The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 179 Welcome to the Age of Aristocratic Clan

The person who came was Sima Shi.

Sima Shi lowered his head and walked into the hall step by step.

When he raised his head, several ministers felt inexplicably nervous.

Sima Shi's eyes swept over the ministers in front of him, but did not linger on any of them. He passed through the ministers and stared straight at Wang Xiang who was hiding behind the crowd.

Then he walked towards Wang Xiang.

At this moment, Wang Xiang felt a chill on his back, his hair stood on end, and his whole body couldn't help but tremble.

"General!"

Fortunately, Gao Rou stood in front of Sima Shi.

There was something wrong in Gao Rou's eyes when he looked at Sima Shi at this moment. After being threatened and suppressed by Sima Shi in various ways, the current prime minister finally couldn't bear it anymore.

With so many ministers present, Gao Rou was not afraid that Sima Shi would take action.

Sima Shi was cruel, but he was not crazy.

He doesn't dare to be Dong Zhuo!

What's more, Gao Rou had lost the support of his ministers because of Zhong Hui's lies. Since then, he was manipulated by Sima Shi in various ways and had no power to fight back.

When Situ Gong saw this opportunity, he was unwilling to give it up.

He wanted to become the backbone of the ministers again, and he wanted to take over the initiative in this matter. This time, let alone Zhong Hui, even if Zhong Yao came, he would never give up power again!

Sima Shi looked at Gao Rou in front of him, his expression still calm.

"What does Situ Gong want to do?"

"You suddenly wanted to send your son Gao Guang to Huainan."

"Now Guanqiu Jian is hoarding grain and fodder, and you are leading your ministers to cause trouble."

"What benefit did Guanqiu Jian give you? To make you betray the government?"

Gao Rou's face changed drastically. "General! What does this discussion in the imperial court have to do with Guanqiu Jian? If you don't want to implement it, you can just refuse it. Why are you slandering me?"

Sima Shi looked at him and said, "I have heard that the money Guanqiu Jian gave to Situ is hidden in your mansion."

"Well, if I send someone to search, you'll probably think I'm framing you."

"Do you think there is anyone among these ministers whom you can trust?"

"If there is, you can send someone to search your residence. If there is no bribe from Guanqiu Jian, I am willing to resign the position of general. If you find out, you can deal with it according to the law. What do you think, Lord Situ?"

Sima Shi asked calmly.

Gao Rou's eyes were full of fear.

Sima Shi once replaced the servants in his house. He thought that this was just to keep an eye on him. Now he realized that Sima Shi actually had such a trick up his sleeve!
He had anticipated this day?

Gao Rou's face turned pale, but he did not answer. The ministers around him also looked at him with some suspicion.

"General, this matter was not brought up by Lord Situ, so it has nothing to do with him!"

"Whether he had a relationship with General Guanqiu Jian has nothing to do with what is happening today."

At this moment, Xun Yi took the initiative to step forward to rescue Gao Rou.

Xun Yi knew very well that he could not lose Situ Gong now. This most powerful ally must be kept. At the same time, he could not let Sima Shi disrupt this court meeting through Gao Rou.

Sima Shi still looked at Gao Rou, waiting for his answer.

Seeing that Gao Rou didn't answer, he snorted coldly, then looked at Xun Xi who had spoken from the side.

"Mr. Xun"

"Have you forgotten the kindness your father showed you?"

Xun Yi frowned and said calmly, "This time I am serving the state, carrying on Duke Xuanwen's ambition to make the world prosperous."

Sima Shi nodded, "That makes sense."

"So, Lord Xun wants to rule the world through the Empress Dowager? Emperor Wen has decreed that the harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs."

"Do you want to rule the world, or do you want to be a marquis?"

Houfeng refers to the cruel officials under the command of Empress Lü during the Western Han Dynasty.

Xun Yi was stunned for a moment before replying, "It's for the purpose of governing the empire. However, the General of the Western Expedition refused to comply. Since the current emperor is young, the Queen Mother must naturally step in."

"Then why do you say so much?"

"I'm still here in the temple. Does that mean the Queen Mother really needs to show up?!"

Meng Kang retorted, "The general is seriously ill, so we can only ask the Queen Mother to come forward and issue an imperial decree. We didn't know the general was coming, so does that mean we are going to be made a marquis?!"

Sima Shi said calmly, "Please do not make mistakes. I will promote good things and will never forgive evil."

"If all the ministers agree that this is a good thing that will benefit the world, how could I refuse it?"

Lu Yu immediately stepped forward and said, "If that's the case! General, please give the order now and implement this matter!"

"All the ministers believe this is a good deed that will benefit the world!"

As these people started to talk, the other ministers also began to express their ideas.

To sum it up, it's just one sentence: I ask Sima Shi to agree to this decision! If you don't agree, we will go to the Queen Mother and ask her to implement it!
Sima Zhao stood in the distance. He did not expect that these people would actually dare to attack his brother.

Within a moment, all the ministers surrounded Sima Shi, each arguing with reason. They looked like greedy wolves, constantly testing the prey in front of them and pulling it back and forth.

Sima Shi was like a sick tiger surrounded by a pack of wolves, but he was not in a hurry. He could scare away all the wolves by taking a step forward.

The sick tiger bared its fangs, but instead of retreating, it stepped back step by step. The wolves whimpered, retreated continuously, and jumped around, trying to scare the sick tiger in front of them.

Sima Shi stared at the people in front of him.

"The problem right now is that some people's motives aren't to promote such good deeds at all! They simply want to disobey Emperor Wen's decree and become marquises!"

"Why would you be so complicit with such a villain?"

"If it truly benefits the world, how could I refuse it?"

"Don't become a knife in Guanqiu Jian's hands! He came from the prefectures and counties, and Huainan is home to many noble families. If Guanqiu Jian gains an advantage, what good will it do you all?"

Sima Fu finally stood up and looked at Sima Shi in front of him.

"General, I believe that the ministers' memorials were also for the sake of the imperial court. We absolutely cannot vent our anger on them just because of Guanqiu Jian and treat them as his accomplices."

"According to the laws of the Wei Dynasty, treason is a serious crime, but submitting a petition is not a crime."

"Since the ministers have good ideas, they should discuss them seriously and then implement them."

"But things must be prioritized. Guanqiu Jian is hoarding food and fodder, and he's already harboring rebellious thoughts. I think we should wait for the angel to return to Luoyang and inquire about the outcome before making a decision. Such a reform is no small matter. Once it's implemented, it's bound to cause unrest. If exploited, even the most benevolent policies will turn into evil."

Sima Fu looked at his ministers and said, "Gentlemen, I agree with these policies. However, can such a major matter be decided in just a few days? Doesn't the specific policy require discussion and deliberation? Moreover, with a formidable enemy at our doorstep, we shouldn't delay military operations in a hurry."

Sima Zhao was a little dissatisfied and was about to step forward to refute, but was held back by Zhong Yu.

Lu Yu looked at Sima Fu and said, "You also mentioned that the petitioner is innocent and this matter can be discussed slowly. However, I am worried that someone will take advantage of the situation and not give us another chance to discuss it."

Sima Fu said sternly: "If such a situation occurs, all the ministers should attack together!!"

The ministers did not object further, which was considered as accepting the suggestion of slowly discussing the matter.

The court meeting ended and the ministers left one after another.

Wang Xiang mingled among the ministers, his eyes gleaming with brilliance.

He succeeded.

If you can walk out of here alive, it means you have succeeded.

Sima Shi said that if anyone dared to touch him, even if he directly tore up the compromise he had made with the ministers, the ministers would immediately turn against him.

No, it should be said that the ministers have turned against us.

The Sima family has a very bad reputation and no one will believe the promises they make.

The ministers already knew the Queen Mother's position and knew what to use to fight against Sima Shi.

Next, the ministers will take the initiative to contact the Queen Mother, and they will automatically form a powerful force to force Sima Shi to make concessions.

And how could Sima Shi possibly give in?
Wang Xiang looked at the distant sky calmly.

If Sima Shi does not give in, all the ministers will unite around the Queen Mother. This alliance has everything it needs, so what else does your Sima family need?
The authority that the Sima family had built up over many years collapsed completely in one day, and the ministers were no longer afraid of Sima Shi.

Regardless of whether Sima Shi can suppress the situation this time, the Sima family is finished and they have already failed.

The era of the Queen Mother. No, the era of the aristocratic families must be created by oneself.

Inside the hall, Sima Shi watched his ministers leave one by one with an expressionless face.

Sima Fu, Sima Zhao, and several trusted ministers stayed here.

Sima Zhao glanced at Sima Fu and walked quickly to his brother's side.

"Brother, how can you let them go like this?"

"Since the evidence of Gao Rou's collusion with Guanqiu Jian is right here in his home, they should all be labeled accomplices in the rebellion. Even if they can't all be killed, Gao Rou should be executed at least. Why bother saying more? Once Gao Rou is dead, how will the others dare to rebel?!"

Sima Shi remained silent, but Zhong Yu sighed deeply and said quietly, "I'm afraid it's because Gao Rou doesn't have any stolen goods at home."

Sima Zhao was shocked and looked at Sima Shi again.

Sima Shi did not refute.

Sima Fu asked helplessly, "General, what should we do next? The ministers will not give up."

Sima Zhao said unhappily, "Why did you let them go just now? You shouldn't have let them leave so easily! If nothing else, you should at least have kept those two bastards, Lu Yu and Wang Xiang, behind!"

"Shut up!!!"

Sima Shi scolded.

He was about to say something when a painful expression suddenly appeared on his face.

Blood suddenly gushed out of his mouth, slid down the corners of his mouth, and instantly dyed his clothes red.

Sima Shi was staggering. He grabbed Sima Zhao's clothes, holding on tightly, and struggled to avoid falling to the ground.

"Brother!!!"

"Don't shout, help me get in the car."

Sima Shi was shaking violently all over, and his hands that were grabbing Sima Zhao's clothes almost tore the clothes.

(End of this chapter)