Chapter 163 Private Giving and Receiving
Sima Yi sneered: "Three days, so what? Don't you, Jiang Zitong, want to go to Shouchun?"
"Why don't you want to go? It's just that I have many worries in my heart, and I am uneasy for a while." Jiang Ji sighed softly: "Didn't I come to you, Sikong, to solve my doubts?"
The two men walked into the study room, one on the left and one on the right, and Sima Yi closed the door casually.
"Is there anything that you can't figure out?" Sima Yi asked.
Jiang Ji replied: "Look at Huang Quan and Huang Gongheng. They went to Yuzhou under the banner of being the emperor's confidant. Yuzhou was the largest territory in their country. And I went to Yangzhou with a great commander above me."
"I am the governor of Yangzhou, a new position created by His Majesty after he removed the Grand Marshal from the post of Yangzhou governor. The Grand Marshal has so much power, I think it will be difficult for me to do anything."
Sima Yi raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are you worried that Cao Xiu will suppress you? Your Majesty and Cao Xiu have made it clear that abolishing the governor and setting up a provincial governor, and separating the military and politics is the national policy. Besides, after removing Cao Xiu's governorship, didn't you also reward him with a thousand households?"
"You are just a governor. Cao Xiu should not be so narrow-minded."
Jiang Ji said: "There is nothing wrong between me and the Grand Marshal, but Feng Ping, the Grand Marshal's Chief Clerk, has always been at odds with me."
"Feng Ping?" Sima Yi asked.
Jiang Ji nodded: "It was Feng Ping. When the army returned at the end of the fifth year of Huangchu, it was the route that Feng Ping planned for the navy."
"In winter, the water is shallow and many places in Zhongdu River are frozen. When the fleet was unable to move forward in Zhongdu River, there was a dispute among the people on how to bring the fleet back."
"It was Feng Ping who suggested to the Grand Marshal that we leave troops to garrison in the local area in order to preserve the fleet." Jiang Ji spread his hands and said, "Didn't the late emperor listen to my advice? Feng Ping lost the credit because of this."
Sima Yi frowned: "I have met Feng Ping several times. When I was in Yecheng, I had some official exchanges with him. Is he so vindictive?"
Jiang Ji said: "It's not entirely Feng Ping's fault..."
Sima Yi rolled his eyes at Jiang Ji and asked, "Did you do something bad to Feng Ping?"
Jiang Ji spread his hands, showing a helpless expression: "Feng Ping is so stupid, the plan he proposed will only ruin tens of thousands of troops. At that time, I impeached him for this matter to the late emperor."
"I later learned that the Grand Marshal wanted to transfer Feng Ping to the imperial court as an official, but he was short of a merit, and I ruined the plan. I didn't do it on purpose!"
Sima Yi shook his head, stood up, picked up the bamboo scrolls on the table, turned around and put them on the bookshelf, and said, "Now you are afraid of others making things difficult for you?"
"Zitong, just be a human being."
Jiang Ji sighed, "What should I do? Who would have thought that I could be the governor of Yangzhou now?"
"The Grand Marshal was the governor of Yangzhou, and Feng Ping helped the Grand Marshal to handle the political affairs of Yangzhou. Now I am going to Yangzhou to seize Feng Ping's power. It would be strange if Feng Ping didn't deal with me."
Sima Yi turned his head and stared at Jiang Ji's face without saying anything.
Jiang Ji whispered, "Zhongda, Lord Zhongda, Sikong! You must help me with this."
Sima Yi stroked his beard and fell into silence for a moment.
After a while, Sima Yi slowly said: "It's just you, Jiang Zitong. If someone else encounters this kind of thing, I will definitely not care."
Jiang Ji smiled and asked, "What's Zhongda's plan?"
Sima Yi asked, "What position did Feng Ping want to hold in the court? Which position was 2,000 shi?"
"We still need a large county." Jiang Ji said, "I remember that there was a vacancy for the governor of Nanyang at that time. I'm afraid the Grand Marshal wanted to send Feng Ping to Nanyang."
"Nanyang..." Sima Yi asked, "It must be difficult to change a large county like this now."
Sima Yi paced in the study for a while, sorted out his thoughts and then said:
"How is Luoyang?"
"Luoyang?" Jiang Ji was puzzled.
"I mean Henan Yin." Sima Yi explained, "Henan Yin, where the capital Luoyang is located."
Jiang Ji exclaimed: "Zhongda, am I, the governor of Yangzhou, worthy of being exchanged for the governor of Henan?"
Sima Yi sneered and said, "Why not? I'm asking you, is the governor of Henan good or bad?"
"Of course!" Jiang Ji stood up from his seat: "The governor of Henan is in charge of the emperor's feet, which is the same position as the governor of Jingzhao in the early Han Dynasty. The governor of Henan has great power and responsibility, how can he be inferior to..."
Jiang Ji also reacted at this time.
"I understand what you mean!" Jiang Ji said, "Wei Zhen is now the Inspector of the Imperial Guards and is highly trusted by His Majesty. The Governor of Henan is under the supervision of the Inspector of the Imperial Guards and is completely useless."
As Jiang Ji spoke, he also laughed: "You, the Sikong, don't care, but that doesn't mean the Da Sima doesn't care."
Sima Yi nodded and said, "How about it? The governor of Henan is exchanged for the governor of Yangzhou. I'm sure the Grand Marshal will not refuse. You can also keep your position as the governor of Yangzhou."
"Yangzhou is a place where we can use our military strength. This business can be done!" Jiang Ji gritted his teeth and said, "Can your cousin listen to you?"
"Why not?" Sima Yi said, "In the second year of Huangchu, it was me who promoted Sima Zhi from the post of Yangping governor to the post of Henan governor."
"Now it's just a matter of asking him to move to another place. Why can't it be possible?"
Jiang Ji asked: "Where will you be transferred to? There are no vacancies in the big counties right now!" Sima Yi shook his head gently: "Don't worry about this! Since you are leaving tomorrow morning, wait for a while. I will write a private letter to Cao Xiu now, and you can take it to Yangzhou."
Jiang Ji's expression also relaxed a lot: "Thank you Sima Sikong!"
"Take good care of Yangzhou! Earn a duke's title for your descendants."
Jiang Ji grinned and did not continue speaking. Instead, he stood aside and watched Sima Yi write quietly.
Sima Yi was an excellent writer and could finish writing a private letter in less than half an incense stick of time.
Jiang Ji picked up Zuo Bo's paper and placed it on the small table next to him to dry.
"Zhongda," Jiang Ji said, "I am going to Yangzhou now. Please take care of yourself in Luoyang."
Sima Yi had always been a man of great wisdom in front of Jiang Ji. But when Jiang Ji finished speaking, Sima Yi sighed softly.
Jiang Ji was puzzled: "What is there for you, Sikong, to worry about?"
"Didn't His Majesty just appoint you to the East Pavilion of the Northern Palace? With such a favor, even if Wei Zhen interferes, what can he do? He is not more powerful than you!"
"Why do I need your teaching?" Sima Yi said, "It's not Wei Zhen. It is reasonable for your majesty to arrange him to share my power. I am an old minister chosen by the late emperor."
"Before in Luoyang, Chen Qun and I were both recording Shangshu affairs, and Chen Qun was always in charge. Now that Wei Zhen is here, it can't change the situation where I am in charge."
"What's that?" Jiang Ji was puzzled.
"It took me two days to figure it out." Sima Yi shook his head and sighed, "I thought that when Your Majesty asked Huang Quan to be the governor of Yuzhou, he was just asking Huang Quan to do something."
Jiang Ji raised his eyebrows and stared at Sima Yi's face.
"Zi Tong, let me ask you, how many counties are there in Yuzhou now?" Sima Yi said.
"Qiao, Pei, Liang, Chen, Yingchuan, and Runan," Jiang Ji replied.
Sima Yi clenched his fist and slammed the table lightly: "I just realized that your majesty's intention is Yingchuan!"
Jiang Ji also said: "The investigation of the hermit population in Yuzhou is for the Yingchuan County?"
"It's hard to say, it's hard to say." Sima Yi said: "Zitong, have you noticed that since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has been targeting the people of Yingchuan almost everywhere?"
"I have never thought about this place." Jiang Ji looked at Sima Yi and said, "Zhongda, aren't you on good terms with the scholars in Yingchuan?"
"So what?" Sima Yi said, "I am not from Yingchuan! This was what Wei Zhen said to me in the Shangshutai before Your Majesty returned to the capital."
"It's Wei Zhen again..." Jiang Ji frowned.
Sima Yi said, "Zi Tong, the only time your majesty went to a minister's house after he ascended the throne was to visit Grand Tutor Zhong Yao."
Jiang Ji nodded: "Your Majesty, you are using Master Zhong's son, Zhong Yu, to completely tie Master Zhong down. Master Zhong was sixty years old when he got such a precious son. How could Master Zhong give up Zhong Yu's future?"
"Yes." Sima Yi continued, "Zhong Yao is from Yingchuan, and Chen Qun is also from Yingchuan. When the Eastern Wu invaded Jiangxia, Your Majesty drove Chen Qun out of Luoyang."
"At that time, I was wondering why Your Majesty sent Chen Qun instead of me. Now I understand why Chen Qun was from Yingchuan."
Jiang Ji asked in confusion, "In the case of the Xun family's treason, His Majesty has imprisoned the Xun family members in the imperial prison, and Wei Zhen has been reluctant to close the case. Could it be that he is also targeting the people of Yingchuan?"
"That must be the case!" Sima Yi sighed, "Yingchuan scholars have always been led by the Xun, Zhong, and Chen families."
"Zhong Yao is being held at bay, Chen Qun was defeated in Xiangyang, and only the Xun family is left, and now they are in danger again."
Jiang Ji thought for a moment, then pointed at Sima Yi with a sneer, "Zhongda, why are you sighing for the people of Yingchuan? Among all the scholars in the world, people from Yingchuan occupy almost half of the power. If you were in that position, would you do something to the people of Yingchuan?"
"Master Zhong is about to die, Chen Qun has been driven to the border counties, and the Xun family has been wiped out this time." Jiang Ji sneered, "From now on, won't the scholars of the world take you, Sima Zhongda, as their leader?"
Sima Yi shook his head: "With me as the leader? A three-rank official in his forties is not that possible. Let's talk about it when I'm sixty."
Jiang Ji said: "Don't worry, don't worry, it's still early, there's still a chance for everything."
"Zhongda, just now you said that Feng Ping would be appointed as the governor of Henan. How long will it take to get a result? I'll also tell the Grand Marshal about this."
Sima Yi twirled his beard and thought for a moment: "A few months, maybe half a year."
Jiang Ji nodded, stood up and was about to leave: "Then I won't ask you how to do it. You and I have been friends for many years, there is no need to say anything more before leaving."
Sima Yi nodded and said, "Take care, Zitong! Yangzhou is your hometown. Although you can't travel in fine clothes, it's still enough to boast about it."
Jiang Ji smiled and said goodbye.
After Sima Yi sent Jiang Ji to the gate, he walked back to his study and began to think about his cousin, Sima Zhi, the current Yin of Henan.
Sima Zhi...Cao Hong...
It's time for him to do it.
(End of this chapter)
