A rightful heir

"What exactly are you trying to do?"

"You were the ones who wanted to enthrone the Noble Rural Duke."

"And now you're the ones dragging things out. Why?"

Sima Zhao loved to toy with people by asking questions whose answers he already knew. This time, however, he swore he genuinely had no idea what the Guo Family was trying to do.

Wang Su had sent another letter.

The letter stated plainly that the Guo Family cared nothing for the enthronement. Since arriving in Yuan City, Guo Jian had spent every day taking Cao Mao out to eat, drink, and amuse themselves.

Wang Su had tried to visit several times, only to be turned away at the door. Whenever he asked, he was told they had gone out to enjoy themselves.

He could not even meet Guo Jian or Cao Mao, let alone fulfill the Grand General's instructions, and requested permission to return to Luoyang.

After reading the letter, Sima Zhao felt his head swelling with frustration.

His elder brother had been in poor health lately, his eye condition growing increasingly severe. That was why he had entrusted these important matters to Sima Zhao.

Yet Sima Zhao had made a complete, feather-strewn mess of something as simple as welcoming the new emperor.

Letters from Yuan City had arrived one after another over the past several days.

Their contents left him utterly bewildered.

Especially those concerning Cao Mao. Every new letter seemed to offer a different assessment of him.

One called him a wastrel, another a villain, another a sincere gentleman, and yet another a refined scholar...

Could anyone really be that complicated?

You've all joined forces to make a fool of me, haven't you?

Guo De sat before Sima Zhao. Hearing his questions, he too was furious, though he dared not let that anger show.

His younger brother, Guo Jian, had also sent him a letter.

In it, Guo Jian had lavished praise on Cao Mao while also mentioning the trouble with Wang Su.

He said Wang Su had designs on their family's position and had publicly humiliated members of the Guo Family. Cao Mao had gone to visit Wang Su several times, but Wang Su had shut his doors against him!

Those were Guo Jian's exact words.

Naturally, Sima Zhao's remarks filled Guo De with grief and indignation.

Wang Su shut his doors against them, and now he wants to turn around and blame us?

Or is your Sima Family simply trying to obstruct us this way?

The alliance between these great aristocratic clans was nowhere near as solid as they imagined.

Besides, as for the Sima Family's reputation...

Everyone knew it.

Their family was famous for keeping its word. If they promised you a lifetime of wealth and glory, they would assuredly exterminate three generations of your kin.

His younger brother might be a disappointment, but between him and the Sima Family, Guo De would still trust his brother.

It seemed the Sima Family was determined to seize power within the imperial palace, and Wang Su was their accomplice. Of course-if Sima Zhao rose to the throne, Wang Su's family would become imperial relatives with every right and justification.

Guo De rose with utmost deference and said apprehensively, "General, there must be some misunderstanding here."

"I simply want to know what misunderstanding there is. What exactly do you want? Just tell me. We're family, after all. Don't let outsiders sow discord between us."

Sima Zhao could not understand why the other man was so wary of him.

Why couldn't he show a little more trust?

Guo De explained, "You may not know this, General, but our family offended Lord Wang in the past. It isn't that my younger brother refuses to meet Lord Wang. Lord Wang refuses to meet him!"

Sima Zhao froze, then suddenly understood.

Of course! How could I have forgotten? If our family takes the throne, wouldn't Wang Su...

Could Wang Su be stirring up trouble? Does he want to skip a few necessary steps and go straight to the last one?

No, that isn't right. He's not usually so impatient.

Seeing Sima Zhao fall into a daze, Guo De continued, "I would never allow private affairs to delay matters of state. Please rest assured, General. I have already written to that worthless younger brother of mine, telling him he must apologize to Lord Wang, meet with him, and bring His Majesty back to the Imperial Court as soon as possible."

Sima Zhao nodded, his expression turning somewhat strange.

"Good, good. You may go back now."

Guo De bowed once more, then hurried out of the general's residence.

Sima Zhao did not summon any of his advisers. After pondering for a long while, he finally said to a servant beside him, "Go and bring Yan here!"

Before long, Sima Yan appeared before Sima Zhao again, his hair hanging loose and disheveled.

Sima Yan's hair was so long that even when he bound it beneath a crown, it still trailed on the ground.

Sima Yan was deeply afraid of his father and stood trembling before him.

The sight filled Sima Zhao with anger. He had extremely high hopes for this son, always wishing he would surpass him and become like his own father and elder brother. Yet judging by his current performance, he could not even measure up to Sima Zhao, much less those two.

"Yan... I need you to travel somewhere for me."

"Huh?"

"Father, where am I going?"

"Yuan City."

"What am I going there to do?"

"Enthrone the emperor."

Utterly confused, Sima Yan asked, "Hasn't Grandfather already gone there? Why do I have to go too?"

"Yan, remember this: even your maternal grandfather does not bear the Sima surname. The only people we can trust are our own blood relatives."

"They all have their own ideas. When you go to Yuan City, you needn't do anything except watch them, make sure they complete the succession, and return with the emperor. If possible, spend some time getting to know him."

"But Jing and I agreed we would..."

Sima Yan was about to say more when he looked up and saw his father's fierce gaze. Frightened, he immediately lowered his head.

"I'll go right now!"

Inside Chaoyang Hall, Guo De sat facing the Empress Dowager.

Guo De no longer concealed his anger.

"Empress Dowager, I think the Sima Family truly cannot wait any longer. Now that the Grand General is gravely ill, Sima Zhao is already itching to act!"

"Whenever he speaks with me, he brings up the emperor's carriage and ceremonial retinue. His eyes are full of longing."

"He deliberately sent Wang Su to welcome Cao Mao. I believe he simply doesn't want to support Cao Mao and still intends to use the Prince of Pengcheng to control the palace."

"We must think of something."

A trace of anger also appeared on Empress Dowager Guo's face. "All these years, we have been on excellent terms with the Sima Family. We followed their lead in everything and gave them our full support even in deposing and enthroning emperors. And now they treat us like this?"

"Hah! When has the Sima Family ever honored friendship?"

"They will certainly cause more trouble. Perhaps their next move will be against us."

"Our Guo Family cannot match their Sima Clan, but the Sima Clan cannot cover the sky with one hand, either. Ever since Emperor Wen's reign, all our worthy men have assisted in governing the court together, with the Sima Family merely taking the lead. Now that the Sima Clan is so eager to move against us, what will the other worthy men think?"

"I will have Father visit them and secure their support. If the Sima Clan disregards everything and eliminates us today, those men will be next. They won't stand by and watch us be destroyed."

Ever since Cao Pi had compromised and made concessions to the aristocratic clans, clannish politics had steadily grown more powerful. Nearly all court offices had fallen into the hands of those great families, leaving no room for anyone else.

"Chief ministers must rise from provincial service, and fierce generals must emerge from the ranks" had become so much hot air.

They cooperated with one another while also opposing one another. They cared neither who became emperor nor about the lowly commoners in the provinces.

They monopolized everything: knowledge, land, offices, noble titles...

Even Sima Shi would have found it difficult to resolve this problem. After all, his Sima Family was now the greatest aristocratic clan of them all.

All the Sima Family could do was continually strengthen its own clan to suppress the other great families.

This time, Cao Mao had exploited the gap in their information and their mutual distrust to sow suspicion within the Sima Family's own camp.

That suspicion had always existed. Cao Mao had merely made it more apparent.

"Then what do you want me to do?"

Empress Dowager Guo asked.

"Build support for Cao Mao. Have all the ministers acknowledge this new Son of Heaven, and make the Prince of Pengcheng's crimes public, so the Sima Family abandons any thought of enthroning him."

"Hmm... How should we build that support?"

"I heard from Jian that Cao Mao has always addressed him as his maternal uncle, treating the Emperor of the Filial and Enlightened Ancestor as his father and you as his mother."

"If Cao Mao is to become emperor, he must inherit the mantle of the Emperor of the Filial and Enlightened Ancestor."

Why not make that relationship official? Take him as your son, have him succeed Emperor Xiaoming, the Filial and Enlightened Ancestor, and entrust him with the sacrifices at the Founding Ancestor's temple. Wouldn't that make him the rightful heir?

"You mean, just as we did with Cao Fang?"

"Cao Fang was truly devoid of virtue, but Cao Mao is different. He is especially close to our family. If you take him as your son, we will still have the final say within the palace."

"And he will become the rightful heir. Would the Sima Family still dare talk about enthroning the Prince of Pengcheng?"

"Excellent!"