Jinting Han people

Chapter 56: King Shiping's Companion (Subscription Request)
The Shiping Palace is located on the west side of Tongtuo Street in Luoyang City, less than two hundred steps away from the Changhe Gate of the Imperial Palace.

Although the palace does not cover a large area and has four courtyards similar to the Anle Palace, one is outside the city while the other is in the land-scarce Luoyang City, so the value of the two is worlds apart.

When Liu Xian and Qi Sheng rode their horses to the Prince of Shiping's Palace, they happened to see the court officials attending the meeting. Hundreds of carriages were parked in front of the Qianghe Gate, stretching for nearly a hundred feet. It was a spectacular sight.

However, Liu Xian discovered a very interesting scene. Although the queue of officials was very long, no one dared to stop at the gate of Prince Shiping's Mansion. Instead, they deliberately left a gap. No one knew why.

After he raised his doubts to Qi Sheng, Qi Sheng was very proud. He explained: "Your Highness, you don't know that Your Majesty has given birth to many princes, and nine of them are still alive. When there are many people, even brothers and sisters have their differences."

"Thus, the princes were divided into two factions. The Crown Prince and the Prince of Nanyang were already older, and both were legitimate sons of the late Queen. They formed their own faction, known as the Legitimate Faction. The remaining seven princes, being of similar age and status, would all become powerful vassals of the state in the future. They formed another faction, known as the Vassal Faction."

"Among the princes of the vassal factions, our Highness is the oldest and holds the highest prestige. He is also close to his brothers, so naturally, His Majesty treats him with special favor. Last year, His Highness was appointed Captain of the Cavalry, commanding 3,000 Imperial Guards, and is very popular. And the ministers are making way for His Highness in front of Tongtuo Street to curry his favor!"

"Is that so?" Liu Xian asked again, "Then since Your Highness has already entered the government, why does he still need a study companion?"

Qi Sheng said, "The princes are not like us mortals. We study for official careers and fame, but Your Highness studies to cultivate himself and govern the country, which is a lifelong endeavor. This is why Your Majesty values the princes so much!"

Liu Xian heard this and just laughed it off.

After arriving at the palace, Qi Sheng knocked on the door and then took Liu Xian in.

To Liu Xian's surprise, the layout of the Shiping Prince's Palace was more austere than he had imagined. There were no glamorous palace maids, nor were there any extravagant decorations. Instead, the first thing that caught his eye were dozens of armored soldiers in iron helmets. They stood as erect as pine trees, their gaze fixed squarely on the ground. But as Liu Xian passed by them, a chill ran down his spine, like the slow movement of a knife against his skin.

Liu Xian thought: "They should all be veterans who have fought in the battlefield."

Going further in, after crossing the plain main hall, there is a very messy courtyard, where various swords, guns, bows and arrows, as well as straw dummies used for training are piled up. It can be seen that people often come here and it is not just for decoration.

A small room behind the courtyard was the study of Sima Wei, the King of Shiping. As Liu Xian entered, he heard someone say, "Oh, you're finally here?"

The person who said this was of course King Shiping Sima Wei.

After not seeing him for more than a year, he has become taller and more majestic. At first glance, he looks full of vigor. Even when he is wearing casual clothes and looks lazy, his youthful vitality is as radiant as the sun and cannot be concealed.

Throughout this journey, even though they hadn't met yet, Liu Xian's impression of Sima Wei had already changed significantly:

Although he didn't know his specific hobbies, he was at least not a hedonistic prince. Listening to the tone of the King of Shiping, he could sense his enthusiasm, as if he genuinely treated him as a long-awaited guest. Therefore, Liu Xian immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Sima Wei also bowed his head and said, "I still remember that I met you at the Chen residence a year ago. Although our conversation was not long, it was very pleasant. In the past year since then, I haven't met anyone as interesting as you again. I really miss you."

Normally, as a prince and a vassal king, Sima Wei shouldn't have to return the gift, but in front of Liu Xian, whom he had only met once, he actually bowed his head and returned the gift, which really surprised Liu Xian. He couldn't help but say humbly, "Your Highness, you are too kind. After our last meeting, I have often thought of you. Your heroic spirit is truly impressive."

"Seriously?" Sima Wei waved his hand and said with a smile, "I spoke a lot that day and didn't say anything serious. I'm thankful that you didn't laugh at me in your heart."

"As the saying goes, life is finite, but learning is limitless. Thus, there are things one must not know." Liu Xian praised Sima Wei, saying, "The sages said, 'If you know, you know; if you don't know, you don't know.' This means that people should understand the principles of self-reflection and self-discipline. Only in this way can they abide by their duties, stay in their positions, and fulfill their responsibilities. What Your Highness has just said aligns perfectly with this principle. It is clear that in the future, you will surely assist the country in its prosperity and become a pillar of state."

After hearing these words, Sima Wei burst into laughter, pointing at Liu Xian and saying to Qi Sheng, "Hahahaha, Qi Sheng, did you hear that? This is someone who can read and speak well! If Master Liu was at this level, I wouldn't be so unable to listen."

Then he turned to Liu Xian and said, "From now on, I hope Huai Chong will give me more guidance."

This officially confirmed Liu Xian's relationship as study partner, and Liu Xian sat down with a smile.

But Liu Xian's words weren't entirely polite. The King of Shiping wasn't just handsome; he possessed a cold, calm aura, like an icy blade, awe-inspiring. He neither attempted to conceal his edge nor to change his character, and naturally exuded a chilling sense of power.

Once such a person decides to do something, he will surely do it with unstoppable force and no one will be able to stop him.

Sima Wei's feelings were quite the opposite. Perhaps due to his origins in the Anle Mansion, Liu Xian wasn't as heroic as he remembered. This wasn't to say Liu Xian was plain-looking, but rather that he lacked that awe-inspiring spirit. But Liu Xian's conversation was neither humble nor arrogant, and beneath his modest exterior lay a firm confidence. This confidence must have been determined by a combination of wisdom and willpower.

Sima Wei asked the maid to bring him a cup of hot tea, and then they chatted about daily life.

Liu Xianxian asked, "Come to think of it, since His Majesty ordered me to be His Highness's study companion, I'm sure I'm not the only one!"

Sima Wei smiled and said, "Indeed, you're not the only one here. Besides you, there's also Wang Cui, the grandson of the late Xiangyang Marquis Wang Jun. However, he and I have known each other for a long time. It's just that today is not a day for study, so neither he nor Master Liu came."

"Master Liu?"

"Oh, that's the tutor Your Majesty has chosen for me. His full name is Liu Song, a native of Guangling. He's a descendant of Liu Xu, the King of Guangling during the Former Han Dynasty. He was also a former court judge, renowned for his skill in judging criminal cases. That's why Your Majesty has appointed him as my tutor."

It turned out to be Liu Song. Liu Xian had heard Li Mi mention him before, so he asked, "It's Duke Ziya. I've heard of him! But wasn't it said that he was transferred to be the governor of Henei a few years ago?"

"It's been a long time since then!" Sima Wei sighed. "Four years ago, he went to mourn his mother. After the mourning period ended, it happened that my former tutor, Lord Liu Yi, fell seriously ill, so Your Majesty transferred him here."

"You don't know, Master Liu isn't tall, but he has a terrible temper! Every time he comes, he gets mad at me, telling me I don't sit or stand properly, and I don't follow etiquette. I spend half the day being scolded, and he says I can't concentrate on learning. How can I possibly concentrate on learning when he's like that?"

Liu Xian laughed when he heard this. This was indeed the Sima Wei he met last time, who could not hide any complaints.

But as a new companion, he couldn't help but make some compromises to make it easier for him to get along with his colleagues. So, he said, "As the prince's tutor, Lord Zi Ya certainly doesn't just care about your highness's studies. He also has to consider your highness's image and future. He's doing this with great care."

Sima Wei had obviously heard this sort of thing too many times and didn't take it to heart. He continued to complain, "Speaking of which, although His Majesty has found me a study partner, he's also had me take on the duties of a member of the Imperial Guard. I have to train every three or four days, and there are all sorts of other things I have to do. Often, out of ten days, I only get two or three days to study. Making you run back and forth just for these two or three days is really an exaggeration!"

Liu Xian further advised:

"Your Majesty is not seeking companions for Your Highness, not because he expects Your Highness to learn much, but because he hopes that the three of them will form a group and help Your Highness develop a habit of reading. Your Highness currently holds the important position of a member of the Imperial Guard, but how will training affect his studies?"

"Back then, Lü Meng was a frontline general of the Wu army, fighting fiercely against the Wei army. He worked day and night, his life hanging in the balance. Yet, he never let go of his book, squeezed out time for diligent study, and ultimately became a renowned general. Your Highness, no matter how busy you are right now, can you be busier than Lü Meng? To achieve great things, you must work harder than others."

After Liu Xian finished speaking, Sima Wei pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "Huai Chong is right." But then he sighed, "We talk about achieving great things, but what great things can we achieve in the future?"

This was a very sensitive topic. As a sensitive person, Liu Xian immediately shut his mouth and said nothing.

Qi Sheng had been listening for a long time. Now he was no longer silent and said with a smile, "Your Highness, what are you talking about? You are a prince, and this dynasty is different from the previous one. The royal family is treated well, comparable to the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Even if Your Highness is not very capable, you will have to go out to govern a region and lead tens of thousands of troops. You can go forward to suppress bandits and quell rebellions, and retreat to maintain peace in the borders. So many people depend on you, how can you sit here and complain?"

Sima Wei said, "What's the big deal about being stationed in a certain area? The country is now pacified, the sea and the river are peaceful, and this is a time of great prosperity unseen in a century. Even if you have a million soldiers, there's no place to use them!"

Qi Sheng quickly glanced at Liu Xian and continued in a low voice, "Being sent to govern a certain region is indeed nothing. But everyone knows that this prince is unable to manage state affairs and must entrust state affairs to others."

"As the saying goes, new clothes are worse than old ones, and old friends are worse than new ones. People are, after all, close and distant. If the government is not handed over to Your Highness in the future, but to some outsider, and then some treacherous minister emerges, then this once-in-a-century era of peace and prosperity will be in jeopardy, won't it?"

"Your Highness shoulders a heavy responsibility, so you should strive to be more diligent and be brave in your work. Earlier, Prince Anle said that Your Highness should be a pillar of the nation, and just now he said that His Majesty has high hopes for You. Doesn't this prove that Your Highness is the Duke of Zhou or Lü Wang that everyone hopes for?"

After saying that, he turned to Liu Xian and said, "Isn't that right, Prince?"

Liu Xian looked at Qi Sheng, speechless for a long time, and he discovered:

It is hard to say whether there are treacherous ministers in the court, but there is indeed one right in front of us.

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(End of this chapter)