Jinting Han people

On this day, Sima Yue was forty-one years old, and Liu Xian was thirty-two years old.

Liu Xian seemed to be meeting Sima Yue for the first time. This Prince of Donghai always seemed to be frowning, as if worried about his inability to handle the heavy responsibilities he was currently in. Even when he smiled, his eyes held a weariness, as if he hadn't slept well the previous day, giving him an air of helplessness. This was understandable; the Prince of Donghai had never achieved anything significant. In his more than twenty years in officialdom, it seemed he had botched every task assigned to him. Otherwise, why would Sima Yue have changed allegiances so many times?

Therefore, Liu Xian's impression of Sima Yue was actually quite simple: he was nothing more than an incompetent prince who loved to dabble in refined pursuits. Although he had discovered a dark and chaotic desire within the man during their months of interaction, this was insufficient to change his unsightly exterior. Thus, Liu Xian didn't care about him, because no flaw is more fatal than incompetence. If a person is incompetent, whether he does good or bad deeds, it will be insignificant.

But the current King of the East Sea was entirely different, his brilliance fully revealed, exuding confidence and high spirits. It was as if a heavy shackle had been removed, making his steps steady, his back like a dragon, and his longsword held at a rather elegant angle in his hand. Yet, his eyes held a true kingly aura, strangely sharp and intimidating. He even looked several years younger, like a blazing torch, radiating a burning desire from within.

When his eyes met Liu Xian's, Liu Xian surprisingly felt a burning sensation.

In Sima Yue's eyes, the person in front of him remained calm, as if he were a tranquil moon, quietly radiating light no matter how intense the flames on the ground were.

The King of Donghai laughed and said, "Grand Commandant is indeed no ordinary man. He can remain calm and composed even under such circumstances."

Liu Xian glanced at him sideways and said calmly, "Why can't I remain calm? This is my city, and we're going to have a major battle with Zhang Fang tomorrow. I mobilized 100,000 reinforcements outside the city. Are you out of your mind to try and kill me at this time?"

"If I cannot show myself before the army tomorrow morning, you can imagine how they will react. Even if you have an imperial edict, you cannot appease them."

"If you kill me and show them my head, do you believe that there will be a mutiny on the spot? Can you control the situation? In the end, we'll just be companions on the road to the underworld."

Having said that, he took two steps forward. Although his steps were extremely light, all the armored soldiers present couldn't help but take two steps back, except for Sima Yue, who remained motionless. He waved his hand to reassure all his subordinates, and then said to Liu Xian, "The Grand Commandant is right. Jinyong City is indeed the Grand Commandant's city now. I cannot touch you, much less dare to kill you."

"But after two hours, it will no longer be the same."

Sima Yue brandished the Zhangwu sword in his hand and handed it to Zu Ti, who was standing beside him, and instructed him: "General Zu, take this sword of the Grand Commandant and say that it is the Grand Commandant's order. Take the men I arranged at the gate and go to replace Zhang Shi, He Pan, and Shangguan Si who are on night duty, and take over the three west gates of Jinyong."

"When midnight, two hours later, Marshal Zhang of the Western Army will send troops to attack. You should pretend to be defeated and let the Western Army into the city."

"Yes." Zu Ti didn't even look at Liu Xian. After taking the Zhangwu Sword, he walked out without turning his head. Liu Xian, however, kept watching his back, unable to calm his emotions.

Sima Yue noticed this slight lapse in his composure, which was enough to make him feel proud. After Zu Ti left, he stroked his beard and chuckled, "Grand Commandant, you only have two hours left now."

"Two hours later, I will hand you over to Zhang Fang, and then Zhang Fang will end your life."

His words carried a hint of lighthearted joy, as if he were completely unaware of the immense disaster Zhang Fang's entry into the city would bring. Or perhaps, he simply didn't care at all.

Liu Xian scoffed and said coldly, "The nation's renowned wise king is actually Zhang Fang's lackey. This is truly unexpected."

Hearing Liu Xian's words through gritted teeth, Sima Yue laughed heartily. He slowly said, "Grand Commandant, you really underestimate me. Who would want to be a lackey of a beast like Zhang Fang? Besides, I am still a prince of the country."

“I had no choice. As the Grand Commandant said, the price of killing you is too high for me to bear. Looking across the whole world, there are few who can afford it. Only a beast like Zhang Fang would dare to kill the Grand Commandant at all costs to establish his own reputation.”

"Therefore, I have no choice but to hand over the Grand Commandant to Zhang Fang."

"Even if we have to lose this battle?" Liu Xian asked.

"Even if we lose this battle," Sima Yue nodded in reply.

"Why? What good will it do you?"

"Is that even a question? Of course, it's all for becoming emperor."

Sima Yue let out a long sigh, a very long sigh, as if he had been holding back his emotions for a long time. He looked up at the moon in the sky, and seeing that it was still early, he ordered someone to bring over a small stool, sat down on it, tilted his head back, and said to Liu Xian, "As long as we wait until tomorrow morning, when the sun rises, it will be the era when I control everything."

"Emperor"—this was the first time Liu Xian had heard those three words. Before tonight, Liu Xian would never have associated Sima Yue with the word "emperor," because the difference between the two was simply too vast, like asking a raccoon to replace a tiger—it would only seem ridiculous.

Liu Xian stared at the face of the Prince of Donghai under the moonlight and sneered, "Sima Yue, you dare to claim the title of emperor?!"

"In terms of qualifications, you're not even as good as the Prince of Chengdu, let alone Zhao Shuren! Sima Lun is at least the son of Emperor Xuan. What are you? Your ancestors weren't from the imperial line, and you've never had any merit. If you want to be emperor, who in the world will support you?"

"Haha, why provoke me, Grand Commandant?" Sima Yue feigned a flattered expression and laughed, "Looking across the land, how many people want to be emperor? It has nothing to do with one's background. It's just that it's easier for those with the surname Sima, and more difficult for those without. Even someone like the Grand Commandant, who is monitored every day, doesn't he also want to be emperor?"

After making a sarcastic remark about Liu Xian, Sima Yue sighed, "Ultimately, becoming an emperor still depends on reputation and strength."

At this point, Sima Yue directed the guards beside him, saying, "Come! Pour wine for the Grand Commandant! In these last two hours, I want to drink with the Grand Commandant, which will also be a way of settling our friendship of more than ten years!"

Despite the dire circumstances in the city, Sima Yue still had wine with him. He ordered two ivory wine cups to be brought over and placed a small stool in front of Liu Xian. As he poured the wine, he smiled at Liu Xian and said, "The moon hangs like a hook in the sky, a truly beautiful time. We have nothing to do but wait now, so Grand Commandant, would you mind drinking with me?" "I'm not good at drinking."

"Haha, then we should drink even more, Grand Commandant. If we miss this opportunity, we may never have another chance in our lives."

Liu Xian thought about it and felt that what he said made some sense, so he sat down as well. He deftly took the wine cup, and seeing that Sima Yue had filled it to the brim, he didn't care whether it was poisoned or not, and immediately drank it down. The icy wine went down his throat like a sharp knife, churning in his stomach, and soon made Liu Xian's blood rush to his head.

"Grand Commandant, you are indeed a generous man!" Sima Yue also drank a cup of wine and laughed, "To be able to drink with a hero like Grand Commandant is truly a joy in life!"

He then sighed and said, "It's a pity that with a hero like the Grand Commandant dead, I wonder who else can be my match."

Liu Xian laughed and said, "So, you think you're invincible? No one can be your match?"

"Of course." Sima Yue smiled and said, "I have been preparing for this matter for more than 20 years. I would not have taken action unless I was absolutely certain of victory."

Hearing such confident words, Liu Xian couldn't help but feel a little curious. He put down his cup and asked, "So, you're not afraid of the King of Hejian?"

Sima Yue said, "The Prince of Hejian is indeed a remarkable man. He dares to employ people, having simultaneously appointed Li Han and Zhang Fang. But now Li Han is dead, and Zhang Fang has committed so many atrocities. Furthermore, he is about to kill the Grand Commandant. Even if Zhang Fang is extremely ruthless, he will not be tolerated by the world. Therefore, the Prince of Hejian cannot succeed."

"What about the King of Chengdu? He has Lu Zhi to assist him and occupies such a rich and fertile land as Hebei. Can you defeat him?"

Sima Yue said, "The King of Chengdu is nothing but a skeleton in a tomb. He previously trusted Meng Jiu, neglected Lu Zhi, and heavily relied on Lu Ji. Now he is heavily relying on Lu Zhi again and forcing Lu Ji to his death. With such fickleness, the morale of the Northern Expeditionary Army has long been in turmoil. Even if he has Hebei as his base, what use is it if he cannot employ capable people?"

"What about the Prince of Yuzhang? He has a reputation for virtue and is deeply loved by the officials." Liu Xian now realized that Sima Chi was not on the same path as Sima Yue.

Sima Yue shook his head and said, "The Prince of Yuzhang is popular, but he is incompetent. He is indifferent to worldly affairs, lacks courage, and locks himself in his study. He may have a good reputation, but he is hesitant and indecisive, and he cannot accomplish anything great."

Hearing these words, Liu Xian was surprised, for Sima Yue's evaluation of the princes was exactly the same as his own. The Prince of Donghai possessed such insight, yet for so many years he had remained unassuming, like a pretty face with no substance. Was this reasonable? Did he lack his own pride?

But at least for now, Sima Yue's pride was evident. He poured himself another cup and said leisurely, "In the past twenty years, I have eliminated all the rivals that I should have eliminated. Grand Commandant, you are the last one. It was truly not easy!"

"It sounds like Sikong has eliminated many rivals over the years." Liu Xian became increasingly curious. He realized that after knowing Sima Yue for so many years, he knew absolutely nothing about him. What kind of spirit was at work beneath this seemingly frail body?
Sima Yue laughed smugly, "Yes, over the years, I have encountered many opponents, from the Three Yangs to the King of Chu, as well as the Empress Dowager and Jia Mi, the King of Huainan, the King of Zhao, the King of Qi, and the King of Changsha. None of them are easy to deal with. Fortunately, I still had the last laugh."

"These don't seem to be a match for Sikong, but rather for Sikong's lord, don't they?"

"Grand Commandant, you are mistaken. It is perfectly normal for a lord to be an opponent. Moreover, I am a member of the Jin imperial family. Apart from the Emperor, no one is qualified to be my lord."

At this point, Sima Yue winked at Liu Xian and asked, "Grand Commandant, would you like to hear how I eliminated them?"

"I really would like to ask Sikong for guidance."

"Aside from the Three Yangs, there's not much to say. They were delusional, trying to seize power after Emperor Wu's death. I didn't need to push them much; I just did my best and contributed what I could. Perhaps my contribution was less than what the Grand Commandant did in the Eastern Palace."

Liu Xian would never forget that night at the Eastern Palace; it was the first battle of his life, and he almost died there.

Sima Yue shook his head and said, "For me, the biggest benefit of this coup was that I gained the trust of His Highness the Prince of Chu, and at the same time, I became on good terms with the Empress Dowager. At that time, Zhang Hua suggested instigating a fight between the Prince of Chu and the Prince of Runan, and I was actually there."

"The day before the coup of King Chu, I informed the Queen of Chu of his plan. When the Queen sent the royal palace with the Zouyu banner out of the palace, I sent someone to secretly lead the way, bypassing the other imperial guards on the road, and arriving at Xuanwu Field. After that, I was the first to lead the troops to withdraw, instigating the 100,000 imperial guards to scatter."

Seeing that Liu Xian's expression had changed, the Prince of Donghai stroked his beard and asked with a smile, "Well? Does this explain one of the Grand Commandant's doubts?"

"So that's how it is!" Liu Xian didn't answer outwardly, but inwardly he was in turmoil. He had always been puzzled: how could a Zouyu banner possess such power? Sima Wei was the most virtuous prince of the time, and he had the imperial edict in his possession; how could 100,000 imperial guards vanish in an instant? This shouldn't be possible. Liu Xian could only conclude that the court's appeal was too strong, and that the people's hearts were like that, but he could never convince himself otherwise. Now it seemed there was an explanation.

He drank the wine in his cup again, but it had become tasteless. He looked at the person in front of him again and finally understood. The culprit who had changed his life and the lives of countless others that night was neither Jia Mi nor the Demon Queen, but the King of Donghai before him.

This reignited Liu Xian's hatred. His hand holding the cup trembled slightly, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Sikong, what a cunning tactic!"

Sima Yue sighed, "There's no way around it! His Highness the Prince of Chu is too popular. If he continues to cause trouble like this, he'll probably become emperor. With an emperor like him, and a prime minister like the Grand Commandant, my dream of becoming emperor will probably never come true. So no matter what means I have to use, I must get rid of him."

"At that time, the Grand Commandant and His Highness the Prince of Chu were at odds, which was a real relief to me. If you had stayed by the Prince of Chu's side, you might have seen through my weakness, which would have ruined my plans."

At this point, Sima Yue also fell silent for a moment. Both of them looked at each other simultaneously, their thoughts drifting back to the long years more than a decade ago, carried by the gentle breeze of spring and winter. (End of Chapter)