Even within the same family, the interests of its members differed. The Sima Family was not united from top to bottom. Had Sima Shi not been so domineering, they would long since have started biting at one another.
The Sima Family's widespread enfeoffment of princes was not only meant to learn from Wei's mistakes and suppress the great clans, but also to bind the interests of the entire family together.
Cao Mao did not care whether the thorn he had planted would prove useful. He would do it first and worry about that later.
Doing something was always better than doing nothing!
Sima Fu soon left the imperial palace without bringing up his son again.
He seemed rather distracted. Sima Fu did not have such lofty ambitions, nor had he ever thought of competing with his nephews for anything. Though that position was full of temptation, it was equally fraught with danger.
He did not possess Sima Shi's boldness.
Besides, his elder brother had entrusted the great undertaking to him, asking him to help his nephews accomplish it. How could he harbor improper ambitions? If he let the emperor bewitch him into stirring up infighting, the Sima Family would surely perish!
When Sima Fu returned to his residence, Sima Wang was already waiting for him.
"Father? How did it go? Did you get him to withdraw the edict?"
Sima Shi and the others could disregard the emperor's edicts, but Sima Fu and Sima Wang could not.
Sima Fu shook his head helplessly, and father and son sat facing each other.
Sima Wang's eyes were filled with despair. "Father, I must leave. Ever since Jia Chong was killed, His Majesty has grown increasingly close to me. He claims he has nightmares every day and even wants me to stay in the