Chapter 2 Nephew and Uncle, Neither is Worth a Damn

Chapter 2: Of Nephew and Uncle, Neither Worth a Damn

The emperor is dead.

His Majesty has passed away!

When Wang Shenai was shoved to the front of Taiji Hall, she felt everything reeked of the absurd, like a ramshackle traveling show. But then again…

Before this, everything had seemed shrouded in mist, but now, the fog had lifted—scorched away entirely by Noble Lady Zhang’s blaze.

Perhaps only now was her mind truly clear.

…

Palace attendants, each holding a lantern, encircled the entire Taiji Hall.

Emperor Xiaowu, Sima Yao, had been hastily prepared, dressed in formal robes, and laid out in the grand hall.

Noble Lady Zhang, the regicide, was brought there too, still disheveled and wild-haired.

She seemed to have lost her mind, utterly indifferent to whether she still carried the dignity of a once-favored imperial consort, merely giggling mindlessly.

For a fleeting moment, Wang Shenai’s gaze met hers—like staring into a dark, stagnant mire.

But the next instant, those eyes snapped shut as a palm, broad as a cattail fan, struck her face with such force that she was sent sprawling to the ground.

A towering figure suddenly lunged forward, pressing down on Noble Lady Zhang.

"Why did you kill my son?! He was the emperor—your husband!"

The woman’s face was already dark, but now, flushed with rage, she looked even more terrifying. Were it not for her lavish silk robes and jeweled headdress, one might have mistaken her for a runaway Kunlun slave.

Noble Lady Zhang shoved her hand away and broke into mad laughter, offering no reply.

Just as that dark, thick hand was about to strike again, another hand seized the woman’s wrist. "Mother!"

The speaker was the same man who had earlier led the charge into Noble Lady Zhang’s chambers. Now standing at the forefront, he commanded presence. That single word—"Mother"—confirmed his identity.

He was the emperor’s younger brother, Sima Daozi, the Prince of Kuaiji.

"Someone assist the Empress Dowager at once!" he barked before lowering his voice to the noblewoman. "This is no place for such outbursts."

Whether it was the voice from the heavens still echoing above or her son’s reminder, the Empress Dowager slowly rose, bewildered, as the Prince of Kuaiji and attendants guided her aside.

Wang Shenai finally got a clear look at the Empress Dowager.

Rumors said she had once been an embroidery maid, chosen by a fortune-teller to become the emperor’s consort. Only after her son ascended the throne did she attain her current exalted status—hardly the conventional "Empress Dowager."

Sturdy and imposing, had she been allowed to continue beating Noble Lady Zhang, the latter would have been either dead or maimed beyond recovery. Fortunately, the dead emperor’s brother intervened. Now seated, she gradually regained her composure.

The palace attendants and courtiers already present kept their eyes downcast, pretending not to notice the scene.

Others simply turned their gazes toward Wang Shenai.

If the spectacle of the Empress Dowager assaulting a consort, only to be restrained by a prince, was an absurd spectacle, the situation here was no better.

The youth’s features were unremarkable, but even with his father dead, not a trace of grief showed on his face. Instead, he tugged aimlessly at his winter robes—clearly an imbecile.

At least the Crown Princess, born of the Langya Wang clan, was a graceful and sharp-witted presence.

Yet in the face of today’s turmoil, she could do nothing but watch like the rest.

Most thought so, and thus no one noticed that before entering the Taiji Hall, she had quietly instructed her personal attendant to leave.

Now, confronted with Sima Yao’s sudden death and the ensuing chaos, though young, she remained composed, continuing to listen to the voice from above.

From the discovery of the emperor’s murder by Noble Lady Zhang to this moment, everything had happened in a whirlwind.

The voice from the heavens had just finished recounting historical records of Noble Lady Zhang’s regicide, along with various conspiracy theories surrounding Sima Yao’s death.

This left Sima Daozi, standing beside the Empress Dowager, looking visibly unsettled.

One theory suggested he had orchestrated the murder, resentful that his elder brother reigned while his idiot nephew remained crown prince—all to seize greater power for himself.

The Empress Dowager, who had moments ago been ready to slap Noble Lady Zhang again, now turned a suspicious gaze upon her other son.

Sima Daozi scanned the room, eyes burning with intensity. "Compose yourselves! Who knows if this is Heaven’s decree or its wrath?"

The scattered murmurs died down momentarily.

The voice from the heavens finally overshadowed all other noise.

【Alright, setting aside conspiracies for now, back to the main topic. The emperor is dead, and with that, a flood of crises emerges.】

【This was an era where anyone would feel despair. Unfortunately, Emperor Yong'an was born into this very turmoil.】

【The first and foremost question—who succeeds the throne?】

【Everything else can wait, but the imperial throne is paramount.】

【And here arises the most ridiculous spectacle. The late emperor—already smothered to death by his favorite consort, a death so absurd it could compete with drowning in a latrine or starving for a spot in the annals of imperial disgrace—has an eldest son, the crown prince no less, who is an imbecile.】

【Historical records describe him as stuttering, nearly mute, requiring attendants for daily needs, else he’d mistake seasons and behave improperly. Subsequent events prove this no exaggeration. Yes, he truly is an idiot.】

【How can an idiot be emperor?】

In an instant, all eyes turned to Sima Dezong.

Compared to his father’s death, perhaps this scrutiny elicited more of a reaction.

Yet he clearly couldn’t grasp why everyone was staring, growing only irritated, his brow furrowing deeply.

Had it not been for the talking, moving celestial display—a novel amusement for the feeble-minded heir—he might have already flailed in anger.

"...Indeed, how can an idiot be emperor?" Sima Daozi murmured to himself.

The voice from the heavens had earlier claimed that Emperor Yong'an rose to power precisely because of Sima Dezong’s idiocy, enabling him to control the court by using the emperor as his pawn.

If this great emperor sprung from their own bloodline, all would be well. If not, the best way to forestall calamity was to place a competent ruler on the throne.

But then another thought struck him—wait!

Hadn’t he once encouraged his brother to drown in wine and pleasures, ceding authority to him? He hadn’t cared that his brother chose a fool as heir precisely because he knew that with Sima Dezong as emperor, he, the imperial uncle, could continue holding power as the regent, governing the empire in the emperor’s name.

But if that were the case—

The astonishing thought made Sima Daozi’s pulse race.

Were it not for the celestial voice resounding through the hall, his distress would surely have been noticed.

【An idiot definitely can't be emperor. Any wise ruler would give that answer without hesitation,】 the female voice from the heavenly display was thick with mockery. 【But the history of the Jin Dynasty provided an answer—they actually thought an idiot could be emperor. Not just once, but twice!】

【As is well known, the Jin Dynasty was divided into the Western Jin and Eastern Jin. Yet, unlike the Han Dynasty, which also split into Western and Eastern but remained a unified empire, the transition from Western Jin to Eastern Jin occurred because of the "Rebellion of the Eight Princes" and Xiongnu incursions during the late Western Jin. Forced to flee south, they reestablished their regime in Jiankang (modern-day Nanjing), creating the Eastern Jin—a southern dynasty retreating to a corner of the land.】

A downgrade in regime.

【Coincidentally, the Western Jin's Emperor Wu passed the throne to his idiot son, and the Eastern Jin's Emperor Wu, after his accidental death, also left the throne to his idiot son.】

【It's hard to say whether this recurring phenomenon of idiot crown princes is related to the Sima clan's betrayal of the Oath by the Luo River. But throughout their century-long rule, the family became the butt of jokes, as if cursed by divine retribution.】

【Regardless, eighty years after the Eastern Jin's establishment in the south, they were about to face their second idiot emperor—a nightmare all over again. Let's all clap for them!】

Wang Shenai twitched at the firework animations blooming on the screen.

Even the mention of the Oath by the Luo River and the "idiot curse" sounded like a ghastly joke.

But after a brief chuckle, doubt gnawed at her heart.

Because she shared a name with the historical figure, she had once researched her historical counterpart's life.

If history followed its original course, after the fall of the Eastern Jin, it would take nearly two centuries before someone unified the land and ended the chaos of the Northern and Southern Dynasties—not the rapid rise of a Yong'an Emperor as described by the heavenly voice, sweeping across the divided realms like a heaven-descended warlord.

Having read many time-travel novels, she couldn't help but wonder: Had some extraordinary individual crossed into this era, using future knowledge to rally forces and achieve this feat?

If true, as the future empress of an idiot emperor, her position was perilous.

The best outcome for an empress of a puppet emperor was a death from illness.

Moreover, her mother was from the Sima clan—a princess of the imperial family—making her bloodline both noble and politically dangerous. For anyone seeking to overthrow the dynasty, there was no reason to spare her life.

Alternatively, history might have shifted for some reason, allowing someone close to victory to seize power.

But that still wouldn’t change her dangerous position.

Even now, her situation was dire.

Anyone could hear the mockery in the heavenly voice’s tone about an idiot inheriting the throne. So—

Why not just nip the danger in the bud?

In a dynasty where propriety had collapsed—where concubines killed emperors—why would courtiers hesitate to kill a crown prince and his consort who might bring ruin?

She had to find a way to survive. The minor preparations she’d taken earlier were far from enough.

The heavenly voice continued calmly:

【At this point, someone might ask: Why insist on making an idiot emperor?】

【The eldest son succession system isn’t rigid, especially in such circumstances. To quickly stabilize the court after the emperor’s murder, the best solution was to choose a suitable successor.】

【At the very least, this emperor should be lucid and competent—preferably not too young, to avoid being controlled by powerful ministers.】

【By age, Sima Daozi, the younger brother of the late Emperor Sima Yao, would've been a reasonable choice.】

Sima Daozi’s eyes lit up.

He failed to notice that the heavenly voice referred to him only by name and title—not with the honorific "the Yong'an Emperor."

In other words...

【But unfortunately, compared to an idiot, Sima Daozi is even worse!】

Sima Daozi: "…!"

Thunderstruck, he slowly raised his head toward the screen. But the heavenly voice clearly wouldn’t change just for him.

And he hadn’t misheard.

【In fact, much of the ensuing chaos can be credited to the Prince of Kuaiji, Sima Daozi. He created no end of troubles for the Yong'an Emperor’s rise to power and conquest of the realm.】

【Of course, even before the emperor’s death, he’d already done plenty of foolish things.】

【Sima Daozi surely knew that, given his reputation and past deeds, any sudden attempt to seize the throne—bypassing his nephew—would face fierce opposition. Better to let the idiot crown prince inherit. At least with this nephew as a shield and his mother’s support, he could maintain his privileges.】

【Let me give an example of why I can assert that Sima Daozi is even more of a Sima family aberration than the idiot Sima Dezong!】

【Thirteen years before Emperor Xiaowu of Eastern Jin, Sima Yao, was murdered, the Eastern Jin fought a famous battle against the northern regime Former Qin—the Battle of Feishui.】

The heavenly display shifted again.

From narration and text, it transitioned to an animated sequence.

Though the accompanying text was unfamiliar to the viewers below, they recognized the retreating convoy from Luoyang as the Jin imperial family and northern aristocratic families. Under the invasion of northern tribes, all pretense of dignity vanished—they had no choice but to flee south, salvaging their remaining forces.

Soon, centered in Jiankang, the imperial Sima clan, northern migrant aristocrats, and Jiangdong gentry formed a formidable alliance.

Army after army, still seething with resolve, marched north to reclaim lost lands—only to meet defeat midway.

Meanwhile, the Di tribe in the north rose to power, establishing the Former Qin. Its ruler, Fu Jian, unified the north and, in the eighth year of Eastern Jin’s Taiyuan era, mounted a full southern offensive.

Blackened swarms of cavalry and infantry bore down on the Huai River.

No one knew how the heavenly display recreated the scene, but the viewers could see it clearly: north of the Huai, tens of thousands of elite northern troops advanced like a crushing tide, inspiring pure dread.

No wonder Fu Jian, leading the southern campaign, had boasted that if his army threw their whips into the river, they could dam its flow.

A collective gasp rose through the hall.

The fall of Western Jin and the southern exodus had happened over eighty years ago—those who lived through it were long dead, leaving few living memories for the present audience.

But the Battle of Feishui was only thirteen years in the past. Many in the hall had fought in it and knew how miraculous victory had seemed then.

It was the battle that decided Eastern Jin’s survival!

The thunder of hooves and war cries seemed to cascade from the display, turning palace attendants pale with fear.

Sima Daozi’s face also paled—not from the vivid portrayal, but from dread of what the heavenly voice would say next.

It would be a damning revelation for him.

"Ah!"

Already tense, Sima Daozi jerked his head at the sudden cry.

A child in gilded robes had just arrived, only to stand transfixed in terror at the screen before scrambling behind a figure in an azure gown.

The child had already stood still but still clung to the sleeve of the person he relied on, burying his head behind them while calling out, "Cousin!"

Without being told, who would dare believe that this terrified child, jumpy as a spooked bird, was actually the younger brother of the foolish crown prince and, by age, was already eleven years old this year.

Sima Daozi's eyebrows shot up, as if all his earlier emotions had found an outlet: "Why is he here?"

Compared to the foolish crown prince Sima Dezong, the second imperial son Sima Dewen, who had been enfeoffed as the Prince of Langya, was undoubtedly far more capable. However, he was still young and had no real power yet—his presence here was useless, and it would have been better for him to stay put outside.

Yet, for some reason, he had suddenly appeared here.

Wang Shenai reached out and shielded him behind her.

Faced with Sima Daozi's aggressive questioning, the young Crown Princess seemed somewhat uneasy, yet she mustered her frail body to stand protectively in front of Sima Dewen.

"I don’t know... whether Your Highness was listening carefully to what the heavenly screen said earlier."

She pressed her lips together, her fine brows carrying a trace of resolve. "It said that the Crown Prince’s mother, Consort Chen, bore two sons who both became emperors. That is to say, besides the Crown Prince being the heir, the Prince of Langya also later became emperor."

"I don’t know whether the voice from the heavenly screen is real or not, nor do I know why she is saying these things. All I know is that if the heavenly screen speaks the truth, and the Prince of Langya is also destined to be emperor, then he should be here—not outside the palace!"

Her eyes turned serious as she uttered one sentence: "Imperial Uncle, I don’t trust you."

The heavenly screen had already stated that compared to the fool Sima Dezong, Imperial Uncle Sima Daozi was far more treacherous!

…

Sima Daozi's face darkened.

He clearly saw that the moment this underestimated Crown Princess spoke these words, the palace guards subtly repositioned a few steps, positioning themselves protectively in front of her—creating her first protective barrier in this hall.

More accurately, they were protecting not only this high-born Crown Princess but also the two "emperors" beside her.

With just these few words, the hall had been clearly split into two opposing sides.