Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 222 Taking the Table for the Feast (7)

On the two gateposts flanking the simple gate of Jinguyuan Farm, there is a couplet written on each side.

The couplet on the left reads: "Heaven creates all things to nourish humankind."

The couplet on the right reads: "Man has no virtue to repay Heaven."

It was already late at night when those fat sheep were locked up, so they didn't feel anything, and most of them didn't even notice the couplet.

However, leaving this place today means being exiled to Liaodong. Only as the group of fat sheep stepped out did they realize that these two sentences seemed to have a deeper meaning.

However, they only had doubts in their hearts, but could never find the answer.

At this moment, the area outside Jingu Garden was packed with people, mostly the families and servants of Wang Kai and his cronies, their carts and carriages almost completely blocking the official road. Shi Shouxin had no choice but to order Zhao Lun to lead his troops to drive these people away.

He also decreed that prisoners could only bid farewell to their captives upon reaching the Mengjin ferry crossing.

The families and servants of those fat sheep had no choice but to follow behind the procession, not daring to get too close, yet not too far away, like a cat's tail dragging on the ground.

That look was truly hilarious.

"Shi Gandang, what is the meaning of those two sentences at the entrance of Jingu Garden?"

At the front of the line, Shi Qiao approached Shi Shouxin and asked him a question.

"Heaven gave me life and nurtured me, so I should be virtuous and compassionate in my conduct. Isn't that right?"

Shi Shouxin countered with a question.

"Jingu Garden belonged to Shi Chong, so I feel these two lines are perfect for him. Sigh!"

Shi Qiao sighed deeply, recalling a series of ridiculous events that had occurred not long ago. He felt powerless to complain, and had a bellyful of words he couldn't say.

"After crossing the Yellow River, you will set up camp on the outskirts of Wen County and will not go any further north. At that time, you can rest assured and do not cause any trouble."

Shi Shouxin admonished Shi Qiaodao.

"I know, I know."

Shi Qiao responded impatiently. He was already incredibly annoyed after learning he had been unjustly arrested. Shi Shouxin's arrest of him was merely a message to outsiders: I've arrested even members of the Shi family; there's no one in Luoyang I wouldn't dare arrest!

If Shi Qiao's experience isn't considered unlucky, then nothing is unlucky.

By the time the group reached Mengjin Ferry, they had already traveled more than 20 li (approximately 10 kilometers), and it was getting dark.

At Shi Shouxin's command, the families of the "fat sheep" stepped forward to offer them provisions, robes, furs, and other necessities for the journey. Perhaps harboring resentment towards Shi Shouxin, not a single one of them approached to greet him.

Wang Yuanji, Jia Chong, Wang Shen, and others who were supposed to come to see him off did not show up.

But Guo Huai, whom Shi Shouxin hadn't expected, did arrive! She was bidding a reluctant farewell to her brother, Guo Zhan.

Seeing this, Shi Shouxin seemed to be deep in thought.

Jia Chong is a tight-lipped fellow. Guo Huai must have been crying and making a scene at home, but Jia Chong pretended to be oblivious and didn't tell Guo Huai the inside story.

If Guo Huai had known the inside story, he probably wouldn't have come today.

Having probably finished talking with his elder brother Guo Zhan, Guo Huai came up to Shi Shouxin, looked him up and down, and his expression was not very pleasant.

She seemed to be trying her best to hold back, so her expression didn't look so ferocious or terrifying.

"Shi Shouxin, have you thought about the consequences of offending the Guo family?"

Guo Huai looked at Shi Shouxin and asked, his words quite impolite.

"I did think about it, but then I realized that you guys can't really do anything to me."

Shi Shouxin grinned, showing that he wasn't buying Guo Huai's act at all.

"Hmph, we'll see about that."

Guo Huai snorted coldly, appearing quite confident, but did not leave.

It seemed they wanted to see Shi Shouxin's terrified expression.

However, Guo Huai was destined to be disappointed. For someone who knew the "answer," no amount of bluffing would work.

Seeing that she didn't seem to understand the situation, Shi Shouxin took a step closer and whispered:
"Don't think that you're something special just because you're engaged to the Prince of Jin's family. The foolish Sima Zhong is both a stepping stone for your advancement and an iron block that will drag you down into the abyss."

You don't actually think that just because there's a foolish emperor in the future, your family, as relatives of the emperor, can do whatever we want, do you?

Upon hearing this, Guo Huai stared at Shi Shouxin in horror and exclaimed in a low voice, "How could that old dog Jia Chong say such things to outsiders?"

Judging from her naive and simple-minded appearance, she is far inferior to Jia Chong's first wife, Li Shi, by more than a fraction.

Shi Shouxin recalled Jia Chong's assessment of Guo Huai as "both stupid and wicked," and he realized that Jia Chong's assessment of his wife was quite accurate.

Although this is of no use.

"With all this chaos and turmoil, Madam Jia would be better off returning to the manor as soon as possible."

Shi Shouxin gave Guo Huai a perfunctory reply and sent him away.

He had already made connections with Jia Chong's ex-wife's faction, so it was impossible for him to be friendly to his successor. Not to mention, Guo Huai had low emotional intelligence, making Shi Shouxin feel that talking to her was very boring.

As it was getting late, Shi Shouxin went forward to interrupt the fat sheep who were still "bidding farewell," and some of them even had beautiful maids preparing to "serve him in bed" in the wild. He drove away their families and servants, urging them to return home quickly.

Soon, most of the people had left the Mengjin ferry crossing, making it seem rather deserted.

Red lanterns were hung on the flagpole at the ferry crossing, swaying in the breeze.

"Captain Shi, it seems your plan has been seen through."

Seeing that many people showed no fear, Shao probably knew that this was all just an act.

Shao Ti stepped forward and made a sarcastic remark. At that moment, the Yellow River reflected a red sun, turning it blood red. Combined with the red lanterns hanging at the ferry crossing, the whole scene presented a magnificent spectacle.

If we were to capture this moment as a painting, it would be difficult to say whether the painting depicts a sunrise or a sunset.

"It was an open scheme from the start; it would be terrible if no one noticed. If we're talking about cooking, the heat is just right now!"

Shi Shouxin replied nonchalantly, since he didn't work in Luoyang anyway, he wasn't afraid of offending these powerful figures in Luoyang.

"Back then, King Jing (Sima Shi) killed too many people, so when it came to the King of Jin, it was no longer convenient for him to stabilize the situation by killing people."

When founding a nation, one should always be lenient and wise, and it is even more inconvenient to kill people now.

The paths that Prince Jin could take had already been explored by his family, leaving him with only a few options.

Commandant Shi's method was very much in line with the King of Jin's wishes.

Shao had never understood why Lieutenant Shi could rise through the ranks so quickly after the war to conquer Shu.

Today, I've finally started to see some clues.

Shao Ti sighed, his tone ambiguous, whether it was jealousy or envy. In any case, he felt a certain amount of admiration.

"I'll leave the escort of these fat sheep to Commander Shao."

Just think of it as a holiday; they've stopped in Wen County, and someone should be able to bring them back quickly.

Shi Shouxin gave instructions to Shao Ti without responding to the other's sentimental remarks.

"understood."

Shao Ti nodded, then, as if remembering something, gave a wry smile and said, "Sometimes I think, if only I could just take a knife and chop all these people up, that would be great. Why bother with all this thankless trouble?"

"Indeed, the Prince of Jin may think the same way."

Shi Shouxin did not mock Shao Ti's delusions, but affirmed the other party's view.

Those bastards in Luoyang are really annoying, so despicable!

Even if the Sima family doesn't come to kill them, sooner or later the Hu people will come to deal with them.

In reality, whether Shi Shouxin was offering advice or Sima Zhao was feigning ignorance, it was essentially a compromise with the powerful clans, hoping to reach a "spoils-sharing agreement" as soon as possible.

What would happen if the powerful clans didn't compromise? The answer would likely be similar to what happened when Huan Wen failed to become emperor.

Since the Sima family came from a powerful clan and their accession to the throne was illegitimate, it was only natural for them to relinquish their interests to other powerful clans, and there was not much room for flexibility in doing so.

Shi Shouxin's suggestion was merely an attempt to save face; it wouldn't fundamentally change anything.

Like in a game of strategy, the goal is to choose a distribution method acceptable to both sides. It's about what's acceptable to both, not necessarily what's most reasonable.

So-called "rules" are merely a means to maintain a stable order; they do not guarantee fairness, let alone justice.

"Commander Shi, you must be the weight that Prince Jin uses to suppress the powerful families, so you must be at odds with the powerful families in Luoyang."

In that case, whether it's the Prince of Jin or the Crown Prince, they can rest assured when they need you in the future.

So you're not afraid of offending Wang Kai and his group.

These are all things that Shao himself wanted to say, and have nothing to do with the Prince of Jin. You don't need to think about them.

Shao Ti looked at Shi Shouxin and said.

"The founding of the Great Jin Dynasty was like sailing on dry land. The new dynasty has elegant policies, and there will be plenty of fun to come."

Commander Shao was a man of many talents and shrewdness. While enjoying the flowers and the moon in Luoyang, he could witness all walks of life and even have his fill of gossip.

However, Shi was not well-liked and had a bad temper, so he could only govern a small area in Qingzhou.

"Things in Luoyang are far removed from my life, so I don't care about them."

Shi Shouxin said meaningfully.

However, Shao Ti looked at him with a serious expression and said, "Commander Shi, there's no need to belittle yourself. I believe that you will eventually come to Luoyang to perform. I just don't know if I will live to see that day."

Shao Ti's gaze was somewhat chilling, but Shi Shouxin waved his hand dismissively and said:

"You're overthinking it. Nothing like that happened."

The Prince of Jin was frail and sickly, and would not reign for more than a few years.

The fact that Sima You would become the King of Qi and eventually take charge of all military affairs in Jin was already keeping the crown prince up at night.

If I were still in Luoyang, the Crown Prince would probably be worried every day about whether I would help his younger brother stage a coup.

How can anyone bear this?

Shi Shouxin countered with a question.

Shao Ti remained silent for a long time, and the two watched the sun sink into the Yellow River. Only then did he turn to Shi Shouxin and ask, "Commander Shi is so intelligent, how did you end up in such a predicament?"

"When you're in the world of martial arts, you're not in control of your own destiny."

After saying this, Shi Shouxin turned and headed south.

……

The powerful families of Luoyang were like cicadas that respond to sounds of a specific frequency.

If the frequency of the sound is wrong, they are like deaf and blind people, and even if there are floods and wild beasts raging outside, it will not disturb their lives.

However, if the frequency of the sound is right, even the slightest rustling sound can be clearly and distinctly perceived by these people, allowing them to react immediately.

The day after Shi Shouxin's captured "fat sheep" were exiled to Liaodong, Pei Xiu submitted a very important memorial to the court.

In this memorial, Pei Xiu said:
The course of Heaven is constant; it does not exist for Yao, nor does it perish for Jie. At the end of the Han Dynasty, natural disasters were frequent, and Mars was in conjunction with Antares. The Han emperor was immoral, and Heaven was angered, which led to the later uprisings among the feudal lords.

When the Han dynasty lost its mandate, the whole world vied for power, and thus the Cao family replaced the Han and established the Wei dynasty, which has lasted for more than forty years.

The Cao family is now cruel and inhumane, the emperor is without virtue, disasters are frequent, and the people are suffering terribly. Furthermore, a comet has fallen to earth, the Yellow River has breached its banks, and earthquakes are frequent, causing untold misery for the people.

Your humble servant recently observed the celestial phenomena and discovered that the Cao family's fate is sealed. There are many signs of this, which need not be elaborated upon.

Therefore, I suggest that Your Majesty issue an edict of self-reproach to appease Heaven's anger and give an explanation to the people, thus conforming to the will of Heaven and the will of the people.

When the memorial was delivered to Sima Zhao's desk, the Prince of Jin, whose heart had been pounding recently, breathed a sigh of relief.

The airtight "alliance of offense and defense" was finally breached.

Pei Xiu submitted a memorial requesting the emperor to issue an edict of self-reproach, which was the prelude to the abdication; the countdown had already begun.

If Heaven is dissatisfied with the emperor, what should the emperor do first?
First, issue a self-reproach edict as a token of remorse.

What if God is still not satisfied?

A grand sacrificial ceremony was held in the capital.

What if Heaven is still not satisfied?

For example, if there is a severe drought and it doesn't rain for six months, even if the emperor issues an edict of self-reproach, it still won't rain, and sacrifices are useless, what should be done?
Then it's time to issue the abdication edict!

Cao Huan's first step was to issue an edict of self-reproach, which had already been brought up by Pei Xiu, serving as a "bait and switch."

Of course, this was just a gap; the real substance was the petition from the court officials urging the emperor to abdicate.

Having taken the first step, how far away can the second step be?

It must be said that Shi Shouxin's move was effective; exiling the captured "fat sheep" was indeed a blow to the heads of these powerful bureaucratic families.

Even if it wasn't killed, it still felt pain.

While the iron was hot, on the same day that Sima Zhao saw Pei Xiu's memorial, Cao Huan issued an edict of self-reproach. Of course, he didn't write it himself; Sima Zhao had someone write it and then had Cao Huan stamp it.

The emperor issued an edict of self-reproach, and Sima Zhao immediately sent men to arrest Cao Huan and bring him onto the imperial carriage. They then paraded him around Luoyang before taking him to the altar to offer sacrifices.

The whole process was incredibly smooth, and the entire procedure was completed in just one day.

I don't know if Cao Huan felt bored, but Shi Shouxin, who was watching the drama unfold at Silitai, certainly felt very bored.

However, no one submitted the memorials from the court officials urging the emperor to abdicate! This crucial step remained stalled.

Sima Zhao was truly enraged this time.

Why is no one willing to submit this memorial? Because the person who writes it will surely be "forgotten in history" and condemned by posterity.

Who told the Sima family to seize power illegitimately? Illegally seizing power means they deserve this treatment; there's nothing that can be done about it.

The next day, Sima Zhao summoned Shi Shouxin to his study to discuss countermeasures.

The two sat facing each other at the table. Shi Shouxin noticed that Sima Zhao had dark circles under his eyes, which clearly indicated that he had not been sleeping well these days.

“I have already given them a chance, why don’t they advise the emperor to abdicate?”
Must I personally go and persuade them?

In the study, Sima Zhao complained to Shi Shouxin that the closer he got to the throne, the more anxious he became.

He was in a state of extreme emotional rollercoaster, feeling both excited and frustrated, and seemingly lacking any composure.

"Your Highness cannot personally submit a letter of remonstrance; now we must take drastic measures."

Shi Shouxin spoke slowly.

Sima Zhao raised his head, looked at him with a serious expression, and asked, "What kind of potent medicine is it?"

Shi Shouxin uttered two words: "The best plan."

"The best plan?"

Sima Zhao was taken aback, then looked thoughtful and fell silent.

"First, they hinted to the outside world that the founding ceremony would be postponed."

Second, he announced that all officials in Luoyang would be subject to a post-autumn requisition.

Those who pass the test will be retained. Those who fail will be dismissed.

"If I cooperate and arrest a few more people, that should be enough."

Shi Shouxin explained.

The so-called "superior plan" is the traditional "official assessment". At this sensitive moment, releasing the "superior plan" will inevitably delay the holding of the founding ceremony.

However, if the court officials are willing to cooperate, the "supreme plan" can be cancelled, and the founding banquet can be held as scheduled.

Anyway, Cao Wei doesn't have much time left, so what's the point of evaluating officials? Since it's a game between two sides, it's bound to be a back-and-forth exchange.

"wonderful!"

Sima Zhao was overjoyed and was so excited that he almost danced with joy.

(End of this chapter)