gnovel Chapter 33: The Wise Crown Prince Rectifies His Incompetent Teammates!
Chapter 33: The Wise Crown Prince Rectifies His Incompetent Teammates!
Afternoon, at the Crown Prince's Palace.
"Your Highness."
"Grand Master Gongsun He, along with his son Gongsun Jingsheng, were outside requesting an audience."
Just as Liu Ju was about to take a short rest, a strange look flashed across his eyes at the servant's report.
The Gongsun family was closely allied with the Wei and Huo families. During the witchcraft scandal, Gongsun He and his son both died in prison.
Gongsun He was mediocre in military affairs but accomplished in political affairs. He served as Taipu (Grand Master of the Palace) for many years and later succeeded Shi Qing as Chancellor.
Her son, Gongsun Jingsheng, relied on his mother, Wei Junru, being the elder sister of Empress Wei Zifu, to act arrogantly and disregard the law. He held the high position of Grand Master of the Nine Ministers and misappropriated 19 million coins of the Northern Army's military funds. After the matter was exposed, he was arrested and imprisoned.
In order to redeem his son Gongsun Jingsheng's crime, Gongsun He petitioned Emperor Wu of Han to arrest Zhu Anshi, a man from Yangling, and succeeded.
However, while in prison, Zhu Anshi submitted a memorial falsely accusing Gongsun Jingsheng of having an affair with Princess Yangshi and of using witchcraft to curse the emperor, thus triggering the witchcraft calamity.
"Besides Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng, who else is there?"
Liu Ju sat up, scrutinized the attendant, and asked.
"Return to your highness."
"The servant also brought 300,000 coins."
The attendant said respectfully.
"My uncle is really sensible."
"Please invite them into the hall for a discussion."
Liu Ju's expression was ambiguous.
"promise."
The servant hurriedly turned and left.
Before long, he appeared in the hall with two figures.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
As soon as Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng entered the hall, they bowed and paid their respects without saying a word.
"Someone, please bring a seat."
Liu Ju gently waved his right hand and said warmly.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng took their seats at the lower left.
After the two settled down, Liu Ju looked them over with great interest: "It's not a holiday or festival, yet my uncle has sent such a generous gift. I am quite flattered."
"Your Highness is too kind."
Gongsun He straightened his posture and solemnly said, "Your Highness is benevolent and cares for the people. All the officials in the court admire you."
"I, a humble servant, am willing to do my part for the more than 500,000 refugees in Guandong."
"Then I will accept it."
Liu Ju smiled slightly and said calmly.
Gongsun He was indeed a clever man. He kept quiet about Emperor Wu of Han's edict stripping the crown prince of his fiefdom, and only mentioned the refugees from Guandong. Donating 300,000 coins from a righteous standpoint was far more pleasing than giving 300,000 coins to the crown prince.
*Whoosh!*
Seeing this, a hint of joy flashed in Gongsun He's eyes, and he continued, "More than 500,000 refugees are crying out for food."
"Coming all the way from Kanto, we entered Shanglin Garden."
"Your Highness wishes to appoint an official in charge of agriculture; it is not possible for one person to pacify so many people."
"My son is young and strong, and possesses great courage. If Your Highness would not mind, I would like him to serve by Your Highness's side."
"Oh?"
Liu Ju raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise, and said, "Cousin, you are a court attendant; isn't this a bit of a waste of your talent?"
"How can a mere idle official position be compared to Your Highness's salvation of the common people? I shall resign."
Gongsun He answered directly without even asking Gongsun Jingsheng's opinion.
"I???"
Gongsun Jingsheng almost coughed up blood; that was an official with a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), a close confidant of the emperor.
"Since everyone in the palace is here today, I will speak frankly."
"Your Highness, please speak!"
Gongsun He's expression turned serious as he stared at Liu Ju.
"There are many rumors in and around Chang'an that my cousin is arrogant and extravagant and does not abide by the law, and these rumors are rampant."
A seemingly unintentional remark by Liu Ju caused a drastic change in the expressions of Gongsun He and his son.
"evil creature."
"Why aren't you kneeling down and begging for forgiveness?"
Gongsun He was furious and immediately rebuked him.
*Thud!*
Gongsun Jingsheng suddenly knelt down on the ground, completely bewildered as to what he had done wrong.
In his view, his biological father was one of the Nine Ministers, his uncle was a general, and his aunt was the empress. So what if he acted arrogantly?
"The Wei family, the Huo family, and the Gongsun family are all of the same blood."
"In the eyes of outsiders, it is incredibly valuable."
"Since the time of Emperor Gaozu, there has never been such a distinguished family with six marquises."
"Our Tianhan is different from the former Qin. The ascension of emperors in each dynasty was inseparable from the powerful maternal clans. Once the emperor was on the throne, the maternal clans became a stubborn disease clinging to the empire, and no emperor did not want to eliminate them."
"My father has overcome countless obstacles along the way, including those from the maternal relatives and the imperial clan. He is bound to be fiercely opposed to evil."
"No matter who it was for, he was going to do it, and he already has."
Liu Ju stood up, looking down at Gongsun He, and said, word by word.
Boom!
These words, like a morning bell and evening drum, awakened Gongsun He, and he now understood why he had become entangled in the matter of rewarding someone for a title.
Not only him, but the Wei family also lost two marquises. In addition to Wei Qing's eldest son Wei Kang, who had previously lost his title, only two of the six marquises remained: the young Marquis Huo Shan, and the Marquis of Changping Wei Qing, who had been ill at home for many years.
All of this stemmed from Crown Prince Liu Ju, or rather, from the power of the maternal relatives.
"My uncle is a smart man; he should know the reason behind my previous actions."
"Any small mistake could ruin the whole thing."
"This is not child's play; this is a life-or-death struggle."
"I understand!"
Gongsun He nodded, his heart heavy.
The struggle for the throne is already bloody and fierce, let alone the emperor's position. A slight misstep could lead to the extermination of the entire clan.
The Crown Prince, the Empress, the Wei family, the Gongsun family, the Huo family—which one can escape unscathed?
"The position of Agricultural Official is of great importance and cannot be filled by anyone but a person with exceptional talent."
Seeing that Gongsun He understood his meaning, Liu Ju said frankly, "I have already decided on the candidate: Huo Guang, the younger brother of the late Marquis of Jingheng, who was a court attendant, a charioteer, and a grand master of the palace. This position is worth at least two thousand shi (a unit of grain).
'Thump!'
Gongsun He felt a jolt in his heart.
Two thousand shi was the standard salary for high-ranking officials in the Han Empire, including the Nine Ministers of the Central Government and the Prefects of Local Prefectures.
If the agricultural official were to act in this way, the government offices that would follow would be no less powerful than those of the Nine Ministers.
Gongsun Jingsheng, kneeling beside him, looked indignant. Why could Huo Guang be appointed, but he couldn't? He was also a Chamberlain.
"My cousin has no experience in military or political affairs, so he cannot be given an important position if he is to enter the Crown Prince's palace."
Liu Juming clearly told Gongsun He that Gongsun Jingsheng was not qualified to hold a substantive position in the Crown Prince's Palace.
"well!!!"
Gongsun He sighed, feeling utterly disappointed in his eldest son.
"My cousin can serve as a guest of the Crown Prince and will temporarily train with the Crown Prince's guard."
"When the opportunity arises in the future, I will serve as a prefect or lead troops; it will come naturally."
Liu then made a suggestion.
What?
Gongsun Jingsheng's eyes widened. To make him a guest of the Crown Prince, a low-ranking official with no salary, and to have to train with the Crown Prince's guards—wasn't that just torture?
"I am deeply grateful that my son has been valued and nurtured by the Crown Prince."
Seeing that things had taken a turn for the better, Gongsun He quickly agreed on behalf of Gongsun Jingsheng.
"Then it's settled."
Liu Ju maintained a smile throughout, glancing at Gongsun Jingsheng. Gongsun Jingsheng trembled, his face turning ashen; his good days were over.