gnovel Chapter 25: Cutting off the fuel supply, Liu Ju: It's just a little hardship!
Chapter 25: Cutting off the fuel supply, Liu Ju: It's just a little hardship!
"Don't worry, don't rush!"
"It's just a little bit of hardship!"
Meeting their gazes, Liu Ju smiled slightly, completely unconcerned about the matter.
"Your Highness."
Zhang He and Xiao Shoucheng were even more worried. With a knife to his throat, the Crown Prince could still laugh.
If the Crown Prince's treasury is unable to sustain itself, within a few months, the palace maids, eunuchs, and servants in the Crown Prince's palace will either leave or disperse, and their loyalty will be lost.
"Does Father think this will force me into a corner, leaving me no choice but to submit to him?"
"That's just wishful thinking!"
Liu Ju curled his lip, dismissing the criticism.
The Crown Prince's treasury alone was enough to sustain him for more than half a year, not to mention that Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, had no idea how many ways he could raise money.
"Your Highness."
"Your Majesty's actions will likely lead to trouble at tomorrow's court assembly..."
Although Zhang He didn't finish his sentence, his meaning was already quite clear.
Emperor Wu of Han's edict would inevitably provoke many people who were hostile to the Crown Prince and the Wei family to come forward and use the events of the past few days as a pretext to attack the Crown Prince in court, thereby further weakening the Crown Prince's prestige.
"Rong Guang, Hao Xing Gong, and Wei Xian have already gathered their friends and recruited many Confucian scholars from the Guliang School."
"If I were to submit a memorial requesting the establishment of academies in Hexi, Shuofang, and Nanhai, it would surely spark discussion among the court and the public."
"This move implicitly contains the profound truth of the sage's teachings that have influenced both the world and the land, and scholars throughout the world will surely stand on his side."
"Your Majesty wants to use this to suppress me, huh?"
Liu Ju chuckled, his words laced with sarcasm towards Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che.
A father who doesn't know his son, and a son who doesn't know his father—this is perhaps the most ridiculous scene in the world.
"Your Highness is wise."
Zhang He and Xiao Shoucheng exchanged a glance and exclaimed in unison in praise.
"However, since Father has already made his move, if I do nothing, it would make me seem incompetent."
"This year, the empire pacified the southern Yue, subdued the southwestern barbarians, conquered the eastern Yue, attacked the western Qiang, resettled people to strengthen the border, built the Great Wall, and established the Yumen Pass and Yang Pass."
"Your Majesty also dispatched General Gongsun He of Fuju with 15,000 cavalry to travel more than 2,000 li from Jiuyuan to Fuju Well and then return; General Zhao Ponu of Xionghe led 10,000 cavalry to travel several thousand li from Lingju to the Xionghe River and then return; in order to drive away the Xiongnu and prevent them from blocking the Han envoys, neither of them saw a single Xiongnu."
"It can be said that the expenditure was enormous, the people's strength was exhausted, local people complained bitterly, and displaced people rose up everywhere."
"In the Guandong region alone, there were no fewer than hundreds of thousands of refugees, who traveled through prefectures and counties, creating a massive wave of migration."
"If we do not appease them in time, it will inevitably lead to unrest."
With a deep gaze, Liu Ju mentioned the most serious problem in the later period of Emperor Wu of Han's reign.
Heavy corvée labor and taxes, harsh criminal laws and regulations, and years of natural disasters led to a situation where "the people's strength was exhausted, the financial resources were depleted, resulting in famine years and banditry." Peasant uprisings broke out one after another, with the most intense ones occurring in Nanyang, Chu, Qi, Yan, and Zhao, and even frequently happening near Chang'an (northwest of present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi Province).
In fact, some signs have already appeared, but the worst is yet to come.
The only law in the world is the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest. Although Emperor Wu of Han seemed to be constantly suppressing powerful clans, in reality, these powerful clans would pass on this pressure to the most ordinary people, and in the end, it was only these commoners who would suffer.
"Relocating hundreds of thousands of people to any one county would not be a blessing, but a catastrophe."
"Your Highness means..."
Zhang He and Xiao Shoucheng exchanged glances, immediately realizing the key to the matter.
"Shanglin Garden extends from Lantian, Yichun, Dinghu, Yusu, and Kunwu in the east, along the Zhongnan Mountains to the west, reaching Changyang and Wuzuo, then around Huangshan in the north, bordering the Wei River and turning east, covering an area of more than 300 li."
"The garden is surrounded by rolling hills and towering peaks, with deep forests, giant trees, and jagged rocks, and eight rivers flowing into the garden."
"The mountains and rivers are abundant, and the forests are lush, which has nurtured countless kinds of birds, beasts, fish and turtles."
Liu Ju's lips curled into a slight smile. Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, had built the Shanglin Garden so luxuriously; how could he possibly waste it?
Shanglin Garden covers the area north of the Wei River and south of the Qinling Mountains, stretching 200 li from east to west and no less than 60 li from north to south, with a total area of 3000 square kilometers. Eight rivers within its borders provide natural irrigation water, making it the most quintessential region of the Guanzhong Plain.
Let alone settling hundreds of thousands of refugees, it would be no problem to settling over a million people.
Moreover, Chang'an has tens of thousands of Northern Army soldiers and nearly ten thousand Southern Army soldiers, all of whom are the most elite troops of the Han Empire, ready to suppress these refugees at any time.
"Your Highness."
Will His Majesty agree to this?
Zhang He and Xiao Shoucheng asked with some doubt.
Shanglin Garden was a royal garden. It began to expand in the third year of Jianyuan (138 BC) and now has 70 detached palaces. It is a magnificent garden, with Jianzhang Palace and Bowang Garden among its many components.
Moreover, Emperor Wu of Han trained the imperial guards, the Yulin Army and the naval soldiers, in the Shanglin Garden, demonstrating their importance.
"He has no choice."
Liu Ju waved his hand, confidently saying, "Our Emperor has always prided himself on being the ruler of all people."
"Hundreds of thousands of refugees from Northeast China were wandering around, and local officials and high-ranking officials in the imperial court were all worried."
"The decision to settle these people is a unanimous one, both inside and outside the government."
"The suggestion I'm giving is the best option."
"Your subject understands."
Upon hearing this, Zhang He and Xiao Shoucheng instantly understood.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced people have no home and no land to cultivate, which has affected the interests of local powerful families, princes, marquises, and officials. When these people are united, they undoubtedly represent the entire imperial court.
If the refugees are settled in Shanglin Garden, it will only harm the emperor's interests, which would be a good thing for everyone.
With unanimous support from both the court and the public, even Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, had no other choice.
"Xiao Shoucheng".
"Your Highness."
Xiao Shoucheng, the chief clerk of the Crown Prince's palace, immediately responded.
"All funds in the inner treasury shall be disbursed by you for the large-scale purchase of grain, crops, oxen, and farm implements."
"We must ensure that the grain reserves are sufficient to support hundreds of thousands of displaced people until the summer harvest."
"My father has sons from good families in six prefectures. These hundreds of thousands of refugees may well become my foundation."
Liu Ju gave Xiao Shoucheng a deep look and solemnly instructed him.
During the Han Dynasty, the six commanderies of Longxi, Tianshui, Anding, Beidi, Shangjun, and Xihe were located on the northwestern frontier. In order to resist foreign invasions, a fierce and martial folk culture developed in the area. Young men from respectable families who were skilled in riding and archery were selected to join the imperial guards such as the Yulin and Qimen.
The six commanderies produced many talented individuals from good families during the four hundred years of the Han Dynasty, and their rise and fall were closely linked to the fate of the Han Dynasty.
Hundreds of thousands of refugees from Guandong were settled in Shanglin Garden, making a living by farming and fishing. Over time, their skills in riding and archery and their bravery were no less than those of the good families in the six counties. These people, who had received great favors from Liu Ju, would naturally become natural vassals of the crown prince.
"promise."
Xiao Shoucheng solemnly replied.
Zhang He, standing beside him, had a gleam in his eyes. He knew that the Crown Prince was making preparations in advance for usurping the throne. Hundreds of thousands of refugees were entrenched around Chang'an. Once organized, they would be at least tens of thousands of troops, and taking Chang'an would be a piece of cake.
PS: In the Han Dynasty, Guandong referred to the area east of Hangu Pass, including present-day Henan, Hebei, Shandong and other places.