Thank you to Yuki for the ko-fi~ ♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡
After a busy day, the yamen officials gathered in groups of threes and fours during their leisure. Someone started the conversation, “Now that Lord Liang has been titled as a king, we are under the rule of King Zhao!”
“Ah! King Zhao? Did he receive the title for Zhao commandery?” The speaker seemed to have relatives in Ji County, with broad knowledge, even aware of the talk about Zhao commandery.
Immediately, someone on the opposite side looked uneasy and coughed, “It should be… but there are rumors that the emperor seems to have been usurped…”
This caused a commotion among those around, and someone said, “Didn’t they say Wang Lang ascended the throne?”
“Exactly! It’s Wang Lang! Haven’t you heard of the ‘ox succeeds the horse’ saying? According to the ‘Xuan Shi Tu,’ it is said that Wang Lang’s queen had an affair with a minor official with an ox surname, giving birth to this illegitimate child with no royal blood! Now he has usurped the throne again. Can we still consider this Great Jin as the original Great Jin?” The person spoke with details and conviction.
Someone sighed, “No wonder there was a winter drought last year; turns out it was the doing of this thief! Fortunately, we are under the jurisdiction of King Zhao. Those people in the south are the ones to be pitied…”
“That’s right!” The crowd nodded in agreement. How is the court in the South any better? Can it compare to devout followers? Alas, is this Great Jin still considered the one it used to be, or has it been seized by traitors?
※
A group of children rode bamboo horses, frolicking around, and someone cheerfully sang, “The big horse dies, the little ox replaces it, the heavens collapse, and the mountain Liang emerges!”
Although the nursery rhyme was catchy, and they didn’t understand its meaning, the children continued to shout and laugh. A woman heard it, hurriedly had her servant fetch her child back, and anxiously instructed him not to sing such songs again. However, how many ignorant children are there that cannot be stopped?
Like an unstoppable wind, all the rumors reached the imperial palace in Jianye.
“Have you found out who spread these rumors?!” These days, Emperor Sima Rui could hardly sleep at night, consumed by deep anxiety.
During the reign of Emperor Xuan, there was already mention of the “ox succeeding the horse” in the ‘Xuan Shi Tu,’ which made Emperor Xuan greatly fear the Niu clan and led to the poisoning of his trusted general Niu Jin. Who would have thought that decades later, someone would connect this rumor with his mother, Empress Xiahou?
How could one defend against such an accusation?! Merely mentioning it would disgrace his parents!
Yet, not addressing it was also troublesome. Prophecies, unlike other matters, had the power to shake public sentiment. Back when the prophecy of “three horses sharing one manger” circulated, didn’t it contribute to the rise of the Sima clan? Now, with rumors of the ox succeeding the horse and the emergence of “Liang,” the intentions were downright suspicious!
Apart from prophecies, old stories about the Sima clan’s usurpation of the throne were also causing a stir. Tales of Emperor Xuan feigning illness, deceiving envoys, and executing Cao Shuang. Stories of Emperor Wen seizing power, leading the esteemed Lord Cao Mao to openly declare, “Sima Zhao’s intentions are known to everyone.” How could such matters be openly discussed? However, when the Sima clan held power, they could execute courtiers without hesitation, making people afraid to voice their concerns. But now, with his hasty ascension to the throne and an unstable foundation, how could he silence the murmurs?
That scoundrel Liang Feng had already declared himself a king; how far was it from declaring himself an emperor? However, in the past few months, there weren’t many noble families that abandoned the Northern territories. Instead, quite a few scholars sent their children back to their hometowns and joined Bing County. These aristocratic families could only be appeased, not severely punished. As the emperor, how much dignity did he still possess?
Could it be that he would truly lose the world in his hands?
No, absolutely not! Sima Rui grabbed Wang Dao’s hand and said, “Mao Hong, you must help me eradicate these rebels!”
Wang Dao was now the appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry, serving as the Inspector of Yang County, concurrently holding the positions of Cavalier in Regular Attendance, Chief of the Imperial Secretariat, and Recorder of the Imperial Library. He was considered the head of the court officials.
Facing the emperor’s earnest plea, Wang Dao softly replied, “Your Majesty, do not worry. We should now promote wise officials, distance ourselves from the wicked, and give importance to the prominent families of the Three Wu regions. As long as Jianye is stable, there will be a day when we can march north to pacify the chaos. My brother and I will also wholeheartedly assist Your Majesty in reclaiming the Central Plains.”
Indeed, the influential families of the Three Wu regions would not care much about the Northern territories. Now that he had a foothold in Jiangdong, he had to rely on these southern figures. He had ascended to the throne, and the Sima clan’s legitimacy remained unchanged. They only needed to wait for stability in Jiangdong before mobilizing the army to suppress the rebels!
※
Although he had declared himself a king, Liang Feng did not rush to change the era name or move the capital, unlike Liu Yuan. To legitimately proclaim himself emperor, he had to stand on a moral high ground. Without falsely claiming the intentions of Cao Wei or Liu Han, how to guide public opinion and create conditions for ascension became the most critical issue.
And this problem, in fact, is not difficult to solve. It’s simply because his opponents are too unbearable.
The Sima clan’s usurpation of the throne is widely known in later generations. It’s written in the history books and has been sensationalized for hundreds of years in “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” Faced with such a dynasty, anyone with a normal mind could step forward and criticize it. Not to mention the fact that Sima Yi killed Cao Shuang, Sima Zhao killed Cao Mao, and just Sima Yan, establishing a foolish child as the emperor, causing chaos in the world for over a decade, one could mock it in various ways.
If it weren’t for the illegitimate rise of the Sima clan, how could there be a series of natural disasters such as droughts, floods, locust plagues, solar eclipses, and more? Similarly, if the Sima clan were not already traitorous rebels, only emphasizing filial piety without mentioning loyalty, how could there be the situation of various princes usurping power and endless military disasters? Now that the Sima clan has fled to the Southern territories, the heavy lid that pressed down on scholars for five or six decades has finally shown a crack, making it effortless to spread various criticisms.
Moreover, Zhang Bin also brought up the prophecy of “an ox succeeding a horse”. Using prophecies to rebel has been a tradition since ancient times. Since Sima Rui is not from the main lineage and plotted to usurp the throne, isn’t this the perfect opportunity to discredit his bloodline? In this way, can the small court in the South still be considered legitimate?
In addition to continuously tarnishing the reputation of the Sima clan, the creation of myths about oneself is also an indispensable task. Unusual phenomena and adventures have always been standard for emperors. Without distinctive features like double pupils and long arms, or miraculous dreams, how can one dare to proclaim oneself as the emperor? Legendary tales like Liu Bang beheading the white snake can further inspire people’s admiration.
Although many halos have already adorned Liang Feng, having only Buddhism is not enough; there must also be Taoism and a celestial emperor.
The propaganda work unfolded in an orderly manner, and other matters could not be taken lightly. After enduring two years of siege, Qing County finally managed to drive away the troublesome Cao Yi to Xu County, allowing him to wreak havoc in Sima Rui’s territories. With Qing County and Ji County under control, it’s only a matter of time before Yan County is besieged.
Perhaps in another year, Yan County will return to the fold.
However, he couldn’t wait until he conquered all of the northern territories before ascending to the throne.
“For the capital, it should be chosen as Luoyang!”
Regarding the new dynasty’s capital, many courtiers had their own opinions. Since it was the kingdom of Zhao, whether it was the current base in Jinyang or the thriving Ye City, both were viable options. But Liang Feng had no intention of taking incremental steps. If he was going to choose a capital, it had to be in the royal city! And where else in the northern territories was more suitable than Luoyang?
Since the Eastern Zhou dynasty, Luoyang has been a dominant force in ruling the country. It served as the capital for the Eastern Han, Cao Wei, and Western Jin. Although it suffered a brief invasion by the Xiongnu, the royal city remained guarded by eight passes. As long as the garrison was competent, it was as secure as a fortress! After establishing the capital in Luoyang, it would be convenient to move north to Jinyang and east to Ye city. Once both land and water routes were established, it would effectively ward off external threats. After conquering Chang’an, with three major capitals surrounding the area, the advantages would be unparalleled.
How could Liang Feng miss out on such an imperial city?
As the weather gradually cooled, with October coming to an end, all the preparatory work was finally completed. Riding in the imperial carriage, Liang Feng, accompanied by his prominent officials, set off for Luoyang in a grand procession.
