gnovel Chapter 12: The Crown Prince is destined to be the number one conman of the Han Dynasty!
Chapter 12: The Crown Prince is destined to be the number one conman of the Han Dynasty!
"Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"What happened today has left us deeply ashamed."
Rong Guang's lips curled into a bitter smile as he struggled to speak.
"I'm ashamed!"
Haoxing Gong and Wei Xian were the same, heads bowed, silent.
They, like Crown Prince Liu Ju, came from the same school of Jiang Gong and were supposed to assist the Crown Prince in becoming a wise ruler. Who would have thought that this would happen?
"No one is perfect; everyone makes mistakes."
"And what they do has nothing to do with you."
Liu Ju waved his hand dismissively, attempting to let the matter drop.
This only made Rong Guang and the other two feel even more ashamed, since they were the ones who had led the charge to urge the Crown Prince to vindicate Shen Yu.
"We have no face to face Your Highness."
"I hereby resign!"
Rong Guang and the other two exchanged glances and spoke in unison.
After this incident, the Guliang School will surely become a laughing stock in the eyes of the people. Even if Crown Prince Liu Ju tries to persuade them to stay, they will have no face to remain in Bowang Garden.
"Since it is the decision made by the three of you, I cannot say anything more."
"Have the three of you considered where you would go or what you would do after leaving the Crown Prince's Palace?"
Liu asked a question.
Among Jiang Gong's disciples, Rong Guang, Hao Xing Gong, and Wei Xian were the most outstanding, making indelible contributions to the prosperity of the Guliang School.
Among them, Rong Guang, a native of Lu (present-day Qufu, Shandong), fully inherited his teachings. He was highly intelligent and quick-witted, and debated with Sui Meng and others of the Gongyang School, leaving them speechless on several occasions. This inspired students at the time to flock to study the Guliang Commentary. Cai Qianqiu, Zhou Qing, and the Ding family were among his students.
Wei Xian was the great-grandson of the great Confucian scholar Wei Meng. He was known to later generations as the great Confucian scholar of Zou and Lu. He served as prime minister during the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han. His youngest son, Wei Xuancheng, also became prime minister after passing the imperial examination. Throughout the two Han dynasties, only the Wei family and the Ping family were known for having fathers and sons who successively served as prime ministers.
The three men were undoubtedly the best of their time in terms of talent and character, and could not be compared with those Confucian scholars of the Guliang School.
"this....."
Rong Guang and the other two did not know how to respond.
"When Jiang Gong was studying in Xiaqiu (now Yanzhou, Shandong), many students of the Guliang School in the Qilu region considered it an honor to become his students."
"All three of you are from Qi and Lu, and have traveled a long way to Chang'an to assist me. If you return to your hometown like this, it would be a disservice to Lord Jiang."
"The foremost great Confucian scholar of the Gongyang School is Hu Gong (Hu Wusheng), followed by Dong Gong (Dong Zhongshu)."
"The Marquis of Pingjin (Gongsun Hong), Chu Da of Lanling, Ying Gong of Dongping, Duan Zhong of Guangchuan, Lü Bushu of Wenzhi, and others all came from the school of Hu Gong."
"The saying 'having students all over the world' is nothing more than this."
"I believe that the Guliang School cannot grow stronger in Chang'an, as most local prefects and magistrates come from the Gongyang School."
"Our Han dynasty has more than just these counties. Your Majesty has recently pacified Nanyue and Dongyue, and relocated 600,000 people to Hexi."
"These places are newly conquered territories, and the local people are uneducated and do not know what Gongyang or Guliang are."
"Can these three emulate Confucius and enlighten the hearts of all people?"
"Huh?"
Rong Guang, Hao Xinggong, and Wei Xian stared wide-eyed; they had never considered this possibility.
"If the three of you are willing, I will not hesitate to write to His Majesty and request that the Hexi Academy, Lingnan Academy, and Shuofang Academy be established."
"Three officials were appointed as the chief priests of the academy to recruit students, teach the Five Classics, and practice the Six Arts."
"Outstanding students may be sent to the Imperial Academy for further study and compete with the students of the Gongyang Academy."
"In the future, officials from the four prefectures of Hexi, the nine prefectures of Lingnan, and the five prefectures of Shuofang will be given priority in appointing students to the academies."
"If this continues, students of the Guliang School will emerge in an endless stream, and they will naturally be able to compete with the Gongyang School."
With a smile on his face, Liu Ju's words were filled with an irresistible allure.
As Confucian scholars, emulating the ancient sages and educating the people is the most noble ideal. Moreover, with the Guliang School weakened, taking a different path and establishing roots in Hexi, Shuofang, and Lingnan is a new direction for growth.
"We are willing!"
Rong Guang and the other two were excited and replied loudly.
"In that case, I would like to ask the three of you to stay at the Crown Prince's Palace for a few more days."
"I will bring this matter up to His Majesty at the court assembly four days from now."
Liu Ju said with a serious expression.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"To accomplish such a meritorious deed of educating all people, the three of us alone are far from sufficient."
"We will now separately gather insightful individuals to dedicate ourselves to the future of our Guliang School."
As soon as they finished speaking, Rong Guang and the other two couldn't wait to leave Bowangyuan.
"Pfft!"
Liu Ju smiled as he watched their hurried figures.
Sure enough, few people in the world can resist the temptation of fame and fortune, and Rong Guang and his two companions were no exception.
『.............』
The lips of Shi De and Wu Qie, the Crown Prince's attendants, and Zhang He and Zhang Guang, the Crown Prince's guests, twitched slightly. In the blink of an eye, the Crown Prince had tricked three of the most outstanding disciples of Jiang Gong, a great Confucian scholar of the Guliang School, into going to the wild and uncivilized places of Hexi, Lingnan, and Shuofang.
Moreover, judging from the expressions of Rong Guang and the other two, they were clearly enjoying themselves, and they had probably been fooled.
Crown Prince Liu Ju had already studied the Guliang Commentary under Jiang Gong, so this move was undoubtedly a reversal of the Heavenly Gang.
"Shisheren."
"Your Highness."
Shi De was stunned for a moment, then belatedly realized what was happening.
"There is one thing I need you to do personally."
Liu Ju stared intently at Shi De and said seriously.
"Please give your orders, Your Highness."
"Your Majesty, I will do my utmost to serve you."
Shi De's expression turned solemn, and he replied earnestly.
Although he was the son of Prime Minister Shi Qing, he was not the eldest son, but the youngest son, and he was not entitled to inherit anything in the family.
Therefore, he cherished his future as a prince's attendant, for if he did well, he could become a minister who would help the emperor rise to power.
It should be noted that before becoming Prime Minister, Shi Qing was the Crown Prince's tutor. The Shi family was already tied to the Crown Prince; their fates were intertwined.
"Go and tell the Prime Minister that I want Bu Shi to be the Crown Prince's tutor."
"Bo Shi?"
Slightly startled, Shi De memorized the name and hurriedly left Bowangyuan.
"Zhang He, Zhang Guang, Wu Qie."
Liu Ju called out softly.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince."
The three of them stepped forward together, their eyes fixed on Liu Ju.
"From this day forward, the Crown Prince's Palace will be divided into three temples."
"The Imperial Household Department manages the Emperor's personal estate and is also in charge of the Crown Prince's palace prisons, food, and warehouses."
"The Shuaigeng Temple was in charge of the water clock, drums, wind instruments, and ritual music for the Crown Prince's palace."
"The Palace Attendant is in charge of the Crown Prince's palace carriages, stables, and ceremonial processions."
"Zhang He was appointed as the Crown Prince's Household Steward, Zhang Guang as the Crown Prince's Chief of Staff, and Wu Qie as the Crown Prince's Palace Attendant, all with a rank of 1,000 shi (a unit of grain).
"promise."
Upon hearing this, Zhang He and the other two couldn't help but show joy on their faces.
The Crown Prince's Palace (Bowang Garden) was the residence of the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was treated the same as the Empress, with a bath and burial plot for daily expenses. Although the Crown Prince's Household Steward, Crown Prince's Chief Steward, and Crown Prince's Servant Steward were merely household servants appointed by the Crown Prince, their status was not low, and they received a salary of 1,000 shi (a unit of grain), which was equivalent to the treatment of high-ranking officials.
PS: The Five Classics are the *Classic of Poetry*, the *Classic of History*, the *Classic of Rites*, the *Classic of Changes*, and the *Spring and Autumn Annals*.
The Six Arts are: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics.
The four commanderies of Hexi: Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang.
The nine prefectures of Lingnan: Nanhai Prefecture, Cangwu Prefecture, Yulin Prefecture, Hepu Prefecture, Jiaozhi Prefecture, Jiuzhen Prefecture, Rinan Prefecture, Zhuya Prefecture, and Dan'er Prefecture.
The five commanderies of Shuofang: Shuofang Commandery, Wuyuan Commandery, Yunzhong Commandery, Xihe Commandery, and Dingxiang Commandery