Chapter 67, Chapter Fifteen: Seeing Through Everything
Over the years, Liu Jun has been busy observing mourning, and so far he only has one son born out of wedlock, leaving the position of principal wife vacant. Countless high-ranking officials and nobles have tried to arrange marriages for him, and even Sima Ye once wanted him to marry a princess.
Unexpectedly, Jia Pi wanted to act as a matchmaker for him, and even pointed out his ambitions for Liangzhou and his aspirations for the whole country.
Liu Jun did not reply directly. He was unsure whether he should reveal his disloyal intentions to this old general with whom he had only a casual acquaintance. He only said, "Jun is either buried in his documents or engaged in military affairs every day. I'm afraid he is neither considerate nor has the leisure to care for me. He is definitely not a good match. Your Excellency, please think it over!"
Jia Pi smiled slyly, "A good wife? If her mind is full of love, then she doesn't deserve to be a daughter of the Zhang family!"
"The Zhang family?" Liu Jun's brow twitched. Everyone knew that Zhang Gui was a loyal minister of Sima Ye. Within the Nine Provinces, besides the Liu family father and son, probably only he himself could take this young emperor seriously. He said slowly, "I still remember His Majesty's words, 'You, Zhang Gui, the governor of Liang Province, are loyal to the royal family. Your banners are linked with stars across ten thousand miles. When you advance to Qin and Long, you should join forces to overcome difficulties and restore the divine land.' You are indeed a loyal minister of our Great Jin."
“The loyalty of the Zhang family of Liangzhou is no different from that of my lord,” Jia Pi said meaningfully. “The young lady I am talking about is the daughter of Zhang Mao, the son of Zhang Gui, the governor of Liangzhou. He is a man of noble character and integrity, capable of making important decisions. His wife, Jia, is a member of my clan, and she was quite knowledgeable in the classics and history even in her youth.”
Liu Jun nodded, "Thank you for your kind offer, Your Excellency. However, I still have six months of mourning left, and my marriage is a very important matter. I must consult my father before I can make a decision."
Jia Pi didn't expect him to agree immediately. Since he didn't refuse, he was already 70-80% sure, so he raised his wine cup.
Liu Jun retorted, and the two exchanged a glance, understanding each other without saying a word.
That evening, Liu Jun had drunk too much and was fast asleep when he suddenly heard two people talking outside the door. They were Yin Xiaocheng and Lu Jing.
"General Lu, do you think we should wake up our lord?"
"My lord is usually a light sleeper, it's rare for him to sleep so well... Why don't you tell me what's on your mind?"
"This humble general is not sure if it is a big deal, but there is something going on in the palace... It seems that Empress Su and Consort Du had a fight, and His Majesty went to mediate, but somehow they got injured."
"How badly are you injured?"
"It's alright, but it's just a superficial wound, nothing compared to what we get on the battlefield."
"Then so be it. Even if my lord gets up and rushes over now, he will probably be accused of spying on the holy traces. Just pretend you don't know anything."
It wasn't a big deal, so Liu Jun turned over with relief and went back to sleep.
The next day, Liu Jun went to the city gate to see off the governors, and then returned to the Secretariat. While drafting a letter to Liu Kun, he also talked with Liu Zun.
Just as the brothers were enjoying themselves and reminiscing about their separation, they suddenly saw thick smoke billowing from the palace not far away, and the sounds of battle were deafening.
Liu Zun was stunned to find that he had encountered such a major event as the fire in the Forbidden Garden while on his way to the capital for the imperial pilgrimage. Liu Jun was still writing furiously at first, but when Yin Xiaocheng entered and whispered a few words in his ear, he leisurely got up and said, "Brother, I'll go take a look."
“I will go with you. If we need to rescue the emperor, at least we'll have one more person to help.” Liu Zun took the two men’s cloaks. “Let’s go.”
When they and the other officials and palace servants who had come upon hearing the news found the palace that had been flooded, Sima Ye was standing dejectedly in front of the palace, trembling all over, both shocked and furious.
The emperor Liu Zun met yesterday was a kind and smiling young man, but today he met a caged beast.
Upon seeing Liu Jun, Sima Ye quickly stepped forward, exclaiming, "That shrew is simply going too far!"
Liu Jun pressed down on his shoulder and said softly, "Your Majesty, please take care of your health and do not get angry."
His gaze then turned somber to the raging flames, and he suddenly shouted, "There are still people inside! Quick, save them!"
Sima Ye instinctively reached for his sleeve, but Liu Jun turned around and shook his head at him very slowly. "Aren't the people inside His Majesty's subjects too?"
Having said that, Liu Jun, having determined the wind direction, took the lead and charged towards the fire with several personal guards and the imperial guards who were willing to follow.
Sima Ye watched his retreating figure, his heart filled with mixed emotions. A beautiful woman in a plain palace dress stood silently half a step behind him, lowered her eyes and whispered, "What a pity, why is he in the palace today of all days?"
“That’s the kind of person he is. Now that he’s encountered this situation, there’s no way he’d stand idly by. But if we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to wait for another one.” Sima Ye frowned as he watched Liu Jun rush into the hall. He couldn’t help but take a few steps forward, looking at him with deep concern.
"Your Majesty intended for Liu Jun to check and balance Suo Lin, and it seems the plan has worked. But I worry that if this strategy of using one tiger to devour another allows Liu Jun to grow too powerful, wouldn't it be like inviting a wolf into the house?"
Sima Ye closed his eyes. "Lihua, stop talking. I have known him since childhood and know him very well. Although he has lofty ambitions, he would never harm me in the slightest."
The woman frowned, but seeing his displeasure, she kept quiet and waited with him.
"They're rescued! They're rescued!"
Suddenly, a cheer erupted. Liu Jun strode out of the crumbling palace, his face a patchwork of black and white. As soon as he emerged from the fire, he began to cough incessantly. Behind him, four or five soldiers carried a woman who was sobbing mournfully, clearly terrified.
Sima Ye strode forward and grabbed Liu Jun's hands, "Have you inhaled smoke and dust? Quickly summon the imperial physician!"
Liu Jun felt as if his lungs were on fire, but he still spoke in a cold voice that the three people could hear: "Your Majesty is eager to rule personally, and I understand your feelings. But who gave Your Majesty this brilliant idea?"
He turned to look at the woman and said, “Consort Du is quite audacious. She first burned Empress Suo to death with a fire, then seized the position of Empress, and then used the same fire to lure Suo Lin into the palace to kill him.”
"This was my idea," Sima Ye hurriedly said. "She was just plotting with me. I remembered that you once mentioned the Duke of Gaogui Township to me. Back then, he wanted to lure Emperor Wen into the palace and kill him. If it hadn't been for a heavy rain that exposed the plot, it might have succeeded."
"He throws a heavy rain, and you set off a raging fire?" Liu Jun laughed angrily. "The Duke of Gaogui was emperor for several years after all, and he won over hundreds of imperial guards. What about you, Your Majesty? To be honest, the few imperial guards you bribed have already tipped off Suo Lin. So even if Empress Suo is really about to be burned to death, he has no intention of entering the palace!"
Not only Sima Ye, but even Du Lihua felt ashamed. Then she heard Liu Jun say, "The world is in chaos, and people are suffering. The entire Chang'an relies on tributes from various states for sustenance. When there are corpses everywhere, how can such a large palace be burned down so easily? Is Your Majesty not afraid of chilling the hearts of the people?"
"Isn't it a bit too hasty for you to insist that it wasn't a fire, but rather that His Majesty and I deliberately set it on fire?" Du Lihua retorted. "Just now His Majesty said that you were trustworthy, but now you're doubting him. Aren't you afraid of alienating His Majesty?"
Liu Jun inwardly praised his own cleverness, but on the surface he still wore a pained expression, giving Sima Ye a deep look. "Your subject has been impolite; please take your leave!"
Sima Ye sighed, "I was indeed too hasty. Tonight I will personally go to his residence to apologize. In the future, you must never be so disrespectful to him again!"
Du Lihua still felt that Liu Jun had made a mistake and that it was a pity, so she said insincerely, "Yes."
Bi Gong quietly stepped forward and said, "Just now, General Lu from the Chamberlain's residence brought Qu Shiliu back."
Qu Shiliu was the one who started the fire.
Du Lihua was taken aback. When no one was around, she took off her hairpin and kowtowed, saying, "I know my sins."
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