Chapter 119, Chapter Twelve: The Dangers of Shen and Shang
Liu Jun sighed almost imperceptibly. This should have been a time of high spirits and great success, but when he looked around, not a single relative or friend was by his side. All that remained for him were nightmares that haunted his midnight dreams and his increasingly blurred self.
He was not his great-grandfather after all, and could not betray the world and remain indifferent, just as he could not make Sima Ye become Lü Boshe, nor did he want him to become Han Yan and Zhou Xiaoshi.
“Compared to Luoyang, Guanzhong is a bit too far to control the Central Plains,” Liu Jun said in a low voice. “I will stay in Luoyang, first declare myself king, then emperor. After conquering Jiangdong and Bashu, I will consider whether to move the capital to Chang’an.”
He looked down at Sima Ye. "In this world, it's easy to die, and there are plenty of people who can't live but can't die. However, every time you try to die, a member of the Sima family will lose their head. If you really die, I don't mind making the Sima family the next Cao Shuang. Anyway, I only need to keep the Jin Emperor's branch, right?"
Sima Ye gave a bitter smile, "You might as well kill me."
“Yesterday you showed mercy and spared my life. I appreciate that.” Liu Jun stood up. “As long as a person is alive, how can he be useless? If you are alive, I might spare a few more members of the Sima clan out of respect for you. But if you are gone, there will only be people advising me to eliminate the threat completely, and no one will advise me to show mercy.”
"Very well," Sima Ye said softly. "Now that I am no longer the emperor, I need not remain in this cage any longer. I wonder if I could become a monk and cultivate myself?"
Liu Jun looked at the flickering candlelight. "Why don't you want to stay in the palace? Do you really not want to see me?"
"Does the Duke of Gaogui live in the same palace as Emperor Wen (Sima Zhao)?" Sima Ye asked casually.
With a sneer, Liu Jun slowly said, "I can agree, but you have to tell me who helped you deliver the message. The number of people who can enter the palace to see you and even follow me on the expedition can be counted on one hand."
"He didn't know what the news was, but he still risked his life to smuggle it for me. If you were him, would you have said anything?" Sima Ye asked rhetorically.
As expected, Liu Jun asked in a low voice, "Fine then, just answer me, is he one of my sons?"
Sima Ye did not reply, but simply nodded slowly.
Liu Jun looked at his black hair and said, "You can practice asceticism, but you cannot be ordained. Baima Temple is the ancestral temple of the Han Dynasty's Buddhist tradition. It was destroyed by Dong Zhuo and later repaired and restored by Emperor Wen of Wei. Unfortunately, it was destroyed again in the first year of Yong'an. I will order people to repair it for Your Majesty. Please stay in the palace for the time being."
Sima Ye stood up, walked to him, and slowly knelt down. "As the Emperor of Jin, I have a blood feud with you for usurping the throne, but if it's only for Sima Ye's sake, I should thank you."
"First, I thank you for your repeated rescues and for upholding the court; second, I thank you for your merit in recovering the Central Plains and protecting the people; third, I thank you for your thoughtfulness and tender affection." Sima Ye bowed three times, his gaze as calm as an ancient well. "I both hope that your ambitions will be fulfilled and do not wish for the empire to change hands. Isn't that ridiculous?"
Liu Jun didn't look at him, but closed his eyes and tilted his head back. "With a green lamp and yellowed scrolls, I pray for blessings every day. I just wonder, with ten thousand volumes of scriptures, are you reciting them for Sima Yan or for me?"
Sima Ye stared at him intently. “You said something quite right when you were in Luoshui: ‘The War of the Eight Princes and the chaos of the Five Barbarian Tribes have caused the Central Plains to be in turmoil. Our Sima family has failed the world. Perhaps my sutra is meant to be recited for the common people, praying that they may be spared the suffering of war and slaughter, and also the pain of love, hate, and separation.’”
"Alright, then may you be free from all confusion and troubles, and finally attain peace." Liu Jun took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again, there were clearly traces of moisture in the corners of his eyes.
Sima Ye watched his retreating figure and whispered, "Mao Tou, take care."
When Lu Jing saw Liu Jun again, he noticed that Liu Jun seemed somewhat lost and dejected, guessing that he had parted on bad terms with Sima Ye. He quickly reported, "Except for a few stubborn ones, most of the officials in the court have signed the petition urging the emperor to ascend the throne. Minister Wen asked when the lord intends to take the throne?"
Liu Jun waved his hand, "There's no rush. Right now, we should determine the attitudes of the Xianbei and Liangzhou as soon as possible, lest they suddenly attack to avenge the Great Jin and catch us off guard. Besides, I am also extremely concerned about the attitudes of the refugee leaders in the Huai River region. In short, we will discuss this matter again in the spring."
In this way, his twenty years in Jianxing could come to a good end...
At the end of the twentieth year of Jianxing, Sima Yan, the Prince of Langya, ascended the throne in Jiankang, changed the era name to Xianhe, and declared Liu Jun to be a rebellious minister who imprisoned the emperor and had no father or ruler.
In the first month of the twenty-first year of Jianxing, Liu Jun, the King of Han, ascended the throne in Luoyang, establishing the Han dynasty and changing the era name to Yanwu. He appointed Lady Zhang as Empress and his eldest son, Liu Yong, as Crown Prince. At the same time, he bestowed titles upon meritorious officials such as Wen Qiao, Liu Dan, and Ji Dan, chieftains such as Pu Hong, Yao Yizhong, Murong Huang, and Tuoba Yihuai, and governors such as Zhang Jun and Xi Jian.
Two things were surprising. First, he did not bestow titles upon his sons, nephews, or other close relatives of the imperial clan, saying that he would reward them according to their merits after the country was pacified.
Secondly, even though the deposed emperor Sima Ye had already renounced his life and become a monk at Baima Temple, he was still enfeoffed as the Prince of Chenliu, and his consorts were either sent back to their homes or moved back to Chang'an to live out their retirement.
In April, upon hearing the news, Li Xiong immediately contacted the Jin court in Jiangdong and agreed to jointly attack Liu Jun.
"Do you think Sima Yan will send troops?" Liu Jun held a black piece, deep in thought. "After all, neither Liu Yao nor Shi Le, nor any of the Langya Kings, have ever sent troops."
Wen Qiao smiled faintly, "If we had sent troops back then, it would have been a favor to the Prince of Chenliu. But now that the country is his, he's probably more anxious than anyone else."
Liu Jun chuckled, “Li Xiong is already in his sixties, and his malignant sores have not healed for a long time. I don’t think he has much time left to live. And the pieces we planted back then should come in handy.”
Wen Qiao nodded in agreement, “The Di people dare to call themselves Han; it’s time to set things right.”
In June, Li Xiong's carbuncle flared up and he died. Crown Prince Li Ban had just ascended the throne when he was assassinated by the Li brothers. Li Qi then took the throne and immediately issued proclamations to various regions, discussing Liu's grand plan with Sima Yan.
"The Prince of Chenliu's move was truly brilliant," Liu Jun said with Wen Qiao and the others after the court session that day. "He abdicated directly, saving others from coming to the emperor's aid and return power to him. He got away with it and left me with no room to maneuver."
Wen Qiao had been living in constant fear, afraid that one day he would suddenly hear the devastating news that Sima Ye had passed away while practicing Buddhism. Then one day, Lu Jing came and was ordered to present him with the daily records of Liu Jun's last conversation with Sima Ye.
“This is an incredibly detailed record,” Wen Qiao frowned. “Was there a court official present when they were talking?”
Lu Jing shook his head, "No, these were all dictated by His Majesty."
"Please tell Your Majesty to remove the words 'thoughtful and meticulous, tender and affectionate' and 'trendy' so that these words will not be passed down to future generations," Wen Qiao said softly. "In a few days, I would like to visit the Prince of Chenliu at Baima Temple. If Your Majesty has anything to bring, I can do so on your behalf."
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