Can I get to the other side?.

Chapter 174 Should Sima Yi be killed?
This grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven ended with the worship of all people.

The strange phenomenon of purple air coming from the east shocked everyone.

In this era when people believed in gods and ghosts and generally believed that imperial power was granted by heaven, the impact of such an unreasonable spectacle appearing during the solemn ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven was unimaginable.

There is no other reason to explain this phenomenon except that Liu Xie was the son of destiny and a sage king favored by God!

The legitimacy of the identity is beyond doubt!

After all, how could a fake emperor be recognized by the heavens and receive such auspicious signs? It would be good enough if he wasn't struck to death by lightning!
Therefore, from the major aristocratic families and Confucian scholars in Yecheng to the common people and peddlers, no matter what they had thought before, after this grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, they all believed from the bottom of their hearts that Liu Xie was the true Son of Heaven!

In addition to the shock brought by the vision, the order to recruit talents issued by Liu Xie also had a huge impact, because it was a major subversion of the previous system of recommending filial and honest officials, opened up a great road for talents in the world, and demonstrated Liu Xie's heart as a sage king who did not care about the laws of his ancestors and was willing to recruit talents.

Therefore, after the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, the news of the strange phenomenon from heaven and the call for talents spread like wildfire, and soon a large number of famous people came to join the army.

……

After the ceremony, Liu Xie rested for a few days before summoning all his ministers into the palace to carry out the enthronement ceremony.

The ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven represents a new beginning.

Now that he had freed himself from Yuan Shao's control, he needed to reorganize a new court team and enthrone his ministers in order to stabilize the country. The first people he needed to enthrone were the people around him.

Imperial Palace, Xuanshi.

After receiving Liu Xie's summons, Kong Rong, Guo Jia, Xun Chen, Zhang He, Gao Lan and others rushed over. Each of their faces was filled with respect and excitement, and they looked at Liu Xie with unprecedented awe and...admiration.

"The auspicious signs from heaven really work."

Liu Xie felt the reverence in their eyes and felt very satisfied. He felt that it was worth the effort he put in to organize such a show at the ceremony of offering sacrifice to heaven.

This is the effect you want!
After suppressing the corners of his mouth that were rising wildly, Liu Xie said to everyone with emotion: "My virtue is shallow, but I can be recognized by the Lord of Heaven only because the Han Dynasty has not lost its favor and the national fortune is endless."

"To show my sincerity, I will fast for seven days to thank Heaven."

Upon hearing this, everyone shouted that Your Majesty is wise.

"Your Majesty is too modest."

Kong Rong said respectfully, "It is precisely because of your Majesty's outstanding virtues and your virtue comparable to that of Yao and Shun that you have attracted the purple air from the east and the auspicious signs from heaven. How can you say that you are shallow?"

"After this grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heavens, the fortunes of our Han dynasty will surely flourish!"

Kong Rong's words came from the bottom of his heart, and he had no doubt about Liu Xie's identity. This was the legitimate emperor of the Han Dynasty!
After hearing this, although Liu Xie was very happy in his heart, he still had to be humble on the surface, then skipped this topic and started talking about business.

"Today I summoned all of you here to reward me... You are so handsome."

"Chen is here!"

"I appoint you as Weiwei, in charge of guarding the imperial palace."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward!"

Zhang He looked excited. Although he had led the imperial palace guards before, he was only guarding the palace under Yuan Shao's orders and did not get any substantial official position.

Now he has truly been canonized by the Emperor!

And he is the Weiwei, one of the Nine Ministers!
You have to know that he was just a military commander before, but now he has risen to a high position and is one of the Nine Ministers. He has brought honor to his family, which is something he could never have imagined even in his dreams.

"This is what you deserve."

Liu Xie smiled faintly and said that Zhang He was the first general to follow him. In the beginning, he was sent by Yuan Shao to guard and monitor him. It was because of Zhang He's loyalty that he was able to develop secretly under Yuan Shao's nose without being discovered.

"Yuan Bo, I appoint you as the Minister of the Imperial Guards to assist General Zhang in commanding the Imperial Guards."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Gao Lan was also overjoyed. This position already made him very satisfied. After all, he was only second in command in the Imperial Guard, after the Weiwei.

Liu Xie then looked at Xun Chen and said after a moment's deliberation: "My dear minister, you have done a great service in persuading many noble families in the city to join me. I will appoint you as the Minister of Justice, in charge of hearing cases and prisons."

The Chief Justice is also one of the Nine Ministers.

When Xun Chen first surrendered, he was not qualified for such a high official position, but he was the first among the many noble families in Yecheng to surrender, so he must be re-ennobled, similar to buying a horse bone for a thousand gold coins.

In addition, Xun Chen's personal ability and wisdom were also first-class, so Liu Xie appointed him to a high position.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Compared to Zhang He and Gao Lan who were very happy, Xun Chen, although very happy, did not lose his composure. He bowed respectfully to express his gratitude.

After the three were conferred titles, the last one was Guo Jia.

Liu Xie had already prepared a position for his capable adviser. He said with a smile, "Fengxiao, you have been secretly planning for a long time. Outsiders do not know your contributions, but I know them very well."

"You have made great contributions to my being able to break free from Yuan Shao's control. I appoint you as the Chief Censor, in charge of the Censorate, with the power to supervise and impeach all officials."

Upon hearing about Liu Xie's reward, Xun Chen and Kong Rong were all quite shocked, and they all looked at Guo Jia, except for Zhang He and Gao Lan, who knew that Guo Jia was also one of the first to join the army.

Since the Grand Censor was renamed the Grand Marshal, his powers were stripped away and transferred to the Censorate, and the real person in power became the Chief Censor.

Although the Chief Censor is not among the Nine Ministers, he is a sharp sword hanging over all officials. He holds all the power of supervision. Who would not be afraid?
They never imagined that Guo Jia, an unknown strategist who performed mediocrely under Yuan Shao, could be so valued and rewarded by the emperor!
"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Guo Jia was deeply moved and bowed to express his gratitude.

What moved him was not that Liu Xie conferred such an important official position on him, but that his efforts were not forgotten but were always remembered.

In addition, he was also very excited about the talent recruitment order issued by Liu Xie today. The reason why he chose to join the army was to open a glimmer of hope for the poor scholars in the world.

The order to recruit talents has been initially implemented.

He believed that after the Han Dynasty was unified in the future and Liu Xie had absolute authority and a powerful army, he would be able to begin reforming the imperial examination system and fulfill his long-cherished wish.

After everyone had been conferred the title, Kong Rong saw that Liu Xie had not mentioned him yet. He opened his mouth but didn't know how to start.

"My dear, what do you have to say? Please speak frankly."

Liu Xie was secretly happy when he saw Kong Rong's hesitant expression, but he pretended to be stupid and asked with feigned curiosity.

Kong Rong was very embarrassed and hesitantly said, "Your Majesty said before that you ordered me to take charge of the Ministry of Rites..."

"My dear minister, aren't you unwilling to take this position?" Liu Xie asked with a playful smile.

Kong Rong's old face turned red and he lowered his head guiltily.

Before, he didn't know whether Liu Xie's identity as emperor was real or not, so of course he was unwilling to accept this position; but after today's strange phenomenon from the sky, does the authenticity of the identity still matter?

That's why I spoke up shamelessly.

Liu Xie just wanted to tease Kong Rong, and he had no intention of really embarrassing him. He smiled and said, "My words are true."

Kong Rong felt relieved and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will do my best to assist Your Majesty in restoring the Han Dynasty and achieving an unparalleled foundation."

After the rewards were given, everyone left.

Only Guo Jia stayed.

"Your Majesty, there are many talented people coming to serve you these days. I think there is one person who is quite good and I would like to introduce him to you."

"Oh? What's your name?"

Liu Xie became interested as soon as he heard it. He assigned the task of receiving and recruiting talents to Guo Jia. Unexpectedly, after just a few days, he actually recruited some good people.

"This man's name is Sima Yi, and he is..."

Liu Xie was drinking tea to moisten his throat, and when he heard the words, he choked and almost spit out the tea in his mouth. He coughed violently and his whole face turned red.

After a long while, he finally recovered and stared at Guo Jia and asked, "Is he styled Zhongda, from the Sima family of Henei, and now in his twenties?"

"Yes……"

Guo Jia didn't know why Liu Xie had such a big reaction, and why he could even directly tell the specific information, so he couldn't help but ask in confusion: "Could it be that Your Majesty knows this person?"

Liu Xie looked a little strange when he heard this.

More than just acquaintance!
He was very familiar with Sima, the culprit who stole the country and established the Jin Dynasty, led to the Five Barbarians' Invasion, made the Luo River infamous, was the ultimate winner of the Three Kingdoms era, and was cursed for thousands of years by later generations.

That day he was in the Taimiao and told all the ancestors that they must make the Han Dynasty glorious again and not let the thieves Cao and Sima steal the country. But now Sima Yi has come to his doorstep.

Could this really be what our ancestors meant?
Want him to take the opportunity to kill this old thief?

"Your Majesty, Sima Yi has been famous since he was young. The Sima family is a famous family in Hanoi, a century-old family with extraordinary heritage. It is undoubtedly a good thing for him to be the first to surrender this time."

"I think Your Majesty should make use of this person."

Guo Jia had no idea what Liu Xie was thinking, he was simply analyzing the situation from the perspective of interests. Sima Yi was the first talented person to come and serve after Liu Xie issued the order to recruit talents, and he also had an extraordinary background. If Liu Xie used him, it would attract more talented people to come and serve him.

After hearing this, Liu Xie's mouth twitched slightly.

Re-employ Sima Yi?
Why keep this scourge around unless we get rid of it?
Even if he agreed, Luo Shui would not agree!

But what Guo Jia said was not wrong, so after a brief hesitation, Liu Xie said to Guo Jia: "Go and bring him here so I can see him."

"According to the order."

Guo Jia accepted the order, bowed and left the Xuanshi room.

A moment later he returned with a young man.

This man looked to be no more than twenty years old, with a majestic appearance, a tall stature, and the look of an eagle or a wolf. He had a very handsome appearance.

He followed Guo Jia into the center of the hall and immediately paid homage to Liu Xie, saying with great respect, "Your Majesty, I, Sima Yi, pay my respects to you."

Liu Xie narrowed his eyes and looked at Sima Yi, remaining silent.

He was wondering what to do with this guy?

To kill or to use?

According to historical records, Sima Yi was actually loyal to the Han Dynasty in his early years. However, because Cao Cao held the emperor hostage, he initially refused to be used by Cao Cao and pretended to be ill to avoid being recruited.

It was not until more than ten years later that he was forcibly recruited by Cao Cao to serve under him.

In other words, Sima Yi, who is still a young man, remains loyal to the Han Dynasty and has not yet evolved into the eternal sinner Sima the old thief.

But...is it necessary to take this risk?
Who can guarantee that Sima Yi will not rebel in the future and try to steal the country again?

This old bastard lived a very long life and outlived three generations of the Cao family. What if he lived longer than him?
Liu Xie was wavering between killing and not killing.

Sima Yi, who was sitting with his head down in the center of the hall, felt creepy, as if there was a knife hanging on his neck and could fall at any time.

“Is this the majesty of the emperor?”

Sima Yi was nervous and buried his head even lower.

He deeply understood the meaning of "serving the emperor is like serving a tiger."

After a long time, he heard the emperor above say: "I have long heard that the Sima family in Henei has a son named Sima Yi. I met you today and you are indeed a remarkable person."

Liu Xie's words finally broke the silence.

Sima Yi heaved a sigh of relief, and said, "Your Majesty, thank you for your compliment. I am not talented enough, how can I be worthy of the title of 'Qilin Son'?"

"The Sima family has been blessed by the Han Dynasty for generations. My ancestors once fought with Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty. My great-grandfather and grandfather were also highly regarded by previous emperors. Today, the world is full of traitors. Although I am not talented, I am willing to do my best to help Your Majesty wipe out the traitors and restore the Han Dynasty."

Sima Yi honestly explained his family background and purpose of his visit, then stood with his head bowed, waiting for the emperor's arrangements.

Liu Xie stared at him for a moment, then withdrew his gaze and said, "I understand your sincere desire to serve the country... In this case, I will appoint you as the Imperial Censor of the Palace and you will serve in the Imperial Censorate."

The Palace Censor was responsible for monitoring the words and appearance of all officials in the palace, and also had the power to impeach, which was more than enough for Sima Yi.

Sima Yi had never expected that he would be able to enter the Imperial Censorate just after joining the army. He was surprised and delighted at the same time, and thanked the emperor repeatedly, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward!"

"Go back."

Liu Xie waved his hand and showed no intention of keeping him.

Sima Yi bowed and left the Xuanshi Hall.

After he left, Guo Jia, who had been observing from the side, asked, "Your Majesty doesn't seem to like this man? Then why did you give him such an important position?"

He could see that Liu Xie didn't like Sima Yi.

There is even a hint of disgust.

Because no matter who Liu Xie met, he always called him "Ai Qing" and his tone was very kind; but when talking to Sima Yi, he only called him "Qing" and his tone was very bland.

"Fengxiao, I have something to tell you."

Liu Xie did not answer Guo Jia's question, his expression was solemn.

Guo Jia's heart trembled, and he bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please give your orders."

Liu Xie looked at Guo Jia with burning eyes and said in an unprecedented serious tone: "Sima Yi will serve under you from now on, you must keep a close eye on him."

"I will also give you a secret decree. If anything unexpected happens to me in the future, or I die young or unfortunately, you will use this secret decree to mobilize the army and wipe out him and the Sima family together!"

"Everyone in the clan, young and old, leave no one behind!"

"Remember, don't let any one go!"

Liu Xie was deeply wary of Sima Yi, but Sima Yi had not done anything yet, and he was the first talented person to come to him to serve him. He was also from the Sima family of Hedong. If he was killed casually, the impact would be too bad, and the order to recruit talents would become a joke.

Besides, Sima Yi's talent and wisdom were comparable to Zhuge Liang's, so he was a little reluctant to kill him so easily.

So he chose to use it, but he had to take out an insurance policy.

If he died before Sima Yi, Guo Jia would receive a secret order to exterminate the entire Sima family. Even the egg yolks would be shaken apart and the earthworms would be chopped vertically!
This was the first time Guo Jia saw such a fierce murderous intent in Liu Xie, so he didn't even ask the reason, and immediately knelt down and said, "I will remember this!"

Liu Xie's expression then eased slightly.

It was not enough to give a secret decree to Guo Jia alone. He would later give one to Lu Bu and Jia Xu, and then let Zhen Mi take one as well, just to be on the safe side.

If he died young before Sima Yi, Sima Yi's entire family would be buried with him.

Since he had paid homage to the Taimiao and his ancestors, he had to shoulder this responsibility and not let the Han Dynasty be at risk of being stolen.

At the same time, it is also to prevent future generations of Chinese from repeating the mistakes of the Five Barbarians' Invasion.

For this, he would not hesitate even if he had to bear eternal infamy or kill countless innocent people by mistake!

Of course, if Sima Yi had always been honest, he would not be reluctant to let him hold a high position and posthumously name him Wen Zhong.

But he would never relax his vigilance against the Sima family for a moment. This was the lesson history had taught him.

(End of this chapter)