Chapter 71, Part Two: A Flowing Pearl
Liu Jun did not make a big fuss, but quietly returned to his residence, ordered someone to bring his children over for a brief look, and then went back to his headquarters.
Xin Bin, formerly of the Secretariat, was discovered by him to be a simple and honest man who was extremely loyal to the Jin Dynasty. He had already recommended him to Sima Ye and made him a court official.
Nowadays, among the advisors he usually uses, besides Ji Dan, there are two others who are particularly noteworthy. It's not that they are exceptionally talented, but rather that they are both descendants of famous ministers. One is named Zhang Jinghou, the nephew of Zhang Hua, a meritorious official of the Jin Dynasty. After Zhang Hua's downfall, he was exiled to Hanzhong. The other is named Zhuge Yong, the son of Zhuge Jing, the grandson of Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of the Shu Han Dynasty. After Zhuge Jing became the governor of Jiangzhou, he did not return to Langya with his clan, but stayed in Jiangzhou.
It just so happened that Liu Jun had a certain base of influence in Hanzhong and Jiangzhou, so he followed the example of Emperor Zhaolie of Han and repeatedly wrote letters to summon them, almost visiting them three times in their thatched cottages. In the end, he moved the two men and recruited them as officials.
After recruiting Zhang Jing, Zhang Hua was removed because he was the seventeenth-generation descendant of Marquis Liu.
The recruitment of Zhuge Yong was also based on the legacy of the Zhuge family in their former homeland of Shu.
Although both of their fathers were officials of the Jin Dynasty, upon closer examination, one was a descendant of a Wei official and the other a descendant of a Shu chancellor. Bringing them under his command would be of great significance to Liu Jun's next steps in recruiting talented individuals.
But for Liu Jun, the most important thing was that Wen Qiao's mourning period for his mother was over and he would soon return to court.
Wen Qiao is not only a blood relative but also a man of great talent. His abilities surpass those of everyone in Liu Jun's staff, so it is of utmost importance how to bring him under control.
After entering Chang'an, Liu Jun intentionally or unintentionally hosted banquets for many of Wen Qiao's old friends from the Prince of Qin's residence. He also wrote several letters to Liu Kun and Lu Chen, thoroughly investigating Wen Qiao's habits and preferences. However, he still couldn't figure out whether Wen Qiao would become like Jia Wenhe, who readily accepted good advice, or stubbornly remain as Xun Lingjun.
However, the most urgent matter at present is to attend the Emperor's banquet, which is a trap set by the Emperor.
When Liu Jun was led into the inner hall, he was quite surprised to find that it was indeed a small banquet—there were only the emperor and himself, and not even a palace servant to serve wine.
Sima Ye was trimming the candle wick with his back to him when he heard him greet him. He then turned around and said cheerfully, "A hairy head? Please sit down."
He did not tie his hair up; his black hair had reached below his knees and shone silver in the candlelight, making him appear as if he had white hair.
Liu Jun narrowed his eyes, and only sat down on the taipa after he had taken his seat. "I heard that His Majesty plans to personally lead an expedition. Is this the matter that you summoned me for?"
Sima Ye laughed, "Does Suo Lin know that you tell me everything?"
"Does Your Majesty know that he tells me everything?" Liu Jun lowered his head to pour wine, and was surprised to find that the wine vessel used today was not his usual bronze vessel, but a celadon bowl, and both the wine jar and the wine vat had been replaced with earthenware.
Noticing his gaze, Sima Ye smiled and said, "The country is in dire straits, and I do not wish to be extravagant. So I ordered people to melt down all these bronze and iron artifacts to make weapons."
Liu Jun nodded, took a small sip, and frowned. "This wine is not like ordinary spring wine."
"I know you have a fondness for Dukang wine, but there are only one or two jars left in the palace. I was thinking of saving them for a future celebration," Sima Ye said with a smile. "However, what you said earlier is correct. This wine is indeed not an ordinary spring wine; it is Lanying wine."
"Bending down to pluck orchid blossoms, looking up to gather cassia branches." Liu Jun praised, "Indeed, it has the fragrance of orchids. I have a jar of cassia wine, which I will present to Your Majesty when autumn arrives."
Sima Ye had almond-shaped eyes when he was young. For some reason, as he grew older, his originally round eyes gradually became narrow and long, and they even looked a bit like fox eyes.
Liu Jun couldn't help but think of Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, and lowered his eyes to look at the crystal-clear wine in the bowl.
"Fashionable hairstyle..."
Since last year, whenever they were alone, Sima Ye would call him by his childhood name, but if there were other people around, he would call him by his courtesy name. No matter which one it was, he would call him by his courtesy name in a sticky, syrupy way, which made Liu Jun feel very embarrassed.
However, since that fire, Sima Ye has become more cautious in his dealings with others, and his thoughts and considerations are now somewhat unpredictable even to himself.
"Your Majesty, I am here," Liu Jun replied crisply.
Sima Ye sighed, "Do you think the Great Jin Dynasty will fall to my hand now?"
Lan Ying wine has a smooth and mellow taste, but a very long aftertaste. Liu Jun, who has a good capacity for alcohol, was slightly tipsy today, but he still kept his spirits up and said, "Although there is no country that does not perish and no grave that is not dug, Your Majesty is virtuous and your ministers are united. We will surely be able to turn the tide and save the country."
"You cunning fellow," Sima Ye looked at him, his eyes shimmering, "Don't try to fool me with those words used to deceive women!"
"Injustice!" Liu Jun choked on his wine, coughing and gasping for breath. "Every word I uttered came from the bottom of my heart, from the bottom of my heart. How could it be considered deception? Besides, the change of dynasties is a matter of fate. Whether it is Your Majesty or your subjects, we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate."
Sima Ye leaned back against the armrest, thinking, "How utterly boring."
His clothes were slightly open and his long hair was disheveled. If the court hadn't been so strapped for cash, Liu Jun would have suspected that he had taken some kind of drug.
"Although it was somewhat disappointing, I heard at yesterday's court meeting that the leader of the refugees, Xi Jian, had a conflict with my cousin, Liu Yan, in Yanzhou. I believe that with a formidable enemy at hand, we should unite against them..."
"I don't want to hear it," Sima Ye said stubbornly, covering his ears. "Why spoil such a wonderful occasion?"
Liu Jun smiled helplessly, turned his head to look at the moonlight swaying on the window frame and the hibiscus swaying in the courtyard. He was almost ready to let his guard down and sit in the spring breeze and get lost in the beauty.
He subconsciously stopped drinking. Disrespecting the emperor was a minor matter; he was more afraid that he would wake up one morning to find himself stripped of his military power and imprisoned.
Although he didn't consider himself to be far from being too powerful to threaten the emperor, Sima Ye was easily swayed. If he listened to Du's slander and was caught in a trap, this small banquet would truly become a trap.
Stealing a glance at Sima Ye, I saw that he seemed to be completely drunk, but whether he was intentionally trying to get himself drunk, he was tilting his head back and pouring wine into his mouth.
Seeing the wine stains running down his lips, onto his clothes, and even onto his hair, Liu Jun couldn't bear it any longer and got up to help him. "Your Majesty, you're drunk. You should go back to the palace..."
It's unclear where the drunkard got such strength, but he pulled Liu Jun down as well, and even forced Liu Jun to drink all the wine in the bowl.
In a moment of carelessness, Liu Jun actually swallowed it all. Only then did he realize that the wine in Sima Ye's bowl was different from his own; it was the strongest wine he had ever drunk in his life.
What was Sima Ye's intention in deliberately deceiving him into coming here?
Liu Jun was thinking in a daze, but this sip of wine soaked and softened his otherwise steely body, eventually turning him into a wisp of smoke.
He knows nothing anymore.
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