Jinting Han people

Chapter 92 Teacher's Advice (4k)

Since the day he broke with Jia Mi, the rumors disappeared and Liu Xian's life became much quieter.

As Liu Xian had previously stated, Jia Mi's political power was considerable, but apart from the pressure of public opinion, what else could he do? While the Duke of Lu held a high rank, Jia Mi had only just entered the officialdom. While the rank of Grand Chamberlain was high, it held no real power.

Jia Mi relied on his two aunts, Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng and Princess Dowager Jia Bao. However, after the death of Sima You, the Prince of Qi, Jia Bao had lost power in the court, and Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng was also checked by several powerful officials, so it was impossible for her to cover up everything.

From this perspective, he could only affect Liu Xian's career at most. But Liu Xian had already achieved the second rank of Zhuoran, and with the support of the fifth prince Sima Wei, how bad could he be?
Therefore, there are only two things Jia Mi can do:
Or if Liu Xian makes a mistake in the future, Jia Mi will add insult to injury and make his crime even more serious.

Or he might secretly use some despicable means to affect the income and expenditure of Anle Mansion.

The former has almost no effect on Liu Xian, and as for the latter, Liu Xian now has Zu Ti's help and has nothing to worry about.

However, just in case, Liu Xian still made a special trip to find King Shiping Sima Wei, hoping to get his protection.

Sima Wei was very straightforward and said naturally, "Over the years, it's common for officials in the court to quarrel and fight. In the end, they all serve the country with all their loyalty! You are my man. If there is anything, we can discuss it privately. Why does it have to be Jia Changyuan's turn to lecture you?"

"If you feel uncomfortable being a clerk, I can directly arrange for you to be a doctor in the royal palace."

This promise was very valuable, and Liu Xian was very grateful. However, he was quite happy in the Secretariat and had no intention of changing his position for the time being. He planned to wait and see. If he really couldn't stay there anymore, it wouldn't be too late to come to the Shiping Palace. Sima Wei agreed.

At this point, the conflict with Jia Mi came to an end.

But overall, Liu Xian was rather unhappy to have suffered such an inexplicable and unexpected disaster without having done anything. When he returned home, whether it was reading, practicing calligraphy, practicing swordplay or playing the flute, when he should have been enjoying himself, as soon as Liu Xian thought of Jia Mi's delicate and charming face, he would suddenly feel bored and anxious, as if he had swallowed a mouse, and then all interest would disappear.

After all, there's always the saying "a thief travels a thousand miles, but you can't guard against him for a thousand days." Although Jia Mi didn't make any immediate moves, he was definitely still plotting revenge. Liu Xian, knowing full well that this was happening, couldn't resolve it once and for all. It must be worse than chasing a fly.

This emotion became more and more intense as time went by, until one night, when Liu Xian was about to fall asleep, Jia Mi's voice suddenly rang in his mind again, which made him startle and sit up directly from the head of the bed.

Ah Luo was also startled. She rubbed her hazy eyes and asked Liu Xian, "Biji, what's wrong?"

Seeing his wife's lovely sleeping face, Liu Xian felt relieved. He said, "I'm still thinking about Jia Mi."

"What's there to think about? Didn't my husband make an agreement with the King of Shiping? There's nothing to worry about."

Liu Xian lay down again: "I always feel that it is not enough. I am still wondering if there is any better way."

"I don't know about that." Ah Luo muttered, covering her face. "Why don't you ask the teacher tomorrow? Maybe he knows."

Yes! Perhaps I could ask my teacher Chen Shou. He is knowledgeable and has been in the political arena for many years. Perhaps he could give me some advice?

He did what he said. As soon as the court was over the next day, Liu Xian rode his horse quickly to Chen Shou's mansion in the southern suburbs.

Chen Shou's mansion still looked the same as before, with vines climbing up the dilapidated walls. The small courtyard was filled with sunshine, and there were even fewer people. Apart from Chen Shou, there were only two or three maids, making the courtyard empty. There were only a few clumps of green bamboo, a few pear trees, and a yellow dog lying on the ground, which laughed when it saw Liu Xian.

Liu Xian patted the yellow dog's head and, after glancing around the courtyard, suddenly felt a pang of sadness. Chen Shou now had no official position, no wife or children, and his book was complete, yet he was still toiling away in the capital. What was the point? Furthermore, his teacher had failed to achieve officialdom, yet he came to him for advice. Wasn't it ironic?

What I should do now is to bring my teacher back home and serve him like my own child.

Thinking of this, Liu Xian walked quickly to the study and saw his teacher Chen Shou sitting in front of the desk, squinting his eyes, hunching his body, and writing carefully on the desk.

"Teacher, Liu Xian is here to visit you." Liu Xian knocked on the door.

"Ah? It's Huai Chong!" Chen Shou was surprised. He quickly put down his pen and put away the scroll on the table. Then he waved Liu Xian in and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Of course I'm here to see you. How are you feeling lately?"

"You make it sound like I'm already on my deathbed and seriously ill."

Chen Shou is indeed still in good health now. He is 56 years old, which means he is three years older than the current emperor Sima Yan. Although there are many wrinkles and spots on his face, he still looks very good. This is probably because he followed Jiang Wei in his early years of fighting. Even though he has been absent from the battlefield for decades, the past still left him some invisible wealth.

"How dare I." Seeing that Chen Shou was fine, Liu Xian relaxed. He naturally picked up the dust brush and swept some dust from the bookshelf. "What has the teacher been writing lately? Is there anything I can read?"

"Nothing." Chen Shou's words were obviously insincere, and he didn't want to discuss this topic with Liu Xian. He straightened his body and asked with a smile, "Tell me, have you encountered any difficulties in your official career?"

"Ah? How did the teacher know that?" Liu Xian was quite surprised.

"You are my disciple, how could I not see it?" Chen Shou scolded with a smile, "Stop sweeping, you are just pretending."

"When you visited me before, you always had gifts in your hands. But today you came empty-handed. If you haven't encountered some difficulties, what else could it be?"

Liu Xian felt a little embarrassed, but considering he was asking questions in the first place, he sat down before Chen Shou and told his teacher the whole story of his disagreement with Jia Mi. Chen Shou usually lived a secluded life and had not heard Liu Xian mention it, so he really didn't know about it. At first he was a little nonchalant, but as he listened, he sat up straight and his face became serious.

After Liu Xian finished speaking, Chen Shou did not speak immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes and twirled his beard, thinking for a long time. Then he sighed, "The Jia family of Pingyang actually produced such a person. What a sin..."

He then restrained his expression and said solemnly to Liu Xian, "Huai Chong, you still underestimated the Pingyang Jia family." "Estimate?" Liu Xian's eyes flashed and he clenched his fists.

Chen Shou said slowly, "That's right. Jia Chong has been operating within the government for decades. Even the emperor had to look to him for favor. The power he left behind has long surpassed your imagination."

"How big is it?"

"Equal to the emperor! The Shi family, to which Shi Chong belongs, is nothing more than a fat dog compared to the Jia family!"

“Is that so?!”

Seeing Liu Xian's astonishment, Chen Shou paused and said, "Do you know why I don't want to be the Prince's Secretary?"

"Isn't it because you have no real power?"

"That's not entirely the reason." Chen Shou revealed a troubled expression and sighed. "The current Crown Prince's Mansion has long been controlled by Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng. Although she may be ugly, she is very skilled in politics and has secretly won over many literati and celebrities. She has always provided advice to help the Crown Prince maintain his position. Until now, the Crown Prince's position is as stable as Mount Tai. The Crown Princess has made great contributions. Do you understand?"

Although Liu Xian had never met Crown Prince Sima Zhong, he had indeed been puzzled. Why was it that the Emperor did not have a clear choice of heir apparent when the Crown Prince was clearly incapable of governing, and when the other princes were also capable? It turned out that the Pingyang Jia family had contributed to this. He began to realize the seriousness of the problem, but at the same time, he was also puzzled:
"Then the position of Crown Prince's Junior Secretary has no real power at all. Why don't you take the position, Master?"

"The Crown Princess is too vicious!" Chen Shou slammed the table and said helplessly, "Do you know why the Crown Prince has only one son so far?"

Liu Xian had indeed not paid much attention to the prince's family affairs: "Please enlighten me, Master."

"This is a secret I heard when I was the Imperial Censor! Don't spread it outside. It's said that as soon as any of the Crown Prince's concubines become pregnant, they'll be struck in the stomach with a halberd by the Crown Princess until they miscarry! Quite a few have even been beaten to death!"

"Ah?! The emperor doesn't care?!" Liu Xian was shocked. Ever since his mother Zhang Ximiao died of miscarriage, the thing he couldn't stand the most was hearing someone having a miscarriage. Unexpectedly, the same tragedy happened in the palace, and more than one!
"How can we manage this? Don't forget, Jia Chong's other daughter is the Princess of Qi! Does the Emperor dare to drive Jia Chong to the Prince of Qi's side?"

Liu Xian originally thought that Jia Chong was playing both sides and would support whoever was in power. However, after listening to Chen Shou's story, he unexpectedly thought that whoever he supported would be in power. This was completely beyond Liu Xian's imagination.

Chen Shou added, "I heard from Sima Biao that the crown prince's only son is the emperor's personal concern. He was protected from the moment he was conceived, and personally trained after birth. He wasn't recognized by the crown prince until he was three years old."

"How could I dare to work in the Crown Prince's mansion when the Crown Princess is so cruel?" Chen Shou sighed deeply. "I never expected this! I thought the Crown Princess was already incredibly cruel, but now there's another Jia Mi who's set his sights on you!"

Liu Xian didn't say anything. After listening to what Chen Shou said, he calmed down a little. It was impossible for him to regret his past actions now, but he should look forward. He finally understood the confidence behind Jia Mi's smile, but even so, he was more eager for victory.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Xian said, "Teacher, I have a question."

"Since the Jia family is so prominent, why are they so rarely seen in today's political arena?"

Chen Shou said, "Of course it's because of the Emperor's suppression. Jia Chong is dead, and the Crown Princess is so vicious. The Emperor will naturally not allow this old tree to continue to take root and sprout. Now the Emperor is favoring the Prince of Runan and the Three Yangs because he doesn't want the Crown Princess to truly gain power."

"But as the old saying goes, a centipede is still alive even after death. The Crown Princess is just dormant, while the Emperor is truly dying of illness. Jia Mi really can't take care of you right now, but after the Crown Prince ascends the throne, it's hard to say!"

When Liu Xian heard this, he already understood what Chen Shou meant.

He closed his eyes slightly, assessing the current political situation: besides the Three Yangs and Sima Liang, there was also the Jia family. If he wanted to challenge the Jia family in this situation, waiting would be unwise. He had no chance of success on his own. The only viable path was, in fact, one: "Teacher, are you saying that I should actively participate in the factional struggle?"

"This is a last resort..." Chen Shou was also somewhat helpless. "You are now from the Shiping Palace. If you help the Fifth Prince gain a place in the future political situation and become his advisor, you will naturally be able to fear the Jia family."

Among the princes, Sima Wei's current position was indeed exceptionally high. Not only did he have extensive connections within the Imperial Guards, he also enjoyed the support of the other princes, Sima Yun, Sima Xia, and Sima Yi. However, this high position also meant it was difficult to become a core member of Sima Wei's faction. Although Liu Xian had a good relationship with Sima Wei and had received his promise of protection, he knew that he was still a long way from achieving such a position...

But at least it was a way out. As long as it was a way to get out of trouble, he would dare to climb it, even if it was a road to heaven. Liu Xian's brain was already working, thinking about what advantages he would have if he participated in the party struggle.

However, this thought was quickly interrupted by the teacher. Chen Shou said, "In matters like factional strife, one wrong step can lead to a catastrophic abyss. It's not something you can sort out in a short time. So, Huai Chong, you need to figure it out on your own, and I'm going to give you some other advice."

"Any other suggestions?"

"As the saying goes, knowing yourself and your enemy ensures victory in every battle. I don't know how powerful the Pingyang Jia family is right now, and neither do you. It might just be a false alarm, or it might be even more exaggerated than I've described. Since you're at odds with the Jia family, you need to find a way to find out."

"what do you mean……"

"What I mean is that you should make some friends in private, or more precisely, friends around Jia Mi."

"Isn't this... a bit reckless?"

"There's nothing reckless about it. Jia Mi is a human being. How can the people around him tolerate his behavior? Those flattering scholars are also human beings. They have dignity and know shame. As long as you can contact some people and find out Jia Mi's background, no matter what happens in the future, you will be prepared."

Chen Shou's words were very convincing, and Liu Xian expressed his sincere conviction. He had indeed not yet considered this perspective. However, when it came to making friends, choosing the right person was a headache for Liu Xian. Making friends was a two-way process. If he entrusted the wrong person, he would not be able to find out Jia Mi's true intentions, but would instead be actively revealing them to Jia Mi. In Liu Xian's eyes, no one currently associated with Jia Mi had a character he could respect.

Chen Shou offered Liu Xian a choice, saying, "It's actually not as complicated as you think. Those with greater literary talent often become more conceited and intolerant of inferiority. But there's this man who arrived in Luoyang not long ago, full of ambition and renowned throughout the capital."

Liu Xian realized that Chen Shou was talking about Lu Ji.

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(End of this chapter)