Chapter 93, Chapter 4: Doubtful
When news of Shi Le's ascension to the throne arrived, Liu Jun was returning home and was quite displeased with testing his two sons' studies. Upon hearing this news, he forgot all about giving them instructions and immediately rode off to the headquarters.
"Just the day before yesterday, he offered sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, declaring that he would no longer be a subject of Liu Yao, but would instead call himself the Great Zhao Heavenly King and establish his capital in Xiangguo." Yin Xiaocheng, clearly having just received the news, reported breathlessly.
Instead of getting angry, Liu Jun laughed, "Good! How will Liu Yao react?"
"I've heard that Liu Yao failed to win over Liangzhou before, and then encountered the rebellion of the Ba chieftains. His personality changed drastically afterward. Now he's a heavy drinker, drunk all day long, and won't listen to the advice of his ministers. Recently, he's been undertaking massive construction projects, building the Yongyuan Mausoleum and Xianping Mausoleum for his parents, costing hundreds of millions..."
Liu Jun paced back and forth, his eyes blazing with fury. "Liu Yao is quite arrogant. How could he endure such humiliation? Three or five years ago, when he first ascended the throne, he could still be humble and open to advice. But how arrogant he is at heart! The more arrogant a person is, the harder it is for him to face defeat. In recent years, both the Great Jin and Shi Le have been pressing forward relentlessly. The Xiongnu regime under his rule is on its last legs. He is already outwardly strong but inwardly weak. The various Xiongnu tribes are increasingly dissatisfied with him. He desperately needs to establish his authority. Now that Shi Le has declared himself emperor, he has just given him this opportunity."
"Does Your Excellency mean that the Xiongnu and the Jie are about to fight? Should we continue to stand by and watch as before?"
Liu Jun shook his head, "This opportunity is once in a lifetime and we must not miss it. If we can take this opportunity to destroy the Xiongnu, the Great Jin can not only wipe away its previous humiliation, but also take back Luoyang and Pingyang, which are battlegrounds in Liu Yao's hands. In the future, when we are locked in a stalemate with Shi Le, we will have a much better chance of winning."
Everyone was filled with fervor upon hearing this, and Liu Yin even stood up and said, "We are willing to die for the enemy, please give the order, Your Excellency!"
Liu Jun shook his head, "We can't rush things now. We should first prepare our troops and be ready for battle."
After Sima Ye recovered, he immediately went to the court assembly, but he did not see Liu Jun twice in a row, so he kept Wen Qiao behind for questioning.
"Isn't it said that we should be preparing for war? That's why he's been either transporting grain at the Changping Granary or training horses at the Shanglin Garden these past few days."
"I understand the Shanglin Garden," Sima Ye, this emperor of a chaotic era, was not very familiar with politics. "And what about the Ever-Normal Granary?"
Wen Qiao patiently explained: "'When grain is too expensive, it hurts the people; when it is too cheap, it hurts the farmers.' The Ever-Normal Granary existed in the previous dynasty. It was used by the court to stabilize grain prices and deal with famine. For example, during this severe drought, the Ever-Normal Granary provided timely relief and prevented a peasant uprising."
"So it's because there's going to be a war that they need to divert grain from the Ever-Normal Granary?" Sima Ye seemed to understand but not quite.
"Indeed," Wen Qiao said with a smile. "I heard that His Majesty was somewhat displeased with Yanshi last time because of whether or not to attack the Xiongnu?"
Sima Ye was taken aback. "Is such a trivial matter worth publicizing everywhere?"
Wen Qiao smiled and said, "No matter how small Your Majesty's matter may be, it is of paramount importance to us."
Sima Ye struggled to suppress the smirk playing on his lips. "Taizhen, if I wish to personally lead the army..."
"Last time, it was Consort Du who offered advice to His Majesty..."
“This is my will,” Sima Ye said, bowing his head. “I am the ruler of a country, but all I have done these past years is use my seal to hold banquets. If I can personally lead the army, even if I cannot fight on the battlefield, I can at least boost morale.”
"As Your Majesty can see, this year's harvest is not good for any of the barbarian tribes, and so are ours," Wen Qiao said earnestly. "Do you know how much manpower and resources it takes for the Emperor to travel, and how many soldiers are distracted in protecting him? More importantly, if you and Yanshi disagree, how do you expect the soldiers to make a decision?"
Sima Ye said in a muffled voice, "I just thought that if I stayed in Chang'an and did nothing, one day I would become Emperor Xian of Han..."
"The Duke of Gaogui was indeed dragged into the imperial campaign, and then what?" Wen Qiao asked rhetorically.
Sima Ye remained silent, while Wen Qiao sighed, "If Your Majesty were to command the entire army, if Your Majesty were to personally lead the troops into battle, if Your Majesty were to be able to command hundreds of thousands of troops, then I would have no objection. The majesty of the emperor does not lie in personally leading the army or residing high in the ancestral temple, but in defending the land, expanding the territory, appointing the virtuous and capable, and governing the country and bringing peace to the people. Your Majesty, do you understand?"
Sima Ye remained silent for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Is Liu Jun truly a loyal minister of the Jin Dynasty?"
He was not a scholar, not a man of high rank, not even a Minister of Works or Duke of Guangwu.
Wen Qiao felt a chill run down his spine, and his entire back stiffened, but he showed no sign of it on his face. He simply stared at Sima Ye and said only one sentence: "The bodies of my father and four brothers are not yet cold, but their hearts are already cold."
Sima Ye was startled, unable to suppress the memory of Liu Jun's emaciated and dejected state a few days ago. "I misspoke, but with so many people saying it, suspicion inevitably arises..."
Wen Qiao sneered, “Recently, I have reread the ‘Memorial on Dispatching the Troops’ and was deeply moved. ‘To be close to virtuous ministers and keep away from petty men is why the Former Han Dynasty prospered; to be close to petty men and keep away from virtuous ministers is why the Later Han Dynasty declined.’ You should know that the Shu Han Dynasty has only lasted for sixty years. Even Liu Shan (Liu Shan) could trust and respect Zhuge Liang. Your Majesty is the restorer of the Jin Dynasty and should have the same magnanimity.”
Sima Ye was filled with shame and dismay. Then he heard Wen Qiao whisper, "Your Majesty's thoughts must not be known to Mao Tou. He only received intelligence a few days ago that Wang Dun was secretly colluding with Shi Le and Duan Pidi, which led to my uncle's death."
Sima Ye was stunned for a moment, his eyes reddened, and after a long silence, he asked in a trembling voice, "Does the Prince of Langya (Sima Rui) know about this?"
"At this point, whether he knew or not is no longer important," Wen Qiao said in a deep voice. "With the world in disarray, has Your Majesty ever considered what would happen south of the Yangtze River, even if Liu Yao and Shi Le were defeated? The Prince of Langya has indeed acted very submissively, but during Your Majesty's many times of crisis, although he constantly proclaimed his loyalty to the emperor and his patriotism, making it known throughout the land, did he actually send out a single soldier? And if Your Majesty truly secures this throne, do you think he would still willingly submit to you? The officials who followed you south are reluctant to give up the land and slaves they plundered in Jiangdong, unwilling to abandon the gentle and beautiful scenery of Jiangnan, yet they also desire high positions in the court... What do you think they will do?"
"So Liu Jun has always been extremely wary of Sima Rui. Is he also worried about this?" Sima Ye's breathing became rapid. "But isn't the state of the Great Jin in its current state precisely because the Sima clan members are fighting each other? If the brothers turn against each other again, and foreign tribes take advantage of the situation, wouldn't everything that has been done in the past ten years be in vain?"
Wen Qiao said with certainty, "Your Majesty is the adopted son of Emperor Huai and the common ruler of all the states, counties and clans under heaven. Legally speaking, the Prince of Langya cannot surpass Your Majesty, nor can Liu Jun."
"I was worrying unnecessarily," Sima Ye said embarrassedly. "I only spoke these words of my heart because I trust the Master..."
"I have forgotten what Your Majesty said today," Wen Qiao said with a smile.
Sima Ye was in high spirits and hurriedly invited him to stay for a meal.
The guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely, exchanging toasts and drinks.
When Wen Qiao saw the golden goblet in his hand, three words came to mind, and he couldn't help but smile.
A golden knife.
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