Jinting Han people

Chapter 95 Sima Wei Considers Staying or Going (4k)

As an official of the Secretariat, it was already mid-July when Liu Xian learned for sure that the court was preparing for the large-scale enfeoffment.

After three months of operation, Yang Jun had opened up all the links. From the emperor and the crown prince to all the high-ranking officials in the three provinces, they all agreed to the prince's enfeoffment. When it came time for the Secretariat to draft the edict, it went very smoothly. There was no need for any rejection or discussion. The content was already determined and only needed to be polished.
It was in this environment that Liu Xian had the opportunity to see this edict and was amazed at the grand style contained in it.

The personnel changes in this edict involve almost the entire imperial family and will visibly change the political situation of the entire country. The content is:
Sima Liang, the King of Runan, was appointed Grand Marshal, Grand Commander-in-Chief, and given the title of Imperial Axe, stationed in Xuchang and commanding all military affairs in Yuzhou.

Sima Jian, the Prince of Nanyang, was renamed the Prince of Qin, given the title of Grand Marshal, stationed in Chang'an, and made the commander-in-chief of all military affairs in Guanlong.

Sima Wei, the King of Shiping, was renamed the King of Chu, given the title of Grand Marshal, stationed in Xiangyang, and made the commander-in-chief of all military affairs in Jing and Xiang.

Sima Yun, the King of Puyang, was renamed the King of Huainan, given the title of Marquis of Shouchun, and made the commander-in-chief of all military affairs in Jiangyang.
The tenth prince Sima Yan was made the King of Dai, the fifteenth prince Sima Yi was made the King of Changsha, the sixteenth prince Sima Ying was made the King of Chengdu, the twenty-third prince Sima Yan was made the King of Wu, and the twenty-fifth prince Sima Chi was made the King of Yuzhang.
He also appointed Sima Yu, son of Crown Prince Sima Zhong, as Prince of Guangling; Sima Yi, son of King of Chu Sima Wei, as Prince of Piling; Sima Di, son of King of Huainan Sima Yun, as Prince of Han; and Sima Ying, second son of King of Runan Sima Liang, as Duke of Xiyang.
Sima Chang, Prince of Fufeng, was demoted to Prince of Shunyang. Sima Chang's brother Sima Xin was made Duke of Xinye. Sima Dan, brother of Sima Jin, Prince of Langye, was made Duke of Dongwu. Sima Yao was made Duke of Dong'an. Sima Yi was made Duke of Guangling. Sima Juan was made Duke of Dongguan.
The prime ministers of various kingdoms were changed to internal historians of various kingdoms.

The above is the full content of the imperial edict, which involved nineteen princes of the imperial clan, the establishment of more than ten princely states, and the impact on fourteen states, dozens of counties, millions of households, and thousands of officials. It was a grand undertaking unprecedented in the history of the nation.

Liu Xian's surprise wasn't due to the specific content of the edict, but rather to a feeling in his heart: Has this day finally arrived? Has Sima Yan's health finally given up?
This edict undoubtedly addressed Sima Yan's posthumous affairs. The current emperor no longer considered how to maintain power, but rather let go of his attachments and delegate power from the perspective of how to ensure the continuation of power after his death.

Obviously, he chose to believe in the theory of feudal fiefdom, believing that with the royal family protecting the court, the Sima family's dynasty could be prolonged.

Liu Xian was not surprised by this. After all, even in his own opinion, in order to make the county system operate well and for a long time, the emperor could be a foolish ruler but not an unwise ruler. Sima Yan had to make such a choice by appointing Sima Zhong as the crown prince.

On the other hand, Liu Xian's idea has not changed. The times are different now. Trying to stabilize the situation by enfeoffment is like trying to find a sword by carving a mark on the boat. It is a self-destructive and disastrous act.

He couldn't help but think of the agreement he had made with his teacher Li Mi, saying that when the world was in chaos, he would try to return to Shu to restore the country. Is this time coming soon?
However, for Liu Xian now, there is no need to think about this. What he really needs to consider right now is how to finalize his next job.

According to past practice, the first official position after entering the civil service was simply used to familiarize oneself with officialdom and build personal connections. Through reading archives and receiving support from senior officials, one would hone their administrative skills for a period of time. The second official position granted by the court was the opportunity for newcomers to show their talents.

In the past, junior officials would be transferred after a year of familiarization with government affairs. However, with the emperor now seriously ill, many personnel transfers within the court had stalled. Only after the issuance of the Grand Edict did the three ministries begin to reconsider the promotion of officials at all levels in the capital.

As a colleague of Cao, Zhou Yi informed Liu Xian on the day he saw the imperial edict: "Huai Chong, I heard from Lord Hua that your performance evaluation has been submitted."

Liu Xian said "Oh" and smiled at Zhou Xi, "Looks like I have to say goodbye to Boren."

Zhou Xi was well aware of the conflict between Liu Xian and Jia Mi. After spending the past year together, he still admired Liu Xian's talent. Therefore, he was also quite worried about Liu Xian's future. He asked, "What are your plans for the future? What do you think Huai Chong has in mind?"

Liu Xian glanced at Zhou Xi and thought to himself that he had been in the officialdom for over a year and that Bo Ren was indeed one of the few honest people among them. He had nothing to hide. "I originally wanted to be sent out to serve as a county governor or prime minister, so that I could do something practical for the people. Now it seems that I can't do it."

Zhou Xi understood what he meant. If he went to the provincial government now and Jia Mi made things difficult for him, he might not get promoted for several years. He asked, "What about now?"

Liu Xian gathered up the scrolls on the table and said to himself with a sneer, "Now, Boren has figured it out, hasn't he? Since we've been targeted by the venomous snake, we can't act rashly. We should confront it while searching for weapons to protect ourselves."

"To put it simply, now we have to rely on His Highness the Fifth Prince and do more for him!"

After hearing these words, Zhou Xi was inevitably discouraged. He despised the factional strife in the court, but he couldn't blame Liu Xian. So he advised him, "Huai Chong, in today's world, factional strife may be unavoidable, but in dealing with people, you must stick to your principles and not overstep your bounds. Otherwise, if you're not careful, chaos will ensue in the capital, and the people will suffer. You and I will both be sinners of the world."

Did Bo Ren also have a premonition of chaos? Liu Xian was a little surprised. If everyone had Bo Ren's awareness, the Jin Dynasty would probably have a long life. But when he thought of Jia Mi, Qi Sheng and others, he couldn't help but feel regretful:

For Zhou Xi, perhaps the greatest sorrow is that he knew the disaster was about to come, but was powerless to change it.

Liu Xian couldn't care about others at this time. Since it was the critical moment of relocation, he had to arrange a retreat as soon as possible.

At the time of Shen, Liu Xian left the Secretariat early, apologized to the Secretary-General He Shao, and hurried to the Shiping Palace outside Sima Gate.

It was also on the day when he saw the imperial edict that Sima Wei conveyed the message to his followers, requiring them to hold an emergency meeting in the mansion.

When Liu Xian arrived, the Shiping Palace was still as quiet as ever. Apart from the guards holding spears at the door, no one else came and went.

But this was only on the surface. When Liu Xian entered the room and followed the guards into the lobby, he saw that all the staff of the Shiping Palace had gathered there.

Aside from Liu Song, the royal tutor who had been transferred to Huainan to serve as prime minister, there were also Chief Clerk Gongsun Hong, Sheren Qi Sheng, Literary Officer Li Chong, Reader Wang Cui, and Imperial Guard officers such as Palace Attendants Meng Guan and Li Zhao. There were about forty or fifty people seated. Sima Wei, the King of Shiping… no, he should be called the King of Chu, now sat at the rostrum, silently surveying the crowd.

The atmosphere in the hall was solemn and depressing, and everyone's faces were as gloomy as water.

Obviously, for those who relied on Sima Wei's power, the transfer of King Shiping away from the capital was not good news.

Although Yang Jun's method was clever, it was only used to silence the people in the world. As for the person involved, his inner plot could not be concealed at all.

Sure enough, after everyone in the palace had gathered and Sima Wei announced the start of the meeting, Qi Sheng immediately spoke to Sima Wei, "Your Highness, Yang Jun's intentions are clear as day! Don't be fooled by his high-sounding words, saying that he is considering the interests of the country and is making this suggestion to let Your Highnesses go to their fiefdoms. This is nothing but a lie! Once Your Highness leaves the capital and Your Majesty passes away, who will truly benefit and dictate the government? Isn't he the one who will do it?"

"To dare to come up with such a treacherous scheme and separate Your Majesty and Your Highness shows that Yang Jun no longer has the heart to be a loyal subject!"

Qi Sheng's words filled the crowd with indignation, and they began to bark like dogs, "Traitors are in power! This is causing great harm! They must be killed! They must be killed!"

The hall was bustling with activity, but King Sima Wei of Chu was impatient. As a young man about to turn twenty, he wasn't accustomed to an atmosphere dominated by statements rather than actions. He raised his hand, signaling for silence. Once the atmosphere was completely still, he slowly spoke, "I understand what you are saying, but I didn't summon you here today to hear such things. You say Yang Jun should be executed, but can you do it now?" Everyone was speechless. No matter how much they secretly criticized Yang Jun, this was ultimately the will of Emperor Sima Yan. The Emperor was still alive and was Yang Jun's greatest supporter. Who would dare to cross him? It was simply a show of loyalty to the newly crowned King of Chu.

Sima Wei was fully aware of this. He was only thinking about the future and didn't want to listen to this nonsense. "Although the imperial edict has only just arrived at the Secretariat, since it's your Majesty's wish, neither the Shangshu Province nor the Menxia Province will stop it. It's a done deal, so what's the point of saying this?"

"I called you here today to discuss future matters."

At this point, Sima Wei said solemnly: "Your Majesty's illness will probably last for a few months, otherwise he would never make such a decision! You tell me, should I stay or leave?"

Li Zhao stood up and said, "Of course he should stay! The imperial edict hasn't even left the Secretariat yet. Going through the formalities of the Shangshu Province and the Menxia Province, and then actually establishing the country and taking over the vassal state, it will take at least three or four months! How long can His Majesty's illness last? Your Highness is so filial, saying he wants to serve his king and father. If he stays in the capital for another three or four months, he must see His Majesty one last time!"

"Your Majesty, a hundred years from now, if Yang Jun really doesn't make any unusual moves, it won't be too late for us to become vassal states."

"If he dares to make any move, Your Highness, as the head of the royal family and entrusted by His Majesty, should mobilize his forces and raise his voice, who in the world would not respond?"

"By then, Your Highness will have the power to eliminate traitors and the merit to save the world, and will be assisting the government. Who can question it?!"

Li Zhao's words made everyone present excited and cheered in unison. They wished they could travel back to the time after the emperor's death and follow Sima Wei to kill all the treacherous ministers.

Of course, there wasn't just one voice. Some also advocated leaving. Wang Cui, now engaged to Princess Yingchuan, had become more stable. He questioned, "Mr. Li says it easily, but how difficult is it to do it?"

"Your Majesty has not only appointed His Highness as a vassal king, but has also appointed the Third and Ninth Princes. If the Third and Ninth Princes are enfeoffed, why shouldn't Your Highness follow suit?"

"If Your Highness refuses to go to the vassal state, and the Third and Ninth Princes also refuse to go to the vassal state, and the King of Runan and the entire royal family disobey the order, what will we do then?"

"Although Yang Jun is weak, he is not foolish. This will inevitably arouse his vigilance and arouse the hostility of the officials towards Your Highness. You must not only consider the advantages and forget the difficulties. This is a matter of life and death. One wrong step will mean a complete failure!"

Therefore, Wang Cui concluded to Sima Wei, "Your Highness, I believe you should prepare for your vassalage as soon as possible. Jingzhou is a battleground for military strategists. The Three Kingdoms fought each other for decades, all for the sake of this province. Although Jingzhou is not as prosperous as it used to be, it can still recruit 100,000 soldiers. As long as Your Highness diligently cultivates both civil and military skills and waits for the right opportunity, you may be able to establish a foundation for your own hegemony."

What Wang Cui said made sense. Some people who originally supported Sima Wei staying in Beijing were temporarily shaken. The people in the mansion quickly split into two factions, and it was difficult to reach a unified opinion for a while.

Sima Wei did not express his opinion immediately, but first asked Qi Sheng and Gongsun Hong for their opinions.

Qi Sheng said, "The fate of the nation depends on this one move. Your Highness is responsible for the great cause of upholding the country. Why worry about what others think? I want you to stay in Beijing!"

Gongsun Hong also said: "Your Highness, don't you want to see His Majesty one last time? It would be best if you stay in the capital!"

But Sima Wei still hadn't made up his mind. He lowered his head in thought, one hand gently stroking the hilt of the sword at his waist, his heart full of tangled thoughts. He glanced at the crowd and finally looked at Liu Xian and asked, "Huai Chong, do you have any opinions?"

Liu Xian thought: The time has come! He wanted to use this opportunity to squeeze himself into the core of Sima Wei's followers!

But he knew that the more important the question, the more important it was to treat it with a light touch. So he didn't answer immediately. Instead, he waited until everyone had quieted down and their eyes were focused on him before he said slowly, "Your Highness, there are reasons to leave and reasons to stay. I'm wondering if we can have the best of both worlds."

"Oh?" Sima Wei hadn't expected this angle. He paced twice and said with a smile, "Don't keep me in suspense, Huai Chong. Just say whatever you want to say!"

Liu Xian smiled, still maintaining a moderate pace, and asked, "Your Highness wants to stay in the capital because he doesn't want to lose contact with the court, and he doesn't want to lose the righteousness of serving the king. When Yang Jun seizes power, there will be no reason for him to come to the capital to assist in the administration. Is that right?"

Sima Wei could think this in his heart, but he couldn't admit it out loud. He said, "I just want to fulfill my filial duty to Your Majesty. Everything else is secondary."

"Then obeying Your Majesty's arrangements is the truest form of filial piety!" Liu Xian said, "As the saying goes, ten birds in the bush are worth a bird in the hand. Your Highness, once you arrive in Jingzhou, you'll have no one to hinder you. You can expand your army and train in martial arts, and that's all you need! While the palace holds great power, it also involves too many other responsibilities. Your Highness should first settle down and cultivate your influence, controlling the court remotely!"

"Remote control? What is a remote control?"

"Yang Jun thought that as long as he drove the princes out of the capital, he could control the Imperial Guards and sleep soundly. But he didn't understand the human heart. True justice cannot be dismantled by simple bribery. Although the princes have left the capital, as long as he can grasp the greater justice, he can ensure that the Imperial Guards will not be disunited and loyal. Even if they are thousands of miles away, they will still respond to his call!"

"You mean..."

"As long as Your Highness leaves behind a few trustworthy people to contact the Emperor's grandson, Prince Guangling, before leaving the capital, with his support, there is no need to worry about not being able to achieve justice!"

Sima Yi, Prince of Guangling, was the only legitimate son of the current crown prince and the only legitimate grandson of the emperor. He was the inevitable crown prince and the future emperor. Liu Xian's intention was to ensure Sima Wei's support before leaving the capital. Yang Jun would have no chance of winning over the imperial guards without Sima Yi's help. Even if Sima Wei was far away in Xiangyang, he would be able to attack and defend with ease.

"Great righteousness? What a great righteousness!" Sima Wei was stunned at first, but after figuring out the key points, he clapped his hands and laughed, saying, "Huai Chong is right. As long as we have Shamen (Sima Yi's nickname)'s support, Yang Jun is nothing to worry about."

But he immediately became troubled again: "Just contacting the monks is a heavy task..."

Liu Xian had said so much just for this opportunity, so why would he give it up to someone else? He immediately bowed and said, "If Your Highness trusts me, I am willing to take on this important responsibility!"

In this way, Liu Xian's second official position was transferred to Guangling King's Sheren.

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(End of this chapter)