Eastern Jin Dynasty: My powerful father

Chapter 232 Guess where to go

The belittling of political opponents often contains selfish motives, but if the words are complimentary and not deliberately flattering, they are fair and objective.

Wang Tanzhi told Huan Wen's praise of Yin Hao, which naturally won Sima Yu's trust, and he couldn't help but nod his head in approval.

However, Sima Yu did not make a decision immediately. Instead, he looked at Wang Biaozhi, the official minister, and asked:

"What do Wang Shangshu think?"

Wang Biaozhi was over fifty years old and came from the Wang family in Langya. He was Wang Dao's nephew and, besides Wang Tanzhi, he was another important assistant to Sima Yu.

The emperor had not yet taken charge of the government, and the queen mother gradually faded away. The government was naturally in the hands of Sima Yu.

As the highest sect in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the political leanings of the Langya Wang family are obvious. Only by allowing the Jin Dynasty to survive can the Langya Wang family maintain its position as the highest sect.

Otherwise, once the Huan family is established, let alone the Xie family of Chen County, they will be afraid of the Gaoping Xi family, because the existence of Xi Chao will also overwhelm the Wang family of Langya Langya.

The Xi family of Gaoping was originally an upper-class noble family in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Xi Chao's grandfather, Xi Jianguan, was promoted to Sikong and Shishi.

He also participated in pacifying the Wang Dun Rebellion and the Su Jun Rebellion, and together with Wang Dao and others, he received the imperial edict to assist the Jin Dynasty emperor.

Nowadays, Xi Chao is deeply favored by Huan Wen and Huan Xi. Even if Huan Wen marries a daughter of the Langya Wang family for his son, the wife is not Huanxi, which cannot change the fact that the Langya Wang family's status in the new dynasty has declined.

When everyone heard this, they all stood stunned.

Now if Yin Hao turns to the Huan family, it will undoubtedly be a major blow to everyone.

But even if he knew it, what could he do, not to mention the sense of oppression brought by Huan Wen.

Sima Yu still didn't want to believe it. After all, before the failure of the Northern Expedition, Yin Hao had led the court officials to fight against the Huan family for a long time.

"Everyone knows that Shen Yuan has great ambitions. How can he be willing to bear the infamy and live with regrets for the rest of his life?"

"What Wang Shangshu said is not unreasonable. If Huan Yuanzi really took the initiative to show his kindness, Shenyuan would definitely accept it. Without Huan Wen's intercession, Shenyuan would have had no chance of making a comeback.

With that said, Wang Biaozhi finally expressed his opinion:

"Huan Wen previously went to court to seek pardon for Shen Yuan. Now that the Chu State has vacated the post of Shangshu Ling, I'm worried that Huan Wen wants to conquer Shen Yuan and succeed him as Chu State's Shangshu Ling."

However, Wang Tanzhi, who had recommended Yin Hao before but was now frowning and silent, broke Sima Yu's fantasy and said in a deep voice:

Sima Yu was even more unable to control himself, hesitantly said:

"This, how is this possible? How can Shen Yuan accept Huan Yuanzi's conquest?"

For Wang Biaozhi, the Eastern Jin Dynasty was the life-long effort of his cousin Wang Dao, and it was also the key to maintaining the status of the Langya Wang family. Therefore, Wang Biaozhi had always been a staunch member of the anti-Huan faction.

There is no need to elaborate on the old grievances between Huan Wen and Yin Hao. For everyone to be able to reconcile, it is simply a fantasy.

After Wang Tanzhi's prompting, everyone finally figured out the strangeness. Some people were beating their chests and wondering why they couldn't have known about Xi Chao's change of official position earlier. In this way, they could smell Huan Wen's intentions.

Could it be that Huan Wen showed magnanimity and interceded for his former enemy, but they, Yin Hao's former friends, were obstructing him. If word spread, wouldn't he be ridiculed by the world?

Wang Biaozhi did not directly answer Sima Yu's inquiry about whether Yin Hao should be re-entrusted with important tasks, but instead talked about a seemingly unrelated matter:

"I heard that Xi Jingxing (Xi Chao) annoyed Huan Yuanzi (Huan Wen) because of some trivial matters and was changed to Zhongshu Ling.

"Wen Du (Wang Tanzhi) just said that Huan Yuanzi once praised Shen Yuan for his talents."

Sima Yu insisted:

"This is just our guess. Maybe it's not the case. I have already sent someone to invite Shen Yuan to Jiankang. When he comes, we will know what happened."

However, Sima Yu was destined not to wait for Yin Hao. After he was pardoned by the court, he headed west from Dongyang County to Jiangzhou, planning to go directly to Xiangyang via Jiangzhou. On the westbound carriage, Yin Hao's son Yin Juan asked:

"Father, are you really going to serve as an official in Chu State? If so, I'm afraid all your old friends will turn their backs."

It was the spring plowing season at this time. Yin Hao withdrew his eyes from looking out the window at the field work and said to Yin Juan:

"In times of trouble, even relatives turn away from each other, let alone old friends."

What Yin Hao said was not referring to Uncle Han. After all, he was not the only relative of Uncle Han. Moreover, Uncle Han was able to accompany Yin Hao for a year without fear of being resented by the Huan family, which was already commendable.

Saying that, Yin Hao continued:

"I am not afraid of death, but I am afraid of leaving behind a name of ignorance that will spread in the world and become a laughing stock for future generations.

"I must do something during this trip to avenge my shame!"

Yin Hao's defeat in the Northern Expedition was so miserable and so stupid that his entire being was almost ruined.

Naturally, he wanted to seize this opportunity that he might never get a second time in this life.

As for the reason why Yin Hao didn't go to Jiankang, he really felt guilty and couldn't face his former friends.

Yin Juan did not continue to persuade his father. Logically speaking, it was not impossible for him to renege on his previous promise to Huan Wen and not serve as an official in the Chu Kingdom after receiving the pardon from the court.

But if this is done and this matter spreads, the world will think that Yin Hao is not only ignorant, but also a person who does not keep his word.

Not only did he completely break off all relations with Huan Wen, but his old friends in Jiankang City would also stay away from him.

As the saying goes, those who are close to vermillion are red, and those who are close to ink are black. Most scholars cherish their feathers, but who would want to associate with a person with a bad reputation.

When the time comes to face Huan Wen's wrath, the world is so vast that there will no longer be a place for Yin Hao, let alone a chance for Yin Hao to enter the court and become an official and do something great.

Therefore, defecting to Huan Wen was Yin Hao's only choice after his imprisonment was lifted.

At the end of February in the eleventh year of Yonghe (AD 355), Sima Yu finally received the exact news about Yin Hao, but this news did not meet his expectations.

"Damn it! Damn it! Yin Hao! How could you treat me like this!"

Sima Yu's heart was full of resentment towards Yin Hao, and he felt that he had been betrayed by the other party.

At the beginning, even though Yin Hao lost so miserably in the Northern Expedition, Sima Yu was still thinking of saving him and trying to calm everyone's anger, instead of abandoning the car to protect the commander.

If Huan Wen hadn't insisted on severely punishing Yin Hao, this matter might have been covered up by Sima Yu.

Now that Yin Hao has been pardoned, he has resolutely turned to the Huan family. This is undoubtedly a fatal blow to the little hearts and minds that Sima Yu finally managed to gather with the help of Wang Biaozhi and Wang Tanzhi.

After all, in the eyes of those who care about this, they will feel that Yin Hao and Huan Wen can be forgiven for their grudges and entrusted with important tasks by Huan Wen. He and Huan Wen do not have such deep hatred.

If a critical moment comes in the future, there is no guarantee that someone will change their banner, abandon the Jin Dynasty, and jump on the Huan family's ship.

How could this not make Sima Yu angry?

(End of this chapter)