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

It is the ninth day of March, a beautiful and sunny day. Zu Lian led dozens of guards and servants of Langya Palace, who were busy going in and out. The plaque"Zhendong General's Mansion" on the lintel was replaced by three cursive plaques with"Prince Jin's Mansion".

Sima Rui, who had just hung up the plaque of Prince Jin's Palace, wore a crown on his head and smiled broadly, entered the Tai Chi Hall surrounded by dozens of civil and military ministers. Sima Rui first touched the dragon chair, which symbolized power, and looked happy. Then he looked at the civil servants and generals below. At this time, Director Wang in front shouted:"His Royal Highness King Jin, please take a seat, Chitose! Chitose! Chitose!"

Sima Rui nodded with a smile, and then sat upright on the royal bed. Subsequently, the ministers of civil and military affairs separated the left and right, and the east and west were civilized and orderly. Headed by Wang Dao in the east, followed by Zhou Wei, Diao Xie, Wang Cheng, Xun Song, Yu Liang, Bian Yi, Zhuge Hui, Gu He, Gu Zhong, Ruan Fu, Yu Tan, Tao Hui, Zhong Ya, Yang Man, Chen Qun, Xi Jian, Liu Wei, Cai Mo, Zhou Song, Ruan Fang, He Xun, Xue Jian, Yang Jian, Wang Bin, Xun Zu, Chu Hui and others.

Headed by Wang Dun in the west, followed by Wang Han, Wang Shu, Tao Kan, Ji Zhan, Zhou Fang, Huan Yi, Dai Yuan, Xun Kai, Wang Jian, Wang Miao, Gan Zhuo, Huan Xuan, Liu Han, Wang Sui, Xie Kun, Xie Sa, Liu Chao, Kong Yu, Ying Zhan, Liu Chengyin, Zhou Zha, Cai Bao and others.

In the middle position closest to Sima Rui are the two brothers Sima Shao and Sima Sui, as well as dozens of members of the royal family such as Sima Yi, Sima Zong, and Sima Cheng, as well as several royal family members. All the men over ten years old from the Sima royal family who traveled south to the south of the Yangtze River came.

Sima Rui said that the ceremony of becoming king was about to begin in Prince Jin's Mansion, and the scene was completely silent. Fei Ren, the eunuch in charge, was standing beside the dragon writing desk with a whisk in his hand. Behind Sima Rui, there is a graceful palace maid on each side. On the Long Shu desk is a rolled-up edict.

I saw Fei Ren flicking back the fly whisk in his hand and saying:"All ministers kneel down!"

The civil and military ministers all knelt down:"Congratulations to His Majesty the King of Jin! A thousand years old! A thousand years old! A thousand years old!""

"Congratulations to Your Highness! God bless Jiangzuo! God bless Jiangzuo!! God bless Jiangzuo!!!"

"My dear friends, I wish you peace!"Sima Rui waved his hand, with a rare smile on his face. But the smile disappeared immediately, and his face became serious. Sima Rui said:"Since our ancestors have made great contributions, Emperor Wu established the country on behalf of Cao Wei, and through Emperors Wu, Hui, and Fifty-two years have passed since the reign of Emperor Huai and Emperor Min. Looking back at how difficult it was for our ancestors to establish the Jin Dynasty and make Luoyang the capital! Emperor Wu worked hard to govern and recuperate his strength, annihilating the separatist Soochow in one fell swoop and completing the unification of the country. This is only thirty-seven years. Who would have thought that the Eight Kings Rebellion, which you have been fighting against for sixteen years, would give the barbarians from the north a God-given opportunity to invade my land and kill my people. Taking advantage of the situation, the Southern Huns created the Yongjia Rebellion, kidnapped and killed Emperor Huai, completely destroying the foundation that their ancestors had worked so hard to build. Last year Emperor Min was captured by the Huns in Chang'an, and his life or death was uncertain. The Xiongnu, Qiang, Jie, Di and Xianbei people who moved inward one after another and came with bad intentions unscrupulously encroached, harassed and occupied our vast and rich Central Plains and China. With internal and external troubles, our Jin Dynasty was in danger!"

"Fortunately among the misfortunes, we have the support and perseverance of all the pillars of the country, allowing us to rebuild the Jin Dynasty in Jiankang." At this point, Sima Rui's voice was choked. He paused and continued:"Since the Five Horses crossed the river, in addition to your contribution, I also want to thank God for his blessing, which allowed me to establish a foothold in Jiangnan and win the world. win the hearts of the people"

"The palace city we are in was still built during the Soochow period, and some palaces are already somewhat damaged. In the future, when the world is stable and taxes are sufficient, the palace will be rebuilt, and Jiankang City will be rebuilt, turning Jiankang City into the second Luoyang. Sima Rui continued:"Fei Ren, read the edict!" Fei

Ren took the edict from Sima Rui and began to read:"The king of Jin said: From now on, King Langya will inherit the imperial court and change the name to Jianwu. This year is the first year of Jianwu." There was war in the north and the situation was turbulent. The emperor was captured, like an arrow piercing his heart. Therefore, the inheritance ceremony is simple, with no music, noisy music, and no celebrations or banquets. From now on, the world will be amnesty, except for those who killed their grandparents, parents, and elders. Liu Cong, Shi Le and other heinous barbarians, who committed heinous crimes and made humans and gods angry, are not included in the amnesty. On the fourth day of April, the crown prince was established and all civil and military officials were appointed."

"His Royal Highness the King of Jin is wise! Chitose! Chitose! Thousands of years old!"The Minister of Civil and Military Affairs once again knelt down to congratulate. Sima Rui said:"I hope that all of you will fulfill your duties and fight against the national calamity together."

"I will definitely live up to His Highness’s expectations!"The civil and military ministers in the main hall said in unison. Sima Rui nodded towards Fei Ren, who said:"The enthronement ceremony is over, retreat!"

Sima Rui stood up and watched everyone walking out of the hall one after another. Director Wang was walking at the back. At this time, Fei Ren whispered:"His Royal Highness, King Jin, asked Mr. Wang to stay for a while."

"OK"Director Wang agreed. An attendant brought a bamboo stool, Director Wang sat down and said,"Although His Highness's succession ceremony today is simple, it must be in line with the wishes of the ministers."

"Mr. Maohong, I am able to ascend the throne and become the king of Jin. It is all due to your Nandu noble clan. Especially you, your Wang family, your cousin Wang Dun and others have contributed a lot! Among all the subordinates, many are both civil and military, and Mr. is one of them. Although the civil and military ministers in the court have been Wen Dongwu Xi since ancient times, in fact, a single civil servant and military general is not suitable for the current situation. From now on, when going to court, the civil servants will be headed by Mr. Wang Dun, and the military general will be led by Mr. Wang Dun, his cousin. As for standing east and west in the court hall, it doesn't matter. Sima Rui then got to the point:"The crown prince will be crowned in half a month. I would like to hear Mr. Maohong's opinion.""

"What does Your Highness mean?"After all, the establishment of the crown prince is Sima Rui's family matter. Director Wang was embarrassed to speak directly. Sima Rui said:"Dao Ji is my brother, my eldest son, nineteen years old; Dao Cheng's younger brother, eighteen years old. Although the two were born from the same mother, Daoji was the eldest son, but his mother was from a humble background. In my heart, I still like Daocheng more"

"Frankly speaking, the two young masters are indistinguishable. However, the eldest son, Sima Shao, is filial and knowledgeable. He has practiced literature and martial arts since he was a child, and he is clever and decisive. He is indeed the best choice for the crown prince. The establishment of a crown prince is not only a private matter for the royal family, but also a major national matter, and cannot be taken lightly. Unless there are special circumstances, it has been a royal tradition since ancient times to appoint the eldest son as the crown prince. Abolition of elders and establishment of younger ones can easily lead to criticism from both the government and the public." Director Wang said. Sima Rui thought for a while and said:"According to what Mr. Wang said, Dao Ji is the prince, and Dao Cheng succeeds the lonely King Langya."

"The best! Director Wang gave a thumbs up and praised:"Your Highness is wise!""

In the palace, the guards and servants have been busy for more than half a month, and Zu Lian is directing these people. On the fourth day of April, it is another sunny day, and the weather is getting warmer.