Chapter 157: Discussion (Part 2)
Sima Jun said, "Although Huan Yi appointed Huan Ding as the prefect of Nanjun and made Huan Ding and his wife the head of the household, they have acted tyrannically over the years, causing widespread resentment within the Huan family. Huan Ding's orders no longer extend beyond Jingzhou." Sima Jun continued, "The reason Huan Yi has yet to choose a successor is because Huan Ding and his wife are truly foolish and fear they will not be able to convince the public. The second, third, and fifth sons are all enemies of Huan Ding. If it weren't for Lü Qiuyan's help over the years, Huan Ding would have been abandoned by Huan Yi long ago. Now, Madam, do you understand why Huan Ding wanted to protect Lü Qiuyan?"
Sun Wei had heard a little about the quarrels among Huan Yi's sons. After a moment's thought, he said, "If that's the case, wouldn't it be better to kill Lü Qiuyan and leave Huan Ding with nothing to rely on?"
"When it comes to winning people's hearts, the Second Young Master, Huan Ning, is better than the First Young Master. Although the Second Young Master was born out of wedlock, his mother is now the second wife, so his status is not bad. Madam, you may not know that most of the Huan family members support the Second Young Master, not the First Young Master. With the Duke of Nanjun now unconscious, the struggle between the two sides over the succession is undoubtedly intensifying. Without Lü Qiuyan's help, the First Young Master would have been at a disadvantage."
Hearing this, Sun Wei suddenly understood.
"The Crown Prince wants Lu Qiuyan to help the eldest son fight against the second son?"
"Exactly," Sima Jun said. "If these forces were allowed to unite, Huan An would be in a difficult situation. On the contrary, if the eldest and second sons fight, Huan An can stand on three sides with them. This will allow them to fight without breaking each other, thus ensuring the stability of Jingzhou."
Sun Wei pondered for a moment and added, "But if the Duke of Nanjun dies one day, the successor will have to be decided. By then, there will either be chaos or one side will win. I'm afraid this three-way balance of power won't last long."
"Lü Qiuyan is even more reluctant to see this happen than the rest of us," Sima Jun said calmly. "Since he has the ambition to take over Jingzhou, then letting the Duke of Nanjun live longer would be more to his liking."
Sun Wei was still unwilling to give in: "Are we going to let this thief go again?"
She felt quite depressed when she said this.
It has to be said that Lu Qiuyan is indeed capable and makes everyone think he is useful.
Even Sima Jun is the same.
Sima Jun said, "Madam, do you remember what I said last time? I said that it was the current situation that created a traitor like Lu Qiuyan. The current situation can make him successful, but it can also destroy him. Our ambition is to reverse the current situation and restore peace and order to the world."
"That's easy to say..." Sun Wei murmured.
"Madam, don't you believe me?"
The eyes were bright and staring straight at her.
Sun Wei opened his mouth, but didn't know how to answer him.
The outcome of her previous life was too tragic for her to rashly place her hopes on anyone or anything, including Sima Jun.
Even his current actions revealed a sharpness that was completely different from that of his previous life.
Sima Jun was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "In the future, I will kill Lü Qiuyan with my own hands."
Sun Wei looked at him in surprise.
"Since this is your wish, Madam, I will grant it to you," Sima Jun said seriously, "I swear to it."
After a moment, he added: "My wife is my family, I will do my best."
Sun Wei looked at him, feeling something indescribable.
It doesn't matter whether he dies or not, I just want you to live.
I said silently in my heart.
Sun Wei looked at the sky outside and took a deep breath.
"Indeed." She nodded, "Please keep your word, my Lord."
——
The capitals of the world are different, but the prisons all have the same smell.
Sima Jun walked into the prison, frowned, and turned to leave. He asked someone to find him a guard room and brought Lu Qiuyan out.
Although he became a prisoner, Lu Qiuyan still looked gentle and refined. When he walked in, his hair and clothes were not a bit messy.
When he saw Sima Jun, Luqiu Yan bowed calmly and politely.
Sima Jun sat at his desk, looking at Lü Qiuyan. "I've always heard that the Chief Secretary is the Duke of Nanjun's right-hand man. This prison has always been under the Chief Secretary's jurisdiction. I wonder if the Chief Secretary likes it?"
Lu Qiuyan replied, "I can't say I like it, but it does provide shelter from the wind and rain. If you think about it carefully, it does have its advantages."
Sima Jun looked calm.
"So, the Chief Secretary wouldn't mind staying here for a while?"
Lu Qiuyan smiled faintly.
"Your Highness, if you have anything to say, feel free to do so," he said. "I have already fallen into this situation. As long as I survive, I have nothing to complain about."
"From Jiangzhou to Jingzhou, when the Chief Secretary was plotting all sorts of chaos, did he ever think about the outcome today?"
"I've thought about it." Lu Qiuyan said, "But defeat is defeat, and I'm convinced."
Sima Jun asked, "Does the Chief Secretary know where he was defeated?"
"I know. I shouldn't have been so greedy and dragged the princess into this."
Sima Jun looked at him with a cold gaze.
"I am indeed upset that the Chief Secretary kidnapped the concubine, but I am not blinded by it. The Chief Secretary brought the lady to Jingzhou to use her as bait to lure me to attack the city, right?" he said slowly.
Lu Qiuyan said, "Your Highness has misunderstood. I am truly impressed by the Princess's talent and sincerely accept her as my advisor. Furthermore, I agree with the Princess's decision to prevent the county from engaging in open warfare. Preserving Jingzhou is the only way I wish. Given this, why would I invite Your Highness to attack the city?"
"It's not that the Chief Secretary doesn't want a war, it's that he doesn't want Jingzhou to attack Jiangzhou. But if it were the other way around, I'd probably be happy to see it happen," Sima Jun said. "Jiangzhou and Jingzhou are evenly matched in military strength, but Jingzhou is upstream, giving it a geographical advantage. A Jiangzhou attack on Jingzhou would be much more difficult than a Jingzhou attack on Jiangzhou. If the Chief Secretary lures me into an attack, I can use Jingzhou's high walls and deep moats to wear down the Jiangzhou army while I lure them away and launch a surprise attack on Xunyang. That way, Jiangzhou can be conquered. Do you think I'm right?"
Lu Qiuyan remained noncommittal: "I still say the same thing, I don't want to start a war."
"Since the Chief Secretary is completely insincere, there's nothing to discuss about what's next." Sima Jun said, and called the jailer over, "Send the Chief Secretary back."
Lu Qiuyan laughed.
"Why are you teasing me, my prince?" he said. "I know that the eldest son has come to see you, my prince."
Sima Jun also smiled.
"The eldest son did come to see me and pleaded for the Chief Secretary," he said. "But Chief Secretary, please remember that I have the Empress Dowager's decree that the principal offender of treason can be executed first and reported later. I still have the letter between the Chief Secretary and Yao. Chief Secretary, please think about this: is this letter enough to get you killed?"
The smile on Lu Qiuyan's face disappeared.
He was silent for a moment, then straightened his robe and bowed to Sima Jun: "Just now, what I said was indeed untrue. I was disrespectful to the Crown Prince. Please forgive me."
Sima Jun glanced at him and asked the jailer to leave.
"What the prince just said is exactly what I thought." Lu Qiuyan said.
"What makes the Chief Secretary so sure that I will attack Jingzhou?"
"The prince has a special affection for the princess."
Sima Jun's gaze fixed and suddenly became sharp.
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