A series of military victories had greatly eased the tension in the court of the Great Jin Dynasty, so much so that Emperor Sima Zhong even considered holding a court assembly.
However, due to the lack of officials in the capital and many being out of contact, the idea was ultimately abandoned.
Grand Marshal Sima Yi also had no intention of holding a court assembly at this time.
Bringing all matters into the open would easily lead to disputes and complications, potentially putting them in a passive position.
It was better to conduct small, private inquiries.
He would propose suggestions, and once the emperor gave his approval, the matter would be settled.
Of course, such inquiries required the emperor to summon them; it wasn’t something one could do at will.
But this wasn’t a problem for Sima Yi.
Not long after returning from his "royal expedition" against Zhang Fang, Sima Zhong "voluntarily" convened an inquiry.
Present at the inquiry, aside from the emperor, empress, palace attendants, and Sima Yi, were several aides from the Prince of Changsha's, Grand Marshal's, and General of Agile Cavalry's offices: Sima Wang Hu, Liu Yan, Left Attendant Wang Ju, Scholar Du Xi, and Registrar Zu Ti.
Due to holding multiple positions, Sima Yi had the authority to establish several offices, hence the multiple staffs.
The inquiry had been underway for some time, and Du Xi was speaking eloquently: "Liu Shen, the Governor of Yong Province, was originally a loyal and brave minister of the court, resolute and steadfast. Unfortunately, he has been forced to serve under the Western Court, yet he never forgets the emperor's grace. We could send an envoy west to secretly meet Liu Shen, present him with an imperial edict, and order the western provinces to rise up against Sima Yong. This might force Zhang Fang to retreat."
Emperor Sima Zhong seemed to be lost in thought, his expression one of utter indifference.
After all, he wasn’t the one making decisions, so why bother pretending? Moreover, matters of state were beyond his comprehension—it seemed his mind wasn’t quite up to the task.
Lately, he had been hailed as the "Great Jin's First Warrior," always appearing on the fiercest battlefields and leading the imperial army to turn defeat into victory.
Though, in truth, he had been forced into it.
Empress Yang Xianrong couldn’t be bothered to speak.
She held no goodwill toward Sima Yi, still remembering the arrow that had once been aimed at her.
If not for sheer luck, she would have perished long ago.
Not to mention the matter of her father, Yang Xuanzhi.
Though her family had been vague about it, she understood all too well.
However, she carefully concealed her emotions, fearing for her life—if Jia Nanfeng could die, why couldn’t she?
"Your Majesty..."
Sima Yi coughed lightly, reminding the emperor.
At only twenty-seven years old, Sima Yi was full of ambition and vigor.
If he had been somewhat disheartened before, the recent string of victories had reinvigorated him, making him believe he might have a chance to win this game.
He was a man of strong execution, willing to listen to advice.
After his subordinates proposed plans, he would review them and, if he found no issues, proceed with them—such as ordering the western provinces to rise against Sima Yong.
"Prince Sima speaks wisely. Let the Grand Marshal handle it," Sima Zhong said, nodding as he returned to the present.
Empress Yang Xianrong gave her husband a silent, exasperated look.
The one who had just spoken was Du Xi, the scholar from the Prince of Changsha's office and son of the famous general Du Yu, not Wang Hu, the Sima of the Grand Marshal's office—Wang Hu, courtesy name Chuzhong, from Chen Commandery, came from a humble background.
After slaying over a dozen Hebei generals and defeating Lu Ji, he had become a rising star in the capital.
Du Xi and Wang Hu exchanged glances, both seeing the awkwardness in each other's eyes.
"Your Majesty is wise," Sima Yi said with a bow, not bothering to correct the emperor.
He then gave a subtle glance.
"Your Majesty, I have heard that bandits are rampant in the Jianghuai region, leaving the people in constant fear. Perhaps we could issue a decree mobilizing troops from Yang, Jing, and Yu Provinces to suppress them and restore order," Wang Ju, the Left Attendant of the Prince of Changsha's office, stepped forward and suggested.
"This matter..."
Sima Zhong instinctively looked at Sima Yi.
Sima Yi gave a slight nod.
"Let Minister Wang handle it," Sima Zhong said.
"Your servant obeys the decree," Wang Ju said, bowing and stepping back.
Wang Ju had recently made a name for himself.
With inferior forces, he had cleared the enemy from the southern part of the city.
Though it wasn’t the main battlefield, his performance had been commendable, earning Sima Yi's attention.
The advisors in the office had discussed the matter and concluded that relying solely on Luoyang was insufficient to sustain the entire court.
They needed the support of the outer provinces.
Coincidentally, Jing and Yang Provinces were in turmoil, making them difficult to pacify.
Thus, they decided to send their own people south to seize these territories and provide continuous resources for Luoyang.
After much deliberation, Sima Yi made the final decision to send Wang Ju, his most trusted confidant, to the south.
Now, it was just a matter of going through the formalities—Wang Ju wouldn’t be taking any troops with him, as Luoyang itself was short on soldiers.
He would have to rely solely on the authority of the court to quell the unrest, which was no easy task.
With two matters settled in quick succession, Sima Yi felt a sense of satisfaction.
Liu Yan, the Grand Marshal's aide, observing the mood, chimed in: "The Grand Marshal has achieved successive victories, and the rebels are in a state of panic. I have heard that after the rebel leader Lu Ji's crushing defeat, his prestige has greatly diminished, and few now heed his commands. Rumors from Ye City suggest that Lu Ji may soon be imprisoned."
Liu Yan, courtesy name Shiren, was from Wei Chang in Zhongshan and the nephew of Liu Kun.
The Hebei generals had never been fond of Lu Ji, and after the disastrous defeat at Jianchun Gate, they were even less inclined to listen to him.
Lu Ji could now command only a handful of men, and the upcoming battles would rely on the Hebei generals themselves until Sima Ying appointed a new commander.
Sima Yi feigned ignorance, acting surprised: "Is that so?"
"Absolutely true," Liu Yan said with a smile.
"Someone in Ye City, under the influence of the eunuch Meng Jiu, has come forward to accuse Lu Ji of having 'divided loyalties toward Changsha.' Sima Ying is suspicious and has sent people to investigate. Generals like Gongshi Fan, who were recommended by Meng Jiu, have given false testimony, siding with Meng Jiu. It’s quite laughable. Though Sima Ying hasn’t yet stripped Lu Ji of his positions, it’s only a matter of time."
Sima Yi burst into laughter.
He laughed heartily, tears nearly streaming down his face, as if venting his emotions.
"This is all thanks to the Grand Marshal's efforts," Liu Yan said solemnly.
"Without the successive victories, Lu Ji would never have fallen to such a state."
"This is all thanks to the Grand Marshal's efforts," the other advisors echoed.
Sima Zhong opened his mouth but said nothing.
Empress Yang Xianrong wore a polite smile, seemingly sharing in the joy, but those familiar with her could see that her smile held no warmth.
"Eunuchs ruin everything," Sima Yi slowly regained his composure, shaking his head.
He then casually asked, "Why does Meng Jiu have a grudge against Lu Ji?"
"Meng Jiu's younger brother, Meng Chao, had a falling out with Lu Ji. Once, Meng Chao publicly stormed an execution ground to save a soldier under Lu Ji's command who had violated military discipline, even questioning whether Lu Ji was fit to be a commander," Liu Yan explained.
"After returning to camp, Meng Chao, fearing retaliation from Lu Ji, wrote a letter detailing the incident and sent it to Ye City. Meng Jiu read it, and a few days later, upon hearing of Meng Chao's death in battle, suspected that Lu Ji had orchestrated it."
"How did Meng Chao die?" Sima Yi asked, turning to Wang Ju.
The military report he had seen only vaguely mentioned that Wang Ju had fought against the rebels, and Meng Chao, in his panic, had been killed by Mi Huang, the Protector of Yue Commandery.
At the time, he hadn’t paid much attention, but now it seemed too brief.
Technically, the southern part of the city was under Wang Ju's jurisdiction, so saying Meng Chao died at Wang Ju's hands wasn’t incorrect, but what were the details?
Wang Ju felt a chill and immediately reported: "Grand Marshal, after the battle at Jianchun Gate, the rebels were in disarray, their morale shattered, and they began to retreat. Protector Mi led his men in pursuit and killed Meng Chao at Pingchang Gate."
"Who exactly killed him?" Sima Yi glared, asking.
"I’ve met Mi Huang twice. He’s a decent man, but his martial skills are rusty, and he’s no commander. Don’t tell me Mi Huang personally killed Meng Chao—he doesn’t have the ability."
Wang Ju's forehead began to sweat slightly as he said, "It was Shao Xun, a commander under Mi Huang, who took Meng Chao's head."
In truth, Shao Xun's name had originally been on the military report, but after Wang Ju reviewed it and learned that Shao Xun was only sixteen and a low-ranking soldier, he decided to suppress the matter and removed Shao Xun's name.
Not many opposed this, as everyone felt somewhat uneasy about it.
"Explain in detail, and don’t exaggerate," Sima Yi said.
Wang Ju had no choice but to recount the battle.
When he described how Shao Xun, in front of over a thousand enemy soldiers, dismounted as if no one else was there and beheaded Meng Chao, Sima Yi was stunned.
Wang Hu and Zu Ti also looked up, both shocked and somewhat awestruck.
Especially Wang Hu, who, though from a scholarly family, had endured a hard life and held no prejudices.
He thought it would be good to befriend Shao Xun.
Unfortunately, Shao Xun was a general under the Yue Commandery and couldn’t be recruited to his side, which was a slight regret.
"Grand Marshal, forgive me," Wang Ju lowered his head, trembling.
Sima Yi looked at Wang Ju's graying temples and sighed inwardly, deciding not to press further.
"Reward Shao Xun with gold and silk to honor his achievements."
"Understood," Wang Ju immediately complied.
Sima Zhong's mouth hung open, clearly still processing Wang Ju's account.
Facing so many enemies, firing three arrows to scare off the panicked soldiers, and then calmly taking the head as if no one else was there—how could someone be so bold?
Empress Yang Xianrong sneered inwardly.
That poor wretch Shao Xun probably had no notable background, not even from a humble family.
How amusing.
Sima Yi, your advisors are so impressive, all upright gentlemen.
With their help, you’re sure to win, right?
Just destroy everything, she thought with a sense of resignation.
This court only harms its own people.
Her father had wholeheartedly supported Sima Yi, only to end up "dying of fear."
This court only envies talent, rewarding no merit and punishing no faults—a pack of wolves in human skin.
This court is in utter disarray, with arrows shot at the emperor and empress, no different from Cheng Ji, who once assassinated the emperor in broad daylight.
Destroy it all, I’m tired, I don’t want to keep up this act anymore.
And that Shao Xun, hate the court, hate Sima Yi, take your revenge, hahaha.
"There’s one last matter..."
Sima Yi looked at the emperor and empress.
"The matter of peace talks requires Your Majesty's decision."
"Ah? Oh! Peace talks," Sima Zhong nodded.
"Yes, we should have peace talks. All this fighting and killing, no one’s left to grind the grain. What are we to do? I don’t want to eat meat porridge anymore, my lips are all blistered. Sigh. Grand Marshal, you’ve always had good ideas, so I’ll leave this to you."
Sima Yi's forehead twitched.
The advisors all lowered their heads, their thoughts unknown.
"Your servant obeys the decree," Sima Yi took a deep breath and said.
(End of Chapter)