Hengdao Sixteen Kingdoms

Chapter 697 Leaving the Nest

south.

Huan Wen has been sitting in Xiangyang for the past two years, personally commanding the armies to resist the increasingly aggressive Liang army.

But now, he had to leave temporarily.

Because a big event happened in Jiankang, Emperor Sima Pi practiced grain-breaking medicine to seek immortality. He was young and his body was getting worse. A month ago, he took the alchemist's elixir and failed to achieve immortality. Suddenly he fell ill. Then his condition worsened and he was dying.

Sima Pi had no children, so Sima Yu, Wang Biaozhi, Xie An and others were already discussing the matter of establishing a new king.

With Huan Wen's current power, it doesn't matter who becomes emperor.

But if you choose a stupid young man who doesn't know what's important, it might destroy the tacit understanding between Jiang Dong and Jing Xiang.

Although the emperor is just a puppet, at least he is the face of the Jin Dynasty. He has a lot of skills in who to choose and how to choose.

"Who should I appoint?" Huan Wen actually liked Sima Pi very much. He ignored what was happening outside the window and focused on seeking immortality.

It's a pity that the weather is not holiday, and the body is broken due to drug abuse.

"According to common sense, we should establish the King of East China Sea." Xi Chao cupped his hands and said.

Sima Yi, King of the East China Sea, is the brother of Sima Pi and the second son of Sima Yan, Emperor Cheng of the Jin Dynasty. He is naturally intelligent and young, and has always been popular. He has successively served as a regular servant of the casual cavalry, a general of the town army, a general of chariots and cavalry, a minister of worship, and a great hussar. The general and Kaifu Yi share the same three divisions.

Choosing such a person can continue to maintain the power structure of the Jin Dynasty.

"What does the court mean?" Huan Wen thought as he paced.

Xi Chao followed suit. "The Queen Mother, King Langya, and Wang Xie all belong to the King of Donghai."

Huan Wen stopped and said, "If you follow their wishes, where will that leave me?"

Fancheng was lost and Hefei was defeated twice. Huan Wen's power was not as powerful as before. If the Queen Mother and Wang Xie pushed Sima Yi up, nothing would happen to Huan Wen.

"Da Sima...want to regain his prestige by establishing a king?" Xi Chao heard the song and knew its elegant meaning.

"The matter of abolishing the establishment belongs to me and not to them. Wang Biaozhi and Xie An used this matter to test me. If I take a step back, I will fall behind others in everything."

Huan Wen was not good at the Northern Expedition, but he was an expert in internal fighting and could see through Wang Xie's thoughts at a glance.

Reduce Huan Wen's influence step by step.

It is conceivable that after Sima Yi came to power, he would definitely become closer to Wang Xie.

As a powerful minister, you cannot take a step back, you can only keep moving forward.

"The King of Donghai is extremely intelligent and can understand the depth and depth. If he takes over, he can ensure the stability of Jiangdong and there will be no big fluctuations in the court situation."

"You forgot that there is one person who can stabilize the situation of the court." Huan Wen knew it well.

"My subordinates are stupid, please give me a clear explanation from the Grand Sima." Xi Chao was strategizing and resourceful, but when it came to internal fighting, he was not as sharp as Huan Wen.

"King Langya." Huan Wen spat out three words.

Xi Chao was stunned, never expecting that Huan Wen would suggest him.

Langya King Sima Yu was the youngest son of Emperor Sima Rui of Jin Yuan Dynasty and the great uncle of Sima Yi. He lived through the five dynasties of Yuan, Ming, Cheng, Kang and Mu.

In his early years, Huan Wen was also a member of the Jiankang celebrity circle, and had close personal relationships with Sima Yu and Yin Hao.

"Hahaha, Sima Dao Wanqing is a man of few desires. He is especially good at esoteric speech, but he is cowardly by nature. If he rises to power, he will be controlled by me. Jiangdong will still be under my control in the future!"

Rather than recommending Sima Yi, who is unfamiliar to him, it is better to choose this old friend who knows everything about him.

One is to control the government, and the other is to regain prestige, the best of both worlds.

And Huan Wen still had another thought in his mind. Now that he had given Sima Yu such a great favor, in the future Sima Yu would reciprocate the favor. If the emperor had enough, he might be able to abdicate on his own initiative.

"Great idea!" Xi Chao handed over his hand.

"Now Xiangyang is impregnable. Liang Jun has lost several cities in the north of the Yangtze River and is unable to attack Xiangyang. I should go down the river and force the imperial court to submit!" Since we want to regain our prestige, it is definitely not enough to just show off. We must show off our power.

Liang Guo is still in the stage of recuperation. In the past two years, under Huan Wen's heavy pressure, Liang Guo's fine work has suffered heavy losses, and the situation looks good.

However, Xi Chao's left eye jumped at an inappropriate time, and he felt a little flustered inexplicably. He always felt that things would not go so smoothly. On the surface, Jingxiang was calm, but in fact, there was an undercurrent surging. After Liang Guo promulgated a tax of one for fifteen, it had a great impact on Jiangnan. big.

Xi Chao reminded me several times.

However, Jiangdong had to support so many powerful nobles and famous people, so it was impossible to imitate Liang in reducing taxes.

Seeing the excitement on Huan Wen's face, Xi Chao knew that it was useless to persuade him.

The current Grand Sima's thoughts have always been on the Jiankang court. How could he give up such a good opportunity so easily?

Of course, Huan Wen did not relax his vigilance. He strengthened the defense of the Han River and mobilized more than 10,000 troops from Jiangling and the Public Security Bureau to help defend Xiangyang's peripheral fortresses. Huan Huo was also in charge inside Xiangyang City.

Looks foolproof.

Later, Huan Wen sent 20,000 troops to ride on land and water, and rode down the river. The scene was huge, with banners stretching for miles, thousands of sails competing, and hundreds of boats vying for the current.

For no other reason than to scare Jiankang.

Every time this was done, the Jiankang court obeyed obediently, and it almost became a routine.

Under the pressure of local officials, the people of Jingxiang also came to wave flags and shout to join in the momentum.

These days, as long as there is any movement from the government, the people are exhausted.

But as soon as the officials left, the people immediately complained.

"It's gone."

"With so many soldiers stationed in Xiangyang, the tax burden is getting heavier and heavier, and life is getting harder and harder..."

Among the crowd, Yang Lue looked thoughtfully at the colorful buildings and boats.

"The big fish has gone, and the brothers' nets have been laid out. We're just waiting for the shopkeeper's order!" said a thin man next to him.

The school office made arrangements in advance, and Yang Lue personally went south to take charge. This pot of soup has been simmering for five years.

Even if Jingxiang is a stone, it has almost softened.

Huan Wen's search was meticulous, and all he eliminated were small fish and shrimps in the periphery. Under the strong care of Jing and Xiang, the core of the school office did not suffer much impact. The storyteller also changed from the bright side to the secret side, attracting more people. Come and listen.

"Shopkeeper, there is no shop like this after passing this village. Once the big fish returns to its nest, I don't know how many more years it will have to wait." Another man in ragged fisherman clothes whispered.

"The water in the south is facing north. What doubts does the shopkeeper have?" The thin man took a step closer.

This year the imperial court announced a tax of one tax per fifteen, which was a fatal temptation for the people in Jiangnan.

Especially the refugees whose ancestral homeland is in the north have never forgotten their longing for their homeland.

Now the north is no longer the country of Hu, and everyone wants to go home.

If the school administration hadn't secretly advised them to be patient, a larger wave of immigrants would have broken out a few months ago.

As for the people of Jingxiang, they also had a good impression of the Liang State. Many of the prisoners of war released at that time had been ideologically reformed and knew all kinds of dirty things in the Jin Dynasty.

The new king of Jiangdong came to the throne and was caught off guard.

"Either stay still or turn Jingxiang upside down. Since the time has come, let's close the Internet cafe." Yang Lue's eyes gradually became sharper.

For five years, he remained anonymous and was not even allowed to see his family members. He did not know how tall his two sons had grown.

And he worked so hard, on the one hand, to serve the court, and on the other hand, for them.

(End of this chapter)