Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 383 Phase

Taiji Hall in Jiankang.

"The idea of ​​establishing a temporary headquarters in Luoyang is absolutely unacceptable. There cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two supreme rulers. The General of Chariots and Cavalry already controls eight provinces: Qing, Yan, Xu, Yu, Si, Jing, Xiang, and Yong. If we were to establish a temporary headquarters in Luoyang, where would the imperial court be placed? Where would the General of Chariots and Cavalry be placed?"

Xie Yu brandished his scepter, filled with righteous indignation.

“The Xingtai is not a military government. The General of the Cavalry’s actions are detrimental to the national dignity and must not be done,” said Wang Zhenzhi, Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

No one wants to give up the power they've gained.

Given Liu Daogui's current strength, establishing a Luoyang branch office would be tantamount to setting up a separate court.

However, if it is not set up, it will create discord with the General of the Cavalry.

Liu Daogui's counterattack was swift and ruthless, putting the court in a precarious position. Liu Yu was also quite troubled, as such a major event could not be remedied by brotherly affection; rather, it was a test between two forces.

Although it may not escalate to the point of armed conflict, there will be no shortage of long-term confrontation and competition, with both sides trying to gain the upper hand over the other.

"Liu Yin, what do you think?"

Liu Yu looked at Liu Muzhi.

When the Eastern Jin Dynasty was established, it adopted the Han system and established the Danyang Yin, who was in charge of military power, civil administration, litigation and other affairs, and participated in court discussions. The Danyang Yin governed ten counties.

Although the official rank was not high, the future prospects were limitless. Liu Wei, Wen Qiao, Yang Man, Wang Tanzhi, Sima Huizhi and others had all held this position.

This was also the first time Liu Muzhi had stepped from behind the stage to the front, drawing the attention of all the civil and military officials in the hall, who whispered among themselves.

Liu Muzhi cupped his hands and said, "Setting up a temporary headquarters is absolutely not advisable. I think it would be better to move the capital to Luoyang and return to the old capital. This would not only appease the General of Chariots and Cavalry, but also demonstrate to the world the court's determination to recover the Central Plains!"

Upon hearing this, the whispers abruptly ceased.

Liu Mu's brilliance lay in passing the buck directly to the Sima family and the powerful aristocratic clans. As long as the capital was moved to Luoyang, all disputes would immediately disappear.

They could also snatch a piece of meat from the mouth of the Flying Cavalry Army. With the imperial court moving the capital to Luoyang, Sili and Yuzhou would become the imperial court's sphere of influence, which could greatly suppress the power of the Flying Cavalry Army.

However, Luoyang was located on the border, directly facing the Wei cavalry.

The Sima clan and other aristocratic families had been living in the south for over eighty years and had long been accustomed to the mild climate of Jiangzuo, making them unable to bear the bitter cold of Luoyang.

Not to mention the fact that they also had to fight against the Hu people, whose fiefdoms, estates, and servants were all in Jiangzuo. If they went to Luoyang, they would have to start all over again.

If they had such courage, they would have moved the capital to Luoyang as early as the time of Huan Wen.

"This is a matter of great importance and requires careful consideration." Wang Zhenzhi looked at the unassuming Prefect of Danyang with surprise.

Originally, the aristocratic families joined forces to attack the General of the Cavalry, but he resolved the situation with just a few words.

Xie Yu said, "Your Majesty is young, and the recovery of the Central Plains is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Moving the capital to Luoyang would be tantamount to placing Your Majesty and all the officials under the hooves of the barbarians. This is absolutely unacceptable."

Liu Muzhi pressed his advantage, saying, "Since the late emperor's passing, the state has deteriorated daily. First, there was the chaos caused by the rebels, and then Huan Xuan usurped the throne. If it weren't for the General of Chariots and Cavalry and the General of the Flying Cavalry, how could you all be sitting here? Now the world is still unsettled, with powerful enemies like Wei, Qin, Shu, and Yan standing tall, always intending to invade the east and south. In these turbulent times, you should all be of one mind and work together to assist the two generals in saving the country and conquering the land, instead of being petty and stirring up trouble."

These words were rather harsh, causing the expressions of everyone in the hall to turn somewhat unpleasant.

Now that the Jin dynasty has been revitalized, it does not mean that everything is fine. After the new ruler of Wei, Tuoba Si, ascended the throne, he devoted himself to domestic affairs, inherited the will of Tuoba Gui, promoted the virtuous and capable, cared for the people, and continued to reform and change the system.

Although the Yao Qin state in the west was not as powerful as before, it formed an alliance with the Qiao Shu state to fight against the Jin dynasty.

Seeing that Xie Yu and the others had nothing to say, Liu Yu said in a deep voice, "What the Prefect of Danyang said is true. The General of the Cavalry is my brother. He has the court at heart, so there is no need to say more. Now that he has made a contribution in destroying the Southern Yan and suppressing the rebels, he should be promoted to the rank of Grand General!"

All eyes turned to Liu Yu's back, where Emperor Sima Dezong looked dazed and confused, while Prince Sima Dewen of Langya remained expressionless.

However, Xu Xianzhi stepped forward at this moment, "Wait!"

Liu Yu asked, "What insightful opinion does Prefect Xu have?"

"While the General of Chariots and Cavalry certainly has merit in upholding the state, it was only thanks to the General of Chariots and Cavalry that the more than 100,000 rebel troops marched north. Otherwise, Jiankang would have long been a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood. This is a merit in protecting the state, and he should be rewarded. I request Your Majesty to appoint the General of Chariots and Cavalry as Chancellor to appease the people of Jiangzuo."

Xu Xianzhi's nephew, Xu Kuizhi, was Liu Yu's son-in-law. The two families had long been linked by marriage. For Xu Xianzhi, a mere advisor, to speak in such a setting must have been authorized by Liu Yu.

Sima Dezong shook his head and ignored him.

Sima Dewen, standing to the side, looked pleadingly at Xie Yuwang Zhenzhi and the other members of the aristocratic families, asking, "What do you all think?"

The prime minister was not an ordinary official; his power could, to some extent, rival the imperial power.

Requesting the appointment of a prime minister was a step further than Liu Daogui's request to establish a temporary headquarters.

After all, the governor was stationed in a remote vassal state, so out of sight, out of mind, while the prime minister was in the imperial court.

At this moment, Liu Yu's gaze also turned to Xie Yu and Wang Zhenzhi, and a few drops of cold sweat immediately seeped out from their foreheads.

Wang Zhenzhi was Wang Mi's cousin, and he knew perfectly well how Wang Mi had died. Similarly, the reason the Xie family was still able to appear in the court was entirely because Liu Yu remembered that he was the nephew of Xie Xuan, the Northern Commander.

When Huan Xuan usurped the throne, Xie Yu was highly favored and often rode in the same carriage with him.

Xie Yu quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "General of Chariots and Cavalry, your achievements are renowned throughout the world. The nation and its people rely on you. Now you are the Prime Minister, which is in accordance with the will of the people!"

Wang Zhenzhi said, "With the General of Chariots and Cavalry as prime minister, Your Majesty can rest easy, and the country and its people can also rest easy."

The two nodded, and the others followed suit, creating a chorus of praise and admiration.

However, Liu Yu laughed three times and said, "I appreciate your kindness, but I am of shallow virtue and limited wisdom, and am not capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility. We will discuss this matter again later."

Sima Dewen's worry deepened.

Now that someone has brought it up, it certainly won't just end like this; everyone knows the principle of declining three times...

After the court meeting ended, Sima Dewen, looking dejected, rode back to the Langya Prince's Mansion in an oxcart.

Liu Yu and Liu Daogui's antics have made the Sima family's situation even more precarious.

The next step after the prime minister is the duke, and after the duke is the king...

As soon as they arrived at the mansion, before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, an old servant came forward and whispered, "Your Highness, His Highness Prince Qiao has been waiting for a long time."

Sima Dewen jumped off the carriage and followed the old servant quickly toward the mansion.

Sima Shangzhi sat on the soft couch, his eyes closed in deep thought, as if he were asleep, with wisps of white smoke rising from the tea set on the table in front of him.

"uncle!"

"Hmm, Liu Daogui requested the appointment of a temporary governor, did Liu Yu object?" Sima Shangzhi did not open his eyes.

Sima Dewen glanced outside the door to make sure no one was there before closing it himself. "Never, yet you still covet the position of Prime Minister."

"With their wolfish ambitions, the Jin dynasty is in grave danger. The Wang and Xie families have been terrified and can no longer be relied upon. If we want to stop them, we must seek other help."

"Who is it?" Sima Dewen asked expectantly.

Now, the only person we can count on is this uncle.

The Qiao Prince's lineage was stationed in Guangling and held some military power. Since the death of Wuling Prince Sima Zun, Sima Shangzhi's prestige within the clan had been growing.

Sima Shangzhi was one of the members who raised an army to rebel against Huan.

Sima Xiuzhi, the Prefect of Wuling, was his fourth brother.

"Liu Yi." Sima Shangzhi opened his eyes.

Sima Dewen was deeply disappointed. "Liu Yi? This man is no better, and he's cunning and treacherous. How could he possibly serve us?"

Whether he is willing to serve us or not is not up to him. Now that the Southern Yan has been destroyed and the rebels have been quelled, he is the only enemy left of the two Liu traitors.

"Even if he were willing to work for us, he would be no match for the two Lius. How could a mere Southern Yu Province contend with them? The brothers are working together, one asking to be appointed as a regional governor and the other as a prime minister, which is actually undermining His Majesty's prestige."

Sima Shangzhi picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, “Power is a good thing. Once you have it in your hands, you don’t want to give it up easily. Liu Yu and Liu Daogui are both tigers and wolves. Two tigers cannot share one mountain. How can they be content with their lot? The reason they haven’t turned against each other yet is that Liu Yu knows that his own strength is insufficient. Liu Yi is certainly no match for them, but if they join Liu Yu and strengthen his power, what would happen?”

When it comes to internal strife, the Sima family members are all exceptionally gifted. During the War of the Eight Princes, the brothers, uncles, nephews, and cousins ​​of the Sima family fought fiercely.

Judging others by one's own standards, the Liu brothers would inevitably turn against each other; no one can resist the temptation of power.

Sima Dewen's eyes lit up. "Uncle is brilliant. With Liu Yu's nature and Liu Yi's help, he will surely clash with Liu Daogui and they will eventually go to war."

“A person of great talent and ambition is often also a person of great suspicion. Throughout history, who in the world does not think about their own family and clan? Liu Yu just doesn’t say it. In addition to working on Liu Yu, you should also work on his offspring in advance. Even if Heaven does not bless our Jin dynasty, we should make the Liu family kill each other!”

A cold, resentful look rose in Sima Shangzhi's eyes.

In truth, he knew that even if Liu Yu and Liu Daogui were overthrown, the Jin dynasty would not be reborn.

The treacherous bandits destroyed the foundation of the Sima family and disrupted the balance among the aristocratic clans. Huan Xuan's usurpation further tarnished the Sima family's prestige.

The reason why Sima Dezong was still on the throne was simply because Liu Yu and Liu Daogui's achievements were insufficient.

But that day is getting closer and closer.

The two men have already set their sights on the positions of the Grand Secretary and the Prime Minister, which is a signal to the court and the public.

Sima Dewen laughed and said, "I plan to appoint Liu Yifu and Liu Yizhen as Sima. They come from humble backgrounds, so let them see what the refined taste of the aristocracy is like."

(End of this chapter)