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Text: Yanyan
Edited by Yeon-yeon
Preface
"Why don't you eat minced meat", how did Emperor Hui of Jin, who has been passed down through the ages with a sentence, ascend to the throne?
In those turbulent times, the emperor, who was considered to lack political wisdom, was thrust to the pinnacle of power and became a pawn in the struggle for power.
What kind of scheming and calculation made him finally ascend to the seemingly glorious but dangerous throne? In his short and turbulent imperial career, what kind of changes have he experienced?
1. The birth of the "stupid" emperor: Sima Zhen's early life
Among the many sons of Sima Yan, the founding emperor of the Western Jin Dynasty, Sima Zhen was inconspicuous. As the second son of Empress Yang Yan, he was not supposed to be the heir to the empire.
However, as fate would have it, his eldest brother died early, making him the first candidate for the crown prince. This change not only changed the trajectory of Sima Zhen's life, but also laid hidden dangers for the Western Jin Dynasty.
In this family, known for its talent and strategy, Sima Zhen's mediocrity stands out, as if it were the product of a genetic mutation.
In 267 AD, Sima Zhen, who was only nine years old, was made crown prince. At the time, this decision did not cause much controversy. It is generally accepted that it is understandable for a young child to have some dullness, perhaps just because they are introverted and do not like to talk.
However, as time passed, Sima Zhen's "stupidity" became more and more obvious. This "stupidity" is not only manifested in words and deeds, but also in his ability to understand complex political situations.
In a court full of power and intrigue, Sima Zhen's simplicity and dullness became his biggest weakness, and also laid the groundwork for future tragedies. His father, Sima Yan, and mother, Yang Yan, are both smart and capable people, but Sima Zhen seems to have bypassed their excellent genes perfectly.
This situation is reminiscent of a later sentence by Zeng Guofan: "The family is too prosperous, the blessings cannot be enjoyed, and the power cannot be exhausted, everyone must remember these two words." It seems that Sima Zhen's "stupidity" is the retribution of the ancestors who are too calculated.
This genetic anomaly has also sparked many speculations, with some believing that it may be the result of long-term consanguineous marriages, while others wonder if anyone did anything to him when he was a child. In any case, Sima Zhen's "stupidity" became the biggest hidden danger of the Western Jin Dynasty.
Sima Zhen's "stupidity" is mainly reflected in two famous stories. One of the most well-known is the allusion to "why not eat minced meat". One day, the court was discussing how to save the people from starvation.
Sima Zhen watched the ministers spitting and suddenly asked, "Why don't they drink meat porridge?" This innocent question plunged the entire court into an awkward silence.
This question not only shows Sima Zhen's ignorance of the people's suffering, but also exposes his incompetence as a ruler. In an era of raging famine, the emperor did not know that the people could not even eat coarse grains, and this kind of statement that was out of touch with reality would undoubtedly cause resentment among the people.
Another story takes place in Hualin Garden. When Sima Cheng heard the croaking of frogs, he actually asked his entourage: "Are they chirping for public or private purposes?" "The question is either dementia or philosophy, which is difficult to answer anyway.
Although this question may seem absurd, it can also be understood from another angle: is Sima Zhen thinking about the distinction between public and private in his own way?
Perhaps, this question, which is considered stupid, actually reflects a certain naïve understanding of his statecraft. However, in the political environment of the time, this naïve way of thinking would undoubtedly be seen as a sign of incompetence.
2. The promoter of power: Sima Zhen's road to the throne
Despite his apparent dullness, Sima Cheng eventually ascended to the throne. There are four important drivers behind this. The existence of these four promoters not only shows the complex political ecology of the time, but also reflects the cruel nature of the power struggle.
In this power game, Sima Cheng has become a pawn in the competition between various forces, and his "stupidity" has instead become an advantage in the eyes of some people - an easy-to-control puppet emperor.
The first promoter was his mother, Yang Yan. As the queen, Yang Yan not only said good things for her son, but also bought off her favorite concubine Zhao for Sima Zhen's kind words.
She even carefully designed a set of "chicken soup" style rhetoric: it is normal for children to have no eloquence when they are young, as long as they are kind and willing to work hard, they will definitely make a difference in the future.
Although these words were empty, they accumulated over time, and they actually made Sima Yan have a little more confidence in his son. Yang Yan's approach shows her good intentions as a mother, and it also reflects her old spiciness as a politician.
She knows very well that in imperial politics, the power of public opinion cannot be underestimated, so she spares no effort to create a favorable public opinion environment for her son.
Yang Yan's power is much more than that. She was born in the prominent Hongnong Yang clan and has a background of "four generations and three dukes". Through her, the Yang family once again stepped onto the political stage and became the most powerful relative and the most determined "princeling".
The rise of the Yang family not only provided Sima Zhen with a strong political backing, but also changed the power structure of the imperial court. As relatives, the interests of the Yang family were closely linked to Sima Zhen's fate, so they became the staunchest supporters of maintaining Sima Zhen's position.
Although this political alliance strengthened Sima Zhen's position in the short term, it also buried the hidden danger of excessive concentration of power. Unfortunately, Yang Yan died young.
Before she died, she entrusted Sima Yan with one thing: she asked him to make her cousin Yang Zhi the queen. Sima Yan agreed to this request, and Yang Zhi lived up to his trust and continued to maintain Sima Zhen's position as the crown prince.
Yang Yan's arrangement was clever, and she took her place with her own relatives, ensuring continued support for Sima Zhen.
However, this arrangement also reflected the complexity and brutality of court politics at the time. In this vortex of power, family affection and political interests are often inseparable, and everyone must take it step by step.
3. Clever tongue: Jia Nanfeng's role
The second promoter is Sima Xin's wife, Jia Nanfeng. This marriage was a political marriage arranged by Yang Yan for her son before her death. Jia Nanfeng's father, Jia Chong, was the founder of the Western Jin Dynasty and won the trust of the Sima family.
This marriage not only consolidated the alliance between the Sima family and the Jia family, but also added a powerful ally to Sima Zhen. However, this seemingly perfect political arrangement was degenerated by Jia Nanfeng's personal ambitions, and eventually became a nightmare for the Western Jin Dynasty.
Although Jia Nanfeng is ugly, he inherited his father's strategy and scheming. Once, Sima Yan sent someone to seal a few difficult questions for Sima Zhen to answer. Jia Nanfeng was keenly aware that this was a test and immediately organized people to prepare the answers.
What's even more ingenious is that she does not let people copy it completely, but reorganizes the language according to Sima Xin's usual expressions, so that the answers not only show the internal logic, but also maintain Sima Zhen's usual simple style.
This elaborate "cheating" not only shows Jia Nanfeng's ingenuity, but also reflects her thirst for power and keen grasp of the political situation. She knew very well that only by maintaining Sima Zhen's position could she retain her power.
Sima Yan was pleasantly surprised by this answer, and he began to think that the crown prince was not really stupid. Jia Nanfeng's hand can be described as a clever "exam cheating". However, while this deception was successful in the short term, it also laid the groundwork for the future.
Sima Yan's misjudgment of his son's abilities eventually led him to make the decision to pass the throne to Sima Zhen, a decision that had a profound impact on the Western Jin Dynasty.
However, Jia Nanfeng is also a highly controversial figure. She is jealous, vicious, scheming, drilling, and power-loving, and can be called a typical scorpion character among the concubines of the Chinese dynasties.
She was extremely cruel to the other concubines in the East Palace, and even personally injured the pregnant woman with a weapon, resulting in the death of the fetus. This kind of behavior is chilling, and it also brings a huge obstacle to the reproduction of Sima Zhen's descendants.
These actions of Jia Nanfeng not only reflected her personal cruel character, but also exposed the dark side of court politics at that time. In this whirlpool of power, in order to maintain her position, she did not hesitate to resort to the most extreme means.
Although this extreme behavior strengthened her power in the short term, it also laid the groundwork for future political upheaval.
Fourth, the intelligent offspring: the emergence of Sima Shu
The third promoter is Sima Shu, the son of Sima Zhen. Due to Jia Nanfeng's obstruction, Sima Zhen has never had an heir. This made Sima Yan very worried, so he arranged for the palace maid Xie Jiu to "make up the class".
Xie Jiu soon became pregnant, but because she was afraid of Jia Nanfeng, she chose to hide the news and applied to be transferred back to her original position. Although this decision protected the safety of her and the fetus, it also caused Sima Shu to lose his father's love and royal cultivation in the first few years.
This special growth environment may have been an important factor in the development of Sima Shu's intelligence. A few years later, when Sima Cheng visited his father, he accidentally found a little boy of three or four years old.
This child is Sima Shu, he is smart and clever, and he is deeply loved by Sima Yan. Five-year-old Sima Shu was able to remind his grandfather to pay attention to safety when a fire broke out in the palace, which gave Sima Yan hope.
Although the crown prince is stupid, having a clever grandson seems to make up for this flaw. The appearance of Sima Shu not only gave Sima Yan great comfort, but also brought a glimmer of hope for the future of the Western Jin Dynasty.
However, this hope also brings with it new political complexities. Sima Shu's ingenuity could threaten the position of other princes, triggering a new power struggle. Sima Shu's existence is a double-edged sword for Sima Zhen.
On the one hand, his ingenuity earned his father some accolades, consolidating the crown prince's throne; On the other hand, his outstanding performance also highlighted his father's mediocrity, which may have raised questions about the succession to the throne among some ministers.
This kind of complicated father-son relationship is not uncommon in history, but it is particularly prominent in an emperor like Sima Zhen, who is considered a "fool". The existence of Sima Shu has become, to a certain extent, an important factor in maintaining the Western Jin Dynasty.
5. Brotherly dispute: Sima Yan's heart knot
The fourth promoter, unexpectedly, was Sima Yan himself. Although he considered changing the crown prince many times, deep down he did not want to do so. The reason is not how much he prefers Sima Zhen, but because he has a grudge against another candidate, Sima You.
Sima You is Sima Yan's younger brother of the same father and mother, and was passed on to Sima Shi since he was a child. He was Sima Yan's biggest contender for the throne. Sima Zhao said many times before his death that he wanted to make Sima You the crown prince, which made Sima Yan always have a shadow in his heart.
When the courtiers proposed to abolish the crown prince and elect Sima You, Sima Yan's resistance would emerge. In order to test Sima You's loyalty, he deliberately issued an edict to let Sima You return to his fiefdom.
This sparked a backlash from the courtiers, and Sima You happened to be ill at this time and was unable to set off. All kinds of coincidences deepened the suspicion between the brothers. Eventually, Sima You died of illness on the way to the fiefdom.
This incident made Sima Yan feel both victorious and full of guilt. This complex psychology has instead become a barrier to protect the position of Prince Sima Zhen.
epilogue
Sima Zhen's life is, in a sense, a tragedy. His "stupidity", whether true or not, has become a label of history.
Driven by various forces, he ascended to the throne in a vague way, but he was unable to control the government. His incompetence led to the decline of the Western Jin Dynasty, triggering the "Rebellion of the Eight Kings" and ultimately leading to the demise of the dynasty.
Sima Zhen's story is not only a tragedy of one person, but also a microcosm of an era, warning future generations of the complex relationship between power, conspiracy and human nature.