The emperor has supreme power, but such rights are difficult to last, and throughout the history books, the longest-lasting dynasty is the Zhou Dynasty, which has a history of about 800 years. Most dynasties last only about 300 years, and some are even shorter. How to make the country more stable is the duty of every emperor. Dutifully handle the government of the dynasty, sincerely pray for the protection of the heavens, even in the old age can not be neglected, must choose a good heir for the dynasty.
Ancient emperors usually chose heirs based on the eight words "Li Yan Li Chang, Li Zi Yi Xian". Compared with concubines, the empress was born to everyone and was married by the Ming media, and the eldest son she gave birth to was naturally the best candidate for the crown prince. For example, Li Shimin's first prince, Li Chengqian, and the Kangxi Emperor's first prince, Yin Rong. If the empress fails to give birth to a concubine, the position of crown prince usually falls to the most virtuous of the sons.
In August of the second year of Xianxi, Sima Zhao, who had been in power for a while, swallowed his last breath. Sima Yan, who was nearly a year old, felt a little happiness in his heart while he was grieving. Four months after succeeding Xiang guo and the King of Jin, the spirited Sima Yan took over the edict personally presented by the Wei Yuan Emperor Cao Wan, realizing the emperor's dream of three generations of the Sima family.
As soon as the throne was secured, the fold of the crown prince was sent to Sima Yan's desk. Sima Yan had a concubine, and Empress Yang Yan gave birth to three sons in one go. In addition to the death of her eldest son Sima Zheng at the age of two, she also had 9-year-old Sima Zheng and 6-year-old Sima Kam under her knees. Neither of the sons was very old, but they could already see their nature. The younger son, "Shen Min has insight", has a clear mind, and has courage and strategy. With this younger brother as a comparison, Sima Zheng's eldest brother is obviously not enough to see.
The Book of Jin and the Chronicle of Emperor Hui record that Sima Zheng heard a noise outside the palace and asked why this was so, and left and right replied: The world is in chaos, and the people are starving to death. Sima Zheng asked with a surprised face: They have no food to eat, why don't they drink porridge?
"Why don't you eat meat" is a joke made by Sima Zheng after he sat on the throne. Such a person, at the age of 9, has already shown a surprisingly low IQ. The well-informed Sima Yan naturally looked in his eyes. If this was the case, why did Sima Yan not give the position of prince to the wise second son, but to the foolish eldest son?
From being crowned prince at the age of 9 to sitting on the throne at the age of 31, Sima Zheng was able to spend it safely, thanks to 3 people. The first is his mother, Yang Yan. Don't look at Sima Yan in his later years, the harem was filled with tens of thousands of beauties, and he also played "sheep cart wangxing". In fact, when he was young, he and Empress Yang Yan were very affectionate, and Yang Yan gave birth to 3 sons and 3 daughters for him in succession. Perhaps because of the early death of his eldest son, Yang Yan gave all his favor to Sima Zheng. The youngest Sima Kam was no matter how clever he was, he was not as good as his stupid brother who won the heart of his mother.
However, whenEver Sima Yan had the idea of deposing the crown prince, Yang Yan would coldly say, "How can you be moved by the longevity of Li Yan and not the sage?" Worthy of being a relative couple every day, Yang Yan poked at Sima Yan's most vulnerable place with a single word. Sima Yan was able to have it now, thanks to his status as the eldest son of his concubine. His father, Sima Zhao, also had two concubines, Sima Yan was older and Sima You was younger. His younger brother, who had been very intelligent since childhood, spread his prestige and talents throughout the dynasty and abroad in and out of the dynasty as an adult, and was highly valued by his grandfather Sima Yi.
This talented uncle was Sima Zheng's second nobleman. Sima Zhaohe's wife Wang Yuanji preferred her younger son so much that in her later years she wanted to pass the throne to Sima You, but thanks to the courtiers' excuse of "establishing a concubine and establishing a long head", Sima Yan was given the position of crown prince of Jin. Despite gaining power, the love of his parents became Sima Yan's extravagant hope. Before his death, the second elder repeatedly told Sima Yan to take good care of his younger brother. Not only that, when Sima Yan asked the courtiers who could entrust the aftermath a hundred years later, they all got the same answer: "Sima You, the King of Qi."
Seeing Sima Zheng, Sima Yan seemed to see himself being comprehensively compared to his brother. If Sima Zheng is deposed, he will not be a fierce enemy who will complete his life. The stupid son who gave Jiangshan to himself could not be blinded, and left Jiangshan to his younger brother who was victorious over himself everywhere, let alone blind. Sima Yan hesitated for ten years, and finally, he saw the dawn.
This dawn was Sima Zheng's last nobleman and his eldest son, Sima Song. Although Sima Song was not born to Sima Zhengzheng's wife Jia Nanfeng, he was intelligent since childhood and was very popular with Sima Yan, and he believed that "this child should revitalize my family". In Sima Yan's view, after a hundred years, with the help of courtiers, Sima Zheng was naturally able to smoothly overtake the throne to his grandson Sima Song.
What Sima Yan did not expect was that his wife Jia Nanfeng, whom he personally selected for Sima Zheng, first killed Sima Song and then led to the "Rebellion of the Eight Kings". The foolish son Sima Zheng was displaced for a lifetime, lost his country, and eventually lost his life.