Wei Ni

"Lord Sun, now we are both meat on the table!"

Having waited a long time without receiving a reply, Liu Fang couldn't help but say, "If we do nothing, we will surely die; if we do something, we may have a way to survive. Why does Lord Sun hesitate and remain silent?"

"Alas, I fear this matter will be difficult to resolve."

Sun Zi sighed and said slowly, "It's not that I underestimate Lord Liu, but the Prince of Yan is almost always by His Majesty's side, and Cao Shuang is still in the Jiafu Palace. Even if we wanted to do it, it would be difficult to find an opportunity!"

"As long as Lord Sun and I work together with one heart and one mind, this matter will surely be accomplished!"

Feeling hopeful, Liu Fang's voice became somewhat excited, with a hint of arrogance and commanding presence. "Cao Shuang is nothing but a yes-man, not worth worrying about. And the Prince of Yan also has his moments of leaving the palace. I have been observing for five days now, and whenever the ministers from various departments come to report, the usually mild-mannered Prince of Yan still adheres to etiquette and actually leaves the palace to discuss matters with them for half an hour."

You've been observing for five days straight?

Five days ago, the emperor did not seem to have asked Qin Lang several times a day whether he had returned.
Sun Zi sensed from Liu Fang's words that he had planned this all along, and a chill ran down his spine as he began to feel that things were getting strange. But then he thought again that now was not the time to worry about such things.

After calming himself down by taking a sip of wine, he continued, “As Lord Liu said, we have an opportunity. However, Lord Liu, have you forgotten that His Majesty is currently wary of Xiahou Zhiquan’s impulsive and troublesome nature, fearing that he might disrupt the state? It is not difficult for us to destroy the Prince of Yan’s power, but the difficulty lies in the fact that His Majesty may not be willing to have Zhiquan as the leader.”

What's so difficult about it?

Liu Fang, leaning on the table for support, leaned over and whispered to Sun Zi, “In my opinion, this matter is not difficult! His Majesty is currently in a deep sleep all day, completely disoriented, and even when he wakes up, he cannot remember what happened yesterday. We only need to use the ancestral laws and the late Emperor’s words as a starting point, saying that the Prince of Yan is gradually becoming arrogant and domineering, and persuade His Majesty to prioritize the country. The matter can be accomplished. Moreover, even if His Majesty has any doubts, I have my own way of persuading him. Lord Sun, you have nothing to worry about.”

Do you have any ideas?
Are we going to use Xiahou Hui's visit to the ancestral temple to ask for death as an example?
Sun Zi had a vague feeling that something was amiss, but he didn't press the matter.

After all, man proposes, God disposes. Now that things have come to this, he has no choice but to accept it for the time being, right?

But he still hasn't given up on making a promise.

After hesitating for a long time, he sighed again, "Alas! His Majesty has been generous to you and me, yet we are now plotting to ruin His Majesty's funeral for our own selfish reasons. It is true."

"Alas, Master Sun is still deluded!"

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Fang, furious at his lack of integrity, interrupted him, saying indignantly, "May I ask, Lord Sun, have we ever had any disloyalty towards His Majesty over the years? Since His Majesty fell ill, he has repeatedly instructed the Prince of Yan on matters, but has he ever mentioned us in a single word? Does Lord Sun not realize that His Majesty has already treated us like worn-out shoes?"

This question pierced Sun Zi's chest like a knife.

Because he and Liu Fang were essentially loyal ministers supported by Emperor Cao Rui.

The so-called "exclusive appointment" was actually just Cao Rui placing these two as pawns in his game of power with the court officials.

They both performed their duties excellently and diligently, but now they have not received the protection they deserve.

For example, Cao Rui, knowing his days were numbered, could now find a pretext to dismiss the two men and send them back to their hometowns, so that no one would pursue them after the change of government. After all, they had already been punished and had relinquished their power and gone into seclusion, and the new emperor and his officials should also abide by the unwritten rules of the court and cease their persecution.

Even if things had gone badly, Cao Rui should have mentioned it when instructing the Prince of Yan on his funeral arrangements, so that the Prince of Yan would understand their roles and be protected so that he could retire with dignity in the future.

But Cao Rui did nothing and simply ignored them.

Given Cao Rui's imperial mindset, it's impossible that he didn't think of these things.

Therefore, Liu Fang and Sun Zi could understand that Cao Rui had deliberately neglected them and treated them as sacrifices.

When the Prince of Yan, Cao Yu, who had little prestige, first came to power, he appealed to the people's hearts by imprisoning and punishing the two men, thereby winning the favor of the royal family and court officials and establishing his authority.

Sun Zi understood all of this.

He simply didn't want to think about it, much less accept that after a lifetime of diligent service to three emperors of the Wei dynasty, he would end up like this. Now, Liu Fang had laid bare his truth without any mercy, shattering his ideals of loyalty to the emperor and the country, and all his hypocritical and beautiful fantasies about harmonious relations between ruler and subject, leaving him in unbearable pain and resentment.

A voice inside me kept shouting:

why!
Why can't I just live?

He and Liu Fang just wanted to live, what's wrong with that!?
"Let's do as Lord Sun says."

He managed to squeeze out those words with a hoarse voice.

After saying that, he got up from his seat, his usually upright body now hunched over like an old man on his deathbed, and staggered toward his bed.

He also failed to notice that Liu Fang, who was watching his back, had a look of reluctance and guilt in his eyes and expression.

Yes, I feel guilty. They've worked together for decades and are like brothers.

However, Liu Fang had misled him this time because of his own selfish motives—every word Liu Fang said just now was true and came from the bottom of his heart, but he didn't say everything.

Four days later, on the day of Ji-Mao.

Liu Fang and Sun Zi deliberately brought some routine matters to the Secretariat, so that the ministers of each department would keep Prince Yan, Cao Yu, occupied for half an hour each day. It was only after three days that they came to Jiafu Hall to report again. Moreover, they timed it precisely, waiting until the scribes, who were actually looking out for Prince Yan, saw him leave the hall before they came over.

Upon entering the hall, they went straight to the emperor's sickbed, bowed deeply, and said in a sorrowful voice, "This old minister has finally seen His Majesty!"

The already delirious Emperor Cao Rui was sitting up, drinking water while being served by Cao Shuang.

Upon hearing this, he did not notice the strangeness in their words, and even pushed away the spoon that Cao Shuang was feeding him water, and said to comfort him, "I am right here in the palace, when can't you come in to see me?"

Liu Fang and Sun Zi did not answer.

Instead, he slightly turned his head, cautiously glancing towards the palace gate.

This made Cao Rui immediately realize what was going on. He gestured for Cao Shuang to help him sit up straight, and, despite his discomfort, asked, "What is it?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Fang burst into tears and choked out, “Your Majesty, your servant and I have come to pay our respects to Your Majesty these past few days, but we have been blocked by armored soldiers and have not been able to enter the palace.”

"Who dares to obstruct us!"

Unsurprisingly, the emperor was furious and turned to stare at Cao Shuang.

Under the emperor's intense gaze, Cao Shuang was momentarily at a loss for words and did not know how to respond.

The General of the Martial Guards did indeed command the Imperial Guards, but there were also Imperial Guards outside the Jiafu Hall, and he genuinely knew nothing about this matter.
“Your Majesty, it was not the Imperial Guards who prevented us from seeing Your Majesty, but the palace guards. Moreover, I know that nowadays, apart from the Three Dukes and the head of the Lantai (Ministerial Secretariat), no one else in the various departments of the Southern Palace is allowed to see Your Majesty.”

Sun Zixun immediately added a sentence.

Emperor Cao Rui remained silent, his face showing resentment: now it was Prince Cao Yu of Yan who was in charge of the imperial guards, and he was even tacitly allowed to act as regent.

Seeing this, Liu Fang pressed his advantage, giving the emperor no time to think or react, and continued tearfully, "Your Majesty, your health is failing, and for the sake of the nation, you have appointed the Prince of Yan as Grand General, entrusting the empire to him. However, Your Majesty has forgotten the late Emperor's edict that princes of vassal states should not assist in governance. Moreover, Your Majesty has only been ill for a few days, yet the Prince of Yan has already gathered troops to block the channels of communication at the northern and southern palaces, causing internal and external strife and preventing us from entering; he has repeatedly looked down upon court officials and treated those attending to the ailing emperor with disdain, and I fear he will be difficult to control in the future. Now, the Crown Prince is young and weak, unable to govern, and there are powerful and violent bandits outside and resentful people inside. Your Majesty does not consider the long-term survival of the nation, but instead relies on past favors. We, your subjects, have long been blessed by Your Majesty's grace, and we are heartbroken and dare to risk our lives to speak out, begging Your Majesty to take the late Emperor's edict as a warning, not to entrust the ancestral legacy to princes, and not to endanger the nation!"

"Princes are not allowed to assist in government."

After muttering to himself for a few moments, Cao Rui took a deep breath before asking, "Who do you two think is suitable to replace him?"

"His Majesty has already made a decision on this matter, and it is Zhi Quan and Zhao Bo who are in charge."

After bowing his head, Liu Fang raised his head and said, “In times of chaos, ability is valued; in times of peace, loyalty is paramount. These are the two qualities that Xiahou Zhiquan possessed. Therefore, the Grand Marshal does not rely on the favor of his relatives internally, nor does he arrogantly defy scholars from humble backgrounds externally. Cao Zhaobo has the character of his father and will surely be able to carry on his legacy.”

Cao Rui hesitated slightly, but finally nodded, "What you say is very good."

He then summoned Prince Yan, Cao Yu, who was in the outer palace discussing matters with the ministers of various departments, and said to him, “I am ill and my son is young, so I wish to entrust the state to you. You were appointed Grand General and have been in office for several days, but you have always declined the appointment because of your own lack of talent and virtue. Your intention is very firm, which makes me reluctant to do so. Now I have thought of the late emperor’s edict that ‘princes of vassal states shall not assist in government’, and I understand your concerns. I will not force you to do so, so as to fulfill your wishes.”

The kind-hearted Prince Cao Yu of Yan had no doubts about this.

Without arguing, he simply bowed his head and accepted the order, bidding farewell to the emperor with tears in his eyes, before leaving the palace and returning to his residence.

After the Prince of Yan left Jiafu Palace, he caught a glimpse of Emperor Cao Rui's sorrowful and grief-stricken expression out of the corner of his eye. Sun Zi, worried that the emperor might have changed his mind, quickly added, "Your Majesty has now changed your mind. You should immediately summon Xiahou Zhiquan to the palace to discuss matters with Cao Zhaobo, establish a crown prince, issue an edict to the world, and finalize the matter so that the people of the court and the country can feel at ease."

Cao Rui, whose gaze was fixed on the back of Prince Yan Cao Yu, also snapped out of his reverie upon hearing this and nodded in approval, "Lord Sun's words are very wise."

He then sent someone to summon Xiahou Hui into the palace, and sent another messenger, Bixie, to the inner palace to summon the King of Qin and the King of Qi. The old eunuch in the corner was also waiting respectfully with the Emperor's seal in hand.

However, just as Emperor Cao Rui was preparing to draft the edict, Liu Fang suddenly spoke up.

He said, “Your Majesty, I have overlooked something in my words just now. Zhi Quan is a man of upright character, who is not bound by etiquette and law and often breaks the law. Even with Zhao Bo assisting him, I am afraid it will be difficult to persuade him. In my opinion, it is appropriate to summon the Grand Commandant to assist him and the Crown Prince, so as to harmonize Yin and Yang and maintain peace between the country and the people. This will surely prevent the country from being disturbed.”

Cao Rui, who had just finished writing on the silk, turned his head and frowned. "Lord Sima?"

"Your Majesty, this is Grand Commandant Sima."

Liu Fang nodded, his expression solemn as he replied, "Sima Gong is loyal and prudent in governing the country; this is known to all in the court and among the people. Furthermore, Your Majesty, did the late Emperor entrust Sima Gong with Your Majesty's command?" (End of Chapter)