Chapter 68, Section Sixteen: Collusion and Conspiracy
That night, instead of receiving the distinguished guest Sima Ye, Liu Jun was greeted by an uninvited guest.
The newcomer was dressed in plain clothes with a black cloak over his head, revealing his face. He was none other than Suo Lin, who had escaped the calamity during the day.
Liu Jun sat on the ground, burning incense, while tea was brewing in a stove beside him. "Greetings, General of the Cavalry."
Suo Lin's tiger-like eyes were filled with surprise and suspicion as he looked at Liu Jun as if he were seeing him for the first time. This day had been thrilling for him. Early in the morning, a spy from the Imperial Guard delivered a message that the Emperor was planning to launch an attack and seize him. Then, a palace eunuch came to deliver a message that a palace hall was on fire and his daughter was inside. He was about to lead his troops inside when Liu Jun's messenger brought news that Empress Suo had been rescued. Just as he was relieved, the man handed him a note.
The note contained a secret letter that Suo Lin had his son deliver to the Xiongnu: "If they promise me the titles of Chariot and Cavalry, Grand Master of Ceremonies, and Duke of Ten Thousand Households, I request that Chang'an be surrendered."
This is why Suo Lin went to meet a younger person alone late at night.
"The general's fatherly heart is truly touching." Liu Jun served him a cup of refreshing hot tea. "It reminds me of when I was young, my father once commented on the heroes of this dynasty. One of them was so filial and devoted to his family that I admired him greatly."
Without even glancing at Suo Lin, Liu Jun rose and paced back and forth, recounting the story in detail: "There were two brothers from a powerful family in Dunhuang. In their youth, they traveled together to various places. Unexpectedly, they encountered a war in Guanzhong, and the elder brother was killed by the rebels. The younger brother was filled with grief and indignation, and even shed tears of blood. He then diligently studied martial arts, determined to avenge his brother, and eventually achieved some success. Later, he disguised himself as a guest, infiltrated the enemy's home, and personally killed thirty-seven people, finally avenging his brother."
Suo Lin picked up the teacup. It wasn't any rare or good tea, nor was it prepared. Only the bitter taste of the tea lingered in his mouth for a long time.
"Later, he joined the army to serve his country, repeatedly achieving military merits. He was brave and resourceful, and as a prefect, he was able to use both kindness and severity to subdue both the Han and the barbarians, preventing the enemy from invading. When the land was in ruins, he persisted in resisting the enemy and joined forces with Jia Pi and others to defend Chang'an, repeatedly defeating the armies of Liu Yao and Shi Le." Liu Jun turned around and stared at him intently. "Who is this person? Does the General recognize him?"
Suo Lin said coldly, "Now that you have something on me, you might as well be frank and tell me what your plans are."
"Please be patient, Jun's story isn't finished yet." Liu Jun smiled, casually closing the window and chasing away the soft moonlight.
"But later, after he was appointed to handle important military and national affairs, he was no longer satisfied with being a loyal minister, but instead indulged in the lust for power. For example, he placed members of the Suo clan in various positions in the court and forced the emperor to make a member of the Suo clan empress... As a result, those who supported the emperor oppressed him; those who insisted on resisting the enemy colluded with foreign countries..."
His voice was extremely gentle, full of regret, but Suo Lin could no longer bear to listen. Regardless of whether the tea was poisoned, he trembled as he picked up the cup and drank it down.
"The secret letter you wrote is in my hands, as is your son. Today, I even saved your daughter." Liu Junfu sat back down. "I wonder how the General intends to repay this favor?"
Suo Lin put down his teacup, his earlier outburst largely subsided. "The Emperor wanted to kill me, but the Attendant-in-Ordinary did not, otherwise he would not have saved my daughter. I just don't understand why you didn't just deliver a fatal blow and take my place, but instead disregarded the Emperor's wishes and summoned me here to discuss this... The Attendant-in-Ordinary is young and inexperienced, but his scheming and cunning are beyond my comprehension."
“That’s right. Regardless of age or seniority, I am not convincing enough to command respect. Even if the general were to abdicate, the position would not fall to me,” Liu Jun said bluntly. “I am of one mind with the general. When I am fully capable, the general can then retire unscathed. It would be better for the general to be disgraced and others to reap the benefits.”
His words were utterly blunt, yet undeniably reasonable. Suo Lin sneered, "You think you can control me with just that secret letter? I have more than one son..."
"How many troops do you actually control, sir? Your power and influence in the court are all due to your role as regent. Let alone the various warlords, even the Imperial Guards, once they find out that you colluded with Liu Cong while they were shedding blood, how many men could you possibly mobilize?" Liu Jun said sharply. "I have another reason for letting you off the hook now. So many southern gentry are already indifferent to the conquest of the Central Plains, the Prince of Langya is also eyeing the throne, not to mention the barbarians are also watching us with predatory eyes. If there is further turmoil in the court at this time, wouldn't that give them an opportunity to take advantage of us?"
Seeing Suo Lin's expression change, Liu Jun emphasized, "The bigger picture is more important, sir!"
Suo Lin took a deep breath. "Aren't you afraid that if you show mercy this time, I'll turn my back on you later?"
"Although those who achieve great things are not bound by trifles, if you, my lord, do not care about a son, a daughter, a secret letter, and your reputation before and after death, then you would be like Emperor Gaozu of Han, an unparalleled hero. There is no way I could control you." Liu Jun smiled. "In that case, whether it is court politics or military battles, I will accompany you to the end!"
Suo Lin then thought of Liu Yan, Liu Zun, Liu Qi, Liu Yi, Liu Dan, and others, and compared them with his own children and grandchildren. Disheartened, he said, "So be it. In the future, I will keep my distance from the court. When you become a high-ranking official, please remember to take care of the Suo family!"
"That's great!" Liu Jun raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp. "However, it's best to only tell your trusted confidants about our reconciliation. After all, if all the officials in the court are in harmony, how can those in high positions maintain checks and balances and control the situation?"
Suo Lin nodded, "That's not difficult. Tomorrow I will raise the issue of the water smuggling, and the target will be His Majesty. At that time, you can step forward to protect him..."
“No,” Liu Jun shook his head, “He has already been forced to get rid of you. If you want things to last, you should take a step back.”
"Oh?" Suo Lin frowned.
Liu Jun smiled and said, "Just face Consort Du. Empress Suo almost died in the fire, so it's only reasonable for you to avenge her."
Suo Lin was puzzled. "The Du family is a powerful clan. Even if we abandon her, it won't harm their vitality. Wouldn't that be a minor incident?"
"What we need is to minimize the damage and make a clean break. Otherwise, His Majesty will be criticized for squandering the people's hard-earned money." Liu Jun sighed. "The governors of various prefectures and the Xianbei chieftains still regard His Majesty as the legitimate ruler. We should not easily shake His Majesty's prestige. Otherwise, if we cannot suppress the other princes, won't we return to the time of endless strife among the eight princes?"
"good."
He sat idly with Suo Lin for another half hour and was surprised to find that the two actually had quite a few common views on the matter of using troops against Liu Yao and Shi Le.
After seeing Suo Lin off, Liu Junfu opened the window again, looked at the objects hanging on the walls by the moonlight, and finally took the Flying View Sword and pointed it directly at the map.
If there are still great talents like Zuo Si in the future, let's compose another "Rhapsody on the Three Capitals" about Chang'an and Luoyang of the Han Dynasty, and Yecheng of the Wei Dynasty.
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