The Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eastern Jin Dynasty: The Competition in the Central Plains

"But there is a problem, that is, Murong Xin called himself"Gu" in front of Tao Liao. I wonder what you adults think of this?" Director Wang said. Dai Yuan said:" Calling a lonely Taoist an emperor is at least a self-proclaimed king. Murong Xin calls himself an orphan, which shows that this person is very ambitious. Maybe he defeated Yuwen, Duan and Goguryeo and planned to become king."

After hearing Dai Yuan's opinion, the civil and military ministers nodded, and shook their heads, but none of them said anything. Yin Xian, the chief official of Tao Kan, the governor of Guangzhou, happened to come to Jiankang to submit an official document. Hearing that there was a reward, Yin Xian declined and said:"The birth of the sixth prince is celebrated by everyone. But I am in the south and have no merit, so I feel a little ashamed that I can receive a reward this time!"

"This matter is my family matter, how can you get credit for it?"Sima Rui said with a smile. After hearing this, the civil and military ministers burst into laughter.

Sima Rui continued:"Master Tao is guarding the territory in the south. He has outstanding military exploits and hard work, and he also has his share of rewards. Everyone in other states, counties, and vassals also has a share."

Yu Liang asked Yin Xian："I heard that Master Tao Kan was in the government office in Guangzhou. When he had no official business, he often got up early and moved a hundred bricks outside the government office. Before going to bed, he moved into the government office again. Is this the case? Why would Master Tao do this?

Yin Xian replied:"That's what happened." Master Tao said, although I am nearly sixty years old, I am still committed to restoring the Central Plains. If you live too comfortably and comfortably every day, you may not be able to take on big responsibilities when the time comes. It looks like Master Tao is strengthening his muscles and bones, but he is actually tempering his will."

"With Tao Kan in the south and Zu Ti in the north, the country and the country are worry-free!"Sima Rui said

"Your Majesty, it has been more than two years since you succeeded to the throne and you have not yet been crowned queen. The queen is the master of the harem. I hope your majesty canonize the queen as soon as possible. I look forward to it!"Yu Liang said. The civil and military ministers all knelt down following Yu Liang's words:"I beg your Majesty to confer the title of Queen!

Sima Rui said:"I have been thinking about what you all have said for a long time." My married wife, Queen Yu, is not only beautiful and virtuous, but also has some knowledge of writing and philosophy. She married me when she was sixteen years old. Although she did not give birth to any children for me, she worked tirelessly and devoted herself to raising Dao Ji and Dao for me. Although there is no merit in procreation, there are also pains in raising children. Unfortunately, Queen Yu's fate was poor and she left me at the age of thirty-five. It has been eight years now."

Hearing what Sima Rui said, the civil and military ministers were too embarrassed to say anything else. Sima Rui continued:"In view of this, I posthumously designate Princess Yu as Queen Yuanjing. From now on, I will no longer canonize another queen. Fei Ren, please immediately read out the book of canonization of the Queen."

Fei Ren took the book and began to read:

I lament the marriage of the former Princess of Langya to the Yu family, which will be unforgettable for the rest of my life. I respectfully obeyed the order of God, and therefore ascended the throne of the emperor. I mourn the past of the princess, and miss the princess. Her voice, appearance, and smile. When the princess was alive, her good name was not publicized. To govern the country and support the country, etiquette and regulations are inseparable. I feel sad beyond words. The gift of a title and a posthumous title is an old code of the previous king. Now I posthumously canonize the Yu family as the Yuan Dynasty. Respect the queen, wear the queen's jade seal, and use Tailao to offer sacrifices. If the queen's soul has a spirit, it should be honored. Nephews will offer sacrifices to the Taimiao and be buried in Jianping Mausoleum."

"My Holy Emperor! Long live! Long live! Long live!"The civil and military ministers shouted.

After the disbandment of the dynasty, Wang Dun returned to Wuchang where he was stationed. Sima Cheng was preparing to go to Xiangzhou to take office. Before leaving, he came to Sima Rui's imperial study to say goodbye to Sima Rui. Sima Cheng came to see Diao Xie, Dai Yuan, and Liu Wei were all there. Sima Cheng first saluted Sima Rui:"See your majesty!"

"King Qiao, there is no need to be polite, he will be free of courtesy! According to the seniority of our Sima family, Prince Qiao is my imperial uncle! Sima Rui asked Sima Cheng to sit down while talking and laughing. Diao Xie, Dai Yuan, Liu Wei and others stood up and saluted Sima Cheng:"I have met His Highness King Qiao!""

"You three adults are welcome, please sit down!"Sima Cheng said, and sat down himself. Two maids came in, poured tea, and went out. Sima Rui asked,"Uncle Huang will go to work tomorrow and pass by Wuchang. Are you planning to meet Wang Dun? Or a detour?"

"I still need to meet you. If you deliberately don't meet with Wang Dun, it will be easy for him to take advantage of you. Wait until you meet him in Wuchang, act according to the opportunity, and take advantage of him!"Sima Cheng said. Sima Rui said:"The emperor is twelve years older than me. He is fifty-six this year, right?"

"Your Majesty is right, I am already over fifty years old. Looking back on the more than two years since His Majesty became emperor, although I am not an important courtier. He initially served as a garrison captain, and later was promoted to a general of the auxiliary state. Now that I have been given the important task of being the governor of Xiangzhou by His Majesty, I deeply feel the great responsibility. Although my ability is limited, I will definitely do my best to maintain the imperial power of the Sima family and die till my death."Sima Cheng said. After listening to Sima Cheng's words, Sima Rui nodded, and then said:"What do the three adults have to say?"

"Xiangzhou is located in the southeast of Jingzhou and can contain Jingzhou in wartime. Although Gan Zhuo was transferred to be the governor of Liangzhou, His Highness King Qiao was transferred to be the governor of Xiangzhou. But without Mr. Zhou Fang, Wang Dun's aggressive ambitions have become more and more obvious. Now Wang Dun's only concern is Zu Ti, the governor of Yuzhou. Master Zu Ti is also fifty-four years old, and he must always be wary of Shi Le, a Jie man who has proclaimed himself king and founded the country. Therefore, please Your Majesty to assess the situation in time and send capable ministers to guard important places to prevent Wang Dun from causing trouble. Diao Xie reminded

"Nowadays, whether it is the civil and military officials of the Manchu dynasty, or the local governors, county governors, etc., many of them are either from the Langya Wang family or are the ancestors and disciples of the Langya Wang family. If Wang Dun takes action, maybe many people will respond. Therefore, it is necessary and timely for ministers to prepare for a rainy day."Liu Wei said

"With Wang Dun's merits, his position is big enough. But these contributions were made before I succeeded to the throne, including before I became King Jin. After I became emperor, Wang Dun's demands became more and more endless. To be honest, Wang Dun only goes to court a few times a year, but I feel calm in my heart. If he is often in the court and confronts me tit for tat every time, my life will be really difficult. Fortunately, I have you dear friends who dare to say no to Wang Dun. It’s just that there are too few wise ministers like you!"Sima Rui said with emotion

"well! It's too late to say anything. Before the Eight Kings Rebellion, our Sima royal family was very prosperous. Without the Sima royal family fighting each other, there would never have been the Wu Huan Rebellion, nor the Yongjia Rebellion. Look at the current court, how many descendants of the Sima family are there? How many people can truly safeguard the imperial power? If Your Majesty does not deal with Wang Dun early, he will intensify his fight with Your Majesty and will definitely become a disaster for the country."Sima Cheng said. Sima Rui said:"When I have matured my thinking, I will announce the list of ministers to be sent abroad in the court. The emperor's uncle will go to Xiangzhou tomorrow, so there is no need to go to court."