Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 202: It’s over, just brush off your clothes and go away

Outside the east gate of Luoyang, Shi Shouxin led his horse, accompanied by two personal guards sent by Sima You to escort him, and headed straight east.

Next up is the settlement time for the "victors," a feast for Sima Yi's descendants and their allies. As an outsider, I'd better not participate.

Shi Shouxin thought to himself.

"Sima Shi, you have made a great contribution in suppressing the rebellion in Luoyang. The Prince of Jin will surely reward you accordingly."

Are you really only leaving in two days?

One of the guards looked at Shi Shouxin with a puzzled expression and asked.

This guy is really something else; he was adamant about going to Qingzhou on official business.

While the guards admired him, they also had many questions, but it was not convenient for them to ask too many details.

Just then, several riders came galloping up from behind, as fast as lightning. In the blink of an eye, the group was in front of them, and the one at the front was Sima You.

He dismounted and went to Shi Shouxin, pleading, "Mr. Shi, why don't you wait two more days before you leave? The reward for your merits will be right before your eyes."

Seeing that Shi Shouxin remained silent, Sima You gently waved his hand to the people around him, and those attendants immediately retreated dozens of steps away.

“Mr. Shi, if it weren’t for you, it would have been very difficult for my father to deal with Sima Fu so cleanly and efficiently this time, and there was even a possibility that things might have gone wrong.”

The court assembly will be held in a few days to discuss merits and rewards. Why don't you wait a couple more days?

It won't take much effort.

Sima You pleaded again, for his question was the same as that of the guard.

They also couldn't understand Shi Shouxin's resolute departure.

"Your family is enjoying their meal immensely. It would be very awkward for me, an outsider, to sit at the table."

The Prince of Jin would also be in an awkward position.

At this point, guests should observe proper etiquette and avoid making the host feel awkward.

"Now that I'm gone, the Prince of Jin will be relieved."

Shi Shouxin bowed to Sima You and then continued, "Besides, there's no need for me to offer advice now. Going to Qingzhou to pave the way for you is my duty. What do you think?"

His attitude was exceptionally firm, leaving Sima You almost speechless.

"Mr. Shi, your father may appoint you as the military governor of Qingzhou and Xuzhou, and to establish military settlements in Qingzhou to support Huainan."

Delaying by two days makes a huge difference in one's status. Those matters in Qingzhou are still far off.

Sima You leaned close to Shi Shouxin's ear and whispered something.

That's quite a straightforward statement. Of course, Shi Shouxin was deeply involved in this mutiny and played an indispensable and decisive role in it.

Sima Zhao's appointment of him as the Governor-General of Qing and Xu was well-deserved and not an exaggeration at all.

However, Shi Shouxin shook his head and smiled:

"The governor of Qingxu in his twenties, if others didn't know better, would think I was the son of the Prince of Jin and a maid of the Shi family."

This matter is over for me; the important thing is to get to Qingzhou and take care of serious business.

Shi Shouxin politely declined again, having already made his point; there was no point in dwelling on it any longer. Sima You sighed, nodded, and did not try to persuade him further.

Just before he was about to embark on his long journey, Shi Shouxin grabbed Sima You's arm and whispered some instructions in his ear:
"After this battle, the King of Jin will probably be deeply wary of his distant relatives, and the King of Qi will surely be entrusted with important responsibilities."

After your elder brother succeeds to the throne, it will be a natural thing for you to be appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of all military affairs, both domestic and foreign, and to take charge of all military affairs in the country.

In any case, it's best to be careful with your words and actions in daily life.

He patted Sima You on the shoulder, then mounted his horse. It wasn't that he couldn't ride a horse before, but he was waiting for Sima You to see him off. Now that the person seeing him off had arrived, there was no need for formalities; he simply rode off.

Shi Shouxin didn't want to stay in Luoyang, a city filled with the stench of blood, for even a moment longer.

Returning to Luoyang to orchestrate the coup, Shi Shouxin witnessed firsthand the hypocrisy and ruthlessness of the Sima family. In the face of political interests, any semblance of warmth and affection is like a soap bubble, bursting at the slightest touch.

The cunning of human nature is laid bare in the sunlight, leaving one in awe.

The Great Jin Dynasty has not even been founded yet, but it already shows signs of impending doom. What will become of it in the future is truly something to look forward to.

Shi Shouxin sighed inwardly, but remained silent. He mounted his horse, bowed to Sima You, and then rode away, leaving behind only a dashing silhouette.

I won't participate in your spoils-sharing game, lest I witness your ugly, greedy behavior and then be afraid of me being an insider.

Shi Shouxin cursed under his breath, but as he got further and further away from Luoyang, he felt much more relaxed.

……

Sima Zhao actually had many questions for Shi Shouxin, but he had more important things to do at the moment.

At this moment, Sima Zhao was riding a horse, surrounded by a large contingent of imperial guards, and was making an armed parade along the main streets of Luoyang.

Beside Sima Zhao was Emperor Cao Huan's imperial entourage. It included his elite guards, the Tiger Warriors (roughly equivalent to tall, imposing figures clad in specially made, gleaming armor), and the emperor's canopy—all the necessities were present. It was far more impressive than the hastily prepared attire of Sima Fu.

The echoes of yesterday's street fighting still seemed to ring in his ears, but Sima Zhao had not personally witnessed the scene of truckloads of corpses being dragged to the mass grave in the west of the city for burial.

That faint, almost imperceptible stench of blood still lingered in the air.

Sima Zhao sniffed carefully but couldn't detect anything. But if he ignored it, there was always a pungent, rusty smell lingering in his nasal cavity.

Although he disliked it, it was a matter of appearances that couldn't be ignored. Sima Fu's thinking was essentially the same as Sima Zhao's.

Sima Zhao needed a public spectacle to "send" Cao Huan back to Jinyong City, to show that this puppet emperor was on the verge of being deposed, and all that remained was to issue an abdication edict.

Sima Zhao and Sima Fu were more like practicing divine skills in reverse, making it difficult to say who was right and who was wrong.

At the very back of the procession were Sima Yan and Yang Xiu bringing up the rear. Following Yang Xiu's advice, Sima Yan specifically told Sima Zhao that he should not walk at the front of the procession.

Seeing his resolute attitude, Sima Zhao had no choice but to send Sima Jun and Wen Yang to lead the charge.

To keep a low profile, neither Sima Yan nor Yang Xiu rode horses. The only difference between them and the surrounding imperial guards was that they wore brocade robes instead of armor.

"Is Shi Shouxin really gone?"

Sima Yan looked at Yang Xiu, who was half a step behind him, with a puzzled expression and asked.

"That's right, Tao Fu was sent to him, but he hasn't returned yet."

Yang Xiu reported this to Sima Yan.

"It's a pity, why did he have to leave? He made such great contributions."

Sima Yan muttered to himself.

Yang Xiu didn't know what to say. Perhaps Sima Yan wasn't a malicious person to begin with. Back then, when Li Wan was married off to Shi Shouxin, he didn't retaliate.

Yang Xiu calmly advised, "Anshi, the Prince of Jin is frail and sickly; you should do your best."

According to the value system that prioritizes filial piety, such persuasion is extremely disrespectful.

Unfortunately, the so-called "filial piety first" principle has been deeply ingrained in the performance system, making filial piety itself a form of "progress" rather than the act of fulfilling filial duties itself.

Compared to this indirect progress, the "direct progress" that Yang Xiu mentioned is more important. Sima Yan nodded, neither objecting nor being pretentious.

This time, the negotiations with Sima Fu broke down first, and then the rebellion was quelled, which opened the door to a new world for Sima Yan.

He also gained a deeper understanding of the four words "You should strive for it".

Before long, they arrived at Jinyong City. Sima Yan escorted Cao Huan to the city gate but did not enter the city at all, as if he were afraid of being tainted by some bad luck.

After Cao Huan was escorted into Jinyong City by his entourage, Sima Zhao led the Imperial Guard in a grand procession around Luoyang City, entering Luoyang Palace through Yunlong Gate.

After confirming that the Imperial Guards who had come with him had taken control of the palace, Sima Zhao led five hundred Imperial Guards to the Taiji Hall.

At this moment, the central court officials had all gathered together, but none of them looked very happy.

In the main hall of Taiji Hall, one corpse after another was laid out.

There were Sima Fu's, Sima Wang's, and Sima Fu's lineage; in short, almost all the male members of Sima Fu's lineage were here.

Most of their bodies were originally mutilated and were stitched back together after being collected.

Since the man died in the mutiny yesterday morning, a faint stench of decay had already begun to emanate from him. However, none of the civil and military officials in the Taiji Hall dared to voice any objections; they even frowned cautiously, lest they be seen by Sima Zhao's confidants.

The sight of more than a dozen corpses lined up in the main hall was extremely shocking.

Upon seeing Sima Fu's body, Sima Zhao immediately knelt beside him, lay on the corpse, and wept bitterly:

"Uncle! Although you have committed a heinous crime, I never intended to kill you!"

Your crime of kidnapping the emperor and plotting rebellion is unforgivable. I just want to ask you why you, who have enjoyed wealth and honor for so many years, would do something so outrageous that it offends both gods and men.

I never expected this! Swords have no eyes, and you actually died on the battlefield like this.

"Alas! If I had known this would happen, I should have arrested you and imprisoned you sooner!"

Sima Zhao cried very sadly, whether it was because he remembered the care Sima Fu had given to his family when he was still alive, or because he was acting so convincingly that he forgot himself.

It didn't look fake.

At this moment, Yang Xiu and Sima Yan, who were walking at the back of the group, seemed to understand why Shi Shouxin couldn't even wait a day or two and insisted on going to Qingzhou to take up his post ahead of schedule.

Given that person's outspokenness, if he were to say something like, "The King of Jin's wailing about his uncle was a pretense; his real purpose was to intimidate the courtiers," it would be quite a statement.

Everyone present must have felt incredibly embarrassed. Of course, some people were already embarrassed, but they didn't have the courage to speak up and rebuke Sima Zhao.

This scene was so straightforward that anyone with a modicum of intelligence could see it clearly, which was exactly what Sima Zhao wanted others to see.

One can weep for one's uncle anywhere, but it's better to weep in front of the mourning hall. However, Sima Zhao ordered that the corpses of all the male members of Sima Fu's lineage be placed in the Taiji Hall for the officials to see.

What does this mean?

Regret for killing the wrong person? Or blame his uncle for being ungrateful?

Of course, it was neither of those. Sima Zhao was simply telling all the court officials: This is the consequence of opposing me! Even my uncle will be killed without hesitation!

"Guards, give my uncle's family a proper burial. However, since they are traitors to the court, they need not be buried in the Sima family's ancestral tomb. Let them be buried on the spot in the western suburbs of Luoyang."

The western part of Luoyang was the cemetery for ordinary people. Even some merchants from the Western Regions who died suddenly from illnesses were buried in a pit dug in the west of the city, which was quite casual.

Killing someone is just a matter of beheading them, but Sima Zhao is not only killing people, he is also going to destroy their spirit!

No one stood up to object. Even Sima Zhao's own family didn't care what would happen to Sima Fu after his death, so others would care even less.

Soon, all the corpses here were carried away by the palace eunuchs.

Many ministers looked at the empty dragon throne at the top and then at Sima Zhao, wondering what this pretentious man was really up to.

The answer was soon revealed. Sima Zhao gave Zheng Chong, who had been waiting for a long time and was well prepared, a wink.

Zheng Chong took out a scroll of silk from his sleeve, unfolded it, and read aloud:

"To Your Majesty, King of Jin: My royal ancestor, the Yu clan, was born with divine mandate and died in the reign of Emperor Yao, and also inherited the mandate from the Xia dynasty."

The three emperors were all enshrined in Heaven, and their virtuous rule was spread throughout the land. From then on, Heaven again bestowed great mandate upon the Han dynasty.

When the virtue of fire declined, it was entrusted to my great-grandfather. I dare not know the clear distinctions made between the four dynasties of Yu and Xia.

Your Majesty, your grandfather and father, were wise and virtuous, and assisted our royal family. Their merits and virtues have been known throughout the world.

All the gods above and below obeyed, the earth was at peace, heaven was complete, and all nations were in order. They received the mandate of God and were in harmony with the supreme order.

I, alone, respectfully accept the mandate of Heaven and bestow upon you this position, the mandate of Heaven rests upon your very being.

Hold fast to the middle way, and Heaven's favor will last forever. Alas!
King Qiqin obeyed the Mandate of Heaven. He followed the established precepts, pacified the four kingdoms, thus ensuring Heaven's blessings and upholding the great achievements of our two emperors.

All this rambling can be summed up in six words: I want to abdicate in your favor!

Of course, this piece was written by Zheng Chong himself and had nothing to do with Cao Huan. It was simply presented to Cao Huan for his signature and imperial seal, and that was the end of it.

A puppet emperor is treated like this; what else can he be expected of?
After Zheng Chong finished reading the imperial edict, Sima Zhao knelt on the ground, bowed three times and kowtowed nine times, then stood up and said loudly, "Your Majesty's great favor is too much for me to accept. I would like to submit a memorial to decline Your Majesty's abdication, and ask all the court officials to bear witness."

After saying that, he strode away without looking back.

What did Sima Zhao want to say to the court officials present?

No, no, no, he won't say anything. It's all just a show; he's exhausted from acting, and the "audience" is exhausted from watching.

However, this process cannot be avoided.

Cao Pi went through the same process back then.

The most important thing in the country is to sacrifice to the army.

Yesterday, Sima Zhao demonstrated to his ministers what "rong" meant on the streets of Luoyang.

Today, in this Taiji Hall, he will demonstrate to his ministers what "sacrifice" truly means.

Once the process was completed, the "three resignations and three concessions" procedure would begin. This was called the "dignity" of dynastic change.

Sima Zhao certainly wanted to maintain his dignity; being pointed at and accused of "Sima Zhao's intentions are obvious to everyone" was already quite undignified. But that was because his position was unstable.

Now that my position is secure, I naturally want to do things in a more respectable way.

At least it looks respectable.

As Sima Zhao left with his personal guards, the court officials in the main hall also left the place.

Among them were former officials of Cao Wei, confidants of the Sima clan, and "county magistrate's wives" who would side with whoever won. Their positions differed, but at this moment, these people tacitly remained silent.

It's understandable that I felt a little uncomfortable seeing the host slaughtering their prey before sitting down to eat.

However, once the delicious dishes are served, the guests forget the bloody scenes and immerse themselves in the food.

Those who are seated at the table should naturally maintain their dignity and not complain about the efforts the host has made to entertain them.

As for that certain "out-of-touch" person, everyone unanimously ignored him.

(End of this chapter)