gnovel Chapter 47: Emperor Wu of Han: Am I the Son of Heaven, or is he the Son of Heaven?
Chapter 47: Emperor Wu of Han: Am I the Son of Heaven, or is he the Son of Heaven?
"The Three Auxiliary Regions are divided into three parts of the capital region, and the Three Auxiliary Regions have the responsibility of commanding troops and governing the country."
"The Prefect of Jingzhao governed Chang'an County (northwest of present-day Xi'an), oversaw the Shang region, and connected with Nanyang and Jingchu."
"The position of Prefect of the Capital is of great importance. Xian Xuan was originally the Vice Censor-in-Chief, who was not knowledgeable in military affairs and did not handle civil affairs."
"Your subject believes that it is inappropriate for him to be appointed as the Prefect of the Capital."
Liu Ju solemnly stated.
'Thump!'
Xian Xuan's expression changed drastically; the boomerang had finally landed on him.
The transfer from Censor-in-Chief to Prefect of the Capital Region, though a move from the central government to a local post, still placed him in the capital area. However, this might not be the case in other places.
"Whom does the Crown Prince think should be appointed as the Prefect of the Capital?"
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, was not surprised at all by Liu Ju's words. He vaguely saw through the Crown Prince's political maneuvering: using others to his advantage and installing his confidants.
"The Prefect of Hedong Commandery, Fan Xi, diverted the Fen River to irrigate Pishi, and diverted the Yellow River to irrigate Fenyin and Puban, reclaiming 5,000 hectares of wasteland and increasing grain production by more than 2 million shi."
"This man has great talent in governing the region. To recognize his achievements, he should be promoted to Prefect of the Capital."
"The position of Prefect of Hedong can be taken over by Zhuang Xiongpi, who oversaw the construction of the Longshou Canal."
"As for the former Censor-in-Chief Xian Xuan, he was strict in handling cases and personally attended to every matter."
"In Xinping, the land of Nanyue, the Yue people are barbaric and do not submit to the king's rule."
"The great Confucian scholar Wei Xian volunteered to go there. Your son requests that a Lingnan prefectural school be established, with Wei Xian as its chief instructor, to recruit students and educate the nine prefectures of Lingnan."
"This is not enough. Your subject requests that Xianxuan be appointed as the Supervising Censor of Jiaozhou Circuit to supervise the local area."
"Whoa!!!"
The assembled officials were all astonished.
The Circuit Inspector was subordinate to the Attendant Censor, with a salary of 1,000 shi (a unit of grain), ranking as a sixth-grade official. The Prefect of the Capital was at least a third-grade official with a salary of 3,000 shi. The difference between them was like heaven and earth.
Moreover, the land of Nanyue is hot and humid, with miasma and snakes, insects, and rodents. It is even more remote and desolate than Hexi and Hetao. This is pure exile.
"allow!"
Emperor Wu of Han granted Liu Ju's request without hesitation.
Today, during the chess game in the palace, if the Censorate hadn't been so useless, and if the Censor-in-Chief Xian Xuan hadn't been rendered speechless by the Crown Prince's questions, how could he have ended up in such a predicament? In terms of hatred, Liu Che disliked Xian Xuan far more than Liu Ju.
"Clatter!"
Xian Xuan collapsed to the ground, utterly devastated.
The others looked at him with a sense of unease; this was the double consequence of offending both the emperor and the crown prince.
"It's getting late. I imagine Father and all the ministers are quite hungry."
"Your subject takes his leave!"
Liu Ju's lips curled into a slight smile as he turned and strode out of the Xuan Shi Hall.
"Giggle!"
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, clenched his fists tightly beneath his wide sleeves. He had made so many arrangements for this battle between father and son, but in the end, the crown prince still had the upper hand.
As the Crown Prince's figure disappeared from the palace, the assembled officials realized that they were all starving.
"His Majesty."
"We take our leave!"
Sang Hongyang, Er Kuan, and the others tactfully withdrew from outside the hall.
A moment later, only Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, Su Wen, the Yellow Gate Attendant, and a group of eunuchs serving by his side remained in the Xuan Shi Hall.
"Am I the Son of Heaven, or is he the Son of Heaven?"
"Is this burly man still my burly man?"
Emperor Wu of Han's two unexpected words frightened the group of eunuchs so much that they knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.
"His Majesty."
"Princess Pingyang requests an audience!"
A hint of smugness flashed across Su Wen's eyes. Now, the conflict between the Crown Prince and the Emperor could no longer be resolved.
"Sister!"
Emperor Wu of Han narrowed his eyes and said calmly, "I am not in the mood to see her today. Go and tell my elder sister that I will summon her to the palace for a banquet in a few days."
"promise."
The Imperial Attendant Su Wen responded and went to deliver the imperial edict.
.................
At 3:45 PM, at the Crown Prince's Palace.
"Your Highness."
Shi De, the Crown Prince's Attendant, and Zhang He, the Crown Prince's Household Steward, waited anxiously at the palace gate. When they saw Liu Ju appear, their hearts finally settled back into their chests.
"Zhang He".
"Order someone to prepare a meal, and make sure there's plenty."
Liu Ju gave the order directly.
"promise."
Zhang He understood immediately and quickly went to make the arrangements.
Then, Liu Ju looked at Shi De: "You will greet Lord Shi here."
"Grandpa?"
Slightly startled, Shi De quickly nodded: "Yes."
"Tap tap!"
After making the arrangements, Liu Ju strode towards Bowang Garden. His back was already soaked with sweat. Today's game of chess was undoubtedly very dangerous. If he made a wrong move, he, as the crown prince, would probably have no future.
All the enemies, the instigators of the witchcraft, have appeared on the table, and he needs to focus on dealing with even greater challenges.
The Nine Temples and Five Directorates shattered the inner and outer courts, creating a gap in Emperor Wu of Han Liu Che's power, which was his best opportunity.
"Grandpa!"
Time passed second by second, and Shi De saw Shi Qing's figure in the distance. However, there were several other people beside Shi Qing, including Grand Master Gongsun He and Grand Master Li Xi. He was a little unaware of what was happening.
"Um."
Shi Qing, Gongsun He, and Li Xi exchanged a glance and then stepped into the Crown Prince's Palace together.
Inside the main hall, Crown Prince Liu Ju, dressed in a black robe with gold trim, was already waiting for them.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
As soon as the three entered, they all bowed in greeting.
"No need for formalities, please take a seat and have your meal before we discuss business."
Liu Ju waved his hand, indicating.
"promise."
Shi Qing and his two companions were not reserved at all. This confrontation had truly exhausted them, and the hungry group began to eat heartily.
Moreover, after this incident, the three of them were completely branded as members of the princeling faction, now bound together by the same fate, sharing both glory and ruin.
Seeing this scene, Zhang He, the Crown Prince's steward, thought to himself: "Many important things must have happened at today's court assembly!"
Just as he had guessed, the new system of nine temples, five directorates, and two prime ministers caused a great uproar in Chang'an. The right prime minister, Er Kuan, did not attract much attention, but the newly appointed left prime minister, Liu Quli, attracted the attention of countless people. This son of the Prince of Zhongshan was the first member of the imperial clan to become prime minister.
Moreover, the rise of Grand Censor Bao Shengzhi and Vice Grand Censor Mang Tong indicated that Emperor Wu of Han was further employing cruel officials, which instilled fear in countless people.
More than a dozen imperial edicts were issued in succession from Weiyang Palace, the farthest being sent to the State of Yan. The major reshuffle of the entire court shook the world. The introduction of the nine-rank official system once sparked discussions among countless officials, with most praising the measure.
Crown Prince Liu Ju stepped forward during this dramatic upheaval in the court. The situation where Emperor Wu of Han regarded the world as insignificant was a thing of the past. The power of the prime minister was further strengthened, and the cohesion of the central court gradually deepened, forming an interest group that could rival the imperial power.
Currently, the emperor, court officials, and crown prince are in a state of entanglement, with no single party able to exert absolute dominance, resulting in a strange balance.
In this confrontation, Li Ling, the supervisor of Jianzhang Palace, became the beneficiary and was promoted to the position of guard of Jianzhang Palace, one of the four palaces.
PS: The jurisdiction of Jingzhao Yin roughly encompassed the area north of the Qinling Mountains in present-day Shaanxi Province, east of Xi'an City, south of the Wei River, and the western part of Lingbao City in Henan Province.