Jinting Han people

Upon Liu Xian's arrival in Xingyang, the welcome he received was unprecedented.

Not only did thousands of soldiers volunteer to greet him outside the city, but after he entered, almost the entire population of Xingyang County turned out, with men and women lining both sides of the road, vying to catch a glimpse of Liu Xian. Even the Minister of Works, Sima Yue, personally led civil and military officials to stop in the middle of the main road to bow and congratulate Liu Xian, a gesture that clearly exceeded the prescribed protocol. In their conversation, apart from old friends like Zu Ti and Liu Kun, even princes like Sima Yue and Sima Yang were humble and subservient, none daring to meet Liu Xian's gaze.

This display of utmost deference is extraordinary; it's reminiscent of the Han court's fawning over Cao Cao after the Battle of Guandu.

Liu Xian was fully aware of this. On the surface, it appeared that the officials were congratulating him because they were intimidated by the military might of the victory at Mangkou. But ultimately, it was to ease the tension between Liu Xian and Sima Yi.

Without Sima Yi's consent, Liu Xian deliberately left his troops outside the capital. Officials who had experienced the transition from the Wei to the Jin dynasties, with even a modicum of political acumen, could sense the unease behind this move. As Li Sheng had said, the political situation in the court had been steadily deteriorating in recent years, and now, with only a few signs of improvement, was it likely that it would soon be plunged back into internal strife? This was undoubtedly something most people did not want to see.

Sima Yue, the Prince of Donghai, flattered Liu Xian in public, saying, "Marshal has performed such an unparalleled feat; you are truly a pillar of our court! With the Marshal and General of the Cavalry working together so sincerely, how can we worry about unrest throughout the land or the prosperity of our nation?"

After the courtiers echoed his sentiments, he even said, "I have served the Marshal for many years and have always admired his martial prowess and respected his character. If the Marshal does not reject me, I would like to become sworn brothers with him, as close as brothers. If this wish is fulfilled, how fortunate I would be!"

Upon hearing this, not only Liu Xian, but even the civil and military officials listening in were somewhat unable to bear it. Where was the slightest bit of the dignity befitting a high-ranking official or a prince? So they all turned their heads away and ignored him. Liu Xian naturally declined, saying, "Minister of Works, you flatter me. I am merely serving the country. How could I possibly be sworn brothers with you?" He repeated this several times.

Regardless, under Sima Yue's management, the atmosphere at the scene was quite harmonious. Everyone chatted and laughed freely, exchanging pleasantries for a long time, just like when Liu Xian left.

However, Liu Xian's official purpose in going to Xingyang was to oversee peace negotiations with the Northern Expeditionary Army. Therefore, Wang Dun, as the peace envoy, was the real protagonist.

After a short rest, Sima Yi finally appeared. He hosted a banquet in the county government, inviting high-ranking officials from the court to accompany him in entertaining Wang Dun. Liu Xian, as an important court official, was naturally among those invited. To show that the two were still very close, Sima Yi arranged for Liu Xian to sit to his left, and Wang Dun to sit to his right below him.

When Liu Xian took his seat, most of the others had already arrived, while Sima Yi sat upright at the head of the table, talking with Wang Dun.

Seeing Liu Xian enter, the two exchanged a glance, then silently looked away. As Liu Xian sat down, Sima Yi continued his conversation with Wang Dun as if nothing had happened, asking, "So, Sixteenth Brother has changed his mind?"

Wang Dun nodded first, and then slowly said, "That's right. The General never intended to break with the General. It was just that treacherous officials were stirring up trouble before."

"Oh? A treacherous minister?" Sima Yi narrowed his eyes, subconsciously touching the scar on his face, and asked with a smile, "What kind of treacherous minister?"

Sima Yi's tone held a hint of murderous intent, but Wang Dun remained nonchalant, smiling as he said:
"Of course it's a treacherous villain like Lu Ji. Three years ago, the General admired his good reputation and cherished his talent, so he spared no expense in bestowing his virtuous name upon him, granting him great favors in the imperial prison and entrusting him with important responsibilities. He thought that from then on, with good ministers and capable assistants to assist him, he could emulate the rule of the Three Dynasties, indulge in the beauty of nature, and not concern himself with worldly affairs."

"Who would have thought that the General had misjudged him. Lu Ji appears virtuous, but harbors treacherous intentions. Over the years, he has stirred up trouble in Ye City, manipulated power, persecuted loyal officials, and sowed discord among his own relatives, causing the people of Hebei to suffer and the two armies to be plagued by war. Even the General himself has been covering for him both inside and outside the country, suffering greatly."

"Fortunately, the net of heaven is vast and its meshes are wide, yet nothing escapes it. This time, the treacherous villain, greedy for fame and fortune, actually led his troops out into the field, revealing a flaw. Chief Secretary Lu seized this opportunity, met with the General, explained the advantages and disadvantages to him, and, together with the loyal officials of Ye, took the opportunity to set things right, thus restoring justice and wiping out the entire Lu clan in one fell swoop."

In Wang Dun's words, Sima Ying was like a puppet, while Lu Ji was like Wang Mang and Dong Zhuo; all the conflicts between Ye and Luoyang were Lu Ji's doing, and had nothing to do with the Prince of Chengdu. He then confidently asserted:
"General, the culprit who wreaked havoc on the court has been eliminated. Now, Chief Secretary Lu is in charge of Ye City again. As long as the General can reconcile with you, General, and the brothers can work together, what worries will there be about the peace and stability of the Jin Dynasty?"

Upon hearing these words, Sima Yi couldn't help but burst into laughter. Whether he was genuinely happy for the peace or simply found the words ridiculous was unclear. In any case, as he laughed, his eyes darted around, glancing suddenly at Liu Xian before quickly looking away. Finally, he said, "Excellent! Hearing this good news puts my heart at ease!"

"So, what the General of the Cavalry means is..."

Sima Yi's smile had faded. He looked at Wang Dun and said calmly, "I had no intention of starting a war with my sixteenth brother. I didn't start this war either. What's there to say? There are still rebel armies causing trouble in the south and the Prince of Hejian raising troops in the west. How can I have time to deal with them? If my sixteenth brother gives up now, then this matter will naturally be over. If he refuses to give up, then I will simply fight him."

"Sixteenth Brother, think it through yourself. Everyone chooses their own path, but everyone can see what kind of person you really are. His actions over the years have been truly disheartening, but it's not too late for him to realize his mistakes. I hope he will think more about the consequences of his actions in the future and learn from Lord Liu."

At this point, he unexpectedly changed the subject, suddenly pointing at Liu Xian and praising him in front of everyone: "If all the ministers in the world had three parts of Lord Liu's loyalty, how could the country have fallen into such a state? Come, let us toast Lord Liu."

Liu Xian had been observing Sima Yi's actions closely. Seeing the Prince of Changsha's evasive words and deliberate avoidance of eye contact, he assumed Sima Yi intended to stall for time regarding the peace talks before settling things with him. He hadn't expected Sima Yi to suddenly involve him. What was his intention?

Before Liu Xian could ponder this further, Sima Yi had already raised his wine cup, looked at Liu Xian, and exclaimed, "Lord Liu, in the decisive battle at Mangkou, you wielded your battle axe with the force of an eagle, riding the wind and fire, and utterly defeated the enemy army. Only a hero could have done this. Come, gentlemen, let us toast Lord Liu."

After saying this, all the officials present raised their cups to Liu Xian to congratulate him on his victory. In this hasty manner, Liu Xian could only raise his cup in response, humbly saying, "Your Highness is too kind. This is all thanks to the unity of the soldiers and the bravery of the entire army. I am just an ordinary person."

Sima Yi laughed loudly, "Why is Your Excellency so modest? With Your Excellency here, who among these rebellious ministers and traitors in the world would dare to act rashly! I am about to give Your Excellency an important position, promote you to one of the Three Dukes, and have you join the Imperial Secretariat!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian was startled again. He looked up at Sima Yi, wanting to say something, but the King of Changsha had already finished his wine and turned away, not giving him a chance to speak. Next, one after another, the dukes and ministers lined up to offer their congratulations, leaving him no way to refuse, nor any reason to refuse.

Liu Xian could only lower his head and remain silent, for he had now completely seen through Sima Yi's plan.

This is a blatant conspiracy. To talk about promotions to the Three Dukes or entry into the Grand Secretariat is nothing more than a demotion in disguise. In these times of war, the court's prestige, while not at its lowest point, is worse than nothing. With only a few prefectures under its jurisdiction, the power of the Grand Secretariat is practically meaningless, far less reliable than military power.

With the two growing increasingly estranged, and Liu Xian enjoying considerable prestige in the army, Sima Yi, in order to maintain political stability, could neither eliminate himself nor allow him to expand his power. Therefore, he had no choice but to first strip Liu Xian of his military power and gloss over the matter.

This is indeed a good strategy. Even if Suo Jing, Li Sheng, and others have their troops stationed elsewhere, they still have to consider their own lives. As long as they keep him by their side, the more than ten thousand rebels will not dare to act rashly. Over time, their morale will collapse, and they will naturally have room to divide and disintegrate. And if he is dissatisfied and retaliates, he will be branded as disloyal and unfilial.

Liu Xian glanced at Sima Yi beside him and saw that he was pretending to be calm. He couldn't help but find it a little funny: This kid has really matured. He actually tried to pull this on me. Does he think that if he flatters me after I've come this far, I will admit defeat?
After a moment's thought, he suddenly had an idea. Since Sima Yi wanted to shift the pressure of disloyalty onto him, couldn't he find a way to shift the pressure onto him instead?
The banquet to welcome Wang Dun ended quickly. After a series of military defeats, the Northern Expeditionary Army's inability to advance south was a fait accompli, and Lu Zhi was destined to spend a great deal of time reorganizing his army. The court's peace talks with him were merely a formality of acknowledging this fact.

Wang Dun delivered a petition to Sima Yi, blaming Lu Ji for the previous conflicts, as previously stated. Sima Yi, in turn, issued an edict in the emperor's name, reaffirming the past friendship between the two kings, pardoning the Prince of Chengdu, and retaining Sima Ying's position as Grand General. Thus, the peace talks were considered settled. However, for the court at present, the movements of the Northern Expeditionary Army were insignificant; what everyone was concerned about was Liu Xian's next move.

The outcome was unexpected. Sima Yi wanted to strip Liu Xian of his military power, but Liu Xian did not take any action to object. He not only did not refute it in public, but he also did not offer any explanation, seemingly completely obeying Sima Yi's arrangements. After the banquet, he returned to his room to rest, and then asked for leave on the grounds of feeling unwell, refusing to see anyone who came to visit him.

When Sima Yi learned of this, he was somewhat relieved. He said to Sima Yue, "Lord Liu is still sensible. It's normal for him to have some temper since I forcibly stripped him of his military power. Let him be."

In his view, since Liu Xian had returned to Xingyang and had not denied his proposal, it was tantamount to acknowledging the fact. His feigned illness and refusal to see Liu Xian was merely a way of venting his anger and nothing to worry about. He then devoted himself to reorganizing the army and taking over the administration of Yuzhou, leaving him no time for this matter.

But things didn't go as he expected. For the next three days, Liu Xian still refused to see anyone. Gradually, someone secretly stirred things up, and the soldiers began to discuss the matter privately, developing a strange rumor:
"Hey, did you guys know? I heard the Marshal hasn't received any guests for days!"

"What's so strange about that? The General of the Cavalry wants to relieve the Marshal of his military command, and the Marshal is naturally angry and unwilling to see guests."

This is the general opinion, but it was quickly refuted. Some people said:
"What do you know?! The Marshal is a man of such magnanimity, he has weathered countless storms, how could he hold a grudge over mere military power?"

Liu Xian enjoyed high prestige in the army, and his words naturally garnered considerable approval. Therefore, they inquired with concern:

"What exactly happened? Could it be that the Marshal is really ill?"

A low-ranking soldier who claimed to be an insider said, "The Marshal is indeed ill! And he hasn't been feeling well these past few days, he can't eat at all. I'm from the Fire Battalion, and I deliver food to the Marshal every day, but it's basically all returned untouched!"

"Huh? It's that serious?" The crowd was incredulous.

The man said, "That's not all! When I delivered the food, I saw the bedding drying in front of the Marshal's room, and it was still soaked in blood! I heard from the Marshal's guards that on the day the Marshal returned, he had a stomachache in the middle of the night and accidentally vomited on it."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers were somewhat convinced. After all, they could skip meals, but vomiting blood was something that couldn't be faked; it seemed Liu Xian was indeed ill. However, this raised a new question: on the day the marshal returned, many people went to greet him, and he was perfectly fine during the day. How could he have vomited blood at night? The reason behind this was something that required deep thought.

After a moment's hesitation, someone asked, "Could it be that the General of Chariots and Cavalry isn't satisfied with just seizing military power, and instead wants to take the opportunity to assassinate the Marshal?"

This statement immediately sparked everyone's imagination. Yes! It is indeed possible, and quite likely!

The ambush of the Northern Route Army at Mangkou had already caused a great stir among the troops. Furthermore, after the great victory, Sima Yi not only failed to reward Liu Xian but also wanted to strip him of his military command, further fueling the soldiers' discontent. Why couldn't he go even further and simply kill Liu Xian? The saying "When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked" is a well-known example of imperial cunning. With the most pressing crisis resolved, Sima Yi certainly had the motive to poison Liu Xian.

Thinking of this, someone couldn't help but ask, "Is the Marshal really still alive? No one has seen him since that day. Who knows if he's alive or dead? Even a sick person eats, right? How could he be returned untouched?"

Rumors always spread like wildfire, much like the blind men and the elephant. People can never see the whole picture, so they can only exaggerate based on what they know. After all, people always harbor resentment towards those in power and are not stingy in imagining them to be worse. Therefore, in just a few days, the news that Liu Xian had been secretly executed by Sima Yi spread everywhere.

When Sima Yi learned of this, he was having a meal in his camp. His superior had already mentioned it to him. The Prince of Changsha was so angry that he lost his appetite. He immediately summoned Sima Yue and said to him, "Where did this rumor come from? Investigate it thoroughly!"

But where to begin the investigation? Sima Yue was at a loss. He first wiped his sweat, then spread his hands and explained, "Your Highness, as you know, many people in the army are loyal to the Duke of Songzi. If we really investigate, we'll find nothing to investigate!"

"So you're just going to let the rumors spread?!" Sima Yi slammed his fist on the table and demanded.

“But Your Highness, there is only one way to dispel this rumor: to ask Lord Songzi to come out and receive guests. But Lord Songzi is refusing to see anyone right now…”

Sima Yi pursed his lips tightly. Only now did he realize how naive his methods were compared to Liu Xian's.

After a long silence, he rubbed his forehead and asked Sima Yue in a low voice, "Then what should I do? Continue to drag it out?"

Sima Yue sighed, shook his head, and said with a bitter smile, "Your Highness, we've acted too late. The Duke of Songzi has now consolidated his power, and nearly half of his army consists of his old subordinates and acquaintances. Moreover, we just received news that even the envoy Your Highness sent to the Heyuan region was turned back by Suo Jing. If we delay any longer, I'm afraid something might happen in the army..."

"Your Highness, we now have only two choices: either we compromise, or we kill him and eliminate the threat completely..."

"Foolish!" Upon hearing this, Sima Yi slammed his hand on the table and rebuked the King of Donghai, "What nonsense are you spouting? A person without integrity cannot stand. Looking across the world, anyone can kill him, but I cannot! Otherwise, if word spreads throughout the world, how will I stand?"

Seeing that the Prince of Donghai was speechless, Sima Yi was also disheartened. He helplessly tapped the table, pondering the gains and losses.

Faced with his own scheme of a demotion in disguise, Liu Xian seized upon his weakness of not daring to openly break with him and successfully turned the tables by using a simple tactic of feigning indifference.

Regardless of the circumstances, Sima Yi's rise to power was inseparable from Liu Xian's strong support. Liu Xian's instigation of public opinion and publicizing of their conflict undoubtedly forced Sima Yi to make a choice: either offer a mutually satisfactory deal, or risk mutual destruction. Liu Xian was willing to die, but Sima Yi would inevitably suffer the consequences of losing popular support and ultimately failing.

Sima Yi was undoubtedly the one who could not accept defeat. After going through so many ups and downs, he had finally managed to improve the situation in the court. How could he give up now?

After much deliberation, Sima Yi realized that avoidance was not the solution. He decided to personally visit Liu Xian and have another heart-to-heart talk. (End of Chapter)