Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 228 When something goes wrong, there must be a monster

The blazing sun hung high in the sky, the clouds on the horizon had dispersed, and its light shone on the earth, leaving behind one moving shadow after another.

Sitting on his imperial chariot, Sima Zhao, under the protection of the imperial guards, slowly and steadily made his way towards Luoyang Palace.

At the Yunlong Gate of Luoyang Palace, the gates were wide open, and a large drum was being beaten.

Boom!
dong dong!

Boom boom boom!
The imperial guards on duty at the gate were wielding large sticks and beating drums.

As they walked, the imperial carriage stopped in front of the gate. Immediately afterward, the long procession of guards escorting the emperor also came to a halt.

Sima Zhao, dressed in a dragon robe, stood still in front of Yunlong Gate, supported by a eunuch.

The imperial carriage could not proceed any further; Sima Zhao had to walk to the Taiji Hall of the palace.

It's a very simple principle: no powerful or wealthy person drives their car into the garage after arriving home; that's the driver's job. The palace is the emperor's home, and upon arrival, one should alight at the gate and be escorted by a large entourage to the main hall.

This means the owner has returned home.

This is the most basic aristocratic etiquette, which is followed on ordinary days when entering and leaving for official business, let alone at the enthronement ceremony.

"This Yunlong Gate is so magnificent. I never noticed it before. What a pity."

Sima Zhao sighed with some emotion, though it was unclear what he was regretting.

Jia Chong, who was following behind, twitched at the corner of his mouth and almost burst out laughing. He barely managed to hold it in.

Sima Zhao had always worked in the Prince of Jin's residence, so how could he possibly have noticed what the imperial palace in Luoyang was like?
Sima Zhao at this moment is like a nouveau riche who has suddenly entered the century-old mansion of a wealthy family, feeling somewhat guilty and out of place. He is so nervous that he makes trouble for no reason, tries to talk about things that aren't there, and doesn't know where to put his seat.

Ultimately, it still lacked depth and substance.

"Your Majesty, Cao Huan just read out the abdication edict at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. You are now the Emperor."

"It is a matter of course for the emperor to enter the palace; you should go first."

Jia Chong stepped forward and whispered to Sima Zhao.

He had already realized that Sima Zhao had not yet switched his identity and was still subconsciously treating himself as a subject in front of Yunlong Gate.

"Ah."

Sima Zhao gave a soft "hmm" and walked straight into the Yunlong Gate. A group of officials dressed in black robes followed behind him, deliberately keeping a slight distance.

The imperial guards standing at the gate, their weapons originally extended diagonally, two weapons crossing to form a triangle, blocked the way. When the procession ascending the throne passed by, they lowered their weapons to attention and made way.

From the plaza in front of the Taiji Hall to the main gate, the long passageway was filled with the clatter of weapons. Wherever Sima Zhao went, the weapons would part to make way.

It was solemn yet orderly.

For a moment, Sima Zhao felt a surge of pride. The orderly etiquette brought with it a sense of class superiority.

Although Sima Zhao was not exactly filled with heroic spirit at this moment, he was quite pleased with himself.

From this day forward, I am the emperor!
Sima Zhao thought to himself.

Then he recalled the scene of himself looking in the bronze mirror before he set off this morning, and a bitter feeling welled up in his heart.

In the end, I've gotten old.

His skin had become loose, wrinkles covered his forehead, his temples were gray, and he had deep eye bags.

Being an emperor is indeed great; you truly wield immense power and can get almost anything you want.

But... why couldn't it have been twenty years earlier?

It's a pity that power came too late.

Sima Zhao was filled with mixed emotions, but he could not express them to anyone.

Stepping into the Taiji Hall, looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar palace, he realized that he had actually not been here many times. In the past, he had mostly handled government affairs at the General's Mansion or the Prince of Jin's Mansion.

Sima Zhao plopped down on the dragon throne, and suddenly felt that the area beneath his buttocks was cold and hard, making it very uncomfortable to sit on.

But in order to sit on this dragon throne, brothers can turn against each other, fathers and sons can kill each other, and family members can become estranged from their own relatives.

In the past, he desperately wanted to obtain it, but after obtaining it, Sima Zhao discovered that... he didn't seem to have achieved anything significant.

There is no such thing as living to a hundred years old, nor is there any such thing as ruling the world. He will also be unable to see those countries and territories with his own eyes.

Sima Zhao felt that he was merely moving from a small cage into a larger one. In the past, he dealt with officials within the powerful government; in the future, he would deal with court officials, and these people would likely be the same group of people.

What aspects of life are different from the past?
For a moment, Sima Zhao was somewhat bewildered. He had gained the throne but lost all hope; it was hard to say whether he had won or lost.

"Read the edict of accession to the throne."

Sima Zhao gave instructions to Zheng Chong, who was already prepared.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zheng Chong stepped forward, unfurled the imperial edict scroll in his hand, and began to read the enthronement edict in a melodious and rhythmic voice.

It's all nonsense, so it's not worth listening to.

Both Sima Zhao and the ministers in the Taiji Hall were drowsy from listening.

But they had no choice but to brace themselves, pretend to be attentive and serious while listening to the imperial edict, and put on a ridiculous act of self-deception.

Everyone in the hall is acting, performing for others and for themselves. Even if this veil of pretense is seen through, it cannot be spoken of; the unalterable rules must be maintained on the surface.

The most important matters of state are sacrifice and war. Ritual itself is a kind of power, and it doesn't matter whether the participants like it or not, or even if it is merely a formality without substance.

Rules are rules in themselves.

The lengthy edict was finally finished being read. Zheng Chong deliberately read it slowly, as if to ensure that everyone present could understand it. But in reality, including Sima Zhao, everyone had forgotten what Zheng Chong had just read in less than a minute.

The imperial edict was read to "Heaven," a report from the emperor and his ministers to "request instructions" from Heaven, and also the basis for Heaven's "appointment" of the emperor.

Heaven is illusory, therefore imperial edicts are also illusory.

But whether it was Sima Zhao or the ministers in the palace, they were all real people who needed to eat, drink, relieve themselves, eat, wear clothes, live, and travel, and they also had emotions and desires.

They are more concerned with tangible things.

For example, the rewards bestowed upon those who founded the nation!

"Spare us the formalities and just announce the bestowal of titles."

Sima Zhao gave Jia Chong instructions, somewhat listlessly.

He saw that the ministers were all enduring it very hard, and he himself was also enduring it very hard, so he decided not to pretend anymore.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Jia Chong stepped forward, took out a thick stack of papers, and looked surprised when he saw the first line of the first page.

His own name was listed first!
This seems a bit inappropriate.

Because of the founding heroes, the Sima family members should be remembered first, and then the officials outside the capital.

There is no reason to bestow rewards upon outsiders first when it comes to bestowing titles and honors.

But when the time came, Jia Chong had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue reading. Sima Zhao had not discussed this matter with him beforehand.

"Jia Chong was enfeoffed as Duke of Lu, and appointed Grand Commandant and General of Chariots and Cavalry."

Pei Xiu was granted the title of Duke of Julu and appointed Minister of Works.

"Wang Shen was enfeoffed as Duke of Boling, and appointed General of the Cavalry and concurrently Minister of the Imperial Secretariat."

"Yang Hu was enfeoffed as Marquis of Nancheng, appointed as General Who Conquers the West, and Governor of Yizhou."

...After a long time, when Jia Chong's throat was almost dry, he finally read:
"Shi Shouxin was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Donglai, appointed as the Governor of Qingzhou, and a Lieutenant General."

When he got to this point, Jia Chong paused for a moment, then continued reading, secretly relieved.

As expected, Jia Chong had not misjudged Sima Zhao. He was not a particularly brilliant person, and almost all of his appointments were within Jia Chong's expectations.

Although Shi Shouxin had done many important things for the new emperor, the emperor was the emperor and had no intention of letting Shi Shouxin into the core circle of power.

Jia Chong was already fully aware of this.

The title of governor sounds impressive, suggesting that he can do whatever he wants in the local area. However, officials sent to the provinces are far inferior to those in the capital.

If Shi Shouxin had started as a junior official in the Ministry of Personnel and then worked his way up in the Six Ministries, or even become a junior official in the Ministry of Personnel, he would probably have become a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel in five or ten years.

They were involved in government and military affairs on a regular basis, always by the emperor's side, and maintained a strong influence on the political situation.

That's really good, and it can be used to gain merit by helping others succeed at crucial moments.

Sima Zhao did not want Shi Shouxin to cause trouble in Luoyang, so he sent him far away. This way, Sima You could stay in Luoyang instead of going to his fiefdom.

Sima Zhao's lineage was small, so he hoped that his sons could hold great power. Before Sima Yan's sons came of age, Sima You was the core of consolidating military power.

Sima Zhao's move to split things up was both defensive and effective.

While Jia Chong was pondering complex issues, he didn't hesitate at all, reciting the names of those who were to be rewarded one after another.

When the enthronement edict was being read aloud, a large number of people in the Taiji Hall were daydreaming and their minds were wandering. But at this moment, even though the list of rewards was extremely long and the reading of the list took much longer than the enthronement edict, the officials remained completely focused.

We dared not be careless for even a moment.

"Liu Shan, Duke of Anle".

After Jia Chong finished reading the last name, he bowed to Sima Zhao and returned to his original position.

"Tonight, I will hold a banquet in the Taiji Hall to celebrate my ascension to the throne."

At that time, I will drink and chat with my beloved ministers, and perhaps even compose poems and essays.

Court adjourned!

Sima Zhao gave an order, and then, accompanied by eunuchs, slowly walked out of the Taiji Hall.

He was quite decisive, skipping the subsequent series of tedious formalities.

Sima Zhao wanted to see what kind of faces his ministers would have after they had eaten and drunk their fill and become complacent during the banquet that evening.

……

The Mengjin ferry crossing has been transformed into a small market.

Shi Shouxin spread out all the looted goods and put them on the ferry to sell. The passenger ship was packed with people looking at the goods, and there were also many buyers.

In just one day, by evening, the goods were almost sold out. The heavy, difficult-to-carry items were replaced with easily portable valuables such as gold, silver, and silk.

For a robbery, selling the stolen goods is the final and most important step. Once the stolen goods are sold, there's no way to verify the story, and the subsequent tales of Shi Shouxin sending his henchmen to plunder the markets of Luoyang will become mere legends, devoid of evidence and proof.

Whether it exists or not, since Shi Shouxin doesn't admit it, it doesn't exist.

"Lord Shi, shouldn't we return to Qingzhou now?"

Zhao Lun asked Shi Shouxin, who was conducting surveying by the river.

"I can't go back yet; I'm waiting for the imperial court's appointment."

Shi Shouxin spoke calmly, still busy with his work.

Zhao Lun was silent for a moment, then asked, "But, Your Excellency is already the Governor of Qingzhou. Wasn't the court already appointing you?"

He finally voiced the question that had been on his mind.

Shi Shouxin shook his head and said, "It was the Wei Kingdom that appointed me as the governor of Qingzhou, not the Jin Kingdom. I am waiting for the Jin court to send someone to deliver the letter of appointment to me."

Does it make a difference?
Zhao Lun didn't understand, scratched his head, and retreated dejectedly without saying anything more.

Wei Xiu, who was helping Shi Shouxin with the surveying, realized what was going on and asked in a low voice, "Is Alang worried that someone in the court is trying to sabotage him?"

"I'm not too worried, but I can't rule out the possibility."

Without the imperial appointment, I won't be able to control the local powerful families after I return to Qingzhou.

If the name is not correct, the words will not be proper; if the words are not proper, things will be difficult to accomplish.

Everything needs an explanation; the time lag between the initial response and the final explanation makes it easy for bad people to take advantage of the situation.

Shi Shouxin said in a deep voice, his expression no longer as calm as before.

He needed to obtain the letter of appointment, the new official seal, and the title of nobility from the Jin court before he could return to Qingzhou with peace of mind. Otherwise, if there were any problems with his identity verification, it would be hard to say what might happen next.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar, growing closer and closer, as if someone was fleeing for their life.

Shi Shouxin turned around and saw that the person was one of Sima You's close attendants or deputy generals who had been by his side that day, though he didn't know his name.

"Could it be Prefect Shi of Qingzhou in person? This humble official, Xiang Xiong, has come to deliver the imperial seal and appointment letter on behalf of the court!"

Xiang Xiong dismounted and handed the bundle he was carrying on his horse to Shi Shouxin.

The latter opened the bundle and found that it contained the appointment letter for the governor of Qingzhou, as well as a bunch of messy new seals.

Governor of Qingzhou, Marquis of Donglai, and Lieutenant General.

The appointment was a very formal one, nothing unusual.

Nothing particularly surprising, but not disappointing either; it was just average.

"Do you need me to write you a reply?"

Shi Shouxin inquired.

Xiang Xiong shook his head and said, "There is no need to write a reply. However, His Majesty will be worshipping the River God in Mengjin in three days and will also be holding a banquet at the foot of Phoenix Mountain. At that time, Prefect Shi must attend. This is what His Highness Prince Qi instructed me to tell you."

How about camping at the foot of Phoenix Mountain?
Shi Shouxin seemed to understand a little.

Recently, he heard in Mengjin that some busybodies were saying that something extraordinary had happened at Phoenix Mountain. They said that the sound of a phoenix could be heard at night, and that some people had seen a phoenix flying in the night sky like flames.

Upon learning of this interesting story, Shi Shouxin went to take a look, but he couldn't find a single phoenix feather.

Why did this wild phoenix start calling out only after Sima Zhao ascended the throne?

The timing of this appearance is rather too coincidental. Playing with auspicious omens seems rather half-hearted, Shi Shouxin thought with deep contempt.

This is not even as good as Wang Xiang's "lying on ice to catch carp"!
"Please inform the King of Qi that His Majesty will come to Mengjin to worship the River God, and I will also come to serve him, not to mention attending the banquet."

Shi Shouxin bowed to Xiang Xiong and said this, without mentioning a single word of his inner turmoil.

"Then I am relieved. I will go back and report to King Qi."

Xiang Xiong didn't hesitate. He mounted his horse, turned around, and rode away without any hesitation.

After Xiang Xiong left, Shi Shouxin crossed his arms and watched his departing figure, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"Ah Lang, is something bothering you?"

Wei Xiu noticed that her man seemed a little off and quickly went over to ask him what was wrong.

“Something unusual must be going on. The emperor will come to Mengjin to worship the river god in three days... This is not normal.”

Shi Shouxin's smile faded, and he spoke with a solemn expression.

(End of this chapter)