Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 242 A New Turn of Events is Approaching
Since that banquet held at the Eastern Palace, Sima Yan has stopped mentioning the matter of establishing a crown prince. His previously unusually firm stance seems to have suddenly softened.

The issue of establishing a crown prince was no longer raised, and naturally, the insistence on promoting Sima Zhong, the eldest son of the legitimate wife, was no longer maintained. In this round, it seemed that the opinions of the court officials had the upper hand.

However, the Sima family seized power through unconventional means, and their foundation was not solid. Furthermore, the so-called "founding emperor," Sima Zhao, died just days after the founding of the dynasty, making it impossible for the court to remain peaceful.

As long as the distribution of benefits fails to satisfy the majority of powerful and wealthy families, the struggle for power between the aristocratic families and the Sima family will never cease.

Sure enough, a few days later, when the court convened, Sima Yan proposed a "nationwide general election" without consulting any of his senior officials, and asked the court officials to discuss it.

The so-called "nationwide talent selection" was, according to Sima Yan's plan, a nationwide talent selection process within the Jin state.

With a new dynasty comes a new atmosphere. The old guard of Cao Wei has stepped down, naturally creating many vacant positions. It's quite reasonable for the new emperor to propose selecting talent nationwide at this time.

No one objected to this suggestion, or rather, no one dared to object. To stand up at this point would be to make an enemy of everyone in the world who hadn't yet become a high-ranking official; the scope of the attack would be too broad.

However, Sima Yan had his own ideas about how to select talented individuals.

According to him, the emperor would personally appoint "Zhongzheng officials" to go to various prefectures and counties to determine the ranks of local talents, and then appoint a second-rank "Zongzongzheng" to be in charge of reviewing these ranked talents in Luoyang.

We might even consider in-person assessments!

As for what the person in charge of this matter will do, sorry, it wasn't mentioned. It'll probably be revealed later.

This has really stirred up a hornet's nest.

The importance of talent selection is beyond doubt. In the past, each prefecture would recommend local officials, and the court would simply give its approval; the officials would not be appointed by the court itself.

The conflict of interests involved here is not difficult to understand.

Many of the officials dispatched from the central government were simply carrying out the emperor's will. No matter how much they faked things, the emperor had plenty of ways to deal with them once they returned to Luoyang.

There are still some constraints, more or less.

However, the process of local officials recommending candidates for the central government position, with the imperial court either approving or rejecting the recommendations, takes a different turn.

Sima Yan now wants to regain the power to appoint officials.

However, he was disappointed. Those in the court who supported Sima Yan's opinion either had no say or simply disagreed.

The focus of the dispute quickly shifted from "whether or not to hold a general election" to the struggle over "the power to appoint officials."

Sima Yan once again felt the helplessness of having an unstable foundation and being bound hand and foot.

The fact that the imperial edict could not be confirmed by the official seal of the Secretariat for so long caused his hair to turn quite white.

There was no court assembly that day, and Sima Yan, who was working in the Imperial Study in Luoyang Palace, invited a young man to come here.

This person was none other than Zhang Hua, who, upon ascending the throne, demanded to see the "former emperor" and showed him absolutely no respect.

After that, Zhang Hua resigned from his official post and has been living in seclusion in Luoyang for many days.

The reason why Zhang Hua was summoned to the Imperial Study by the palace eunuchs today is self-evident.

"Minister Zhang, I have some matters I would like to ask of you. I wonder if you could help me?"

Sima Yan asked calmly.

Even if the emperor asks a commoner a question in the most humble tone, the commoner cannot refuse.

Zhang Hua currently holds no official position, so being summoned to the palace by Sima Yan is already a great honor.

If he refuses, then he will be ungrateful.

As expected, Zhang Hua knelt down and prostrated himself before Sima Yan, saying, "This humble subject thanks Your Majesty for your grace. If Your Majesty is in any danger, this humble subject will do anything for you, even at the cost of his life."

"You flatter me, my dear minister."

Sima Yan stepped forward and helped Zhang Hua, who was kneeling on the ground, to his feet.

After the two were seated, Sima Yan looked at Zhang Hua and sighed:
"A special selection will be held soon to recruit talents from all over the country. I believe you understand what this Nine-Rank System is all about. It involves too many things, and I have no choice but to accept it."

I intend to appoint you as the Grand Minister of the Imperial Clan, stationed in Luoyang, and concurrently as the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, to serve by my side.

As for the people from the Situ Mansion sending people to boss you around, you can pretend you didn't hear them and ignore them.

Sima Yan's expression was unusually serious.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Hua countered with a question:
"The Grand Master of the Imperial Clan in Luoyang was merely responsible for reviewing the list of officials in charge of the Imperial Clan in the local area. Although he seemed to hold a high position and great power, he was actually just checking for omissions and filling gaps, and his position was very limited."

If Your Majesty is unable to appoint an official in charge of the Imperial Clan Court to the local prefectures and counties, and only your humble servant remains in Luoyang, I fear... the results will not be very good.”

Zhang Hua astutely pointed out the flaws in Sima Yan's plan.

It's good to identify and fill gaps, but what if the people in the initial selection are all rotten potatoes and rotten eggs?

In that case, everything would be in vain.

“What Minister Zhang said is right, but this is the best condition I could get.”

The imperial court dispatched officials to local areas to determine official ranks—something even Emperor Guangwu (Liu Xiu) couldn't do.

Sima Yan sighed.

This power involves far too many interests.

Even centuries later, in both feudal and modern societies, serving as an official in a different region remains a fundamental principle. This demonstrates the immense resistance this issue faces.

The rule that local officials could only be selected from among the local people was ostensibly based on the excuse that "local people know best what kind of people they are," but in reality, it was a compromise product of the power struggle between the central government and local authorities.

If we were to force changes, it could easily lead to a mutiny or peasant uprising against the emperor. No one would be spared; there's really no need to go that far.

"Your Majesty's difficulties are understood by your humble servant."

Your humble servant will do his best. If I fail to handle this matter well, I will resign as Grand Justice.

Please rest assured, Your Majesty.

Zhang Hua said with certainty.

Sima Yan nodded, feeling slightly relieved.

After Zhang Hua left, Sima Yan was upset and wandered around the Luoyang Palace.

Suddenly, he felt that the palace was very desolate, just like an empty prison with few inhabitants.

"Should I expand my harem?"

Sima Yan, who was pacing inside the Luoyang Palace, suddenly muttered something to himself.

But he soon gave up on the idea.

Even if one wanted to select beauties from across the country to fill the harem, now is not the time.

He can't even issue government decrees at will now, and if he were to hold another large-scale selection of concubines, his own situation would likely become even more precarious.

"You can't get the throne without military merit."

If I had been able to destroy Wu, there wouldn't be this obstruction in appointing the Zhongzheng official today.

It seems they are plotting to destroy Wu.

Sima Yan muttered something to himself again.

Although Sima Zhao did not personally lead the troops to conquer Shu, he ultimately planned and deployed the campaign.

Therefore, Sima Zhao encountered very little resistance in changing the dynasty; it was just Sima Fu who wanted a share of the pie.

But when it came to Sima Yan, not only did he secretly ascend the throne without announcing his death, but the key issue was that he had no military achievements to back him up.

To be honest, the ministers were all outwardly compliant but inwardly resentful, regarding him as an enhanced version of the "puppet emperor."

Even if they don't say it, that's what they're thinking.

But how easy is it to destroy Wu!
Sima Yan sighed deeply, feeling an indescribable sense of frustration.

Upon arriving at the inner palace, Sima Yan went to the courtyard where Sima Zhong resided to visit his eldest son, whom he had neglected a few days earlier due to his "poor performance."

He entered quietly, without informing anyone, and arrived at the study, where he saw Sima Zhong asleep, slumped over a bamboo scroll.

As for whether he actually read the article, or how much he read, Sima Yan had no way of knowing.

The good news is that this child is kind and good-natured. He knows he upset his father last time, and he is able to correct his mistakes and strive to catch up.

The bad news was: he lacked natural talent, and all his efforts were in vain. Even if Sima Zhong had spent the entirety of his life buried in books, he would never have been fit to be emperor. Sima Yan was filled with mixed emotions and abandoned his plan to test Sima Zhong. Even if he had asked, he probably wouldn't have gotten any useful information.

Even Sima Yan himself felt as if he were walking on thin ice in the face of the current situation.

That's not something an ordinary, uneducated person could handle, let alone a mentally challenged child.

Being an emperor was an extremely risky job, and it also required extremely high personal qualities.

"Never mind, hopefully things will get better in the future."

Sima Yan sighed and quietly left the villa where Sima Zhong lived.

……

Late at night, in the study of the Qingxu Governor's Mansion, Shi Shouxin was drawing a map at his desk.

To be precise, he was drawing up the floor plan of the Qi King's palace. Once completed, he would send it to Luoyang and deliver it to Sima You.

This tactic is somewhat similar to how he bought off-plan properties in his past life.

Regardless of the palace's condition or whether he could move in now, Sima You would be overjoyed just to see this beautifully drawn palace floor plan.

This is superficial, but it's not just any superficial thing.

After drawing for a long time, Shi Shouxin stretched and wondered if he should go back to his bedroom to relax and then go to bed.

Tonight, it's Jia Yu's turn to serve me. Ever since he's tasted the sweetness of sex, he's been enjoying it immensely. His young body isn't afraid of being overworked, and he won't stop until he's completely exhausted.

Just as his mind was filled with images of beautiful, fair-skinned girls, and he was lost in his fantasies, there was a knock on the study door.

"Governor, a distinguished guest has arrived. His visit so late at night suggests he may have important business to discuss."

Zhao Lun's voice came from outside the door.

"Understood, I'll go to the signing room now."

Shi Shouxin responded.

When he arrived at the signing room, he saw a middle-aged man in his forties looking around at the furnishings.

"My name is Ji Xi. I have met with Governor Shi."

The guest stepped forward, bowed to Shi Shouxin, and introduced himself as Ji Xi.

Shi Shouxin is now a seasoned official who has been in office for many years. He only seems like a newcomer to officialdom because he started his career early.

He naturally knew who the person in front of him was.

This man was Sima You's Sima after he became the Prince of Qi and established his own government. His arrival must have been at Sima You's behest.

"Regarding Ji Kang's matter, I thanked Governor Shi on his behalf."

Before Shi Shouxin could speak, Ji Xi bowed to him again.

"Oh, it's an old friend! Please sit down, please sit down. I apologize for my poor hospitality!"

Shi Shouxin immediately smiled.

When a host receives guests, the first thing he does is to figure out whether the visitor is a friend or foe, and then inquire why they have come.

Regardless of the era, although everyone likes to talk about judging the issue rather than the person, they habitually regard judging the person rather than the issue as a code of conduct.

The saying "It's not that I'm afraid of bad things, it's that I'm afraid of bad people" refers to this.

Upon learning that Ji Xi was a friend, not an enemy, Shi Shouxin naturally no longer needed to put on airs.

Please sit down, and serve some fine wine. After the two were seated, the atmosphere in the signing room became noticeably more relaxed.

"I came to Linzi for two reasons. First, to pay my respects to Governor Shi. Second, there is indeed an important matter to discuss."

Ji Xi put away his polite smile and his expression became serious.

Shi Shouxin didn't speak, but simply made a gesture of invitation, which was quite straightforward.

"My purpose in going here is to go to Xuzhou to serve as the governor of Xuzhou."

Ji Xi said solemnly.

The fact that the governor of Xuzhou chose to come to Qingzhou first instead of Xuzhou itself speaks volumes.

These days, it's not as simple as the imperial court appointing an official to a post outside the capital and then expecting that official to take up the post safely and smoothly.

If preparations are not done properly beforehand, it's hard to say that something unexpected might happen.

After all, with the chaos of war, even Sun Ce died in an assassination attempt. It's perfectly normal for someone to die in the wilderness, and there's really nothing to be surprised about.

"Lord Ji...shouldn't he be the Prefect of the Single Chariot?"

Shi Shouxin suddenly realized and asked, his mind clear as a mirror.

The so-called "single-chariot governor" refers to a governor who holds an official position but has no army.

Ji Xi nodded helplessly and sighed, "The current governor of Xuzhou is Hu Fen, who has quite a few troops under his command. Moreover, most of his troops are hereditary soldiers. This... Governor Shi should understand."

Ji Xi had already made his point quite bluntly, after all, Shi Shouxin and Hu Fen were, in a sense, "the same kind".

They were all powerful figures with armies, official positions, and noble titles.

Xuzhou is a very fertile place; otherwise, Cao Cao wouldn't have caused such a ruckus here back then.

Ji Xi, accompanied by several attendants and carrying the imperial decree, attempted to replace Hu Fen, who held significant military power.

That's probably a pipe dream.

Ji Xi was a seasoned official who had been in office for over ten years, so how could he not understand these "minor" unspoken rules?

He first came to Shi Shouxin to pay his respects, hoping to smoothly take up his post in Xuzhou.

Qingzhou and Xuzhou are adjacent to each other, and they are usually inseparable.

It is unclear how Sima You managed to get his own Sima promoted to governor of Xuzhou, which shows that he was not "indifferent to power" as some historical records claim.

What kind of person is Hu Fen?

Shi Shouxin asked in a deep voice.

Ji Xi sighed:
"A veteran general, skilled in battle formations, who once assisted the late emperor in conquering Liaodong, is the elder brother of Hu Lie."

But he has a personal relationship with His Majesty.

Ji Xi gave a hint.

Those who followed Sima Yi in his campaigns in Liaodong can be considered veterans of the army.

However, some of these people took sides; for example, the Ji family sided with Sima You.

Hu Fen was clearly on Sima Yan's side!

The local power structure is complex and intertwined. The conflicts are not only between officials sent from the central government and local powerful families, but also between these officials themselves due to their different factions.

Sima Yan did approve Ji Xi's appointment, but with so many bandits in the area, it seems quite normal that he might die on the way or his boat might sink.

Shi Shouxin understood immediately.

"Lord Ji might as well stay in Linzi for a few days; sharpening your axe won't delay your woodcutting."

This matter is now in Mr. Shi's hands.

Shi Shouxin took full responsibility and made a promise about the matter.

Ji Xi, true to his name, immediately beamed with joy, thanked him profusely, and took his leave. Shi Shouxin sent Zhao Lun to escort him back to the post station.

After Ji Xi left, Shi Shouxin finally stopped smiling.

Hu Fen? Looks like he's a big shot.

Rather than waiting for him to come knocking on our door, we might as well... lead our troops to Xuzhou and meet him.

After pondering for a moment, Shi Shouxin had an idea.

(End of this chapter)