Chapter 78, Chapter Nine: A Sudden Enlightenment
The next day, Liu Jun began to manage affairs. Since Sima Ye was determined not to let him return to the headquarters, he simply summoned his staff and generals to the east hall of the Taiji Hall, where he also discussed matters with other important officials.
Suo Lin, Du Dan, and others all came here pretending to be there, especially Du Dan, whose words even contained some sarcasm.
That day, Wen Qiao came to visit him. Before they could exchange a few pleasantries, Wen Qiao said, "Speaking of which, these people are really interesting. They are commenting on the Di people's affairs. Have they never suffered a defeat in their lives? I heard that Du Dan is preparing to volunteer to quell the rebellion."
Liu Jun curled his lips and said, "Oh? The Du family doesn't have that many troops, does they? Is he planning to use my troops or Suo Lin's troops?"
"As expected, I heard that their plan is for His Majesty to appoint him as the governor of Qin Prefecture and directly use your troops."
“What a joke,” Liu Jun scoffed. “Does he think that just because he’s the governor of Qin Prefecture, he can command the Qin Prefecture troops? You should know that these people used to be Liang Prefecture troops, and later became Yu Prefecture troops and Yong Prefecture troops. In other words, whatever governor I am, that’s the kind of troops they are. If he’s so capable of taking even one of these people with him, then let him go.”
Wen Qiao shook his head and laughed, "It's a pity His Majesty was worried you were discouraged, but I think you're much better now. How about it? Planning to lead the troops into battle and avenge our previous defeat?"
Liu Jun turned to the side, avoiding the wound, "Since they have the ambition, let them give it a try. It'll be a good opportunity for me to fully recover from my injury, so I won't suffer in my old age."
“You’ve been a bit overconfident this time. You won’t lose if we fight again.” Wen Qiao scrutinized him. “Are you planning to use Pu Hong for some kind of scheme?”
“Brother-in-law knows me well,” Liu Jun said, tilting his head back to drink the medicine as if it were wine. “Unless we can wipe out all the Di and Qiang people, even a thousand or a hundred victories are just temporary measures. I’m thinking about whether we can achieve our goal in one battle, not by temporarily intimidating them, but by trying to subdue them as much as possible.”
Wen Qiao nudged him, "Like the story of Zhuge Liang?"
“Not bad,” Liu Jun nodded, his dark eyes glancing indifferently at the summer scenery outside the window. “Although I won’t be attending tomorrow’s court assembly, there should be some excitement to watch. My brother-in-law, you can watch it all for me, otherwise wouldn’t it be a waste that His Majesty went to such lengths to keep me in the palace?”
Wen Qiao paused upon hearing this, then shook his head and smiled wryly, "I thought you were blinded by lust, but I never imagined you were so clear-headed."
"Blinded by lust?" Liu Jun scoffed. "If Sima Ye can pretend to be deeply in love, then I can be a lecherous man as he wishes."
He chuckled a few times, then composed himself and looked at Wen Qiao with utmost seriousness. "I've known him since childhood. Although we don't see each other often, we've never lost touch. With such a bond, why doesn't he believe I can protect him?"
"Do you think he just wants you to protect him?" Wen Qiao smiled and lowered his head. "I've been by His Majesty's side for fifteen years. I know his character better than anyone. He may look weak, but he's by no means a follower or a coward who clings to life. If he wanted to live, he could have crossed the Yangtze River after the Yongjia Rebellion. Why struggle to survive?"
“At that time, he was coerced by the Xun brothers, and Guanzhong was a thousand miles away from Jiangdong, so he probably had no choice.” Liu Jun frowned. “Could it be that my brother-in-law is saying that he is a great ruler who went against the tide and made a grand move in Guanzhong in order to restore the Jin Dynasty?”
Wen Qiao sighed, "Indeed, he once told me that no matter how you calculate the mess of the Yongjia Rebellion, whether it was Emperor Huai or the Prince of Donghai, it would ultimately fall on the Sima family. As the most recent descendant of the imperial family, if he didn't step forward to take charge, would he just let the world fall into chaos and hand over the throne to someone else? He actually always knew that his lifespan was short, and he had even written a will for the Prince of Langya to ascend the throne. If he really couldn't defend the Central Plains, he asked me to take it to the Prince of Langya so that he could rightfully inherit the throne and allow the Jin dynasty to continue south of the Yangtze River, so that we could plan for the future."
"Ha, so even if Sima Rui and his ilk stand idly by and watch us die, as long as they bear the surname Sima, he can forgive and pardon them. But what about the rest? Even if they survive countless battles, even if they serve us to the death, he will still be suspicious and wary of them?" Liu Jun said coldly. "Looking at it this way, whether it's tenderness and concern or caring for us, all this scheming to get us to do whatever it takes to be loyal and devoted, in the end, it's all just a stepping stone for Sima Rui. What a good emperor, making people look at him with new eyes."
His face was cold and stern, his eyes gleaming with fury, clearly indicating that he was extremely angry.
Wen Qiao calmly sized him up. "Pu Hong caused you to suffer heavy losses and lose face, yet His Majesty stayed by your side day and night, showing you meticulous care. How come Pu Hong is treated like a hero by you, while His Majesty seems to have caused you great losses?"
Liu Jun was momentarily speechless. "This was my carelessness. Besides, even if I were truly inferior in skill, or even perished on the battlefield, it would be my own fault, and I have no one else to blame. But Your Majesty is different..."
"Oh?" Wen Qiao said indifferently, "Although you are close to His Majesty, you look down on him deep down. Therefore, once you discover that he is outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, and even cultivating his own power, you begin to feel resentful and dissatisfied. How do you compare your feelings towards His Majesty to those of Cao Cao and Cao Wen towards Emperor Xian of Han, or to Emperor Jing and Emperor Wen towards the Duke of Gaogui and the Duke of Changdao?"
His words revealed Liu Jun's deepest thoughts, even exposing some of Liu Jun's own hidden intentions that he himself was unaware of. If it were someone else, they would probably be ashamed.
But Liu Jun showed no embarrassment upon hearing this. The resentment on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a calm demeanor. "Brother-in-law is right. I have only achieved a small amount of merit and am just an ordinary person in this era. How can I expect His Majesty and the court to be truly convinced of my worth? Brother-in-law's words have awakened me from my dream."
He threw back the brocade quilt, rose with some difficulty, pushed open the window, and let the golden morning light stream into the hall. "A king takes the people as his foundation, and a sage takes the hearts of the people as his own. Li Ju and Xi Jian can command a hundred responses with a single call, my father can have a thousand people come to him in a single day, and the feudal lords want to elect the Prince of Langya as their leader, all because of their outstanding talent and virtue, which wins people's hearts. You gentlemen are old and virtuous, while I am but a humble person with little reputation, and I dare not compare myself to you. Only by striving hard, recovering lost territories, protecting the country and the people, can I gain Your Majesty's trust, attract scholars to my side, and win the hearts of the people."
Wen Qiao stood half a step behind him with his hands behind his back. "The world is at a crossroads, and it is the time for great men to rise to the top. With heroes rising up, who will be able to seize this opportunity? I will wait and see."
“If one day I can truly win your favor, brother-in-law,” Liu Jun turned around and bowed to Wen Qiao, “I will certainly welcome you with open arms, rely on you as my strategist, and follow your every plan and strategy.”
Wen Qiao laughed loudly, "Good! You should know that there are some businesses in this world that you should join as soon as possible. Your Excellency, please don't keep me waiting too long."
Liu Jun smiled along, his posture as upright as a pine tree, "This time, let Pu Hong set an example for the world."
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