Jinting Han people

Chapter 28: The Qi King's Factional Struggle
After this incident, Liu Xian did not see Shi Chao, Jia Mi, Wang Zhou, Zhang Wei and others again in the next three years of Taikang.

But this was not because of Liu Xun's ban, but because a major event occurred in the political arena of Luoyang, which then affected the aristocratic families of the entire Western Jin Dynasty.

That was the dispute over the succession to the throne, also known as the Qi Wang Party Struggle.

Although the current emperor Sima Yan has conquered Wu and Pingliang, fulfilling his early ambition of unifying the world, he still has a concern to this day: the issue of establishing a crown prince.

This is not to say that Sima Yan did not have a crown prince. As early as the third year of Taishi (267 AD), that is, four years after the conquest of Shu, Sima Yan appointed his eldest son Sima Zhong as the crown prince. However, it is very regrettable that this crown prince was born stupid and foolish. Even though Sima Yan recruited wise men from all over the world to enlighten him, the results were still unsatisfactory: the crown prince could not read at the age of ten, and could not read at the age of fifteen. Even when he reached the age of twenty, his intelligence was only equivalent to that of a seven or eight-year-old child. It can be said that he did not have the bearing of a ruler at all.

The issue of appointing a crown prince is crucial to the fate of the nation; any misstep could lead to the downfall of the state. For example, Emperor Xuan of Han established Emperor Yuan, only to be usurped by Wang Mang; and Sun Quan manipulated the two empresses, causing dissension between the emperor and his ministers. These are all precedents. And the fact that Crown Prince Sima Zhong was inadequate to the role was well known to everyone in the court. Therefore, since the destruction of Wu, elders have repeatedly submitted petitions to the court, suggesting a change of crown prince.

Throughout history, changing the crown prince was no easy task. The reasons for this were twofold: first, it was against etiquette and law, and second, it was difficult to distinguish between the wise and the foolish. But for the Western Jin Dynasty, neither of these two factors held true. After all, the crown prince was stubborn and foolish, completely ignorant of etiquette and law, so why would anyone need to pay attention to him?

However, Sima Yan still had doubts about changing the crown prince, because if the crown prince was changed, according to etiquette, the crown prince would not be one of his own sons, but his half-brother - King Sima You of Qi.

This story is a long one. Sima You, Prince of Qi, was the second legitimate son of Sima Zhao, Emperor Wen of Jin. He was a precocious young man, possessing "unparalleled talent." As he grew older, his literary prowess and profound knowledge of classics and history surpassed his brother, Sima Yan, and he was deeply loved by his grandfather, Sima Yi, Emperor Xuan of Jin, and his uncle, Sima Shi, Emperor Jing of Jin. After Sima Yi's death, Sima Shi ascended to power. Since Sima Zhao had no sons, he adopted Sima You to his brother to continue the family line.

During the Second Huainan Campaign, Emperor Jing of Jin, Sima Shi, died midway through the campaign, and Emperor Wen of Jin, Sima Zhao, succeeded him. Sima You was even more favored by his father. Sima Zhao often patted his own bed and called out to Sima You, nicknamed Tao Fu, and jokingly told his friends, "This is Tao Fu's seat," implying that he, as a father, had usurped the throne that should have been inherited by his son.

However, Sima Zhao later became seriously ill and, due to Sima You's youth, he appointed Sima Yan as the heir apparent according to the rites of primogeniture. Before his death, however, he specifically instructed Sima Yan not to follow the example of Cao Pi and Cao Zhi, who had murdered each other, but to live in harmony with his brother Sima You and work together to establish a common state. This directly established the political situation during Sima Yan's reign, in which the brothers Sima Yan and Sima You ruled the country together.

Upon the establishment of the Western Jin Dynasty, Sima You was granted the title of King of Qi and appointed General of the Cavalry, with the title of Grand Master of the Three Departments, giving him overall command of both internal and external military affairs. Every court meeting was initiated by the King of Qi. Sima You's humble demeanor and respect for the wise and humble quickly won him the support of many court officials, who hailed him as a "virtuous king." Some even privately compared Sima Zhao to King Wu of Zhou and Sima You to Duke Zhou, believing that the rise of the Jin Dynasty lay with the King of Qi.

Under these circumstances, if Sima Yan considered changing the heir, his only option was the King of Qi. After all, according to patriarchal law, Sima You's status as legitimate heir was superior to Sima Yan's. However, Sima Yan was unwilling to pass the family business on to his brothers instead of his sons. Therefore, Sima Yan repeatedly delayed the change of heir, until today, which finally led to the disaster of factional strife.

The cause of the factional struggle was very simple. One day, Sima Yan was playing chess with Shangshu Zhang Hua. Sima Yan asked Zhang Hua, "Who in the court can I entrust with my affairs after this?" He wanted to show his closeness to Zhang Hua, but Zhang Hua blurted out, "The most virtuous and closest relative to me is the King of Qi." This made the emperor's face change drastically.

Although Sima Yan had been on the throne for a long time, the numerous aristocratic families and powerful clans at court meant he had few trusted advisors. Zhang Hua was one of them. Coming from a humble background with no outside support, Sima Yan actively supported him and relied on him as a mentor. Zhang Hua reciprocated his kindness, always gaining the emperor's support during court meetings. During the initial discussions on attacking Wu, Zhang Hua, the only person in the entire Luoyang court who defied all opposition and supported the attack, became a shining example of the emperor and his ministers. Unexpectedly, after their long-standing partnership, Zhang Hua abandoned his position and supported the King of Qi in the selection of a crown prince!

After being shocked and panicked, Sima Yan immediately ordered Zhang Hua to be the commander-in-chief of the military affairs in Youzhou and sent him to the capital.

Zhang Hua, a recognized talent for the position of prime minister and a longtime supporter of the emperor, was exiled for his support of the Prince of Qi, causing unrest within the court. Most court officials sensed that the issue of establishing a crown prince had reached a point where action was necessary. Prince of Qi, Sima You, immediately incited public opinion, citing Zhang Hua's successes since taking office in Youzhou, which had brought peace to the barbarians and the Chinese people. He ordered his officials to repeatedly report Zhang Hua's achievements to the court, requesting his return to Luoyang, in an attempt to pressure the emperor into abdicating. The emperor, however, cited Zhong Hui's rebellion as a precedent, believing Zhang Hua's prosperity was already high. As if Zhong Hui's authority had not been curbed, the situation would have become irreversible, leading to rebellion. Ultimately, he blocked all the petitions.

At this point, the attitudes of the emperor and the King of Qi were clear, and all the officials in the court had to start choosing their sides.

Shangshu Ling Yang Yu, the younger brother of Empress Yang and the Crown Prince's uncle, analyzed the current situation with Zhongshu Jian Xun Xu and Shizhong Feng Xun. They concluded that the Emperor's suspicion of the Prince of Qi was too great, presenting a golden opportunity to curry favor and seize power. Xun Xu then advised Sima Yan, "Now that all officials, both inside and outside the court, are loyal to the Prince of Qi, what should the Crown Prince do after Your Majesty's reign? Your Majesty could issue an imperial decree ordering the Prince of Qi to return to his fiefdom. Everyone in the court would surely object!" After the incident with Zhang Hua, Sima Yan came to his senses and finally resolved to change the complex situation of shared rule between the brothers.

By winter, the emperor finally issued an edict, stating: "In ancient times, the nine officials were appointed as barons, some serving in the imperial court, some serving in the imperial court, all with the same principles. The Sikong, Prince of Qi You, assisted the emperor and established meritorious service, working tirelessly for the royal family. They shall be appointed as Grand Marshal, Commander-in-Chief of the Qingzhou military, and Minister of the Court as before, with the same respect and ceremony. The chief judge shall carefully consider the old system and implement it."

The decree ostensibly conferred the title of King of Qi on him, but in reality it transferred him from Luoyang, away from the center of power. It was a classic case of a promotion in name only, a demotion in reality.

General Wang Hun, the Grand General of the Eastern Expedition, immediately submitted a petition to the Emperor, openly stating, "You is a close relative of the emperor, a man of great virtue, comparable to the Duke of Zhou. He should support the imperial court and participate in state affairs." He proposed that the crown prince inherit the throne, while Sima You, the Prince of Qi, would lead the court in assisting the government, much like the Duke of Zhou had assisted King Cheng. Subsequently, Sima Jun, the Prince of Fufeng, Li Xi, the Grand Master of Imperial Households, Yang Xiu, the Central Guardian, Wang Ji, and Zhen De jointly advised the Emperor, but the Emperor refused.

When the petition failed, the Qi Wang party came up with another plan: they ordered Wang Ji's wife Princess Changshan and Zhen De's wife Princess Changguang to come in together, and weep bitterly in front of Sima Yan, begging bitterly, as if they were as sad as seeing their brothers become dead, and they cried like a tearful person.

Sima Yan was extremely troubled by the sisters' crying. He tried to persuade them but to no avail, nor could he drive them away. He was exhausted and finally flew into a rage. He yelled in public, "The King of Qi and I are brothers. Now we are just asking him to leave the town. This is a family affair between us. My brother hasn't said anything yet, but Wang Ji and his men actually sent women to the palace to cry and make a fuss. Do they want to cry me to death?!" After this incident, Sima Yan demoted Wang Ji to the position of Imperial Academy Director and Zhen De to the position of Grand Herald.

From then on, there was no room for maneuver between the foreign relatives' party and the Qi Wang party.

Under these circumstances, the two leading figures of the Imperial Guards, Cheng Can, the Northern Army's Lieutenant Commander, and Yang Xiu, the Central Guard General, decided to launch a mutiny. Gathering their closest confidants in a secret chamber, they concluded that Yang Yu, the Minister of State, was a talented and influential figure among the imperial family. They believed that if they suddenly launched an attack, captured and killed Yang Yu, and presented Yang Yu's head to the emperor, the imperial family's faction would naturally crumble, and they would be able to regain the trust of the emperor's brothers.

However, the two men's discussions were not kept secret, as they relied heavily on Yang Yao's spies. They finalized their plan that evening, but within an hour, Yang Yao had learned of the situation. Shocked, Yang Yao immediately fled home, claiming illness, and refused to come out regardless of invitation. He also reported the matter to the emperor, who ordered Cheng Can and Yang Xiu to be exiled from the military. He also removed his political rival, Li Xi, the Grand Master of Imperial Households, from the imperial court.

After the remonstration was exposed, Yang Xiu committed suicide and Li Xi passed away, leaving the entire capital on edge. Those powerful families who had previously shared close ties and remained entangled, such as the Jia family of Pingyang, closed their doors and remained silent, fearing any involvement. Those embroiled in factional strife, such as the Wang family of Taiyuan, were also extremely vigilant, fearing another mutiny. The once elegant scenes of visiting each other's houses, discussing philosophy and profound theories, were almost completely gone. Even so, news of small-scale clashes still surfaced from time to time within the city.

After a heavy snowfall, the wind and snow covered the city of Luoyang. During the day, all the houses closed their doors, making it look like an empty city. Only at night could lights be seen. The fourth year of Taikang arrived in such an atmosphere.

　I'm currently testing the waters for this update. Today's follow-up reading is very important, as it determines whether I can enter the next round. I hope everyone will read and vote as much as possible. Your support is my motivation to update. Thank you~
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(End of this chapter)