Chapter 117, Chapter Ten: The Oath of Luoshui
That night, countless people couldn't sleep. Until the next morning, the General's headquarters sent messengers to inform all officials in Luoyang to go to the banks of the Luo River.
From afar, everyone could see that a high platform had been erected by the water at some unknown time, with five sacrificial animals on it. Liu Jun, dressed in ducal robes, stood on the platform, as majestic as a pine tree. The rest of the staff stood solemnly below the platform according to custom, their expressions solemn.
After everyone had finished their greetings, Liu Jun slowly spoke, "Gentlemen, you are all sharp-eared and sharp-eyed, and you have probably already heard about what happened yesterday."
The courtiers fell silent, for the matter was far too unbelievable. Some of the older ones still remembered that the last time the emperor attempted to assassinate the Grand General was Cao Mao, the Duke of Gaogui. Who would have thought that fortunes would turn so drastically, and now the emperor of the Sima family was a trapped dragon in the palace.
Most people had already pledged allegiance to Liu Jun, so they were not particularly alarmed. A very small number of loyal ministers of the Great Jin glared angrily at Liu Jun.
“But there is something you may not know,” Liu Jun’s voice was gentle like a spring breeze, yet it carried a hint of chill. “Just today, Sima Yan of Jiangdong received His Majesty’s abdication edict and may be offering sacrifices to Heaven and making offerings at the temple, preparing to ascend the throne.”
An uproar ensued. Not only were ordinary officials who knew nothing about it stunned, but even close and important officials like Wen Qiao were completely taken aback.
"Therefore, our court is no longer legitimate. In the Emperor's abdication edict, Jun is already a traitor," Liu Jun said blankly. "A scholar is boundless, fickle in virtue, and does not even think of reversing his fate. It is over... Twenty years of fighting, my father and brothers are all dead, and I have recovered half of the country, but I have to hand it over to someone else. The Emperor's mind is made up, what can I do?"
As everyone gradually calmed down, they all realized a terrible outcome—if they accepted Sima Ye's edict, either the emperor in the south would go north and easily gain most of the country, or they would have to cross south and compete for power with the established southern gentry and local powerful families.
Regardless of the outcome, for these northerners, it meant the destruction of half a lifetime's achievements, or even the accumulation of generations.
unless……
"The so-called sages follow the mandate of Heaven, and the virtuous men fear the mandate of Heaven. Our dynasty has followed the mandate of Heaven of Cao Wei for only a few decades. The imperial family kills each other, the people eat each other, the land is broken, and the barbarians run rampant. If it weren't for you, General, I'm afraid China would have already perished, and we would have long been slaves of the barbarians." The speaker was Cui Yue, whose grandfather was Cui Lin, the Minister of Works of Cao Wei, and whose aunt was Cui, the mother of Liu Jun.
The Cui family of Qinghe is a prominent clan in the north, and has been intermarrying with other high-ranking families for generations, forming a complex and intertwined network. When he said this, many people echoed his sentiments.
Cui Yue spoke with great passion and fervor, finally kneeling before Liu Jun. "General, in times of national crisis, you stepped forward to turn the tide, conquering the north and reclaiming the capital. You rise early and retire late, diligently caring for the people's welfare. Your literary and military prowess is awe-inspiring, your power resounds even among barbarians. The people are all subdued, and the world's hearts are with you. You have elevated the Han nobility, your virtue extends to all corners of the land. White fish entering the boat, dragon horses carrying maps—recently, many auspicious omens have appeared. Does this not prove that you are truly the chosen one?"
Upon hearing this, whether it was a pre-existing understanding or a sudden realization, a large number of officials knelt down on the banks of the Luo River, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
Liu Jun gripped the Flying Shadow Sword tightly in his hand. This sword was forged by his grandfather, who wielded it to overthrow the Han dynasty. Now, this sword, gifted by the Sima clan, was in his own hands. He would don it, wield it, and vie for supremacy in the Central Plains…
Wen Qiao stepped forward and presented a memorial, saying, "Your subject and colleagues in the Secretariat had drafted a memorial urging me to ascend the throne, which coincides with what Cui Langzhong just said."
Unlike his grandfather, who declined the throne three times, Liu Jun said coldly, "Although His Majesty has already abdicated to Sima Yan, the prefectures of Liangzhou, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Jizhou, Qingzhou, Bingzhou, and Youzhou were all conquered by me from the Hu people, and I'm afraid I cannot simply hand them over. As for Yongzhou, Liangzhou, Jingzhou, and Xiangzhou, the local governors can decide. And the chieftains of the Di, Qiang, Xiongnu, and Xianbei tribes can also choose to serve Jin, or perhaps become my subjects..."
Just then, a wind rose, and Liu Jun's robes fluttered in the north wind, his voice carried to everyone's ears: "Subjects of the Great Han!"
The original title given to Liu Jun by the court was Zhongshan, based on his ancestral home. Now that he mentioned the Han Dynasty himself, everyone's hearts were instantly stirred. After all, the Jin Dynasty did not last long. If you go back two generations, there will be people who were Wei ministers. If you go back three or four generations, whose ancestors were not Han ministers?
Liu Jun drew his sword, pointed it at the sky, and said: "My father and I are descendants of the Han Dynasty, born into a prominent family in Zhongshan. If we weren't devoted to the royal family and loved our country as if it were our home, we could have returned to our hometown to live as wealthy men or even fled south. Don't you see the Wang and Xie families, who spent their days indulging in pleasure and philosophical discussions? Yet now, who among them doesn't own thousands of acres of fertile land and have thousands of servants? Why did my father and brother have to be trapped in a lonely city and ultimately be killed by the barbarians? Why did I have to risk my life and fortune for a single city, even at the cost of being suspected by the emperor and suffering the stigma of usurpation? It's just..." For the sake of unifying the Han and the barbarians, and relieving the people from their suffering, if you gentlemen believe that I, Liu Jun, can bring peace to the land, then stay in the court, and together we can work hand in hand to create a great cause. If you still wish to remain loyal to the Jin court, you may cross the river and go. Oh, and by the way, tell Sima Yan that it was I, Liu Jun, who destroyed the Xiongnu and the Jie, and brought peace to the Central Plains, not Sima Ye. Therefore, Sima Ye gave him the throne of the Jin Dynasty, but not the entire Central Plains. If he wants it, let him send troops to take it; I will be waiting for him in Luoyang!
"Long live the Han Dynasty! Long live the King of Han!" Someone started it, and the shouts were deafening.
Liu Jun stood there, momentarily disoriented, when he suddenly thought of his great-grandfather. He had failed to become a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, but instead became the Emperor Wu of Wei. Looking at him, would his great-grandfather smile in the afterlife?
A very small number of loyal ministers, such as Qu Yun and Xin Bin, refused to submit to Liu Jun and instead helped each other away. Lu Jing gave Yin Xiaocheng a look, and someone was to keep an eye on them to prevent the tragic scene of loyal ministers dying for their country from happening.
"In the past, Emperor Guangwu of Han and Emperor Xuan of Jin both swore oaths to the Luo River, some keeping their promises and shining brightly through the ages, others..." Liu Jun raised his voice, "Today, I, Liu Jun, emulate the sages and also swear an oath to the Luo River. I was once a subject of Jin, and even if the Emperor of Jin were to attempt to kill me, I would allow him to live a life of honor and be treated with the respect due to a prince. Furthermore, in the struggle for supremacy, the battlefield is indiscriminate, and life and death are irrelevant. If anyone intends to surrender, I will certainly reward them according to their merits and treat them with courtesy. If they persist in their ways, after we unify the world, I will not easily harm any Jin subject or citizen, as long as they do not plot rebellion or violate the laws of the land."
Liu Jun knelt down before the Luo River, pricked his finger with the Flying View Sword, pointed to the sky and said, "If I break my oath, may my father not rest in peace in the afterlife, may my descendants perish, and may my empire fall into the hands of my enemies. The river is here, and I will not go back on my word!"
Hess's power was overwhelming.
At that moment, no one thought of the founding emperor of the Sima family. Everyone was thinking that the last emperor, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, who kept his oath at the Luo River, had rebuilt the Han Dynasty twice. This person in front of them might really be able to rebuild the Han Dynasty a third time.
Is the Mandate of Heaven truly in the Han Dynasty?
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