Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 168 The Chick Doesn't Pee

That night, Shi Shouxin displayed his masculine prowess on Huiniang, which goes without saying.

But Shi Chong, who should have been sleeping in the same bed as Hui Niang, was instead having a heated discussion with Sima Yan in the study late at night.

However, compared to the overjoyed Shi Chong, Sima Yan's face showed a hint of worry.

"My father is unwell. I wonder if you, Ji Lun, have any suitable medicines that can help him recover?"

In the study, Sima Yan and Shi Chong sat facing each other. The heir of the Prince of Jin asked a question.

"Oh? The Prince of Jin is actually unwell?"

Shi Chong was greatly surprised, as he had never heard of this news before.

"Yes, that's true, but others don't know it. If something were to happen to Father, I wouldn't know what to do."

Sima Yan nodded.

Clearly, he couldn't get the cure for Sima Zhao from Shi Chong. He himself knew this perfectly well.

The medicine I seek can be summed up in just three words: a reassurance!

"Is the Prince of Jin unwell because of General Wei (Sima You)?"

Shi Chong asked in confusion, though he said it was the Prince of Jin's heart ailment, he was clearly referring to Sima Yan's heart ailment.

Sima Yan nodded and sighed, saying, "Tao Fu (Sima You's childhood name) is impetuous. If he is instigated by treacherous people, he may do something that hurts his own people and pleases his enemies. Father is worried about this, and I am also very worried."

Shi Chong nodded slightly, without mocking Sima Yan's hypocrisy.

A person's reputation matters, so many things can be left unsaid; there's no need to be so blunt.

Shi Chong understood Sima Yan's meaning very well: he was wary of his actual younger brother, Sima You, who was also his nominal cousin.

When Sima You was conquering Shu, he was appointed General of the Guards by Sima Zhao, in charge of managing a part of the Imperial Guards.

The later campaign against Shu turned into the complete annihilation of Shu, which goes without saying and did not affect Sima You's official position. However, even though several months have passed since the fall of Shu, Sima You's post has not yet been revoked.

Sima You was actually a general in the Imperial Guard! That's a bit outrageous.

Whether Sima Zhao forgot about this or deliberately arranged it this way, in any case, Sima Zhao didn't say anything, and Sima Yan didn't dare to ask.

The position of General Wei is very delicate.

During the Cao Wei period, the position of General of the Guards was held by Cao Hong, who held a high position and great power.

Although the power structure under the Sima family has been disrupted, the General of the Guards now holds less authority in the Imperial Guard than the Commander of the Central Army and the Protector of the Central Army, and is to some extent merely a nominal position.

However, their titles were still very prestigious. Whether they were the Commander of the Central Army or the Protector of the Central Army, they were nominally under the command of General Wei.

If Sima Zhao were still alive, then the General of the Guards would certainly not be as effective as the "Grand General" title held by Sima Zhao. In other words, if the current power structure remained unchanged, Sima You would actually have little real power, which aligns with Sima Zhao's objectives in personnel arrangements.

However, if Sima Zhao is unable to manage affairs, who will the Commander of the Central Army and the Protector of the Central Army listen to? They will nominally be under the direct command of the General of the Guards!
Who dares to say that Sima You's words were ineffective in the Imperial Guard at that time?
So Sima Yan now feels like he has thorns in his back!

He was always overthinking things, sometimes worrying that his younger brother would rebel, and sometimes worrying that his father would be wary of him.

Sima Yan had already reached this position; even if someone else were in his place, who could remain calm? Anxiety was inevitable.

"Your Highness, I have a plan that can resolve your worries."

Shi Chong leaned closer and whispered.

"What's the plan?"

Sima Yan immediately perked up.

In his early years, he and Shi Chong were close friends who often exchanged tips, especially when it came to playing with women.

Now that Shi Chong has taken the initiative to join him, it is like sending charcoal in snowy weather for Sima Yan, who has the right to rule but lacks power.

"Your Highness, it would be better to retreat in order to advance."

Shi Chong chuckled.

Sima Yan was completely bewildered by these words and couldn't understand the situation at all.

But Shi Chong continued:

"The Crown Prince wrote to the court, saying that he was willing to stay by his parents' side to fulfill his filial duty. If he were to become the Crown Prince, he would inevitably be distracted by official duties and thus neglect his parents."

I request that General Wei (Sima You) return to his clan and inherit the position of heir apparent. You, however, only wish to stay by your parents' side and have no other aspirations.”

Upon hearing Shi Chong's brilliant plan, Sima Yan's eyes lit up instantly.

Great, that's a really good plan!
Shi Chong's ingenious plan, to put it bluntly, was the so-called "filial piety breeds power." In today's world, if we ignore violent means like wielding a knife, there is no more powerful weapon than filial piety!
Before filial piety, no matter whether the person is a commoner or a high-ranking scholar, they must obediently lower their head.

Sima Yan only needed to retreat in order to advance, saying that he didn't want anything, only to fulfill his filial duty to his parents, and let Sima You return to take on the main responsibility.

Then he'll be invincible! He'll have completely established his reputation!

This can be considered as "brotherly friendship" and "filial piety." Since there is brotherly friendship, Sima You must be "respectful to his younger brother" and must be humble. Since there is filial piety, Sima Zhao must be kind to his father and must appease him.

Sima Yan seized the opportunity to retreat in order to advance. Could Sima Zhao really take away his position as heir apparent?
It must be said that although Shi Chong was physically weak and unable to lift heavy objects, his little brain was truly amazing!
"Oh, Ji Lun's plan is brilliant! It has resolved the biggest knot in my heart."

Sima Yan couldn't help but sigh. He looked at Shi Chong and whispered a promise: "When I become emperor, Ji Lun will certainly receive many benefits. Just wait and see."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Shi Chong suppressed his excitement and bowed to Sima Yan.

While Sima Yan was having a private conversation with his confidants, preparing for his ascension to the throne, his younger brother Sima You was being double-teamed by Sima Zhao and his wife.

Inside the study of the Prince of Jin's residence, Sima You knelt on a soft cushion with his head bowed, listening to Wang Yuanji's teachings, while Sima Zhao remained silent beside him.

“You and Anshi are both the apple of my eye. I am very content with my life. Not only do I have a life of luxury, but you are also filial and obedient.”

Wang Yuanji sighed and continued, "If I could see you brothers being so loving and respectful, I could die in peace even now."

Sima You immediately prostrated himself on the ground and said, "Please take care of yourself, Mother."

"What nonsense are you talking about, child? I'm perfectly healthy, as long as you don't drive me to my death!"

Wang Yuanji rolled her eyes in annoyance and helped Sima You up. "Back then, it broke my heart to let you be adopted by your uncle. Now, how about you return to the main clan and become brothers with An Shi? Consider it my way of making up for my mistake back then."

Wang Yuanji looked at Sima You and asked, playing the emotional card.

If Shi Shouxin hadn't given him prior instructions, Sima You might have agreed immediately. But since Shi Shouxin had already made his position clear, Sima You was now immune to Wang Yuanji's emotional appeals.

Shi Shouxin is right. Returning to the clan will bring endless troubles, and he must bear this responsibility himself.

To put it bluntly, doing this is against etiquette and is disrespectful to stepparents! Isn't disrespect for stepparents a stain on one's reputation? If one isn't going to be filial to stepparents, what's the point of adoption?

After much deliberation, Sima You still felt that Shi Shouxin's words were truly from the bottom of his heart. Wang Yuanji, on the other hand, was taking sides, avoiding some crucial issues that couldn't be ignored, all to achieve her own goals.

At this moment, Sima You had already made up his mind.

“Mother, I have no objection to returning to the family line. It’s just that although my stepfather has passed away, my stepmother is still alive.”

If my stepmother has no objection to returning to the family line, then I have no objection either, since everything is for the sake of filial piety.

If the stepmother does not agree, then the child can only wait until the stepmother passes away and observe three years of mourning before discussing the matter of returning to the family line.

Please understand, Mother.

Sima You slowly expressed his opinion.

In short: everything is decided by the elders, but you are not the only elders!
Sima Zhao and Wang Yuanji exchanged a glance, wanting to speak but unsure how to refute.

It must be said that Sima You's answer hit the nail on the head.

Sima You's stepfather, Sima Shi, was dead, but his stepmother, Yang Huiyu, was not!

Wang Yuanji's previous statement that "it is better to be filial to the living than to the dead" is no longer valid!
At this moment, Sima Zhao felt a little regretful. If he had known that Sima You was so stubborn, he should have gotten Yang Huiyu into bed much earlier and shouldn't have waited so many years.

It was a bit ugly, but it worked!
With Yang Huiyu, his sister-in-law, becoming his woman, there's nothing more to say about Sima You's identity. Presumably, the Yang clan members wouldn't object to this "marriage between relatives."

"Here's what we'll do. I'll go to Taishan County in a few days to discuss your return to your ancestral home with your stepmother in person. These things can't be explained clearly in letters, and they can easily lead to misunderstandings."

I came in person; doesn't that show enough sincerity?

Wang Yuanji looked at Sima You and asked.

What is coming has finally come!
Sima You smiled wryly, but finally nodded gently and said, "Then I will not go with Mother, to avoid any disputes later."

"Of course you can't go. If you go, how am I supposed to tell your stepmother about this?"

Wang Yuanji nodded very seriously, making her statement very firm.

If Sima You also goes, Yang Huiyu will question him: "Are you with me or with her? Do you have any sense of filial piety? Is adoption a child's play?"

How should I answer this question?

There's no way to answer that unless Sima You abandons even the most basic sense of decency.

If Sima You doesn't slap Yang Huiyu in the face, how can he slap his own birth mother, Wang Yuanji? If Sima You goes to Taishan County, he will have blocked all his escape routes.

So anyone can go with Wang Yuanji, except for Sima You!

"Does Ah Lang think this arrangement is acceptable?"

Wang Yuanji looked at Sima Zhao and asked.

"That's fine then."

Sima Zhao nodded.

Wang Yuanji's method was indeed the least costly. As long as Yang Huiyu agreed and wrote a document, Sima You could complete the ceremony of returning to his ancestral home after returning to Luoyang.

Returning to one's ancestral home was quite common in that era, leading to many disputes over property and family assets. In particular, the practice of women remarrying with adopted children was a loophole that was not explicitly prohibited until the Sui and Tang dynasties.

Opinions vary on whether Sima Zhao was handsome or not, but he certainly had high hopes for himself.

If Wang Yuanji could persuade Yang Huiyu with just a few words, why wouldn't she do it?
"Father, I have another request."

Sima You suddenly spoke up.

Sima Zhao nodded and said, "Please speak freely."

"I have heard that Shi Shouxin, the military supervisor who participated in the campaign against Shu, single-handedly quelled the rebellion of Zhong Hui, demonstrating both courage and resourcefulness."

I want him to serve as my Sima (military officer) and be sent to Qi to manage the future estate of my fiefdom.

After the fiefdoms are established, I will be able to directly govern them. I will then go to Qi to assume my post.

Sima You bowed to Sima Zhao and said.

After the change of dynasty, he will be enfeoffed in the Qi region, which has already been agreed upon. Although the exact location is unknown, the general location has been decided, but it is being kept secret for the time being.

As for what Sima Zhao was really up to, and what everyone was so busy vying for position for, these were no secrets to Sima You.

How could Sima You not know that Sima Zhao was about to become emperor? He wasn't an idiot!
Upon hearing what Sima You said, Sima Zhao felt a weight lifted from his heart, and immediately felt a sense of relief and joy.

Sima You said he would send someone to manage the properties in his fiefdom, which clearly meant that he would not compete for the position of crown prince and would be content to be sent to Qi in the future.

This is what is known as "brotherly love and respect".

The son sent people to inspect the fiefdom in advance and to pave roads and build bridges beforehand, so that it would not be desolate when he arrived at his post.

This is human nature.

It can't be said that Sima You lived in a dilapidated government office after he went to his fiefdom, can it?

Is it really that absurd to send people to build a small palace in advance?

As expected, Wang Yuanji laughed heartily and said, "Tao Fu, really, this little thing is nothing to worry about. Since your father won't say anything, I'll agree on your behalf!"

Wang Yuanji actually agreed immediately.

Sima Zhao nodded and said, "That's good. It's just a small matter. I'll make arrangements tomorrow. Summon Shi Shouxin to the Prince of Jin's residence to discuss the details."

(End of this chapter)