After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 812 - 802: Persuasion

Looking at Zhou Chang’s corpse, the emperor felt deeply troubled in his heart and somberly instructed, "Find a way to get him a coffin and bury him properly."

All these captives were under guards and could move within a designated area, but beyond that, they were restricted.

If someone died and had money, perhaps their family could bribe the Xiongnu to help gather a coffin; otherwise, they would be rolled in a mat and discarded at the burial ground.

Here, there were no nobles or influential families; all were captives, bereft of any dignity.

Zhou Chang had no family; his servants were caught and taken to the military as slaves when they were captured, and their fate was uncertain.

When they were captured, their wealth was thoroughly seized, and most had no spare money left, so the cost of a coffin, even for those once incredibly wealthy, had to be gathered with difficulty.

Everyone pooled what they could, and Zhao Zhongyu even donated a jade piece, one of the few possessions he had left.

Once people had gathered enough money to bribe the Xiongnu to help buy a coffin, only the master and servant remained in the hall.

Zhao Zhongyu asked the emperor, "Your Majesty, do you still refuse to die?"

The emperor remained silent.

Zhao Zhongyu, with tears falling, said, "Since Your Majesty won’t die, we can only bear this shame with you, yet witnessing Your Majesty endure such humiliation pains us deeply, fearing we won’t live long either."

Zhao Zhongyu urged, "It might be better to die sooner, at least with more dignity."

The emperor replied, "Where is the dignity for a ruler of a fallen dynasty?"

He said, "Chief of Staff, I... I wish to see what will become of my Great Jin, Governor Zhao should come to rescue me, shouldn’t she?"

He looked eagerly at Zhao Zhongyu, saying, "Even if not for me, she would come for you, wouldn’t she?"

Zhao Zhongyu said, "Your Majesty, no captive king has ever returned to reclaim the throne, the imperial family still has King Wu..."

"King Wu is dead," the emperor replied, "Liu Cong told me, when Yun City fell, he was killed amidst the chaos of war, and twenty-eight members of the imperial family were killed at that time, I’ve seen the list."

Yet amidst his sorrow over the fallen dynasty, he hadn’t focused on this matter.

Stunned, Zhao Zhongyu asked, "Then what of Prince Yuzhang, King Qin, and Prince Xindu?"

Unlike Zhao Hanzhang, Zhao Zhongyu knew the imperial family members very well. After all, the Sima family had such a tendency to die, there was always a need to prepare for the next emperor.

Thus, they had to know the children in the imperial family, their bloodlines, and each one’s character.

When Yun City fell, the Crown Prince also died, Zhao Zhongyu carefully calculated, and now only Prince Yuzhang, King Qin, and Prince Xindu remained in Emperor Jin Wu’s lineage.

Prince Yuzhang is the Crown Prince’s brother, both sons of King Kang of Qinghe, though the emperor had no son; the Crown Prince was adopted.

Two years ago, someone suggested Zhao Hanzhang should enter the palace as Empress, and not long after, the emperor and empress adopted King Kang’s son Sima Quan as the Crown Prince.

He is only ten years old this year.

Prince Yuzhang is even younger, only nine years old this year, and Zhao Zhongyu looked eagerly at the emperor.

The emperor said, "He’s not on the list, King Qin and Prince Xindu have also disappeared, their whereabouts unknown."

Zhao Zhongyu breathed a sigh of relief, King Qin and Prince Xindu are both sons of King Wu, although he had a son adopted into King Qin’s family in earlier years, thus inheriting the title at a young age.

Back then, King Wu had many sons and didn’t mind giving away one or two; they were all Sima bloodline, gaining a Sima’s title was beneficial.

But now, through several wars, only two sons remain, oh no, officially there’s only Prince Xindu left.

King Qin is likewise young, slightly younger than the Crown Prince by two months, and Prince Xindu is even younger, seven or eight years old perhaps?

Zhao Zhongyu somewhat couldn’t recall his birthdate.

At such ages, it’s uncertain if they can survive in these turbulent times, and even if they do, whether someone can find them. If Yu State gets hold of the imperial family members, one should be supported as the new emperor, right?

Gou Xi and Gou Chun were both captured by Shi Le, and now, in Jin State, no one is stronger than Zhao Hanzhang. The emperor she establishes should be able to rally support.

Thus, the existence of Emperor Jin does not benefit Yu State and Great Jin. Being a captive emperor in enemy territory, aside from being used by enemy nations to threaten Great Jin, what utility does he have?

If it were before, Zhao Zhongyu wouldn’t have advised the emperor so directly; persuasion requires some tact as the emperor is his superior and needs to be appeased gently.

But now, both are prisoners, captives, so Zhao Zhongyu stated plainly, "Your Majesty, they will establish a new emperor and appoint new ministers. When that time comes, those like us, former emperor and ministers, aside from defecting to the enemy nation, will have no path but death."

"Whether you die sooner or later, it’s death; why endure further humiliation and leave a futile note in the history books before dying?"

Emperor Jin opened his mouth, wanting to speak several times, yet words wouldn’t come.

Zhao Zhongyu seemed to know his thoughts and asked softly, "Your Majesty, are you worried that if the three young princes all meet misfortune, Jin’s downfall will be attributed to you?"

Emperor Jin sighed and nodded.

"Your Majesty wishes to protect himself as a ruler of a fallen dynasty, yet forgets the Sima family once killed a sovereign in public, already violating protocol, and Xiongnu know no propriety, with wolfish ambition. How would they respect our Huaxia rituals?" Zhao Zhongyu urged, "Rather than dying disgracefully then, wouldn’t it be better to end it sooner?"

Had Emperor Jin been a weak character, he might have been persuaded by Zhao Zhongyu, but he wasn’t; he still clung to a thread of hope internally. Moreover, even if he wished to die, he couldn’t bring himself to do it, and letting Zhao Zhongyu do it, he wasn’t agreeable.

Unable to act, they remain alive for now.

Seeing this, Zhao Zhongyu felt more sorrowful; indeed, if Emperor Jin had a chance to survive, he’d still wish to protect him as much as possible, due to their bond as sovereign and minister.

As a minister, he takes the ruler as his priority.

But as he sees it, the Xiongnu are unlikely to follow Huaxia principles and let Emperor Jin live, especially given today’s events, Zhao Zhongyu has only grown more certain.

A ruler of a fallen dynasty should be treated kindly.

Since the days of Xia and Shang, it’s been Huaxia tradition that during a state’s changeover, the former emperor and royal line should be treated well, a tradition of two thousand years.

Passed on for two thousand years, an unexpected breach occurred with the Sima family.

The Sima family seized power and dared to kill an emperor in public, thus even Zhao Zhongyu, loyal to Jin State, must internally detest this act.

Wei Wen Emperor’s replacement of the Han dynasty was justified, regardless of coercion in Han Xian Emperor’s abdication, as ultimately he spoke to abdicate the throne to Wei Wen Emperor.

Furthermore, Wei Wen Emperor took the throne only after three refusals.

After Han Xian Emperor stepped down, Wei Wen Emperor treated him kindly, allowing him to live another fourteen years until a natural death; oh, to add, Wei Wen Emperor died even earlier than Han Xian Emperor. Ultimately, Emperor Wen’s son Emperor Ming oversaw Han Xian Emperor’s funeral after death, bringing ministers to mourn, conducting the funeral and rites as per imperial standards.

Yet before the Sima family took power from Wei Yuan Emperor, they’d erased traces of another Emperor Wei, who for sixty years, no one dared mention, who was slain publicly, stripped of imperial titles, and cast aside as a commoner, yet within aristocratic circles, who doesn’t know of this emperor?

The Sima family has held power for over fifty years but cannot gain public trust, as they broke alliances and promises, committed plots and usurpation.

Now, Emperor Jin wishes ironically to seek protection from the very traditions they once destroyed, hoping Xiongnu would uphold such rituals. How laughable indeed?