In October of the first year of Xianxi (264), Sima Zhao established Sima You as the heir of the Jin State. In May of the second year of Xianxi (265), Emperor Cao Huan of Wei Yuan added Sima Zhaoshu and promoted the princess to the queen, and the crown prince of Jin was changed from Sima You to Sima Yan. In August, Sima Zhao died of illness, and Sima Yan took over the titles of Xiangguo and King of Jin. In the early days, Sima Zhao had planned to appoint Sima You as his heir, but later changed his mind, why?
One. 
Sima You, the second son of Emperor Wen of the Jin Dynasty, Sima Zhao, has the same half-father as Sima Yan, and his mother is Wang Yuanji, the queen of civilization. Sima You was very intelligent, mild-mannered, good at making friends with wise men, outstanding literary talent, especially good at letter-loving, and his prestige and talent surpassed that of his elder brother Sima Yan, and he was deeply respected by his grandfather Sima Yi.
However, Sima You later passed on to Sima Shi and became his successor. In 251, Sima You followed Sima Yi to defeat the rebellion of Taiwei Wang Ling, and made great achievements in battle, and was named the Marquis of Changle Ting. Compared with Sima Yan's mediocre performance, Sima You accumulated prestige and military exploits early.
In the second year of Zhengyuan (255), Sima Shi died of illness, Sima You was only ten years old, but he showed grief at the funeral, won praise, and later attacked the Marquis of Wuyang. Sima You served Yang Huiyu in his house and was known for his filial piety.
Two. 
The Book of Jin and the Third Emperor records that Sima Zhao initially planned to appoint Sima You as his heir, but because Emperor Jing died early, he thought that Sima You was a suitable heir. Sima Zhao said many times that the great cause should be returned to Sima You, and often said: "This is King Jing's world, what can I do." He once revealed to his subordinates his willingness to pass on the throne to Sima You.
However, there were also supporters of Sima Yan in the imperial court, and he made extensive friends with ministers. Pei Xiu, Yang Xiu and other ministers all supported Sima Yan, and He Zeng was Situ, who participated in the Gaopingling Rebellion, and was very important to Sima Zhao's opinion. In 264, He praised Sima Yan many times, emphasizing that the successor should be superior rather than virtuous, and finally persuaded Sima Zhao to change the decision to establish a prince.
Three. Although Sima You was ultimately defeated by Sima Yan, the latter did not suppress him. After the establishment of the Western Jin Dynasty, Sima You was crowned King of Qi, and successively served as an important official position such as Hussar General, Sikong, Kaifu Yitong and the Three Divisions, and made remarkable achievements and became Sima Yan's right-hand man.
However, in the late period of Emperor Sima Yan of the Jin Dynasty, Sima You was called upon inside and outside the court to succeed him, causing Sima Yan's dissatisfaction. The ministers Xun Miao and Feng Zhen spoke ill of Sima Yu in front of Sima Yan, causing him to be expelled from the imperial court, and finally died of anger at the age of thirty-six.
Sima You's death marked the final end of his struggle for the throne with Sima Yan. However, his contribution in the early Western Jin Dynasty cannot be ignored, and he became an important supporter of Sima Yan.
Epilogue. The reason why Sima Zhao was optimistic about Sima Yu in the early stage was complicated. Sima You's talent, military exploits, and filial piety made him a popular candidate for the heir, and Sima Yan won the throne by enlisting the support of his ministers through clever political skills. Although Sima You was defeated by Sima Yan, he performed well in his later positions and made positive contributions to the establishment and development of the Western Jin Dynasty. This history tells us that battles for the throne often involve many factors, such as political wisdom, the support of ministers, and family background.
The struggle for succession to the throne during the Sima Zhao period is undoubtedly a gripping political drama in Chinese history. This battle involves the future fate of the Jin Kingdom, and the rivalry between Sima You and Sima Yan has become one of the hot topics in history books. The article provides an in-depth interpretation of this period of history, from Sima You's ingenuity and filial piety to Sima Yan's ingenious strategies, presenting a complex and fascinating political picture.
First of all, Sima You's intelligence and filial piety are fully reflected in the article. As the son of Sima Zhao, Sima You not only excelled intellectually, but also showed a gentle personality and a closeness to talents. His literary talent and ability to express himself in letters made him a role model at the time, earning him the respect of his grandfather, Sima Yi. This made Sima You highly valued in the early days of Sima Zhao and became a suitable heir in Sima Zhao's mind.
Secondly, the article also provides a detailed analysis of Sima Yan's political skills and extensive contacts with ministers. Sima Yan skillfully enlisted support in the imperial court, especially establishing close ties with ministers such as Pei Xiu and Yang Xiu. This kind of political wisdom played a crucial role in the struggle for the establishment of the reserve. He Zeng's support played a decisive role in Sima Yan's victory, and his opinion was regarded by Sima Zhao as a factor that must be considered, which eventually led Sima Zhao to change his mind and choose Sima Yan as his heir.
The article concludes with an overview of Sima You's fate in his later years, revealing his important role in the early Western Jin Dynasty. Despite his defeat at Sima Yan's, Sima You was not suppressed too much, but made remarkable achievements after the establishment of the Western Jin Dynasty and became Sima Yan's right-hand man. This period of history shows that despite his defeat in the battle for the establishment of the prince, Sima You's talent and contributions were eventually recognized, laying the foundation for his later success.
Overall, this article provides an in-depth analysis of the succession dispute during the Sima Zhao period, showing the complexity of Jin politics and the intrigue within the royal family. The competition between Sima You and Sima Yan is not only a contest of political skills, but also involves the support of the family and ministers, presenting a multi-level political picture. This history not only provides us with a deep understanding of the political system of the Jin Kingdom, but also makes people think about the wisdom of power struggles and the twists and turns of succession to the throne.
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