The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 570 Sima Yi's Journey to Jiangnan
Crown Prince Qin Chengqian hurried through the Imperial Garden, the wind from his robes startling a few crabapple petals. He saw his father, the Emperor, fishing in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, but his steps suddenly faltered.

"Come here." Qin Shou didn't turn his head, his fishing rod remaining motionless, and said calmly, "You've scared away all my fish."

Qin Chengqian took a deep breath, knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I beg you to rescind your decree. Grand Tutor Sima has always been in poor health, and the Jiangnan region is hot and humid."

"Do you know that Zhuge Liang captured Meng Huo seven times?" Qin Shou suddenly interrupted, the fishing line gleaming coldly in the sunlight. He sneered, "It wasn't that he was kind-hearted, but that he wanted to eliminate the threat of rebellion from the southern barbarians. Only by hurting them will they know they should behave themselves." The float suddenly sank, and with a slight flick of Qin Shou's wrist, a koi carp broke out of the water.

The crown prince watched the struggling fish and suddenly felt a tightness in his throat. Qin Shou, however, unhooked the fish and threw it back into the lake, instructing, "Just like this fish, releasing it now will help it remember the pain."

"But the Grand Tutor is, after all,..."

“It’s because he is Sima Yi.” Qin Shou tossed a memorial over. Qin Chengqian picked it up and saw that it was a letter exchanged between powerful families in Jiangnan, detailing their secret acquisition of farmland from disaster victims.

“Chengqian, governing the world is not that simple,” Qin Shou sighed. “Acting impulsively will not work. You cannot sympathize with anyone, nor can you rely on anyone.”

"Your subject is foolish."

"Good riddance," Qin Shou suddenly laughed. "The art of rulership lies first and foremost in checks and balances. Today, I'm using Sima Yi as a weapon to show you that even the sharpest blade is useless if you can't hold it properly."

Qin Chengqian turned pale upon hearing this. He had already grasped the meaning behind Qin Shou's words: a knife can only obey its master. If Sima Yi could not break with the powerful families of Jiangnan, a terrible fate awaited him.

"Go back! Don't worry about Sima Yi's affairs."

Qin Shou waved his hand, dismissing his son. He was still young, and lacked the necessary maturity.

Although the situation in Jiangnan was complex, who was Sima Yi? Could this old silver coin not handle the powerful clans of Jiangnan? Qin Chengqian was clearly worrying unnecessarily. Outside the window, rain fell like silk threads. Sima Yi stood at the bow of the boat, watching the turbid river churn eastward. Three thousand Imperial Guards, aboard dozens of official boats, sailed downstream in a grand procession. The river wind, carrying raindrops, lashed his face, icy and biting, but it couldn't compare to the chill in his heart.

"My lord, General, we've reached Kuaiji County ahead." Lieutenant Wang Ling stepped forward, holding an oil-paper umbrella, and whispered, "Our scouts report that the disaster victims have gathered at the docks, awaiting the imperial court's relief efforts. The powerful families are all waiting for your arrival at Songhe Tower."

Sima Yi nodded slightly, but his gaze fell on the distant, faintly visible dike. The dike was tall and sturdy, firmly holding back the raging floodwaters and protecting the vast tracts of fertile land behind it. Those fields most likely belonged to powerful and aristocratic families, which was also his goal in coming to Jiangnan.

"General Xu, you say that our Great Tang encourages commerce, and all the merchants in Chang'an are making a fortune. Few people buy land. How come there are so many people buying land in Jiangnan? It's one thing for you to buy land, but to forcibly seize the land of ordinary people is just courting death."

Sima Yi said to Xu Chu beside him.

This time, he requested that Xu Chu lead three thousand Imperial Guards to accompany him south.

"Hmph, I think they all want to die," Xu Chu sneered.

"Send word to open the granaries and distribute grain to appease the disaster victims." Sima Yi withdrew his gaze, his voice calm as still water. "Also, send someone to invite the magistrate of Kuaiji County and the local gentry; I wish to personally assess the disaster situation."

Wang Ling hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Sir, what about Songhe Tower?"

"Do as I say." Sima Yi interrupted him, his eyes suddenly sharp as knives, and coldly snorted, "Remember, we are here on imperial orders to provide disaster relief, not to visit relatives and friends."

(End of this chapter)