The ninth day of September in the fourth year of Yongjia in the Jin Dynasty (310) was the Double Ninth Festival.
The imperial court has now become a vegetable market, and the constant noise has given the emperor a headache. Sometimes he wonders, where did all the ladies come from to quarrel with so much energy? Is it because they are too full?
But he was also a little happy.
The court in the fourth year of Yongjia was probably the most dynamic in many years.
The only powerful minister is far away in Yanzhou, and his prestige has plummeted, and his influence is not as good as before.
Chen Hou Shaoxun is domineering and attracts attention, but his background is too low and his appeal is not enough, so there is no need to worry too much - if it weren't for the prophecy, Sima Chi would not even bother to think about him, but pursue Sima Yue.
Beaten hard.
Today's Luoyang court is closer to normal court status than ever before.
Wang Yan is the most powerful, but he cannot cover the sky with one hand.
Everyone else has their own party members, and each takes away some of the power.
The emperor was in the middle of the court to judge right and wrong, and his importance was greatly increased.
This is the true emperor.
When he left the Daxia Gate, Sima Chi sighed comfortably, which attracted Empress Liang's eyes to look over and inquire with concern.
Sima Chi ignored him and just said: "I have been dormant for several months and I have to do something."
"Your Majesty." Liang Lanbi looked at the emperor worriedly, not knowing what to say.
She knew that her husband had been too frustrated these years and had rarely tasted the taste of power.
After Sima Yue left the vassal outside the town, he first waited carefully, and then used his methods step by step. After several months of hard work, he successfully attracted some court officials.
And just last month, he began to win over the generals of the Imperial Army on the left and right, in an attempt to directly control the Imperial Army.
If this can be accomplished, then he will be the true emperor and will no longer be restricted by anyone.
Well, this is Liang Lanbi's own idea.
However, my father (General Wei Liang Fen) didn't seem to think so.
After the emperor was suspected of "pro-government", he spoke less and became more cautious. Apart from interacting with nobles and officials who were also from Kansai, he had almost no social activities. He lived in seclusion and did not cause any trouble. His intention to protect himself was very clear.
obvious.
Are you so unfavorable to the emperor? Liang Lanbi was a little sad. If that was the case, why did you marry me back then?
She remembered the game many years ago.
Yu Wenjun followed closely behind him, looking at her eldest sister with admiration.
They also met Chen Hou Shaoxun. Liang Lanbi thought about it seriously for a long time and could not recall what Shaoxun looked like at that time.
Yes, she ignored him so much that she didn't take him seriously at all. Liang Lanbi didn't even remember the polite words she said.
Yu Wenjun must still remember it.
She often mentioned this man, her eyes filled with wonder and admiration.
It was a blessing for her to marry Shao Xun.
Thinking of this, Liang Lanbi sighed. Once upon a time, she thought this marriage was not good, unfair to Yu Wenjun, and would delay her life. But now... who knows!
"The queen is worried about me?" Sima Chi turned to look at Liang Lanbi who was silent, laughed loudly, and said: "There is no need to be like this, you will take care of the soldiers of the imperial army guarding the chariot."
Liang Lanbi looked outside.
The right guard general Li Yun led 300 cavalry to clear the way first, and a large group of soldiers guarded the left and right, stretching for several miles.
There are many ordinary people standing on the roadside - well, they don't seem to be residents, more like refugees.
The refugees carried the old and the young, and were dressed in ragged clothes. Maybe they didn't have enough to eat, so they staggered when they walked.
There were some strong men in the team who seemed to be doing better, but they still had their talents.
An officer walked over and drove them away, cursing and asking the refugees to kneel down at a distance.
Their actions were very rude. Some children were shaking from hunger and had no strength. They fell to the ground with a slight push and were stepped on by countless people.
His father was as powerful as a mad tiger, trying his best to squeeze into the crowd, holding his child's broken body, tears streaming down his face.
"Dog officer! The Sima family will not die well!" The man roared with grief and anger: "One day, the Jin Dynasty will be destroyed by others. All the men of the Sima family will die, and all the female family members will be taken into the house by others and humiliated day and night.
.I’ve been waiting for this day!”
Sima Chi listened attentively, with a livid face and a fierce look in his eyes.
Miao Yuan, the general in the palace, observed his words and quietly left the imperial chariot, dragging this man away with a dozen soldiers.
"General?" The soldiers looked at him, their hands already on the handles of their swords.
"He is also a poor man." Miao Yuan sighed and said, "Take a roll of mat and bury this kid. Let this person go as he pleases."
The soldiers followed orders.
"Wait." Miao Yuan stopped them.
He turned around and looked at the refugees who looked like zombies.
At this point, the refugees who are still alive are not simple.
Either they had some food in reserve before, but after the locust plague, they had almost eaten it. Seeing that the autumn harvest was empty, they couldn't hold on any longer, so they took the last remaining food and fled on the road.
Either they had come out to beg in groups, fought back against other refugees on the way, and relied on robbing food or even corpses to make a living, barely surviving until now.
In fact, not all of the refugee army is ordinary people anymore.
Do you think that the common people can't bear the two consecutive years of disaster? You're wrong. Some scholars, powerful and merchants with poor family backgrounds can't hold on any longer. They also join the army of refugees and become wanderers begging and robbing.
A member of the plunder.
The world is getting harder and harder, and it's not just ordinary people who are suffering, everyone is involved and struggling to survive.
"There are hundreds of refugees in this group, right? Give each person two biscuits and tell them to go to Guangchengze or Liang County. They may be able to survive," Miao Yuan ordered.
"General, why bother? We can save this group, but we can't save others. Even in Guangchengze, food is very tight. How many people can survive?"
"Someone once said, forget it if you haven't seen it. How can you tolerate it if you see it? Just carry it out." Miao Yuan finished the order and returned to the chariot.
Just at this time, he heard the emperor's decree: "...I used to pity these people, thinking that they were all innocent, but I never imagined that they were such wolf-hearted people. Previously, I asked you to send me to Jingzhou and Yuzhou.
Refugees return home, Wang Yifuji
I strongly opposed Yu Zi's move, and Liu Changsheng didn't agree with it, so I hesitated. Huh, it seems that I was too kind to them. According to my decree, the governors and officials of various prefectures quickly sent out troops to send the refugees back to their hometowns.
Keep an eye on me and make sure there are no mistakes!"
"...Why are you afraid of causing trouble? I am the Son of Heaven, I carry the Constitution of Heaven in my mouth, and I follow the law as I say. This matter will be done no matter what I say. After you have drafted the edict, you will send it to Zhongshu Province and Shangshutai. I will follow all other matters.
I looked at them and never said anything. If you still object to this matter, huh!"
"...Just do it, don't hesitate."
Miao Yuan listened silently.
After a while, I saw someone from Zhongshushe drafting the edict, sealing it, and soon being taken away by an official.
Miao Yuan sighed.
He could understand that no one could bear to be insulted by the emperor, let alone at this sensitive moment.
If you said this during the Taikang period, not many people would believe it.
Saying this during the Yongjia period sounds like a curse.
The emperor's reaction just proved that he was very scared.
Miao Yuan was a little worried.
In recent days, the emperor summoned him many times and rewarded him with a lot of property.
To be honest, he was a little tempted. But when he thought of the previous batch of forbidden army generals who were purged and dismissed by the King of East China Sea after being granted the title of marquis, his heart became cold again.
Is there a future for following the emperor? This is a question that needs careful consideration.
But he also had to admit that many people were indeed tempted, including left guards, right guards, and Xiaoqijun.
Everyone has their own ambitions, and if you have no choice, just let them go.
****
The edict issued by the emperor in anger quickly reached the Chancellor's desk.
At this time, there was no Shangshu order, Zuo Pushe was the highest official in the Shangshu system, and Liu Tun was ascending the throne. When he saw it, he frowned slightly.
So he asked: "Didn't the Emperor go to Mangshan to climb high? Why did he care about the residents and the refugee dispute again?"
Ling Shi, who had handed over the decree, replied softly: "We were driving north, and when we left Daxia Gate, we encountered refugees colliding with each other. Long Yan was furious and ordered the refugees to be sent back. The governors of each state will handle it as soon as possible without any mistakes."
Liu Tun pondered for a while.
Sima Que, the king of Xincai, Shan Jian, the governor of Jingzhou, and Wang Cheng, the governor, went to court one after another, lamenting the harm caused by the refugees and requesting edicts to send them to the countryside.
Liu Tun was a little hesitant.
Yu Min didn't agree very much, thinking that the refugees were unwilling to return to their hometowns and that it would cost a lot of money, so it was unnecessary.
Wang Yan strongly opposed it, thinking that trouble would arise. I heard that he even wrote a letter scolding Wang Cheng, asking him to change his tune, oppose the deportation of the refugees, and allocate money and food for resettlement to prevent the refugees from causing chaos.
Liu Tun understood Wang Yan's thoughts.
Yifu didn't want to see chaos anywhere, because if there was chaos, money and food would be wasted and taxes would not be collected, which would make it very difficult for him.
Thinking of this, he smiled. Wang Yifu has been tortured by money and food matters until now, and he doesn't know how much his life will be shortened.
However, precisely because he could get money and food, his status in the court was very transcendent, and everyone had to give him some face.
Everything has pros and cons.
"The Huns have retreated, so there is no need to stand up to the emperor for such a trivial matter." Liu Tun chuckled and said, "Leave it to Zhongshu and ask him to draft the edict."
The imperial edict issued verbally by the emperor or drafted by his close ministers was not a formal decree. It had to be formally issued by the Zhongshu Province and went through a series of procedures before it could be officially effective.
The above are normal situations, and abnormal situations may not necessarily be the case.
For example, when the late emperor went on an "expedition" to Yecheng and his army was defeated, he could only deliver the order orally or have any of the ministers around him draft an edict and send it out - sometimes he didn't even have the paper or silk to write the edict.
In fact, this rule is not that strict at this time.
It was not until the Sui and Tang Dynasties that strict compliance with the procedures was achieved. Shangshu, Zhongshu, and subordinates each performed their duties and were responsible to the prime ministers of the political affairs hall.
Zhongshu drafts the edict, and his subordinates review and approve it. The six ministries under the Shangshu Province implement it in detail, and the censor is responsible for supervision.
If the emperor's decree does not go through the process in the three provinces, it is a challenge to the authority of the prime minister, which is a serious violation. In theory, the prime minister can directly push back, and the system allows it and supports him to do so. In short, the six ministries are responsible to the prime minister.
Instead of being responsible to the emperor during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Of course, in actual operation, the game between monarch power and prime minister power is very complicated. Sometimes the monarch power overpowers the prime minister power, and sometimes the prime minister power overpowers the monarch power. It all depends on the specific situation at that time.
Shangshu Zuopushe and Liu Tun felt that there was no need to embarrass the emperor on such trivial matters and make him unhappy, and then sang the opposite tune on other "big matters".
He believed in Zhongshu, and his disciples also believed in the same way.
Just repatriating the refugees, what a big deal!
Now he has more important things to worry about.
The court had been quarreling for half a month, but they still could not convict Nan Zhonglang General Shao Xun. This made the emperor very unhappy and even frightened him.
Unknowingly, Shao Xun actually had so many "partisans" in the court.
Yu Min, the servant who participated in the secret affairs, spoke for him.
At the Chancellor's desk, Liu Tun also spoke for Shao Xun.
Taiwei Wang Yan had many old friends in the court, so he joined hands to make peace with Xi Ni, hoping to reduce big things to small ones, but small things became small.
Perhaps, even if the emperor tried hard to figure it out, how could a soldier from a lowly background be so capable? Even though he was the lord of the world, he could not cure his sins.
Whose family does this court belong to?
"Alas." Liu Tun sighed heavily.
Of course the imperial court belongs to the Sima family, but we don't want the imperial court to fall apart.
The Xiongnu are sharpening their swords and can go south at any time. When hiring people, please don't mess around, okay?
Tolerance serves the country, this is what Shao Xun often said, and Liu Tun deeply believed it.
Who hasn’t had any problems yet?
Who hasn’t made any mistakes yet?
In peacetime, Liu Dun felt that Shao Xun's behavior was tantamount to treason and should be punished.
But today is different from the past. Because of "a little thing", if those who can fight are punished, who will defend Luoyang?
Of course, Liu Tun also understood that people like Shao Xun were actually digging for the foundation of the imperial court and were ambitious - who could not see that anyone with some knowledge could not see that?
Perhaps, sooner or later, Shao Xun can completely get rid of the imperial court and become a separate state.
But so what? Who would die loyally to the Jin Dynasty?
When disaster strikes, everyone will fly away, and when the court cannot survive, let everyone rely on their own methods and think of their own ways.
On September 12th, in just three days, the emperor's edict was sent to all states, which was extremely efficient.
The "three giants" of Jingzhou - the governor Wang Cheng, the governors of Jing, Ning and Yizhou's military Shan Jian, General Fenwei, and the supervisor of the military in Mianbei Du Rui - after receiving the order, met together and decided to recruit troops
Ma, allocate money and food to send the Guanzhong refugees living in the territory back to Yong, Qin and other places.
The undercurrent hidden under the water immediately began to surge.
Chapter completed!