Jiankang City, Kuaiji Palace.
It was getting cooler at night, and King Sima Daozi of Kuaiji returned to his mansion after handling the political affairs.
Sima Daozi sat on the bedside of his concubine Liu, and followed the kind gaze in his eyes. There was a baby wrapped in a tiger skin coat lying on the side of Liu's body.
The baby is less than one year old, with its small eyes slightly closed, its pink mouth pouting, its nose trembling slightly as it breathes in and out, and its sleeping appearance is as cute as a jade sculpture.
The more Sima Daozi looked at the curvature of the corner of his mouth, the more distinct it became, and when he saw the beauty Liu, he laughed out loud with satisfaction.
"Hahaha--"
He stretched out his hand and groped towards Ms. Liu's side. From time to time, he pulled out her hand and said, "With a wife and children like this, what else can a widower ask for in this life?"
"It's all thanks to the king that I can contribute to the royal family."
"Don't be modest. Everyone knows how difficult it is for you. Tomorrow I will invite Feng'er, my father and my ancestors to the court. I will make sure to receive all the rewards and let everyone in the court see that I am a man who values friendship and righteousness."
"I will thank the king on behalf of my family, the Liu family."
"Hehehe——"
After Sima Daozi smiled, he stood up and looked around, as if he was looking for someone. He looked around to no avail. Then he came back and sat down on the couch and asked Mr. Liu, "Where has the prince gone?"
"I am playing at the nanny's place. If the king wants to, can I ask the nanny to bring me here?"
"No need to trouble you. I'll go and see it myself. You need to rest for a while. Taking good care of yourself is the most important thing."
"I know it."
Mrs. Liu turned her eyes and looked at the baby close at hand, and sighed helplessly. The baby was less than one year old. Due to his premature birth in August, his constitution was weak. He was hanging by a medicine jar, which was really worrying!
After Mrs. Liu sighed, she immediately covered him with a quilt. Looking at the baby who fell asleep with a smile on his face, she also smiled day after day.
Outside, Sima Daozi walked in slowly. Before seeing the person, he heard his voice first. Sima Daozi heard several children's childish laughter coming from inside.
"I've met the king!"
All the maids and servants knelt down in front of Jin Emperor. Facing the master of the palace, they did not dare to show any disobedience.
"Father-King."
The child, who had not yet learned to walk, was held by the wet nurse and bowed his head in salute to King Kuaiji.
Sima Yuanxian, the eldest son and crown prince of King Sima Daozi of Kuaiji, was also the daughter of his concubine, the Liu family.
"The prince is still young, so there is no need for these complicated rituals." Sima Daozi stepped forward to pick up the child, lowered his head and ordered everyone.
Everyone praised him and stood up one by one to stand aside.
Sima Daozi looked at his son in his arms carefully. Sima Yuanxian's slightly red face rubbed his short beard, making both father and son laugh. His eyes were particularly dark and shiny, and he made babbling noises. A few half-formed words, "Father, I want to go out and see it in vain."
It was Dalu, and snow rarely fell in Jiankang City, which lasted for several days without stopping.
What Sima Yuanxian was thinking about was undoubtedly the snow outside the palace. It was white and pure, and the snow was as simple as a child.
"When you grow up and your body outgrows the bullock wheel, then you can look at the snow and walk on it."
Sima Daozi quietly looked at Sima Yuanxian, who was lying in his arms and looking longingly outside, and suddenly started crying, feeling a little unhappy.
"No, no, I want snow."
Sima Yuanxian began to flutter in Sima Daozi's arms, and began to resist his father's arms.
Sima Daozi's eyes dropped, and the smile on his lips gradually spread...
"Nanny, you are serving the prince so well. If anything goes wrong, I will not take it lightly!"
"I don't dare!"
No one knew why the King of Kuaiji was angry, so they could only flatter him in a low voice to avoid suffering any disaster.
Sima Daozi came in high spirits and left with a gloomy look on his face.
"Clang... rub."
"Your Majesty, Secretary Cheng Wang Guobao would like to see you." Sima Dao Zifang came out of the backyard, and the servant knelt down at the door of the corridor and reported.
Sima Daozi thought for a moment. In the past many days, Shangshu Province had been calm, and he had not heard of any major events. How could someone come in the middle of the night at such an hour?
"It turns out it's a report of victory," Sima Daozi's expression changed immediately when he learned that Xie Shi had sent another report of victory to ask for credit.
As he walked, he said: "But how to deal with rewards based on merit, you old guys don't need to come to the Pope! Mr. Xie is too arrogant. With years of accumulated achievements and qualifications, you should be so arrogant. You should have some temperance in relying on your old age. ”
"What the king is saying is that he is afraid that these warriors rely on their military exploits to have no one above them, and only have the Xie family in their eyes."
Wang Guobao was born in the Wang family of Taiyuan. His father was Wang Biaozhi, the former Shangshu Ling, and Xie An, the Shangshu of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. They were jointly assisted by the former Zhongshu Ling and Xu Yanzhou governor Wang Tanzhi. Wang Guobao himself also married He married the daughter of Grand Tutor Xie An and became the son-in-law of the Xie family in Chen County. At the same time, his cousin was the royal concubine of King Sima Daozi of Kuaiji, so her status was evident.
But because Wang Guobao was greedy for profit, his father-in-law Xie An hated him very much and refused to open a backdoor for him to get promoted. Wang Guobao also hated Xie An because of this, and the relationship between his father-in-law and his father-in-law was very bad.
Therefore, Wang Guobao attached himself to Sima Daozi, the king of Kuaiji, and often made slanderous remarks in front of Sima Daozi and Jin Emperor Sima Changming, saying how the Xie family of Chen County was so domineering and how he despised his father...
"Xie's power in the army is getting stronger and stronger. What are your plans?"
"Your Majesty, our Jin Dynasty has always been governed by aristocratic families since we moved south to Jiangzuo. However, your Majesty is now working hard to govern and has the legacy of Emperor Xuan. He will never allow the Xie family to dominate the court. At present, the Northern Expedition is the top priority, so Your Majesty will not Take action against Mr. Xie..."
Sima Daozi raised his eyes and looked at the already dark night. There was no trace of light. Instead, he looked around in the distance and saw palace lanterns still burning on the palace corridors.
"But if the Xie family has the strength to shake the foundation of our Great Jin Dynasty, His Majesty will have no intention of the Northern Expedition and will instead use all his strength to deal with the Xie family. As for you, my king, you will sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. When both your Majesty and the Xie family are defeated, you will stand up and maintain Until then!"
"At that time, only a few people will be free from any constraints, and truly one person will be inferior to ten thousand people!"
King Sima Daozi of Kuaiji served as Situ, recorded Shangshu affairs, and served as three ministers as a clan member. It can be said that he was originally a prime minister worthy of the name. However, the existence of the Xie family and the Beifu Army made his Situ like a decoration. All civil and military officials only recognized Grand Tutor Xie An.
"Hurry up and tell me what good plan you have."
Seeing that Sima Daozi was impatient, Wang Guobao hurriedly explained his plan in detail: "Tomorrow when the king comes to the palace, he can propose that Tai Fu Xie An also be the governor of the fifteen states..."
"Everything is down to you, do you understand?" Sima Daozi smiled triumphantly, waved his wide sleeves and left, leaving only such a tepid echo in the corridor.
The bowed Wang Guobao bowed his body to the end of Sima Daozi's retreating figure, with a sinister smile on his lips that showed his treacherous plan had succeeded!
"I obey my orders!"
King Sima Daozi of Kuaiji had already left, and the servant on duty respectfully led Wang Guobao away.
Wuyi Lane, Xie's residence.
"Urgent report from the border!" A horseman from outside the mansion came to Xie's mansion with a secret report from Governor Xie Shi. The boy outside the door immediately led the visitor into the mansion.
Grand Tutor Xie An looked down at the maid who was kneading his calf, while holding the battle report ahead and reading it carefully, an imperceptible murderous intent flashed through his eyes! Afterwards, Xie An dismissed his maid and ordered his nephew Yang Tan and Chang Shi Wang Xian to come and meet him.
"Congratulations to my uncle on the good general. The Jin Dynasty has a minister of Zhuguo!"
"The Cavalry Captain Xu Zongwen was very resourceful. However, in January he was able to recapture Xiapi and Donghai counties with just over a thousand men. He also came up with such a wonderful method as the Cloud Ladder Formation to easily defeat the indestructible Pengcheng. He should be commended."
Yang Tan and Wang Xianzhi congratulated Xie An after seeing the good news one after another.
Xie An put away the battle report, raised his head and asked softly: "Hmm, how about I declare him as the Knight General?"
"In terms of rewards for merit, General Qiaoqi is the right one." Wang Xianzhi told the truth.
Yang Tan echoed: "Uncle, I think well, that's how it should be!"
The three of them then speculated on the situation of the battle between Xie Xuan and Liu Laozhi...
Three days later, Tai Chi East Hall, Taicheng.
Emperor Sima Changming of the Jin Dynasty was drinking with Concubine Zhang. Zhonghuangmen Hua came to report to Secretary Cheng Wang Guobao to ask for an audience. The Emperor of Jin was very fond of Wang Guobao and met with him despite the palace rules prohibiting the release of keys late at night.
"The Beifu soldiers rebelled, and the Xie family conspired to rebel... Let's see who controls the world in today's domain?" In the prophecy, the intention of the Xie family and the Beifu soldiers to rebel has been clearly stated. Jin Emperor Sima Changming held the prophecy with his thumb Reading the book, I felt horrified in my heart. If this book were true, Jiankang would be in ruins!
Wang Guobao reported that all the streets and alleys in Jiankang City had posted strange documents saying that Beifu soldiers wanted to rebel and Xie's family was plotting rebellion. He knew that this matter was important, so he came to report it overnight.
"Get out of here!"
Concubine Zhang was lying on Emperor Jin's lap, stroking Emperor Jin's chin with both hands. Emperor Jin's sudden roar frightened the stunning beauty, who immediately turned pale and fell to the side of the soft couch. She curled up and dared not move. The maidservant with sharp eyes When he saw her, he quickly stepped forward to accuse Concubine Zhang, who was softly reduced to a puddle of mud, and left.
"In accordance with my decree, Tai Fu Xie An is appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of Yang, Jing, Jiang, Guang, Jiao, Yu, Xu, Yan, Yi, Ning, Yan, Qing and other fifteen prefectures. He is also given the title of Taibao, and is granted the title of Luling County. Lord, I will give you a gift of food to eight thousand households in the city." According to Wang Guobao's advice, Emperor Jin gave Xie An an official position and a title, in order to test the loyalty of the Xie family in Chen County.
Zhonghuangmen Huaqi pressed his thin double eyelids and looked at Concubine Zhang who was running away in a hurry. He had no time to gloat about her misfortune. He dragged his aching legs and slipped into an inconspicuous corner of the palace in the endless darkness. .
Emperor Jin endured his temper and finished giving Wang Guobao's words before dragging his exhausted body out of the Tai Chi East Hall.
The next day, the Jin Emperor issued an edict to confer the title of Grand Tutor Xie An. The government and the public were shocked. Xie An was in mourning, as if he were mourning! Xie An immediately refused all the rewards from the Jin Emperor, and together with his eldest grandson Xie Gai, who was only seven years old, he led all the Xie clan members in Beijing outside the Grand Sima Gate, the main entrance to the west of Taicheng, following the example of the Prime Minister when General Wang Dun rebelled. Director Wang's approach - to wait for the crime!
