Chapter 30 Tangyuan
Over the centuries, the aristocratic families experienced their own rise and fall. During periods of decline, the imperial court occasionally seized the opportunity to reorganize local power. However, the imperial court's reach was limited; once a new powerful family emerged, the region was lost again. Over the years, the only areas the imperial court truly controlled were the counties of Jiangzhou, the fiefdom of Prince Yuzhang.
The so-called Northern Army was actually formed by Xie Qian, the Duke of Liyang County, and the situation was roughly similar to that of private armies controlled by other aristocratic families.
In recent years, the Northern Palace has frequently encountered misfortunes.
First, Xie Qian, the patriarch of the Xie family, died of illness, and his son Xie Kun died in battle in Kuaiji. Now, the military affairs of the Northern Palace are supervised by the Left General Cheng Yu.
Cheng Yu was personally trained by Xie Qian, and could be considered a member of the Xie family. He was appointed acting general not because there were no other generals in the army, but rather to wait until the mourning period for Xie Kun's son, Xie Xiao, was over, so he could officially take over the position of military commander.
This transitional period coincided with the time when various units were resting and reorganizing after the war.
As the Shangshu Pushe, Wang Han was ambitious but lacked real power, and had long coveted the Northern Army.
Sima Jun was right. Right now, the Northern Army was at its weakest, and it was also the best time to seize military power.
Chu Yue put down his teacup and asked, "Do you suspect Wang Han will join forces with Xie Xiao to jointly control the Northern Palace?"
Sima Jun looked out the window, gazing at the hazy moonlight through the bamboo curtains.
"For him, this is the most convenient method. Xie Xiao is still young, only sixteen years old, and it's unclear whether he can establish himself. He is the only male left in his direct lineage, and he has no one to rely on. Wang Han can take advantage of this opportunity, either by lure or force, and wait for the Wang family to establish a foothold in the Northern Palace, and then wait for an opportunity to eliminate Xie Xiao."
Chu Yue made a "tsk" sound.
"You're such a pushover. After ten months, Xie Xiao will be my brother-in-law. With me around, how can Wang Han succeed?"
Sima Jun didn't say anything and glanced at him.
Chu Yue waved his hand. "Never mind. Xie Xiao is indeed a coward. During the Battle of Kuaiji, when he was pursuing Kong Qi, he acted cowardly, which led to the governor being implicated and trapped in an ambush. I know what you're going to say. I'm just your cousin's husband, and there's a difference between us. And since I'm his subordinate, I can't control him. You're bringing this up with me. Do you have some other agenda?"
Sima Jun took a sip of tea and said slowly, "Zhuo Jing, do you want to be the governor of the Northern Prefecture?"
Chu Yue was stunned for a moment, then suddenly jumped up.
"Prince, please don't harm me! The Xie family has been very kind to me. Prince, are you trying to put me in an unfair position by asking me to replace Xie Xiao?"
Sima Jun said calmly, "Have you ever considered that being the governor of the Northern Prefecture isn't a bad thing for Xie Xiao, but rather a good thing. When he's fully grown and capable of handling the responsibility, you can hand the governorship back. This way, you can resolve the current power grab and repay the Xie family without delay."
Chu Yue sneered.
"If that time comes, will the prince still let me return it?" Chu Yue said, "I know what the prince is thinking. If the prince really wants the Northern Palace, why not go and get it yourself?"
"Xie Xiao and I are in the same situation. I am currently in mourning and cannot take up any position. Moreover, when I am reinstated, I still have Jiangzhou to look after. Neither the court nor anyone else will allow me to control two government offices. Therefore, I have to choose another candidate for the Northern Government, and I can only entrust it to someone I trust."
Chu Yue said: "After all, the prince still wants to interfere in the Northern Palace."
"You mean, I'm greedy?"
Chu Yue took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "Of course not. Your Highness is a man of high moral character. Don't I know that? But Your Highness, don't forget that there are countless eyes watching you outside. There are more than one or two people who say that you are a treacherous villain."
"Others have the right to speak, so let them." Sima Jun disagreed. "The imperial guards in the capital are only 30,000 strong, no match for the 100,000-strong Northern Army. If the Northern Army doesn't rebel, it's fine. But if it does, at best, both sides will suffer, and at worst, the country will be reduced to ruin. When Xie Kun was in charge, the palace and the government were in turmoil day and night. We finally managed to get rid of him, and finally we could breathe a sigh of relief. How can we just watch another Wang family member come?"
Chu Yue naturally knew the connection between the two and couldn't help but sigh.
"That's certainly true, but even if I'm willing to risk great disapproval to seize the position of Northern Governor, it might not be feasible. There are so many people in the court who are jealous of this position. Do you and I have the ability to compete with them? Even if the Crown Prince and the Prince are supporting us from behind, I don't think it will be easy. Now that Wang Han is powerful and the previous king is gone, the Prince is in a difficult position to manage the court. If something goes wrong and Wang Han is angered, he can't touch the Prince, but can he touch you and me? Prince, think about the Prince of Lingling and how he was demoted to a commoner."
Sima Jun's mind flashed with the desolate figure of Prince Lingling limping away from Jiankang.
The Prince of Lingling is the emperor's fourth brother and the son of Concubine Zhang. Two years ago, the governor of Yizhou, Zhao Que, rebelled. The court dispatched the Prince of Lingling to suppress the rebellion, and Zhao Que was killed. Subsequently, Wang Han proposed to recommend his trusted confidant, Wu Mo, for the position of governor of Yizhou. However, Sima Kai, driven by his achievements, became arrogant and challenged Wang Han for power, even publicly humiliating Wu Mo in court.
The elated Prince of Lingling believed his achievements alone made him the Governor of Yizhou. However, just a few days later, he was dismissed from his post for treason. Subsequently, numerous past convictions were brought against him, including bribery and allowing his subordinates to commit crimes.
In the end, Prince Lingling was demoted to a commoner.
This case caused a great deal of discussion in the capital. The Prince of Lingling had always had a good reputation, so how could he suddenly be guilty of so many evil deeds?
Everyone knew it tacitly. All they remembered was that when Wu Mo was humiliated that day, the one with the ugliest expression was actually Wang Han.
"Zhuo Jing, I'm different from you. My last name is Sima, and if I don't do this, I'm afraid my fate will be worse than that of the Emperor's uncle. After my father's death, I'm the last one left in the line of Prince Yuzhang, completely alone. Among the entire Sima clan, I'm the only one who can compete with Wang Han. If I don't do this, who will?"
When Chu Yue heard this, although he knew it was true, he couldn't help feeling unlucky.
"How could you be alone? There are hundreds of people in your house. Didn't a concubine just come back yesterday? She is your stepmother. Logically, you should also think about her. She is a widow at such a young age, and you still want her to accompany you as a commoner?"
When the Lu family was mentioned, Sima Jun's eyes fixed.
"Why are you saying all this?" He said calmly, "If you don't want to help, I won't force you. Just pretend I didn't say anything today."
Chu Yue rolled his eyes at his cold look.
"It's not that I won't help, as long as you don't let me become the governor of the Northern Prefecture. Other than that, I will do my best."
Sima Jun stroked the teacup carefully.
"I want to see Xie Xiao." He said after a while.
"That's easy." Chu Yue agreed immediately. "Xie Xiao is in Jiankang right now, but he's in mourning, so it's not easy for him to come out. In a few days, when he's a little relieved, I'll bring him to see you. He's still here."
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