Jinting Han people

Sima Jiong was ultimately unwilling to let Sima Yi go.

This is easy to understand. When politics descends into a life-or-death struggle, whether different forces can coexist does not depend on mutual trust, but on the balance of power between them. If the two sides are evenly matched, a bloody conflict would result in mutual destruction, and a temporary peace might be achieved. If the two sides are vastly different in power, and one side poses no threat to the other, a situation of mutual dependence can be reached.

The comparison of strength between Sima Yi and Sima Jiong falls into a rather awkward position:

Sima Yi, as General of Chariots and Cavalry, could cause some trouble for the Grand Marshal's office, while the Grand Marshal's office could also completely eliminate the Changsha King's faction by paying a certain price. This destined the two sides to find it difficult to maintain peace.

Regarding the Tai'an proposal, Sima Jiong had clearly already decided to kill Sima Yi. However, he postponed the matter because he was concerned that killing Sima Yi would make it difficult to negotiate peace with the Prince of Chengdu.

However, Sima Jiong truly lacked the ability to judge character. After the meeting, he discussed future plans with his trusted advisors, revealing that if negotiations with Sima Ying failed, he planned to kidnap the emperor, kill the emperor in Changsha, and then move the capital to Xuchang to prepare for a protracted war. Before a final plan could be made, Zu Ti informed his friend Liu Xian of this matter via a letter sent with an arrow.

Upon learning the news, Liu Xian was greatly alarmed. At this critical moment of life and death, he disregarded everything else and immediately went to the General of Chariots and Cavalry's residence to inform Sima Yi. Sima Yi was also greatly alarmed. He suppressed the news and sent people to notify several trusted confidants, including Liu Tun, Liu Hong, Shangguan Si, Yang Xuanzhi, Wang Ju, Song Hong, and Linghu Sheng, ordering them to come to see him late at night.

It was deep winter, the night was bitterly cold, and gusts of wind whipped at their faces, frosting their hair. But the attendees paid no heed to this; their hearts were heavy with unyielding sorrow. After dismissing everyone else and confirming that no one was watching, they lit candles, and the secret meeting began.

Duke Liu Hong of Xuancheng had recently caught a cold, so he did not come in person, but sent his son-in-law Xiahou Zhi instead. Xiahou Zhi first asked, "Is the source of this information reliable? Could it be a ploy by the King of Qi to lure us in?"

Liu Xian said firmly, "Zu Shizhi is my best friend who would risk his life for me. Fourteen years ago, when I was imprisoned, it was he who pulled me out. He would never lie to me about something like this."

The others still had doubts, but Sima Yi was already convinced. He concluded, "To be able to save people when the Later Party was rampant back then shows that he truly has extraordinary courage. I believe in Zu Ti." But he hesitated for a moment and asked, "But the problem is, now that the King of Qi has decided to kill me, how should I counterattack? Should I fight? Or should I flee?"

Most of the people nodded silently, their expressions solemn and doubtful.

Regardless of how negative public opinion surrounding Sima Jiong may be, the Grand Marshal's control over Luoyang is undeniable. The military structure in Luoyang remains unchanged, numbering approximately 100,000, though their distribution has shifted.

The Imperial Guards are divided into two parts. The inner army within the city numbers about 40,000 men. Originally, there were over 10,000 guards from the Grand Marshal's residence, over 10,000 guards from the Imperial Palace, and 8,000 guards from the Eastern Palace. However, recent changes in the situation have led Sima Jiong to strengthen the defenses, expanding the Grand Marshal's residence's guards to nearly 20,000 men, exceeding the guards of the Imperial Palace and the Eastern Palace.

There were originally 70,000 troops outside the city, of which about 20,000 were old troops that Sima Jiong had replenished from the Eastern Expeditionary Army. Recently, another 20,000 troops were conscripted from the Eastern Expeditionary Army and stationed along the Mangshan line.

It could be said that, in name only, the defenses of the Grand Marshal's mansion were unassailable. Even Sima Yi, known for his warlike nature, couldn't help but have doubts and needed to consider the opinions of his advisors to see if they were of one mind.

Of those present, Liu Tun was the oldest, so he was the first to analyze: "Escape is ninety percent impossible. A great war is about to break out. To guard against the King of Hejian and the King of Chengdu, the King of Qi has already sent troops to set up defenses in Mangshan and Henan. Escaping from there is as difficult as climbing to heaven. If we flee south, we will find that the King of Qi's cronies are everywhere. Once discovered, we will be beheaded and sent to the border. This is almost certainly a death sentence."

"If we want to survive, we probably have no choice but to strike first and eliminate the King of Qi!"

Although they were somewhat prepared, they were still startled by these words. They looked up and around, scrutinizing each other's expressions. In the shadows and candlelight, everyone's faces were half-lit and half-shadowed, appearing ferocious and terrifying.

Undoubtedly, this was an extremely dangerous move, but as Liu Tun said, they were already facing a life-or-death situation and couldn't afford to worry about anything else.

"Alright, let's make the first move!" Sima Yi clapped his hands decisively and said, "But the question is, how should we proceed to increase our chances of winning? Let's all think it over carefully."

The group first identified the available personnel.

As General of the Cavalry, Sima Yi was in charge of all military affairs, both inside and outside the capital, and naturally had his own army under his command. He dismissed most of the troops he had brought from Changshan, but left behind 8,000 men. Of these, 3,000 were assigned to the palace guards, and 5,000 were added to the outer armies; theoretically, all of them were available for deployment. In addition, he also had 3,000 troops from his fiefdom of Changsha, which were also added to the outer armies.

Among the followers of the King of Changsha, Liu Xian, as the Duke of Songzi, stationed the Shanggu Camp in Yanshi County, totaling 1,500 men. As the Commandant of the Capital Region, he could command an estimated 3,000 soldiers from Henan Commandery. Similarly, Liu Hong, the Duke of Xuancheng, had a thousand cavalrymen brought back from Xuancheng. Adding the various other Imperial Guard officers, there were also 3,000 men available for deployment.

Therefore, it seems that Sima Yi could mobilize nearly 20,000 men in Luoyang. With 20,000 against 100,000, it's not impossible to say that victory was impossible. However, from a practical operational perspective, there are many difficulties involved.

First, given their current predicament, both Sima Yi and Liu Xian will inevitably be under close surveillance. Their usual interactions and discussions are fine, but if they enter the Imperial Guard's territory or mobilize their private troops, it will certainly arouse the Grand Marshal's suspicion. At that point, the Grand Marshal's forces will likely arrive before the army is even fully mobilized.

From this perspective, the truly usable manpower consists of soldiers who can be mobilized at any time without any procedures. The General of the Cavalry's office has 150 such men, the Sili Office has 80, and with the rest of the various officials and guards, the total number is probably only around 500.

Can five hundred men overthrow the city of Luoyang?

That's clearly not enough; we need to win over more people.

Liu Tun suggested, "The Grand Marshal's office has been acting arbitrarily and has offended many people over the past year. Among them are princes and imperial guards. Your Highness, you might as well try to win them over. If you can get their help, your chances of winning will greatly increase."

Sima Yi said, "You are right, but this matter is of great importance. We must find a trustworthy person, otherwise, once the matter is exposed, everything will be over."

So who should we go to? Everyone had their own opinion.

Yang Xuanzhi said, "I think Liu Qiao, the Commandant of the Cavalry, is a good candidate. He impeached Dong Ai at the court meeting before. He was originally going to become the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, but he was demoted by Dong Ai and demoted back to the position of Commandant of the Cavalry. If we can get his help, our chances of winning will definitely increase."

Wang Ju said, "We can also win over a few vassal kings. Didn't Wang Bao previously discuss ordering the princes to return to their countries? Although it didn't happen, some princes must still be wary, so it would be a great help."

Liu Xian then said, "There are many wandering knights in the West Market. We can use a lot of money to buy some of them, and we should be able to get more than a thousand. In the Grand Marshal's mansion, apart from Zu Shizhi, there are also several of my old friends. They were only temporarily recruited into the mansion by the Prince of Qi, and we can also win them over."

"..." Sima Yi greatly appreciated their suggestions, but vaguely felt that something was missing. He hesitated for a few steps, glanced around, and then noticed that Liu Tun, who had initially suggested winning them over, had been silent, looking down as if deep in thought. He then asked, "Lord Zhu Xu, do you have something to say?"

Liu Tun said, "Your Highness, I believe that as long as we win over one person, this important matter will be a sure thing."

Sima Yi frowned and pondered for a moment, but did not get an answer. He then asked, "Who is Zhu Xugong referring to?"

"Wang Yan, Wang Yifu!"

Everyone present suddenly realized that this was indeed a very important candidate. Wang Yan had served as a leader of the aristocratic families for nearly twenty years, and had also held the positions of Commander of the Central Army and Minister of the Imperial Secretariat for many years. He had disciples all over the country and wielded immense influence within the imperial guards and the court. The faction of the Later Prince and the Prince of Zhao were able to control the court because of his support. Precisely because of this, when Sima Jiong discovered that he might be involved in a rebellion, he merely dismissed him from his post and placed him under secret surveillance, daring not to persecute him further.

If we could get Wang Yan's assistance, our chances of winning would indeed increase significantly. After all, during this year, the Prince of Hejian had been stirring up trouble in Luoyang, and Wang Yan must have been involved, which is enough to show how powerful he is.

Liu Xian agreed with his idea, saying, "Zhu Xugong is right, but the problem is that Wang Yan is currently under the surveillance of the Prince of Qi. How can we communicate with him?"

“Wang Yifu must have his own connections, otherwise how could he contact the King of Hejian?” Liu Tun laughed. “We just need to find a way to meet him once, just once. As long as we can secure his participation in this meeting, he can handle the rest himself.”

"Then, how should we meet?" Sima Yi asked eagerly.

Liu Tun sighed, "I was silent just now because I was pondering this matter."

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but feel disappointed. It was like someone standing in a freezing, icy wasteland, suddenly seeing a roaring fire, which seemed to offer hope. But when they tried to move forward, they found themselves separated from the fire by a transparent wall of ice—the disappointment was unimaginable.

Liu Xian paced slowly in the shadows, recalling past experiences, and suddenly said, "Perhaps we can find a reason to hold a grand banquet. Whether it's the Grand Marshal's mansion or any other mansion, as long as they are famous officials in the capital, we can invite them all. This way, we can keep a low profile, and Your Highness can take the opportunity to contact Wang Yifu. At the same time, we can also talk to the people we just discussed."

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi's eyes lit up, and he pressed for an answer: "What's the reason?"

"Marriage, betrothal, funeral, burial, it's all the same."

Liu Xian's original intention was for any of his colleagues present whose children were of marriageable age to be engaged at this time, as a pretext, so that they could later break off the engagement. Unexpectedly, Sima Yi was overjoyed and said:
“My lord, isn’t this perfect? ​​My second son is four years old this year, fourteen months older than your daughter, just the right age for an engagement! Let’s take this opportunity to finalize the marriage, shall we?”

Sima Yi's second son was named Sima Xian, with the nickname Xiu Nu. Long before Liu Xian went to Changshan Kingdom, Sima Yi learned that Cao Shangrou was pregnant and conceived the idea of ​​a marriage alliance with Liu Xian. For the past two years, he had frequently sent his princess as an intermediary to try and finalize the marriage. However, Shangrou consistently declined, citing the child's young age. When Liu Xian brought up the topic of marriage again, Sima Yi immediately thought of this marriage proposal.

Liu Xian was taken aback upon hearing this. He and his wife shared the same view, feeling that their daughter's engagement at this age was too early. They thought it would be better to wait a few more years until her personality was more settled before finding a suitable match. Unexpectedly, Sima Yi brought up the matter again at this time.

This put him in a difficult position. He instinctively wanted to refuse, but seeing Sima Yi's eager eyes, he couldn't bring himself to do it. At this point, deliberately keeping his distance from Sima Yi would obviously arouse his suspicion and lead to distrust. This was unnecessary and would likely have a significant impact on his future uprising and departure from the town.

Thinking this, Liu Xian silently closed his eyes, thinking: For the sake of his career, he probably had to sacrifice his daughter's happiness; this was a common sacrifice for those in power. He had no time for regret; he could only continue on his path to ensure his daughter's sacrifice wasn't in vain. Even so, he still felt it was too cruel.

When he opened his eyes again, he let out a long breath and bowed to Sima Yi, saying, "I am deeply grateful for Your Highness's kindness."

Upon seeing this, everyone present offered their congratulations to Liu Xian and Sima Yi. After a round of compliments, Yang Xuanzhi asked, "When is the wedding banquet scheduled?"

Sima Yi said, "There's no time to lose, and we don't need to pick an auspicious day. We can spend one day preparing gifts, another day inviting princes and nobles, and then hold the engagement banquet on the third day. How about that?"

Liu Xian said, "Alright, I'll go back and prepare now."

Thus, this brief secret meeting came to an end. Before everyone left, Liu Tun instructed them, "This matter concerns life and death, so you must all keep it a secret."

He then added, “Given the current situation, the King of Qi is only temporarily ignoring us because he wants to negotiate peace with the King of Chengdu. I estimate that the negotiation process, including all the back and forth and the time spent on negotiations, will take about half a month. This half a month is our last chance. Please be prepared, everyone. No matter how well we win them over this time, half a month from now will be the time for us to fight to the death.”

Hearing the date, "half a month," everyone felt a sense of unease. Without certainty, these ten days felt like a countdown to death. Failure would mean utter ruin.

Liu Xian left the General of the Cavalry's residence and returned to the Sili residence. It was another dark night. Standing there, Liu Xian felt like a ghost blending into the darkness, full of complaints but unable to speak, as if uttering a word would bring misfortune. When he returned to his bedroom with a lantern, he saw his wife holding their daughter, Lingyou, humming a Yuefu poem to her. The song was melodious and poignant, yet filled with sorrow:
"We set out wine in the grand hall, and sang a mournful song before the cup. How long is human life? It vanishes like morning frost."

Time never returns, and youth never comes again. The apple blossoms in spring's warmth, and the orchid in autumn's fragrance.

The days to come are short, the days to go are long. I am not happy now, for the crickets are chirping in my room.

Joy brings joy to the gathering, sorrow brings parting. How can I say I feel nothing? My worries are forgotten for you.

My wine is delicious, my food is plentiful. A short song can be sung, and the long night will not be wasted.

This is Lu Ji's "Short Song Ballad," written when he was forty years old. It aims to express the sorrow of the world, as if one is in this long, dark night, and no matter which direction one goes, it is a wrong path, and there is no hope in sight. A Luo liked this poem very much, and often sang it softly.

Listening to his wife's singing, Liu Xian looked at the lantern in his hand. Compared to the vast darkness, the candlelight in the cage was tiny, seemingly illuminating nothing and almost useless.

But Liu Xian kept glancing at the lamplight, then at his wife and daughters in the room. He thought of the impending boundless sea of ​​blood, and the world about to become hell. He thought of the days when the people of Guanzhong suffered terribly, the corpses strewn everywhere, interspersed with the cries of countless commoners and children. He remembered many things, and finally, he made up his mind, his heart as hard as stone. (End of Chapter)