This article is the eighteenth article in the series of "Brief Reading of the History of Jin" of the Three Kingdoms.
The focus of this article: the history of Sima Yan's ascension to the throne
Sima Zhao accepted the title of Duke of Jin in the process of destroying Shu, and five months later rose to the rank of King of Jin by virtue of his merits and prestige in destroying Shu. At that time, Sima Zhao also chose a son, that is, Sima Yan. In fact, before Sima Yan was formally established, there were still some storms, since it is a review of the history of Jin, we may wish to review the history of Sima Yan's ascension to the throne.
Sima Yan was the eldest son of Sima Zhao. The history books call him a generous man and a very measured person. During the Jiaping period, he was given the title of Marquis of Beipingting, and after joining the work, he successively served as a lieutenant of Shi Zhong, a lieutenant of Fengche, a general of Zhonglei, a regular attendant of scattered horses, a middle guard, and a false festival. Because he welcomed Cao Huan into the dynasty as emperor, he was promoted to zhongfu jun, the marquis of Xinchang township. After the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, Sima Yan was made a shizi, a general of the army, and enjoyed the privileges of opening the capital.
One: Sima Zhao insisted on establishing Sima You?
It is said that in the early years, Sima Zhao had always believed that Sima Shi was Sima Yi's eldest son, and considering that Sima Shi did not have a son, Sima Zhao passed on his son, Sima Yan's younger brother Sima You, to Sima Shi as his heir. Sima Zhao was extremely fond of Sima You, and Sima Zhao repeatedly publicly stated that he was only temporarily serving as a xiang, and that after his death, the world's major events should belong to Sima You.
Every time someone discussed the matter, Sima Zhao would insist: "This is the world of King Jing, and I cannot monopolize it." ”
Sima Zhao's idea lasted until the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, and the choice of shizi was imminent, but Sima Zhao still liked Sima You. In desperation, He Zeng and others urged Sima Zhao bitterly: "Sima Yan is wise and divine, and has supernatural talents. Sima Yan's hair fell to the ground with his hands over his knees, this is not the face of a human subject! ”
What does it mean not to be human? That's the Emperor!
Under the bitter advice of He Zeng and others, Sima Zhao finally decided to make Sima Yan the son of the world.
Two: What does Sima You represent?
Many people will definitely wonder why Sima Zhao insisted on establishing Sima You, and even made a statement in public many times.
There is a line of thought that can assist our understanding, that is, the transfer of power between Sima Shi and Sima Zhao is not so perfect.
We know that the Sima family and its support forces have combined into a super huge interest bundle group. In order to maximize the interests of their own families, each branch of interest must invest in the Sima family.
Since Sima Yi's power was completely consolidated, there was a high probability that major interest groups would invest capital in Sima Shi, who was the eldest son of his concubine. After Sima Shi successfully succeeded to the throne, he also formulated a new team of twenty people, cutting out the remaining people and Sima Shi outside the Cao clan's in-laws and interest bundled groups, which we can regard as a huge core community of interests.
Some people may ask Sima Shi if he has no sons, how to reassure investors? In fact, around the time Sima Shi ascended the throne, Sima Zhao had already passed Sima You over to Sima Shi. In this way, all shareholders have invested in Sima Shi with confidence and sought to maximize their interests.
But who knows, Sima Shi died too early, and it was not Sima You who succeeded Sima Shi but his second son Sima Zhao. Under Sima Zhao's power, most families would also take a wait-and-see attitude. For Sima Zhao, on the other hand, in the process of the Sima family's erosion of the Wei Dynasty's power, he also had to win over the family clan that had invested in Sima Shi.
In view of this, Sima Zhao will certainly declare in public many times that this is Sima Shi's world and that he will return to Sima You in the future. But talk to talk, fart to fart. When Sima Zhao had completely eroded Cao Wei, he had also cultivated countless family henchmen who had invested in himself, and as long as he and his son's interest groups were stable, Sima Shi's power would not make waves in a short period of time.
In view of this, Sima Zhao had often claimed that he had abdicated Sima You after his death in order to maintain Sima Shi's old party. Sima Zhao's formal choice of the son before his death was an inevitable choice after his wings were full.
But in doing so, is there no worries? In fact, twenty or thirty years later, Sima You's son Sima You, at the time of the decline of imperial power, became one of the participants in the Rebellion of the Eight Kings and dealt a heavy blow to the Jin Dynasty. In the Rebellion of the Eight Kings, everyone was actually supported by behind-the-scenes forces, and Sima Ran was able to make a fuss, as if we could vaguely see some flaws in the transfer of power between Sima Shi and Sima Zhao.
Three: Officially ascended!
In May of the second year of Xianxi, Sima Yan became crown prince because Sima Zhao was given the same etiquette as the Son of Heaven. In August, Sima Zhao died, and Sima Yan served as the King of Xiangguo and Jin.
After Sima Yan ascended to the throne, he ordered that a policy of forgiveness be implemented in the feudal country, that the punishment of some guilty people be reduced, and that the relevant personnel in the feudal country wear filial piety clothes and live in mourning for three days.
Since Sima Zhao had paved his future path earlier, Sima Yan did not need to rub it anymore, and the Xiangrui that should be there would come. Before Sima Yan forced Cao Yan to abdicate, he made a series of arrangements for the sake of safety.
In September, Sima Yanfeng He was made chancellor of the Jin dynasty, Wang Shen was made the Imperial Counselor, Jia Chong was made the Wei general, and Pei Xiu was made Shang Shuling and Guanglu Dafu, all of whom enjoyed the power to open the palace. In November, Sima Yan set up four guards and firmly grasped the military power in Luoyang and the whole country.
After that, Sima Yan ordered that some policies beneficial to the people be implemented in various places.
For a time, there was harmony within the Jin Kingdom, and the world returned to Jin. Cao Huan thought that he had exhausted his history, so he sent Zheng Chong to convey his decision to take the Zen position.
After Sima Yan received the edict, he resigned three times according to etiquette. Finally, under the insistence of He Zeng, Wang Shen and others, Sima Yan was officially enlightened.
A new page in history has been opened.
Text: Talking about the author of the Three Kingdoms XXY