Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 226 The Last Day of the Great Wei (Part 1)
Blood, the whole world was blood-red.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky, the ground was covered with corpses, and rivers flowed like blood.

Sima Zhao suddenly woke up from his nightmare; he had fallen asleep in his study again.

Pushing open the door, I saw half a bright red sunrise hanging in the sky, a perfect autumn day!
Sima Zhao couldn't help but let out a long breath, then wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

Why would I have such a dream? Tomorrow is the founding ceremony of the nation; could it be that there will be bloodshed?
Or perhaps dreams are the opposite of reality; the more bloodshed there is, the more peaceful and prosperous the country is?
For a moment, Sima Zhao didn't know which was true. He only knew that he couldn't calm down at all. The closer he got to the moment of his ascension to the throne, the more fearful he felt from the bottom of his heart.

This fear stems from self-awareness.

Sima Zhao knew that he was far inferior to his father and elder brother, but he couldn't let go of them, he wasn't ruthless enough, he was old, and his health wasn't very good.

Can he really sit on this throne? Can he really hold onto it?
No one could answer that question, not even himself.

Before long, Jia Chong, Zheng Chong, Pei Xiu, Sima Zhou and others were summoned to the study of the Prince of Jin's residence by Sima Zhao, who was preoccupied with his own thoughts.

Although it was somewhat sudden, being summoned today was not unexpected.

The performances still need rehearsals, and tomorrow is the founding ceremony of the nation. How could the new emperor not even ask a single question?

"Jia Chong, have all the affairs in the palace been arranged?"

Sima Zhao looked at Jia Chong and asked.

"Your Majesty, I have already made proper arrangements for the defense of the palace. As for other matters, such as daily life within the palace, there are designated personnel in charge, and it is not appropriate for me to inquire about them."

Jia Chong spoke slowly, clearly having already made arrangements. He spoke with multiple layers of armor, fearing that Sima Zhao might misunderstand.

"Zheng Chong, I think it's best to let Cao Huan read the abdication edict himself. You will read the edict of my ascension to the throne."

Have you arranged all the ceremonial procedures for the abdication and succession?

Sima Zhao then looked at Zheng Chong and asked.

Today, he addresses his subjects by their given names, a privilege reserved for the emperor.

While it may not necessarily have to be so rigid, Cao Pi was quite polite to his ministers after he ascended the throne, but Sima Zhao wanted to constantly reinforce the sense of ritual for the monarch through these small actions.

"Your Majesty, everything is ready. I have already spoken with Cao Huan."

Zheng Chong answered meekly, not daring to meet Sima Zhao's gaze.

Originally, a minister was to read the abdication edict, but Sima Zhao was afraid that outsiders would think he was just making things up, so he decided at the last minute to have Cao Huan read it himself.

This really put Zheng Chong through a lot of trouble.

Having a courtier read it aloud is fine, anyone will do, it doesn't matter. But what if Cao Huan causes trouble if he reads it himself?
Zheng Chong went to great lengths, explaining the advantages and disadvantages to Cao Huan, and even resorting to threats and inducements, before finally getting the other party to agree with a firm promise.

A subject's job is to run errands for the monarch; otherwise, why would there be the saying "the relationship between a monarch and his subject"? Zheng Chong felt bitter inside, but he couldn't say it out loud and had to put on a smiling face.

"Pei Xiu, have the sacrificial rites been arranged?"

When the time comes to offer sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the ancestral tablets of the Cao family must be replaced with those of the Sima family.

This ceremony must be solemn and dignified.

Sima Zhao looked at Pei Xiu and said.

However, he didn't care much about these superficial formalities; as long as the "performance" was convincing, that was enough.

Pei Xiu bowed to Sima Zhao and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, these matters have been arranged."

Sima Zhao nodded, then turned to Sima Zhou and asked, "What is the military situation around Luoyang?"

Sima Zhou replied:
"Your Majesty, rest assured, there are no troops stationed within a radius of thirty li around Luoyang City."

The Imperial Guards have taken control of the palace and its surroundings, all city gates, as well as granaries, treasuries, and armories.

In Luoyang, wealthy households with more than a hundred household servants were all under close surveillance.

Sima Zhou calmly explained that the defense of Luoyang City at this moment was meticulous and took care of every aspect.

"Disperse, everyone. Pay attention today. The coronation ceremony tomorrow must not go wrong!"

Tomorrow night will be a banquet; we will all drink until we're completely drunk!

Sima Zhao looked around at everyone and said, without mentioning any rewards, but everyone present understood. The success of the mission and the celebration banquet that evening would represent the new dynasty's spirit.

Everyone has been waiting for so long, isn't it all for the sake of sitting down at the table for a feast?
Everyone pledged their loyalty to Sima Zhao, and for a time, flattery filled the air. Only after Jia Chong and the others left did Sima Zhao feel somewhat relieved.

Before long, he summoned his two sons, Sima Yan and Sima You.

"Anshi, how is the matter concerning the Crown Prince?"

Sima Zhao looked at Sima Yan and asked.

Tomorrow he will enter the Luoyang Palace, while Sima Yan will enter the Eastern Palace. Since the end of the Han Dynasty, the Eastern Palace has been virtually non-existent. The officials of the Eastern Palace are mostly figureheads, held concurrently by high-ranking officials of the court.

Since Emperor Ling of Han, there has never been a proper crown prince in this world. Including Liu Shan, they all "reached their peak upon their debut" and became emperors right away. Cao Pi was even the founding emperor of the country.

How to manage the Eastern Palace is indeed a rather novel issue.

As expected, Sima Yan stammered and replied, "I am doing things according to the old practices of the Han Dynasty. If it cannot be done, I am still trying to find a way."

"Alright, you can discuss it with Jia Chong later. Think it over before you speak."

Sima Zhao frowned slightly in dissatisfaction, but then he thought again that he might have been too harsh on Sima Yan.

The Sima family's rise and fall was quite a leap, from the General's Mansion to the Prince of Jin's Mansion, and then to the Imperial Palace and the Eastern Palace. Without careful planning, it would be difficult to even find suitable servants to serve them.

And what about other things?

"Tao Fu, how is the Imperial Guard?"

Sima Zhao stopped thinking about Sima Yan and instead looked at Sima You to ask.

"Father, the Imperial Guards are operating as usual, and trusted men are guarding all the key locations in Luoyang. However..."

A hint of worry flashed across Sima You's face, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Hmph, speak now! What time is it!"

Sima Zhao snorted coldly, displeased.

Sima You hesitated for a moment, then took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Sima Zhao.

This was given to him by Shi Shouxin last night when Sima You went to persuade him.

Sima You originally wanted to persuade Shi Shouxin to attend the banquet celebrating the founding of the nation, saying that even if he didn't go, his seat would still be empty, which would be very awkward.

But Shi Shouxin was determined to leave, and he left behind this letter.

Sima Zhao opened the letter, read it quickly, and immediately flew into a rage!
"This is outrageous! What is he trying to do?!"

Sima Zhao slammed his fist on the table, sat down on the cushion, his chest heaving violently, his hair standing on end in fury.

Then, he calmed down a little.

"You should all take a look too."

Sima Zhao gave the letter to Sima Yan and Sima You, asking them to read it together.

He finished reading the letter in no time.

Sima Yan had a thoughtful expression on his face, while Sima You was already pale with fright.

"Tao Fu, what do you say?"

Sima Zhao asked in a cold voice.

"I will go and ask Shi Shouxin right now."

Sima You turned and left, and Sima Zhao did not stop him. He then looked at Sima Yan and asked, "What do you think?"

Sima Yan thought for a moment, then sighed and said:

"I think what Shi Shouxin said makes sense. Anyway, today is the last day of the Wei Kingdom. Whether there are starving people everywhere or people are suffering, it is all a matter of the old dynasty."

The Wei state was incompetent, hence the bandits plundered the markets of Luoyang. With the founding of our Great Jin, a new dynasty with a new atmosphere, such things no longer happen.

Shi Shouxin had made great contributions and taken on responsibilities, but he couldn't attend the founding ceremony. Even though he said he was loyal, he still felt resentful.

His men, disguised as bandits, plundered the markets of Luoyang, which was a way of venting their anger. He figured he had no reason to complain about whatever the emperor asked of him from now on.

Upon hearing this, Sima Zhao nodded slightly.

After he calmed down, he realized that Shi Shouxin had made a correct statement in the letter:
I can be magnanimous, run errands for you, take the blame, and even if I don't get any reward in the end, I won't argue or make a fuss.

But my subordinates are unwilling to work for me, and they don't even receive any rewards. If I don't feed them, I won't be able to control them.

Therefore, I had no choice but to raise my own food and supplies within Luoyang City!
Your subject's subject is not your subject! If you don't give him a reward, you, the emperor, are nothing!

Although Shi Shouxin did not say this in the letter, the meaning he conveyed was clear.

This is also a very realistic and long-standing rule with a history of over a hundred years, the "double loyalty" since the end of the Han Dynasty.

A person who is both a minister of the imperial court and an advisor to an official in a local government office, who is loyal to both the court and his superior, is a good official in the positive sense, and is widely accepted in the mainstream ideology of society as "possessing both virtue and talent".

But what if the superior officer clashes with the imperial court?

So this person must first be loyal to his superior, and then loyal to the imperial court.

In other words, Shi Shouxin's subordinates should be loyal to him personally first, and then to the Sima family; this was true "virtue." If someone was loyal to the Sima family first and then to Shi Shouxin, that would be considered betraying his own people.

Correspondingly, when superiors face a choice between their subordinates and the imperial court, they must first consider the interests of their subordinates and then the interests of the imperial court; otherwise, they are not worth relying on.

Shi Shouxin said, "I'll work for you and run errands without complaining, and I can go hungry, but my men must be well-fed. If I can't get enough to feed my men from you, I'll have to let them find their own way in Luoyang."

This is done according to the rules.

"You mean, I'll ignore everything and pretend I didn't see anything, right?"

Sima Zhao countered with a question to Sima Yan.

“Father, that’s true. In any case, the merchants selling goods in the Luoyang market are mostly servants of powerful and wealthy families.”

Shi Shouxin robbed them, which was tantamount to making trouble for them.

If these people become disobedient in the future, the father can release Shi Shouxin to bite them.

With these people suppressing him, Shi Shouxin could only obediently listen to the emperor and receive his favor and protection.

Since he wants to steal it, let him steal it. We'll just pretend we didn't see, hear, or know anything, okay?

Sima Yan smiled and said that he did not speak ill of Shi Shouxin, nor did he suggest sending the Imperial Guards to teach Shi Shouxin's unruly elite soldiers a lesson.

"Go and spread the word that the troops near the market should be withdrawn, and the area should be cleared out after dark."

Sima Zhao nodded, saying that his anger had subsided.

Sima Yan bowed to him and was about to leave when Sima Zhao called him back with a smile, saying, "Anshi, you are already a qualified crown prince."

"Father!"

Sima Yan exclaimed with delight.

"Go."

Sima Zhao waved his hand gently.

After Sima Yan left, Sima Zhao let out a long sigh.

Sima You was resolute but lacked the skills to manage the complex political situation, and could only address symptoms rather than the root cause.

Sima Yan was weak-willed and only wanted to smooth things over and maintain a facade of tact, which was merely a stopgap measure and did not solve the core problem.

On the other hand, Shi Shouxin is cunning and shrewd, neither humble nor arrogant. He is skillful, knows when to advance and retreat, and understands the advantages and disadvantages.

If he stayed in Luoyang with Sima You, how would Sima Yan be able to control this pair in the future?
"Stone Tiger? It's already called Stone Tiger."

Tigers are fierce, but they can eat people... It's best not to go to the capital again.

Sima Zhao muttered to himself.

He has decided to keep Shi Shouxin firmly in Qingzhou and prevent him from being transferred to Luoyang for at least ten years.

Just then, Sima Zhao saw Wang Yuanji slowly passing by the study door. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed her, only to find that Wang Yuanji's face was covered in tears and her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had just been crying.

"Madam, what's wrong?"

Sima Zhao asked with a concerned expression.

Wang Yuanji sighed and said, "My family complains that I, the princess, am useless. It's nothing serious."

So it was about Wang Kai.

Sima Zhao comforted her, saying, "After the enthronement ceremony tomorrow, I will send Wang Kai back. They are currently in the outskirts of Wen County and have not left."

"Oh, then I won't worry."

Wang Yuanji gave a casual reply and then turned and went towards the bedroom.

As Sima Zhao watched her departing figure, he suddenly felt that something was amiss.

Since she was criticized by her family because of Wang Kai's situation, she should have been overjoyed to hear that Wang Kai was alright. Why was she so indifferent, as if she didn't care at all?

A question flashed through Sima Zhao's mind, but his train of thought was interrupted by Jia Chong, who rushed back.

"Your Majesty, our scouts report that Wu ruler Sun Xiu has died of illness, and a funeral has already been held."

Should we send someone to offer condolences?

Jia Chong asked with a puzzled look, or rather, he was pretending to be stupid.

As expected, Sima Zhao rebuked him with displeasure, "It's just a subject who has died of illness, why bother with condolences? Just ignore them! You focus on managing the celebrations!"

"Wei Chen retire."

After Jia Chong bowed and paid his respects, he immediately felt refreshed. Sima Zhao then thought of Wang Yuanji's matter, but his train of thought was interrupted, and he felt as if something was missing and he couldn't recall it.

That's a very important thing.

……

At the gate of Jia Chong's ex-wife, Li, Jia Yu hugged her, then took Shi Shouxin's hand and got into the carriage.

Li walked over and looked at Jia Yu, who was peeking out from behind the curtain, and instructed him, "Young Master Shi can be trusted. You must obediently follow his arrangements, understand?"

"I see."

Jia Yu wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and nodded gently.

“Mother-in-law, we’re heading to Mengjin Ferry now. From here, we can take a boat directly back to Qingzhou, so we probably won’t be going back to Luoyang.”

Shi Shouxin said with a warm smile.

Li sensed the uncertainty in the words; the word "probably" was quite meaningful.

She frowned slightly, but didn't say much. She simply nodded, signaling to Shi Shouxin, the driver, that he could drive away.

A question suddenly popped into Li's mind: Shi Shouxin is also a prefect, and he has quite a few attendants on his way to Luoyang this time, so why can't he even find a coachman now?
But the carriage had already slowly driven away, and she couldn't very well call out to it. She could only sigh and hope that her daughter would live a good life from now on.

(End of this chapter)