Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 160 No Feast is Good (Part 2)

Yang Xiu's words were not actually too direct; she only touched on the point.

If he had been more explicit, Sima Zhao probably would have lost face.

"How dare you! How dare you, a junior, speak such words?"

Sima Zhao flew into a rage and smashed the wine cup on the ground.

Just then, Sima Yan quickly stood up and bowed to Sima Zhao, saying:
"Father, please calm down. Yang Xiu is related to Mother by marriage. He drank too much today and spoke recklessly. Please don't blame him."

Furthermore, Yang Xiu's words were not without merit. Although Tao Fu had been adopted by his uncle, I had always treated him as a brother. Such kinship could not be severed by social conventions.

Sima Yan stepped in to smooth things over and cover for Yang Xiu.

Sima Zhao wasn't really angry. Seeing that there was a way out, he glared at Yang Xiu and scolded, "You can talk about government affairs as you please, but this is not the place to discuss family matters!"

Watching a group of people put on a show, Shi Shouxin was so embarrassed that he almost dug his toes out of the floor while kneeling. He really didn't know how to comment on it.

Sure enough, since the play has already begun, there's no reason to stop it halfway through.

Pei Xiu stood up and said to Sima Yan:
“Your Majesty, although Yang Xiu’s words are crude, they are not without reason. However, the establishment of an heir is like the establishment of a country. Since Sima You was adopted by King Jing in the early years, he is King Jing’s heir and no longer Your Majesty’s son.”

Such are the rules of etiquette; they cannot be changed, they cannot be changed!

He kept playing the good cop.

Sima Zhao didn't say anything, he just watched Pei Xiu perform quietly.

He had barely finished speaking when Xun Yi stepped forward to refute him:

“Pei Jiyan (Pei Xiu's courtesy name), you are mistaken. You are like a living person who is suffocating from holding in their pee. Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. How can a living person be bound by rigid rules?”
While one's parents are alive, it is one's duty to be filial. Sima You's filial piety towards the Prince of Jin and his wife was a matter of course.

If one uses adoption as an excuse to become unfilial to one's own parents, how is that any different from being a beast?
Furthermore, King Jing has already passed away, and even if Sima You wanted to fulfill his filial duties, he would be powerless to do so. Given this, why not allow him to return to his ancestral home?
The Prince of Jin only had two sons; his lineage was so meager!
Although An Shi (Sima Yan) was filial to his parents from a young age, he was still a man!

Xunzi believes that the matter of restoring Sima You to his clan should not be delayed.

Although Xun Yi was nearly sixty years old, he spoke with a firm voice and full of energy.

"If that's the case, wouldn't my brother's line end?"

Sima Zhao asked in return, his expression unfriendly.

"Sima Zhou has four sons, and Sima Liang has five sons. It wouldn't be a problem to choose a virtuous one to be adopted by King Jing."

The Prince of Jin only has two sons, and now he wants to adopt one out. How can the Princess bear this?

Xun Yi spoke with confidence, standing firmly on the sidelines, which made Shi Shouxin, who was watching the show from the side, unable to help but give him a thumbs up.

He made his point clear: You only have two sons, and you want to adopt one of them out. You have so many brothers and sons. When the dynasty changes and you become emperor, don't you think about what will happen in the future?
Shi Shouxin glanced at Sima You in the distance. The unfortunate boy seemed to be practicing Zen meditation. While the guests were arguing heatedly, he remained completely silent.

Actually, his actions were understandable, because from Sima You's perspective, nothing he said would be appropriate.

Sima You's statement that he disagreed with returning to his ancestral clan and still wanted to be Sima Shi's son made him an unfilial son who neglected his biological parents, which was simply unacceptable.

If Sima You were to express his desire to return to his clan, given the imminent change of dynasty, such an intention to vie for the position of crown prince would appear opportunistic and would be even more inappropriate.

Since we're caught in the middle, we might as well say nothing at all.

"Alright, alright! We can discuss this later. This is a banquet; how can we talk about such things!"

Sima Zhao slammed his fist on the table in anger, and only then did the argument in the hall cease.

Pei Xiu was about to speak again, but seeing that Sima Zhao was about to get angry, he stopped and remained silent.

"Prince Jin, why not let the dancers come in to entertain us?"

Du Yu, who had been silent until now, finally offered his suggestion.

Sima Zhao, feeling he had achieved his goal, stopped worrying and ordered the dancers to enter and entertain. A banquet like this would feel incomplete without dancers performing a seductive dance.

Before long, dancers as graceful as butterflies were seen dancing in the main hall of the Prince of Jin's mansion, and the tense atmosphere from before was swept away.

Sima Zhao looked at Shi Shouxin and asked, "These beautiful dancers all come from Shu. Has Sima Shi seen them before?"

I don't care about such trivial matters at all!
Shi Shouxin muttered a complaint to himself, but bowed to Sima Zhao and said, "Military affairs have been busy, and there has been no singing or dancing to entertain you."

Yang Xiu, standing to the side, muttered in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "He's certainly too busy. He's already got Liu Shan's daughter pregnant, and Shi Sima is quite busy on the bed!"

Yang Xiu and Shi Shouxin had always been at odds, a fact known to most of the people present. Upon hearing this, they merely showed ambiguous expressions and were unlikely to bring such a matter to the forefront.

"Sima Shi, why don't you tell Minister Xun and the others about the subjugation of Zhong Hui? We only learned about this through secret letters, and there are still many inside stories we don't know."

Zhong Hui has always been known for his wisdom and resourcefulness; there must have been many twists and turns in the process of you subduing him.

Sima Zhao abruptly changed the subject, turning to Shi Shouxin and asking a question. Sima Zhao wasn't concerned with how many women Shi Shouxin had impregnated; he only wanted to know about matters related to Zhong Hui!
"Your Highness, I will now give you a brief explanation."

Shi Shouxin recounted everything in detail. He explained how he feigned allegiance to Zhong Hui, secretly deployed troops, and at a crucial moment, a small force quickly mutinied, swiftly killing Jiang Wei's reinforcements, then attacking the palace to stabilize the situation. He also explained how he used Zhong Hui's head to appease the other troops who hadn't participated in the mutiny—he didn't omit a single detail.

He glossed over the details that were inconvenient to discuss, but elaborated on the more explicit points. Upon hearing Shi Shouxin's description, everyone present gasped in shock!
In terms of sheer power, whether it was Shi Shouxin, Wei Guan, or even Hu Lie and his ilk, overthrowing Zhong Hui would have been a piece of cake. This was because the families of the soldiers were in Luoyang, Chang'an, and Longyou, and wouldn't be following Zhong Hui's reckless actions.

No matter how they play, there are still over 100,000 Wei troops there.

Knowing the balance of power is one thing, but the specific process of launching a mutiny is another.

During the Incident at Gaoping Tombs, did Cao Shuang have absolutely no chance of fighting back? Were the Imperial Guards really no match for the three thousand elite soldiers raised by Sima Shi?

Not necessarily.

Having power is one thing, but knowing how to use it is another.

Shi Shouxin mobilized a very small force; besides his own troops, the rest were Hu Lie's son, Hu Yuan, leading a few thousand men in a reckless charge. However, he quelled Jiang Wei's army in two steps.

The first step was to kill the reinforcements outside the city, taking advantage of the soldiers' desire to gain an advantage. At this point, the attack was not directed at Zhong Hui, nor did it arouse the enemy's vigilance.

The second step was to eliminate Zhong Hui with a single blow, without mobilizing a large number of troops.

Mutinies have a rhythm. As long as you follow the rhythm and stay one step ahead of the opponent, having more troops isn't necessarily better.

"Gu Yuan thought that killing Zhong Hui would not be difficult, but he did not expect that there would be so many twists and turns."

Sima Zhao remarked with emotion, his resentment towards Shi Shouxin fading considerably.

If this person had stood up for Zhong Hui, the outcome would be uncertain.

"Sir Shi, I have a question that I have been pondering for a long time and I don't know if you can help me solve it."

With a smile, the white-haired Chen Qian raised his wine glass to Shi Shouxin and asked.

"Please speak, Lord Chen."

Shi Shouxin quickly raised his glass in return.

"It was you who arrested Deng Ai and reported to the court that Deng Ai was going to rebel, but Zhong Hui did not plot a rebellion at the time."

Later, when Zhong Hui rebelled, it was you who quelled the mutiny.

Chen wondered, since Zhong Hui believed Deng Ai was plotting a rebellion, yet he himself later rebelled, wasn't it possible that Deng Ai was framed by Zhong Hui?

Chen Qian asked with a smile.

Although the tone was very gentle, the traps in the words were very deep.

Zhong Hui was a traitor, and Zhong Hui said Deng Ai was a traitor. Is it possible that Deng Ai was not actually a traitor?
"I also have this question, and Chen Xiuyuan's (Chen Qian's courtesy name) question has indeed hit the nail on the head."

Besides, you were the one who arrested Deng Ai and killed Zhong Hui; both were done through your hands. This matter can only be addressed by you; no one else can say anything about it.

Sima Zhao seemed to be deep in thought, his eyes fixed on Shi Shouxin.

It's finally here!

"The Prince of Jin, gentlemen, and the matter of Deng Ai will be decided by the court. At that time, the situation was urgent, so we acted expediently, just like when we quelled Zhong Hui's rebellion. If we had been any slower, who knows how many people would have died."

First, capture Deng Ai, then send him back to Luoyang for trial; the truth will be judged by history.

Furthermore, the army that was attacking Shu numbered over 100,000, with hundreds of generals. If anything were to happen, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"I am but a mortal, without superhuman abilities. In this emergency, I can only prioritize the interests of the court. Even if some people have been wronged, I can only ask the officials of the court to clear their names afterward."

Shi Shouxin bowed to Sima Zhao, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.

“You’re right, but Deng Ai died on his way back! Although I am your godfather, I cannot protect a suspect. Now that Deng Ai has died, you are the prime suspect.”

"Your Highness, I suggest that Shi Shouxin be imprisoned in the Sili Commandant's jail until the case is fully investigated."

Shi Bao stood up and pointed at Shi Shouxin.

His expression was calm, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

Sima Yan quickly stepped forward to plead for Shi Shouxin, saying, "Father, if Shi Shouxin wanted to rebel, he would have done so in Shu. Why would he kill Deng Ai on the way back to Luoyang? There must be more to this story. I hope you will investigate thoroughly."

Sima Zhao nodded and said, "Shi Bao, take the man away and investigate the case thoroughly. You have three days to find out the truth."

After saying that, he fell silent.

Shi Bao came out, bowed to Sima Zhao, and then waved to the door. Two guards came in and stood in front of the table where Shi Shouxin was.

Shi Shouxin bowed to everyone and then followed Shi Bao out of the main hall of the Prince of Jin's mansion.

After seeing Shi Shouxin leave, Sima Zhao instructed his attendants, "Keep playing the music and dancing, don't stop."

The sounds of string and wind instruments echoed in the hall once again, but the atmosphere was far less vibrant than at the start of the banquet.

Everyone present was wondering whether Shi Shouxin, this rising political star, would shine brightly or fade away like a shooting star.

(End of this chapter)