Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 199 The Roar of the Tiger in Luoyang (6)

What would it feel like for someone who is completely powerless to fight to be locked in the same room as two tigers and watching them fight?

Outsiders who haven't experienced it can't say for sure, but Cao Huan, who is currently going through this, is restless in Jinyong City.

The feeling of being both terrified and excitedly watching the drama unfold is indescribable.

Tomorrow is the court assembly, and tonight is the decisive battle. Even someone like Cao Huan, who doesn't care about politics at all, understands that this hurdle is right in front of him, and if he takes another step forward, he will fall into an abyss.

Standing atop the narrow walls of Jinyong City and gazing north, one sees the undulating Beiman Mountain range, stretching as far as the eye can see, like a giant dragon.

"Ugh!"

Cao Huan sighed. He only wanted to be a carefree member of the Cao clan, but he never expected that things would turn out so unexpectedly.

He became a puppet emperor, and remained a puppet to the very end! All sorts of strange and unbelievable things happened to him.

Just then, Sima You slowly walked up the city wall and gently waved his hand. The personal guards protecting Cao Huan quietly withdrew.

"General of the Left Guard, has something happened?"

Cao Huan asked in a low voice, not daring to utter a sound.

"It's a small matter; Your Majesty, please go to your bedroom."

Sima You said calmly.

Cao Huan nodded. He didn't know what Sima You wanted to do, but it didn't matter. He was just a helpless child now, and there was no way for him to resist.

The group arrived at Cao Huan's bedroom. After closing the door, Sima You said to Cao Huan, "You change into his clothes, and he changes into your dragon robe, right now."

He pointed to the guard beside him who was very similar in build to Cao Huan, but whose face was quite different.

What is this for?
Cao Huan was taken aback, but soon the guard came over to help him take off his clothes. In a short while, the two had exchanged clothes.

Wearing a helmet and dressed in the uniform of a personal guard, Cao Huan was completely unrecognizable as an emperor. Unless one was a eunuch serving by his side, no one else could discern anything amiss.

It's more than enough to fool the average person.

Sima You asked the guard, "Do you know what to do later?"

The other person nodded, made a shushing gesture, and then stood there without saying a word.

Sima You was very satisfied with his "answer". He took Cao Huan and another guard at the gate to the stable, got into the carriage and left Jinyong City.

The whole process was silent, without splashing any water.

The other "Cao Huan" arrived at the top of Jinyong City as if nothing had happened, and from a distance, he looked no different from the previous one.

Sima You and Cao Huan traveled lightly and simply to the Prince of Jin's residence.

Although it was so quiet outside the gates of the Prince of Jin's mansion that you could catch a bird, the atmosphere inside was tense and solemn!

Sima Yan stood at the gate, with a large contingent of the Prince's private army behind him, each soldier armed to the teeth. Upon hearing that it was Sima You knocking, Sima Yan ordered the gate to be opened and the carriage to enter the Prince's residence.

"Your Majesty, this way please."

Seeing Cao Huan alight from the carriage, Sima Yan gestured for him to proceed.

Even though Cao Huan was just a young boy, seeing the scene inside the Prince of Jin's residence, he knew that something big was about to happen.

Cao Huan was led to Sima Zhao's bedroom, where he found the powerful minister of Cao Wei sitting on the bed, looking fairly well.

Clearly, the rumors circulating that the Prince of Jin was seriously ill and unable to manage state affairs were merely a smokescreen to lull certain people into a false sense of security.

Politics is so dirty.

Cao Huan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"Your Majesty, I am ill and unable to perform the proper etiquette. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

Sima Zhao bowed to Cao Huan in bed, yet even then, he still didn't take the other man seriously. Or perhaps, Sima Zhao wasn't originally like this; he simply transferred some of his hatred for Cao Mao onto Cao Huan.

"Prince Jin, there is no need to be so formal, no need to be so formal."

Cao Huan quickly waved his hand, looking flattered.

"Something big is bound to happen tonight. Your Majesty should rest well at the Prince of Jin's residence."

Sima Zhao smiled gently.

Cao Huan dared not argue back. Even if he said he wanted to return to Luoyang Palace, Sima Zhao would never agree.

Rather than humiliating yourself, it's better to accept your fate!
After exchanging a few polite words, Cao Huan followed Sima You out of the bedroom.

After they left, Sima Yan came in and reported to Sima Zhao, "Father, everything is ready."

"Are you ready...?"

Sima Zhao muttered to himself, his heart still pounding, never letting up for a moment.

Actually, there is a "good way" that can solve the problem once and for all: Sima You should lead his troops to attack the Chang Le Duke's mansion where Sima Fu lives and wipe out everyone inside!
However, this situation did not end well, and Sima Zhao's entire plan was not completed.

On the other hand, it must be said that Shi Shouxin's plan truly understood what Sima Zhao was thinking.

Even if he wanted to refute it, he wouldn't know where to begin.

Sima Zhao's darkest and most secret thoughts, which he could not reveal to others, were all included in this plan.

“Father, once Sima Wang’s men capture Jinyong City tonight, they will definitely know that Cao Huan is an imposter! So, what if they…”

Sima Yan was at a loss for words. He kept wondering if Shi Shouxin thought Sima Fu was blind or Sima Wang was mentally challenged.

That fake Cao Huan was so big that only his figure looked similar. Anyone who had ever seen Cao Huan would have noticed that something was wrong with his face!
At that time, both Sima Wang and Sima Fu will be able to recognize the fake Cao Huan at a glance. After all, they have both met Cao Huan in person!
"This is where you fall short of Shi Shouxin."

Sima Zhao sighed and continued to explain:

Sometimes, what is fake can be real, and what is real can become fake.

If we lose, then even if Cao Huan dies in his mansion, the fake Cao Huan in Jinyong City can still be the real Cao Huan.

For Sima Fu, it was a trivial matter!

Sima Zhao revealed a shocking truth to Sima Yan. What would he do if, after a successful surprise attack on Jinyong City tonight, Sima Fu discovered that the Cao Huan inside was an imposter?
Did they change their plans at the last minute and launch a desperate attack on the Prince of Jin's residence?

Or should we pretend nothing happened and insist on sending this "fake emperor" to the "court assembly" the next day?
The answer is clearly the latter, because neither the real Cao Huan nor the fake Cao Huan had a chance to speak! As long as Sima Fu controlled the situation, whoever he said was the real Cao Huan was the real Cao Huan!
Sima Fu would take his place, announce Sima Zhao's crimes, and then, upholding justice even at the cost of family ties, issue an imperial edict to execute Sima Zhao and his descendants.

Even if Cao Huan were to stand up and object at that time, it would be to no avail; no one would care what Cao Huan said then.

These are the basic rules of imperial power.

An emperor can only exercise power if the people below believe that he is the emperor.

If the people below believe that the emperor is unworthy to be emperor, then they can ignore him, or even... hang him up at the city gate as a warning!

Sima Yan nodded, seemingly understanding, as if he had grown considerably at that moment. Some naive thoughts in his mind were instantly cast to the winds.

As dusk settled, the Prince of Jin's mansion was brightly lit early on, with torches lit in almost every available space. Even the most skilled thief, attempting to steal from the mansion tonight, would be easily captured.

As night approached, Sima Zhao grew increasingly anxious, his forehead now covered in cold sweat.

Seeing his anxiety, Li Yin comforted him, saying, "Shi Shouxin is my son-in-law. No matter how cunning he is, he would never play with his father-in-law's life. Prince Jin, please don't worry."

Upon hearing this, Sima Zhao's tension eased considerably.

Yes, even if Shi Shouxin were utterly ruthless, he wouldn't allow Li Yin to be killed by Sima Fu. This time, Shi Shouxin emphasized bringing Li Yin to the Prince of Jin's residence to handle the inquiries from various court officials. Besides trusting his father-in-law, this also served to demonstrate his loyalty to Sima Zhao.

"Li Zhongcheng may not be aware of how terrible Sima Fu is."

"If you had become an official thirty years earlier, things wouldn't be so easy."

Sima Zhao sighed, "I understand Sima Fu's old tricks better than anyone."

Now, there are quite a few members in various branches of the Sima clan, but among them, only Sima Fu can proudly proclaim, "I am a subject of Wei."

How hypocritical must a person be to do something like this?

In any case, Sima Zhao felt inferior to him.

"The Yangtze River's back waves push the front waves, and the front waves die on the beach," that kid Shi Shouxin often said.

In the future, it will all belong to An Shi and Tao Fu, and the elderly will inevitably have to go home to enjoy their old age.

"Has the Prince of Jin not heard the saying, 'Never underestimate a young man's potential'? Sima Fu is already eighty-five years old. Even if he was once the bravest warrior in the army, what will become of him today?"

Li Yin smiled and asked in return.

Sima Zhao remained silent, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

To Sima Fu, Sima Zhao was a "young man".

But for Sima Zhao, Sima Yan and Sima You were still teenagers.

In the future, Shi Shouxin, Yang Xiu, and Sima Jun will be the backbone of the ministers.

Sima Zhao himself was an old man!

Although Li Yin's words were not malicious, they still stung Sima Zhao.

"May everything go smoothly tonight."

Sima Zhao sighed softly.

Perhaps inspired by these words, a sudden drumbeat erupted outside the Prince of Jin's residence!

Boom, boom, boom! Boom, boom, boom! Boom, boom, boom!
One drumbeat after another, urgent and rapid!
Just as Sima Zhao was about to get up, Li Yin reached out and placed his hand on his shoulder, his expression grave.

"King Jin, you should trust those you employ, and not employ those you don't trust."

This whole affair was planned and arranged by Shi Shouxin; we should trust him.

If the Prince of Jin were to leave this bedroom, it would only cause panic among the private soldiers and servants on duty.

As long as you remain calm, they will not panic; such order ensures victory.

Li Yin persuaded Sima Zhaodao.

At this moment, shouts of fighting and killing could be heard at the front and back gates of the Prince of Jin's mansion, as well as inside the four courtyard walls. People outside were climbing over ladders to get in.

However, everyone was just acting; no one was actually fighting.

Yang Xiu watched all this from the side, her face twitching a few times, but she didn't say anything and held back her laughter.

Fu Zhi's troops would "attack" the Prince of Jin's residence, storm in, be driven out, and then storm in again, going back and forth.

But this was just a show for the scouts sent by Sima Fu; later, they would set fire to a designated location within the palace to create smoke signals, to demonstrate the intensity of the battle.

After entering the Prince of Jin's residence, these people would gather together, assemble, rest on the spot, and prepare for the next day's battle.

Would Sima Fu believe it?

It doesn't matter; it's best if he believes it. If he doesn't, he'd better ride back to Hanoi and rebel tonight, otherwise he'll be dead anyway by dawn!
The commotion at the Prince of Jin's residence was witnessed by almost all the prominent families in Luoyang.

Shouts of battle and the sounds of drums and gongs filled the air, along with towering flames and billowing smoke.

The news was quickly relayed to the Chang Le Duke's residence by scouts observing from afar.

Inside the main hall, Sima Fu excitedly reported to Sima Fu, "Father, it's all done! Fu Zhi's troops are launching a fierce attack on the Prince of Jin's residence. It's time to go to Jinyong City!"

"No rush, we can go later tonight."

We'll wait until dawn, then take Cao Huan away from Jinyong City and parade through the streets of Luoyang.

Let everyone see that it was we who brought the Emperor back to the palace from Jinyong City.

"Did you take Cao Huan away from Jinyong City in the dead of night for the sake of those wandering ghosts?"

Sima Fu rebuked Sima Fudao for his lack of ambition.

This is the crux of the whole play. The saying "Returning home in glory is like wearing fine clothes at night" also implies that wearing fine clothes at night is utterly useless!
In the pitch black, the imperial guards under Sima Fu's control led Cao Huan from Jinyong City to Luoyang Palace. By the next day, even if the Cao Huan in the palace was real, outsiders would think he was an imposter!
Because no outsiders witnessed the process of "taking it back"!

How could I have given birth to such a stupid son?
Sima Fu looked at Sima Fu and sighed helplessly, saying, "Let's wait a little longer. Inform Sima Wang to hold back!"

(End of this chapter)