In the third year of Taishi of the Jin Dynasty, the domestic government affairs came to an end, and Yuan Xi began to clear the hidden dangers on the northern border.
Murong Xianbei took advantage of the fact that the Jin Empire had not been established for a long time, so he often led his troops to invade the northern border of the Jin Dynasty, burning, killing, and looting for several years, making the people on the border miserable.
This year, Yuan Xi finally freed up his hands and personally led his elite troops to go north with Taiwei Sima Yi and Zhongshan King Yuan Mai. They defeated his tribe, beheaded Murong Sheng, captured his son and more than 400 family members, and captured the escapees. More than 20,000 households returned in triumph. Yuan Xi was in a good mood after returning the victory.
However, just a few days after Yuan Xi returned to his capital, Yecheng, and before his buttocks were even hot, his good mood disappeared. It turned out that someone reported that his eldest son, Yuan Rui, was having an affair with his favorite concubine, Liu Mengli. In the past few months while he was away on the war, the two of them had committed adultery several times.
Recall that Emperor Taizong Xuanwu Yuan Xi once had an affair with his father's concubine Zheng, who was the biological mother of Zhongshan King Sima Yuan Mai. Haha, the Yuan family is really dirty. Is this considered reincarnation?
Yuan Xi was half convinced. Logically speaking, every husband who had been cuckolded would be furious when he heard that his wife Hongxing had cheated on her, and Yuan Xi was no exception.
But the problem is that the person who stole his concubine was not someone else, but his eldest son Yuan Rui. He didn't believe that his son had such courage to sneak into his bed.
Yuan Rui is the second son of Emperor Taizong Xuanwu Yuan Xi. He was born to the noble concubine Zhen Mi. He was extremely intelligent since childhood, extremely talented in politics, daring to act, and also the heir apparent. Yuan Xi was killed in Jiu Princess Wannian, after deposing Yuan Yong, made Yuan Rui his crown prince without hesitation.
Therefore, Yuan Rui's political future is bright. Everyone knows that if Yuan Rui does not make a big mistake, he is Yuan Xi's almost certain successor.
As long as Yuan Rui works hard and waits for ten or twenty years, the position of the imperial throne will be his. If he doesn't want any woman, why would he focus on his father Yuan Xi's concubine? Is it because they are in love or not? After the forced rape was completed, was there still a false accusation?
The three informants were the personal maids of Yuan Xi's concubine Liu Mengli. Not only did they all agree that the prince and Liu Mengli had committed adultery several times, they also said that Zhen Mi, as a noble concubine, had also heard about the incident but ignored it and allowed the prince to mess up the backyard. This is a serious crime.
Now that Yuan Xi has returned, if the adultery is true, then these two people will definitely not dare to take the risk of having an affair again. If they want to catch the adulterer themselves, it will be impossible to prove the crime. Thinking about the humble status of the maid, unless you have great courage, how can you dare to frame the prince out of thin air?
This matter is definitely not groundless. Yuan Rui is smart and handsome, at the age of budding youth. Liu Mengli is charming and lonely in her boudoir. It is not impossible for the two to be entangled.
Therefore, Emperor Taizong Xuanwu Yuan Xi, who became more and more annoyed as he thought about it, immediately summoned Yuan Rui for questioning. After being corrected by three maids, Yuan Rui refused to admit that Yuan Xi had an impatient temper. On weekdays, as long as his son made a slight mistake, or If something doesn't go his way, he will be yelled at, punched and kicked immediately.
This time was no exception. After a harsh interrogation and a brutal beating, Yuan Rui couldn't stand it any longer and had to admit that this was indeed the case.
Seeing that all the witnesses and the real owner had confessed, Yuan Xi was furious. It was really shameful to think that his son, who had gone through life and death on the freezing battlefield and was enjoying happiness in the palace, actually stole his concubine Liu Mengli. Who can't bear it? Yes, she is the heroine of Xian 4.
In anger, he had Yuan Rui beat up with a hundred blows until he was half alive, and then he was thrown into an empty house in the backyard and imprisoned.
After hearing the news, the imperial concubine Zhen Mi rushed to ask for a visit, but was turned away by him. She also asked to visit her son, but he refused again. He also ordered that no one should visit Yuan Rui, let alone inform Yuan Rui, leaving him alone. To fend for itself.
Yuan Rui was lucky, but he was still alive after two days after being so severely injured. Yuan Xiyu was still angry, and in a hurry, he felt that such a rebellious son could no longer be retained, and was ready to depose him.
Emperor Taizong Xuanwu Yuan Xi, in order to commemorate Queen Gao Yue, never established a queen throughout his life, nor did he establish a prince, so we call him the prince.
After deposing the heir apparent, who should be replaced? Yuan Xi already had a candidate in mind, and that was his fifth son, Yuan You, a child who was not yet seven years old.
Yuan Rui and Liu Mengli had an affair. Zhen Mi should have known about it for a long time, but she concealed it for her son. When Yuan Xi was furious, he blamed his wife for not teaching his son to learn well, and also collaborated to deceive him. This was more serious than an oversight. So he decided to depose Zhen Mi and Yuan Rui, mother and son.
Yuan You was the daughter of him and Tang Ji, the former Hongnong Princess, who was also the queen of Liu Bian, the Young Emperor of the Han Dynasty. Unfortunately, she was later deposed by Dong Zhuo. Later, during the escape, she was raped by Taizong Xuanwu Yuan Xi, so she committed herself to Yuan You. Hee. Later, Yuan Xi took her into her own backyard, and she became really pampered.
I don’t know who actually heard about Yuan Xi’s plan, and I don’t know what channel this person used to secretly send this news to Yuan Rui. According to the speculation of later generations of historians, it was an anti-Jin force. The purpose is to cause civil strife in the Jin Dynasty.
Moreover, according to rumors, even the goddess Liu Mengli was a saint of the anti-Jin forces, who used a honey trap to drive a wedge between the Yuan family and his son.
In short, the eyes and ears of this companion in Ye City are really good. Yuan Rui, who was beaten to pieces with a hundred large boards and bruised, appeared to be lying on the couch recovering from his injuries and had difficulty moving. In fact, he had been extremely anxious in his heart, and he never stopped thinking about getting out of the predicament. After getting the news, he was shocked, sad and sober, and began to analyze the enemy's situation.
Assuming that he is deposed and Yuan You is appointed, then in order to give the new crown prince the status of his legitimate son, Tang Ji will inevitably become the new master of the harem, and Zhen Mi will be reduced to a lower concubine. Of course, Yuan Xi will not kill her or drive her away. She, I guess she might have to be a concubine. What should he do? After that child becomes the heir, will Tang Ji do everything possible to get rid of this huge threat?
So as long as he survives for one day and has a chance to move around, he may make a comeback. At the same time, Yuan Rui also deeply suspected that he had been framed by Tang Ji. Why did the three maids who reported them risk the notoriety and risk of betraying their master and being killed to report their master? He couldn't figure it out. .
It stands to reason that even if the slaves saw this kind of thing, they should have pretended not to know and concealed it if they could. There would be no good consequences if they were exposed. Could it be that they just watched these two people committing adultery and it was very embarrassing? Is it pleasing to the eye? The first thing a slave must do is to be loyal to his master. Even if the master is morally corrupt and immoral, it is not the slave's turn to uphold justice.
From this point of view, the incident of this maid becoming the first master was probably caused by the fight for the heir in Yuan Xi's backyard. The fate of the deposed prince is very terrible, and the same is true for the deposed prince. Don't you see the end of his eldest brother Yuan Yong.
Tang Ji wants to kill Yuan Rui, and Yuan Rui also wants to regain his position and kill her and Yuan You. This must be a life-and-death struggle. Strike first to gain advantage, strike later to suffer disaster. Although Yuan Rui was only a young man, usually frivolous and dissolute, he had been by his father's side since he was a child, watching the establishment of the Jin Dynasty shogunate.
When it comes to power struggles and connections, how could Tang Ji and her young son be his opponents? Therefore, after quickly analyzing the current situation and comparing the strength of the enemy and ourselves, Yuan Rui made up his mind to move reinforcements.
After much thought, Sima Yi was the most suitable reinforcement. Firstly, he had sufficient seniority, secondly, he had a close relationship with Yuan Xi, and he also had a good relationship with Yuan Rui. Thirdly, he was educated and eloquent, and could talk into Yuan Xi's innermost thoughts.
Although Sima Yi is now a sinecure, he belongs to the core background of Yuan Xi's earliest team and belongs to the imperial nobles of the Jin Dynasty interest group. Therefore, as long as Sima Yi comes to touch Yuan Xi, the beneficiary will definitely be him, Yuan Rui.
I don’t know what channel or method Yuan Rui used, but under the close supervision of Yuan Xi’s people, he secretly handed over the letter for help and sent it to Sima Yi, who was then Zuopushe in Luoyang. At this time, Sima Yi was demoted.
After Sima Yi received Yuan Rui's letter asking for help, he was shocked when he saw the whole story clearly. In order to prevent Yuan Xi from moving too quickly and deposing Yuan Rui within ten days, he immediately set off for Ye City rescue.
When they arrived at Yecheng, Sima Yi said to Yuan Xi: "Anyone who encounters this kind of thing will be angry. What a coincidence. The second son of Wei Chen, Sima Zhao, also had an affair with my concubine. I am very angry. . But then I thought about it, good things don’t go out but bad things spread thousands of miles. How can such a scandal be publicized? Women are like clothes, but sons are flesh and blood. How can we not choose what is more important? So I covered it up. After Zhaoer was taught a lesson, he changed his ways with gratitude, and now the harmony between father and son is better than before."
After Yuan Xi heard this, he fell silent, thoughtful, and did not speak for a long time. Sima Yi knew that he had been shaken, so he patiently explained the situation with reason and emotion, and listed the reasons one by one.
Sima Yi's remarks analyzed the matter in detail, and the pros and cons were clearly stated. Yuan Xi was reminded at every turn that now is definitely not the time to abolish the elders and establish the younger ones. Of course, the most critical of the items listed by Sima Yi, and the one that can directly shake Yuan Xi's determination and force him to change his will, is Yuan Rui.
The reason is that after Yuan Rui was imprisoned after being tortured by a hundred people, he was able to secretly communicate the news and ask someone to deliver letters and move reinforcements. If Zhen Mi could move freely on her own, she should have taken the initiative to move the rescue troops.
However, Jin history books say that "Rui asked Sima Yi for help", which was obviously done by Yuan Rui himself. From this point of view, Yuan Rui's power cannot be underestimated.
While other dandies spend their days eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, and flying around, he already knows how to manage his own power, has a keen political sense, and the ability to bend and stretch his political skills. Is he truly worthy of Yuan Xi's pedigree?
From this perspective, Yuan Rui already possesses the basic tactics of a future leader.
After the initial rage, Yuan Xi calmed down and guessed Yuan Rui's ability through Sima Yi's arrival. Therefore, after weighing the left and right, he decided to keep his son.
To protect Yuan Rui, you must protect Zhen Mi. The interests of mother and son are absolutely closely integrated, and one move affects the whole body. Since Yuan Xi had made up his mind to continue to let Yuan Rui be his heir, he naturally wanted to give Zhen Mi face and stabilize his position, which was to take charge of the harem.
Sima Yi understood the thoughts of Emperor Taizong Xuanwu Yuan Xi, so he volunteered to retry the case.
So he first went to the prison to meet Yuan Rui. When Yuan Rui saw him coming, he understood and immediately retracted his confession, saying that he and Liu Mengli had no personal relationship and that it was purely a false accusation made by the maid. It was because Yuan Xi beat him so hard that he couldn't bear it anymore, so he admitted it against his will. Sima Yi also pretended to be sad and criticized: "Why do men want to be afraid of power and falsely accuse themselves?"
Later, he met with the three maids who had reported Yuan Rui, and secretly ordered the two maids to recant their confessions, saying that they were deceived and instigated by another maid.
Then, they asked someone to quietly arrest another maid, make a noose on the beam, hang her up by force, and hang her to death. In this way, there was no evidence to back it up. Based on the confessions of the two maids who retracted their confessions, Yuan Rui was judged innocent. The innocent person was falsely accused, and it was purely an unjust case.
Through his status as the eldest son, Yuan Rui successfully became Yuan Xi's heir. Through his talents and hard work, he consolidated his position and gave his mother the best reward, so that Zhen Mi could in turn "mother is more valuable than son." ".
After several crises in the next ten years, he turned the corner and stood firm, worthy of the title of Emperor Ming of Jin Dynasty.
It should be said that Zhen Mi and Yuan Rui, mother and son, are a tacitly coordinated community of interests, and at the same time possess strong nerves and a persevering mind. It can be said that from this moment on, Yuan Xi can only support their mother and son. He no longer wavers in his determination and has to pave the way for them.
In this fight for the right to inherit the throne, a life-and-death struggle with no visible swords and swords, Yuan Rui's crisis public relations can be said to be perfect, so he became the final winner. It can be seen from this that how to stay strong after the death of a sheep is indeed a must-learn knowledge for those who achieve great things.
And after that, Taizong Xuanwu Emperor Yuan Xi secretly executed his concubine Liu Mengli, and more than 3,000 eunuchs, maids, ministers, Taoist priests, craftsmen, Shence Army officers, Jin Yiwei, and Shangshu Sheng were executed for this incident.
And there is another secret matter, that is, the handling of Tang Ji, the Liu Mengli incident, Taizong Xuanwu Emperor Yuan Xi did not involve Tang Ji, but before Yuan Xi died, he did something to make future generations puzzled. The arrangement was to ask the Grand Sima Yuan Mai, the King of Zhongshan, to give the death of Tang Ji and the harem with a three-foot white silk ribbon.
