Jinting Han people

Although Sima Yi and Wang Yan were not familiar with each other before this, they still reached a consensus on opposing Sima Jiong.

This was a rather unfortunate situation. Wang Yan was targeted by Sima Jiong because Liu Xian discovered the Donglai King's rebellion and realized Wang Yan was involved, thus effectively placing him under house arrest. Sima Yi had never intended to cooperate with Sima Yong; he was only forced to become Sima Jiong's enemy because he was framed by Li Han, which led to Sima Jiong's distrust. Ultimately, through a series of unforeseen events, these two seemingly unrelated forces reached a compromise.

But now that a compromise has been reached, it means that the conditions for an uprising have been ripe. At least in Luoyang, Sima Yi is now a match for Sima Jiong.

At this point, the General of the Cavalry's office summoned his staff and began to finalize the specific details of the coup in a flurry of activity.

As the former commander of the Changshan Army, Liu Xian was naturally the primary person in charge of drafting the plan. He reviewed the several coups over the years and concluded:
"A coup d'état is really nothing more than three points. First, it must be unexpected; only by starting suddenly can a swift victory be achieved. Second, it must be justified; without a legitimate cause, the army will have no will to fight. Third, it must minimize the impact; otherwise, the longer it drags on, the more unforeseen the consequences will be."

In response, he unfolded a map of Luoyang's defenses and discussed with Sima Yi, "Your Highness, if we are to succeed in our uprising, we must do three things at the same time: seize the armory, meet with the Emperor, and stabilize Xuanwu Field."

All three are indispensable. The armory contains a large quantity of armor and weapons, essential for victory in battle; only by entering the palace to meet the emperor and obtaining his approval and edict can one truly achieve righteousness. Xuanwu Field is the location of the foreign troops' encampment; if the foreign troops defect, the outcome of the battle will be virtually decided.

Sima Yi said, "Wang Yifu said that he would figure out a solution for Xuanwu Field, and we would handle the rest. Is this believable?"

Liu Xian analyzed, "Wang Yifu's influence within the Imperial Guards is well-known. He should be able to keep the foreign troops in check and prevent them from getting involved in the battle for the time being. But getting them to join one side and participate in the bloody battle is unrealistic, unless we have already gained an absolute advantage."

"However, we can also use it in another clever way. Let the foreign troops occupy the key exits and roads outside the city to make a show of force. This will not only boost our morale but also prevent the Prince of Qi from escaping. In this way, as long as Your Highness wins inside the city, we can win in one fell swoop and avoid many unnecessary troubles."

Sima Yi nodded slightly in agreement, saying, "Then let's do it that way."

He then said, "In that case, we should split into two groups: one to take control of the armory, and the other to enter the palace to meet His Majesty."

Liu Xian reminded him, "Let's split into three groups. There's one more group that needs to go to Yunlong Gate to command the palace guards. Only you, as the General of the Cavalry, can do that."

Sima Yi suddenly realized and said, "That's right, only I can go." He paused, then said, "In that case, it would be best if you, Lord Prefect, went to the Taiji Hall to meet His Majesty and the Empress; I will entrust the matter of taking over the armory to Zhu Xugong (Liu Tun).

(Picture of Luoyang Palace)
As the Commandant of the Capital Region, Liu Xian had the authority to report directly to the emperor. If Sima Yi could not go, then Liu Xian was indeed the only one who could go to see him.

Liu Xian nodded and continued with the second step of the plan: "That day, Your Highness prepared the draft of the imperial edict. After I met with His Majesty, I affixed the imperial seal and issued the edict directly. Then I met you at Yunlong Gate and brought the Emperor, Empress, and Imperial Guards out of the palace!"

"Take him out of the palace?" Sima Yi hesitated for a moment, wondering, "Isn't that going too far?"

“There’s no way to defend the palace. Do you remember? Prince Qi dug a corridor through the west wall of the palace, leading directly to the Grand Marshal’s residence. If he enters the palace normally, he can get the news in half an hour and send reinforcements within half an hour.”

Sima Yi analyzed: "Wang Yifu said that he and the King of Donghai are good friends. The King of Donghai can make arrangements in advance to seal the palace gates. Once we enter the palace, we can send someone to make contact, then seal the palace gates, or even set fire to delay time."

Upon hearing that Sima Yue had responded, Liu Xian was somewhat taken aback. After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head and said, "Your Highness, this is only a temporary solution. Setting fire to the gate can only buy us two or three hours at most. After two or three hours, the entire palace will be a battlefield. To be on the safe side, we must keep His Majesty completely under our control."

Sima Yi was persuaded. He clenched his fist and said, "Alright, let's seal the palace gates first. After we assemble, we'll leave the palace through Yunlong Gate and move to the East Palace. From there, we'll command the guards of the East Palace and summon the officials of Luoyang. After reorganizing our forces, we'll then engage in a decisive battle with the King of Qi."

Two months ago, Sima Jiong, arguing that the current emperor had no son and the country could not be without an heir, appointed the six-year-old Prince of Qinghe, Sima Tan, as crown prince. Although this crown prince had little prestige, having him under one's control was better than having none at all.

After pondering for a moment, Liu Xian agreed with Sima Yi's opinion, but he also had some concerns. He said, "But doing it this way is still not safe enough. At that time, we and the Prince of Qi will be separated by the east and the west, and if we fight to the death in the streets and alleys, relying only on strength, it is probably impossible to say who will win or lose."

Sima Yi said, "Aren't Zu Shizhi and the others right next to Sima Jiong? When that time comes, could we have them secretly assassinate the Prince of Qi?"

Liu Xian didn't think it was a good idea. He said, "Judging from his behavior these past few days, the King of Qi is too vigilant. Although Zu Shizhi is highly valued by the King of Qi, he is not that close to him. If we were to assassinate him, he would not be able to come back once he went in, and there is no guarantee of success. I think there should be a more effective way."

Liu Xian examined the city defense map of Luoyang again, when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him. He pointed to Jinyong City in the northwest of the city and said, "I have an idea. We can let them make their own decisions and take over Jinyong City at a suitable time."

"Next to Jinyong City is the Hundred-Foot Tower, which overlooks half of the city. If we can manage to control these two places, we can put the King of Qi in a precarious position, unable to advance or retreat. If we can succeed in this step, our chances of victory will be much greater."

Sima Yi agreed and added, "Then I will inform the Duke of Xuancheng and have his Ning Shuo army respond and cooperate."

Finally, there's the plan for how to handle the aftermath once it's done.

This matter concerns the entire political situation, therefore the arrangements were made by the more respected Liu Tun. He said:

"Since the King of Chengdu and the King of Hejian have blamed everything on the King of Qi, Your Highness, after the victory, should capture the King of Qi, personally deliver him to His Majesty, publicly denounce his crimes, and behead him. Any of his followers who disobey should also be beheaded. Then we should send a message to the King of Chengdu and the King of Hejian, informing them of the news of the King of Qi's execution. In this way, they will have no excuse to fight and will have no choice but to withdraw their troops."

"However, this retreat does not mean the end. Both the King of Chengdu and the King of Hejian are power-hungry men, and they may very well launch further attacks."

Sima Yi asked, "What plan does Zhu Xugong have?"

Liu Tun glanced at Sima Yi and said, "I have two plans."

"The first strategy is that after the matter is accomplished, Your Highness can send someone to accept the Qi King's forces in the south. There is Sima Xiao, the Prince of Fanyang in Yuzhou, Sima Xin, the Prince of Xinye in Jingzhou, and Sima Mao, the Prince of Dongping in Xuzhou. Among these people, apart from the Prince of Xinye who has some prestige, the rest are all incompetent. If any of them disobey orders, we can take the opportunity to kidnap the emperor and launch a campaign. In this way, we can leave Luoyang, this place of trouble, and establish a separatist regime in the south. We can attack or defend as needed."

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi said with displeasure, "If I take His Majesty south, where will the court's prestige remain? Wouldn't the world immediately descend into chaos? How is that different from the collapse of the nation! This plan is unacceptable!" In Sima Yi's eyes, although the current situation was extremely dire, the country could still be saved. In the past decade or so, various power struggles in Luoyang had never seen such infighting among the bloodlines of Emperor Wu. He believed that as long as the brothers of Emperor Wu's bloodline united, there was still room for reversal.

Liu Tun disagreed with Sima Yi's view, but he also understood that his lord was resolute and he couldn't persuade him. After sighing, he continued:
"Another option is for Your Highness to completely submit to the Prince of Chengdu and, after eliminating the Prince of Qi, report everything to Ye City. In this way, the Prince of Chengdu will have real power and may be able to maintain the situation and support Your Highness, so that the court's prestige will not be completely destroyed."

This is indeed a solution, but there are some things Liu Tun didn't say, but everyone present understood: if Sima Ying was not satisfied with merely controlling the court remotely, but wanted to implement the conditions of the Prince of Hejian and was determined to become emperor, then Sima Yi's surrender would be meaningless.

Even so, after hesitating for a moment, Sima Yi made up his mind and said decisively, "Then let's do it this way. After all, my sixteenth brother and I are brothers. If I don't trust him, who else can I trust?"

The general plan was settled, and the last thing to discuss was the time to launch the uprising.

The general consensus was that the sooner they started, the better, since the feeling of being on the verge of death was unpleasant. However, Liu Xian's opinion was that it would be best to postpone the event.

Since Zu Ti is an inside man and can find out the exact time when the King of Qi will make his move, we might as well wait a little longer.

Firstly, this matter involves a large number of people, especially Wang Yan's side, which may require some time for notification and preparation. Secondly, Sima Jiong is currently still wary of Sima Yi, but as time goes on, he will inevitably become numb, and when he decides to act, it will be when Sima Yi's defenses are at their weakest. At that time, we can not only defeat the enemy in one blow, but also arrest Sima Jiong with solid evidence, making the coup to overthrow the Qi King's faction more legitimate.

Although it was somewhat risky, Sima Yi thought it over and agreed with the viewpoint. He concluded, "Although we are forced into this situation and are fighting for our lives, those who aspire to great things must go through such perilous times. Once we raise an army, I hope that you will all be willing to risk your lives and fight bravely against the enemy. After we succeed, I will certainly not be stingy with the rewards!"

At this point, he drew his sword and declared to the crowd, "This act is for the sake of the nation and its people. Those who share this sentiment should wield this sword with me!"

So everyone gathered together and clasped their hands tightly together. With their palms pressed against the backs of their hands and fingers touching, they could all feel the temperature of the other people's hands—some hot, some cold.

After the event, everyone returned to their respective residences, informing the relevant individuals of the plan while they waited.

During the waiting period, Liu Xian pretended that nothing had happened. Apart from handling normal government affairs, he spent his days in the mansion speculating and deducing the details of the coup plan, and collecting intelligence from the officials of the Grand Marshal's mansion, trying to take all possible contingencies into account.

But it's impossible for anyone to anticipate all unforeseen circumstances; all sorts of unexpected events will always occur. Soon, the first unexpected event happened.

Liu Tun had initially thought that the peace negotiations between Sima Jiong and Hebei would last at most half a month. However, perhaps out of fear of Sima Ying's prestige, Sima Jiong exercised considerable patience during these negotiations, dragging it out for over twenty days. Envoys from both sides exchanged visits several times, but Sima Jiong did not give up hope of peace talks, repeatedly conceding to Sima Ying's conditions. It is said that in the end, he offered Sima Ying the condition of governing the five provinces of Ji, You, Qing, Bing, and Ping.

Even with such generous terms, Sima Ying was still not satisfied. It wasn't until the Xinmao day of the eleventh month that Sima Ying rejected Sima Jiong's terms for the fourth time. Sima Jiong finally gave up his last hope and turned his attention to Sima Yi.

He set the date for his operation as the Jiawu day of the twelfth lunar month, planning to execute Sima Yi, then summon all the officials to announce the matter in public, accusing Sima Yi of treason by forging an imperial edict.

Little did he know that after he set the date, Sima Yi also set the date for the uprising, accusing Sima Jiong of the same crime of forging an imperial edict and plotting rebellion. However, he set the date one day earlier, on the day of Gui Si in the eleventh month.

The day before the planned coup, Ren Chen day, was overcast. Even at Chen Shi (7-9 AM), there was little light, and a cold wind swept through the streets, making it nearly impossible to see anyone. With most official business taken over by the Grand Marshal's office, the Sili Prefecture was quite quiet, with almost nothing to do all day. Meng Tao simply closed the gates to ward off the biting wind. By Wei Shi (1-3 PM), everyone in the prefecture hung up "Do Not Disturb" signs and went to their bedrooms to sleep.

But this seemingly lazy demeanor was actually a way to adjust his sleep schedule. Liu Xian knew that the next few days would definitely be a tough battle, and today was probably the last time he could get a proper rest before the coup ended. He had to be fully prepared to face this challenge.

Therefore, he let everyone sleep for six hours straight. When they woke up, it was almost the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), still long before dawn. The people in the mansion were astonished to find that it had suddenly started snowing heavily. Snowflakes danced in the sky, calmly and slowly, covering the streets, obscuring the mountains and rivers, and carpeting countless pavilions and towers. The entire city of Luoyang was transformed into a snow-white wonderland overnight.

After Liu Xian changed into military attire, he ordered his staff and guards to gather together. While they were packing up their armor and personal weapons, they were looking across the way, waiting for news from the General of the Cavalry's residence.

While waiting, Aro ordered the servants in the manor to work overtime and bring out some steaming hot flatbreads, urging everyone present to eat quickly. After all, only after being well-fed and watered could one have the strength to fight and kill the enemy.

Apart from a few experienced warriors like Li Sheng, Zhuge Yan, and Liu Kun, most of the advisors present, such as Xi Jian and Huan Yi, were fighting on the battlefield for the first time. Thinking about the momentous event about to unfold, they couldn't help but feel a mix of nervousness and excitement. Liu Xian reassured them, saying, "Just stick close to me when we go out later."

Liu Xian valued Guo Mo and Mao Bao, whom he had just recruited, more. He asked Guo Mo with a smile, "Yuan Xiong, are you full? Will you be able to fight the enemy later?"

Guo Mo had only just learned of Liu Xian's plan. Although he was exceptionally brave, he had never imagined that he would one day be able to enter the palace and meet the emperor. He was a little nervous, but under Liu Xian's calm gaze, he felt ashamed of his cowardice and said with his head held high, "Please rest assured, my lord, at your command, I will be invincible!"

Liu Xian, of course, sensed Guo Mo's hesitation, but he also knew that it was simply because Guo Mo hadn't yet shaken off his illusions. People often imagine difficulties as far-fetched, but when they discover that even enemies bleed and die, they realize it's not so bad. Once this hurdle is overcome, it's really not a big deal.

He looked back at Mao Bao, who was calmly drinking his soup. Liu Xian laughed and said, "What's wrong, Shuozhen? Aren't you scared?"

Mao Bao said, "Life and death are determined by fate. We should just focus on doing our best. What is there to be afraid of?"

Liu Xian nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself: Although Mao Shuozhen is young and not as strong as Guo Mo, he has a very good character and is a promising talent.

At this point, everything was ready. Judging from the dripping of the water clock, it was about a quarter past the hour of Yin. The darkness in the sky was so thick that it couldn't be diffused, while the ground was a pale, white expanse. It was almost time for the imperial guards to change shifts within the city, which would create a defensive vacuum, the time that Liu Xian and Sima Yi had agreed upon for their uprising.

It was at this moment, in the lonely darkness, that a whistling arrow soared into the sky, flashing by like a shooting star.

Liu Xian suddenly stood up.

This was precisely the signal for the coup. (End of Chapter)