Chapter 102, Chapter Thirteen: Wandering at a Crossroads
The Imperial Ancestral Temple in Luoyang had been completely destroyed in the previous wars. Liu Jun took time out of his busy schedule to repair it, and it was barely seven or eight tenths similar to its original state.
The sacrificial ceremony itself was nothing special, but Liu Cong and Liu Yao were shirtless, leading a sheep, and holding a jade disc in their mouths. Liu Cong had done it once before in Chang'an, so he was quite at ease. Liu Yao, on the other hand, looked extremely humiliated and even cursed Liu Jun when he passed by. In return, Liu Jun turned his back without looking back and Liu Cong smiled like a frightened bird.
Sima Ye's eulogy appears to have been written by the emperor himself, recounting in great detail the hardships and suffering since his ascension to the throne, the cruelty and tyranny of the slaves, the dedication of the meritorious officials, the unity of the people, how he was tempered and perfected after the hardships, and how he conquered the capital after the bloodshed.
It must be said that Sima Ye's writing was quite remarkable. Many court officials wept as they recalled the shattered land and the eternal farewell to their loved ones. Even Liu Jun couldn't help but tear up when he thought of his father and brothers.
He stared blankly at the Sima clan's ancestral temple, listening to Sima Ye's bitter recounting how Liu Yao had sent men to plunder the tombs of the former emperors, desecrate their corpses, and loot their burial goods. He even felt a touch of schadenfreude, marveling at his great-grandfather Emperor Wu's insightful and optimistic view—since the "Final Decree," all Cao Wei emperors were not to be buried lavishly, but rather on barren land, so as not to affect farming, nor to be buried with earth or trees.
Apart from Cao Fang, who was deposed and made King of Qi, and Cao Huan, who was stripped of his imperial title by Guo after his downfall and hastily buried with the rites due to a feudal lord, and Cao Huan, who was a deposed ruler, none of the three have imperial tombs. The remaining imperial tombs are still hidden deep in the mountains, thus ensuring a peaceful end for the deceased.
The thought of Sima Shi and Sima Zhao being dug up and whipped by Liu Cong and Liu Yao made Liu Jun suppress a smile, and he joined the other officials in glaring at the two men.
After Sima Ye finished denouncing the two men and venting his anger, he calmly pronounced their fate: "These two slaves are rebellious and tyrannical, and Heaven should punish them. However, the Emperor is benevolent and kind, so he has bestowed upon them poisoned wine and granted them a complete corpse."
Liu Jun had expected Sima Ye to imprison them for a year or two and then humiliate them with some underhanded tactics like serving wine in green robes. He was quite surprised that the emperor had killed them so decisively. Looking at Wen Qiao, Du Dan, and the others, they all showed surprise. It seemed that the emperor hated the Xiongnu so much that he didn't even want to pretend anymore.
Liu Cong was alright, at least he survived for several years with good food and drink. Liu Yao was killed as soon as he was captured. He would have been better off being tougher back then, dying on the battlefield wrapped in a horse's hide, at least he would have some posthumous fame.
When the eunuchs reported that the two traitors were dead, Sima Ye ordered them to be buried with proper rites, and the officials moved back to the palace.
After the grand banquet, Sima Ye did not discuss rewarding the meritorious officials. Instead, when everyone was in high spirits, he suddenly asked, "Although the Prince of Nanyang is still suffering from diarrhea and cannot come in person, he has sent his heir to worship the ancestors and offer sacrifices at the temple. This not only shows his loyalty to the court but also his filial piety to the ancestors. I believe that under the protection of heaven and the ancestors, the Prince of Nanyang will surely recover quickly."
The heir of the Prince of Nanyang was still a child, but his courteous thanks and return of the courtesy earned Sima Ye's frequent nods. Sima Ye then casually asked, "Has the Prince of Langya sent an envoy?"
Liu Jun and Wen Qiao were both away on campaigns, and Du Dan had been reporting their memorials to the emperor during this period. Upon hearing this, Du Dan stood up and replied, "Perhaps the mountains are high and the roads are far, making communication difficult... Not only the envoys, but also the memorials and congratulatory gifts have not yet been received."
"Oh? But Zhang Mao has already submitted a memorial. Liangzhou isn't any closer than Jiankang, is it?"
Several years ago, Zhang Gui of Liangzhou died, and his son Zhang Shi inherited the title. However, this man was arrogant and domineering, and actually declared himself King of Liang. Since Liu Jun was also Zhang's son-in-law, he immediately wrote a letter to rebuke him. Later, Zhang Shi was killed by his subordinates, and Liu Jun's father-in-law Zhang Mao, after succeeding to the throne, immediately requested to have his title of King of Liang revoked. After that, in the campaigns against Liu Yao and Shi Le, he sent troops several times, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Liu Jun.
Such a joyous occasion as the destruction of a nation and the wiping of shame should have prompted Sima Rui, as a subject, to make a gesture of celebration. However, no such document has been seen from him so far, which is unusual for Sima Rui, who is known for his benevolence, virtue, humility, and frugality.
Sima Ye's question was pointed and clearly showed his long-standing dissatisfaction with Sima Rui. Du Dan was at a loss for words and tried to brush it off with a laugh.
"Sikong, what do you think?" Sima Ye looked at Liu Jun.
Liu Jun stepped forward and replied, “Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, although the Prince of Langya has never sent a single soldier with you in any military campaigns, these proclamations of rebellion and memorials of praise to the Emperor, which cost no money, have never been lacking. This time it is indeed strange, and there must be some hidden reason. I think we should send someone to question him to see if there are any treacherous ministers involved. If it is true that the Prince of Langya has disloyal intentions, Your Majesty can issue an edict to reprimand him and then decide whether to demote him or even strip him of his title depending on the circumstances.”
"Good." Sima Ye nodded. "Then we will proceed as Sikong has suggested."
Wen Qiao lowered his head. Over the years, Sima Bao, the Prince of Nanyang, had been suffering from a lack of soldiers and food under Liu Yao's military might, and his original ambitions had disappeared. On the other hand, the Prince of Langya, relying on the natural defenses of the Yangtze River and with the support of Wang Dao and other gentry who had migrated south, had essentially established a separate court.
Suppressing the Prince of Langya will only further weaken the already small Sima clan, leaving them powerless to contend with powerful ministers.
If left to develop unchecked, perhaps one day if something were to happen to Sima Ye, the one on the other side of the river would be eager to ascend the throne and become emperor.
The same applies to Liu Jun. If we guard against him and suppress him, who will defend against the iron cavalry of the foreign tribes?
If they are allowed to grow too powerful, who can guarantee that Liu Jun will not become the second Cao Cao or the second Sima clan?
Since Emperor Gaozu of Han slew the white snake to establish the Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu of Han revived the Han Dynasty, and Emperor Zhaolie of Han attempted to establish the Han Dynasty for the third time but failed, now Liu Jun is capable of both civil administration and military affairs. Who dares to say that he, as a direct descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, cannot establish the Han Dynasty for the fourth time?
Don't you see that even Liu Yuan of the Xiongnu had to impersonate a member of the Liu family? With the ferocity of the Maojin Blade, which emperor wouldn't be afraid?
There are many forks in the road, and within those forks, there are even more forks.
Sima Ye's life was like this: after one fork in the road, there was another fork in the road; beyond one dilemma, there was another dilemma.
But if he still wanted to live and remain emperor, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep going.
Sima Ye got completely drunk at the grand banquet, so Liu Jun did not accompany him and returned to his camp for the time being.
Unexpectedly, before he could even sit down, he received the imperial edict. None of the other rewards were mentioned; instead, the Golden Valley Garden was bestowed upon Liu Jun.
Unable to sleep, Liu Jun, fueled by alcohol and under the cover of night, led only a few men on horseback to the destination.
According to Liu Kun and Liu Yu, the Golden Valley Garden was as luxurious and magnificent as the Jade Pool in the heavens.
Today, however, the Golden Valley Garden is overgrown with weeds and overgrown with wormwood. Occasionally, crows circle around, wild foxes dart about, and even bones can be seen among the broken walls and ruins.
In this world, there are no immortal abodes, only the netherworld.
"Maotou." Liu Jun was still feeling sentimental when he heard Sima Ye call him softly.
Turning around, he saw him being supported by two eunuchs. He was dressed in loose robes, with long hair flowing to the ground, his cheeks flushed, and his narrow eyes were hazy with drunkenness. From a distance, he looked like a fox spirit or a seductive ghost.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com