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Ch108 - Malice
An army of a hundred thousand dissolving into chaos, what a spectacular sight it was! Standing outside the command tent, Sima Yue’s teeth creaked from how hard they were gritted. There was naught but routed troops for as far as the eye could see, throwing aside their arms and armor, tearing about like wild beasts. Not only did the reinforcements they had acquired along the way fail to impede the Prince of Chengdu’s forces, they wrecked their already fragile formation in their mad frenzy to flee.
“Stop them! Hurry and send soldiers to resist the enemy!” Sima Yue finally ordered, in fear and terror.
At his order, the Imperial Guard went forth, just barely arresting the enemy’s armored cavalry. Not only was the emperor here, but countless high-ranking officials, including the Prince of Donghai as well. Even if only for their own sakes, they had to give it their all to stop the enemy!
But the Imperial Guard, long accustomed to living in idle comfort, led by relatives of lofty elites, was utterly incapable of stopping the vicious tide of enemy forces. The great army crashed against them; more and more guards were felled from their horses, while the savage enemy inexorably closed in.
“Supreme Regional Commander, the Right Army has retreated!” Came another predicament.
A loud buzzing filled Sima Yue’s head. Chen Zhen had fled? The Right Army under his command was the main strength of the Imperial Guard; if even he had fled, who left could halt the great army before their eyes?
“General Shangguan’s remaining troops have retreated as well!” A subordinate hurried to him, “Supreme Regional Commander, I’m afraid we can’t hold this position any longer!”
“Retreat! Retreat at once!” Caring no longer for anything else, Sima Yue jumped onto his horse.
“But what about the Imperial Equipage
.” the subordinate hesitated, glancing towards the massive, sparkling carriage nearby.
To manifest the might of the Emperor, his carriage was canopied by golden silk, drawn by six horses fitted with ornate bridles of tin, and accompanied by chariots of five colors. The entire imperial ensemble was like a small, glittering mountain of gold, singularly awe-inspiring, but also singularly eye-catching.
If they retreated with the Imperial Equipage, enemy forces would be upon them before they’d gotten even half a kilometer away. But if they left it
. were they really going to discard the Emperor?!
His face twisted grotesquely, Sima Yue yelled, “How dare the Prince of Chengdu transgress against His Majesty! First retreat, then once we organize our forces we will launch a rescue!”
Without the slightest bit of hesitation, and under the protection of his loyal subordinates, Sima Yue abandoned the Imperial Equipage and fled.
All those who could command the troops had scattered to the four winds. The foot soldiers who remained were all the weaker for it. Shortly, the human wall of honor guards around the Imperial Equipage collapsed. An arrow breached the golden canopy, heading towards the imperial throne!
“Ah!” the Emperor, sitting properly within the carriage, dressed in gǔnmiǎn, let out a sudden scream. He looked dumbly at the long quivering arrow sticking out of his arm. The excruciating pain was quick to follow.
He’d been shot!
“Guard the Emperor

 Someone come to guard the Emperor
..” the slow Emperor belatedly realized that there were no more Imperial Guards before his imperial carriage to protect him.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
However, his feeble cries didn’t travel very far. Rather, more arrows thudded into the large, resplendent carriage.
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“Your Majesty!” Someone suddenly leaped onto the Imperial Carriage from the side and, wide sleeves unfurling, used his own body to shield the Emperor. “Don’t fret, Your Majesty, I won’t let those lowlifes get past me and harm you!”
It was Palace Attendant Ji Shao, son of Ji Kang. Not long ago, he’d even been lowered to commoner status by Sima Yue. It was only because the imperial campaign was nigh that he was restored to his former office.
“Attendant Ji
.. ” Perhaps the Emperor had said something, but in the din of battle, no one heard him.
Soon after, the rain of arrows disappeared; the dying screams and battle cries that almost seemed like they’d never end, faded into silence. A voice, steeped in the air of death, boomed in his ear, “His Majesty is here!”
Ji Shao, struck by multiple arrows and on the verge of death, was dragged away. A man raised his blade.
Startling into clarity, the Emperor, paying no heed to the pain of his injuries, yelled, “He is loyal, don’t kill him!”
But the bloodthirsty foot soldier sneered coldly, “By the Imperial Brother-heir’s command, the Emperor alone is not to be offended!”
The man lowered his blade, severing Ji Shao’s head.
Warm blood spurted into the air and splashed onto the Emperor. Succumbing to fright, his body listed to the side, then tumbled from the carriage.
※
Within the palace of Ye City, a handsome, extravagantly dressed man clapped with uproarious laughter, “That Donghai chit dares to contest me?!”
That person was none other than the master of Ye City, Sima Ying. A son of Emperor Wu, he’d inherited his father’s “magnificent appearance.”  He was tall and good-looking. Before, he too had once used the wise and employed the capable, and had a reputation that was radiant as the sun at midday. But after seizing power, he too, like his father, swiftly became dissolute and arrogant.
Earlier, the imperial campaign had given him quite the fright. How could he not be jubilant at the routing of Sima Yue’s great army? His thought was most complete after all! If he’d listened to the counsel of those cowardly rats, escaped Ye City, and hid elsewhere, he would have been utterly beggared already. Now, though, he was still the Imperial Brother-heir, the Counselor-in-Chief of Great Jin, the only winner of this northern campaign!
“Is the Emperor still sound?” Sima Ying remembered, after he finished laughing. Attaining victory was great and all, but if his own troops killed the Emperor, he would be forever known as an irredeemable sinner. As the Imperial Brother-heir, he still had to force that idiot brother of his to abdicate or wait for him to die of sickness or old age. Violent death was evidently not under consideration.
His advisor immediately answered, “The Emperor is fine; he’s only suffered a few injuries.”
Sima Ying released a breath, “Very good. Hmm, let the Imperial Equipage bide in General Shi’s encampment then. The Emperor will be welcomed into the city once an honor guard is assembled!”
He, a subject, absolutely could not “abduct” the Emperor. Before, when he’d given the order to send out his troops, overriding all objections, he’d used the excuse of rescuing the Emperor from treasonous subjects. Now, of course, the only appropriate course of action was to welcome the Emperor into Ye City.
Then, after inviting the Emperor in, it would be about time to begin preparing for his own succession ceremony. Sima Ying had resolved not to waste any more time with his idiot brother. Come what may, he had to become the Emperor as soon as possible!
One order after another was passed down. Exhausting all his mental efforts, the barely presentable imperial entourage paraded into Ye City.
※
“What did you say? The six armies were routed, the Emperor has entered Ye City?”
He’d gone through so much trouble to bring his army through Bai Pass and had been preparing to rendezvous with his brother when he heard this news. Sima Teng raged, “Didn’t they have an army of a hundred thousand?! How could they lose so quickly?! Where is my brother now?”
The reconnoitrer replied, “The routed troops were too disorganized – the Prince of Donghai may have returned directly to his enfeoffment

”
Hearing that Sima Yue had withdrawn to the Principality of Donghai, Sima Teng was so infuriated he could hardly speak. A moment later, he spat, “The Prince of Chengdu, that wretch! Order the army to go northward and assail Ye City, posthaste. I and Wang Pengzu together will strike down that scourge!”
That’s right, so long as he took back the Emperor and got rid of the Prince of Chengdu, he would not have sent his army in vain. His brother might have lost, but he still had thirty thousand elite soldiers under his command, as well as Wang Jun’s ten thousand infantry and cavalry. It would make the situation awfully troublesome if that rebel truly seized the throne!
On his orders, Sima Teng’s great quickened its pace, marching for Ye City!
At this time, Sima Ying was still indulging his fanciful dream of becoming emperor. He’d first proclaimed universal amnesty, changed the reign name, then beheaded the Prince of Andong, who had been of the surrender faction. Thereafter, Ye City was silent as cicadas in the winter; not a soul dared to raise any objections to his doings again. But just after he’d conducted a ceremonial sacrifice to Heaven in the southern outskirts, news of Sima Teng’s and Wang Jun’s encroaching armies reached his ear.
Ye City was once again thrown into an uproar. The imperial campaign’s only advantage was its name, but the forces of the Duke of Dongying and the regional governor of You Province were truly powerful! Especially Wang Jun’s Xianbei cavalry – even the Xiongnu would balk, much less Jin soldiers. If they fought their way here, what could they do?
With no other choice, Sima Ying had to dispatch three troops to intercept the two.
※
“What shall we do, when the army attacks?! Have you gentlemen any strategies?” A bald-faced man said to the people beside him as he paced back and forth.
He was the Prince of Chengdu’s most favored eunuch, Meng Jiu. A few days ago, he’d been fretting and fussing over preparations for the Prince of Chengdu’s succession ceremony. But who could’ve expected that a few days later, Ye City would be under threat? Hardly anyone could bear such intense highs and lows, much less an eunuch like him.
Unlike others, his glory and wealth were bound solely to the Prince of Chengdu. If the Prince of Chengdu became the emperor, he would become the emperor’s favorite; if the Prince of Chengdu failed, he would have to flee into exile along with him. The night-and-day circumstances made his heart burn with anxiety. All he could do was summon his aides and see what they could do.
Still, Meng Jiu knew full well that he couldn’t rely entirely on these aides. Those who would follow an eunuch were certainly not possessed of any great capability or scholarly talent. But perhaps dirty tricks and underhanded tactics weren’t entirely ineffectual to the war situation.
To his surprise, a young man dithered for a second, before saying, “The Duke of Dongying resides in Bing Province. Whether it is his retreat or his supply route, they must pass through Shangdang. If we could send people to infiltrate the commandery capital of Shangdang, assassinate the grand administrator, and take Bai Pass, then we can, if not rout the Duke of Dongying, force him to go to their rescue

”
“Oh?” Meng Jiu’s eyes brightened. He asked, “What is your name?”
The man noticed Meng Jiu’s interest, hurriedly took a step forward, and kneeled, “I am Li Lang, Li Zhongyue. Before, I was subordinate to General Meng. Later, I entered the government.”
General Meng, referred, naturally, to Meng Jiu’s younger brother, Meng Chao, who had died in the siege of Luoyang. Recalling his late brother, a hint of hatred appeared on Meng Jiu’s face. The Lu brothers might have met their demise at sinister plots, but it couldn’t bring his precious little brother back to life.
A moment later, his fiendish expression faded away. He walked to Li Lang’s side, bending over to say, “Your plan’s not bad, however, Shangdang is a naturally defendable place. How is the grand administrator to be assassinated; how is the pass to be taken?”
“I am native to Shangdang; my brothers and cousins serve as petty officials in the commandery capital. You need only to send brave and capable soldiers and leaders to take them by surprise and overrun the commandery bureau! Then, use the grand administrator’s authority to gain access to the passes, and naturally, you can change the flags on the city walls and cut the Duke of Dongying off from the rear!” Li Lang’s heart pounded as he expounded his plan.
Brave soldiers and capable leaders? Meng Jiu’s eyes shined, another matter coming to mind. That Xiongnu commandant Liu Yuan, he’d once told him that he was frail and getting on in years and wanted to return to his home in Bing Province. He’d also given him a considerable amount of silver and gold to put in a good word for him with the Prince of Chengdu. Didn’t the five Xiongnu divisions just so happen to be in Bing Province? If they had the Xiongnu mobilize troops to help them conquer the commandery capital of Shangdang, wouldn’t that be a benefit for both sides?
Meng Jiu laughed and patted Li Lang’s shoulder, “This is an excellent stratagem. I will report to the lord at once. Retainer Li, this is your chance to make great contributions and accomplish great tasks! ”
Li Lang trembled with excitement at being patted by this eunuch and lowered himself to the floor, “I will not disappoint you, my lord!”
The author has something to say:
The background of this chapter involves two people. One of them is Ji Shao. After Ji Shao was killed, Emperor Hui sobbed inconsolably. Sima Ying wanted him to change clothes, in preparation for entering the city the next day, but he refused to take off his clothes, saying “This is Attendant Ji’s blood; do not remove.” From then on, “Attendant Ji’s blood” became synonymous with the blood of loyal subjects. Ji Shao himself was listed first in the “Loyalty and Righteousness” volume of the Book of Jin.
But Ji Shao, is, by nature, rather contradictious because his father, Ji Kang, died beneath the blade of Sima Zhao. Every emperor of the Sima Dynasty is of the blood of his father’s killer. There was another person, Wang Pou, who was similarly circumstanced. His father was also killed by Sima Zhao. He did not submit to Western Jin. He refused all invitations for taking office and was seen as a paragon of filial piety.
Basically, Wang Pou chose filial piety, while Ji Shao, who was the son of a princess of Cao Wei, chose to serve the Sima clan. It probably had something to do with the person Ji Kang entrusted his orphan son to. Ji Shao was raised by his father’s good friend, Shan Taofu, and when he came of age, became an official due to his recommendation. When the Prince of Zhao rebelled, he promoted him to the position of palace attendant. Later, when Emperor Hui was reinstated, he remained a palace attendant. Then, when the Prince of Qi rebelled, he served loyally and scrupulously just the same. It could be said that he was a dutiful subject from beginning to end, one who was the personification of loyalty.
Perhaps here, Ji Kang’s famous quote applies. “Within, a clear conscience; without, abiding by the norm. Making connections not for profit; taking office not for salary. Understand past and present, cleanse your desire, is there any fear the world will do you wrong?”
There is another person, Sima Rui, whose uncle, the Prince of Andong, was killed by Sima Ying. Because the Prince of Andong was wrongfully murdered. Sima Rui, in terrible fear, fled Ye City under the cover of night, returning to his territory, the Principality of Langya. Later, he entered the Prince of Donghai’s service and was sent to govern Jiangnan. This person was the first emperor, Emperor Yuan of Jin, of Eastern Jin, and the origin of the saying “the world is split between Wang and Ma.”