Jinting Han people

Chapter 100: King Chu Goes to Funeral (4k)

King Sima Wei of Chu led a large group of troops into the capital on May Ji Si of the first year of Taixi.

Along the way, they marched in strict military discipline and attire, which surprised the people of the capital. To the people of the capital, Luoyang was the most prosperous place in the world, and people from other places were all country folk, crude and ignorant of etiquette.

When faced with the King of Chu's personal guards, they had originally thought the same thing, wanting to find fault with the rudeness and stupidity of these country folk. However, no matter how hard they stared, they could not find any excuse or any abnormality.

This thousand-strong team consisted of two hundred men in gleaming Mingguang armor, six hundred in the back, and two hundred at the tail, in vibrant, fiery red armor. Each guard stood seven feet tall, imposing, and even under the scorching summer sun, they showed no signs of slacking off. With their finely armored staffs, they looked like a mighty force.

In order to mourn the late Emperor Sima Yan, the entire army held up white flags and wore white scarves, which in turn intensified the solemn and murderous atmosphere, as if a heavy snow had fallen in the scorching summer.

The ceremonial guard of King Sima Wei of Chu was in the middle of the team. He was standing under a yellow banner on a carriage with a green canopy. He was wearing a golden-painted Mingguang armor with a piece of white cloth wrapped on his head and shoulders. On the yellow banner, the four words "General Pingnan" were clearly written in geese calligraphy.

"Is that His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu? What a mighty man!"

"He looks so young!"

"Don't underestimate his young age. He's only been in Jingzhou for a year, but he's already trained such a crack army. His talent is probably no less than Ma Long's who conquered Liang."

"But why did His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu bring so many soldiers with him when he returned to attend the funeral? Is he going to punish some treacherous minister?"

"No, don't talk nonsense. The Imperial Tutor is in power in the court. How can there be any treacherous ministers?"

The large group of people entered Henan County via Yique Pass from the official road between Yi and Luo, and then stopped at the bank of Luo River.

The people gathered on both sides to welcome them were quite surprised to see this scene, but after decades of peace, they could no longer imagine the scene of war. They all remained calm and began to praise the splendor of the team.

Sima Wei, the King of Chu, also reciprocated the kindness of these people by spending a large sum of money to buy food from them. He did not requisition their houses, but instead camped in the wilderness nearby. His soldiers did not harm anyone, but instead came to help the poor and beggars around Luoyang.

For a time, voices praising Sima Wei were heard throughout the capital, saying that His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu's talent was comparable to that of Emperor Xuan Sima Yi, and that His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu's virtue was not inferior to that of the recently buried Emperor Wu Sima Yan.

But the words and deeds of the virtuous king in the eyes of the people were extremely eye-catching in the eyes of Taifu Yang Jun. After receiving the specific report, he almost smashed the folding fan in his hand and angrily said to his subordinate, Shizhong Wu Mao:

"Rebellion! This Sima Wei! When the prince went to mourn, he needed someone to lead the troops!"

"It would be fine if he led the troops, but he stationed them in the southern suburbs, not entering the city! Not entering the palace! He didn't ask for permission beforehand, and didn't report afterward!"

"Also, what's the point of him arbitrarily granting favors to the people around him and stirring up public opinion?! Is he afraid that others won't know how virtuous he is?"

"The late emperor has just been buried. It's the perfect time to calm people's hearts, but someone is already trying to destroy the Jin Dynasty! What's going on?!"

After Sima Yan's death, his private will, the conferring of high titles, and Sima Liang's escape, everything was moving in a positive direction. Yang Jun could accomplish anything he wanted, which gave him a sense of control.

To this end, he even lived directly in the Taiji Hall like the emperor and ordered the palace maids around at will.

Unexpectedly, this happiness was as short-lived and fragile as morning dew. In Yang Jun's view, Sima Wei's actions were a blatant challenge to his authority, and this happened less than forty days after Sima Yan's death.

Wu Mao, listening, sighed inwardly. This new Grand Tutor was a bit too impatient. How could everything go smoothly when handling government affairs? The most important thing was to remain calm in the face of change. No matter what changes occurred in the political situation, we should treat them with a normal mind.

In response to the questions Yang Jun had just raised, he replied, "Grandmaster, the King of Chu only brought a thousand men with him. Facing the hundreds of thousands of imperial guards from the capital, he is nothing to be afraid of. Why are you so angry?"

"You mean I can punish him severely?" Yang Jun asked.

"I'm afraid that won't work." Wu Mao said with a wry smile, "The King of Chu is a smart man. I think if he dares to do this, he must have found a reason."

"What reason?"

"I don't know, but since you are so confident, there must be a reason."

"Ji Xia, you're not afraid of that brat Sima Wei, are you?"

Facing Yang Jun's questioning gaze, Wu Mao quickly explained, "Grandmaster, you have just taken over the government and forced the King of Runan to leave. There are still many doubts in the court and the people. If you clash with the King of Chu again at this time, I am afraid that the court and the people will be disappointed!"

"The King of Chu is not to be feared. What is feared is the inability to grasp the invisible human heart!"

"Isn't the King of Chu also trying to win over the hearts and minds of the people right now? This is a battle for hearts and minds!"

These words successfully convinced Yang Jun, and reduced his anger a lot. He sighed lightly and pretended to be magnanimous:

"Ji Xia, what I just said was just a fit of anger. So, what should I do now?"

Wu Mao had been waiting for these words. He had already thought of a countermeasure and quickly said, "Why not take this opportunity to demonstrate your magnanimity by personally visiting His Royal Highness the King of Chu, giving him some gifts, and rewarding his entourage. This will demonstrate the majesty of the court. In this way, your virtue will surpass that of the King of Chu."

Unexpectedly, this remark angered Yang Jun again. He stood up in great displeasure and scolded Wu Mao, "So you want me to apologize to Sima Wei!"

"Won't this just make him look more powerful? How will the world look at me?"

"They'll say, 'I surrendered to a twenty-year-old boy, how can I assist the emperor in the future?' I'm afraid by then, Sima Wei won't be the only one who dares to cause trouble!"

"Master..."

"Stop talking! Go and question the King of Chu right now. I want to see what tricks he can come up with!"

Faced with Yang Jun's fury, Wu Mao finally lost his voice. He could only secretly criticize him and follow orders to leave the city and go to Sima Wei's camp to personally ask Yang Jun the question.

"...Your Highness, these are the questions the Grand Tutor has. Please respond with proper reasons."

Compared with the furious Yang Jun, the twenty-year-old Sima Wei acted calm and composed. When Wu Mao asked him questions, he was leisurely adjusting the bowstring of a bow, as if he was the real ruler of the empire and was just meeting a minister in his own camp.

Sima Wei was not in a hurry. He first asked his attendants to find a seat for Wu Mao, and then said slowly:

"It was the Grand Tutor who misunderstood. The troops I brought to Luoyang were not from Xiangyang."

"Not an army?" "Yes, not an army. Two hundred of them are my guards, and the remaining eight hundred are my retainers. I just let them wear armor and accompany me."

"This..." Wu Mao was dumbfounded. He didn't expect that Sima Wei could find such a reason, and it was completely reasonable and legal.

"As a vassal king with 100,000 households, it's reasonable for me to have 800 retainers, right?"

"That makes sense, that makes sense..." Wu Mao smiled bitterly. He then asked, "Then why don't you go into the palace and stay here instead?"

"What are you talking about, Lord Ji Xia? I'm here to attend a funeral. What does it matter whether I enter the palace or not?"

"...Then why haven't you gone to pay your respects to the late emperor?"

"I'm waiting for my brothers!" Sima Wei sighed. "What the late emperor wanted most was for us to be friendly and respectful to each other. Now, I've come with my three brothers and nine younger brothers to attend the funeral. Now I'm the only one in Luoyang. How can I not wait for them?"

"If we lose this opportunity, we brothers will be separated and will never have the chance to meet again."

"I just want to see my brothers and talk about family ties. It shouldn't violate any ancestral rules, right?"

There's actually such a trick! Wu Mao was dumbfounded for a moment, feeling powerless: This reason is simply too perfect! Not only can the King of Chu extend his stay in the capital, but he can also communicate with the other princes openly, and the court can't find any way to object.

"Then why is His Highness in Nanjiao City?"

Wu Mao asked this question, no longer expecting to refute Sima Wei. His Highness the Prince of Chu seemed to have considered everything thoroughly, without a single flaw. In comparison, Grand Tutor Yang Jun was nothing more than a foolish, incredibly lucky individual who relied on his daughter. He was also incredibly narrow-minded and had no idea how to employ people. If the two of them were to clash, how could Yang Jun possibly win?

As expected, Sima Wei replied naturally, "The late emperor passed away just as the court was granting amnesty. I saw such tragedies as children being sold outside Luoyang. How could the late emperor have wished to see such a thing?"

"So I donated a thousand gold to Wang Ji, the governor of Henan, and asked him to provide relief to the widowed, orphaned, and lonely people in the name of the late emperor."

"If Lord Ji Xia doesn't believe it, you can go and ask Envoy Wang for confirmation."

Has Henan Yin Wangji already sided with the King of Chu? Wu Mao practically groaned, unable to utter a single word. Sima Wei's arrangements were so seamlessly linked that no one could find fault with them, and some even praised him as a "virtuous king."

But Wu Mao could clearly sense Sima Wei's ambition, wrapped in his reputation, and his determination to seize supreme power. Although the young man was smiling, behind that smile was a cold, murderous intent towards Yang Jun.

Seeing Wu Mao fell silent, Sima Wei suddenly asked:

"Lord Jixia, I heard that the Grand Tutor is planning to give a large reward to the ministers. Is this true?"

"Huh?!" Wu Mao shuddered, and a cold sweat instantly broke out. "Where did your Highness hear this rumor? I don't even know."

"So it was just a rumor?" Sima Wei brought a bowl of tea, took a sip, and sighed, "I really only heard it."

"If the Grand Tutor is truly planning to do this, I suggest that Lord Ji Xia persuade him. This is an act of political chaos and will undermine the foundation of the country."

"The last person who did this, I think, was Wang Mang of the Han Dynasty..."

Wu Mao nodded in agreement and almost fled from Sima Wei's tent.

After Wu Mao left, Sima Wei laughed heartily. He turned around and said to Qi Sheng, who was standing beside him, "Send a message to Huai Chong, Shu Shi and the others in the city, saying that everything is going well and to continue to proceed as planned!"

Next, the Chu King's troops camped motionlessly in the southern suburbs for a full five days, until the troops of Qin King Sima Jian and Huainan King Sima Yun also arrived in Luoyang.

Compared to Sima Wei's well-trained guards, the other two princes appeared exhausted and dusty, their funeral processions numbering only a hundred men, a sight dwarfed by comparison. Sima Wei, however, chose not to boast. Instead, he brought only a few attendants and personally went to greet the two brothers who had come from afar. This was something the current emperor should have done, but now it was Sima Wei who did it.

He cried bitterly with his two brothers in public, and then without delay, he sent a servant to the palace to say hello, and then took the King of Qin and the King of Huainan straight to Sima Yan's Junyang Mausoleum where he was buried in Yanshi.

Junyang Mausoleum is located on a hillside in southern Yanshi, facing the vast, flat Yiluo Plain and nestled against Luozi Mountain. Luozi Mountain, with its flat summit stretching approximately 100 meters from east to west, stands tall and majestic like a screen when viewed from the south. Each end has a separate peak, extending a gentle ridge southward, encircling the cemetery on three sides.

When the three princes arrived, the Junyang Mausoleum was covered in white banners. Logically, Emperor Wu's funeral rites had already concluded, and aside from those who were keeping vigil, there shouldn't have been many people in the mausoleum.

But when Sima Jian and Sima Yun arrived, they were shocked because the place was so densely packed with people.

Dozens of royal family members including Sima Rong, King of Liang, Sima Jiong, King of Qi, Sima Yi, King of Guangling, Sima Xia, King of Qinghe, Sima Yi, King of Changsha, Sima Yan, King of Wu, Sima Ying, King of Chengdu, Sima Chi, King of Yuzhang, Sima Yong, King of Hejian, Sima Tai, King of Longxi, Sima Lun, King of Zhao, Ma Yao of Dong'an, and Ma Mo of Pingchang, stood in a row in front of the mausoleum with extremely sad expressions on their faces.

More than half of the princes and nobles of the Western Jin Dynasty gathered here at this moment.

Sima Wei stood before the two princes, facing the Luoyang clan, and had become the center of attention. It seemed as if this grand occasion had been prepared specifically for him.

Among them was Princess Yingchuan Sima Xiuhua. Seeing Sima Wei, she was overwhelmed with emotion. She and Sima Yi immediately ran forward and threw themselves on their brother's body. Then, with tears streaming down her pretty face, she leaned against Sima Wei's arms and burst into tears, "Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother, I miss you so much..."

Sima Wei was deeply moved when he saw his younger sister's bitter face. He patted her back and comforted her:

"Little sister, Brother Wu misses you too..."

Xiu Hua finally managed to stop crying, hugged Sima Wei, and said in a sobbing voice: "Fifth brother, you have to make the decision for me!"

Sima Wei said, "Who is it? How dare you embarrass our Xiuhua! Fifth Brother will definitely stand up for you!"

"When my father was seriously ill, I wanted to visit him, but the Grand Tutor locked the palace door and wouldn't let me in..."

When this was said, the faces of everyone present changed, because this was a very serious accusation that could almost shake the country.

But Sima Wei's expression did not change. He still held his sister in his arms, and with a calm gaze he scanned the surrounding brothers, uncles, nephews, and nieces, finally stopping at the spirit tablet of his father Sima Yan on the altar in the distance. He walked forward to the middle of the crowd, then put Xiu Hua down, gently wiped her tears with his sleeve, and slowly said:

"Don't be afraid, little sister. I'm here..."

He then stood up, looked around, and said coldly, "No matter what kind of enemy we face, no matter how long it takes, men of the Sima family always repay their debts..."

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(End of this chapter)