Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 231 Finding Wealth in Danger

The wind is a bit strong tonight, and this is not by chance, but because someone deliberately chose this day to do something.

Perhaps for Pei Xiu, who is well-versed in metaphysics and skilled in divination, accurately predicting the weather is not a difficult task.

The date for the "business" was specially chosen.

When the east wind blows, great things are accomplished; without the wind, nothing can be done.

Everything was meticulously planned and executed.

Shi Shouxin was being dragged along by Li Yin, walking at the very back of the group, already separated from the main force.

"Father-in-law, don't go any closer! The wind is strong tonight! Something terrible might happen!"

Shi Shouxin couldn't take it anymore, so he stopped and pulled Li Yin back, speaking solemnly.

Li Yin was startled, and then, as if realizing something, he stopped in his tracks.

"What exactly do you know?"

He turned to look at Shi Shouxin and asked in a deep voice. The hand holding the torch was trembling slightly.

At this moment, Li Yin also felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"The phoenix sings on Mount Qi, and the Zhou dynasty rose to power in Qi; the phoenix sings on the Luo River, and the Jin dynasty rose to power in Luo."

This performance is for everyone to see; upon returning to court, there will surely be calls for the unification of the realm by force and the conquest of Eastern Wu.

Shi Shouxin looked at the distant mountains that were only faintly lit and said, "Phoenix Mountain is shaped like a large bird spreading its wings, so it's not surprising that it has this name."

Li Yin nodded and said, "Many people know about this, and even those who don't have a general idea. It's fine to go and see what's going on, it's no big deal. It's just an auspicious omen, nothing more."

He was clearly open and honest, and felt that such things were no big deal.

However, Shi Shouxin held tightly to his sleeve and said:
“Father-in-law, first hear its voice, then see its form, and then witness its reality! This confirms the auspicious omen.”

The phoenix has already cried out, and soon the so-called divine bird, the phoenix, will spread its wings in the night sky. Then Your Majesty will lead your court to the place where the phoenix cried out, to seek out this auspicious omen.

One might see inscriptions on a giant rock that say "Jin Xing Shi" (晋兴于此), or find a golden book with similar inscriptions; these are undoubtedly auspicious omens.

That concludes today's performance.

Shi Shouxin said solemnly.

Li Yin smiled wryly and helplessly:
"Isn't that exactly the case?"

The cry of a phoenix can also be the mournful cry of a wild bird, which is unconvincing.

The so-called divine bird's appearance may simply be floating clouds and has nothing to do with the rise and fall of a nation.

Only by finding physical evidence at the place where the phoenix sings can we connect the auspicious omen with the general trend of the world.

His Majesty is climbing the mountain now, isn't it to find that thing? But he has to find it himself. If someone else finds it, it might be considered treason.

I understand everything you've said, but I can't explain it to others. I'm afraid there are quite a few people who see through things like me.

If that's all you wanted to say, then there's really no need for that.

Li Yin explained the entire process of searching for auspicious omens, which was largely the same as Shi Shouxin's conjecture. In reality, although there is no so-called "standard procedure" for such matters, because predecessors had done it so many times, the methods were all quite familiar.

"father in law!"

Just as Li Yin was about to move, Shi Shouxin held him back tightly.

"The weather is dry, be careful with fire! It's already late autumn, and the forest is covered with fallen leaves, which can easily catch fire."

To stage a phoenix rising from the ashes, there must be something to ignite it. If the forest is accidentally set ablaze, it will lead to utter destruction!

A true man doesn't stand under a crumbling wall! What if you're in the ranks and can't escape?

Shi Shouxin practically roared it out.

Why didn't you say so sooner?

Upon hearing this, Li Yin broke out in a cold sweat! His old arms and legs were indeed no match for the young man!

"Quickly, come with me to the front and inform His Majesty!"

Li Yin could no longer remain calm, and he grabbed Shi Shouxin and strode forward.

Just then, a burst of light suddenly appeared in the silent and deep night sky!

"Chirp! Chirp!"

As the sound of a phoenix's cry rang out, a giant firebird spread its wings and soared into the sky. From afar, it looked as if a phoenix had risen from the ashes, letting out an excited cry before taking flight.

Magnificent, beautiful, luxurious, and dazzling!
Even Shi Shouxin had to admire how creatively some people had taken auspicious omens.

Make a huge kite beforehand, and when the wind picks up at night, send it into the sky. Because of the distance and poor lighting, people far away won't be able to see it even when it's up in the air.

The kite string is coated with grease, and the kite itself also contains grease and other flammable materials. Once the fuse is lit, the kite, which is fixed in place, will take off with the wind and, once ignited, will resemble a phoenix spreading its wings.

From a distance, it's impossible to discern any details.

"That's a phoenix! A phoenix rising from the ashes!"

An excited shout came from afar; the voice sounded like Pei Xiu's.

The crowd quickened their pace up the mountain, heading towards the direction of Fengming.

Since the play is already more than halfway through, it's a small but significant achievement that the lackey was the first to find the "auspicious omen".

The "fire phoenix" flying in the sky circled around, but because the light gauze was burned first, it flew lower and lower until it finally fell into the mountains and forests.

“Father-in-law, the wildfire may start soon. I’m going to check it out. You wait here.”

Shi Shouxin gave instructions to Li Yin.

"You shouldn't go either."

Li Yin suddenly lost interest and waved his hand at him.

"Father-in-law, I must go and see what's ahead."

Shi Shouxin turned to leave, not caring about Li Yin's obstruction.

"You didn't want to go just now, but now you want to go. Why is that?"

Li Yin asked, somewhat puzzled.

"It was because His Majesty hadn't entered the mountain yet, and could escape at any time if the fire broke out. My going there would have been a waste of time."

The crowd has already entered the mountains. With the forest fire raging and the mountain paths narrow, His Majesty may not be able to escape.

I'll have to try my luck. Maybe if I succeed in saving the emperor, I can get a title for your grandson.

This is called "fortune favors the bold."

Shi Shouxin left after saying just one sentence.

Li Yin watched his retreating figure and sighed helplessly.

Young people are always eager to improve themselves; fortune favors the bold, and that's certainly true.

……

Unaware of the impending danger, Sima Zhao, preoccupied with the auspicious omen, remained oblivious. As the group reached the mountainside, they saw a large rock on a small promontory, gleaming with a soft green light.

The surrounding area was charred black, seemingly bearing the marks of burning, completely out of place with this giant rock. This rock was entirely different from the rocks around it, as if a giant hand of an immortal had placed it here, making it impossible not to notice.

Pei Xiu walked at the front, with Sima Zhao following behind him, and the remaining ministers and imperial guards closely following. Everyone was carrying torches, and the group looked like a fiery snake lying on the mountain path.

"Your Majesty, this must be the auspicious place where the phoenix was born. Look at the scorching marks around here, look at this gleaming boulder, there's no mistake, absolutely no mistake!"
"Auspicious omens should be appearing around here!"

Pei Xiu's face was filled with barely suppressed excitement, and her words were almost manipulative, practically stating that the large rock in front of her was an auspicious omen.

Pei Xiu's words were probably insulting to intelligence, as Jia Chong and the others beside him kept their heads down, not echoing Pei Xiu's sentiments.

Acting is all about finding the right balance; too much of a good thing is not good.

However, Sima Zhao didn't care about Pei Xiu's exaggerated acting skills. Even if what he was doing was outrageous, it was still better than Wang Xiang's "lying on ice to catch carp".

Lying on the ice in the dead of winter, do you really think you have burning coals in your stomach?
In short, he was very satisfied with the "Search for Auspicious Omens" activity.

“Minister Pei, go and take a look. I vaguely see some words written on this stone.”

Sima Zhao feigned confusion and pointed to the glowing boulder.

The phoenix's cry, the fire phoenix, the phoenix's habitat—none of these prove anything.

These are all "natural landscapes".

The so-called auspicious omens must be clearly stated, and what exactly they are must be explained. This is the most important step in the "interaction between heaven and man".

For example, consider the two events of an earthquake and an emperor's moral failings. The earthquake is real, and the emperor's moral failings may also be real, but the key issue is using an earthquake to prove that the emperor has failed in his duties.

Now, this "amazing auspicious omen" is just one step away from completion.

Pei Xiu stepped forward, raised his torch to illuminate the surface of the boulder, and saw four large characters written on the largest flat surface: "Jin rose in Luoyang!"

"Oh my! Your Majesty, this is an auspicious omen! The Jin dynasty is rising in Luoyang! The Jin dynasty is rising in Luoyang!"
Good luck! Good luck! "

Pei Xiu shouted exaggeratedly, trying to make sure everyone in the group could hear him.

In an instant, the four characters "Jin Xing Yu Luo" echoed through the mountains, and even Shi Shouxin, who had just climbed the mountain, heard them.

The powerful characters on this boulder are clearly the work of a master calligrapher.

The carving and axe work are also ingenious, and it doesn't look like any wild mountain creature at all. Instead, it looks more like a huge rock in the center of a wealthy family's courtyard to guard the house.

Hmm, it's quite possible that they really did order it in advance and then carried it up the mountain at night when no one was around. Although the stone is large, it may not be solid; it's very likely that it was hollowed out beforehand to make it easy to carry by hand, without any trouble at all.

But none of that matters. Even if someone figured it out, they wouldn't say anything, let alone those who knew beforehand.

Immediately, many people in the crowd cheered, and some officials even sang praises to Sima Zhao, saying things like the Jin Dynasty would last for thousands of years and be immortal.

"Where are the Imperial Guards? Send a few men, let's see if we can move this auspicious omen down the mountain!"

Sima Zhao put his hands behind his back and gave instructions to the people around him, with a smug look on his face.

Several imperial guards stepped forward, found a foothold on the boulder, and tried to lift it.

One of the Imperial Guard captains shouted to Sima Zhao, "Your Majesty, this auspicious omen is not heavy; four people can lift it."

Hearing this, Sima Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he could move it back, everything would be fine.

What's lost on the mountain isn't considered an auspicious omen. Auspicious omens must be moved back to the Luoyang Palace and displayed there to play a crucial role.

Otherwise, Sima Zhao could have said that there were auspicious omens of the Jin Dynasty on the summit of Kunlun Mountain, thousands of miles away, but what good would that do!
If this stone were left on Phoenix Mountain, it would truly be just a stone; even birds could poop on it.

Just then, whether it was due to a sudden change in wind direction or the smoke from burning trees drifting over, it was unclear.

Sima Zhao frowned slightly, turned his head to look at the forest on his right, and saw flames shooting into the sky, accompanied by a strong wind, burning towards him!

The wind hadn't been blowing this way before, so the fires had spread elsewhere, further and further away from the mountain path. Because their view was obstructed as they entered the forest, the group didn't realize the danger.

Now the wind direction has changed, and the raging wildfire is actually burning towards the mountain road.

Moreover, the burning speed was extremely fast. In just a few breaths, everyone could vaguely feel the heat, and even the wind blowing on their faces could feel the warmth.

"Your Majesty, a wildfire has broken out! Run!"

Pei Xiu exclaimed in surprise, grabbed Sima Zhao, and ran!
His voice wasn't loud, but it was particularly jarring in the mountain night. Upon hearing Pei Xiu's shout, the long, winding line of people instantly erupted into chaos.

Those in front ran backwards, and those behind were knocked down by those in front, creating chaos in an instant.

……

In his previous life, Shi Shouxin had seen a video online showing that from the start of the wildfire to the burning of half the mountain, it only took a little over two minutes, which could be described as lightning fast.

He used to think that the video might have been sped up, but today, the speed of the wildfires is even faster.

The mountain path was in complete chaos. Some people were scrambling down the mountain, their faces still showing signs of shock. Others, whether they had sprained their ankles or broken their legs, were lying by the path groaning in pain.

Shi Shouxin saw Sima Zhao and hurriedly descended the mountain, cleared by several imperial guards. Wherever they went, they kicked aside anyone who blocked their way.

The reason why the team going up the mountain is in such a chaotic state is largely because Sima Zhao is fleeing for his life!
Seeing that Sima Zhao had already come down the mountain, Shi Shouxin breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that he is no longer needed to "rescue" the emperor, and he has missed an opportunity to make a contribution.

Just as Shi Shouxin was about to turn around and go down the mountain, someone suddenly grabbed his arm and asked in a panic, "Shi Gandang, have you seen my mother? Is she in the camp?"

The visitor was none other than Sima Yan, and his tone was extremely anxious. Yang Xiu stood beside him; the two seemed to be searching for someone.

Shi Shouxin shook his head and said, "No, I was at the very back of the group when I saw the wildfire and came up to check on the situation."

He certainly wouldn't admit that he came to rescue the emperor on a whim, since he had already met Sima Zhao.

"What should we do? Mother must still be on the mountain! Why hasn't she come down?"

Sima Yan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

"Your Highness, please rest assured, I will go and look for it."

Shi Shouxin bowed to Sima Yan, said nothing, and went against the flow of people up the mountain at great speed.

Sima Yan thought for a moment, then neither went forward nor left, seemingly intending to wait on the mountain path, since it wasn't far from the foot of the mountain anyway.

He looked at Yang Xiu, but Yang Xiu shook her head and said, "Your Highness is of noble birth. What would happen if something were to happen to you?"

Sima Yan looked up at the direction of the firelight; the towering flames were engulfing everything. If Wang Yuanji didn't come down now, she probably wouldn't be able to later.

"My mother is wearing a formal dress, which makes it difficult for her to move around. Sigh!"

Sima Yan sighed deeply, but in his heart he was filled with emotion: when his father, Sima Zhao, was fleeing for his life, he only cared about running away himself and did not care at all whether his wife, with whom he had shared many years of hardship, had escaped.

Perhaps, in the face of power, any kinship or love is insignificant. What a loss it would be if Sima Zhao were to perish in a wildfire while caring for Wang Yuanji!
This emperor hasn't even been on the throne for long!
Thinking of this, Sima Yan felt relieved and understood why his father acted this way.

"During the day, the Empress pleaded for Shi Shouxin, sparing him from punishment. Tonight, he risked his life to save people. This man is grateful and repays kindness; I am far inferior to him and can only admire him wholeheartedly."

Yang Xiu looked at the dark mountain path and sighed.

"When I return to the palace, I will make my father kill all the imperial guards and eunuch servants who accompanied me today."

Sima Yan said bitterly.

"The ministers who are by the emperor's side today will not be of great use to Your Highness in the future."

Yang Xiu offered a suggestion in a sinister tone.

Sima Yan nodded slowly, his expression darkening.

(End of this chapter)