103 Unparalleled Hero
◎You think you can earn the praise of being 'unparalleled in the nation'? ◎
Atai was waiting at the door early. When he saw the princess's carriage, his eyes lit up with joy.
Qi Gu got off the carriage and looked up at the large characters "Sima Mansion". This was the first time Qi Gu had officially entered the Sima Mansion since her rebirth.
He hurried forward, "Princess, you've finally arrived!" He had been waiting at the door for almost half an hour for the princess's arrival.
Qi Gu asked, "Is your husband awake?"
Atai's dark eyebrows were furrowed tightly. "Not yet, my lord has had a high fever these past few days, in his mouth, in his mouth..." Atai lowered his head, seemingly hesitant.
"What's in your mouth?"
"He kept calling out for the princess." Although it might damage the princess's reputation, thinking of his husband who was unconscious and who had bravely shielded the princess from an arrow that day, Atai lowered his head and said, "My husband is unconscious, but he seems to be looking for the princess. Since the princess is here to visit him, I think he will wake up soon."
Qi Gu didn't say anything more. "Lead the way."
Having lived two lives, Qi Gu had only visited the Sima Mansion a handful of times. Not only did Grandfather Sima not welcome her, but she also disliked coming to the Sima Mansion, which was full of rules and had a dull atmosphere.
In her past life, she accidentally witnessed Sima Hong being punished by Sima Taigong, and she never set foot in the Sima Mansion again.
Even her wedding to Sima Hong was held at her princess residence. Sima Taigong deliberately did not attend so that everyone in the capital would know that although the Empress had granted the marriage, he was not satisfied with it.
On the way, Aunt Qi asked, "Where is your great-grandfather?"
Atai's forehead instantly began to sweat. He lowered his head respectfully and said, "I have been watching over you these past few days."
Atai glanced at the princess, afraid she would be angry, and said cautiously, "If the princess doesn't want to meet with the great-grandfather, I'll send someone ahead..."
"Who says I don't want to meet him? I really want to see him."
Atai didn't know for a moment whether the princess really wanted to see her great-grandfather or... but he couldn't let the princess leave. These past few days, the young master had been calling out the princess's name, acting as if he wouldn't wake up until he saw her.
If the young master doesn't wake up soon, he and Ah Feng are willing to atone with their deaths. In order to wake the young master up as soon as possible, he has no choice but to bite the bullet and take the princess to the young master's room.
As soon as the group reached the door, an elderly man with silver hair and a white beard came out of the house. He saw Atai and then the people behind him. He guessed who it was and his face turned ugly. "Who gave you permission to come here!"
Qi Gu raised her eyelids slightly and said calmly, "This princess came whenever she wanted. What, does Grandfather Sima want to kick me, a princess, out?"
It's unclear whether Sima Taigong resented her for harming his grandson, simply disliked her, or was enraged by not being able to kill her.
He said angrily, "So what if you're a princess! This is my Sima residence, I am the master of the Sima family, and if I don't welcome you, I can show you away!"
Sima Taigong revealed his old but sharp eyes. In her past life, she would have been frightened by such a look, but in this life, he was a murderer, yet he showed no fear in front of her!
"Grandpa Sima, my father and mother invited you out of seclusion out of their esteem for talent, because they valued the Sima family's century-old heritage. But now it seems to me that your reputation is far from being lived up to!"
"You, you are a boorish country bumpkin, how dare you be so insolent in front of me!"
Sima Taigong's sharp eyes swept over Atai: "Atai, why don't you 'invite' the princess out of here!"
Fu Lian stood in front of Qi Gu, shouting, "Who dares!"
Qi Gu said to Fu Lian nonchalantly, "Hey, Fu Lian, don't be rude." Fu Lian stood behind Qi Gu, watching Sima Taigong warily.
Qi Gu stepped forward, staring fearlessly at Sima Taigong. "Sima Taigong, aren't you afraid of being arrogant and stubborn, ruining the Sima family's reputation, and causing your painstakingly built Sima family to be utterly destroyed!"
"Utterly rude! Princess, this is the Sima residence. By what right do you dare to spout such nonsense here!"
"My father was the founding emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty. He was a skilled and courageous general who, with the blessing of the heavens, destroyed the tyrannical previous dynasty and then defeated the arrogant Great Yan, unifying the Central Plains. My mother endured hardship and humiliation to assist my father, despite being a woman. I am the daughter of the founding emperor and empress. Tell me, what right do I have to do this?"
Qi Gu raised her head and puffed out her chest, taking another step closer. "Or, let me put it this way, just because I am the victim of Wu Zhuan, your trusted confidant whom you almost shot, and you, the murderer, how dare you swagger in front of me, the victim? Just because you are an old, sanctimonious hypocrite, a real villain! Sima Taigong!"
Sima Heng was furious. It had been a long time since anyone had dared to speak to him like that. She was so self-righteous, domineering, and arrogant, yet... her words were resounding...
Didn't the Gao family say that the eldest princess grew up in the countryside, was illiterate, and vulgar? If he hadn't already heard about her deeds, he would never have thought that the princess in front of him was vulgar and ignorant of etiquette.
"What Wu Zhuan did has nothing to do with me, Princess, please don't speak nonsense." Despite her words, Qi Gu noticed that Sima Taigong's eyes slightly evaded her gaze.
"Hahaha!" Qi Gu laughed loudly, "The famous Sima family? Hahaha~" Qi Gu pointed at Sima Taigong with her belly protruding and laughed heartily.
Sima Taigong flicked his sleeves. "Princess, I advise you not to be so presumptuous. Even if you are a princess, you must abide by palace rules and etiquette. A country has its laws, and a family has its rules. Even if you make a mistake, you will still be punished!" Since Emperor Jin Yuan invited him out of seclusion, no one has dared to speak to him like this! This woman is indeed as the Gao family said, vulgar and presumptuous!
He thought with disdain that such an rude and arrogant woman dared to dream of marrying Xiu Yuan; it was simply wishful thinking!
"Sima Taigong was an important minister of the previous dynasty, and he was invited out of seclusion by my father and mother. He must be very clear about the laws, rules, and national laws."
Sima Taigong remained silent, only glancing at Qi Gu with disdain.
Qi Gu scoffed and asked, "Then let me ask Grandfather, what crime should a murderer be punished for according to the laws of the Great Jin Dynasty, and what crime should a person who instigates murder be punished for?"
"A life for a life; if there are other circumstances, the punishment may be reduced accordingly."
"Then let me ask you again, what crime is insubordination?"
“Of course…” Before he could finish speaking, Sima Taigong looked at the composed princess, as if he was waiting for her to fall into his trap.
“Speak up, why isn’t Master Sima continuing?”
Sima Taigong looked at the princess, whose face was still somewhat pale and whose appearance was ordinary, except for her bright eyes. She was quick-witted and sharp-tongued, and she showed him no respect or fear. Her thoughts were clear, and she seemed to be different from what he knew.
All that could be heard was Qi Gu saying, "Murder and insubordination—Sima Taigong has committed both. You, who are so knowledgeable about etiquette, should know better than I, a country princess, what crimes you are guilty of, right? Sima Taigong, if your Sima family can kill a princess today, can you kill my father tomorrow?"
"You, you... don't talk nonsense!"
Qi Gu crossed her arms and took a step back, mainly because she was afraid that in a fit of anger, Sima Taigong would spit out his old blood and splatter it on her, soiling her dress.
"What? I'm absolutely right? So right? You're speechless?"
Qi Gu's lips curled into a domineering smile. "Since I'm right, then I'll say a few more words. The Sima family retreated to the mountains because of the tyranny of the previous dynasty. To put it nicely, they retreated to the mountains; to put it bluntly, they saw that the previous dynasty's fate was sealed and became cowards. That's understandable, as a wise bird chooses a good tree to perch on. But you, Grandfather Sima, want both a good reputation and to preserve your strength. Isn't that trying to have your cake and eat it too?"
Sima Taigong's face grew increasingly grim. Qi Gu thought to herself, "Old scoundrel, spouting all that benevolence and morality. Today I'll use benevolence and morality to make you feel ashamed of yourself!"
"You, Sima Heng, are exactly what I mean by seeking fame and fortune! Hmph, in times of chaos, the capable rise to power, which is understandable. But you, Sima Taigong, only want to reap the benefits without sowing. That's bad enough, but you also gain the favor of my father and mother, yet you still consider yourself superior. You've gotten the advantages and you're still acting innocent!"
"You...you..."
"You mean no one in the Great Jin dares to speak to you like that? Then what do you think is the reason? Is it because you, Sima Heng, have done something extraordinary, something worthy of the world's respect! You know in your heart that it's because my father and mother value Sima Hong, and value the Sima family's reputation!"
"Hmph! You think you can compare yourself to Zhang Yi? You think you can earn the praise of 'unparalleled national hero'? You and Zhang Yi are like summer insects trying to talk about ice, you are not even comparable!" Qi Gu looked at Sima Heng with disdain.
Sima Heng's aged eyes bulged and were bloodshot. How dare she humiliate him like this? He, Sima Heng, a strategist with lofty ambitions, was being insulted to his face by a teenage girl! How dare she!
"I, Sima Heng, have lived up to the expectations of Heaven and Earth, and to the expectations of His Majesty. I served as an official in the previous dynasty and was demoted for advising the emperor to favor virtuous ministers and distance himself from treacherous officials. I have never lost my integrity! In the turbulent political climate, I resigned and went into seclusion to preserve my family. I have no regrets about the previous dynasty. In the Great Jin Dynasty, I united various clans to share His Majesty's burdens. My grandson proposed three strategies to stabilize the country. How can I, Sima Heng, not be worthy of the title 'unparalleled national hero'!"
Sima Heng lamented that it was all due to timing and fate. He had not encountered a wise ruler when he was young, and now that he was old, time was not waiting for him. If it weren't for the two previous emperors who had caused him to waste his time, his achievements would not have been lower than Zhang Yi's.
He placed his hopes on Xiu Yuan, who would fulfill all his ambitions. No one would dare to say that the Sima family was opportunistic, and he would certainly deserve the title of "unparalleled national hero"!
However, the woman in front of him was just a young woman who, according to rumors, grew up in the countryside and was ignorant of etiquette and manners. What right did she have to say such things? This was a blatant insult to him!
Qi Gu had wanted to tear off Sima Taigong's fig leaf in her previous life, but at that time she was concerned about Sima Hong and did not want him to think that she was slandering his grandfather. However, not saying anything does not mean that Sima Taigong was not wrong.
She had kept these words bottled up for two lifetimes, and today she had to get them out. "Zhang Yi of the previous dynasty not only made great contributions to the alliances and counter-alliances of the previous dynasty, but it can be said that he deserves half the credit for the unification of the country. After the unification, he was imprisoned because of his political views with the previous emperor, but he did not change his original intention. After his release, he stayed at his post. He was understanding and compassionate. When he was in office, he cared about the lives of the people and dissuaded the previous emperor from imposing heavy taxes and levies, which led to decades of stability for the previous dynasty. His title of 'unparalleled national hero' was not just for show."
"Furthermore, in this great chaos, Zheng Hui, who served King Chen of Yan, is a figure whose deeds I believe Sima Taigong is well aware of. I will not say much, but just this: after hearing that King Chen had committed suicide, he also followed his lord in death. In my opinion, he also deserves the title of 'unparalleled national hero'."
"The two before me have already passed away. If you ask me, there is only one person in the Great Jin Dynasty who can be called 'unparalleled in the country'."
Qi Gu sat down on the stool that Atai had brought over, paused for a moment and said, “My name is Qu Yan, the Marquis of Yongkang of the Great Jin Dynasty. He is capable of devising strategies and pacifying the world on horseback. He is not greedy for power and does not boast of being a pure and upright person.”
Qi Gu looked at Sima Taigong with a mocking expression: "May I ask, Sima Taigong, compared to these three, what exactly have you done to earn the praise of the world?"
"In terms of wisdom and strategy, you are not even one ten-thousandth as good as Zhang Yi; in terms of loyalty, you are not as good as Zheng Hui; in terms of real achievements and indifference to power, you are not even one finger of Qu Yan. Grandfather Sima, don't tell me that having a good grandson makes you worthy of the title 'unparalleled national hero'."
Fulian stood behind the princess, and she couldn't help but clap her hands and cheer, "Well said, Princess!"
Many fascinating stories circulate about Zhang Yi, Zheng Hui, and the Marquis of Yongkang. Now, after hearing the princess's words, even Fu Lian felt somewhat disdainful of Sima Taigong.
Sima Heng's face turned ashen instantly. These words pierced through the dazzling facade of a renowned scholar and a paragon of virtue that he had cultivated for himself over the decades. The facade looked beautiful, but it was actually easily torn.
He knew in his heart that the gold plaster he had put on his face would be easily exposed. The reason why those powerful families, nobles and lords outside outwardly respected the Sima family and did not expose his gold plaster was that they each had their own ulterior motives.
Therefore, he strictly demanded of Xiu Yuan from a young age, hoping that Xiu Yuan could accomplish what he himself had failed to do, or what he was unable to do with his abilities. Then, the Sima family would truly live up to its name and would no longer have to bear the criticisms of the past.
Unexpectedly, his grandson, on whom he had placed so much hope, nearly lost his life while shielding a princess from the countryside from an arrow.
This princess from the countryside bluntly exposed his previous self-righteousness about her fine clothes. He looked down on her vulgarity, but he never expected that he would be unable to refute what she said.
Sima Taigong's eyes, which had been gleaming with a sharp light, gradually dimmed like a flickering kerosene lamp. He bowed and left in silence...
[Author's Note]
Li Shi (if he were there): My daughter is amazing! Well said!!!
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