Han, the Commandant of the Imperial Guard, arrived by express courier, conveying the imperial edict. I have read it with deep emotion, my heart burning with righteous indignation. According to the principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals, one should not rely on one's own family for personal gain. Jiong commands a powerful army, has established his own faction, and holds high-ranking positions, all of whom are his confidants. Even if he were to be severely punished, I fear he would not submit in the right. Therefore, I have now mustered 100,000 elite troops, and together with the provincial governor, we will unite in loyalty and righteousness to meet in Luoyang."

The third paragraph shifts focus, stating that this was not a fabrication by the Prince of Hejian, but rather a secret edict from the Emperor, delivered by his trusted confidant Li Han from Luoyang. He will lead 100,000 elite troops to rally righteous men from across the land to attack Sima Jiong.

"General of the Cavalry, Prince Yi of Changsha, was loyal and devoted, and was dismissed from his post and returned to his residence. Anyone who disobeyed orders was punished according to military law. Prince Ying of Chengdu is virtuous and kind, with high merits and great achievements. His appointment and removal in the past year were in line with the expectations of the people. He is suitable to be the prime minister and replace Jiong as the prime minister."

The last paragraph is the most crucial. Li Han specifically points out that Sima Yi, the Prince of Changsha, and Sima Ying, the Prince of Chengdu, are both accomplices of the Prince of Hejian. The group had been plotting for a long time, and even the division of spoils after the deed was already decided.

After reading the article, Liu Xian had a bitter smile on his face. He said to Fu Chang and the others, "Li Shirong is really good at scheming. I was a step too slow to react!"

It wasn't until Li Han fled that Liu Xian finally understood Li Han's purpose in entering Luoyang. For the past year, Li Han had been constantly stirring up trouble in Luoyang, all for the sake of gaining a legitimate reason to attack Sima Jiong.

Although the Prince of Hejian had elite troops and capable generals, he was ultimately a follower of the Prince of Zhao. In terms of political ideology, he could not possibly match Sima Jiong, who had first raised the banner of rebellion. If Sima Jiong were to use the name of the court to conquer Guanzhong, the officials in Guanzhong would inevitably waver and be unable to serve him wholeheartedly.

Li Han not only won over the King of Chengdu, but also brilliantly staged a performance in Luoyang, thus reversing the disadvantage in political opinion!
This is like a brilliant piece of music. Inciting public opinion and criticizing Sima Jiong's governance is the prelude; conspiring with the Prince of Donglai to rebel, actually to damage Sima Jiong's reputation for loyalty and filial piety, is the groundwork; feigning conflict with Sima Jiong while secretly winning over Sima Ying is the transition. Once all this is prepared, Li Han unexpectedly enters Luoyang, risking his life, and after an ambiguous conversation with Sima Yi, suddenly leaves Luoyang, claiming to have a secret edict to punish Sima Jiong.

All the previous preparations were for this so-called secret edict.

Although Li Han did not say where the secret edict came from, everyone had to believe that it was genuine. Otherwise, why would he suddenly leave after meeting with the King of Changsha? And why would the King of Hejian recommend the King of Chengdu instead of himself as prime minister?

To unsuspecting onlookers, the truth appeared to be singular: the King of Qi had long been arrogant and harbored rebellious intentions. This pushed the King of Changsha to his breaking point, leading him to secretly impeach the King and obtain this secret edict. Simultaneously, the King of Changsha contacted his brother, the King of Chengdu, and with his consent, delivered the edict to Li Han, ordering the King of Hejian to send troops to Luoyang.

This is the most brilliant form of propaganda. Although Li Han didn't utter a single word of propaganda, people could logically deduce the entire development based solely on their own speculation. Moreover, there was precedent for this; wasn't the same thing with Emperor Xian of Han's edict in the belt? The King of Qi was Cao Cao, the King of Changsha was Dong Cheng, the King of Chengdu was Yuan Shao, and the King of Hejian was Liu Bei—didn't it all match up?
As a result, the matter caused a great uproar, drawing the King of Qi, the King of Changsha, and the King of Chengdu into the storm of public opinion. Through this incident, the King of Hejian was finally cleared of his background as a remnant of the King of Zhao and became the number one loyal minister who was loyal to the emperor and loved his country.

The only flaw in the plan might have been the moment Li Han left the Changsha Prince's residence. If Sima Yi had reacted quickly enough to capture and behead him, Li Han's scheme would have been rendered useless.

The die is cast; the situation has escalated beyond repair.

Under Li Han's scheme, Liu Xian's biggest problem is no longer how to regain military power. After receiving the memorial, Sima Jiong will inevitably become suspicious of Sima Yi, which will then affect the entire Changsha King's faction. What methods should he and his fellow Changsha King supporters use to survive the ensuing turmoil?

It wasn't just Liu Xian who noticed this; Liu Kun, Lu Yun, and others also realized it. They exchanged worried glances, and Liu Kun asked, "Huai Chong, are you going to feign illness and skip tonight's meeting at the Grand Marshal's residence?"

Without a doubt, the Grand Marshal's office will definitely launch an attack on Sima Yi and his associates after tonight's meeting. No one can predict the outcome. Therefore, Liu Kun's suggestion is to feign illness at home to avoid trouble.

But Liu Xian hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No, the Grand Marshal is already suspicious of us. If I pretend to be sick and don't go, wouldn't that make me look even more guilty? That would only deepen the suspicion and misunderstanding, and he might even send people to kill us. Do you think we could escape?" "You still have to go. Only by daring to go can you show that you have a clear conscience."

With that, Liu Xian made up his mind. As dusk approached, after having dinner and changing into his court robes, he ordered his staff not to make any rash moves and to remain in the mansion to await his news.

As they were leaving the mansion and getting into their carriages, they bumped into Sima Yi, who was also coming out of the mansion. The two exchanged a glance and both sensed the pressure on each other's shoulders. They then smiled and pretended nothing was wrong before heading to the Grand Marshal's mansion to get into their carriages.

When Liu Xian and Sima Yi arrived at the Grand Marshal's residence, the wide streets were already filled with carriages and horses. Officials who had disembarked greeted each other in front of the gate and discussed the matter anxiously, clearly speculating about how things would unfold. But when they saw Liu Xian and Sima Yi approaching, they immediately looked as if they had seen a ghost, and simultaneously stopped their discussions, lowering their heads and walking into the residence, fearing that they would be labeled as part of the Prince of Changsha's faction.

Having experienced many ups and downs, Liu Xian had long since become indifferent to such matters. Humans are inherently driven by self-interest and the desire to avoid harm. Unless there is a very close relationship, whether people respect and love each other or harm and resent each other, it is all for the sake of self-interest. Being able to take this in stride is precisely a basic quality of a mature politician.

But when he turned to look at Sima Yi, he was surprised to find that the King of Changsha was not in a stable emotional state. His face was ashen, his fists were clenched, and his breathing was slightly disordered, as if he was harboring resentment.

He brought it up to Liu Xian, saying, "It really reminds me of the day my fifth brother was murdered. Everyone must have reacted the same way back then."

This happened thirteen years ago, but what happened that day changed everyone's fate.

Sima Yi then said to Liu Xian, "This world is truly cruel. Let alone these sycophants, even brothers are few and far between. Tell me, what is the point of living?"

Clearly, Sima Yi suffered a tremendous blow to his spirit from Sima Ying's sudden betrayal. Despite his ambition to bring peace and stability to the country, he couldn't even get the support of his own brother; how could this not be disheartening? Liu Xian recalled what had happened a year ago when Sima Rui's rebellion was exposed; Sima Jiong had done the same, collapsing onto the table, revealing a dejected expression he had never seen before. Neither of them seemed to have considered just how heavy the burden of power could be.

Liu Xian smiled at Sima Yi and said, "Your Highness, the meaning of living is very simple: living is hope. When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out; only by living can you see good things happen."

Sima Yi was taken aback by Liu Xian's composure. He had spoken with resentment, but Liu Xian's calm demeanor surprised him. Liu Xian's smile, like the bright moon, quietly and radiantly illuminated the rivers and lakes, dispelling the slight agitation in Sima Yi's heart. This allowed him to temporarily set aside his hatred and recall the responsibility on his shoulders: he was the son of Emperor Wu of Jin, Sima Yan, and he could not allow the Sima family's legacy to be lost.

But Sima Yi's thoughts didn't mean the others thought the same. From the moment they stepped through the gates, those strange gazes followed them relentlessly, enveloping them like a fog. This gaze intensified upon entering the main hall. All eyes were fixed on Sima Yi and Liu Xian, as if their cold, piercing gazes could dissect their hearts and minds.

Liu Xian glanced around and saw that Qi King Sima Jiong was sitting at the head of the table. To his right was Dong Ai, the Chamberlain whom he trusted most, and to his left was He Xu, the Commander of the Imperial Guards. In front of him were five dukes whom he had personally promoted: Ge Yu, Wei Yi, Lu Xiu, Liu Zhen, and Han Tai. Behind them were officials from the Grand Marshal's office, including Zu Ti, Sun Hui, Wang Dun, Liu Qiao, Jiang Tong, and Huangfu Shang.

Only after that did the court officials take their seats.

Here, there is no such thing as the three solitary seats, nor is there any distinction between prime ministers and dukes; there is only the distinction between the Qi King's faction and those not affiliated with the Qi King's faction.

But what truly horrified Liu Xian were the hundreds of armored soldiers surrounding the main hall. They were fully armored, with iron helmets, swords at their waists, and long spears in their hands—truly a heavily armed force. It was winter, and to keep warm, there were about a dozen braziers inside the hall, burning charcoal and spewing fiery embers that stained the iron plates on their armor and the tips of their spears a blood-red hue—a truly terrifying sight. Especially striking were the two nine-foot-tall strongmen standing behind Sima Jiong; half-shadowed by the firelight, their long silhouettes appeared ghostly to onlookers.

Such a chilling and imposing defense was something the Grand Marshal's residence had never seen before. Especially under Sima Jiong's undisguised suspicious gaze, Liu Xian had no doubt that if he uttered even the slightest wrong word tonight, these cold blades would be aimed at him.

At this time, not all the officials had arrived. During the banquet, an attendant came over and said to Sima Yi, "General of the Cavalry, as the head of the princes, please sit in the front row, in the center."

This was less a sign of respect and more a blatant act of obstruction. In the current situation, placing Sima Yi in the center of the officials' seats was akin to the Court of Justice interrogating a criminal, using the pressure of the entire Qi King's faction to expose Sima Yi's true intentions. Liu Xian, as the leader of the Changsha King's faction, naturally received the same treatment, seated to Sima Yi's right.

The other members of the Changsha King's faction were treated similarly. After Liu Tun, Liu Hong, and others took their seats, they were also arranged to sit to Sima Yi's left and right, subjected to intense scrutiny from Sima Jiong's party. The two sides were clearly divided and at odds. As for the remaining officials, led by Wang Rong, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and Sima Yue, the Director of the Imperial Secretariat, seeing this tense atmosphere, they all sat silently to their sides, trying their best to appear indifferent.

Half an hour later, all the officials in the court had taken their seats, and the atmosphere at the scene had become extremely tense.

Sima Jiong finally moved. Before, he was dressed in military uniform, a long sword at his waist, and clung to the chairman like a puppet, his face devoid of emotion. But now, he was like a hungry eagle, his neck moving as he scanned his surroundings, his gaze numb and indifferent.

He saw court officials filling the banquet hall, heads bowed and silent as cicadas in winter, seemingly showing him both great respect and deep fear. This was a scene Sima Jiong had long dreamed of, but now that it was actually before his eyes, Sima Jiong's heart was frozen solid, and he could only feel a bone-chilling cold.

The young King of Qi turned his gaze to his cousin, pointed to the memorial on the table, and asked, "Shidu, explain this to me." (End of Chapter)