Jinting Han people

Sima Yue's coup plan consisted of four stages.

The first step has been accomplished. Given Sima Yue's influence in Luoyang, he had long since bribed many of the palace physicians. Now, taking advantage of Sima Yi's serious injuries and unconsciousness, he deliberately chose to poison him the day before the decisive battle. After Sima Yi died from abdominal distension, he seized the opportunity to take over Sima Yi's courtyard and set up an ambush there.

The second step has also been successful. Although Sima Yue claimed during his coup attempt against Yang Xianrong that he would launch a coup after the decisive battle, in reality, Sima Yue would not easily reveal his true intentions to anyone. It was precisely at this illogical time that he launched the coup, using Zu Ti to lure Liu Xian to his side, and now successfully placing him under house arrest.

The third step is underway. Sima Yue has mobilized most of his hidden troops, handing them over to Zu Ti. Using the emperor's edict and Liu Xian's sword as a token, he seizes the opportunity to take control of the three western gates of Jinyong City. If this step succeeds, Sima Yue's path to power will be largely complete.

However, this does not guarantee absolute success. Given Liu Xian's control over the city's army, if he disappears for more than an hour, there is a high probability that his disappearance will be noticed. After all, Jinyong City is just a small city in the northwest corner of Luoyang. If someone realizes what's happening and it escalates into armed conflict, the situation will be difficult to resolve.

Even if the fight ends in mutual destruction, it would ultimately benefit Zhang Fang for nothing, a result that Sima Yue certainly did not want to see.

To eliminate this potential threat, Sima Yue devised a fourth plan. He then used the pretext of offering condolences to the King of Changsha to summon most of the army's officers and generals. This was primarily aimed at Liu Xian's close associates, such as Liu Kun, He Pan, Zhang Shi, and Guo Mo. By luring these individuals to the hall and placing them under strict surveillance, even if the remaining soldiers in the city noticed anything amiss, they would be leaderless and unable to stop the King of Donghai.

This is the final and most important step, so Sima Yue naturally had to be there in person, rather than spending the rest of his time sitting idly with Liu Xian.

Therefore, he entrusted the task of monitoring Liu Xian to his brother-in-law Pei Gai, and instructed him: "If he makes any unusual moves, although you cannot kill him, you can break his hands and feet."

Having said that, Sima Yue glanced at Liu Xian, only to find him sitting calmly, seemingly unaffected by any threat. This slightly surprised Sima Yue. He had assumed Liu Xian's previous composure stemmed from his trust in his subordinates, his confidence that they would react in advance and thwart his plans. But now, despite his targeted arrangements, Liu Xian remained unmoved, which was truly strange.
Therefore, he couldn't help but ask, "Grand Commandant, aren't you afraid?"

Liu Xian swirled his wine cup and said with a smile, "Intrigues and schemes are nothing to be afraid of. I know my subordinates very well. I didn't get to where I am today by myself alone. Sikong, you still have a chance. If you give up now, I can only pursue the matter against you and not punish the others."

His words were so bizarre that it seemed as if it wasn't Liu Xian who was under house arrest, but Sima Yue. Sima Yue couldn't help but laugh and said, "Very well, Grand Commandant, then let's wait and see."

After saying this, Sima Yue left twenty armored soldiers for Pei Gai to monitor Liu Xian in the backyard, while the rest followed Sima Yue to the front hall. As they walked, Sima Yue instructed those around him, "Ji Shu, you take a hundred men and guard the corridor in the backyard. Don't let anyone in."

"Yes, sir." Pei Chuo nodded in agreement.

"Jingsheng, you take thirty men and spread them out in the front yard. Wait for my command from inside. Remember, the signal is three blasts of the horn. Once the signal is given, seal off the exits. Anyone who dares to make a move will be killed on the spot."

"Yes," Pei Miao replied, bowing in return.

"Daoming, I'm entrusting the eight hundred elite soldiers in the neighboring courtyard to you. When Jing Sheng makes a move, don't hesitate. Immediately keep an eye on these officers' guards. The same principle applies: kill anyone who makes a move!"

Pei Dun did not agree. He bowed solemnly and said, "I will obey Your Highness's orders."

"Remember, keep a natural expression and don't reveal too many flaws," Sima Yue instructed his three wives.

As he spoke, he walked to the back door of the front hall. The chief secretary, Pan Tao, was standing at the door. Upon seeing him, he came up to him and reported, "Minister, most of the people have arrived."

Sima Yue did not speak immediately, but listened for a while. Seeing that the discussion in the room was normal, he slowly asked, "Has anyone become suspicious?"

Pan Tao said, "Indeed, some people have become suspicious. Just now, Guo Song from Hedong asked, since they came to offer condolences, why weren't they allowed into the mourning hall?"

Sima Yue's eyes widened, and he asked, "What did we answer?"

Pan Tao said, "According to the plan prepared in advance, we said that the Grand Commandant was inside talking with the Princess, and ordinary people were not allowed to enter. We would wait for the Grand Commandant's order before we could hold the memorial service together. Guo Song then said nothing more."

"Alright." Sima Yue nodded, then asked about the exact number of people in the hall: "Have all the people from the Grand Commandant's office arrived?"

"Yes, I have counted them. All thirty-odd key officials from the Grand Commandant's Office, including Fu Chang, Lu Yun, and Xi Jian, have arrived."

"What about his allies who supported him, such as Liu Kun, Liu Ting (Liu Qiao's son), Ruan Zhan, and Yue Guang?"

"They've all arrived."

"What about those people from Kansai?"

"Zhang Shi just arrived, and Guo Song, Chen Zhen, Huangfu Shang, and more than ten others are also here."

"What about those old comrades from the Changshan Army?"

"Shangguan Si and Zhang Shi arrived one after the other, and Linghu Sheng, Wang Ju and other Changshan people were also there."

"What about the Shu people in Luoyang?"

"The Duke of Xicheng (He Pan) is guarding the northernmost city gate and should still be on his way, but the rest of the minor figures, such as Wen Xiu and Liu Chu, have all arrived."

Hearing this, Sima Yue said in a low voice, "Then let's wait a little longer. The Duke of Xicheng is highly respected. If we let him go outside, it will cause great trouble. We should wait until he arrives before we take action."

“Alright.” Pan Tao nodded slightly, then asked, “Sikong, speaking of which, the Duke of Xicheng is your brother-in-law. If he refuses to comply, should we kill him too?”

He Pan's wife, Lady Pei, was the youngest daughter of Pei Xiu, the former Duke of Julu, while Princess Pei, the Princess of Donghai, was the daughter of Pei Kang, the former General of the Vanguard. In terms of marriage ties, both were sons-in-law of the Pei family of Wenxi. Moreover, in terms of seniority, He Pan was far superior to Sima Yue, hence Pan Tao's question.

Sima Yue's answer was without hesitation. He sneered, "That depends on whether Lord Xicheng knows what's good for him. If he considers our kinship and helps me stabilize the situation, then naturally I will not hesitate to offer him wealth and honor. But if he loses his mind and chooses Liu Xian, then I will not show him any mercy."

"Having come to this point, so many people have even killed their own brothers. How could I possibly stand aside and care about this brother-in-law who is some distant relative?"

Pan Tao nodded in agreement, praising Sima Yue's wisdom. But when he looked up, he saw Sima Yue deep in thought, his face calm and silent. Pan Tao couldn't help but admire him, thinking that the Prince of Donghai was probably considering potential oversights in the plan. He was indeed a rare talent; at such a crucial moment, he could remain calm and composed—something far beyond the reach of ordinary people. However, he was mistaken. While Sima Yue was indeed deep in thought, his expression was more of a sense of reflection.

After carefully questioning so many names, Sima Yue was astonished to discover that Liu Xian's followers had grown to such an extent without him even realizing it. And this was only his followers within Jinyong City. It should be noted that while many officials and nobles in the city hated Liu Xian, just as many admired him. His old friends among the reinforcements outside the city, and those in Guanzhong and Hebei, were countless.

In comparison, even with Sima Yue's strength, which he has been hiding and accumulating for decades, it is not fair to say that they are evenly matched.

On the surface, the Donghai Prince's Mansion appeared to be of mediocre strength. However, in reality, Sima Yue had formed a sworn brotherhood with the Langya Wang clan and a marriage alliance with the Wenxi Pei clan. This allowed him to build a vast power network behind the scenes without personally intervening, using these two prominent families as his foundation.

Furthermore, Sima Yue was adept at winning people's hearts. He disguised himself as a prince devoted to literature and cultivated relationships with scholars everywhere under the guise of literature. Even Li Mi had a good relationship with him. As a member of the imperial clan, and having cultivated deep connections within the clan, his influence at court was extremely profound. If Sima Yue himself hadn't spoken of it, probably no one would have known how many people he had secretly won over.

Sima Yue was well aware that while the number of people he had won over was considerable, most were not trustworthy. Their short-term unity was solely due to shared interests; they were all focused on climbing the ranks. This cooperation was inherently fragile, and if he couldn't find a way to satisfy them, someone could turn on him at any moment. In terms of loyalty, they were probably far less than Liu Xian's cronies.

Moreover, Sima Yue's faction consisted mostly of scholars, who were adept at inciting public opinion in the court, but few were capable of leading troops in battle. In an era where the authority of the court was increasingly weakening, Sima Yue's power had been significantly diminished. Otherwise, Liu Xian wouldn't have been able to so easily take over the defense of the entire Jinyong City.

The most critical issue is the shortage of troops. Sima Yue currently has about four thousand soldiers at his disposal. Of these, over a thousand are still under Zu Ti's command, and another thousand or so are needed to secure an escape route. That leaves only about two thousand men to carry out this coup. And this is all the resources he has left, a rare display of his strength.

How terrifying! One side was constantly being plotted against, while the other was secretly accumulating strength, yet the final outcome was so bizarre, prompting Sima Yue to reflect deeply. Precisely because of his limited manpower, he wanted to minimize casualties among the Imperial Guards within the city to ensure that, once he seized power, the Imperial Guards could be restored to their former strength as quickly as possible.

He could only think thankfully: thank goodness he was surnamed Liu, not Sima! Given this situation, even if there were someone surnamed Sima supporting him, his coup would probably have no chance of success!
Two quarters of an hour later, Zu Ti sent a messenger from the city wall to report to Sima Yue: "We have successfully taken over all the west gates."

Sima Yue was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately promised the messenger, "Report back to the ancestor that as long as this matter is successful, everything will be as previously agreed. Apart from Sili, he can choose any of the provinces in the world as governor."

This was undoubtedly a tremendous political promise. Since the founding of the Jin Dynasty, those who could serve as governors of a province had almost exclusively come from the dozen or so noble families. Those from humble backgrounds who could become governors were extremely rare, and even if Liu Xian were to become regent, he probably wouldn't be able to break this unspoken rule. For Sima Yue, as a member of the imperial clan, to offer such a position was quite exceptional.

As soon as the envoy left, He Pan arrived.

When the old man came in, he was still clutching his back and apologizing to everyone, saying with a smile, "I'm getting old, and I almost strained my back just walking such a short distance."

Then he looked around and asked, "Hey, where's the Grand Commandant?"

Upon hearing this, Sima Yue knew it was his time to make his appearance. With a smile on his face, he pushed open the door, strolled to the center of the crowd, and casually said to He Pan, "Lord of Xicheng, the Grand Commandant is talking with the Princess in the backyard."

He Pan frowned slightly when he saw Sima Yue approaching, then smiled and said, "So it's you, Minister of Works. Although the General of the Cavalry has unfortunately passed away today, we have a decisive battle tomorrow. Please forgive my bluntness, but if we are to mourn, let's finish this sooner rather than later. Rather than mourning here, we should fight the enemy tomorrow, which is the best way to honor the General of the Cavalry."

This was indeed the sentiment of everyone present, and many echoed his words. Sima Yue was not in a hurry to reveal his true intentions. After they finished speaking and the atmosphere returned to normal, he calmly said, "I understand your desire for revenge very well. A true man should be mindful of wiping away his shame! But the reason I have summoned you all here today is not just to mourn the death of General Huo Qubing, but for another important matter."

"Oh? What important matter?" Since Situ Wangrong was not present, He Pan, being the most senior among them, naturally took the lead in asking the question.

"This is a matter of utmost importance concerning the survival of the nation." Sima Yue calmly took two steps back and pulled out two imperial edicts from his sleeve. Then he slowed his speech and said, "We are currently in a time of great chaos, with countless lives lost and bandits rising up everywhere. We, the loyal ministers, have an inescapable responsibility to end this chaos."

"Therefore, I believe that everyone present will always stand on the side of the Emperor and the court, won't you?"

Everyone was stunned. The solemn tone made it clear this was no ordinary mourning; it even hinted at a purge. But they were about to face the Western Army in a decisive battle—what was going on? They realized something was amiss, and the Sima Yue before them seemed completely different from before.

"What exactly does Sikong want to say? Just say it directly," Zhang Shi asked bluntly.

Sima Yue smiled faintly, raised a piece of paper in his hand, and said slowly and deliberately, "Before his death, the General of the Cavalry submitted a memorial to His Majesty, accusing the Grand Commandant of plotting a rebellion."

These words were truly earth-shattering, leaving everyone present speechless. Before they could react, Sima Yue raised another specially made blue paper edict and said, "I have already submitted this matter to the Emperor, and the Emperor has authorized me to handle this matter with full authority."

Having said that, he unfolded the paper in front of him, preparing to read it aloud to the public.

Guo Song was the first to react. If Sima Yue were to read the edict aloud now, the moral high ground would be secured. He needed to seize the initiative; he couldn't let the Prince of Donghai succeed! He immediately stepped forward, clenched his fists, and roared, "Wait! What kind of nonsense is this!"

His voice was so loud that even Sima Yue, who was prepared, was startled and stopped speaking. Everyone present looked at Guo Song, who, unlike a young man, turned to the crowd and said, "At present, the imperial family is in peril, and the princes are in chaos. It is all thanks to the Grand Commandant who took up arms and planned for a month, saving the country from dire straits and rescuing the people from their dire situation, that we have a glimmer of hope today. Isn't that right?"

Having said that, he glanced at the crowd and continued, "But now, the General of the Cavalry has died of illness, and the Emperor is of ill health. The Minister of Works suddenly produces two imperial edicts, claiming that the Grand Commandant is plotting a rebellion? Isn't that laughable?!"

Sima Yue, holding the paper in his hand, was about to reply, "Isn't that what I was just about to explain?"

Guo Song didn't wait. He pointed at the Prince of Donghai and cursed, "Don't even listen! A great battle is imminent, yet you're full of lies. Just now you said the Grand Commandant and the Princess were discussing matters inside. Where are they? If we don't see the Grand Commandant, we will never listen to your edict!"

Upon hearing this, the others suddenly realized what was happening and shouted, "Yes, where is the Grand Commandant?! We want to see the Grand Commandant!"

The crowd was instantly enraged, and the main hall was in an uproar, providing Sima Yue with no opportunity to read the imperial edict. Sima Yue frowned, his anger rising, and immediately kicked over the table in front of him with a loud crash.

This finally drowned out the clamor of the crowd. At the same time, the armored soldiers from the front and back courtyards surged into the front hall like a tide, drawing their swords and threatening the officers.

The gleaming blade could withstand countless words, and the hall fell silent once more. Then, people clearly heard three whistling arrows ring out in the air. Footsteps outside the courtyard were chaotic, but after a few curses and a disturbance, the area outside the courtyard returned to calm, indicating that the guards outside had been brought under control.

A man strode in and whispered a few words to Sima Yue. Liu Kun, standing in the crowd, paled as he realized the newcomer was none other than his elder brother, Liu Yu.

Sima Yue nodded to Liu Yu, then turned to the crowd with a smile and quietly said, "What? Do you all still wish to see the Grand Commandant?" (End of Chapter)