My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

Jiankang, Zhuque Hang.

When the specially made prison cart, escorted by elite imperial guards, slowly drove along the Imperial Street and finally stopped in front of the Vermilion Bird Gate, the entire city of Jiankang was in an uproar.

Although Murong Yan had been cleaned up and dressed in clean prison clothes in the cage, he had become mentally unstable and insane since the battle report.

The escorting soldiers, following orders, repeatedly announced the message in a loud voice.

"—Under the command of the Northern Army, the Eastern Sea detachment decisively defeated the Qin navy, captured its commander Murong Yan alive, and presented him as a prisoner to the emperor!"

"—A great victory in Huaibei! The Northern Expeditionary soldiers fought valiantly and captured the enemy!"

"—This is the Qin general from the east!"

Such sensational news spread quickly, and soon ordinary people, scholars, and merchants gathered.

At first, there was a deathly silence, but then, a deafening roar of cheers, discussions, and curses erupted.

"Xianbei dog!"

"It's that Murong Yan! My relatives in Langya told me he's a high-ranking official!"

"Who captured him? A detachment from the East China Sea?"

"Who cares who he is! He's our general! He's a hero of the Northern Army!"

"Kill him! A tribute to General Mao!"

......

Rotten vegetable leaves and clods of dirt were thrown at the prison van, but there were also faces contorted with excitement and arms waving wildly.

The pent-up panic, hatred for the barbarians, and hunger for victory found an outlet at this moment.

While a victory report might be distorted by court disputes, the persuasive power of a living, disheveled enemy chieftain is simple, direct, and strikes straight at the heart.

Taiji Hall, West Hall, Morning.

The atmosphere was completely different from usual.

Sima Daozi and Wang Guobao arrived early as usual, but the smugness and aggressiveness that had been on their faces yesterday were gone. Upon closer inspection, Wang Guobao's eyes were even a little dark. The cheers from Jiankang City must have kept some people awake at night.

Xie An entered calmly as usual. When he exchanged greetings with Wang Xun, Yuan Zhi and others, his expression remained as calm as ever, as if the sensational presentation of prisoners had nothing to do with him.

The meeting began with Sima Daozi's faction launching accusations against Xie Xuan, their words even more vehement than before. Mao Anzhi, who had been dead for a month, was also brought up again, and members of the Mao family also came. The two sides cooperated very well.

However, there are far fewer respondents today.

Many mid- to low-level officials shifted their gaze and no longer readily echoed others.

The commotion outside the Vermilion Bird Gate is still going on. At this time, it would be inappropriate, or even jarring, to keep saying that the Northern Expedition was unsuccessful or that the commander-in-chief was incompetent.

After Wang Chen finished his heartfelt recounting, an awkward silence fell over the hall.

At this moment, Xie An did not directly refute, but slowly stepped forward, bowed to Sima Yao on the throne, and spoke in a calm tone.

"Your Majesty, when I returned to my residence yesterday, I suddenly heard that the soldiers of the Northern Army were presenting prisoners to the capital. The people flocked to see them, causing traffic jams. I recalled that when the Qin invaders attacked the south last year, there were also rumors and disturbances in Jiankang, and the people were uneasy. Now, seeing a single prisoner and the people rejoicing, it is clear that the people's hearts are still set on the Northern Expedition and still want to defeat the enemy."

Seeing that no one objected, Xie An glanced unintentionally at Sima Daozi and Wang Guobao, and continued.

"This old minister has also heard that the prisoner presented is Murong Yan, a general of the pseudo-Qin. According to reports, this man was entrusted by Murong De with the task of leading the East, commanding tens of thousands of troops on land and sea, and conquering Huaihai. He was captured on Yuzhou Island, when our main force was engaged in a fierce battle with Peng Chao and Ju Nan at San'a."

These words sparked discussion among those who hadn't yet heard the news.

This was exactly the effect Xie An wanted. Capturing the enemy general from a sideline is not as effective as doing it on the main battlefield, but this time it was enough.

"This old minister is dull-witted and has a question that I would like to ask Your Majesty and my colleagues."

"While our main force was drawing and resisting the strongest spearhead of the Qin invaders from the front, a detachment, on an island to the flank and rear, was able to annihilate an enemy force of ten thousand men and capture their commander alive. Was this result due to the incompetence and poor command of our generals, or did it precisely prove that our soldiers were loyal, brave, and capable, and that even in a seemingly unfavorable situation, they could still seize opportunities and achieve this extraordinary feat?"

"If this is considered a merit, then who commands the soldiers who achieved it? Why does the news of the victory seem to be slightly delayed in reaching the central government? This old minister only saw the prisoners today and learned the details last night. Is it really not worthwhile to announce such a matter that would boost morale and public spirit to the world as quickly as possible to reassure the court and the people?"

The questions, presented in a progressive manner, contained no accusations, yet were sharper than any criticism.

The victory refuted the previous accusations of "failure in the Northern Expedition and incompetence of the commander-in-chief," and cleverly attributed Xiao Heng's victory to Xie Xuan's overall command, thus incorporating the extraordinary achievement into the Northern Army system.

The last one is the most incisive, directly addressing the issue of information delays. On the surface, it's about not understanding, but in reality, it exposes the underhanded tactics someone is making in the Northern Army, and then uses the promise of boosting public morale to humiliate them.

No one in the audience dared to answer, but they all knew what they had done.

Wang Guobao's face grew even uglier. Xie An's slightly hesitant words felt like a needle pricking his heart, making him uneasy.

He suddenly realized that his father-in-law probably knew everything, including his and Yin Zhongkan's thoughts, and even their secret collusion to try to delay or downplay the impact of the matter.

Just then, Yuan Zhi, who was always neutral and mild-mannered, stepped forward with his court tablet in hand and spoke slowly.

"Your Majesty, what Lord Xie said is quite right. I have also heard about the presentation of the captives today. I believe that this is not just the achievement of one general, but a sign of Your Majesty's divine power inspiring the soldiers to fight to the death. At this time, it is appropriate to take advantage of the situation, openly reward them, and commend this extraordinary achievement, so that the world knows that although our dynasty has suffered setbacks, it still produces many heroes and its spirit has not been lost. As for Xie Yanzhou, the commander of the front line, he has managed his subordinates well, enabling even his detachment to achieve outstanding merit. Even if he has made some minor mistakes, how can they overshadow his great integrity? He should be allowed to atone for his crimes and strive for merit, and return in triumph as soon as possible."

After these words were spoken, no one dared to object anymore.

They directly elevated the "merit of the detachment" to the level of "His Majesty's divine might" and "the righteousness of the court," and explicitly linked the merit to Xie Xuan's command ability.

At this moment, his good friend Xun Yi also concisely agreed: "We should quickly reward those who have rendered meritorious service to appease the people's hearts."

Seeing this, Xi Hui also said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the morale of the soldiers and civilians in Jingkou has been greatly boosted upon hearing this victory report, which is of great benefit to our Huaibei campaign. Xie Yanzhou also needs this victory to stabilize the morale of the army. I urge Your Majesty to make a decision quickly."

The situation has completely reversed.

Sima Yao sat on the throne, looking at his younger brother, Wang Guobao, and the others. He was speechless and somewhat dissatisfied at Xie An's casual words.

"What you all say!"

Sima Yao spoke.

"Capturing the rebel general is indeed a great achievement. Those who have rendered meritorious service should be rewarded. As for the soldiers who captured Murong Yan alive, the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War are to immediately verify their merits and determine the most lenient rewards, which should be publicly announced throughout the land to demonstrate the nation's power!"

He glanced at Sima Daozi, whose face had turned somewhat pale, and added.

"The Prince of Langya will now oversee this, ensuring absolute fairness and impartiality!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

This time, the responses were more synchronized than yesterday, and there was less background noise.

Xie An returned to the train, still maintaining his calm and composed demeanor.

He knew he had won this power struggle.

The morning assembly ended, but the sun remained blazing.

Xie An and Wang Xun walked side by side once again.

Wang Xun said in a low voice, "Lord Anshi, today's discussion has achieved several goals at once. However, that person in the East Sea will likely have no peace from now on."

Xie An gazed towards the still bustling streets outside the palace gates.

"Once you wield a sharp weapon, you must be prepared to face both open and hidden attacks. Whether you are a dragon or a worm depends on how you choose to walk your own path."